Al-Amali, The Dictations of Shaykh al-Mufid
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BOOK ID
Author (s): Shaykh al-Mufid
Translator (s): Mulla Asgharali M M Jaffer
Publisher (s): World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities
Category: Hadith Collections
Topic Tags: Hadith Traditions
Person Tags: Shaykh al-Mufid
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Dictations of ahadith (traditions) by the great Shi'i scholar Shaykh al-Mufid to his students. One of the most important Shi'i sources of hadith.
Completion
The completion of this book of dictations is in this month of Ramadhan, in the year 411 Hijrah. And Allah is Sufficient for us and an Excellent Trustee.
Translated work completed on Wednesday 20th May 1998 at 9. 10 a. m.
Foreword
Sheikh al-Mufid wrote nearly 194 books and treatises, out of which few have survived passage of time, and meticulously planned destruction of the Shi’ah resources. Among the surviving ones, we have his "Al-Amaali" which is also known as "Al-Majaalis". His student al-Najashi has mentioned it as "Al-Amaali Al- Mutafarriqaat".
These were sessions held in the month of Ramadhan where al-Mufid read the traditions giving the chain of narration ending up to himself and the students wrote them down. Those who were absent wrote down from the recording of their colleagues, and then got it ratified by reading the text over to him.
The session began in the month of Ramadhan, 404 Hijra at the residence of one of his students Dhamrah Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad Ibn Abd al Rahman al- Farsi who lived in Baghdad. It ended in the month of Ramadhan 411 Hijra, just two years before his death. It has 42 sessions of varying durations.
With his
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profound insight of the subject matter, familiarity with all the other works of the author, and mastery of both Arabic and English languages, Mulla Asgharali M. M. Jaffer has renderd this work with much flair and lucidity. The comprehesive contents pages with subject subtitles will make this a useful publication for the lay reader as well as the serious researcher. We hope that this first attempt at publishing the translation of an ancient resource on Hadith will be well received.
Hasnain Walji
Secretariat
World Federation of KSI Muslim Communities.
Shabaan, 15, 1419/December, 4, 1998
The Past Master: Sheikh Al-Mufid
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Sheikh Tusi, (d. 460 A. H. ) introduced his mentor Sheikh al Mufid, in his al Fihrist thus:
"Muhammad b. Muhammad b. al-No'man, al-Mufid, had the kunya Abu Abdillah, and was well known as Ibn-al-Muallim. He was among the Imamiyya theologians, and was its final authority in his time. And he was a jurist (Faqih) of the advanced order, a man of polite demeanor, he was perspicacious and quick at repartee"
Sheikh Mufid was born on 11th Dhul Qa'dah, 336 Hijra (or 338 A. H. according to Sheikh Tusi) in Ukbara near Baghdad. He grew up under the care of his father who taught him the fundamentals of Arabic literature. Thereafter, accompanied by his father, he came to Baghdad and studied under the tutelage of al-Husain b. Ali al-Basri al-Mu'tazali, popularly known as Al-JUAL, and Abu Yasir, the slave of Abul Jaish.
In the ensuing year he qualified as an Alim of keen insight, a jurist of high repute and a formidable logician. In spite of
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being in the prime of his life, he enjoyed supremacy over most of his contemporaries, and became known as an acknowledged authority of Imamiyya sect. The ruler of his time, Sultan Adud-ud-daulah al-Daylami al-Buwaihi frequented at Sheikh's residence to pay him respect, and to inquire after his health when taken ill.
The Origins of the title al Mufid
Once his tutor Abu Yasir recommended that he attend the lessons in theology by Ali B. Isa al-Rummani, so as to gain deeper insight into the subject. Sheikh excused himself by saying that he was not acquainted with al-Rummani, and therefore needed an introduction. Abu Yasir gave him a letter and also arranged for someone to go with him to al-Rummani.
Sheikh al-Mufid says, I entered his class, and was impressed by the great number of students. So I sat at the end of the crowd, managing to creep forward as some members of the assembly left. Then I saw one man enter, saying: " (O Master) , there is someone at the door who insists on being admitted to your presence. He is from Basrah. " The master said: "Is he a man of any erudition? "
The servant said: "I do not know, but he seems very keen to be let in. " The Master relented, and the man from Basrah entered. The Master welcomed him respectfully, and they had a long conversation between them. Then he asked the Master, Ali b. Isa: "How do you view al-Ghadeer and al-Ghar (the event of the cave in which Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet during Hijrah)? "
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Ali b. Isa replied that "the report of al-Ghar was a recognised event, while al-Ghadeer was just a narrative. And a narrative is not as mandatory as a recognised event. " The man from Basrah then left without making any reply.
Al Mufid says: Then I came forward and said: "O Sheikh, I have a question. " He said: "Ask. " Then I asked: "What do you say about the one who fights a just Imam? " He said: "Such a person would be an infidel. " Then, after a pause, he rectified himself and said: "He would be a transgressor. "
I asked: "What do you say about Amirul Momineen Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be upon him? " He said: "I believe he was an Imam. " So I asked: "Then what do you say about the day of Jamal and Talha and al-Zubair? " He retorted that both of them had repented. I said: "The battle of Jamal is a recognised event, while their repentance is a mere narrative. "
Upon hearing this, he said: "Were you present when the man from Basrah put his question? " I said "yes. " He said: "Well, a narrative compares a narrative, and a recognised event compares a recognised event. " Then turning to me again, he asked: "What is your name and who is your tutor? " I said: " I am known as Ibn al- Muallim, and my tutor is Abu-Abdillah, al-Jual. " He said: "Stay where you are. "
Then he entered his room and came out with a letter, instructing me to hand over to my
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tutor. When I gave the letter to my tutor, he read it and then laughed. "What transpired between you in his class? He has asked me to confer upon you the title of al- Mufid. " I related to him the story, so he smiled.
The above incident has been recorded by Mirza Muhammad Baqir al-Khwansari in Rawdhat-ul-Jannaat (vol. 6 p. 159) , quoting from al-Saraa-er of Ibn ldrees and from Majmua'h Warraam. But Ibn Shahr Ashob in his Ma'alimul Ulamaa says that the title 'al-Mufid' was given to Sheikh al-Mufid, by our twelfth Imam, al- Hujjah, Sahebuzzaman, may his advent be soon.
A Teacher of great Ulama
Sheikh Mufid was a man of diverse talents. Besides being a jurist of the first order, he was a great literary figure, analytic historian, theologian and traditionist. His status as a Marja' of his time kept him extremely busy, yet he found time to conduct his teaching sessions, from which emerged great Ulama like Seyyid Murtadha (Alamul Huda) , Syed al-Radhi (the compiler ofNahjul Balaghah) , Sheikh Tusi (who laid the foundation of Hawza of Najaf) , al-Najashi and others.
Questions poured in from far and wide, and Sheikh answered them all. In fact, he was the defender of Imamiyya Sect, adequately aware of the needs of the Islamic world. To his credit stand several great works written in various Islamic sciences.
Ibn Abil Hadeed al-Mo'tazaly in his commentary on Nahjul Balaghah writes that once Sheikh Mufid saw Fatima al-Zahra, peace be upon her, in his dream. She was accompanied by her two young sons, al-Hasan and
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al-Husain, peace be upon them.
Addressing him, she said: "O my Sheikh, teach Fiqh (Jurisprudence) to these two boys of mine. " Next day, Fatimah, the mother of Seyyid Murtadha and Syed al- Radhi came to Sheikh, holding hands of her two young sons, and uttered the same words which Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her, had uttered in his dream.
Tributes by Other Scholars
Al-Dhahabi, the renowned Sunni scholar, paid tribute to al-Mufid in his Siyaru A'alaam al-Nabalaa (Vol 17 p. 344) saying:
The learned man of Rafidhah sect, (Rafidhah meaning Shia) author of various books, Sheikh al-Mufid. His name was Muhammad b. Muhammad b. al-No'man al- Baghdadi al-Shii, popularly known as Ibn al-Muallim. He was a versatile man, with numerous treatises and theological dissertations to his credit. He was a man of reticence and refinement. Ibn Abi Tayy has mentioned him in the History of the Imamiyya at length, saying: "He towered high above his contemporaries in all branches of knowledge, excelling in the principles of Fiqh, Fiqh, the traditions, the science of al-Rijal, (discerning the veracity of the narrators of the traditions) , exegesis of al-Quran, Arabic grammer and poetry. He entered into debate with men from all faiths and persuasions.
The Buwaihid kingdom looked upon him with great respect, and he had won the favours of the Caliphs. Resolute, charitable and humble, he was ascetic in his habits, always engrossed in prayers and fasting, and wearing coarse clothes. Reading and learning were his main traits, and he was blessed with a very retentive memory.
It is
said that he had committed every work of the opponents to memory, and was thus able to answer all their doubts and disputes. Always keen to learn more, frequenting book stores. It is said that Adud al-Dawlah visited him at times, and used to say: 'Plead, and thou shalt be granted. '"
Baghdad was the capital city of Islamic Empire teeming with learned ulama of diverse denominations. Quite often, sessions of religious polemics were held in presence of the kings, and all the men of influence. Sheikh Mufid invariably attended these debates, and ably argued to defend the Shia faith.
The effect of his formidable arguments was such that his adversaries prayed for his deat!
And when al-Mufid died, they displayed their joy without any shame. Ibn al-Naqib held a function for rejoicing when he heard of al-Mufid's death, and according to Tarikh Baghdad (Vol. 10 p. 382) , he said: "I do not care when I die, after having witnessed the death of Ibn al-Muallim. "
A Memorable Dream
Al-Karajaki has reported that once Sheikh Mufid saw a dream, and then dictated it to his companions and disciples. He said: I dreamt that as I was passing through a street, I saw a large crowd gathered around someone.
On enquiry, I was told that they had surrounded Umar b. al-Khattab, the second Caliph. I pushed myself forward, and when I came near him, I said: "O Sheikh, do you allow me to ask a question? " He said: "Ask. " So I said: "Would you explain me how is
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the excellence of your friend Abu Bakr established by the Ayah in which Allah says: 'the second of the two, when they were in the cave'. Your friends are making too much out of it. "
He said: "This Ayah proves Abu Bakr's excellence in six ways:
Allah mentions the Prophet, peace be upon him, and then mentions Abu Bakr with him, as his second of the two;
Allah mentions them as being together at one place; which is a sign of mutual affinity;
Allah adds further quality of being the Prophet's "SAHIB", the Companion;
Allah relates how kind and caring the Prophet was towards Abu Bakr when he told him, "Don't grieve";
Where the Prophet assured Abu Bakr that "Allah is with us" meaning that He will help both of them simultaneously;
Allah revealed that He will send down AS-SAKINAH (serenity) upon Abu Bakr because as far as the Prophet was concerned, AS SAKINAH never parted from him
These are six proofs of Abu Bakr's excellence from the mentioned Ayah. "
Sheikh Mufid says: "I told him that he had indeed made a good effort to make his point, and had left no room for any other person to be a better advocate for his friend. But I was going to demolish the arguments, making it like ashes blown away by the fast wind. "
Sheikh said:
"When you say that Allah has mentioned the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and then mentioned Abu Bakr as his second, I do not see anything extraordinary in that. For if you ponder
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over it, you will find that Allah was only revealing the number of persons present in the cave. They were two; there could have been a Mo'min and a Kafir and they would still be two. "
"And when you talk of they being together at one place, it is again as simple as the first case. If there was one place only, it could have been occupied by a Mo'min and a disbeliever also. The Mosque of the Prophet is definitely a better place than the cave, and yet it was a gathering place for the believers and the hypocrites. The Ark of Prophet Noah carried the Prophet Noah, together with Satan and the animals. So being together at one place is no virtue. "
"And when you talk about the added quality of being 'SAHIB', the companion, this indeed is a weaker point than the first two, because a believer and a disbeliever can both be in the company of each other. Allah, Most High, used the word 'SAHIB' in the following Ayah: 'His "Sahib" (companion) said to him while he was conversing with him: Have you disbelieved in the One Who created you from soil and then from a small quantity of sperm, then fashioned you harmoniously as a man? ' (al-Kahf, 18: 37).
Further, we find in Arabic literature that the word "SAHIB" is used for the accompanying donkey, and also for the sword. So, if the term can be used between a Momin and a Kafir, between a man and his
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animal, and between a living and an inanimate object, then what is so special in it about your friend? "
"And the words 'Don't grieve' were not meant for any solace;. Because it was a statement forbidding an act. In Arabic, we have 'donts' and 'dos' as imperative verbs. Now, the grief expressed by Abu Bakr was either an act of obedience or disobedience. If it was obedience, the Prophet would not have forbidden it, therefore it is proved that it was an act of sin and disobedience. "
"As for the assurance that 'Allah is with us', the pronoun 'us' was used by the Prophet for himself The use of plural pronoun for oneself is a sign of ones elevated status. Allah says:
'Indeed, We are the One who has revealed the Quran, and We will most surely preserve it. ' (Al-Hijr, 15: 9).
And again:
'We are the One who gives life and ordains death, and We are the inheritor' (al-Hijr, 15: 23).
And the Shias have their own version, which does not seem far-fetched. They say that Abu Bakr told the Prophet that his grief was for Ali b. Abi Talib (who was left behind in Makkah) , and the Prophet replied: 'Do not grieve, surely, Allah is with us' meaning; with me and my brother, Ali b. Abi Talib. "
"Your claim that As-Sakinah (serenity) was sent down to Abu Bakr is indeed outrageous. Because the verse clearly states that the serenity came unto him who was helped with the unseen army.
The Ayah says:
'... Then Allah sent
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down on him His serenity and strengthened him with unseen forces' (al-Tawbah, 9: 40).
So if As-Sakinah had descended upon Abu Bakr, he would have received the support of the unseen army. In fact, it would have been better if you had not attributed this to Abu Bakr. For according to Quran, this serenity was sent down on the Prophet twice:
'Then Allah sent down His serenity upon His messenger and the believers, and sent down forces which you did not see... '. (al Tawbah, 9: 26).
'Then Allah sent down His serenity upon His Messenger and the believers, and adhered them to the word of piety' (al-Fath, 48: 26).
In both places, the believers shared the serenity with the Prophet, but in this event of the cave, serenity was sent down to the Prophet alone, excluding Abu Bakr. This may be a pointer to the fact that Abu Bakr was not among the believer! "
Sheikh Mufid says that Umar made no reply to my arguments, and as people around him scattered, he woke up from his sleep.
An account of his death
Sheikh Mufid died on the eve of Friday, 3rd of Ramadhan, 413 A. H. His student Syed Murtadha prayed the Salaat of Mayyit for him, in the presence of nearly eighty thousand people, a crowd never seen before in any funeral in Baghdad.
Sheikh Tusi (d. 460 A. H. ) describes this sad event in al-Fihrist:
"The day of his death drew the largest crowd ever seen in any funeral, and both, friends and foes, wept uncontrollably".
Al-Mufid remained buried in his own house for two
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years, and then his body was transferred to Kadhmain where it was interred near his mentor, Ja'far b. Qawlayh's grave facing the feet of our 9th Imam, Imam Muhammad Taqi, al-Jawad, peace be upon him. His grave is still visited by those who visit the holy shrines in Kadhmain.
Peace be upon him on the day he was born, and on the day he died, and on the day he will be resurrected alive.
The First Assembly
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In the name of Allah,
Most Merciful, Most Beneficent
All praise be to Allah, the Sustainer of the worlds.
And blessings and peace be upon the noble master, Muhammad ibn Abdillah, the last of the Prophets,
and upon his progeny, (who are) the straight path,
the infallible Imams.
May peace be upon them all from Allah.
It met on Saturday, the first of the month of Ramadhan, in the year 404 Hijra, in Baghdad at the location called al-Zayyarain on the Rib'ah street, at the residence of Dhamrah Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abdul Rehman al-Farsi, may Allah perpetuate his honour, by way of dictation from his books:
1. Registering Good Deeds
The grand Shaikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may Allah continue to bless him with His protection and beneficence today said: Abul Hasan Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid reported to me from his father Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al Saffar, from Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Khalid, from Ibn Hammad, from Abu Jamilah, from Jabir ibn Yazeed that Abu Ja'far Muhammad al-Baqir, peace be
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upon him, reported from his father that:
"Surely, the Angel appointed to the servant (of Allah) records (everything) in his books of deeds. So, register a good deed at its beginning and at its end, (so that) Allah may forgive you that which transpires in between. "
2. Condition for the Acceptance of Acts of Devotion.
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Zubair al-Kufi reported to me, with permission to report from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Faddhal, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Asbat who reported from Muhammad ibn Yahya, the brother of Mughallas, from al-Ula ibn Razin, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from one of the two (Imams) , peace be upon them, saying that:
I told him: "We see a man deeply engrossed in the acts of devotion, humble and trying his best (to please Allah) , yet he is opposed to you. Does that benefit him anything? "
He said: "O Muhammad, the similitude of us Ahlul Bayt is like that of a household among Banu Israel, of whom whoever strived devotedly for forty nights, his prayer was answered. " Among them there was one who strenuously worshipped for forty nights and his prayer went unanswered. So he came to Isa, son of Maryam, peace be upon him, complaining about the situation he was in, and beseeching him to pray for him. So Isa made ablutions, and prayed.
Allah revealed unto him: "O Isa, surely, this servant of mine came through a gate other than the one through which I am reached. He prayed while his heart had doubts about you. So, (even)
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if he called upon me till his neck were severed and his fingers fell apart, I would not answer him. "
Then Isa approached him and said: "You call upon your Lord while your heart doubts His Prophet? "
He said: "O Spirit of Allah, and His word, by Allah, it was like what you said. Now, please pray unto Him to remove that from me. " Then Isa prayed (for him) and Allah accepted it from him, and he was again reverted to his household.
Similar is the case of us Ahlul Bayt. Allah does not accept the acts of devotion from a servant who doubts about us.
3. Al-Harith Al-Hamadani and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Zubair reported to me from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Mahdi, who reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Amru who reported from his father, from Jamil ibn Swaleh, from Abu Khalid al-Kabuli, from al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah who said:
Al-Harith Al-Hamadani called upon Amirul Mu’mineen (‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib) with a company of the Shi’ahs, and I was among them. Al-Harith walked with a bent stature, hitting his walking stick hard on the ground. He was indeed ill. So Amirul Mu’mineen came close to him and al-Harith had a good standing in his estimation, and he said: "How do you find yourself, O Harith? "
He said: "The vicissitude of time has overtaken me, and the dispute among your companions about you and the three before you, has added to my anguish and anger. There are those who have gone to the extreme in
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their passionate love for you, and those who are yours in moderation, and those who waver in doubt, not knowing whether to proceed or recoil. "
He (‘Ali) said: "Suffice it for you, Oh brother (from) Hamada! Be it known that my best followers are the people united on the middle path. To them should the extremists return, and with them should the hesitants join. "
Then al-Harith said: "My father and mother be your ransom, could you (further clarify so as to) remove the filth from our hearts, and (to) make us as sure about our affair as seeing with one's eyes? "
He (peace be upon him) said: "That is enough for you. You are possessed by confusion. Surely, the religion of Allah is not known (or judged) by the people, it is recognized by the sign of Truth. Know the Truth, and you shall know its people. O Harith, surely Truth is the best (and most sublime) narration, and whosoever utters it is indeed a fighter (a soldier of Truth). I have informed you the Truth, so lend me your ear and inform among your friends who have sound judgement.
Be it known that I am a slave of Allah, the brother of His messenger and his first confirmer. I confirmed his truth when Adam lay between the spirit and the body. Then, I am his first confirmer truth among you people. We are the first and we are the last. And we are his special ones with distinction, and we are his sincere
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ones. And I am his cousin, and his successor, and his trustee and possessor of his confidence and secret. I have been given the understanding of the Book, and (blessed with) sound judgement and decision, and the knowledge about the generations and the relations.
And I am entrusted with a thousand keys, each key opens a thousand chapters, each chapter breaks into a thousand testament. And in addition, I am supported and especially chosen and helped by the Night of Qadr, and that continues for me and my descendants who guard against sins, for as long as the days and the nights subsist, till such time when Allah shall inherit the earth and all who are upon it. I give you glad tidings, O Harith, you shall recognize me at the time of death, and at the Bridge, and at the Pool, and at the time of division. "
Al-Harith said: "O my master, what is the time of division? " He said: "Division at the hell-fire, when I will make a correct separation. I shall say: This is my friend, so leave him; this is my adversary, so take him"
Then Amirul Mu’mineen took (al-Harith) by his hand and said: "I hold your hand the way the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) , held my hand and said (when I complained to him about the envious Quraish and the hypocrites) 'Surely, on the Day of Judgement, I shall hold the rope of Allah and cling to His safeguard, and you, O ‘Ali,
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shall hold fast to my safeguard, and your descendants shall cling to your safeguard, and your Shi’ahs shall hold fast to the safeguard of all of you. ' So what will Allah do to His Prophet? And what will the Prophet do to his successor? (The same shall we do to our followers). Take this, O Harith, the summary of all the details. Yes, you shall be with the one you love, and for you shall be what you have earned. "
He said this three times.
Then al-Harith stood up, pulling his cloak behind him, and saying: "After this, I care not when Death meets me or I meet it. "
Jameel B. Swaleh says that Abu Harith Seyyid al-Himyari, may Allah bless him with mercy, narrated this for me in the following poem:
"The statement of ‘Ali to Harith is marvelous,
And how much of marvels did he carry with him?
(He said) O Harith of Hamadan, whoever dies shall see me,
Be he a believer or a hypocrite, a clear sight before him.
His eyes shall recognize me, and I will know him,
By his attributes, his name, and by his deeds.
I shall quench his thirst with cold water,
The sweetness of which will seem to you like that of honey.
