AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Allah had dilated the
chest of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) for receiving knowledge and expanded his
heart for sciences. Secrets of facts and intricacies of things were
uncovered for him without any request or effort. People spoke about the
vast knowledge he had, with none equal to him in his amazing, scientific
treasures, covering all sciences of Hadith, jurisprudence, philosophy,
theology, and other branches of knowledge.
Scholars and
jurisprudents often referred to his opinions in complicated and
mysterious questions on the verdicts of the Islamic Sharia.
Al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid caliph, who was the bitterest enemy of Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) and of his fathers, referred to the opinion of Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) in the questions which the ulama’ of his age disagreed
on, and he preferred the opinion of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) to the opinions
of the rest of ulama’. We shall discuss this point in the coming
chapters.
Anyhow, we shall talk in brief about the knowledge
and sciences transmitted from him and his maxims and literatures that
dealt with different educational and social matters.
Traditions (Hadith)
The traditions transmitted from the Prophet (S) and the infallible
Imams of his progeny were not limited to legal verdicts and religious
questions, but they included all aspects of life. They had established
the bases of morals, disciplines, good behaviors, and other intellectual
and social issues.
Many traditions were transmitted from Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) - some of them were narrated from the Prophet (S), and
some were narrated from his infallible fathers (a.s.).
His traditions from the Prophet (S)
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated a group of traditions from his fathers who
narrated them one by one from the Prophet (S). Here are some of them:
1. Al-Mas’oudi said, “Muhammad bin al-Faraj told me in Jirjan…that Abu
Du’amah said, ‘I visited Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa during his
illness that led to his death and when I wanted to leave, he said to me,
‘O Abu Du’amah, you have a right on me. Shall I tell you a tradition
that shall delight you?’ I said to him, ‘I am in utmost need of that O
son of the messenger of Allah.’
He said, ‘My father Muhammad
bin Ali told me from his father Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far from his father
Ja’far bin Muhammad from Muhammad bin Ali from Ali bin al-Husayn from
al-Husayn bin Ali from his father Ali bin Abu Talib that the messenger
of Allah (SwT) said to him, ‘Write down!’ Ali said, ‘What shall I write
down?’ The messenger of Allah (SwT) said, ‘Write down: “In the name of
Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Faith is that which hearts
acknowledge and deeds prove, and Islam is that which tongues witness and
marriage becomes lawful with.’
Abu Du’amah said, ‘O son of the
messenger of Allah, I do not know which of them is better; the
tradition or the narrators!’ Ali al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘It is a book
written down by the hand of Ali bin Abu Talib and the dictation of the
messenger of Allah (SwT) that we inherit one from the other…’1
This tradition shows the difference between faith and Islam (being a
Muslim). Faith is to settle inside the soul and the depth of the heart
and to be proved through good deeds, but Islam (being or turning a
Muslim) is to witness the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of
Muhammad (a.s.) and consequently marriage becomes lawful besides other
positive orders that require being a Muslim in order to be achieved.
2. Al-Hasan bin Ali narrated from Abul Hasan al-Hadi from his fathers
that Amir’ul- Mu’minin said, “Once, I heard the messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him and his progeny) say, ‘When people will be
resurrected on the Day of Resurrection, a caller will call me: O
messenger of Allah, Allah has permitted you to reward your lovers and
the lovers of your household (progeny) who have followed them for your
sake, and have been opposed to their enemies for your sake. You can
reward them as you like.’ I shall say, ‘O my Lord, Paradise! You put
them in whatever part of it You like. This is the praised estate You
have promised of.”2
3. Abul Hasan al-Hadi (a.s.)
narrated from his fathers that the Prophet (S) said, ‘Love Allah for the
blessings He gives you, and love me for the love of Allah, and love my
household for my love!’3
4. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)
narrated from his fathers that the Prophet (S) said, ‘On the Day of
Resurrection I will be intercessor for four ones; the lovers of my
progeny, one who follows them, one who shows enmity against their
enemies, one who carries out their needs, and one who relieves their
distresses…’4
The Prophet (S) stressed on loving his
pure progeny and made this love as an obligation on every Muslim man
and Muslim woman, because loving and following them would protect the
nation from disagreement, separation, deviation and seditions.
5. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his fathers that the Prophet (S)
said, ‘Allah the Almighty says: O son of Adam, you are not fair to Me. I
endear Myself to you through blessings and you make yourself hated
through sins. My good comes down to you and your evil comes up to Me.
Every day and night an honorable angel comes to Me bringing ugly deeds
from you. O son of Adam, if you hear your description from other than
you while you do not know who the described one is, you will soon hate
him…’5
The tradition invites people to do good
deeds and avoids the deeds that Allah hates, because every deed goes up
to Allah. Allah has said, (To Him do ascend the good words; and the good
deeds…)6 and He rewards His people due to their deeds in the worldly life.
6. Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his fathers that the
Prophet (S) said, ‘My daughter was named Fatima because Allah the
Almighty has weaned[84] her and whoever loves her from Fire…’7
7. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his fathers from his grandfather
Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) that Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari said, ‘Once I was
with the Prophet (S). I was at his side and Ali Amir’ul- Mu’minin at
the other side when Umar bin al-Khattab came drawing some man from the
collars. The Prophet (S) asked Umar, ‘What is the matter with this man?’
Umar said, ‘He narrated that you had said: ‘He, who says “there is no
god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” will be in
Paradise. If people hear this, they will give up good deeds. Have you
said this?’ The Prophet (S) said, ‘Yes, if they keep to the love and
guardianship of this man.’ He pointed to Imam Ali (peace be upon him).’8
8. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his fathers from his grandfather
Imam Ali (a.s.) that the Prophet (S) said, ‘O Ali, Allah has created me
and you from His light. He created Adam and put that light into Adam.
This light reached to Abdul Muttalib and then it divided and so I was in
Abdullah and you were in Abu Talib. Prophethood does not befit anyone
other than me and guardianship does not befit anyone other than you.
Whoever denies your guardianship denies my prophethood and whoever
denies my prophethood Allah will throw him down on his nose into Fire…’9
Allah created Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) and his guardian Imam Ali (a.s.)
from one light and then they illuminated intellectual and social life
and liberated the earth from idolatry and superstitions of the
pre-Islamic era. They were but one self. Whoever denied the guardianship
of Imam Ali (a.s.) denied the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (a.s.)
and will have no share in the afterlife and will be among losers.
9. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his fathers that the Prophet (S)
had said to Imam Ali (a.s.), ‘O Ali, he, who loves you, loves me, and
he, who hates you, hates me.’
There are many prophetic
traditions declaring that the love of Imam Ali (a.s.) is out of the love
of the Prophet (S) and the hatred towards Imam Ali (a.s.) is out of the
hatred of the Prophet (S) because Imam Ali (a.s.) was the very self of
the Prophet (S), the gate of the town of his knowledge, the father of
his two grandsons, and his defender in all situations and battles.
10. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his fathers from his grandfather
Amir’ul- Mu’minin (a.s.) that the Prophet (S) said, ‘He, who likes to
meet Allah (on the Day of Resurrection) safe, purified, and without
fearing the great horror, let him follow you O Ali, and follow your two
sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and (your grandsons) Ali bin al-Husayn,
Muhammad bin Ali, Ja’far bin Muhammad, Musa bin Ja’far, Ali bin Musa,
Muhammad bin Ali, Ali bin Muhammad, al-Hasan bin Ali, and al-Mahdi the
last of them. O Ali, at the end of time there will be a group of people
following you where people will hate them, but if they love them it will
be better for them if they know. They (that group) will prefer you to
their fathers, mothers, brothers, tribes, and all relatives. The best
blessings of Allah be upon them. Those people will be resurrected under
the banner of Hamd (praise). Allah will forgive their bad deeds and
exalt their positions as reward for what they have done.’10
11. He narrated that the Prophet (S) said, ‘People (after death) are of
two kinds; one will rest and the other will relieve (others). One, who
will rest, is a believer. He will be free from this world with all its
troubles and will go to the mercy of Allah and His great reward. As for
the one, who will relieve, is a dissolute. People, animals, and trees
will be relieved from him and he will go to what he has done.’11
His narrations from Amir’ul- Mu’minin
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated a good collection of maxims and sayings
from his grandfather Amir’ul- Mu’minin, the pioneer of wisdom and
justice in the earth. Here are some of them:
1. He narrated
that Amir’ul- Mu’minin Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Beware of wishes because
they are from the wares of the dissolute ones.’12
Islam resists all means that lead to backwardness and deterioration.
