علي بن أحمد بن موسى

One of my forefathers (as) heard a man recite Umm al-Quran (al-Fatiha), so he said: “Thanksgiving and reward.” Then, he heard him recite qul huwallahu ahad, so he said: “Safe and secure.” Then, he heard him recite inna anzalnahu, so he said: “He spoke the truth, and he was forgiven.” Then, he heard him recite Ayat al-Kursi, so he said: “Bravo, bravo! This person has been dissociated from the Fire.”

There were two rings for al-Husayn b. `Ali (as). The inscription on one of them was: “There is no god but Allah, prepare for the meeting with Allah” (La ilaha illa ‘llah, `uddatu liliqaa’illah), and the inscription on the other was: “Surely, Allah brings about His order (Innallaha balighu amrih).” And the inscription on the ring of `Ali b. al-Husayn (as) was: Debased and wretched is the murderer of al-Husayn b. `Ali (as) (Khizi wa shaqi qatil al-Husayn b. `Ali).

I heard Malik b. Anas the jurist say: By Allah, my eye has not seen one more virtuous than Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) in asceticism, in goodness, in worship, and in piety. I would visit him, and he would receive me and be generous with me. So, one day, I said to him: O son of the Messenger of Allah! What is the reward of one who fasts a day in Rajab in faith and anticipation? So, he said – and whenever he spoke, he was honest –: My father narrated to me from his father from his grandfather. He said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: “Whoever fasts a day in Rajab in faith and anticipation will be forgiven.” So, I said to him: O son of the Messenger of Allah! What is the reward of one who fasts a day in Sha`ban? So, he said: My father narrated to me from his father from his grandfather. He said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: “Whoever fasts a day in Sha`ban in faith and anticipation will be forgiven.”

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: Four people harm the people of the Fire due to the way they are being harmed. They will be feeding from the boiling water and Hell, calling out to one another in woe and punishment. The people of the Fire will say to one another: “What is with these four who harm us on top of what we are already being harmed by?” One will be attached to a coffin of embers, one will have his intestines dragging, one vomits pus and blood, and one will be eating his own flesh. So, it will be said to the companion of the coffin: “What did the further one do for him to harm us on top of what we are already being harmed by?” So, he will say: “The further one died whilst he had the wealth of the people on his neck (debt). He did not find it in himself to pay it or fulfil it.” Then, it will be said to the one with his intestines dragging: “What did the further one do for him to harm us on top of what we are already being harmed by?” So, he will say: “The further one did not care (purify) where urine was on his body.” Then, it will be said to the one vomiting pus and blood: “What did the further one do for him to harm us on top of what we are already being harmed by?” So, he will say: “The further one would mimic. He would look to every filthy word, then support it and mimic it.” Then, it will be said to the one eating his own flesh: “What did the further one do for him to harm us on top of what we are already being harmed by?” So, he will say: “The further one would eat the flesh of the people through backbiting and gossip.”

The Prophet (s) was asked: Where were you and Adam in Paradise? He said: I was in his loins. He fell to the Earth with me in his loins. I boarded the Ark in the loins of my father Nuh. I was thrown into the Fire in the loins of my father Ibrahim. None of my ancestors ever committed adultery. Allah did not cease in transferring me from pure loins to purified wombs, guiding and guided, until Allah took my pledge in prophethood and my covenant in Islam. He clarified every one of my characteristics, and He made my mention resolute in the Torah and the Gospel. He raised me up to His heaven. He derived my name from His beautiful names – my Nation are the praising ones, the owner of the Throne is the Praised (Mahmud), and I am Muhammad.

“He is the Knower of the Unseen, disclosing it to no one.” (72:26) As for the quality from his Prophet, it is to be friendly with the people, for Allah ordered His Prophet (s) to be friendly with the people, saying, “Take to clemency, enjoin in established virtues, and veer away from the ignorant.” (7:199) As for the quality from his wali, it is to be patient during distress and affliction. Allah says, “Those who are patient during distress and affliction and time of tribulation: these are the ones who have been sincere, and these are the ones who have been Godfearing.” (2:177)

Al-Rida (as) said: Whoever visits me despite the distance, I will meet him in three places on the Day of Resurrection so that I may deliver him from its terrors: (1) when the Book is given to his right and left hand, (2) at the Path, and (3) at the Scale.

