سعد بن عبد الله

O Ali bin Abdil-Aziz, do not be deceived by their weeping. God-fearing is surely in the heart.

I asked al-Rida, peace be upon him, about faith, so he said: Faith is a contract in the heart, uttering by the tongue and act with the limbs; faith is by nothing except like this.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: Faith is not by adorning nor by wishing, however, faith is what has been made sincere in the heart and creceded by actions.

“A person who recites Laa ilaaha illallaah with pure intention will enter Paradise and reciting Laa ilaaha illallaah with pure intention implies that he keeps away from that, which Allah has prohibited for him.”

He whoever says ‘La ilaha illa (A)llah’ –there is no god but Allah- sincerely will be in Paradise. Sincerity, here, means that this saying should prevent him from violating the things that Allah forbids.

I heard Aba `Abdillah al-Sadiq (as) say: Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (as) said: Whoever’s appearances are weightier [in deeds] than his inside, his Scale [of good deeds] will be lightened.

He said: "Look into your heart. If it disowns your friend (or harbours doubt about him) then either of you must have done something (improper)."

“A person who recites Laa ilaaha illallaah with pure intention will enter Paradise. And reciting it with pure intention implies that he keeps away from what has been prohibited by Allah.”

Prophet (s) said: He who says ‘La ilaha illa (A)llah’ –there is no god but Allah- sincerely will be in Paradise. Sincerity, here, means that this saying should prevent him from violating the things that Allah forbids.

Jibrail (a.s.) came to the Messenger of Allah (sawa) and said: ‘If a person of your Ummah recites Laa ilaaha illallaah Wah’dahu Wah’dahu Wah’dahu he will have Tooba (good fortune).”

I asked Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, about the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «So do not perform self-righteousness of yourselves. He is more knowledgeable of who is the godfearing.» (53:32) He said: It is (like) the saying of a person: «I prayed yesterday» and «I fasted yesterday» and the like of this. Then he, peace be upon him, said: Indeed, a people used to wake up and say: «We prayed yesterday», and: «We fasted yesterday», to which Ali, peace be upon him, said: However, I, indeed, sleep at night and day, and if I was to find anything (of free time) between them, I would have slept during it.

May I be sacrificed for you, O son of Allah’s Messenger, do you fear for me that I am a hypocrite? So he said to him: If you are alone in your house at day or at night, do you pray? So he said: Sure. Then he said: So who do you pray to? He said: To Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. He said: Then how can you be a hypocrite while you pray to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, not to others?

Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said that a monk from Bani Israel worshipped Allah so much that he become like a dry stick. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime revealed to His prophet of that time to go and say to him that (Allah says), “By My Greatness, Might and Power, even if you worship Me till you melt like something in the cooking pot, also, I will not accept it from you until you come to Me from the door I have ordered for you.”

“Never abandon reading the Al-Ikhlas and the Kafirun Quranic Chapters in the following seven instances: in the two units of recommendable (Nafila) prayers before dawn prayers; in the two units of recommendable (Nafila) prayers at sunset; in the two units of recommendable (Nafila) prayers after the evening prayer; in the first two units of the night prayer; in the two units of Ihram prayer; in the two units of the morning prayer; and in the two units of the Ka’ba circumambulation prayer.”The compiler of the book - may God be pleased with him - said, “The instruction above for reciting the above-mentioned two Quranic Chapters in these seven instances is a recommendation. It is not an obligation.”

Once during the Last Pilgrimage to Mecca the Prophet of God (MGB) delivered a sermon in the Al-Khayf Mosque of Mina. He (MGB) started out by saying God’s Praises and His Glorifications. Then the Prophet (MGB) added, “May God assist any servant who hears me, remembers what I say and delivers it to whoever has not heard it. There are many who utter what they do not understand, but there are listeners who benefit from what they have said. There are many knowledgeable ones who state things for people of a better understanding and they benefit more from what is said. There are three things which a Muslim’s heart doesn’t doubt: having sincerity in what you do for the sake of God; being united with the nation’s leaders; and being associated with the Muslims, since inviting the Muslims includes anyone who supports them. Muslims are brothers one to another and their blood is all of the same color. Even the pledge of their youngest one is binding upon them all. All Muslims are united together against their enemies.”

