When, at the age of 59, asSahib died on Thursday night,...
When, at the age of 59, asSahib died on Thursday night, 24th of Safar, 385, in Rayy, the city of Rayy closed down its shops as a sign of mourning, and people gathered in front of his mansion awaiting his coffin. Fakhr alDawlah, accompanied by government ministers and commanders of the army, went there, too, wearing mourning clothes.
When his coffin came out of his house, people cried "Allahu Akbar!" in unison, kissed the ground in glorification, and Fakhr alDawlah followed the coffin on foot with the crowd and sat with them during the three days' mourning period. Poets read eulogies, and scholars held commemorative ceremonies in his honour, and he was praised by all those who could not attend his funeral.
Abu Bakr alKhawarizmi said: "AlSahib ibn ‘Abbad grew up in the ministry's lap, learned how to crawl and walk within its precincts, was nursed from the most excellent of its bosoms, and inherited it [ministry] from his own forefathers." Abu Sa’id alRustami composed these verses in his praise: He inherited ministry: a link in a chain, A great man, he was, heir of great men. About the ministry of al-Abbas does ‘Abbad narrate, While from ‘Abbad does Isma’il Narrate.
In his biography of Sahib, alTha’alibi says: "I can find no words to fairly describe Sahib's lofty status in knowledge and arts, or the prestige he enjoys for being benevolent and generous, or his unique virtues and possession of various merits.
The best statement I can make on his behalf falls short of doing justice to the least among his virtues and eminence, and my best description falls short of being fair to his virtues and characteristics." Sahib has written many precious books including AlMuhit in Language in seven volumes; its chapters are arranged alphabetically. He collected an unmatched library.
Nuh ibn alMansur, one of the kings of Sam’an, wrote to him once to invite him to be in charge of running his cabinet of ministers and managing the affairs of his kingdom. He apologized to him, saying that he needed four hundred camels just to transport the contents of his library. This much about him should suffice. 8. Isma’il ibn ‘AbdulRahman ibn Abu Karimah alKufi Better known as al-Sadi, he is the renown interpreter of the Holy Qur'an.
Stating his biography, alThahbi describes him as "charged with Shi’ism." Husayn ibn Waqid alMaruzi discusses him, claiming that he heard him once cursing Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.