And when you will stand before hell fire, I shall say,
Leave him, and do not be near him,
Leave him, and be away from him, for indeed,
He has a rope bound with the rope of the Prophet's successor. "
4. Four Habits from the treasures of Virtue
He said: Al Sharif, al-Zahid Abu Muhammad al Hasan ibn Hamza al-Alawiy al-Husayni al-Tabari
- may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Abu Ja'far, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Waleed, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Bakr ibn Swaleh, from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, from Abdullah ibn Ibrahim from Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, who reported from his father and grandfather, peace be upon them, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Four (habits) are from the (hidden) treasures of virtue: to keep silent about one's needs, one's charity, one's indisposition and one's adversity. "
5. Helping a needy Mu’min
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported from his father, from S'ad ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Hammad, from Ibrahim ibn Umar al-Yamnani, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali - may Allah bless him with mercy, that Zainul Abideen ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, said:
"He who feeds a hungry Mu’min, Allah will feed him from the fruits of Paradise; and he who quenches the thirst of a Mu’min, Allah will slacken his thirst from the pure, sealed nectar (on the day of reward). And he who clothes a Mu’min, Allah will clothe him with green brocade (of heaven) , and he will remain under the protection of Allah, Most High, as long as a thread of that cloth remains upon him (i. e. the Mu’min whom he clothed). "
6. The Place of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Al-Husayn ibn Babawayh, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported
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to me from his father who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from ‘Ali ibn al-Nu’man, from Amir ibn Ma'qal, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, that Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said:
"O Abu Hamza, do not place ‘Ali (A. S. ) below the level to which Allah has raised him, and do not elevate him above the level where Allah has kept him. It is enough (excellence) for ‘Ali that he is the one who fought the apostates and he is the one who will pair off the inmates of Paradise. "
7. Dying with the love of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Maythami reported to me from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Mustanir, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Masa'b, who reported from Abbad ibn Yaqoob, who reported from Abu Abdil Rahman al-Mas'oodi, from Katheer al-Nawa', from Abu Maryam al-Khawlani, from Malik ibn Dhamrah, that Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (A. S. ) said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, held my hand and said: "Whoever dutifully performed the five (daily) prayers, and then died with your love in his heart, he will have redeemed his pledge. And whoever died with hatred for you, died a death of ignorance (i. e. the era before Islam) , though he will account for his deeds as ordained by Islam. And he who lives after you, with your love in his heart, Allah will end his life with security and faith, till he arrives near
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me at the Pool. "
8. The most beloved steps by a Mu’min
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 Safwan ibn Yahya, from Mansoor ibn Hazim, from Abu Hamza, from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn Zainul Abideen (A. S. ) that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said:
"The most beloved steps in Allah's estimation are two: one taken by a Mu’min to fill the rank in the way of Allah, another taken by a Mu’min to mend the relations with a blood relative who had cut off. And the most worthy swallows in His estimation are two: the swallow of anger by a Mu’min while reacting to provocation with gentleness, and swallow of sadness and anxiety, giving a patient response to the trying times. And the most beloved droplets in His estimation are two: a drop of blood spilled in the way of Allah, and a drop of tears shed in the darkness of night, fearing Allah. "
9. Witnessing Hearts
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad reported to me from his father, from Sa'ad ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Hammad ibn Uthman from Rabe'e ibn Abdillah from al-Fudhail ibn Yasar from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, that:
He said: "Look into your heart. If it disowns your friend (or harbours doubt about him) then either of you must have done something (improper). "
10. Reconciliation among people
He said: Al-Sharif al-Zahid Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Hamza reported to
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me from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Waleed, from Muhammad. ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Amru al-Afraq and Hudhaifa ibn Mansoor that Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:
"The charity best loved by Allah is to bring about reconciliation among people when they are divided by friction and to bring them closer to each other when they have moved apart. "
11. Provision from unexpected quarters
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ja'far reported to me from his father, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Barqi that Hammad ibn Isa said:
I requested Abul Hasan Musa ibn Ja'far, peace be upon him, saying: "May I be your ransom, pray to Allah that He may bless me with a son, and may not deprive me from Haj as long as I live. " He says: "He prayed for me and Allah gave me this son. And whenever the days of Haj arrived while I had no means for the expenses, Allah provided from unexpected quarters. "
12. On being mindful - not conceited
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Husayn ibn Saeed, from Muhammad ibn Abu Umair from al-Harith ibn Behram, from Amru ibn Jamee' that:
Abu Abdillah, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him told me: "Whoever comes to us seeking Fiqh, Qur'an and its exegesis, let him in. And whoever comes to reveal such secret (fault of the others)
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which Allah (in His Mercy) has concealed, discard hi! " Someone said: "May I be your ransom, may I mention my present situation? " He said: " (Yes) , if you so wish. " He said: "By Allah, I am persistent upon sin since long time, and I intend to transform myself, but I cannot. " He said: "If what you say is true, then Allah loves you, and He does not prevent your transformation except that you may fear him (more by being mindful, and not conceited). "
The Second Assembly
point
The Assembly took place on Wednesday, fifth of Ramadhan. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may Allah bless him with beneficent care, said today:
1. Love of Ahlul Bayt leads to Paradise
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Umar al-Zayyat informed us that ‘Ali ibn Ismail reported to him from Muhammad ibn Khalaf, who reported from al-Husayn al-Ashqar, who reported from Qais, from Laith ibn Abi Sulaim, from Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Laila, reporting from Al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said:
"Remain steadfast on our love, the Ahlul Bayt. For he who meets Allah with our love, will enter the Paradise with our intercession. By He Who controls my soul, a servant (of Allah) does not benefit from his deeds except by knowing us (and our stature). "
2. The System of Islam
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported from Ishaq ibn Muhammad, who reported from Zaid ibn al-Muaddal, from Saif ibn Umar, from Muhammad ibn Kuraib, from his father, from Abdullah ibn
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Abbas that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said:
"Listen and obey those whom Allah has granted the authority - for that is the system of Islam. "
3. Adam, Noah, Ibrahim & ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Salim has reported to me from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Isa al-Ajaly, who reported from Masood ibn Yahya al- Nahdi, who reported from Sharik, from Abu Ishaq, from his father that:
Once when the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was sitting with a group of his companions, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib approached near him. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Whoever wishes to look at Adam in his image and nobility, at Noah in his wisdom, at Ibrahim in his forbearance, he should look at ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. "
4. Mu'awiya's Discussion on Imamah and Khilafa with Abdullah ibn Abbas
He said: Abu Ubaiydillah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Muhammad ibn Husayn al-Jawhaeri, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Sulaiman who reported from al-Zubair ibn Bakkaar, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Swaleh, who reported from Abdullah ibn Mas'ab, from his father that Abdullah ibn Abbas called upon Mua'wiya ibn Abi Sufyan, who welcomed him, and then said:
"O Ibn Abbas, you people wish to restrict Imamat (to yourselves) the way you have been privileged with Prophethood? By Allah, these two will never go together. Your argument about the Caliphate has put people in doubt. You say: 'We are Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, then why should the succession to the Prophethood
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be outside us? ' This creates suspicion, for it has a semblance of truth, and a touch of justice.
But things are not the way you imagine. The Caliphate has to rotate in various tribes of Quraish according to the general will of the public and the consultation of the selected ones. And we do not find people saying: 'We wish we were ruled by Banu Hashim, for if they did, we would have been better off here and hereinfter. '
And if you had stayed away from it yesterday the way you claim, you would have fought for it today. And By Allah, if you had acquired the rulership, O Banu Hashim, then the ill wind of A'd and the thunderbolt of Thamood would not have been worse killer of men than you. "
So Ibn Abbas replied (May Allah bless him with mercy): "O Mu'awiya, when you said that we base our argument on the Prophethood to prove our eligibility for Caliphate, then, by Allah, it is of course as you say. For if the Prophethood does not provide eligibility to the succession (Caliphate) , what else does?
And when you say that Caliphate and Prophethood do not combine for anyone, then what would say about the verse in which Allah, Most High, Says:
'Do they envy the people for the bounty that Allah has given them by His Grace. Yet We gave the family of Ibrahim the Book, and the Wisdom and We gave them a mighty sovereignty. ' (al-Nisa, 4: 54)
So, the Book is
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the Prophethood, the Wisdom is the Sunnah, the Traditions of the Prophet, and the sovereignty is the Caliphate. And we are the descendants of Ibrahim, and that is why the order remains applicable for us till the Day of Judgement.
As for your claim that our arguments are dubious, then that is not true. Our arguments are brighter than the sun, and more luminous than the moon. The Book of Allah is with us, and the Traditions of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, are within us. And you know that very well, but pride makes you turn away; and you hold your head in haughtiness because we killed your brother, your grandfather, your maternal uncle and your father's brother.
Well, do not shed tears over the rotten bones, and upon the souls which are perished in hell-fire; and do not be vengeful for the blood spilled in the way of polytheism, made lawful by unbelief, and is debased by the religion (Islam).
And as for the people who refused to give us preference and turned away from granting us their consensus, be it clear that what they have lost from us is greater than what we have lost from the! In every matter, the truth is established and the untruth is dispelled when the result is obtained.
And as for your pride in this transitory kingdom to which you have ascended by trickery, (remember that even) Pharaoh had such kingdom before you, and Allah destroyed him. O Banu Umayya,
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what you hold under rule for a day, we may hold it for two days after you; and what you have for a month, we may have it for two months, and if for a year, then we may hold it for two years.
And when you said that if we were the authority, our rule would have been a worse killer of men than the ill wind of A'd and the thunderbolt of Thamood, that statement has been belied by Allah, the Most High, in the Qur'an:
'And We did not send you but as a mercy to all beings. ' (al-Anbiya, 21: 107)
As we are the nearest inmates of the Prophet's household, our mercy over the creatures of Allah is evident; and the torment of your kingdom over the people is there for everyone to see. And after you have gone, the kingdom will be in the hands of your son and your brothers - and that will be a worse killer of people than the fatal wind. Then Allah will avenge through His devotees, and the final success is for the pious. "
5. Words of Wisdom from Ibn Hanafiyya
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qarashi reported to me with a permission to transmit, that ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Faddal reported from al-Husayn ibn Nasr, who reported from his father, who reported from Abdul Ghaffar ibn al-Qasim, who reported from al-Minhal ibn Amru who said he heard Abul Qassim Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, Ibn al-Hanafiyya (may Allah be pleased with him) say:
"There is nothing for you in your
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life except tasteful pleasure which brings you closer to your death, and nearer to your sleep. Every food causes a lump and every drink is accompanied by a chok! So ponder over your affairs; as if you were (already) a lost friend and a dream carried awa! The people of the earth are on a journey, they do not have to break camp except elsewhere. "
6. On Ahlul Bayt (as)
And with the same chain of narration, it is reported from Abul Qasim, Muhammad ibnAli, Ibn al-Hanafiyya, that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said:
"He who does not have mercy on our young ones, and shows no reverence to our old ones and does not recognize our rights, is not from us. "
7. Nine Testify to the Wilayah of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan Muhammad ibn Muzaffar al-Warraq has reported to me from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abu al-Thalj who said al-Husayn ibn Ayyub had informed from his book, reporting from Muhammad ibn Ghalib, from ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan, from Abdullah ibn Jablah, from Zurayh al-Maharibi, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali who reported from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace upon him, who reported from his father, who reported from his grandfather that:
Allah sent Jibraeel to Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, exhorting him to testify the wilayah of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (A. S. ) in his lifetime, and to name him Amirul Mu’mineen before his death. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, invited nine leaders (of the groups) and said: "I have invited you so that you may
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bear witness upon the earth in the name of Allah, whether you stand by it or hide it. "
Then he said: "O Abu Bakr, Rise and greet ‘Ali as Amirul Mu’mineen (the Commander of the faithfuls). " He said: "Is this by the order of Allah and His Prophet? " He said: "Yes". So he stood and greeted him as such (i. e. Amirul Mu’mineen).
Then he said: "O Umar, Rise and greet ‘Ali as Amirul Mu’mineen. " He said: "Should we name him as Amirul Mu’mineen by the order of Allah and His Prophet? " He said: "Yes". So he rose and greeted him.
Then he turned to Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi: "Rise and greet ‘Ali as Amirul Mu’mineen. " He stood up and greeted him, without repeating what the earlier two had said.
Then he said to Abu Dharr al-Ghifari: "Rise and greet ‘Ali as Amirul Mu’mineen. " He stood up and greeted. Then he asked Hudhaifa al-Yamani: "Rise and greet Amirul Mu’mineen. " He stood up and greeted. The he asked Ammar ibn Yasir: "Rise and greet Amirul Mu’mineen. " He stood up and greeted. Then he asked Buraidah: "Rise and greet Amirul Mu’mineen. " Buraidah was the youngest among them, he stood up and greeted.
Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "I have invited you for this matter, so that you are Allah's witnesses, whether you uphold it or abandon it. "
8. Master Herein, Master Hereafter
He said: Abul Hasan Muhammad ibn al-Muzaffar reported to me from Muhammad ibn Jurair, who reported from Ahmad ibn Ismail who reported from Abdul al- Razzaq ibn
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Hammam, who reported from Mu'mar, from al-Zuhari, from Ubaidullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utbah, from Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah bless him with mercy, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, looked at ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and said: " (Here is) the master herein, and the master hereinafter. "
9. Supplicate Constantly
He said: Abu Ghalib al-Zurari reported to me from Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, who reported from Abdul Rehman ibn Abu Najran who reported from Safwan, from Seif al-Tammar, who reported that Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad (A. S. ) said:
"Be supplicating constantly, for there is nothing like it to take you nearer (to Allah). And do not avoid asking for small matters because of its smallness, for the provider of the small is also the provider of the big. "
Third Assembly
point
Met on Saturday the 8th of Ramadhan. Our grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may Allah perpetuate His beneficence upon him, said today:
1. Adopting Ignorant Leaders
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported from Abdullah ibn Ishaq, who reported from Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Baghvi, who reported from Abu Qatan, who reported from Hisham al-Dastwai, from Yahya ibn Abu Katheer, from Urwah, from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said:
"Surely, Allah does not withdraw knowledge from the people by erasing it from their minds; rather, He does so by taking away the learned people (from among them). And when there is no learned man around, people adopt the ignorant men as their leaders, and
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refer their questions to these (ignorant leaders) , who answer without any knowledge, thus going astray, and causing others to go astray. "
2. Five Prostrations for glad tidings
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 Ahmad ibn Alawiyyah, from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Tawabah ibn al-Khaleel, who reported from Uthman ibn Isa who reported from Abu Abdil Rehman, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad (A. S. ) that:
Once when the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was travelling, he dismounted and then performed five prostrations (Sijdah). When he mounted again, one of his companions said: "We saw you do something, O messenger of Allah, which you never did before. " He said: "Yes, Jibraeel came to me and gave me glad news that ‘Ali belongs in Paradise. So I went into prostration to thank Allah.
When I raised my head, he said: 'Fatimah belongs in Paradise. ' I went to prostrate again to thank Allah. And when I raised my head, he said: 'al-Hasan and al- Husayn are the masters of the youths of Paradise. ' So I prostrated to thank Allah. And when I raised my head, he said: 'And those who love them belong in Paradise. ' So I prostrated to thank Allah. And when I raised my head, he said: 'And those who love the people who love them (Ahlul Bayt) belong in Paradise. ' (So I prostrated to thank Allah). "
3. Abu Hanifa acknowledges al-Sadiq's authority
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to
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me from Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed al-Hamadani, who reported from Ahmad ibn Yahya Zakariyya; and Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Salim among the latter ones, both of whom reported from Abdullah ibn Salim, who reported from Hisham ibn Mehran, who reported from his maternal uncle Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Attar, who was among the prominent companions of A'armash, reporting from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Hasan, reported from Munzir ibn Jayfar, reporting from Muhammad ibnYezid Albani, who said:
I was present at Ja'far ibn Muhammad's (as) , when Umar ibn Qays al-Masir and Abu Hanifa and Umar ibn Dharr, together with a group of their companions, called upon him. Then they asked him about faith (al-Iman). He said: The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "An adulterer (and a fornicator) does not commit that sin at the same time being a Mu’min, and a thief does not steal at the same time being a Mu’min, and one does not drink liquor (intoxicant) while being a Mu’min. "
We started looking at each other, then Umar ibn Dharr said: "What shall we call them? "
He, peace be upon him, said: "Call them the way Allah has called them because of their deeds. Allah in Qur'an says: 'And for a male thief and a female thief, cut off their hands' (al-Maedah V: 38) and 'As for the fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them a hundred stripes. ' (al-Noor V: 2). " Hearing this, they stared at each other.
Muhammad ibn Yazid says: Bishr ibn Umar
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ibn Dharr, who was with them, reported to me that: When we left, Umar ibn Dharr said to Abu Hanifa: "Why did you not ask him who had reported from the Prophet? " He (Abu Hanifa) said: "What can I say to a man who (authoritatively) says: The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said. "
4. When the Angel came to greet ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from Muhammad ibn ldress who reported from al-Hasan ibn Atiyyah who reported from a man called Israeel, from Maysarah ibn Habib, from al-Minhal , from Dharr ibn Jaysh, from Huzaifah who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, (once) said to me: "Did you see the person who presented himself to me? " I said: "Yes, O messenger of Allah. " He said: "He was an angel who had never descended before this. He sought permission from Allah, Most High, to greet ‘Ali; he was granted permission and then greeted him. And he gave me glad news that al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the masters of the youths of Paradise, and Fatimah is the leading lady of all the women in Paradise. "
5. The Prophet's (SAW) inheritance: Knowledge of the unseen
He said: I have been informed by al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn al-Mughairah, who reported from Abu Muhammad Haider ibn Muhammad al-Samarqandi, who reported from Abu Amru Muhammad ibn Amru al-Kashi, who reported from Hamdawayh ibn Naseer, who reported from Ya'qoob ibn Yazeed, who reported from Ibn Abi Umayr, who reported from Ibn al-Mughairah who said:
Yahya ibn Abdullah ibn al-Hasan and I were with Abul
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Hasan, peace be upon him, and Yahya asked him: "May I be your ransom, they think that you have the knowledge of the unseen (Ilmul Ghaib). " He said: "Glory be to Alla! Place your hand over my head. " When I did that, every hair in my head and on my body stood on its end. Then he said: "No, By Allah, it is nothing but what we have inherited from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny). "
6. Refraining from fault finding
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reorted to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, who reported from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Ibrahim and al-Fadhl - the two Ash'aries - from Abdullah ibn Bukair, from Zurarah who reported that Abu Ja'far or Abu Abdillah (as) said:
"When a servant of Allah befriends someone, under the pretense of religion, with a motive to find out his drawbacks and errors, so that he would then taunt that man, he draws himself closest to becoming an infidel. "
7. When sins multiply
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Husayn ibn Saeed, from Ibn Abu Umayr, from Ismail ibn Ibrahim, from al-Hakam ibn Utaibah that Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, said:
"When the sins of a servant of Allah multiply and grow in number, and he has nothing to expiate his sins with,
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Allah tests him with sorrow and grief, and thus expiate his sins. "
8. Events after the battle of Jamal
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Mustawrad, who reported from Muhammad ibn Munir, who reported from Ishaq ibn Wazir, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Fudhail ibn Ata, the client of Mazeenah, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) , from his father, who reported that Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, Ibn Hanafiyya said:
"The standard of the army on the day of the battle of Jamal was with me, and the worst casualties were suffered by Bani Zabbah. When the people retreated, Amirul Mu’mineen (as) , accompanied by Ammar ibn Yasir and Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, may Allah bless them with His Pleasure - came to the howdah (of Aisha) which looked like the spike of a porcupine because of the arrows which had pierced it, and he hit it with his stick and said: 'O, Humayra, you wanted to kill me the way you killed the son of Affan (i. e. Uthman). Is this what Allah has commanded you?
