Al-Amali, The Dictations of Shaykh al-Mufid
Chapter2
Nineteenth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 1st of Ramadhan in the year 407 Hijra, and attended by brother Abu Muhammad - may Allah keep him. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah continue His beneficence upon him, narrated thus:
1. The two most firm bonds of faith
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn
Muhammad ibn al-Walid reported to me from his father, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Malik ibn Atiyya, from Saeed al-A'araj, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be upon him said: "Among the most firm bonds of faith is that you love for the sake of Allah, and hate for the sake of Allah. And you give away for the sake of Allah, and refuse to give for the sake of Allah. "
2. Man is with him who he loves
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Muqri, reported to me from Abu Abdillah al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Asadi, who reported from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Abdillah al-Alawi, who reported from Yahya ibn Hashim al-Ghassani, who reported from Yahya ibn Tha'labah al-Ansari, from Asim ibn Abu al-Najood, from Zarr ibn Hubaish from Abdullah ibn Masood, who said:
Once, when we were with the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, on one of his journeys, a Bedouin shouted at us: "O Muhamma! " The Prophet said: "What do you want? " He said: "What about a person who has an affinity and love for a community, but does not follow their acts? " The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Man is with him who he loves. "
Then he said: "O Muhammad, present to me al-Islam. " He (i. e. the Prophet) said: "Testify that there is no god but Allah, and that I am His messenger. And establish the daily prayers, give alms (zakat) , fast during the month of Ramadhan
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and come to the House of Allah for Hajj. " He said: "O, Muhammad, do you take any reward for this? " He (i. e. the Prophet) said: "None, except the love for the nearest kins. " He asked: "Do you mean my nearest kins or yours? " He (i. e. the Prophet) said: "My kins. " He said: "Extend your hand so that I may give you my allegiance. There is no good in a person who does not love you and your kinsfolk. "
3. "Ask me before you miss me... " ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Abdillah ibn Asad al-Ishfahani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al- Thaqafi, who reported from al-Qannad, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Hashim, from his father, from Saeed ibn al-Musayyib who said:
I heard Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, say: "There is no verse between the two covers of the Qur'an, except that I know for whom it was revealed and when it was revealed, and whether on a plain, levelled land or upon a mountain. Surely, here in my breast is abundant knowledg! So, put your questions to me before you do not find me among yourselves, for when you have lost me, you will not find anyone uttering the words I utter. "
4. Disassociating in the matter of the wilayah of Ahlul Bayt
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Abdul Karim ibn Amru and Ibrahim ibn Rahah al-Basri,
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who both reported from Mayassar, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him told him: "What do you say about a person who does not disobey in what Allah has enjoined and forbidden, but he disassociates with you and your friends in this matter (i. e. wilayah of Ahlul Bayt)? " I said: "What can I say in your presence? " He said: "Say, for I command you to speak. " I said: "He will be in hellfire. "
Then he said: "O Mayassar, what do you say about a person who has faith similar to yours, and has committed sins normally committed by people, but he refrains from the major sins? " I said: "What can I say in your presence? " He said: "Say, for that is my order. " I said: "He will be in Paradise. "
He said: "Perhaps you are hesitating in saying that such a person will be in Paradis! " I said: "No"
He said: "Do not hesitate, for surely, Allah, Most High, says (in the Qur'an):
'If you avoid the heinous sins that are forbidden you, We will expiate your evil deeds and admit you in honourable manner. ' (al-Nisa, 4: 31) "
5. "While I was worthiest of them all... " ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Zafarani, who reported from Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al- Thaqafi, who reported from al-Masoodi, who reported from al-Hasan ibn Hammad, from his father, who reported from Razin Bayya' al-Anmat, who said:
I heard Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn Husayn, peace be upon him, narrating from his father who reported
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from his father who said: I heard Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, addressing the people thus: "By Allah, people gave allegiance to Abu Bakr while I was worthiest of them all, together with the attire of mine. But I swallowed my anger, and waited for my Sustainer's will, keeping my chest low to the ground (i. e. adopting a low profile).
Then Abu Bakr died, appointing Umar as his successor, though he knew that I was the worthiest of them all, together with this attire of mine. But I swallowed my anger and waited for my Sustainer's will. Then Umar died and made it an agenda for the consultative committee (al-Shura). He appointed me the sixth among the six members, like the share of the grandmothe! And he said: 'Kill the dissenting minority;' and by this he meant no one but me. But I swallowed my fury, waited for my Sustainer's will and kept my chest low on the ground.
Then, the dissenting people did what they did after having sworn allegiance to me; and I had no alternative but either to fight against them or disobey Allah. "
6. ‘Ali's address as Ayesha prepares for Basrah
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawyh - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Alawiyyah, from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Amru al-Razi, who reported from al-Husayn ibn al-Mubarak, who reported from al-Hasan ibn Salimah, who said:
When Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, covered the trail of
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Talha, al-Zubair and Ayesha, from Makkah to al-Basrah, he announced a congregational prayer. When the people assembled, he praised Allah, and glorified His Name. Then he said: "Surely, when Allah, Most High, summoned back His Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, we said: 'We are the inmates of his household, his blood relatives, his heirs and his executors.
We are the worthiest among the whole creation for his affairs, and we would not dispute his Truth and authority. ' While we thought that way, a group of hypocrites rose to usurp our Prophet's authority from us and give it into the control of others.
By Allah, because of that, our eyes wept and our hearts lamented; and our throats choked with grief. And I swear by the name of Allah, had we not feared that the Muslims would be divided, taking them back to infidelity and apostasy, we would have done our best to change that situation. Those rulers were given the control of the affairs and when they passed on, Allah returned the affairs unto me.
And among those who swore loyalty to me, these two men, Talha and al-Zubair also swore, but then they proceeded to al-Basrah to create a friction among your peoples and to bring upon you your misfortune. O Allah, punish them both for deceiving this Ummah, and for the evil intentions they nurse for the public. "
Then Abul Haitham ibn al-Tayyihan - may Allah bless him with mercy, stood up and said: "O Amirul Mu’mineen,
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the Quraish are jealous of you for two reasons: either their eminent members are jealous of you, competing for excellouce or wishing to have an elevated position; or the wicked ones who are jealous, and so Allah has made their deeds fail, and their burdens heavy.
They were not happy to remain as your equals, as they chose to precede you; and thus, they missed their goal and fell off in the race. You were indeed worthier than any Quraish; you were the Prophet's assistant as long as he lived; and you settled all his liabilities after his death. By Allah, their insolence is against themselve! We are your helpers and supporters; so give us your orders". Then he recited the following couplets:
"The people have rebelled against you, plotted against you
and imputed against you ugly things,
But the fact is that you have no faults, not even equal to a
gnat's wing, nor equal to its tenth;
They saw you blessed with bounties from Allah,
and found you a brave master, crushing the horns of a butting ram;
They saw you a leader under whom all seek refuge,
and they found you a strong rein that tames a capricious hors!
They found you a governor, in whose authority Imamah is combined,
and a Hashamite who controls the wide valley of Makkah.
They are jealous of what has come to you from Alla!
And thereby have inflicted upon their own hearts deep wound!
There are people there who are vessels of intense hatred
against the Truth, niggardly because of their wretchedness,
Some of them
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concealing it behind the veils,
others insistently displaying the enmity.
'O Successor of the Prophet, our relation with the Truth
is like the delight and joy at the break of dawn;
So punish the Aws and a clan from al-Khazraj
with the thrust of the spear in war, and with confrontation;
There is none among us who is not a helper
in the way Allah, on the path of guidance and success. "
Then Amirul Mu’mineen prayed for his reward. After that, people stood up, each speaking the way Abul Haitham spoke.
7. Admonition from Ibliss
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawyh - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported from Muhammad ibn Ya'qoob al-Kulayni, from ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Muhammad ibn Isa al-Yaqtini, from Yunus ibn Abdul Rahman, from Sa'daan ibn Muslim, from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny said: "Once, when Musa ibn Imran, peace be upon him, was seated, Iblis approached him, with a hooded cloak of motley colours. As he came nearer, he removed the cloak and greeted Musa. Musa said: " Who are you? " He said: "I am Iblis. " Musa said: "May Allah not bring your abode closer (to anyone)! Why have you come? " He said: "I have come to greet you for the status that you have before Allah, Most High. " So Musa said:
"And what about this cloak? " He said: "With that, I hijack the hearts of the peopl! "
Then Musa asked him: "Tell me about the sin which when Adam's son
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commits it, you overpower him and get the better of him? " He said: "When he becomes conceited, and regards his good deeds as too many; and when his own sins seem small to him. "
Then he told Musa: "I give you three advices: O Musa, never be alone with a stranger woman, or allow her to be with you in privacy, for either of you do not meet the other without me being in your company, without my other colleague! And be careful when you give a covenant or pledge to Alla! (Fulfil it immediately).
For whenever a man pledges a vow or a covenant with Allah, I intervene between him and its fulfillment - without my colleague! And when you intend giving a charity, give it soon, for when a servant of Allah intends giving alms, I alone, without my colleagues, sit in between his intention and the charity, preventing i! "
Then Iblis turned away saying: "O, what a shame, what a grie! I have taught Musa (a secret) which he will impart to the sons of Ada! "
8. No good is too much, no evil too little
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibnal-Husayn ibn Babawayh - may Allah have mercy on him, reported from his father, from ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Ubaid, from Uthman ibn Isa from Sama'ah ibn Mehran, who said:
I heard Abul Hasan Musa ibn Ja'far, peace be upon him, say: "Do not regard your good deeds as too many, and do not consider your sins as too few. Surely, sometimes those little
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lapses gather together to become many. And be mindful (fearful) of Allah, Most High, in your privacy, so that you are granted to treat yourselves justly.
And hasten towards obedience to Allah, and be truthful in your speech, and return the deposits held by you to the rightful owner. These traits are good for you; and do not get involved in things which are not legitimate for they will do you har! "
9. When Allah wishes His servant well
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him, reported to me from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ya'qoob al-Kulayni - may Allah bless him with mercy, from al-Husayn ibn Muhammad, from Mu'alla ibn Muhammad, from al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali al-Washha', from Hammad ibn Uthman, who reported from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, from his forefathers, peace be upon them, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "When Allah wishes well for a servant, He makes him learned in the Religion (i. e. Islam). "
And may Allah bless our master, Muhammad and his progeny.
Twentieth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 8th of the month of Ramadhan, in the year 407; narration heard by Abul Fawaris, by audition from my brother Abu Muhammad - may Allah keep him, and al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali al-Nishaburi, among the people attending the session before this. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah grant him beneficence, said:
1. Do not transgress Divine limits
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abdullah ibn
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Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn A'yan al-Bazzaz, who reported from Zakariyya ibn Yahya ibn Sabeeh, who reported from Khalaf ibn Khalifa, from Saeed ibn Ubaid al- Taee, from ‘Ali ibn Rabee'ah al-Walibi, from Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Surely, Allah has set for you limits, so do not transgress them; and has made certain acts obligatory upon you, so do not waste them; and has set some traditions for you, so follow them; and has made sacred some sanctities, so do not desecrate them; and He has excused you about certain matters as a token of mercy for you, without forgetting them, so do not burden yourselves with them. "
2. Let no hopes or ambitions digress you
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Makki, who reported from Abu al-Ayna, from Muhammad ibn al-Hakam, from Lut ibn Yahya, from al-Harith ibn Ka'b, from Mujahid who reported that:
Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, said: "Be least interested in this world from which no one from your predecessors ever benefited, nor will it remain for anyone after you have gon! The path you are walking on is the same as that of the bygones, totally cut off and subjected to annihilations, their good deeds forgotten and unknown.
This world warns its inmates of destruction, and its residents of Death. That which was once sweet from it has become bitter; and that which was once clear
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has become turbid. Nothing has ever remained in it except like the last droplets of water in a vessel, or a few gulps, which if a thirsty were to suck up, would not be satiated.
So, be prepared for a journey from this abode, whose residents are destined to perish, and prevented from living forever. They have been submitted to dying, therefore no life should crave perpetuity. Everyone here awaits death. Let no hopes and expectations digress you, nor should you regard it as a long age; and do not be deceived by its promises.
And, if you were to roam about like a camel yearning to find its heifer and coo like a dove, calling its young one, and raise your beseeching cry like a worshipful hermit, and come out together with your wealth and children, so as to seek nearness to Him, and be elevated in His estimation; or to be forgiven the sins which His angels and scribes have recorded, it would all be too little to earn His reward which I hope for you, or to be saved from His wrath which I fear for you. May Allah keep us and you among the repentents and the worshipping ones. "
3. The Prophet's address on the day of Arafah
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Asad al-Ishfahani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al- Thaqafi, who reported from Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Hashim, who reported from Yahya ibn al-Husayn al-Bijilli, from Abu Haroon al-Abdi, from Zadhan, who reported from Salman
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al-Farsi - may Allah bless him with mercy, that:
The messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, once appeared on the day of Arafah and said: "O, people, surely Allah glorified Himself because of you on this day, so that He may pardon you generally and pardon ‘Ali in particular. " Then he said: "Come near me, O ‘Ali. " So ‘Ali drew near. Then the Prophet took him by his hand and said: "Surely, the blessed, completely and truly blessed is the one who obeyed you and loved you after I have gone. And surely, the wretched, completely and truly wretched is the one who disobeyed you, and showed his hostility after I have gone. "
4. Abu Dharr... the fearless
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Abdullah al-Ishfahani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Sufyan, from his father, from Abu Jahdham al-Azdi, from his father who said that:
When Uthman ordered Abu Dharr al-Ghifari - may Allah bless him with mercy, into exile from Medinah to Syria, he (i. e. Abu Dharr) used to stand up everyday admonishing people, exhorting them to obey Allah, warning them against committing sins. And he used to narrate from the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, whatever he had heard about the virtues and excellence of his Ahlul Bayt, peace be upon them, enjoining upon them to follow his progeny.
So, Mu’awiyah wrote to Uthman: "Be it known to you that
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Abu Dharr, at all times during the day, morning and evening, has a large group of people around him and to them he says such and such things. Well, if you have any need of me among the people, then I would send Abu Dharr to you, for I fear that he will instigate people against you; with Salaams. "
Then Uthman wrote to him: "As this letter reaches you, send Abu Dharr back to me; with Salaams. "
Then Moawiyah sent for Abu Dharr and made him read the letter from Uthman, saying: "Make haste, and go now. " Abu Dharr came to his camel fastened his saddle to set off. The people gathered around him saying: "O Abu Dhar! May Allah have mercy on you, where are you going? "
He said: "They drove me out to come to you, as they were angry with me, and now they are driving me away from you to them, messing around with me. And this will continue as I see it, because of my difference with them, till the righteous relaxes or is relieved of the wicked one. " Then he left.
As people heard of his departure, they followed him till outside Damascus and remained in his company till he reached the monastery of Murran. He alighted and with him the people also stopped. He was asked to lead, so he prayed with them and then he addressed: "O peopl! I admonish you about things, which will benefit you, and I do not resort to speeches and
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eloquence. All of you praise Allah, Most High. "
So they said: "All praise be to Allah. " He said: "I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger. " They repeated what he uttered. Then he said: "I testify that the resurrection is truth and that the heaven is truth and that the hell is truth; and I confirm what he (i. e. Muhammad) has come with from Allah. So bear witness for me over what I have confirmed. " And they said: "And we are among those who testify. "
He said: "Whoever among you dies on these tenets of faith, may he have good tidings of Allah's mercy and honour; as long as he does not support the wrongdoers, and does not justify the torture of the tyrants nor does he assist them in anyway.
'O peopl! Let your daily prayers and fasts be combined with your displeasure for the sake of Allah, whenever He is disobeyed on the eart! Do not please your leaders to incur the wrath of Allah. And if they come up with innovations of which you know not, stay aloof from them; and remain strong against them, even if you were tortured, deprived or rusticated, so that Allah may be pleased with yo! Surely, Allah is Most High and it does not behave to displease Him, by pleasing His creatures. May Allah forgive me and you all. I entrust you to His care, and sent you greetings and the grace
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of Allah. "
Then people exclaimed: "May Allah greet you with safety and shower upon you His mercy, O, Abu Dharr; O companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny; we will not send you back if they expel you and we will not refuse you entry. " Abu Dharr said: "Return to your places, may Allah have mercy upon you; for I am more tolerant of the adversities than you are. And be careful, never be disunited. "
So, he went away till he arrived at Uthman's and upon his arrival, Uthman told him: "May Allah show no favour to the eyes, which behold Amru. " Upon this, Abu Dharr reported: "My parents did not name me Amr. But may Allah not favour the one who disobeys Him, acts against His commands and follows his own base desires. "
At that time, Ka'b al-Ahbar stood up against him and said: "You old ma! Do you not fear Allah when you talk back this way to Amirul Mu’mineen? " Then Abu Dharr raised the stick, which he had in his hands and hit Ka'b on his head, saying: "O son of the Jewish parents, why do you have to speak on behalf of the Muslims? For, By Allah, your jewishness has not come out of your heart yet. "
Then Uthman said: "May Allah not unite me with you under one roo! You have indeed gone senile and you have lost your senses. Get him away out of my sight, mount him on a bare camel and
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then hasten the camel to reach him uncomfortably to Rabdhah. Then drop him there alone, till Allah may decide his fate. " So he was pushed away with humiliation, with his ribs prodded.
It was declared in advance that no one should bid him farewell. When the news reached ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, he wept till his beard was wet with tears and then he said: "Is this the way to treat the companion of the messenger of Allah? We are for Allah, and unto Him shall we retur! "
Then he stood up, accompanied by al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Abdullah ibn Abbas, al-Fadhl, Qathum and Ubaidullah and proceeded till they drew close to Abu Dharr. They continued following him. When Abu Dharr, may Allah have mercy on him, saw them, he wept in sympathy for them and said: "May my father be ransom for the faces which remind me of the Prophet (peace be upon him, and his progeny) when I see them; and mere sight of them overwhelms me with divine blessings. "
Then he raised his hands towards the heavens and said: "O Alla! I love them; and shall remain steadfast even if I were cut into pieces because of their lov! And that is only for Your pleasure and for the next abod! Return to your places, may Allah have mercy upon you, and I pray to Allah that He may keep me in the best relationship with you. " Then they bid him farewell and returned with tears in
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their eyes.
5. Quickest evil consequences
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Qasim al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan, from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Hashimi, who reported from Abdul Mu'min, who reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, that Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari narrated:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "The quickest evil consequence is for a man to whom you do a good turn and he pays you back by evil deeds; and a man with whom you have entered into a covenant wishing to fulfil it, while he intends to deceive you; and a person to who you are not insolent, but he persists in his insolence against you; and a person with whom you mend your blood relationship but he cuts you off. "
6. The prayer of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu ‘Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Suliy reported to me in the mosque of Baratha, in the year 353, from Abul Aziz ibn Yahya al-Jaloodi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Ghalabiy, who reported from Qais ibn Hafs al-Daramiy, who reported from al-Husayn al-Ashqar, from Umar (or Amru) ibn Abdul Ghaffar, from Ishaq ibn al-Fadhl al-Hashimi, who said:
"Among the supplications of Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, there was the following:
"O Alla! I seek refuge with you from being hostile to a person who is Your saint; or from being friendly to one who is Your adversary, or to
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choose Your permanent wrath. O Alla! Our blessings be for those You have blessed, and our curse be upon those You have cursed; O Alla! relieve us by the demise of one whose death is a relief for us and for all the Muslims; and grant us in exchange one who is better for us than he; so that You may show us, by Your acceptance, that which we wish to realize in our faith and in our lives; O Most Merciful among the mercifuls. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad and his progeny.
Twenty first Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 15th of the month of Ramadhan in the year 407 Hijra; heard by Abul Fawaris. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nu’man, may Allah continue His beneficence upon him, narrated:
1. Complete Islam
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid reported to me from his father, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob; from Abu Ayyub al-Khazzar, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali - may Allah bless him with mercy, who heard:
Abu Ja'far al-Baqir Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, say: "Whoever has four traits in him, his Islam is complete, his faith is entrenched and he is purified from his sins; and he will meet his Lord, having earned His pleasure, even if he were immersed in sins from head to toe. They are: Fulfilling what one adopts as divine obligation upon oneself; being truthful with the people; to be ashamed
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of acts which are ugly and evil in the eyes of Allah and the people; to adopt the best morality and behaviour with the family and the people.
