الحارث الأعور

“If al-Khattab is perished, the imam of the age disappears and the hearts begin to turn here and there; some fertile and some barren, then the ill-wishers will perish, the vanishers will vanish and the believers will remain and how few they will be; three hundred or a little more! A group that has fought with the Prophet (S) in the battle of Badr, that none of them has been killed or has died, will fight with them (with the imam and his followers).” Imam Ali (as) means that when the imam of the age (al-Mahdi) disappears from the sight of people, the Shia becomes confused and they disagree among themselves. Some of them still keep to the truth (fertile hearts) and others deviate from the truth (barren hearts). Then he says that the ill-wishers will be perished because they do not submit to Allah and they want Him to hasten His order. They see that the period become too long and so they perish before the coming of deliverance. Allah saves the patient and submissive believers and rewards them with what they deserve. They are the few true believers as Imam Ali has said that they are three hundred ones or a little more, whom Allah qualifies to support His guardian and to fight His enemy. They are the rulers, the viziers and the assistants of al-Qa’im (as) over the world after the war comes to an end and the world enjoys peace. Then Imam Ali (as) says that “A group that has fought with the Prophet (S) in the battle of Badr and that none of them has been killed or has died will fight with them.” He means that Allah will assist al-Qa’im (as) with the three hundred or more of the angels, who have assisted the Prophet (S) and his companions in the battle of Badr.

“Blessed is the son of the best of the bondmaids! (He means al-Qa’im) He will humiliate the arrogants and water them a bitter nauseous drink. His sword will kill them terribly. Then the arrogants of Quraysh wish if they could redeem themselves with the world and all that it has just to be forgiven. He will not stop until he pleases Allah.”

Among the things that Ali bin Abi Talib asked his son, Hasan, peace be upon them both, is that he said to him: What is poverty? He said: Greed and gluttony.

Among what Ali, Allah’s blessings be upon him, asked his son, Hasan, peace be upon him, is that he said to him: What is avarice? He said: That you see what is in your hand as an honor, and that what you have spent is a loss.

Ali said to his son, Hasan, peace be upon them both, among his questions which he asked him of: O my son, what is foolishness? He said: To follow the dishonourable and accompany the seducers.

The Commander of the Believers said to Hasan, his son, peace be upon them both, among some of what he asked him of: O my son, what is lenience? He said: Spending during (occasions of) distress and ease.

‘Ali, (the Commander of the Believers (a.s.)), said: May I sacrifice my father and mother for Ḥusain who will be killed on the outskirts of Kūfah. I swear to Allāh that it is as if I can see the different kinds of wild animals stretching their necks to his grave, crying and weeping over him throughout the night until dawn. When this happens, beware of neglecting him (his grave).

Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) said, “A Muslim is perfected by three characteristics: knowledge of the affairs of the religion; moderation in the affairs of life; and patience during calamities.”

“No, I swear by the One Hidden over the seven heavens.” Consequently, `Ali (AS) tapped him on his back, and asked him: “Who is hidden over the seven heavens?” He replied, “Allah, O Commander of the Faithful!” He (AS) responded, “You are wrong. May your mother grieve you! Verily, there is no veil between Allah, the Mighty and High, and His Creation, because He is with them wherever they may be.” He asked, “What is the penalty of what I have said: O Commander of the Faithful?” He (AS) replied, “That you should know that Allah is with you wherever you are” He asked: “Should I feed the poor?” Imam `Ali (AS) replied, “No, for verily, you have sworn by other than your Lord.”

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

The Commander of the Believers, Allah’s blessings be upon him, said to Hasan, his son, peace be upon him: O my son, what is manliness? He said: Chasteness and rectification of property.

There is no good in lying nor in mockery, nor in promising your child something then failing to fulfill it. Lying leads to immorality, and immorality leads to the Fire. One of you may not stop lying until it is said: “he lies, and he has committed immorality.” One of you may not stop lying until there is not an iota of honesty in his heart, so he will be called a liar with Allah.

“’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘You must not allow female organs to ride on saddle to excite them for indecent and sinful acts.’”

“‘Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘The best of your women are the women of Quraysh who are very kind to their husbands, most compassionate to their children, al-Majun with her husband and very reserved before the others . 5 We asked, ‘What is al- Majun ?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘It is the one who does not deny her husband . 555

3. Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said, “No supplication reaches the heaven unless one recites salutation on Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and his progeny.”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The world and dirham (money) have destroyed those who lived before you and they will destroy you also.’”

