حفص الجوهري

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Remember death often, since one who often remembers death will abstain from the world.”

“How many are those who seek worldly gains but can not achieve them and how many are those who had achieved worldly gains but have already departed them! Do not allow your seeking worldly gains prevent you from good deeds. You must request worldly gains from the One Who grants them and is the owner of the same. How many were those who were greedy of the worldly gains that were destroyed and whose preoccupation in them prevented them from seeking the gains of the next life until their lives finished and the appointed time approached them! “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘A prisoner is one whose worldly affairs imprison him so he cannot do anything for his next life.’”

“Whatever a servant is given of worldly things is to make him learn a lesson and whatever is withheld from him is to place him under the trial.’”

“Persevere. God will soon make things easy for you.” He was quiet for a while, and then faced that man and said: “Tell me how is the Kufa jail?” He said: “May God maintain your health. It is narrow and stinking, and the prisoners there feel bad.” Then the Imam (a.s) said: “You are in a prison, too. Do you want a relief. Do you know that this world is a prison for the believers?”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said, ‘A wealth that keeps you away from injustice is better than poverty which leads you to commit sins.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Had it not been due to the believers’ pleading before Allah to increase their sustenance, He would have moved them to a poorer condition.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Misfortunes are gifts from Allah and poverty is in His treasure.’”

following: “Hold back your soul from that which harms it before it departs you, strive to set it free just as you strive to make a living; your soul’s well being depends upon your good deeds.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘As the belief of a person increases in strength, his poverty intensifies.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Preach to people without your tongue. You must show them restraint from worldly matters (sins). You should perform hard work, prayer and good deeds. Such behavior includes preaching.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Our wealthy Shi’a (followers) are our trustees for our poor Shi’a. Protect us by protecting them (the poor Shi’a).”’

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) spoke to us to advise us. He gave orders and told us to abstain from indulging (ourselves) in worldly matters. He then said, ‘You must maintain restraint; one does not receive of the things with Allah except by means of restraint from worldly matters (sins).”’

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) asked me, “Do you go to (the Ziyārah of) the grave of Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Ḥusain (a.s.))?” I replied, “Yes.” Imam (a.s.) asked, “Do you take different kinds of food with you?” I replied, “Yes.” Imam (a.s.) said, “Verily if you were going to the graves of your own fathers and mothers, you would not have done this.” I asked, “Then what should we eat?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Bread and milk.” Abul Maďā (the narrator) added: Kirām (‘Abdul Karīm ibn ‘Amr Al-Khath’ami) narrated that he said to Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)), “May I sacrifice myself for you! Some people who go to the Ziyārah of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) take tasty foods with them.” Imam (a.s.) said, “Verily if they were going to the graves of their own fathers and mothers, they would not have done this.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “The world appeared to Jesus (a.s) as a green-eyed woman. He said: “O' woman! How many times have you been married? She said: “Many times.” He asked: “Have they all divorced you?” She said: “No. I have killed them all.” He said: “Woe to your remaining husbands who do not learn any lessons from the destiny of your previous husbands!”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘If you want to see my companions then look to those whose restraining from worldly attraction (sins) is intense, who fear their Creator in the hope for His rewards. If you find such people they are my companions.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to me, ‘O abu al-Sabbah, buying flour is humiliation, buying wheat is honor and buying bread is poverty; we seek protection with Allah against poverty.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Zuhd (restraint from worldly matters) is not in wasting one’s belongings or making lawful things unlawful.’”

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: I have been informed that some people go to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) carrying different kinds of food with them, including Akhbisah and other similar deserts. Verily if they had gone to the graves of their loved ones, they would not have taken such things with them.

Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, said: Abstinence in this world is not by wasting property, nor by declaring the allowable as forbidden. Rather, abstinence in this world is that you are not, towards what is in your hand, more confident than towards what is in the Hand of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Had it not been for this Shi’a’s (followers) insistence on receiving more sustenance from Allah He would have moved them from their present condition to a more severe poverty.”