حمزة

"When death approached my father (as), he embraced me to his chest and said: 'O' my son, be patient upon the truth even if it is bitter, for your reward will be given to you without measure.'"

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I go to the market to buy a slave-girl and she says that she is free. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can buy her unless she presents proof of her freedom.’”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘A servant (of Allah) may keep speaking the truth until he is written among the truthful ones before Allah or keep speaking lies until he is written in the (list of) liars before Allah. If a man speaks the truth, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will say, “He has spoken the truth and has acted virtuously.” If one speaks lies, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will say, “He has lied and has committed evil.’””

A good saying increases one’s wealth, boosts one’s sustenance, prolongs one’s life, makes one beloved to one’s family, and enters one into Paradise.

In the case of what may come to you and you have no knowledge of its veracity you can do nothing but to hold and verify and refer it to the Imams of guidance so that he would show the way of justice in it and enlighten you in the darkness and introduce to you the truth. Allah, the Most High has said, “Ask those who know about the heavenly Books if you do not know about this.”’’ (16:43)

“Possessing the following four characteristics will perfect your Islam and eliminate your sins, and you will meet your Lord while He is pleased with you:1- Fulfilling your promises to the people,2- Being honest with the people,3- Being ashamed of what is shameful in the sight of God and the people,4- Being good-tempered with your family."

My father ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, used to say that whoever has four characteristics in him, his faith will be deemed complete, and he will be purified of his sins, and he will meet his Lord having earned His pleasure: "He who fulfils his duty towards people for the sake of Allah, and he who is always truthful with people, and he who feels ashamed of committing any ugly deed before people and before Allah, and he who puts on the best behaviour with his family."

The believer mixes his knowledge with forbearance. He sits down so that he may learn, he listens so that he may submit, and he speaks so that he may understand. He does not speak about that which he has been entrusted with, even to his friends. He does not fulfill a responsibility with vanity, and modesty does not leave him. When he is praised, he fears what they say, and he seeks Allah’s forgiveness for that which he does not do. He is not harmed by those who ignore him, and he is mindful of impressions of those who know him. The hypocrite forbids others but does not abstain for himself. He commands that which he himself does not fulfill. When he prays, he complains. When he bows, he slumps. When he prostrates, he pecks (prostrates quickly). When he sits, he spreads himself out. When he is going to bed, his only concern is food, even though he is full. When he wakes up in the morning, his only concern is sleep, even though he did not stay up during the night. When he speaks to you, he lies. When he makes a promise, he does not fulfill it. If you entrust him with anything, he betrays it. And if you disagree with him, he backbites you.

“A wise man pursued another wise man for seven-hundred Farsakhs for seven pieces of advice. Once he met him he asked, ‘O Sir! Please tell me what is higher than the sky; what is wider than the Earth; what is deeper than the sea; what is harder than the rocks; what is hotter than fire; what is colder than bitter cold; and what is heavier than the mountains?’ The wise man replied, ‘Truth is higher than the skies; justice is wider than the Earth; self-contentment is deeper than the sea; an atheist’s heart is harder than rocks; the greed of a miser is hotter than the fire; disappointment for obtaining God’s Mercy is colder than bitter cold; and finally accusing an innocent person is heavier than the mountains.’”

"Whoever has four traits in him, his Islam is complete, his faith is entrenched and he is purified from his sins; and he will meet his Lord, having earned His pleasure, even if he were immersed in sins from head to toe. They are: Fulfilling what one adopts as divine obligation upon oneself; being truthful with the people; to be ashamed of acts which are ugly and evil in the eyes of Allah and the people; to adopt the best morality and behaviour with the family and the people. And among the believers, whoever has four traits, Allah will grant him abode with the highest of the high ones, in a chamber above the chambers and at a place of highest honour. They are: One who gives shelter to an orphan, treating him or her like a kind father; one who is kind to the weak (or old), helping and sufficiently providing; one who maintains his parents, being friendly and kind to them, never causing them any grief; and one who is not awkward with his servants and dependents, being helpful to them in what he assigns to them, never imposing a burden upon them greater than they can bear."

A wise man followed another wise man for seven hundred farsakhs [1] in seven words, and when he reached him, he said to him: O you, what is higher than the sky, wider than the earth, richer than the ocean, harder than stone, of more intense heat than fire, of more intense coldness than severe frost and heavier than immovable mountains? So he said to him: O you, indeed, the truth is higher than the sky; justice is wider than the earth; the soul’s sufficiency is richer than the ocean; the heart of the disbeliever is harder than stone; the desirous, the greedy, is of more intense heat than fire; the despair from the mercy of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, is of more intense coldness than severe frost; and slander against the innocent is heavier than immovable mountains.

A wiseman sought a wiseman for seven hundred parasangs to attain seven words. When he caught up to him, he said to him: O you! What is higher than heaven, wider than Earth, richer than the sea, harder than stone, hotter than the Fire, colder than Ice Hell (zamharir), and heavier than the stabilizing mountains? So, he said to him: Truth is higher than heaven, justice is wider than Earth, a rich soul is richer than the sea, the heart of a disbeliever is harder than stone, the greedy and possessive is hotter than the Fire, one who loses hope in the mercy of Allah is colder than Ice Hell, and slandering the innocent is heavier than the stabilizing mountains.

Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: We the Ahl al-Bayt are always truthful but do not lack a liar lying against us and degrading our truthfulness by his lies to the masses. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم was the most truthful of people in speech but Musaylama used to lie about him. The Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام was the most truthful of men created by Allah after the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, but the one who used to lie against him and work in negating his truthfulness by forging things against him was Abdallah b. Saba – may Allah curse him. Abu Abdillah al-Husayn b. Ali عليه السلام was put to trial [afflicted] by al-Mukhtar. Then Abu Abdillah mentioned al-Harith the Syrian and Bayan [b. Sam’an] and said: they used to lie upon Ali b. al-Husayn عليه السلام. Then he mentioned al-Mughira b. Sa’id, Bazi`, al-Sarri, Aba al-Khattab, Muammar, Bashshar the barley seller, Hamza the Berber and Sa’id al-Nahdi and said: May Allah curse them – we do not lack a liar or one deficient in intellect [tormenting us]. May Allah suffice us against ever needing the help of any liar and may Allah make them taste the heat of the sword [put them to the sword].

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: When my Lord took me up to the seventh heaven, and from it to the Lote Tree of the Furthest Boundary, and from the Lote Tree to the veils of light, my Lord called to me: “O Muhammad! You are My Servant, and I am your Lord. Submit to Me, worship Me, rely on Me, and trust Me, for I am pleased with you as a servant, a beloved, a messenger, and a prophet, and with your brother `Ali as a vicegerent (khalifa) and a gate (bab). He is My Proof over My servants and the Imam of My creation. Through him, My friends will be distinguishable from My enemies, and My Party will be distinguishable from the Party of Satan. Through him, My religion is established, My limits are preserved, and My judgments are carried out. Through you, him, and the Imams from his descendants, My male and female servants receive My mercy. Through the Qa’im from you, I will establish My glorification, My praise, My sanctification, My acclamation, and My exaltation in My Earth. Through him, I will purify the Earth from My enemies, and I will bequeath it to My friends. Through him, I will make the words of those who disbelieve in Me the lowest, and I will make My words the highest. Through him, I will bring life to My servants and My countries with My knowledge. By My will, I will reveal the treasures and the resources for him. By My wish, I will reveal the secrets and the consciences to him. I will support him with My angels to aid him in carrying out My order and announcing My religion. Truly, he is My friend; verily, he is the guide (mahdi) of My servants.”