The life of Imam 'Ali Bin Musa al-Rida chapter3

The life of Imam 'Ali Bin Musa al-Rida

Chapter3

the stages of man’s life span

This part of the dissertation gives an account of the stages of man’s life span. They are four stages: The first stage begins from his birthday and ends when he reaches fifteen years of age; it is the stage and beginning of youth, which is the most marvelous and best of all stages in activity.

The second stage begins from fifteen years and terminates in the fifty-three years of age; it is one of the most wonderful stages of lifetime, for therein man’s strength, activity, and radiance are perfect.

The third stage begins from thirty-five and ends in sixty years; and in this stage man’s knowledge is perfect; his affairs are regulated; that is through his experiences in affairs and his knowledge in events, for in this age his intellectual activity is perfect, but his bodily forces become weak.

The fourth stage begins from sixty years until he dies; in this stage all his organs, his cells, and his forces are weak; and he is dependent on others, especially when he becomes eighty years of age, for his complaints and moans are many. In this connection the poet says:

Surely the eighty (years) which I have reached

has made my ears in need of an interpreter!

And just as they say: “Old age is a cloud which showers diseases! ” Definitely, the body in this stage is just as the Imām says: “His body withers and the water of his beauty dries, and it is the stage of his extinction! ”

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He, peace be on him, has said: “I have mentioned to the Commander of the faithful all that which he needs in the indulgence of the temper, the conditions of his body and its treatment; and I have mentioned the foods and drugs and what he must do in his times.

“So if you like cupping, then let that be between twelve and fifteen nights of the crescent, for it is better for your body. When the month decreases, do not use cupping except when you are forced to do that. That is because the blood decreases according to the decrease of the crescent, and it increases according to its increase; and cupping must be equal to the years which pass: one who is twenty years of age must apply cupping every twenty days; one who is thirty years old, must use cupping every thirty days; one who is forty years of age must use cupping every forty days, and so on.

“And know, O Commander of the faithful, that the blood of cupping is taken from the small veins spreading in the flesh; and the proof of that is what I have mentioned that it does not weaken strength as bloodletting does; and the cupping of al-nuqura[12] is useful for the heaviness of the head; and the cupping of al- akhda‘ayn[13] gives rest to the head, the face, and the eyes, and it is useful to tooth-ache; and perhaps bloodletting replaces all of that; and one may use cupping under the chin in order to treat al-qalda‘[14] in the mouth, the corruption of the gum, and other mouth aches. Similarly, the cupping between the two shoulders is useful to the beating which results from fullness and heat, and that which placed on the two legs may decrease the fullness with a clear decrease, and it is useful to chronic aches in the kidneys, bladders, and wombs, and it makes menstruation flow abundantly, but it exhausts the body, and a severe haze may stems from it, but it is necessary for those who have blisters and abscesses.

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“Gentle sucking decreases the pain of cupping when one places the cupping glasses; and then he graduates the sucking a little more; the sucking in the second (cupping) must be more than the first, and so must be the third, and so on. He must stop slashing until the place has become red through repeating the cupping glasses across it. He must softens the lancets across soft skins; and he must massage the place with some ointment before he slashes it; so must he do during bloodletting, for such an act decreases pain. He must also soften the lancet during cupping; and when he has finished it, he must soften the place with some ointment and drips onto the veins some of it lest they should disappear and harm the phlebotomized. The phelbotomist should bleed the veins in the places where flesh is little, for the little flesh on the veins decreases pain; and the most painful vein when bled is habl al-dhirā‘ [15] and al-qifāl [16], for they are connected with the upper arm and this skin is solid. As for al-bāsaliq [17] (basilic vein) and al-akkhal, they are less painful when bled if there is no flesh on them. It is obligatory to apply hot water to the place of bloodletting, that the blood may appear, especially in winter, for it softens the skin and decreases pain and makes easy bloodletting. During all what we have mentioned regarding bringing forth blood, it is obligatory to refrain from women twelve hours before that.

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“One must use cupping on a clear day on which there is neither clouds nor strong winds; and he must bring forth blood equals to its change which he sees. Do not enter the bathroom immediately, for it gives rise to illness; and pour warm water on your head and body, but do not do that soon.

“Be weary of taking a bath when you apply cupping, for chronic fever stems from it. If you wash yourself off (the blood) of cupping, take a downy piece of cloth or a soft, silk garment or the like and put it on the places of your cupping; and take an amount equal to a chick-pea of al-tiryāq al-akbar [18] and drink it when winter; and if it is summer, then drink honey oxymel and mix it with the gladdening, moderate drink, and have it, or with fruit juice. If that is difficult, then drink citron (juice). If you do not find anything, then have it (citron) after you have chewed under the teeth and drink after it a mouthful of lukewarm water; and if that is in the time of winter and cold, then drink after it some honey oxymel, for if you do that, you will be safe from facial paralysis, vitiligo, and leprosy with the permission of Allah, the Exalted; and suck pomegranate, for it strengthens soul and renews the blood; and do not eat salty food after that for three hours, for that may bring about mange; and if you like, then eat (the meat) of dull-yellow partridges (al-tahāiyijj) , that is when you have used cupping; and drink after it some of the purified drink which I have mentioned at outset; and massage (your body) with al-Khayri ointment or with some of musk and rose water; and pour on your head some of it as soon as you have finished cupping.

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“As for summer, when you apply cupping, then eat al-sakkbajj [19], al-halām [20] al-masūs [21], and the sour; and pour on your head violet oil

mixed with rose water and some camphor; and drink after your food some of that drinks which I have prescribed to you; and be careful of abundant movement, anger, and having an intercourse with women on the same day. ”

In this part of the dissertation, the Imām, peace be on him, has presented cupping which causes great advantages to the body, returns activity to it, and drives away from it illnesses and diseases; it is the greatest of all prescriptions and most successful of them in treating those who have high blood pressure, for the blood during it comes out of the small veins spreading in flesh, as the Imām says, and this does not cause weakness to the body. The Imām has mentioned some diseases which are treated with cupping. They are as follows:

A. Tooth and gum congestion.

B. The chronic diseases of the kidney, the bladder, and the

womb.

C. The paucity of menstruation.

D. Blisters and abscesses.

The Imām has described the operation of cupping and fully understood it, what one should use after it, the foods and drinks from which he should refrain.

Similarly the Imām has presented bloodletting and mentioned the veins which should be bled such as habl al-dhirā‘ and al-qifāl [22]; he has also mentioned some refreshing drinks which should be drunk after it and warned against some foods which bring about dangers.

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He, peace be on him, has said: “And be cautious, O Commander of the faithful, of bringing together eggs and fish in the stomach at the same time, for if they come together in man’s stomach, they give rise to gout, colic, piles, and tooth-ache.

“When yogurt and wine (which some people drink) gather, they cause gout and leprosy; eating onions[23] constantly results in freckles; eating salty meat and fish after cupping and bloodletting gives rise to vitiligo and mange; eating sheep’s kidneys and bowels disorders the bladder.

“Entering the bathroom during fullness gives rise to colic; washing with cold water after eating fish brings about hemiplegia; eating citron at night results in cross- eye; and having a sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman causes leprosy to the baby.

“Having a sexual intercourse without discharging semen after it gives rise to stone; a sexual intercourse after a sexual intercourse without an interval between them causes madness to the baby; eating eggs[24] very much and constantly brings about spleen (disease) and winds in the head of the stomach; fullness of boiled eggs gives rise to asthma and dyspnea; eating raw meat brings about worms in the stomach; and eating figs decreases (the weight of) the body when one addicts himself to it.

“Drinking cool water after a warm thing and candy destroys teeth; eating abundant meat of wild animals and beef results in changing reason, perplexing understanding, making dull the mind, and plentiful forgetfulness. ”

he warned against bringing together various kinds of foods

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In this part of the dissertation, the Imām, peace be on him, has he warned against bringing together various kinds of foods during eating, for it gives rise to many diseases; among the foods against which he has warned is eating fish and eggs at the same time, for it leads to the following diseases:

1. Gout.

2. Colic.

3. Piles.

4. Tooth-ache.

He has also warned against having salty foods, for it brings about arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure.

Among the things against which the Imām has warned is drinking cold water after warm things or after eating candy, for it destroys teeth, as it has been emphasized by dentists, who has mentioned that this is one of the acts which destroy teeth.

This part of the dissertation contains health advantages of great importance; if men put them into practice, medicine will be preventive, and they will be in no need of the clinic of physicians.

He, peace be on him, has said: “And if you like to enter the bathroom and you feel no ache in your head, then start, during entering the bathroom, with five handfuls of warm water and pour them on your head, for you will be, Allah willing, safe from headache and migraine.

“And know, O Commander of the faithful, that bathroom has a construction just as that of the body; it has four places just as the natures of the body: the first place is for taking off clothes; it is cool and dry. The second (places) is cool and wet; the third is warm and wet; and the fourth is warm and dry. Taking a bath is very useful, for it leads to moderation, removing dirt, softening nerves and veins, strengthening the big organs, melting (the bodily) excrement, and driving away bad smell.

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“So if you do not want any pimple or the like to appear in your body, so start, when entering the bathroom, with massaging your own body with violet ointment; and if you want to use depilatory (paste) without any wound nor any cut nor any evil, then wash (your body) with cool water; and if one wants to enter the bathroom for using depilatory (paste) , then he must avoid taking a sexual intercourse for twelve hours before that, and it is a full day, and he must mix with the depilatory (paste) some aloe, some acacia, some rock at the foot of a mountain, or he gathers that and takes little of it if it is together or separate, and he must put nothing into the depilatory (paste) until it is mixed with hot water in which chamomile, marjoram or dry violet rose has been boiled or all of that little parts together or separate in an amount whose smell the water takes; and (the amount of) arsenic must be equal to the one-sixth of the depilatory (paste) ; after he has used it and in order to remove its smell, he must rub his own body with something like the leafs of plum, the marc of safflower, henna, roses, and spikenard together or separate.

“And he who wants to be safe from the burn of depilatory (paste) , then he must decrease turning it; and when he uses it, he must hasten to wash it and rub his body with some rose oil; if it burns his body, Allah forbids, he must take peeled lentils, crush it,mix it with rose water and vinegar, and rub with it the area which has been burnt by the depilatory (paste) , for he recovers with the permission of Allah, the Exalted; and if he wants to avoid the (bad) effects of the depilatory (paste) on his body, he must rub his body very well with al-Thaqif grape vinegar and rose oil. ”

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It is necessary for man to take a bath in order to clean his own boy from dirt which gives rise to skin diseases. The Prophet’s grandson, source of knowledge and wisdom (i. e. Imām al-Ridā) has talked about all sides of bathing, of which are the moderation of the body, cleanness from dirt, and removing bad smell.

Surely the Imām, peace be on him, has talked in detail about bating, for it is one of health means and among the sources of purity and cleanness which removes outward bodily dirt and secretions. He, peace be on him, has also talked inclusively about depilatory (paste) which cleans and refreshes the body when it removes thick hair from it.

He, peace be on him, has said: “He who does not want to complain of his bladder must not withhold his urine even if he is on the back of his own mount.

“And he who does not want his stomach to hurt him must not drink water until he has finished having his food; and he who does that, his body becomes wet, his stomach becomes weak, and his veins do not make use of food, for if water is suddenly poured on the food, a pass will occur in the stomach.

“And he who does not want to find stone and the retention of urine must not withhold semen when libido comes down and must not stay for a long time with women.

“And he who wants to be safe from the ache of the lowest part and of piles must eat seven Barni dates mixed with cows’ fat and rub (the area) between his buttocks with pure lily oil. ”

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“And he who wants to increase his memory must eat seven weights of raisins before breakfast; and he who wants to decrease his forgetfulness and to be a memorizer must eat every day three pieces of ginger mixed with honey jam, and must nourish (his own body) with mustard along with his food every day; and he who wants to increase his reason must have every three pieces of hilija along with Ibloj sugar[25]; and he who does not want his finger-nail to split a part or to become yellow or black must not clip it except on Thursday; and he who does not want his ear to ache must put a piece of cotton wherein when sleeping.

“And he who wants to get rid of cold throughout the days of winter must eat every day three mouthfuls of honey. ”

In this part of the dissertation, the Imām, peace be on him, has mentioned some health recommendations of great importance, for he has given health prescriptions necessary for safety and protection from diseases; the following are some of them:

1. The soundness of the urinary system.

2. The soundness of the stomach.

3. Protection from stone.

4. Protection from piles.

He has also mentioned other health recommendations which are necessary for protecting the body from diseases.

He, peace be on him, has said: “And know, O Commander of the faithful, that there are signs through which useful and harmful honey is known: some of it makes one sneeze when he smells it; some of it makes one drunk; some of it makes one feel severe burning when he tastes it. So these kinds of honey are deadly.

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“One should not delay smelling narcissus, for it prevents cold throughout the days of winter and such is the black cumin; and if one fears cold in the days of summer must eat every day a cucumber and be careful of sitting in the sun.

“And he who fears migraine and colic must not delay eating fresh fish in summer or winter; and he who wants to be good with light body and flesh must decrease his supper by night; and he who does not want to complain of his navel must anoint it when he anoints his hair; and he who does not want his lips to split apart nor do pimples appear in them must anoint them when he anoints his hair;

and he who does not want his tonsils and epiglottis to inflame must not eat candy unless he gargles with vinegar after it; and he who does not want to be infected by yellows must not enter a house at once in summer and must not goes out of it at once in the early morning in winter; and he who does not want his body to be infected by winds must eat garlic once every seven days; and he who does not want his teeth to be decayed must not eat sweets except after a small piece of bread;

and he who wants to enjoy his food must lean on his right side after he has finished eating, and then he must turn on his left side until he sleeps; and he who wants phlegm to leave his own body or to decrease it must eat in the early morning every day some of hot ground (spices) , take a bath and have a sexual intercourse with women several times, sit in the sun, and avoid all cold foods, for these things drive away phlegm and burn it; and he who wants to extinguish the flame of the yellow bile must eat every day something cold and wet, refresh his own body, decrease movement, and look for a long time at him whom he loves; and he who wants to burn the black bile must vomit several times, bleed the veins, and use depilatory (paste) constantly; and he who wants to take away cold winds must cling to liquid enemas and ointments softening the body, treating with hot water in basin; and he who wants to remove phlegm from his own body must have a weight of the small ittrifil every day. ”

health of man’s organs

In this part of the dissertation, the Imām, peace be on him, has presented the health of man’s organs; he has specified health prescriptions to their safety and protection from diseases; he has mentioned necessary rules for protection from cold, which is the beginning of diseases; he has given winter and summer prescriptions to get rid of cold.

The Imām, peace be on him, has displayed his health recommendations necessary for the soundness of the systems of man’s body, and specified to them the successful prescriptions which put an end to illness.

He, peace be on him, has said: “And know, O Commander of the faithful, it is obligatory on the traveler to be careful of heat. When he travels, he must be neither full nor hungry; rather he must be on a moderate level. He must have cold foods such as fresh meat, jelly, vinegar, oil, sour grapes juice, and others.

“And know, O Commander of the faithful, that hard walking in intense heat harms exhausted bodies when they are empty of food, but it is useful to strong bodies; as for water good to the traveler and removing harm from him is that he must not drink from every station at which he arrives except after he has mixed it with the water of the station before it or with one drink which is not different; he must mix it with different kinds of water; it is obligatory on the traveler to supply himself with some mud of his homeland on which he has lived; whenever he reaches at a station, he must throw into his own container, out of which he drinks, some of the mud with which he has supplied himself from his homeland; and he must mix the water with the mud in the container through stirring it; and he must leave it until it becomes very clear; the best kind of water in drinking for those travelers or residents is that whose spring is in the east direction, of quick and white; and the best kind of water is that whose vent is in the summer rising of the sun; and the best of them is that which is in this description from which it gushes out and whose bed is in the mud mountains (i. e. hills) , for it is cool in winter and relaxes the bowels in summer, and it is useful to those who have fevers.

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“As for salty water and heavy water, they constipate the bowels; and as for the water of snow and ice, it is bad to all bodies and is of great harm.

“As for the water of clouds, it is clear, fresh, light and useful to bodies if it is not stored in the ground for a long time. As for the water of the well, it is fresh and useful if its flow lasts and it is not stored in the ground for a long time. As for (the water) of level lands and marshes, it is warm and thick in summer, for it is stagnant and the sun always rises over it, and drinking it constantly may give rise to the yellow bile; and their bellies become big through it. ”

The Imām, peace be on him, has established vital programs for the safety of the traveler and protecting him from diseases; he has advised him not travel when he is full or hungry or very hot, for he is liable to dangers.

Similarly, the Imām, peace be on him, has presented the kinds of water which the traveler must drink and must not drink, for the latter harms his general health. He has accurately described water to the extent that none before or after him has described it in this manner.

He, peace be on him, has said: “In the previous part of this dissertation of mine, I have described to you, O Commander of the faithful, something sufficient for him who puts it into practice. Now, I will mention the matter of sexual intercourse: Do not have a sexual intercourse with your own wife at the beginning of night in summer or winter, for your own stomach and veins are full; and it is not praiseworthy; and it gives rise to colic, hemiplegia, facial paralysis, gout, stone, diuresis, hernia, and weakness of sight; if you want that, then let it be at the last part of the night, for it is more appropriate for your own body, more hoped for a boy-baby, and purer for the baby which Allah has decreed between them (husband and wife).

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“Do not have a sexual intercourse with your wife unless you play with her very much and touch her breasts, for if do that, you will overcome her lust, her water comes together, for her water comes out of her breasts; and the lust appears on her face and eyes; and she desires you just as you desire her; and do not have a sexual intercourse with her unless she is pure; so if you want to do that, then do not do it in standing or sitting position; rather lie on your right side; and then get up soon to urinate when you have finished, for you will be safe from stone with the permission of Allah, the Most High. Then wash your own body and drink at once something of (bees) wax (al-mummyā’i) mixed with honey drink or honey without foam, for it generates water (semen) equals to that which has come out of you.

“And know, O Commander of the faithful, that it is better for you to have a sexual intercourse with them (your wives) when the moon is in Ram or Aquarius; and it is better than that when it is in Taurus which is the high rank of the moon. [26]

“And he who puts into effect what I have described in this dissertation of mine and directs his own body through it is safe, with Allah’s permission, from all diseases; and his own body is good with Allah’s help and power, for He gives well-being to whomever He wishes and grants it to him; and praise belongs to Allah, the First and Last, the Outward and Inward. ”

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In this part of the dissertation, the Imām, peace be on him, has discussed sexual life and mentioned many of its important sides of which men are ignorant. He has warned husband against having a sexual intercourse with his own wife at the beginning of night, for it gives rise to many diseases, of which are the following:

A. Colic.

B. Hemiplegia

C. Facial paralysis.

D. Gout.

E. Stone

F. Hernia

G. Weakness of sight.

Moreover he has summoned husband to have a sexual intercourse with his own wife at the last part of night. With this matter we will end our talk about al-Risāla al-Dhahabiya fi al-Tibb (the golden medical dissertation) , which is regarded as one of the stored medical books.