And among the believers, whoever has four traits, Allah will grant him abode with the highest of the high ones, in a chamber above the chambers and at a place of highest honour. They are: One who gives shelter to an orphan, treating him or her like a kind father; one who is kind to the weak (or old) , helping and sufficiently providing; one who maintains his parents, being friendly and kind to them, never causing them any grief; and one who is not awkward with his servants and dependents, being helpful to them in what he assigns to them, never imposing a burden upon them greater than they can bear. "
2. Avoid being vulgar
He said: Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hakimi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who reported from Yahya ibn Moeen, who reported from Abdul Razzaq, who reported from Mo'mar, from Thabit, from Anas ibn Malik that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Whenever there is any vulgarity in any affair, it does not leave it without being tarnished; and whenever there is bashfulness in any matter, it does not leave it without being adorned. "
3. Jabir asked the Prophet about his successor
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Muqri reported to me from Abu Abdillah al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali al-Razi, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hanafi, who reported from Yahya
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ibn Hashim al-Simsar, who reported from Amru ibn Shimr, who reported from Hammad, from Abu al-Zubair, from Jabir ibn Abdillah ibn Harram al-Ansari, who said:
Once I came to the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and asked: "O messenger of Allah, who is your successor? " He said that the Prophet kept silent for a while, not answering me. Then he said: "O Jabir, may I not answer your question? " So I said: "My father and my mother be your ransom; By Allah, you maintained a silence, till I thought you were not pleased. "
He said: "O Jabir, I was not displeased with you. I was waiting for what the heavens would reveal, and then Jibraeel came to me saying: O Muhammad, your Lord sends you salutations and says unto you: Surely, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib is your executor and your successor over your kinsfolk and the Ummah; and a protector of your Pool (al-Hawdh). He is the bearer of your standard, preceding you into Praradise. "
I said: "O Prophet of Alla! Would you say that if someone did not believe in this, I should fight him? " He said: "Yes O Jabir. This status has not been established except for being followed. So whoever follows it, he will be with me tomorrow, (i. e. on the day of Judgement) and whoever opposes it, he will never arrive near me at the Pool (al-Hawdh). "
4. Those who love the Prophet and his progeny
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed
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al-Hamdani, who reported from Umar ibn Aslam, who reported from Saeed ibn Yusuf al-Basri, from Khalid ibn Abdul Rahman al-Madayeni, from Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Layla, from Abu Dharr al-Ghifari - may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, stroke the shoulders of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him and say: "O ‘Ali, whoever loves us is from pure Arab breed and those who hate us are the non-Arab infidels. Our Shi’ahs are people of noble descent and honour, and are of legitimate birth. And there is none on the path of Ibrahim except those who are our Shi’ahs; the rest of the people are away from it. And Allah has appointed angels who demolish the sins of our Shi’ahs, the way a pick destroys a structure. "
5. Miqdad and Abdurahman ibn Awf
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Za'farani, from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Sufyan, from his father, who reported from Lut ibn Yahya, who reported from Abdul Rehman ibn Jandab, from his father who said:
When people swore loyalty to Uthman, I heard al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi - may Allah bless him with mercy, say to Abdul Rahman ibn Awf: "O Abdul Rahman, I never saw the like of this befell the Ahlul Bayt after their Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny). " So Abdul Rahman said: "O Miqdad, what does that concern
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you? "
He said: "By Allah, I love them because of the Prophet's love for them; and it pains me when I find myself unable to speak openly. The Quraish enjoyed superiority over others because of the nobility of Ahlul Bayt and yet they have united to snatch away from them the authority of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) ".
Abdul Rahman replied: "Woe unto you, by Alla! I tried my best for yo! " Miqdad said to him: "By Allah, you have abandoned a man who is from among those who enjoy the truth and through that, they act with justice. By Allah, if I had some helpers against the Quraish, I would have fought them the way we fought at Badr and Uhod. "
Abdul Rahman said: "May your mother mourn you, O Miqdad, let no one hear from you this talk; by Allah, I fear that you may become a perpetrator of factions and disturbance. "
Jundab says: I called upon him after he had left the place and told him: "Miqdad, I am one of your helpers. " He said: "May Allah bless you with mercy; what we need cannot be accomplished by two men or three. " So I left him and came to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, and related to him what Miqdad and I had said. He prayed for us.
6. The secret of Mu’awiyah
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmed al-Hakimi, who reported from Ismail ibn Ishaq al-Qadhi,
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who reported from Saeed ibn Yahya, from Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Abdul Malik ibn Umair al-Lakhmi, that:
Once Jariya ibn Qudamah al-Sa'di called upon Mu’awiyah; and upon the throne, there were al-Ahnaf ibn Qais and al-Habbab al-Majashee sitting next to him. Mu’awiyah said: "Who are you? " He replied: "I am Jariya ibn Qudamah. (And he was among the nobles). Mu’awiyah said: "May be so, but are you anything but a (stinging) bee? "
He said: "O Mu’awiyah, do not do tha! You have compared me to a bee. By Allah, it has a strong sting, but a sweet spit. While, by Allah, Mu’awiyah is nothing but a female dog howling at other dog! And Umayyah is nothing but a diminutive of Amah - a house maid. "
Mu’awiyah said: "Do not do tha! " He said: "You did it and so I did also. "
Mu’awiyah said: "Come closer to me and sit with me on the throne. " He said: "I will not do that. " Moawiyah said: "Why? " He replied: "For I see that these two have occupied your seat and removed you from your place. I would not like to join them. " Mu’awiyah said: "Come closer so that I may share with you a secret. " So he drew closer, and Mu’awiyah told him, "O Jariya, I have bought from these two their faith. " He said: "Then buy from me, O Mu’awiyah. " Moawiyah said: "Do not speak loudly. "
7. Expiation for Ghibah
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hakimi, who reported from
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Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who reported from Dawood ibn al-Muhabbar, who reported from Ambasah ibn Abdul Rahman al-Qarshi, who reported from Khalid ibn Yazid al-Yamani, who reported from Anas ibn Malik that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "The penance and expiation for backbiting anyone is to seek forgiveness from Allah for him or her. "
And may Allah bless His mercy upon our master Muhammad and his progeny.
Twenty Second Assembly
point
Meeting of Saturday, 22nd of the month of Ramadhan, in the year 407 Hijrah, heard by Abul Fawaris. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah bless him with eternal providence, narrated:
1. Seek provision from halaal
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Salim ibn al-Baraa, popularly known as Ibn al-Ji’abi, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed al-Hamdani, popularly known as Ibn Uqdah, who reported from Yahya ibn Zakariyya ibn Shayban, who reported from Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Dhuhali, from Amru ibn Saif al-Azdi who said:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon him) told me: "Do not abandon seeking your subsistence from its legitimate sources, for that helps you remain on your faith. And fasten your camel (first) , and then entrust (it to) Allah. "
2. When prayers are not blessed
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad, who reported from Muhammad ibn Abdillah ibn Ghalib, who reported from al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Rabah, from Saif ibn Umairah, who reported from Muhammad ibn Marwan, who
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reported from Abdullah ibn Abi Ya'foor that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "Allah does not bless the prayers with acceptance from three persons: From a slave who has escaped from his masters, till he returns and places his hand in their hands; from an Imam who leads people (in prayers) while they hate him; from a wife who passes a night while her husband is displeased with her. "
3. ‘Ali in the night of Prophet's Mi’raj
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibnal-Hasan ibn al-Walid reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Bakr ibn Swaleh, from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, from Abdullah ibn Ibrahim, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Zaid, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, reporting from his father and his grandfather, peace be upon them, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: The night I was taken to the heavens, I ended up at Sidratul Muntaha, I heard: "O Muhammad, counsel (your people) good about ‘Ali, for he is the master of the Muslims, Imam of the people of Taqwa (those who guard themselves from all sins) , and leader of the hopping horses with white spots on their foreheads (leading to the Paradise) , on the Day of Judgement. "
4. Ten traits of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Za'farani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Uthman ibn Abi Shaibah from Amru ibn Maymoon, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad from his father, from his grandfather, peace
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be upon them, that:
Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, once said from the pulpit of Kufa: "O people, the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, has awarded me ten traits; and they are dearer to me than anything upon which the sun shines. "
He said to me:
‘Ali, you are my brother in this world and in the next;
And on the Day of Judgement, when we stand before the Almighty, you will be nearest of all to me;
Your abode in Paradise will be facing mine, the way brothers in faith live, with their houses facing each other;
You are my heir;
You are my executor after me, to fulfil my promises and my affairs;
And in my absence, you are the guardian of my family, on my behalf;
You are the Imam of my Ummah;
You are the one to uphold justice among my subjects;
You are my beloved one; and Allah loves who I love;
Your foe is my foe and my foe is the foe of Allah.
5. Weeping for the sufferings of Ahlul Bayt
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed al-Hamdani, who reported from Ahmad ibn Abdul Hamid ibn Khalid, who reported from Muhammad ibn Amru ibn Utbah, from al-Husayn al-Ashqar, from Muhammad ibn Abi Amarah al-Kufi who said:
I heard Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, say: "Whoever sheds a tear over our spilled blood, or over our usurped rights, or over the dishonour we have suffered, or any of our followers
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has suffered, such a person shall be blessed by Allah, Most High, in paradise for a long period of time. "
6. ‘Ali (as) refuses to grant undue preference
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Abdillah ibn Asad al-Ishfahani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al- Thaqafi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Abdillah ibn Uthman, who reported form ‘Ali ibn Abi Saif, from Abu Habab, from Rabee'ah, from Amarah and others who said:
When people deserted ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, and fled to Mu’awiyah seeking worldly gains from him, a group from the companions of Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, called upon him and told him: "O Amirul Mu’mineen, spend the wealth and give preference to the noble clans of Arabs and Quraish over the client tribes and the non-Arabs; and appease those who you fear may turn against you or run away to Mu’awiyah. "
Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, told them: "Do you counsel me to enlist help by unfairness? No, by Allah, I shall never do it, for as long as the sun shines and the stars in the sky twinkl! By Allah, if their wealth had belonged to me, I would have distributed equally to them, so how can I discriminate when the wealth belongs to all of them? "
He said: Then Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, remained silent for some time and then said: "Whoever has wealth, he should be wary of being spoiled. Surely, when wealth is given to an undeserving person,
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then it is a squander and extravagance. And though it makes the giver popular in this world, it is wasted in the eyes of Allah.
And a person who squanders his wealth wastefully giving to those who do not deserve, Allah deprives him from their gratitude and causes them to have affinity towards other! And if at all there are some who are inclined and grateful to him, it is nothing but flattery and sham. They wish to ingratiate themselves to him so that they may continue to receive what they have been receiving before. And if that rich man is hit by adversity, needing their help or support, you will find them the worst, taunting friends.
And whoever wishes to do good with what Allah has given to him, he should use it to mend with his blood relatives; be a generous host, release the oppressed prisoners, help those who are in debt, and the wayfarers, the poor and those who fight in the way of Allah. And he should be patient against adversities and misfortunes. With such accomplishment, he will attain the high honour in this world and the virtues in the next. "
7. Never humiliate...
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan, who reported from al-Abbas ibn Amir, from Ahmed ibn Rizq, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said:
Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, asked me: "O Ishaq, how do you dispose of
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the zakat or your wealth, when ready? " I said: "People come to my house and I give them. " He said: "I find that you are humiliating the believers. Be cautiou! For Allah says: Whoever humiliates my righteous servants, he has indeed prepared himself to confront me. "
8. Al-Sadiq (as) explains Mu’min's experience after death
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh - may Allah bless him with mercy, who reported from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mehboob, from Hannan ibn Sudair, from his father, who said:
I was with Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, when discussion about a Mu’min and his rights took place. Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, turned to me and said: "O Abu al-Fadhl, may I not tell you about the status of a Mu’min in the estimation of Allah? " I said: "Yes, do enlighten me, may I be your ranso! "
He said: "When a Mu’min dies, his soul is taken up to the heaven by its angels, who say: O Sustainer, here is Your servant and what a good servan! " Allah Almighty says: "Descend to the earth near his grave and continue to laud and magnify My name, confirming My Oneness and My Greatness and write the reward for My servant till I resurrect him from his grave. "
Then he said: "May I tell you more? " I said: "Yes. " He said: "When Allah will resurrect a believer from his grave, together with him will be an image who will lead him. Whenever the believer
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will see anything frightful from the frightful aspects of the Day of Judgement, the image will solace him by saying: 'Do not be anxious, nor distressed. Have good tidings and honour from Allah, Most High. '
And it continues to give tidings of delight and honour, till he stands before Allah to account for his deeds; and he shall have a lenient reckoning. Then He orders him to enter the Paradise, with the image in front of him. Then the believer shall say to the image: 'May Allah bless you with mercy, you have been a good company emanating from my grave, giving me good tidings of delight and honour from Allah, Most High; till it transpired to be that way.
So, who are you? ' The image will say: 'I am the delight and joy, which you caused to your believing brother on earth. Allah has created me thus from that gesture, so that I may give you good tidings. '"
9. Prayers to soothe pains
Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Husayn ibn Saeed, from Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, from Muhammad al-Ja'fi, from his father who said:
I always complained about my eyes. Once I complained about it to Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, he said: "May I teach you a prayer, beneficial for your life here and hereafter? And which will also treat the pain in your eye? " I said: "Yes. "
He said: Say after
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morning and maghrib prayers: "O Allah, I beseech You in the name of Muhammad and his progeny, to bless Muhammad and his progeny, and to bestow light upon my eyes and insight upon my faith, certitude upon my heart, sincerity upon my acts, security upon my self, abundance upon my subsistence; and grant me to be ever thankful to You as long as You keep me. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad and his progeny.
Twenty Third Assembly
point
The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nu’man al-Harithy - may Allah continue to guard him, narrated:
1. Abu Dharr's words of wisdom
He said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad reported to me from his father Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid al-Qummi, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from al-Abbas ibn Ma'roof, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar from al-Husayn ibn Saeed al-Ahwazi, from al-Nadhr ibn Suwaid and Ibn Abi Najran together, from Asim from Abu Baseer from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, may Allah bless them both, that Abu Dharr, may Allah bless him with mercy, used to say:
"O Seeker of knowledg! Nothing in this world is worthy of mention except an act which, if good, benefits others, and if bad, harms others, except those who Allah saves with mercy.
'O Seeker of knowledg! Do not allow family and possessions to occupy you against yourself. For one day, you will depart from them, like a guest who stayed with them overnight and left during the day for others. And this world and the next are like a station where you alight, and
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then move towards the next. The time span between death and resurrection is like a brief sleep, from which you will wake up.
'O Seeker of knowledg! Send beforehand to establish a status in the eyes of Allah, for you are indeed mortgaged against your deeds. What you sow, so shall you reap.
'O Seeker of knowledg! Say your daily prayers, before such days and nights arrive when you are unable to pra! The example of the daily prayers is that of a person who calls upon a benign monarch, who patiently listens to his needs till he has finished. So is a Muslim in his prayers that Allah grants His attention to him till he finishes his prayers.
'O Seeker of knowledg! Give in charity before you arrive at a situation where you can neither give nor prevent. The example of one who gives charity and alms is like a person wanted for having killed and then he implores: 'Do not kill me, and grant me a prescribed time during which I may toil to please you. ' So is for a Muslim, with the permission of Alla! Every time he gives in charity, a knot around his neck is undone; thus, Allah saves people, having been pleased with them. And when Allah is pleased with someone, He frees him from hellfire.
'O Seeker of knowledg! A heart which has no Truth in it, is like a ruined house which has no restorer. 'O Seeker of knowledg! This tongue is indeed a
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key of good and a key of evil. So set a seal on your mouth, the way you set a seal on your gold and on your papers.
'O Seeker of knowledg! These are the examples Allah has set forth for people and none can understand them but the learned ones. "
2. The Best Virtues
He said: And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from al-Nadhr ibn Suwaid, from Ibn Sinan, from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be upon them both, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, in his address to the people, said: "May I not inform you about the best virtues in this world and the next? (They are): to forgive one who wronged you, to make amends with the kins who severed relations with you, to oblige one who harmed you, to give to one who refused you. And (remember) , hatred and mutual enmity is a remover, and I do not mean a remover (shaver) of hair; but a remover of faith. "
3. Avoid being deluded
And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Fadhalah ibn Ayub, from Abdullah ibn Zaid, from Ibn Abi Ya'foor who said:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon both, told me: "Let not people delude you against yourself, for that which is your fate shall reach you in spite of the! And let not the days prevent you from this and that, for surely, with you is the One Who protects yo! And
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do not belittle your little good deeds, for you shall see them tomorrow in a form, which will please you.
And do not underestimate your little evil deeds, for you shall see them tomorrow in a form, which will grieve you. Do good deeds, for I have seen nothing quicker in pursuit of an old sin, so as to blot it out, than the good deed. Surely, Allah says (in the Qur'an):
'Indeed, good deeds carry away the evil deeds; and that is a reminder for those who remember Allah. ' (Hud, 11: 114) "
4. Fulfil your duties
And with the preceding chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Fadhalah ibn Ayub from Ajlan Abu Swaleh, who said:
Abu Abdillah, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon both told me: "Be just with people in your personal matters and let them have a share in your wealth. Choose for them what you choose for yoursel! And remember Allah constantly; never be lazy nor feel bored; surely, that is what my father taught me and that is what his father counseled him.
Similarly, if you feel lazy about the late night prayers, you will not be able to fulfil to Allah His right. And if you are bored and discontented, you will not be able to fulfil anyone's obligation. Always be truthful, guarding against sins and paying back that which you hold in trust. And do not fail to fulfil a promise when you make one. "
5. Remain Truthful
And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from ‘Ali ibn
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Hadeed, from ‘Ali ibn Nu’man, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Abu al-Nu’man al-Ajali, who said:
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon them both, told me, "O Abu Nu’man, do not support the lies and allegation against us, for that will distract you from the Straight Path; and do not devour people's wealth by using our name, for that will earn you nothing but poverty.
O Abu Nu’man, do not push yourself hard to be a head (i. e. leader) , for you may end up being a tail (i. e. following the people rather then leading them). O Abu Nu’man, you will surely be stopped and asked, and there is no escape from tha! If you remain truthful, we will confirm your truthfulness; and if you lie, we will confirm that you are a liar.
O Abu Nu’man, let not people delude you, for that which is your fate, shall reach you in spite of the! And do not let the days prevent you from this and that for with you there is One Who protects you. Do good deeds, for I have not seen any quicker expiation in pursuit of the old sin, than a good deed. "
6. Value of Time
With the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from ‘Ali ibn Hadeed from ‘Ali ibn al-Nu’man, who has raised the report (without intervening chain) to ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, who said:
"Woe to the one whose one triumphs over his ten (meaning the verse 160, Surah al-Ana'am: 'Whoever brings one good
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deed shall have ten fold the like of it and whoever brings one evil deed shall be recompensed only the like of it... ') "
And Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him used to say: "A defrauded person is one whose life is wasted hour by hour. "
And ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, said: "Expect nothing from the others and that is true self-sufficiency, and minimize your needs from them, for being needful is instant poverty. And be cautious of doing things for which you may have to offer an excuse; and when you stand for daily prayers, do so as if you were offering the last and farewell prayers; and if you can manage to be better today than yesterday, or tomorrow better than today, then do so. "
7. Enjoy good and forbid evil
And wilt the preceding chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from ‘Ali ibn Hadeed, from ‘Ali ibn al-Nu’man, from Ibn Maskan, from Dawood ibn Farqad, from Abu Saeed al-Zohari, from one the two (Imams) , peace be upon them, who said:
"Woe to the people who do not make it their habit to enjoy good and forbid evil. " And then he said: "Whoever professes 'there is no God but Allah, his utterance does not enter the kingdom of Heaven, till it is supplemented by one good deed. And he who seeks to be godly while lending strength to the untruth, such a man has no religion. Similarly, he who is subservient to a tyrant, has no religion. " Then he said: "Every community has been distracted
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by rivalry for worldly gain and abundance, till they visited the graves. "
8. Beware of Allah's dominance
And with the preceding chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Nadhr, from Ibrahim ibn Abdul Hamid, from Zaid ibn al-Shahham who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, say: "Beware of the dominant power of Allah, during the night and during the day. " I asked: "What is that dominant power? " He said: "When He seizes you for the sins. "
9. The most worshipful servant
And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Abu Hamza who said:
I heard ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, say: "He who obediently acts according to what Allah has commanded him to do, he is the best of men on eart! And he who obediently refrains from that which Allah has forbidden him, he is the most worshipping servant, the most pious. And whoever is content with what Allah has apportioned to him, is the richest of all men. "
10. Living with the believers and non-believers
And with the preceding chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from al-Husayn ibn Mas'ab, from Sa'd ibn Turaif, from:
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon both, who said: " (Even) if you meet a hypocrite, talk to him agreeably, and if you meet a believer, then your love for him should be sincere. And (even) if a Jew sits next to you, treat him well. "
11. Be kind to people
And with the preceding chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Fadhalah,
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from Abaan, from Abdul Rahman ibn Sayabah, from al-Nu’man, from:
Abu Ja'far, peace be upon him, who said: "He who inquires after the well being and whereabouts of the others, people inquire after him when they miss hi! And he who does not prepare himself to face the worldly afflictions with patience, ends up helpless.
And if you have a habit of passing abrasive comments against other people, then be ready for their remarks. And even if you left them, they would not leave yo! " He said: "Then what shall I do? " He (i. e. Imam) said: "Keep them away from your honour, and leave it for your Day of Hunger and Want (i. e. leave it for the Day of judgement). "
12. People are for peopl!
And with the preceding chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from ‘Ali ibn Hadeed, from Marazim, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon both, said: "Always pray in the mosques and be good neighbours to the people. And always uphold your trust and covenants and attend the funerals. For surely, you cannot do without the peopl! No man's life can go on without needing the peopl!
As for us, we attend their funerals, and it is for you to do the way your leaders d! People have no alternative but to remain dependent upon each other till death does them apart; then every community will retire to join those they love. "
Then he said: "Always offer your prayers properly and work for your next world and make the best choice for
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yourselves. Indeed, a man may be sagacious in his worldly affairs, till it is said: 'How wise is so and s! ' But surely, the sagacious is one who is wise about the hereafter. "
13. Convey the knowledge of fiqh
And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Muhammad ibn Ismail, from Mansur ibn Yunus, from Abu Khalid al-Qammat, from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon both, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, addressed the people at Mina, saying: "May Allah bless the servant who heard my utterances and heeded them; and conveyed to those who had not heard them. How often a person carries knowledge without he himself being learned about it, and how often does a man carry knowledge to the one who knows better than hi!
There are three things over which a Mu’min's heart will never commit a breach of the trust: Purifying the deeds solely for the sake of Allah; following the Imams of the Muslims faithfully and remaining steadfast in their groups. Their call itself protects them from all sides. The believers are brothers to each other, defending their blood; and they act as one, single hand against the enemies. And even the smallest of them tries best to fulfil his responsibility. "
14. The best guidance is that of Muhammad (SAW)
With the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar from Muhammad ibn Ismail, from Mansur ibn Abu Yahya, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, say: Once the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, climbed on the pulpit,
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and the colour of his cheek changed; then he approached the people saying: "O Muslims, I have been sent to you with the Day of Judgement as close in time, as these two"; then he put together two index fingers. Then he said: "O Muslim, the best guidance is that of Muhammad and the best narration is the Book of Allah. And innovations (in religion) are the worst things.
