بدل (بدر) كيا بن شرفشاه

If it should be argued that there is no alternative to belief in Allah, on the same grounds we will assert that there is no alternative to the Imam. We have explained this fully in Talkhis Shafi. Likewise, if they should explain that abstinence from wrong when one has belief is a religious matter, we would assert that its analogy in the being of the Imam is the same.

Hadith.811 - He (Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar) wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan (as) asking about a man who replaces cotton in his cloak with qazz (a type of silk): "Can he pray in it?" Imam (as) replied: "Yes, there is no problem with it."

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever drives an offering animal optionally and it is damaged, he is not obligated for anything in this matter. He slaughters it and takes away the shove off its neck, stains it with blood, applies against its hump and he does not owe any replacement for it. Any offering animal, which is as expiation and penalty because of hunting or a vow and becomes damaged, he must do with it as the case above but he owes its replacement. Everything that enters al-Haram (the sacred area) and becomes damaged, the owner does not owe any replacement for it, regardless of being optional or otherwise.’”

Imam Ali (AS) said, Do you see (or observe) anyone other than a poor man suffering poverty, or a rich man who shows ingratitude in return for the blessings that Allah has bestowed on him, or a miser who denies the right of Allah in order to increase his wealth, or an unruly person who closes his ears [as if he is deaf] to all [wise] counsel.

“My master, a man has made a vow and commitment to fast on Fridays all the time. What happens if such days coincide with the day of ‘Id of Fitr, or Adha’, or days of al-Tashriq or a journey or illness; if he owes to fast on such days or its Qada’ (compensatory fasting) and what must he do, O my master?’ He (the Imam) wrote, ‘Allah has exempted him from fasting on all of these days and he can fast one day for (an alternate) one day, if Allah so wills.’ He wrote to him (the Imam) asking, ‘O my master, there is a man who had made a vow and commitment to fast a certain day and on that day he fell on his wife. What is the expiation for it?’ He (the Imam) wrote, ‘He must fast one day for one day and set free a believing slave.’”

Hadith.1704 - It was said to Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as): "Abdul Rahman bin Sayaba has a debt owed to him by a man who has passed away, and we spoke to him to forgive it, but he refused." Imam (as) said: "Woe to him! Does he not know that for every dirham he forgives, he will receive ten in return? But if he does not forgive it, then he will only receive one dirham in exchange for one dirham."

“I asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most High. “. . those who do not wish to meet Us in the life hereafter, say, “Bring us another book besides this one or change it.. .” (10:15) The Imam (a.s.) said, “They said, ‘Change Ali (a.s.).”

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "Abdur-Rahman ibn Sayabah has a debt owed to him by a man who has died. We spoke to him about forgiving it, but he refused." Imam (as) said: "Woe to him! Does he not know that for every dirham he forgives, he will receive ten in return? But if he does not forgive, then he will only receive a dirham in exchange for a dirham."

The narrator told Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.), “Abdur Rahman bin Siyabah had taken some money from a person and he died without repaying it. We asked that man to write off the loan but he did not accept.” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Pity on that man. Didn’t he know that had he forgiven it, he would have got ten rewards for each dirham and now he will get a dirham only for each dirham?”

“Once I said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘A man who died had borrowed (money) from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sayabah, whom we asked to waive the loan in favor of the dead person, but he refused. He (the Imam) said, “Woe is upon him! Why does he not realize that for every dirham, he can receive the reward for ten dirhams, were he to waive it in favor of the dead person? In not waiving the loan in favor of the dead person, he can only receive the reward of one dirham for every dirham.’””

From his (Adam’s) progeny Allāh chose prophets and took their pledge for his revelation and for carrying His message as their trust. In course of time many people perverted Allāh’s trust with them and ignored His position and took compeers along with Him. Satan turned them away from knowing Him and kept them aloof from His worship. Then Allāh sent His Messengers and series of His prophets towards them to get them to fulfil the pledges of His creation, to recall to them His bounties, to exhort them by preaching, to unveil before them the hidden virtues of wisdom and show them the signs of His Omnipotence namely the sky which is raised over them, the earth that is placed beneath them, means of living that sustain them, deaths that make them die, ailments that turn them old and incidents that successively betake them.

