بكر بن عبد الله بن حبيب المزني

5. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Haytham al-`Ijli; Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qittan; Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Sinani; al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmad ibn Hisham al-Mukattab; `Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Sa`igh and `Ali ibn `Abd Allah al-Warraq (may All be pleased with them) all said: Abu al-`Abbas Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Zakariyyah al-Qittan said: Bakr ibn `Abd Allah ibn Husayn said: Tamim ibn Buhlul said: Abu Mu`awiyah said, on he authority of al-A`mash that Ja`far ibn Muhammad (AS) said the following regarding Islamic law: Verily, Allah does not impose anything on a soul except what it can bear, and does not oblige it to do anything it does not have the strength to do. The actions of the servants are created with decreed [taqdir] creation, not with constitutional [takwin] creation and Allah is the Creator of all Things. We do not believe in determinism or relinquishment. Allah, the Mighty and High, does not hold the innocent to be that guilty, nor does Allah, the Mighty and High, punish children for the sins of their fathers. For verily, He has said in Perfect Book: And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another; the Mighty and High says: And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for. Allah, the Mighty and High, forgives and favors. It is not befitting of the Mighty and High to oppress. Allah, the Mighty and High, does not oblige His Servants to obey the one that may lead them astray and misguided them. When He selects His Servants to be His Messengers, he does not select any that disbelieve in Him, and who may serve Satan instead of Him. He never appoints but an infallible person as a Proof over His Creation. The Compiler of this book says: The tradition is detailed; we have extracted from it the required passage. I have transmitted all of it in the book Al-Khisal.

I asked Abdullah ibn Abil Hozayl about Divine Leadership - who deserves it and what its signs are.” He said, “It is the reason for this. He is the Proof for the believers (after the Prophet (s)). He is the manager of the affairs of the Muslims, the spokesman of the Quran, and the knowledgeable one of its rulings. He is the brother of God’s Prophet. He is his Successor over his nation, and his Trustee over them and their Master whose position relative to him is the same as that of Aaron’s position relative to Moses (s). It is obligatory to obey him as the Honorable the Exalted God said,’O ye who believe! Obey God, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you…’ He is the same one who is described by the Honorable the Exalted as, ‘Your (real) friends are (no less than) God, His Apostle, and the (fellowship of) believers- those who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship).’ He is the same one to whose Mastery the people were invited to which was established for him firmly on the Day of Ghadir Khom by what God’s Prophet (s) said on the authority of the Honorable the Exalted God, “Is it not that my Mastery over you is more than that of your own mastery over yourselves?” And the people answered, “Yes.” Then the Prophet (s) said, “Whoever I am the Master of, Ali is the Master of. O my God! Please be the friend of his friends and be the enemy of his enemies. Assist whoeverassists him, and abandon whoever abandons him. Help whoever helps him. He is Ali ibn Abi Talib (s). He is the Commander of the Faithful, the Divine Leader of the pious ones, the Leader of those with white-foreheads, the Noblest of the Trustees, and the best of the people after God’s Prophet (s).After him come Al-Hassan ibn Ali (s) and Al-Hussein (s) - the grandsons of God’s Prophet (s), the sons of the best of all women. Then there is Ali ibn Al-Hussein (s), then Muhammad ibn Ali (s), Ali ibn Muhammad (s), Al-Hassan ibn Ali (s), Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan (s) successively up to now. They are the Prophet’s progeny known by their Trusteeship and Divine Leadership. There is no time or era in which the Earth is left without one of them. They are the Reliable Grip, Leaders towards guidance, Proofs for the people of the Earth until God inherits the Earth with whatever is in it. Anyone who opposes them (the Imams) is deviant, misleading, and a deserter of the right and the guidance. They (the Imams) are the interpreters of the Quran and the spokespersons of the Prophet (s) with directness. Whoever dies before he recognizes them is regarded as one who has died in the Age of Ignorance. The features of their religion include piety, chastity, honesty, goodness, diligence, returning what we are entrusted with whether it belongs to the pious or the wicked, extended prostration (to God), night worship, avoidance of the forbidden acts, expectation of the Relief by means of patience, good companionship, and being good neighborliness.Then Tamim ibn Bohlool said, “Abu Mo’awiya also narrated this same tradition about Divine Leadership for me on the authority of al-A’mesh, on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad (s).”

I am the Master of the Prophets, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (s) is the Master of the Trustees. The Trustees after me are twelve, the first of whom is Ali ibn Abi Talib (s) and their last one is the Riser.”

The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: There will come, upon people, a time in which the happiest among the people in this world will be a despised slave, son of a despised slave. The best of people on that day will be a believer between two generous.

