Summary:
One of many problems of modern life is social media, which is hard to avoid these days, as we are being told/shown mostly about that which does not concern us. Sometimes, it’s in the name of News, or a social media friend request, or coverage of a private story/tragedy of a poor soul, the list goes on. Hence, we become inquisitive about all that which concern us or not, and quite unknowingly slide into the grey areas, although our initial intention is innocent and merely based on curiosity. However, before we realise and try to quit, we are already in a regrettable situation – asking our Lord for forgiveness for wasting time on mostly that which is unholy and unrelated to us. Why don’t we stop? Imam-asws says in a Hadith, eyes are never satiated from looking.[1]
Amir Al-Momineen-asws says:
قال : وفي الحديث : إن لكل ملك حمى ، وحمى الله محارمه ، فمن رتع حول الحمى أوشك أن يقع فيه .
He said, that it is in a Hadith (of Amir ul-Momineen-asws):
‘Surely, for every king there is a territory, and the territory of Allah-azwj is His-azwj Prohibitions. Whoever, strolls around it or falls into doubt, will end up inside it’.[2]
Can we leave that aside which does not concern us? It is not easy as one question leads to another and to another, but we can learn from some Ahadith, what should we be learning and where the boundary of ‘Let go of what does not concern us’ comes. For example:
العياشي: عن يونس بن عبد الرحمن، أن داود قال: كنا عنده فأرعدت السماء، فقال هو: «سبحان من يسبح له الرعد بحمده و الملائكة من خيفته» فقال له أبو بصير: جعلت فداك، إن للرعد كلاما؟ فقال: «يا أبا محمد، سل عما يعنيك، و دع ما لا يعنيك».
Al-Ayyyashi, from Yunus Bin Abdul Rahman that Dawood said,
‘We were in his-asws (6th Imam-asws) presence, so the sky rumbled (with thunder). So he-asws said: ‘Glory be to the One for Whom [13:13] the thunder declares His Glory with His Praise, and the Angels too for awe of Him’.
So, Abu Baseer said to him-asws, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws! The thunder speaks?’ So he‑asws said: ‘O Abu Muhammad! Ask about what concerns you, and leave what does not concern you’.[3]
In another Hadith,
عن ابن مسكان، عمن رواه، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام)، في قول الله: وَ لَوْ لا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَتُهُ لَاتَّبَعْتُمُ الشَّيْطانَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا. فقال أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام): «إنك لتسأل عن كلام القدر، و ما هو من ديني و لا دين آبائي، و لا وجدت أحدا من أهل بيتي يقول به».
From Ibn Muskan, from the one who reported it,
From Abu Abdullah-asws regarding the Words of Allah-azwj: and had it not been for the Grace of Allah upon you and His Mercy, you would have followed the Satan except for a few [4:83]. So Abu Abdullah-asws said: ‘You ask about the speech of the Pre-determination, and it is neither from my-asws Religion, nor from the Religion of my-asws forefathers-asws, nor have I found anyone from the People-asws of my-asws Household speaking with it’’.[4]
Introduction:
Allah-azwj has Warned us from asking questions related to hidden matters and/or privacy, as one may find it embarrassing to find out the truth.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ وَإِنْ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْآنُ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ {101}
O you who believe! Do not ask about things, if it is declared to you it would offend you; and if you ask about it while the Quran is being Revealed, it would be manifested to you. Allah Pardons from it, and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing [5:101]
علي بن إبراهيم، قال: حدثني أبي، عن حنان بن سدير، عن أبيه عن أبي جعفر (عليه السلام): «أن صفية بنت عبد المطلب مات ابن لها فأقبلت، فقال لها عمر بن الخطاب: غطي قرطك، فإن قرابتك من رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله) لا تنفعك شيئا. فقالت له: و هل رأيت لي قرطا، يا بن اللخناء؟!
Ali Bin Ibrahim said, ‘My father narrated to me from Hanan Bin Sudeyr, from his father, from
Abu Ja’far-asws said: ‘The sons of Safiyya the daughter of Abdul Muttalib-as died, So Umar Bin Al-Khattab said to her, ‘Cover your earring, for your nearness (kinship) from Rasool-Allah-saww will not benefit you for anything’. So, she said to him, ‘Have you ever seen my earring O son of the vulgarities?’
ثم دخلت على رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله) فأخبرته بذلك، و بكت، فخرج رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله) فنادى: الصلاة جامعة، فاجتمع الناس فقال: ما بال أقوام يزعمون أن قرابتي لا تنفع؟! لو قد قمت المقام المحمود لشفعت في أحوجكم، لا يسألني اليوم أحد من أبوه إلا أخبرته.
Then she came up to Rasool-Allah-saww and informed him-saww of that, and cried. So Rasool-Allah-saww went out and called for the congregational Salat. So, the people gathered, and he‑saww said: ‘What is the matter with some people who are claiming that kinship to me-saww is not beneficial? When I-saww will stand at the Place of the Praised One-azwj (المقام المحمود) I-saww shall intercede among you in your dire need. No one would question me-saww about his father but I-saww shall inform him about it’.
فقام إليه رجل، فقال: من أبي يا رسول الله؟ فقال: أبوك غير الذي تدعى إليه، أبوك فلان بن فلان. فقام إليه رجل آخر فقال: من أبي يا رسول الله؟ فقال: أبوك الذي تدعى إليه.
So, a man stood up and said, ‘Who is my father, O Rasool-Allah-saww?’ So, he-saww said: ‘Your father is other than the one you are claiming it to be. Your father is so and so, the son of so and so’. So, another man stood up and said, ‘Who is my father, O Rasool-Allah-saww?’ So, he‑saww said: ‘Your father is the one who you are claiming it to be’.
ثم قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله): ما بال الذي يزعم أن قرابتي لا تنفع لا يسألني عن أبيه؟! فقام إليه عمر فقال: أعوذ بالله يا رسول الله من غضب الله و غضب رسوله، اعف عني، عفا الله عنك،
Then Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘What is the matter with the one who claimed that nearness of kinship to me-saww is not beneficial, that he is not asking about his father?’ So, Umar stood up and said, ‘I seek Refuge with Allah-azwj, O Rasool-Allah-saww, from the Wrath of Allah-azwj and His-azwj Rasool-saww. Forgive me, may Allah-azwj Forgive you-saww’.
فأنزل الله تعالى: يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَسْئَلُوا عَنْ أَشْياءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ إلى قوله ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا بِها كافِرِينَ».
