إبراهيم

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘This world is a prison for believing people. Which prison is it wherein anything good may exist?”

“I heard Imam Abu ‘Abdallah saying, ‘Allah chose Abraham as a servant before choosing him as a prophet. Allah chose him as a prophet before choosing him as a messenger. Allah chose him as a messenger before choosing him as a friend of His. Allah chose him as a friend of His before choosing him as an Imam. When all of the above things were gathered in Abraham, Allah said, “I have certainly appointed you as the Imam for the people.” Because to Abraham it was so great he asked, “Can this (Imamate, leadership) be in my descendants also?” Allah said, “The feeble-minded can not become the leader of the pious one.”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘There has never been or will be a believer up to the Hour of Doom free from suffering, caused by his neighbor.’”

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘How did they answer when they (offspring of Adam) were small particles?’ The Imam said, ‘Allah placed in them the ability to answer Him when He questioned them at the time of establishing a covenant with them.’”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘When a man wants to marry a woman he should say, “I authenticate my covenant with Allah which is: “maintain in a reasonable way or allow to go with kindness.” (2:229)’”

I asked Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)), “O son of the Messenger of Allāh! Is Ismā’īl, the one who is mentioned in this verse, ‘(Also) mention Ismā’īl in the book. Verily he was (ever) true of his promise, and he was a messenger, and a prophet’ (19:54), Ismā’īl, the son of Ibrāhīm (a.s.), because the people believe that it is?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Ismā’īl died before Ibrāhīm (a.s.). Ibrāhīm (a.s.) was Allāh’s Decisive Proof and he was an owner of a SHARǏ’AH (a set of laws of religion). So then to whom was Ismā’īl sent?!” I asked, “May I sacrifice my life for you! Then to whom is this verse referring?!” Imam (a.s.) replied: It refers to Ismā’īl, son of Prophet Ḥizqīl (a.s.). Allāh sent him to his people but they belied him, killed him, and skinned his face. So Allāh’s Wrath fell upon them. Allāh sent Saťāťā`īl, the Angel of Chastisement, to Ismā’īl (a.s.). The angel said, “O Ismā’īl! I am Saťāťā`īl, the Angel of Chastisement. The Lord of Glory has sent me to you to torment your nation with different kinds of chastisement, if you wish.” “I do not want this,” Ismā’īl (a.s.) replied. “O Ismā’īl! What do you want then?” Allāh revealed to him. Ismā’īl (a.s.) replied: O Lord! You have taken the covenant (from the creation) to accept You as the Lord, Muḥammad (s.a.a.w.) as the Prophet, and his successors (a.s.) as the Divine Authorities. And You informed the Best of Your Creation (the Prophet (s.a.a.w.)) about that which his nation would do to Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) after him. And You promised Ḥusain (a.s.) that You would bring him back in this life so that he can seek revenge against those who killed him. O my Lord! My wish is that You bring me back to life just as You will bring Ḥusain (a.s.) back to life, so that I can seek revenge against those who did this to me. Imam (a.s.) continued, “Allāh promised Ismā’īl ibn Ḥizqīl (a.s.) that He would bring him back to life. Therefore, Ismā’īl will return to life with Ḥusain (a.s.).”

“To every believer Allah has assigned four things: a Satan who wants to mislead him, an unbeliever who fights him, a believer who envies him - it is the most difficult one - and a hypocrite who tracks down his mistakes (for evil purposes).”

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, made solemn covenants with His servants, He commanded the Stone. The Stone fed it (the covenant) to itself. For this reason it is said, ‘This is my trust which I return, my covenant that I had undertaken, so you bear witness, in my favor, to my returning it back.’”

‘‘There are three things in which Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has not given any concession: safely returning of the trust to appropriate people, regardless of their being good or evil people, keeping the promise for good or evil people, and being kind to parents whether of good or of evil manners.”

I asked him about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic: “The Fitra of Allah which He created the people upon” (30:30) - what is that Fitra? He said: It is Islam (submission). Allah created them upon it when He took their Covenant upon Tawhid - He said: “Am I not your Lord?” (7:172), and among them were believers and disbelievers.