Among these means is the relying on wishing and giving up work and
labor, which means the end of progress and development in life.
2. He narrated that Amir’ul- Mu’minin said, ‘He, who busies himself
thinking of the afterlife, will be rich with no money, feel at ease with
no family, and feel mighty with no fellows.’13
One,
who cares for the affairs of the afterlife, will be rich with his piety
and religiousness, will be happy because he satisfies his conscience
through associating with his Creator, and will be respectable and
honorable among people by his benevolence and piety.
3. He
narrated that Amir’ul- Mu’minin said, ‘Knowledge is a worthy
inheritance, morals are graceful garments, pondering is a clear mirror,
and taking lessons is a sincere warner. It suffices for you to have good
manners by giving up what you hate of others.’14
4. He narrated that Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Whoever feels conceited will perish.’15
5. He narrated from Amir’ul- Mu’minin his saying, ‘He, who is certain of recompense (from Allah), will give generously.’16
6. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said, “Once, a Jew came to Amir’ul- Mu’minin
(a.s.) and said to him, ‘Tell me about that which is not of Allah, that
which Allah does not have, and that which Allah does not know!’
Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘What Allah does not know is that He does not
know (accept) that He has a child. This refutes your (the Jews’) saying
that Uzayr is the son of Allah. As for that which is not of Allah, it is
injustice because there is no injustice with Allah against His people.
And as for your saying about that which Allah does not have, it is that
Allah has no partner.’
The Jew was astonished and became
Muslim. He declared the shahada and then said to Imam Ali (a.s.), ‘I
bear witness that you are the truth, from the people of truth, and have
said the truth.’17
Imam Ali was the gate of the town
of the Prophet’s knowledge. If he was given his right (in the
caliphate), he would have given verdicts to the people of the Bible from
their Bible, to the people of the Psalms (Zabur) from their Psalms, and
to the people of the Torah from their Torah. He often said that if the
caliphate had come to him after the death of the Prophet (S), every Jew
or Christian would have turned Muslim and followed the path of the
truth.
7. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his fathers that a
man from Iraq asked Imam Ali (a.s.) when he was marching (with his army)
for the battle of Siffeen, ‘Tell us about our marching to fight the
people of Sham!18 Is it by the fate of Allah?’
Imam
Ali (a.s.) said, ‘O sheikh (old man), yes, it is. By Allah, you do not
mount a castle or descend into a valley unless it has been determined by
the fate of Allah.’
The man said, ‘I expect the reward of my efforts from Allah O Amir’ul- Mu’minin.’
Imam Ali (a.s.) explained fate by saying, ‘O sheikh, wait! You may
think it is inevitable fate and inescapable doom! If it is so, then
reward and punishment, enjoining and forbidding, scolding, warning and
threatening will be void, and a bad doer will not to be blamed and a
good doer will not be rewarded. A good doer will be worthier of being
blamed than a guilty one, and a guilty one will be worthier of reward
than a good doer. This opinion is of idolaters, enemies of Allah,
fatalists, and the magi. O sheikh, Allah the Almighty has charged His
people but has given them the option to do or not to do, and forbidden
them as warning. He gives much for a little. He is not disobeyed out of
defeat and He is not obeyed by force. He has not created the heavens,
the earth, and what is between them in vain. That is the opinion of
those who disbelieve, and woe unto those who disbelieve from the Fire…’
The man got up reciting some verses of poetry in which he praised Imam
Ali (a.s.) and showed his satisfaction regarding what Imam Ali said.19
We shall discuss in detail the subject of fate in the following chapter insha’Allah.