Or is this the pledge which the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, took from you? ' She said: 'You have conquered, so be forgiving. '
Then he (i. e. ‘Ali {AS}) said to Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr: 'Find out if she has been hit with any weapon. ' He found her safe, except for an arrow, which had pierced her attire, and grazed her a little. So Ibn Abi
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Bakr said: 'O Amirul Mu’mineen, She is safe, except for an arrow, which has struck her clothes and bruised her a bit. '
So ‘Ali said: 'Convey her to the house of the two sons of Khalaf al-Khuzai. ' And then he ordered an announcer to announce: The wounded should not be killed, and those running away should not be pursued. And whoever shuts his door, he will be in peace. "
9. "Never confirm the tradition of Ghadeer-e-khumm" said Abu Hanifa
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-Husayn al- Taymali, who said that he saw in his father's book, that Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Ashja'ee reported to him from Muhammad ibn Nawfil ibn A'ez al-Sayrafl, who said:
We were with al-Haitham ibn Habibn al-Sayrafi when Abu Hanifa al-Nu’man ibn Thabit called upon us. Then we remembered Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (A. ) and we discussed about Ghadeer Khumm. Abu Hanifah said: "I have told my followers: never confirm to them the tradition of Ghadeer Khumm, for (if you did) , they will begin argumentation against you. "
(Upon hearing this) , the colour of al-Haitham ibn Habib al-Sayrafl's face changed, and he said: "Why would they not confirm the tradition? Do you not have it as an authentic one, O Nu’man? " He said: "Yes, I do have it as such, and it has been reliably reported to me. " He said: " (Then) why should they not confirm it, while it has been reported to us from Habib ibn Abu Thabit, from Abu
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al-Tufail, from Zaid ibn Arqam that at Rahbah, ‘Ali (as) adjured the people who had heard it. " So Abu Hanifa said: "Don't you see that the discussion had started on the subject, till ‘Ali had to put people on oath? "
Then al-Haitham said: "So should we call ‘Ali a liar, or reject his claim? " Abu Hanifah replied: "No, we do not belie him nor do we reject what he said. But you know that people have gone to the extremes about him. " Al-Haitham said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, spoke about him, and (openly) addressed the people about it, while we fear mentioning it and avoid it, because someone gets to the extreme, or says what he likes? "
Then someone arrived to interrupt with another question, and the discussion was disrupted. The discussion became a common knowledge in Kufa. Then Habib ibn Nizar ibn Hayyan met us at the market and he came to al-Haitham, saying: "I have come to know what you said about ‘Ali (as) , and the answer given to you. " Habib was a client of Banu Hashim, so al-Haitham told him: "There is more than what meets the eye. " And then the matter was forgotten, till we later went to Haj with Habib, and we called upon Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) , and greeted him. Then Habib said: "O Abu Abdillah, such and such discussion took place. "
The face of Abu Abdillah (as) revealed some displeasure. So Habib said: "This is Muhammad ibn Nawfil, who
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was present at the discussion. " (At that time) , Abu Abdillah said: "O Habib, restrain yourself. Deal with the people according to their ways, and distinguish yourselves by your deeds. For everyone will get that which he earns, and on the Day of Judgement, one will be with those who one loved. Do not force people upon yourselves or upon us. Enter into the masse! For there are days of our rule which Allah will bring in when He wills. Do you understand O Habi! Do not disobey my order, else you will repent. " He said: "I shall never disobey you. "
Abul Abbas says I asked ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan about Muhammad ibn Nawfil. He said: He was from Kufa. I asked him: "With whom was he affiliated? " He said: "I suppose he was a client of Banu Hashim, and so was Habib ibn Nizar ibn Hayyan. And the controversy which occurred between him and Abu Hanifah coincided with the rise of Banu Abbas, so they could not openly express themselves about Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny. "
10. The Inner self
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi has reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Salim al-Azadi, from Musa ibn al-Qasim, from Muhammad ibn Imran al-Bijilli who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah (as) say: "Whoever has not been blessed by Allah with an admonishing innerself, he can derive no benefit from the admonitions of the people. "
Fourth Assembly
point
(This is) From what he dictated at a
gathering on Saturday, the middle of the month (Ramadhan) , when I was not present, but I copied it down and read it over to him. And my son Abul Fawaris, may Allah keep him, heard it on Thursday, the 5th of Shawwal, this year. The great Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nu’man, may Allah continue to bless him with beneficent care, reported to us this day, which was then read over to him:
1. The status of the seeker
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed al-Hamadani, who reported from Abu Musa, Harun ibn Amru al-Majaashei, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, who reported from his grandfather that:
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) , said: "A learned man among the ignorant people is like a living person among the dead. And everything, including the fish, the poisonous vermins, the wild beasts and the cattle pray for the forgiveness of the one who seeks knowledge. So, seek knowledge, for surely, it is a conducive mean between you and Allah, Most High. And surely, seeking of knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim. "
2. A deed performed with taqwa
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Muhammad ibn Harun ibn Abdul Rehman al-Hijazi, who reported from his father, who reported from Isa ibnAbul Ward, from Ahmad ibn Abdul Aziz, who reported from Abu Abdillah (as) that:
Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon
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him, said: "A deed when performed with Taqwa (i. e. being mindful of one's duties towards Allah, and guarding oneself from sins for the fear of Allah) is not (of) less (importance). And how can that be less which has been accepted (by Allah)? "
3. Three groups within the Ummah
He said: Al-Sharif Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Jawani reported from Abu Talib al-Muzaffar ibn Ja'far ibn al-Muzaffar al-Alawi al-Umri, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Masood, (from his father) , who reported from Nasr ibn Ahmad who reported from ‘Ali ibn Hafs, who reported from Khalid al-Qatwai, who reported from Yunus ibn Arqam, who reported from Abdul Hamid ibn Abu al-Khansa, who reported from Ziyad ibn Yazid, who reported from his father, from his grandfather Farwah al-Zifari who reported that:
I heard Salman, may Allah bless him with mercy, say: The Prophet (Peace be upon him and his progeny) , said: "My Ummah will be divided into three groups: a group on the absolute Truth, from which falsehood can reduce nothing. They will love me and my Ahlul Bayt, and their likeness is that of pure gold, which when put to the (test of) burning fire, increases in brilliance. And a group upon the false path, where Truth will reduce nothing. They will hate me and my Ahlul Bayt, and their likeness is that of iron, which when put to fire, increases nothing but evil. And a group like the rolling stones, following the path of Samiri. They would not say: 'Touch me not', they would say: 'No fighting (for the
just cause). ' Their leader will be al-Ash'ari. (i. e. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari). "
4. Saints & Nobles
He said: Abu Bakr, Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi, reported to me from Abul Abbas, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Umar ibn Isa ibn Uthman, who reported from his father, who reported from Khalid ibn Amir ibn Abbas, from Muhammad ibn Swaid al-Ash'ari who said:
Fatr ibn Khalifa and I called upon Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) , and he presented some dates to us which we ate, and gave some to Fatr. Then he said to him (Fatr): "What about the tradition which Abu al-Tufail, may Allah bless him with mercy, narrated to me about the saints? " Fatr said: I heard Abu al-Tufail say: "I heard ‘Ali, Amirul Mu’mineen say that Abdal (the saints) are from the people of Sham and the noble ones are from the people of Kufa. Allah will rally them together on a day which will be the worst day for our enemies. "
Then Ja'far al-Sadiq (as) said: "May Allah have mercy upon you. With us begins the (severe) test, and then with you, and with us shall begin the relief and then with you. May Allah bless those with His mercy who endear us to the people, and do not cause them to detest us. "
5. The final Rites for our Prophet (SAW)
He said: ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qarshi reported to me, by way of permission (to transmit further) from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Faddhal, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Nasr, who reported from his father, who reported from Ahmad ibn Abdulla ibn
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Abdul Malik, who reported from Abdul Rehman al-Masoodi, from Amru ibn Hurayth al-Ansari, from al-Husayn ibn Salemah al-Banani, from Abu Khalid al- Kabuli, from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said:
When Amirul Mu’mineen finished giving Ghusl, Kafan and Hunoot to the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, he allowed people in, and said: "Enter in the grou of tens for offering your prayers upon him. " They entered, and Amirul Mu’mineen stood between him (i. e. the Prophet) and them and recited:
'Surely, Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe, you should also send blessings and peace upon him. ' (al-Ahzab, 33: 56) "
People repeated what he said. Abu Ja'far said: "This was the prayer offered on him, peace be upon him and his progeny. "
6. Asserting ones creed (and about Zaid ibn ‘Ali)
He said: Abu Ghalib Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Zarari reported to me from Abul Qasim, Hamid ibn Ziyad, who reported from al-Hasan ibn Muhammad, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ziyad al-Attar, from his father al-Hasan ibn Ziyad who said:
When Zaid ibn ‘Ali advanced upon Kufa, some reservation entered my mind about it. He says: Then I went to Makkah, and passed by Madinah to call upon Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who was then ill. I found him lying prone on his bed, with nothing left between his skin and the bones. I said: "I wish to assert before you my creed. " He turned on his side, and looking at me, said: "O Hasan, I always
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thought that you did not need this anymore. " Then he said: "Proceed. " So I said: "I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. "
He, peace be upon him, said: "The same with me, also. " Then I said: "I confirm the truth of all that Muhammad ibn Abdillah came with. " He kept silent. Then I said: "And I testify that ‘Ali is the Imam after the Prophet, and obedience to him is obligatory. Whoever doubts about him is gone astray, and whoever disputes his authority is an unbeliever. " He kept silent. Then I said: "I testify that al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be upon them, have the same position (as ‘Ali) ", and then I continued till I reached his name, and said: "And I testify that you are in the same position as al-Hasan and al-Husayn and the Imams preceding you. "
He said: "Enough. You know exactly what you wish, you wish me to give my undertaking on this? " I said: "If you do so, then I will have fulfilled my desire. " He said: "I give you my undertaking over it. " I said: "May I be your ransom, I was worried about the uprising. " He said: "Why? " I said: "Because if Zaid and his companions won the battle, then we would have been in the worst situation. And if Banu Umayya won, we would have been no better. " He said: "Go, no harm will reach you from either. "
7. Helping Ahlul Bayt with one's tongue
He said: ‘Ali-Sharif Abu Muhammad
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al-Hasan ibn Hamza al-Tabari reported to me from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Hatim al-Qazwaini, who reported from Abul Abbas Muhammad ibn Ja'far al- Makhzoomi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Shammoon al-Basri, from Abdullah ibn Abdul Rehanm, reported from al-Husayn ibn Zayd from Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) from his father (as) who said:
"Whoever helped us with his tongue, against our enemy, Allah will let him speak out his argument when he will stand before Him (i. e. on the Day of Judgement). "
8. Love Ahlul Bayt with your heart and help with your hand & tongue
He said: Al-Sharif Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Hamza reported to me from Ahmad ibn Abdullah, from his grandfather Ahmad ibn Abdullah, who reported from his father, who reported from Dawood ibn al-Nu’man, from Amru ibn Abu al-Miqdam, from his father who reported that al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (as) said:
"He who loves us with his heart, and helps us with his hands and tongue, will be with us (in Paradise) at the same lodging. And he who loves us with his heart and helps us with his tongue will be at a lower level. And he who loves us with his heart, but does not put his hand and tongue to use for us, he will be in Paradise. " (i. e. in an ordinary station).
9. Spare your speech
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Salim reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Ahmad ibn Yusuf, who reported from Muhammad ibn Yazid who reported from Ahmad ibn Rizq, from Abu Ziyad al-Fuqaymi, from Abu Abdillah, Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) , from his
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father (as) , from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (as) who reported that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "When you see a person not engaging in a purposeless chatter, then that is the sign of his excellent (understanding of) Islam. "
Fifth Assembly
point
(This is) From what he dictated on Monday, the 17th of Ramadhan, and was heard by Abul Fawaris - may Allah keep him - reported to me by the grand Sheikh Al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu’man, may Allah continue to protect him and grant him beneficent care, having read over to him.
1. Illness purifies a person of his sins
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Salim al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hasani, who reported from al-Fadl ibn al-Qasim, who reported from his father, from his grandfather, who reported from his father, that Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Aqil. ibn Abi Talib who said:
I heard ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, Zainul Abedeen (as) say: "A nerve (of a Mu’min) does not twitch, nor does he have a headache except because of his sins. And that which Allah forgives is much more. " And whenever he saw a sick person having recovered, he would say: "May the purification from the sins do you goo! Now start (good) deeds all over again. "
2. The Prophet (SAW) on his successor
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Sayrafi reported to me from Abul Husayn al-Abbas ibn al-Mughairah al-Jawhari, who reported from Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Mansoor al-Ramadi, who reported from Abdul Razzaq, who reported from his father, who reported from
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Mayna, the client of Abdul Rahman ibn Auf, who reported from Abdullah ibn Mas'ood who said:
On the night of the delegation of Jinn (i. e. during the battle of Tabuk) , we were with the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, when he made a station at Ula. Then he went away, and when he returned, he heaved a sigh. Then he said: "O Ibn Mas'ood, I have been warned of my impending death. " So I said: "O messenger of Allah, appoint a successor. " He asked: "Who? " "I said: "Abu Bakr. " He said: (The Prophet) walked for sometime, and heaved a sigh and then said: "My death has been announced to me O Ibn Mas'ood. "
Then I said: "Appoint a successor, O messenger of Allah. " He asked: "Who? " I said: "Umar. " He remained silent, and then walked for sometime, heaved a sigh, and said: "I have been given news of my death, O Ibn Mas'oo! " So, I said: "Appoint a successo! " He asked: "Who? " I said: "Uthman. " He kept silent, walked for sometime, heaved a sigh and said: "O Ibn Mas'ood, my death has been announced to m! " I said: "Appoint a successor, O Prophet of Allah" He asked: "Who? " I said: "‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. " He heaved a sigh and said: "By He Who controls my soul, if they obey him (i. e. ‘Ali) , they will definitely enter Paradise, everyone of them. "
3. The calamity of denying the pen to the Prophet (SAW)
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Al-Sayrafl reported to me from Abul Husayn al-Abbas ibn al-Mughairah
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al-Jawhari, who reported from Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Mansoor al-Ramadi, who reported from Ahmad ibn Swaleh, who reported from Anbasah, who reported from Yunus, from Ibn Shihab from Ubaidullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utbah, from Abdullah ibn Abbas who said:
When the death of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was approaching, there were some people, including Umar ibn al-Khattab, in the house. The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Come, let me write for you a testament so that you may never go astray after tha! " So, Umar said: "Do not give him anything, for he is overwhelmed with pain; and you have the Qur'an, the Book of Allah is sufficient for us. "
Then the inmates began disputing each other, some saying, "Rise, and (let) the Prophet write for you", while others agreed with Umar. When there was too much noise and dispute, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Go away from me".
Ubaidullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utbah said: Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah bless him with mercy, used to say: "What a calamit! Total calamity, which prevented the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, from writing for us that testament because of their disputation and noise. "
4. Some companions who reneged
He said: Abu Bakr, Muhammad ibn Ummar ibn Salim al-Ji’abi, reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad a. -Hasani who reported from Abu Musa Isa ibn Mehran al-Must'ataf, who reported from Affan ibn Muslim, who reported from Waheeb, who reported from
Abdullah ibn Uthman ibn Khuthaym who reported from Ibn Abi Maleekah, from Ayesha who said:
I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: "As if I am at the Pool (Kawthar) seeing those who arrive at me; and there are some who are pushed away from me, so I say: My Lor! (these are) my companions, my companion! " Then the voice says: "You do not know what they did after you. They continued to renege, by turning back on their heels. "
5. Some companions who will never see the Prophet (SAW) again
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Salim reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hasani, who reported from Isa ibn Mehran, who reported from Abu Mu'awiyah al-Dhareer, who reported from A'amash, from Shaqeeq, from Ummu Salemah, the Prophet's wife, who said that Abdul Rahman ibn Awf (once) called upon her and said:
"O Mother, I fear that my abundant wealth may destroy me. I am the richest among the Quraish. " She said: "O Son, spend (in the way of Allah) , for surely, I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: From my companions, there will be some who will never see me again after I have departed from them. "
He said: Abdul Rahman left, and on his way met with Umar ibn al-Khattaibn He informed him about what Ummu Salemah had said. He (Umar) came to Ummu Salemah with insistence that he be allowed to visit her, then he said: "O mother, am I among them? " She said: "I do not
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know, nor am I going to absolve anyone beside you. "
6. Allah tests His servants
He said: Al-Sharif Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad Tahir al-Musavi reported to me from Abul Abbas Abmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed al-Hamadani, who reported from Yahya ibn Zakariyya Ibn Shayban, who reported from Muhammad ibn Sinan, who reported from Ahmad ibn Sulayman al-Qummi al-Kufi, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) say: "Even a prophet among the Prophets may be tested with thirst till he dies thirsty; even a prophet among the Prophets may be tested at a deserted place till he dies naked; even a prophet among the Prophets may be tested with diseases and illness till he dies; even a prophet among the Prophets may come to his people, stay with them so as to enjoy upon them obedience to Allah, and call them to the absolute unity of Allah, yet he may not be spared a night, nor given an opportunity to complete his speech, nor given even a patient listening, until he is killed. Verily, Allah, Most High, tests His servants according to their station in His estimate. "
7. Imam Husayn (as) as an ideal
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Yahya ibn Zakariyya, who reported from Uthman ibn Isa, who reported from Ahmad ibn Sulayman and Imran ibn Marwan, from Sama'ah ibn Mehran who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) say: "The person mentioned by Allah in the verse: 'And mention in the Book,
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Ismail; indeed he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger Prophet. ' (Maryarn, 18: 54) he was the one who Allah tested by his people, so they pulled off the skin from his face and scalp.
Then Allah sent His angel unto him, who said: "The Lord of the entire creation greets you with peace; and says: I have seen what your people have done to you, so ask Me whatever you want. " He said: "O Lord of the worlds, I have an ideal in the person of al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon them. " Then Abu Abdillah said: "He was not Ismail the son of Ibrahim, peace be upon our Prophet and upon both of them. "
8. Fatimah's (as) elegy on Fadak
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Hasani, who reported from Isa ibn Mehran, from Yunus, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Sulaiman al-Hashemi, from his father, from his grandfather, from Zainab ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) that she said:
When the opinion of Abu Bakr and his supporters became unanimous about depriving Fatimah, peace be upon her, from Fadak, and she lost all hope about his reconsideration, she came to her father's grave, threw herself upon it, and grievously complained about the way the {people} treated her. And she wept, till the earth on the grave became wet with her tears, and then she said in her elegy:
"There have been after you news and incidents
were you to witness
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them, you would have disapproved them;
We have missed you, the way a parched land misses the rainfall,
your people are in total disarray, see how they have reneged.
Jibraeel used to endear us with the verses (of Qur'an) ,
but after you have hid from us, all good is also concealed;
You were the moon, from whose light people benefited,
and upon you was revealed the books - from the Lord Almighty.
Men have attacked us and humiliated us,
after the Prophet, and all wealth has been usurped;
The perpetrator of injustices to us will know his fate
on the day of Judgement, where he will finally land.
We have come across things which no one before us,
neither from Arabs nor from the Ajam have suffered;
So, we shall continue weeping over you as long as we live,
and as long as we have eyes which well up with flowing tears. "
9. On constraint and indulgence
He said: Al-Shareef Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Tahir reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, from Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Ja'fi, from al-Husayn ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Adam ibn Uyaynah ibn Abi Imran al-Hilali al-Kufi, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah, Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) say: "How often a moment's constraint and patience can bring about long lasting pleasure and satisfaction, and how often a moment's indulgence can result in a prolonged grief and sorrow. "
10. Traditions from a truthful source
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Qummi, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Sa'd ibn Abdullah, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa,
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who reported from Harun ibn Muslim, from ‘Ali ibn Asbat, from Saif ibn Umayrah, from Amru ibn Shimr, from Jabir who said:
I told Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir (as): "When you relate a tradition to me, provide its chain of narrators for me. " He said: "My father reported to me, from my grandfather, from the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, from Jibraeel (as) , from Allah, Most High. Whatever I mention to you is based on this chain of narrators. " And then he said: "O Jabir, a tradition received by you from a truthful source is better for you than the whole world and whatever is in it. "
11. Acting without understanding
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Hasan reported to me from his father, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Musa ibn Bakr, who said:
Someone who heard from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) reported to me that he said: "One who acts without any understanding and vision, is like a person walking behind a mirage on a levelled desert, the faster he runs the farthest he ends up.
Sixth Assembly
point
(This is) From what he dictated on Wednesday, the 19th of it (Ramadhan) , and Abul Fawaris, may Allah keep him, heard it. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man, may Allah continue His beneficent care for him, said; and this was read over to him:
1. Similitude of the transitory
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me
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from Abdullah ibn Ja'far al-Himyari, who reported from Ayyub ibn Nooh, from Muhammad Abu Umayr, from Jameel ibn Darraj, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, may Allah bless him with His mercy, that:
‘Ali ibn al-Husayn Zainul Abideen (as) once addressed his companions thus: "O my brothers, I enjoy upon you for the next world, and I do not enjoy upon you this world of which you all are so greedy, and to which you are steadfastly stuck. Did you not hear what Isa, son of Maryam (as) said to his disciples? He said to them: 'The world is like a bridge; you cross it and do not build upon it. And he said: Whoever among you ever builds a house on the sea waves? ‘That is the similitude of this worldly abode, so do not treat it as a permanent place. "
2. Adhering to the Ahlul Bayt
He said: Abu Bakr, Muhammad ibn Umaral-Ji’abi reported from ‘Ali. ibn Ismail, who reported from Muhammad ibn Khalaf, who reported from Husayn al- Ashqar, who reported from Qais, from Laith ibn Abi Sulaim, from Abdul Rehman ibn Abu Layla, from al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Adhere yourselves to our love, the Ahlul Bayt, for surely, whoever meets Allah, having love for us (in his heart) he shall enter Paradise with our intercession. And By Him Who controls my spirit, a servant (of Allah) benefits nothing from his (good) deeds, unless he has recognized our Truth. "
3. Two types of manly virtues
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali
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ibn al-Husayn reported to me from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Waleed, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ya'qoob ibn Yazeed, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from more than one source, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) said: "Manly virtues are of two types; one in the hometown and another when you are travelling. As for the virtue in the hometown, it is to recite from the Qur'an, to attend the mosques, to keep in company of good people, and to ponder over religious injunctions. And when travelling, the virtue consists of offering ones provision generously to the fellow travellers, to be cheerful without indulging in jokes which Allah dislikes, to avoid, as much as you can, going against the wishes of your companions, and not to report on them after having parted their company. "
4. The master of Arabs
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Salim reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Ismail Abul Hasan al-Atrush, who reported from Muhammad ibn Khalaf al- Muqri, who reported from Husayn al-Ashqar, who reported from Qais ibn al-Rabi', who reported from his father, from Abdul Rehman ibn Abi Layla, from al- Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) , that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, (once) said: "O Ana! Send for the master of Arabs to come to me. " He said: "O messenger of Allah, are you not the master of Arabs? " He said: "I am the master of all children of Adam, and ‘Ali is the master of Arabs. " So, he sent for ‘Ali (as)
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and when he arrived, the Prophet said: "Ask the Ansar (the helpers) to assemble. " When they arrived, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "O people of Ansar, this is ‘Ali, the master of Arabs, love him for the sake of my love, and honour him for the sake of my honour. Surely, what I tell you is exactly what Jibraeel has revealed to me from Allah, Most High. "
5. Mahdi (as) will rise after a time of trials & tribulations
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Abdullah ibn Maskan, from Bashir al-Kannasi, from Abu Khalid al-Kabuli who said:
‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, told me: "O Abu Khalid, there will come a time of trials and tribulations, (descending) like a piece of dark night, from which no one will be safe, except the one holding the covenant of Allah. These people will be the guiding lights and the sources of knowledge, whom Allah will have saved from all the dark temptations. As if I see your master, rising above the hill of your Najaf destined for Kufa, with three hundred and some odd over ten men, Jibraeel on his right, Mikaeel on his left, Israfil ahead of him, and with him (is) the Prophet's standard, unfurled, to whichever people he aims with it, they are destroyed by Allah. "
6. The Prophet's (SAW) last assembly
He said: Abu Hafs, Umar ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Sayrafl, reported
to me from Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hasani, who reported from Isa ibn Mehran, who reported from Yunus ibn Muhammad, who reported from Abdul Rahman Ibn al-Ghaseel, who reported from Abdul Rahman ibn Khallad al-Ansari, from Ikrarmah, from Abdullah ibn Abbas who said:
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) , al-Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib and al-Fadhl ibn al-Abbas called upon the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, in the last days of his illness, and said: "O messenger of Allah, these Ansar have gathered in the mosque, ladies and men, weeping over you. " He asked: "What makes them weep? " They
said: "They fear you might die. " He said: "Hold me by your hands," then he came out, wrapped in his blanket and headcloth and sat on the pulpit. He thanked Allah and glorified His name, and then said:
"O people, what makes you feel unusual about your Prophet's death? Have I not announced death to you and have you not announced deaths among your own people? If there had been someone before me, and then the angel of death had come to him later, I would have also remained with you for that long. Be it known that I am going to meet my Sustainer, and I have left among you something, if you adhere to it, you will not be lost. The Book of Allah is with you, read it at dawn and dusk. And do not be each others' rivals, nor envious, not harbour any enmity against each other. Remain brothers
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as commanded by Allah. And then I have left behind my family, my Ahlul Bayt, and I enjoy upon you about them.
And then I enjoy upon you about these people of Ansar, whose hardship for the sake of Allah, His Prophet and the believers are known to you. Did they not widen their houses and distribute equally their fruits? Did they not prefer others above themselves, though they were afflicted with poverty? So, whoever from among you is given any worthwhile authority, enabling him to harm or benefit, he should accept the righteous men from Ansar, and also forgive their evil-doers. "
This was the last assembly in which he sat before he met with his Lord.
7. Ibn Abbas's address on Khilafah
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hasani, who reported from Isa ibn Mehran, who reported from Hafs ibn Umar al-Farra, who reported from Abu Muaz al-Khazzaz from Ubaidullah ibn Ahmad al-Rab'ai, who said:
While Ibn Abbas addressed the people of Basrah, when he came face to face with them, he said: "O people who are lost and confused about its faith, if you had given precedence to him who Allah had preferred, and if you had kept back him who Allah had kept back, and if you had kept the inheritance and the authority where Allah had kept them, then the share (in inheritance) ordained by Allah would not have devolved upon distant relatives (leaving behind the actual heirs) , nor would the Wali of Allah have been
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deprived; and no two persons would have ever differed about a divine order, nor would the Ummah enter into any disputations about any interpretation of the Book of Allah.
So now, have a taste of the evil consequence earned by your disregard, and by your own hands. And those who do injustice shall soon come to know what punishment awaits them. "
8. The two who will be in deep anxiety
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, who reported from Isa ibn Mehran who reported from Mukhawwal, who reported from al-Rabee' ibn al-Mundhair, from his father who said:
I heard al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (as) say: "Surely, Abu Bakr and Umar grabbed away this affair (Caliphate) , while the whole of it belonged to us. So they took it away inspite of us, and apportioned to us the share of a grandmother (from an estate). (NOTE: According to al-Nasai, Ibn Majah, al-Tirmidhi, Abu Bakr believed that grandmother's share was nil). By Allah, on the day where people will yearn for our intercession, these two will be in deep anxiety because of their action. "
9. "I have not known of an assembly of people worse than you.... " said Fatimah (as)
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu al-Husayn al-Abbas ibn al-Mughairah, who reported from Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Mansoor al-Ramadi, who reported from Saeed ibn Ufayr who reported from Ibn Lah'eah, from Khalid ibn Yazeed, from Ibn Abi Hilal, from Marwan ibn Uthman who said:
When people swore the allegiance on the hands of Abu Bakr, ‘Ali (as) , al-Zubair and al-Miqdad entered the house of Fatimah,
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peace be upon her, and refused to come out. So, Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "Set the house on fire upon them. " Then al-Zubair came out with his sword. So Abu Bakr said: "Catch this dog. " As they advanced towards him, he (al-Zubair) slipped and fell and the sword fell off his hand.
Then Abu Bakr said: "Hit him with the stone. " Zubair hit the stone till it broke.