Be it known to you that every innovation leads astray, and that finally leads to hellfire. 'O Peopl! Whoever leaves behind wealth, he leaves it for the family and his heirs; and whoever leaves behind weaklings and poor dependents, they are for me and they are my responsibility. "
15. Four admonitions
And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Rafaa'h who reported that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon them both, said: "The Torah has four admonitions coupled with the other four. They are: He who rises in the morning sorrowful about his worldly affairs, he indeed rises displeased with his Lor!
And he who rises in the morning complaining about the misfortune he has suffered, he is complaining against Alla! He who calls upon a rich man, humbling himself so as to gain a share from his wealth, loses two-third of his faith; And if ever a reciter of the Qur'an in this Ummah enters hellfire, then he must be among those who take divine signs for a mockery and play.
And the other four are: Absolute power leads to appropriation;
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and he who consults, never repents; and you shall reap what you sow, and poverty is the greater death. "
16. Prayers are the pillars of faith
And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Ismail ibn Abbad, from al-Hasan ibn Muhammad, from Sulayman ibn Sabiq, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Abdullah ibn Luhaya'h, from Abu al-Zubair, from Jabir ibn Abdillah al-Ansari, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, once addressed us, praising and thanking Allah and then said: "O people (after completing his speech) , I recommend to you the daily prayers, I recommend to you the daily prayer! For it is the pillar of your faith. And make special efforts for the prayers during the nights and remember him often, that He may expiate your sins.
Surely, the example of these five daily prayers is that of a flowing brook near your door; in which you are washed five times a day. So just as frequent baths clean your body of the dirt, the same way, sins are washed off by constant prayers, leaving no sin behind.
O men, there is no one of the servants of Allah who is not hit by a knotty situation. Then when the two-third of a night is over and a third is left, an angel comes to him, and says: 'Rise and remember Allah, for the morning is nea! ' He said: If the servant rises to remember Allah at that time, his knots would be undone. And if he stood to do the wudhoo and started
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the prayers, all his knots would be undone; and he would enter the dawn with joy in his eyes. "
17. Imam al-Sadiq (as) explains Abu Dharr's admonition
And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali from Yunus ibn Ya'qoob, from Shoayb al-Aqrqoofi, who said:
I related to Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon them both, that I heard someone report from Abu Dharr who used to say: "People hate three things, while I love them. I love death, and I love poverty and I love ordeals. "
He, peace upon him, said: "That is not what he meant. When he said he preferred death, he meant to say that death in the way of Allah was more likeable to him then life in sin; and ordeal in the way of Allah was more agreeable to him then health in sin; and poverty in the way of Allah was more loveable to him than plenty in sin. "
18. Cover your utensils...
And with the preceding chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Ibn Faddhal, from Yunus ibn Yaqub, from Abu Maryam, from Abu Abdillah or Abu Ja'far, peace be upon them both, from Jabir ibn Abdillah that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said to us: "Cover your utensils and put a lid over the vessels from which you drink, and shut your doors tight, and tie down your herds, and send your family members indoors, as the sun sets till when the darkness of Isha is dispelled. Surely, the devils do not open the
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covers, nor do they undo the lids. And the devils are sent off when the sun sets. And put off your lamps, for sometimes the rats kindle fire from it setting the whole house on fire, on its inmates. "
19. The good and the bad traditions
And with the preceding chains of narration, ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Hammad ibn Uthman, who reported that Ismail al-Jo'fi said:
I heard Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon them both say: "Whoever sets a balanced, just tradition, which is then followed by the people, he earns the reward of everyone who acts accordingly, without they losing anything from their rewards. And whoever sets an unjust tradition, which is then followed, he shall bear the burden of those who act accordingly, without any mitigation in the burdens of the followers. "
20. Kindness to father
And with the preceding chains of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Bakr ibn Swaleh who said:
My son-in-law wrote to Abu Ja'far the second Imam Muhammad Taqi (as) , peace be upon him, that: "My father is a Nasibi and has wretched views about Ahlul Bayt. And I have experienced a lot of hardship and pressure from him. I write to request for special prayers for me, may I be your ransom, and to advise me what should be my line of action. Should I confront him or comply with his whims? "
He, peace be upon him, wrote back: "I have understood your letter and what you have mentioned about your father. God willing, I shall never forget you
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in my prayers. And it is better to be compliant rather than resorting to open confrontation. For with every hardship, there is ease. Be patient, for the end result is always in favour of those who are mindful of duties towards Allah. May Allah keep you firm on the path of those who you have accepted as the authority. You and we are all entrusted in the care of Allah, and with Him, no trust is los! "
Bakr said: Then Allah caused a change of heart in his father, so that he in turn became compliant to the son.
21. The descent of Jibraeel at unusual hour
And with the first chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hashami, from Abi Hafs al-Attar, who said, I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, relating from his father, from his grandfather, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: Once Jibraeel came to me at an unusual hour and on an unusual day. So, I told him: "O Jibraeel, you have indeed come to me at an unusual hour and unusual day. You have struck me with aw! " He said: "O Muhammad, you have no cause of fear, for Allah has forgiven you your past and future lapse. "
I said: "Then what is the message (this time) from your Lord? " He said: "Your Lord forbids you to worship the idols and to drink any type of intoxicants and to vilify the people. And there is one more (worth remembering)
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here and hereafter; your Lord says to you: O Muhammad, I have never felt indignation at any container as much as at a filled stomach. "
22. Virtues of a Shi’ah
And with the first chain of narrations, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from Ismail ibn Abbad, from (Abdullah) ibn Bikair, from:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon both of them, who said: "Surely, we love from amongst our Shi’ahs, one who is wise, understanding, well- versed in religion, tolerant, obliging, patient, truthful and faithful. " Then he said: "Surely, Allah has specially blessed His Prophets with the noble virtues of good
behaviour. So, whoever has those qualities, should praise and thank Allah for it, and whoever does not have them, should earnestly entreat and seek from Allah. "
He said: "I asked: May I be your ransom, what are the virtues? " He said: "Piety, contentment, patience, being grateful, tolerant, modesty, generosity, jealously, guarding ones honour, beneficence, truthful in speech and honesty about anything held on trust. "
23. The meaning of remembering Allah
With the first chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, (from al-Hasan ibnAli ibn Faddhal) , from ‘Ali ibn Uqba, from Jarood ibn al-Mandhar, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him say: 'The most difficult performance are three: to maintain justice and equity between yourself and the people, so that you may not prefer for yourself anything from the people, till you have preferred the same for the people to have from you; to make your (needy) brother an equal partner in your wealth; and to remember
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Allah in all situations. And that is not just to say: 'Glory be to Allah,' 'Praise be to Allah,' 'there is no God but Allah,' or 'Allah is Great. ' Rather, when anything comes your way, which Allah has forbidden, you refrain from it. "
24. No act with taqwa is small
And with the first chain of narrations from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from al-Fudhail ibn Uthman, from Abi Obaidah, from Abi Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon both, who said:
Amirul Mu’mineen (‘Ali) peace be upon him, used to say: "Any act performed with taqwa is not little. How can that which is accepted (by Allah) be called little? "
25. Al-Sadiq (as) exhorts Taqwa
And with the first chain of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, (from al-Hassan) , from ‘Ali ibn Uqba, from Abi Kahmas, from Amru ibn Saeed ibn Hilal, who said:
I requested Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him: 'Guide me. ' He said: 'My admonition to you is to be mindful of your duties to Allah (taqwa) , to refrain from that which is forbidden and to make a strenuous effort (to win His Pleasure). And you should know that any effort, which is not coupled with abstaining from that, which is forbidden, has no benefit.
And always look at those who are lower than you, and do not look at those who are above you. For how often has Allah, Most High, advised His messenger:
'So do not be deluded by their wealth and their children', (al-Tawbah, 9: 55) ,
and again He said:
'And do not even look at
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the wordly wealth. We have let some pairs of disbelievers to gain, it is only an allurement of the life of this world.... ' (Taha, 20: 131). "
And if your passion (or desires) drive you towards any of those things, then you should be aware that the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his progeny, had barley for daily subsistence, dates for his sweet dish, when available, and the source of warmth (firewood, fuel) was from the branches of the palm tree. And when any calamity befalls you, then remember how you were tested by the passing away of the Prophet, peace be upon him; for the people will never face a similar tribulation ever again. "
26. Good deeds prepare for the doers...
And with the first chain of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from ‘Ali ibn al-Nu’man, from Dawood ibn Farqad, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon both of them, say: "Surely, the righteous deeds will go to the Paradise to prepare for theirs doers, the way a person sends his servant to furnish for him. Then he recited:
'And as for those who believe, and do righteous deeds, they prepare for their own souls' (al-Rum, 30: 44). "
27. Between fear and hope
And with the first chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from al-Husayn ibn Abi Sarah, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon them both, say: "A believer does not become a (true and steadfast) Mu’min, till he comes to a situation of being both, fearful as well as hopeful. And
that does not occur till he starts performing deeds as one who fears and (also) hopes. "
28. The verse of Qur'an interpreted
And with the first chain of narration, from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, from ‘Ali who said:
I asked Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him about the verse from the Qur'an:
'And those who strive with righteous deeds to the greatest extent and their hearts are filled with fear.... ' (al-Mu'minoon. 23: 60).
He said: "That is their fear and hope. They fear that their acts may be rejected because of their sins, and at the same time, hope that they might be accepted from them. "
29. The Prophet (SAW) inspects our deeds
And with the first chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan, from Uthman ibn Isa, from Sama'ah, who said:
I heard him say (i. e. Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him): "Why do you cause grief to the Prophet of Allah? " Someone asked: "May I be your ransom, how do we do that? " He said: "Do you not know that your deeds are persented before him; when he sees the sins committed, he is grieved. So do not cause him grief. Make him happy (with good deeds and obedience). "
30. ‘Ali (as) on the pious companions of the Prophet
And with the first chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from (Muhammad) ibn Sinan, from Abu Muaz al-Suddiy, from Abi Arakah who said:
Once, I prayed behind ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, the morning prayers in this mosque of yours. Then (after the prayers) , he turned to the right with evident gloom over his face. He
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stayed that way, till the sun rose over the lancer long wall of the mosque of yours, which was then not as high as it is now. Then turning to the people he said:
"By Allah, the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, endured discomfort on such a night, passing it between prostration and standing for the prayers. As if they heard the roar of hellfire in their ears'. And in the morning, they rose covered with dust and pale, with callous skin, resembling the knees of the goat between their eyes. When Allah was remembered in their presence, they quivered the way a tree shakes on a windy day, and tears rolled from their eyes till their clothes were wet. "
He said: Then he (i. e. ‘Ali) rose, saying: "By Allah, it seems that people have now become heedless. "
Thereafter, he (i. e. ‘Ali) was not seen in a cheerful temperament, till the event at the hands of Ibn Muljam took place - may Allah curse him (i. e. Ibn Muljam).
31. ‘Ali (as) and the traders of Kufa
With the first chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Amru ibn Abi al-Miqdam (from Jabir) , from:
Abu Ja'far, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon them both, who said: ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, was among you in Kufa and he used to come out early in the morning from his residence, visiting each market of Kufa, one after another, with a whip on his shoulder. It had two sharp ends and
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was thus called al-Sabibah.
He said: He (i. e. ‘Ali) would stand in every market and say: "O business peopl! Seek providence of Allah and earn His bounty by easy trad! Endear yourselves to the buyers and adorn yourselves with patience. And do not swear or take oath; refrain from lies and do not associate with inequity. Come to the rescue of the wronged ones by obtaining justice for them, and do not deal in usury. Give full measure and weight and do not diminish for people their things, and do not work corruption on the earth. "
He said: Thus he (i. e. ‘Ali) toured all the markets of Kufa and then returned to his place for listening to the common people. He said: When the market people saw him approaching them, exclaiming: "O Peopl! , they would stop their dealings, listen to him carefully and regard him respectfully till he finished. " Then they would respond: "With all readiness, we obey you O, Amirul Mu’mineen. "
32. ‘Ali (as) 's admonition after Isha
And with the first claim of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Amru ibn Abi al-Maqdam, from Jabir, from:
Abu Ja'far, peace be upon him, who said: When Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, was at Kufa, he would announce three times after people had prayed their last evening prayers, so that all in the mosque would hear it: "O peopl! Be prepared, may Allah bless you with mercy, for the call for departure has been made. So what is the meaning of clinging to the world,
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after the departing call? Be prepared, may Allah have mercy upon you, and move onwards with the best of supplies you have with you and that is Taqwa.
And be it known to you that your path is the place of Resurrection, passing over the al-Siraat; and the great shock is confronting you. And in your path, there are mountains difficult to climb and stations through which you have to pass and also halt, despite its fright and terror. It will be His Mercy, which will redeem from its fright and save from its great danger, horrid scenes and from its severe test. And if it is perdition, then there is no solace after it. "
33. Imam Sajjad's book on asceticism
And with the first chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Malik ibnAtiyya, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, who said:
"I had not heard of anyone more pious and ascetic than ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, till I learnt about ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him. "
Then Abu Hamza said: "Whenever ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, spoke about piety and asceticism and admonished people, he made all those present weep. "
Abu Hamza said: "I read a page which contained ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn's admonition on piety and asceticism, so I copied from it and brought it before him. He recognized it and confirmed its content. It said:
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful.
"May Allah be sufficient for us and you to thwart the evil planning of the oppressors, the
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rancour of the jealous and the power of the tyrants. O believers, your main affliction is from the insolents who love this world, are grossly inclined towards it and are tempted by it. They fall for it and for that which will soon become lifeless chaff and dead straw tomorrow. So be aware of what Allah has cautioned you from, and detach yourselves from things Allah has enjoined you to remain aloof; and do not incline to worldly things like the one who has taken it as permanent abode or native place.
And by Allah, the mundane has enough warning pointers for you, to its (wilting) flourish, to its changing times, to its revolutionary changes and to its exemplary punishments; and to the way it plays with its people. Surely, it raises the lowly and cuts down the noble ones, and it will despatch to hellfire many nations tomorrow. In this, indeed, is a lesson to draw and a test and a deterrent for the one who is cautious.
Surely, the hearts (and minds) are prevented from awakening (to the truth) by the events which occur to you every day and night, like the misleading trials, the unprecedented events, the rampant inequities, the disasters wrought in every age and era; the fear of the ruling powers and the whispers of the devils. They distract them from the existing (divine) guidance and the recognition of the Truth; except a few who Allah has saved.
And none can understand and appraise the influence of those
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days, its capriciousness and the harmful end of its temptation, except those who have been saved by Allah; those who have walked the path of right guidance, progressing on the way of temperance, seeking help from Him through abstinence and renunciation.
Such a person persistently ponders, draws lessons from the happenings and is so deterred; remains unattended to the fleeting allurements of the world and its delectations. He is inclined towards the permanent bliss of the next abode (i. e. hereafter) and works hard for it. He is ever watchful about death and finds life in the company of the tyrants most loathsome.
And then he is able to see the world with the sharp, penetrating eyes, appraising and perceiving the trials and tribulations, the misleading new events, the darkness of the tyrannical powers. And by my soul, you have had enough experience from the dark tyrannical order of the bygone days to guide you to disassociating from the despots, from the partisans of innovations and torment and from those who unjustly spread corruption on the earth. So seek help form Allah; return to His obedience and to the obedience of those who deserve best to be followed and obeyed.
So, take your precautions before (the day of) remorse and distress dawns and before you are in presence of Allah, standing before Hi! By Allah, whenever a nation proceeded from divine disobedience, it always ended up in His chastisement; and whenever a nation preferred this world over the hereafter, evil has been their
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road and evil has been their final abod!
And Knowledge about Allah and acting in obedience to Him are nothing but the intimate couple. So, whoever knows Allah, fears Him and that fear prompts him to act obediently. Surely, the people of (that) knowledge and their followers have recognized Him, acted for Him and have remained inclined towards Him; and thus, Allah says (in the Qur'an):
'Surely, those of His servants who have knowledge fear Allah alone. ' (35: 28)
Do not solicit anything of this world in a sinful manner (or by transgressing the law of Allah) and engage yourselves in the world His way. So, take the advantage of its days and work hard in it to gain salvation tomorrow. Indeed, that is the least which is required of a true follower, nearest to the excuse (should he lapse) and most hopeful for salvation.
Therefore, in all your affairs, put forward the command of Allah, His obedience and of those whose obedience He has made obligatory. And do not put forward the affairs brought upon you by the despots in the form of the worldly temptation of this world, before the commands of Allah, His obedience and the obedience of those who have divine authority upon you.
Know you all that all of us are slaves of Allah; and He, the Master Judge, will judge us tomorrow. Before Him, you will be ranged and asked; so prepare for the answer before the halt, the interrogation and before presentation to the Lord of all
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the worlds.
'On that Day, no souls shall speak except by His leave. ' (11: 105).
And know you that on that Day, Allah will not confirm the liars, nor will He belie the truthful. And He will not reject the justifiable excuse, not will He excuse the wilful sinner. Rather, He will have the conclusive authority over His creatures for having sent His messengers and their successors. So, O slaves of Allah, be mindful of your duties to Allah (and fear him) ; meet Him with your reformed selves, in obedience unto Him and unto those who He made you follow.
Lest there be one who repents (on the day) for having neglected his duties to Allah, or having wasted the rights of Alla! So, seek forgiveness from Allah and return unto Hi! Indeed, He accepts repentence and forgives the sins and knows all that you do.
Do not ever be in the company of the sinners, nor helpful to the oppressors, nor close to the transgressors. Be careful of their temptations and remain at a distance from their spheres.
And know you all that he who opposes the righteous slaves of Allah and adopts a way other than His religion, and doggedly follows his own whims in the face of the guidance given by the righteous slaves of Allah, such a man is (already) in the bursting flame of fire, which eats up the bodies which have lost their souls, overwhelmed by their adversities.
They are dead, insensitive to the heat of fir! So,
take warning those who have eyes to se! And praise Allah with gratitude for having guided you. And know that you cannot get out of domain of His power to any othe! Allah shall soon see your deeds and then you will be gathered to Him. So, take the benefit of the admonition and adopt the ways of the virtuous. "
34. Entrust your affairs to Allah
And with the former chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan, from ‘Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Abu Hafs al-A'asha, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from a person from Banu Asad, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, that:
‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, said: Once, I came out till I reached this wall and stood leaning against it. There, I suddenly saw a man wearing two white apparels, looking at me. Then he said: "O ‘Ali, son of al-Husayn, how is that I see you gloomy and distressed? Is it for the worldly matter? The provision from Allah is readily available for both; the good and the evi! " I said: "No, I am not sad because of that, and the fact is as stated by you. "
He said: "Then is it because of the hereafter? Then that is a promise by the Truthful (Allah) and the Almighty will be the judge on that Da! " I said: "It is not because of tha! Though the fact is as you stated. " He said: "Then what greives you? " I said: "I am distressed by the mischief of Ibn Zubair. " He laughed and then said:
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"O ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, did you see anyone who fears Allah, not delivered by Him? " I said: "No. " He said: "O ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, did you see anyone who entrusted Him all his affairs and Allah failed to be sufficient for him? " I said: "No. "
Then I looked and saw no one before m!
35. When the deeds become heartbreaking anguish
And with the former chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahyzar, from al-Qasim ibn Urwah, from a person, from either of them, peace be upon them, who explained the verse:
'Thus will Allah show them their deeds as heartbreaking anguish for them.... ' (2: 167).
He said: "It is parable of a man who amasses wealth but is averse to spending it in a charitable manner and then he dies, bequeathing it to the others. And the heirs spend the same wealth for good deeds; so the man who originally earned the wealth rises on the Day of Judgement to witness the reward of the good deeds going to someone else's credit. "
36. Hasten to do good
And with the former chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahyzar from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hisham ibn Salim, that:
Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, said: "When you are determined to do something good, then do not delay doing it. For when Allah, Most Glorious, sees His slave intent upon performing an act according to one of His commands, He says: 'By My Might and Greatness, I shall never subject you to any chastisement. ' And when you feel inclined to commit a sin, do not do it, for when Allah,
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Most Benevolent and High, finds a slave on the verge of committing a sin, He says: 'By My Might and Greatness, I will never forgive you. '"
37. Do not delay doing good
And with the foregoing chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from ‘Ali ibn Hadeed, from ‘Ali ibn al-Nu’man, from Hamzah ibn Hamran who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, say: "Whenever anyone of you is determined to do good, then he should not delay doing it. For it might so be that a slave of Allah offered prayers or kept a day's fast and then he is told: Do whatever you desire after this, for I have forgiven you. "
38. ‘Ali (as) guides to true reform of oneself
And with the former chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar (from ‘Ali ibn Hadeed) , who reported from Abu Ishaq al-Khorasani, a friend of ours, that:
Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, used to say: "Do not be shaken in your faith, for that will make you a doubter; and do not be doubters, for that will lead to disbelief. And do not make yourself cheap falling victim to flattery and adulation; and do not be sycophant in matters of truth, for that will cause you a great loss.
Firmness lies in becoming more learned in Religion and the sign of true religious learning is not to be conceited nor deceitful. The most honest and sincere to oneself among you is the one who is most obedient to his Sustainer; and the most deceitful to oneself among you is the one
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who is most insubordinate to his Sustainer.