8. He narrated that Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Many are they, those
inattentive people, who may weave a dress to wear, but it becomes their
shroud, and build a house to live in but it becomes the place of their
grave.’20
His narrations from Imam al-Baqir
He narrated from his grandfather Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) his
saying, ‘Beware of the physiognomy of a believer because he sees by the
light of Allah.’ Then he recited this verse, (Lo! therein verily are
portents for those who read the signs).21
His narrations from Imam as-Sadiq
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated many traditions from his grandfather Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.). Here are some of them:
1. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘There are three prayers
that are not blocked from Allah the Almighty; the prayer of a father
for his child if he is dutiful to him or against his child if he is
undutiful to him, the prayer of an oppressed one against his oppressor
or for his (oppressed one’s) supporter, and the prayer of a believer for
his believing brother if he comforts him or against him if he does not,
when he is able to do that (to comfort him)…’22
2.
He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘Keep to piety because it is
the essence of religion which you keep to and believe in Allah through
it. It is that which Allah wants from those who follow us.’23
3. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘He, who does not
practice taqiyyah (dissimulation) to keep us safe from the villains of
people, is not from us.’24
The infallible Imams
(a.s.) urged their followers to act due to taqiyyah to spare their lives
from the tyrannical governments who killed the Shia without a bit of
mercy. If taqiyyah had not been legislated, none of the Shia and lovers
of the Ahlul Bayt (s) would have remained alive.
4. He narrated
that Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘There are three times at which du’a is
not blocked from Allah the Almighty; the du’a after the obligatory
prayers, the du’a during the falling of rain, and the du’a when one of
the signs of Allah appears in His earth.’25
Allah
the Almighty likes to be supplicated at these times and He has promised
to respond to His suppliants as He also responds to supplication in the
holy shrines of the infallible Imams.
5. He said, “Once, a man
came to Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) and said to him, ‘I am bored with this
life. Would you please ask Allah for death to me?’ Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.)
said, ‘The price of life is to obey and not to disobey. That you live
long to obey is better for you than to die and neither disobey nor
obey.’”
6. He said, “Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked to
describe death and he said, ‘For the faithful death is sweeter than
breeze that a faithful smells and refreshes with it and all fatigue and
ends pain, and for the unbelievers it is like the stinging of snakes and
scorpions or even bitterer.’ It was said to him, ‘Some people say that
death is bitterer than sawing, cutting with scissors, stoning, and
turning of millstones on the pupils of eyes.’ Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said,
‘Yes, it is so for some unbelievers and sinners. Do you not see that
some of them suffer these severities? What they will meet after that
will be much more severe. It is the torment of the afterlife which will
be much more severe than the torment in this life.’ It was said to him,
‘Then, why do we see some unbelievers die easily while talking and
laughing, and some believers too, and we see some believers and
unbelievers suffer much when dying?’
Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.)
said, ‘The easy death of a believer is an early reward for him, and when
he suffers at death, he is purified from his sins in order to be pure
and then to deserve the eternal reward in the afterlife. The easy death
of some unbelievers is that they are given the reward of their good
deeds in this world and in the afterworld they will have torment. And if
some unbelievers suffer at death, it is the beginning of the torment of
Allah on them. Allah is just and He does not wrong.’26
7. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) explained the saying of
Prophet Jacob (a.s.) “Comely patience!” by saying, ‘It is the patience
that one undergoes without complaining.’27
8. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) interpreted this Qur’anic verse (Their sides draw away from (their) beds)28 by saying, ‘They did not sleep until they offer the Isha’ (evening) prayer.’29
9. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said in interpreting this
Qur’anic verse (…We will most certainly make him live a happy life),30 ‘It means satisfaction.’