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) left the house from the direction of Aaliyah and met Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas. He said: "O Abul Hasan, what has happened to you? " He said: "They have resolved on burning down my house, while Abu Bakr is sitting on the pulpit, receiving allegiance, he neither prevents them for doing it nor is he condemning it. "
Thabit said: "My palm will not leave your hand, till I am killed by your side. " So they moved forward together till they came back towards Madinah while Fatimah (peace be upon her) stood at her door, and all of the people had left her house. She was saying: "I have not known of an assembly of people worse than you; you left the messenger of Allah unattended, when his corpse lay before us; you resolved about your affairs among yourselves, refusing to seek our leadership; and you did to us what you did, and you recognized no right for us. "
10. "Keep my cheek on the ground... " the last words of Umar
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Husayn al-Abbas ibn al-Mughairah, who reported from Abu Bakr
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ibn Mansoor al-Ramadi, who reported from Sulaiman ibn Harb, who reported from Hammad ibn Zaid, from Yahya ibn Saeed, from Asim ibn Ubaidullah, from Abdul Rahman ibn Aban ibn Uthman, from his father, from Uthman ibn Affan who said:
I was the last to see Umar ibn al-Khattaibn I called upon him and saw his head on the lap of his son Abdullah, while he was weary. He told his son: "Keep my cheek on the ground. " Abdullah refused, so he said: "Keep my cheek on the ground. " Abdullah refused, so he said: "Keep my cheek on the ground, you motherless one. " So he kept his (Umar's) cheek on the ground, and then Umar said: "O my mothe! Woe to me, my mothe! I am not forgiven (by Allah). " He went on saying that till he died.
11. Earning the promised blessing one has not seen
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 Muhammad ibn Abu Al-Sahban, from Muhammad ibn Abu Umayr, from Jamil ibn Darraj, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) who said: The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Blessed is he who denounces the tempting ready desire, to earn the promised blessing he has not seen. "
12. About the people who apply analogy
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Waleed, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, who reported from Ya'qoob ibn Yazeed, from Hammad ibn Isa, from Hammad ibn Uthman, from Zurarah ibn A'ayan who said:
Abu Ja'far
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Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, told me: "O Zurarah, keep away from the people who apply analogy in the matters of religion. Surely, they have abandoned the knowledge of what was assigned to them, and entered into unnecessary hair splitting matters, which had already been decided for them. They interpret the Traditions (the way they like) and impute lies to Allah, Most High. And as if I see a man among them who when called from the front, answers to the one behind him, and when called from behind, he hearkens to the one in front. They wonder aimlessly on the earth and in religion. "
13. Cursed are those who follow analogy
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me from Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil, who reported from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn al- Sadabadi, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, who reported from his father, from Ibn Abu Umayr, from more than one source, that:
Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, said: "Cursed are those who follow analogy, for they have changed the word of Allah, and the Prophet's traditions, and they have accused the truthfuls (of lying) about the religion of Allah, the Most High. "
14. Traits of a religion person
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Khaqan al-Nahdi, who reported from Sulaim, the servant at the Darb al-Hubb (probably referring to Sulaim the servant of ‘Ali ibn Yaqteen) , from Ibrahim ibn Uqbah ibn Ja'far, from Muhammad ibn
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Nadhr ibn Qarwash al-Nahdi, the camel hirer at Kufa, that:
Abu Abdillah, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "A religious person thinks about his conduct with serenity, and when he submits (to such) he becomes humble, and when contented, he enjoys sufficiency, pleased with whatever he has been endowed with, and when he is alone, he craves no company; he abandons all base desires and thus becomes free.
Being divested of the world, he is protected from the evils, having cast aside jealousy, he displays and earns love. He poses no threat to the people, so people are not afraid of him; he does not offend them, so he is secured from them, and he always censured himself for his own shortcomings in every matter, till he succeeds and reaches perfection. He has adopted the ways where lie his well-being and health, and therefore never regrets. "
15. "There is no way, other than my way... " said the Prophet (SAW)
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali reported to me from his father, who reported from Sa'ad ibn Abdillah, from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, from Muhammad ibn Marwan, from (Zaid ibn) Aban ibn Uthman from Abu Basir, who reported that:
Abu Ja'far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, said: "When the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was nearing his death, Jibraeel descended, and said to the Prophet: "O messenger of Alla! Would you like to return to the world? " He said: "No, for I have already conveyed the message of my Lord. " Again he asked: "O messenger of Allah, would you like to
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go back to the world? " He said: "No, but I would like to be with the Friend, Most High. "
Then the Prophet turned to the Muslims who had gathered around him and said: "O people, there surely is no Prophet after me, and there is no way, other than my way. And whoever claims to be so, his pretence and innovation is destined for hell-fire. And whosoever claims that, kill him, and his followers will enter hell. O people revive the law of retribution, and revive the truth, and do not be divided among yourselves. Submit (to Allah) , incline fully to peace, and you will be saved. Allah has decreed:
'I and My messenger certainly prevail, Indeed Allah is Mighty, Potent. ' (al-Mujadelah, 58: 21). "
16. Alms given early morning...
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas ibnMuhammad ibn Saeed, who reported from Ja'far ibn Abdillah, who reported from his brother Muhammad ibn Abdillah, who reported from Ishaq ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Hilal al-Mazhaji, who said:
Your father Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (as) told me: "When you are in (financial) need, rise early in the day, for the subsistence (Rizq) is distributed before sunrise. And Allah, Most High, has blessed this Ummah in its early hours; and give away alms in the early hour; because adversities do not follow the alms (Sadaqah). "
Seventh Assembly
point
And (this is) from what he dictated on Saturday, the 23rd (of Ramadhan) , and Abul Fawaris, may Allah keep him, heard it. Our great Sheikh
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al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man al-Harithy, may Allah perpetuate His beneficence upon him, said and it was read over to him:
1. Cleanse and purify your heart before you ask Him
He said: Abu Ghalib Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Zurari, may Allah have mercy on him, reported to me from Abdullah ibn Ja'far al-Himyari, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Saeed, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Swaleh ibn Yazid, from Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq Ja'far ibn Muhammad (A. S. ):
I heard him say: "Dive deep into your hearts, to find if Allah has cleansed and purified it from all displeasure and fear regarding His Will. If you find it so, then ask for Him whatever you desire. "
2. The four of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) virtues
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 al-Ghazzal, who reported from his father, who reported from Ubaid ibn Khunais al-Abdi, who reported from Sabbah ibn Yahya al-Muzni, from Abdullah ibn Sharik, from al-Harith ibn Tha'labah who said:
Two men left for Makkah and Medina in or before the month, and came upon a group leaving for Haj. They said: We joined them, and as we rode forward, we came across a man who seemed to be their leader. He pulled himself aside from the group, and came to us asking: "You are from Iraq? " We said: "Yes, we are Iraqis. " He said: "You may be from Kufa? " We said: "Yes, we are from Kufa. " He asked: "To which clan do you
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belong? " We said: "We are from Banu Kananah. " He asked: "Which family of Banu Kananah? " We said: "We are from the descendants of Malik ibn Kananah. "
He said: "Most welcome, most welcome. I beseech you in the name of the Holy Revelation and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) , did you ever hear ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) abusing me, or saying that he was my enemy or that he would fight me? " We said: "No, but we have heard him say: Be on your guard against the deviations of the pug-nosed. " He said: "There are many who are pug-nosed, but did you hear him grudging against me by name? " We said: "No. ".
(Upon hearing this) , he said: "Allah is Great. Allah is Great. I should have gone astray, and would not be among the rightly guided, if I fight or be his adversary, (especially) after the four virtues I learned from the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, regarding him {i. e. ‘Ali (as) }. For if I had only one of those four, I would have valued it more than the whole world and whichever is in it, spending in it the life span of Noah. "
We said: "Mention them to us. "
He said: "I did not recall this but for the purpose of mentioning them. The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, sent Abu Bakr with the verses of al-Bar'aah (Surah al-Tawbah) to declare them to the infidels (of Makkah) , but when he
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had travelled for a night or a part of it, the Prophet sent ‘Ali to Abu Bakr saying: "Take charge of the declaration from him, and send him back to me. " So Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, proceeded, and having taken the charge from Abu Bakr, asked him to return to the Prophet.
When he arrived before the Prophet, he (i. e. Abu Bakr) wept and said: "O messenger of Alla! Has anything (untoward) happened about me, or has any Qur'anic revelation occurred about me? " Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "No Qur'anic revelation has come to me about you, but Jibraeel, peace be upon him, descended upon me with the divine command, saying: 'No one can discharge this responsibility except yourself or someone of yourself. ' And ‘Ali is of me and I am of him, so no one will purvey on my behalf but ‘Ali. "
We asked: "And what is the second one? "
He said: We lived in the mosque of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, together with the family of ‘Ali. The family of Abu Bakr, the family of Umar and his uncles. Then one night, it was announced to us: "With the exception of the Prophet's family and the family of ‘Ali, all others must withdraw and quit. So we
vacated dragging our bag and baggage. In the morning, his uncle, Hamzah, came to him and said: "O messenger of Allah, you evicted us and allowed this young boy to
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remain? We are your uncles and the elders of your family. " Then the Prophet said: "I did not ask you to leave, nor did I allow him (i. e. ‘Ali) to stay. It was by the command of Allah, Most High. "
We said: "And what is the third? "
He said: The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, appointed Abu Bakr as a standard bearer and sent him to the fort of Khaybar. He brought it back. Then he appointed Umar, who also brought it back (without success). The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was deeply disturbed, so he said: "Tomorrow, I shall indeed give the standard to a man who Allah and His Prophet love, and he (too) loves Allah and His Prophet. He will be the steadfast one, never running away. He will not return till Allah blesses (us) with victory upon his hands. "
When the next day dawned, we raised ourselves on our knees and toes, but did not find him calling anyone from among us. He then announced: "Where is ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib? " ‘Ali was brought to him, suffering from sore-eye. He put his saliva into his eyes, gave him the standard. And Allah blessed (us) with the victory at his hands. "
We aid: "And what is the fourth one? "
He said: The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, left for the battle of Tabuk, leaving behind ‘Ali in his place. The Quraishites became jealous of him (i. e. ‘Ali) and said: "The Prophet has left
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him behind because he does not like his company. " (When ‘Ali heard this) , he followed the Prophet and upon arrival, placed his hand on the stirrup of the Prophet's camel, saying: "Surely, I will follow you. "
The Prophet said: "What has happened to you? " He wept and said: "The Quraishites believe that you left me behind because you hate me, and do not prefer my company. "
The Prophet ordered an announcement for people to assemble and then (addressing them) said: "O people, Is there anyone among you who does not have the closest and most distinctly notable among his relatives. " They said: "Yes, we do have. " Then he said: "Surely, ‘Ali, son of Abu Talib, is the closest to me among my relatives, and is most beloved to my heart. " Then he came to ‘Ali (as) and said: "Does it not please you to be to me what Haroon was to Musa; except that there is no prophet after me? " ‘Ali said: "My pleasure is with Allah and His Prophet. "
Then Sa'd said: "These are the four virtues, and if you feel inclined, I may relate to you the fifth on! "
We said: "We would like to know it. "
He said: "We were with the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, in the farewell pilgrimage. When returning (from Haj) he dismounted at Ghadeer Khumm, and ordered an announcement for all to assemble. Then he proclaimed: "O people, of whoever I am the master, this ‘Ali also is his master. O Allah, befriend
one who befriends him, and hate one who hates him. Help one who helps him, and forsake one who forsakes him. "
3. ‘Ali (as) forbade initiating the battle
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi al-Qalanisi reported to me from Abul Qasim al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan who reported from his father, who reported from Ishaq ibn Yazid, who reported from Khalid ibn Mukhtar, who reported from al- A'amash from Habbah alArani, who said:
I heard Hudhaifa ibn al-Yaman a year before Uthman ibn Affan was killed, saying: "As if I see your mother al-Humayra (i. e. Ayesha) on an expedition, being led on a camel, and you all clinging to the camel's flank and tail. She is with the people of Azd (a tribe) and is supported by Banu Dhabbah; may Allah sever their feet. "
Then he said: When the battle of Jamal (the Camel) took place, and people prepared to confront each other, an announcer announced on behalf of Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, saying: "No one of you shall initiate the fight without my orders. " Then they arrived: their arrows and hit us. We said: "O Amirul Mu’mineen, we have been hit. " He said: "Withhold. " Then again, they hit us and killed some of us. We said: "O Amirul Mon'mineen, we have been killed. " So he said: "Attac! With the blessing of Allah. "
He said: We attached our raised lances and spears to each others', so close, that if someone were to walk, he could walk over them. Then ‘Ali
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(A. S. ) announced: "Take to the swords. " So we began to strike at their helmets but our swords bounced off. Then Amirul Mu’mineen said: "Aim at the feet. "
He said: We have never seen so many feet chopped off on any one day. Then I remembered the narration of Hudhaifa when he mentioned Banu Dhabbah as her helpers, saying "may Allah sever their feet. " I knew that it was a prayer, which had been answered.
Then Amirul Mu’mineen announced: "Proceed towards the camel for it is surely Satan. " One soldier wounded the camel with his spear, and another one cut off its hand, so it fell to the ground with foam spurring from its mouth. Then Ayesha uttered a loud cry and her people turned back defeated. So, Amirul Mu’mineen announced: "Do not attack those who are fallen with wounds, and do not chase those who have fled. And whoever shuts his door, he shall be in peace. And whoever lays down his arms he shall be in peace. "
4. We do not say except that which our Lord, Most High, has said
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from Muhammad ibn Hammam al-Askafi who reported from Ahmad ibn Idrees, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa al-Asha'ri, from ‘Ali ibn No-man, from Fudhail ibn Uthman, from Muhammad ibn Shurayh who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, say: "Surely, Allah has enforced our authority, and made it obligatory upon people to love us. By Allah, we do not say anything out of caprice or our desire, and
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we do not act according to our views. We do not say except that which our Lord, Most High, has said. "
5. Die in the state of Taharat and you will die a martyr
He said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid has reported to me from his father, who reported from al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan ibn Aban, from Muhammad ibn Awramah, from Ismail ibn Aban al-Warraq, who reported from al-Rabee' ibn Badr, from Abu Hatim, from Anas ibn Malik, who reported that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "O Anas, be always pure and clean, and Allah will increase your years (i. e. lifetime). And if you can remain in the state of purity through the day and the night, then do so; for if you die in the state of purity (Taharat, Wudhoo etc. ) , you will die a martyr. And be steadfast on the noon prayers, for it is the prayers of those who return to Allah with repentance. And perform as many optional prayers as possible, so that the appointed keepers (Angels) have affection for you.
And initiate Salaam upon one you meet, so that Allah augments your good deeds. Greet with Salaam your household, and it will be full of divine blessings. Show veneration to the elder Muslims, and be kind to their young ones, so that when you and I arrive on the Day of Judgement, we come like these two - then he demonstrated by his first two fingers. "
6. ‘Ali is my brother, my minister and my successor
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Abul Fadhl Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Tusi,
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who reported from Abu Abdul Rahman Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal, who reported from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Abi Saminah, who reported from Ubaidullah ibn Musa, who reported from Matar al-Iskaf that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Verily, ‘Ali is my brother, my minister and my successor in the family, and he is the best of all who survive me, he will repay my debts and fulfil my pledges. "
7. What Jabir said about ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Abul Fadhl Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Tusi (may Allah bless him with mercy) who reported from Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Hakim al-Awadi, who reported from Sharik, from Uthman ibn Abu Zara'h, from Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd that:
Jabir ibn Abdillah al-Ansari was once asked, (during his old age) when his eyebrows had fallen over his eyes: "Tell us about ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him. " Jabir lifted his eyebrows with his hands and said: "He is the best of all creatures, no one hates him but a hypocrite and no one doubts in him except an infidel. "
8. Umar's comments about the Prophet's companions
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from Abu al-Husayn al-Abbas ibn al-Mughairah al-Jawhari, who reported from Ahmad ibn Mansur al-Ramadi Abu Bakr, who reported from Ahmad ibn Swaleh, who reported from Anbasah, who reported from Yunus, from Ibn Shihab, from Ibn al- Mukhramah al-Kindi that:
Umar ibn al-Khattab once arrived at an assembly where ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace
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be upon him, and Uthman and Abdul Rehman and Talha and al-Zubair were present. So Umar said: "Does everyone of you aspire to becoming a leader after I have gone? " Al-Zubair replied: "Everyone of us aspires, and believes to be fit for it. What is that you disapprove? " Umar said: "May I not tell you what I think about you? " They remained silent. (Again) Umar said: "May I not tell you about yourselves? " They kept silent. Then al-Zubair said: "Say, despite our silence. "
So he (Umar) said: "As far as you, O Zubair, are concerned, you are at your best when pleased and content, and you are at your worst when offended and angry. There is a day when you are a devil, and a day when you are a man. Tell me, who will be the Caliph on the day you turn to be a devil?
And you, O Talha, by Allah, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, left this world displeased with you.
And you, O ‘Ali, you are a man of inactivity and frivolity.
And you, O Abdul Rehman, you are best qualified for it if the position ever comes to you.
But surely among you there is a man whose faith encompasses the faith of the multitude, and he is Uthman. "
9. "My brothers are those who believe in me without ever having seen me" said the Prophet (SAW)
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Hasani who reported from Abu Musa Isa ibn Mahran, who reported from Abu Yashkur al-Balkhi, who reported from Musa ibn
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Ubaidah, from Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurzi, from Awf ibn Malik, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, once said: "How eager am I to meet my brothers. " So Abu Bakr and Umar said: "Are we not your brothers? We have believed in you, and migrated with you. " The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "No doubt, you have believed and migrated, yet I am eager to meet my brothers. " Then he repeated the statement. Then he said: "You are my companions. But my brothers are those who will come after you have gone. They will believe in me, love me, help me, and confirm me - without ever having seen me. How I wish to meet my brother! "
10. Seek refuge from Allah against the evil of the people of Al-Thatt
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Hasan Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Tamimi, who reported from al-Hasan ibn Behram, who reported from al-Hasan ibn Yahya, who reported from al-Hasan ibn Hamdoon, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Abdillah, who reported from Sudair al- Sayrafi that:
I was with Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, and round him were people from Kufa. Addressing them, he said: "Perform Hajj before you are prevented from it. Perform Hajj before the land around you is locked. Perform Hajj before the mosque at Iraqain is demolished, between the streams and the palm trees.
Perform Hajj before the lotus trees at al-Zawra, whose roots and stem have grown on the sweet honey of the dates from which Maryam
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(as) plucked fresh ripe dates, are cut off. That will be the time when you will be prevented to go for Hajj; when the fruits will be in want, the soil will be arid, and you will suffer from the rising costs, the injustice of the rulers, and inequity and hatred will be rampant among you, coupled with calamity, epidemic and hunger.
You will be overwhelmed by adversity from all sides. Woe unto you, O people of Ira! When the army marches over you from Khurasan and woe unto the people of Ray from Turk, and woe unto the people of Iraq from the people of Ray. Woe unto them all, and again so from Al-Thatt. "
Sudair asked: "O my master, who are Al-Thatt? " He said: "They are people with ears as small as those of rats, clad in iron; their utterances like that of Satan; they will have small, hollow eyesockets, and will have hairless bodies, with short hair on their heads. Seek refuge from Allah against their evil. Allah will cause Islam to be victorious at their hands, and they will be instrumental to the revival of our cause. "
11. Allah helps according to the measure of our intentions
He said: Abu Ghalib Ahmad ibn Muhammad reported to me from his grandfather Muhammad ibn Sulaiman, who reported from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn al- Husayn, who reported from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Hamza ibn Muhammad al-Tayyar, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, say: "Allah helps His servants according to the measure of their intentions. He who has a
wholesome intention receives full help from Allah, and he who has a deficient intention receives as much less. "
12. Knowledge precedes ignorance
He said: 'Abu Ghalib Ahmad ibn Muhammad reported to me from Abu Tahir Muhmmmad ibn Sulaiman al-Zurari, who reported from Muhammad ibn al- Husayn, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim, from Kharijah ibn Mas'ab, from Muhammad ibn Abu Umair al-Abdi, who reported that:
Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, said: "Allah did not take away covenant from the ignorant people for seeking the expoundings of Knowledge, before He had taken a covenant from the learned people to expound unto the ignorant people. That is because knowledge preceded ignorance. "
13. Those nearest to the Prophet on the Day of Reckoning
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn 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, from Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Hashimi, from Abdul Mu’min who reported that Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al- Baqir, peace be upon him, reported from Jabir ibn Abdillah al-Ansari that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "On the Day of Reckoning tomorrow, the nearest to me will be those who are most truthful in their speech and the most ardent in paying back the deposits entrusted to them, and the most faithful in fulfilling their promises and the best in their behaviour and the most amiable to the people. "
Eighth Assembly
point
Met on Monday, the 24th of the month of Ramadhan, heard from him by dictation, may Allah perpetuate His beneficence
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on him. Our grand Sheikh, the honoured one, al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Noman, may Allah perpetuate His support and beneficence to him, said today:
1. Benevolence & Tyranny
He said: 'Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported to me from Muhammad ibn Musa al-Mutawakkil, who reported from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn al- Sa'dabadi, from Ahmed ibn Abu Abdillah al-Barqi, from Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Najran, from Asim ibn Hamid, from Abu Hamzah al-Thumali that Abu Ja'far al- Baqir Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, reported from his forefathers that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Benevolence is a good turn, earning the quickest reward, and tyranny is an evil, earning quickest requital. Enough for ones blemish that one should see faults in others while condoning the same faults in oneself; or scoff at the others for an act from which he himself cannot abstain, and hurt ones companion in matters with which one has no concern. "
2. Weeping for ones sins
He said: 'Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammd ibn al-Hasan reported to me from Abdullah ibn Ja'far al-Himyari, who reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from ‘Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Hisham ibn Salim from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny said: "Blessed is he whom Allah finds weeping because of his sins, trembling in awe of Allah; weeping over the sins about which no one knows except himself. "
3. Good deeds blot out evil ones
He said: 'Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali reported to me from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, from his uncle Muhammad ibn Abul Qasim
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from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-kufi, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Abu al-Nu’man, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him told me: "O Abu al-Nu’man, let no people deceive you about yourself, for what is destined will reach you without them. And do not spend your day over petty things, for the One Who records everything is (always) with you. Always do good deeds, for I do not know of quicker recompense for an old sin than the new good deed. Indeed, Allah, Most High has said (in the Qur'an): 'Surely, the good deeds blot out the evil deeds; this is reminder for those who remember. ' (Hood, 11: 4) "
4. Obedience to the Imam
He said: "Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh reported to me from Muhammad ibn Yaqoob al-Kulayni, from ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Hammad ibn Isa from Huraiz, from Zurarah ibn A'ayan, who reported that:
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon them all) said: "The most important matter, the best, the key, the entrance to all affairs and the pleasure of the Gracious Lord lie in obedience to the Imam after have recognized him. "
Then he said: Allah, Most High, says (in the Qur'an): "whoever obeys the messenger, has obeyed Allah. But, whoever turns away: 'We have not sent you (Muhammad) as a keeper over them. ' (Al-Nisa, 4: 80) "
5. Uthman and Banu Umayya
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Habish al-katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Za'farani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al- Thaqafi, who reported from al-Hasan ibn
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‘Ali al-Lu'Lui, who reported form Yahya ibn al-Mughairah, who reported from Salmah ibn al-Fadhl, from ‘Ali ibn Sabih al-Kindi, from Abu Yahya, the client of Muaz ibn Afra' al-Ansari who said:
Uthman ibn Affan once sent for al-Arqam ibn Abdillah, who was the treasurer of the Baitul Mal of the Muslims, and said: "Advance me one hundred thousand Dirham. " Al-Arqam said: "May I write a promissory note in favour of the Muslims for that? " He said: "What does that concern you, O motherles! You are but a safekeepe! " When Al-Arqam heard that he hastened towards the people and exclaimed: "O People, protect your wealth. I believed that I was a treasurer on your behalf and till today I never knew that I was Uthman's treasurer. " Then he left and entered his house.