Thus Allah-azwj Revealed O you who believe! Do not ask about things, if it is declared to you it would offend you [5:101] – up to His-azwj Words then they became Kafirs due to it [5:102]’.[5]
محمد بن يعقوب: عن علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس، عن حماد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي الجارود، قال: قال أبو جعفر (عليه السلام): «إذا حدثتكم بشيء فاسألوني عنه من كتاب الله» ثم قال في بعض حديثه: «إن رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله) نهى عن القيل، و القال، و فساد المال، و كثرة السؤال» فقيل له: يا بن رسول الله، أين هذا من كتاب الله؟
Muhammad Bin Yaqoub, from Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Yunus, from Hamaad, from Abdullah Bin Sinan, from Abu Al Jaroud who said,
‘Abu Ja’far-asws said: ‘When you come up across something new from the Book of Allah-azwj, so ask me-asws about it’. Then he-asws said in one of his-asws Hadeeth: ‘Rasool-Allah-saww had forbidden the gossip and the spoiling of the wealth, and the large number of questions’. So, it was said to him-asws, ‘O son-asws of Rasool-Allah-saww! Where is this from the Book of Allah‑azwj?’
قال: «إن الله عز و جل يقول: قال: يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَسْئَلُوا عَنْ أَشْياءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ».
He-asws said: ‘Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic is Saying O you who believe! Do not ask about things, if it is declared to you it would offend you [5:101]’.[6]
العياشي: عن أحمد بن محمد، قال: كتبت إلى أبي الحسن الرضا (عليه السلام)، و كتب في آخره: «أو لم تنتهوا عن كثرة المسائل فأبيتم أن تنتهوا، إياكم و ذاك، فإنما هلك من كان قبلكم بكثرة سؤالهم، فقال الله تبارك و تعالى: يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَسْئَلُوا عَنْ أَشْياءَ إلى قوله: كافِرِينَ».
Al-Ayyashi, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad who said,
‘I wrote to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Reza-asws, and he-asws wrote at the end of it, ‘Or will you not end from the numerous questions. But you refused from ending. Beware of that, for rather, destroyed were the ones before you due to the (high) frequency of their questions. Allah-azwj Blessed and Exalted Said: O you who believe! Do not ask about things, if it is declared to you it would offend you [5:101]’’.[7]
Additional Ahadith are included in Appendix:
To Whom Questions are to be Directed and how?
وَ قَالَ ع تَمَصُّونَ الرَّوَاضِعَ وَ تَدَعُونَ النَّهَرَ الْعَظِيمَ فَقِيلَ مَا تَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ
And he-asws said: ‘You are licking from the puddle and are leaving the mighty river!’ It was said, ‘What do you-asws mean by that?’
قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص عِلْمَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِأَسْرِهِ وَ عَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ مَا لَمْ يُعَلِّمْهُمْ فَأَسَرَّ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع قُلْتُ فَيَكُونُ عَلِيٌّ ع أَعْلَمَ مِنْ بَعْضِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ
He-asws said: ‘Allah-azwj Revealed to Rasool-Allah-saww Taught the Prophets-as His-azwj Secrets and Allah-azwj Taught him-saww what they-as did not know. He-saww divulged that, all of it to Amir Al-Momineen-asws’. I said, ‘So Ali-asws happened to be more knowledgeable than some of the Prophets-as’.
فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَفْتَحُ مَسَامِعَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ أَقُولُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص حَوَى عِلْمَ جَمِيعِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَ عَلَّمَهُ [اللَّهُ] مَا لَمْ يُعَلِّمْهُمْ وَ إِنَّهُ جَعَلَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ عِنْدَ عَلِيٍّ ع فَتَقُولُ عَلِيٌّ أَعْلَمُ مِنْ بَعْضِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ
Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic Opens the hearing of the ones He-azwj so Desires to. I-asws am saying that Rasool-Allah-saww contained the knowledge of entirety of the Prophets-as and Allah-azwj Taught him-saww what they did not know, and he-saww made all of that to be with Ali-asws, and you are saying Ali-asws is more knowledgeable than some of the Prophets-as?’
ثُمَّ تَلَا قَوْلَهُ تَعَالَى قالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتابِ ثُمَّ فَرَّقَ أَصَابِعَهُ وَ وَضَعَهَا عَلَى صَدْرِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ عِنْدَنَا وَ اللَّهِ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ كُلُّهُ.
Then he-asws recited Words of the Exalted: The one with whom was the knowledge from the Book [27:40], then separated between his-asws fingers and placed them upon his-asws chest, then said: ‘By Allah-azwj, and with us-asws is knowledge of the Book, all of it!’’[8]
– وَ قَدْ قَالَ الرَّسُولُ الصَّادِقُ ص إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْعَبْدَ وَ يُبْغِضُ عَمَلَهُ وَ يُحِبُّ الْعَمَلَ وَ يُبْغِضُ بَدَنَهُ وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ عَمَلٍ نبات [نَبَاتاً] وَ كُلُّ نَبَاتٍ لَا غِنَى بِهِ عَنِ الْمَاءِ وَ الْمِيَاهُ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ فَمَا طَابَ سَقْيُهُ طَابَ غَرْسُهُ وَ حَلَّتْ ثَمَرَتُهُ وَ مَا خَبُثَ سَقْيُهُ خَبُثَ غَرْسُهُ وَ أَمَرَّتْ ثَمَرَتُهُ.
And the truthful Rasool-saww has said: ‘Allah-azwj Loves the servant and Hates his actions, and Loves the actions and Hates his body; and know that for every action there is a plant, and for every plant is not needless from the water, and the waters are different. So whatever drinks good (water), its growth will be good, and its fruits will be sweet, and whatever drinks wicked (water), its growth would be wicked, and its fruits will be bitter’’.[9]
عنه، عن أبيه، عمن ذكره، عن أبي عبد الله (ع) في رسالة ” وأما ما سألت من القرآن فذلك أيضا من خطراتك المتفاوتة المختلفة، لان القرآن ليس على ما ذكرت، وكل ما سمعت فمعناه غير ما ذهبت إليه، وإنما القرآن أمثال لقوم يعلمون دون غيرهم، ولقوم يتلونه حق تلاوته، وهم الذين يؤمنون به ويعرفونه،
From him, from his father, from the one who mentioned it,
(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws in a letter, said: ‘And as for what you have asked from the Quran, so that as well is from your wavering, varying, different, because the Quran is not upon what you have mentioned. And everything is heard, its Meaning is other than what is followed. But rather, the Quran is for a people-asws who know it exclusive to others, and a people-asws who recite it as it is right to be recited, and they-asws are the ones who believe in it and understand it.
فأما غيرهم فما أشد إشكاله عليهم وأبعده من مذاهب قلوبهم، ولذلك قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ليس شئ بأبعد من قلوب الرجال من تفسير القرآن، وفي ذلك تحير الخلائق أجمعون إلا من شاء الله،
So, as for the others, so what is more intensely difficult for them and more remote from where their hearts are going? And it is due to that, Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘There is nothing more remote from the hearts of the men than the interpretation of the Quran’. And in that, is the confusion of all the people together, except for the one whom Allah‑azwj so Desires.
