The Ascetic of Basra
Mutarraf’s father Abd Allah ibn al-Shakhir was a Companion who narrated hadiths and settled in Basra after the conquests. Mutarraf grew up in Basra and had access to first-generation Companions in his formative years — an extraordinary opportunity he used to study and preserve.
He is credited with teaching circles in Basra that combined hadith transmission with practical spiritual instruction. He lived through the Umayyad period, witnessing the first civil wars and their aftermath.
Sayings Preserved in the Zuhd Literature
From Mutarraf’s recorded sayings:
“There is nothing between me and death except the night and the day — and they are carrying me [toward it] whether I want or not.”
“I have considered and found that the most beneficial thing to a man is a beloved companion who tells him the truth and the most harmful thing is a companion who flatters him.”
“If the nafs (soul) would accept contentment, contentment is the richest wealth. But it does not accept — so a man is never satisfied.”
“I prefer that I sleep and wake as one who fears rather than spending the night in worship as one who is safe [from pride].”
On Night Prayer
He was known for long night vigils. One of his students reported: “I never saw him sit comfortably except in the last third of the night — then he would rise for prayer, and that is when his posture straightened.”
See also: Sufi Stations Maqamat, Seerah Al Hasan Al Basri, Zuhd, Sabr, Ihsan, Tazkiyah