أنس بن محمد

Abu Hamid told us, who said: Abu Yazid informed us, who said: Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Salih Al-Tamimi informed us, who said: My father told us, who said: Anas bin Muhammad Abu Malik told me, from his father, from Ja'far bin Muhammad, from his father, from his grandfather, from Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, who said to him: O' Ali, I advise you with a will, so preserve it, for you will remain in goodness as long as you preserve my will. And he mentioned the entire narration.

“O Ali! You should benefit from four things before four things happen: use your youth before you get old; use your health before you get ill; use your wealth before you get poor; and use your life before your death.”

“O Ali! Usury is of seventy parts. The punishment of the easiest of which is the same as punishment for committing incest with one’s own mother inside the Holy House of God. O Ali! A single Dirham of usury is more horrible in the sight of God than seventy times of committing incest inside the Holy House of God.”

O Ali, the prayers of four classes of people are never unanswered: just rulers, fathers when they pray for their sons, people who privately pray for their brethren, and the oppressed. The Majestic the Glorified God says, ‘I swear by My Glory and Majesty that I will take your revenge (referring to the oppressed) when proper.’”

“O Ali! There are six characteristics in adultery: three in this world and three in the Hereafter. Those in this world are: it would take away happiness; speed up destruction; and cut off one’s daily sustenance. And those in the Hereafter are: it would make the Reckoning hard; cause the Wrath of the Merciful Lord; and result in residing in the Fire.”

“O Ali! God will throw those who obey their wives face down into the Fire of Hell.” Ali (MGB) asked, “What is meant by that obedience?” The Prophet (MGB) replied, “(That obedience is) to permit one’s wife to go to public baths, wedding parties, mourning ceremonies, and wear transparent clothes.”

“O Ali! The belief of one who has the following seven characteristics is complete and the gates of Paradise shall open up for him: to perform the (ritual) ablution properly; to say the prayers properly; to pay the alms-tax; to quench one’s anger; to control one’s tongue; to seek God’s forgiveness for the sins; and to (follow and) give advice according to the way of the Prophet’s Household.”

O Ali! “O Ali! Brushing the teeth with a toothbrush is a recommendable practice since it cleans the mouth; improves vision; pleases the Merciful Lord; whitens the teeth; removes the mouth’s bad smell; strengthens the gums; stimulates the appetite; alleviates the phlegm; improves memory; increases the good deeds; and makes the angels happy.”

O Ali! Nine things will cause forgetfulness: eating sour apples; eating coriander and cheese; eating remainders of mice; urinating in stagnant water; reading the writings on the tombs; going in between two women; killing lice; and cupping at the pit of the head.”

“O Ali! Ten groups of people in this nation disbelieve in the Almighty God. They are as follows: the tale-bearers; murderers; magicians; pimps; those who illegitimately copulate with a lady in the anal area; those who copulate with animals; those who copulate with familiar women (to whom they are forbidden to marry) ; those who cause sedition; those who sell weapons to the enemies who are at war with Muslims; those who refrain from defraying the alms-tax; and those who die without going on Hajj pilgrimage although they are wealthy enough to do so.

“O Ali! It is better to spend a single Dirham for dye than to spend one-thousand Dirhams for the sake of Allah since it has fourteen characteristics. It releases the wind from the ears, it improves the sight. It softens the nasals. It scents the flavor, strengthens the gums, and eliminates weakness. It lessens Satanic inspirations, gladdens the angels, delivers glad tidings to the believers, and enrages the disbelievers. It is both one’s ornament and scent. It would make the questioning angels (Nakir and Munkar ) feel shy. That would constitute one’s innocence in the grave.”

O Ali! Four issues are the quickest in punishment: to recompense the favor with mistreatment, to be hostile with one who is not hostile to you; to break the faith of the party who keeps up his faith; and to rupture the relations with the relatives who respect you.”The Prophet (MGB) then added, “O Ali, rest will depart from him who is predominated by discontent.”

O Ali, a Muslim should learn twelve characteristics regarding sitting at a dining-table four of which are obligatory, four are recommendable, and four are good manners. The four obligatory characters are: knowing what to eat; pronouncing the name of God (by saying ‘Bismillah’), gratitude and contentment. The four recommendable characteristics are sitting on the left leg; eating with three fingers; eating only from what is placed before you; and sucking the fingers. The four characteristics that are good manners are taking small bites of food to eat; chewing the food thoroughly; avoiding looking at other people’s faces; and washing the hands.”

“O Ali, it is not obligatory upon women to attend the Friday or the congregational prayers; recite the azan or the iqamah visit the ill; participate in funeral processions; walk between Safa and Marva; kiss the Black Stone, or shave their hair (as a ritual of the Hajj). It is not obligatory upon women to assume the position of a judge or a consultant. They do not have to slaughter animals except in emergencies, recite the Talbih aloud, stay at the grave, listen to the sermons (of the Friday Prayers), and manage marriage ceremonies. Women should not leave their husband’s house without their husband’s consent. Should they do so, God, Gabriel, and Michael will curse them. They should not give away anything from their husband’s house without their husband’s consent. Women should not even let a night pass while their husbands are angry with them, even if their husbands are in the wrong.”

