Shaykh Abu Hamid Ahmad ibn Khadrawayyah al-Balkhi (q.s.) in Brief

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Imam Abu al-Qasim ‘Abd al-Karim ibn Huzan al-Qushayri (r.a.) recorded, in his Risalah al-Qushayriyyah, Shaykh Abu Hamid Ahmad ibn Khadrawayh al-Balkhi (q.s.) was a great Sufi master of Khurasan, who kept the company of Shaykh Abu Turab Muhammad ibn Husayn an-Nakhshabi (q.s.). He arrived in Nishapur, where he visited Abu Hafsw ‘Amr ibn Salamah al-Haddad (q.s.).  He then set out to Bustham, in order to meet Shaykh Bayazid Thayfur ibn ‘Isa al-Bisthami (q.s.). He was famous for his attachment to futuwwa. 

Shaykh Abu Hafsw (q.s.) said, about him, “I have seen no one as strongly concentrated on God, and as sincere in his spiritual state as Ahmad ibn Khadrawayh.” 

Shaykh Bayazid al-Bisthami (q.s.) said, “Ahmad is our teacher.” 

Imam al-Qushayri (r.a.) said he heard Shaykh Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman Muhammad ibn al-Husayn as-Sulami (q.s.) say, that he heard Shaykh Mansur ibn ‘Abdallah (r.a.) say, he heard Shaykh Muhammad ibn Hamid (r.a.) say, “I was with Ahmad ibn Khadrawayh during his agony of death.  He had just turned ninety-five. 

One of his disciples asked him a question.  His eyes filled with tears, and he answered, ‘My son, the door at which I have been knocking for ninety-five years is about to open before me and I have no inkling whether it will lead me to felicity or infelicity.  Do I have the time to answer?’” 

He had a debt of seven hundred dinars.  His lenders gathered around him.  He looked at them, and said, “O my Lord, You have determined that pledges serve as a guaranty for moneylenders, and now You are taking from them their guaranty.  So settle my accounts!” 

Then there was a knock on the door and someone asked: “Where are Ahmad’s creditors?”  His debts were paid, and then his spirit departed.  He passed away in 240 AH.

Shaykh Ahmad ibn Khadrawayh (q.s.) said, “No sleep is heavier than neglectfulness; no slavery is stronger than your carnal desires.  Therefore, were neglectfulness not to weigh heavily upon you, you would never succumb to your desire.”