الحسن بن علي الزعفراني

I heard ‘Ali, peace be upon him, say: "I am the master of the aged ones. And in me is the tradition of Ayyub (i.e. his sufferings), and by Allah, He will gather together my family for me, the way He did for Ya’qooibn"

When people swore allegiance to Abu Bakr, Fatimah, the daughter of (Prophet) Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, came to the door of her house and said: "Never have I witnessed a day like this. They have indeed, set a worst record. They left their Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, with his corpse in our midst and preoccupied themselves with the matter (of succession) without us."

Once, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, passed by riding the Prophet’s mule and Salman was present among the people. So Salman - may Allah bless him with mercy, said: "(O people)! do you not rise to detain him and ask him questions? By Allah, Who split the grain and created the breathing creatures, no one but he (i.e. ‘Ali) will inform you about the secrets of your Prophet. Indeed, he is the most learned about this earth and its chief element on which it rests. If you miss him, you will miss the knowledge and deny the people (its benefit)."

"Call the fellow from the tribes of Ghunay and Bahilah (and another tribe they had named), and let them take their shares from the spoils. By He Who splits the seed and created life, they (actually) have no share in Islam. And I am a witness, so is my status at the Pool and the Praised Station, that they are indeed the enemies in the world and the next. (If I had my way) I would punish Ghunay, which would terrify the Bahila. And if I am firm on my feet, I would identify tribes against tribes, and would falsify six tribes which have no part in Islam."

Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, once said from the pulpit of Kufa: "O people, the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, has awarded me ten traits; and they are dearer to me than anything upon which the sun shines." He said to me: ‘Ali, you are my brother in this world and in the next; And on the Day of Judgement, when we stand before the Almighty, you will be nearest of all to me; Your abode in Paradise will be facing mine, the way brothers in faith live, with their houses facing each other; You are my heir; You are my executor after me, to fulfil my promises and my affairs; And in my absence, you are the guardian of my family, on my behalf; You are the Imam of my Ummah; You are the one to uphold justice among my subjects; You are my beloved one; and Allah loves who I love; Your foe is my foe and my foe is the foe of Allah.

I heard Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn Husayn, peace be upon him, narrating from his father who reported from his father who said: I heard Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, addressing the people thus: "By Allah, people gave allegiance to Abu Bakr while I was worthiest of them all, together with the attire of mine. But I swallowed my anger, and waited for my Sustainer’s will, keeping my chest low to the ground (i.e. adopting a low profile). Then Abu Bakr died, appointing Umar as his successor, though he knew that I was the worthiest of them all, together with this attire of mine. But I swallowed my anger and waited for my Sustainer’s will. Then Umar died and made it an agenda for the consultative committee (al-Shura). He appointed me the sixth among the six members, like the share of the grandmother! And he said: ’Kill the dissenting minority;’ and by this he meant no one but me. But I swallowed my fury, waited for my Sustainer’s will and kept my chest low on the ground. Then, the dissenting people did what they did after having sworn allegiance to me; and I had no alternative but either to fight against them or disobey Allah."

Ayesha called upon Uthman and said: "Grant me what my father and Umar ibn al-Khattab used to grant me." He (i.e. Uthman) said: "I do not see any status for you in the Book nor in the (Prophet’s) Traditions. Surely, both your father and Umar ibn al-Khattab, granted you (extra favours) because of their obliging nature, but I shall not do it." She said: "Then give me my inheritance from the Prophet of Allah". He said: "Did you not come to me, with Malik ibn Aws al-Nasri, to give witness that the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, does not bequeath; till you deprived Fatimah from her inheritance and nullified her right? How come you are claiming inheritance today from the Prophet?" She left him and went away. And when Uthman appeared for the prayers, she raised the Prophet’s shirt on a cane and exclaimed: "Surely, Uthman has contradicted the owner of this shirt and has abandoned his Tradition."