وإنما أراد الله بتعميته في ذلك أن ينتهوا إلى بابه وصراطه وأن يعبدوه وينتهوا في قوله إلى طاعة القوام بكتابه والناطقين عن أمره وأن يستنطقوا ما احتاجوا إليه من ذلك عنهم لا عن أنفسهم
But rather, Allah-azwj Intended to Encrypt regarding that, so that you would end up to His-azwj Door, and His-azwj Way, and if you worship Him-azwj, you will end up with regards to His-azwj Words, to the obedience to the people-asws by His-azwj Book, and the speakers from His-azwj Command, and that they-asws would be speaking what they are needy from that, from Him-azwj and not from themselves-asws.
ثم قال: ” ولو ردوه إلى الرسول وإلى أولى الامر منهم لعلمه الذين يستنبطونه منهم ” فأما غيرهم فليس يعلم ذلك أبدا ولا يوجد، وقد علمت أنه لا يستقيم أن يكون الخلق كلهم ولاة الامر إذ لا يجدون من يأتمرون عليه، ولا من يبلغونه أمر الله ونهيه، فجعل الله الولاة خواص ليقتدى بهم من لم يخصصهم بذلك فافهم ذلك إن شاء الله،
Then he said: ‘and if they had referred it to the Rasool and to the (Divine) Authority from them they would have known it, [4:83]. But, as for the others, so they will not know that nor find it, ever. And you should understand that it is not correct for all of the people to be ‘the (Divine) Authority’ (Wali Al-Amr), when they cannot find the one that can be obeyed, nor one to whom the Commands of Allah-azwj and His-azwj Prohibition have not reached. Thus, Allah-azwj has Made the authority special in order to Guide (people) by them-asws the ones who have not been specialised by that. So I-asws (hope) you will understand that, if Allah-azwj so Desires it.
وإياك وإياك وتلاوة القرآن برأيك، فان الناس غير مشتركين في علمه كاشتراكهم فيما سواه من الامور، ولا قادرين عليه ولا على تأويله إلا من حده وبابه الذي جعله الله له فافهم إن شاء الله
And beware, and beware of reciting the Quran by your opinion, for the people are not participants in His-azwj Knowledge like they are participants among themselves with regards to the matters, nor are they able to, over its explanation except from its Limit, and its Door which Allah-azwj has Made for it. So, I-asws (hope) you will understand that, if Allah-azwj so Desires it,
واطلب الامر من مكانه تجده إن شاء الله.
And seek the matter from its (rightful) place. You will find it, if Allah-azwj so Desires it’.[10]
محمد بن يعقوب: عن محمد بن الحسن و غيره، عن سهل، عن محمد بن عيسى، و محمد بن يحيى، و محمد بن الحسين، جميعا، عن محمد بن سنان، عن إسماعيل بن جابر، و عبد الكريم بن عمرو، عن عبد الحميد بن أبي الديلم، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام)، قال: «قال الله عز و جل: أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَ أَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَ أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ، و قال عز و جل: وَ لَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَ إِلى أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ، فرد الأمر، أمر الناس، إلى اولي الأمر منهم الذين أمر بطاعتهم و بالرد إليهم».
Muhammad Bin Yaqoub, from Muhammad Bin Al Hassan and someone else, from Sahl, from Muhammad Bin Isa, and Muhammad Bin Yahya, and Muhammad Bin Al Husayn, altogether, from Muhammad Bin Sinan, from Ismail Bin Jabir, and Abdul Kareem Bin Amro, from Abdul Hameed Bin Abu Al Daylam,
From Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic Said: Obey Allah and obey the Rasool and those with (Divine) Authority from you [4:59]; and Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic Said: and if they had referred it to the Rasool and to the (Divine) Authority from them [4:83]. Therefore, refer the matters, the matters of the people, to the (Divine) Authority from them, those whom you have been Commanded to obey them-asws and with the referring to them-asws’’.[11]
وعن علي بن إبراهيم ، عن هارون بن مسلم ، عن مسعدة بن صدقة ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) في حديث احتجاجه على الصوفية ، لما احتجوا عليه بآيات من القرآن في الإيثار والزهد ، قال : ألكم علم بناسخ القرآن و ومنسوخه ، ومحكمه و متشابهه ، الذي في مثله ضل من ضل ، وهلك من هلك من هذه الامة ؟ قالوا : أو بعضه ، فأما كله فلا ، فقال لهم : فمن ههنا اتيتم. وكذلك أحاديث رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) ـ إلى أن قال : ـ فبئس ما ذهبتم إليه ، وحملتم الناس عليه من الجهل بكتاب الله ، وسنة نبيه ( صلى الله عليه وآله) وأحاديثه التي يصدقها الكتاب المنزل ، وردكم إياها لجهالتكم ، وترككم النظر في غريب القرآن من التفسير ، ( والناسخ ، والمنسوخ ) ، والمحكم ، والمتشابه ، والأمر ، والنهي ، ـ إلى أن قال : ـ دعوا عنكم ما اشتبه عليكم ، مما لا علم لكم به ، وردوا العلم إلى أهله تؤجروا ، وتعذروا عند الله ، وكونوا في طلب ناسخ القرآن من منسوخه ، ومحكمه من متشابه ، وما أحل الله فيه مما حرم ، فانه أقرب لكم من الله ، وأبعد لكم من الجهل ، دعوا الجهالة لاهلها ، فان أهل الجهل كثير ، وأهل العلم قليل ، وقد قال الله : ( وفوق كل ذي علم عليم).
And from Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Haroun Bin Muslim, from Mas’adat Bin Sadaqat who narrates:
Abu Abdullah-asws in a Hadith argumentation on Sufiism in which it has been argued against him-asws by the Verse from the Quran regarding altruism and ascetism, said: ‘Do you have the knowledge of the Abrogating (Verses) of the Quran and its Abrogated ones, and the Decisive and the Allegorical, by the use of similar ones the straying ones go astray, and those who get destroyed from this community get destroyed?’