Abu Abdullah (asws) said: “[2:102] And they followed what the Shaitans chanted of sorcery (with the Wilayah of the Satans) in the reign of Sulaiman”. And he (asws) also recited “[2:211] Ask the Israelites how many a clear sign have We given them; (and among them were ones who believed, and among them were ones who fought against there, and among them were ones who accepted, and among them were ones who altered them) and whoever changes the favour of Allah after it has come to him, then surely Allah is severe in requiting (evil).”

Cast your glance over people wherever you like, you will see either a poor man suffering from poverty, or a rich man ignoring Allāh despite His bounty over him, or a miser increasing his wealth by trampling on Allāh’s obligations, or an unruly person closing his ears to all counsel. Where are your good people; where are your virtuous people? Where are your high spirited men and generous men? Where are those of you who avoid deceit in their business and remain pure in their behaviour? Have they not all departed from this ignoble, transitory and troublesome world? Have you not been left among people who are just like rubbish and so low that lips avoid mention of thern and do not move even to condemn their low position. “Verily we are Allāh’s and verily unto Him shall we return.” (Qur’ān, 2:156)

31-178 According to the same documentation, God’s Prophet (S) said, “Indeed the murderer of Al-Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.) will be in a coffin full of fire. On him there will be half of the punishment of the people of the world. His hands and feet will be chained down with molten chains. He will be taken towards the Fire upside down until he reaches the bottom of Hell. He will stink so much that the residents of the Fire will take refuge with their Lord from the extent of the bad smell. He will reside there forever and taste the painful torture along with all those who assisted him in killing Al-Husayn (a.s.). The Honorable the Exalted God will grow new skin for them over and over again after it gets burned so that they keep experiencing that torture over and over again. It will not relieve them at all. When they express thirst, they will be fed boiling water. Woe be to them from the chastisement of the Sublime God in the Fire!”

I asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about an elderly man who could not stand up due to weakness and was unable to perform ruku‘ (bowing) or sujood (prostration). Imam (as) said: "He should perform his prayer with gestures (īmā’), directing his head towards the Qiblah. If he has someone to raise the ṣaḥfa (a mat or a piece of cloth, typically used for prostration) for him, then he should prostrate. If he is unable to do so, he should perform his prayer with gestures (īmā’) facing the Qiblah." I asked: "What about fasting?" Imam (as) said: "If he has reached such a state, then Allah (swt) has excused him from fasting. If he is able, he should give a ṣadaqa (charity) of a mud (a portion of food) for each day, which is preferable. If he is not able to do this, then there is nothing required of him."

`Ali (as) was mentioned in the presence of Ibn `Abbas after his death, so he said: How tragic is what happened to Abi’l Hasan! He passed away, and by Allah, he did not change anything, nor did he exchange anything, nor did he shorten anything, nor did he join anything, nor did he prevent anything, nor did he affect anything except for the sake of Allah. By Allah, this world was less significant to him than the sole of his sandal. He was a lion in battle, an ocean in gatherings, and a sage among the sages. Alas, he has passed onto the exalted ranks.

"O Commander of the Faithful, this man and I went out together. I brought three loaves of bread, and he brought five loaves of bread. We had lunch together, and a man passed by us, so we invited him to join us for lunch. He came and ate with us. When we finished, he gifted us eight dirhams and left. I said to this man: 'Divide the dirhams with me.' He said: 'I will not do so except based on the proportion of the shares of the bread.' Commander of the Faithful (as) said: 'Go and reconcile between yourselves.' The man replied: 'O Commander of the Faithful, he refuses to give me more than three dirhams while he takes five dirhams. Judge between us.' Commander of the Faithful (as) said to him: 'O servant of Allah (swt), do you know that three loaves of bread equal nine thirds?' He said: 'Yes.' Imam (as) continued: 'And do you know that five loaves of bread equal fifteen thirds?' He said: 'Yes.' Imam (as) said: 'You ate from your nine-thirds eight-thirds, leaving you one-third. And this man ate from his fifteen-thirds eight-thirds, leaving him seven-thirds. The guest ate seven-thirds from this man's bread and one-third from your bread. Thus, each of you consumed eight-thirds. This man is entitled to seven dirhams, one dirham for each remaining third of bread he contributed, and you are entitled to one dirham for the one-third you contributed. So, take one dirham, and give this man seven dirhams.'"