I heard Abu Ubaidullah, the client of al-Abbas reporting to Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, saying: I heard Abu Saeed al-Khudari say: The last sermon addressed by the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was the one addressed to us during the illness in which he died. He came out leaning upon ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib peace be upon him, and his maid Maymoonah. He sat on the pulpit and said: "O people! I am leaving behind among you two weighty things." Then he remained silent. A man stood up and said: "O messenger of Allah! What are these two weighty things?" The Prophet was upset till his face turned red and then it subsided. He said: "I did not mention them except with an intention to inform you, but you were in a haste, so I could not. It is a medium whose one end is with Allah, and the other end is in your hands, with whom you will do such a such thing. Be it known; they are the Qur’an and the smaller weighty thing, my Ahlul Bayt." Then he said: "By Allah, I am saying this to you while I pin more hope on the unborn progeny of the infidels than upon most of you." And then he said: "By Allah, whoever loves them, Allah will bless them with a light on the Day of Judgement, till they arrive near me at the Pool. And whoever hates them, Allah will keep them away from Him on the Day of Judgement." Abu Ja’far said: "Surely, Abu Ubaidullah has brought to us that of which he is aware."

When people swore loyalty to Uthman, I heard al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi - may Allah bless him with mercy, say to Abdul Rahman ibn Awf: "O Abdul Rahman, I never saw the like of this befell the Ahlul Bayt after their Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny)." So Abdul Rahman said: "O Miqdad, what does that concern you?" He said: "By Allah, I love them because of the Prophet’s love for them; and it pains me when I find myself unable to speak openly. The Quraish enjoyed superiority over others because of the nobility of Ahlul Bayt and yet they have united to snatch away from them the authority of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny)". Abdul Rahman replied: "Woe unto you, by Allah! I tried my best for you!" Miqdad said to him: "By Allah, you have abandoned a man who is from among those who enjoy the truth and through that, they act with justice. By Allah, if I had some helpers against the Quraish, I would have fought them the way we fought at Badr and Uhod." Abdul Rahman said: "May your mother mourn you, O Miqdad, let no one hear from you this talk; by Allah, I fear that you may become a perpetrator of factions and disturbance." Jundab says: I called upon him after he had left the place and told him: "Miqdad, I am one of your helpers." He said: "May Allah bless you with mercy; what we need cannot be accomplished by two men or three." So I left him and came to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, and related to him what Miqdad and I had said. He prayed for us.

"O Amirul Mu’mineen! I want to ask you so as to learn from you, (though) we have waited (for long) to hear you say something about your matter, but you never said anything. Would you not tell us whether it was a covenant from the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, or was it something you had opined? We have had a lot of false sayings about you! However, we have found what we have to accept from you and what we have heard from your mouth is most reliable. Indeed, some of us say that if Caliphate were to return to you after the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, no one would have disputed with you. By Allah, I do not know what to reply if asked. Should I consider that the people who took over were more worthy than you? And if I say so, then for what purpose did the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, appoint you at the Farewell pilgrimage, when he said: ’O People, of whosoever I am the Master, ‘Ali is also his Master.’ So, if you were worthier for the authority than them, then on what score should we accept their authority?" Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, said: "O Abdul Rahman, surely, when Allah, Most High, called back His Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, I was worthiest of all people for the authority. But I had a covenant with the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, as a result of which I had to submit to the will of Allah even if they were to lead me by the nose. Surely, the first loss that was sustained was the invalidating of our right in Khums; and when our position was weakened, then the herdsmen of Quraish pounced upon us with greed. Thus, the people were indebted to us, and if they had voluntarily returned to me my rights, I would have accepted and managed it, even for a stipulated time. So I lived among them as a creditor, for a stipulated time. If they paid back earlier, the creditor would repossess his goods and thank them; and if they delayed it, he would take it without considering them deserving any gratitude. So, I was like a person accepting easy terms, yet living among them full of grief. The right guidance is identified by a small group of people who accept it. So when I am silent, excuse me. And if the time comes when you need my reply, I shall reply you. So withhold from me what I have withheld from you!" Then Abdul Rahman said: "O Amirul Mu’mineen, by your soul, you are like the one of whom the earlier poet said: "By your soul, you have indeed awakened the one who was asleep and you have caused the one with two ears to hear."

