موسى بن عبد الله بن الحسن

Everything in this book that is narrated from Yahya ibn Abbad Al-Makki has been transmitted by me from Muhammad ibn Musa ibn Al-Mutawakkil - may Allah (swt) be pleased with him - from Muhammad ibn Abi Abdullah Al-Asadi Al-Kufi, from Musa ibn Imran Al-Nakha'i, from his uncle Al-Husayn ibn Yazid, from Yahya ibn Abbad Al-Makki.

Everything in this book that is narrated about Prophet Sulayman ibn Dawud (as) concerning the meaning of Allah (swt), the Almighty and Glorious, saying "So he began striking [their] legs and necks" has been transmitted by me from Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Musa - may Allah (swt) be pleased with him - from Muhammad ibn Abi Abdullah Al-Kufi, from Musa ibn Imran Al-Nakha'i, from his uncle Al-Husayn ibn Yazid Al-Nawfali, from Ali ibn Salim, from his father, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (peace be upon them both).

I visited al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) in Rajab, when it [still] had [a few] days left. When he looked at me, he said to me: O Salim! Have you fasted at all this month? I said: No, by Allah, O son of the Messenger of Allah. So, he said to me: You have missed out on a reward, that value of which is only known to Allah. Surely, Allah gave this month virtue, and He magnified its sanctity. He made His blessing incumbent upon those who fast in it. He said: So, I said to him: O son of the Messenger of Allah! If I fast something of what is left of it, will I receive some of the reward of those who have fasted therein? So, he said: O Salim! Whoever fasts one day at the end of this month, it will be a source of safety for him at the pangs of death; and a source of safety for him at the horror of the resurrection and the punishment of the grave. Whoever fasts two days at the end of this month, he will be able to pass safely therewith upon the Path. Whoever fasts three days at the end of this month, it will be a source of safety from the horror and the severity of Great Day of Dismay; and it will separate him from the Fire.

There were two rings for al-Husayn b. `Ali (as). The inscription on one of them was: “There is no god but Allah, prepare for the meeting with Allah” (La ilaha illa ‘llah, `uddatu liliqaa’illah), and the inscription on the other was: “Surely, Allah brings about His order (Innallaha balighu amrih).” And the inscription on the ring of `Ali b. al-Husayn (as) was: Debased and wretched is the murderer of al-Husayn b. `Ali (as) (Khizi wa shaqi qatil al-Husayn b. `Ali).

“The people who do innovation (Bid-a’t) will be brought on the Day of Judgment in the same way as black and white bullocks are prominent. Qadiris will in the same way appear prominent among them and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime will ask: What was your intention? They will reply: Our intention was to seek Your pleasure. Allah will say: Your sins are forgiven but of the Qadiris are not. This is so because they committed polytheism in ignorance.”

The most servile of people is one who establishes the obligations. The most generous of people is one who gives the zakat of his wealth. The most ascetic of people is one who avoids the forbidden. The most Godfearing of people is one who speaks the truth, whether it is for him or against him. The most just of people is one who wants for people what he wants for himself and hates for them what he hates for himself. The most mannered of people is one who frequently remembers death. The most blessed of people is one who, when he is under dust, seeks refuge from punishment and hopes for reward. The most heedless of people is one who does not benefit from the world’s changes from state to state. The greatest danger to the world is one who does not consider this world to be a danger to him. The most knowledgeable of people is one who adds the knowledge of the people to his knowledge. The boldest of people is one who conquers his desires. The most dignified of people is one who is most knowledgeable, and the least dignified of people is one who is least knowledgeable. The least delightful of people is one who is envious. The least affable of people is one who is stingy. The stingiest of people is one who is stingy in that which Allah has obliged for him. The most rightful of people is the most knowledgeable of them. The least sanctified of people is the depraved (fasiq). The least loyal of people are the kings. The least trustworthy of people is the king, and the poorest person is the greedy. The wealthiest person is one who is not a prisoner to his own protectiveness. The best person in faith is the best of them in character. The noblest of people is the most Godfearing. The greatest of people in strength is one who leaves what does not concern him. The most pious of people is one who abandons argumentation, even if he is right. The least chivalrous of people is a liar. The most wretched of people are the kings. The most abhorrent of people is the prideful. The most striving of people is one who abandons sin. The most forbearing of people is one who runs from the ignorance of the people. The happiest of people is one who mixes with the noblest people. The most intellectual of people is the politest to the people. The most blameworthy person is one who sits with those who blame. The most notorious of people is one who kills someone who was not fighting him or strikes someone who was not striking him. The person most worthy of pardon is one who is most capable of punishing others [but refrains]. The person most worthy of guilt is the foolish slanderer. The lowest of people is one who insults people. The most determined of people is one who withholds his anger. The most righteous of people is one who is righteous to the people. And, the best of people is one whom the people benefit from.