"The prayer for the eclipse was instituted because it is one of the signs of Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, and it is not known whether it appeared as a mercy or as a punishment. Therefore, The Prophet (sw) wanted his community to turn in supplication to their Creator and Merciful Lord (azj) at such moments so that He might avert its harm from them and protect them from its displeasure, just as He protected the people of Yunus (Jonah) when they turned to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Glorious, in supplication." He continued: "It was established with ten units of prayer because the original prayer, whose obligation was revealed from the heavens, initially consisted of ten units during the day and night, so these units were combined here. The inclusion of prostration is because any prayer that contains bowing must also contain prostration, and it serves to conclude their prayer with submission and humility. Four prostrations were specified because any prayer lacking four prostrations cannot be considered a valid prayer, as the minimum obligatory prostrations in a prayer are four. The reason that bowing (Ruku') was not substituted with prostration is that prayer standing up is superior to prayer sitting down, and because one standing can witness the eclipse above, whereas one in prostration cannot see it." He added: "The prayer for the eclipse was altered from the original form of prayer that Allah (swt), the Mighty and Glorious, had prescribed because it is performed due to a change in one of the natural phenomena, the eclipse. When the cause changes, the practice associated with it changes accordingly."

Hadith.1318 - Al-Fadl ibn Shadhan al-Naysaburi, may Allah (swt) have mercy on him, mentioned among the reasons he heard from al-Ridha (as) regarding why prayers are shortened during travel. He (Imam (as)) said: "The initially prescribed obligatory prayer was ten rak'ahs. The seven additional rak'ahs were later added, and Allah (swt), the Blessed and Exalted, lightened this addition for the servant due to the burden, fatigue, and preoccupation of travel. This relief was granted so that the servant would not become distracted from the essential needs of their livelihood during travel. However, the Maghrib prayer is not shortened because it was originally set as a shortened prayer. The obligation to shorten applies to eight farsakhs (a day's journey) and no less. The reason for this is that eight farsakhs is a day’s journey for the common people, caravans, and baggage carriers, necessitating shortening for such a journey. If the obligation were not established for a day’s journey, it would not be required for a journey of a thousand years, as every day after this day is similar to it ; if it were not obligatory for this day, it would not be obligatory for its equivalent. Voluntary prayers during the day are omitted while traveling, but not voluntary prayers at night, because every prayer that is not shortened also maintains its voluntary aspect. Thus, the Maghrib prayer is not shortened, so neither are the voluntary prayers that follow it. Similarly, the Fajr prayer is not shortened, so neither are the voluntary prayers preceding it. The Isha prayer (Atamah) is considered shortened, but its two rak'ahs are not omitted because they are not part of the fifty obligatory rak'ahs; rather, they are additional voluntary rak'ahs to complete the fifty. These extra rak'ahs serve as compensation, with two voluntary rak'ahs taking the place of every rak'ah of obligation. The traveler and the sick are permitted to perform the night prayer at the beginning of the night due to their preoccupation, weakness, or to ensure they fulfil their prayers and gain rest or focus on their travel."