The Sahifa of al-Ridā

Among the works of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, is this excellent dissertation called Sahifat al-Ridā; a group of narrators has called it Musnad al-Imām al- Rida, and this name is closer to the composition of the dissertation, for it contains the traditions which Imām al-Ridā has narrated on the authority of his grandfather, may Allah bless him and his family, and on the authority of his pure fathers, peace be on them. A group of researchers has stated that this dissertation is one of the works of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. [27]

Any how, this dissertation is among the treasures of Prophet and of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, and of the Imāms; it has reached the top of honor and glory in the chain of authorities, as Dr. Husayn ‘Ali Mahfūz said. [28]

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As for us, we have quoted this dissertation from a version printed in Cairo by al-Ma‘āhid Press, near al-Azhar, in the year 1340 A. H. , and then it was printed by al-‘Allāma ‘Abd al-Wāsi‘, who classified it into ten chapters, which are as follows:

Al-Najāshi, p. 159. Al-Amāli, al-Tawhid, al-'Uyūn, and others.

Footnote

[1] The translation in the script of the author is available at the Imām Amir al-Mu'minin Library, serial 237.

[2] Robert Foblbith, Your Body the Marvelous, the Odd, p. 13.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Al-Tibb Mihrāb al-Imān, pp. 141-142.

[5] Ibid. , pp. 191-202.

[6] Ibid. , pp. 204-206.

[7] In some versions, the origin of happiness is in the kidneys.

[8] A rotl is about 340 grams.

[9] A dirham is 5. 5 grams.

[10] Tibb al-Ridā, pp. 58-59.

[11] This was announced by BBC.

[12] Al-nuqra is a hole in the back four fingers above the neck vertebras.

[13] Al-akhda'ayn are two veins in the back of the neck to the right and left of it.

[14] Al-qalda' is an ulcer in the skin of the mouth and tongue.

[15] Habl al-dhirā' is the vein which extends from the forearm upwards.

[16] Al-qifāl is the vein which appears at the elbow.

[17] Al-bāsaliq is the outward vein from the elbow to the forearm.

[18] Al-tiryāq al-akbar is one of the ancient drugs.

[19]Al-sakkbajj is soup along with vinegar.

[20] Al-halām is al-sakkbajj which is purified from fat or it is the meat of cows and calves

and goats which is boiled in salty water; and then the boiled meat is taken out and mixed with

the boiled vegetables along with vinegar.

[21] Al-masūs is meat which is cooked and placed into vinegar or it is the meat of birds.

[22] See the previous footnotes.

[23] In a version eating eggs.

[24] In a version eating onions.

[25] Ibloj sugar is a kind of plant.

[26] Al-Majjlisi said: "Perhaps he (Imām al-Ridā) has mentioned these matters, if they belong to him,

for some interests in agreement with that al-Ma'mūn and his companions were famous for adopting

the viewpoints of the wise men. "

[27] Kashf al-Zinūn, vol. 2, p. 1076. Hidāyat al-'Ārifin, vol. 1, p. 668. Mu'jam al-Mu'allifin,

vol. 7, p. 250. Al-Dhari'a, vol. 15, pp. 17-18. Kashf al-Hujub wa al-Astār,

pp. 366-367. Al-Bihār, vol. 1, p. 11. Mustaddrak al-Wasā'il, vol. 3, p. 344.

[28] Sahifat al-Ridā, p. 2.

CHAPTER ONE

ON INVOCATION OF ALLAH

Having mentioned a preface concerning the necessity of mentioning the chain of the authorities, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wāsi‘ said: “I have narrated this Sahifa through the authentic chain of authorities connected with Imām al-Qāsim b. Mohammed, peace be on him, on the authority of his Shaykh al-Sayyid Amir al-Din b. ‘Abd Allah, on the authority of al-Sayyid Ahmed b. ‘Abd Allah al-Wazir, on the authority of Imām al-Mutahhar b. Mohammed b. Sulaymān, on the authority of Imām al-Mahdi Ahmed b. Yahyā, on the authority of Sulaymān b. Ibrāhim b. ‘Umar al-‘Alawi, on the authority of his father Ibrāhim, on the authority of Ridā’ al-Din Ibrāhim b. Mohammed al-Tabari, on the authority of Imām Najm al-Din al-Tabrizi, on the authority of al-Hāfiz Ibn ‘Asākir, on the authority of Zāhir al- Sinjāni, on the authority of al-Hāfiz al-Bayhaqi:

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1. On the authority of Abū al-Qāsim al-Mufassir, on the authority of Ibrāhim b. Ju‘da, on the authority of Abū al-Qāsim ‘Abd Allah b. Ahmed b. ‘Āmir al-Tā’i (in Basrah) , who said: [‘Ali b. Mūsā al-Ridā, peace be on him, related to me in the year 194 A. H. He said: My father Mūsā b. Ja‘far related to me. He said: My father Ja‘far b. Mohammed related to me. He said: My father Mohammed b. ‘Ali related to me. He said: My father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn related to me. He said: My father al-Husayn b. ‘Ali related to me. He said: My father ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, the peace of Allah be on them all, amen to the Day of Resurrection, related to me. He said: Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: Allah, the Most High, said: ] “There is no god but Allah is My fort, so he who enters My fort is safe from My chastisement. [1]”

Surely these brilliant words are the secret of existence, lamp of the Allah-fearing, and guide of the knowledgeable. He who says them out of knowledge and belief enters the fort of Allah, which whoever enters wins the good pleasure of Allah, the Exalted, and is safe from His chastisement.

2. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He upon whom Allah bestows a favor should praise Allah for it; he who finds slow daily bread should ask Allah’s forgiveness; and he whom a certain matter saddens should say: There is neither might nor strength save in Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty. ”

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Surely the invocation of Allah and devotion to Him deserve more of His blessings and favors; he who says these words during these situations, Allah’s mercy includes him, and he attains general good.

3. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Belief is profession with the tongue, knowledge through the heart, and action by the limbs. ”

Belief is a flame of light which lightens the heart, flows as life does in the souls of the Allah-fearing and the knowledgeable, dominates their sentiments and feelings.

4. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: Allah says: ] “If a creature takes refuge in a creature other than Me, I will cut him off from the means of the heavens and the earth, so if he asks Me, I will not give him; and if he supplicates Me, I will not answer him; and if a creature seeks refuge in Me other than My creatures, I will guarantee the heaven and the earth in respect of his daily bread; so if he asks Me, I will give him; and if he supplicates Me, I will respond to him; and if he asks Me for forgiveness, I will forgive him. ”

Failing and unsuccessful is he who hopes for those other than Allah, the Exalted, at whose hand is the course of events. A poet said:

May the hand which asks those other than You become

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poor; may the land which sees promising signs in other than the clouds of Your munificence become barren!

So glory is forbidden except from You; money is

forbidden except from You!

If the servant devotes himself to Allah and seeks refuge in Him, he will win good and gain bless in this world and the next.

5. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, related to me that a Jew asked ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, saying: ] “Tell me about that which does not belong to Allah, that which is not with Allah, and that which Allah does not know? ”

‘Ali, peace be on him, replied: “As for that which Allah does not know, it is your, people of Jews, statement that ‘Uzayr is the son of Allah, and Allah does not know that He has a son; as for that which is not with Allah, it is that Allah has no oppression toward the servants; as for that which does not belong to Allah, it is that Allah has no partner. ”

The Jew said: “I witness that there is no god except Allah, and that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah. ”

Surely, Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, is the gate of the city of knowledge of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. He is the leading figure of this community, the pioneer of its intellectual and scientific renaissance. It is certain that if the cushion had been folded for him and he had undertaken the leadership of the reign after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, the Jews, the Christians, and the Magians would have adopted Islam.

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6. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The best deeds with Allah are: belief without doubt, invasion without stealing from war booty before it is distributed (ghulūl) , and proper hajj. The first to enter the Garden will be a martyr; a slave who worships his Lord well and is sincere to his master; and a chaste man who abstains from what is forbidden, has a family, and strives to secure the daily bread of his own family. The first to enter the Fire will be a domineering Imām (leader) who does not treat (his subjects) with justice; a possessor of wealth of property who does not pay the right against it; and a boastful, poor (person). ”

This tradition includes the best actions in reward and repayment with Allah, the Most High; the actions are: belief in Allah without any doubt, invasion without stealing from war booty before it is distributed (ghulūl) ; for it is spent on spreading Allah’s words on earth; and making a pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah.

This tradition also gives an account of the best men in the view of Allah, the Exalted, and the most honorable before Him, and they are: the martyrs in the path of Allah, not in the path of booty or worldly pleasures; the slave who believes in his Lord and is sincere to his master; and the chaste man who strives to secure the daily bread of his family.

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Moreover the tradition gives an account of the most hateful person in the view of Allah and who deserves the Hellfire. The first to enter it are: the disobedient criminal ruler who wrongs the servants of Allah and does not treat them with fairness and justice; the possessor of a plentiful wealth who is miserly toward the rights of Allah (against him) and does not help the poor; the boastful, poor (person) who boasts of his own person and his family, shows arrogance and vainglory toward the creatures of Allah.

7. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who makes my community learn by heart forty traditions and it makes use of them, Allah will raise him from the dead a jurist and scholar on the Day of the Resurrection. ”

Surely, the Prophetic traditions are a flame of light which guides the perplexed and the errant and brighten the road (to them) , for they are some springs of wisdom. So he who circulates them among the Muslims surely takes part in building Islamic thought; and Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, had promised him that Allah would raise him from the dead a jurist and scholar on the Day of Resurrection.

8. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who gives a religious opinion to men without knowledge, the heavens and the earth curse him. ”

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The ugliest and most sinful crime is giving a religious opinion to men without knowledge, for such a religious opinion misleads men, spreads lying among them, and ascribes falsehood to Allah.

9. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Reliance (on Allah) and monotheism are the half of religion; make livelihood come down from Allah through alms. ”

Surely, reliance on Allah and professing His Oneness are part of core of religion and are basic elements of its entity. The Imām has urged (the Muslims) to give alms, for it aids the poor and the deprived. Allah has promised that He will bestow upon those who give alms.

10. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Verily Mūsā b. ‘Umrān asked his Lord, saying: ‘O Lord, are You far, so I will call out to You? Or are You near, so I will whisper to You? ’ So Allah revealed to him: O Mūsā, I am the friend of him who invoke Me! ”

11. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The supplication of the children of my community is accepted unless they commit sins. ”

Certainly, the supplication of the children of the faithful is accepted, for Allah does not refuse a supplication of theirs on the condition that they should not commit crimes and sins.

12. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who passes by cemeteries and recites (the sura) Qul Huwa Allah Ahad eleven times and then he gives his reward to the dead, a reward equal to the number of the dead will be given to him. ”

Surely, Allah doubles the reward of him who recites Surat al-Tawhid for the dead Muslims, and He abundantly rewards him.

13. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Supplication is the weapon of a believer, pillar of religion, and light of the heavens and the earth. So cling to supplication and be sincere in intention. ”

This tradition gives an account of the importance of supplication, for it is the weapon of a believer, pillar of religion, and light of the heavens and earth. So supplication has occupied the highest position with Allah, the Exalted.

14. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “If one of you wants a need, then let him seek it early in the morning on Thursday, and let him recites ¾when he goes out of his house ¾the last (verse) of Āl ‘Umrān, Āyat al-Kursi, Innā Anzalnāhū

fi Laylat al-Qadr, and Umm al-Kitāb (Surat al-Fātiha) , for in them is the accomplishment of the needs of this world and the next. ”

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This tradition contains the program of accomplishing needs, for he (the Prophet) has appointed the time when the Suras of Allah’s dear Book should be recited.

15. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Six (things) are of manhood: Three of them (is performed) in cities and towns and three of them (is performed) on journey. As for those (performed) in cities and towns are: reciting the Qur’ān, building mosques, and making friends in Allah; and as for those (performed) on journey are: giving food generously, good manners, and joking (in things) other than acts of disobedience to Allah. ”

These six qualities give an account of man’s honor, manhood, and good inner self.

16. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said three times: ] “O Allah, have mercy on my successors! ”

He was asked: “Who are your successors, Allah’s Apostle? ”

He replied: “Those who will come after me, narrate my traditions and my Sunna (sayings and practices) , and teach them to men after me. ”

Surely, the successors of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and the closest of men to him are those who narrate his traditions, circulate them among men, teach men the principle features of religion and the precepts of Islam.

17. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Verily, this knowledge is the treasures of Allah and its keys are question, so question, may Allah have mercy on you, for four (persons) are rewarded because of it: the questioner, the teacher, the listener, and the answerer. ”

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The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, urges the ignorant to question about the affairs of their religious and worldly affairs which they do not know, for, in this manner, knowledge is spread and circulated.

18. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who recites Idhā Zulzult al- Ardū four times is like him who has recited the whole Qur’ān. ”

Surely, reciting this Holy Verse four times leads to this great result, which is reciting the whole Qur’ān.

19. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [My father Mohammed b. ‘Ali, peace be on them, related to me. He said: He, peace be on him, said: ] “If you enter five (things) , you will not able to (perform) the like of them: The servant should fear (nothing) except his sins, hope for (none) except his Lord. The ignorant, when asked about something he does not know, should not be ashamed of saying that Allah and His Messenger know. He who does not know should not be ashamed of learning. Steadfastness is of the same rank with faith as (that of) the head with the body. He who has no patience has no faith. ”

Wisdom has been embodied in these matters through which man, if he follows them, is exalted and a model of excellence and politeness.

20. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [ Al-Husayn b. ‘Ali, peace be on them, related to me. He said: ] “A tablet was found under a wall of one of the cities (al-Madā’in) , and therein was written: ‘I am Allah; there is no god save Me and Mohammed is My Prophet. I wonder at him who is sure of death, how is he happy? I wonder at him who is certain of (Allah’s) determination, how is he sad? I wonder at him who has tried the world, how does he feel secure wherein? And I wonder at him who is sure of reckoning, how does he commit sins? ’”

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This tablet contains a great warning. If man carefully considers the warning, he will turn away from every sin and do all that which bring him near to Allah.

21. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “An angel came to me and said: ‘O Mohammed, verily your Lord recite (His) greetings to you and says to you: ‘If you want, I will make the valley of Mecca gold. ’” He said: “So he (the Prophet) looked toward the sky and said: ‘O Lord, make me satisfied on one day, so I will praise you; make me hungry on another, so I will ask you! ’”

Indeed, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, renounced the world, turned away from its pleasures, and devoted himself to Allah, the most High. This is one of his special qualities which distinguished him from the rest of the prophets.

Footnote

[1] In the narration of al-Tabrisi: "In its condition and its conditions, and I am among its conditions. " We will talk about this holy tradition within this book.

CHAPTER TWO

ON THE ADHĀN

22. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [The Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, said: ] “When Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, began learning the adhān (call to prayer) , Gabriel brought him the Burāq, but it was difficult for him (to ride it). Then he brought him a riding animal called Burāqa and it was difficult for him (to ride it) , so Gabriel said to it: ‘Be calm, for none more honorable than him in Allah’s view has ever ridden you! ’ It became calm, and Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘I rode it until I reached the veil which was before the Merciful (Allah) , and then an angel came out from behind the veil and said: ‘Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar! (Allah is greater. ) ’ He (Allah’s Messenger) said: ‘So I asked: O Gabriel, who is that angel? ’ He replied: ‘By Allah who has honored you with the Prophethood, I have never seen that angel before this hour of mine. ’ He said: ‘Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar! (Allah is greater. ) ’ So he was called out from behind the veil: ‘My servant is truthful; I am greater; I am greater! ’ Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘The angel said: ‘Ashhadu anna Lā ilāha illa’ llāh, Ashhadu anna Lā ilāha illa’ llāh (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. ) ’ So he was called out from behind the veil: ‘My servant is truthful. I am Allah; there is no god but I. ’

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Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said (that) , so the angel said: ‘Ashhadu anna Mohammedar rasūl ‘allah, Ashhadu anna Mohammedar rasūl ‘allah (I bear witness that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah. ) ’ So he was called out from behind the veil: ‘My servant is truthful; I have sent Mohammed as a Messenger. ’ Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘The angel said: ‘Hayya ‘alla’s-salāh, Hayya ‘alla’s-salāh (Make haste to the prayer. ) ’ So he was called out from behind the veil: ‘My servant is truthful and summons (men) to worship Me. ’ Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘The angel said: ‘Hayya ‘alla’l falāh, hayya ‘alla’l falāh (Make haste to salvation). ’ So he was called out from behind the veil: ‘My servant is truthful and summons (men) to worship Me. And surely successful is he who perseveres in it. [1]’ Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘Allah has completed for me the honor over the first and the last. ’”

The Shi‘ites have unanimously agreed that it was the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who legislated the adhān in this manner which have been mentioned in this tradition or something similar to it; whilst the Sunnis have mentioned that when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, came to Medina, it was difficult for the people to know the timings of his prayers. So they discussed specifying a certain signal in order to know the timing of the payer of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, lest they should miss the congregational prayers. Hence some suggested a bell, but the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: “The bell belongs to the Christians. ” Others suggested a trumpet, but he said: “It belongs to the Jews. ” Others suggested a tambourine, but he said: “It belongs to the Romans. ” Others suggested burning fire, but he said: “It belongs to the Magus. ” Others suggested setting up a banner, but that did not appeal to him, may Allah bless him and his family. So, he may Allah bless him and his family, stood up concerned; hence ‘Abd Allah b. Zayd spent the night concerned because of the concern of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and he saw in his sleep an angel who taught him the adhān and the iqāma (the declaration of standing for prayer) , so he told the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, about that. The dream coincided with the revelation. So the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, ordered it (adhān) to be performed. [2]

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This is very impossible, for the adhān and the iqāma are of the pre-conditions of prayer; they are like the rest of the pre-conditions such as tahāra (purity) , istiqbāl al-qibla (facing the qibla) , and ibāhat al-makān (the place should be permissible). The Revelation came down (to the Prophet) carrying all these pre- conditions and explanations of prayer. Then why did ‘Abd Allah b. Zayd see the angle and the rest of Companions (of the Prophet) , who were greater than him in importance, did not see him?

