إبراهيم بن نصر بن القعقاع

The Honorable the Exalted God ordered me to love four of my companions. I was also informed that God loves them.” He was told, “O Prophet of God! Who are they? We love to be amongst them.” The Prophet (sw) said, “Ali (as) is one of them.” They he became silent. Then he went on saying, “Ali (as) is one of them. The rest are Abuzar, Salman and Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi.”

The Prophet (SA) said: O `Ali! It is certain that you will not please anyone over the anger of Allah. So, do not praise anyone for what Allah has granted you, and do not blame anyone for what Allah has not granted you. Verily, sustenance is not snatched away y the greed of a greedy person not is it diverted by the hate of a spiteful person. Verily, through His Wisdom and His Grace, Allah, the Mighty and High, placed refreshment and happiness in certainty and pleasure. He placed anxiety and sorrow in doubt and anger. There is nothing lower than ignorance, and there is no greater wealth than wisdom. There is no solitude greater than narcissism, and there is no greater help than good advice. There is nothing more intelligent than good management and there is nothing more pious than abstaining from the forbidden. There is no greater independence than good conduct, and there is no act of service greater than thinking. The calamity of speech is lying. The calamity of knowledge is forgetfulness. The calamity of service is weakness. The calamity of intelligence is arrogance. The calamity of bravery is injustice. The calamity of magnanimity is favor. The calamity of beauty is vanity. The calamity of nobility is pride.

Knowledge has precedence. The Pen has dried up. The Decree has been accomplished through the Book, and confirmed through the Message. Good fortune is from Allah, and adversity s from Allah, the Mighty and High.” `Abd Allah ibn `Umar says: The Messenger of Allah (SA) used to transmit the following tradition from Allah, the Mighty and High, that Allah, the Mighty and High, says: O son of Adam! You wish for what you wish through My Will. You intended for what you intend for through My Bounty. You disobey through the strength that I have given you. You fulfill your obligations through the health, protection, and forgiveness that I have granted you. I am worthier of your favor than yourself. And you are worthier of your sin that I am. Hence, any good which reached you is reward for your good deeds. And any evil that reaches you in punishment for the sins you have committed. As a result of your mistrust in Me, I have deprived you of My Mercy. All praise belongs to Me. And against you is evident proof (of your evil-doing). I have a way over you for your disobedience, and reward and the best outcome for you with favour. I do not call upon you to warn you. I do not hold you responsible for issues of honor. And I do not burden you with more than you can bear. And I did not impose you with the trust except what you have power over. I am pleased with you for Myself with what you are pleased with yourself from Me. Abd al-Malik explained: “I will never punish you except for what you do (wrong).”

I asked my maternal uncle, Hind, Abu Halah, and he was a describer [1], about the ornaments of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. And I was told by Hasan bin Abdullah bin Sa’eed al-Askari, that he said: We were informed by Abu’l-Qasim, Abdullah bin Muhammed bin Abdul-Aziz bin Manee’, that he said: I was told by Isma’il bin Muhammed bin Ishaq bin Ja’far ibn Muhammed bin Ali bin Hussain, peace be upon them, in the city of Allah’s Messenger, that he said: I was told by Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far ibn Muhammed bin Ali, from Musa bin Ja’far, from Ja’far bin Muhammed, from his father, from Ali bin Hussain, peace be upon them, that he said: Hasan bin Ali, peace be upon them both, said: I asked my maternal uncle, Hind bin Abi Halah, from the ornament of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. And I was told by Hasan bin Abdullah bin Sa’eed, that he said: We were told by Abdullah bin Ahmad ‘Abdan and Ja’far bin Muhammed al-Bazzaz al-Baghdadi, that they both said: We were told by Sufyan bin Wakee’, that he said: I was told by Jumay’ bin Umair al-‘Ajali, that he said: I was told by a man from the sons of Tamim, from the sons of Abu Halah, from his father, from Hasan bin Ali, peace be upon them both, that he said: I asked my maternal uncle, Hind bin Abi Halah al-Tamimi, and he was a describer of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family: I seek that you describe to me from him something, that I might be connected to him. So he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him was magnificent, dignified; his face pearling like the pearling of the moon at a night of a full moon; longer than one of mid-height; shorter than one of thinness and long-height; having a great head; crook-haired; if his gathered hair is separated, it separates, otherwise, his hair would