Glad tidings to one who prays one tenth of the night in sincerity to Allah and in pursuit of the pleasure of Allah. Allah will say to His angels: “For My servant, record a number of good deeds that is equal to the number of those asleep at night, the number of seeds, leaves, and trees, the number of bristles and blades of grass.” Whoever prays for one ninth of the night, Allah grants ten of his requests, and Allah gives his book to him by his right hand on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever prays for one eighth of the night, Allah gives him the reward of a patient martyr with an honest intention, and he intercedes for the people of his household. Whoever prays for one seventh of the night, he will be brought out of his grave with his face [shining] like the full Moon, and he will pass through the Path with the safe ones. Whoever prays for one sixth of the night, he will be recorded as among the repentant, and his past sins will be forgiven. Whoever prays for one fifth of the night, he will be gathered in the dome of Ibrahim the Friend of the Merciful. Whoever prays for one quarter of the night, he will of the first winners, and he will pass through the Path like a stormy wind, and he will enter Paradise without judgment. Whoever prays one third of the night, there will not be an angel except that it will be gleeful at his status with Allah. It will be said to him: “Enter Paradise from whichever of the eight gates that you wish.” Whoever prays for half a night, even if he were given an Earth full of gold seventy thousand times, his reward would outweigh that. It would be greater than the reward of freeing seventy slaves from the descendants of Isma`il. Whoever prays two thirds of the night, his deeds will equal the number of grains of sand in the desert. The weight of each deed will be ten times greater than Mount Uhud. Whoever prays the whole night, reciting the Book of Allah, bowing, prostrating, and remembering [Allah], he will be given all the previous rewards, and he will come out of his sins as though he is birthed anew by his mother. He will be given a good deed and a rank for everything that Allah has created. Light will be settled in his grave. Iniquity and envy will be removed from his heart. He will be delivered from the punishment of the grave, and he will be dissociated from the Fire. He will be raised with the safe ones. The Lord will say to His angels: “My angels! Look to My servant, who kept vigil during the night in pursuit of My contentment. Settle him in the Highest Paradise, where he will have one hundred thousand cities therein. In each city there will be all that souls desire and all that pleases the eye. Nothing can be imagined that can be compared to what I have given him of dignity, surplus, and [My] nearness.”

Jibra’eel, peace be upon him, came to the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, sent me to you with a gift which I have not given to anyone before you. The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: And what is it? He said: Patience, and better than it. I said: And what is it? He said: Satisfaction, and better than it. I said: And what is it? He said: Abstinence, and better than it. I said: And what is it? He said: Sincerity, and better than it. I said: And what is it? He said: Certainty, and better than it. I said: And what is it, O Jibra’eel? He said: Indeed, the pathway to that is to have trust in Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. Then I said: And what is it to have trust in Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He? He said: The knowledge (of the fact) that the created does not harm, nor benefit, nor give, nor prevent, and the appliance of despair from the creation. If a servant is as such, he will not act for anyone besides Allah, nor will he seek nor fear other than Allah, nor will he aspire from anyone other than Allah. That is the one who has trust. He said: I said: O Jibra’eel, what is the interpretation of patience? He said: That you are patient during distress like how you are patient during ease, and during destitution like how during wealth, and during tribulation like how during comfort. Hence, he would not complain of his condition to the created due to what afflicts him of tribulation. I said: And what is the interpretation of contentment? He said: That he is content with what he acquires from this world; that he is content with the little and thanks for that of little value. I said: And what is the interpretation of satisfaction? He said: The one who is pleased is not angered at his Master, regardless if he acquires from this world or does not acquire, and he is not pleased for himself with little deeds. I said: O Jibra’eel, and what is the interpretation of abstinence? He said: The abstinent loves the one who loves his Creator, hates the one who hates his Creator, feels discomfort with regards to that which is permissible from this world and does not turn towards its forbidden, for indeed, its permissible is (subject to) reckoning and its forbidden is (a cause for) punishment. Moreover, he is merciful to all Muslims like how he is merciful towards himself, and he feels discomfort from speech like how he feels discomfort from the corpse whose rottenness is intensified, and he feels discomfort from the waste material of this world and its beauties like how he avoids the fire to reach him. Also, (he feels discomfort from) that his deed is shortened, and that a long lifetime is between his eyes. I said: O Jibra’eel, and what is the interpretation of sincerity? He said: The sincere who does not ask the people for anything until he finds, and if he finds he is pleased, and if something remains with him, he gives it for the sake of Allah. Hence, the one who does not ask the created, has certainly declared worship to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and if he finds and is pleased then he is pleased with Allah and Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is pleased with him, and if he gives for the sake of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, he is at the edge of confidence in his Lord, Exalted and Glorious is He. I said: And what is the interpretation of certainty? He said: The certain acts for Allah as if he sees Him, and since he does not see Allah, then indeed, Allah sees him. Moreover, it is that he knows certainly that what he has acquired, he was not to miss, and that what he missed, he was not to acquire. This, all of it, are branches of having trust and is a pathway of abstinence.