He who obeys Him, is secure and guided; and he who disobeys Him, is disappointed and remorseful. Seek certitude from Allah and set your hearts inclined to Him, when you are free from all harm; for the best experience of heart is that of certitude. O peopl! refrain from lying. And anyone who expects, proceeds to demand and anyone who fears, flees. "
39. Allah's Will and His Power
And with the foregoing chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, raising it up to Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said:
Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, used to say: "Always consider that which is distant as quite near and that which is difficult as very easy. And, know that, even if a slave of Allah is weak in his strategy and having failing in his plans, it will not reduce anything from what Allah has destined for him. And if he is powerful in his strategy and forceful in his plan, it will not increase anything in what Allah has destined for him. "
40. ‘Ali (as) refused to corrupt himself
And with the former chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hisham, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said:
Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, used to say to the people at Kufa: 'O people of Kufa, do you think I am not aware of what can mend your ways? But I hate to redress your situation by corrupting mysel! "
41. Base desires and long hopes...
And with
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the foregoing chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Asim, from Fudhail al-Rassan, from Yahya ibn Aqeel, who reported that:
‘Ali, peace be upon him, said: "I fear for you two things: following the desire of soul and being deluded by long hope. As for following the base desire, it keeps you away from truth, and as for the long hope, it causes you to forget the hereafter. The next world moves to encounter you, while this world moves to turn its bac! And each has its own children. So be the children of the next world and do not be among the children of this world. Today, there are deeds and no account, but tomorrow there will be account and no deeds. "
42. ‘Ali (as) 's admonition
And with the former chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Fadhalah, from Ismail from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said:
Amirul Mu’mineen (as) used to say: "Awaken your heart by reflection and let your side forsake (long) sleep, and fear Allah, your Sustainer (by guarding against sins and evil). "
43. What Isa (as) told his disciples
And with the former chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Wasil ibn Sulaiman, from Ibn Sinan, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, say that Isa, peace be upon him, used to say to his disciples: "If you are my friends and my brothers, then prepare your minds to reconcile with all the hostility and hatred coming from people. If you are not so mentally prepared, then you are not my brothers.
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I teach you so that you may learn; and I do not teach you to please you. You will not attain your goal till you renounce your desires and by forbearance over that which you hate.
I warn you against the evil glance, for it sows the seeds of lust in the heart of the beholder; and that is enough to tempt him.
Blessed is he who beholds with his two eyes the tempting love of lust, but does not allow his heart to err. How far is that which one has missed; and how close is that which is to com!
Woe unto those beguiled by vanity, should that which they loathe come to them too soon, and that which they love dearly depart, and that of which they had been warned arriv! Indeed, in the creation of these nights and days, there is a lesson.
Woe unto him whose entire concern is about this world only, and whose deeds are all evil and sins. How will he stand exposed before his Sustainer tomorro!
And do not talk much about things other than remembering Alla! Surely, those who talk much other than remembering Allah, have their hearts hardened, but they do not know. Do not engage yourselves in looking into other people's shortcomings and faults, as if you were their spies; instead, look into ways of freeing yourselves; for surely you are possessed slaves.
How often does water flow on the mountain, but it does not soften? For how long have you studied words of
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wisdom, but your hearts do not soften for them? Slaves of the evil people and not of the piou! Nor are you liberated men of honou! Your example is that of oleander whose flower pleases the beholder, but its taste kills - Peace be with you. "
44. Avoid fame
And with the foregoing chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Ibn Abi Najran, from al-Hasan ibn Bahr, from Furat ibn Ahnaf, from one of the companions of Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, who said:
"Be among the commoner, inconspicuous people and do not make yourself noticeable; conceal yourself so that you are neither mentioned nor known. Guard your secret, maintain silence and you will remain in peace. " Then he pointed towards his chest and said: "Thus, you will please the virtuous and raise the anger of the impious. "
45. Be ready to forgive
And with the first chain of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Faddhal, who said:
I heard Abul Hassan (i. e. ‘Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha) peace be upon him say:
"Never did the two warring factions meet to fight except that Allah helped the one which is more forgiving. "
46. When Allah spoke to Musa (as)
And with the former chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Hisham ibn Salim, from Habib al-Sajistani, from:
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said: It is written in Torah that among the revelations from Allah, Most High, to Musa, peace be upon him, Allah spoke to him thus: "O Musa, be
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mindful of Me and fear Me in your private affairs; and I will guard your secrets; and remember My presence when you are alone, and when tempted to gratify your pleasures; and I will remember you during your lapses.
And restrain your anger against those you rule and control, and I will withhold My displeasure against you; and conceal My well-kept secret in your inner self; and in the presence of My enemy and yours, who I have created, make a show of repulsion against Me. Do not invite derision and abuse from them by revealing My well-kept secret, else you will be a partner to them in the abuse levelled at Me. "
47. The meaning of "Imma'ah... "
And with the foregoing chains of narration from ‘Ali ibn Mahzyar, from Ibn Mahboob, from al-Fadhl ibn Yunus, from:
Abul Hasan, the first, peace be upon him said: "Convey that which is good, and speak that which is good and do not be Imma'a! I said: "What is Imma'ah? " He said: "Do not have a habit of saying: I am from the people and I am just like any one of them.
Surely, the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: O people, there are but two paths: path of good and path of evil. What is the matter with you that I find the path of evil is more loved by you than the path of good? "
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds and may Allah bless our master, Muhammad and his pure
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progeny, and salutations upon them.
Twenty Fourth Assembly
point
Met on Wednesday, 22nd of the month of Ramadhan, in the year 408 Hijrah and it was the first assembly of this month in which he dictated. Narrated to us by al- Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah guard him, at the Mosque in the street of Riyah on the dated day.
1. The Prophet (SAW) reminds of the Day of Judgement
He said: Abu Ghalib Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Zurariy who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abi al-Khattab, from Muhammad ibn Yahya al- Khazzar, from Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon both of them, from his father, from his grandfather, who said:
Whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny stood to address, he would praise Allah and thank Him. Then he would say: "Know you all, that the most veracious and truthful statement is the Book of Allah (i. e. the Qu'ran) and the best guidance is that of Muhammad. The worst things are those which are invented concoctions, and every such innovation is misleading. "
Then he would raise his voice, with his cheeks gradually turning red and remind people of the Day of Reckoning and its dawn, in the manner one warns of an advancing army of the enemy. He would say: "It dawns with you every morning and is with you every evenin! " Then he would say: "I have been sent to you with the Day of Reckoning like these two (then he would join his two forefingers). Whoever leaves
behind him wealth, that will go to its heirs and whoever leaves behind a debt, it is my responsibility. "
2. The Prophet (SAW) spoke to Ummul Fadhl
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Muqri reported to me from Abdul Karim ibn Muhammad al-Bijilli, who reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, who reported from Zaid ibn al-Muaddil, from Aban ibn Uthman al-Ajlah, from Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father, peace be upon him, who said:
In his illness, which ended up with his death, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, laid his head on the laps of Ummul Fadhl, and then he fainted. Tears from Ummul Fadhl's eyes fell on his cheeks, so he opened his eyes and said: "What is the matter with you, O Ummul Fadhl? " She said: "You have told us about your death, so if things are going to remain in our favour, give us good tidings. And if events will turn against us, then counsel us. " He said, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, told her: "You will all be subdued and weakened after I have gone. "
3. Only one sect on the right path
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Abu Talib Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Bahlool, who reported from Abul Abbas Ahmed ibn al-Hasan al-Dhareer, who reported from Ahmed ibn Muhammad, who reported from Ahmed ibn Yahya, who reported from Abu Harun al-Abdi, from Abi Aqeel, who said:
Once we were with Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, when he said: "This Ummah will definitely be
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thrown asunder into seventy-three factions. And by He who controls my Soul, all the factions will have gone astray, except the one which followed me and were among my Shi’ahs. "
4. In praise of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from ‘Ali ibn Al-Hakam, from Hisham ibn Salim, from Sulaiman ibn Khalid, from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, from his forefathers, peace be upon them, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, told ‘Ali, peace be upon him: "O ‘Ali, you are from me and I from you. Your friend is my friend and my friend is Allah's friend. And your enemy is my enemy and my enemy is the enemy of Allah.
O ‘Ali, I am at war with the one who fights you and at peace with one who is at peace with you. O ‘Ali, you have a treasure in the Heaven and you are the master of its both sides. O ‘Ali, you are the divider of heaven and hell. None shall enter the heaven unless he has recognized you, and you have recognized hi!
And none shall enter hell unless he has rejected you and you have rejected him. O ‘Ali, you and your descendants shall be on the heights (al-A'araaf) on the Day of Judgment, recognizing the sinners by their marks, and the believers by their signs. O
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‘Ali, the believers would not have been distinguished, after I have departed, if you were not there. "
5. If Salman and Abu Dharr fully divulged the secret
He said: Abul Qasim, Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn Yahya and Ahmad ibn Idrees together, from ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Sa'd al-Ashariy, from al-Husayn ibn Nasr ibn Muzahim al-Attar, from his father, from Amru ibn Shimr, from Jabir ibn Yazid al-Jo'afi, from Abu Ja'far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said:
I heard Jabir ibn Abdillah ibn Haraam al-Ansari say: 'If Salman and Abu Dharr, may Allah bless them with mercy, were to divulge (the excellence of Ahlul Bayt) to these people who claim to be the partisans of Ahlul Bayt, they would say: "These two are liars. " And if these were to see them, they would say: "These are insane. "
6. Man knows best of himself
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reported to me from his father, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Yunus ibn Abdul Rahman, from Muhammad ibn Yaseen, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon both, say: "No benefit is derived by a slave of Allah who makes a show of being good, while inwardly he is vicious and evil. Does his inner self not tell him that he is not what he pretends to be? And (also) , Allah, Most High, says (in the Qu'ran): 'Rather, man has a keen insight of himself' (75: 14).
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Surely, when the inner self of a person is reformed, his external self gains strength. "
May Allah bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet of Makkan origin and upon his pure progeny, and salutations.
Twenty Fifth Assembly
point
Met on Monday, 27th of the month of Ramadhan in the year 408 Hijrah. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah bless him with abilities, reported this.
1. Abu Dharr's admonition
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, who reported from his father, who reported from Ahmad ibn al- Nadhr al-Khazzaz, from Amru ibn Shimr, from Jabir ibn Yazid, that:
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, said: Abu Dharr al-Ghifari stood near al-Kabah and announced: "I am Jundab ibn al-Sakan," so people gathered around him. Then he said: "O people, if someone from you decides to travel, he will prepare to make it comfortable. Do you not intend to make your journey to the Day of Judgement comfortable for yourselves? "
One man stood up and said: "Counsel us further, may Allah bless you with mercy. "
Abu Dharr said: "To fast on a day of fierce heat is beneficent on the day of Resurrection; to go on pilgrimage to the Sacred House helps resolve important matters in life and two Rakats of prayers in the darkness of the night averts the fright in the
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graves.
Let your speech be two versions: a good word which you must speak up, and a bad word you ought to spare. And be charitable to the poor; perhaps that should save you, O poor soul, on the Day of anguish.
And let your earnings from this world be two Dirhams: one to maintain your dependents and one to send forward for your next world. The third one is harmful and not beneficent, so do not covet it. And let your interest in this world be in two ways: one for earning that which is lawful and another for your hereafter. The third way is harmful and of no benefit, therefore do not seek it. "
Then he said: " (How strange that) the worries of a day I have not (yet) seen (i. e. tomorrow) kills m! "
2. Muhammad (SAW)... the chosen one
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Abdul Karim ibn Muhammad al-Bijili, who reported from Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah, who reported from Muhammad ibn Mas'ab al-Qurqusni, who reported from al-Awzai, who reported from Shaddad ibn Abu Ammar, from Wathila ibn al-Asqa, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Allah chose Ismail from the children of Ibrahim, and chose Kananah from the children of Ismail, and chose Quraish from the children of Kananah, and chose Banu Hashim from Quraish and then chose me from Banu Hashim. "
3. Sanctity of a believing soul
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Sulaiman, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Nahavandi, who reported from
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Abu al-Khazraj al-Asadi, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Fudhail, who reported from Aban ibn Abu Ayyash, who reported from Ja'far ibn Iyas, who reported from Abu Saeed al-Khudri who said:
Once a slain person was found during the days of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, so he climbed the mimber deeply enraged; and after praising Allah and thanking Him, he said: "How come a Muslim is killed and his killer in not known? By Him Who controls my soul, if all the people of the heavens and the earth were to join hands to kill a believer, or were pleased with it, Allah will send them to hell.
By Him in Whose hands is my breath, whoever flogs someone wrongfully and unjustly, he will be flogged the same way tomorrow in hellfire. By Him in Whose hands is my soul: No one takes us, Ahlul Bayt, as his enemy, except that Allah will throw him on his face into hellfire. "
4. The pillars of faith
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me from his father, who reported from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abu al-Khattab, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from al-Mufaddhal ibn Umar al-Jo'fi, from Jabir ibn Yazid, from Abu Ja'far, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Husayn, from his father, from his forefather, peace be upon them all, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, told ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him: "O ‘Ali, I and you, and your two sons Hasan and
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Husayn and nine descendants of Husayn are the pillars of faith and buttress of Islam. Those who will follow us will be saved and those who turn away from us, their way is to hellfire. "
5. Mughairah and Ammar
He said: Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Dawood al-Hatmi reported to me by way of authorization (to report from him) from Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Sulaiman ibn al-Asha'th, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad Abdan, who reported from Ibrahim al-Harbi, who reported from Saeed ibn Dawood ibn (Abu) Zanbar who said:
Malik ibn Anas reported to me from his uncle Abu Suhail ibn Malik, from his father who said: When ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, rose to leave Madinah for Basrah, I was standing with al-Mughairah ibn Sha'bah, when Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, approached him and said: "O Mughaira, do you have an intention to do something for Allah, Most High? " He said: "And where is that for me, O Ammar? "
He (i. e. Ammar) said: "Join this call (to the war) so that you may be with those who have gone before you, and lead those who are behind you. "
Al-Mughaira said: "O Abu Yaqdhan (i. e. Ammar) , how about something better than that? " Ammar replied: "And what is that? "
He (i. e. Mughaira) said: "We enter the (privacy of) our homes and shut our doors, till the dust settles and the situation is clear. Then we come out and see. Let us not be like the one who broke the chain so that
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he may laugh (happily) and instead, he fell into anguish. "
Ammar said: "Far from what you expec! Do you want to act ignorant after knowing the truth, and resort to blindness in spite of having discerned? But liste! by Allah, you will not see me, but at the forefront. "
He said: Then Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, appeared and he asked: "O Abu Yaqdha! What does this one-eyed man tell you? Surely, he is always busily engaged in mixing the truth with untruth and misinforms. He has no relation with the religion except in matters, which conform with the worldly gians. Woe unto you, O Mughairah, this calls leads everyone who joins to Paradise. "
Al-Mughairah said: "You are right, O Amirul Mu’mineen. But if I do not join you, I will never be against you. "
6. Intercession by Muhammad (SAW) and his progeny
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya, from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Kufi, from al-Abbas ibn Amir al-Qasbani, from Ahmad ibn Rizq al-Ghamshani, from Yahya ibn Abul Ala', from Jabir, from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father, from his grandfather, peace be upon them all, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "On the Day of Judgement, when the People of Paradise will have settled in their blissful gardens and the people of hell will be in the fire, there will be one who spent seventy autumns in the fire,
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each autumn is equal to seventy years; then he will beseech Allah, Most High, imploring: "O my Sustainer, I ask you in the name of Muhammad and the inmates of his house to have mercy on me. "
Then Allah, Most Mighty, will command Jibraeel, peace be upon him: "Descend to my servant and release him. " Jibraeel would say: "How can I descend into hellfire? " Allah, Most Benevolent, would say: "We have commanded the fire to be cold and safe for you. "
He (Jibraeel) would say: "O my Sustaine! How do I know where he is located? " Allah would say: "He is in the pit of Sijjin. " Then Jibraeel would descend into the fire, find him shackled onto his face, so he will get him out.
There he (the servant) stands in the presence of Allah, Most High; then Allah addresses him: "O My servant, for how long have you been in fire, entreating Me thus? " He would say: "I have no count. " Allah, Most High, would say: "By My Honour, had you not beseeched in the name of those, who have a status in My estimation, you would have stayed there in a prolonged humiliation. But, I have ordained for Myself that no one asks me in the name of Muhammad and the inmates of his household, except that I forgive him all that is between Me and him. So, I have pardoned you today. " Then Allah will command for him to be taken to the Paradise.
7. Do not waste your time idly
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn
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‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Majeelawayah, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Abu Umair, from Muawiyah ibn Ammar, that:
Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, said: There was an idle man in Madinah whose jokes caused laughter among the people. Once, pointing at ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, he said: "This man has indeed fatigued me, for nothing from my talks makes him laugh. I must do some contrivance to make him laugh. "
Then one day, as ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, was passing by, accompanied by his two attendants, that jester came and pulled his (‘Ali ibn al-Husayn's) cloak from behind his back. The attendants followed and retrieved the cloak from him and laid it back on ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn's shoulders, while he was quite composed, his glance cast on the ground.
Then he asked his attendants: "Who is he? " They said: "He is an idle jester, causes people of Madinah to laugh by his pranks and jokes, and thus earn his livelihood. "
He said: "Tell him: 'Woe unto yo! For Allah, there is a fixed Day on which the idle, vain doers will be in loss. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad and his progeny, and send unto him salutations.
Twenty Sixth Assembly
point
Met on 22nd of the month of Ramadhan in the year 409 Hijrah. Narrations heard by Abul Fawaris alone. Our grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah bless him, said:
1. Imam ‘Ali (as) 's Testament
He
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said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Sayrafi, commonly known as Ibn al-Zayyat, reported to me from Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Hammam al-Iskafi, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Malik, who reported from Ahmad ibn Salamah al-Ghanawi, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al- Ameri, who reported from Abu Muammar, who reported from Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash, from al-Fujay' al-Aqilee who said:
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib reported me that when my father was nearing his death, he began to enjoy, saying:
"This is testified by ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, the brother of Muhammad, messenger of Allah, his cousin, his successor and his companion. My first testament is that, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that, Muhammad is His messenger and His chosen one. He chose him by His knowledge and by His selection. And that Allah will resurrect all those in the graves and take the account of their deeds from the people; and He knows what they conceal in the hearts.
Now, I enjoy upon you, O Hasan and you are a sufficient successor, all that the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, enjoined me to do.
When things are as they are, make it a habit to remain indoors and weep over your lapses. And do not let the worldly affairs become your main worry. And I enjoy upon you to perform daily prayers at their right time and to pay alms to the deserving people on the right
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occasion; and to remain silent when in doubt, and to maintain a balance in your acts, and to be just when pleased or angry, and to observe good neighbourliness and to be cordial to the guest, and kind to the one in difficulty and those in adversity, and to keep good relation with the kinsmen, and to love the poor and to give them company, and to remain humble, for that is the best form of worship, and to cut short your long deluding hopes and to remember death and to detach yourself from the worldly distraction, for indeed you are mortgaged to death, targeted by afflictions and illnesses.
And I enjoy upon you to be in fear of Allah in your private as well as public affairs; and forbid you to be impetuous in speech and act. And when any matter concerning the life hereafter springs up before you, initiate it; and when any matter related to this world comes up, be patient till you are rightly guided about it. And refrain from being at places where you can be accused (of evil) , and avoid the company of those who are known for the vices. Surely, an evil companion influences a change over his associate.
O my son, always work for Allah and restrain from obscenity; and enjoy good and forbid evil. Promote brotherhood among friends for the sake of Allah; and love a righteous man for his virtue. Divert the sinful from (tampering with) your faith, and abhor him
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with your heart and break away from him by your deeds, so that you do not become like him.
And avoid sitting in the streets and hold back from arguments and disputations with those who neither have wisdom nor knowledge. Be economic in your living and also maintain a balance in your acts of devotion and worship; adopting among them that which you can perform with regularity. Remain silent and you will be saved, and send forth in advance for yourself and you will benefit. Learn the ways of good and you will know, and always remember Allah. And be kind to the tender ones in your family and show reverence to the older ones. And do not eat any food till you have given away from it in charity before eating it.
And have a habit of fasting, for that is the purification of the body and a shield for its people. Fight your base desires, warn your friends, avoid your enemies and attend the gatherings where Allah is remembered. Be frequent in your supplications, for I am not going to be back for advising you - and this indeed is the parting between us.
And I enjoy upon you to be kind to Muhammad, who is your brother; the son of your father. And you know how much I love him.
And as for your brother al-Husayn, he is your mother's son; and I do not wish to add anything to that. I leave you in the care of Allah and to
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Him I pray for your well being and beseech Him to save you from the rebellious despots. I enjoy upon you patience, patience, till Allah decrees His command and there is no might but by Allah, Most High, Most Powerful. "
2. Abu Layla seeks clarification from ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Za'farani, who reported from Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al- Thaqafi, who reported from al-Mas'oodi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Katheer, from Yahya ibn Hammad al-Qattan, who reported from Abu Muhammad al-Hadhrami, from Abu ‘Ali al-Hamdani, that once Abdul Rahman ibn Abu Layla called upon Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him and said:
"O Amirul Mu’minee! I want to ask you so as to learn from you, (though) we have waited (for long) to hear you say something about your matter, but you never said anything. Would you not tell us whether it was a covenant from the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, or was it something you had opined? We have had a lot of false sayings about yo! However, we have found what we have to accept from you and what we have heard from your mouth is most reliable. Indeed, some of us say that if Caliphate were to return to you after the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, no one would have disputed with you.
By Allah, I do not know what to reply if asked. Should I consider that the people who
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took over were more worthy than you? And if I say so, then for what purpose did the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, appoint you at the Farewell pilgrimage, when he said: 'O People, of whosoever I am the Master, ‘Ali is also his Master. ' So, if you were worthier for the authority than them, then on what score should we accept their authority? "
Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, said: "O Abdul Rahman, surely, when Allah, Most High, called back His Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, I was worthiest of all people for the authority. But I had a covenant with the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, as a result of which I had to submit to the will of Allah even if they were to lead me by the nose.