Footnote

[1] The tradition has been mentioned in the book Tārikh al-Khamis in this formula along with and addition Hayya 'ala khayri'l-'amal (Make haste to the best of actions). The Shi'ite references of hadith and jurisprudence have also mentioned it.

[2] Al-Fiqh 'alā al-Madhāhib al-Arba'a, vol. 1, p. 311.

CHAPTER THREE

ON URGING TO PERFORMING THE FIVE PRAYERS AND THE QUALITY OF THE PRAYER FOR THE DEAD

23. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Satan is still afraid of Adam’s son as long as he keeps his prayers. However, if he neglects them, he (Satan) dares against him and throws him into great sins. ”

Allah, the Most High, honored and dignified man through praying and standing before Him during the five prayers. However, the stoned Satan plays with man and does his best to deprive him of this excellence and honorable rank.

24. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who performs a religious duty (farida) , Allah responds to his supplication. ”

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Surely, he who performs a religious duty, whether prayer or fasting or hajj or others, Allah rewards him and accepts his supplication.

25. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “My community is still in good as long as they love each other, return things deposited (with them) , refrain from the unlawful, entertain the guest, perform the prayer, and pay zakāt (alms). However, if they do not do that, they will be afflicted by drought. ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has summoned his community to keep these noble qualities, and he promised that they would be in good as long as they performed them, but if they neglected them, Allah would afflict them with a dreadful tribulation.

26. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “If man is not able to perform prayer in standing position, he can pray in sitting position. If he cannot pray in sitting position, he can pray laying down on his back and his feet facing the qibla, and he makes a sign. ”

The prayer is the most important of religious duties, and the responsible is not exempted from it in all circumstances. If he is able, he prays in standing position; if he is unable, he prays in sitting position; and so on.

27. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Keep the five prayers, for Allah, the Great and Almighty, will summon the servant on the Day of Resurrection; prayer will be the first thing about which He will ask him. If he brings it perfect; otherwise, he will be pushed into the Fire. ”

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Prayer will be the first thing about which the responsible will be asked during his mustering and his raising from the dead. If he performs prayer perfectly, he will be safe from the chastisement of Allah; if he performs it imperfectly or neglects one of its pre-conditions, he will be thrown into the Fire.

28. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Do not lose your prayers, for he who loses his prayer will be mustered along with Qārūn and Fir‘oun and Hāmān; and it is incumbent upon Allah to make him enter the Fire along with the hypocrites; and woe unto him who does not keep his prayers and does not perform the Sunna of his Prophet. ”

Islam takes great care of prayer and distinguishes it from the rest of acts of worship. So he who performs it is a Muslim; and he who denies it dies the death of those pagans before Islam and will be mustered along with the oppressive and the unbelievers.

29. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [‘Ali, the blessings of Allah be on him, said: ] “Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, led us in the traveler’s shortened prayer and recited in the first (rak‘a) al-hamd and qul yā ayuhā al-kafirūn, and in the other (rak‘a) he recited al-hamd and qul huwa Allahu ahad. Then he said: ‘I recited to you the one-third and one-fourth of the Qur’ān. ’”

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A four-rak‘a prayer is shortened during travel, and surely the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, recited qul yā ayuhā al-kafirūn in the first rak‘a after al-fātiha, and in the second rak‘a he recited surat al-Tawhid after al-fātiha; and he, may Allah bless him and his family, made clear the reward of that when he said that he recited the one-third of the Qur’ān in the first rak’a and the one-fourth of the Qur’ān in the second rak’a.

30. Through his chain of authorities, he said: “Mohammed b. ‘Ali, peace be on him, was asked about the prayer, and he claimed that his father would shorten the prayer during travel. ”

As for shortening prayer during travel, it is among the necessities of the creed of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them; the Book and the Sunna are two proofs of that.

31. Through his chain of authorities, he said: “I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, exclaim ‘Allah is Great! ’ over his uncle Hamza, peace be on him, five times, and after him he exclaimed ‘Allah is Great! ’ over the martyrs, so seventy times of exclaiming ‘Allah is Great! ’ was the share of Hamza. ”

As for the prayer for the dead, it is one of the general obligations. In other words, it is not obligatory on all Muslims to perform it; rather it obligatory on some of them. As for its performance, it is as follows: Five takbirs should be made; al-Shahādatayn (the two testimonies: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Mohammed is Allah’s Messenger) should be recited after the first takbir, calling down blessing upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, should be after the second takbir; a supplication for the believers, male and female, should be recited after the third takbir; a supplication for the deceased should be recited after the fourth takbir; the fifth takbir should be recited, and then departure. [1] In this connection many traditions have been reported from the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them. [2] As for the Sunnis, they believe that the takbirs are four, and the worshipper departs after the fourth (takbir). [3]

32. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “O ‘Ali, when you pray over a 

deceased person, say: O Allah, verily this is Your slave and son of Your bondmaid has passed away according to Your decree, and he is not a mentioned thing. He has visited You and You are the best One whom is visited. O Allah, dictate to him Your argument, join him to Your Prophet, brighten his grave for him, be generous toward him during his entering, make him firm through the firm statement, for he is in need of You and You are in no need of him. He bore witness that there was no god but You, so forgive him. O Allah, do not deprive us of the reward through him and do not try us after him.

“O ‘Ali, when you pray over a woman, say: O Allah, You created her, and You gave life to her, and You made her die, and You are more knowledgeable of her secret and openness. We have come to You as intercessors for her, so forgive her. O Allah, do not deprive us of the reward through her.

“O ‘Ali, when you pray over a child, say: O Allah, make him an ancestor and provisions for his parents, make him an intercessor (for them) , make him for them as light and guidance, and make his parents follow (him to) the Garden. Verily, You are powerful over all things! ”

As for the performance of the prayer for the dead, we have already mentioned it. As for this supplication, it should be recited after the fourth takbir. As for the prayer over the child, it is as follows: If he/she dies at the age of six years, then the prayer for the dead should be performed over him. If he/she has not reached this age, then prayer over them is recommended.

Footnote

[1] Al-'Urwat al-Withqā, vol. 1, p. 170.

[2] Wasā'il al-Shi'a, Chapter on the Prayer for the Dead.

[3] Al-Fiqh 'alā al-Madhāhib al-Arba'a, vol. 1, p. 519.

CHAPTER FOUR

ON THE EXCELLENCE OF AHL AL-BAYT ,AND IT IS IN THREE PARTS

PART ONE

IS ON THE EXCELENCE OF ‘ALI BIN ABU TALIB (a. s):

33. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “O ‘Ali, I am the master of the messengers, and you are the commander of the faithful, Imām of the Allah-fearing, and leader of the excellent, famous ones. ”

As for Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, he is the pioneer of thought and wisdom in Islam. He is the soul of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, gate of the city of his knowledge, and his testamentary trustee after him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, lauded his exalted rank and great position. No tradition has been transmitted from him, may Allah bless him and his family, concerning his praising any of his companions like his praising Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. His purpose of that is to provide evidence of his succession after him.

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34. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When I was ascended to the heaven, Gabriel took me by the hand and sat me on a darnūk[1] of the Garden. Then he gave me a quince from it (the Garden) , and it (the quince) and what was therein was prepared for Imām ‘Ali, peace be on him. ”

Certainly, Allah has prepared for ‘Ali, peace be on him, all favors of the hereafter and made him dwell Paradise and live wherever he likes.

35. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “O ‘Ali, I asked my Lord to give me five qualities regarding you, and He gave (them) to me. As for the first of them, it is that I asked my Lord to split open the ground and to dust my head and you were with me, so He (Allah) gave it to me. As for the second, it is that I asked my Lord to let me stop by the Scale of the Balance and you were with me, so He gave it to me. As for the third, it is that I asked him to make you the carrier of the standard, which was the Standard of Allahu akbar under which were those who gained the Garden, and He gave it to me. As for the fourth, it is that I asked my Lord (to let) you water my community from my pond (hawd) , and He gave it to me. As for the fifth, it is that I asked my Lord to make you the leader of my community to the Garden, so my Lord gave it to me. Praise belongs to Allah who has bestowed that upon me! ”

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Surely, Allah singled Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, with all noble qualities and endowed him with all virtues. He accepted the supplication of His Prophet when he asked Him to give these qualities and virtues to ‘Ali.

36. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When the Day of Resurrection occurs, I will take hold of the hijjza of Allah; you will hold my hijjza; your sons will grasp your hijjza; and the Shi‘ites of your sons will take hold of their hijjza. [2]”

Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, has a noble rank with Allah, the Exalted. Through this rank he has gained exaltedness over the righteous and the Allah-fearing, and through it he, his sons, and his Shi‘ites will be distinguished from the rest of the people on the Day of Judgment.

37. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “O ‘Ali, you will be the Divider of the Garden and of the Fire; you will knock at the gate of the Garden and enter it with out any reckoning. ”

This tradition has been narrated by a group of religious scholars from among the Shi‘ites and the Sunnis. It gives an account of the outstanding merit of Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and his great importance with Allah, which none of the people has ever reached except the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.

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38. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When the Day of Resurrection occurs, you and your sons will be on the (backs of) piebald horses and crowned with pearls and corundum. Allah will ordered you (to be taken) to the Garden and the people look (at you). ”

How great the rank of the Imām and his pure sons with Allah is! For He has singled them out with all noble qualities and distinguished them from the rest of his creatures.

39. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When the Day of Resurrection occurs, I will be called out from inside the Throne: The best father is your father Ibrāhim; the best brother is your brother ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib! ”

Allah singled His great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, with all kinds of excellence of which is that he was among the progeny of Ibrāhim, Allah’s bosom friend, and that his brother was Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, who defended the word of monotheism, the values and principles of Islam.

40. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Verily, Allah ordered me to love four (persons): ‘Ali, Salmān, Abū Dharr, and al-Muqdād b. al-Aswad. ”

Surely, these four (leading figures) took part in building Islam and carried the torch of monotheism; accordingly, Allah ordered his Prophet to love them, for they were among the elements of piety and righteousness.

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41. He, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “O ‘Ali, surely, Allah has already forgiven you, your progeny, your Shi‘ites, those who love your Shi‘ites, those who love the lover of your Shi‘ites; therefore be cheerful, for you are free from polytheism and full of knowledge. ”

Imām ‘Ali, peace be on him, had great communication with Allah, the Exalted, so Allah endowed him with this excellence of forgiving him, his children, his Shi‘ites, and their followers.

42. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Whomsoever I am his Master, then ‘Ali is his master. O Allah, be friend of one who is his friend and be the enemy of one who is his enemy; and desert one who deserts him and help one who helps him. ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, declared these brilliant words, which were the most expensive medals he gave to the Imām, on the Day of Ghadir Khum, which is the most important ‘Īd in Islamic world, for he appointed the Imām as a successor after him and ordered the Muslims to pledge allegiance to him. They pledged allegiance to him, so did the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. On that immortal day, the greatest favor toward the Muslims was completed, and on it this holy verse was revealed: This day I have completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.

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43. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “O ‘Ali, had it not been for you, the believers would not have been recognized after me. ”

Surely, Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, is the measure through whom the believer is distinguished from the sinner; so, he who loves him is a believer and he who shows enmity toward him is a sinner. ‘Āisha says:

When gold is touched by a touchstone, its cheat appears

without doubt.

Cheat is in us, and ‘Ali, the purified gold, is like a

touchstone among us. [3]

44. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me. He said: ] “I have inherited two books from Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family: the Book of Allah, the Exalted, and a book concerning the sheath of my sword. ”

He was asked: “O Commander of the faithful, what is the book concerning the sheath of your sword? ”

“He who kills other than his killer and hits other than his hitter, then the curse of Allah be upon him. ”

Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, inherited all qualities of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, of which are what he, peace be on him, has mentioned above.

45. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “O ‘Ali, you have been given three (things) the like of which I have not been given. ”

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I (i. e. ‘Ali) asked: “May my father and mother be your ransom, what have I been given? ”

He, may Allah bless him and his family, replied: “You have been given a father-in-law like me; you have been give a wife like Fātima, peace be on her; and you have been given the like of your two sons, al-Hasan and al-Husayn. ”

Allah, the Most High, singled Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, with these three traits with which He had never endowed anyone.

46. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “On the Day of Resurrection there will be no rider other than us, and we will be four. ”

A man from the Ansār stood up and asked him: “O Allah’s Apostle, who are they? ”

He (the Apostle) replied: “I will be on (the back of) al-Barāq riding animal; and my brother (Prophet) Sālih on Allah’s she-camel which was slaughtered; my uncle Hamza on my she-camel al-‘Adbā’; and my brother ‘Ali b. Abū, peace be on him, on one of the she-camels of the Garden and the Standard of Praise will be in his hand; and he will say: There is no god but Allah; Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, is the Messenger of Allah! So the human beings will say: That is an angel brought nigh or a prophet sent out or the bearer of the Throne. So an angel from the inside of the Throne will answer them: O group of human beings, that is not angel brought nigh nor a prophet sent out nor a bearer of the Throne; that is ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib! ”

Certainly, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah, the Most High, will manifest the position of His friend Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and his exalted rank with Him, to the extent that He will make the prophets brought nigh, the messengers sent out, His friends, and the rest of the creatures know 

the importance of the Imām with Him.

47. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [‘Ali, peace be on him, said: ] “He who loves me finds me at his death in such a manner which he loves; and he who hates me finds me at his death in such a manner which he hates. ”

Many traditions indicate that Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, attends at the death of everyone, believer and unbeliever. He asks the Angel of Death to treat the person gently if he/she is a believer; and he asks him to treat the person roughly if he/she is unbeliever.

PART TWO

ON THE EXCELLENCE OF FĀTIMA (A. S)

48. He said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “She has been named Fātima because Allah, the Exalted, has separated her and those who love her from the Fire. ”

This part contains the traditions which have been transmitted from the Prophet, peace be on him, concerning the piece of him, the mistress of the women of the world, Fātima, the chaste, the peace of Allah be upon her. This is one of the traditions in which he has declared that Allah has separated the Mistress of the women of the world from the Fire; likewise, He has separated from the Fire her Shi‘ites and those who love her.

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49. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Verily, Allah becomes angry because of her anger, and He becomes pleased on account of her pleasure. ”

There is an unanimous agreement on this tradition, which is a proof of the exalted rank of the Messenger’s piece and sweet basil (i. e. Fātima) with Allah, the Most High. It is worth mentioning that none of believing women has ever reached this distinguished position with Him.

50. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “On the Day of Resurrection, my daughter Fātima will be mustered along with clothes stained with al-Husayn’s blood. She will cling to a leg of the Throne and say: ‘O Lord, judge between me and the murderer of my son! ’”

Allah’s Messenger said: “By the Lord of the Ka‘ba, He will judge for my daughter! ”

Surely the whole world shook for the tragedy of (Imām al-Husayn) the master of the youths of heaven and sweet basil of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. Fātima, the mistress of the world’s women and the Messenger’s piece is so bereaved of his tragedy that she will raise his shirt stained with his pure blood before Allah, the Exalted, and complain to Him of the tragedies her son faced.

The poet says:

Definitely, Fātima will come on the Day of Resurrection,

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and her shirt will be stained with al-Husayn’s blood!

Abū al-‘Alā says:

Surely, she will come to the Mustering wearing his shirt,

seeking the help of the Merciful!

51. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “My daughter Fātima will be mustered and there will be on her the garment of dignity which was already kneaded in the water of life; the creatures will look at her in amazement. Then she will also be clothed in two of the garments of the Garden; on each garment it will be written in green script: Let Mohammed’s daughter enter the Garden; it will be written in the best manner, dignity, and view. So she will be carried to the Garden in procession as the bride is carried; and seventy thousand slave-girls will be entrusted with her. ”

Without doubt, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah, the Exalted, will manifest the excellence of the mistress of women, who struggled bravely in the path of Islam, and who established the creed of the Shi‘ites through her immortal orations and her heroic attitudes.

52. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When the Day of Resurrection occurs, a caller from in side the Throne will call out: ‘O group of creatures, lower your eyes, that Fātima, the daughter of Mohammed, may pass! ’”

This is one of the places of honoring and magnifying the mistress of women, the peace of Allah be upon her, on the day when men will be mustered before the Lord of the worlds.

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53. Through his chain of authorities, ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, said: “We were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. While we were digging the trench Fātima, peace be on her, came and there was along with her a small piece of bread. She gave it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and he, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘What is this small piece? ’ She replied: ‘I baked one loaf of barely bread for al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and I have brought you this small piece of it. ’ So he, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘O Fātima, this is the first food to enter your father’s mouth for three days. ’”

This traditions shows that the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, helped each other, preferred others to themselves, and renounced worldly pleasures.

54. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “An angel came to me and said: ‘O Mohammed, surely Allah, the Great and Almighty, recites to you (His) greetings and says: ‘I have married Fātima to ‘Ali, so marry her to him. I have ordered the Tree of Tubā to bear pearls, corals, and corundum. The inhabitants of the heaven have rejoiced at that. She will bear him two sons, the two masters of the Garden, and by the virtue of them the Garden will be adorned. Be happy, O Mohammed! For you are the best of the first and the last. ’”

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Many traditions indicate that the Mistress of women and the piece of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, (i. e. Fātima) was married to ‘Ali according to the command of Allah, who gave through that a model of marriage in Islam and indicated that it was based on dignity and virtue, and that in all circumstances it had no relationship with perishing material considerations. The Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, married the Mistress of women to Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, in the time when he was the poorest of all the people, and he had nothing of the enjoyments of life except his breastplate and his sword. So he sold his breastplate and appointed the money as a dower for the Mistress of the women; and he bought for it the cheapest trousseau in that time, but it was the most precious and expensive trousseau in Islam, for is was based on virtue, honor, and exalted character. So, peace be on the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , who represented the essence of Islam in all their affairs and conditions.

55. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [My father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn related to me. He said: Asmā’, daughter of ‘Umays, related to me. She said: ] “I was with your grandmother Fātima, peace be on her, when Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, entered; and there was a lace of gold around her neck, which ‘Ali had bought for her from his war booty. So the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said to her: ‘Do not be deceived by that the people say that you are the daughter of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, and that the clothes of the tyrants are on you. ’ Hence she cut the necklace and sold it. Then she bought a slave and released him, so the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, was pleased with that. ”

The Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, wanted the Mistress of women to be a model of virtue and self-negation; and he wanted her to share the Muslim miserable women their poverty, so there would be no distinction between her and them.

PART THREE

On the Excellence of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, their Birth, and ahl al-Bayt (a. s) in General

56. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the two masters of the youths of Heaven; and their father is better than them. ”

Surely, the two grandsons of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, are the two masters of the youths of the Garden and are two lamps for them, so the peace of Allah be upon them and upon their father, the Lord of the pure family.