I visited my Master `Ali b. Muhammad b. `Ali b. Musa b. Ja`far b. Muhammad b. `Ali b. al-Husayn b. `Ali b. Abi Talib (as). When he saw me, he said to me: Greetings to you, Aba’l Qasim. You are truly our friend. He said: I said to him: O son of the Messenger of Allah! I wish to present you my religion. If it is pleasing, then I will remain steadfast upon it until I meet Allah. So, he said: Give it to me, Aba’l Qasim. So, I said: I say that Allah is One and there is nothing like unto Him. He is free from two limits: (1) The limit of negation, and (2) the limit of similarity [to creation]. He does not have a body, nor a form, nor a size, nor a substance. Rather, He is the creator of bodies, the former of forms, and the creator of sizes and substances. He is the Lord, Master, Creator, and Initiator of all things. And [I say that] Muhammad is His Servant, His Messenger, and the Seal of Prophets. There is no prophet after him until the Day of Resurrection. His Law (shari`a) is the Seal of Laws, and there is no Law after it until the Day of Resurrection. And I say that the Imam, Caliph, and Master of the Order after him is the Commander of the Faithful `Ali b. Abi Talib [a], then al-Hasan, then al-Husayn, then `Ali b. al-Husayn, then Muhammad b. `Ali, then Ja`far b. Muhammad, then Musa b. Ja`far, then `Ali b. Musa, then Muhammad b. `Ali, then you, my master. So, `Ali (as) said: And after me is my son al-Hasan, so what will the people do with the successor after him? He said: So, I said: Why, my master? He said: Because his person will not be seen, nor will it be permissible to say his name until he appears, when he fills the Earth with equity and justice just as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. I said: I accept. And I say that their friends are the friends of Allah, and their enemies are the enemies of Allah, and their obedience is the obedience of Allah, and their disobedience is the disobedience of Allah. And I say that the ascension (mi`raj) is true, and the questioning at the grave is true, and Paradise is true, and Hellfire is true, and the Path is true, and the Scale is true, and that the Hour is coming and that there is no doubt in it, and that Allah will resurrect those in their graves. And I say that the obligatory tasks after wilaya are prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj, jihad, enjoining in the established virtues, and forbidding what is evil. So `Ali b. Muhammad (as) said: O Aba’l Qasim! This, by Allah, is the religion of Allah that He has chosen for His servants, so be steadfast upon it. May Allah make you steadfast upon the steadfast doctrine in this world and in the Hereafter.

"The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent ʿAlī (as) to Yemen. A horse belonging to a man from Yemen escaped and kicked a man, killing him. The relatives of the deceased brought him to ʿAlī (as), and the owner of the horse provided evidence that the horse had escaped from his home and kicked the man. ʿAlī (as) therefore invalidated the blood money for the man. The relatives of the deceased came to the Prophet (saw) complaining about ʿAlī (as), saying: 'ʿAlī has wronged us and invalidated the blood of our companion.' The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'ʿAlī is not an oppressor; he was not created for oppression. The guardianship after me belongs to ʿAlī, his judgment is his judgment, and his words are his words. No one denies his judgment and words and guardianship except a disbeliever, and no one is pleased with his judgment, words, and guardianship except a believer.' When the Yemenis heard the words of the Messenger of Allah (saw) regarding ʿAlī (as), they said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we accept ʿAlī's words and judgment.' The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'This is your repentance for what you said.'"

Mansur b. Abi Nuwayra informed us from Abi Bakr b. `Ayash from Qarn Abi Sulayman al-Dabi. He said: `Ali b. Abi Talib (as) sent some law enforcement for Lubayd al-`Ataridi. They passed by him at the Samak Mosque (in Kufa). So, Na`im b. Dajaja al-Asadi went to him and resolved [the issue] between them and him. So, Amir al-Mu’minin (as) sent for Na`im, and he was brought to him. He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) raised something to strike him. So, Na`im said: Surely, being your companion is humbling, but being your opponent is disbelief. So, Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: Do you know this? He said: Yes. He said: Let him free.

Al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) said: If Allah wishes goodness to an outcast, He gives her a merciful ruler, and appoints a just vizier for him.

I heard al-Rida `Ali b. Musa (as) say: Allah never ceased to be Knowing, Powerful, Living, Everlasting, Hearing, and Seeing. So, I said to him: O son of the Messenger of Allah! There are a people who say: “He never ceased to be Knowing with knowledge, Powerful with power, Living with life, Everlasting with lastingness, Hearing with the ability to hear, and Seeing with sight.” So, he (as) said: Whoever says that and that which is close to that has taken other gods besides Allah; they are not upon our wilaya at all. Then, he (as) said: Allah never ceased to be Knowing, Powerful, Living, Everlasting, Hearing, and Seeing by His Essence. He is far above what the pagans and those who liken Him to His creation say.