Surely, the first loss that was sustained was the invalidating of our right in Khums; and when our position was weakened, then the herdsmen of Quraish pounced upon us with greed. Thus, the people were indebted to us, and if they had voluntarily returned to me my rights, I would have accepted and managed it, even for a stipulated time.
So I lived among them as a creditor, for a stipulated time. If they paid back earlier, the creditor would repossess his goods and thank them; and if they delayed it, he would take it without considering them deserving any gratitude. So, I was like a person accepting easy terms, yet
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living among them full of grief.
The right guidance is identified by a small group of people who accept it. So when I am silent, excuse me. And if the time comes when you need my reply, I shall reply you. So withhold from me what I have withheld from yo! "
Then Abdul Rahman said: "O Amirul Mu’mineen, by your soul, you are like the one of whom the earlier poet said:
"By your soul, you have indeed awakened the one who was asleep
and you have caused the one with two ears to hear. "
3. Nabighah al-Ja'diy
He said: Abu al-Tayyib al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Nahwiy reported to me from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, who reported from Abu Hatim, from Abu Ubaidah who said:
Nabighah al-Ja'diy was a monotheist even in the pre-Islamic era, rejecting all wines and intoxicants and avoiding idol worshipping and fortune telling as abominations. And among his statements during the pre-Islamic era is what he said:
"All Praise be to Allah, Who has no associate,
Whoever does not say so, wrongs himself. "
He professed the religion of Ibrahim and was Hanif, always praying and fasting, abstaining from things in which people indulged. And he called upon the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and said:
"I have come to the messenger of Allah, as he came with guidance;
And recites the Book, (the wisdom of which is) spread like a constellation;
And I tried my best together with my companions, but failed to see,
the Canopus star as it rose and then disappeared;
And I have adopted the path of Taqwa,
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fearing no disbeliever,
and have always held back from the fearful fire. "
He said: Nabighah was inclined towards ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) and after the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, he left to meet Amirul Mu’mineen (as) at the battle of Siffin. He arrived at night and was straitened to see the situation. So he said:
"Both the Misrs (i. e. Egypt and Hijaz) and Iraq know well, that ‘Ali is its highborn;
He is the brilliant master and of pure nobility,
His mother is the one for whom dowry became high;
The most honourable among those for whom one may tighten his belt,
The others may be your contemporaries but can not excel.
They have their own field, and you have your own.
And your companions have distinguished them;
you have led to the path of true guidance.
While they have led to a group where hypocrisy is the way of life. "
4. Virtue and nobility
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawyh - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Musa ibn Babawayh, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Haytham ibn Abi Masrooq al-Nahdi, from Yazid ibn Ishaq, from al-Husayn ibn Atiyyah, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "Nobility and virtue has ten characteristics and if you can acquire them, do your best. For a man may have them and his son may not. Or a son may have them, while the father may not. A slave
may have them, while a free man may not. " They asked: "What are those traits, O son of the messenger of Allah? "
He said: "Truthful speech, faith at the time of hardship and peril, honesty and trustworthiness, mending relations with the consanguinal kith and kin, hospitality, feeding the beggar, to be rewarding and grateful for a good turn, to protect the neighbour, to protect the friend and above all, to be bashful and modest. "
5. Six great virtues
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Hammad, who reported from Ubaid ibn Ya'eesh, who reported from Yunus ibn Bukair, who reported from Yahya ibn Abi Hayyah Abu Janab al-Kalbi, from Abu al-Aliyah, who said:
I heard Abu Amamah say: I heard the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: "There are six great virtues. If a person was to act on any one of them, it would prevail on his or her behalf on the day of Judgement till it enters him the Paradise; saying: 'O Lord, this person had acted upon me during his or her lifetime on earth. ' They are: Daily prayers, almsgiving, Haj, fasting, trustworthiness and mending relations with the consanguinal relatives. "
6. The conclusive authority of Allah
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad reported to me from Muhammad ibn Abdillah ibn Ja'far al-Himyari, from his father, from Harun ibn Muslim, from Mas'adah ibn Ziyad, who said:
I heard Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, say when he was asked about the verse in Qu'ran:
'To Allah
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belongs the conclusive authority' (6: 149) ,
he said: "Surely, Allah, Most High, will ask His slave on the Day of Reckoning: 'O my slave, were you learned? ' If he said: 'Yes,' Allah would say: 'Did you not act according to your knowledge? ' And if he said: 'I was unlearned, ignorant'; Allah would say: 'Did you not acquire knowledge so that you could act accordingly? ' That will be the time of His argument against him and that is the conclusive authority. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad and his progeny.
Twenty Seventh Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 7th of the month of Ramadhan, in the year 409 Hijrah, from what Abul Fawaris heard alone. Reported to us by the grand Sheikh al-Mufeed, Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah keep him.
1. Dua at dawn and dusk
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Uman al-Ji’abi reported to me from Muhammad ibn Mudrik ibn Tamam al-Shaybani, who reported from Zakariyya ibn al- Hakam Abu Yahya al-Rasibi, who reported from Khalaf ibn Tameem, who reported from Bakr ibn Hubaish, from Abu Shaibah, from Abdul Malik ibn Umar, from Abu Qurrah, from Salman al-Farsi, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, told me: "O Salman, when morning dawns, say: 'O Allah, You are my sustainer and You have no associate. We have seen this morning - which confirms that all kingdoms belong to Allah; Who has no associate. ' Say this three times. And when it is evening, say it again, for that will expiate
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your sins committed in between. "
2. Dua to avert poverty
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn al-Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Abul Qasim al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Kufi, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan, who reported from his father, who reported from Ahmed ibn Isa, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, from his father, peace be upon them all, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, once missed one of his companions for a time and then, when he saw him again, he asked: "What has kept you from us so long? ' He said: "O Prophet of Allah, illness and poverty prevented me. " The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "May I not teach you prayers which you would recite so that Allah may keep illness and poverty away from you? " He said: "Yes, may my parents be your ransom, O messenger of Allah. " The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said:
Say:
"There is no might nor power except that by Allah.
I entrust all my affairs unto the One Who lives
for ever and never dies;
All Praise be to Allah, Who begets no son, and
Who has taken no partners in His Dominion,
nor has He any protector. So magnify Him in the
most Glorious way. "
3. The excellence of the month of Ramadhan
He said: Abu al-Tayyib al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Tammar reported to me from Ja'far ibn Ahmad al-Shahid, who reported from Abul Husayn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Muslim, who reported from Ahmad ibn Jalees al-Razi, who reported from al-Qasim ibn
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al-Hakam al-Irniy, who reported from Hisham ibn al-Waleed, from Hammad ibn Sulaiman al-Saddoosi, who reported from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al- Sayrafi, who reported from al-Dhahhak ibn Mazahim, from Abdullah ibn Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, who heard that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: "Every year, when the month of Ramadhan enters, the paradise arrays itself ornately and beautifies itself.
So when the first night of that month falls, a gentle wind blows from under the Throne, called al-Mutheerah; and the leaves of the heavenly trees flap and the door shutters clank, to produce a melodious tune, the like of which the hearers have never heard.
And then the houris with beautiful eyes appear, standing on the balcony of the heavenly abode, exclaiming: 'Is there anyone to propose to Allah, so that He may marry him (to the houris)? 'Then they say: 'O Ridhwan, what night is this? ' He answers them in all readiness and say: 'O good and beautiful ones, this is the first night of the month of Ramadhan. The gates of Paradise have been opened for those who keep the fasts in the Ummah of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny. "
(He said): Then Allah, Most High, will say: "O Ridhwan, open the gates of Paradise. O Malik, shut the gates of hellfire from those who observe the fasts in the Ummah of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny. O Jibraeel, descend to the earth and put every rebellious Satan into the shackles,
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fetter them by their necks and throw them into the depth of the seas, so that they may not spoil the fasts of those from the Ummah of My beloved. "
He said: And then Allah, Most High, will say three times every night in the month of Ramadhan. "Is there anyone who seeks so that I may bestow? Is there any repentant, so that I may pardon him? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness so that I may forgive him? Who is there to lend a soft loan (alms and charity for the poor) to One Who is Sufficient, Everlasting and One Who is Just and wrongs no one? "
He said: "In the evening of every day of the month of Ramadhan, Allah frees a million souls from hellfire at the time of Iftar. And when the night of Friday and the day of Friday enter, He frees a million souls every hour. Those were the wretched souls who deserved chastisement. And when the month of Ramadhan ends, the number of souls freed on that day equals the total souls released from hellfire by Allah during the whole month.
And when it is night of Qadr, Allah, Most High and Mighty, commands Jibraeel to descend to earth, with a phalanx of angels, carrying a green standard. He fixes it at the rear of al-Ka'bah. And he has six hundred wings, two of which he never spreads except on the night of Qadr. He spreads those two wings on that night, till they go beyond
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the East and the West. Then Jibraeel disperses the angels in that night, so they greet everyone who is standing, sitting, praying and chanting (remembering Allah). They shake hands with them, and say Amin to their prayers, till the day breaks.
And when the day breaks, Jibraeel, peace be upon him, proclaims: 'O group of angels, it is time to depart. ' They say: 'O Jibraeel, how has Allah responded to the supplications of the believers in the Ummah of Muhammad? ' Jibraeel says: 'Allah has looked upon them in this night and has forgiven them all except four. ' He said that then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: 'These four are: persistent boozers of alcoholic drinks, and the one who has incurred displeasure of his parents, and the one who has severed relations with his consanguinal kith and kin, and the one whose heart is filled with rancour and bitter hatred. '
And when the night of al-Fitr enters, the night which is called the night of rewards, Allah bestows His rewards upon the worshippers, without measure. And when the day of al-Fitr dawns, Allah sends His angels to every part of the earth, so they descend and stand at the opening of every lane, saying: 'O Ummah of Muhammad, proceed towards the Benevolent Sustainer, for He (Alone) gives in abundance and forgives the grievous sins. ' So when they advance towards the prayers, Allah, Most High and Mighty, addresses the angels: "O My angels, what is the reward of
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a hired one when he has completed his task? " They reply: "O our Lord and our Master, the reward is to pay him full for his labour. "
He said: Then Allah, Most High and Mighty, would say: "Be My witness, O My angels, that as a reward for their fasts and prayers during the month of Ramadhan, they have earned My Pleasure and Forgiveness. " Then He would say: "O My servants, seek from Me whatever you wish, for by My Honour, there is nothing which you will seek for the sake of your hereafter or for this world, but that it will be granted.
And by My Honour, I shall conceal your shameful parts, the way you guarded them for My sake. By My Honour, I shall save you and shall not put you to shame before the people of Eternity. Go, with all your sins forgiven, for you have indeed pleased Me, and I am pleased with you. "
He said: The angels will rejoice and express felicitations to each other, for what Allah will bless this Ummah, upon breaking the fast.
4. The love of Ahlul Bayt
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawalawy al-Qummi - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, who reported from Sa'd ibn Abdullah, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Faddhal, from Asim ibn Hamid al-Hannat, from Abu Hamza al- Thumali from Hanash ibn al-Mo'tamar, who said:
Once I called upon Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him,
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while he was at al-Rahbah, reclining. So I said: "Peace be upon you, O, Amirul Mu’mineen and His mercy and His blessing, how are you this morning? " He said: He raised his head and returned the greetings and then said: "I have entered this morning with love for those who love us and patience fro those who hate us.
Surely, he who loves us, awaits for repose, happiness and deliverance every day and night. And he who hates us has built a structure whose foundation is laid on the edge of a crumbling bank; which tumbles and tumbles down with him into the fire of hell.
O, Abu Mo'tamar, he who loves us cannot nurse hatred against us in his bosom and he who hates us cannot love us. No doubt, Allah, Most High, created the hearts of the slaves with a propensity to love us and has forsaken those who deviated to hate us. So, those who love us cannot hate us and those who hate us cannot love us; and our love can never be combined with the love of our adversaries in one heart. Allah has not assigned to any man two hearts in his chest - loving one group with this heart and loving those who are their enemies with the other. "
5. ‘Ali (as) condemns varity and snobbery
He said: Abu al-Tayyib al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Nahwi al-Tammar reported to me from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, who reported from Abu Naeem, who reported from Saleh ibn Abdillah, who reported from Hisham, from Abu Mikhnaf, from
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A'amash, from Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'ee, from al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah, may Allah bless him with mercy, who said:
One day Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, addressed the people and praised Allah, and lauded His glory, and invoked His blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny. Then he said: "O people, listen to what I have to say and assimilate my speec! Snobbery and vanity is a kind of tyranny and self- conceit is a type of arroganc! And Satan is an ever-present enemy, promising you delusion. Be it clear to you that a Muslim is a brother to his fellow Muslim. So do not defame each other and do not betray each othe! Surely, the laws of Religion (Islam) are all one, and its ways all head for one goal. He who follows it reaches, and he who abandons it falls, and he who forsakes it is destroyed.
When a Muslim is entrusted with something, he never acts dishonestly; and when he promises, he does not break it and when he speaks, he never lies.
We are the inmates of mercy; our speech is truth, our acts just. And from us is the last of the Prophets and from among us are the leaders of Islam and the custodians of the Holy Book. We call you unto Allah and His Prophet and to confront His enemies, to struggle strenuously in His affairs and to seek His pleasure. And we invite you to establishing the daily prayers, giving alms, performing the
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pilgrimage to the sacred House, fasting during the month of Ramadhan and to hasten payment from the surplus of the spoils of war to its rightful owner.
Be it known that it is most surprising to see Mu’awiyah, son of Abu Sufyan al-Umawi and Amru ibn al-Aas al-Sahmi, inciting people to avenge for the blood of their cousin (i. e. Uthman ibn Affan). While I say, with Allah as my witness, that I never acted against the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, and I never disobeyed him in any matter.
I protected him with my soul in situations when the valiants turned on their heels, and writhed with fear. I did it with the might bestowed upon me by Allah and all praise is for Him. And the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) departed from this world, with his head on my laps, and I arranged to wash him with my hands while the noble angels helped me to turn him sideways. And I swear by the name of Allah, falsehood became manifest against truth in the dispute which arose among the Ummah after its Prophet's death - except that which Allah Wills. "
He said: Then Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up and said: "But Amirul Mu’mineen has clearly intimated to you that the Ummah will not remain steadfast for him. " Then people dispersed with their eyes opened.
6. Ibn Abbas speaks about ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid reported to me from Zaid
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ibn al-Husayn al-Kufi, who reported from Ja'far ibn Nujayh, who reported from Jandal ibn Waliq al-Taghlabi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Umar al- Mazini, from Abu Zaid al-Ansari, from Saeed ibn Bashir, from Qutadah, from Saeed ibn al-Musayyib, who said:
I heard a man ask Ibn Abbas about ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him. Ibn Abbas told him: "Surely, ‘Ali is the one who prayed towards both the Qiblas and swore allegiance to the Prophet on both occassions. He never worshipped an idol nor did he divine by the arrows. He was born a Muslim and did not associate any partner to Him, even for a wink. "
The man said: "I did not ask you tha! I want to know from you about the sword which he proudly carried over his shoulder, came to Basrah and killed forty thousand. Then he went to Syria, confronted the Arab leaders, pitting one against the other and then killed them. Then he came to Nahrawan and killed the Muslims upto the last one. "
Ibn Abbas told him: "Who do you think is more knowledgeable, ‘Ali or myself? " He said: "If I had thought ‘Ali to be more knowledgeable, I would not have come to yo! "
Upon hearing this, Ibn Abbas was enraged and he said: "May your mother mourn yo! ‘Ali is the one who taught me. And his knowledge is from the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and the Prophet received knowledge from Allah, Most High. So, the knowledge of the Prophet
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is from Allah, and ‘Ali's knowledge is from the Prophet and my knowledge is from ‘Ali. And the knowledge of all the companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, when compared to ‘Ali's knowledge is just like a drop in the seven oceans. "
7. Draw lesson from the departed ones
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Babawayh - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al- Walid, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abu al-Khattab, from ‘Ali ibn Asbat, from ‘Ali ibn Hamzah, from Abu Basir, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhmmad, peace be upon him, said: Allah, Most High, revealed to Isa son of Maryam, peace be upon them both: "O Isa, give me tears from your eyes, humility from your heart and line your eyes with the kohl of sorrow, while the idle waste away their days laughing; stand by the graveside and call them loudly, perchance you may thus learn from their fate. And then say: Surely, I will soon be joining them, together with the other joners. "
And may Allah bless His Prophet, our master Muhammad and his pure progeny.
Twenty Eighth Assembly
point
Met on Monday, 9th night of the month of Ramadhan in the year 409 Hijrah, heard by Abul Fawaris. Our grand Sheikh, al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah perpetuate His providence to him, narrated.
1. Three Great Sins
He said: Abu Fahs Umar ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Zayyat reported to me from Ubaidullah ibn
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Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn A'ayan, who reported from Mas'ar ibn Yahya al-Nahdiy, who reported from Sharik ibn Abdillah al-Qadhi, who reported from Abu Ishaq al-Hamdaniy, from his father, from Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Three sins lead to immediate punishment and are not deferred till hereafter: - incurring displeasure of the parents, tyranny over the people, and denying the divine bounties (by abusing them). "
2. Humility of al-Najashi
He said: Abul Husayn Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn Usamah al-Basriy has allowed me to narrate that Ubaidullah ibn Muhammad al-Wasitiy reported form Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Yahya, who reported from Harun ibn Muslim ibn Sa'dan, who reported from Mas'adah ibn Sadaqah, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, peace be upon them all, that:
Al-Najashi, the king of Abyssinia, sent for Ja'far ibn Abu Talib and his companions. When they called upon him, they saw him sitting on the dusty ground, wearing old clothes. Ja'far ibn Abu Talib said that when we saw him in that condition, we were taken by fear. But, upon sensing our concern and the change of colour in our faces, he said: "Praise be to Allah, Who helped Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, and thus cooled and comforted my eye!
May I not give you good tidings? " I said: "Yes, O king. " He said: "Just now, one of my informers in your lands has come to inform me that Allah helped His Prophet, Muhammad,
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peace be upon him and his progeny, and destroyed his enemy. And so-and-so has been taken prisoner and so-and-so has been killed. They had confronted each other at a place called Badr. As if I see him the way I used to tend my master's cattle there, who was from Banu Zamrah. "
So Ja'far said to him: "O benign kin! Why do I see you sit on the dust wearing the old attire? "
He said: "O Ja'far, we read in what has been revealed to Isa, may Allah bless him, that it is Allah's right over His servants that whenever He bestows a bounty upon them, they should show humility. So when Allah blessed Muhammad, His Prophet with the bounty, I profferred this humility before Him. "
He said: When the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, learnt about this, he said to his companions: "Giving away in charity and alms increases the wealth of its owner, so give alms, may Allah have mercy on you. And humility elevates and enhances the stature of the one who adopts it, so be humble, may Allah elevate you. And to be forgiving increases the honour of the forgiver. So be forgiving, that Allah may bless you with honour. "
3. The Dua invoked by Imam Zainul Abedeen (as)
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas'adah ibn Sadaqah who said:
I requested Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad,
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peace be upon him to teach me prayers which I should invoke in crucial moments. He brought forth for me some pages from an old book and said: "Make a copy of what is in there, for it is a prayer of my grandfather, ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, Zainul Abedeen, may peace be upon him, for crucial moments. " So I copied it down and whenever I felt distressed or landed in crisis, I invoked that prayer. Allah relieved me of my worry and removed my sorrow and affliction and granted my need. It is: -
"O Alla! You guided me, but I was diverted by delusion,
You admonished me, but my heart was hardened,
You blessed me with the best, but I transgressed,
You taught but I persisted in ignorance,
Then I realized and sought forgiveness and You pardoned,
Then I repeated the sin, and You covered it.
So, all praise and thanks to You, O my Lor!
I have rushed into the valleys of my destruction
and I have paved the ways to my ruin,
So, in it, I am exposed to Your wrath,
and by entering there, to Your chastisement.
And my only means to Your pleasure is my faith in Your Oneness.
And that I never associate any partner to You,
nor did I adopt any god beside You,
I flee unto You from my self,
and unto You do the sinners fle!
And You are the refuge for one who has ruined his fortun!
So all praise and thanks are to You, O my Lor!
How, many enemies had unsheathed their swords
of hostility against me, and sharpened
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their blades for me?
And mixed potions with deadly poisons to kill me,
and whetted for me its keen edge.
Aiming at me his unfailing arrow!
The enemy's vigilant eyes never ceases to watch me,
hiding in his bosom his willful desire to harm me,
and to feed me with the distasteful potio!
But you saw my weakness against the unbearable adversity,
and my inability to defend against the one who intended to fight me,
and my loneliness in the midst of numerous adversaries,
who had planned such misery against me, of which I had not imagine!
So, You initiated with Your help,
and You affirmed my strength with Your power.
Then You blunted his sharp blade and made him alone
in spite of the multitude.
And You raised me above him,
Then You caused his own plan to turn against him,
You repelled him, but that did not quench his thirst for revenge,
nor did it dampen the heat of his ange!
He bit his hands and retreated, alone and deserted.
And many a despot wronged me with his intrigue,
setting up for me the traps to catch his victims,
and appointing agents to investigate and watch me,
hiding himself the way wild animals hide for their prey,
waiting patiently for an opportunity to pounce.
Then I called upon You, O my Lord, appealing for Your help,
with certainty about Your quick response,
and the knowledge that whoever seeks refuge under Your
shelter, will not be wronged;
and whoever seeks refuge in Your bastions
will have no fear.
So You fortified me with Your might, against his evil.
