زياد

147. Amīr al-mu’minīn’s Conversation with Kumayl Ibn Ziyād an-Nakha‘ī [1]

O Kumayl, these hearts are containers. The best of them is that which preserves (its contents). So, preserve what I say to you:

Kumayl ibn Ziyād has related: Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, caught hold of my hand and took me to the graveyard. When he had passed through the graveyard and left the city behind, he breathed a deep sigh and said:

O Kumayl, knowledge is belief which is acted upon. With it man acquires obedience during his life and a good name after his death. Knowledge is the ruler while wealth is ruled upon.

Abu Abdullah (asws) said: ‘The wisdom is the objective of the believer, so wherever one of you finds his objective, so he should take it’.

“Luqman (who is mentioned in Chapter 3 1 of the Holy Quran) said to his son, ‘My son, if you think speaking is silver, note it down that silence is gold.’”

“There are six things in which the people have no doing. They are knowing, ignorance, contentment, anger, sleeping and waking up.”

Kumeyt chanted some poems to Abu Abdullah (asws), so he said: ‘May Allah (azwj) Make my desires sincere to me so I do not pull the string of my bow, and my arrows do not waver’. So Abu Abdullah (asws) said; ‘Do not say like this, ‘I do not pull the string of my bow’, but say, ‘So I have pulled the string of my bow and my arrows do not waver’.

“Allah has created the hearts of the believers wrapped up over belief. When He wills to light it up He opens it with wisdom and plants it with knowledge. The farmer and guardian thereof is the Lord of the worlds.”

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said, ‘O Ishaq, have fear of Allah as if you see Him. Even if you do not see Him He sees you. If you think that He does not see you, you have certainly rejected belief. If you believe that He sees you and you disobey Him you have considered Him as the most insignificant observer.”’

Amir al-Mu'minin (as) used to say: “Through intellect, the essence of wisdom is extracted, and through wisdom, the essence of intellect is extracted. With good governance [of one's actions], righteous manners will be formed." He also used to say, "Contemplation is the life of the discerning heart, just as one walks in darkness with light, through the good purification and minimal hesitation."

(There are) Two strange things, so expect them: a word of wisdom from a fool, so accept it; and a word of foolishness from a wise, so forgive it.

God granted twelve members of my Holy Household my understanding, knowledge and wisdom, and has created them from my nature. Woe be to those who deny them after me, and refute their ties of kinship with me. What is wrong with them? May God not make them benefit from my intercession.”

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: I am the City of Wisdom – and that is Paradise – and you, `Ali, are its Gate. So, how can a guided one be guided to Paradise without being guided to it by its Gate?

Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) said, “Honesty equals faithfulness. Lying equals treason. Politeness equals nobility. Determination equals accomplishment. Wastefulness equals destruction. Frugality equals being wealthy. Greed equals lowness. Lowness equals debasement. Generosity equals friendship. Meanness equals loneliness. Kindness equals humbleness. Disability equals debasement. Following aspirations equals deviation. Loyalty equals manliness. Selfishness equals destruction. Perseverance equals prosperity.”

‘The one who avoids treating the wounded from his wounds is inevitably an associate of the one who wounded him, and that the injurer intended to destroy the wounded one, and the one who avoided treating him did not desire his well being. So if he did not desire his well being so he has desired his destruction unwillingly. Similar to that, do not narrate the wisdom to the one who does not deserve it for it would be ignorant of you, and do not prevent it from its deserving ones, for you would be a sinner, but one of you should become of the status of a doctor who treats when he sees it is appropriate for his medicine, otherwise he withholds’.

Abu Abdullah (asws) met me in a road of Al-Medina, so he (asws) said: ‘Who is that? Is it Haaris?’ I said, ‘Yes’. He (asws) said: ‘But I (asws) shall dump the sins of your foolish ones upon your knowledgeable ones’. Then he (asws) passed by. So I came up to him (asws) and sought permission to see him (asws). I said, ‘You (asws) met me and you (asws) said, ‘I (asws) shall dump the sins of your foolish ones upon your knowledgeable ones’, and that was a great matter upon me’. So he (asws) said: ‘Yes. What prevented you when it reached you from the man among you what you dislike, as it enters hurtful feelings to us (asws), (you should) go to him and reproach him, and correct it (his wrong doings), and speak to him in eloquent words?’ I said to him (asws), ‘May I be sacrificed for you (asws), if he does not obey us and does not accept from us?’ So he (asws) said: ‘Flee from him, and avoid their gatherings’ (stop accompanying him).

I asked Abil Hassan Al-Ridha (s), ‘O son of the Prophet of God! What is your opinion about the following tradition narrated on the authority of As-Sadiq (s)? (The traditions says,) When the Riser (s) comes, he (s) will kill the offspring of Al-Hussein’s (s) murderers.’ The Imam (s) said, ‘That is right.’ Then I asked, ‘Then what is the meaning of the following which the Honorable the Exalted God says? ‘…Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself:..’ The Imam (s) said, ‘God is honest in all which He says. However, the offspring of the murderers of Al-Hussein (s) will even be pleased with the deeds of their forefathers. They will be even proud of it. Whoever is pleased with something is like one who has actually performed that deed. If someone gets killed in the East and someone else in the West is pleased that he was killed, then he will be considered to be a partner in that crime in the sight of the Honorable the Exalted God. The Riser (Imam al-Mahdi) (s) will kill them for being pleased with their forefathers’ murders when he (s) rises.’ I asked, ‘What will the Riser (s) who is from you do first when he (s) rises?’ The Imam (s) said, ‘At first he (s) will cut off the hands of the children of Shayba since they are the thieves of the House of God - the Honorable the Exalted.’”