زيد بن صوحان

I said, ‘May I be your ransom! Yes.’ The Imam (a.s.) said, ‘Then spend the night with us and set out in the morning with the help of the Honorable the Exalted God.’ I said, ‘May I be your ransom! Fine. I will do that.’ The Imam (a.s.) ordered his maid: ‘Spread my futon out for him. Put my sheet on it and place my pillow for him.’ I asked myself, ‘Who has achieved this much honor and rank that I have? God has granted me a rank near Him which He has not granted to anyone else. Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) sent me his horse to ride, spread his own futon out for me to sleep on with his own sheet and pillow. None of my friends have ever been in such a position.’ I was thinking and Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) was next to me. Then suddenly Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) said, ‘O Ahmad! When Zayd ibn Sohan was ill, Ali - the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) went to visit him. Zayd considered this to be a source of pride for him and was haughty with the people because of that. Do not do what Zayd did then, and be humble for the sake of God.’ Then the Imam (a.s.) put his hands on the ground and got up.”

The Commander of the Believers was, one day, sitting with his companions, preparing them for war, as an old man, in whom was the fatigue of travel, approached him and said: Where is the Commander of the Believers? Then it was said: It is him. So he sent peace upon him, and then he said: O Commander of the Believers, indeed, I have come to you from the side of the Levant, and I am an old man who have heard about you of virtue what I cannot count, and indeed, I assume that you will be assassinated. Hence, teach me from what Allah has taught you. He said: Yes, O old man, the one whose two days are equal, is defrauded; the one to whom this world is his concern, his heartbrokenness will intensify when it is separated (from him); the one whose tomorrow is the worst of his two days, is prevented; the one who does not care about what will afflict him in his Hereafter once his worldly affairs are safe, is to perish; the one who does not promise to give himself less will be defeated by desire; and the one who is in (a state of) decline, death is best for him. O old man, be pleased for people what you are pleased with for yourself, and give to people what you would like to be given to you. Then he turned towards his companions and said: O people, do you not see the people of this world, that they sleep at night and wake up at morning on various conditions; between one who has collapsed and bends, between one who visits (an ill person) and one who is visited (due to illness), and another who struggles with himself (due to decline), and another who is not sought, and another who is covered (by a cloth after having died), and who demands from this world while death seeks him, and one who is unaware, but is not neglected. In accordance to the past (In this manner) the rest become. Then Zaid bin Sawhan al-‘Abdi said to him: O Commander of the Believers, which (element of) authority is more defeating and strong? He said: Desire. He said: Then what type of debasement is the most debased? He said: Craving for this world. He said: Then what type of poverty is the most intense? He said: Disbelief after faith. He said: Then what type of call is the most misleading? He said: The one who calls for what will not be. He said: Then what act is the best? He said: Godfearness. He said: Then what act is the most successful? He said: Seeking what is with Allah. He said: Then what type of companion is the worst? He said: The one who beautifies for you the disobedience to Allah. He said: Then whom of the creation is the most wretched? He said: The one who sells his afterlife with the worldly affairs of someone else. Then whom of the creation is the strongest? He said: The forbearing. He said: Then whom of the creation is the most avaricious? He said: The one who takes a property from other than what is allowable and places it in other than its right. He said: Then whom among the people is the smartest? He said: The one who is insightful of his guidance from enticement and inclines to his guidance. He said: Then who is the most forbearing among the people? He said: The one who does not become angry. Then who among the people has the most stable opinion? He said: The one whom people do not seduce from himself, and whom this world does not seduce with its beautification. He said: Then whom among the people is the most stupid? He said: The one who is seduced by this world while he sees what is in it of its change of conditions. He said: Then who among the people is the most intensively heartbroken? He said: The one who was prevented from this world and the Hereafter; that is the clear loss. He said: Then who among the creation is the most blind? He said: The one who acts for other than Allah and seeks with his act reward from Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. He said: Then what type of the content is the best? He said: The one who is content with what Allah has given him. He said: Then what type of calamity is the most difficult? He said: The calamity with regards to Religion. He said: Then which act is the most beloved to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He? He said: Awaiting relief. He said: Then who among the people is the best to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He? He said: The one among them who is most fearful of Allah, the one among them who acts the most with godfearness and the one among them who is the most abstaining in this world. He said: Then what type of speech is the best to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He? He said: Mentioning him in abundance, invoking to Him and supplicating. He said: Then what saying is the most truthful? He said: The testimony that there is no god but Allah. He said: Then which act is the greatest to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He? He said: Submission and piety. He said: Then who among the people is the most truthful? He said: The one who is truthful in places of trial. Then he, peace be upon him, approached the old man and said: O old man, indeed, Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, created a creation which He tightened this world upon in favor to them, and so He made them abstinent in it and with regards to its waste material. Hence, they became desiring for the Home of Peace which He called them to, and they became patient for the tight livelihood and became patient for adversity, and they longed for what is with Allah of dignity and spent their lives for the sake of achieving the satisfaction of Allah, and the seal of their acts has become martyrdom. Thus, they met Allah while He was pleased with them, and they knew that death is the path of those who went and who remain, and so, they increased for their Hereafter with other than gold and silver, wore coarse clothing, were patient for humiliation, preferred virtue, loved for the sake of Allah and hated for the sake of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. Those are the lamps in this world and the people of bliss in the Hereafter. Peace. Then the old man said: Then to where shall I go and leave Paradise, while I see it and see its people with you, O Commander of the Believers? Prepare me with strength by which I can become strong against your enemy. Then the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, gave him a weapon and incited him, and he was in the war between the hands of the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, hitting foot by foot, and the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, was amazed by what he was doing. When the war intensified, he moved his horse forward until he was killed, may Allah grant him mercy. He was followed by a man from the companions of the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, and he found him collapsed, and he found his riding animal, and he found his sword in his arm. When the war ended, the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, was brought his riding animal and weapon, and the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, prayed upon him, and he said: This is, by Allah, the truly ejoicing, so ask Allah to grant mercy to your brother.