And many an evil cloud You have dispersed,
and many an overwhelming suffering
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You have relieved,
You are not questioned about Your act!
But You were asked and You granted,
and (even if) You were not asked, You initiate!
And Your bounty was sought and You never turned it down.
You have ordained nothing but good,
while I have persisted in breaking through Your injunctions,
trespassing the limits set by You and being heedless to Your
warnin!
So all praise and thanks to You, O my Lord, the Mighty,
Who cannot be overcome and, the Patient Who has no hurry.
This indeed is the place for one to confess ones default,
and to testify against oneself its ruination.
O Alla! I seek nearness to You through the
Elevated stature of Muhammad,
And I turn my face sincerely unto You, through the
shining brightness of ‘Ali,
Grant me refuge from evil of that You have created,
and from evil of the one who has ill intentions against me,
For that does not straiten Your might,
and does not make it difficult for You in Your power.
And You have power over all things.
O Alla! bestow upon me Your grace by enabling me to
avoid all sins, for as long as You allow me to liv!
And have mercy on me by warding off such burden
from me, which do not benefit m!
And bless me with an insight into such acts which please You,
and let my heart guard Your Book, just as You have
taught it to me, and make me recite it the way You may
be pleased with me.
Let the Book give light to my eyes and let my ears hear
it attentively.
And open up my chest by the
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Book and gladden by it my heart,
and grant me free speech by it, use my body in its service,
and grant me from Your might and power that which would
make it easy for me to do so.
Surely, there is no might or power except by You.
O Alla! let my night and day, my life and hereafter,
my return and my abode, be free from all ills and
evils, coupled with pardon and blessings from You.
O Alla! You are my Sustainer, my Lord, my Master, my Hope,
my God, my Succour, my Support, my Creator, my Helper, my Trustee and my Expectation.
My life and my death is for You,
And so is my ear and ey!
My sustenance is from You,
and all my affairs of this world and hereafter repair to Yo!
You owned me by Your Might
and controlled me with Your authority,
You only have the power in all my affairs,
My forelock is in Your hands,
None can intervene without Your consent.
Because of Your compassion, I hope for Your mercy,
And through Your mercy I hope for Your pleasure,
And I do not expect that because of my deeds,
For my deeds have frustrated me, how can I expect
from that which has frustrated me?
I raise my complain to You about my poverty,
my weakness, my excesses, and all that comes about
from me and about all that You know more than I do,
So be my sufficient guard in all of them.
O Alla! make me among the companions of Your beloved Muhammad and Your friend Ibrahim;
And group me among those who are in peace
and security
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on the Day of great fear, so grant me security;
And bless me with Your glad tidings
And grant me shelter under Your dense shade
And save me from the chastisement of hellfire,
And do not subject me to evil nor to disgrace,
And deliver me from the temptations herein,
and accept my plea on the Day of Judgement,
and remind me of Your remembrance
and smooth my way for ease,
and keep me away from hardship,
and inspire me to pray and to pay alms as long as I live,
and help me in worshipping You,
and make me serve in the way of knowledge
and Your pleasure, and sustain me from Your beneficence,
and brighten my face on the Day of Judgement,
and grant me a lenient reckoning,
and do not put me to shame because of my ugly acts;
and guide me with Your guidance and make me hold firm to the Truth in this life and in the hereafter.
And endear to me that which You like
and make me abhor that which You dislike,
And be sufficient for me in all my worries, in this life and hereafter, and bless my prayers, my fasts, my supplications, my
sacrifice, my gratitude, my life here and in the next world;
and promote me to the chosen position,
And appoint me for me a strong helper;
And forgive my transgression, my ignorance and my
intemperance against my own soul.
And redeem me from the trials of life and death,
and save me from all abominations, open or hidden;
And group me on the Day of Judgement among Your friends,
and give permanence to all Your endowments conferred
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upon me, and grant me satisfaction from things which are lawful,
and make good things sufficient for me, rather than the bad ones.
And turn to me with Your graceful Face,
and do not turn it away from m!
And guide me unto Your straight path
and help me do things You like and approve.
O Alla! I seek refuge in You from doing or saying things
so as to attract admiration from others, and from
grandeur, glorification, conceit, pride and haughtiness
and from wantonness, vanity, self-esteem and arrogance,
So, O my Sustaine! save me from those,
And I seek refuge in You from incompetence and miserliness
and from avarice, jealousy, rivalry and fraud
And I seek refuge in You from greed, impurity, restlessness,
anxiety, corruption, wickedness and transgression.
And I seek refuge in You from dishonesty, hostility and despotism.
O my Sustaine! I seek refuge in You from the sins,
from breaking off the blood relations, from evils vulgarity
and misdeeds.
And I seek refuge in You from iniquities and sins,
from things forbidden and made unlawful, from bad things
and from all that does not please You.
And O my Sustaine! I seek refuge in You from the
evil of the Satan and his plans, his wrongs, his oppression,
his enmity, his snare, his patrons and his army.
And I seek refuge in You from the evil of all Your
creation; the animals, the pests or Jinn and humanbeings
and all that moves; and I seek Your protection from the evil of all that descends from the heaven, and all that ascends to it; and from the evil of all that is created in the
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earth, and that which grows from it;
And I seek refuge with You from every soothsayer, sorcerer and swindler; and also from those who (cheat and) blow into knotted reeds (for curses).
O my Sustainer, I seek refuge with You from the evil of every envious person, and from tyrant, oppressor, (ill-intentioned) rival, despot, transgressor and wrongful person;
And I flee unto You from blindness, deafness, dumbness, leprosy and from doubt and distrust; and I seek Your protection from sluggishness, from losing courage, inadequacy, remissness, (unnecessary) haste; and from being wasteful, negligent and procrastinating;
And I seek Your refuge from the evil of all that You have created in the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and all that is under the earth.
O my Sustainer, I seek refuge with You from penury, (unfulfilled) want, privation, and from begging (from others) and being deprived or becoming a pauper;
And I seek Your protection from paucity and humiliation;
And I seek refuge with You from straitened circumstances, and hardships and from being confined or imprisoned, from being shackled or incarcerated, and from all such adversities and calamities with which I can put up. Amin, O Sustainer of the worlds.
O Allah, grant us all that we have asked for, and add to it with Your favour, measuring up with Your Mightiness and Greatness. (I ask) in Your name; there is no god but Allah, the Mighty and Wise.
4. A humbling- both ways
He said: Abul Hassan ‘Ali ibn Malik al-Nahwy reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Hamman, who reported from
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Fadhl ibn Sa'd, who reported from al-Riyashi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Sallam, who reported from Shurayh, the Qadhi that:
"Whoever takes his need to his fellow brother for fulfillment, he enslaves himself; if that brother fulfils his want, he frees him from the bondage, and if he does not, then he humiliates him. In fact, both have been humbles; the giver for not being able to oblige, and the beggar for having asked. "
Then he recited the following verses.
"A man who has had to put the honour
of his face at stake, cannot be recompensed,
And how can he be recompensed, when
humility has caused him disgrace. "
5. A Tree of Faith
He said: Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Abhari reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Sabah, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Razaq, who reported from his uncle Abd al-Razaq ibn Hammam ibn Nafe, who reported from Hammam ibn Nafe, who reported from Meena, the client of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf al-Zohari, who reported from Abd al-Rahman who said:
"O Meena, May I not relate to you what I heard from the messenger of Allah? " I said: "Yes. " He said: "I heard him say: I am the tree, and Fatimah is its branch. ‘Ali fecundates it, and al-Hasan and al-Husayn are its fruits. And those of my Ummah who love them are the leaves of the tree. (May Allah shower them all with His pleasure). "
And may Allah bless out master Muhammad, the Prophet and his progeny.
Twenty Ninth Assembly
point
Met on Wednesday, eleventh of the month of Ramadhan,
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in 409 Hijrah. Our grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may Allah bless him with His support, narrated: -
1. Praising Allah
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi al-Qad. hi reported to me from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, who reported from Muhammad ibn Abu al- Ambar, who reported from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Waqid, from his father, from Abu Amru ibn al-Ala, from Abdullah ibn Buraidah, from Bashir ibn Ka'b, from Shaddad ibn Aws, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "The confirmation of faith by asserting 'there is no god but Allah' fills half of the scale, and when one expresses praise and gratitude to Allah, the scale is fully supplemented. "
2. How Surah 'Al-Kafirun' was revealed
He said: Abu Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abu Sheik reported to me with permission to report from Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hakimi, who reported from Abdul Rahman ibn Abdillah Abu Saeed al-Basri, who reported from Wahab ibn Jareer, from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar al-Madani, who reported from Saeed ibn Meena, from more than one companions, that:
A group of Quraish comprising of Utbah ibn Rabeeah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, Waleed ibn al-Mughaira and al-Aas ibn Saeed once confronted the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, saying:
"O Muhammad, let us compromise, so that we worship what you worship, and you worship what we worship, and thus both of us come to an equitable word in this matter. If the truth is with us, you will have
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shared it, and if the truth is with you, we will have our share from it. " So Allah revealed (unto the Prophet):
'Say, O unbeliever! I do not worship what you worship; nor do you worship what I worship; nor do I worship what you have worshipped, nor do you worship what I worship. You have your religion and I have mine. ' (al-Kafirun,109) "
Then once Ubay ibn Khalaf came with withered bones and crushed them in his hands. Then blowing it up, he said: "O Muhammad, do you claim that your Lord will give life to what you now see? " Then Allah revealed (unto the Prophet):
'And he produced an equal for Us, forgetting Our creating him; he said: Who brings the bones back to life, once they are withered? Say: He who originated them the first time will bring them back to life, and He has knowledge of every creation. ' (Yasin, 36: 36) ;
till the end of the Surah. "
3. What ‘Ali (as) said to Kumail
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me from his father, from Muhammad ibn Abul Qasim Majeelawayh, from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Sayrafi, from Nasr ibn Muzahim, from Amru ibn Sa'd, from Fudhail ibn Khudaij, from Kumail ibn Ziyad al-Nakh'ee who said:
Once I was with Amirul Mu’mineen in the mosque of Kufa, and when we completed our late evening prayers (i. e. Isha) , he took me by his hands and came out of the mosque. He did not say a word till we arrived at the rear part of Kufa. As
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he entered the desert, he heaved a sigh and said:
"O Kumail, no doubt these hearts (i. e. minds) are containers, and the best of them are those who retain most. Remember from me what I say; people are of three categories: the learned men (of piety) , the students on the path of salvation, and (the third one) the riffraff of the society, following every croak of the crows, bending as the wind blows; never benefiting from the light of knowledge, nor finding a refuge with a strong supporter.
O Kumail, knowledge is better than wealth; for knowledge guards you, while you have to guard wealth; and wealth is diminished when spent, while knowledge grows and increases when put in use.
O Kumail, to have liking and affinity for a learned man is the best way to entrench ones faith in Allah, it enables one to be obedient to Him during lifetime, and to be praiseworthy after one has died.
O Kumail, dividend from wealth disappears with its loss, O Kumail, the hoarders of wealth have died, while the learned men exist for ever; their bodies have disappeared but their teachings and wisdom are ingrained in the hearts. "
(And then pointing to his chest, he said): "Here is well-grounded, plentiful knowledge; I wish it had true recipients and adherents, (I would have imparted it).
But, unfortunately, some unscrupulous men of understanding have tried to misuse it, using religion as a weapon to earn the worldly gain, and seeking undue power by divine authority over Allah's creatures,
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abusing His bounties which He bestowed upon them. So the feeble-minded people accepted them as reliable; or took them as compliant with (divine) wisdom, discarding the true guardians of truth. (The truth is that) such people (who they have adopted as their guides) have no insight into its ramifications; with the result that with the slightest confusion, doubt enters their minds. Neither of them could be the true carrier of knowledge.
And then there are those with insatiable lust, easily misled by the pleasures of flesh, or enticed by accumulating wealth, not at all among those who care for religion. They very much resemble the grazing cattle. Thus, knowledge dies with the death of such carriers.
Yet, the earth is never devoid of either a manifest divine power, or the one in concealment, ensuring that His clear signs are not lost. Surely, with those fewer people of enormous import, Allah protects His proof, till they succeed to transmit it further to their likes, and plant it deep in their hearts. They are the ones overwhelmed by the (true) knowledge of certitude, and have made it easy for themselves to tread on the path which men in luxury found difficult. They derive pleasure and enjoyment from things which repel the ignorant. Though they live on earth with their bodies, their souls hang onto the higher plane. They are the (true) representatives of Allah on His earth, and the ones who invite (people) to His religion.
Ala! How keen I am to have sight of
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the! And I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and for you all. "
Then he {i. e. ‘Ali (A. S. ) } withdrew his hand from mine and said: "You may leave when you like. "
4. Islam begins and ends with the Prophet and Ahlul Bayt
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Ishaq al-Makhrami, who reported from Uthman ibn Abdillah al-Shami, who reported from ibn Luhayah, from Abu Zura'h al-Hadhrami, from Umar ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, from his father, peace be upon him that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "O ‘Al! With us Allah completed His religion, the same way as He initiated it, and with us He will unite your hearts (in love) after the enmity and hatred. "
5. Al-Mazni's verse on patience
He said: Abu al-Tayyib al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Tammar reported to me from Abu Bakr ibn al-Anbari, who said that he heard ‘Ali ibn Haman recite the following poem by al-Mazani:
"When I refused to accept from life all that
I abhor, I continued my reproach to it;
till I started loving it, and so comforting myself led to patience;
My affinity for misfortune taught my heart to embrace it,
though, before that, at times my heart felt distressed.
And as I despaired of the people, I turned hopeful
Of the quick reprieve from Allah, from the source I never knew. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad and his pure progeny
Thirtieth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, the 14th of the month of Ramadhan in 409 Hijrah, from what Abu al-Fawaris heard alone. Our grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may
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Allah support him, said:
1. Love each other for Allah
He said: Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Marwan, from Muhammad ibn Ajlan, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon them both, said: "Blessed are those who do not change the bounties of Allah by ingratitude, and blessed are those who create a bond of love among themselves for the sake of Allah. "
2. Hatred of Ahlul Bayt leads to hell
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abdul Karim ibn Muhammad, who reported from Sahl ibn Zanjalah al-Razi, who reported from ibn Abi Uways, who reported from his father, who reported from Hamid ibn Qais, from Ata from Ibn Abbas, who reported that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "O Children of Abdul Muttali! I have beseeched Allah to convert the ignorant among you into learned men, and to make you steadfast in your stand, and to guide those of you who are gone astray; and to make you brave, generous and kind. By Allah, if a person were to offer prayers between al-Rukn and al-Maqam (around holy Ka'bah) , but at the same time die with hatred towards you, O Ahlul Bayt, such a person will enter hellfire. "
3. To obey Ahlul Bayt is to obey Allah
He said: Al-Sharif al-Swaleh Abu Muhammad ibn Hamza al-Alawi al-Husayni al-Tabari, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Muhammad ibn Abdillah ibn Ja'far
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al-Himyari, from his father, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Murook ibn Ubaid al-Kufi, from Muhammad ibn Zaid al-Tabari, who said:
I was present at the residence of al-Ridha, ‘Ali ibn Musa, peace be upon him, at Khurasan, and a group of Banu Hashim, including Ishaq ibn al-Abbas ibn Musa, was present also. So, addressing Ishaq, (al-Ridha) said: "O Isha! I have come to learn that you are telling people that we consider them as our slaves. I swear by my relation with the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, I have never said tha!
Nor did I hear to that effect from my forefathers, nor has it been conveyed to me from them through anyone. Yes, what we have said is that people are subservient to us in matters of obedience to Allah, loyal to us in religion. So let those present here convey this to those who are absent. "
4. Imam Al-Ridha on Tawheed
He said: And with this chain of narration, he said: I heard al-Ridha, ‘Ali ibn Musa, peace be upon him, speak thus on the subject of Oneness of Allah:
"The first step toward worship of Allah is to know Him, and the root of that knowledge is in recognizing His Oneness; And the principle of that recognition lies in negating all definitions from Him;
Every reason guides to the fact that anything defined is created (and not the creator) , And every created one testifies that it has a creator, who is not created.
The one, who is not contingent,
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is the One, timeless in eternity. So he who ascribes attributes to Him has not (truly) worshipped Him, And he who knows Him by similitude has not understood His oneness; And one who compares Him (to anything) has not understood the true essence, nor has he confirmed Him if he sets any limit for Him; And he who points towards Him with any of his senses is, in fact, aiming at something other than Him;
So, he who likens Him (to others) does not actually mean Him, and he who considers Him a part of the whole, does not actually know Him, and he who imagines Him is indeed deluded.
Everything, which can be encompassed by knowledge and imagination, is created, and everything that is dependent upon others for its existence is an effect.
By His creation, we are guided to His existence, and by reason we believe in (the necessity of) knowing Him, and by the innate nature (of human beings) His Proof is established.
His creation is a veil between Him and His creatures, and He is distinct from them by His disparateness.
His beginning of their creation is the proof that He has no beginning, for the one who is begun (in time) cannot be a (timeless) beginner; So, all the names used for Him are mere interpretations, and acts attributed to Him are meant for common understanding.
Indeed, he who defines or sets a limit to Him, displays ignorance about Him, and he who tries to encompass Him transgresses the bounds. And
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he who makes a surmise of His Being, misses Him (altogether). Whoever says 'How is He? ' has indeed invoked His likeness, and whoever asks 'Why? ' has indeed indulged in explaining Him away. And he who says 'When? ' sets a time limit for Him, and he who asks 'In what? ' tries to contain Him. And whoever asks 'Where to? ' confines Him, and whoever asks 'Till when? ' indeed fixes (an imagined) goal for Him. Thus whoever fixes a goal for Him, limits Him, and to set a limit for Him is to disbelieve in Him.
The discrepancy among the creatures does not effect any variation in Him, and the limitation of the limited ones creates no confine for Him. He is One but not as number, and He is Manifest but not by was of associating; He is Evident but not by way of being visible. He is intrinsic but not by separation, and He is apart but not by distance.
And He is near but not by proximity. He is (truly) subtle, but not in body, He Exists but not from nothingness. He is the doer but not under any duress, and He is the assessor but not yielded to pondering; He is designer without needing any movement. He Wills without being driven by resolves or determination, He perceives without depending on any senses. He hears and sees without any organ.
Time does not accompany Him, places do not contain Him, slumber does not overtake Him, attributes do not define Him, and implements
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do not benefit Him. His Existence precedes time, His Being precedes void and nothingness. His Eternity precedes all beginning.
By His creating similar things, it is established that He has no likeness, and by His creating dissimilarities among things, it is evident that He has no contrast. And by equation among things, it is understood that He has no equal.
He contrasted light with darkness, severe winter with hot wind. He puts together things which are divergent, and separates things which are closer to each other. Thus by separating, He guides us to its Separator and by putting things together, He guides to its Integrator. Allah, Most High, says (in Qur'an):
'We have created a pair, that perchance you might remember. ' (51: 49)
The meaning of Sustainer applied to Him when there was no one sustained, and the essence of (all) Divine Power belonged to Him when there was no worshipper, and He was the Knower when there was nothing knowable.
He did not merit the meaning of being Creator after having created, nor did He become the Originator after having originated.
He is not caused to be absent by 'since,' nor is He brought nearer by 'indeed. ' And 'perchance' does not veil Him, nor is He limited in time by 'when. ' He is not contained by 'then,' nor is He accompanied by 'with. '
Every effect that is seen in the creation does not exist in its Creator, and all that is contingent in it is not possible in its Maker. Movement and Stillness do not occur
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in Him. And how can they occur in Him Who caused them? How could that which He initiated return to be applied to Him? In that case, there would have risen discrepancy in His Being, and the meaning of Eternal would be inapplicable to Him, and the word Creator would have had its opposite meaning.
If He were bound by rear, He would have been bound by fore also, and if completeness were solicited for Him, then incompleteness would have been necessarily conceivable for Him. How could He be worthy of being called Eternal if He were contingent? How can He initiate things if He Himself needed to be initiated?
In that case, the signs of being created would be evident in Him, and He would have changed from being the Indicator into the one indicated. Any statement contradicting this truth has no proof, nor do the questions arising therefrom have any answers. There is no god but Allah, Most High and Most Mighty. (And may Allah bless His Prophet, Muhammad and his pure Progeny. ) "
5. Verses by Al-Mamoon
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Malik al-Nahwi recited the following verses to me from Abu al-Husayn, Muhammad ibn Abdillah al-Ma'mooni, who said my father recited for me, verses by al-Mamoon:
"Protect yourself from things you loathe, by patience, for perchance,
there may be a day when you will not see anything you detest;
Many a times, a man remains hidden, while eyes
vie to have a sight of him; but he is concealed;
Many a times, a literate man spares his
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tongue
fearing the answer, and that silence becomes eloquent;
Many a times, a dignified man smiles in pain,
While his heart groans with its burn. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet, and his pure progeny.