“I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘Why is he (Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) is called Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.)?” He said, “Allah has given him this name and as such it has come in His book, “When your Lord asked all the offspring of Adam (before their birth), “Am I not your Lord?” All of them testified and bore witness to their testimony that on the Day of Judgment they would not say, “We were not aware of this (fact),.” (7:172) that Muhammad is My messenger and Ali is Amir al-Mu’minin (commander of the faithful).”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘The promise of a believer to his brother (in belief) is a vow that has no expiation. Whoever violates it has initiated to violate Allah and has subjected himself to His anger as it is said in His words: “Believers, why do you preach what you do not practice? (61:2). It is most hateful in the sight of Allah if you say something and do not practice it.’” (61:3)

“Allah has addressed His servants in two verses of the holy Quran very particularly: Did they not make a covenant (with God) in the Book not to speak any thing other than the Truth about God and to study its contents well? They call a lie something that is beyond the limit of their knowledge and whose interpretation has not yet been revealed . .” (10:39)

Yes, You are our Lord. . . .”’ (7:172) “He (the Imam), while his father (a.s.) was listening, said, ‘My father narrated to me that Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, took a handful of clay, from which He created Adam. He poured upon it sweet water from Euphrates and left it for forty mornings. Then He poured upon it very salty water and left it for forty mornings. When the clay fermented He then kneaded it strongly and they (children of Adam) appeared as particles from his right and left sides. He ordered all of them to enter the fire. The people of the right hand entered it and it became cool and peaceful for them but the people of the left hand refused to enter.’”

The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny said: "Once, when Musa ibn Imran, peace be upon him, was seated, Iblis approached him, with a hooded cloak of motley colours. As he came nearer, he removed the cloak and greeted Musa. Musa said:" Who are you?" He said: "I am Iblis." Musa said: "May Allah not bring your abode closer (to anyone)! Why have you come?" He said: "I have come to greet you for the status that you have before Allah, Most High." So Musa said: "And what about this cloak?" He said: "With that, I hijack the hearts of the people!" Then Musa asked him: "Tell me about the sin which when Adam’s son commits it, you overpower him and get the better of him?" He said: "When he becomes conceited, and regards his good deeds as too many; and when his own sins seem small to him." Then he told Musa: "I give you three advices: O Musa, never be alone with a stranger woman, or allow her to be with you in privacy, for either of you do not meet the other without me being in your company, without my other colleagues! And be careful when you give a covenant or pledge to Allah! (Fulfil it immediately). For whenever a man pledges a vow or a covenant with Allah, I intervene between him and its fulfillment - without my colleagues! And when you intend giving a charity, give it soon, for when a servant of Allah intends giving alms, I alone, without my colleagues, sit in between his intention and the charity, preventing it!" Then Iblis turned away saying: "O, what a shame, what a grief! I have taught Musa (a secret) which he will impart to the sons of Adam!"

The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: When Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, sent down: «And fulfill the oath with Me, I will fulfill the oath with you.» (2:40) By Allah, verily, Adam went out of this world and he had made his people swear an oath to fulfill to his son, Sheeth [1], and it was not fulfilled to him. Verily, Nuh went out of this world and he had made his people swear an oath to fulfill to his Successor, Sam, and his nation did not fulfill it him. Verily, Ibrahim went out of this world and he had made his people swear an oath to fulfill to his Successor, Isma’eel , and his nation did not fulfill it him. Verily, Musa went out of this world and he had made his people swear an oath to fulfill to his Successor, Jusha’ bin Nun [2], and his nation did not fulfill it him. Verily, Isa was raised to Heaven and he had made his people swear an oath to fulfill to his Successor, Sham’un bin Hamoun al-Safa [2], and his nation did not fulfill it him. And indeed, I am to depart from you soon, and I am to leave from before your appearance, and I have, verily, made my nation swear an oath to fulfill with regards to Ali bin Abi Talib. Indeed, it is the one that will ride the traditions of those before it of nations, with regards to opposing my Successor and disobeying him. Alas, I am, indeed, renewing upon you my oath (by which you are bound) with regards to Ali. Thus, the one who violates, he only violates on the account of himself, and the one who fulfills to what he has sworn an oath to Allah for, He will grant him a great reward. O people, indeed, Ali is your Leader after me, my Successor upon you, and he is my Bequeathed, Minister, brother, assistant, husband of my daughter, the father of my sons and the possessor of my salvation, basin and banner. The one who denies him has certainly denied me, and the one who denies me has certainly denied Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and the one who acknowledges his Imamate has certainly acknowledged my Prophethood, and the one who acknowledges my Prophethood has certainly acknowledged the Oneness of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. O people, the one who disobeys Ali has certainly disobeyed me, and the one who disobeys me has certainly disobeyed Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and the one who obeys Ali has certainly obeyed me, and the one who obeys me has certainly obeyed Allah. O people, the one who rejects Ali with regards to speech or action has certainly rejected me, and the one who rejects me has certainly rejected Allah above His Throne. O people, the one amongst you who chooses above Ali a leader has certainly chosen above me a prophet, and the one who has chosen above me a prophet has certainly chosen above Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, a lord. O people, indeed, Ali is the Master of the Successors, the Leader of the Radiant and Beautiful and the Master of the Believers. His ally is my ally, and my ally is the ally of Allah, and his enemy is my enemy, and my enemy is the enemy of Allah. O people, fulfill the oath of Allah with regards to Ali, and it will be fulfilled to you with regards to Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.