When Uthman learnt about that, he convened an assembly, climbed the Mimbar and said: "O people, Abu Bakr surely gave preference to Banu Teem over the people, and Umar gave preference to Banu Adi over the people and by Allah, I gave preference to Banu Umayyah over others. And if I were to sit at the gate of the Paradise, authorized to shove Banu Umayyah into it, I would surely do so. Indeed, their wealth is ours, and we will take from it if we need it inspite of the people. "
Then Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah bless him with mercy, said: "O Muslim brethre! Be my witness that I do not approve tha! " So Uthman said: "Oh, you are
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her! " Then he climbed down from the Mimbar and began kicking Ammar till he fainted and was carried away senseless to the house of Ummu Salimah. People found it very distressing. Ammar remained unconscious missing that day's noon and evening prayers. When he regained his senses, he said: "Praise be for Alla! From times old, I have been suffering in His way, and for this which has befallen me in my duty towards Allah, I seek justice between me and Uthman on the Day of Judgement from the Honourable Judge" (i. e. Allah).
When Uthman learnt that Ammar was at Ummu Salimah's place, he sent for her and said: "What are these people together with that transgressor (i. e. Ammar) doing at your house? Evict them. " (She said): "By Allah, there is no one at my place except Ammar and his two daughters. O Uthman, leave us alone, and use your power wherever else you like. And this is a companion of the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, about to die because of what you have done to him. "
He said: Upon hearing this, Uthman repented and sent for Talha and al-Zubair, asking them to go to Ammar and seek his forgiveness. They came (to Ammar) but he turned them down. So they returned (to Uthman) and informed him. Uthman said: "O, Banu Umayyah, O bed of fire, and flies of greed, was it by divine permission that you reviled me and ganged in on the companion of
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the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny? "
When Ammar recovered from his illness, he proceeded towards the Prophet's mosque and there a person announced to Uthman the death of Abu Dharr at Rabzah. He said: "Abu Dharr at Rabzah met a lonely death, and was buried by the travellers. " Uthman said: "To Him we belong, and unto Him shall we return. " And then he added: "May Allah bless him with mercy. " Then Ammar said: "May Allah bless Abu Dharr with mercy on behalf of everyone of us. "
Uthman said: "Again you are her! May you chew your father's genita! Do you think I am repenting for having exiled him? " Ammar said: "No, By Allah, I do not think s! "
He (Uthman) said: "You join the place where Abu Dharr was and remain there as long as we live. " Ammar said: "Do so, by Allah, I would love to be in the company of the wild animals, more than to be near yo! " Then as Ammar prepared to leave, Banu Makhzum came to Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) requesting him to intervene and to ask Uthman to cancel the order for Ammar's eviction. He intervened on their behalf till Uthman responded positively.
6. The lonely martyr
He said: Al-Sharif Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Jawani reported to me from al-Mudhaffar ibn Ja'far al-Alawi al-Umri, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad b Masood, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Hatim, who reported from Suwaid ibn Saeed, who reported from Muhammad ibn Abdul Rahim al-Yamani, from Ibn
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Meena, from his father who reported that Aisha said:
Once ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) came upon the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, seeking permission to enter, but he did not permit. So, he sought permission once again and the Prophet peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Enter, O ‘Ali. " When ‘Ali entered, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, stood up, embraced him and kissed him between the eyes and said: "May my father be ransom for the martyr; may my father be ransom for the lonely martyr. "
7. Talha and al-Zubair
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 Ishaq ibn Yazid, who reported from Sulaiman ibn Qaram, from Abu al-Jahhaf, from Ammar al-Duhni, who reported from Abu Uthman, the muezzin of Banu Afsa that he heard ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib say when Talha and al-Zubair advanced to fight him:
"What excuse can Talha and al-Zubair hav! They swore allegiance to me of their own accord, without any coercion and they broke off without any event. " Then he recited the verse:
'And if they break their oaths after their treaty and revile your religion, then fight the leaders of unbelief, for their oaths are worthless, so that you may restrain them. ' (al-Tauba, 9: 12) "
8. The first to enter Paradise
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, reported to me from
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his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Saeed ibn Janah, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad, from Jabir ibn Yazid, who reported from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir through his forefathers that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny said: "Paradise remains forbidden for the Prophets till I have entered in it, and remains forbidden for all the peoples till the Shi’ahs of us, Ahlul Bayt have entered. "
9. Surprise at the heedless
He said: Abul Hasan Muhammad B. Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Kufi al-Nahwi al-Tamimi reported to me from Hisham ibn Yunus al-Nahshali, who reported to me from Yahya ibn Ya'la, from Hameed al-A'raj, from Abdullah ibn al-Harith, from Abdullah ibn Masood that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "I am surprised at the heedless person who is not without survelance; I am surprised at the one chasing the world, while death chases him; I am surprised at a person having a loud, hearty laugh, while he does not know whether Allah is pleased with him or is displeased. "
10. Dying the death of an infidel
He said: Abul Hasan Muhammad ibn Ja'far reported to me from Hisham ibn Yunus al-Nahshali, who reported from Abu Muhammad al-Ansari, who reported from Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash, from Muhammad ibn Shihab al-Zuhari, from Anas ibn Malik, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, looked at ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) and said: "O ‘Ali, whoever hates you, Allah shall cause him to die the death of infidels, and on the day of Judgement, will ask him
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to account for his deeds (also). "
11. Befriending for the sake of Allah
He said: Abul Hasan Muhammad ibn Ja'far reported to me from Hisham who reported from Yahya ibn Ya'la, from Hameed, from Abdullah ibn al-Harith from Abdullah ibn Masood that:
The Prophet peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Those who befriend each other for the sake of Allah, Most High, shall be resting on the pillars of ruby in the Paradise, supervising the inmates of Paradise. Whenever one of them comes forth, his splendour shall fill the houses of the people of Paradise.
Then the people of the Paradise shall say: 'Let us out so that we can have a glimpse of those who befriended each other for the pleasure of Allah. ' He said: "Then they will be brought out to see them. One of them will have a face like the full moon, and on their foreheads will be written: These are the people befriending each other for the sake of Alla! "
Ninth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 29th of the month of Ramadhan. On this day, our grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nu’man, may Allah perpetuate His support and beneficence to him, said:
1. The four virtues of the people of Paradise
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Salim ibn Al-Baraa' al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Bareed al-Bajali, who reported from Muhammad ibn Thawab al-Hubbari, who reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Ja'far, from his father, who reported that his brother Musa ibn Ja'far reported from his father through his forefathers, peace be upon them
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all, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Whoever has four virtues, Allah shall write his name among the people of Paradise: One who saves oneself by testifying that there is no god but Allah and that I, Muhammad am His Messenger; and one who says: Praise be to Allah, when blessed with any bounty from Him; and one who says: I seek forgiveness from Allah, for the sin committed; and one when afflicted by any calamity, says: To Him we belong, and unto Him shall we return. "
2. The Prophet commanded to reveal virtues of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed ibn Ziyad al-Muqri from his book, reporting from Ahmad ibn Isa ibn al-Hasan al-Hawbi, who reported from Nasr ibn Hammad who reported from Amru ibn Shimr, from Jabir al-Ja'fi who reported from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, that Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari said:
The Angel Jibraeel descended unto the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and said: "Allah commands you to address the people around you, informing them about the excellence of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) and has commanded all the angels, to listen to what you will say; and He reveals to you that whoever will oppose you about his affair, he shall enter hell fire, and Paradise is for him who obeys you. "
Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, caused the announcement: " (Join) the congregational prayers. " People assembled and
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the Prophet climbed the pulpit and commenced first by saying: "I seek refuge from Satan, the condemned and I begin in the name of Allah, Most Merciful. " Then he said:
"O people, I am the bringer of good tidings and I am the warner. I am the Prophet, born in Ummul Qura'. I am now conveying to you, from Allah, Most High, about a man whose flesh is from my flesh and whose blood is from my blood; he is treasure-house of the knowledge and he is the one who Allah has selected from this Ummah, chosen him, befriended him and guided.
Allah created me and him from one essence and blessed me with the Prophethood and blessed him with the task of purveying on my behalf. He made me city of the knowledge and made him its gate. He made him a treasurer of the knowledge and the source from whom divine laws are received. He blessed him with specific divine appointment, made clear his position, forwarned against animosity to him and made affection towards him obligatory, enjoining all people to obey him.
And He, Most High, says: "Whoever hates him, hates Me and whoever befriends him, befriends Me. Whoever rises against him, rises against Me and whoever opposes him, opposes Me. Whoever disobeys him, disobeys Me and whoever harms him, harms Me. Whoever despises him, despises Me.
And whoever loves him, loves Me and whoever obeys him, obeys Me. Whoever pleases him, pleases Me and whoever protects him, protects
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Me. Whoever fights him, fights Me and whoever helps him, helps Me. Whoever intends foul against him, does so against Me and whoever plots against him, plots against Me. "
O Peopl! Listen to my command and obey it. For I warn you against the severe punishment by Allah. On the Day when every soul will find present before it every good deed it has done; and whatever evil it has done, it will wish that there be between it and the evil it has done, a great distance. And Allah cautions you of Himself. "
Then he took Amirul Mu’mineen (i. e. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib) , peace be upon him, by his hand and said: "O peopl! This is the master of the believers and the annihilator of the infidels and the proof of Allah to all mankinds. O Allah, I have indeed, conveyed and they are your servants. And You are able to reform them so reform them by Your mercy, O Most Merciful. "
Then he came down from the pulpit and the angel Jibraeel came unto him saying: "O Muhammad, Allah sends you Salaam and says: May Allah reward you best for having conveyed. You have indeed conveyed the message from your Sustainer and given your Ummah the correct advice. You have pleased the faithfuls and constrained the infidels. O Muhammad, your cousin will be stricken with affliction and because of him, some will be surely tried. And those who do wrong, shall soon come to know what punishment awaits them. "
3. The Prophet's prayers for his descendants
He said: Abu
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Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad, who reported from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Affan, from Yazid ibn Harun, from Hamid, from Jabir ibn Abdillah al-Ansari who said:
Once, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, came upon us holding the hands of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be upon them and said: "These are my two sons, who I have brought up from infancy and for whom I have prayed to Allah as they grew up. I prayed for them for three things, out of which He granted two and restrained one. I beseeched Allah to keep them pure and cleansed from all evil and make them chaste. Allah granted my prayer.
And I prayed that they and their progeny be guarded together with their followers, from the hellfire. Allah granted my prayer. And I asked Allah that the Ummah be united in their love for them. " He said: "O Muhamma! I have decreed and I have determined. A group from among your Ummah will remain faithful to the covenant you have made with the Jews, the Christians and the Magians and will break your covenant regarding your descendants. And I have so decreed that, whoever does that, shall not have a place at My honoured station, nor will I allow him to enter My Paradise, nor shall I have an eye of mercy upon him on the Day of Judgement. "
4. The Assasination of Malik al-Ashtar
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hubaysh al-katib reported
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to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Za'farani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, from Muhammad ibn Zakariyya, from Abdullah ibn al- Dhahhak, from Hisham ibn Muhammad, who said:
When news of the assassination of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, reached Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, he wrote to Malik ibn al-Harith al-Ashtar, may Allah bless him with mercy, who was then residing at Nasibayn. (He wrote): "You are surely among those from whom I seek help to keep the banner of Islam high and to crush the haughtiness of the disobedient and to fortify the threatened borderline.
I had appointed Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, may Allah bless him with mercy, to govern Egypt, but the rebels attacked him and as he was inexperienced about warfare, he was martyred - may Allah bless him with mercy. Now, come over to me so that we may look into the matter concerning Egypt, and appoint in your place a reliable, sane person from your companions. " Then Malik - may Allah be pleased with him, appointed Shabib ibn Amir al-Azadi to succeed him, and proceeded till he arrived to meet Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him. Then he (i. e. ‘Ali) explained to him the situation in Egypt and informed him about its people.
Then he said: "There is no one for this assignment except you, so be ready to go. And if there is anything, about which I have not guided you, you will depend upon your judgement and
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seek assistance from Allah for your intention. (In your dealing with them) , mix severity and harshness with tenderness and gentleness, and be friendly for as long as friendliness serves the purpose. And be resolute when there is no alternative to severity. "
He said: Then Malik al-Ashtar - may Allah be pleased with him, rose and prepared for his journey to Egypt. And ‘Ali, peace be upon him, sent a letter to the people of Egypt, before (Malik) arrived there:
"In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Benevolent, I praise Allah, none to be worshipped but He; and beseech Allah to bless His Prophet, Muhammad and his progeny. Surely, I have sent unto you a servant from the servants of Allah, who does not sleep in the days of fear and does not recoil from the enemy fearing any disaster. He is from the strongest among His servants and the noblest; and to the transgressors, more threatening than the burning fire.
And from ignorance and blemish, he is the farthest. He is Malik ibn al-Harith al-Ashtar, neither a cutting tooth nor a blunted edge. He is patient amid threats, calm and composed at the time of war. He has an original judgement and an agreeable patience. So listen to him and obey him. If he commands you to march forth, march, and if commands you to halt, halt. For he does not advance or halt except by my order. I have sent him to you in spite of my need for him,
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for the sake of your welfare and because of my deep concern about your adversaries. May Allah guard and protect you with guidance and keep you steadfast with Taqwa. May He bless us and you with what He likes and loves. May peace and mercy of Allah and His Blessing be upon you. "
When Malik al-Ashtar completed his preparations for journey to Egypt, the spies of Mu’awiyah from Iraq wrote to inform him. He was very much distressed, because he had his eyes set on Egypt. He knew that he would lose Egypt if al-Ashtar arrived there and to him al-Ashtar was a more powerful person than the son of Abu Bakr.
So he contacted a chief who paid the revenue at a place called al-Qulzum, informing him that ‘Ali (as) has appointed al-Ashtar to govern Egypt and if you got rid of him on my behalf, I shall gift away the revenue to you for as long as you live. So plan to kill him in every way possible. Then Mu’awiyah collected the people of Syria and said: "Verily, ‘Ali has sent al-Ashtar to Egypt. Come and let us pray to Allah that He may relieve us of him. " Then he prayed, and so did the people with him.
Al-Ashtar travelled on till he came to al-Qulzum. The chief received him and greeted him and then said: "I am among those who is liable to pay the revenue. And you and your companions have a right upon all that grows on
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my land. So be my guest and allow me to serve you and your companions and let your animals freely graze on my land, and I will count it from my liability. "
So, al-Ashtar became his guest and he served him (al-Ashtar) and his companions for all their needs. And he brought to them food, including some honey, which had poison. When al-Ashtar drank from that honey, it killed him and he died because of that.
Mu’awiyah got the news, so he collected the people of Syria and said: "Happy tidings for yo! Allah, Most High, has answered your prayers; has relieved you of him and has killed him. " They rejoiced.
And when the news of Ashtar's death assailed Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, he sighed and grieved, saying: "What an excellent man Malik wa! Had he been a mountain, he would have been its firm rock, and had he been from stone, he would have been solid. By Allah, some men in the world will be placated by his death; but it behaves for the mourners to mourn over him. "
Then he said: "We are for Allah and unto Him shall we return; and all praise to Allah, the Lord of all Universe. I shall seek reward from You for this sacrifice, for surely, his death is among the greatest worldly calamities. May Allah bless Malik with mercy; no doubt, he faithfully dispersed his charge and completed the appointed term (of life) and met his Creator; while we have reconciled
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ourselves to forbear every adversity after being bereaved of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, for that was the greatest calamity. "
5. Imamat, a continued covenant
He said: Abu Ghalib Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Zurari reported to me from Abdullah ibn Ja'far al-Himyari, from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali from Zakariyya, from Muhammad ibn Sinan and Yunus ibn Yaqoob, from Abdul A'ala ibn A'ayan who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, say: "Our first one is the ushering guide to our next one, and our next one is the conformer of the first one. And among us, the tradition is constant. Surely, when Allah ordains, He implements it. "
All Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all Universe and Allah
bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet and his progeny
and send peace upon them.
Al-Shaikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah perpetuate his capabilities - narrated to us on Monday, the end of Shawaal, in the year four hundred and four.
6. A recitation to open the eight gates of Paradise
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-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Husayn ibn Saeed, from Muhammad ibn al-Fudhail, from Abu al-Sabah al-Kanani, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him said: "Whoever recites the following in the morning before sunrise, (and in the evening before sunset) , Allah will open for him the eight gates of the Paradise and he will be told: 'Enter from any gate you choose'; and he will avert from him
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the misfortunes of that day: "
"I testify that there is no god but Allah Alone,
and He has no partner,
and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger,
and that the religion is according to the path he showed,
and Islam is what he promulgated,
and the (true) word is what he said,
and the book is as it was revealed (to him) ,
and that Allah is the Evident Truth. "
And then he should mention Muhammad and his progeny in a befitting good way, greeting them with peace.
Tenth Assembly
point
Met on Wednesday, after the lapse of two nights of Rajab in the year 407. Al-Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah perpetuate His support to him - narrated to us in his mosque at Darb Ribah.
1. Allah reveals to Musa
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa and Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abul Khattab together, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Ibn Sinan, from Abu Hamzah al- Thumali, that:
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, said: Musa son of Imran, may Allah bless our Prophet (and his progeny) and him, said: "O Alla! Who are the sincere, pure servants of Yours among Your creation? " He said: "One with the generous palms and the bountiful feet. He speaks truthfully, and walks modestly. They are such that the mountains may move, but they would not. "
He said: "O Alla! Who are the ones
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who will land in the sacred abode at yours? " He (Allah) said: "They are the ones whose eyes do not look (at all) at the world and they do not let out their secrets in faith and they accept no bribe to attain the authority. Certitude is in their hearts and truth is on their tongues. They are under My shield in this world and in the sacred abode hereafter, they will be with Me. "
2. Who are those devotees?
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Katib, who reported from Ahmad ibn Abu Khaithamah, who reported from Abdullah ibn Dahir, from al-A'amash, from Abayah al-Asadi from Ibn Abbas - may Allah bless him with mercy, who said:
Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn ‘Ali Talib, peace be upon him, was asked about the verse in the Qu'ran: 'Surely, Allah's devotees shall have no fear, neither shall they grieve. ' (Yunus, 10: 62).
He was asked: "Who are those devotees? " So, Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, said: "They are the ones who have purified themselves in His worship and have an eye on the inner core of this world while people regard its exterior; and so they have recognized its future while others have been deceived by its transitory benefits. They have forsaken all that which they know will someday forsake them and have caused to die all that they know will one day kill them. "
Then he said: "O he who has distracted himself with this world and jumped at its traps,
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working busily to build up that which will soon be destroyed by it. Did you not see your forefathers, who are down decomposing and your descendants, thrown under the stone and earth? How you tried to treat them and cure them with your hands? The doctors prescribed for them and the relatives prayed for them. But reliance upon you, did not help them and your medicines did not have any effect upon them. "
3. ‘Ali's faith and descent
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad reported to me from Ahmad ibn Ibrahim, who reported from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan, who reported from al- Husayn ibn Nasr ibn Mazahim, who reported from his father, who reported from Abu Abdil Rahman Abdullah ibn Abdul Malik, from Yahya ibn Salimah, from his father Salimah ibn Kuhail, from Abu Sadiq who said:
I heard Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him say: "My faith is that of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and my descent is the descent of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny. So whoever, speaks ill of my faith and my descent, slurs the faith and the descent of the Prophet. "
4. The most important duty Allah has imposed
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob from Hisham ibn Salim, from Zurarah ibn A'ayan (from al-Hasan al-Bazzaz) , that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: "May I not inform you about the
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most important duty Allah has imposed upon His creation? " I said: "Please do. " He said: "To treat people justly, equal to yourself, and to grant preference to your brother; and to remember Allah in every situation. And by remembering, I do not mean chanting: 'Glory be to Allah' and 'Praise be to Allah' and 'There is no god but Allah' and 'Allah is great', altogether it is a part of remembering. But to remember Allah in every situation means to be invincible in matter of obedience to Allah or sinning against Him. "
5. The Prophet seeks forgiveness for all Shi’ahs
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Basir al-Muqri informed me from Abu Abdillah al-Asadi, who reported from Ja'far ibn Abdullah ibn Ja'far al- Alawi al-Muhammadi, who reported from Yahya ibn Hashim al-Ghassani, who reported from Ghayath ibn Ibrahim, who reported from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from his forefathers that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "I have been taught (by Allah) the seven verses (i. e. Surah al-Fateha) of two recitations. And the whole Ummah of mine was presented to me (while in the clay form) , till I was able to see its small and its big; and I looked at the entire heavens. And when I saw you, O ‘Ali, I sought forgiveness for you and your followers till the Day of Judgement. "
6. "O, Alla! I love ‘Ali, so you also love him"
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Muqri reported to me from Abu Abdillah al-Husayn ibn Ubaidullah al-Zurari, who reported from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Abdullah al-Alawi al-Muhammadi, who reported from Yahya
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ibn Hashim al-Ghassani, who reported form Ismail ibn Ayyash, from Muadh ibn Rafaah, from Shahr ibn Hawshab, who said:
By Allah, I cannot be stopped by Mu'awiya's authority to speak the truth about ‘Ali, peace be upon him. I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: "‘Ali is the best among you; and in matter of religion, he is the most learned jurist among you, and he knows incisively about my Traditions, more than any of you. And as far the Book of Allah (i. e. the Qu'ran) , he is its best student among you all. O, Alla! I love ‘Ali, so You also love him; O Alla! I love ‘Ali, so You also love him. "
7. They dispute Prophethood and give away Calipht!
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Basari al-Bazzaz reported to me from Abu Bishr Ahmad ibn Ibrahim, who reported from Zakariyya ibn Yahya al- Saji, who reported from Abdul Ja'far, from Sufyan, from al-Waleed ibn Katheer, from Ibn al-Sayyad, from Saeed ibn al-Musayyab who said:
When the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, died, the whole Makkah was shaken with deep sorrow. Then Abu Qahafa said: "What is happening? " They told him: "The Prophet has departed. " He said: "Who has assumed authority over people after him? " They told him: "Your son. " He asked: "Did Banu Abd Shams and Banu al-Mughaira approve? " They said: "Yes. "
He said: "No one can prevent that which Allah bestows and no one can give what Allah takes away. What a surpris! They dispute the Prophethood and easily
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give the Caliphat! Surely, this seems to have been destined. "
8. What al-Khidr said to ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn reported to me from Abu ‘Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Sawli, who reported from Abdul Aziz ibn Yahya al- Jaloodi, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Hameed, who reported from Mukhawwal ibn Ibrahim, who reported from Swaleh ibn Abul Aswad, who reported from Mahfooz ibn Ubaidullah, from a Sheikh from Hadhramaut, from Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah - may Allah bless him with mercy, who said:
Once, while Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, was going around the Ka'bah , he came across a man who had clung to the curtains of the sacred house, saying: 'O, He, Whom one hearing does not distract from another and O, He, Who is not misled by the seekers, and O, He, Who is not wearied by the insistent supplication. Grant me the coolness of Your Pardon and the sweetness of Your mercy. "
Amirul Mu’mineen (A. S. ) asked him: "Is this your prayer? " The man said: "So, you heard it? " He said: "Yes". The man said: "Pray this way at the end of every Daily prayer. By Allah, when a faithful prays with these words at the end of the Daily prayer, Allah forgives him all his sins even if they equal the heavenly stars in number, or the pebbles and the earth in abundance. "
Then Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, told him: "I have the knowledge of it, and Allah is Infinite, Beneficent. " The man who was al-Khidhr,
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peace be upon him, said: "By Allah, you are right O, Amirul Mu’mineen. Over everyone endowed with knowledge, there is One Who knows most. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet and his pure progeny.