57. He, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “A boy is a sweet basil, and my two sweet basil are al-Hasan and al- Husayn. ”

The two pure Imāms were the two sweet basil of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and his trust with his community; hence the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, was very loyal to them.

58. He, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me: ] “Al-Hasan and al-Husayn were playing by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, until most of the night passed, then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘Go to your mother. ’ It flashed, and the flash shone for them until they went in to Fātima. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, looked at the flash and said: ‘Praise belongs to Allah who has honored us, ahl al-Bayt. ’”

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Allah, the Most High, singled the two grandsons of the Prophet, peace be on them, with every noble quality, endowed them with his favors, and chose them from among the rest of his creatures.

59. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The stars are security for the inhabitants of the heaven; my household and my children are security for my community. ”

Certainly, the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, are security for the inhabitants of the earth; tribulation is driven away through them; mercy comes down and good spreads through them.

60. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The Garden is forbidden for him who wrongs my Household, him who kills them, him who helps against them, and him who curses them. Surely they shall have no portion in the hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them; nor will He look upon them on the Day of Resurrection; nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful chastisement. ”

Woe unto him who denies the authority (wilāya) of the Imāms from ahl al-Bayt, peace be on him! Woe unto him who wrongs and oppose them! For such a person brings the wrath of Allah and of His Messenger against himself; therefore, he will be deprived of the Garden.

61. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “I will intercede for four (persons) on the Day of Resurrection: He who honors my progeny; he who accomplishes their needs; the one who strives for them concerning their affairs when they are forced to them; and the one who loves (them) through his heart and his tongue. ”

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He who loves the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, honors and magnifies them will gain general good and obtains the intercession of their grandfather, master of the prophets.

62. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “It is not lawful for us, ahl al-Bayt, to take alms; and we have been ordered to perform the ritual ablution properly, and not to ride on the shoulder of an ass. ”

It is forbidden for the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, to take obligatory alms such as zakāt; so is it forbidden for the ‘Alawides, may Allah increase their honor, who belong to them.

63. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: “He who curses a prophet is killed; and he who curses the companion of a prophet is flogged. ”

64. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The likeness of my house among you is like Noah’s Ark. He who embarked it was safe; and he who missed it was pushed into the Fire. ”

Definitely, the ahl al-Bayt , peace be on him, are lifeboats and security for mankind. He who follows them is safe; and he disobeys them perishes. In this tradition on whose correctness there is an unanimous agreement, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has likened them to the Ark of Noah, peace be on him, which saved his companions from drowning when the waves surrounded those who deviated from the truth, and they drowned therein. The believers who were on Noah’s Ark were safe; likewise, those who follow the authority of the Household of the Prophet, the peace of Allah be upon them, will gain the Garden; he who denies and wrongs them will fall into the bottom of the Fire.

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65. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Woe unto those who wrong my household! They will be chastised along with the hypocrite in the bottom of the Fire! ”

Woe unto him who wrongs the Household of the Prophet and shows enmity toward them, for they are the source of awareness and thought, not only for this community but also for men in general. Surely, the fate of those who wrong them will be the permanent chastisement in the next world.

66. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “I have been summoned and it is nearly the moment for me to answer. I am going to leave among you the thaqalayn. If you cleave to them, you will never go astray after me; one of them is greater than the other ¾that is the Book of Allah which is a cord stretching from the sky to the earth and my offspring from my family. They will never scatter (from each other) until they come to me at the Pool (hawd). Hence, think! How will you treat them after me? ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has associated his pure family with the Book of Allah. If it had not been for that his Household were infallible, the comparison between the Holy Qur’ān, falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it and the pure Family would be incorrect. Clinging to the Book is the means of salvation, and so is clinging to the ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them.

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67. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The anger of Allah and of His Apostle is intense with him who sheds the blood of my progeny or hurts me (through hurting) my family. ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, predicted that his family would face persecutions at the hands of the opponents and enemies of Islam who shed their blood and poured upon them oppression and tyranny which none has ever witnessed throughout the stages of history.

68. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Ja‘far b. Mohammed, peace be on them, said: ] “Saturday is for us; Sunday is for our Shi‘ites; Monday is for the Umayyads; Tuesday is for their followers; Wednesday for the ‘Abbāsids; Thursday is for their followers; and Friday is for Allah. There is no travel on it (Friday) , for Allah, the Exalted, says: And when the prayer is finished, so spread in the land and seeks from Allah’s favor.

The Imām, peace be on him, divided the days of the week into these parts, and he singled Friday with more excellence and appointed it for Allah, the Most High. Among the special characteristics of Friday is that it is hateful for someone to travel on it before the declination of the sun, that the responsible may perform the Friday prayer.

69. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [My father Mūsā b. Ja‘far (i. e. Imām al-Sādiq) , peace be on him, related to me. He said: ] “It was (engraved) in the ring of Mohammed b. ‘Ali: “My opinion is good in Allah, the trusted Prophet, the testamentary trustee, possessor of favors, and the two good ones: al-Hasan and al-Husayn. ”

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The aspects of worship and obedience to Allah, the Most High, appear in every aspect of the lives of the pure Imāms, the peace of Allah be upon them. Among them is that they engraved the words of monotheism in their own rings.

70. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, said: ] “The munificent are the masters of men in this world; and the Allah-fearing are the masters of men in the next. ”

71. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, said: ] “Well-being is a hidden property. ”

Well-being is one of Allah’s greatest favors toward man. It is the greatest favor toward man. All the favors which man enjoys are worthless without well-being

72. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, said: Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who does a favor for one of the children of ‘Abd al-Muttalib, and he (the child of ‘Abd al-Muttalib) does not reward him for it, I (i. e. Allah’s Apostle) will reward him for it tomorrow when I meet him on the Day of Resurrection. ”

73. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. al-Husayn said: ] “Surely, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, performed the adhān (call to prayer) in the ear of al-Hasan and of al-Husayn on the day when they were born. ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, performed the religious rites for his two grandsons, of which that he performed the adhān in their right ears and the iqāma in their left ears, and hence this has become a religious rite performed for every Muslim baby.

74. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [My father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, related to me. He said: Asmā’, daughter of ‘Umays related to me. She said: ] “I assisted your grandmother Fātima in giving birth to al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace

be on them. When al-Hasan was born, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, came and said: ‘O Asmā’, bring me my son. ’ I brought him wrapped in a yellow piece of cloth. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, threw the piece away and said: ‘O Asmā’, did I not order you not to wrap the baby in a yellow piece of cloth? ’ So I wrapped him in a white piece of cloth and gave him to him. He performed the adhān in his right ear and the iqāma in his left ear.

Then he asked: ‘Which name have you given to this son of mine, ‘Ali? ’ He (i. e. ‘Ali) , peace be on him, replied: ‘I do not want to precede you in giving name to him, Allah’s Messenger. I want to call him Harb. ’ ‘I do not want to precede my Lord in giving name to him,’ answered the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. Then Gabriel, peace be on him, came down and said: ‘The Exalted, the Most High (Allah) recites to you (His) greetings and says to you: ‘‘Ali has the same rank with you as Hārūn had with Mūsā except that there will be no prophet after you, so call this son of yours with the name of Hārūn’s son. ’ So he (the Prophet) , may Allah bless him and his family, asked: ‘Gabriel, what was the name of Hārūn’s son? ’ ‘Shubbar,’ replied Gabriel. ‘My mother tongue is Arabic,’ explained the 

Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. ‘Name him al-Hasan,’ answered Gabriel. ”

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Asmā’ added: “He (the Prophet) named him al-Hasan. On the seventh day, he, may Allah bless him and his family, sacrificed two gray rams on his behalf. He gave a leg of the ram to the midwife; he shaved his hair and gave gold as alms equal to the weight of his hair and perfumed his hair with al-khulūq[1]. Then he said: ‘Asmā’, the blood is the action of those who lived before Islam. [2]’”

Asmā’ said: “A year after the birth of al-Hasan, peace be on him, al-Husayn, peace be on him, was born, so the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, came and said: ‘Asmā’, give me my son. I wrapped him in a white piece of cloth and gave him to him. He said the adhān in his right ear and the iqāma in his left ear. He put him on his lap and wept. ”

Asmā’ asked: “My father and mother be you ransom, what has made you weep? ”

“I weep for this son of mine,” he, may Allah bless him and his family, said.

I (i. e. Asmā’) said: “He was born at this hour. ”

“The oppressive group will kill him,’ he, may Allah bless him and his family, commented, “may Allah not let them obtain my intercession. ”

Then he said: “Do not tell Fātima (about these words of mine) , for she has just given birth to him. ”

Then he, may Allah bless him and his family, asked ‘Ali, peace be on him: “Which name have you given to this son of mine? ”

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“I do not want to precede you in giving name to him, Allah’s Apostle. I would like to call him Harb,” answered ‘Ali, peace be on him.

“I do not want to precede my Lord in giving name to him,” answered the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.

Then Gabriel, peace be on him, came down and said: “The Almighty (Allah) recites to you (His) greetings and says to you: Call him with the name of Hārūn’s son. ”

“What was the name of Hārūn’s son? ” he (the Prophet) , may Allah bless him and his family, asked.

“Shabir,” replied Gabriel.

“My mother tongue is Arabic,” explained the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.

“Call him al-Husayn,” answered Gabriel.

He (the Prophet) named him al-Husayn. On the seventh day, he, may Allah bless him and his family, sacrificed two gray rams on his behalf. He shaved his hair and gave gold as alms equal to the weight of his hair and perfumed his hair with al-khulūq.

He said: “Asmā’, the blood is the action of those who lived before Islam” Then he gave a leg of the ram to the midwife.

I (i. e. the author) think that a sentence of this tradition has been fabricated, which is the wish of Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, in naming his two sons Harb. This name is not beautiful and it is the name of the grandfather of the Umayyad family, who fought against Islam and spared no effort to extinguish the light of Allah. Moreover Islam is the religion of peace and is the greetings of the Muslims among themselves. The books of the Imāmi jurisprudence have mentioned that it is hateful for Muslims to call their babies Harb.

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75. Through his chain of authorities, he said: “My father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them, related to me that he was called al-Hasan on the seventh day, and al- Husayn was derived from the name al-Hasan, and he mentioned that there was (no period) between them except the pregnancy. ”

Most rites of religious birth are performed on behalf of the newborn baby on the seventh day, of which is giving name to the baby.

76. Through his chain of authorities, he said: “My father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them, related to me that Fātima, peace be on him, sacrificed (rams) on behalf of al-Hasan and al-Husayn; she gave a leg of the ram and a dinar to the midwife. ”

77. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib said: ] “It was as if that I saw palaces were built around the grave of al-Husayn, and that I saw markets surround his grave. The days and nights will not pass until (people) from the regions walk to him. That will happen when the children of Marwān perish. ”

The matter happened just as Imām ‘Ali, peace be on him, had predicted, for palaces and markets were built in Karbalā’, the city of honor and refusal; the grave of the great, martyred Imām has became a holy shrine and destination for all Muslims and people who believe in humanity, for it is the holiest shrine in all regions of the world.

78. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Ja‘far b. Mohammed was asked about the visitation to the grave of al-Husayn, peace be on him, and he said: My father told me. He said: ] “He who visits the grave of al-Husayn and is aware of his right, Allah will write him among those who are in the highest places in Paradise. ” Then he said: “Surely, there are seventy thousand shaggy, dusty angels who weep over him until the Day of Resurrection. ”

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Many traditions have been narrated on the authority of the Imāms of guidance, peace be on them, concerning the visitation of the grave of the master of martyrs and maker of human dignity Imām al-Husayn, peace be on him, for in visiting him there is a link with the greatest Prophet and honor for this Imām, who raised high the torch of monotheism. Had it not been for his sacrifice, the Umayyads would have destroyed Islam and effaced all its teachings.

79. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Surely, the murderer of al-Husayn is in a coffin of fire; half chastisement of thepeople of the Fire (will be practiced) against him; his hands and legs will be tied with chains of fire; he will be turned over until he falls into the bottom of the Hellfire. He will have a bad smell because of which the inhabitants of the Fire will seek protection in their Lord. He will be in the Hellfire forever and taste the painful chastisement. Whenever his skin is ripen, Allah will change it, that he may taste the painful chastisement which will not be flagged from him for an hour, and he will be watered from the boiling water of the Hellfire. So woe unto him because of the chastisement of Allah, the Great and Almighty! ”

Woe unto every sinful criminal who fought against the master of the youths of Heaven who revolted for the rights of the oppressive and the deprived and for saving them from the Umayyad terrorist regime, which disdained the souls and dignity of men. Definitely, Allah has prepared a painful chastisement and severe punishment, with which He shall not punish the criminals, for those who took part in fighting against the sweet basil of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and master of the youths of the Garden (i. e. Imām al-Husayn, peace be on him).

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80. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Abū al-Qāsim al-Tā’i related to me. He said: ‘Ali b. Mūsā al-Ridā, peace be on him, related to me. He said: My father Mūsā b. Ja‘far related to me. He said: My father Ja‘far b. Mohammed related to me. He said: My father

Mohammed b. ‘Ali related to me. He said: My father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn related to me. He said: My father al-Husayn b. ‘Ali related to me. He said: My father ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me. He said: Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Verily, Mūsā b. ‘Umrān raised his hands and said: ‘O my Lord, surely my brother Hārūn has died, so forgive him. ’ Hence Allah, the Exalted, revealed to him: ‘O Mūsā, if you ask me (to forgive) the first and the last, I will respond to you except those who killed al-Husayn, for I will not forgive them; rather I will take vengeance upon them. ’”

Footnote

[1] Darnūk is one of the carpets of the Garden.

[2] Abū al-Qāsim al-Tā'i said: "I asked Abū al-'Abbās al-Tā'i about hijjza, and he replied: 'It is means. ' Then I asked Ibn Naftawayh, the grammarian, about it, and he answered: 'It is means. '"

[3] Al-Shiblanji, Nūr al-Abbsār.

[4] A kind of perfume.

[5] One of the customs of those who lived before Islam was that they painted the hair of their babies with blood. As for Islam, it forbade this custom and replaced it by perfume.

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CHAPTER FIVE

ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE BELIEVER, GOOD MANNERS, AND THE EXCELLENCE OF HIM WHOSE NAME IS MOHAMMED OR AHMED

81. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The likeness of the believer with Allah is like an angel brought nigh; and the believer with Allah is better than an angel brought nigh; and there is nothing more lovable to Allah than a repentant believing man or a repentant believing woman. ”

82. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Verily, the believer is recognized in the heaven as a man is recognized by his own family and children; and he is nobler with Him (Allah) than an angel brought nigh. ”

83. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Gabriel came to me from his Lord and said: ‘My Lord, the Great and Almighty, recites to you (His) greetings and says: ‘O Mohammed, give good news to the believers who do good deeds, believe in you, and love your household of the Garden, for they have with Me good reward, and they will enter the Garden. ’”

The believers who have such qualities will have the noblest rank in the Garden and live therein wherever they like.

84. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who treats men and does not wrong them; tells them (about something) and does not tell them lies; promises them and does not break (his promise toward) them is a believer whose manhood is perfect, whose justice is manifest, love for him is obligatory (on men) , and it is forbidden (on them) to backbite him. ”

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If man has such qualities, he is perfect in faith, manhood, justice; and it is obligatory on people to be loyal to him and to refrain from backbiting him.

85. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who slanders a believing man or a believing woman or says about them what they do not have, Allah will make him stand on a hill of fire until he abandons what he has said concerning them. ”

Definitely, the believer has sacredness with Allah, for He, the Exalted, has made it incumbent on men to respect him, so none has the right to disparage him or to defame his character.

86. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “An example of the believer’s dignity with Allah is that Allah does not appoint a term for his span of life. However, if he concerns about an offense, Allah makes him die due to (His) mercy (toward him). ”

The meaning of this tradition is that Allah prolongs the believer’s life, but if he commits a sin, Allah decreases his life. Imām al-Ridā said: “Refrain from offenses and Allah will prolong your span of life. ”

87. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Cling to good manners, for the well- mannered are certainly in the Garden. ”

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One of the most important Islamic principles is good manners, and it is one of the most beautiful and perfect qualities of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, by which he was distinguished from the rest of the prophets. Islam has emphasized on the necessity of having such a noble quality. During their Bedouin life, nations were distinguished from each other by their bodily strength. When they progressed, they were distinguished from each other by their knowledge. And when they advanced, they were distinguished from one another by good manners.

88. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “If the servant knows what he will have due to good manners, then he will come to know that he is in no need (of anything) except good manners. ”

In this tradition there is a summons to clinging to good manners and Allah, the Most High, has prepared abundant reward for him who has this noble quality.

89. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When the Day of Resurrection occurs, Allah will manifest Himself to His servant and shows him his sins one by one, and then He will forgive him. Allah will not inform about the servant’s sins neither an angel brought nigh nor a messenger sent out. He will cover them from everyone, and then he will say to them: ‘Be good deeds! ’”

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This traditions gives an account of Allah’s plentiful mercy and his inclusive pardon toward His sinful servants. We ask Him, the Most High, to include us in His mercy.

90. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who abases and degrades a believing man or a believing woman because of their poverty, Allah will disgrace him on the Day of Resurrection. ”

Among the sins for which Allah punishes men is abasing and insulting the believer, for Allah has raised his importance and exalted his rank; therefore he who disdains the believer disdains Allah, the Exalted.

91. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Verily, through good manners the servant gains the rank of one who performs prayer and fasting. ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has underlined the necessity of having this noble quality, through which the Muslim is exalted and by which he is distinguished from the rest of men.

92. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Nothing heavier in the Balance than good manners. ”

93. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Bad manners spoil action just as vinegar spoils honey. ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, warned men against bad manners which throw man into dreadful evil as well as they spoil the good deeds which he does.

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94. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me: ] “Among the treasures of good is concealing deed and steadfastness toward misfortune. ”

This noble quality is one of the most distinguished qualities of man. It is among the treasures of good and is proof of high character.

95. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me. He said: ] “Good manners are the best friend; the most perfect of you in belief is the best of you in manners. ”

Surely, good manners are the best friend and guard, for they protect man from many problems and difficulties. In the meantime they are proof of the perfect faith of a person.

96. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The title of the Muslim’s page is good manners. ”

Good manners are the most prominent quality in the Muslim’s character, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said to his community.