Indeed those companions of the Prophet who know the whole Quran by heart all know that there is no one amongst them who has any virtues which I do not have, or I may even be surpass him in that respect. However, I have seventy virtues which none of them has.’I asked, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Please inform me about those virtues.’ Then Ali (MGB) said,‘1- I never associated any partners with God - even for a twinkling of an eye. I never worshipped Lat and Uzza.2- I never drank any alcohol.3- I have been with God’s Prophet since my childhood when God’s Prophet (MGB) asked my father to become my guardian. From then on I have been with him, eaten and drank with him, associated and talked with him.4- I am the first person to believe in and submit to Islam.5- God’s Prophet (MGB) told me, ‘O Ali! Your relationship to me is like that of Aaron’s relationship to Moses (MGB) except that there will be no Prophets after me.’6- I was the last person who separated from God’s Prophet (MGB) and placed him in his grave.7- When God’s Prophet (MGB) wanted to go to the cave of Sowr, he put me to sleep in his own bed and covered me up with his blanket. When the polytheists came to his house, they suspected that I was Muhammad (MGB). They woke me up from sleep and asked, ‘What happened to your friend?’ I said, ‘He (MGB) went to take care of something.’ They said, ‘If he had escaped, then Ali would have escaped along with him.’8- God’s Prophet (MGB) taught me one-thousand gates of knowledge each of which opens up to one-thousand other gates.9- God’s Prophet (MGB) told me, ‘When the Honorable the Exalted God resurrects the first up to the last of the people on the Resurrection day, He will install a pulpit for me above that of all the other Prophets and install a pulpit for you above that of all other Trustees. Then you shall climb up it.10- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! I have not been given anything in the Hereafter unless I asked for the like of it for you.’11- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! You are my brother and I am your brother. Your hand is in my hand until you enter Paradise.’12- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! Your similitude in my nation is like that of Noah’s Ark which whoever boarded was rescued, and anyone who did not was drowned.’13- God’s Prophet (MGB) fastened his blessed turban with his own blessed hands on my head. He also prayed for my victory over God’s enemies and thus I was able to defeat them with God’s Permission.14- Once God’s Prophet (MGB) told me to touch the dried nipples of a calf so that it may give some milk. I told him (MGB), ‘O Prophet of God! It would be better if you do it.’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Ali! What you do is just like what I do.’ Then I touched its nipple and it gave some milk. I gave some milk to God’s Prophet (MGB). Then an old woman came and lamented from thirst. I gave her some milk to drink. God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘I asked the Blessed the Sublime God to bless your hand and he accepted my supplication.’15- God’s Prophet (MGB) made me his Trustee and told me, ‘O Ali! No one but you can perform the ablutions for the burial for me. No one but you can see my genitals. Should anyone else see them, their eyes will come out of their eye-sockets.’I asked, ‘O Prophet of God! How can I turn you around by myself?’ The Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘You will be assisted by the invisible.’ I swear by God that whenever I wished to turn one part around (during the ablutions for the deceased), it turned around by itself.16- When I wanted to undress the Prophet’s corpse to perform the ritual ablutions (wuzu) for the deceased for the Prophet (MGB), there came a voice which announced, ‘O Muhammad’s Trustee! Do not undress him. Perform the ritual ablutions (wuzu) with his clothes on.’ Thus, I performed the ritual ablutions (wuzu) for him from over his clothing. I swear to God who honored him with Prophethood that I did not see his private parts. Thus, God made me especial in this regard amongst the Prophet’s companions.17- Even though Abu Bakr and Umar had asked for Fatimah (MGB) to be married to them, the Honorable the Exalted God married her to me from above the seventh heaven. God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Ali! May this blessing be pleasant for you. The Honorable the Exalted God has married Fatimah (MGB) who is the Master of Women in Paradise and of my own flesh and blood to you.’ Then I asked, ‘O Prophet of God! Am I not of your flesh and blood, too?’ The Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘O Ali! Yes you are from me and I am from you just like the right hand and the left hand. I am not independent of you in this world and the Hereafter.’18- God’s Prophet (MGB) told me, ‘O Ali! You will be the one carrying the flag called ‘Leva ul-Hamd’ in the Hereafter. You will be the one sitting closest to me on the Resurrection Day. They will spread a seat for me and a seat for you. I will be amongst the Prophets and you will be amongst the Trustees. They will put a crown of light and nobility on your head. Seventy-thousand angels will surround you until the Honorable the Exalted God finishes the Reckoning of the creatures. You will be the first man whose grave will be split apart (for the Resurrection) along with me. You will be the first one to stop on the Bridge (of Al-Sirat) with me. You will be the first one to be dressed when they dress, and brought back to life when they bring back to life. You will be the first one to reside with me in the uppermost Heaven. You will be the first one to drink the sealed drink of Paradise with me which is sealed by musk.’19- God’s Prophet (MGB) told me, ‘You will fight with the perfidious party, the deviators, and the apostates in the near future. For everyone of them who fights with you, you shall intercede on behalf of 100,000 of your followers.’ I asked, ‘O Prophet of God! Who are in the perfidious party?’ The Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘They are Talha and Zubayr who pledge allegiance to you in Hijaz, but breach it in Iraq. When they do that, you should fight them until the residents of the Earth get rid of them.’ I asked, ‘Who are the deviators?’ The Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘Muawiyah and his companions.’ I asked, ‘Who are the apostates? ’ The Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘They will be the companions of Zil-Sadiyeh who will run away from the religion as a bow runs away from an arrow. You should kill them since that would constitute a relief for the residents of the Earth, an abrupt chastisement for them and a savings for you near the Honorable the Exalted God for the Resurrection Day.’20- I heard from the God’s Prophet (MGB) who said, ‘Your similitude in my nation is like that of the door of Hetteh amongst the Children of Israel. Whoever enters into friendship with you, it is as if he has entered the gate which the Honorable the Exalted God has ordered (people) to enter.’21- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its portal. Whoever wishes to gain knowledge should go through that portal.’ Then he (MGB) added, ‘O Ali! Soon you will observe my promise and fight in the same manner as I do, but my nation will disagree with you.’22- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘The Blessed the Sublime God has created my two (grand)children Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein (MGB) from a light which he has induced into you and Fatimah. They shine just like two earrings that shake in the ear while hanging from the ears. Their brightness is seventy times that of the brightness of martyrs. O Ali! Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God has given promised me to honor them such as He has never honored anyone else except for the Messengers and the Prophets.’23- God’s Prophet (MGB) gave me his ring, armor and sword-belt in his lifetime and fastened his sword to my waist himself when all his companions and my uncle Abbas were present. Thus, the Honorable the Exalted God has made me especial in this respect, and not them.24- When the Honorable the Exalted God revealed the following verse, ‘O ye who believe! When ye consult the Messenger in private, spend something in charity before your private consultation..’ I had a gold coin. I sold it for ten Dirhams and gave it away in charity before my private consultation with God’s Prophet (MGB). I swear by God that none of the companions of the Prophet (MGB) did that either before or after me. Then the Honorable the Exalted God revealed the following verse to the Prophet, ‘Is it that ye are afraid of spending sums in charity before your private consultation (with him)? If, then, ye do not so, and God forgives you, then (at least) establish regular prayer; practise regular charity; and obey God and His Apostle. And God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.’ Is it not that ‘and God forgives you’ refers to a sin committed for which God forgives them.25- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘Paradise is forbidden for the Prophets to enter before I enter it, and it is forbidden upon the Trustees to enter before you enter it. O Ali! The Blessed the Sublime God has given me glad tidings about you which He has not given to any of the Prophets who came before me. He has given me glad tidings that you will be the Master of the Trustees and your two sons Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein (MGB) will be the two Masters of the Youth in Paradise on the Resurrection Day.’26- My brother Ja’far will be adorned with two wings made of pearl, ruby and chrysolite and fly along with the angels in Paradise.27- My uncle Hamzih will be the Master of the Martyrs in Paradise.28- God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘The Blessed the Sublime God has given me a promise about you which will be fulfilled. God has established me as a Prophet and has established you as a Trustee. Soon you shall experience from my nation the same treatment which Moses (MGB) experienced from Pharaoh. However, be patient and consider it to be from God until you see me again. I am the friend of your friends and I consider your enemies to be my enemies.’29- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! You are the Owner of the Heavenly Pool . No one else will own it. Then some people will come to you and ask for water. You will turn them down and say that there is not even a sip of water. They will return with a black face. Then my followers and yours will enter. You will say, ‘return while satiated with water.’ They will return with a white face.’30- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘My nation will be resurrected and become united on the Resurrection Day with five flags. The first flag which will come will be the flag of Muawiyah who is the Pharaoh of my nation. The second flag will be that of Amr ibn al-A’as who is the Sameri of the nation. The third flag will be that of Abu Musa Ash’ari who is like the Catholic Archbishop (Al-Jaseliq) of this nation. The fourth flag will be that of Abil A’oar al-Salmy. Yours will be the fifth flag under which all the believers will be gathered while you are their Leader. Then the Blessed the Sublime will tell those four groups: ‘Turn back and seek brightness.’ Then a wall will be erected in front of them which has a door. In it there is mercy who are my friends and followers. Then those who fought me along with the Kharajites , those who broke their pledge and the people misled from the straight path will knock at that door - that is the door of mercy being my followers. They will cry out, ‘Were we not we with you?’ They will reply, ‘Yes, you were. However, you deceived yourselves, you were hindered, you doubted and worldly aspirations deceived you until God’s order (i.e. death) arrived and pride (i.e. Satan) deceived you. Today nothing will be accepted of you as recompense.’ Nothing will be accepted of those who rejected faith, either. Your place shall be in the Fire. It will be the place you shall turn to. What a bad destiny that is! Then my nation and my followers will come to drink and they get satiated from Muhammad’s (MGB) Heavenly Pool . A cane will be in my hand made of boxthorn wood with which I drive God’s enemies away just as people push others’ camels away from drinking water.31- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, “Were it not from the fear of what the Boasters might say about you similar to what the Christians say about Jesus - the son of Mary (MGB), I would have expressed one of your virtues and then anyone who passed by you would take a piece of the dirt from under your feet for healing.”32- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, “The Blessed the Sublime God helped me regarding fear of enemies. I asked God to help you in the same way in this regard.”33- God’s Prophet (MGB) put his head to my ear and taught me whatever has been and whatever there will be up until the Resurrection Day. The Honorable the Exalted God has let me hear this from His Prophet’s (MGB) tongue.34- When the Christians challenged the Prophet (MGB), the Honorable the Exalted God revealed the following in this regard, ‘If anyone disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge Hath come to thee, say:"Come! let us gather together,- our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!’ Here ‘ourselves’ referred to God’s Prophet (MGB) himself, ‘our women’ referred to Fatimah (MGB), ‘our sons’ referred to Al-Hassan (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB). Then the Christians felt sorry and asked God’s Prophet (MGB) to forgive them and he (MGB) forgave them. I swear by Him who revealed the Torah to Moses (MGB), and the Quran to Muhammad (MGB) that they would have all been transmuted into monkeys and pigs, if they had engaged in invocation with us.”35- At the Battle of Badr God’s Prophet (MGB) sent me to bring him a handful of pebbles. I held the pebbles and smelled them They smelled like musk. I gave them to the Prophet (MGB). He (MGB) took them and threw them at the atheists. Four of them were from Paradise. One was from the East. One was from the West. And another one was from beneath the Throne. There were one-hundred thousand angels who accompanied each of them to assist us. The Honorable the Exalted God has not honored anyone else with this either before or after that day.36- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! Woe to your murderer! He is more miserable than Nimrood, more wretched than those who ham-strung the she-camel . The Throne of God the Merciful will be shaken up due to your murder. O Ali! I give you glad tidings that you are going to be amongst the sincere friends, martyrs and good-doers.’37- The Blessed the Sublime God has chosen me amongst the companions of Muhammad (MGB) to know the abrogated and the abolished; the firm and the dubious; and the especial and the general rules. This is an honor granted by God to me and His Prophet (MGB). God’s Prophet (MGB) told me, ‘O Ali! The Honorable the Exalted God has ordered me to make you near to myself and not to keep you at a distance from me, to teach you and not to speak harshly with you. It is incumbent upon me to obey my Lord and it is incumbent upon you to guard what you learn.’38- God’s Prophet (MGB) chose me for a battle, made supplications for me and made me informed about the affairs that would follow after him. Some of his companions felt bad about this and said, ‘If Muhammad had the power he would even establish his cousin as a Prophet.’ The Honorable the Exalted God honored me by informing me of this issue from the Prophet’s tongue.39- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘Whoever thinks that he loves me but he dislikes Ali is lying. My love and Ali’s love will not be united except in a believer’s heart. O Ali! Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God has established those who love me and you as the first people in Paradise. God has also established those who hate me and you as the first group of my nation who will be in Hell.’40- In one of the battles, God’s Prophet (MGB) sent me after water to a well, but it had no water in it. I returned and reported that to him. He (MGB) asked, ‘Does it have any mud?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Just bring some of its mud.’ Then I brought some mud from the well. The Prophet (MGB) said something to the mud and told me to dump it in the middle of a well. I threw the mud in the well. Suddenly water gushed out from the Earth and the well filled up. I went to the Prophet (MGB) and informed him about what had happened. The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Ali! You succeeded and the water gushed out due to your blessing. This was an especial honor for me and no other one amongst the companions of the Prophet (MGB).41- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! I give you the glad tidings that Gabriel (MGB) came to me and said, ‘O Muhammad! Indeed the Blessed the Sublime God looked favorably upon your companions and considered your cousin and the husband of your daughter Fatimah to be the best of your companions. God established him as your Trustee and your messenger.’42- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet say, ‘O Ali! I give you the glad tidings that your home in Paradise will be in front of my home and you will be with me in the uppermost resting-place in the highest Heaven.’ I said, ‘O Prophet of God! What is the uppermost Heaven?’ He (MGB) replied, ‘It is a cupola made of white pearls with 70,000 doors. O Ali! That shall be the place of residence for you and I.’43- Indeed God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘The Honorable the Exalted God has firmly established my love as well as your love in the hearts of believers as He established my hatred as well as yours in the hearts of the hypocrites. Only pious believers love you and only hypocrite unbelievers despise you.’44- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘None of the Arabs but those born out of fornication despise you. None of the Persians but the miserable ones despise you. None of the women except those with anal hemorrhage despise you.’45- Indeed God’s Prophet (MGB) called me in when my eyes hurt and threw his saliva into my eyes and said, ‘O God! Please cool its heat and heat its coolness.’ I swear by God that I have not had any more pains in my eyes since then.46- God’s Prophet (MGB) ordered all his uncles and companions to shut all the doors from the mosque to their homes, except for the one to my house as ordered by the Honorable the Exalted God. No one else has received such an honor.47- In his will to me God’s Prophet (MGB) ordered me to pay back his debts and fulfill his promises. I said, ‘O Prophet of God! You know that I do not have any wealth.’ The Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘God will help you.’ God made it easy for me to pay back all his debts and fulfill all his promises. Once I counted that it exceeded eighty-thousand (Dirhams). Then I made a will to my son Al-Hassan (MGB) to fulfill what had been left.48- God’s Prophet (MGB) came to my house. We had not had anything to eat for three days. The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Ali! Do you have anything to eat?’ I said, ‘I swear by Him who honored you with His Nobility and appointed you to Prophethood that it has been three days now that me, my wife and my children have not had anything to eat.’ He (MGB) looked at Fatimah (MGB) and said, ‘Go into the room and see if there is anything to eat there?’ She (MGB) said, ‘I have just come out of there now. There is nothing there to eat.’ I said, ‘O Prophet of God! Should I go?’ He (MGB) said, ‘Go in the Name of God.’ So I went in and saw that there was a tray of fresh dates in the middle of the room and a bowl of crumbled bread next to it. I brought them to God’s Prophet (MGB). The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Ali! Did you see the one who brought this food?’ I said, ‘Yes, I did.’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Can you describe him for me.’ I said, ‘Yes. He had some redness, greenness and yellowness.’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘These are the colors of Gabriel’s wings which have tassels made of pearls and rubies.’ We ate from the crumbled bread in broth until we became full. Yet our hands were perfectly clean and there was nothing in them except the lines of our palm and our fingers. Thus, the Honorable the Exalted God honored only me with this Generosity from amongst the companions of the Prophet.49- The Blessed the Sublime God appointed His Prophet (MGB) to the Prophethood mission and His Prophet (MGB) appointed me to the mission of Trusteeship. Anybody who loves me is fortunate and will be united amongst the Prophets on the Resurrection Day.50- Indeed God’s Prophet (MGB) sent Abu Bakr to propagate the Chapter Bara’at (Declaration of Immunity). Once he left, Gabriel (MGB) came down and said, ‘O Muhammad! Only someone who is from yourself should propagate this chapter.’ Then the Prophet (MGB) sent me on his own camel which was called Kaswa. I found Abu Bakr in Zilhalifa and took that chapter from him. Indeed God honored me in this way.51- On the day of Qadir Khum God’s Prophet (MGB) appointed me as the Master of all the people and said, ‘Whoever I am the Master of, Ali is the Master of. May the oppressive people go far away and be destroyed.’52- Indeed God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Ali! Don’t you want me to teach you the words which Gabriel (MGB) has taught me?’ I replied, ‘O Prophet of God! Yes.’ He (MGB) said, ‘Then say ‘O the Sustainer of the poor! O the Kind to the poverty-stricken! O the Most-Hearing of those who hear! O the Most-Seeing of those who see! O the Beneficent the Merciful! Have mercy upon me and give me my share of daily bread.’53- Indeed the Blessed the Sublime God will not destroy this world until the Riser (MGB) who is from our progeny rises up. He (MGB) will kill our enemies. He (MGB) will not accept any poll-tax (Jizya). He (MGB) will break the crosses and idols. He (MGB) will end the world war, seize the possessions and divide them up equally and treat the peasants with justice.54- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! Soon the Umayyads will curse you, but God’s angels will return their curse one-thousand fold. When our Riser (MGB) uprises, he (MGB) will curse them for forty years.55- God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Several tribes from my nation will be tried regarding you. They will say, ‘Why has God’s Prophet (MGB) made Ali (MGB) his Trustee although he left nothing? Is not the Book of my Lord - the Glorious Quran the best things after the Honorable the Exalted God? I swear by Him who appointed me rightfully that if you do not compile the Quran, it will never be compiled.’ Thus, did the Honorable the Exalted God honor me in such a way that none of the other companions of the Prophet (MGB) have been honored.56- The Blessed the Sublime God has granted me the characteristics of those who love Him and obey Him and established me as Muhammad’s Trustee. Let this please whomever it may and dismay whomever it may.’ He was pointing at Medina with his fingers when he said this.57- God’s Prophet (MGB) faced drought in one of the battles. He (MGB) told me, ‘O Ali! Stand up to that rock and say, ‘I am the messenger of God’s Prophet’s! Give me water.’ I swear by Him who honored the Prophet (MGB) with Prophethood that once I delivered this message to that rock, there appeared several cow’s and water flowed out of each nipple. When I saw this I rushed to the Prophet (MGB) and reported it. He (MGB) said, ‘O Ali! Go and fetch water from them.’ I went there and other people also came and filled their water-skins with water, fed their quadrupeds, drank themselves and made ablutions. Thus, the Honorable the Exalted God has honored me in such a way that none of the other companions of the Prophet (MGB) have been honored.58- Water became scarce in one of the battles. God’s Prophet (MGB) told me, ‘O Ali! Bring a bowl.’ I brought a bowl to him. Then he (MGB) placed his right hand along with my hand in the bowl and said, ‘Give water!’ Water gushed out from the middle of our fingers.59- In the Battle of Khaybar God’s Prophet (MGB) sent me to conquer the castle. When I reached the door of the castle, I saw that it was closed. I shook it hard, pulled it off of its place, threw it forty steps away and entered the castle. Marhab came to fight with us. Even though two of the companions of the Prophet (MGB) fought with him and returned defeated, I fought with him. I killed him and the ground got filled with his blood.60- I killed Amr ibn ‘Abd Wudd who was as strong as a thousand men.61- I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! Your parable among my nation is like that of the verse, ‘Qul Huallahu Ahad. Whoever loves you wholeheartedly it is as if he has read one-third of the Quran. Anyone who loves you wholeheartedly and also helps you is like one who has read all of the Quran.’62- I accompanied God’s Prophet (MGB) everywhere and was with him in all the battles. His flag was in my hand.63- I never fled from the battlefield, killed everyone who fought with me, and filled the Earth with their blood.64- They brought a roasted heavenly chicken for the Prophet (MGB) from Paradise. He (MGB) asked God to bring the most beloved of his people there. Then the Honorable the Exalted God granted me the Grace to go there and share that chicken with the Prophet (MGB).65- I was praying in the mosque when a beggar came and asked for something. I gave him my ring which was on my finger. Then the Blessed the Sublime God revealed the following verse, ‘Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers,- those who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship).’66- The Blessed the Sublime God returned the Sun for me twice which He never did for anyone in the nation of Muhammad (MGB).67- God’s Prophet (MGB) call me ‘The Commander of the Faithful’ during and after his life. He never called anyone else with that title.68- God’s Prophet (MGB) told me, ‘O Ali! There shall be a call from the inside of the Throne on the Resurrection Day asking, ‘Who is the Master of the Prophets?’ Then I will step forward. Then there will be a call asking, ‘Who is the Master of the Trustees?’ and you will step forward. Then Rizvan shall bring me the keys to Paradise, and Malik shall bring me the keys to Hell. They will say, ‘God - may His Majesty be Exalted - has ordered us to bring you these keys so that you may hand them over to Ali ibn Abi Talib.’ O Ali! You will be the Qasim or the one who divides up Paradise and Hell.’69- Indeed I heard God’s Prophet (MGB) say, ‘O Ali! Were it not for you, the believers could not be distinguished from hypocrites.’70- Indeed God’s Prophet (MGB) put me, my wife Fatimah (MGB) and our two sons Al-Hassan (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB) under a cloak and the Blessed the Sublime God revealed the following verse, ‘…And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless.’ Gabriel (MGB) said, ‘O Muhammad! I am also with you.’ Thus, Gabriel became the sixth of us.

