علي بن رئاب

“Modesty is part of faith, and faith leads one into Paradise. Immodesty is part of depravity, and depravity leads one into the Fire.”

“Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, and gives for the sake of Allah, is among those whose faith is complete.”

“ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) saw a lady in one of the ceremonial precincts of Makkah and was impressed by her. He thus proposed to her and married her, and she stayed with him. He had a friend among the Anṣār who was distressed by his marriage to this woman, so he asked about her and was informed that she was from the family of Dhī al-Jaddayn from the Banī Shaybān in a prestigious household among her clan. So he went to ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) and said, ‘May Allah make me your ransom! Your marriage to this woman was continually occupying my thoughts, and I said to myself: ʿAlī ibn al- Ḥusayn has married an unknown woman, and this is something that people are also saying. So I kept asking about her until I found out who she was and came to know that she is from the clan of Shaybāniyyah.’ So ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) said to him, ‘I used to consider you to be someone with a better judgement than what I now see. Verily Allah sent Islam and through it He raised the lowly one, perfected the deficient one, and ennobled [the people] from rebuke [and false accusation]. Hence, there is no [undue criticism or] blame upon the Muslim; rather, the blame is only [for] ignorance.’”

“I told Abū Jaʿfar (a), ‘People are narrating that the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, “The most honourable among you during the Age of Ignorance are the most honourable among you in Islam.”’ He (a) said, ‘They have spoken the truth, but it is not as they understand it. The most honourable of them during the Age of Ignorance were the most generous among them, those who had the best character, were most neighbourly, and least likely to cause harm [to anyone] – this is the kind of person whose acceptance of Islam increased him in nothing but goodness.’”

“Verily Allah will favour His believing servant on the Day of Resurrection and bring him close to His Grace. Then He will show him that with which He blessed him. He, the Blessed and Exalted, will say, ‘Did you not supplicate to Me on such and such day for such and such and I answered your supplication? Did you not ask Me on such and such day and I granted you what you asked for? Did you not seek My help on such and such day and I helped you?’ Did you not ask that I relieve you of such and such hardship so I relieved your hardship and showed mercy to your plea? Did you not ask Me for wealth so I granted you its possession? Did you not seek My assistance so I assisted you? Did you not ask Me to get you married to so and so while she was with her family and not [directly] approachable, yet I got you married to her?’ So the servant will say, ‘Yes indeed, O Lord! You have granted me everything I asked for, and I used to ask You for Paradise [as well].’ So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will say, ‘Indeed, I will grant You what you have asked Me for – here is Paradise, you are permitted [to enter] it. Have I pleased you?’ The believer will say, ‘Yes, my Lord! I am pleased.’ Then He, the Blessed and Exalted, will say, ‘I was pleased with your deeds, so I selected for you the best of rewards. Verily the best of your rewards with Me is that I have made you reside in Paradise.’”

‘When it is Friday and the people of Paradise are in Paradise while the people of Hell are in the Fire, the inhabitants of Paradise will know that it is Friday due to what they witness of enhanced pleasure and joy, while the denizens of Hell will know that it is Friday because of the [increased] torment by the wardens of Hell.’”

“On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) stood up among the people and gave a sermon. He praised Allah and glorified Him, then he said, ‘O People, let the one who is present convey [this message] to the one who is absent: Verily Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has removed from you, through Islam, the haughtiness of the Age of Ignorance and the mutual boasting about forefathers and clans [that was prevalent] in it. O people, verily you are [all] from Ādam and Ādam was [created] from clay. Behold, verily the best of you in the sight of Allah and the noblest of you before Him on this day are those who are most Godwary and most submissive to Him. Know that being Arab is not [defined] through parentage; rather, it is a language that is spoken. So whoever is reviled among you [for being of a different race] and knows that it (his faith) will make him attain the pleasure of Allah, that is sufficient for him. Know that verily all the blood [that was shed], or the injustice [suffered], or the malice [borne] during the Age of Ignorance will remain under my feet [discarded henceforth] until the Day of Judgment.’”