His narrations from Imam Musa bin Ja’far
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his fathers that his grandfather Imam
Musa bin Ja’far al-Kadhim (a.s.) said, ‘Allah created creation and knew
what they would be. He enjoined them to do some things and forbade them
from doing other things. He gave them a way to do what He enjoined them
to do and gave them a way to refrain from what He forbade them from. He
forced no one of His creation to disobey but He tried them with
misfortunes as He had said, (He may try you; which of you is best in
deeds).31’
In this tradition, Imam al-Kadhim (a.s.)
refuted the concept of “compulsion” which we shall discuss in one of the
coming chapters.
His narrations from Imam ar-Ridha
Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated from his grandfather Imam Ali
bin Musa ar-Ridha (a.s.) that one day Abu Hanifah was with Imam Ja’far
as-Sadiq (a.s.) and when he went out, he met Imam Musa Bin Ja’far
al-Kadhim (a.s.) and asked him, ‘O boy, from whom does disobedience
come?’
Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) replied, ‘It is one of three;
it either comes from Allah the Almighty - and certainly not - and it
does not behoove the Generous Lord to punish His slave for something he
does not do, or from Allah and man - and it does not - and it does not
behoove the mighty partner to oppress the weak partner, or from man -
and it does - and if Allah punishes him, it will be for his guilt, and
if He forgives him, it will be out of His generosity and munificence.’32
In this tradition the Imam (a.s.) refuted the concept of “compulsion”
and showed that man is free in this life. He is forced neither to obey
nor to disobey. His will makes him free to choose whatever he likes.
Referring Obscure Traditions to the Ahlul Bayt
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) ordered his followers to be certain about the
traditions narrated from the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (s). If
they were certain that those traditions had come from the infallible
Imams and they understood their contents, they should act according to
them; otherwise, they should refer them to the Imams to verify and
explain them.
Once, Dawud bin Farqad al-Farisi said in a
letter he sent to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.), ‘We ask you about the knowledge
transmitted to us from your fathers and grandfathers. There is some
contradiction in them. How do we act due to them with this
contradiction?’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) replied to him, ‘If you are certain it is our saying, you act upon it, otherwise, you refer it to us.’33
He ordered his followers to refer such traditions to the Imams of the
Ahlul Bayt (s) so that they would show whether they were theirs or
fabricated.
Contradictory traditions
Al-Himyari wrote to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) asking about contradictory
traditions and how to act upon them. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) replied to him,
‘He, who clings to the head of a spring, his affairs will not be
confused because they come out white and pure.’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)
meant that whoever associated with the Imam directly nothing would be
confused to him because he would take facts from their origin and
source.
When al-Himyari read this reply, he wrote to Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.), ‘How can we get to the head as it is blocked between us
and it (him)?’ Al-Himyari meant that there was no way for people to
contact with Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) because of the political pressure and
severe punishment the government followed against the Shia who contacted
with the infallible Imams (a.s.).
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) replied, ‘The truth is available for whoever sincerely seeks it…’34
Jurisprudence
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) paid a lot of attention to the spreading of the
principles of the Islamic Sharia, the explaining of its verdicts, and
the teachings of its sciences. Jurisprudents and scholars gathered
around him acquiring from the springs of his knowledge and recording his
traditions that were of the sources of the Islamic rulings to the
Twelver Shia.
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was the unequalled
jurisprudent of his age, to a degree that even al-Mutawakkil, the
Abbasid caliph, who was one of the bitterest enemies to the Alawids,
referred to him in complicated questions and preferred his fatwas to
those of other jurisprudents. Here we mention some traditions of Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) that Shiite jurisprudents refer to in deriving legal
verdicts;
Washing the Dead
Ahmad bin al-Qassim wrote a letter to Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi (a.s.)
