سنان بن طريف الثوري

Sanan ibn Zarif said: “I told Imam Sadiq (a.s) that I am afraid to be reprimanded. He asked me why. I said I asked God for a thousand Durhams, and He granted it to me. I asked him for a servant, and He gave me one. Then Imam Sadiq (a.s) asked me what I have to say now. I said praise be to God. He said: “What you have said is better than what you have been given.”

I was with Aba Ja`far Muhammad b. `Ali al-Baqir (as) when a man visited him from the Khawarij. So, he said: O Aba Ja`far! What do you worship? He said: Allah. He said: Did you see Him? He said: The vision of eyes cannot comprehend Him. Rather, it is the hearts that will see Him through the realities of faith. He is not known by analogies, nor is He comprehended by the senses, nor can He be compared to the people. He is described by His signs and He is known by His indicators. He does not oppress in His wisdom – surely, this is Allah, there is no deity except Him. So the man left while saying, “Allah is most knowing of where He places His message” (6:124).

I was present with Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) when a man from the Khawarij entered upon him and said: “O Abu Ja’far, what do you worship?” He said: “Allah, the Exalted.” The man asked: “Have you seen Him?” He replied: “No, but the eyes do not perceive Him through physical sight, but the hearts have seen Him through the realities of faith. He cannot be known through analogy, nor can He be comprehended by the senses, nor can He be compared to people. He is described by the signs and known by the indications; His judgment does not err. That is Allah; there is no deity except Him.” The man then left, saying: “Allah knows best where He places His message.”

I was in the presence of Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS) when a Kharijite entered his presence and asked him: “O Abu Ja`far, who do you serve?” He (AS) replied: “Allah.” He questioned: “Have you seen Him?” He (AS) answered: Eyes cannot see him through vision, but hearts can see Him through certainty of faith. He is neither recognized with analogy, nor perceived with the senses, and cannot be compared to people. He is attributed through signs and recognized through indications. There is no oppression in His Judgement. Such is Allah; there is no god but Him. He said: “Then the man left while saying that `Allah knows best where to place His Message.”

"If he divorces the woman with whom he had not consummated the marriage, then there is no harm in him marrying another woman on that same day. However, if he divorces one of the three wives with whom he had consummated the marriage, he cannot marry another woman until the waiting period of the divorced wife is completed."

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that I had a piece of land of al-Kharaj which had caused to me great difficulties. He (the Imam) remained quiet for a while, then said, ‘On its coming (the time of the rise of al-Mahdiy with Divine Authority and Power) your share of the land will be greater than this and on such time ‘Ustan will be more ideal piece of land than their pieces.’”

I heard Abu Abdullah (asws) saying: ‘It is befitting for ‘لِلْمُؤْمِنِ’ the Believer that he should fear Allah (azwj) with such a fear as if he is overlooking upon the Fire, and hope with such a hope as if he is from the inhabitants of the Paradise’. Then said: ‘Allah (azwj) is with the expectation of His (azwj) servant. If he expects good, so it will be good, and if he expects evil, so it will be evil’.