I heard Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, say to his companions, after having urged them for days on end to march forth for Jihad but in vain: "O people! I have ordered you to march forth, but you did not, and I have admonished you, but you did not acquiesce. So, you are like the absentees in spite of your presence and the deaf in spite of your hearing! I recite unto you words of wisdom and preach to you beautiful preaching and exhort you to fight your despotic adversaries; but when I come to the close of my speech, I find you as disunited as the hands of Saba’ (i.e. ten children of a Yamani chief who were each separated from the other). And the moment I turn away from you, you return to your meetings, forming group circles. (There) you set up similitudes, chant poems and ask each other the news. You have forgotten the art of preparedness for war, and have occupied your minds with unavailing things. Your hands are weakened! Rise to fight the enemy before they overwhelm you! By Allah! Never was a community attacked in its own houses, except that it was humiliated and vanquished. And I swear in the name of Allah, I do not see you do it, till they have done! And I would love to confront them (alone) with my (firm) determination and vision, (and get killed in the way of Allah) so that I am relieved of enduring you. For, you are like a hoard of camels, which has lost its herdsman; no sooner are they herded on one side, than they fall apart from each other on the other side. By Allah, I can visualize about you that if the war were to rage on, and the hostilities were to flame up, you would separate yourselves from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as easily as the heads are cut off and) the way a woman shirks as she delivers (her child)." At that time, al-Ash’ath ibn Qais al-Kindi stood up and said: "O Amirul Mu’mineen, why didn’t you do what Uthman ibn Affan did?" (i.e. granting favours for the sake of compromising). He, peace upon him, said: "O, pusher to the hellfire! Woe unto you! The act of Ibn Affan was a disgraceful one, even for the one who has no religion, nor any authority with him; so, how can I, who stands on a manifest proof from my Sustainer and the rightful authority is in my hand, do that? By Allah, that man is indeed weak, who himself makes it possible for his enemy to carve his flesh, crush his bones, tear down his skin and spill his blood! Such a man is not blessed with a brave heart. If you so desire, be like him! As far as I am concerned, the least I can give that enemy is a hit of my sword, which will send the bones of the skull flying, palm falling together with the arms. Then Allah shall do what He intends." Then Abu Ayyub al-Ansari Khalid ibn Zaid, the host of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, rose, and said: "O people, surely Amirul Mu’mineen has conveyed to those who have heeding ears and remembering hearts. Allah has indeed blessed you with an honour, which you do not accept in the way you should! He has left with you your Prophet’s cousin, master of all the Muslims after him (i.e. the Prophet). He (i.e. ‘Ali) makes you learned in Religion and calls you to fight against those who have descended upon you to afflict you. It seems as if you have gone deaf, hearing nothing. Or that your hearts are impermeably wrapped, so that you do not understand! Are you not ashamed? O servants of Allah! Did you not have an era of injustice and hostility yesterday? (i.e. in the days gone by). An era in which affliction was common, spread all over the country? When the rightfuls were deprived, their faces smacked, their bellies trampled upon, hurled down on an open ground, and borne by the sandstorms. There was nothing to protect them from heat or cold, from being scorched by the sun and its glare, except the tattered clothes on their bodies, or the shaggy old huts. Till Allah brought unto you Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, who declared the truth and spread justice, and acted according to the Book (i.e. the Qur’an). So, O people, be thankful to Allah for the bounty with which He has blessed you, and do not turn away on your backs. And be not of those who say "we hear", but they hear not. Sharpen your swords and prepare to fight your enemies. Respond when you are summoned and listen and obey when commanded. Let that what you say happen; and prove yourselves among the truthful by following what you have been ordered to do."

