ثوير بن عمرو بن عبد الله المرهبي

And whatever is narrated from Thuwair ibn Abi Fakhtah, I have narrated it from my father and from Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan - may Allah (swt) be pleased with them - from Saʿd ibn Abdullah, from Al-Haytham ibn Abi Masruq Al-Nahdi, from Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, from Malik ibn Aṭiyyah, from Thuwair ibn Abi Fakhtah, whose father's name was Saʿid ibn ʿIlaqah.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When you are hungry play (eat slowly) with raisins.

"Kisra sent a gift to the Prophet (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family), and He (sw) accepted it. Caesar also sent a gift to the Prophet (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family), and He (sw) accepted it. Likewise, the kings sent gifts to Him (sw), and He (sw) accepted them."

After Hasan and Husain, Imamate will never come to two brothers because after Ali Ibn Husain, Imamate is only in his progeny, generation after generation.

“We heard Aba ‘Abdillah (a.s.) cursing, after every obligatory prayer, four men and four women: so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so, and Muawiyah. He would name them. And so-and-so, so-and-so, Hind, and Umm al-Hakam, the sister of Muawiyah.”

“Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) will never go to two brothers after al-Hassan and al-Husayn (a.s.). It has continued from Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) as Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High has said, “The relatives are closer to each other, according to the Book of God, . .” (33:6) After Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) will only be found in the descendents one after the other.”

There is not a verse in the Qur`an more beloved to me that the Word of the Mighty and High: Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is beside that to whomsoever He pleases.

We heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: When Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) died, everything Allāh has created cried over him except three things (places): Basra, Damascus, and the family of ‘Uthmān.

“Some of those who are bound by blood are closer (to each other) than others in the Book of Allah.”

“In the Name of God,Most Gracious, Most Merciful: Ta, Sin, Mim. These are Verses of the Book that makes (things) clear. We rehearse to thee some of the story of Moses and Pharaoh in Truth, for people who believe. Truly Pharaoh elated himself in the land and broke up its people into sections, depressing a small group among them: their sons he slew, but he kept alive their females, for he was indeed a maker of mischief. And We wished to be gracious to those who were being depressed in the land, to make them leaders (in faith) and make them heirs. [The Holy Quran: Qasas 28:1-5] At this point Imam Sajjad (a.s) asked him to stop, and said: “I swear by God who has established Muhammad to admonish the people and to give them glad tidings that the good people among us are members of the Holy Household and their Shiites are similar to Moses and his followers. And our enemies and their followers are similar to Pharaoh and his followers.”

“When our Riser (MGB) comes, the Honorable the Exalted God would remove any weaknesses from the Shiites, strengthen their hearts to be as strong as a mountain, and would grant each Shia man the strength of forty men. They will become the rulers and the noble ones on the Earth.”

“I heard Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) saying, ‘When the angels hear the believing person praying for his brother (in belief) in his absence or speak of him good, they say, “You are a good brother (in belief). You pray for him in his absence and speak good of him. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has granted you double of what you asked for him and He has praised you double of your praising him and you have excellence over him, but if they (angels) hear him speak evil of his brother (in belief), and pray against him, they will say, ‘You are a bad brother for him! Stop, O you whose sins and privacy are covered, reduce your burden. Praise and thank Allah, Who has covered you, and notice that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, knows more about His servant than you do.’”

We have the key to the treassures of the earth. If I would say to one of my foot to say to the earth, ‘Let out whatever all the gold that is there in you, it will do so.” The narrator has said that he then said to one of his feet and made aline withit on earth, the earth rapped open then said to his hand that took out a brick of gold that was of the size of a hand.” He then said, “Watch carefully.” We then looked again and saw many such pieces of gold one over the other shining. A certain one of us said, May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, “You have been granted whatever there is but your Shi‘a are needy.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) then said, “Allah will soon grant us and our Shi‘a the bounties of both this and the next life. He will admit them in Paradise and its blessings. There will be hell for our enemies.”