They said, ‘Some of it, but not all of it’. He-asws said to them: ‘It is all here that you will get it from, and that is the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah-saww’ – until he-asws said;
‘It is such an evil way that you are going on, and carrying the people with you on it due to your ignorance of the Book of Allah-azwj, and the Sunnah of His-saww Prophet-saww and his-saww Hadith which have been ratified by the Book that has been Sent down, and have rejected these due to your ignorance and avoided these by considering the strange interpretation of the Quran, the Abrogating, and the Abrogated, and the Decisive, and the Allegorical, and the Orders and the Prohibitions,’ until he-asws said:
‘Leave that which is ambiguous to you, and that which you have no knowledge of, and refer the knowledge to the knowledgeable ones-asws so you can be Rewarded, and present your apologies to Allah-azwj, and be the seekers of the Abrogating Ones of the Quran from its Abrogated, and the Decisive Ones from its Allegorical, and what Allah-azwj has Permitted in it and what He-azwj has Prohibited, for that will bring you closer to Allah-azwj and take you further away from ignorance. Leave the ignorance for the ignorant ones, for the people of ignorance are numerous, and the knowledgeable ones-asws are few, and that is what Allah-azwj has Said and above every one possessed of knowledge is the All-knowing one 12:76[12]
Conjectures Cause Disharmony among Believers:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ {12}
O you those who believe! Shun most of the conjectures. Surely, some of the conjectures are a sin, nor should you spy or backbite each other. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his own dead brother? But, you would abhor it. And fear Allah, surely Allah is Oft-returning, Merciful [49:12]
ثم قال الكليني: عنه، عن أبيه، عمن حدثه، عن الحسين بن المختار، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام)، قال: «قال أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) في كلام له: ضع أمر أخيك على أحسنه حتى يأتيك ما يقلبك، و لا تظنن بكلمة خرجت من أخيك سوءا و أنت تجد لها في الخير محملا».
The Al-Kulayni said, ‘From his father, from the one who narrated to him, from Al-Husayn Bin Al-Mukhtar,
‘Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘Amir-al-Momineen-asws said in a speech of his-asws: Place the affairs of your brother upon the best (interpretation) until there comes to you (evidence) which overturns it, and do not act upon conjecture of a word which has come out from your brother except that you find for it in goodness’.[13]
عن عبد الله بن جندب، قال: كتب إلي أبو الحسن الرضا (عليه السلام) «ذكرت- رحمك الله- هؤلاء القوم الذين وصفت أنهم كانوا بالأمس لكم إخوانا، و الذي صاروا إليه من الخلاف لكم، و العداوة لكم و البراءة منكم، و الذي تأفكوا به من حياة أبي (صلوات الله عليه و رحمته)».
From Abdullah Bin Jundab who said,
‘Abu Al-Hassan Al-Reza-asws wrote to me: ‘You mentioned, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on you – these people, those whom you described that they used to be your brothers yesterday, and those who come to be adversaries to you, and have the enmity for you all and the disavowing from you, and those who spread lies from the life-time of my‑asws father-asws’.
و ذكر في آخر الكتاب: «أن هؤلاء القوم سنح لهم شيطان اغترهم بالشبهة، و لبس عليهم أمر دينهم، و ذلك لما ظهرت فريتهم، و اتفقت كلمتهم، و كذبوا على عالمهم، و أرادوا الهدى من تلقاء أنفسهم، فقالوا: لم و من و كيف؟
And he-asws mentioned at the end of the letter: ‘They are the people to whom the Satan deluded with the uncertainties and clothed them with the matters of their Religion, and that is due to what their forgeries were manifested and they formed a consensus on their speech, and they lied upon their scholars, and they intended the guidance from their own selves, so they said, ‘Why, and who, and how?’
فأتاهم الهلاك من مأمن احتياطهم، و ذلك بما كسبت أيديهم، وَ ما رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ و لم يكن ذلك لهم و لا عليهم، بل كان الفرض عليهم و الواجب لهم من ذلك الوقوف عند التحير، و رد ما جهلوه من ذلك إلى عالمه و مستنبطه، لأن الله يقول في محكم كتابه: وَ لَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَ إِلى أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ يعني آل محمد، و هم الذين يستنبطون من القرآن، و يعرفون الحلال و الحرام، و هم الحجة لله على خلقه».
So the destruction came to them from the safety of their precautions, and that was due to what their hands had earned, and your Lord is not in the least unjust to the servants [41:47]. And that neither happened to be for them nor against them, but it was an Imposition upon them and the Obligation for them from that pausing during the confusion, and referring what they were ignorant of from that to its knowing one and its extracting one, because Allah-azwj is Saying in the Decisive of His-azwj Book: and if they had referred it to the Rasool and to the (Divine) Authority from them they would have known it, those who can extract it [4:83] – Meaning the Progeny-asws of Muhammad-saww, and they-asws are those who should be extracting from the Quran, and they-asws are recognising the Permissible and the Prohibitions, and they-asws are the (Divine) Authorities of Allah-azwj upon His-azwj creatures’’.[14]
فِي عُيُونِ الْأَخْبَارِ فِي بَابِ الْعِلَلِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ شَاذَانَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهَا مِنَ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ مَرَّةً بَعْدَ مَرَّةٍ وَ شَيْئاً بَعْدَ شَيْءٍ، فَإِنْ قَالَ فَلِمَ جُعِلَ أُولِي الْأَمْرِ وَ أُمِرَ بِطَاعَتِهِمْ؟
In Uyoon Al-Akhbaar in the chapter on the reasons which mention Al-Fazl Bin Shazaan that he heard it from Al-Reza-asws, time after time, and thing after thing: ‘So if he says, ‘Why did He-azwj Make the ones-asws with Divine Authority and Commanded with their‑asws obedience?’
قِيلَ: لِعِلَلٍ كَثِيرَةٍ مِنْهَا أَنَّ الْخَلْقَ لَمَّا وَقَفُوا عَلَى حَدٍّ مَحْدُودٍ وَ أُمِرُوا أَلَّا يَتَعَدَّوْا ذَلِكَ الْحَدَّ لِمَا فِيهِ مِنْ فَسَادِهِمْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَثْبُتُ ذَلِكَ، وَ لَا يَقُومُ إِلَّا بِأَنْ يَجْعَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهِ أَمِيناً يَمْنَعُهُمْ مِنَ التَّعَدِّي وَ الدُّخُولِ فِيمَا حَظَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَ لَكَانَ أَحَدٌ لَا يَتْرُكُ لَذَّتَهُ وَ مَنْفَعَتَهُ لِفَسَادِ غَيْرِهِ،
Say, ‘Due to a lot of reasons. From it is that the people, when they pause upon a limited limit and they have been Commanded that they should not be exceeding that limit due to what is therein from their corruption, they would not happen to be affirmed on that, nor would they be straight except if He-azwj Makes security to be upon them in it preventing them from the excess and the entering in what is a danger upon them, because if that did not happen to be like that, it would be so that no one would leave its pleasure and its benefit to spoil others.
فَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِيمَا يَمْنَعُهُمْ مِنَ الْفَسَادِ، وَ يُقِيمُ فِيهِمُ الْحُدُودَ وَ الْأَحْكَامَ وَ مِنْهَا أَنَّا لَا نَجِدُ فِرْقَةً مِنَ الْفِرَقِ وَ لَا مِلَّةً مِنَ الْمِلَلِ بَقُوا وَ عَاشُوا الّا بِقَيِّمٍ وَ رَئِيسٍ لِمَا لَا بُدَّ لَهُمْ مِنْهُ فِي امْرِ الدِّينِ،
So He-azwj Made upon them in what would prevent them from the corruption and establish the legal penalties among them, and the regulations, and from these we cannot find a group from (all) the groups, nor a nation from the nations remaining and living except by a caretaker and a head (president). It is inevitable for them from it in the matter of the Religion.
فَلَمْ يَجُزْ فِي حُكْمِ الْحَكِيمِ أَنْ يَتْرُكَ الْخَلْقَ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ لَهُمْ مِنْهُ وَ لَا قِوَامَ إِلَّا بِهِ، فَيُقَاتِلُونَ فِيهِ عَدُوَّهُمْ وَ يُقَسِّمُونَ بِهِ فَيْئَهُمْ، وَ يُقِيمُ لَهُمْ جُمُعَتَهُمْ وَ جَمَاعَتَهُمْ، وَ يَمْنَعُ ظَالِمَهُمْ مِنْ مَظْلُومِهِمْ.
So it is not allowed in a Judgment of the Judge that He-azwj would leave the people from what He-azwj Knows that it is a must for them from it, and they would not be straight except by it. So they would be fighting their enemies in it, and they would be distributing their war booties by it, and he-asws would establish their gathering and their groups for them, and he-asws would prevent their unjust ones from oppressing them.
وَ مِنْهَا أَنَّهُ لَوْ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُمْ إِمَاماً قَيِّماً أَمِيناً حَافِظاً مُسْتَوْدَعاً لَدَرَسَتِ الْمِلَّةُ وَ ذَهَبَ الدِّينُ وَ غُيِّرَتِ السُّنَّةُ وَ الْأَحْكَامُ، وَ لَزَادَ فِيهِ الْمُبْتَدِعُونَ وَ نَقَصَ مِنْهُ الْمُلْحِدُونَ، وَ شَبَّهُوا عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ
And from it is that if He-azwj had not Made an Imam-asws to be for them as a caretaker, a securer, a protector, a repository of the classes of the nation, the Religion would vanish, and the Sunnah and the ordinances would be changed, and there would be an increase in it of the innovators, and the atheists would reduce from it, and they would be casting doubt upon the Muslims.
لِأَنَّا قَدْ وَجَدْنَا الْخَلْقَ مَنْقُوصِينَ مُحْتَاجِينَ غَيْرَ كَامِلِينَ، مَعَ اخْتِلَافِهِمْ وَ اخْتِلَافِ أَهْوَائِهِمْ وَ تَشَتُّتِ أَنْحَائِهِمْ، فَلَوْ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُمْ قَيِّماً حَافِظاً لَمَا جَاءَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ لَفَسَدُوا عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا بَيَّنَّا وَ غُيِّرَتِ الشَّرَائِعُ وَ السُّنَنُ وَ الْأَحْكَامُ وَ الْإِيمَانُ وَ كَانَ فِي ذَلِكَ فَسَادُ الْخَلْقِ أَجْمَعِينَ.
(This is) because we-asws have found the people as deficient, needy, without perfection, along with their differing and their different whims and their directions scattered. So if a caretaker was not Made to be for them, protecting what the Rasool-saww came with, they would have corrupted what is clear and changed the Laws and the Sunnah and the ordinances and the Eman, and there would be in that, corruption of the people altogether.[15]
Discussing/reporting a believer in his Absence:
Backbiting is not slandering (accusing that would be Bohtan) but passing on or discussing someone’s slip-ups or guessing someone conduct/behaviour in his/her absence.
في جوامع الجامع وروى ان ابا بكر وعمر بعثا سلمان إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ليأتي بهما بطعام، فبعثه إلى أسامة بن زيد وكان خازن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله على رحله فقال: ما عندي شيئ، فعاد اليهما فقالا: بخل أسامة ولو بعثنا سلمان إلى بئر سميحة لغار ماؤها،
In Jawame Al-Jamea –
‘It has been reported that Abu Bakr and Umar sent Salman-ra to Rasool-Allah-saww to bring some food for the two of them. So he-saww sent him-ra to Asama Bin Zayd who was a treasurer of Rasool-Allah-saww on his-saww journey. But he said, ‘There is nothing with me’. So hear returned to the two of them, and they said, ‘Asama is stingy. Had we sent Salman-ra to the well of Sameehat, it would have given its water’.
ثم انطلقا إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فقال لهما: مالى أرى خضرة اللحم في أفواهكما ؟ قالا: يا رسول الله ما تناولنا اليوم لحما، قال ظلتم تأكلون لحم سلمان واسامة فنزلت.
Then they went to Rasool-Allah-saww who-saww said to the two of them: ‘What is it that makes me-saww see the greenery of meat in the mouths of the two of you?’ They said, ‘O Rasool-Allah-saww! We have not had any meat today’. He-saww said: ‘You have been eating the flesh of Salman-ra and Asama’. It (Verse 49:12) was Revealed’.[16]
قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ اتَّقُوا الْمُحَرَّمَاتِ كُلَّهَا- وَ اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ غِيبَتَكُمْ لِأَخِيكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنِ- مِنْ شِيعَةِ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ أَعْظَمُ فِي التَّحْرِيمِ مِنَ الْمَيْتَةِ- قَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ وَ عَلَا: «وَ لا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً- أَ يُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتاً فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ»
Ali-asws Bin Al-Husayn-asws said: ‘Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘O servants of Allah-azwj! Fear the Prohibitions, all of them – and know that your backbiting of your Momin brother from the Shias of the Progeny-asws of Muhammad-saww – is greater Prohibition than (eating) the dead. Allah-azwj Majestic and Exalted Said: or backbite each other. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his own dead brother? But, you would abhor it [49:12].
وَ إِنَّ الدَّمَ أَخَفُّ عَلَيْكُمْ- فِي تَحْرِيمِ أَكْلِهِ- مِنْ أَنْ يَشِيَ أَحَدُكُمْ بِأَخِيهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ شِيعَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص إِلَى سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ، فَإِنَّهُ حِينَئِذٍ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ نَفْسَهُ وَ أَخَاهُ الْمُؤْمِنَ وَ السُّلْطَانَ الَّذِي وَشَي بِهِ إِلَيْهِ.
And that the (drinking of the) blood is lighter upon you – regarding the Prohibition of consuming it – that if one of you informs of his Momin brother from Shias of Muhammad-saww to a tyrannous ruling authority, for he would have destroyed himself, and his Momin brother, and the ruling authority to whom he informed of him to him.