Eleventh Assembly
point
Met on Monday, 7th Rajab of the year 407 Hijra. Our grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nu’man - may Allah perpetuate His beneficence for him, narrated to us in his Mosque at Rabah, in this month.
1. "Today, it is deed and no account; tomorrow, it will be account and no deeds. "
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from al-Fadhl ibn al-Habbab al-Jamhiy, who reported from Muslim ibn Abdillah al-Basriy, who reported from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn Abdul Rahman al-Nahdiy, who reported from Sha'bah, from Salemah ibn Kuhayl, from Habbah al-Araniy who said:
I heard Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, say: "I fear for you about two things: long ambitions and the submission to base desire. As for the long ambitions, they cause you to forget the next world; and as for obedience to your desires, they prevent you from (following) the Truth. Surely, this world passes with its back turned to you, and the next world arrives facing you. And they both have their sons. So, be the sons of the next world and do not be the sons of this world. For today, it is (your) deed and no account; and tomorrow, it will be account (for your acts) and no deeds. "
2. Allah does for His servants that which is best
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reported to
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me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Malik ibn Atiyyah, from Dawood ibn Farqad, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: Among the words spoken to Allah to Musa son of Imran, peace be upon him, He revealed: "O, Mus! I have not created anything more beloved and preferred to Me than My faithful, believing servants. And when I try him, it is for his own good. I take away from him what he desires most, for his own good; and I grant him for his own benefit.
And I know best what is beneficial for My servant. So, it is for him to be patient, when I try him, to be grateful when I bless him with My bounties, and he should remain pleased with My judgement. (Then) I write his name among My Truthfuls when he acts according to My pleasure and obeys My orders. "
3. The sun returned for ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa al-Makki, who reported from al- Sheikh al-Swaleh Abu Abdil Rahman Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal, who reportted from Abdul Rahman ibn Sharik, from his father, who reported that Urwah ibn Abdillah ibn Qyshayr al-Ja'fiy said:
(Once) I called upon Fatimah, daughter of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, when she was quite advanced in age. She wore beads around her neck and two
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bangles on her hands, and she said: "It is abominable for women to resemble men. " Then she said: "Asma ibn Umays reported to me that, once, the revelation from Allah descended upon His Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and it overwhelmed him. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, may peace be upon him, covered him (i. e. the Prophet) with his cloth, till the sun set.
When the revelation ceased, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "O ‘Al! Have you offered your Asr prayers? " He said: "No O, messenger of Alla! My attendance upon you prevented me from that. " Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, prayed: "O Allah, cause the sun to return for ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib". The sun had set, so it rose again till its rays reached my room and half the height of the Mosque. "
4. The pleasure and displeasure of Fatimah (SA)
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Hammam al-Katib al-Iskafi, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Maharibi, who reported from Ismail ibn Ishaq at Rashidi, who reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali from Muhammad b al-Fudhail al-Azdi, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, who reported that Abu Ja'far Al-Baqir Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, reported from his father and grandfather that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Surely, Allah is displeased when Fatimah (peace be upon her) is displeased, and He is pleased when she displays her pleasure. "
5. Fatimah (SA) after the khilafat of Abu Bakr
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn
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Muhammad al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Zafarani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Abu Ismail al-Attar, from Ibn Luhaya'h, from Abul Aswad, from Urwah ibn al-Zubayr that:
When people swore allegiance to Abu Bakr, Fatimah, the daughter of (Prophet) Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, came to the door of her house and said: "Never have I witnessed a day like this. They have indeed, set a worst record. They left their Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, with his corpse in our midst and preoccupied themselves with the matter (of succession) without us. "
6. Ahlul Bayt, the key to all wisdom
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibnAbdillah, from Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, who reported that:
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him said: "People (who have discarded us) have no truth, nor any propriety, except that which they have learnt from us Ahlul Bayt. None from them can judge truly or with justice, unless he has taken its guidance from Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, the key, the gate, the path blazer, the way. And when they are confused in any matter, the fault is theirs if they commit an error; and if they decide rightly, the credit goes to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as). "
7. Shaddad ibn Aws and Mu'awiyah
He said: Abu al-Tayyib al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Tammar reported to me at the Great
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Mosque of Al-Mansoor during Muharram of 347 Hijra, from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Anbari, who reported from Ahmed ibn Yahya, who reported from Ibn al-A'arabi, from Habib ibn Basshar, from his father, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Asim, from al-Sha'bi who said:
When Shaddad ibn Aws called upon Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, he honoured and welcomed him, did not reprimand him for his past lapses and gave him good promises of reward. Then one day he invited Shaddad at a public assembly and said: "O Shaddad, stand before people and speak about ‘Ali and revile his so that I know the measure of your love for me. "
Shaddad said: "I beg to be excused, for ‘Ali has already gone to his Maker and has been rewarded for his deeds. And you have been sufficiently relieved of your worry about him. Now, the affairs are under your full control because of your generosity, so do not seek from people things which do not behove your magnanimity. "
Muawiyah said: "You shall indeed rise to speak, otherwise (our) suspicion about you is established. "
Then Shaddad stood up and said: "Praise be to Allah Who made His obedience obligatory upon His servants and placed His Pleasure with the people of Taqwa, who preferred His pleasure over the pleasure of those He created; upon that path have the predecessors gone and upon that path shall the followers go.
O People, the next world is indeed a true promise, a Day on which the Omnipotent King shall judge; and this
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world has a limited tenure, where every pious and impious eats his share. He who listens and obeys the truth, fears no judgement against him and he who listens and disobeys, expects no judgement in his favour. Surely, when Allah intends good for His servants, He gives them the righteous people to govern them and the learned jurists to decide among them; and places wealth in the hands of the generous among them. And when intends evil for them, He causes the fools to rule over them and the ignorant to decide among them and places wealth in the hands of the misers and niggardly among them.
And for the rulers, the most befitting thing is to have the righteous companies around them. O Muawiyah, whoever displeases you for the truth, he is your good advisor and whoever seeks your pleasure by ways which are untrue, he deceives you. I have indeed, given you a good advice in whatever I have said already and I will not deceive you by saying to the contrary. "
Muawiyah said: "Sit down O, Shaddad. " So, he sat down. Then Muawiyah said: "I ordered for you enough wealth to make you self-sufficient. Am I not among those generous who Allah has blessed with abundance, for the sake of the welfare of His creation? " Shaddad said: "If the wealth you possess belongs to you, to the exclusion of what belongs to the Muslims and (if) you earned and spent it in legitimate ways, after having amassed it so
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that it may not be squandered, then, of course, yes.
And if the wealth you have, belongs to you jointly with the Muslims and you deprived them from having access to it; amassing it in abundance and then spending it excessively, then Allah, Most High, says: 'Verily, the extravagants are the brothers of the Devils' (Al-Isra', 17: 27). " (Upon hearing this) Muawiyah said: "I believe you have gone mad, O Shadda! (Then turning to his people, he said) , "Give him what we have set aside for him, so that he may reach his people before he gets totally demented. "
Shaddad rose on his feet saying: "Someone else, other than me, has lost his sanity to his desires. " He then left, without taking anything from Muawiyah.
8. Evil consequences of three traits one will see before death
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 al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Malik ibn Atiyyah, from Abu Ubaidah al-Hazza', who reported that:
Abu Ja'far al-Baqir Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, said: "It is recorded in the book of Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him: three traits are such that whoever possess them, would not die before seeing their evil consequences: injustice, breaking off with blood (womb) relations and false oath. " And the quickest way to earning a reward (from Allah) is to mend the relations with your kith and kin; for these are people who transgress, but when they mend their relations with each other, their wealth grows
and they become rich. And false oaths and breaking off from one's relatives turn the villages into the wastelands.
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad and his progeny, with peace and salutaions.
Twelfth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 12th Rajab, in the year 407 Hijra, in which the following was heard. Our grand Sheikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al- Nu’man, may Allah perpetuate His support to him, narrated:
1. The best act is faith unblemished by doubt
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Mahrawayh al-Qazwini, in the year 302, reporting from Dawood ibn Suleiman al-Ghazi, that ‘Ali ibn Musa, peace be upon him, reported from his saintly father Musa ibn Ja'far, from his father al-Sadiq Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father al-Baqir Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, from his father Zainul Abideen ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father al-Shaheed Al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali, from his father Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon them all, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "The best act in the estimation of Allah, is to have faith unblemished by any doubt, and to fight in His way, without being dishonest about the spoils, and to perform Hajj, which is accepted into the grace of Allah. And the slave who worships Allah in the best manner, remains sincere to his master and the one who is chaste, incorruptible and worshipful, will be the first to enter Paradise. "
2. Submiting to those possessing worldly authority
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reported to me from his father, from Sa'd
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ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Hadeed ibn Hakeem al-Azadi who said:
I have heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him say: "Guard yourselves from the sins fearing Allah and protect your religion with piety. And lend it strength by dissimulation (where necessary) and by relying solely on Allah for your needs, rather than on those who possess worldly power.
And know you all, that whoever submits to the one possessing worldly authority, or to the one who is opposed to his faith, in order to gain something from his transitory bounties, Allah will weaken his force, subject him to His utter displeasure and entrust all his affairs to that person. And, if at all he acquires something from that man, Allah will not bless that gain with His benediction and will not reward him from whatever he spends for Hajj, or for freeing a slave or for any good deed. "
3. ‘Ali (as) explains his stand at Jamal
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahalabi - may Allah bless him with His mercy, reported to me on Friday, of the last two days of Sha'ban, in the year 353, from Muhammad ibn al-Hussain ibn Hameed ibn al-Rabee' al-Lakhmi, reporting from Suleiman ibn al-Rabee' al-Nahdi, who reported from Nasr ibn Mazahim al-Munqari, who reported from Yahya ibn Ya'la al-Aslami, who reported from ‘Ali ibn al-Huzawwar, from Al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah - may Allah bless him with His mercy, that once a man called upon Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
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(A. S. ) at Basra and said:
"O Amirul Mu’mineen, between us and these people against whom we are fighting, the call is one, the Prophet is one, the daily prayer is one, Hajj is one, then how shall we classify them? "
Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, said: "Classify them the same way as Allah, Most High, has classified them in His Book. Have you not heard the verse:
'Those messengers We excel some above the others, among them is he to whom Allah spoke, and some He raised in rank, and We gave Jesus the son of Mary the clear signs and strengthened him with the holy spirit.
And if Allah had pleased, those who came after them would not have fought one against the other, after the clear signs had come to them, but they fell into variance and some of them believed and some disbelieved.... ' (al-Baqrah 2: 253)
So, when the confrontation occurred, we were worthier with Allah, His faith, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, the Book and the Truth. We are the ones who believed and they are the ones who disbelieved. And Allah willed that we fought against them, so we fought in accordance with His will, His command and His pleasure. "
4. ‘Ali (as) mourns the Prophet (SAW)
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Muqri al-Baseer reported to me from Abdullah ibn Yahya al-Qattan, who reported from Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn Saeed al-Qarshi, who reported from his father, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Mukhariq, from Abdul Samad ibn ‘Ali, from
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his father, from Abdullah ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
When the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, passed away, Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, together with al-Abbas and al-Fadhl ibn al-Abbas, washed him. And when they had finished washing him, he (‘Ali) removed the wrap-cloth from his face and said: "My father and my mother be your ransom, you have been pure in your life and in your death. With your passing away, there has been a cessation, which has no parallel in anyone else's death; the cessation of Prophethood and the Divine revelations.
You are so exalted that, your death has become a source of solace and consolation for all other bereavements and (at the same time) your death has such a common aspect, that all men all equally grieved by it. And, had it not been that you ordered forbearance and forbade restless grief, we would have shed incessant tears over you. (But deep sorrow and grief, both are too trivial to give any consolation on your parting). May my father and my mother be your ransom, do remember us (well) when you are in the presence of your Sustainer, and keep us in your mind. "
Then he fell over him, kissed his face and drew the cloth over him.
5. What Sham'oon, the successor of Isa said to ‘Ali (as)
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 Ismail ibn Yasar, who reported from
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Abdullah ibn Milh, from Abdul Wahhab ibn Ibrahim al-Azdi, from Abu Sadiq, from Mazahim ibn Abdul Warith, from Muhammad ibn Zakariyya, from Shoaib ibn Waqid al-Muzni, from Muhammad ibn Sahl, the client of Sulaiman ibn ‘Ali ibn Abdillah ibn Abbas, from his father, from Qais, the servant of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, who said:
Once when ‘Ali, Amirul Mu’mineen was near the mountain at Siffin, the time for maghrib prayers set in. So he went farther away and called for the prayers. When he finished the Adhan, a man appeared from near the mountain, having grey hair and beard, with a bright, white face. He said: "Peace be upon you, O Amirul Mu’mineen and mercy and blessings from Alla! Welcome to the successor of the last of the Prophets, leader of the ones with bright, brilliant faces, (on the Day of Judgement) magnanimous and protected, excellent one and one who has the reward of the Truthfuls, master of all the successor! "
So, Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, said: "And peace be upon you, how are you? " He replied: "I am well, waiting for the holy spirit. I do not know of any name, which is greater in the estimation of Allah, at the time of ordeal, than yours, nor of any who has earned more rewards than you, nor of anyone who has an elevated place higher than yours. Put up with all that you are in, O my brother, till you meet the al-Habib (the beloved
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Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny). Verily, I have witnessed whatever befall our colleagues in the past at the hands of the children of Israel. They cut them apart with the saw and carried them over the bier. "
And then pointing towards the people of Syria, he said: "And if these poor, ugly faces know what chastisement and exemplary punishment awaits them for fighting against you, they would withdraw. " And then pointing to the people of Iraq, he said: "And if these bright faces knew what award awaits them for having obeyed you, they would love to be cut by the scissors. And peace and His mercy and blessings be upon you. " Then he disappeared.
At that time, Ammar ibn Yasir, Abdul Haytham ibn al-Teehan, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Ubadah ibn al-Samit, Khuzaima ibn Thabit and Hashim al-Marqal, a group from his followers stood up and said: "O, Amirul Mu’mineen, (for they heard what the man had said) who is this man? " Amirul Mu’mineen said: "He is Sham'oon, the successor of Isa, peace be upon him. Allah sent him to me to give me solace for this confrontation with His enemie! " They said: "May our parents be your ransom, By Allah, we will help you the way we helped the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, and none from the al-Muhajir nor al-Ansar shall desert you, except the unfortunate one. " (Upon hearing this) , Amirul Mu’mineen spoke to them kind words. "
6. ‘Ali (as) is al-Sadiq al-Akbar among us
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi
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reported to me from Abu Ahmad al-Abbas ibn al-Fadhl ibn Ja'far al-Azadi al-Makki, in Egypt, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Saeed Ibn Basheer al-Razi, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Abdul Wahid, from Muhammad ibn Aban, who reported from Muhammad ibn Tamam ibn Sabiq, who reported from Amir ibn Sayyar, from Abu al-Sabah, from Abu Tamam, from Ka'b al-Habr, who said:
Abdullah ibn Salaam came to the Prophet before he had embraced Islam, and said: "O Messenger of Alla! What appellation does ‘Ali have among you? " The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "‘Ali is al-Siddiq al-Akbar among us. " Abdullah said: "I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Prophet. Surely, we have read in Torah: Muhammad is the Prophet of Mercy and ‘Ali is the upholder of Proof. "
7. On Free Will and Divine Intervention
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Malik al-Nahwi reported to me from Muhammad ibn al-Fadhl, who reported from Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al-Katib who reported from Yamoot ibn al-Muzarra', who reported from Isa ibn Ismail who reported from Al-Asma'ee who reported from Isa ibn Amru that Dhur Rummah, the poet, believed that there was no divine intervention in the acts. And Ibn al-Ajjaj believed otherwise. One day, they were together at the governor of Basrah, Bilal ibn Abi Bardah, who knew of the difference in their beliefs, so he instigated a debate between them. Ro'bah (i. e. Ibn al-Ajjaj) said:
"By Allah, a bird does not find out its nesting place and a
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predator does not find its victim's hiding place, except by that which has been destined by Allah. " So, Dhur Rummah replied him: "By Allah, it is not Allah Who guides a wolf to run away with a poor, afflicted man's milker. " Ro'bah said: "Then, did the wolf snatch it away by the will of Allah or by its own will? " Dhur Rummah said: "Of course, (the wolf snatched it away) by its own will and desire. " Ro'bah said: "That, By Allah, is a lie imputed against the wolf. " Dhur Rummah retorted: "By Allah, imputing a lie against the wolf is lesser (evil) than imputing a lie against the Creator of the wolf. "
He (i. e. Sheikh al-Mufid) said: Then Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Malik al-Nahwi recited for me the verses by Mahmood al-Warraq, following the above narration:
"I am censured (because) I did not commit sins by ignorance,
Nor were they the doing of the other, nor mine,
And I did not do so because of my insolence towards Allah,
Nor because my sensitivity did not get the better of my ignorance,
I committed them with favourable expectation of the forgiveness,
From the One Who is peerless in His graces and favours,
So, if my good expectations are confirmed by Him,
Then in that grace is included everyone like me,
And if He subjects me to the chastisement,
Then that has come to me by way of justice. "
8. "Who deserves to be sorry about it? "
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Malik al-Nahwi reported to me from Muhammad ibn al-Fadhl, by his former chain of narrations till al-Asmaee', from Isa ibn
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Amru, who said:
A man once sought help from Abu Amru ibn al-Ala' for his needs and Abu Amru promised him. But then, it became impossible for Abu Amru to fulfil the promise. Later, when the man met him, he said: "O Abu Amru, you promised me something, but never fulfilled i! ' Abu Amru said: "Who do you think deserves to be sorry about it, you or I? "
The man said: "I deserve. " Abu Amru said: "No, by Allah, I deserve it. " The man asked: "Why is that so? " Abu Amru said: "Well, I made a promise to you; so you went away happy with the hope and I remained worried about its fulfillment. Surely, you must have slept that night peacefully and with delight while I spent the night, thoughtful and anxious. Then the circumstances prevented
me from reaching my intention, so you meet me while I am ashamed and I meet you totally humbled. "
9. O ‘Ali... your enemies are the army of Satan
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me on Monday, when five days of Shaban remained, in the year 353, from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Abdillah ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Zayd ibn ‘Ali ibn Al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali Abi Talib (peace be upon him) who said: It was related to me by al-Ridha ‘Ali ibn Musa from his father Musa ibn Ja'far, from his father Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, from his father ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali from his father Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn
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Abu Talib, Peace be upon them all, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny said: "O ‘Al! With you (all) has Allah begun this matter (i. e. Imamat) and with you (all) shall He end it. So remain patient, for the good end is for those who guard against evil, fearing Allha. You are the army of Allah, and your enemies are the army of Satan. Blessed is he who obeys you and woe unto those who oppose you. You are the divine authority over His creation and the strong rope (of Allah). Whoever adheres to it finds true guidance, and whoever discards it, goes astray. I beseech Allah to grant you Paradise; no one precedes you in your absolute obedience to Allah, and therefore, you are worthier for it. "
10. An admonisher from your inner self
He said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Malik ibn Atiyyah, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, who said:
‘Ali ibnal-Husayn Zainul Abedeen, peace be upon him, used to say: "O son of Adam, you will always be on the right path as long as you have an admonisher from your inner self; and as long as you remain concerned about taking your own account; and as long as the fear of Allah and the repentance (for your lapses) remain your apparel. You will surely die one day, to stand before Allah the Most High, (so be ready with
your answers). "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet and his progeny.
Thirteenth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 19th Rajab, in the year 407. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah perpetuate His beneficence upon him, said today:
1. "I fear for my Ummah about three things... "
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Mahrawayh al-Qazwini, who reported from Dawood ibn Sulaiman al-Ghari, who reported from al-Ridha ‘Ali ibn Musa, who reported form his father Musa ibn Ja'far, who reported from his father Ja'far ibn Muhammad, who reported from his father Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, who reported from his father ‘Ali ibn Husayn, who reported from his father al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali, who reported from his father Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon them all, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "I fear for my Ummah about three things: Going astray after having recognized the truth; and being misled by the trials and the ordeals; and the base desires incited by lust and hunger. "
2. On Ramadhan
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Sulaiman ibn Ziyad al-Maruzi, who reported from Ubaidullah ibn Muhammad al-Ayshi, who reported from Hammad ibn Salemah, from Ayyub, from Abu Qalabah, from Abu Hurairah, who reported that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "This is the month of Ramadhan, a blessed month, in which Allah has made its fasts obligatory. In it, He opens the gates of Paradise and
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in it, Satan is put into shackles. There is a night in it, which is worthier than thousand months; whoever misses it he is indeed deprived. " He used to repeat it three times.
3. Beware of the company of the sinners
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Abu Abdillah al-Barqi, who reported from Bakr ibn Swalah al-Razi, from Sulaiman ibn Ja'far al-Ja'fari, who said:
I heard Abul Hasan, peace be upon him, saying to my father: "How is that I saw you at Abdul Rahman ibn Yaqoob? " He said: "He is my uncle. " So Abul Hasan, peace be upon him said: "He says appalling things about Allah, defining Him, while Allah cannot be described. So, you either sit with him and leave us, or you sit with us and leave hi! " My father said: "Shall I not sit with him even if I do not ascribe to what he says? "
Abul Hasan, peace be upon him, said: "Do you not fear that a divine wrath may descend and afflict you all? " Do you not know that there was a companion of Musa and his father was a partisan of Pharoah (Fira'wn). When the horses of Pharoah drew near Musa, peace be upon him, that companion stayed behind to admonish his father.