“There are three ranks, three expiations, three things which destroy and three things which save. As for the three things which raise the ranks they are greeting aloud, feeding the needy, and praying in the night when the people are asleep. As for the three expiations, they are making ablutions with cold water, going on foot in the day and at night to the prayers, and attending congregational prayers. As for the three things which destroy, they are being really stingy, following selfish desires, and being haughty and selfish. As for the three things which save us, they are fearing God in private and in public; moderation in times of prosperity and poverty; and saying what is fair whether we are pleased or angry.”

We heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: Verily when Abū ‘Abdillāh, Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) died, the seven heavens, the seven earths, everything within them, everything between them, everyone which circulates around them, Paradise, Hell, and everything that our Lord has created, from among that which can be seen and that which cannot be seen, (all) cried over him. The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me through the following chain: My father from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥusain, from Ḥasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abī ‘Uthmān, from ‘Abdil Jabbār Al-Nahāwandi, from Abī Sa’īd, from Ḥusain ibn Thuwayr ibn Abī Fākhitah, Yūnus ibn Żabyān, Abī Salamah Al-Sarrāj, and Mufaďďal ibn ‘Umar, from Abī ‘Abdillāh (a.s.).

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said to me: O Ḥusain! Allāh will register one good deed for those who leave their houses to go to the Ziyārah of the grave of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) on foot and erase one bad deed from them with every step they take. When they arrive at the Ḥā`ir, Allāh will register them as those who have achieved salvation and as the successful ones. After they complete the rituals (of the Ziyārah), Allāh will register them as the winners. When they decide to return, an angel will come to them and say, “Verily the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.a.w.) sends his Salām to you and tells you that all of your previous sins have been forgiven. Therefore, continue with good deeds.”

Yūnus ibn Żabyān, Mufaďďal ibn ‘Umar, Abū Salamah Al-Sarrāj, and I were sitting with Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)). Yūnus was the eldest amongst us and he spoke (to the Imam (a.s.)) on our behalf. Imam (a.s.) said to us – as part of a longer Ḥadīth: Verily when Abū ‘Abdillāh, (Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.)) died, the seven heavens, the seven earths, everything within them, everything between them, everything in Paradise and Hell from the creation of our Lord, and everything that can be seen and everything that cannot be seen, cried over Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Ḥusain (a.s.)) except three things. I (Ḥusain ibn Thuwayr) asked, “May I sacrifice myself for you! What are those three things?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Basra, Damascus, and the family of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān.”

The Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, stepped up the pulpit of Basra and said: O people, mention my lineage. Let he who knows me mention my lineage, otherwise, I will mention my lineage by myself. I am Zaid bin Abd-Manaf bin ‘Amer bin Amru bin Mughaira bin Zaid bin Kilab. Then Ibn al-Kawwa’ stood up to him and said to him: O you, we do not know for you any lineage except that you are Ali bin Abi Talib ibn Abdul-Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abd-Manaf bin Qusay bin Kilab. Then he said to him: O ignoble, indeed, my father named me Zaid, by the name of his grandfather, Qusay, and the name of my father is Abd-Manaf, then the nickname overtook the name, and indeed, the name of Abdul-Muttalib is ‘Amer, then the nickname overtook the name, and the name of Hashim is Amru, then the nickname overtook the name, and the name of Abd-Manaf is Mughaira, then the nickname overtook the name, and indeed, the name Qusayy is Zaid, then the Arabs named him jointly due to that he had gathered them from the farthest land to Mecca, then the nickname overtook the name.