asking if a believer died and a washer wanted to wash the corpse
(perform the ritual ghusl of the dead) while there were some Murjites35
present whether the washer would wash the corpse of the believer in the
way like the other (sects of) Muslims did without putting a turban on
his head and without putting a palm branch with him or not. Imam al-Hadi
(a.s.) replied, ‘He should perform the ghusl of believer even if they
are present. As for the palm branch, it should be put secretly and he
(the washer) should try his best not to let them see him do that.’36
This tradition showed clearly that a dead believer should be washed
according to the way of the Ahlul Bayt (s) paying no attention to the
Murjites. It also instructed to place palm branches with the corpse
secretly due to taqiyyah. There are many traditions about the
recommendation of putting two green palm branches with a dead believer,
or else some branches of trees other than palm-tree. One of these
traditions is the one narrated by Ali bin Bilal from Imam al-Hadi
(a.s.), on which jurisprudents depend upon in deriving their fatwa.37
Offering Prayers in (clothes of) Fur
Shiite jurisprudents specify certain conditions of one’s clothing, when
offering prayers (Salat) for the validity of the prayer, such as their
purity and their not being illegally obtained. They depend in these
rulings on valid traditions transmitted from the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt
(s).
Ali bin Eesa wrote to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) asking about
the permissibility of offering the prayer with clothes of fur of the
animals whose meat is unlawful to eat, and Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) replied
to him saying, ‘I do not like offering the prayer in any of these furs.’
He wrote again to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) saying that he lived among people
such that he had to practice taqiyyah with them and that no one could
travel in his country without clothes of fur, and he feared that he
would be harmed if he put off his fur clothing. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)
replied to him, ‘You wear fur of fennec and beaver.’38 This tradition permitted offering prayer with clothes of the fur of fennec and beaver when one is obliged.
Offering prayers with man’s hair
There are many traditions from the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt
(a.s.) showing the impermissibility of prayer with fur of animals whose
meat is unlawful to eat, like cats, for example. Of course, this does
not include man’s hair.
Once, ar-Rayyan bin as-Salt asked Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) about the permissibility of offering prayer with a
garment on which some hair or nail of man were present and Imam al-Hadi
(a.s.) said to him that it was permissible.39
Passing before a prayer
Twelver Shia jurisprudents believe that prayer is not invalidated when
someone passes in front of one who is offering prayer. They depend in
that on a tradition narrated by Abu Sulayman from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) in
which a man asked him (Imam al-Hadi) whether prayer would be
invalidated if someone passed in front of one during offering his prayer
and Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘No, prayer is not so simply invalidated.
It is accepted from its keeper.’40
Offering prayers in the desert
Ali bin Mahziyar asked Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi (a.s.), ‘If someone is
in the desert when the time of obligatory prayer comes and he cannot get
out of the desert before the time of prayer elapses, what should he do
with his prayer since it is forbidden to offer prayer in the desert?’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘He can offer prayer in the desert but he
should avoid roads.’41
It is unrecommended (makruh)
to offer prayers in the middle of roads whether they are busy with
people or empty, and if one troubles the passers-by when offering prayer
in the middle of roads, prayer is unlawful in this case.42
Prostrating on glass
Shia jurisprudents have agreed that prostration in prayer must be performed on the earth or what is grown from the earth.43
They have not permitted prostration on things which are eatable or
wearable and they have prohibited prostration on glass. They depend in
all these claims on traditions narrated from the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt
(s).
Muhammad bin al-Husayn said, ‘One of our companions wrote
a letter to Imam Abul Hasan (a.s.) asking about prostrating on glass.
He said, ‘When I sent my letter, I thought to myself and said: it
(glass) is from that which is grown from the earth and I did not have to
ask about it. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote to me, ‘Do not offer prayer on
glass even if your self says to you it is grown from the earth because
it is from salt and sand which are changed.’44
An Unconscious Person is not to Reoffer Prayer
Jurisprudents say a mukallaf45
must not be unconscious when prayers are required from him. If a
mukallaf is unconscious from the beginning of the time of charging to
the end, he is not charged with prayers neither ada’ nor qadha’.46 They depend on many traditions of the infallible Imams (a.s.).