“Whenever any of you finish your Hajj pilgrimage to the Kaaba, come to (Khorasan to) complete your Hajj pilgrimage by visiting us (i.e. Ar-Ridha’’s (a.s.) shrine). This indeed will complete the Hajj.”

“I shall reason with you on the Resurrection Day using my Prophethood. You shall reason with the people with the following seven things: establishment of prayers; payment of the alms-tax; enjoining to do good; admonishing against evil; just treatment of the people; fair division of the wealth; and being careful to carry out the decrees of the Honorable the Exalted God. O Ali! You should know that on the Resurrection Day, the Prophet Abraham (MGB) will sit face to face with us. They will call him and place him on the right side of the Empyrean ; dress him up with Heavenly attire; ornament him with Heavenly ornaments; a Heavenly golden gutter will flow for him from which Heavenly water - sweeter than honey, whiter than milk, and colder than snow - shall pour from it. Then they will place me on the left side of the Empyrean and treat me just as they treated Abraham. Then O Ali (MGB)! Then they shall call you and treat you in the same way. Don’t you like it that they call you and ornament you just as they do me. God has ordered me to always keep you near myself and teach you gently. You must learn what I teach you. I must obey the Blessed the Sublime God’s orders.”

I asked Abdullah ibn Abil Huzayl about the issue of Divine Leadership as to who can hold that position and what its signs are. He said, ‘Indeed the Divine Leader, the Proof over the believers, the one in charge of the affairs; the one who speaks the Quran and is aware of the decrees is no one but the brother of God’s Prophet, the Prophet’s Caliph reigning over his nation, and his friend who is in the same position in relation to the Prophet (MGB) that Aaron was to Moses (MGB). He is the one whom we must obey as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you…’ He is the one whom God has described as, ‘Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers,- those who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship).’ You are invited to accept his mastery. He is the one whose Divine Leadership was firmly established on the day of Qadir Khum when God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Am I not more of a Master over you than you yourselves are?’ The people replied, ‘Yes. O Prophet of God.’ Then the Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Whomever I am the Master of, Ali is the Master of. O my God! Please be the friend of his friends and be the enemy of his enemies. Assist whoever assists him, and abandon whoever abandons him. Help whoever helps him. He is Ali ibn Abi Talib (MGB). He is the Commander of the Faithful, the Divine Leader of the pious ones, the Leader of those with white-foreheads , the Noblest of the Trustees, and the best of the people after God’s Prophet (MGB). After him come Al-Hassan ibn Ali (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB) - the grandsons of God’s Prophet (MGB), the sons of the best of all women. Then there is Ali ibn al-Hussein (MGB), then Muhammad ibn Ali (MGB), Ali ibn Muhammad (MGB), Al-Hassan ibn Ali (MGB), Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan (MGB) successively up to now. They are the Prophet’s progeny known by their Trusteeship and Divine Leadership. There is no time or era in which the Earth is left without one of them. They are the Reliable Grip, Leaders towards guidance, Proofs for the people of the Earth until God inherits the Earth with whatever is in it. Anyone who opposes them (the Imams) is deviant, misleading, and a deserter of the right and the guidance. They (the Imams) are the interpreters of the Quran and the spokespersons of theProphet (MGB) with directness. Whoever dies before he recognizes them is regarded as one who has died in the Age of Ignorance. Their way consists of piety; chastity; honesty; being good; struggling; returning what you are entrusted with to its owner, whether they are good or bad people; extended prostrations; staying up at night (to worship God); abstaining from the forbidden things; patiently waiting for the arrival of the Savior ; being good-tempered; being on good terms with one’s neighbors.”Then Tamim ibn Buhlool said, “Abu Muawiyah narrated that Al-A’amash quoted a similar narration on the issue of Divine Leadership on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (MGB).”