97. Through his chain of authorities on the authority of Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, who said: [Allah’s Apostle was asked: ] “Who enter the Garden more? ” “ (Those who have) reverential fear and good manners,” he replied. Then he was asked: “Who enter the Fire more? ” “ (Those who follow) the two hollow (organs): the stomach and the genital parts,” he answered.

Fear of Allah, refraining from disobeying Him, and having good manners are the firmest ways through which man gains Allah’s good pleasure and enters the Garden. Likewise, paying no attention to the forbidden things and having an unlawful sexual intercourse bring about entering the Fire.

98. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The nearest of you to me in sitting on the Day of Resurrection are those who are the best of you in good manners, and the best of you is he who is the best of you (in good manners) toward his family. ”

He who beautifies himself with good manners is the closest of all people to the greatest Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, on the Day of Resurrection. Likewise, the closest of people to Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, is he who shows good, mercy, and kindness toward his family and undertakes their affairs.

99. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The best of the people in faith are the best of them in good manners and the gentlest of them toward their families, and I am the gentlest of you toward my family. ”

This tradition emphasizes good manners and kindness to family, and this is among the qualities of the holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.

100. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When you name the boy Mohammed, then honor him, make room for him when sitting, and do not show an ugly face toward him. ”

Islam has made it recommended for Muslims to name their boy babies with the name of the Prophet Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family. He who is given this name is worthy of honoring, magnifying, making room during sitting, and receiving with cheerfulness.

101. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “If some people have a consultation and someone whose name is Mohammed or Ahmed is present with them and they let him take part in the consultation, they will (face nothing) except good for them. ”

This tradition summons Muslims to name their boys with the name of the great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and it urges them to honor and magnify those boys who have given this blessed name.

102. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “If food is placed and someone whose name is Mohammed or Ahmed sits at it, Allah will sanctify that house twice a day. ”

Footnote

CHAPTER SIX

ON MENTIONING FOODS, FRUIT, AND OINTMENTS

103. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Meat is the master of the food of this world and the next. Water is the master of the drink of this world and the next. And I am the master of the children of Ādam. I am not proud (of anything) , but poverty is my pride. ”

Meat is the master of foods, for it has some vitamins which are necessary for maintaining the body; likewise pure water is the master of drinks.

In this tradition the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has shown that he is the master of the children of Ādam, that poverty is his pride, for he, may Allah bless him and his family, died and left behind him nothing of worldly provisions.

104. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Meat and rice are the master of the food of this world and the next. ”

This tradition gives an account of the excellence of meat and rice, and that they are the best masters of foods, for they have advantages which make the body grow.

105. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When you cook food, increase gourd, for it strengthens the heart of the sad. ”

106. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me: ] “Cling to (eating) gourd, for it strengthens the brain. ”

This tradition and that before it urge men to eat gourd, for it contains food advantages such as vitamin (A) , iron, calcium, and in addition eating its seeds drives armed tapeworm away from the stomach.

107. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “When you eat porridge, eat from its sides, for blessing is in the top. ”

This tradition summon Muslims to conform to the manners of eating, for example, one who eats porridge should eat from the sides of the container not from its top.

108. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me: He said: Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who wants to subsist, and there is no subsistence, should eat food early, wear the shoe well, wear light clothes, and decrease sleeping with women. ”

This tradition gives an account of some health pieces of advice:

A. Having food early.

B. Wearing shoe regularly.

C. Wearing light clothes.

D. Reducing sexual intercourse.

109. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [When Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, had food, he would say: ] “O Allah, make it blessed for us, and bestow upon us something better than it. ” When he drank yogurt, he would say: “O Allah, make it blessed for us, and bestow upon us something better than it. ”

This tradition shows the supplication of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, when he had food and yogurt. Thus a supplication is among the religious manners which always connect man to his Almighty Creator.

110. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [When Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, had milk, he would rinse out his mouth and say: ] “It has cream. ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, hated anything to stay in his holy mouth even the remainder of milk, for it harms health.

111. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, said: A food was brought for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and he entered his finger into the food which was hot, so he, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Leave it until it becomes cold, for it is greater in blessing, and for Allah does not feed us the hot. ”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, hated to have hot food, for it severely harms health, especially the mouth and the teeth, and other parts of the digestive system.

112. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Cling to (eating) meat, for it makes flesh grow. He who leaves meat for forty days, his (physical) constitution is bad. ”

As for meat, it is the most useful food to the body, for it contains albuminous materials, mineral salts, calcium, protein, and other materials which are necessary for building and soundness of the body, especially when it is used along with vegetables, for it achieves perfect nutrition for man.

113. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Cling to lentils, for they are blessed and sacred; they soften the heart and increase tear; they were regarded as blessed by seventy prophets, the last of them was ‘Īsā b. Maryam, peace be on him. ”

As for lentils, they are among rich foods; they contain food materials such as calcium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin (B) , and protein; so they are blessed. [1] Lentils are equal to meat and their protein ratio surpasses that of the rest of vegetables. One of their advantages is that they soften the heart and increase tear.

114. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: “He who starts (his food) with salt, Allah takes away from him seventy diseases, the first of which is leprosy. ”

The need for salt differs from man to another according to the regions of their living, for example, the inhabitants of the tropics are in need of a lot of salt because they ooze abundant sweat which contains food salt. Perhaps the tradition concerns such a kind of people. As for the inhabitants of the frigid zones like Sepirya, they are in no need of salt; rather they spit it out.

115. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “There is nothing more hateful to Allah than a full stomach. ”

Fullness or eating much food brings about heavy harms to the body, of which are high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and others. For this reason the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, prevented men from eating much food.

116. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [My father ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me. He said: Abū Juhayfa said: ] “I went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and I was belching, so he said to me: ‘O Abū Juhayfa, stop your belching! Verily, the fullest of the people in this world will be the most hungry of them on the Day of Resurrection. ’” He said: “So Abū Juhayfa did not fill his stomach with food until he met Allah, the Exalted. ”

In this tradition there is a warning against fullness, which is a destructive blight.

117. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Do not ask a foolish or blear- eyed woman to nurse (your babies) , for milk conveys disease. ”

Certainly, milk has bad or good effects on the natures of a baby. So the baby which feeds on the milk of a foolish or blear-eyed woman is infected by foolishness or bleariness in his future life, and this has been emphasized by modern medical studies. I (i. e. the author) have mentioned this matter in detail in my book Nizām al- Usra fi al-Islām (the Organization of the Family in Islam).

118. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The baby has no milk better than that of its mother. ”

Certainly, the baby which feeds on its mother’s milk is safe from diseases and enjoys good health, for its mother’s milk is supplied with all necessary food materials. As for the milk other than that of its mother, it is liable to various kinds of diseases because it is either not pasteurized or is not suitable for its body.

119. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who spends (his own money) well will have a good deed. ”

In this tradition there is a creative summons to an Islamic economy, of which is that there must be a balance between spending and miserliness, and which protects man from choking economic crises.

120. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Vinegar is the best food; the house which has vinegar does not become poor. ”

Vinegar has many advantages, of which is that it helps the stomach in digesting food. It is the best of drinks, and in the past times it was the famous drink among the people.

121. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Eat dates before breakfast, for they kill the worms in the stomach. ”

Dates are rich in vitamins, for example, they have a high ratio of vitamin (A). It is worth mentioning that this vitamin helps children grow, that it keeps the moisture and brilliance of the eye, the protrusion of the eyeball, and that it plays an important role in forming the retinal purple, so doctors call it ‘Factor of Growth’.

Moreover dates strengthen the auditory nerves, and they have other benefits mentioned by doctors. Islam has emphasized eating dates, for they have great advantages.

122. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, said: ] “Gabriel, peace be on him, came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and said: ‘Cling to al-Barni dates, for it is the best kind of your dates; it brings (men) nigh to Allah and send (them) away from the Fire. ’”

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Perhaps the reason for urging (men) to eat dates is that it makes mind grow and purifies the soul. It is normal that when the soul is free from imaginations, it heads for its Almighty Creator and does all that which brings it nigh to Him. Hence the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, urged (men) to eat al-Barni dates, which is the best kind of all dates.

123. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [My father al-Husayn b. ‘Ali, peace be on them, said: ] “ (Imām ‘Ali) the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, ordered us to rinse out mouth three times after we had eaten (food). ”

This traditions gives an account of the summons to cleaning teeth after having food, for it has an important effect on health.

124. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib said: ] “Eat pomegranate along with its flesh, for it is tanning for the stomach. ”

As for pomegranate, it is among the fruit rich in vitamins, for example, it contains lemon, sugar, vitamin (C). Among the characteristics of its flesh is that it puts right the digestive system.

125. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Eat grapes one by one, for it is more wholesome and easier. ”

As for grapes, they are among the richest fruit, for they contain vitamins A, B, C, and play an important role in building the body and strengthening its tissues. They are a delicious food and they are quickly digested. They are necessary for the states of indigestion, renal and urinary calculus, poisoning, anemia, and reduction of calcium. Dr. Carlia said: “It is necessary to give grapes to those who suffer from anemia and on whom surgical operations are performed. ” Medical books have mentioned other benefits of grapes.

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126. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Cling to raisins, for they remove bitterness, take away phlegm, strengthen nerves, improve nature, make soul good, and remove worries. ”

As for raisins, dried grapes, they have most characteristics of fresh grapes, of which are vitamins. We previously talked about the benefits and characteristics of grapes, of which are those mentioned in this tradition.

127. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “If there is a cure in something, then it is in the slash made by a cupper or in a drink of honey. ”

In the previous researches, we mentioned the great benefits of cupping and honey.

128. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Do not reject him who brings you a drink of honey. ”

129. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Perfume is ease; honey is ease; looking at greens is ease; and riding is ease. ”

These things create cheerfulness and happiness.

130. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Rub with violet, for it is cold in summer and hot in winter. ”

Violet is one of the beautiful, sweet-smelling plants. The tradition contains some characteristics of its ointment, which is cold in summer and hot in winter.

Footnote

[1] Al-Ghidhā' lā al-Dawā', p. 561.

CHAPTER SEVEN

ON OBEYING THE PARENTS AND TIGHTENING THE BONDS OF KIN

131. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said:

[Abū Ja‘far, peace be on him, related to me. He said: ] “The minimum disobedience (to parents) is the (word) uf (ugh). And if Allah knew that there was something easier than uf, He would forbid it. ”

He, the Exalted, said: And do not say to them uf! If there was a word less than the word uf, Allah would forbid it, just as the Imām said.

132. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Abū Ja‘far, peace be on him, related to me. He said: Abū ‘Abd Allah, peace be on him, said: ] “Tightening the bonds of kin and good manners increase faith. ”

Definitely, good manners and tightening the bonds of kin are two proofs of man’s faith in Allah and his relationship with Him.

133. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who guarantees one (thing) to me, I will guarantee four (things) to him: He should tighten the bonds of kin, so his family loves him; he is given generously; his fixed term is increased; and Allah will make him enter the Garden which He has promised. ”

Surely, tightening the bonds of kin is the best deed in Islam, for it brings about correlation, unity, and solidarity of society.

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134. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Mohammed b. ‘Ali, peace be on him, related to me. He said: ] “Tightening the bonds of kin and good neighborhood increase properties. ”

Among the good deeds which Islam has adopted is kindness to blood relations and neighbors. For such a deed unifies the Muslims, spreads love and affection among them.

135. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib said: I heard Allah’s Messenger say: ] “Verily, I fear for you that you will disdain the religion, sell your government, cut the bonds of kin, use the Qur’ān as pipes, and that you give precedence to one of you, while he is not the most meritorious of you in religion. ”

These matters against which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, warned the Muslims bring about the destruction of society and make it deviate from the ideals which Islam has adopted.

CHAPTER EIGHT

ON WARNING AGAINST CHEATING, BACKBITING, AND TATTLING

136. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who cheats a Muslim or harms him or tries to deceive him does not belong to us. ”

Cheating a Muslim or harming him or trying to deceive him is never an Islamic act, for such an action spreads hatred and mistrust among the Muslims.

137. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Beware of oppression, for it destroys your hearts. ”

Islam has fought against oppression. Authentic traditions have been transmitted from the Imāms of guidance, peace be on him, concerning warning against oppression, and that Allah, the Most High, is in the watch-tower against the oppressive; He will destroy their houses and severely punish them.

138. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [My father al-Husayn b. ‘Ali, peace be on him, related to me. He said: the Commander of the faithful, the blessings of Allah be on him, addressed us. He said: ] “A severe time will come upon the people; therein the rich will seize their possessions with their own teeth (by way of miserliness) although they have not been commanded to do so. Allah, the Most High, says: Do not forget generosity among yourselves. During this time the wicked will rise up while the virtuous will remain low; purchases will be made from the helpless although Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, has prohibited purchasing from the helpless. ”

139. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, said: ] “He who refrains from (defaming) the honor of men, Allah will release him from his stumble on the Day of Resurrection. ”

One of the precepts of Islam is that one should refrain from (defaming) the honor of men and not to mention it with evil, that he may keep the unity of the Muslims.

140. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, said: ] “Beware of backbiting, for it is the food of the inhabitants of the Fire. ”

‘Ali b. al-Husayn, the master of the Allah-fearing, peace be on him, has presented the prohibition of backbiting, which is the most atrocious of all forbidden things, for it leads to spreading offenses and obscene words among the Muslims.

141. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Surely, Allah detests him who does not receive the person who comes in to him. ”

Among the Islamic good manners is that you should honor those who visit you in your house, not turn away from them, and accomplish their needs, especially the needs of those who are poor and needy.

CHAPTER NINE

THE EXCELLENCE OF INVASION AND JIHĀD

142. Through his chain of authority, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. al-Husayn, the blessings of Allah be on him, said: While the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, was addressing the people, a young man stood up before him and said: ] “O Commander of the faithful, tell me about the excellence of the invasion in the path of Allah. ” He, peace be on him, answered: “I was riding behind Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, on his she-camel al- ‘Adbā’ when we came beck from the Campaign of Dhāt al-Salāsil. I asked him about what you have asked me about, and he answered: “Surely, if the invaders intend to make an invasion, Allah writes for them freedom from the Fire, and if they prepare themselves, Allah vies (in glory) with the angels through them, etc. ’”

The tradition is long; the greatest Messengers, may Allah bless him and his family, has presented therein the excellence of invasion and jihād in the path of Allah, which is one of the gates to the Garden, and which Allah has opened for his special friends, as it was said by the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him.

CHAPTER TEN

MISCELLANEOUS TRADITIONS

143. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] Allah, the Most High, says: “O son of Ādam, do you not treat Me with justice? I show love toward you through favors and you show hatred toward Me through the acts of disobedience. My good descends to you, and your evil ascends to Me. A noble angel always brings Me an ugly deed from you on every day and night.

“O son of Ādam, if you hear your description from other than you, and you do not know who the describer is, you will quickly detest him. ”

This Holy Tradition summons men to do good deeds and warns them against evil deeds.

144. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: Allah, the Great and Almighty, says: ] “O son of Ādam, do not let the sins of men divert you from your own sin, nor (let) the favors of men divert you from those of Allah toward you. Do not drive men to despair of Allah’s favor, while you hope them for your own soul. ”

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This tradition orders man not to let the sins of men turn him away from his own sins, for every person is responsible for his own sins before Allah, the Exalted. In addition, it orders him not to let the favors which Allah bestow upon his servants divert him from His favors toward him.

145. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “I fear for my community from three (things): error after knowledge, misleading discords, the lust of stomach and genital parts. ”

Certainly these three temptations turns man away from Allah, the Exalted, and throws him into dreadful evil.

146. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said concerning the interpretation of these words of Him, the Most High: (Remember) the day when We will call every people with their Imām: ] “He (Allah) will call every people with the Imām of their time, the Book of their Lord, and the Sunna (practices and sayings) of their Prophet. ”

This tradition gives an account of mustering men on the Day of Resurrection. It indicates that every people will be mustered along with their Imām (leader) , the Book of their Lord, and the Sunna of their Lord. If they obeyed them and put them into practice, they would be successful and be safe from the severe punishment of Allah, and if they opposed them, they would be unsuccessful.

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147. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Allah will reckon every creature except him who associates a partner with Him, for He will not reckon him and order him (to be taken) to the Fire. ”

148. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Circumcise your boys on the seventh day, for it is the purest and quickest (act) in making flesh grow. ”

An example of wonderful Islamic legislation is that it summons the Muslims to circumcise male babies on the seventh day of their birth, for the circumcision in this age recovers quickly and the male baby does not suffer severe pain. If the baby exceeds this age, especially when its age exceeds three or four years, it faces difficulty and severe pain in circumcising.

149. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The wronged are neither praiseworthy nor rewarded. ”

As for the wronged, if they are ignorant, they do not deserve praise and reward, for they neglect their dealings; and if they are knowledgeable and adopt riches, then they are worthy of blame and dispraise.

150. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Do favor for those who are worthy of it and those who are not worthy of it. If you find those who are worthy of it, then they deserve it; and if you do not find those who are worthy of it, then you are among those who are entitled to it. ”

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In this tradition there is a creative summons to doing favor and kindness to all men. This is one of good Islamic teachings standing on favor and kindness.

151. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “The head of reason after religion is showing love toward men and doing favor for both the righteous and the sinful. ”

Surely, showing love for men and making favor for them is a proof of ripe mind, sound reason, and insight.

152. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Verily, your mouths are ways to your Lord, so clean them. ”

This tradition summons the Muslims to clean their mouths through refraining from obscene and abominable words, saying the truth, polite words, and others.

153. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “He who fasts on Friday with endurance and fore-thought is given the reward of ten honorable, brilliant days which the days of the world do not resemble. ”

This tradition awakens one’s desire for fasting on Friday, which is the most honorable of the days of the week, for there is abundant repayment and great reward in fasting on it.

154. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “Prefer the Garden to the Fire and do not invalidate your deeds, so you will be thrown into the Fire, bowing (your heads) and immortal therein. ”

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The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, summons (people) to gain Paradise through sincere deeds and not to invalidate their deeds through hypocrisy, and others. In addition, he, may Allah bless him and his family, warns them against the Fire, may Allah protect us from it.

155. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “There is no retiring into mosque for devotion (i‘tikāf) except along with fasting. ”

As for prayer in seclusion (i‘tikāf) , it stands on fasting, and it should be in one of the mosques of Allah. As for fasting for i‘tikāf, it should be for three days; and the one who performs i‘tikāf has no right to leave the mosque except after the three days.

156. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ] “If the servant sees the moment of his death and its speed, he will hate hope and seeking the world. ”

If man reflects on his fate and carefully considers his condition in the grave and his quick departure from this world, then he will detest hope and hate the world.

157. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib related to me, saying: ] “He who subjects himself to accusation and entering what brings about losing his dignity, certainly empowers mistrust over himself, and it is he who brings about that against himself. ”

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158. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [‘Ali b. Abū Tālib said: ] “He who obeys a creature and disobeys the Creator has no religion. ”

Surely, he who obeys a creature through disobeying the Creator has no religion and no relationship with Allah, the Most High.

159. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Al-Husayn b. ‘Ali, peace be on him, related to me, saying: ] “Verily, the deeds of this community are brought before Allah, the Great and Almighty, every morning. ”

Definitely, the deeds of the Muslims are brought before Allah, the Exalted, every day, whether they are good or evil. So blessed is he who does good deeds and fears his Lord!

160. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [My father ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib related to me concerning these words of Him, the Exalted: And certainly she made for him, and he would have made for her, were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his Lord, saying: ] “The wife of al-‘Aziz (the Chief of Egypt) went to an idol and covered the idol, and then she said: ‘It can see us! ’ So Yousif asked her: ‘What is this? ’ ‘I feel shame of the idol when it sees us! ’ she replied. So he asked her: ‘Do you feel shame of the idol which cannot hear; nor can it see; nor can it benefit; nor can it harm? Why do you not feel shame of Him who has created things and has knowledge of them? ’ So that is His words, the Exalted: the manifest evidence of his Lord. ”

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161. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [When ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, saw a sick person who got well, he said: ] “Purity from sins congratulates you! ”

Many traditions have been reported from the Imāms of guidance, peace be on them; the traditions indicate that illness purifies sick person from the sins which he had committed, and that it increases his good deeds.

162. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [My father ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, related to me, saying: ] “We have taken three (things) from three (persons): Steadfastness from Ayyūb (Job) , gratitude from Nūh (Noah) , and envy from the children of Ya‘qūb (Jacob). ”

163. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Mohammed b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them, was asked: ] “Why was the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, orphaned? ” He, peace be on him, replied: “Lest no creature should have a right against him. ”

Many traditions have justified the orphanage of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. Yet there is another justification as follows: This Orphan (i. e. the Prophet) could change the course of the world’s history, save man from the fables and customs of those pagans who loved before Islam, established on earth a state which raised the torch of monotheism, brightened the regions of the world through the truth and justice.

With this matter we will end our talk about the Musnad and Sahifa of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. It is worth mentioning that I (i. e. the author) have dropped some traditions mentioned in these two books of the Imām, for I think that they are fabricated and do not belong to the traditions of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them. Perhaps, for this reason some religious scholars have not ascribed this book (Sahifa) to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and not regarded it as evidence for some religious precepts.

Al-Fiqh al-Radawi

The book al-Fiqh al-Radawi (al-Ridā’s Jurisprudence) has also been attributed to Imām al-Ridā`, peace be on him, and it was not known by the early Imāmi

scholars; rather it appeared afterwards, and especially in the time of al-Majjlisi, the virtuous, who said: “I was told about the book Fiqh al-Ridā, peace be on him, by al-Sayyid, the virtuous traditionalist, the ruler-judge Husayn, may Allah be Gracious to his soil, after returning to Asfahān. He said to me: ‘It happened that during the time when I was neighboring the Sacred House of Allah, a group of the residents of Qum visited me while performing their hajj and they had with them an old book the date of its writing agreed with the date during which al-Ridā, the blessings of Allah be upon him, was alive. ’” Al-Majjlisi continues to say: “I heard my father, may Allah have mercy on him, saying that it was written in the handwriting of al-Ridā, the blessings of Allah be upon him, and a large group of the dignitaries testified to the same. ’ Al-Sayyid (Husayn) said: ‘From these contexts, I have come to know that the book was written by the Imām, peace be on him; so I took the book, wrote it and corrected it. ’ Hence my father, may Allah hallow his soul, took this book from al-Sayyid, copied it and corrected it. Most its sentences agree with what al-Sadūq, may Allah have mercy on him, has mentioned in his book Man lā Yahdarahu al-Faqih with out any chain of authorities, and what his father has mentioned in his letter to him. Our companions have mentioned many precepts in the book without mentioning their chain of authorities. ”

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A group of the eminent figures of the Imāmi jurisprudence like al-Fādil al-Kāshāni, the Author of al-Riyād, al-Muhaddith al-Bahrāni, and others testified the book and depended on it.

Yet another group of the great religious scholars has discussed the book and denied it. He who carefully considers the book concludes the following criticisms:

Firstly, if this book belonged to Imām al-Ridā, it would not be unknown for numerous centuries; the early Imāmi scholars and traditionalists would come to know of it, for they took great care of all traditions transmitted from the Imāms of guidance, peace be on them; yet, none of them said even a word concerning it.

Secondly, Shaykh al-Sadūq, who has recorded all traditions reported from Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, has not mentioned the book in his book ‘Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā; nor has he mentioned it in his other books.

Lastly, the book contains some traditions which contradict the Shi‘ite beliefs such as extremism which the pure Imāms disproved and regarded as infidels those who believe in it. For example, it has been mentioned in the book, Chapter on Istiqbāl al-Qibla fi al-Salāt: “And place one of the Imāms before your eyes. ” This is grievous extremism, for it is incumbent upon every worshipper to direct his sentiments and feelings towards Allah, the Creator of the universe and Giver of life.

These are some criticisms of the book, and they indicate that it does not belong to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. It is worth mentioning that the book was published by the World Conference on Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, in the Holy City of Meshhad, that it was checked by the Āl al-Bayt Foundation for Renewing Legacy in Qum, may Allah increase it in honor, and that its introduction was written by the great researcher Shaykh Jawād al-Sharistāni, who mentioned the proofs of those who testified the book and of those who denied it.

CHAPTER VII

DOCTRINAL RESEARCHES

DOCTRINAL RESEARCHES

In his researches and lectures, Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, discussed many ideological matters and disproved the vague errors and imaginations which the spiteful and the ignorant raised against Islam and its precepts. We have mentioned large part of his debates with the scholars of the sects and religions. We have indicated that the debates amazed them and made them believe in his many scientific abilities, and that they dominated the political and scientific clubs. Now, we will mention another part of these researches, which are not in the frame of the debates, as follows:

The Unity of Allah

Many questions were raised about the Unity of Allah, and Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, answered them and refuted the doubts and imaginations in respect of them. The following are some of them:

A. Full Knowledge of Allah’s Essence is Impossible

It is impossible to describe Allah, the Exalted, with an attribute which encompasses His Holy Essence. Among those who asked the Imām about this matter was Abū Hishām al-Ja‘fari, who was one of the greatest figures of his time in virtue, knowledge, and Allah-fearingness. He asked the Imām the following question:

“Can Allah be described (i. e. , specified in words)? ”

Through this question, Abū Hāshim al-Ja‘fari wanted to find and to encompass the knowledge of Allah, the Most High, so Imām al-Rida, peace be on him, asked him:

“Do you not read the Qur’ān? ”

“Yes,” he replied.

The Imām answered through the Book of Allah, the Most High, saying:

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“Do you not read these words of Him, the Exalted: The eyes attain him not, but He attains the eyes? ”

“Yes,” was the answer.

“Do you know (the meaning of) the eyes? ” asked the Imām.

“Yes,” came the answer.

“What is it? ” asked the Imām.

“It is the seeing with the eyes,” replied Abū Hāshim.

The Imām, peace be on him, disproved this answer, saying: “Verily, the conceptualization of the heart is far greater (embracing in knowledge) than the vision of the eye. Still the conceptualization of the heart cannot attain Him, whereas all conceptualization is in His grasp. [1]”

Certainly, the conceptualization of reason is far greater and more inclusive than the vision of the eye. Reason is also limited in conceptualization and imaginations, hence it cannot encompass the Essence of Allah, the Most High.

B. Seeing Allah is Impossible

It is impossible for men to see Allah, the Most High; it was spread among the people of that time that Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, had seen his Lord, hence Ibrāhim b. Mohammed al-Khazzāz and Mohammed b. al-Husayn hurried to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, to ask him about that: “Did Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, see his Lord in the form of a perfect youth with His hair hanging down on the lobs of His ears and of a man in the age of thirty? ”

They ascribed this statement to a group of the Shi‘ite great figures, and that they said: “The body of Allah right up to the navel was quite empty and the rest of Him was full. ” Without doubt this statement was fabricated and attributed to such a group of Shi‘ite eminent men, for they had no relationship with such forbidden things. As for the Imām, he disordered when he heard this false statement. He prostrated himself in prayer and began addressing Allah, the Exalted, humbly: “Glory belongs to You! They do not know you; nor do they know You as a Unity. For this reason they have described You (with fabricated attributes). Glory belongs to You! Had they known You, they would had ascribed to You only the attributes You have ascribed to Your Own Self. Glory belongs to You! How did they allow themselves to listen to anything about You other than Your Self.

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“O Allah, I do not describe You but through what You have described Your Own Self; nor do I liken You to Your creatures. You are the Possessor of all good. So do not place me among the unjust people. ”

Then he, peace be on him, turned to them and said to them: “After whatever you imagine, imagine that Allah is other than that. ”

Namely, whatever man imagines concerning the Essence of Allah, the Most High, he should imagine that Allah is other than what he has imagined.

Then the Imām turned to Mohammed b. al-Husayn and said to him: “We, the family of Mohammed, represent the moderate path. Our path is lost to those who exceed the limit, and those who lag behind cannot come unto our (path). O Mohammed (b. al-Husayn) , verily, when Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, looked at the Majesty of his Lord, he was in the form of a youth in full bloom and of a man in the age of thirty with his hair hanging down on the lobes of his ears. O Mohammed, Allah is far above having the attributes of His creatures. ”

“Who was he whose feet were on the green yard? ” asked Mohammed b. al-Husayn.

“He was Mohammed,” replied the Imām, “When he looked at his Lord through his heart, He established him in His Light which was like the Light of the (Divine) veil, until what was behind the (Divine) veil was made manifest to him. Verily, the effulgence of Allah’s Light

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is green, red, white, and the like. O Mohammed, we (the Imāms) only say what the Book (of Allah) and the Sunna bear witness to. [2]”

Negation of the Like from Allah

The Imām, peace be on him, disproved all kinds of likes and images from Allah, the Most High, and that was through a talk took place between him and al-Fath b. Yazid al-Jurjāni on his way to Khurasān. The Imām, peace be on him, said to him:

“O Fath, he who pleases the Creator pays no attention to the creature; and he who displeases the Creator, surely He empowers the displeasure of the creatures over him; and the Creator is not described except by that with which He has described Himself; and how should one describe that Creator whom senses cannot perceive, imaginations cannot attain, thoughts (khatarāt) cannot delimit and sight cannot encompass? Greater is He than what the depicters describe! He is distant in His nearness and near in His distance. He fashions (kayyafa) ‘howness’ (kayfiyyah) , so it is not said of Him, ‘How? ’ (kayf) ; He determines (ayyana) the ‘where? ’ (ayn). He sunders ‘howness’ (kayfūfiyyah) and whereness (aynūniyyah).

“O Fath, every body is fed with a food except the Creator, the Provider (Allah) , for He embodies bodies. He is without body and form. He can neither be analyzed nor limited. He grows not, nor decays. He is far above the parts of things. He is the Subtle, All-aware, All-hearing, All-seeing, the One, the Unique, the Un- needing. He begets not, nor is He begotten and there is none equal to Him. He is the Originator of all things. He embodies all bodies and forms all forms. If He was such as those who admit similitude (al-mushabbihah) , then the Creator cannot be distinguished from the created, nor the Provider from the provided, nor the Originator from the originated. However, He is the Originator and there must be a distinction between Him and the things to which He gave body and shape and which He originated, since nothing resembles Him nor does He resemble anything. ”

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“Allah is One and man is one. Do they not; therefore, resemble each other? ” asked al-Fath.

The Imām disproved this vague error, saying: “Impossible! May Allah keep you steadfast; the resemblance is in the meanings. As for the names, every object is one, and the names signify the objects that (severally) bear those names. [3] Likewise, when we call man one, we are predicating that man is one body, not two. Man, in himself, is not one, since he is composed of different limbs and colors. And what is composed of different colors (components) can never be regarded as one. He consists of separate parts, that are diverse and divisible. His blood is different from his flesh and his flesh is different from his blood. His nerves are different from his veins and his hair is different from his skin. His black is different from his white. And the same is the case with all other creatures. Thus, man is one in name, not in essence.

“Allah, Exalted be His Majesty, is One. There is none other than Him; nor is there any incongruity and diversity in Him; nor is there any excess and deficiency. However, man is a creation made and composed of different parts, diverse essences, and primary elements; in this state of composition he is regarded as one. ”

Surely, calling Allah, the Exalted, One is different from calling man one, for man is composed of different organs such as the heart, the lungs, the eyes, the kidneys, the cells, and others; and by the virtue of their gathering he is called one. As for the Almighty Creator, He is called One not because of the composition of numerous limbs and organs.

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“Explain to me (the meaning of) the Subtle, for I know that His Subtlety is different from that of other than Him, for there is a difference (between the Creator and creation,” demanded al-Fath.

The Imām, peace be on him, answered: “O Fath, our statement that Allah is Subtle means that He has created subtle things and has full awareness of subtle things. May Allah give you wisdom and keep you steadfast. Do you not see the signs of His creation in the grass, which is subtle (green and soft) and not subtle (dry and rough) , and also in the most subtle (delicate and tender) creation and in the tiny birds, insects, and misquotes and in the tiny flies, and also the things still tinier to the extent that you cannot distinguish the male from the female and the young from the old. We see the infinite smallness of these in their subtlety, and how they are guided in coming near to the female of the species and escaping from what is deadly, and in the gathering of what is suited to their survival. We see (creatures) dwelling in the depth of the seas, under the bark of the trees, and in the valleys and the barren deserts. We see them communicating messages to one another and with their offspring, and also their bringing food for them. We also see their matching of colors, the red with the yellow and the white with the red. Further, we see,

that on account of their smallness they are not visible to the eye. Our eyes do not see them; our hands do not touch them. Having seen all this, we have come to know that the Creator of such subtle creatures, must have used a very subtle art in the creation of what we have mentioned. Moreover, we have also come to know that all those who make things, do so out of other things. However, it is Allah the Creator, the Subtle, the Great Who created and made things out of nothing. ”

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This paragraph gives an account of the marvelous signs of Allah’s wonderful creatures, and that is in His creating the bodies of the tiny animals such as insects and misquotes, and even tinier than them, of which the male cannot be distinguished from the female. Allah has given them understanding and they are guided to come near to the female of the species to continue their offspring on earth. Likewise Allah has given them understanding in order to escape from dangers, so glory belongs to the Subtle Creator. Moreover they have attractive colors, and they live in the bark of trees and deserts, and other favors of Allah toward them. So glory belongs to the Almighty Creator. How great his favors toward all living beings!

“Is there a creator other than the Great Creator? ” asked al-Fath.

The Imām, peace be on him, answered: “Surely, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says: Blessed is Allah the best of the creators. [4] He told that there were creators among his creatures, of whom was ‘Īsā b. Maryam, who determined out of dust like the form of a bird with Allah’s permission, and it became bird with Allah’s permission. And al-Sāmiri created for them a calf, a mere body, which had a mooning sound. ”

Al-Fath opposed the Imām, saying: “Surely, Īsā created a bird out of dust as a proof of his Prophethood, and al-Sāmiri created a calf, a mere body, to abolish the Prophethood of Mūsā, and Allah willed that to be so. Certainly, this is the wonder! ”

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The Imām answered him with strong argument, saying: “Verily, Allah’s intention is two-fold; His will is (also) two-fold: the intention which is irrevocable, and the intention which is only a resolution. (Sometimes) Allah forbids what He wills and (sometimes) He orders what He does not will. Do you not see that Allah forbade Ādam and his wife from eating of the tree, yet willed that they should eat of it? If He had not willed so, their will would not have prevailed over the will of Allah; He ordered Ibrāhim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismā‘il, but did not will that Ismā‘il should be slain. If He had willed so, the will of Ibrāhim would not have prevailed over the will of Allah, the Great and Almighty. ”

The Imām, peace be on him, disproved al-Fath’s vague errors through dividing the will of Allah, the Exalted, into two parts as follows: the first part is the intention which is only a resolution or the legislative will, as the theologians say, or Allah’s orders and prohibitions to His servants in order to balance their behavior and put right their life in this world. The disobedience of the willed to the will is not impossible according this kind of will. In other words the servant may obey and may disobey.

And the second part is the intention which is irrevocable or genetic will as the theologians say. It is impossible for the willed to disobey this kind of will, for Allah, according to this will, says to a thing: “Be,” and the thing is. As for the stories of Ādam and Ibrāhim, they belong to the first part of will.

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Al-Fath was amazed at the Imām’s statement and said: “You have comforted me; may Allah comfort you! However, you have said: ‘The All-hearing, the All- seeing: Does He hear with the ear and see with the eye? ”

The Imām answered him: “He (Allah) hears through what He sees and sees through what He hears. He sees but not through an eye like the eye of the creatures; and He hears but not through an ear like the ear of the creatures, but for not hidden from Him is the trace of a black speck on a dark night on a black stone under the soil and the seas; we say that He sees not through the like of the eye of the creatures; we say that He hears not through the like of the hearing of the hearers, for the various kinds of words are not confused by Him and no hearing diverts Him from hearing. ”

The Imām, peace be on him, removed the vague errors from al-Fath and explained to him that the seeing and hearing of Allah, the Most High, were not like those of man.

“Yet, I have another question,” declared al-Fath.

“Give it to me,” demanded the Imām.

“You said that the Eternal (Allah) known the things before He had created them. ”

The Imām, peace be on him, said: “Do you not hear that Allah says: If there had been in them (the heavens and the earth) any gods except Allah, they would both have certainly been in a state of disorder[5], that He says: And some of them would certainly have overpowered others[6], that He says, relating the statement of the inhabitants of the Fire: O our Lord, take us out, we will do good deeds other than those which we used to do[7], and that He says: And if they were sent back, they would certainly go back to that from which they were forbidden[8]? ”

Al-Fath admired the knowledge of the Imām, peace be on him, and his understanding difficult, theological matters. He tried to kiss the Imām’s hand and foot, but the Imām did not allow him to do that. So he kissed the Imām’s holy head and went out with happiness, for the Imām removed all doubts and imaginations which sounded in his mind. [9]

During his debate with al-Fath, the Imām, peace be on him, discussed and explained many ambiguous matters on the Unity of Allah.