“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘There was a time when Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, took the descendents of Adam from his back to establish a covenant with them to testify that He is their Lord and to believe in the prophethood of all the prophets. The first among the prophets whose prophethood Allah wanted them to accept through a covenant was Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, then said to Adam, “Look (to find) what you can see.” ‘The Imam then said, “Adam then looked and saw his descendents appearing as small particles that filled the sky. Adam then said, ‘Lord, how huge in number my descendents are! For what purpose have You created them and for what reason did You make them to establish a covenant with You?’” Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, replied, “So that they worship Me and do not consider anything else as My equal and so that they believe in My messengers and follow them (for guidance).” Adam then asked, “Lord, why is it that I see certain ones of the particles are greater, others have a great deal of lights, yet others among them have very little light and still others among them have no lights at all?” Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, replied, “Thus, I have created them to place them to test in every condition that they will live.” Adam then asked, “My Lord, will You grant me permission to speak so I may express myself?” Allah, the Majestic the Glorious said, “Speak up; your spirit is from My spirit but your nature is different from My being.” Adam then asked, “Lord, had You created them all just like each other, by the same measure, the same nature, of likewise design, of the same color, of equal life span, of equal amount of means of living they would not act against each other. No jealousy, animosity and differences would exist among them over anything.” Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, said, “O Adam, through My spirit you just spoke and due to the weakness of your nature you made an effort to give an opinion about that of which you have no knowledge. I Am the Creator of the world. I knowingly have created each one different from the others and through My Own way I will make My commands to take effect and they will continue existing through My plans and measures. There will be no changes in My creation. I have created the Jinn and human beings only to worship Me. I have created paradise for those who obey and worship Me and follow My messengers. I have no regrets in what 1 have done. I have created the fire for those who disbelieve, disobey Me and do not follow My messengers and I have no regrets in it. I have created you and your descendents not because I ever need you or your descendents in anyway or form. I have created you and created them to test you and test them to see which ones among you do good deeds in the worldly life before your deaths. For this reason I have created the world and the life thereafter, life, death, obedience, disobedience, paradise and the fire. This is how I willed in My measure and plan. Through My all-pervasive knowledge in them I have placed differences in their forms, bodies, colors, lifespan, means of living, obedience and disobedience. I, thus, have made certain ones of them to be unfortunate or very fortunate. Certain ones among them will have eyesight or be blind, others among them will be of short size or tall ones, beautiful or otherwise, knowledgeable or ignorant, wealthy or poor, obedient or disobedient, of good health or suffering from illness, of defective bodies or free of bodily defects. In this way those of perfect bodies will look at the defective ones and thank Me for the perfect body that 1 have given them and those with defective bodies will look at the perfect ones and will pray to Me and ask Me to grant them good health and exercise patience when and in the way I test them. Thus, I will grant them good rewards. The wealthy ones after looking to the poor ones will thank Me and appreciate My favors. When the poor ones look to the wealthy ones they pray to Me and ask Me favors. It is as such so that the believers will look to the unbelievers and thank Me for the guidance that I have granted them. For such reasons I have created them. I test them in ease and in hardships and in good health that I grant them and in the matters with which I test them, in the matters of what I grant them and in the matters that 1 refuse them. I am Allah, the powerful King. It is all up to Me to allow all of My measures and plans to take form or change them as I wish to the time that I wish. I may change the sequel of the timing of my measures and plans and allow, that which comes first to come last and vice versa. I am Allah, and I execute whatever I will. I am not questioned for whatever I do but 1 question My creatures about their deeds.’””