سلمان

Salman al-Farisi (rh) was quarrelling with a man. So, the man said to him: Who are you, Salman? So, Salman said: As for my beginning and your beginning, it was an impure sperm. As for my end and your end, it will be a rotting corpse. On the Day of Resurrection, when the scales are placed, the one whose scale is heavy will be noble, and the one whose scale is light will be depraved.

I heard al-Sadiq, Ja’far bin Muhammed, peace be upon them both, narrate from his father, from his fathers, peace be upon them, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said one day to his companions: Which of you fasts for a lifetime? Then Salman, upon whom is Allah’s mercy, said: Me, O Messenger of Allah. Then the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: Then which of you revives the night? Salman said: Me, O Messenger of Allah. He said: Then which of you completes the Qur’an every day? Then Salman said: Me, O Messenger of Allah. Then some of his companions were angered, and he said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, Salman, a man from the Persians, wants to pride over us? You said: «Which you fasts for a lifetime?» and he said: «Me» whereas he eats most of his days. And you said: «Which of you revives the night?» and then he said: «Me» whereas he sleeps most of his night. And you said: «Which of you completes the Qur’an every day?» and then he said: «Me» whereas he is silent most of his time. Then the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: Careful, O such-a-person, how can you achieve that of Luqman the Wise? Ask him, for indeed, he will inform you. Then the man said to Salman: O servant of Allah, did you not claim that you fast for a lifetime? He said: Yes. Then he said: I have seen you eating (throughout) most of your day. He said: It is not as you think. I fast the three days a month, and Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, said: «The one who brings a good deed, to him is ten the likes of it.» (6:160). Furthermore, the root of Sha’ban is in the month of Ramadhan. Hence, that is fasting for a lifetime. Then he said: Did you not claim that you revive the night? He said: Yes. Then he said: You sleep most of your night. He said: It is not as you think. However, I have heard my beloved, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, say: «The one who sleeps upon (being in a state of) purity, it is as if he has revived the night.» Hence, I sleep upon (being in a state of) purity. Then he said: Did you not claim that you complete the Qur’an every day? He said: Yes. He said: But you are silent most of your days. He said: It is not as you think. However, I have heard my beloved, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, say to Ali, peace be upon him: «O father of Hasan, your example in my nation is like the example of: Say, He is Allah, One and Only. (112:1) Hence, the one who recites it once, has certainly recited a third of the Qur’an, and the one who recites it twice, has certainly recited two thirds of the Qur’an, and the one who recites it three times, has certainly completed the Qur’an. Thus, the one who loves you with his tongue, a third of faith has certainly been fulfilled for him, and the one who loves you with his tongue and heart, two thirds of faith has certainly been fulfilled for him, and the one who loves you with his tongue and heart and who assists you with his hand, faith has been completed for him. By He who sent me with the truth, O Ali, if the people of earth loved you like (the extent of) the love of the people of Heaven to you, none would have been tormented in the Fire.» I recite «Say, He is Allah, One and Only» (112:1) three times every day. Then he stood up, and it was as if he was force-fed with stone.

I heard al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) narrate from his father from his forefathers as). He said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said one day to his companions: Which of you fast the whole year? So, Salman (ra) said: I, O Messenger of Allah. So, the Messenger of Allah (s) said: So, which of you keep vigil at night? So, Salman said: I, O Messenger of Allah. He said: So, which of you completes the Quran every day? So, Salman said: I, O Messenger of Allah. So, one of his companions became angry and said: O Messenger of Allah! Salman is a man from Persia, and he wants to boast pretentiously over us, the people of Quraysh. You said, “Which of you fast the whole year?”, and he said, “I”, when he eats on most days. You said, “Which of you keep vigil at night?”, and he said, “I”, when he sleeps most of the night. You said, “Which of you completes the Quran everyday?”, and he said, “I”, when he is silent for most of the day.” So, the Prophet (s) said: Cease, O person. I am to you as Luqman the Wise was. Ask him, and he will inform you. So, the man said to Salman: O Aba `Abdillah! Did you not allege that you fast every day? So, he said: Yes. So, he said: I saw you eating on most days! So, he said: It is not as you have interpreted, for I fast three days in a month, and Allah says, “Whoever comes with a good deed will have ten the like thereof.” (6:160) And, I connect Sha`ban with the month of Ramadan, which is like fasting the whole year. So, he said: Did you not allege that you keep vigil at night? So, he said: Yes. So, he said: You sleep for most of the night! So, he said: It is not as you have interpreted, for I have heard my Beloved, the Messenger of Allah (s) say: “Whoever goes to sleep in a state of [ritual] purity, it is as though he has kept vigil all night”, and I go to sleep in a state of purity. So, he said: Did you not allege that you complete the Quran every day? He said: Yes. He said: But you are silent on most days. So, he said: It is not as you have interpreted, as I have heard my Beloved, the Messenger of Allah (s) say to `Ali (as): “O Abu’l Hasan! Your likeness to my Nation is like that of Surat al-Tawhid (qul huwallahu ahad), for whoever recites it once, it is as though he has recited one third of the Quran; and whoever recites it twice, it is as though he has recited two thirds of the Quran; and whoever recites it three times, it is as though he has completed the Quran. [Likewise,] whoever loves you with his tongue has completed one third of faith, and whoever loves you with his tongue and his heart has completed two thirds of faith, and whoever loves you with his tongue and his heart, and supports you with his hand has completed [his] faith. By He who has sent me with the truth! O `Ali, if the people of the Earth loved you in the same way that the people of heaven love you, no one would be punished in the Fire.” And, I read qul huwallahu ahad three times every day. Then, the man stood as though he had been pelted with a stone.