Uthman ibn Affan once sent for al-Arqam ibn Abdillah, who was the treasurer of the Baitul Mal of the Muslims, and said: "Advance me one hundred thousand Dirham." Al-Arqam said: "May I write a promissory note in favour of the Muslims for that?" He said: "What does that concern you, O motherless! You are but a safekeeper!" When Al-Arqam heard that he hastened towards the people and exclaimed: "O People, protect your wealth. I believed that I was a treasurer on your behalf and till today I never knew that I was Uthman’s treasurer." Then he left and entered his house. When Uthman learnt about that, he convened an assembly, climbed the Mimbar and said: "O people, Abu Bakr surely gave preference to Banu Teem over the people, and Umar gave preference to Banu Adi over the people and by Allah, I gave preference to Banu Umayyah over others. And if I were to sit at the gate of the Paradise, authorized to shove Banu Umayyah into it, I would surely do so. Indeed, their wealth is ours, and we will take from it if we need it inspite of the people." Then Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah bless him with mercy, said: "O Muslim brethren! Be my witness that I do not approve that!" So Uthman said: "Oh, you are here!" Then he climbed down from the Mimbar and began kicking Ammar till he fainted and was carried away senseless to the house of Ummu Salimah. People found it very distressing. Ammar remained unconscious missing that day’s noon and evening prayers. When he regained his senses, he said: "Praise be for Allah! From times old, I have been suffering in His way, and for this which has befallen me in my duty towards Allah, I seek justice between me and Uthman on the Day of Judgement from the Honourable Judge" (i.e. Allah). When Uthman learnt that Ammar was at Ummu Salimah’s place, he sent for her and said: "What are these people together with that transgressor (i.e. Ammar) doing at your house? Evict them." (She said): "By Allah, there is no one at my place except Ammar and his two daughters. O Uthman, leave us alone, and use your power wherever else you like. And this is a companion of the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, about to die because of what you have done to him." He said: Upon hearing this, Uthman repented and sent for Talha and al-Zubair, asking them to go to Ammar and seek his forgiveness. They came (to Ammar) but he turned them down. So they returned (to Uthman) and informed him. Uthman said: "O, Banu Umayyah, O bed of fire, and flies of greed, was it by divine permission that you reviled me and ganged in on the companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny?" When Ammar recovered from his illness, he proceeded towards the Prophet’s mosque and there a person announced to Uthman the death of Abu Dharr at Rabzah. He said: "Abu Dharr at Rabzah met a lonely death, and was buried by the travellers." Uthman said: "To Him we belong, and unto Him shall we return." And then he added: "May Allah bless him with mercy." Then Ammar said: "May Allah bless Abu Dharr with mercy on behalf of everyone of us." Uthman said: "Again you are here! May you chew your father’s genital! Do you think I am repenting for having exiled him?" Ammar said: "No, By Allah, I do not think so!" He (Uthman) said: "You join the place where Abu Dharr was and remain there as long as we live." Ammar said: "Do so, by Allah, I would love to be in the company of the wild animals, more than to be near you!" Then as Ammar prepared to leave, Banu Makhzum came to Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) requesting him to intervene and to ask Uthman to cancel the order for Ammar’s eviction. He intervened on their behalf till Uthman responded positively.

When news of the assassination of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, reached Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, he wrote to Malik ibn al-Harith al-Ashtar, may Allah bless him with mercy, who was then residing at Nasibayn. (He wrote): "You are surely among those from whom I seek help to keep the banner of Islam high and to crush the haughtiness of the disobedient and to fortify the threatened borderline. I had appointed Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, may Allah bless him with mercy, to govern Egypt, but the rebels attacked him and as he was inexperienced about warfare, he was martyred - may Allah bless him with mercy. Now, come over to me so that we may look into the matter concerning Egypt, and appoint in your place a reliable, sane person from your companions." Then Malik - may Allah be pleased with him, appointed Shabib ibn Amir al-Azadi