And Musa saw him and his father engaged in the dispute, till they reached the sea and both were drowned together. When Musa learnt about this, he asked Jibraeel about his companion's destiny. He said: "May
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Allah have mercy on him, the man drowned and was not in any way associated with the belief of his father. But when the divine wrath descends, it grants no defense to those near the sinners. "
4. "How is that you are prone to disobedience after I have gone? "
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmed ibn Muhammad al-Hasan ibn al-Waleed 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 Jameelah, from Aban ibn Taghlib, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him said: The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, learnt that a group among the Quraish was saying: "Muhammad thinks that he has firmly connected this matter (of succession after him) with his Ahlul Bayt, but when he dies, we shall snatch it away from them and place it among others. " The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, came to them and addressed: "O people of Quraish, how is that you are prone to disobedience after I have gone? Do you wish to see me with a detachment of my companions hitting your faces and necks with the sword? "
Then Jibraeel, peace be upon him, descended and said: "O Muhamma! Your Sustainer sends you peaceful greetings and commands: "Say, Allah willing, and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. " The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Allah willing, and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, who will attend to that among you. "
5. "O ‘Al! You are the master... "
He said: Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad
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ibn Isa al-Makki, who reported from Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who reported from Abdul Rahman ibn Swaleh, who reported from Muhammad ibn Sa'd al- Ansari, who reported from Umar ibn Abdillah Ibn Ya'la ibn Murrah, from his father, from his grandfather Ya'la ibn Murrah, who said:
I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, say to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, "O ‘Al! You are the master of the people after I have gone. So whoever obeys you, obeys me; and whoever disobeys you, disobeys me. "
6. ‘Ali (as) 's soul was the first to greet the Prophet (SAW)
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Muharibi, who reports from Ismail ibn Ishaq al-Rashidi, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Harith, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, from Muslim al-A'awar, from Habbah al-Arni, from Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Teehan al-Ansari, who reported that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Allah, Most High, created the souls two thousand years earlier then the bodies, attached it to the Throne and ordered them to greet me and obey me. So the first one among men who greeted me and expressed his obedience to me was the soul of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him. "
7. Miqdad and Uthman
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Abdillah al-Ishfahani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi who reported from Yusuf ibn Saeed al-Arhabi, who reported from Ubaidullah ibn Musa al-Abasi, from Kamil, from Habib ibn Ibn Abi Thabit,
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who said:
When the people entered the house for consultation (al-Shura) , al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi - may Allah bless him with mercy, said: "Allow me in with you for I am sincere and faithful to Allah and I have something good for you. " They refused. Then he said: "Allow me to enter my head and listen to me. " They refused even that.
Then he said: "If you do not allow me, then (let me advise that) do not swear allegiance to the one who has not witnessed (the battle of) Badr, and who was not present at the allegiance of al-Ridhwan and was routed on the day of Uhud, when the two groups met. "
Uthman said: "By Allah, if the authority is given to me, I shall indeed, send you back to your first lord. " And when al-Miqdad was dying, he said: "Inform Uthman that I am being returned to my first and the last lor! " When Uthman learnt of his death, he came to his grave and said: "May Allah bless you with mercy, you were (good) , in spite of what you were (i. e. my opponent)! "
Then he praised him. (Upon hearing this) al-Zubair said (to Uthman): "I will let you know me (better) after death, when you lament over me, while during my lifetime, you did not allow me my subsintence. "
He (i. e. Uthman) said: "O Zubair, you say this? Do you think I like to see such a companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, die
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while he is resentful against me? "
8. Allah will not accept acts of worship from one who has no love for the authority of Ahlul Bayt
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Hisham, from Murazim who reported from al-Sadiq, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, who reported that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "What has happened to some people in my Ummah, who become cheerful and jubilant when Ibrahim and the progeny of Ibrahim are mentioned to them; but when I and my progeny are mentioned, they detest it and frown at i! By He Who sent me as a truthful Prophet, if a person dies after having performed the (good) deeds of 70 Prophets, but he has no liking for the authority of our Ahlul Bayt, Allah will not accept his obligatory or voluntary acts of worship. "
9. Allah protects the righteous
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Abdillah al-Ishfahani, who reported from Ibrahim b Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Harasah, who reported from Ja'far ibn Ziyad al-Ahmar, who reported that Zaid ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, once read the verse:
'And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man. So your Sustainer (i. e. Allah) willed that they should attain their maturity and bring forth their treasure.... ' (al-Kahf, 18: 82)
Then
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he said: "Allah guarded their treasure because of their father's righteousness; so who is worthier for the best protection than us? The messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, is our grandfather and his daughter, the leading lady of the women of Paradise, is our mother. And the first one to confirm his faith in Allah, His Oneness, and to offer prayers to Him was our father. "
10. On the day when repentance will not benefit
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Malik al-Nahwi reported to me from Muhammad ibn al-Fadhl, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Katib, who reported from Yamoot ibn al-Muzarra', who reported from Isa ibn Ismail from Al-Asmaee', who said:
Once, I heard a Bedouin, before whom a monarch had been mentioned, saying: "If they have attained honour in this world by injustice and tyranny, they will definitely be disgraced by justice in the next world. They have contented themselves with little, leaving aside plenty, with insignificant things, setting aside that which is weightier. They will meet with forfeiture on the day when repentance will not benefit. "
And Abul Hasan recited the following couplets by Abu al-Ata'hiya:
"Glory to the Master of all Dominion!
What a night will it be, which will
bear the dawn of the Day of Judgement?
If a person were to imagine himself, how he will look
on the day of Judgement,
he may never glance at it.
Allah has destined all man to extinction;
Some go earlier and some lay behind. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet and his progeny.
Fourteenth Assembly
point
Met on
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Saturday, 26th Rajab in the year 407. Our grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah perpetuate His beneficence to him, narrated to us.
1. Earning an answered supplication
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn ‘Ali al-Alawi al-Zaidi, who reported from al- Ridha, ‘Ali ibn Musa, peace be upon him that: The righteous slave of Allah, my father, Musa ibn Ja'far reported from his father al-Sadiq, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, reported from his father Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, reported from his father, Zainul Abedeen ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, reported from his father, al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali al-Shaheed, reported from his father Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon them all, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "He who performs his (daily) obligatory prayer, earns a blessing of (at least) one supplication answered by Allah. "
2. A fool is best punished when totally ignored
He said: Abdul Husayn Muhammad ibnal-Muzaffar al-Bazzaz, reported to me from Abul Qasim Abdul Malik ibn ‘Ali al-Dahhan, who reported from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan, from al-Hasan ibn Bashir, from As'ad ibn Saeed from Jabir who said:
Once, Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him heard someone abusing Qambar, and Qambar was about to answer back. So, Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali, peace be upon him, called out to Qambar: "Take it easy O, Qamba! Leave the one who abuses you to be ashamed of himself, so that Allah is pleased and Satan is resentful and your adversary is punished. For, By
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He Who, split the grain and created the breathing man, nothing from a believer pleases His Sustainer better than forbearance; and nothing makes Satan more indignant than the silence; and the fool is best punished when totally ignored. "
3. ‘Ali (as) admonishes Hasan al-Basri
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Baseer al-Muqri, reported from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Saidalani, who reported from Abul Miqdam Ahmad ibn Muhammad, the client of Banu Hashim, who reported from Abu Nasr al-Makhzoomi, from al-Hasan ibn Abu al-Hasan al-Basri who said:
When Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, entered Basra, he passed by me while I was doing Wudhoo. He said: "O Young man, do your Wudhoo well, so that Allah may reward you best. "
Then he proceeded and I followed his wake. At one time, his attention was diverted to me so he asked: "Young man, do you need anything from me? " I said: "Yes, teach me a word of wisdom, so that Allah may grant me its benefit. " He said: "Whoever confirms Allah's Truth is saved; and whoever fears Him in matters of his faith, is secured from being punished. And whoever contents himself with the least of this world, his eyes will be delighted to behold the rewards of Allah, Most High. "
'May I tell you more, young man? " I said: "Yes O, Amirul Mu’mineen. "
He said: "Whoever has three traits, his fate is secured here and hereafter. He who enjoins good and also follows it; forbids evil and also refrains from it, and does not
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transgress the limits ordained by Allah.
O, young ma! Does it please you to meet your Maker, when He is pleased with you? " I said: "Of course, yes, O Amirul Mu’minee! " He said: "In this world, be content with the least and be desirous of the next world. And you must be truthful in all your affairs, for Allah has ordained for you and all that He has created to worship Him by Truth. "
Then he walked away, till he entered the market of Basra. And he saw people busily engaged in buying and selling. He cried bitterly and then proclaimed:
"O, slaves of this worl! O, labourers of its peopl! If you remain busy swearing during the day time and sleeping in your beds during the night; and during that time you are totally oblivious to the next world, then when will you prepare the provision (for the journey to the next world) and think about the Day of Return (unto Allah)? "
So, one of them said: "O Amirul Mu’minee! We have to work for our living. What else should we do? " Amirul Mu’mineen said: "To seek one's living by legitimate ways does not make you heedless of the next worl! But if you say: We must hoard and monopolize, then you cannot be excused. "
The man turned his face weeping.
Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, told him to come closer so that he would tell him more. He came forth, so ‘Ali, peace be upon him, said: "O servant of Alla! Indeed,
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everyone who works here for the hereafter will be amply rewarded in the next world. And he who uses his other worldliness for earning this world, he will earn hell fire in exchange. " Then Amirul Mu’mineen recited the following verses:
'Then as for him who was insolent; And preferred the life of this world; Surely, Hell shall be the abode for him. ' (al-Naziaat, 79: 37-39)
4. ‘Ali (as) predicts the days to come
He said: Abu Abdilllah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Muhammad ibnal-Husayn al-Jawhari, who reported from Haroon ibn Ubaidullah al-Muqri, who reported from Uthman ibn Saeed, who reported from Abu Yahya al-Tamimi, from Katheer, from Abu Maryam al-Khawlani, from Malik ibn Dhamrah who said:
I heard ‘Ali, Amirul Mu’mineen peace be upon him, say: "Be it known to you that you will soon be subjected to invoking curse and imprecation against me wrongfully. Whoever curses me unwillingly or by coercion, Allah will know that he has been forced into it. I shall arrive with him together upon Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.
And he, who restrains his tongue and does not invoke curse upon me, he will race unto me as quickly as a fling of an arrow or a wink. And one who invokes curse upon me with a willing, cheerful heart, for so doing, there will be no veil debarring him from Allah's wrath and he shall have no excuse before Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny.
Be it known that, one day, Muhammad, peace be upon him and his
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progeny, held my hand and said: Whoever has sworn allegiance on these five (fingers i. e. the hand) and then died with love and affection for you, will have completed his pledge. And one who dies with hatred towards you, dies a death of Kufr (pre-Islamic era) , even though he will account for his deeds committed while professing Islam; and if he lives after you have gone, with lasting love for you, Allah shall end up his days with peace and faith, for as long as the sun rises and sets. "
5. Abu Dharr's plain talk
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahlabi reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Abdillah ibn Asad al-Ishfahani, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Sufyan, who reported from his father, from Abu al-Jahdham al-Azdi, from his father (who was from the people of Sham) , who said:
When Uthman expelled Abu Dharr from Madinah to Damascus, he (i. e. Abu Dharr) used to narrate to us, beginning with the praise to Allah and testifying the Oneness of Allah and Muhmmad's Prophethood, invoking divine blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny. Then he would say: "We were in the era of ignorance before the Book was revealed to us, and the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was sent among us; yet we were faithful in promise, truthful in speech, kind to neighbours, hospitable to guests, comforting the poor (hating the arrogant).
And when Allah, Most High, sent to us His messenger, peace be upon him and his progeny, and revealed
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His Book, our behaviour were pleasing to Allah and His messenger, and the people of Islam were worthier to practice them; and to safeguard them. So, they remained with these attributes for as long as Allah willed.
Now, the rulers have introduced evil acts of which we did not know; discarding the Tradition of the Prophet and introducing the innovations. A truthful person is held a liar, generosity is displayed without fear of Allah and a trustworthy from among the righteous people is deprived. O Alla! If you have destined good for me, then take me away into Your proximity, without having changed. "
He used to repeat these words openly.
Then Habib ibn Maslamah came to Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and said: "Surely, Abu Dharr is arousing people against you by saying such and such things. " So Mu’awiyah wrote to Uthman about it and Uthman replied: "Send him back to me. " When Abu Dharr arrived in Madinah, Uthman exiled him to al-Rabdhah.
6. The revelation descended in our homes and from us the knowledge reached the people...
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad b Muhammad ibn Isa, from al- Hasan ibn Mahboob from Yahya ibn Abdillah ibn al-Hasan who said:
I heard Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, say in the presence of people of Kufa: "It is surprising to hear people claim that they have derived all their knowledge from the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progency, and having acted accordingly, they are guided. And they believe that we, Ahlul
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Bayt, have not derived his knowledge, nor have we been guided by him, in spite of being his family members and descendant! The revelation descended in our homes, and from us the knowledge reached the people. Do you believe that they knew and were guided, while we remained ignorant and lost? This is indeed impossible. "
7. Verses by a housemaid, depicting the transitory world
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Malik al-Nahwy reported to me from Muhammad ibn al-Fadhl al-Katib, who reported from Isa ibn Hamid, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah al-Rabee saying that it has been reported from al-Asmaee', who said: Once I entered al-Basra and as I was walking along, I saw a very beautiful maid looking like a worn-out skin bag. I followed her with constraint, till she reached the graveyard and sat near a grave. Then, with a voice hardly audible, she said: "This is the abode, not like the one with which we deceive ourselves.
By Allah, it is a place, which throws the lovers asunder and brings the Day of Reckoning closer; by which His grace will be known from His chastisement. O fathe! May Allah widen your grave and bless you with what your Prophet was blessed. As for me, I will not say against what I kno! I knew you a generous, comforting whenever you came, fully reliable. " Then she said:
"I wish I knew how decomposition has changed you,
Or what the beauty of your face has become in the dus!
What a nice perso! (Do they know which) elderly man they hid
under the
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stones, that he is neither felt nor seen.
Sagacious, forbearing, with the resolutions
matched by bravery, bountiful when called upon to entertain;
Since, you were moved to the graveyard and decay,
Anxieties have come closer and my eyes have lost slee! "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad, the Prophet and his immaculate progeny.
Fifteenth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 3rd Shaban in the year 407. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah perpetuate His beneficence to him, narrated to us:
1. The Prophet's contentment
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad reported to me from ‘Ali ibn Mahrwayh al-Qazwini, who reported from Dawood ibn Sulaiman al-Ghazi, who reported from al-Ridha, ‘Ali ibn Musa, from his father, Musa ibn Ja'far, from his father Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, from his father ‘Ali ibn Husayn, from his father al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali, from his father ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon them all, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: An angel appeared to me and said: "O Muhamma! Your Sustainer sends you peaceful greetings and says: if you so desire, We can turn the entire plain of Makkah into gold. " He said (i. e. the Prophet): I raised my head towards the heavens and said: "O, my Sustaine! (let it be that) one day, I eat to my fill, so that I praise You with gratitude and one day, I remain hungry so that I (experience the pleasure to) seek from You. "
2. Love for four companions; which ones?
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani
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reported to me from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa al-Makki, who reported from Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who reported from his father, who reported from al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan, who reported from Sharik, from Abi Raabia'h al-Ayadi, who was heard narrating even in his old age, from Ibn Buridah, from his father, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Surely, Allah has commanded me to love four of my companions; and has revealed to me that He indeed loves them. " We said: "Who are they, O messenger of Allah? And there is none from us who does not wish to be among them. " He, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Be it known that ‘Ali is among them" - and he repeated this three times - "and al-Miqdad and Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Salman al-Farsi. "
3. Uthman argues with Ayesha
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-Hasan ibn al-Husayn al-Ansari, who reported from Sufyan, from Fudhail ibn al-Zubair, who reported from Farwah ibn Majashe, from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him that:
Ayesha called upon Uthman and said: "Grant me what my father and Umar ibn al-Khattab used to grant me. " He (i. e. Uthman) said: "I do not see any status for you in the Book nor in the (Prophet's) Traditions. Surely, both your father and Umar ibn al-Khattab, granted you (extra favours) because of
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their obliging nature, but I shall not do it. "
She said: "Then give me my inheritance from the Prophet of Allah". He said: "Did you not come to me, with Malik ibn Aws al-Nasri, to give witness that the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, does not bequeath; till you deprived Fatimah from her inheritance and nullified her right? How come you are claiming inheritance today from the Prophet? " She left him and went away.
And when Uthman appeared for the prayers, she raised the Prophet's shirt on a cane and exclaimed: "Surely, Uthman has contradicted the owner of this shirt and has abandoned his Tradition. "
4. Whoever hates the Ahlul Bayt, Allah shall resurrect him as a follower of Judaism
He said: Abul Husayn Muhammad ibn al-Mudhaffer al-Bazzaz reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hasani, who reported from Idris ibn Ziyad al-Kafrsosi, who reported from Hannan ibn Sudair, from Sudaif al-Makki who reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon hm (commenting that I have not seen any believer of Muhammad to match his excellence) who reported from Jabir ibn Abdillah al-Ansari, who said:
Once, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, caused an announcement to be made among the Muhajir and Ansar, so they assembled with their weapons. The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, climbed the pulpit, praised Allah and expressed his gratitude to Him. Then he said: "O Muslims, whoever hates us, the Ahlul Bayt, Allah shall resurrect him on the day of Judgement as a follower of Judaism. "
Jabir said: I
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stood up and asked: "O messenger of Allah, will it happen even if I testify that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah? " He said: "If he testified that there is no god but Allah, that saved him from his blood being spilled and from paying the tax submissively and with humility. "
Then the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny said: "Whoever hates us, the Ahlul Bayt, Allah shall resurrect him, as a follower of Judaism on the Day of Judgement, and if he ever met Dajjal, he would be his partisan. And, even if he did not meet him (i. e. Dajjal) , he would be resurrected in his grave, so that he believes in him (i. e. Dajjal). Surely, Allah made the whole of my Ummah appear before me while still in dust, and taught me their names, the way he taught all the names to Adam. So, standard bearers passed by me and I prayed for forgiveness, in favour of ‘Ali and his followers.
Hannan ibn Sudair said: I narrated this Tradition before Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibnMuhammad, peace be upon him, and he said: "Did you yourself hear this from Sudaif? " He said: "It is now seventh night since I heard from him. " He (i. e. Abu Abdillah) said: "I never thought that this narration ever escaped the lips of my father to anyone. "
5. ‘Ali (as) address people of Kufa
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Muhammad ibn Musa ibn Hammad, who reported from Muhammad
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ibn Sahl, who reported from Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al-Saib, from Abu Mikhnaf Lut ibn Yahya, from al-Harith ibn Husairah, from Abdul Rahman Ibn Ubaid ibn al-Kanood, who said:
Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, returned from Basrah to al-Kufah on 12th Rajab and proceeded to climb the pulpit. He expressed his gratitude and praise to Allah and said: "All praise be to Allah Who has helped His servant, blessed with authority and forsaken His enemy. He exalted the truthful and just and disgraced the liar and unjust. O people of the town, it is obligatory upon you to be mindful of your duties to Allah and to obey those who, from among the Ahlul Bayt of your Prophet, are obedient to Allah.
They are worthier of your submission; for they, in submission to Allah, stood firm against the pretentious and our opponents who despite their dependence upon us for their guidance, fight against us, usurp our rights and deprive us... They have tasted the evil of their action and there awaits them a painful chastisement.
Indeed, some of you have held themselves back from helping me and I am indeed, displeased and disappointed with them. So, you disassociate yourselves from them and admonish them, so that, they may realize their misconduct or come to do what we approve. "
Then Malik ibn Habib al-Tameemi al-Yarbuee', his police commander, stood up and said: "By Allah, I believe that simply disassociating and admonition is two little. By Allah, should you command
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us, we would kill them all. " Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, said: "O Malik, you are crossing the bounds and transgressing the limit, engaging yourself in the extremes. " He said: "O Amirul Mu’minee! Sometimes a little bit of tyranny and inequity, while dealing with the matters confronting you, is more suited than being kind to your enemies. "
Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him said: "O Malik, that is not the way Allah has ordained. He Most High, has said: 'A life for a life' (al-Maidah, 5: 45). So where is the room for a bit of inequity and tyranny? And then Allah, Most High, has said: 'And whoever is killed unjustly, We have given power to his avenger of blood, but let him not exceed the just limits in killing. Surely, he will be victorious' (Al-Israa', 17: 33). "
Then Abu Burdah ibn Awf al-Azdi stood before him. He was a partisan of Uthman, having fought against ‘Ali in the battle of Jama, but joined him in Siffin with a very weak intention of helping. He said: "O Amirul Mu’minee! Did you see the fallen bodies around Ayesha, Talha and al-Zubair? Why were they killed? " Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him said: "Because they had killed my followers and my appointed governors.
And (also) because they killed the brother of Rabeeah al-Abdi - may Allah bless him with mercy, together with a group of Muslims. They had said: 'We will not break our allegiance the way you did and we will not revolt the way
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you have revolted. ' So, they were unjustly attacked and killed. I asked them to submit to me, the names of those who killed my brethren and there would be the Book of Allah, to decide between me and them. They refused (to give me the names) and (instead) they rose to fight me, while they were still in allegiance to me, and the responsibility of having killed, nearly a thousand of my partisans lay upon their shoulders. That is why I killed them. Do you have any doubt about that? "
He said: "I had a doubt but now I have understood and the error of those people has now become evident for me. No doubt, you are the rightly guided one. "
Then ‘Ali, peace be upon him, prepared to climb down, while some people rose to speak. But when they saw him climb down, they sat down and did not utter a word.
Then Abul Kanood said: "In spite of his presence (with ‘Ali) at Siffin, Abu Burdah was insincere to ‘Ali, peace be upon him, and used to privately correspond with Mu’awiyah. And when Mu’awiyah became the absolute monarch, he gave a piece of land to him at al-Fallujah and was quite generous to him. "
6. Fatimah (as) on the Day of Judgement
He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Musa reported from his father, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from his father, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Aban ibn Uthman, that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: On the Day of Judgement,
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Allah will bring together the first and the last people on one plane and then He will cause an announcement to be made: "Cast down your glances and lower your heads, so that Fatimah (peace be upon her) , daughter of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, crosses the Bridge (al-Sirat). " He said: "People will cast down their glances and then Fatimah, peace be upon her, will arrive seated on one of the highbred animals of Paradise, followed by 70 thousand angels.
Then she will make a distinguished pause at one of the high stations on the Day of Judgement, dismount and take the blood soiled shirt of al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali peace be upon him, in her hands, saying: "O Alla! This shirt belongs to my son, and You know what was done to him. "
There will be proclamation from Allah, Most High: "O Fatimah, you have My pleasure. " She will say: "Help me avenge from those who killed him. " Allah will then command a flame from hellfire to leap forth and devour all the killers of al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, the way a bird devours a seed. The flame will take them back into the hellpit, subjecting them to various chastisements. Then Fatimah, peace be upon her, will ride again and proceed to enter Paradise, accompanied by the angels following her, her descendants before her and her friends and partisans on her right and on her left. "
7. Be like a honeybee among the birds
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported from Abu
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‘Ali al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Kindi, who reported from Amru ibn Muhammad al-Harith, who reported from his father Muhammad ibn al-Harith, who reported from al-Sabah ibn Yahya al-Muzni, from al-Harith ibn Husayrah, from his father who said:
Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, told his followers: Be among people like a honeybee among the birds. For every quality that a bird has (like flight and speed) , it considers the bee as weak; but if the birds know what blessings the bees carry in their stomach, they would not have treated them such. Mix up with the people with your tongues and your bodies (i. e. in appearance) , but disassociate from them with your hearts and your deeds. Every soul shall have what it earns, and on the Day of Judgement, he will be with the one he loved. "
8. O, he who asks about the people bygone, Is there no lesson for you in what you see?
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Katib informed me from Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Hammam al-Iskafi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Tirmidhi, who reported from Ubaidullah ibn Umar al-Qawariri, who reported from Ja'far ibn Sulaiman al-Dhubaee' who said:
Once, I came to a deserted graveyard and I heard Malik ibn Dinar say that:
"I have come to the graves and exclaimed,
Where are great ones, and where are those who were considered lowly;
And where are those who were promptly answered when they summoned,
And where is the mighty one, proud of his might?