"One day, the Commander of the Faithful (as), peace be upon him, was sitting with his companions, preparing them for battle. A man, bearing the signs of travel, approached and asked: "Where is the Commander of the Faithful?" They replied: "Here he is." He greeted Imam (as) and said: "O' Commander of the Faithful (as), I have come to you from the region of Sham. I am an old man who has heard countless virtues about you, and I believe that you may be assassinated. Teach me from what Allah (swt) has taught you." Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Yes, O' elderly man; 'Whoever's two days are equal is at a loss.' 'Whoever makes this world his main concern will suffer greatly at its departure.' 'Whoever's tomorrow is worse than his today is deprived.' 'Whoever does not care about what he loses from his Hereafter as long as his worldly affairs are intact is destroyed.' 'Whoever does not regularly examine his own shortcomings will be overtaken by his desires.' And 'whoever is in a state of deficiency, death is better for him.' O' elderly man, be pleased for people with what you are pleased for yourself and treat people as you would like to be treated." Then Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) turned to his companions and said: "O' people, do you not see how the people of this world end their evenings and begin their mornings in various conditions? Among them is one who is writhing in pain, another visiting and being visited, another struggling with his soul, another who has no hope left, another who is shrouded, one who seeks the world while death is seeking him, one who is heedless yet is not forgotten, and the remaining are following in the footsteps of those who have passed." Zayd ibn Suhan Al-Abdi then asked: "O' Commander of the Faithful (as), which power is the most dominant and strongest?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Desire." He (Zayd) asked: "Which humiliation is the most degrading?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Greed for the world." He (Zayd) asked: "Which poverty is the most severe?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Disbelief after faith." He (Zayd) asked: "Which call is the most misguided?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who calls for what cannot be." He (Zayd) asked: "Which deed is the best?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Piety." He (Zayd) asked: "Which action is the most successful?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Seeking what is with Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic." He (Zayd) asked: "Who is the worst companion for you?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who beautifies disobedience to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, for you." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among creation is the most wretched?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who sells his religion for the worldly life of another." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among creation is the strongest?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who is patient and forbearing." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among creation is the most miserly?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who acquires wealth unlawfully and spends it inappropriately." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among people is the wisest?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who recognizes his guidance from his misguidance and inclines towards his guidance." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among people is the most patient?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who does not become angry." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among people has the most steadfast opinion?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who is not deceived by people about himself and whom the world does not deceive with its attractions." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among people is the most foolish?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who is deluded by the world despite witnessing its changing conditions." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among people will have the greatest regret?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who is deprived of both this world and the Hereafter - that is the clear loss." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among creation is the most blind?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who acts for other than Allah (swt) while seeking reward for his actions from Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic." He (Zayd) asked: "Which contentment is the best?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Being content with what Allah (swt), the Majestic, has given." He (Zayd) asked: "Which affliction is the most severe?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The affliction in religion." He (Zayd) asked: "Which deeds are most beloved to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Awaiting relief (deliverance)." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among people is the best in the sight of Allah (swt)?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who fears Allah (swt) the most, acts most righteously with piety, and is the most detached from the world." He (Zayd) asked: "Which speech is the best in the sight of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Abundant remembrance of Him (swt) and humbly supplicating to Him (swt) in prayer." He (Zayd) asked: "Which statement is the most truthful?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The testimony that there is 'no God but Allah (swt)'." He (Zayd) asked: "Which deeds are the greatest before Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "Submission (to Allah (swt)) and piety." He (Zayd) asked: "Who among people is the most truthful?" Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) replied: "The one who is truthful in all circumstances." Then the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, turned to the elderly man and said: "O' elderly man, indeed Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, has created people upon whom He (swt) has narrowed the worldly life, looking upon them with care. He (swt) made them disinterested in it and in its fleeting pleasures, so they longed for the Abode of Peace (Paradise) to which He (swt) invited them. They patiently endured the hardship of life and bore difficulties, yearning for the honor that is with Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic. They sacrificed themselves seeking Allah's (swt) pleasure, and the conclusion of their deeds was martyrdom. Thus, they met Allah (swt), Mighty and Majestic, while He (swt) was pleased with them. They (these people) have understood that death is the path for those who have passed and those who remain. Therefore, they prepared for their Hereafter, not with gold or silver, but by wearing coarse garments, patiently enduring trials, prioritizing virtue, loving for the sake of Allah (swt), and hating for the sake of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic. They are the beacons of light and the people of bliss in the Hereafter. And peace be upon you." The elderly man said: "Where could I go, leaving Paradise behind when I can see it and see its people with you, O' Commander of the Faithful (as)? Equip me with strength so that I may fight your enemies." So the Commander of the Faithful (as), peace be upon him, provided him with weapons and provisions. The elderly man joined the battle, fighting in front of Commander of the Faithful (as), peace be upon him, striking (fighting) with great vigor. The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, was amazed at what the elderly man did. When the battle intensified, the elderly man charged his horse forwards until he was martyred - may Allah (swt) have mercy on him. One of the companions of the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, followed him and found him lying lifeless, his mount nearby, and his sword still in his hand. When the battle ended, the companion brought his mount and weapons to the Commander of the Faithful. The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, prayed over him and said: "This (elderly) man, by Allah (swt), is truly fortunate. So seek mercy for your brother."