Al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) said: Whoever establishes the obligations of Allah, abstains from what Allah has prohibited, perfects his wilaya to the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet of Allah, and dissociates from the enemies of Allah will enter from whichever of the eight gates of Paradise that he wishes.

“Verily, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, has given the believer a guarantee.” I asked, “What is it?” He replied, “If a believer professes his (Allah’s) divinity, Muhammad’s (sw) prophethood, and `Ali’s (as) Imamate, and carries out his duties, He guarantees him eternal life in His Presence [jiwar].” I said: “By Allah! This is a blessing with which none of the blessings bestowed upon the children of Adam can compare!” Abu 'Abdillah (AS) replied, “Do little, and you will enjoy much.”

“Verily, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, has forbidden Hellfire to the bodies of the monotheists.”

“Whoever recites the chapter: Say: He, Allah is One, once, it is as if he has recited one third of the Qur`an, one third of the Torah, one third of the Bible, and one third of the Psalms (of David).”

Our Shia are the people of piety and diligence, loyalty and honesty, and asceticism and worship. They perform fifty-one rak’as in a single day and night. They pass their nights with worship and their days with fasting. They defray the zakat from their wealth, perform the hajj, and refrain from committing any forbidden thing.

I asked Abu Abd Allah Ja`far al-Sadiq (as) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And they shall continue to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy; and for this did He create them. He replied, “He created them to do what makes them deserve His Mercy so that He may have mercy on them.”

The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: Trim the mustaches, leave the beards and do not resemble (yourselves with) the Zoroastrians.

I asked Zayn al-`Abidin `Ali b. al-Husayn b. `Ali b. Abi Talib (as) about Allah – is He described with a place? So, he said: Allah is exalted from that. I said: Then why did He bring His Prophet, Muhammad (s), to heaven? He said: To show him the kingdom of heaven; the wonder of its design and the contrivance of its creation. I said: [What about] the saying of Allah, “Then he drew near and hung suspended, that he was only two bow-lengths away and even closer.” (53:8-9)? He said: The Messenger of Allah (s) drew near to the veils of light and saw the kingdom of heaven. Then, he (s) hung suspended and saw the kingdom of Earth beneath him, till he thought that he was near the Earth like that of two bow-lengths away and even closer.

He that doeth good shall have ten times as much to his credit:…’ Whoever is too weak to fast on these three days can pay one Dirham in charity for each day.”.

"The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent ʿAlī (as) to Yemen. A horse belonging to a man from Yemen escaped and kicked a man, killing him. The relatives of the deceased brought him to ʿAlī (as), and the owner of the horse provided evidence that the horse had escaped from his home and kicked the man. ʿAlī (as) therefore invalidated the blood money for the man. The relatives of the deceased came to the Prophet (saw) complaining about ʿAlī (as), saying: 'ʿAlī has wronged us and invalidated the blood of our companion.' The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'ʿAlī is not an oppressor; he was not created for oppression. The guardianship after me belongs to ʿAlī, his judgment is his judgment, and his words are his words. No one denies his judgment and words and guardianship except a disbeliever, and no one is pleased with his judgment, words, and guardianship except a believer.' When the Yemenis heard the words of the Messenger of Allah (saw) regarding ʿAlī (as), they said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we accept ʿAlī's words and judgment.' The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'This is your repentance for what you said.'"

Jibra’eel descended unto the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and said: O Muhammed, order you companions to ‘ajj and thajj. ‘Ajj is to raise the voices during declaring gratification (to Allah), and thajj is to slaughter the cattle.