not cross the meat of his ear if grew it; his color was lightening [2], wide-foreheaded, having long brows, perfect, not being joined; between them is moisture, poured by anger; having a hooked nose; having a light above him; he who does not contemplate on him considers him highborn; thick-bearded; flat-cheecked; big-mouthed; ashnab [3]; gap-toothed; having a sound torso hair; his neck was in good image of clear silver; he was of moderate build; having a solid body; having even belly and chest; distanced between the shoulder flanks; having large metaphysis; wide-chested; having brightening bare skin; connected between the upper chest and the navel with hair flowing like a line, bare-breasted and bare-bellied from other than that; hairy on the upper arms, shoulder flanks and upper chest; having long forearms; having a spacious palm; coarse in the palms and feet; having fluent sides; having extended bones; having a raised sole; having even feet, from which water flows away; if he is to go, he goes firmly; stepping in harmony and walking calmly; walking with big steps, as if he steps into deep spots; if he turns to look, he turns wholly; having a lowered side; his look was towards the ground, longer than his look towards the sky; most of his looking was observation; he takes initiative to send peace to whom he meets. He said: Then I said: Then describe to me his speech. So he said: He, peace be upon him, was continuously sad; always thinking; having no rest; long-lastingly silent; not speaking while there is no need; opening and sealing the speech with the mouth corners; speaking with inclusive terms, separating, having no overage nor short-doing; kind, mild, not being gross nor humiliating; the grace is magnified for him, even if it is tiny; he would not hide from it anything, except that he used to not condemn a taster nor praise him, nor is he angered by the world and what is for it; if a right was involved into, none would recognize him; nothing arose due to his anger except that he would gain victory for it; if he was to point, he would point with his whole palm; if he is amazed, he would turn it; if he speaks, he would connect to it, and he would hit with his right the inward of his left thumb; if he was angered, he would ignore and turn away; if he became joyful, he looked aside; most of his laughing was smiling; his laugh would be like the uncovering of clouds. Until here is what Abu’l-Qasem bin Manee’ narrated from Isma’il bin Muhammed bin Ishaq bin Ja’far bin Muhammed, and the the rest is the narration of Abdul-Rahman until its end. Hasan, Allah’s blessings be upon him: I concealed it from Hussain, peace be upon him, for a while and then I told him of it, and I found that he had preceded me to it, so I asked him of what he had asked him of, and I found that he had asked his father about the entrance of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and his exiting, sitting and shape, and he did not leave anything from him. Hussain, peace be upon him, said: I asked my father, peace be upon him, about the entrance of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, so he said: His entrance for himself was that he was given permission for that. When he would go to his home, he divided his entrance into three parts: I part for Allah, a part for his family and part for himself, and then he divided the part between himself and between the people, and he would then teach this to the specific (people) for the general (people to be taught), and he would not keep from them anything. It was from his tradition with the part of the nation to be benevolent towards the people of virtue by his permission and division on the basis their virtue in religion. Among them were those of one requirement, and among them were those of two requirements, and among them were those of (several) requirements, and so he would be kept busy with them and keep them busy with what is best to them, and so with the nation with regards to his questioning about them and informing of them with what should be, and he would say: Let the witnessing among you inform the absent, and inform me of the requirement of the one who is not able to inform of his requirement, for indeed, the one who informs a ruler of the requirement of the one who is not able to inform of it, Allah will fasten his feet on the Day of Resurrection. Nothing other than that would be mentioned at his presence. He would not restrict from anyone accidentally. They would enter by seeking, not disperse except after tasting and they would leave having been guided. He said: Then I asked him about the exiting of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family: How did he do it? So he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, used to keep his tongue except from that which concerns him; concord with them and not shun them away; be generous with the generous one from every people and appoint him over them; be warned of people and guarded from them without concealing for anyone