O Ali! Banquets should only be served in five situations: wedding parties, birth of babies, circumcision, purchase of houses, and returning from Mecca (after performing the Hajj).”The compiler of the book - may God be pleased with him - said, “One form of banquet which is referred to as Vakira is for buying or building a new house. Another form of banquet which is referred to as Naqia is for returning from a journey. In fact, the word Rekaz means booties. It refers to the banquet served upon returning home from the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, since the pilgrim considers it to have an extra reward for him. In a similar statement, the Prophet (MGB) said ‘fasting in the month of Ramazan is similar to booties.’

“O Ali! There are three ranks, three expiations, three things which destroy, and three things which save. As for the three things which raise the ranks they are making ablutions with cold water; waiting for the next prayers after you pray; and going on foot in the day and at night to the prayers; andattending congregational prayers. As for the three expiations, they are greeting aloud, feeding the needy, and spend the night in prayer when other people are asleep. As for the three things which destroy, they are being really stingy; following one’s selfish desires; and being haughty and selfish. As for the three things which save, they are fearing God in private and in public; moderation in times of affluence and poverty; and speaking fairly whether you are pleased or angry.”In another tradition from the Prophet (MGB) when he (MGB) was asked what the great angels asked him about when he was in the Ascension, the Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘They asked me about the ranks and the expiations.’ The Prophet (MGB) added, ‘They asked me about the things that raise the ranks. I told them they are making ablutions with cold water; going on foot to the congregational prayers; and waiting for the prayers after you pray, and being friends with me and the members of my Household until death.’ This is a long tradition. I have presented it along with its chain of narrations in the book Isbat al-Mi’raj.

" It has also been narrated: "the worst of people is he who sells his Hereafter for his worldly life, and even worse than that is one who sells his Hereafter for the worldly life of another. O' Ali (as), whoever does not accept the excuse of a person seeking forgiveness, whether he is truthful or lying, shall not attain my intercession. O' Ali (as), Allah (swt), the Almighty, loves lying if it brings about reconciliation and hates truthfulness if it causes corruption. O' Ali (as), whoever abandons intoxicants for reasons other than seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt), Allah (swt) will make him drink from the sealed pure drink (rahiq Al-makhtum) in the Hereafter." Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "For other than Allah (swt)?" The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, replied: "Yes, by Allah (swt), if it is to safeguard himself, Allah (swt) will reward him for it. O' Ali (as), the drinker of alcohol is like an idol worshipper. O' Ali (as), the drinker of alcohol, Allah (swt) the Almighty will not accept his prayer for forty days; if he dies within those forty days, he dies as a disbeliever."

in his will to Ali (as), the Prophet (sw) told him, “O Ali! Abdul Muttalib practiced five traditions - during the Age of Ignorance - which God established in Islam for his sake.
He forbade marrying women to whom your fathers married. Thus, the Honorable the Exalted God revealed ‘And marry not women whom your fathers married,…’
He found a treasure and did not pay the one-fifth levy on it, but gave it away in charity. Then the Honorable the Exalted God revealed, ‘And know that out of all the booty that ye may acquire (in war), a fifth share is assigned to God,- and to the Apostle, and to near relatives, orphans, the needy, and the way-farer,- if ye do believe in God and in the revelation We sent down to Our servant on the Day of Testing,- the Day of the meeting of the two forces. For God hath power over all things.’
When he dug up the Zamzam well, he called it ‘the place for the pilgrims to drink from.’ Then God revealed ‘Do ye make the giving of drink to pilgrims, or the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque, equal to (the pious service of) those who believe in God and the Last Day, and strive with might and main in the cause of God? They are not comparable in the sight of God: and God guides not those who do wrong.’
He established one-hundred camels to be the blood-money for unintentional killing. Then the Honorable and Exalted God established this in Islam.
There was no certain number for the rounds of circumambulation of the Ka’ba. Abdul Muttalib established that to be seven times. Then the Honorable the Exalted God established this in Islam.
O Ali! Abdul Muttalib never gambled by raffling with arrows, worshipped idols, or ate what on which the name of other than God was invoked. He used to say, ‘I am the follower of the religion of my (fore)father -Abraham (as).’”

Prophet (MGB) said, “O Ali! There are three things with which whoever visits God he will be of the noblest of the people. Whoever performs whatever is incumbent upon him would be of the best of the worshippers. Whoever abstains from whatever is forbidden for him to do would be of the most pious ones and whoever is content with whatever sustenance God has provided for him would be of the most needless ones.O Ali! There are three things which my followers find it hard to do: being sympathetic with their brethren during times of being wealthy; being fair with others regarding themselves and remembering God at all times. This doesn’t mean saying God’s glorifications by saying ‘Subhanallah valhamdulilah va la illaha ilallaho allaho akbar!’ No. It means to fear the Honorable the Exalted God whenever you run across a forbidden deed and abstain from doing that forbidden deed. O Ali! There is fear of insanity in three deeds: sleeping in the graveyard; walking wearing only one shoe and sleeping alone. O Ali! Associating with three groups of people will spoil the heart: associating with mean people, associating with the rich people and talking with women. O Ali! Three things would strengthen memory and fend off ailments: drinking milk; brushing the teeth and reciting the Quran. O Ali! The following three acts are due to obsession: eating clay, biting one’s nails, and chewing one’s beard. O Ali! I admonish you against three characteristics: envy, greed and haughtiness. O Ali! There are three things which would make the heart perish: listening to vain talk; going hunting, and going to the door of the king’s palace. O Ali! Life depends on three things: big house, beautiful woman, and a slim horse.’”The compiler of the book - may God increase his honor - said, “A slim horse is a thin horse whether male or female.”