to succeed him, and proceeded till he arrived to meet Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him. Then he (i.e. ‘Ali) explained to him the situation in Egypt and informed him about its people. Then he said: "There is no one for this assignment except you, so be ready to go. And if there is anything, about which I have not guided you, you will depend upon your judgement and seek assistance from Allah for your intention. (In your dealing with them), mix severity and harshness with tenderness and gentleness, and be friendly for as long as friendliness serves the purpose. And be resolute when there is no alternative to severity." He said: Then Malik al-Ashtar - may Allah be pleased with him, rose and prepared for his journey to Egypt. And ‘Ali, peace be upon him, sent a letter to the people of Egypt, before (Malik) arrived there: "In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Benevolent, I praise Allah, none to be worshipped but He; and beseech Allah to bless His Prophet, Muhammad and his progeny. Surely, I have sent unto you a servant from the servants of Allah, who does not sleep in the days of fear and does not recoil from the enemy fearing any disaster. He is from the strongest among His servants and the noblest; and to the transgressors, more threatening than the burning fire. And from ignorance and blemish, he is the farthest. He is Malik ibn al-Harith al-Ashtar, neither a cutting tooth nor a blunted edge. He is patient amid threats, calm and composed at the time of war. He has an original judgement and an agreeable patience. So listen to him and obey him. If he commands you to march forth, march, and if commands you to halt, halt. For he does not advance or halt except by my order. I have sent him to you in spite of my need for him, for the sake of your welfare and because of my deep concern about your adversaries. May Allah guard and protect you with guidance and keep you steadfast with Taqwa. May He bless us and you with what He likes and loves. May peace and mercy of Allah and His Blessing be upon you." When Malik al-Ashtar completed his preparations for journey to Egypt, the spies of Mu’awiyah from Iraq wrote to inform him. He was very much distressed, because he had his eyes set on Egypt. He knew that he would lose Egypt if al-Ashtar arrived there and to him al-Ashtar was a more powerful person than the son of Abu Bakr. So he contacted a chief who paid the revenue at a place called al-Qulzum, informing him that ‘Ali (as) has appointed al-Ashtar to govern Egypt and if you got rid of him on my behalf, I shall gift away the revenue to you for as long as you live. So plan to kill him in every way possible. Then Mu’awiyah collected the people of Syria and said: "Verily, ‘Ali has sent al-Ashtar to Egypt. Come and let us pray to Allah that He may relieve us of him." Then he prayed, and so did the people with him. Al-Ashtar travelled on till he came to al-Qulzum. The chief received him and greeted him and then said: "I am among those who is liable to pay the revenue. And you and your companions have a right upon all that grows on my land. So be my guest and allow me to serve you and your companions and let your animals freely graze on my land, and I will count it from my liability." So, al-Ashtar became his guest and he served him (al-Ashtar) and his companions for all their needs. And he brought to them food, including some honey, which had poison. When al-Ashtar drank from that honey, it killed him and he died because of that. Mu’awiyah got the news, so he collected the people of Syria and said: "Happy tidings for you! Allah, Most High, has answered your prayers; has relieved you of him and has killed him." They rejoiced. And when the news of Ashtar’s death assailed Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, he sighed and grieved, saying: "What an excellent man Malik was! Had he been a mountain, he would have been its firm rock, and had he been from stone, he would have been solid. By Allah, some men in the world will be placated by his death; but it behaves for the mourners to mourn over him." Then he said: "We are for Allah and unto Him shall we return; and all praise to Allah, the Lord of all Universe. I shall seek reward from You for this sacrifice, for surely, his death is among the greatest worldly calamities. May Allah bless Malik with mercy; no doubt, he faithfully dispersed his charge and completed the appointed term (of life) and met his Creator; while we have reconciled ourselves to forbear every adversity after being bereaved of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, for that was the greatest calamity."