his extroversion nor manners; check on his companions; ask the people about what goes on among people; declare the good as good and strengthen it; declare the horrid as horrid and degrade it; be moderate in his matter; not be contrasting; not be heedless out of fear that they become heedless or bored; not make short towards the truth, nor exceed it. Those who followed him among the people were the best of them, the best of them to him being the most inclusive in assistance to the Muslims, and those with the greatest position among them to him being the best of them in consolation and aid. Then I asked him about his sitting, so he said: He, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, did not sit nor stand except by performing a remembrance (of Allah); he would not settle in places and prohibit settling in them; if he ends up at a people, he would sit where the gathering ends at, and he would instruct that; he would give all who sit with him his portion; he would not assume from those who sit with them that anyone of them is more generous to him than he is over them. The one who would sit with him, he would remain patient with him until he is the one to leave him. The one who asks him for a need did not return except that he had it or with simple speech. The people were enriched from him due to his manners; he became to them a father; they became to him in creation, equal. His gathering was a gathering of forbearance, modesty, truthfulness and trust; voices were not raised in it, nor were sanctities disgraced, nor were its slight faults spoken of; they were equivalent; being continuously in godfearness during it; humble; they would revere the old and be merciful to the small; they would be benevolent to the one with a requirement; and they would protect the stranger. Then I said: Then how was his tradition with regards to those who sit with him? So he said: He was always extrovert, easy-mannered, mild-sided, not gross, nor harsh, nor screaming, nor obscene, nor excessively disgracing nor praising, ignoring what he does not desire, by which it is not despaired of him, nor disappointing to those who are hopeful in him. He made himself abandon three: quarreling, overage and that which does not concern him, and he abandon three to perform in people: he used to not condemn anyone, nor disgrace him nor seek (to know) his slight faults nor his blemishes. He did not speak except in what he sought its reward; when he would speak, those who sit with him were held themselves as if birds are on their heads; and when he would become silent, they spoke, and they would not quarrel in conversation at his presence; the one who would speak, they listened to him until he is finished; their conversation in his presence would be the conversation of the first of them; he would smile to what they smile to, and be amazed at what they are amazed at; he would be patient to the stranger for his lack of interest in asking him and in his speech, until his companions would draw them; and he would say: If you see a seeker of a need seeking it, then give him. He did not accept commendation, except from one who remunerates, and he would not cut anyone from his speech until it would be permissible, and so he would cut him by prohibition or rising up. He said: Then I asked him about the silence of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. He said: His silence was due to four: for forbearance, caution, estimation and reflection. As for estimation, it was with regards to having equal look and listening between people, and as for his reflection, it was about what is to remain and what is to terminate. Forbearance was joined for him along with patience, and so nothing would anger him nor provoke him. Caution was joined for him in four: his taking of goodness that he might be followed in it; his abandoning of the horrid that it might be stopped; his diligence in deducing (sound) opinion for the good of his nation; and to perform what was gathered for them from the best of this world and the Hereafter. This is the last of what ‘Abdan narrated. We were also told by Abu Ali, Ahmad bin Yahya, the Teacher, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Haitham al-Anbari, that he said: We were told by Abdullah bin Saqr al-Sukkari, Abu’l-Abbas, that he said: We were told by Sufyan bin Wakee’ bin Jarrah, that he said: I was told by Jumay’ bin ‘Umayr al-‘Ajali, dictating from his book, that he said: I was told by a man from the sons of Tamim, from the sons of Abu Halah al-Tamimi, from his father, from Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them both, that he said: I asked my uncle, Hind bin Abi Halah al-Tamimi, that he said – and he was a describer of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family – while I had desired that he describes to me something of him that I might be connected to him, and so he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him, was magnificent, dignified. And he mention the same narration with its length.