The Essence of Allah’s Oneness

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, stated traditions about the core of Allah’s Oneness. The following are some of them:

1. Mohammed b. Yazid asked the Imām about Allah’s Unity, and he dictated to him the following: “Praise belongs to Allah, Who originally creates all things and designs them with a design through His Power and Wisdom. He does not create them from things so that His power of creation could be negated; nor does He design them for any ulterior reason or through any means so that His designing could be questioned. He creates whatever He likes and whosoever He likes all by Himself, that He may manifest His wisdom and the truth of His Providence. Reason cannot grasp Him; imagination cannot reach Him; and eyes cannot attain Him. He is beyond any calculation. The power of expression is helpless to (interpret Him). All the powers of sight are blurred (from seeing Him) ; and the power of describing and defining goes astray in describing and defining Him. He is veiled without any veil and is concealed without any covering. He is known without being seen, described without any form, and depicted without any body. There is no god but Allah, the Great, the Most High. [10]”

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This tradition gives an account of the power of the Almighty Creator, Who creates all things from nothing nor from a previous example. So glory belongs to Him! How great He is! The eyes cannot attain Him; imaginations cannot encompass Him; and words cannot embrace the core of His mightiness!

2. Mohammed b. ‘Īsā b. ‘Ubayd had the honor of meeting the Imām, peace be on him, and he asked him the following:

“What do you say when someone asks you to tell him about Allah, the Great and Almighty, whether He is a thing or not? ”

Mohammed skillfully answered, saying: “Certainly, Allah, the Great and Almighty, has established Himself as a thing when He said: Say: What thing is weightiest in testimony? Say: Allah is witness between you and me. [11] So I say that He is a thing not like other things. For if we negate His Being as a thing, we will abolish and negate Him. ”

The Imām approved this answer of Mohammed and said to him: “You said the truth and were right. ” He added: “The people have three creeds concerning Allah’s Oneness: negation, comparison, and establishment without any comparison. The creed of negation is not permissible; the creed of comparison is not permissible, for Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is not likened to anything; and the way is the third creed: establishment without any comparison. [12]”

The Power of Allah

Mohammed b. ‘Arafa asked the Imām, peace be on him, the following questions: “Did Allah create things with the power or without the power? [13]”

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The Imām answered him: “It is not permissible (to say that) He created things with the power, for if you said: ‘He created things with the power,’ it would be as if that you regarded the power as a thing other than Him, and you regarded it as His tool through which He created things, and this is polytheism; and if you said that He created things with the power, you would only describe that He created them through His might and power over them, but He is neither weak nor feeble nor is He in need of other than Him. ”

The meaning of the speech of the Imām, peace be on him, is that Allah, the Most High, is powerful, that this attribute is the same as Himself, and that He does not create things through a power outside Himself, for all His Noble Attributes are the same as Himself, as it has been established in theology.

Moreover, the Imām himself emphasized that in his speech when he said: “Glory belongs to Him who created the creatures through His power, mastered what He created through His wisdom, and placed everything in its place through His knowledge. Glory belongs to Him who knows the stealthy looks and that which the breasts conceal; there is nothing like Him; and He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing. ”

The Great Creator and His Attributes are Eternal

Among the important researches which the Imām, peace be on him, stated was that the Great Creator and His attributes were eternal. He, peace be on him, said to a companion of his:

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“May Allah give you the knowledge of the good. Know that Allah, the Hallowed, the Exalted, is eternal and this attribute of His being eternal indicates to the wise that neither was there anything before Him, nor is there anything associated with Him. After the general admission (by the men of wisdom) regarding this unique and exclusive attribute of Allah’s being eternal, it is quite evident to us that there existed nothing before Him, and that there is nothing associated with Him in His being everlasting. Hence the claim of those who think that there was anything before Allah, or there is anything associated with Him is totally repudiated. The reason is that if there was anything sharing with Him in His eternity, it would not be proper to regard Allah as the Creator of that thing, for it had been with Allah all the time. How could Allah be the Creator of what had been with Him all along? If there was anything before Allah, then that thing would be the first, (not Allah) , and that first (thing conjectured to exist before Allah) has got the preferential right to be regarded as the Creator of this first (Allah, the Eternal).

“Then Allah, the Hallowed, the Exalted, invested Himself with names, and when He created (His creatures) and enjoined upon them His worship, and put on them trial and tribulation, He summoned them to call Him by those names. So, He named Himself the All-hearing, the All-seeing, the All-powerful, the Self- subsistent, the Articulated, the Revealed (or the Manifest) , the Concealed, the Gracious, the Omniscient, the All-strong, the All-mighty, the All-wise, the All- knowing and other names like these. When the evil-minded repudiators saw this and heard us stating that nothing is like Allah, and nothing in creations is in His modality, they raised an objection: ‘Tell us when you assert that nothing is like Allah, nor resembles Him, then how have you associated yourself with Him in His most beautiful names, for you have given all these names to yourself?

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“‘Verily, in this there is a clear proof that you are like Allah in all aspects or at least in some aspects and modalities; since you have gathered for yourself all these good names. ’ Let them be told, ‘Verily, Allah, the All-mighty, the Exalted, has applied some of His names to some of His servants (creatures) but with a different meaning. One and the same name bears different meanings. The justification for it is the practice of the people themselves, valid according to them and widely prevalent among them. Allah addresses His creatures in the same practice of speech (prevalent among people). He speaks to them in a way which they understand so that they themselves will stand responsible for any loss they suffer (due to not caring to understand). Just as people generally call a man a dog, a donkey, a cow, sweet, bitter, or a lion, and this is antagonistic to man’s nature and condition, these names are not applied in the (literal) sense that has been given to them, since they have quite a different context here for the man is neither a lion, nor a dog. So understand this point, may Allah have mercy on you!

“Allah has named (Himself) with (the attribute of) Knowledge, but (eternal) not contingent knowledge through which conception of things may be possible or knowledge which may assist Him in guarding what He is going to ordain in future or in planning what He is going to create in His creation (in the present) or in disposing of what He has annihilated from His creation (in the past) or knowledge which, if it is not available to Him and has become hidden from Him, then he will be rendered ignorant and helpless. As we see the learned among the creatures, we call them men of knowledge, because of the contingent which appears in them and of which they were ignorant. And it also often happens that the knowledge of things departs from them and then they relapse into ignorance. However, Allah is called All-knowing in the sense that He is not ignorant of anything at any time (past, present, or future). Thus, the name ‘one who knows’ is common to both the Creator and the created, but the connotation is quite different (in both the cases) , as you saw.

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“Our Lord has been given the name ‘All-hearing’ not that He has the channel of the ear through which He hears sounds but with which He cannot see, as we have the orifice of the ear through which we hear but with which we cannot see. However, Allah Himself tells us that nothing in the world of sound is hidden from Him. Nor is there any limitation in the range of sound as in the case of our hearing. Thus, the name of ‘Hearing’ is common (between Allah and the mankind) but their connotation is quite different.

“Likewise, His seeing not through the channel of the eyes. On the other hand in our case, we see with the instrument of our eyes and they are of no use to us for any other purpose. Allah is seeing in the sense that He is in no doubt about anything that can be seen. Nothing visible is out of His sight. Here too, the name is common but the connotation is quite different.

“Allah is the Self-subsistent (Qā’im) , not in the sense that He supports Himself by standing erect and holding His knees together as others do. However, ‘Self- subsistent’ connotes that He is the Protector, the Watcher, just as people say: ‘the supporter of our affairs is so-and-so. ’ Allah is He Who stands (Qā’im) over every soul for what it has earned. [14] Generally, Qā’im or Self-subsistent also means the Ever-lasting. It has also the connotation of supporting and satisfying just as you may say to a person: ‘Stand (qum) forth to support and satisfy such and such family,’ meaning support them fully, whereas, for us ‘Qā’im’ (subsistent) means standing on our feet. Thus, the name ‘Qā’im’ or ‘subsistent’ is common to us (Allah and men) but the sense or the meaning is different.

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“ (In the same way) , Allah is named al-Latif (the Subtle, the Delicate) not in sense of being diminutive or slim and slender or small. However, Allah is Subtle and Delicate in the sense that He is effectual through and through and in the inmost of all things (however minute) and also in the sense that it is impossible to perceive and comprehend Him, just as you may say to a person: ‘This matter is too subtle (latif) for me or such and such is refined (latif) in his conduct and speech. ’ You, in other words, tell him that intelligence has failed to grasp the matter, and effort has lost the trace of it and it has become so deep and delicate that imagination cannot reach it. Such is the subtlety of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, since He is too subtle to be apprehended by any definition or be limited within any description, whereas subtlety (latāfah) , in our context, connotes smallness or diminutiveness. Here again the name is common but the meaning is different.

“As for Allah’s being the Omniscient and All-aware (al-Khabir) , this means that nothing is hidden from Him and nothing escapes Him. His knowledge is not (the result of) experiment, nor (the fruit of) the authority of tradition. Experimentation and authority of tradition are the two (sources of) knowledge. If there is neither making experiment nor following tradition there would be no knowledge, and the man is ignorant. Allah is eternally conversant with what is to be created, while amongst mankind the man of knowledge or the conversant man is one who has become conversant or knowledgeable (passing through the stage) of the ignorance of the learner. Thus, here too the name is common but the connotation is quite different.

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“Allah is al-Zāhir (the Manifest, one who prevails) , not in the sense that He appeared above everything and rode them and settled on them and out-topped them. (So, nothing can hide Him from the right. ) However, He is al-Zāhir or Manifest and prevails over everything in

the sense that He holds all authority, dominion and power over each and everything, just as a person would say: ‘I have prevailed over my enemy and Allah has given me power over him. ’ It signifies victory and domination. Such is al-Zāhir of Allah over everything. There is another sense of al-Zāhir the Manifest. He is Manifest to everyone who intends to seek him. He is not hidden to His seekers and nothing is hidden from Him. He is the Disposer of each and everything He has created. So, which appearance is more manifest and evident than Allah, the Blessed and Exalted? Since in whichever direction you turn, His wonderful (creation) cannot remain hidden from you. Even within your own self there are sufficient signs to satisfy you, (but) in our case, the manifest means something which comes into view by itself or is known by its limits and location. Thus here too, the name is common, but the connotation is quite different.

“Allah is al-Bātin (hidden) , hidden not in the sense that He is inside things, or that He has descended deep in them, but in the sense that His knowledge, providence and plan permeate the inside of everything, just as a person says: ‘I have gone deep into the matter in the sense I have experienced it and have fully known all its hidden secrets. ’ However, for us ‘hidden’ means the disappearance of a thing inside some other things. Here again we have the name in common, but the connotation is quite different.

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“Allah is al-Qāhir (the Omnipotent) not in the sense of deliberation, and painful endeavor, and exertion, and planning, and diplomacy and intrigue, which His creatures exert themselves in to gain power over each other, and for the vanquished to become victorious, and for the victorious to become vanquished. However, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is Omnipotent (al-Qāhir) in the sense that everything He has created is clothed with lowliness and self-abasement before Him, the Creator, and can offer no obstruction to what He wills regarding it. It is not even the twinkling of an eye for Him to utter ‘Be’ and forthwith ‘It is’. And victory among us is as we have already discussed and described (above). Thus, here too, the name is common but the meaning is quite different. Similar is the case in respect of all the names of Allah. Although we have not brought together all His names here; yet whatever we have expounded to them is sufficient for correct inference and understanding. Allah alone is your help and mine too, for our guidance and success. [15]”

This speech of the Imām, peace be on him, contains many proofs of the eternity of the Great Creator, the Originator and Maker of allvarious things. It includes the attributes of Allah, the Exalted, and shows that they, though given to man, are quite different. Giving these attributes to Allah is other than giving them to man, who is in need of Allah in all affairs and states. It is worth mentioning that al-Kulayni regarded this speech of the Imām as a loose tradition (hadith mursal) , not a supported tradition (hadith musnad).

The Creator Far Above Space

The Almighty Creator is far above space and time which are some necessities of all beings which depend on Allah in their existence. A man from Mā Warā’ Nahr Balkh (Transoxania) came to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and said to him: “I want to ask you a question. If your answer is the same as I have already known, I will believe in your Imāmate. ”

“Ask whatever you like,” replied the Imām.

The man asked the Imām, saying: “Tell me about your Lord: Since when and how (in what state) has your Lord been in existence and what does He subsist on? ”

“Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, determined the ‘where’ without ‘whereness’; and He fashioned the ‘how’ without ‘howness’; and He subsists on His own power,” replied the Imām.

Surely, it is Allah, the Most High, who created space and time; they are of His creatures; therefore, how is He described by them?

The man admired the Imām’s answer, and then he hurried to kiss his head and said: “I witness that there is no god but Allah, that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah, that ‘Ali is the testamentary trustee of Allah’s Messenger and the custodian after him for what Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and his family) had undertaken, that your are the true Imāms, and that you are the successor after them. [16]”

The Imām was among the sources of guidance and light on earth, hence he spread in his time faith in Allah and established argument against the creatures.

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Seeing Allah is Impossible

Mohammed b. ‘Ubayd Allah wrote to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him; he asked him about the ocular vision of Allah, the Exalted, and what was traditionally narrated by the common people (al-‘āmmah) and the elite (al-khāsa) ; and he asked him to explain the matter fully to him.

The Imām wrote him the following letter: “All are agreed and there is no dissension among the people that acknowledge of any thing through visual perception is necessary and certain. Now if it is true that seeing Allah with the eye is necessary for knowledge of Allah to occur, then this knowledge must fall into one of two cases. It is either the belief (in Allah which is required by Him) or not that belief. If this knowledge of Allah by way of visual perception is that belief, then the knowledge of Allah through intellectual perception, which is alone available in this world, is not that belief because intellectual perception is contrary to visual perception. Then there will not be a single believer in the world because they have not seen Allah, may His remembrance be Exalted. And if the knowledge of Allah by way of visual perception is not the belief (required by Him) then the knowledge of Allah which has been attained (through intellectual perception which is the required belief) must disappear in the hereafter. This is the argument in support of the truth that Allah, the Great and Almighty, cannot be seen through the eye, for if it is held that He can be seen by eyes, the matter will revert to what we have explained. [17]”

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Through this conclusive argument the Imām, peace be on him, disproved seeing the Great Creator through the eye, not through thinking and reason, for if the belief in Allah, the Exalted, is related to seeing through the eye, then the belief which results from the conscientious proofs of Allah’s existence is not belief, and it is invalid; and if the knowledge of Allah, the Most High, which stems from visibility is not belief, then the knowledge which results from the proofs is not the reason for belief, and this is also invalid.

Surely belief in Allah is one of the necessities which none denies except him who has gone astray, for Allah, the Exalted, is the most prominent reality which His creatures indicate in this existence.

Authorization and Compulsion are Invalid

As for authorization, it opposes Islamic religion; likewise, compulsion has no relationship with Islam. Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Washshā’ asked Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, about these two matters: “Has Allah entrusted to (His) servants all their affairs? ”

“Allah is far above this,” retorted the Imām.

“Has Allah compelled them to commit sins? ” asked al-Hasan.

“Allah is too just and too wise to do this,” answered the Imām.

Then the Imām added: “Allah says: O son of Ādam, I deserve your good deeds more than you yourself and you deserves your vices than I Myself. You have committed sins through the power and authority I have granted to you. [18]”

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Definitely, Allah, the Exalted, has given perfect will to His servants, so it is they who, according to their own pure will, obey or disobey Him; and they are not compelled to do any act of disobedience.

Another example of what has been transmitted from Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, concerning refuting compulsion and authorization is that which has been narrated by Sulaymān b. Ja‘far al-Ja‘fari, who said: “Compulsion and authorization were mentioned in the presence of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and he said: ‘Will I give you an origin about this, over which you will not differ, and you will defeat anyone who debates with you on it? ”

“Yes,” his companions replied.

He, peace be on him, said: “Verily, Allah, the Exalted, has not been obeyed through compulsion; nor has he been disobeyed through overcoming; nor has he neglected the servants in His kingdom. It is He who possesses what He has made them possess, and He who has power over that which He has given power to them. If the servants follow the obedience to Him, He will not repel or prevent them from it; and if they follow the disobedience to Him, and He wills to come between them and that, then He will do (that). And if He does not come (between them and the disobedience) and they do (it) , then it is not He who makes them commit it. ”

After this decisive proof, he, peace be on him, said to his companions: “He who does well the limits of this speech defeats him who opposes him. [19]”

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The Imām emphasized this matter during his talk with ‘Ali b. Asbāt, who asked him about the capacity (of human beings) , and he answered him: “Man can be invested with full ability after his acquisition of four characteristics: he should be free in respect of action, soundness of body, proper functioning of the limbs and the means for the performance provided by Allah to him. ”

“May I be your ransom, kindly explain this (speech) to me,” requested ‘Ali.

The Imām, peace be on him, explained this matter to him,

saying: “A certain man is free in respect of his action, has soundness

of body and the proper functioning of the limbs, and intends to

commit adultery, but finds no woman and then (seeks and) finds her,

then (in spite of this position of the means of action) he restrains

himself (from the act of adultery) as was done by Yūsuf (Joseph). If,

(on the contrary, he removes the self-restriction) between him and his temptation and indulges (himself) in adultery, then (and only then)

will he be called an adulterer. Such a person (is he who possesses ability, and in this case he either acts according to his ability or not, but he) has not obeyed Allah by way of compulsion; nor has he overpowered Allah through his act of disobedience. [20]”

Indeed, Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and the rest of the Imāms of guidance, peace be on them, disproved authorization and compulsion, and they decisively proved the intermediate position.

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Confuting the Views of the Qadariya

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, confuted the views of the fatalists (Qadariya) and disproved their vague errors during a conversation with Yūnus b. ‘Abd al- Rahmān. He, peace be on him, said: “O Yūnus, do not utter the worlds of the fatalists (Qadariya) , since they do not say what the dwellers of the Garden say; nor do they say the words of the people of the Fire; nor do they say the words of Satan. The dwellers of the Garden say: Praise belongs to Allah who guided us to this; had Allah not guided us, we had surely never been guided. The people of the Fire say: Our Lord, our adversity overcame us; we were erring people. And Iblis (Satan) says: My Lord, for Your preventing me (I shall deck all affair to them in the earth). ”

Yūnus denied that he would utter their words, saying: “By Allah, I do not say their words, but I say: ‘Nothing happens (in this universe) except through which Allah desires, wills, ordains, and decrees. ’”

The Imām answered him, saying: “O Yūnus, it is not like that. Nothing happens except according to Allah’s desire, will, ordination, and decree. O Yūnus, do you know what Divine will (mashi’a) is? ”

“No,” Yūnus replied.