‘Amir-ul-Momineen (asws) gave a sermon’. (And someone else has also reported it without the above chain and mentioned that he (asws) gave the sermon as Zeeqaar). So he (asws) Praised Allah (azwj) and Extolled Him (azwj), then said: ‘Having said that, Allah (azwj) Blessed and High Sent Muhammad (saww) to take His (azwj) servants out from worshipping His (azwj) servants to worship Him (azwj), and from the covenants of His (azwj) servants to His (azwj) Covenant, and from obedience to His (azwj) servants to be in obedience to Him (azwj), and from the Wilayah of His (azwj) servants to His (azwj) Wilayah by good news and warnings. And he (saww) called to Allah (azwj) by His (azwj) Permission, and was an illuminating lamp, promising, and beginning, and excusing, and warning by the Judgements that he (saww) had decided, and decided what he (saww) had judged, and a Criterion which differentiated, and a Quran which Proved Him (azwj), so the servants would come to know their Lord (azwj) which they were ignorant of, and accept by it which they struggled against, and Establish Him (azwj) after having denied Him (azwj). So He (azwj) illustrated to them His (azwj) Glory in His (azwj) Book without them having seen Him (azwj). So he (azwj) Showed them His (azwj) Forbearance, how He (azwj) Forbears, and Showed them His (azwj) Forgiveness how He (azwj) Forgives, and Showed them His (azwj) Power and how Powerful He (azwj) is, and Frightened them from His (azwj) Authority, and how He (azwj) Created what He (azwj) Created from the Signs, and how He (azwj) Destroys the one whom He (azwj) Destroys from the disobeyers by the examples. And how he (azwj) Repelled the one whom He (azwj) repelled by the Torments, and how he (azwj) Sustained and Guided, and Granted, and Showed them His (azwj) Wisdom how Wise He (azwj) is, and Patient until they heard what they heard and saw. So Allah (azwj) Sent Muhammad (saww) with that. Then there will come upon you, from after me (asws) an era, and there will be nothing in that era which will be more hidden than the truth, nor anything more apparent than the falsehood, and nothing more numerous than the lies against Allah (azwj) the High and His (azwj) Messenger (saww). And there will be nothing in that era which will be more worthless than the Book when it is recited as it deserves to be recited, nor anything more worthy of selling and expensive in price than the Book if it is altered from its places. And there will be nothing in the servants nor in the cities anything which is more prevented than the good nor anything more recognised than the evil. And there will be nothing considered to be more immoral and evil, and no worse penalty than for the guidance in the presence of misguidance. During that era, those who bear the Book will be rejected and the memorizers will forget to the extent that they will interpret it in accordance with their own desires, and they would have inherited that from their forefathers, and they will act with alterations in the Book, lying and rejecting. So they will sell it for a cheap price, and they would be from the ascetics. So the Book and the People of the Book during that era would be two castaway fugitives, and two accompanying companions in one road not finding any protector or shelter. They are both good for each other and Whom (azwj) they work for. So the Book and the People of the Book during that era would be in the people but not be among (part of) them, and will be with them but still not be with them, and that is because the misguidance is not in harmony with the guidance. And if they meet, and the people would have met upon the sectarianism, and would separate from the group. They would give the rule of the matters of their Religion to the one who acts with regards to them by plotting, and the evil, and the bribery, and the murder, as if they are the imams (leaders) of the Book then the Book is not their imam (leading them). There will not remain in their possession from the truth except for its name, and they will not recognise anything from the Book except for its calligraphy and design. The entering one will enter (the religion) when he hears for the Judgements of the Quran, but he will not be satisfied in gatherings until he exits from the Religion. He will transfer from a Religion of a king to a Religion of a king, and from the wilayah of a king to a wilayah of a king, and from obedience of a king to the obedience of a king, and from the covenant of a king to a covenant of a king. So Allah (azwj) Lures them away from where they do not know, with good expectations and the hope until they give birth in the disobedience, and they make a religion with the tyranny, and the Book did not benefit them anything, and they will be wandering and straying, for they would have made a religion without the Religion of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic, and for the sake of other than Allah (azwj). Their Masjid during that era would be constructed from misguidance, ruination of guidance. So its reciters and its builders would be the most failed ones among the creatures of Allah (azwj) and His (azwj) creatures. It is from their presence that misguidance would flow and return back to them. Thus, presence in their Masjids, and walking towards them would be blasphemy (Kufr) with Allah (azwj) the Magnificent, except for the one who walks towards it while being aware of their misguidance. Therefore, due to their actions upon that way, their Masjids would have become ruination of the guidance, and well-built in the misguidance, for the Sunnah of Allah (azwj) would have been changed, and His (azwj) Limits transgressed