أحمد بن هارون الفامي

“He who compares Allah with His Creation is an infidel; and he who denies His Omnipotence is an unbeliever.”

I asked Abu al-Hasan `Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (AS): “O son of the Messenger of Allah! People claim that we believe in anthropomorphism and determinism on the basis of the traditions transmitted from your forefathers (AS).” Consequently, he (AS) said: “O son of Khalid! Are there more traditions about anthropomorphism and determinism related from my forefathers the Imam (AS) or are there more traditions about anthropomorphism and determinism related from the Prophet?” I answered, “Truly, there are far more transmitted from the Prophet (SA).” He (AS) said: “(Instead of accusing the Imams), they should accuse the Messenger of Allah (SA) of believing in anthropomorphism and determinism.” I asked him, “They claim: `Verily, the Messenger of Allah (SA) never said anything on the subject; rather, what has been transmitted has been falsely attributed to him.” He responded, “Then they should say the same thing about my forefathers (AS): They never spoke on the subject; rather, what has been transmitted has been falsely attributed to them.” He then added, Whoever believes in anthropomorphism and determinism is an unbeliever and an infidel. We disown them in this world and the Hereafter. O son of Khalid! Verily, the traditions concerning anthropomorphism and determinism have been fabricated in our name by the exaggerators [ghali], who belittle the greatness of Allah. Therefore, whoever likes them dislikes us, and whoever dislikes them, likes us. Whoever befriends them shuns us, and whoever shuns them befriends us. Whoever strengthens ties with them servers ties with us, and whoever (severs) shuns ties with them strengthens ties with us. Whoever is harsh with them is kind to us, and whoever is kind to them is harsh with us. Whoever honors them has insulted us, and whoever insults them has honored us. Whoever accepted them has rejected us, and whoever rejects them has accepted us. Whoever is good to them is mean to us, and whoever is mean to them is good to us. Whoever verifies them belies us, and whoever belies them, verifies us. Whoever bestows anything upon them, has refused to bestow it to us. O son of Khalid! Whoever is our Shi`ite, then he should not take them to be his fiend or helper.

The Messenger of Allah (s) said to al-Husayn (as): O Husayn! A man called Zayd will come from your loins. He and his companions will surpass the necks of the people on the Day of Resurrection. They will be shining believers who will enter Paradise without judgment.

“I went to see (the Blessed Lady) Fatima - the daughter of God’s Prophet (s). There was a tablet in front of her. It was so brilliant that it was about to blind my eyes. Twelve names could be seen - three names on the tablet, three names on the back, three names at the end and three names on the side. I counted them. There were twelve of them. I asked, ‘Whose names are these?’ (The Blessed Lady) Fatima (s) replied, ‘These are the names of the Trustees. The first of them is my cousin (Imam Ali), and the rest are from my progeny. The last one of them is the Riser.’”Jabir ibn Abdullah Al-Ansari added, “The name Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad was seen in three places and the name Ali Ali Ali Ali could be seen in four places.”

“I heard Al-Ridha (s) say, ‘Wealth cannot be accumulated unless it is a result of five deeds: extreme jealousy, great aspirations, a lot of greed, cutting off ties of kinship, and preferring this world to the Hereafter.’”

The Messenger of Allah (s) said to `Ali (as): O `Ali! You are my vicegerent (khalifa) over my Nation in my lifetime and after my death. You are to me as Sheeth was to Adam, and as Sam was to Nuh, and as Isma`il was to Ibrahim, and as Yusha` was to Musa, and as Sham`un was to `Isa. O `Ali! you are my deputy, my inheritor, the one who will wash my body, the one who will bury me in my grave, the one who will represent my religion, and the one who will fulfill my traditions. O `Ali! You are the Commander of the Faithful, the Imam of the Muslims, the Leader of the shining believers, and the Chief of the Godfearing. O `Ali! You are the husband of the Mistress of Women, my daughter Fatima; you are the father of my two descendants al-Hasan and al-Husayn. O `Ali! Allah put the descendants of every prophet in his loins, and He put my descendants in your loins. O `Ali! Whoever loves you and aligns with you, I have loved him, and I have aligned with him, and whoever hates you and opposes you, I have hated him and opposed him; for you are from me and I am from you. O `Ali! Allah has purified us and chosen us, O `Ali! None of our ancestors from the descendants of Adam have ever committed adultery. So, none will love us except he whose birth was pure. O `Ali! Be gladdened by martyrdom, for you will be persecuted and killed after me. So, `Ali (as) said: O Messenger of Allah! Will I be at peace with my religion? He said: You will be at peace with your religion, `Ali. Surely, you cannot be misguided, and you cannot falter. Had it not been for you, the party of Allah would not be known after me.

Al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) said: Be good to your parents, and your children will be good to you. Be chaste with the women of the people, and your women will be chaste.

What makes you weep, O Aba `Abdillah? He said: I weep over what will happen to you. So, al-Hasan (as) said to him: When poison comes to me, I will be killed by it. However, there is no day like your day, O Aba `Abdillah. Thirty thousand men who claim that they are from the Nation of our grandfather, Muhammad (s), and who disguise [themselves with] the religion of Islam will gather to kill you, shed your blood, desecrate your sanctity, take your offspring and your women captive, and pillage your belongings. At that, damnation will fall on the Umayyads and the sky will rain ashes and blood. Everything will weep for you, even the beasts in the wastelands and the whales in the oceans.

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: Whoever says: “may Allah be glorified (subhanallah)”, Allah will plant a tree for him in Paradise due to that. Whoever says: “Praise be to Allah (alhamdulillah)”, Allah will plant a tree for him in Paradise due to that. Whoever says: “There is no god but Allah (la ilaha illallah)”, Allah will plant a tree for him in Paradise due to that. Whoever says: “Allah is the greatest (Allahu akbar)”, Allah will plant a tree for him in Paradise due to that. So, a man from Quraysh said: O Messenger of Allah! Then we have many trees in Paradise. He said: Yes, but beware of taking fire to them to burn them, for Allah says, “O you who believe! Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and do not invalidate your deeds.” (47:33)

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: There is not a worshiper who is insulted while he is fasting who responds: “Surely, I am fasting. Peace be unto you” except that the Lord says: “My servant sought refuge from My servant by fasting. Save him from My Fire and bring him into My Paradise.”