محمد بن عطية

"Indeed, Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, only forbade usury so that acts of kindness would not disappear."

I heard Abu Abdillah (as) say: "Indeed, Allah (swt), the Mighty and Glorious, chose farming and cultivation for His prophets (peace be upon them) so that they would not dislike anything from the rainfall."

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has chosen farming and plantation for His prophets so that they will not dislike the drops falling from the sky.”’

The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Death is an expiateon for the sins of the believers."

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that every night in the month of Ramadan you should say this prayer. ‘O Allah, I appeal before You in the case of whatever You decide and measure of the inevitable issues of the matters of wisdom, of the destiny that does not change or alter, to list my name among those who perform Hajj of Your respected House, with virtuous Hajj, expatiated wickedness, forgiven sins and appreciated efforts. O Allah, I appeal before You, in the case of whatever You decide and measure of the inevitable issues of the matters of wisdom, during the night of destiny, which does not change or alter, to grant me long life, increased sustenance, and take me in the service of Your religion and do not replace me with others.’”

“I have read in one of the Books of the Honorable the Exalted God that once Zul-Qarnayn finished building the dam he continued his travels. He ran into a knowledgeable man during his travels with his troops. The knowledgeable man asked him, ‘Let me know about the two things which are standing ever since the Honorable the Exalted God created them, the two things which are moving, the two things which are different from each other and the two things which are opposite of each other.’ Zul-Qarnayn said, ‘The two things which are standing are the heavens and the Earth. The two things which are moving are the sun and the moon. The two things which are differentfrom each other are the day and the night, and the two things which are opposite of each other are life and death.’ The knowledgeable man said, ‘Go. You are knowledgeable.”This tradition is long, but I have only mentioned a short part of it here as deemed necessary. I have narrated it in full in the book Kitab al-Nabuwah.

I read in the Gospel: O `Isa! Renew My Order and do not languish. Listen and obey, O son of the pure, chaste virgin. You are not a fool. I made you a sign for the worlds, so worship Me and rely on Me. Take the scripture with strength, go to the people of Syria and Assyria, and inform those before you that I am the eternal God who will never recede, and to believe in the Prophet of the Mother Town, the owner of the camel, the armour, the crown – which is the turban – the two sandals, and the rod – which is the staff. He will have wide eyes, a broad forehead, prominent cheeks, a thin and curved nose, and white teeth. His neck will be like a silver jar, his collarbones will be like gold. He will have hair from his chest to his navel, but not on his stomach or his [entire] chest. He will be tanned in colour, with light hair from his chest to his stomach. His hands and feet will be large. When he turns, he will turn with his whole body. When he walks, it is as though he is stepping from stone to stone (he does not drag his feet). When he walks with the people, he overcomes them [in speed]. The sweat on his face is like pearls, and his scent is like the fragrance of musk. No one like him was ever seen before him nor after him. His scent will be pleasant. He will marry women, but he will have few children, and his child (Fatima) will be blessed, and she will have a house in Paradise. He will support her in the end times just as Zakariyya supported your mother. She will give birth to two martyrs. His words will be the Quran, and his religion will be Islam, and I am Peace. So, Tuba is for he who lives in his time, sees his days, and listens to his words. So, `Isa (as) said: O Lord! What is Tuba? He said: A tree in Paradise that I planted with My two hands in the shade of Paradise. Its root is in being pleased [with My will], its water is from tasnim, its breeze is from camphor, and its taste is like ginger. Whomever drinks from its river will never thirst again. So, `Isa (as) said: O Allah! Allow me to drink from it. He said: "O `Isa! It is forbidden for the humans to drink from it until that Prophet drinks from it. It is forbidden for the nations to drink from it until the nation of that Prophet drinks from it. O `Isa! I will raise you to Me, then I will send you back down in the End Times so that you may see the marvelous nation of that Prophet, and to save them from the cursed Dajjal. I will send you down during the time of prayer so that you may pray with them. Surely, they are a Nation that has been given mercy.

‘A man from the scholars of the people of Syria (Al-Shaam) came up to Abu Ja’far (asws). He said, ‘O Abu Ja’far (asws), I have come to ask you (asws) a question which has exhausted me in finding one who could explain it to me, and I have asked three kinds of the people about it, so each type from them said something other than what the other one said’. So Abu Ja’far (asws) said to him: ‘What would that be?’ He said, ‘I ask you (asws) about the first thing what Allah (azwj) Created from His (azwj) creatures, for some of the ones I asked said it was the Destiny, and some of them said it was the Pen, and some of them said it was the Spirit’. So Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘They have not said anything. I (asws) hereby inform you that Allah (azwj) Blessed and High Existed and there was nothing other than Him (azwj), and He (azwj) was Mighty and there was no one who was mighty before Him (azwj), and that is His (azwj) Statement: “[37:180] Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honour, above what they describe”, and He (azwj) was the Creator before the creation, and had He (azwj) Created, and Had He (azwj) Created something from His (azwj) Creation, something from something, then there would be no cut-off from it (the chain) ever, and it would never cease if Allah (azwj) had something with Him (azwj) and He (azwj) did not precede it, but He (azwj) Existed when there was nothing other than Him (azwj). And He (azwj) Created the thing from which are all things, and it is the water from which He (azwj) Created the things. So He (azwj) Lineage everything to the water and did not Make a lineage for the water to which it can be ascribed. And He (azwj) Created the wind from the water, then Made the wind to overcome the water. So the wind sent down into the body of the water until foam swirled from the water in accordance with what He (azwj) so Desired it to swirl. So He (azwj) Created from that foam, pure white land with no crack in it, nor any holes, neither ascending nor descending, and no tree. Then He (azwj) Folded it, so He (azwj) Placed it on top of the water. Then Allah (azwj) Created the fire from the water, so the fire bust out of the body of the water until smoke arose from the water in accordance with Allah (azwj) so Desired it to rise. So He (azwj) Created from that smoke, clear and pure sky in which there were no cracks nor any holes, and that is His (azwj) Statement: “[79:27] Are you the harder to create or the heaven? He made it. [79:28] He raised high its height, then put it into a right good state. [79:29] And He made dark its night and brought out its light”. He (asws) said: ‘And there was no sun, and no moon, and no stars and no clouds. Then He (azwj) Folded it and Placed it upon the earth, then Established two creations. Then He (azwj) Raised the sky before the earth, so that is His (azwj) Statement, Mighty is His (azwj) Mention: “[79:30] And the earth, He expanded it after that”. He (azwj) Said that He (azwj) Spread it out’. So the Syrian said to him (asws), ‘O Abu Ja’far (asws), the Statement of Allah (azwj) the High: “[21:30] Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them”. So Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘Perhaps you think that these two used to be stuck together and there were separated from each other?’ He said, ‘Yes’. Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘Seek Forgiveness from your Lord (azwj), for it is the Statement of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic that they were closed up, meaning that the sky used to be closed up and no rain descended from it, and the earth was closed up and did not grow any seed (vegetation). So when Allah (azwj) Blessed and High Created the creatures, He (azwj) Spread therein all kinds of animals. He (azwj) Opened up the sky by the rain and the earth by the seed’. The Syrian said, ‘I testify that you (asws) are from the children of the Prophets (as) and that your (asws) knowledge is their (as) knowledge’.