Ismāʿīl b. al-Faḍl narrated to us, he said, "I asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh (ʿas) about the saying of God - Mighty and Exalted, 'And celebrate the praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before the sunset' (Qurʾān 50:39). He said, 'It is an obligation on every Muslim to say ten times before the rising of the sun and ten times after its setting, "There is no god but God, Alone and without partner. To Him belongs the Dominion and unto Him is due praise; He gives life and causes death while He is the Living that does not die. Goodness lies in His Hands, and He is potent over all things." (lā ilāha illā-llāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamd, yuḥyī wa yumītu wa-huwa ḥayyun lā yamūt, bi-yadihi-l-khayr wa-huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr).'" Ismāʿīl continues, "I repeated, 'There is no god but God, Alone and without partner. To Him belongs the Dominion and unto Him is due praise; He gives life and causes death, and causes death and gives life.' He (ʿas) responded, 'Listen, there is no doubt God gives life and causes death, and He causes death and gives life; however, pray it as I prayed it.'"

Whoever is antagonistic with the following three people will be debased: his father, the King and the one who has given him a loan.”

Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (MGB) told his son Al-Hassan (MGB), “O my dear son! I will teach you four things by which you become needless of any medication.” He (MGB) said, “O Commander of the Faithful! Yes.” The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, “Never eat unless you are not hungry. Stop eating while you are still hungry; chew everything you eat very well; go to the toilet before going to bed. If you follow these instructions you will never need any medication.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And the whole Earth shall be in His Grip on the Day of Resurrection. Thus, he (AS) answered, This means that no one will grab hold of His Rule but Him. While the Grip [alqabd] from the Blessed and the Exalted in another place is deprival, the amplification [al-bast] signifies granting and increase. As the Mighty and High has said; And Allah straitens and amplifies, and you shall be returned to Him. This means that He grants, increases, deprives and tightens. According to one opinion, the straitening [al-qabd] of the Mighty and High signifies seizure. According to another opinion, the straitening means His Acceptance. As He says: And he takes the alms i.e. He accepts them from eligible ones, and rewards them for it. I enquired, “As for the Word of the Mighty and High: `The Heavens rolled up in His Right Hand.’ He (AS) replied, “The Right Hand signifies strength and power. The Mighty and High says: The Heaves rolled up by His Omnipotence and Power; `glory be to Him, and may He be exalted above what they associate (with Him.).’

The Prophet (s) said: `Ali will clarify that which my Nation will disagree about after me.