When Amirul Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, appointed Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr as the governor of Egypt and its provinces, he wrote him a letter asking him to read it over to the people of Egypt and to act accordingly. The letter said: In the name of Allah, Most Merciful From the slave of Allah, Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, to the people of Egypt and Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. I convey to you my praise for Allah, other than Whom there is no god. Secondly, I exhort you to adopt the ways of Taqwa, to be mindful of your duties by guarding against all sins and evils, in all matters for which you are answerable to Him, for unto Him is your return. Surely, Allah, Most High, says (in Qur’an): ’Every soul is a hostage to what it has earned’ (74:38), and He says: ’Allah warns you to beware of Him, and unto Him is the ultimate return.’ (3:28). And He says: ’By your Lord, We shall question them all, regarding what they used to do.’ (15:92,93) And know you all, O slaves of Allah! He surely will ask you about all your deeds, small and big. If He punishes we are the wrongdoers, and if He forgives, He is the most Merciful. O slaves of Allah! When a slave acts for Allah in obedience to Him, he draws nearest to earning His pardon and mercy; and recommends him to penitence. Always adopt Taqwa, be mindful of your duties to Allah by guarding against sins, for that combines all good, the way nothing else does; and leads to the attainment of all good, the way nothing else does, encompassing the good of this world and of hereafter. Allah, Most High, says (in Qur’an): ’And it is said to those who fear Allah - what has your Lord revealed? They say: Something good. To those who do good in this world is the good reward, and the hereafter is surely much better. Blessed indeed is the abode of God-fearing.’ (16:30) Know you all, O slaves of Allah! A believer acts to earn the reward for three purposes: either it is for the good of this world. Then Allah rewards him for his deed in his lifetime here. As Allah said for Ibrahim: ’And We gave him his reward in this life, and in the hereafter he shall be among the righteous.’ (29:27). Or he does for Allah, Most High; then He rewards him here and hereafter, and becomes Sufficient for him in both the abodes. Indeed, Allah, Most High has said (in Qur’an): ’O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. Those who have been bounteous in this world will have a bounty, and Allah’s earth is vast. The steadfast will be paid their wages in full without reckoning.’ (39:10) And He will not take account for what He will give them here. He says: ’To those who do the good deed is the best reward and more.’ (10:26). So the best reward is the Paradise, and more is what he is rewarded here in the world. Or he works purely for the next world. (For him) Allah expiates every sin with good deed. He, Most High, says: ’Surely, the good deeds will wipe out the evil deeds, and that is a reminder for those who remember.’ (11:114). Till on the Day of Judgement, when all his good deeds will be counted, and Allah will reward him ten fold to seven hundred fold for every single act. Allah, Most High, says: ’A reward from your Lord, a sufficient gift’ (78:36), ’To those who will be meted out the double reward, and they shall be secure in the lofty chambers.’ (34:37) So be desirous of this, may Allah have mercy on you, and work (hard) for it, and urge each other to do accordingly. And be it known to you all, O, slaves of Allah! Those fearing Allah and mindful of their duties to Him, have gained both, the instant good (of this world) and the promised good (of hereafter). They share with the people of this world in their worldly gain, for Allah has made it legitimate for them that which is necessary from this life, and thus made them content; as Allah, Most High, says (in Qur’an): ’Say, who has forbidden Allah’s finery which He fashioned for His servants, or the good things He provided? Say: These are meant in the present world, for those who believe, and exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection. Thus We make clear our revelations for a people who know.’ (7:32). They lived on earth the best life and ate from it its best. They shared with the people of the world in their worldly bounties, eating with them the best of what they ate, drinking with them the best of what they drank, wearing the best of their attire, lived with them in the best of abodes. They married in the happiest way as they all did, and rode on the best means of transport as they did. Thus, they availed of the pleasures of this world with the worldly people, and at the same time, they will be in the proximity of Allah tomorrow! They will wish, and He will grant them their wish, and will not refuse them their prayers and not reduce their share in the (eternal) bliss; O servants of Allah! It is this end that the people of wisdom crave, and work for it by adopting Taqwa. And there is no might nor any strength but that from Allah! O servants of Allah! If you fear Allah, and safeguard the rights of your Prophet in respect of the inmates of his house, then you will have surely worshipped Him in the best way, and you will have remembered Him in the best manner; and you will have expressed your gratitude to Him in the best way. You will have then adopted the best style of patience and gratitude and the best method of endeavour. Even if there be some one invoking longer prayers, keeping more fasts, yet you will be classified as more fearful of Allah in His estimation, and worthiest advisers to the people holding (divine) authority. O servants of Allah! Be warned of death and it inebriating pang; and prepare yourselves for it, for it will indeed rush you into a terrible thing; it will either be good (experience) with no evil ever accompanying it; or it will be evil (experience) with no good ever going with it. So who is nearer to the Paradise than the one who works for it? And who is nearer to hellfire than the one who works for it? Surely, no soul leaves its body till it has known to which of the two abodes it will reach; to Paradise or to hellfire? Is he the enemy of Allah or His friend? So if he is a friend of Allah, the gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and its paths paved. He will see what Allah has kept ready for him. Then he will feel free from all worries, and he will find al burdens lifted from him. And if he is an enemy of Allah, the gates of hell will be opened for him, and its paths paved. Then he will find what Allah has prepared for him. He will face all the discomfort, and be deprived of all joy. All this will be at the time of death, and at that moment shall the certitude be. Allah says (in Qur’an): Those whom the angels will carry off while in state of grace, saying: Peace upon you, enter Paradise for what you did.’ (16:32). And then He says: ’Those who are carried off by the angels while still wrongdoing themselves; then they will offer submission saying: we did no evil. Yes, Allah surely knows well what you were doing. Enter them the gates of hell, abiding therein forever. Wretched indeed is the abode of the arrogant.’ (16:28,29) O slaves of Allah! There is no escape from death, so beware of it before it occurs and be prepared for it. You are being hunted by death; if you stop, it will capture you, and if you be a fugitive, it will find you. Its company with you is more constant than your own shadow! It is tied to your forelocks, and the (life on) earth is being folded (like a scroll from) behind you. So remember death frequently, (especially) when your mind fights you for temptations, for death is a sufficient admonisher. And the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, often reminded his companions to remember death, saying: ’Remember death as often as you can, for it demolishes all pleasures, and is a barrier between you and your base desires.’ O slaves of Allah! That which will happen to the unforgiven one, after death, is indeed more severe than death itself. The grave! Beware of its constriction, its hardship, its darkness and the loneliness in it. Every day, the grave exclaims: ’I am the house of loneliness, I am the house of dust; I am the house of gloom, I am the house of insects and vermins.’ So, a grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of hell. When a believing slave is buried, the earth says: ’Welcome! You were among those who I loved when they walked on my back. When you will be in my charge, you will see how I deal with you!’ Then it will expand for as far as one can see. But when an unbeliever in interred, the earth says: ’You are not welcome! For you were among those who I hated most as they walked on my back. When you will be in my charge, you will know how I deal with you!’ Then it will squeeze it hard, till the ribs will come together. Surely, the life of hardship for which Allah has warned (in Qur’an) refers to the grave, where Allah will make an unbeliever a victim of ninty nine dragons, which will devour his flesh and break his bones, frequenting upon him the same way till resurrection. If only one of those dragons were to blow into the earth, nothing would ever grow from it. Know you, O slaves of Allah! Your weak spirits and your delicate bodies for which little discomfort is enough (to break it down), will be terribly weakened because of this. So, if you can have mercy over your bodies and your spirits by saving them from what they can not bear, then act according to what Allah likes, and discard that which He dislikes. O slaves of Allah! And the day of resurrection is more severe than the grave. It will be a day when the young will grow old, and the old ones will get inebriated; the wombs will abort, and every suckling mother will be distracted from the child she is suckling; it will be a dark dreadful day, a day whose evil will be rampant. The angels, who have no sins, will be scared by the terror of that day, and the hard seven (skies) will tremble, together with the peg-like mountains, and the couch-like earth. The heavens will be rent asunder and on that day it will be tottering, and it will turn red like pigment. And the mountains shall turn into heaps of sand, after it had once been hard rock. And then the trumpet will be blown, so those in the heavens and on earth will be terrified, except for whoever Allah wills: (So what will be for those who have sinned with their ears, eyes, tongue, hand, foot, private parts and the stomach; if Allah does not forgive them and be compassionate on that day? For they will be judged and then consigned to the fire whose pit is deep, whose heat is severe, and where stinking water is for drink. There will be ever renewed chastisement with iron rods. They will not be relieved of its torment, nor will the inmates die. An abode where there will be no mercy and where prayers of the inmates will not be heard. And know you O slaves of Allah! Together with this there will be mercy of Allah, which will not be thwarted from the slaves, with Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who fear Allah. There will be good, with no evil accompanying it at any time; its pleasures will never be satiated and its meeting will never disperse. Its inmates will be in proximity