The Messenger of Allah (sw) said: "I am the master of the prophets and the messengers, and better than the close angels. My successors are the masters of the successors of the prophets and the messengers, and my progeny are the best progeny of the prophets and the messengers, and my companions who follow my path are the best companions of the prophets and the messengers, and my daughter Fatima is the lady of the women of the worlds, and the pure ones from my wives are the mothers of the believers. And my nation is the best nation brought forth for people, and I am the prophet with the most followers on the Day of Resurrection, and I have a pool as wide as the distance between Basra and Sana'a. It contains cups as numerous as the stars in the sky. My successor at the pool that day is my successor in this world." It was asked: "Who is that, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The leader of the Muslims, the commander of the faithful, and their guardian after me, Ali ibn Abi Talib. He will give drink to his friends and drive away his enemies just as one of you drives away strange camels from the watering place." Then he (sw) said: "Whoever loves Ali and obeys him in this world will come to my pool tomorrow and be with me at my level in Paradise; and whoever hates Ali in this world and disobeys him, I will not see him, nor will he see me on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be driven away from me and taken to the left, to Hell."

I said to al-Rida (as): O son of the Messenger of Allah! What do you say about the ḥadith that the people narrate from the Messenger of Allah (s), which says: "Allah descends on the eve of Fridays to the heaven of this world?" So, he (as) said: May Allah curse those who distort the words from their places! By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (s) has not said that. Rather, he said: "Allah sends down an angel to the Earth’s atmosphere in the last third of every night, and the first part of Friday eve. He commands him to call: 'Is there an asker, so that I may grant him?’; ‘Is there a repenter, so that I may forgive him?’; Is there one asking for forgiveness, so that I can pardon him? O ones who seek good, come forward! O ones who seek evil, keep away!' He does not stop calling this until the sunrise. At sunrise, he returns to his position in the kingdom of heaven." This was narrated to me by my father from his grandfather from his forefathers (as) from the Messenger of Allah (s).

`Ali b. Musa al-Rida (as) said, regarding the saying of Allah, "The faces on that day will be bright, looking at their Lord" (75:22-23). He said: Meaning, [their faces will be] illuminated, looking at the rewards of their Lord.