Amir al-Mu’minin (as) climbed the pulpit of Basra and said: O people! Tell me about my lineage, for whoever recognizes me should tell me about my lineage. If not, then I will speak about my own lineage. I am Zayd b. `Abd Manaf b. `Amer b. `Amr b. al-Mughira b. Zayd b. Kilab. So, Ibn al-Kawa’ stood and said to him: O you! We do not know of a lineage for you other than that you are `Ali b. Abi Talib b. `Abd al-Muttalib b. Hashim b. `Abd Manaf b. Qusay b. Kilab. So, he said to him: O Laka`! Surely, my father named me Zayd after his grandfather Qusay. The name of my father is `Abd Manaf, but the agnomen (kunya) overcame the name [in popularity]. The name of `Abd al-Muttalib is `Amer, but the agnomen overcame the name. The name of Hashim is `Amr, but the agnomen overcame the name. The name of `Abd Manaf is al-Mughira, but the agnomen overcame the name. The name of Qusay is Zayd, but the Arabs called him by a merged name because he gathered them from the furthest land (al-balad al-aqsa) to Mecca, so the agnomen overcame the name.

I went to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Ridha (asws) with Husayn Bin Suweyr Bin Abu Fakhta. So I said to him (asws), ‘May I be sacrificed for you (asws), we used to be in a time of sustenance and led an affluent lifestyle. Our condition changed as it sometimes does, so supplicate to Allah (azwj) to return that state to us’. So he (asws) said: ‘What is it that you want? To become kings? Would you be satisfied to become like Tahir and Harsama, and they are opposed to what you are upon?’ I said, ‘No, by Allah (azwj), it would not satisfy me that there should be for me the whole world and whatever is in it of the gold and the silver, whilst I am upon the opposite to what I am upon at present (Al-Wilayah). He (asws) said; ‘So the one who is contented among you, should be thankful to Allah (azwj). Allah (azwj) is Saying: “[14:7] If you are grateful, I would certainly give to you more”. And the Glorious and High Said: “[34:13] give thanks, O family of Dawood! and very few of My servants are grateful”. And think good with Allah (azwj), for Abu Abdullah (asws) used to say; ‘The one who thinks about Allah (azwj), Allah (azwj) would also Mention him (Reward him), and the one who is happy with a little from the sustenance, Allah (azwj) would Accept even small amount of deeds. And the one who is happy with a small amount of Permissible, his expenses would be light and his family would enjoy, and Allah (azwj) would Show him the sicknesses of the world and its cure and Bring him out from it safely to the House of Peace’. Then said; ‘What is the action of Ibn Qayama?’ I said, ‘By Allah (azwj), he (does not) meet us in a goodly manner’. So he (asws) said: ‘And which thing prevents him from that?’ Then he (asws) recited this Verse: “[9:110] The building which they have built will ever continue to be a source of disquiet in their hearts, except that their hearts get cut into pieces”. Then he (asws) said: ‘Do you know what was it that confused Ibn Qayama?’ I said, ‘No’. He (asws) said: ‘He chased Abu Al-Hassan (asws), so he came to him (asws) from his (asws) right, and from his (asws) left, and he wanted Masjid of the Prophet (saww). So Abu Al-Hassan (asws) turned towards him and said: ‘What do you want, may Allah (azwj) Confuse you’. Then he (asws) said: ‘Consider if Musa (as) were to return to them, so they said, ‘Had you (as) appointed him (Haroun (as)) for us, so we would have followed him (as) in his (as) footsteps’, were they more desirable in their speech or the ones who said, ‘We will not leave our devotions for him (Haroun (as)) until Musa (as) returns to us’. So I said, ‘No, but the ones who said, ‘He (as) has been appointed for us, so we will follow him (as) in his (as) footsteps’. So he (asws) said; ‘So it is from there that Ibn Qayama and the ones who speak by his speech come from’. Then he (asws) mentioned Ibn Al-Sarraaj, so he (asws) said: ‘He had accepted the death of Abu Al-Hassan (asws) and that is why he bequeathed during his death, so he said, ‘All of what I leave behind from the things, even my shirt which is upon my neck, is for the inheritors of Abu Al-Hassan (asws)’. And he never said that it is for Abu Al-Hassan (asws). And this is his acceptance, but which thing will profit him from that and from what he said?’ Then he (asws) was quiet’.