of the Merciful, attended by the youths with golden saucers containing fruits and sweet basils. Then know you, O Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr! I have indeed appointed you to govern the greatest of my troops in my mind, the people of Egypt. So, when I have given you that type of appointment, you deserve most to be cautious about yourself! And to be watchful over your faith. And try your best not to displease your Lord, Most High, for the sake of the people’s pleasure. For in (the pleasure of) Allah, there is a substitute for everything else; but in anything else, there is no substitute for Him (i.e. His pleasure). Be severe to the oppressors, and censure them. Be lenient to the righteous, bring them closer, and appoint them in your inner circle of brotherhood. And watch your daily prayers, as how you perform them, for you will be leading the people, and therefore you must fulfil all its conditions, and not try to belittle it. Whenever an Imam leads the prayers with deficiency, he bears the responsibility, while the people following him suffer no loss in their prayers. So fulfil it and guard it; you will earn the same reward as theirs without their reward being reduced. Then be mindful of your Wudhoo, for it is a condition for the fulfilment of the prayers. You must wash your mouth three times, draw water in your nose three times, then wash your face, then the right hand, followed by the left hand, and then wipe your head and two feet. Surely, I saw the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, do the same way. And know that Wudhoo is half of the faith. Then be watchful about the time of Daily Prayers. Do not offer them before time because you are free, nor delay them because you are busy. For someone asked the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, about the timings of the Daily Prayers, and the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, replied: ’Jibraeel came to me and showed me the timings. He prayed Zohr when the sun passed the meridian as it declined to his right, and then he showed me the time of Asr, when the shadows of every object become equal to its size. Then he prayed Maghrib when the sun set, and he prayed Isha when the twilight disappeared. And he prayed the Subh prayers in the last part of the night’s darkness (near dawn) as the stars flickered. So you say your prayers on these times, and remain constant on the known tradition and upon the clear path. Then look at your Ruku and Sujood, for the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, prayed the most complete prayers, though in practice, it was least burdensome. And known that all your affairs follow your Prayers. Whoever is negligent of his Prayers, will be more negligent in other acts of worship. I beseech Him Who sees and cannot be seen, and He is on the highest horizon; that He may take us and you among those He loves and with whom He is pleased; so that He may help us be among those who remember and praise Him, and who worship Him best and fulfil His covenant, and in all that He determines in our affairs here and hereafter. And you, O people of Egypt! Let your speech be confirmed by your conduct, and your public life be confirmed by your private life; and let not your tongues contradict your hearts. Let it be known, to you that a leader who guides to the right path cannot be equated to a leader who lends to ruination, nor does the successor of your Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) compare with his adversary. And I am not anxious or afraid about a believer or an unbeliever doing you any harm. As for the believer, Allah prevents him from causing harm because of his faith, and as for the unbelievers, Allah constrains him from you because of his disbelief. But I am worried about the hypocrites misleading you, for he says what you approve, but does what you disapprove. O Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, the best instruction in religion is piety in the practice of religion, and to act in His obedience. And I exhort you to be God-fearing in your private and public matters, and in any situation you may be. This world is a place of test and tribulation, and the hereafter is an abode of reward and eternity. So act for the abode, which is forever, and turn away from that which will perish, but do not forget your portion from the bounties of this world. And I enjoy you seven virtues; they represent complete Islam: Fear Allah and in His Presence, do not fear people; The best speech is that when its truth is confirmed by conduct; Do not give two contradicting judgements in one matter, for that will cause discrepancy in your directive, and you will deviate from truth; Love for your subjects what you love for yourself and your family, and detest for them what you detest for yourself and your family, for that is most appropriate to establish the authority and most beneficial to the people; Fight in the way of Truth, and do not fear any reproach in the way of Allah; Give good advice when someone consults you; Make yourself an ideal for those Muslims who are around you, and also for those who are far away. May Allah tie us with the bond of love in religion, and adorn us with the adornment of those who fear Allah. And may your obedience to Allah subsist till you and I meet as brothers reclining on the beds, facing each other (i.e. in Paradise). O people of Egypt! Do your best to support your governor Muhammad, and remain unflinchingly in your obedience, till when you arrive near the Prophet at his Pool. May Allah help you and us on the way of His pleasure. Peace be upon you from Allah and His mercy and blessings."