[The caliph] Abu Ja`far al-Dawaniqi [al-Mansur] sent for me in the middle of the night so that I may answer. He said: I remained thinking to myself, and I said: “The commander of the faithful has not sent for me in this hour except to ask me about the virtues of `Ali (as); and perhaps if I inform him, he will kill me.” He said: So, I wrote my will, I wore my shroud, and I visited him. So, he said: Come closer. So, I came closer, and `Amr b. `Ubayd [the Mu`tazili theologian] was with him. When I saw him, my heart was comforted. Then, he said: Come closer. So, I came closer until my knees almost touched his knees. He said: He smelled the aroma of embalmment from me, so he said: By Allah, you must be honest with me, or I will crucify you. I said: What do you need, O commander of the faithful? He said: Why are you embalmed? I said: Your messenger came to me in the middle of the night so that I may answer. So, I said: “Perhaps the commander of the faithful has sent for me at this hour to ask me about the virtues of `Ali (as), and perhaps if I inform him [of them], he will kill me.” So, I wrote my will, and I wore my shroud. He said: He was reclining, and he sat up and said: There is no ability nor power except by Allah. I ask you by Allah, how many hadith do you narrate on the virtues of `Ali? He said: So, I said: Easy, O commander of the faithful. He said: How many? I said: Ten thousand hadith or more. So, he said: O Sulayman! I will inform you of a hadith on the virtues of `Ali (as) that will cause you to forget all the hadith that you have heard. He said: I said: Narrate to me, O commander of the faithful. He said: Yes. I was fleeing from Bani Umayya, and I was frequenting the towns. I would get closer to the people through the virtues of `Ali. They would then feed me and provide for me until I started visiting the Levant. I was only covered in a cloak and I had nothing else with me. I heard the iqama and I went toward it. Then, I entered the mosque to pray, and in my heart, I wanted to speak to the people about my livelihood. When the imam ended the prayer, two boys entered the mosque. The imam turned to them and said: “Greetings to you two. Greetings to you two whose names are like the names of the two of them.” Beside me there was a young man, so I said: “O young man! Who are these two boys to this shaykh?” He said: “He is their grandfather, and there is no one in this city who loves `Ali except for this shaykh. For that reason, he called one of them al-Hasan and the other al-Husayn.” So, I stood joyfully, and I said to the shaykh: “May I narrate a hadith to you that will bring joy to your eye?” He said: “If you bring joy to my eye, I will bring joy to your eye.” He said: So, I said: My father narrated to me from his father from his grandfather. He said: The Messenger of Allah (s) was sitting when Fatima (sa) came weeping to him. So, the Prophet (s) said to her: “Why do you weep, Fatima?” She said: “O father! Al-Hasan and al-Husayn went out, and I do not know where they went to sleep.” So, the Prophet (s) said to her: “O Fatima! Do not weep, for Allah who created the two of them is gentler with them than you are.” So, the Prophet (s) raised his hand toward the sky and said: “O Allah! Whether they are on the land or at sea, protect them and safeguard them.” So, Gabriel (as) descended from heaven and said: “O Muhammad! Surely, Allah recites the salaam to you, and He says: ‘Do not be sad and do not grieve over them, for they are favoured in this world and in the Hereafter, and their father is more favoured than them. They are both sleeping in the pen of Bani Najjar. Allah has assigned an angel to them.’” So, the Prophet (s) stood happily while his companions were with him; until they went to the pen of Bani Najjar. He found al-Hasan is embracing al-Husayn, and the angel assigned to them comforted them with one wing beneath them and one wing above them. So, the Prophet (s) kissed them until they awoke. When they got up, the Prophet (s) held al-Hasan, and Gabriel held al-Husayn. He left the pen saying: “By Allah, you have not been honoured in the way that Allah honoured you.” So, Abu Bakr said to him: “Give me one of the two boys so that I may lighten [the load] for you.” So, he said: “O Aba Bakr! They are the best two things that can be carried, and they are the best of riders [on my back], and their father is more favoured than them.” So, he went until he reached the gate of the Mosque. So, he said: “O Bilal! Bring the people.” So, the caller of the Messenger of Allah (s) called in Medina. So, the people gathered to the Messenger of Allah (s) in the Mosque. Then, he stood on his feet and said: “O people! Shall I lead you to the ones with the greatest grandfather and grandmother out of all the people?” They said: “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Al-Hasan and al-Husayn, for their grandfather is Muhammad, and their grandmother is Khadija bt. Khuwalid. O people! Shall I lead you to the ones with the greatest parents out of all the people?” They said: Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Al-Hasan and al-Husayn, for their father loves Allah and His Messenger and Allah and His Messenger love him, and their mother is Fatima the daughter of the Messenger of Allah. O people! Shall I lead you to the ones with the greatest paternal uncle and paternal aunt out of all the people?” They said: “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Al-Hasan and al-Husayn, for their uncle is Ja`far b. Abi Talib, who flies in Paradise with the angels, and their aunt is Umm Hani’ bt. Abi Talib. O people! Shall I lead you to the ones with the people maternal uncle and maternal aunt out of all the people?” They said: “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Al-Hasan and al-Husayn, for their maternal uncle is al-Qasim the son of the Messenger of Allah, and their aunt is Zaynab the daughter of the Messenger of Allah. Like this, Allah will resurrect us.” Then, he said: “O Allah! Surely, You know that al-Hasan is in Paradise, al-Husayn is in Paradise, their grandfather is in Paradise, their grandmother is in Paradise, their father is in Paradise, their mother is in Paradise, their paternal uncle is in Paradise, their paternal aunt is in Paradise, their maternal uncle is in Paradise, their maternal aunt is in Paradise. O Allah! You know that those who love them are in Paradise and those