وَ إِنَّ لَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيرِ أَخَفُّ تَحْرِيماً- مِنْ تَعْظِيمِكُمْ مَنْ صَغَّرَهُ اللَّهُ، وَ تَسْمِيَتِكُمْ بِأَسْمَائِنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ، وَ تَلَقُّبِكُمْ بِأَلْقَابِنَا مَنْ سَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ بِأَسْمَاءِ الْفَاسِقِينَ، وَ لَقَّبَهُ بِأَلْقَابِ الْفَاجِرِينَ
And that the flesh of the swine is lighter in Prohibition than your revering of the one whom Allah-azwj Belittled, and your naming him with our-asws names (titles) of the People-asws of the Household, and your teknonyming him with our-asws teknonyms to the one whom Allah-azwj Named with the names of the mischief-makers, and Teknonymed him with the teknonyms of the evil doers.
وَ إِنَّ مَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ أَخَفُّ تَحْرِيماً عَلَيْكُمْ- مِنْ أَنْ تَعْقِدُوا نِكَاحاً أَوْ صَلَاةَ جَمَاعَةٍ بِأَسْمَاءِ أَعْدَائِنَا الْغَاصِبِينَ لِحُقُوقِنَا- إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْهُمْ تَقِيَّةٌ،
And that (consuming) whatever has been sacrificed for other than Allah-azwj is lighter in Prohibition upon you than if you were to tie a knot of marriage or a congregational Salat with the names of our-asws enemies, the usurpers of our-asws rights – when there does not happen to be Taqiyya upon you, from them.[17]
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ مُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) مَنْ رَوَى عَلَى مُؤْمِنٍ رِوَايَةً يُرِيدُ بِهَا شَيْنَهُ وَ هَدْمَ مُرُوءَتِهِ لِيَسْقُطَ مِنْ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ أَخْرَجَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ وَلَايَتِهِ إِلَى وَلَايَةِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَلَا يَقْبَلُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ .
Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, from Muhammad Bin Sinan, from Mufazzal Bin Umar who said,
‘Abu Abdullah-asws said to me: ‘The one who reports upon a Momin with a report intending to defame him with it and demolish his personality to drop him from the eyes of the people, Allah-azwj would Exit him from His-azwj Wilayah to the wilayah of the Satan-la, but the Satan-la will not accept him’.[18]
The snooping/spying
محمد بن يحيى، عن محمدبن أحمد، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يوسف بن عقيل عن محمد بن قيس، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: محرمة الجنه على القتاتين المشائين بالنميمة.
Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Muhammad Bin Ahmad, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Yusuf Bin Aqeel, from Muhammad Bin Qays,
‘Abu Ja’far-asws has said: ‘The Paradise is Prohibited unto the spies and the gossipers’.[19]
يُونُسُ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) يَقُولُ يُحْشَرُ الْعَبْدُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ مَا نَدِيَ دَماً فَيُدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ شِبْهُ الْمِحْجَمَةِ أَوْ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ هَذَا سَهْمُكَ مِنْ دَمِ فُلَانٍ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ قَبَضْتَنِي وَ مَا سَفَكْتُ دَماً فَيَقُولُ بَلَى سَمِعْتَ مِنْ فُلَانٍ رِوَايَةَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا فَرَوَيْتَهَا عَلَيْهِ فَنُقِلَتْ حَتَّى صَارَتْ إِلَى فُلَانٍ الْجَبَّارِ فَقَتَلَهُ عَلَيْهَا وَ هَذَا سَهْمُكَ مِنْ دَمِهِ .
Yunus, from Al A’ala, from Muhammad Bin Muslim who said,
‘I heard Abu Ja’far-asws saying: ‘The servant will be Resurrected on the Day of Judgment moistened in blood, so there would be handed over to him something resembling the cupping or more than that, and it would be said to him, ‘This is your share from the blood of so and so’. So he would be saying, ‘O Lord-azwj! You-azwj Know that you-azwj Caused me to die and I had not spilt any blood!’ So He-azwj would be Saying: “Yes. You heard a report from so and so of such and such, for you reported upon it, and it got transmitted until it came to be to so and so tyrant, and he was killed upon it, and this is your share from his blood’.[20]
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ يَقْتُلُونَ الْأَنْبِياءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ فَقَالَ أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا قَتَلُوهُمْ بِأَسْيَافِهِمْ وَ لَكِنْ أَذَاعُوا سِرَّهُمْ وَ أَفْشَوْا عَلَيْهِمْ فَقُتِلُوا .
A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Abu Abdullah, from Usman Bin Isa, from Sama’at, from Abu Baseer,
(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws regarding the Words of Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic [2:61] and killed the Prophets unjustly. So he-asws said: ‘But, by Allah-azwj, they did not kill them-as by their swords, but they publicised their-as secrets and exposed upon them-as, so they (enemies of Allah-azwj) killed them-as’.[21]
عَنْهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ عَوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ حَرَامٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ تَعْنِي سُفْلَيْهِ قَالَ لَيْسَ حَيْثُ تَذْهَبُ إِنَّمَا هِيَ إِذَاعَةُ سِرِّهِ .
From him, from Ahmad, from Al Hassan Bin Mahboub, from Abdullah Bin Sinan who said,
‘I said to him-asws, ‘The nakedness of the Momin is Prohibited upon the Momin?’ He-asws said: ‘Yes’. I said, ‘You-asws mean his lower part?’ He-asws said: ‘It is not where you are going with it. But rather it is the broadcasting of his secrets’.[22]
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ مُخْتَارٍ عَنْ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) فِيمَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ عَوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ حَرَامٌ قَالَ مَا هُوَ أَنْ يَنْكَشِفَ فَتَرَى مِنْهُ شَيْئاً إِنَّمَا هُوَ أَنْ تَرْوِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ تَعِيبَهُ .
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Yunus, from Al Husayn Bin Mukhtar, from Zayd,
(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws regarding what came in the Hadeeth that the nakedness of the Momin is Prohibited upon the Momin, he-asws said: ‘It is not that (by which) he uncovers him so he sees something. But rather, it is his reporting against him or faulting him’.[23]
Supplication of Imam-asws to Allah-azwj against Hostile ones:
اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ كَادَنِي فَكِدْهُ وَ مَنْ أَرَادَنِي فَأَرِدْهُ وَ فُلَّ عَنِّي حَدَّ مَنْ نَصَبَ لِي حَدَّهُ وَ أَطْفِ عَنِّي نَارَ مَنْ شَبَّ لِي وَقُودَهُ وَ اكْفِنِي مَكْرَ الْمَكَرَةِ وَ افْقَأْ عَنِّي عُيُونَ الْكَفَرَةِ وَ اكْفِنِي هَمَّ مَنْ أَدْخَلَ عَلَيَّ هَمَّهُ وَ ادْفَعْ عَنِّي شَرَّ الْحَسَدَةِ وَ اعْصِمْنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِالسَّكِينَةِ وَ أَلْبِسْنِي دِرْعَكَ الْحَصِينَةَ وَ اخْبَأْنِي فِي سِتْرِكَ الْوَاقِي وَ أَصْلِحْ لِي حَالِي وَ صَدِّقْ قَوْلِي بِفَعَالِي وَ بَارِكْ لِي فِي أَهْلِي وَ مَالِي .