And where is the one conceited about his authority,
And where is the powerful one, who wielded his prowess? "
He said:
A voice answered me, though I would see no face;
"They vied each other for destruction, and there is no sign,
they all died, and (with them) the news (about them) died.
The earthly insects and worms come and go,
and destroy the beauty of those faces,
O, he who asks about the people bygone,
Is there no lesson for you in what you see?
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad and his immaculate progeny
Sixteenth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 10th Shaban, in the year 407 Hijra, the grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nu’man - may Allah perpetuate his honour, narrated to us:
1. Blessed are those who are detached from this world.. inclined to the next one
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from al-Husian ibn Muhammad al-Bazzaz, who reported from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Abdillah al-Alawy al-Muhammadi, who reported from Yahya ibn Hashim al-Ghassani, from Abu Asim al-Nabeel, from Sufyan, from Abu Ishaq, from Alaqamah ibn Qais, from Nawf al-Bikali, who said:
I spent one night at the house of Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, and I saw him coming and going from the house frequently looking at the sky. Then he entered a normal entrance and said (to me): "Are you awake or asleep? "
I said: "I am awake, watching you since nightfall, seeing what you do. " He said: "O Nawf, blessed are those who are detached from this world, inclined to the next one. They have adopted the earth of Allah as a carpet, the dust He created as a cushion, His Book as the under cover,
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and supplications to Him as the outer cover, and His water as the delicate scent. They relinquish and renounce this world, the way Jesus, peace upon him, did.
Surely, Allah revealed to Jesus: 'O, Jesus, it is (obligatory) upon you to follow the path of the predecessors, so that you join the group of the Prophets. O, brothers of the warners, tell your people not to enter any of my houses except with pure hearts, clean hands and humbled eyes. For verily, I do not hear the prayers of a supplicant who has usurped the right of any of my servants, nor do I answer the prayers of the one who owes me an unfulfilled duty. '
O Nawf, if you can avoid to be a monitor of the people, or a poet, or a drummer or a lute player, then do so. For Prophet Dawood, peace be upon him, came out in one of the nights, looked at various parts of the sky and then said: By the Sustainer of Dawood, this is the blessed hour during which if a Muslim servant succeeded to beseech Allah to grant him good, He would definitely grant it to him, except if he were a monitor of the people, or a poet, or a drummer or a lute player. "
2. Ascetic habits of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Malhabi reported to me from Abdullah ibn Rashid al-Ishfahani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Ahmad ibn Shimr, who reported from Abdullah ibn Maymoon al-Makki, the
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client of Banu Makhzoon, from Ja'far al-Sadiq ibn Muhammad al-Baqir, peace be upon them, from his father who said:
Once, Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib peace be upon him, was offered a sweet dish called Khubais (mixture of dates, raisins and ghee) , but he refused to eat it. They said: "Do you consider it forbidden? " He said, "No, but I fear that my heart may become so desirous of it, that I am forced to come out in its quest. " Then he recited the verse:
'.... You have vested all your good deeds,for the enjoyment in the life of this world.... ' (Al-Ahqaf, 46: 20)
3. The last sermon of the Prophet (SAW)
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 Abu Amru Hafs ibn Umar al-Farra, who reported from Zaid ibn al-Hasan al-Anmati, from Ma'roof ibn Kharrabuz, who said:
I heard Abu Ubaidullah, the client of al-Abbas reporting to Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, saying: I heard Abu Saeed al-Khudari say: The last sermon addressed by the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was the one addressed to us during the illness in which he died. He came out leaning upon ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib peace be upon him, and his maid Maymoonah.
He sat on the pulpit and said: "O peopl! I am leaving behind among you two weighty things. " Then he remained silent. A man stood up and said: "O messenger of Alla! What are these two weighty
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things? " The Prophet was upset till his face turned red and then it subsided. He said: "I did not mention them except with an intention to inform you, but you were in a haste, so I could not. It is a medium whose one end is with Allah, and the other end is in your hands, with whom you will do such a such thing. Be it known; they are the Qur'an and the smaller weighty thing, my Ahlul Bayt. "
Then he said: "By Allah, I am saying this to you while I pin more hope on the unborn progeny of the infidels than upon most of you. " And then he said: "By Allah, whoever loves them, Allah will bless them with a light on the Day of Judgement, till they arrive near me at the Pool. And whoever hates them, Allah will keep them away from Him on the Day of Judgement. " Abu Ja'far said: "Surely, Abu Ubaidullah has brought to us that of which he is aware. "
4. Salman's young friend overawed with the fear of divine chastisement
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Muhammad ibn Abdillah ibn Ja'far al-Himyari, from his father, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Ibn Abi Umair, from Umar ibn Yazid, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him said: "Once, Salman - may Allah be pleased with him, passed by the iron mongers of Kufa and he saw a young man who had fainted and people had gathered around him. They told
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him: "O Abu Abdillah, this young man has had a fit, perhaps you would come to recite something in his ears. "
He said: Salman came closer to the youth, and when the young man saw Salman, he gained consciousness and said: "I do not suffer from what these people thin! The fact is that when I passed by those iron mongers and I saw them strike with the sledgehammers, I remembered what Allah, Most High, says (in the Qur'an): 'And for them awaits hooked iron lashes' (al-Haj: V21). Overawed with the fear of divine chastisement, I lost my senses. "
Salman took him as his brother, and in his heart, entered the sweetness of affection for the young man, for the sake of Allah. They remained together; till one day the young man fell ill. Salman visited him and sat near his head, while the young man was about to die. So he (Salman) said: "O angel of Death, be tender with my brother. " He (the angel) said: "O, Abu Abdillah, I am tender with all the faithfuls. "
5. Establish prayers on time
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed Ibn Uqdah, that Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Zakariyya reported to them from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, who reported from Abu Badr, from Amru ibn Yazid ibn Murrah, from Suwaid ibn Ghaflah, from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Whoever is carefully concerned about (praying at) the
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exact hours of the daily prayers and about the rising and the setting (hours) of the sun, I guarantee for him peace at the time of death, relieved of all the griefs and anxieties, and salvation from the hell fire. Sometimes back, we were minding the camels, now we mind the sun. "
6. Allah hates a person who is unsteady and fickle
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Katib reported to me from Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Hammam al-Iskafi, who reported from Abdullah ibn Ja'far al-Himyari, who reported from Ahmad ibn Abu Abdillah al-Barqi, who reported from al-Qasim ibn Yahya, from his grandfather al-Hasan ibn Rashid, from Muhammad ibn Muslim who reported that:
Abu Abdillah peace be upon him, said: "Be it known to you that Allah hates a person who is unsteady and fickle. Never slip away from the truth and its partisans. Whoever, rules and oppresses with the aid of untruth, and his people shall perish, and shall lose (all that he may have gained from) this world, and leave the world low and humbled. "
7. Doing a good turn to a fool
He said: Abu Hafs Umar ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Soofi, who reported from Abdullah ibn Mutee', who reported from Khalid ibn Abdillah, from Ibn Abi Layla, from Atiyyah from Ka'b ibn al-Ahbar who said:
"It is written in Torah that whoever does a good turn to a fool, it is an error which is rendered against himself. "
And May Allah bless Muhamamad and his pure progeny and send them peaceful greetings.
Seventeenth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, the 17th
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of Shaban in the year 407 Hijra, reporting from what Abul Fawaris heard alone, and from what I heard together with Abu Muhammad Abdul Rahman, my brother and al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali al-Nishaburi, by recitation at our master, the grand Sheikh al-Mufid - may Allah continue to bless him. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man - may Allah bless his honour narrated to us:
1. Fear of Allah... a great security
He said: Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzabani, reported from Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hakimi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Saghani, who reported from Sulaiman ibn Ayyub, who reported from Ja'far ibn Sulaiman, from Thabit, from Anas, who said:
Once, a man from Ansar fell ill, and the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, visited him when he was about to die. He (the Prophet) said: "How do you find yourself? " He said: "I see myself hopeful of my Master's mercy, fearfully concerned about my sins. " So the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "On occasion like this, these two do not combine in a believer's heart, except that Allah grants him his hope and secures him from what he fears. "
2. What Salman said about ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hubaish al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Zafarani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from al-Masoodi, who reported from Yahya ibn Salim al-Abdi, who reported from Maysarah, from al-Minhal ibn Amru, from Zarr ibn Hubaish who said:
Once, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace
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be upon him, passed by riding the Prophet's mule and Salman was present among the people. So Salman - may Allah bless him with mercy, said: " (O people)! do you not rise to detain him and ask him questions?
By Allah, Who split the grain and created the breathing creatures, no one but he (i. e. ‘Ali) will inform you about the secrets of your Prophet. Indeed, he is the most learned about this earth and its chief element on which it rests. If you miss him, you will miss the knowledge and deny the people (its benefit). "
3. People who performed four things and missed the fifth
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Bilal al-Mahalabi reported to me from Abdullah ibn Rashid al-Ishfahani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Ismail ibn Subayh, who reported from Salim ibn Abu Salim al-Misri, from Abu Haroon al-Abdi who said:
I held the opinion of the al-Khawarij, accepting nothing else. Then one day, I sat at Abu Saeed al-Khudari - may Allah bless him with mercy, and heard him say: "People were ordered to do five things and they performed four out of them, leaving the fifth. " A man asked: "O Abu Saeed, which are the four things they performed? "
He said: "The daily prayers, the zakat (alms giving) , the Hajj and fasting during the month of Ramadhan. " He asked: "And which one did they leave out? " He said: "The wilayah of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him. " The man asked: "Was it made obligatory with the first four? " Abu
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Saeed said: "Yes, by the Lord of Ka'ba! " The man said: "In that case, the people have indeed transgresse! " Abu Saeed said: "What is my fault? "
4. Acts and deeds shall not benefit except when coupled with wilayah
He said: Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Muqri reported from Abu Abdillah al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Bazzaz, who reported from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Abdillah al-Alawi al-Muhammadi, who reported from Yahya ibn Hashim al-Ghassani, from Muammar ibn Sulaiman, from Laith ibn Abi Sulaim, from Ata ibn Abi Rabah, from Ibn Abbas who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny said: "Cling steadfastly to the affection for us Ahlul Bayt. For whoever, meets Allah with our love in his heart shall enter Paradise by our intercession. By He Who controls Muhammad's breath, the acts and deeds of a servant shall not benefit him, except when coupled with our recognition and our love. "
5. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (as) at the Prophet's grave
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Waleed - 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 Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah saying near the grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny: "I beseech (Allah) Who selected and chose you, purified and guided you and through you guided the people: to bless you; Surely, Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet, O you who believe, you should invoke blessings on him and peace on him. "
6. Isa ibn Abdillah is from us - 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 Musa ibn Talha, from Abu Muhammad brother of Yunus ibn Ya'qoob, from his brother Yunus, who said:
I was at Medinah, when Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, met me in one of its lanes. He said: "O Yunus, go to the door for a person from us Ahlul Bayt is at the door. " He said: "I went towards the door and found Isa ibn Abdillah sitting there. So, I said: "Who are you. " He replied: "I am from Qum. "
He said: "No sooner he said that, then Abu Abdillah appeared on a donkey and he entered the house riding the donkey. Then attending to us, he said: "Come through. " Then he said: "O Yunus, I believe you were not prepared to grant when I said that Isa. ibn Abdillah is from us, Ahlul Bayt? " I said: "It is so, may I be your ransom. For Isa ibn Abdillah is from people of Qum, how can he be one of you Ahlul Bayt? " He said: "O Yunus, Isa ibn Abdillah is from us as long as he lives, and he shall be from us after he has died. "
7. The poor shall enter the Paradise first
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from al-Ula ibn Razeen ibn al-Qalla, from Abdullah ibn Abi Ya'foor, who reported that:
Abu Ja'far,
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peace be upon him, said: "The poor faithfuls shall be moving about in the gardens of Paradise for forty years before the rich faithfuls reach there. " Then he said: "I will give you an example. It is just like two ships passing by a tax collector. He sees one and finds nothing in it, so he allows it to pass by swiftly. Then he looks into the other, and finds it loaded fully. So he stops it. "
8. Do not pry on the faults of the believers and do not revile the Muslims
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 Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "O those who have submitted with their tongues, but their faith has not reached their hearts, do not pry on the faults of the believers and do not revile the Muslims. Surely, he who goes in search for the faults of the believers, Allah will pry on his faults; and when Allah does that, He exposes him in the inner most part of his house. "
9. Acceptance of wilayah given by the people of Kufa
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi reported from Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saeed al-Hamdani, who reported from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Hasan, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Ubaidullah al-Qasbani, from Abu Basir who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him,
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say: "Our authority is derived form the divine authority, with which every Prophet was sent. Allah, His Name be glorified, presented our authority to the heavens, the earth, the mountains and the cities and none gave it the type of acceptance given by the people of Kufa. Surely, on its one side there is a grave (i. e. Najaf) , whenever an afflicted person visits it, Allah relieves him of the affliction, answers his prayers and returns him to his family with happiness and delight. "
10. And when death arrives, it does not leave for the Adam's son, any extras or surplus
He said: Abu Ubaidullah Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzbani reported to me from Hanzalah Abu Ghassan, who reported from Abu al-Mundhar Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al-Saeb, from Muhraz, from Ja'far, the client of Abu Huraira, who said:
Once, Artat ibn Suhaiyya, who was then one hundred thirty years old, called upon Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. Abdul Malik said: "O Arta! What is now left of your poetry? " He said: "By Allah, O, Commander of the faithfuls, I do not rejoice, nor do I get angry, nor do I drink. And if I feel like expressing these sentiments in a poem, then nothing comes to my mind but the following:
"I have seen man devoured by the nights,
the way iron junk is eaten up by the earth;
And when death arrives, it does not leave
for the Adam's son, any extras or surplus.
And I know that it will continue to come,
Till it fulfills its pledge with Abul Al-Walid. "
Abdul Malik's kunya was Abul Al-Walid, so when he heard the couplet, he was terribly shaken. So,
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Artat said: "I meant myself, O, Commander of the faithfuls. " Because Artat also had the kunya Abu Al-Walid.
Abdul Malik said: "By Allah, whatever happens to you shall happen to me also. "
And may Allah bless our master Muhammad the Prophet, the unlearned, and his progeny.
Eighteenth Assembly
point
Met on Saturday, 24th Shaban, in the year 407 Hijra; from what Abul Fawaris heard alone, and from what I heard together with my brother Abu Abdul Rahman and what al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali al-Nishaburi heard, from the utterance of the grand Sheikh. The grand Sheikh al-Mufid Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhmmad al- Nu’man - may Allah continue His beneficence upon him, narrated thus:
1. Believer's tears in the fear of Allah
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qawlawayh - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa al-Ashari, from al-Hasan ibn Mehboob, from Hisham ibn Salim, from Muhammad ibn Marwan, that:
Abu Ja'far al-Baqir, peace be upon him, said: "There is no eye that gets filled with tears due to the fear of Allah, except that Allah saves its whole body from hell fire; and the cheeks upon which the tears stream down, shall have neither gloom nor disgrace overspreading the face; and every good deed has a fixed weight and reward, except the tears which flow due to the fear of Allah, for with every drop, Allah shall put out oceans of fire of the Day of Judgement. Surely, when one person among a group of Muslim
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people (i. e. Ummah) weeps with the fear of Allah, He blesses that whole Ummah with mercy because of that believer's tears. "
2. Before the advent of Hujjat (as)
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Muhammad ibn Musa al-Hazrami, who reported from Malik ibn Abdillah ibn Saif, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Mu'bid who reported from Ishtaq ibn Yahya al-Ka'bi, from Sufyan al-Thori, from Mansur, from Rab'ee ibn Harash, from Huzaifa ibn al-Yaman, who said:
I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: "Allah will distinguish His sincere servants and the pure ones, so that the earth is cleansed of the hypocrites and of those who have gone astray and their generations. Till such time, when there could be fifty women meeting a man, each asking: O servant of Allah, take me as a maid, O servant of Allah, give me refuge. "
3. Whoever doubts the excellence of ‘Ali (as)
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Abu Abdillah al-Asadi, who reported from Ja'far ibn Abdullah at Alawi al-Muhammadi; who reported from Yahya ibn Hashim al-Simsar al-Ghassani, who reported from Abu al-Sabah Abdul Ghafoor al-Wasiti, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad al- Qarshi, from Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Rasibi, from al-Dhahhak ibn Muzahim, from Ibn Abbas - may Allah bless him with mercy, who reported that:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny said: "Whoever doubts the excellence of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, will rise from his grave on the Day of Reckoning, with
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a collar of fire around his neck, having three hundred prongs. On each prong, there will be a Satan frowning upon him, spitting at his face. "
4. The tradition of Ayyub
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Zafarani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Ismail ibn Aban, who reported from Fadhl ibn al-Zubair, from Imran ibn Mitham, from Abayah al-Asadi, who said:
I heard ‘Ali, peace be upon him, say: "I am the master of the aged ones. And in me is the tradition of Ayyub (i. e. his sufferings) , and by Allah, He will gather together my family for me, the way He did for Ya'qooibn"
5. The one who stood on a clear sign from His Sustainer and his witness from Him
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 Ismail ibn Aban, who reported from al-Sabbah ibn Yahya al-Muzni, from al-A'mash from al-Minhal ibn Amru, from Abbad ibn Abdillah, who said:
That a person called upon Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, and asked: "O Amirul Mu’mineen, explain to me the verse of Qur'an in which Allah says:
'Is the one who stands upon a clear sign from his Sustainer and a witness to him follows him....? ' (Hud, 11: 17)
He (‘Ali) said: "The messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, is the one who stood on a clear sign from His Sustainer; and I am his witness from Him. By He Who controls my breath, Allah has mentioned in
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His Book about every group from Quraish. By Him Who controls my soul, for the people to understand what Allah has destined for us Ahlul Bayt, through the revelation to His unlearned Prophet, is more lovable to me than for me to have the whole expanse filled with gold. By Allah, our example in this Ummah is like Noah's Arc or like the Gate of Forgiveness for the children of Israel. "
6. ‘Ali (as) mobilizing his army for Jihad
He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hubaish al-Katib reported to me from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Zafarani, who reported from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, who reported from Muhammad ibn Ismail, from Zaid ibn al-Muaddal, from Yahya ibn Swaleh, from al-Harith ibn Husairah, from Abu Sadiq, from Jundab ibn Abdillah al-Azadi, who said:
I heard Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, say to his companions, after having urged them for days on end to march forth for Jihad but in vain: "O peopl! I have ordered you to march forth, but you did not, and I have admonished you, but you did not acquiesce. So, you are like the absentees in spite of your presence and the deaf in spite of your hearin! I recite unto you words of wisdom and preach to you beautiful preaching and exhort you to fight your despotic adversaries; but when I come to the close of my speech, I find you as disunited as the hands of Saba' (i. e. ten children of a Yamani chief who were each separated from the
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other).
And the moment I turn away from you, you return to your meetings, forming group circles. (There) you set up similitudes, chant poems and ask each other the news. You have forgotten the art of preparedness for war, and have occupied your minds with unavailing things. Your hands are weakene! Rise to fight the enemy before they overwhelm yo! By Alla! Never was a community attacked in its own houses, except that it was humiliated and vanquished.
And I swear in the name of Allah, I do not see you do it, till they have don! And I would love to confront them (alone) with my (firm) determination and vision, (and get killed in the way of Allah) so that I am relieved of enduring you. For, you are like a hoard of camels, which has lost its herdsman; no sooner are they herded on one side, than they fall apart from each other on the other side. By Allah, I can visualize about you that if the war were to rage on, and the hostilities were to flame up, you would separate yourselves from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as easily as the heads are cut off and) the way a woman shirks as she delivers (her child). "
At that time, al-Ash'ath ibn Qais al-Kindi stood up and said: "O Amirul Mu’mineen, why didn't you do what Uthman ibn Affan did? " (i. e. granting favours for the sake of compromising). He, peace upon him, said: "O, pusher to the hellfir! Woe
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unto yo! The act of Ibn Affan was a disgraceful one, even for the one who has no religion, nor any authority with him; so, how can I, who stands on a manifest proof from my Sustainer and the rightful authority is in my hand, do that?
By Allah, that man is indeed weak, who himself makes it possible for his enemy to carve his flesh, crush his bones, tear down his skin and spill his bloo! Such a man is not blessed with a brave heart. If you so desire, be like hi! As far as I am concerned, the least I can give that enemy is a hit of my sword, which will send the bones of the skull flying, palm falling together with the arms. Then Allah shall do what He intends. "
Then Abu Ayyub al-Ansari Khalid ibn Zaid, the host of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, rose, and said: "O people, surely Amirul Mu’mineen has conveyed to those who have heeding ears and remembering hearts. Allah has indeed blessed you with an honour, which you do not accept in the way you shoul! He has left with you your Prophet's cousin, master of all the Muslims after him (i. e. the Prophet). He (i. e. ‘Ali) makes you learned in Religion and calls you to fight against those who have descended upon you to afflict you. It seems as if you have gone deaf, hearing nothing. Or that your hearts are impermeably wrapped, so that
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you do not understan! Are you not ashamed?
O servants of Alla! Did you not have an era of injustice and hostility yesterday? (i. e. in the days gone by). An era in which affliction was common, spread all over the country? When the rightfuls were deprived, their faces smacked, their bellies trampled upon, hurled down on an open ground, and borne by the sandstorms.
There was nothing to protect them from heat or cold, from being scorched by the sun and its glare, except the tattered clothes on their bodies, or the shaggy old huts.
Till Allah brought unto you Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, who declared the truth and spread justice, and acted according to the Book (i. e. the Qur'an). So, O people, be thankful to Allah for the bounty with which He has blessed you, and do not turn away on your backs. And be not of those who say "we hear", but they hear not.
Sharpen your swords and prepare to fight your enemies. Respond when you are summoned and listen and obey when commanded. Let that what you say happen; and prove yourselves among the truthful by following what you have been ordered to do. "
7. Pray with all your heart and mind...
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, from Sa'd ibn Abdillah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from al-Hasan ibn Mahboob, from Ibrahim al-Karkhi who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, say:
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"When Allah combines in the heart of a believer the virtues of guarding from the forbidden evils and renouncing the world, I pray that Allah grant him paradise. "
Then he added: "I love to find a believing person from you standing for his daily prayers, with all his heart and mind set for Allah; not digressed by any worldly anxieties. And when a faithful comes to his Sustainer with all his heart and mind, then Allah turns His attention towards him; and after He has confirmed His love for him, He fills the people's heart with His love. "
8. Believers are all brothers
He said: Abu Hafs, Umar ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi, reported from Muhammad ibn Hammam al-Katib al-Iskafi, who reported from Abdullah ibn Ja'far al- Himyari, who reported from Muhammad ibn Isa al-Ash'ari, who reported from Abdullah ibn Ibrahim, who reported from al-Husayn ibn Zaid, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "The believers are all brothers; each one fulfilling the needs of the other. And because they help each other when in need, Allah will fulfill their needs on the Day of Judgement. "
And may Allah bless upon our master Muhammad, the Prophet, and upon his progeny.