They are regarding believing in the One God for whom there are no partners; worshipping God and no one else; establishing prayers having made ablutions at the proper times; not postponing the prayers unduly as that would cause the Wrath of the Honorable the Exalted God; paying the alms-tax; fasting during the month of Ramazan; going on the Hajj pilgrimage to the House of God (Ka’ba) when you have the means to do so; not causing your parents to damn you; not oppressively devouring an orphan’s properties; not drinking wine or any other intoxicating drinks; not committing adultery or being gay; not slandering; not falsely swearing by God; not stealing; not bearing any false testimony for anyone whether familiar to you or not; accepting the truth whether it be from a young person or an older one; not trusting any oppressors even if they are closely associated with you; not acting according to your lustful desires; not accusing pious women of fornication; not being hypocritical as the least amount of hypocrisy equals associating partners with the Honorable the Exalted God; not finding faults with other by telling a short person that he is short or by telling a tall person that he is tall; not making fun of any of God’s creatures; being patient at times of difficulty and calamities; being grateful when you are granted blessings; not feeling secure from God’s Chastisement for committing sins; not losing hopes in God’s Mercy; repenting to the Honorable the Exalted God for the sins which you have committed as one who repents from committing a sin is like one who has not committed that sin; not insisting on committing sins and asking for God’s forgiveness; not acting like those who make fun of God, His Signs and God’s Prophets (MGB); knowing that you are sure to get what is meant for you and you are sure to lose what is not meant for you; not raising God’s Wrath in order to please His creatures; not preferring this world over the Hereafter as this world is ephemeral while the Hereafter is perpetual; not being greedy of what your brethrens have; having the same inner and outward appearance; not having a good outward appearance while possessing an evil inner self as then you would be of the hypocrites; not telling lies or associating with liars; not becoming angry when you hear the truth; fostering politeness in yourself, your wife, your children and your neighbors as much as you can; acting according to what you know; not dealing with anyone of the Honorable the Exalted God’s creatures unfairly; behaving well with both the kin and the strangers; not being oppressive or mean to anyone; often reciting God’s glorifications, praises and supplications; remembering death often and remembering the life after death including Resurrection, Paradise and Hell; reading the Quranoften and acting accordingly; valuing treating the believers whether they are men or women with kindness and nobility; not wanting for any other believers what you do not want for yourself; not getting tired of doing good deeds; not placing your own burden on the shoulders of other people; not mentioning any act favors to others; considering this world as a prison for yourself until God grants you residence in Paradise. These are the forty traditions. Anyone who maintains them and keeps them for me to be presented to my followers will have God’s Mercy and entry into Paradise. He will be considered the most beloved person in the sight of God after the Prophets and their Trustees. God will resurrect him amongst the Prophets, the honest ones, the martyrs and the good-doers on the Resurrection Day. How good companions they are!”

I was holding the hand of the Prophet (SA) and we were both walking. We were looking at the sun and until it set, So I asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Where does it set?” [(Editor’s footnote: This traditionis strange (gharib). As they do not agree with scientific fact, the words that follow cannot be attributed to the Prophet (SA)] He (SA) replied, The sun sets in the sky then it rises from the sky to another sky, until it rises to the seventh highest sky, which is below the Empyrean. Then, the sun prostrates, and the angels which are entrusted with it prostrate themselves along with it. At this point, the sun says: “O my Lord! Do you command me to rise from the West or from my place of rising (the East)?” According to the Word of the Exalted: Abd the sun runs onto a term appointed for it; that is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing. What He means is that He, the Mighty Lord, knows the Realm He has created. He said: Then Jibra`il comes to the sun with a dress which glows with the Light of the Empyrean and fixes the times of day, making them lengthy during the summer, short during the winter, and intermediate length during the call and spring. He said: Thus, the sun wears that dress like anyone of you wear your dress, then it brightens up with it the horizon of the heaven until it rises from the place of rising. The Prophet (SA) said: It is as if I am looking at it, and it is confined for three nights, then it dresses with the glow, and is commanded to rise from the West. That is the Word of the Mighty and High: When the sun is covered, and when the starts darken. The moon is similar in its place of rising, and its trajectory in the horizon of heaven. Its setting is it is rising to the seventh heaven. It prostrates below the Empyrean then Jibra’il comes to it with a dress of light from the Throne. According to the Word of the Mighty and High He made the sun a shinng brightness and the moon a light. Abu Dharr (RA) says: “I then withdrew with the Messenger of Allah (SA) and we prayed the Maghrib prayers.

I was holding the hand of the Messenger of Allah (s) and we were walking together. We did not stop looking to the Sun until it set. So, I said: O Messenger of Allah! Where does it go? He said: In the sky. Then, it rises from heaven to heaven until it reaches the highest, seventh heaven; till it is beneath the Throne. It then falls in prostration, and the angels of the kingdom of heaven prostrate with it. Then, it says: “O Lord! Where do You order me to rise from: from my setting place, or from my rising place?” That is His saying, “The Sun travels for a fixed term. That is the design of the Almighty, the Knowing” (36:38) – meaning, that is the contrivance of the Mighty Lord in His kingdom with His creation. He said: So, Gabriel (as) comes to it with a garment which glows with the light of the Throne, which is in accordance with the hours of the day – it lengthens in the summer, it shortens in the winter, and it is in between that in the fall and the spring. He said: Then, it wears that garment just as one of you wears his clothes. Then, it goes with it in the sky until it rises from its rising point. The Prophet (s) said: It is as though I am with it as it is confined for three nights, and it is not cloaked in [its] glow, and it is ordered to rise from its setting place. That is His saying, “When the Sun is turned, and when the stars darken” (81:1-2). The Moon is like that from its rise, to its journey to the horizon of the sky, to its setting, to its ascension to the seventh heaven. It prostrates beneath the Throne, and Gabriel (as) comes to it with a garment of the light of the Seat. That is His saying, “He is the one that made the Sun a shining glow and the Moon a light.” (10:5) Abu Dharr (rh) said: Then, I withdrew with the Messenger of Allah (s) and we prayed Maghrib.