O Allah-azwj! The one who plots against me-asws, Plan against him, and the one intends (to harm) me-asws, so Harm him, and Neutralise from me a limit from the one who establishes a limitation to me-asws, and Extinguish from me-asws the fire of the one who lights it to me and fuels it; and Suffice me for the plots of the plotters, and Divert from me-asws the spying eyes of the disbelievers, and Suffice me-asws for the worries of the one who enters the worries upon me‑asws, and Repel from me-asws the evil of the envy and Rescue me-asws from that with the tranquillity, and Clothe me-asws with Your-azwj Fortified Shield, and Hide me-asws in Your-azwj Defensive Veil, and Correct my-asws situation for me-asws, and Verify my-asws words with my-asws deeds, and Bless for me-asws in my-asws family and my-asws wealth’’. (An extract)[24]
APPENDIX: Additional Ahadith on enquiring unconcerned issues
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَنَانِ بْنِ سَدِيرٍ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ حَنَانِ بْنِ سَدِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عليه السلام) عَنْهُمَا فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا الْفَضْلِ مَا تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُمَا فَوَ اللَّهِ مَا مَاتَ مِنَّا مَيِّتٌ قَطُّ إِلَّا سَاخِطاً عَلَيْهِمَا وَ مَا مِنَّا الْيَوْمَ إِلَّا سَاخِطاً عَلَيْهِمَا يُوصِي بِذَلِكَ الْكَبِيرُ مِنَّا الصَّغِيرَ إِنَّهُمَا ظَلَمَانَا حَقَّنَا وَ مَنَعَانَا فَيْئَنَا وَ كَانَا أَوَّلَ مَنْ رَكِبَ أَعْنَاقَنَا وَ بَثَقَا عَلَيْنَا بَثْقاً فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَا يُسْكَرُ أَبَداً حَتَّى يَقُومَ قَائِمُنَا أَوْ يَتَكَلَّمَ مُتَكَلِّمُنَا
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from hanaan Bin Sudeyr, and Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Hanaan Bin Sudeyr, from his father who said:
I asked Abu Ja’far-asws about the two, so he-asws said: ‘O Abu Al-Fazl, don’t ask me about these two, for by Allah-azwj, no one from among us-asws passes away at all except being angry against these two, and there is none from us-asws today except that he-asws is angry at them. The old ones bequeath it to the young ones from us-asws. These two have been unjust to us-asws for our-asws rights, and prevented us-asws from our-asws Fey (Spoils of War – Khums), and first one rode upon our-asws necks, and caused damage to us-asws with a damage in Al-Islam which can never be repaired ever until our-asws Qaim-asws makes a stand and speaks our-asws speech’.
ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ لَوْ قَدْ قَامَ قَائِمُنَا أَوْ تَكَلَّمَ مُتَكَلِّمُنَا لَأَبْدَى مِنْ أُمُورِهِمَا مَا كَانَ يُكْتَمُ وَ لَكَتَمَ مِنْ أُمُورِهِمَا مَا كَانَ يُظْهَرُ وَ اللَّهِ مَا أُسِّسَتْ مِنْ بَلِيَّةٍ وَ لَا قَضِيَّةٍ تَجْرِي عَلَيْنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِلَّا هُمَا أَسَّسَا أَوَّلَهَا فَعَلَيْهِمَا لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَ النَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ.
Then he-asws said; ‘But, by Allah-azwj, when our-asws Qaim-asws makes a stand, or speaks our-asws speech, he-asws will expose the matters of these two of what they had concealed, and conceal from their matters what they used to make apparent. By Allah-azwj, nothing has afflicted us‑asws from the afflictions, and what has passed of the difficulties against us-asws, the People-asws of the Household, except that these two laid the foundations of it at first place, so against these two are the Curses of Allah-azwj, and the Angels, and the people altogether’.[25]
الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْخَيْرَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَانَ يَلْزَمُ بَابَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) لِلْخِدْمَةِ الَّتِي كَانَ وُكِّلَ بِهَا وَ كَانَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى يَجِيءُ فِي السَّحَرِ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ لِيَعْرِفَ خَبَرَ عِلَّةِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) وَ كَانَ الرَّسُولُ الَّذِي يَخْتَلِفُ بَيْنَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) وَ بَيْنَ أَبِي إِذَا حَضَرَ قَامَ أَحْمَدُ وَ خَلَا بِهِ أَبِي
Al Husayn Bin Muhammad, from Al Kahyrani, from his father, said,
‘He (my father) had necessitated the door of Abu Ja’far-asws for the service (as a doorman) which he-asws had allocated with, and it was so that Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa used to come during the dawn of every night in order to know the news of the illness of Abu Ja’far‑asws (9th Imam-asws) and there was the messenger who used to come and go between Abu Ja’far‑asws and my father. Whenever he (the messenger) was present, Ahmad would arise and my father would be alone with him (the messenger).
فَخَرَجْتُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَ قَامَ أَحْمَدُ عَنِ الْمَجْلِسِ وَ خَلَا أَبِي بِالرَّسُولِ وَ اسْتَدَارَ أَحْمَدُ فَوَقَفَ حَيْثُ يَسْمَعُ الْكَلَامَ فَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ لِأَبِي إِنَّ مَوْلَاكَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ السَّلَامَ وَ يَقُولُ لَكَ إِنِّي مَاضٍ وَ الْأَمْرُ صَائِرٌ إِلَى ابْنِي عَلِيٍّ وَ لَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْدِي مَا كَانَ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْدَ أَبِي
So I went out one night and Ahmad stood from the gathering and my father was alone with the messenger, and Ahmad was circling around. So he paused, when he heard the speech, and the messenger said to my father, ‘Your Master-asws conveys the greetings upon you and is saying to you: ‘I-asws am going to pass away and the command (Imamate) is going to (be with) my-asws son-asws Ali-asws, and for him-asws upon you all, after me-asws would be what is for me-asws upon you after my-asws father-asws’.