I was with Amir al-Mu’minin (as) when he went out to Siffin. When he disembarked in Naynawa, on the coast of the Euphrates, he called out at the top of his lungs: O Ibn `Abbas! Do you recognize this spot? So, I said to him: I do not recognize it, Amir al-Mu’minin. So, `Ali (as) said: Were you to recognize it as I recognize it, you would not be able to cross it without weeping as I weep. He said: Then, he wept for a long time, until his beard was soaked, and the tears dripped onto his chest. We wept with him; while he was saying: Oh, oh! What do I have to do with the Family of Abi Sufyan? What do I have to do with the Family of Harb? The Party of Satan, the Friends of Disbelief! Be patient, O Aba `Abdillah, for they have treated your father similar to how they treat you. Then, he called for water, and he made ablution for prayer. He prayed for as long as Allah willed for him to pray. Then, he repeated his previous words; till he became sleepy at the end of his hour of praying and words. Then, he regained focus and said: O Ibn `Abbas! So, I said: I am here. So, he said: Shall I not tell you about what I saw in my dream when I laid down? So, I said: Your eyes slept, but you saw goodness, Amir al-Mu’minin. He said: [In my dream,] it was as though I saw men descend from heaven with white flags. Their swords were unsheathed, and they were shining brightly. They created a perimeter around this land. Then, I saw as though these palm trees were striking the ground with their branches, striking with vain blood. It was as though I saw al-Husayn – my son, my youngling, my blood, my mind – was drowning in it, seeking help but not finding help. It was as though the shining men that had descended from heaven were calling to him and saying: “Patience, Family of Muhammad, for you are killed by the hands of the evilest of mankind. This is Paradise, Aba `Abdillah, and it longs for you.” Then, they consoled me, saying: “O Aba’l Hasan! Be glad, for Allah will bring joy to your eye through him on the Day of Resurrection – the Day that the people will be stood before the Lord of the Worlds.” Then, I regained focus to this. By Him in whose hand is my soul, the Truthful and Trusted Abu’l Qasim (s) told me that I would see this when I would go out to [fight] the betraying people (ahl al-baghi). This is a land of calamity and affliction (karb wa bala’), where al-Husayn and seventeen men from my descendants and the descendants of Fatima will be buried. It is known in the heavens. The land of calamity and affliction is mentioned just as the land of the Two Sanctuaries and the land of Bayt al-Maqdis is mentioned. Then, he said: O Ibn `Abbas! Look for the manure of gazelles for me, for by Allah, I have not lied, nor have I been lied to. It is yellow, and its colour is like saffron. Ibn `Abbas said: So, I looked for it, and I found it gathered. So, I called for him: O Amir al-Mu’minin! I have found what you have described to me. So, `Ali (as) said: Allah and His The Messenger have spoken the truth. Then, he (as) stood and ran toward it. He picked it up and smelled it. He said: This is precisely it. Do you know, Ibn `Abbas, what this manure is? This is what `Isa b. Maryam (as) smelled. He passed by it with his apostles, and he saw a gazelle here weeping. So, `Isa (as) sat down, and the apostles sat down with him. He wept, and the apostles wept too, not knowing why he sat down and why he was weeping. So, they said: “O Spirit of Allah and His Word! What makes you weep?” He said: “Do you know what land this is?” They said: “No.” He said: “This is the land in which the son of the Messenger, Ahmad, and the son of the Free, the Pure, the Maiden, the one in the likeness of my mother, will be killed and will die in. The clay [here] is sweeter than musk, because it is the clay of the martyred son – such is the clay of the prophets and the children of the prophets. This gazelle speaks to me, and it says that it grazes this land longing for the soil of the blessed son. It believes that it is safe in this land.” Then, he picked up some of the manure with his hand and smelled it. He said: “This manure of the gazelle is fragrant because of the grass of this place. O Allah! Preserve it so that his father may also smell it, so that it may be a source of consolation and relief for him.” He said: So, it remained for the people until this day, and it has been yellowed due to its lengthy time. This is a land of calamity and affliction. Then, he said at the top of his lungs: O Lord of `Isa b. Maryam! Do not bless his murderers, nor those who help them in it, nor those who desert him. Then, he wept for a long time, and we wept with him, until he fainted onto his face for a long time. Then, he awoke, took the manure, and wrapped it in his cloak. He commanded me to do the same. Then, he said: O Ibn `Abbas! If you see it bursting with congealed blood and dripping in blood, then know that Aba `Abdillah has been killed here and buried. Ibn `Abbas said: By Allah, I preserved it better than some of the things that Allah obligated over me. I did not move it from the edge of my sleeve. One day, I was sleeping in the house, when I found it dripping congealed blood. My sleeve was filled with congealed blood, so I sat weeping, and I said: By Allah, al-Husayn has been killed. By Allah, `Ali has never lied to me in what he has said to me. He has never informed me of a thing except that it was as he said, because the Messenger of Allah (s) would inform him of things that he would not inform others. So, I panicked, and I left, and that was at Fajr. By Allah, I saw that Medina was filled with fog that could not be seen through. Then, the Sun rose, and I saw that it was as though it was eclipsed. I saw that it was as though the walls of Medina were covered in congealed blood. So, I sat weeping, and I said: By Allah, al-Husayn has been killed. I heard a voice from the direction of the house, and it was saying: Be patient, O Family of the Messenger, The feeble son has been killed, The Trustworthy Spirit has descended, With weeping and wailing. Then, it wept at the top of its lungs, and I wept. That hour became resolute with me – it was the month of Muharram, the day of `Ashura’, and ten days had passed from it. I found that he was killed on the same day that we had been informed of. So, I told this hadith to those who were with him, and they said: By Allah, we heard the same thing that you heard while we were in battle. We did not know who [said it], so we believed that it was al-Khidr (as).