who hate them are in the Fire.” He said: When I said that to the shaykh, he said: “Who are you, young man?” I said: “I am from the people of Kufa.” He said: “Are you an Arab or a client (non-Arab)?” He said: I said: “Rather, I am an Arab.” He said: “You narrate this hadith, yet you are [only clothed] in this cloak?!” So, he clothed me in some of his clothes, and mounted me on his beast – and its price was one hundred gold coins – and he said: “O youth! You have brought joy to my eye, so I will bring joy to your eye, and I will guide you to a youth who will bring joy to your eye today.” He said: So, I said: “Guide me.” He said: “I have two brothers: one is an imam, and the other is a mu’adhin. As for the imam, then surely, he loved `Ali (as) from when his mother gave birth to him. As for the mu’adhin, he hated `Ali (as) from when his mother gave birth to him.” He said: I said: “Guide me.” So, he took me by the hand until we reached the door of the imam. A man came out to me and said: “I recognize the beast and the cloak. By Allah, so-and-so would not have mounted you and cloaked you unless you loved Allah and His Messenger (s). So, narrate a hadith about the virtues of `Ali b. Abi Talib (as) to me.” He said: So, I said: My father informed me from his father from his grandfather. He said: We were sitting with the Prophet (s) when Fatima (sa) came weeping intensely. So, the Messenger of Allah (s) said to her: “Why do you weep, Fatima?” She said: “O father! The women of Quraysh have embarrassed me, and they say: ‘your father has married you to a por man with no wealth.’” So, the Prophet (s) said to her: “Do not weep, for by Allah, I did not marry him to you until Allah married you [to him] above His Throne. Gabriel and Michael bore witness to it. Surely, Allah looked at the people of this world, and He chose your father from the creatures and made him a prophet. Then, He looked a second time and chose `Ali from the creatures and married you to him and took him as a deputy. So, `Ali is the boldest of people in heart, the most forbearing of people, the most open-handed of the people; exceeding the people in tranquility, and the most knowledgeable of the people. Al-Hasan and al-Husayn are his sons, and they are the Masters of the Youth of the People of Paradise. Their names in the Torah are Shubar and Shubayr in the Torah due to their dignity with Allah. O Fatima! Do not weep, for by Allah, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will gown your father in two garments and `Ali in two garments. The Banner of Praise will be in my hand and I will give it to `Ali due to his dignity with Allah. O Fatima! Do not weep, for if I pray to the Lord of the Worlds, `Ali will come with me, and if Allah accepts my intercession, then Allah will accept the intercession of `Ali with me. O Fatima! Do not weep, for on the Day of Resurrection, a caller will caller during the horrors of that day: ‘O Muhammad! The best of grandfathers is your grandfather Ibrahim the Friend of the Merciful, and the best of brothers is your brother `Ali b. Abi Talib. O Fatima! `Ali will assist me with the keys of Paradise, and his Shi`a are the winners in Paradise anon on the Day of Resurrection.” When I said that, he said: “O my son! Where are you from?” I said: “From the people of Kufa.” He said: “Are you an Arab or are you a client?” I said: “Rather, I am an Arab.” He said: So, he gowned me in thirty robes, and he gave me ten thousand silver coins. Then, he said: “O youth! You have brought joy to my eye, and I need something from you.” I said: “I will fulfill it, God-willingly.” He said: “Tomorrow morning, go to the mosque of the family of so-and-so, and you will see my brother who hates `Ali (as).” He said: That night was long for me. When I awoke, I went to the mosque that he described to me, and I stood in the row. Then, I saw a turbaned youth. He went to bow, and the turban fell. So, I looked at his face, and his head looked like the head of a pig, and his face looked like the face of a pig. By Allah, I did not know what was said in my prayer until the imam finished. So, I said: “Woe to you! What is that which I see in you?” So, he wept and said to me: “Look at this house.” So, I looked, and he said to me: “Enter it.” So, I entered it. Then, he said to me: “I was a mu’adhin for the so-and-so family. Whenever I awoke, I would curse `Ali one thousand times between the call to prayer and the iqama. On Fridays, I would curse him four thousand times. I left my place and went to my house and I reclined on this bench that you see. Then, I saw in my dream that I was in Paradise. Therein were the Messenger of Allah (s) and `Ali (as), and they were happy. I saw as though to the right of the Prophet (s) was al-Hasan and to his left was al-Husayn. With him was a vessel, so, he said: ‘O Hasan! Pour for me.’ So, he poured for him. Then, he said: ‘Drink’ to the group, so they drank from it. Then, I saw that it was as though he had said: ‘Give drink to the one who is reclining on this bench.’ So, al-Hasan (as) said to him: ‘O grandfather! You have ordered me to give drink to this one when he would curse my father one thousand times every day between the call to prayer and the iqama and curse him on this day four thousand times between the call to prayer and the iqama!’ So, the Prophet (S) came to me and said to me: ‘Malik – may Allah curse you – you curse `Ali even though `Ali is from me, and you insult `Ali even though `Ali is from me.’ I saw as though he had spat in my face. He struck me with his leg, and he said: ‘Stand up. May Allah change His blessing in you.’ So, I awoke from my sleep, and my head was like the head of a pig, and my face was like the face of a pig.’” Then, Abu Ja`far the commander of the faithful said to me: Is this hadith in your possession? So, I said: No. So, he said: O Sulayman! Love for `Ali is faith and hatred for him is hypocrisy. By Allah, none love him except a believer, and none hate him except a hypocrite. He said: I said: Do you promise me safety, O commander of the faithful? He said: You are safe. I said: So, what do you say about the killer of al-Husayn (as)? He said: He is going to the Fire and he is in the Fire. I said: It is the same for one who kills a descendant of the Messenger of Allah (s) – he is going to the Fire and he is in the Fire. He said: Rulership has no blood-bonds. Go and narrate what you have heard.

