أبو طالب البصري

1 – Abū Talib, al-Azdī, al-Baṣrī, al-Shaʿrānī. He has a book that Muḥammad b. Khālid al-Barqī narrates. Our companions said: This man is not known except from his direction.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked about a man, when I was present, and it was said to him, ‘He has become very needy.’ He (the Imam) then asked, ‘What is he doing today?’ It was said, ‘He is in his home worshipping his Lord.’ He (the Imam) then asked, ‘Wherefrom he receives for his living?’ It was said, ’It comes from a certain one of his brothers.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘By Allah, the one who provides him his living does a much more powerful worship than his worship.’”

Abu Muhammad Ubayd Allah bin Yahya bin Abdul-Baqi al-Adni in Adna informed us, saying: Ali bin al-Hasan al-Ma'ani informed us, saying: Abdullah bin Yazid informed us, from Yahya bin Uqba bin Abi al-'Aizar, who said: Muhammad bin Hajar informed us, from Yazid bin al-Asam, who said:
A man asked Umar ibn al-Khattab: "O Commander of the Faithful, what is the interpretation of 'Subhan Allah'?" Umar replied: "In this wall, there is a man who, when asked, informs, and when left silent, he begins (to speak)." The man entered, and it was Ali ibn Abi Talib (as). So he asked: "O Abu al-Hasan, what is the interpretation of 'Subhan Allah'?" Ali replied: "It is the glorification of the majesty of Allah Almighty and the declaration of His transcendence above what any polytheist has said about Him. When a servant says it, every angel prays for him."

A man asked `Umar ibn al-Khattab, “O Commander of the Faithful! What is the meaning of `Glory be to Allah’ [subhan Allah]?” He replied, “Verily, there is a man within these walls who informs when asked, and informs when there is silence.” So the man entered and it was `Ali ibn Abu Talib (AS); hence, he asked, “O Father of Hasan! What is the meaning of `Glory be to Allah’?” He (AS) answered, “It is revering the Glory of Allah, the Mighty and High, and the negation of whatever every polytheist attributes to Him. Therefore, when a servant says this, all the angels bless him.”

An Arabian stood on the Day of Jamal up to the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, and said: O Commander of the Believers, do you say that Allah is One? Then the people charged upon him and said: O Arabian, do you not see what the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, is in of distress of the heart? Then the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, said: Leave him, for indeed, what the Arabian wants is (the same as) what we want from the people (whom we are combating). Then he said: O Arabian, verily, the saying that Allah is One, is upon four indications; two which are not possible upon Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, and two which are confirmed in Him. As for the two that are not possible upon Him, it is the saying of the sayer that He is One whilst intending with it a number; this is what is not possible, because that which has no second does not enter into the realm of numbers. Do you not see that he has disbelieved, he who said: «The Third among Three»? As well as the saying of the sayer: «He is one among the people», whilst intending to distinguish species from genus? This is what is not possible, because it is anthropomorphism, and our Lord is Glorified and Exalted from being that. As for the two indications that are confirmed in Him, it is the saying of the sayer: «He is One with no similar among things», that is our Lord, as well as the saying of the sayer: «He is Exalted and Glorious, One and Only in meaning», by which he means that He is not divided in (the realm of) existence, nor intellect nor imagination. That is our Lord, Exalted and Glorious is He.

While I was walking with the Commander of the Believers, Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, in Hira, we were by a monastery hitting the bell. He said: Then Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, said: O Harith, do you know what this bell is saying? I said: Allah, His Messenger and the son of the paternal uncle of His Messenger are more knowledgeable. He said: Indeed, it gives the example of this world and its destruction, and it says: «There is no god but Allah, truly, truly, sincerely, sincerely. Indeed, this world has enticed us, kept us occupied, made us desire and lured us. O son of this world, carefully, carefully. O son of this world, delicately, delicately. O son of this world, collectively, collectively. This world is to perish, century by century. There is no day that passes from us except that a pillar of us is weakened. Certainly, we have lost a Home that is to remain, and we have resided in a home that is to perish. We will not know what we have exaggerated in it except if we were to die.» Harith said: O Commander of the Believers, do the Christians know that? He said: If they knew that, they would not have taken Christ as a god besides Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. He said: Then I went to the monk and said to him: By Christ upon you, strike the bell in the direction you strike it towards. He said: Then he began to strike whilst I was saying (the recitation) letter by letter, until I reached his saying: « except if we were to die». Then he said: By your Prophet, who informed you of this? I said: It was said by the man who was with me yesterday. He said: And is there any kinship between him and between your Prophet? He said: He is the son of his paternal uncle. He said: By your Prophet, did he hear this from you Prophet? He said: I said: Yes. Then he accepted Islam. Then he said to me: By Allah, indeed, I have found in the Torah that there will be among the last of the Prophets, a Prophet who will interpret what the bell says.

I was with Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali b. Abi Talib (as) in Hira when we came across a monk striking the bell of his monastery. So, `Ali b. Abi Talib (as) said: O Harith! Do you know what this bell is saying? I said: Allah, His Messenger, and the cousin of His Messenger know best. He said: He strikes like this world and its ruin, and it says: “There is no god but Allah, truly, truly, verily, verily. Surely, this world has deceived us and busied us. We have become capricious and astray. O son of this world – easy, easy! O son of this world – reduce, reduce! O son of this world – gather, gather! This world will be annihilated, century after century. Not a day passes except that it weakens our pillars. We have lost the abode that remains, and we have taken residence in the abode that perishes. We will not know what we have left until we die.” Al-Harith said: O Amir al-Mu’minin! Do the Christians know this? He said: Had they known this, they would not have taken the Messiah as a god besides Allah. He said: So, I went to the monk and I said to him: By the right that the Messiah has upon you – strike the bell from the side that you have struck it. He said: So, he began striking it, and I said [the earlier saying] letter by letter until I reached “until we die.” So, he said: By the right of your Prophet – who informed you of this? I said: The man who was with me yesterday. So, he said: Does he have a relation to the Prophet? I said: He is his cousin. He said: By the right of your Prophet – did he hear this from your Prophet? He said: I said: Yes. So, he converted to Islam, then said to me: By Allah! I saw in the Torah that there will be a final prophet who will interpret what the bell says.