“Those who startled the Prophet’s she-camel upon his return from the Battle of Tabuk8 were the following fourteen: Abul Sharur, Abul Davahi, Abul Ma’azif and his father, Talha, Sa’ed ibn Abi Vaqas, Abu Ubayda, Abul Oar, Al-Muqayrih, Salim - the servant of Ibn Haziqat, Khalid ibn Valid, Amr ibn As, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, and Abdul Rahman ibn Oaf. They are the ones about whom the Honorable the Exalted God revealed the following, ‘…and they meditated a plot which they were unable to carry out:’”

“Thirteen groups (Tamim said sixteen groups) of the nation of my grandfather (MGB) do not like us. They do not teach the people to love us. They detest us. They do not follow us. They abandon us and advise the people to abandon us. They are truly our enemies and they deserve the Fire of Hell.” He was asked, ‘O (grand)son of God’s Prophet (MGB)! May God fend them off from you. Who are they?’ He (MGB) said, “They are the following: (1) Those who have an extra organ. You cannot find any one who has an extra organ but that he is an enemy of us and he does not show loyalty to us. (2) Those who are born defective. There are none whom the honorable the Exalted God has created to be defective who are not opposed to us in their hearts. (3) Those who are one-eyed from birth (the right eye in specific). You will not find anyone whom God has created to be blind but that he fights against us and he is on peaceful terms with our enemies. (4) The men with ever-lasting black hair - those whose hair never turns grey no matter how long they live. Their beard stays black like the neck of a crow. They always raly the people against us and increase the number of our enemies. (5) Men who are really dark. You will not find anyone of them but that he curses at us and praises our enemies. (6) Bald men. You do not see any bald men but that he slanders, defames, and goes about with slander against us. (7) The men who are greenish. Although they are many, no one of such men but that he welcomes us in our presence but defames us in our absence (i.e. two-faced), seeking to betray us. (8) The ostracized men. Whenever you meet any of them, you will find them incurring the animosity of us and openly misleading the people. (9) The leprous men. Whenever you meet any of them, you will find them waylaying us and ambushing our followers and us, intending to mislead us from the straight path. (10) The leucodermic ones, who are the firewood of Hell. They will inevitably be lodged there. (11) The sodomized ones. Whenever you meet any of them, you will find them chanting with dispraise of us and rallying others against us. (12) The people of a twon called Sejestan. They are our enemies and antagonists. They are verily the wickedest of all people and creatures. May the chastisement that is decided for Pharaoh, Haman, and Korah be decided for them. (13) The people of a city called Ray. They are the enemies of Allah, His Messenger, and the Messenger’s Household. They consider waging war against the Prophet’s Household as holy war and they consider their properties to be spoils of war. May the chastisement of disgrace inflict them in this world and in the Hereafter and may endless torture be inflicted upon them. (14) The people of a city called Mosul. They are the most vicious inhabitants of this earth. (15) The people of a city called al-Zawra, which will be built in the future. They quench their thirst with our blood and flatter the rulers by means of showing hatred against us. They show loyalty to our enemies, consider fighting against us as an obligatory duty, and consider waging war agaisnt us as inevitable necessity. O son, beware of these peoples. Beware of them! If two of them can put a hand on one of us, they will definitely intend to kill him. ”

The five most wicked creatures of the Honorable the Exalted God are: Satan; the son of Adam who killed his brother; Pharaoh, lord of stakes119 ; the man from the Children of Israel who turned them away from their religion; and a man from my nation who shall make a pledge of allegiance to the pagans in the town of Laddo120 .” The man from Syria added, “When I saw that the people were making a pledge of allegiance to Muawiyah in the town of Laddo, I remembered what God’s Prophet (MGB) had said, and joined Ali (MGB) and remained with him.”

The following ten characteristics are especial attributes of a Divine Leader. Immaculateness; knowledge that is being the most knowledgeable of the people; being the most pious of the people; being the most knowledgeable of the people regarding the Quran; being the known Trustee of the previous Divine Leader; his miracle; reasoning; he goes to sleep, but his heart will not go to sleep; he doesn’t have a shadow; he sees the back as well as he sees the front.”The compiler of the book - may God have Mercy upon him - said, “The miracle and the reasoning of the Imam are indeed his knowledge and the fulfillment of his supplication. And the fact that sometimes a Divine Leader foretells future events before they occur, is due to what he has received from God’s Prophet (MGB). He doesn’t have a shadow since he has been created from the light of the Honorable the Exalted God. He sees the back as well as he sees the front due to the insight as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand.’

“When it was time for the death of God’s Prophet (MGB), the Prophet (MGB) called me in. When I went to see him, the Prophet (MGB) told me, ‘O Ali! You are my Trustee and my successor over my Household and my Nation both during my life and after my death. Your friends will be my friends and my friends are God’s friends. Your enemies will be my enemies and my enemies are God’s enemies. O Ali! Whoever denies your mastery after me, it is as if he has denied my Messengership during my life. You are from me and I am from you.’ Then the Prophet (MGB) asked me to get close to him and taught me one-thousand gates of knowledge each of which opens up to one-thousand gates.”

I asked Ja`far ibn Muhammad (AS), “Is it permissible for you to say: Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, is in a place?” Thus, he (AS) replied, “Glory be to Allah, and Exalted be He, from that! Verily, if He were subjected to space, He would have been caused since anything that exists in a place is in need of space. Anything that is in need of space is accidental, because the Eternal has no needs.