I said to Abi Ja`far Muhammad b. `Ali al-Rida (as): O son of the Messenger of Allah! Narrate a hadith from your forefathers (as) to me. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather from his forefathers (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: The people will remain in goodness so long as there is variance. If they are equalized, they will be destroyed. He said: I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from his grandfather from his forefathers (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: Were the veil lifted from you, you would not [want to] be buried. He said: I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from his grandfather from his forefathers (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: You cannot attract the people with your wealth, so attract them with a friendly face and a beautiful meeting. Surely, I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: “Surely, you cannot attract the people with your wealth, so attract them with your character.” He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather from his forefathers (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: He who reprimands time will prolong his own reprimand. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather from his forefathers (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: Gathering with evil ones bequeaths having a negative impression of the chosen ones. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather from his forefathers (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: Animosity toward the servants [of Allah] is the worst provision for the Hereafter. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather from his forefathers (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: The worth of every person is in what improves him. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: A person is hidden beneath his tongue. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: No person who knows his value will be destroyed. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: Thinking before you act will safeguard you from regret. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: He who relies on time will struggle. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: He who only takes from his own opinion has brought risk upon himself. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: Having few dependants is a simplifier [of life]. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: He who is filled with pride is destroyed. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: He who is certain of the Hereafter is generous in giving. He said: So, I said to him: Tell me more, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as). He said: Amir al-Mu’minin (as) said: He who wants wellness for those beneath him will be granted safety from those above him. He said: So, I said to him: This is sufficient for me.

