زياد

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Patience is the head of belief.”

“Abu al-Hassan, Musa has said, ‘My father (a.s.), once said to a certain one of his sons, “Beware of laziness and impatience; these two can deprive you of your share in this world as well as in the hereafter.’””

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that it is not advisable to cry loudly for a deceased or teardown one’s clothes.”

“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘When a believer dies the devils working to mislead him, now released among his neighbors, number equal to all the people of the tribe of Rabi’ and Mudar.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘One who does not prepare himself in patience to face the hardships of life, will remain helpless.’”

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘You must not obligate your soul for others’ rights; you must exercise patience in difficulties; and you must not involve yourself in an affair where its harm to you is greater than its benefit for your brother (in belief).”

Abu Abdullah (asws) said, ‘A strip of the slipper of Abu Abdullah (asws) broke whilst he (asws) was in a funeral. So a man came with his strip for his (asws) slipper (as a replacement). He (asws) said: ‘Hold on to your strip, for patience is foremost for the people in misfortune’.

“A believer is forbearing. He is not ignorant and if he is ignored he remains forbearing. He does not do injustice and if he is oppressed he forgives. He is not stingy, if stinginess is exercised against him he exercises patience.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that if one becomes ill in a night and accepts it in the way it has come, Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, on the other hand, writes down for him the reward for sixty years of worship. I (the narrator) then asked, ‘What is the meaning of “accepts it?”’ The Imam said, ‘He does not complain before any of his visitors against his illness.’”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘A believer is not without four things or at least one of them at a time: he suffers from the envy of a believer and it is the most difficult one, stalking of a hypocrite, the struggle of an enemy against him or the temptation of Satan.’”

“There had never been, there is no one and will never be a believer but that a neighbor causes him suffering. Even if a believer may live on an island Allah sends someone to cause him suffering.”

Amir-ul-Momineen (asws) said: ‘The sustenance is allocated to the foolishness, and the deprivation to the intellect, and the affliction to the patience’.

“Once a man wrote to abu Ja’far (a.s.), and complained before him about his suffering the death of his son. He then has said that the Imam wrote back to him saying, ’You should be aware of the fact that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, chooses from the property and children of the believers the best ones, so He may reward him for it.’”

I pray for mercy for three – and it is their right to be prayed for mercy: (1) a person dear to his community who is afflicted with humiliation after glory, (2) a rich person that is afflicted with a need after needlessness, and (3) a scholar that is undervalued by his people and the ignorant.

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that, O Ishaq, do not count a misfortune in which you were granted patience, thus you deserved reward from Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious. A misfortune is that in which due to acting impatiently, one is deprived of rewards for that suffering.”

“A man once wrote to abu Ja‘far, the second (a.s.), complaining due to his suffering from the death of his sons and the intensity of his grief. The Imam wrote to him, ‘Do you know that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, chooses from the property and sons of the believing people the most valuable items so He will reward him in the same way (with most valuable reward)?”’

“About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Believers, have patience, help each other with patience, establish good relations with one another. . . . (3:200) the Imam said, ‘Exercise patience in fulfilling your obligations, help each other with patience in tragedies and establish good relations with A’immah (plural of Imam), recipients of divine supreme covenant.’” In the narration of ibn Mahbub from abu al-Safatij the following is added, “Have fear of Allah, your Lord, in what He has made obligatory upon you.”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Allah has made a covenant with a believer to exercise patience in the face of four kinds of misfortunes: the least serious of these is the envying of another believer against him who has the same belief, or a hypocrite that follows him (for hypocritical reason), Satan who tries to tempt him or an unbeliever against whom Jihad (working hard in the way of Allah) is necessary may cause him suffering. What then is left for a believer?”

“The hasteners will perish and those nearest to Allah will be saved! Keep to your homes because seditions will be against those, who cause them! Whenever they wish you a distress, Allah afflicts them with what makes them busy away from you except those, who follow them.”

“Abu Ja’far, the second (a.s.), wrote to a man: You mentioned your affliction with the loss of your son ʿAlī, and you mentioned that he was the most beloved of your children to you. Likewise, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, only takes from the parent and others the purest of what they have to magnify the reward of the one afflicted by the calamity. May Allah magnify your reward, grant you the best of solace, and strengthen your heart, for He is capable. May Allah hasten for you a replacement, and I hope that Allah has already done so; if Allah wills, exalted be He.’”