against. They will not be calling to the guidance, nor distribution the booty (Al-Fey), nor fulfilling the responsibilities. They will be calling the one from among them who would be killed upon that as a martyr, thus forging a lie against Allah (azwj), and the struggle, and they would be needless from the knowledge due to their ignorance, and from before they mutilated the righteous ones with every mutilation, and named their truthfulness to Allah (azwj) as libel, and apply the punishment for the sins to the good deeds. And Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic has Sent to you all a Messenger (saww) from yourselves. It grieves him (saww) to see you suffering, and he (saww) is kind and merciful to the Believers. And He (azwj) Revealed upon him (saww) a Mighty Book. “[41:42] Falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it; a revelation from the Wise, the Praised One” “[39:28] An Arabic Quran without any crookedness, that they may guard (against evil)” “[36:70] That it may warn him who would have life, and (that) the word may prove true against the unbelievers”. So do not let your hopes to distract you, nor consider the term (of life) to be prolonged, for the ones before you were destroyed for having long hopes against their approaching deadline until the Promised time (of death) descended upon them, and repulsed from them the excuses, and raised from them the repentance, and brought with it the calamity and the resentment. And Allah (azwj) has Preached to you with the Promise, and Made Decisive for you the speech, and Taught you the Sunnah, and Explained for you the Program to remove the illness, and Urged upon the Remembrance, and Evidence to the Salvation. And the one who act for the sake of Allah (azwj) and take His (azwj) Words as Evidence, would be Guided until he is strong, and Made to understand the right way, and Guided and facilitated to the good. So the one under the Protection of Allah (azwj) is safely preserved, and His (azwj) enemies would be in fearful and pretentious. So be cautious of Allah (azwj) through the frequency of the Remembrance, and be fearful from Him (azwj) by the piety, and get closer to Him (azwj) by the obedience, for He (azwj) is Close by and Answers. Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic Said: “[2:186] And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way”. So you must respond to Allah (azwj) and believe in Him (azwj), and Magnify Allah (azwj). It does not befit one who recognises the Greatness of Allah (azwj) to consider himself as significant. So the highest of the recognition of the Greatness of Allah (azwj) is being modest to Him (azwj), and the highest honour of the one who knows the Majesty of Allah (azwj) is to be humble to Him (azwj), and the most secure is the one who knows the Power of Allah (azwj) and submits to Him (azwj). So you will not be denying yourselves after the Guidance of the understanding, nor will you be going astray after the Guidance. So do not flee from the truth like the fleeing of the healthy ones from the one with the scabies, and the healthy ones from the sick. And know that you will never recognise the guidance until you recognise the ones who have left it, and will never take to the Covenant of the Book until you recognise the ones who broke it, and will never attach yourselves to it until you recognise the ones who have abandoned it, and will never be able to recite the Book as it deserves to be recited until you recognise the ones who altered it, and will never recognise the misguidance until you recognise the Guidance, and will never recognise the piety until you recognise the ones who abused it. So when you recognise that, you will recognise the innovations, and the impersonations, and you will see the fabrications against Allah (azwj) and against His (azwj) Messenger (saww), and the alterations to His (azwj) book, and you will see how Allah (azwj) Guided the one whom He (azwj) Guided. So do not let those who have no knowledge keep you ignorant. The Knowledge of the Quran cannot be known as to what it is except by the one (asws) who has tasted its food. So it was by the knowledge that his ignorance got to know, and his blindness got to visualise, and his deafness got to hear, and gained awareness of what knowledge had passed by and got revived by it after its death. And he established the good deeds in the Presence of Allah (azwj) and deleted the sins by it. And it was by it (knowledge) that he realised the Pleasure from Allah (azwj) Blessed and High. So, seek that from its special people, for they (asws) are the specialists, lights to be illuminated by, and the Imams (asws) to be followed. And they (asws) are the life for the knowledge and death for the ignorance. They (asws) are the ones (asws) whose Judgements inform you of their (asws) knowledge, and their (asws) silence about their (asws) speech, and their (asws) apparent about their (asws) hidden. They (asws) do not oppose the religion nor do they (asws) differ with regards to it. For it (knowledge) is a truthful witness between them (asws), and a silent speaker. It is from their (asws) glories to testify to the truth, and to be truthful reporters, neither opposing the truth nor differing with regards to it. The Precedence is for them (asws) from Allah (azwj), and Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic has Passed a Truthful Judgement for them (asws). And in that is a reminder for the speakers. So bear in mind the truth if you hear it with a caring mind and not with a narrative mind, for the narrators of the Book are many, and its guardians are few. And Allah (azwj) is the Best Supporter’.