I was sitting with al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) when Zayd b. `Ali b. al-Husayn (as) came and held onto the peg of the door. So, al-Sadiq (as) said to him: O uncle! I seek refuge in Allah for you being crucified in Kinasa. So, the mother of Zayd said to him: By Allah, nothing caused you to say this except for envy for my son. So, he (as) said: I wish it were envy, I wish it were envy – three times. Then, he said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather (as) that he would have a descendant named “Zayd”, who will be killed in Kufa, crucified in Kinasa, and resurrected from his grave. The gates of heaven will be opened for his spirit, and the people of heaven will be rejoiced by him. His spirit will be put in the stomach of a green bird, which will wander wherever it wishes in Paradise.

The right of your self is that use it in the obedience of Allah. The right of the tongue is that you consider it too noble for obscenity, accustom it to good, refrain from any meddling in which there is nothing to be gained, express kindness to the people, and speak well concerning them. The right of hearing is to keep it pure from listening to backbiting (ghiba) and listening to that to which it is unlawful to listen. The right of sight is that you lower it before everything which is unlawful to you and that you take heed whenever you look at anything. The right of your hand is that you stretch it not toward that which is unlawful to you. The right of your two legs is that you walk not with them toward that which is unlawful to you. You have no escape from standing upon the Path, so you should see to it that your legs do not slip and cause you to fall into the Fire. The right of your stomach is that you make it not into a container for that which is unlawful to you and you eat no more than your fill. The right of your private part is that you protect it from fornication and guard it against being looked upon. The right of your prayer is that you know that it is an arrival before Allah and that through it you are standing before Him. When you know that, then you will stand in the station of him who is lowly, vile, beseeching, trembling, hopeful, fearful, and abased, and you will magnify Him who is before you through stillness and dignity. You will approach the prayer with your heart and you will perform it according to its bounds and its rights. The right of Hajj is that you know it is an arrival before your Lord and a flight to Him from your sins; through it your repentance is accepted and you perform an obligation made incumbent upon you by Allah. The right of fasting is that you know it is a veil which Allah has set up over your tongue, your hearing, your sight, your stomach, and your private part to protect you from the Fire. If you abandon the fast, you will have torn Allah’s protective covering away from yourself. The right of charity (sadaqa) is that you know it is a storing away with your Lord and a deposit for which you will have no need for witnesses. If you deposit it in secret, you will be more confident of it than if you deposit it in public. You should know that it repels afflictions and illnesses from you in this world and it will repel the Fire from you in the next world. The right of the offering (hady) is that through it you desire Allah and you not desire His creation; through it you desire only the exposure of your soul to Allah’s mercy and the deliverance of your spirit on the day you encounter Him. The right of the possessor of authority (sultan) is that you know that Allah has made you a trial (fitna) for him. Allah is testing him through the authority He has given him over you. You should not expose yourself to his displeasure, for thereby you cast yourself by your own hands into destruction and become his partner in his sin when he brings evil down upon you. The right of the one who trains you (sa'is) through knowledge is magnifying him, respecting his sessions, listening well to him, and attending to him with devotion. You should not raise your voice toward him. You should never answer anyone who asks him about something, in order that he may be the one who answers. You should not speak to anyone in his session nor speak ill of anyone with him. If anyone ever speaks ill of him in your presence, you should defend him. You should conceal his faults and make manifest his virtues. You should not sit with him in enmity or show hostility toward him in friendship. If you do all of this, Allah’s angels will give witness for you that you went straight to him and learned his knowledge for Allah’s sake, not for the sake of the people. The right of him who trains you through property is that you should obey him and not disobey him, unless obeying him would displease Allah, for there can be no obedience to a creature when it is disobedience to Allah. The right of your subjects through authority is that you should know that they have been made subjects through their weakness and your strength. Hence it is incumbent upon you to act with justice toward them and to be like a compassionate father toward them. You should forgive them their ignorance and not hurry them to punishment and you should thank Allah for the power over them which He has given to you. The right of your subjects through knowledge is that you should know that Allah made you a caretaker over them only through the knowledge He has given you and His storehouses which He has opened up to you. If you do well in teaching the people, not treating them roughly or annoying them, then Allah will increase His bounty toward you. But if you withhold your knowledge from people or treat them roughly when they seek knowledge from you, then it will be Allah’s right to deprive you of knowledge and its splendour and to make you fall from your place in people's hearts. The right of your wife (zawja) is that you know that Allah has made her a repose and a comfort for you; you should know that she is Allah’s favour toward you, so you should honour her and treat her gently. Though her right toward you is more incumbent, you must treat her with compassion, since she is your prisoner (asir) whom you feed and clothe. If she is ignorant, you should pardon her. The right of your slave (mamluk) is that you should know that he is the creature of your Lord, the son of your father and mother, and your flesh and blood. You own him, but you did- not make him; Allah made him. You did not create any one of his limbs, nor do you provide him with his sustenance; on the contrary, Allah gives you the sufficiency for that. Then He subjugated him to you, entrusted him to you, and deposited him with you so that you may be safeguarded by the good you give to him. So, act well toward him, just as Allah has acted well toward you. If you dislike him, replace him, but do not torment a creature of Allah. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of your mother is that you know that she carried you where no one carries anyone, she gave to you of the fruit of her heart that which no one gives to anyone, and she protected you with all her organs. She did not care if she went hungry as long as you ate, if she was thirsty as long as you drank, if she was naked as long as you were clothed, if she was in the sun as long as you were in the shade. She gave up sleep for your sake, she protected you from heat and cold, all in order that you might belong to her. You will not be able to show her gratitude, unless through Allah’s help and giving success. The right of your father is that you know that he is your root. Without him, you would not be. Whenever you see anything in yourself which pleases you, know that your father is the root of its blessing upon you. So, praise Allah and thank Him in that measure. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of your child is that you should know that he is from you and will be ascribed to you, through both his good and his evil, in the immediate affairs of this world. You are responsible for what has been entrusted to you, such as educating him in good conduct (husn al-adab), pointing him in the direction of his Lord, and helping him to obey Him. So, act toward him with the action of one who knows that he will be rewarded for good doing toward him and punished for evildoing. The right of your brother is that you know that he is your hand, your might, and your strength. Take him not as a weapon with which to disobey Allah, nor as equipment with which to wrong Allah’s creatures. Do not neglect to help him against his enemy or to give him good counsel. If he obeys Allah, well and good, but if not, you should honour Allah more than him. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of your master (mawla) who has favoured you [by freeing you from slavery] is that you know that he has spent his property for you and brought you out of the abasement and estrangement of bondage to the exaltation and comfort of freedom. He has freed you from the captivity of possession and loosened the bonds of slavery from you. He has brought you out of prison, given you ownership of yourself, and given you leisure to worship your Lord. You should know that he is the closest of Allah’s creatures to you in your life and your death and that aiding him with your life and what he needs from you is incumbent upon you. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of the slave (mawla) whom you have favoured [by freeing him] is that you know that Allah has made your freeing him a means of access to Him and a veil against the Fire. Your immediate reward is to inherit from him- if he does not have any maternal relatives- as a compensation for the property you have spent for him, and your ultimate reward is the Garden. The right of him who does a kindly act (dhu l-ma'ruf) toward you is that you thank him and mention his kindness; you reward him with beautiful words and you supplicate for him sincerely in that which is between you and Allah. If you do that, you have thanked him secretly and openly. Then, if you are able to repay him one day, you repay him. The right of the mu’adhin is that you know that he is reminding you of your Lord, calling you to your good fortune, and helping you to accomplish what Allah has made obligatory upon you. So thank him for that just as you thank one who does good to you. The right of your imam in your ritual prayer is that you know that he has taken on the role of mediator between you and your Lord. He speaks for you, but you do not speak for him; he supplicates for you, but you do not supplicate for him. He has spared you the terror of standing before Allah. If he performs the prayer imperfectly, that belongs to him and not to you; but if he performs it perfectly, you are his partner, and he has no excellence over you. So protect yourself through him, protect your prayer through his prayer, and thank him in that measure. The right of your sitting companion (jalis) is that you treat him mildly, show fairness toward him while vying with him in discourse, and do not stand up from sitting with him without his permission. But it is permissible for him who sits with you to leave without asking your permission. You should forget his slips and remember his good qualities, and you should tell nothing about him but good. The right of your neighbour (jar) is that you guard him when he is absent, honour him when he is present, and aid him when he is wronged. You do not pursue anything of his that is shameful; if you know of any evil from him, you conceal it. If you know that he will accept your counsel, you counsel him in that which is between him and you. You do not forsake him in difficulty, you release him from his stumble, you forgive his sin, and you associate with him generously. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of the companion (sahib) is that you act as his companion with bounty and in fairness. You honour him as he honours you and you do not let him be the first to act with generosity. If he is the first, you repay him. You wish for him as he wishes for you and you restrain him from any act of disobedience he might attempt. Be a mercy for him, not a chastisement. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of the partner (sharik) is that if he should be absent, you suffice him in his affairs, and if he should be present, you show regard for him. You make no decision without his decision and you do nothing on the basis of your own opinion, but you exchange views with him. You guard his property for him, and you do not betray him in that of his affair which is difficult or of little importance, for Allah’s hand is above the hands of two partners as long as they do not betray each other. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of your property (mal) is that you take it only from what is lawful and you spend it only in what is proper. Through it you should not prefer above yourself those who will not praise you. You should act with it in obedience to your Lord and not be miserly with it, lest you fall back into regret and remorse while suffering the ill consequence. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of him to whom you owe a debt (al-gharim alladhi yutalibuka) is that, if you have the means, you pay him back, and if you are in straitened circumstances, you satisfy him with good words and you send him away with gentleness. The right of the associate (khalit) is that you neither mislead him, nor act dishonestly toward him, nor deceive him, and you fear Allah in his affair. The right of the adversary (khasm) who has a claim against you is that, if what he claims against you is true, you give witness to it against yourself. You do not wrong him and you give him his full due. If what he claims against you is false, you act with kindness toward him and you show nothing in his affair other than kindness; you do not displease your Lord in his affair. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of the adversary against whom you have a claim is that, if your claim against him is true, you maintain polite moderation in speaking to him and you do not deny his right. If your claim is false, you fear Allah, repent to Him, and abandon your claim. The right of him who asks you for advice (mustashir) is that, if you consider that he has a correct opinion, you advise him to follow it, and if you do not consider it so, you direct him to someone who does consider it so. The right of him whom you ask for advice (mushir) is that you do not make accusations against him for an opinion which does not conform to your own opinion. If it conforms to it, you praise Allah. The right of him who asks your counsel (mustansih) is that you give him your counsel, but you conduct yourself toward him with compassion and kindness. The right of your counselor (nasih) is that you act gently toward him and give ear to him. If he presents you with the right course, you praise Allah, but if he does not agree with you, you show compassion toward him and make no accusations against him; you consider him to have made a mistake, and you do not take him to task for that, unless he should be deserving of accusation. Then attach no more importance to his affair. And there is no strength save in Allah. The right of him who is older than you (kabir) is that you show reverence toward him because of his age and you honour him because he entered Islam before you. You leave off confronting him in a dispute, you do not precede him in a path, you do not go ahead of him, and you do not consider him foolish. If he should act foolishly toward you, you put up with him and you honour him because of the right of Islam and the respect due to it. The right of him who is younger (saghir) is that you show compassion toward him through teaching him, pardoning him, covering his faults, kindness toward him, and helping him. The right of him who asks (sa'il) from you is that you give to him in the measure of his need. The right of him from whom you ask is that you accept from him with gratitude and recognition of his bounty if he gives, and you accept his excuse if he withholds. The right of him through whom Allah makes you happy (surur) is that you first praise Allah, then you thank the person. The right of him who does evil to you is that you pardon him. But if you know that your pardon will harm him, you defend yourself. Allah says, “Whosoever defends himself after he has been wronged - against them there is no way.” (42:41) The right of the people of your creed (milla) is harbouring safety for them, compassion toward them, kindness toward their evildoer, treating them with friendliness, seeking their well-being, thanking their good-doer, and keeping harm away from them. You should love for them what you love for yourself and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself. Their old men stand in the place of your father, their youths in the place of your brothers, their old women in the place of your mother, and their young ones in the place of your children. The right of the people under the protection [of Islam] (dhimma) is that you accept from them what Allah has accepted from them and you do no wrong to them as long as they fulfil Allah’s covenant. And there is no strength save in Allah.

Salman the Good (ra) narrated to me, saying: O Aba’l Hasan! Rarely do you and I visit the Messenger of Allah (s) and he does not say: “O Salman! This [`Ali] and his party are the triumphant on the Day of Resurrection.”