The Imām explained to him the reality of Divine desire, saying: “It is the first knowledge (i. e. , the prior knowledge of Allah with respect to His action). Do you know what Divine will (irāda) is? ”

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“No,” Yūnus answered.

The Imām explained to him the essence of Divine will, saying “It is Allah’s determination of what He wills. Do you know what fate is? ”

“No,” Yunus replied.

So the Imām declared: “It is the measuring and estimating of things and the fixing of their limitations regarding their beginning and end. As for (Allah’s) decree, it means finalizing things and bringing them into (existence in) sentient world. ”

Yūnus bowed in admiration and magnification for the Imām, then he kissed his head and said to him: “You have disclosed to me what I was in ignorance of. 

[21]”

The Imāmate

The Imāmate

Among the ideological researches which Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, discussed was the Imāmate. He mentioned it on many occasions of which are following:

1. The Importance of the Imāmate

The Imāmate is the most important office in Islam, for it safeguards and protects the community from any aggression, secures it dignity and freedom, and achieves all its objectives.

The Imām, peace be on him, stated an inclusive talk before ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. Muslim. During the talk he objectively presented the importance of the Imāmate, and indicated that it was the most important objective and principle which Islam adopted. Before his death, the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, appointed the leader and authority of the community, who was Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, the pioneer of wisdom in Islam. Now, listen to Imām’s al-Ridā speech about the Imāmate. He, peace be on him, has said:

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“O ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, the people did not know, and have been deceived in their opinions. Verily, Allah to Whom belongs Might and Majesty, did not take away (the life of) His Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, until He had perfected the religion for him, and had sent down on him the Qur’ān in which there is the clarification of all things. He completely clarified in it what is lawful and what is unlawful, the punishments (hudūd) and the commands, and all that people need. He, the Great and Almighty, said: We have neglected nothing in the book. [22] And He sent down in the Farewell Pilgrimage, which was at the end of his life, may Allah bless him and his family: Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed my blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam for your religion. [23] And the matter of the Imāmate is one of things by which the religion is completed. He (the Prophet) , may Allah bless him and his family, did not pass away until he had clarified the guiding principles of their religion to his community and made plain their path for them, and he left them pointing in the direction of the path of the truth. And he appointed ‘Ali as an Imām (leader) for them. He (Allah) has not left for them anything which the community needs without clarifying it. Hence, whoever imagines that Allah, the Great and Almighty, has not perfected His religion has surely rejected the Book of Allah, and whoever has rejected the Book of Allah is an unbeliever in it. ”

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This paragraph gives an account of the great importance of the Imāmate with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, for it was the most important element of his immortal message, and for through it the religion was perfected and the blessing was completed. He (the Prophet) , may Allah bless him and his family, chose for this important office his brother, the gate of the city of his knowledge, Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. He appointed him as an Imām (leader) after him and ordered the Muslims to Pledge allegiance to him at Ghadir Khum, and through this appointing he (the Prophet) , may Allah bless him and his family, made clear the path for the community. In other words he did not leave the affairs of the community in chaos after him. Now, let us listen to another part of the Imām’s speech concerning the importance of the Imāmate:

“Do they know the value of the Imāmate and its position in the community that their selection could be allowable in this matter? Verily, the Imāmate is too sublime among values, too great among ranks, too high among stations, too impenetrable on all sides, too profound among the depths, for people to reach it with their intellects, or to grasp it with their opinions, or to appoint an Imām by their choice. Verily, the Imāmate is that by which Allah, the Great and Almighty, has distinguished Ibrāhim, the bosom Friend (of Allah) , after the Prophethood and the Intimacy, as a third degree, and an eminence with which He honored him and by which he raised his renown, and He (Allah) said: Behold! I make you an Imām (leader) for the people. [24]

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Then the bosom Friend (Ibrāhim) out of delight in it (the Imāmate) said: And of my progeny? Allah, the Great and Almighty, said: My covenant shall not reach the evil-doers. Thus, this verse has abolished the Imāmate (leadership) of all evil-doers till the Day of Resurrection, and it has been confined to the chosen ones. Then Allah, the Great and Almighty, honored him through confining the Imāmate to his children, who were chosen and purified (by Allah). So He, the Great and Almighty, said: And we gave him Ishāq and Ya‘qūb in superabundance, and everyone made We righteous and appointed them to be Imāms guiding by Our commands, and We revealed to them the doing of good deeds, and to perform the prayer, and to pay the zakāt, and us they served. [25] So it (the Imāmate) did not leave his children, who inherited it one by one, and generation after generation till Allah, the Great and Almighty, made the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, inherit it.

Hence He, the Great and Almighty, said: Surely the people standing closest to him (Ibrāhim) are those who followed him, and this Prophet, and those who believe; and Allah is the Master of the believers. [26] So it (the Imāmate) belonged to him (the Prophet) particularly, and hence he, may Allah bless him and his family, invested ‘Ali with it by the command of Allah, the Great and Almighty, in the way which Allah had made obligatory. So it became to be in his (‘Ali’s) chosen children, to whom Allah gave knowledge and faith, as in the words of Him, the Great and Almighty: But those who have been given knowledge and faith shall say: You have remained in Allah’s Book until the Day of Resurrection. [27] Thus it will be within the sons of ‘Ali, especially, till the Day of Resurrection, since there is no prophet after Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family. So from where have these ignorant people got (the right) to select? ”

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In this part of his speech the Imām, peace be on him, presented that it was impossible for the community to elect someone for the office of Imāmate. In other words the office of the Imāmate is not subject to the will of the masses, who have no knowledge in the reality of the affairs and things; rather the affair of the Imāmate is in the hand of Allah, the Most High; it is He who elects, for the leadership of His servants, those who have excellent qualities such as reverential fear, clinging to religion, and knowledge which the community needs in all fields, that He may secure it noble life free from oppression, tyranny, persecutions, and poverty.

The affair of the Imāmate is in the hand of Allah, the Exalted, just as the Prophethood is, hence He granted it to the most meritorious of His servants, namely Ibrāhim the bosom Friend (of Allah) , peace be on him, and then it (the Imāmate) was inherited by the best of his children such as Ishāq and Ya‘qūb, and then it was inherited by the master of the prophets, the greatest Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who entrusted it to the gate of the city of his knowledge, the most meritorious of his community, Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and then it was inherited by the pure Imāms from his (‘Ali’s) children whom Allah, the Most High, chose from among His creatures.

Now, let us move to another part of the speech of the Imām, peace be on him: “Verily, the Imāmate is the position of the prophets and heritage of the successors. Indeed, the Imāmate is the vicegerency (khilāfa) of Allah, the Great and Almighty and of the Messenger, station of the Commander of the faithful, and inheritance of al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Truly, the Imāmate is the reins of the religion, state of the orders of the Muslims, rectitude of the world and might of the believers.

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“Verily, the Imāmate is the growing root and lofty branch of Islam. Through the Imām the prayer, zakāt, fasting, hajj, and jihad are perfected; the general wealth (of the Muslims fayya’) and charity (sadaqāt) are increased; the prescribed punishments and the commands are put into practice; the frontier-posts and borders are protected.

“The Imām allows what Allah allows, prohibits what Allah prohibits, administers the prescribed punishments, defends the religion of Allah, and summons (men) to the way of his Lord with wisdom, good admonition, and strong proof.

“The Imām is like the rising sun which covers the world with its light and which is in the place where no hand or eye can reach. The Imām is the radiant moon, the shining lamp, the brilliant light, and the star that guides (men) in the pitch-black night, in the deserted regions and the high seas. The Imām is sweet water for the thirst, the pointer towards true guidance, and the deliverer from destruction. He who separates himself from him perishes.

“The Imām is the rain-bearing cloud, the rainfall that covers everywhere, the shining sun, the covering that shades, the prairie, the overflowing spring, the pool and the meadow. The Imām is the gentle, close friend, the sympathetic father, the blood-brother, the mother who is tender to her small child, a place of refuge for mankind from perilous disaster.

“The Imām is Allah’s custodian over His creation, His proof for His servants, His vicegerent in His lands, a summoner to Allah and the defender of Allah’s precincts.

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“The Imām is the one who is purified from sins, free from all shortcomings, characterized by knowledge, distinguished by forbearance, the state of the order of the religion, the might of the Muslims, the one who enrages the hypocrites, and the doom of unbelievers.

“The Imām is unique of his time, none can approach his rank, no man of knowledge is comparable to him; there is no one who can take his place; nor is there anyone similar to him or the same as him. He is characterized by every (kind of) eminence, without seeking it or acquiring it; rather, it is a characteristic form the Bestower of eminence, the All-giving. So who can arrive at the knowledge of the Imām, or have the ability to select him? How far! How far! Intellects have lost (themselves) , imaginations have gone astray, minds have become perplexed, eyes have turned away, the great have been made small, the wise have confounded themselves, those who reflect forever fall short, orators falter, the intelligent have become ignorant, the poets have become expressionless, the prosodists have become incapable, and the eloquent stammer in describing one of his (the Imām’s) aspects, or one of his eminencies.

All of them have confessed their incapacity and inadequacy. How can his totality be described, and how his inner essence be characterized? How can anything concerning him be understood? Who can be found to take his place and to give what he can give? No! How and where? Since he is in the position of the star for the hands of those who grasp, and to the description of those who describe. What is the place of choice in this affair? What is the place of the intellects in this affair? Where can someone like this be found? Do you imagine that this can be found anywhere else but in the progeny of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. By Allah, they have lied to themselves; they have promised to themselves the impossible; they have climbed up to a difficult and dangerous height, (and) their feet will slip and fall to the bottom. ”

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These parts of the Imām’s speech indicate that the Imām is very important, that he is the shadow of Allah on earth, that he carries out the interests and objectives of the community, that he administers the prescribed punishments, defends the fortified borderline cities, allows what is lawful, forbids what is unlawful, and applies the law of Allah, the Exalted, on the general life of the Muslims. It is certain that these original objectives and ideals cannot by carried out by anyone on the arena of life except the Imāms of guidance, peace be on them, whom the oppressive, tyrannical community removed from the places which Allah had given to them. Accordingly, the community has suffered various kinds of oppression and tyranny.

The Imām continued his speech concerning lauding the Imāms from ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, opposing the unjust rulers, and criticizing those who appointed them. He, peace be on him, said: “They want to appoint an Imām with (their) confused, unproductive and defective minds, and (their) misleading opinions. Nothing accrued to them but remoteness from him. May Allah fight them; how they are turned away! Surely, they are looking for a difficulty. They have uttered an untruth and have gone astray into far error; they have put themselves into confusion, for they have knowingly abandoned the Imām. And Satan made their works fairseeming to them, so he kept them back from the path, though they were endowed with intelligence and skill.

They have turned their back on the choice of Allah, the choice of the Messenger of Allah and his house hold, (and turned) to their own choice, whilst the Qur’ān 

has called them out: And Your Lord creates and chooses whom He pleases; to choose is not theirs; glory belongs to Allah, and exalted be He above what they associate (with Him). [28] And Allah, the Great and Almighty, said: And behoves not a believing man and a believing woman that they have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter. [29] And He, the Great and Almighty, said: What has happened to you? How do you judge? Or have you a book wherein you read, that you have surely therein what you choose? Or have you received from Us an agreement confirmed by an oath extending to the day of resurrection that you shall surely have what you demand? Ask them which of them will vouch for that. Or have they associates? Then let them bring their associates if they are truthful. [30]

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“And He, the Great and Almighty, said: Do they not reflect the Qur’ān? Or is it that there are locks upon their hearts[31], or has Allah set a seal upon their hearts, so they understand not, or they said: We hear, and they do not obey. Surely the evilest of animals, in Allah’s sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand[32], or they said: We have heard and disobeyed. [33] But that is the bounty of Allah; He gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is of bounty abounding. [34]

“How can they have (the right) to choose an Imām? Since the Imām is a man of knowledge; he is not ignorant (of anything) , a shepherd who does not shirk (his duty) , a mine of sanctity and purity, of piety and renunciation, of knowledge and worship. He is the one specifically mentioned in the supplication of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and he is of the progeny of (Fātima) , the purified, the chaste. Aspersion cannot be cast on him in relation to his parentage, none can approach him in ancestry (or nobility: hasab). He is in the noble house of Quraysh, at the summit of (Banū) Hāshim, of the family of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and the one accepted by Allah, the Great and Almighty. He is the noblest of the noble and the true branch of ‘Abd Manāf (the father of Hāshim and Umayya) ; the one whose knowledge forever grows and whose patience is perfect, who is completely acquainted with the Imāmate, entirely knowledgeable in statesmanship. Obedience to him is obligatory, the one who establishes the affair of Allah, the Great and Almighty. He is the sincere adviser to the servants of Allah, and the protector of the religion of Allah.

“Truly, Allah accommodates the prophets and the Imāms, the blessings of Allah be upon them, (to the right path). He gives them of His stored knowledge and wisdom, which He does not give to anyone else. Thus their knowledge is far above the knowledge of the people of their time, as He, the Exalted, says: Is He then Who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you; how do you judge? I, and as He, the Great and Almighty, says: And whoever is given the wisdom, he indeed is given a great good. [35] Also what He says about Tālūt (Saul): Verily, Allah has chosen him over you, and has increased him broadly in knowledge and body. Allah gives the kingship to whom He wills, and Allah is All- embracing, All-knowing. [36] And He, the Great and Almighty, said to His Prophet: And Allah’s bounty to you was great. [37] And He, the Great and Almighty, said concerning the Imām from among his Household, his family, and his progeny: Or do they envy the people for what Allah has given to them of His bounty? Yet We gave the progeny of Ibrāhim the Book and the Wisdom, and We gave them a mighty kingdom. So some of them (i. e. , the envious) is he who believes in him, and of them who turns away from him, and hell is sufficient to turn. [38]

“Verily, when Allah, the Great and Almighty, selects a servant for the affairs of His servants, He expands his breast for them; He entrusts to his heart the fountains of wisdom, and profoundly inspires him with knowledge. So, after this, he does not stammer in answers, and he does not deviate from the truth in them. Thus, he is infallible and supported by Allah; he is accommodated (to the right path, and his steps being) firmly guided; he will be safe from errors, slips and stumbling. Allah distinguishes him by this, because he is His proof over His servants, and His witness over His creatures that is the bounty of Allah, He gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is of bounty abounding. So do they have the power to do the like of this, so that they can choose him? Or can the one whom they choose have this attribution so that they may prefer him? By the House of Allah, they have transgressed against the truth; they have rejected the Book of Allah behind their backs as though they did not know; and in the Book of Allah there is guidance and cure. So they have rejected it, and they have followed their own desires. Therefore, Allah has found fault with them, detested them and cats them down, as He, the Great and Almighty, says: And who is further astray than he who follows his own caprice without guidance from Allah. Surely, Allah does not guide the unjust people. [39] And He, the Great and Almighty, said: Ill chance shall befall them; He will send their works astray. [40] And He, the Great and Almighty, says: Verily, hateful is that in the sight of Allah and the believers; so Allah sets a seal on every heart proud, arrogant. [41]”[42]

This holy tradition is the firmest and most inclusive proof of the necessity of the Imāmate. It shows that the Imāmate is the most important office in Islam, and that it is not subject to the choice and election of the community; rather, its affair is in the hand of the Great Creator, for it is He who appoints and elects the best of His creatures for this important office, that such a creature may establish among men pure justice and truth, and that he may rule them through the policy of the greatest Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family.

2. The Marks of the Imām

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, stated a tradition about the marks and qualities of the Imām. He has been mentioned in the tradition: “The Imām has marks: he is the most knowledgeable of the people, the wisest of them, the most pious of them, the most clement of them, the bravest of them, the most munificent of them, and the most worshipful of them. [43]”

The Imām should have these marks and qualities so that he is appropriate for leading the community and raising its economic and social levels.

3. The Imāms are the Vicegerents of Allah

Abū Mas‘ūd al-Ja‘fari narrated, saying: [I heard Imām Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā, peace be on him, say: ] “The Imāms are the vicegerents of Allah, the Great and Almighty, on His earth. [44]”

Without doubt, the Imāms of ahl al-Bayt, peace be on him, are the vicegerents of Allah on His earth, His proofs over His servants, and entrusted by Him with His land, hence it is they who lead this community and guide it to the good pleasure of Allah, the Most High, and obedience to Him.

Footnote

[1] Usūl al-Kāfi, vol. 1, p. 99.

[2] Ibid. , pp. 101-102.

[3] The similitude which is negated from Allah, the Exalted, is in the essence not in the names and utterances, for they are applied to Him, the Most High, and to other than Him; it is correct to apply the 'one' to Allah, the Exalted, and man.

[4] Qur'ān, 23, 14.

[5] Ibid. , 21, 22.

[6] Ibid. , 23, 91.

[7] Ibid. , 35, 37.

[8] Ibid. , 6, 28.

[9] Al-Tawhid, pp. 60-65.

[10] Ibid. , p. 98. Usūl al-Kāfi, vol. 1, p. 105.

[11] Qur'ān, 6, 19.

[12] Al-Tawhid, p. 107.

[13] Ibid. , 130.

[14] Qur'ān, 13, 33.

[15] Usūl al-Kāfi, vol. 1, pp. 120-123.

[16] Ibid. , p. 88.

[17] Ibid. , p. 96-97.

[18] Ibid. , 157.

[19] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 1, p. 144.

[20] Usūl al-Kāfi, vol. 1, pp. 160-161.

[21] Ibid. , p. 157.

[22] Qur'ān, 6, 38.

[23] Ibid. , 5, 3. This Verse was revealed on the day of 'Īd al-Ghadir (Feast on 18th Dhu al-Hijja) , the immortal day when the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, appointed Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, as a leader for his community after him. And al-Ghadir 'Īd is part of the Islamic message.

[24] Ibid. , 2, 121.

[25] Ibid. , 21, 72-73.

[26] Ibid. , 3, 68.

[27] Ibid. , 30, 56.

[28] Ibid. , 28, 68.

[29] Ibid. , 33, 36.

[30] Ibid. , 68, 36-41.

[31] Ibid. , 47, 24.

[32] Ibid. , 8, 21-23.

[33] Ibid. , 2, 93.

[34] Ibid. , 57, 21.

[35] Ibid. , 2, 269.

[36] Ibid. , 2, 247.

[37] Ibid. , 4, 113.

[38] Ibid. , 4, 54-55.

[39] Ibid. , 28, 50.

[40] Ibid. , 47, 8.

[41] Ibid. , 40, 35.

[42] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 1, pp. 216-222. Usūl al-Kāfi, vol. 1, p. 199.

[43] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 1, p. 213.

[44] Usūl al-Kāfi, vol. 1, p. 193.