ثُمَّ مَضَى الرَّسُولُ وَ رَجَعَ أَحْمَدُ إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِ وَ قَالَ لِأَبِي مَا الَّذِي قَدْ قَالَ لَكَ قَالَ خَيْراً قَالَ قَدْ سَمِعْتُ مَا قَالَ فَلِمَ تَكْتُمُهُ وَ أَعَادَ مَا سَمِعَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبِي قَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مَا فَعَلْتَ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ وَ لا تَجَسَّسُوا فَاحْفَظِ الشَّهَادَةَ لَعَلَّنَا نَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهَا يَوْماً مَا وَ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُظْهِرَهَا إِلَى وَقْتِهَا
Then the messenger went away and Ahmad returned to his place and said to my father, ‘What is that which he had said to you?’ He said, ‘Good’. He said, ‘I have heard what he said, therefore do not conceal it’, and he repeated what he had heard. So my father said to him, ‘Allah-azwj has Prohibited upon you what you did because Allah-azwj the Exalted is Saying [49:12] and do not spy, therefore preserve the testimony for perhaps we would be needy to it one day and beware of manifesting it before its time’.
فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ أَبِي كَتَبَ نُسْخَةَ الرِّسَالَةِ فِي عَشْرِ رِقَاعٍ وَ خَتَمَهَا وَ دَفَعَهَا إِلَى عَشْرَةٍ مِنْ وُجُوهِ الْعِصَابَةِ وَ قَالَ إِنْ حَدَثَ بِي حَدَثُ الْمَوْتِ قَبْلَ أَنْ أُطَالِبَكُمْ بِهَا فَافْتَحُوهَا وَ أَعْلِمُوا بِمَا فِيهَا
So when it was morning, my father copied the message in ten papers and sealed these and handed these over to ten from the clan and said, ‘If there occurs with me an occurrence of death before I seek these from you all, so open these and get to know with whatever is in it’.
فَلَمَّا مَضَى أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) ذَكَرَ أَبِي أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ حَتَّى قَطَعَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ نَحْوٌ مِنْ أَرْبَعِمِائَةِ إِنْسَانٍ وَ اجْتَمَعَ رُؤَسَاءُ الْعِصَابَةِ عِنْدَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفَرَجِ يَتَفَاوَضُونَ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ فَكَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَرَجِ إِلَى أَبِي يُعْلِمُهُ بِاجْتِمَاعِهِمْ عِنْدَهُ وَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ لَا مَخَافَةُ الشُّهْرَةِ لَصَارَ مَعَهُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَ يَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُ
So when Abu Ja’far-asws passed away, my father mentioned that he would not come out from his house until about four hundred persons had cut off (from others) upon his hands, and he gathered the chiefs of the community in the presence of Muhammad Bin Al-Faraj negotiating this matter. So Muhammad Bin Al-Faraj wrote to my father letting him know of their gathering in his presence, and that he, if he does not fear the publicity, should come to be with them, and he asked him to come over.
فَرَكِبَ أَبِي وَ صَارَ إِلَيْهِ فَوَجَدَ الْقَوْمَ مُجْتَمِعِينَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالُوا لِأَبِي مَا تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ فَقَالَ أَبِي لِمَنْ عِنْدَهُ الرِّقَاعُ أَحْضِرُوا الرِّقَاعَ فَأَحْضَرُوهَا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ هَذَا مَا أُمِرْتُ بِهِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ قَدْ كُنَّا نُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَكَ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ شَاهِدٌ آخَرُ
So my father rode and went over to him and he found the people have had gathered with him. So they said to my father, ‘What are you saying regarding this matter?’ So my father said, ‘To the one with whom there is a parchment, should display the parchment’. So they displayed these, and he said to them, ‘This is what I had been ordered with’. So some of them said, ‘We would have loved it if there had been other witnesses with you regarding this matter’.
فَقَالَ لَهُمْ قَدْ أَتَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ هَذَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ يَشْهَدُ لِي بِسَمَاعِ هَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَ سَأَلَهُ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ بِمَا عِنْدَهُ فَأَنْكَرَ أَحْمَدُ أَنْ يَكُونَ سَمِعَ مِنْ هَذَا شَيْئاً فَدَعَاهُ أَبِي إِلَى الْمُبَاهَلَةِ
So he said to them, ‘Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic has Already Come with it. This is Abu Ja’far Al-Ashary. He would testify for me that he heard this message, and ask him that he should testify with whatever is with him’. But, Ahmad denied that he had been hearing anything from this. So my father called him to the imprecation (Mubahila).
فَقَالَ لَمَّا حَقَّقَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ قَدْ سَمِعْتُ ذَلِكَ وَ هَذَا مَكْرُمَةٌ كُنْتُ أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَكُونَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْعَرَبُ لَا لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْعَجَمِ فَلَمْ يَبْرَحِ الْقَوْمُ حَتَّى قَالُوا بِالْحَقِّ جَمِيعاً .
So he (the narrator) said, ‘When it was proven against him, he said, ‘I had heard that and this is a prestige. I had liked it that it would happen to be from a man from the Arabs, not to a man from the non-Arabs’. (Al-Khayrani was a non-Arab). So the people did not depart until they had spoken with the truth, altogether’.[26]
[1] ابن الوليد، عن الصفار، عن جعفر بن محمد بن عبيد الله، عن القداح، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام) قال: أربعة لا يشبعن من أربعة: الارض من المطر، والعين من النظر، والانثى من الذكر، والعالم من العلم.
Ibn Al Waleed, from Al Saffar, from Ja’far Bin Muhammad Bin Ubeydullah, from Al-Qadah,
‘From Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘Four are never satiated: the ground from the rain, and the eyes from the looking, and the wife from (attention of) the husband, and the scholar from the knowledge’’.[1]
[2] H.33507, وسائل الشيعة، ج27، ص: 167
[3] تفسير العياشي 2: 207/ 22.
[4] تفسير العيّاشي 1: 261/ 210.
[5] تفسير القمّي 1: 188
[6] الكافي 1: 48/ 5. (Extract)
[7] تفسير العيّاشي 1: 346/ 212
[8] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 40, The book of History – Amir Al Momineen–asws, Ch 95 H 12
[9] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 90 H 17 d
[10] Al Mahaasin – V 1 Bk 5 H 356
[11] الكافي 1: 234/ 3.
[12] Al-Kafi Vol. 8, H. 33554
[13] الكافي 2: 269/ 3
[14] تفسير العيّاشي 1: 260/ 206.
[15] تفسير نور الثقلين، ج1، ص: 498 – H 329
[16] Tafseer Noor Al Saqalayn – CH 49 H 80
[17] Tafseer Imam Hassan Al Askari-asws – S 350
[18] Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 149 H 1
[19] Al Kafi – H 2790
[20] Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 160 H 5
[21] Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 160 H 7
[22] Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 149 H 2
[23] Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 149 H 3
[24] Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Supplication CH 53 H 13
[25] Al-Kafi, Vol. 8, H. 14788
[26] Al Kafi V 1 – The Book Of Divine Authority CH 74 H 2