“Once, I was speaking to ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), and said, ‘O ’Amir al-Mu’minin, I need something.’ He said, ‘Do you think I can help you?’ I replied, ‘Yes, O ’Amir al-Mu’minin.’ He said, ‘May Allah grant you good reward on my behalf.’ He then went to the lantern and turned it off, sat down and said, ‘I turned the lantern off so I cannot see the effect of humiliation due to your appeal for help on your face as you speak. I have heard the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, say, “Needs are trust of Allah in His servants’ chests. For those who keep such trust out of public sight, the reward for worship is written for them; for those who make such trust public, it then becomes necessary for those who come to know it to help.’”

al-Harith if he has recorded that sermon.” Al-Harith said, “I have recorded the sermon in writing.” He then dictated it to us from his book. “All praise is due to Allah Who does not die Whose wonders do not end. It is because everyday He has a task in the form of the invention of something that did not exist. It is He Who has no children so that He would share others in Majesty and He is not the child of others so that He would be inherited and Himself banish. The imaginations can not comprehend Him to figure Him out in some form of similitude. The eyes have not perceived Him so that after changing position He would also change. It is He for whose beginning there is no end nor there is a final destination for His being the last. It is He before Whom there is no time and is not preceded by any duration. He does not become defective by reduction or addition. He does not become attributed with direction or of what is He made of or with place. It is He Who knows all the hidden matters and has surpassed all intelligence what is evident in His creatures of plans and maintenance. It is He about Whom the prophets were asked and they did not speak of Him in terms of limits and parts. They spoke of His acts and showed people His signs. The intelligence of thinkers can not deny Him because the One who has created the heavens and earth and all that is in them and between them and is their Creator no one is able to stand up to His power. It is He, Who is different from the creatures and there is nothing similar to Him. It is He, Who has created the creatures for His worship and has given them the ability to obey Him. With the capabilities that He has placed in them and has removed all their excuses He has placing His authority among them so that after knowing the authority would perish whoever would like to perish and after knowing the authority receive salvation whoever would like to receive salvation. Benevolent is Allah to begin and to repeat. Then, Allah, to Whom all praise is due, introduced praise for His Own-self. He has finished the affairs of the world and the coming of the next life with praise for His Own-self saying, “He has judged among them with the truth” and All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.” All praise is due to Allah, Who has dressed up with greatness but with out a body, Who has put on the gown of Majesty and Glory which has no similarity. It is He, Who has control over the Throne without losing such authority. He is far Exalted above the creatures but without being far from them or being in touch with them. He has no limit that would end to a limit nor there is anything similar to Him to help know Him better. All things are humble before His power and might. All things, although great, are small before Him. All things respect His Greatness, obey His authority and Majesty. Glimpses of eyes are weak and exhausted in trying to comprehend Him. The imaginations of the creatures fall far short off describing Him. He is the first before all things and there was is no one before Him. He is the last after all things and there is no after for Him. He has control over all things with might. He observes all places without moving thereto. No touching touches Him and no sense senses Him. He is the Lord in the heavens and the Lord on earth. He is All-wise and All-knowing. He has given firm shape and form to His creatures the way He willed but not with following previous examples and without experiencing any fatigue in the creation of the things that He has created. He began what He wanted to begin and invented what He wanted to invent and the way He willed of the two great and heavy creatures, the man and Jinn so that they would know Him through such evidence His Lordship and established in them His obedience. “We thank Him with all of His praise for all of His bounties. We ask Him for His guidance to give us wisdom in our affairs. We seek His refuge from the evil of our sinful deeds and ask Him to forgive our sins that we may have committed before. We testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (s.a.) is His servant and messengers. He sent him with truth as a prophet, as a sign of His existence and a guide to Him. (We) found guidance through him from straying and are saved through him from ignorance. Whoever obeys Allah and His messenger has indeed gained a great success and has earned a great reward. Whoever disobeys Allah and His messengers has indeed suffered a clear loss and is subjected to a painful punishment. Make sure to succeed in obedience and listening, sincerity, good advice and proper support. Be helpful to yourselves to keep on the straight path and shun the detested matters. Deal among yourselves with truth and cooperate thereby with me. Hold back the unjust and feeble minded hands. Make others do good and prevent them from committing unlawful deeds. Appreciate excellence of the excelling people. May Allah protect you and us through guidance and make you and us steadfast in piety. I ask Allah for forgiveness for myself and for you.”

“Al-Mahdi (aj) will come from the east but before that as-Sufyani will rise in Sham. He (as-Sufyani) will rule for nine months only. All the people of Sham will submit to him except a very few believers, who will still keep to the truth and whom Allah preserves from following him. He will move towards Medina with a great army but when they reach the desert of Medina, Allah will make the desert sink with them. It is the saying of Allah in His holy Book, ‘And could you see when they shall become terrified, but (then) there shall be no escape and they shall be seized upon from a near place.’”

