علي بن إبراهيم الهاشمي

“I once saw abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), performing Salah (prayer) while standing in a corner of his house near the wall, all others on his right side and no one on his left.”

“Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent revelation to one of the prophets that said, ‘When I am obeyed I become happy. When I become happy I grant blessings and there is no end to My blessings. When I am disobeyed I become angry, when I become angry I condemn and My condemnation reaches seven levels (generations).’”

“I heard abu al-Hassan Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) saying, ‘There can nothing until Allah would wish it to be, will, measure and decree.” I asked what is the meaning of wish (Sha’a)? The Imam replied, “It is to begin the act.” I asked, “What is the meaning of measure (Qaddara)? The Imam replied, “It is measuring the length and the width of something.” I asked what is the meaning of decree (Qada)? The Imam replied, “When He decrees He lets it happen and this is when it becomes unavoidable to happen.”

“A man once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about cheese. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is an illness for which there is no cure.’ When it was al-‘Isha’ (evening) the man came to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and looked at cheese on the table-spread and said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. At lunchtime, I asked you about cheese. You said to me that it is an illness for which there is no cure and now I see it on the table-spread.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is harmful at lunch and useful in dinner and it increases the water of one’s back.’ It is narrated that harmfulness of cheese is in its crust.”

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said that Ali ibn al-Husayn, has said, ‘The crest on the head of lark is because of wiping of Solomon ibn David (a.s.). It happened when the male lark wanted to mount the female (and) she refused. The male said, ‘Do not refuse because I want that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, to give us the offspring because of which you will be remembered.’ The female then agreed. When it was to lay eggs the male asked, ‘Where do you want to lay eggs?’ The female replied, ‘I do not know. Can I lay the eggs away from the road?’ The male said, ‘I am afraid of bypassers, however, I think you should lay eggs near the road and those who see you may think that you are picking grains from the road.’ The female agreed and laid the eggs; then sat on them to hatch until they were about to hatch that Solomon son of David (a.s.), with his army, while birds forming shadow on him, appeared. The female said, ‘This is Solomon coming to us with his army and I do not feel safe for my eggs being crushed under their feet.’ The male said, ‘Solomon is a kind man. Do you have anything which you may have saved for your baby larks when they are hatched to offer him as present?’ The female replied, ‘Yes, it is a locust that I had hidden from you for the baby larks when they are hatched; but do you have anything for a present?’ The male replied, ‘Yes, it is a date that I had hidden from you for the bay larks.’ The female said, ‘You take your date and I take my locust to present them to Solomon ‘Alayhi al-Salam, he is a man who loves presents. The male took the date in its beak and the female took the locust in its paws and appeared before Solomon. When he saw them he was on his throne. He extended his hands for them. The male sat on his right hand and the female on his left hand. He asked how they were doing and they informed him. He accepted their gift and asked his army to be careful about their eggs. He wiped their heads and prayed for them for blessing. The crest on their head is because of the wiping of Solomon (a.s.).’”