Thirty First Assembly
point
Met on Monday, the 16th of the month of Ramadhan in 409 Hijrah, heard by me and Abu al-Fawaris. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may Allah enhance his capabilities, narrated:
1. Blessings from Allah are a gift
He said: Abu Ghalib Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Zurari, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his maternal uncle Abu al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Razzaz al-Qurashi, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abu al-Khattab, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Jamil ibn Swaleh, from Barid ibn Mu’awiyah al-Ajali, from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, from his forefathers, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said Allah, Most High, says: "Grace and Blessing are My gift to My believing servant. If he accepts them, that is My mercy and from Me. And if he rejects them, that is because of his sins which deprive him; and it is his doing and not Mine. And I have guided every creature to Faith, and fashioned him in a shapely manner. And I never made him a victim of miserliness, for I always wished him good. "
2. 'Fatimah (as) is part of me'
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Abul Qasim al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibnal-Hasan al-Kufi, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Ghazzal, who reported
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from his father, who reported from Abdullah ibn al-Hasan al-Ahmasi who reported from Khalid ibn Abdillah, from Yazid ibn Abu Ziyad, from Abdullah ibn al- Harith ibn Nawfil, who reported from Sa'd ibn Malik, meaning Ibn Abi Waqqas, who said:
I heard the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: "Fatimah is a part of me; whoever pleases her, pleases me, and whoever displeases her, displease me. She is dearer to me than all beings. "
3. ‘Ali (as) writes to people of Kufa
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hubaysh al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Za'farani, who reported from Aby Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Saeed, from Fudhail ibnal- Ja'ad, from Abu Ishaq al-Hamdani, who said:
When Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, appointed Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr as the governor of Egypt and its provinces, he wrote him a letter asking him to read it over to the people of Egypt and to act accordingly. The letter said:
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful
From the slave of Allah, Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, to the people of Egypt and Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. I convey to you my praise for Allah, other than Whom there is no god.
Secondly, I exhort you to adopt the ways of Taqwa, to be mindful of your duties by guarding against all sins and evils, in all matters for which you are answerable to Him, for unto
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Him is your return. Surely, Allah, Most High, says (in Qur'an):
'Every soul is a hostage to what it has earned' (74: 38) ,
and He says:
'Allah warns you to beware of Him, and unto Him is the ultimate return. ' (3: 28).
And He says:
'By your Lord, We shall question them all, regarding what they used to do. ' (15: 92,93)
And know you all, O slaves of Alla! He surely will ask you about all your deeds, small and big. If He punishes we are the wrongdoers, and if He forgives, He is the most Merciful.
O slaves of Alla! When a slave acts for Allah in obedience to Him, he draws nearest to earning His pardon and mercy; and recommends him to penitence. Always adopt Taqwa, be mindful of your duties to Allah by guarding against sins, for that combines all good, the way nothing else does; and leads to the attainment of all good, the way nothing else does, encompassing the good of this world and of hereafter. Allah, Most High, says (in Qur'an):
'And it is said to those who fear Allah - what has your Lord revealed? They say: Something good. To those who do good in this world is the good reward, and the hereafter is surely much better. Blessed indeed is the abode of God-fearing. ' (16: 30)
Know you all, O slaves of Alla! A believer acts to earn the reward for three purposes: either it is for the good of this world. Then Allah rewards him for his deed
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in his lifetime here. As Allah said for Ibrahim:
'And We gave him his reward in this life, and in the hereafter he shall be among the righteous. ' (29: 27).
Or he does for Allah, Most High; then He rewards him here and hereafter, and becomes Sufficient for him in both the abodes. Indeed, Allah, Most High has said (in Qur'an):
'O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. Those who have been bounteous in this world will have a bounty, and Allah's earth is vast. The steadfast will be paid their wages in full without reckoning. ' (39: 10)
And He will not take account for what He will give them here. He says:
'To those who do the good deed is the best reward and more. ' (10: 26).
So the best reward is the Paradise, and more is what he is rewarded here in the world.
Or he works purely for the next world. (For him) Allah expiates every sin with good deed. He, Most High, says:
'Surely, the good deeds will wipe out the evil deeds, and that is a reminder for those who remember. ' (11: 114).
Till on the Day of Judgement, when all his good deeds will be counted, and Allah will reward him ten fold to seven hundred fold for every single act. Allah, Most High, says:
'A reward from your Lord, a sufficient gift' (78: 36) ,
'To those who will be meted out the double reward, and they shall be secure in the lofty chambers. ' (34: 37)
So be desirous of
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this, may Allah have mercy on you, and work (hard) for it, and urge each other to do accordingly.
And be it known to you all, O, slaves of Alla! Those fearing Allah and mindful of their duties to Him, have gained both, the instant good (of this world) and the promised good (of hereafter). They share with the people of this world in their worldly gain, for Allah has made it legitimate for them that which is necessary from this life, and thus made them content; as Allah, Most High, says (in Qur'an):
'Say, who has forbidden Allah's finery which He fashioned for His servants, or the good things He provided? Say: These are meant in the present world, for those who believe, and exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection. Thus We make clear our revelations for a people who know. ' (7: 32).
They lived on earth the best life and ate from it its best. They shared with the people of the world in their worldly bounties, eating with them the best of what they ate, drinking with them the best of what they drank, wearing the best of their attire, lived with them in the best of abodes.
They married in the happiest way as they all did, and rode on the best means of transport as they did. Thus, they availed of the pleasures of this world with the worldly people, and at the same time, they will be in the proximity of Allah tomorro! They will
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wish, and He will grant them their wish, and will not refuse them their prayers and not reduce their share in the (eternal) bliss;
O servants of Alla! It is this end that the people of wisdom crave, and work for it by adopting Taqwa. And there is no might nor any strength but that from Alla!
O servants of Alla! If you fear Allah, and safeguard the rights of your Prophet in respect of the inmates of his house, then you will have surely worshipped Him in the best way, and you will have remembered Him in the best manner; and you will have expressed your gratitude to Him in the best way. You will have then adopted the best style of patience and gratitude and the best method of endeavour.
Even if there be some one invoking longer prayers, keeping more fasts, yet you will be classified as more fearful of Allah in His estimation, and worthiest advisers to the people holding (divine) authority.
O servants of Alla! Be warned of death and it inebriating pang; and prepare yourselves for it, for it will indeed rush you into a terrible thing; it will either be good (experience) with no evil ever accompanying it; or it will be evil (experience) with no good ever going with it. So who is nearer to the Paradise than the one who works for it? And who is nearer to hellfire than the one who works for it?
Surely, no soul leaves its body till it has known
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to which of the two abodes it will reach; to Paradise or to hellfire? Is he the enemy of Allah or His friend? So if he is a friend of Allah, the gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and its paths paved. He will see what Allah has kept ready for him. Then he will feel free from all worries, and he will find al burdens lifted from him.
And if he is an enemy of Allah, the gates of hell will be opened for him, and its paths paved. Then he will find what Allah has prepared for him. He will face all the discomfort, and be deprived of all joy. All this will be at the time of death, and at that moment shall the certitude be. Allah says (in Qur'an):
Those whom the angels will carry off while in state of grace, saying: Peace upon you, enter Paradise for what you did. ' (16: 32).
And then He says:
'Those who are carried off by the angels while still wrongdoing themselves; then they will offer submission saying: we did no evil. Yes, Allah surely knows well what you were doing. Enter them the gates of hell, abiding therein forever. Wretched indeed is the abode of the arrogant. ' (16: 28,29)
O slaves of Alla! There is no escape from death, so beware of it before it occurs and be prepared for it. You are being hunted by death; if you stop, it will capture you, and if you be a
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fugitive, it will find you. Its company with you is more constant than your own shado! It is tied to your forelocks, and the (life on) earth is being folded (like a scroll from) behind you.
So remember death frequently, (especially) when your mind fights you for temptations, for death is a sufficient admonisher. And the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, often reminded his companions to remember death, saying: 'Remember death as often as you can, for it demolishes all pleasures, and is a barrier between you and your base desires. '
O slaves of Alla! That which will happen to the unforgiven one, after death, is indeed more severe than death itself. The grav! Beware of its constriction, its hardship, its darkness and the loneliness in it. Every day, the grave exclaims: 'I am the house of loneliness, I am the house of dust; I am the house of gloom, I am the house of insects and vermins. ' So, a grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of hell.
When a believing slave is buried, the earth says: 'Welcom! You were among those who I loved when they walked on my back. When you will be in my charge, you will see how I deal with yo! ' Then it will expand for as far as one can see. But when an unbeliever in interred, the earth says: 'You are not welcom! For you were among those who I hated most
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as they walked on my back. When you will be in my charge, you will know how I deal with yo! ' Then it will squeeze it hard, till the ribs will come together.
Surely, the life of hardship for which Allah has warned (in Qur'an) refers to the grave, where Allah will make an unbeliever a victim of ninty nine dragons, which will devour his flesh and break his bones, frequenting upon him the same way till resurrection. If only one of those dragons were to blow into the earth, nothing would ever grow from it.
Know you, O slaves of Alla! Your weak spirits and your delicate bodies for which little discomfort is enough (to break it down) , will be terribly weakened because of this. So, if you can have mercy over your bodies and your spirits by saving them from what they can not bear, then act according to what Allah likes, and discard that which He dislikes.
O slaves of Alla! And the day of resurrection is more severe than the grave. It will be a day when the young will grow old, and the old ones will get inebriated; the wombs will abort, and every suckling mother will be distracted from the child she is suckling; it will be a dark dreadful day, a day whose evil will be rampant.
The angels, who have no sins, will be scared by the terror of that day, and the hard seven (skies) will tremble, together with the peg-like mountains, and the
couch-like earth. The heavens will be rent asunder and on that day it will be tottering, and it will turn red like pigment. And the mountains shall turn into heaps of sand, after it had once been hard rock.
And then the trumpet will be blown, so those in the heavens and on earth will be terrified, except for whoever Allah wills: (So what will be for those who have sinned with their ears, eyes, tongue, hand, foot, private parts and the stomach; if Allah does not forgive them and be compassionate on that day? For they will be judged and then consigned to the fire whose pit is deep, whose heat is severe, and where stinking water is for drink.
There will be ever renewed chastisement with iron rods. They will not be relieved of its torment, nor will the inmates die. An abode where there will be no mercy and where prayers of the inmates will not be heard.
And know you O slaves of Alla! Together with this there will be mercy of Allah, which will not be thwarted from the slaves, with Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who fear Allah.
There will be good, with no evil accompanying it at any time; its pleasures will never be satiated and its meeting will never disperse. Its inmates will be in proximity of the Merciful, attended by the youths with golden saucers containing fruits and sweet basils.
Then know you, O Muhammad ibn Abu
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Bak! I have indeed appointed you to govern the greatest of my troops in my mind, the people of Egypt. So, when I have given you that type of appointment, you deserve most to be cautious about yoursel! And to be watchful over your faith. And try your best not to displease your Lord, Most High, for the sake of the people's pleasure.
For in (the pleasure of) Allah, there is a substitute for everything else; but in anything else, there is no substitute for Him (i. e. His pleasure). Be severe to the oppressors, and censure them. Be lenient to the righteous, bring them closer, and appoint them in your inner circle of brotherhood.
And watch your daily prayers, as how you perform them, for you will be leading the people, and therefore you must fulfil all its conditions, and not try to belittle it. Whenever an Imam leads the prayers with deficiency, he bears the responsibility, while the people following him suffer no loss in their prayers. So fulfil it and guard it; you will earn the same reward as theirs without their reward being reduced.
Then be mindful of your Wudhoo, for it is a condition for the fulfilment of the prayers. You must wash your mouth three times, draw water in your nose three times, then wash your face, then the right hand, followed by the left hand, and then wipe your head and two feet. Surely, I saw the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, do
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the same way. And know that Wudhoo is half of the faith.
Then be watchful about the time of Daily Prayers. Do not offer them before time because you are free, nor delay them because you are busy. For someone asked the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, about the timings of the Daily Prayers, and the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, replied: 'Jibraeel came to me and showed me the timings.
He prayed Zohr when the sun passed the meridian as it declined to his right, and then he showed me the time of Asr, when the shadows of every object become equal to its size. Then he prayed Maghrib when the sun set, and he prayed Isha when the twilight disappeared. And he prayed the Subh prayers in the last part of the night's darkness (near dawn) as the stars flickered. So you say your prayers on these times, and remain constant on the known tradition and upon the clear path.
Then look at your Ruku and Sujood, for the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, prayed the most complete prayers, though in practice, it was least burdensome. And known that all your affairs follow your Prayers. Whoever is negligent of his Prayers, will be more negligent in other acts of worship.
I beseech Him Who sees and cannot be seen, and He is on the highest horizon; that He may take us and you among those He loves and with whom He
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is pleased; so that He may help us be among those who remember and praise Him, and who worship Him best and fulfil His covenant, and in all that He determines in our affairs here and hereafter.
And you, O people of Egyp! Let your speech be confirmed by your conduct, and your public life be confirmed by your private life; and let not your tongues contradict your hearts. Let it be known, to you that a leader who guides to the right path cannot be equated to a leader who lends to ruination, nor does the successor of your Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) compare with his adversary.
And I am not anxious or afraid about a believer or an unbeliever doing you any harm. As for the believer, Allah prevents him from causing harm because of his faith, and as for the unbelievers, Allah constrains him from you because of his disbelief. But I am worried about the hypocrites misleading you, for he says what you approve, but does what you disapprove.
O Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, the best instruction in religion is piety in the practice of religion, and to act in His obedience. And I exhort you to be God-fearing in your private and public matters, and in any situation you may be. This world is a place of test and tribulation, and the hereafter is an abode of reward and eternity. So act for the abode, which is forever, and turn away from that which
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will perish, but do not forget your portion from the bounties of this world.
And I enjoy you seven virtues; they represent complete Islam:
Fear Allah and in His Presence, do not fear people;
The best speech is that when its truth is confirmed by conduct;
Do not give two contradicting judgements in one matter, for that will cause discrepancy in your directive, and you will deviate from truth;
Love for your subjects what you love for yourself and your family, and detest for them what you detest for yourself and your family, for that is most appropriate to establish the authority and most beneficial to the people;
Fight in the way of Truth, and do not fear any reproach in the way of Allah;
Give good advice when someone consults you;
Make yourself an ideal for those Muslims who are around you, and also for those who are far away.
May Allah tie us with the bond of love in religion, and adorn us with the adornment of those who fear Allah. And may your obedience to Allah subsist till you and I meet as brothers reclining on the beds, facing each other (i. e. in Paradise).
O people of Egyp! Do your best to support your governor Muhammad, and remain unflinchingly in your obedience, till when you arrive near the Prophet at his Pool. May Allah help you and us on the way of His pleasure. Peace be upon you from Allah and His mercy and blessings. "
4. Never gloat over misfortunes of others
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu
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Nasr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Nishaburi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Abu Sary, who reported from his father, who reported from Hafs ibn Ghiyas, from Bard ibn Sinan, from Makhool, from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa, who said:
The Prophet said: "Never gloat over the misfortune of your brother, for he may be freed from it and you may be the next victim. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet and his progeny.
Thirty Second Assembly
point
Met on Wednesday, the 18th of the month of Ramadhan in 409 Hijrah, from what we all heard. Our grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al- Nu’man, may Allah continuously support him narrated:
1. Piety
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh reported to me from his father, who reported from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Yunus ibn Abdul Rehman, from Kulaib ibn Mua'waiyah al-Asadi, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, say: "By Allah, you ought to realize that you are following the religion of Allah and His angels; so help us to that end by being pious and by (strenuous) effort (to remain steadfast). It is your duty to always establish prayers and be worshipping. It is your duty to remain pious. "
2. Safiyyah's question to the Prophet (SAW)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Abul Qasim al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Kufi, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan, who reported from his father, who reported from Masih ibn Muhammad, who reported from Abu ‘Ali ibn Abu
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Umrah al-Khurasani, from Ishaq ibn Ibrahim from Abu Ishaq al-Sabiee', who said:
We called upon Masrooq ibn al-Ajda and found a guest who we did not know. They were having their meals; and then the guest observed that he was with the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, at Hunayn. Just as he said that, we knew he was a companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny. He said:
Then Safiyyah, daughter of Hay ibn Akhtab (one of the wives of the Prophet) came to the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and said: "O messenger of Allah, I am not like your other wives who have father, brother and uncle. If anything were to happen to you, to who do you entrust me? " The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, pointing at ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him said: "To him. "
Then he said: "May I not relate to you what al-Harith ibn al-A'awar narrated to us? " We said: "Please do. " He said: I called upon ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him and his progeny, and he asked: "O A'awar, what brings you here? " A'awar says he replied: "O Amirul Mu’mineen, your love has brought us. " He asked: "Really? "
I said: "Yes, Allah is my witness. " He confirmed with me three times. Then he said: "There is no slave of Allah who He has tested for piety, except that He finds our love in his heart; such a
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person indeed loves us. And there is no slave of Allah upon whom Allah has shown His displeasure, except that He finds our hatred in his heart, and such a person indeed hates us.
So, our friends always expect the divine mercy, and the gates of mercy are open for them. And our enemies are upon the edge of crumbling bank that will tumble down with them in to the fire of hell. Bounteous is the mercy for the people who earn it, and perdition is for the people of hell fire. "
3. The Four Riders on the Day of Qiyamah
He said: Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Fadhl al-Razi reported to me from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Bishr al-Askari, who reported from Abu Ishaq Muhammad ibn Haroon ibn Isa al-Hashimi, who reported from Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Mahdi al-Ibili, who reported from Ishaq ibn Sulaiman al-Hashimi, who reported from his father, who reported from Haroon al-Rashid, who reported from his father al-Mahdi, who reported from al-Mansur Abu Ja'far Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, from his father, from his grandfather ‘Ali ibn Abdillah ibn al-Abbas, from Abdillah ibn Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, who said:
I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny say: "Four of us will be the riders on the Day of Resurrection and none other. " So someone asked: "My father and mother be your ransom, who are the riders? " He said: "I will be riding al-Buraq, and my brother Swaleh will be mounting the god-sent she-camel which was hamstrung by his people,
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and my daughter Fatimah will be on my bright she-camel, and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, who will ride one of the she-camels of Paradise, whose bridle will be of fresh pearls, whose eyes will of ruby, whose stomach will of green aquamarine; upon the camel will be cupola of translucent pearls, so that its exterior will be visible from within, and her interior will be seen from outside. Its exterior will be from the mercy of Allah, and its interior will be from His grace. She will be fast as she advances, and also as she retracts. He will be ahead of me.
There will be a crown of light on his head, a crown which will give light to all assembled. It will have seventy corners, each shining like a brilliant star in the heaven; and in his hands will be the praised standard, and he will set forth announcing: 'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger. '
And he will pass among the angels, they will say: 'He must be from the sent Prophets. ' And as he will pass by the Prophets, they will say: 'He must be an angel nearest to Allah. ' And then it will be announced from inside the Throne: 'O peopl! He is neither an angel nearest to Allah, nor a sent Prophet, nor a carrier of the Throne. He is ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. '
Then his Shi’ahs will follow, and it will be announced: 'Who are you? ' They will say: 'We are
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the partisans of ‘Ali. ' The answer will come: 'O partisans of ‘Ali, you are secure; enter the Paradise and be with those who you loved. "
4. Prayers in times of need
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Waleed reported to me from his father, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Ja'ffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Rayyan ibn al-Swalt who said:
I heard al-Ridha ‘Ali ibn Musa invoking a prayer, so I memorized it from him. And whenever I invoked it during hardship, Allah relieved me. It is:
"O Alla! You are my Trust in every distress,
and You are my Hope in every hardship;
And in all that befalls me, You are my Trust
and my Shelter;
How much of grief that weakens the heart,
and has but little way of escape,
and when the affairs lack any remedy,
When the near ones and the distant ones, and the
friends let me down, and the enemies taunt,
I came unto You and complained to You,
inclined to You beside all others,
And You dispelled the grief and relieved the affliction,
and became Sufficient for me,
So You are the Provider of all bounties, and the Source for
all needs, and the Final Refuge for every desire.
So, for You is abundant praise, and to You belongs the
plentiful favour. With Your blessings, all righteousness is
fulfilled. O One who is known for His Grace, and the
One praised for His Grace, bless me with the Grace
which would enable me to dispense with kindness from others,
I beseech Your mercy, O Most Merciful. "
5. A Hyprocrite
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from
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Abul Qasim al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan, from his father who reported from Ahmad ibn Isa, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ja'far, from his father Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, from his forefathers, peace be upon them all, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Two traits never go together in a hypocrite: the (true) learning about Islam, and the distinct feature (of nobility) in the face. "
May Allah bless our master Muhammad and his progeny.
Thirty Third Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 21st of the month of Ramadhan in 409 Hijrah, from what we heard all together. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may Allah protect him said: -
1. Rely on Allah alone
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibnal-Hasan al-Saffar, from ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qashani, from al-Ishfahani, from Sulaiman ibn Dawood al-Manqari, from Hafs ibn Ghayas, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "When any of you prays to Allah with a firm intention to have his prayer answered, then he should (first) despair from all the people, and he should have no hope attached to anyone except Allah, Most High. When Allah finds that in his heart, then there is no prayer from him except that He grants.
And take account of yourselves before your account is taken (on the Day of Reckoning) , for on the Day of Resurrection there will be
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fifty stations, each equal to a thousand years of your reckoning. " Then he recited this verse (from Qur'an):
'... in a period of day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years. ' (70: 4). "
2. The meaning of Iman
He said: Abu Bakr, Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported from Abu Abdillah al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali al-Maliki, who reported from Abu al-Swalt al-Hirawi, who reported from al-Ridha, ‘Ali ibn Musa, peace be upon him, from his father Musa ibn Ja'far, peace be upon him, from his father Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, from his father Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, from his father ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn Zainul Abedeen, peace be upon him, from his father al- Husayn ibn ‘Ali al-Shaheed, peace be upon him, from his father Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, who reported that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Faith is a statement to be uttered, a deed to be acted upon, and an acknowledgement by intellectual recognition. "
Abu al-Swalt said: I related this tradition in a sitting with Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and he said: "O Abu Swal! If this chain of narration were to be read over the insane people, they would recover. "
3. The meaning of Islam, Iman and its pillars
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Ahmad ibn Sulaiman al-Tusi, from al-Zubair ibn Bakkar, from Abdullah ibn Wahab, from al-Suddi, from Abd Khair, from Qubaisah ibn Jabir al-Asadi, who said:
A man visited Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, and questioned him about Faith. So,
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Imam stood up to deliver this address: "Praise to Allah who set the laws of Islam, and made its ways easy for whoever arrived at it, and entrenched its basis against those who came to destroy it. And made it an honour for those who supported it, and a security for those who entered it. He made it a guidance for those who followed it, and an adornment for those who adopted it.