‬‬ One day, the Commander of the Faithful `Ali ibn Abu Talib (AS) gave a sermon after `Asr (afternoon) prayer. The people were astonished by the beautiful words with which he praised Allah, Exalted be His Majesty. Abu Ishaq said: I asked Harith, “Did you not memorize it?” He answered, “I wrote it down.” So he dictated it to us from his script:
All praise belongs to Allah who does not die, and Whose wonders shall never come to an end. He exercises His (Universal) Power everyday, creating things that did not exist before; Who does not beget any who could claim to share in His Glory and Might; and Who is not begotten to die so that He could leave an heir behind. He is beyond all imagination; hence, He cannot be regarded as a visible shape. He is too far beyond the reach of sight to leave any mental impression of Him. His Beginning has no beginning, and His End has no end. Time does not outlast Him. Excess and loss cannot affect Him. He cannot be described in terms of when, what and where. He is Hidden among the hidden. He is Manifest in the mind through His Signs, and through His Wisdom in His Creation.
When questioned about Him, the prophets did not describe Him in terms of any limit, scope, extent or in terms of constituents. Rather, they described Him in terms of His Functions, and they led people towards Him through His Signs. The minds of the intellectuals do not dare deny His Existence. There can be no denying the Might of the Creator of the heavens and the Earth, and all that is between them. He is totally distinct from His Creation. Nothing resembles Him. He brought His Creation into existence so that He would be obeyed and worshipped. He gave human beings the strength to serve Him, and he rebutted their excuses through the best of arguments. Thus, whoever meets his doom does so knowingly and justifiably. It is through His Grace that redemption is secured by the redeemed, and it is Allah’s Grace that prevails in this life and the life to come.
Then, Allah, to Whom all praise is due, inaugurated the function of this worldly life with His Own Praise, and wound up the function of this worldly life, and the next life, with His Own Praise. As He Himself says: And judgment shall be given between them with justice, and it shall be said: All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. All praise is due to Allah Who, despite having no body, has adorned Himself with the Robes of Greatness and Grandeur, and has covered Himself with the Mantle of Awe and Reverence, without having any corporal form. He occupies the Celestial Throne unceasingly. He is far above His Creation, without being far, and without being in mutual contact with them. Neither has He any limit which may end in any limit, nor is there anything like Him through which He can be recognized. Whoever claims to be holy, except Him, is bound to be humiliated. Whoever magnifies himself is bound to be humbled. All things bow before His Greatness and are obedient to His Lordship and Might.
The function of the eyes becomes tired in searching for Him. The imagination is unable to reach His Attributes. He existed before any beginning, and nothing preceded Him. He is the Last of All, and there is no last for Him at all. With His Might He holds sway over all things. He observes all places without making any movement. No touch can ever touch Him nor can any sense ever sense Him. And He it is Who is Allah in Heavens and Allah in the Earth; and He is the Wise, the knowing. Whatever He intended to create He planned for it soundly and correctly without there being any example of it before, and without being tired thereby (in creating whatever He wanted to create). He started whatever He needed to start, and made whatever He wanted to make. He intended to create two weights, the jinn and humankind, so that they should recognize His Lordship on the basis of all these means (of revealed wisdom in His Creation referred to above), and be able to obey Him (consciously).
We glorify Allah with all words of praise for the bounties He has bestowed. And we seek guidance from Him in our righteous affairs. Furthermore, we seek refuge from Him against our misdeeds. We solicit His Forgiveness for our past sins. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad (sw) in His Servant and Messenger whom Allah raised with truth, who leads to Allah, and who guides towards Him. Thus, He rescued us from misguidance through him, guiding us to the right path, and through him freed us from ignorance. Hence, whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he indeed achieves a mighty success, and has secured divine blessings in abundance. And whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger surely suffers a manifest loss, and deserves a humbling chastisement.
Hence, strive to listen, obey counsel with sincerity, and share the burden with others effectively and gracefully. Help yourself by sticking to the right path, and in avoiding wicked deeds. Give to others what is right, and take from others what is right. Cooperate with me (the Imam) by means of these tasks. Seize the idiotic oppressor, tie him, and bind him. Promote the good, and prohibit the evil. Learn to appreciate the worth of illustrious people. May Allah keep us secure and steady on the right path, and keep us constant in abstaining from evil! I beg Allah for our forgiveness!