He made it a protection for those who sought refuge in it, and a strong rope for those who adhered to it. He made it a proof for those who spoke for it, a light for those who sought to be illuminated by it, a strong witness against those who disputed it, and a victory for those who argued for it.
He made it a (good) knowledge for those who contained it and a (worthy) tradition for those who narrated about it. He made it the (best) basis of judgement for those who adjudged by it, (full of) wisdom for those who experienced, source of intellect for those who pondered, an understanding for those who grasped, certitude for those who recognized, an insight for those who are intent, a sign for those who perceive, an admonition for those who draw lesson, salvation for those who confirmed its truth.
He made it a way of divine love for those who reformed (themselves) and a path of proximity (to Allah) for those who expected it, and a place of trust
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for those who entrusted. He made it a repose for those who handed over the charge of their affairs (to Allah) and a shield for those who endure.
Truth is its way, guidance its (prime) quality, kindness its distinctive feature. It is the most clear path, the towering beacon, the most brilliant light. (Using an equestrian metaphor, he said) , It has the highest flag, facile racetrack, an encompassing arena, a contestant for winning the race, and noble horsemen.
Confirming the truth is its track, good deeds are its beacons, learning Islam is its light, death is its flag (at the destination) , the world is its racetrack, and the Day of Reckoning is its arena; and attaining Paradise its victory, and hellfire its resentment. Taqwa is its implement and people of good deeds are its horsemen.
From Faith, one seeks guidance to good and righteous deeds, and with the righteous deeds, learning of Islam is (truly) maintained. And with the knowledge of Islam, death is dreaded, and with death comes the end of (life in) the world. And it is through this world (life) that one passes over to Resurrection, and it will be with the Resurrection, that Paradise will be brought close to the God-fearing, and justify hell for those who have gone astray.
So Faith is supported by four pillars: Endurance, Certitude, Justice and struggle (in the way of Allah).
And endurance among them is subdivided into four branches: motivation, fear, renunciation and anticipation. Know you that one who is motivated by
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the yearning for Paradise keeps away from base desires, and one who fears hell abandons the forbidden acts, and one who renounces (by detachment from the) world, finds it easy to face the worldly ordeals, and who anticipates death, hastens to do charitable deeds.
And certitude has four branches: intelligent discernment, wise interpretation, drawing lesson from the events, and (studying) the example of the previous generations. So, he who discerns with intelligence will be able to unravel (the secrets of) wisdom, and he who perceives wisdom understands the tradition (handed down) and for he who understands the tradition, it will be as if he belongs to the past generation.
And justice has four branches: subtle insight, abundant knowledge, being sensibly judicious and drilled in patience. So he who has an insight, deserves the beauty of knowledge, and he who has knowledge, knows the ways of dispensing justice, and he who is judicious, never goes astray. And he who is patient and enduring never neglects his affairs and thus lives among the people highly appreciated.
And struggle (in the way of Allah) has four branches: enjoining good, forbidding evil, being truthful in all situations, and detestation of the impious.
So he who enjoins good, lends strength to the believer, and he who forbids evil earns the scorn of the unbelievers; and he who is truthful in all situations (fearlessly) judges against himself, and he who abhors the impious displays anger for the sake of Allah; and he who displays anger for His sake is a
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true believer. This is then the definition of Faith and its props. "
The questioner rose and said: "You have indeed guided, O Amirul Mu’mineen, and advised. May Allah reward you best on behalf of Islam. "
4. Acts which attract quick reward
He said: Abu Ghalib Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Zurari reported to me from his grandfather Muhammad ibn Sulaiman, who reported from Muhammad ibn Khalid, from Asim ibn Hamid, from Abu Ubaidah al-Hazza', who said:
I heard Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, reporting that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "A good act which attracts quickest reward (from Allah) is righteousness, and an evil act which draws close His wrath is to be oppressive. And the worst drawback in a person is that he sees (faults) in others, while he does not see the same in himself, and reproaches others for that which he himself cannot give up, and makes his companions suffer things with which he is not concerned. "
5. Prophet's declaration about ‘Ali at Qudaid
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad, commonly known as Ibn al-Zayyat, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Hammam al-Iskafi, from Abdullah ibn Ja'far al-Himyari, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from his father, from Abdullah ibn al-Mughaira, from Ibn Maskan, from Umar ibn Zayd, who reported that:
Abu Abdullah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: When the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, arrived at the middle of Qudaid (near Makkah) , he said to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be
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upon him: "O ‘Ali, I prayed to Allah for (a firm bond of) love between me and you, and He granted, and I prayed to Him to establish brotherhood between you and me, and He granted, and I prayed unto him that He make you my successor, and He granted. "
A man stood up from the people and remarked: "By Allah, a (small) measure of dates from an old, coarse sack is better than what Muhammad prayed for from his Lord. Why did he not ask for angel to come and help him against his enemy, or a treasure to help him keep away his paucity? " Then Allah revealed this verse:
'Perhaps you feel like giving away some of what has been revealed to you, and your chest is straitened for it, because they say: Why has a treasure not been sent down to him or an angel come down with him? Surely, you are only a warner, and Allah is the Trustee over all things. ' (11: 12)
6. How Abdul Malik ibn Marwan was rebuked
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Babawayh, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al- Mutawakkil, who reported from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sa'dabadi, from Ahmad ibn Abu Abdillah al-Barqi, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Abu Umair, from more than one of his companions, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, who reported from one who was present when Abdul Malik ibn Marwan rose to address the people in Makkah. When he began the part of admonition during
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his sermon, a man stood up and said:
"Wait, wai! You are from those who preach, but do not follow, you forbid but do not refrain from what you forbid. You admonish but take no lesson from your admonition. Can your example be emulated? Can your orders be obeyed? If you ask us to follow your example, how can we follow the example of the oppressors?
And what is the justification for following the culprits who have usurped the wealth of Allah for their state, and have turned the slaves of Allah as their own slaves? And if you say: 'Obey our orders and accept our advice', how can one advise others when one deceives oneself, and how can obedience to the unjust be obligatory? '
And if you say: 'Take the (words of) wisdom wherever you find them, and accept the admonitions from whoever you hear them', then perhaps there are among us more eloquent in the types of admonitions, and more acquainted with the uses of language than you are. So, remove yourselves from it, open up its locks and leave the way open, so that those whom you have scattered in the country, and transferred them from their abode to several places, may take the charge.
By Allah, we did not give you the reins of our affairs, and did not give you authority over ourselves, our wealth and our faith so that you may act in the manner of despots; except that we force ourselves to endure till the
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time comes, and the end is achieved, and the suffering is over. For everyone of you there is a day he cannot escape and a book of record he must read; a record that does not leave anything small or big without counting it.
'And those who do wrong shall soon come to know what punishment awaits them. ' (26: 227). "
He said: Then some armed men arrested him. That was the last time we saw him, and we do not know what was meted out to hi!
7. Lamentation by ‘Ali at Fatimah's graveside
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me from his father who reported from Ahmad ibn Idrees, who reported from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Jabbar, from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad al-Razi, from ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hurmuzani, who reported from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali, from his father al-Husayn, peace be upon them, who said:
When Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, fell ill, she willed to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah bless him, to withhold the news of her (death) and treat it as a secret; and to allow no one to visit her during her illness. So he did accordingly, attending on her himself, helped by Asma bint Umays, may Allah bless her with mercy, so as to maintain the secrecy as she wished.
Then as her death drew near, she willed that Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, should attend to her rites, to bury her at night and to efface the trace of her
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grave. So Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, arranged accordingly, buried her and concealed the place of her burial. When he dusted off the earth of the grave (from hands) , he was so overwhelmed with grief that tears rolled on his cheeks. And then he turned his face towards the grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and said: "Peace be upon you from me, O messenger of Alla! And peace be upon you from your beloved daughter, the delight of your eye, your visitor, resting in the earth in your locality, for whom Allah so destined that she should join you so soon.
O messenger of Allah, it is indeed difficult to forbear the parting of your beloved daughter and my strength has waned with the demise of the lady who was above the women of the world. My main source of solace has been from your tradition (of submission to the will of Allah) and from your own departure which caused to me greater sorrow. For I laid you in the niche of your grave after you breathed your last on my chest, and I interred you with my own hands. And I attended to your rites myself. Yes, and the Book of Allah has the best guide to submission (in the verse):
'To Him we belong and unto Him shall we return. ' (2: 156).
The trust has been (thus) returned (to you) and the deposit (with me) has been redeemed; and al-Zahra has been snatched
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away (from me). How ugly has the green and the dusty (i. e. the surrounding) become. O messenger of Alla! As for my sorrow, it is ever lasting, my nights sleepless. The grief cannot leave my heart, till Allah destines for me the same abode as yours where you live. It is the heartache like a festering wound, and the irritating distress. How soon have we been parted from each other? And I raise my complain to Alla!
Your daughter will inform you how your Ummah rallied against me and worked together to usurp her right. So you seek information from her. How much of ill feeling wrestles within her chest for reveng! for which she found no expression. She would say: 'Allah will judge, and He is the Most Just of the Judges. '
Farewell greetings to you O messenger of Alla! Not from weariness or seeking respite. If I go, I do not go because of tiredness, and if I stay on, it is not because of any distrust in what Allah has promised the patient ones. And patience is a blessed and more auspicious option. And had it not been for the prevailing authority against us, I would have found a place by your graveside, and would have lived in seclusion near it, and would have wailed the way a bereaved mother wails over her dead son, over the most distressing calamity.
With Allah as Witness, your daughter is buried in secrecy, her rights usurped forcefully, and her inheritance denied openly. And
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the time has not been long, nor had you been forgotten. So, the complain is raised to Allah, O messenger of Alla! And to you I offer the most sincere condolence; and the blessing of Allah be upon you and her, and His Mercy and His Grace. "
8. Death wipes off the sins
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Majilawayh from his uncle Mohammad ibn Abul Qasim, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Muhammad ibn Atiyyah, from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Death is an expiateon for the sins of the believers. "
9. Your brother is your responsibility
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Katib reported to me from Abul Qasim Yahya ibn Zakariyya al-Katanji, who reported from Abu Hashim Dawood ibn al-Qasim al-Ja'fari, may Allah bless him with mercy, who said:
I heard al-Ridha ‘Ali ibn Musa saying: Once Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, told Kumail ibn Ziyad during his discourse: "Your brother is your religion (his welfare is your religious responsibility) so be cautious of your religion in what you desire (for him). "
And all praise for Allah, the Lord of the Universe. And may Allah bless our master Muhammad and his progeny.
Thirty Fourth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, the 26th of Shaban in the year 410 Hijrah. Our grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may Allah continue to protect him, narrated:
1. Deeds coupled with Taqwa
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn
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Umar al-Ji’abi, reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed Ibn Uqdah, who reported from Muhammad ibn Haroon ibn Abdul Rehman al- Hijazi, who reported from his father, who reported from Isa ibn Abul Ward, from Ahmad ibn Abdul Aziz, from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, who reported that:
Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, said: "Any deed performed with Taqwa is not little. And how can that which is accepted (by Allah) be little? "
2. Sign on certitude
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Muqri reported to me from Abul Qasim ‘Ali ibn Muhammad, who reported from Abul Abbas al-Ahwas ibn ‘Ali ibn Mardas, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Isa al-Rawasi, who reported from Sama'ah ibn Mahran, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "Among the signs of certitude is that you will never please the people by earning the wrath of Allah, Most High, nor will you blame them if Allah did not grant you from His favour. Because sustenance is not led by the greed of the avaricious, nor is it prevented by the aversion of someone grudging. If anyone from you were to run away from his sustenance, the way he runs away from death, it would find him out, the way death would. "
3. The status of ‘Ali on the Day of Qiyamah
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibnAli ibn al-Husayn ibn Babawayh, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, who reported from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ayyub ibn Nuh,
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from Safwan Ibn Yahya, from Aban ibn Uthman, who reported that:
Abu Abdullah, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: On the Day of Resurrection, an announcer will announce from inside the Throne: "Where is the Khalifa of Allah on earth? " So Dawood, the Prophet, will stand up and the voice from Allah, Most High, will say: "We do not mean you, although you were Allah's Khalifa. "
Then a second announcement will be made: "Where is Allah's Khalifa on earth? " Then Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, will rise. So a voice will come from Allah, Most High: "O peopl! This ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib is the khalifa of Allah on His earth and His proof over His slaves. So whoever adhered to his rope while on earth, should hang on to his rope here (also) , so that he may have the benefit of his light and may follow him in the rising ranks of Paradise. "
He said: A group of people will rise who had adhered to his rope during life on earth, and will follow him into Paradise. Then there will be announcement from Allah, Most High: "O those who followed a leader while living on earth, follow him as he goes, and they will go with him. " That will be the time when those who led will dissociate themselves from those who followed them, and they will see the chastisement, and all relations between them will be severed.
'And those who followed
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will say: if only we had one more chance, we would dissociate ourselves from them, as they have disowned themselves from us. Thus will Allah show them their deeds as anguish for them and never will they come out of the hellfire. ' (2: 166,167).
4. Ibn Abbas on Khilafah
He said: Abul Mudhaffar Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Balkhi reported to me from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abul-Thalj, who reported from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hasani, who reported from Isa ibn Mahran, who reported from Hafs ibn Umar al-Farra, who reported from Abu Muaz al- Khazzaz, who reported from Yunus ibn Abd al-Warith, from his father who said:
Once Ibn Abbas was addressing us from the pulpit at Basrah. When he turned his face towards the people and said: "O group of people, bewildered in their religious affair! If you had given precedence to he who Allah had given precedence, and put back he who Allah had put back, and if you had kept the heritage and the authority where Allah had kept them, no part of divine determinate share would have been unfairly distributed, and no friend of Allah would have been humiliated, and no two persons would have differed on the law of Allah. So taste the evil consequence of your negligence about what you sent forth, and those who do wrong shall come to know what punishment awaits them. "
5. ‘Ali, the best judge
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas Abmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Ubaid ibn Hamdoon
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al-Rawasi, who reported from al-Hasan Ibn Zareef, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, say: "Whenever I came across any judgement given by ‘Ali, peace be upon him, I always found it based on the principle of (Prophet's) tradition. " Then he said: ‘Ali used to say: "If two disputants brought a case to me and I gave my judgement, and then if they came with the same case to me after years, I would give the same judgement, because judgement never expires nor does it disappear. "
6. The effect of parents' displeasure
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Baseer al-Muqri reported to me from Abul Qasim ‘Ali ibn Muhammad, who reported from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, who reported from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Yusuf, from Abu Abdullah Zakariyya ibn Muhammad al-Mu’min, from Saeed ibn Yasar, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, saying: Once the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was present at the death bed of a young man; so he said to him: "Say, there is no god but Allah. " (He said): "The Youth was tongue-tied every time (he tried). "
So the Prophet asked a lady sitting near his head: "Does he have a mother? " She said: "Yes, I am his mother. " He (i. e. the Prophet) asked: "Are you displeased with him? " She said: "Yes. I have not talked to him for years. " He said: "Then grant him your pleasure. " She said: "May Allah be pleased with him, O messenger of Allah,
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(together) with your pleasure. "
Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said (to the young man): "Say there is no god but Alla! " And he uttered the words. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, asked: "What do you see? " He said: "I see a man with dark face, ugly looks, dirty dress, evil smelling, now drawing near me and strangling me. " The Prophet said: "Recite: O He who accepts little, and forgives muc! Accept from me little, and forgive me much, for surely, You are Forgiving and Merciful. "
The young man recited the prayers; then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny asked: "Look, what you see? " He said: "I see a man with bright face, handsome, good smelling, well-dressed, coming near me; and I see the man with dark face turning away from me. " The Prophet asked him to repeat, so he repeated. Then he (i. e. the Prophet) asked: "What do you see (now)? " He said: " (Now) I do not see the man with dark face (at all) and I see the man with bright face drawn closer to me. " Then he (the young man) died in that state.
7. Predictions by the Prophet
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi, reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Baghdadi, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Umar al- Muqri, from ‘Ali ibn al-Azhar from ‘Ali ibn Swaleh al-Makki, from Muhammad ibn Umar ibn ‘Ali, from his father, from his grandfather, peace be upon him, who said:
When
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the following verses were revealed to the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny:
'When the victory granted by Allah and the conquest comes' (110: 1) ,
he said to me: "O ‘Ali, surely the victory from Allah and the conquest has com! So when you see people entering into the fold of religion of Allah in throngs, then celebrate the praise of Your Lord and seek His forgiveness, for He is ever Relenting.
O ‘Ali, Allah has ordained for the believers to fight the confusion created by the dissenters after I have gone, the way He has ordained for them to fight the unbelievers with me. " So I said: "O messenger of Alla! What is that dissent against which we are ordained to combat? " He said: "Dissent by a group which will (outwardly) testify that there is no god but Allah, and that I am His messenger, (but) they will contradict my traditions, and will be levelling invectives against my religion. "
So I asked: "On what basis should we fight them, O messenger of Allah, when they will be testifying Allah's Oneness, and your Prophethood? " He said: "On the basis of their innovation in their religion and departure from my command, and for consenting to spill the blood of my kinsfolk. "
He said: I said: "O Prophet of Allah, you had once promised me martyrdom. So pray to Allah to hasten it for me. " He said: "Yes, I had promised you martyrdom. So how patient will you be when this will be
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dyed by this? " - (and he pointed to my head and my beard). I said: "O messenger of Alla! When the time you have indicated will dawn, it will not be an occasion for patience, it will be an occasion of glad tidings and thanksgiving. "
He said: "Well, then prepare for the opposition, for you will have a dispute against my Ummah. " I said: "O messenger of Alla! Guide me about the (expected) split? " He said: "When you find a group of people turning away from (true) guidance towards deviation, oppose them. For true guidance is from Allah, and as from the devil it is only going astray.
O ‘Ali, true guidance is to follow the orders of Allah, without falling prey to base desires and ones own opinion. It is as if I see you facing a group of people interpreting the Qur'an the way they like, and creating (dubious) analogies; so they will make intoxicants lawful by calling it grape juice, they will pay Zakat to make lawful the wealth earned by cheating people in weight, they will accept bribery and call it a gift. "
I said: "O messenger of Alla! How do we classify them when they start doing that? Are they apostates or just rebellious dissenters? " He said: "They will be the dissenters, blindly wandering in it, till they are dealt with by justice. " I asked: "O messenger of Allah, will that justice be meted out by us or by others? " He said: "Of course, it will be
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by us, for with us Allah has commenced and with us shall He end. It was by us that Allah united the hearts after it had suffered disbelief, and it will be by us that He will unite the hearts after the dissent. " Then I said: "Praise be to Allah, for the merit that He has granted us. "
8. Shi’ahs of ‘Ali are saved
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Amir, from Mualla ibn Muhamamd al-Basri, from Muhammad ibn Jamhur al-Ammi, who reported from Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, who heard from Abu Muhammad al-Wabishi, reporting from Abu al-Ward who said:
I heard Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, say: "When the Day of Resurrection will dawn, Allah will gather all people together on one plane, naked and barefooted, and they will be ranged on the road to the gathering place, till they will sweat profusely and their breathing will become difficult. They will be there for as long as Allah wills, and that is what Allah says in Qur'an:
'... and you shall hear nothing but whispers. ' (20: 108) "
He said: Then an announcer will announce from the Throne: "Where is the Makkan Prophet? " (He said) , the people will say: "You have caused all to hear, now name him. " It will be announced: "Where is the Prophet of mercy, Muhammad, son of Abdullah? "
Then the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, will rise and
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proceed before the people till he reaches the Pool, its length equal to the distance between Ayla and Sana; and then your master (i. e. ‘Ali) will be called and he will proceed in front of the people and stand with him (i. e the Prophet). Then people will be summoned to pass by.
Abu Ja'far, peace be upon him said: "Among them on that Day, some will arrive (to stay) and some will be driven away. When the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, will see that those sent away are from those who love us the Ahlul Bayt, he will weep and say: "O Lord, these are partisans of ‘Ali, O Lord, these are partisans of ‘Al! " He said: Allah will send an angel who will say: "O Muhamma! What makes you weep? "
He will say: "Why should I not weep for the fate of those who followed my brother ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. I see they are being sent off with the inmates of hell, and are prevented form being at my Pool? " He said: Then Allah will say: "O Muhammad, I give them away to you, and pardon them their sins for your sake, and I will unite them with those who loved your progeny; I will keep them in your group, and station them at your Pool, and accept your intercession for them. This is how I have honoured you. "
Then Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn said: There will be several men and women weeping
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on that Day, when they witness this, exclaiming: "O Muhammad, (help us). So no one who is our partisan and loves us will remain except that he will be in our party and with us, and will arrive at our Pool. "
9. The best and the worst among people
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Hammam al-Iskafi, who reported from Abdullah ibn Ala, who reported from Abu Saeed al-Adami, who reported from Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, commonly known as Zohl, from Jamil ibn Darraj, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "The best people among you are those who are generous, and the worst among you are the misers. And the best deed is to treat your brothers well, and to strive to fulfil their needs, for that is what Satan dislikes; and in that is salvation from hellfire and entrance into Paradise.
O Jamil, narrate this tradition to your special friends. " I said: "Who are my special friends? " He said: "Those who are kind to their brothers in the time of hardship and ease. " Then he said: "For those who are blessed with plenty, that is very easy. Indeed, Allah has praised those who have little. He said (in Qur'an):
'... and they prefer others above themselves, even though poverty may afflict them. And whoever is saved from the greed of his own soul, those are the ones who prosper. ' (59: 9) "
And Allah is Sufficient for us and
the Best Trustee, and may Allah bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet and his progeny.