Ali bin Mahziyar asked Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) about the unconscious and he
said, ‘An unconscious one has neither to offer qadha’ prayer nor to
perform qadha’ fasting. Allah is worthier of pardoning him.’47
Ayyub bin Noah wrote to him asking about one who was unconscious for a
day or a little more whether he had to offer qadha’ prayers or not. Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote to him, ‘He has to offer neither prayers nor
fasting.’48
Offering qasr’ prayer in the journey to Mecca
Twelver Shia jurisprudents make conditions on qasr prayer such that
qasr prayers should be prayed while traveling except if traveling is
one’s job, like drivers, sailors, shepherds and the like. Such persons
offer tamam (full) prayer in travel. A traveling job depends on one’s
will, and practice of travel a time after another in a way that there is
no unusual break in it. Travelers who take pilgrims to the hajj every
year are not permitted to offer full prayer but they must offer qasr
(shortened) prayer.49
Muhammad bin Jazzak said, ‘I
wrote to Abul Hasan the Third (Imam al-Hadi) that I had some camels and
had employees on them (to travel in caravans), but I did not go except
in the way of Mecca to perform the hajj and on very few occasions to
some places. I asked him what I should do when I went with them (the
shepherds), whether I should offer qasr prayer and break my fasting in
travel or not. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote to me, ‘If you do not keep to
them and do not go with them in every travel except to Mecca, you have
to offer qasr prayer and to break fasting.’50
Khums
Khums (one fifth) is one of the Islamic taxes that Islam has imposed to
fight poverty, spread culture, develop intellect, and revive Islamic
sciences. Khums is obligatory on the profits of trades, industries, and
other kinds of work that are more than one and his family’s expenditure
of one year as it is mentioned in the books of jurisprudence.
Jurisprudents depend in this on the traditions transmitted from the
Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (s).
In al-Kafi it has been mentioned
that Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani said, “I wrote to Abul Hasan
(al-Hadi) (a.s.) saying, ‘Ali bin Mahziyar read to me your father’s
letters in which he imposed (a tax of) a half of the sixth on the owners
of small villages after deducting the costs, and one, whose village
income does not cover the costs, does not have to pay a half of the
sixth or anything else. Some people disagreed on this and said, ‘The
khums must be paid from the income of villages after deducting the costs
of the village and the tax taken on it by the government and not the
expenditure of one and his family.’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote replying,
‘After deducting his and his family’s expenditure and after the tax of
the government.’51
Ali bin Mahziyar narrated that
Ali bin Muhammad bin Shuja’ an-Naysaburi said to Abul Hasan the Third,
‘Some man got from his farm one hundred kurrs52 of wheat
which included zakat. The tenth, which was ten kurrs, was taken, thirty
kurrs were spent on repairing the farm, and sixty kurrs remained for
him. What must be paid to you (as khums) from that?...’ Imam al-Hadi
(a.s.) wrote, ‘For me is the khums (fifth) of what remains after
deducting his (the owner’s) expenditure (of a year).’53
Jurisprudents have depended on these traditions in providing verdicts
that khums is obligatory on whatever remains from the expenditure of a
year. Jurisprudential books and practical theses have discussed this
matter in details.
Zakat
Zakat is one of the effective programs Islam has established in its
economic system. It is one of the wonderful means that pluck out the
roots of poverty and wretchedness in society. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was
asked about some branches of zakat and he gave answers to them where
jurisprudents depended and still depend on in deriving legal verdicts.
Among the conditions jurisprudents make on the deserving of zakat is
that one, who deserves to be given zakat, must be a believer.
Unbelievers are not to be given from the zakat. It was narrated that
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was asked whether it was permissible to give those,
who believed in embodiment (of God), from the zakat or not and he said,
‘Do not give whoever believes in embodiment from the zakat and do not
offer prayer behind him!’54
Of course, there is no
specification for those who believe in embodiment and so this prevention
from zakat includes every unbeliever who does not believe in Allah and
the Day of Resurrection.
Jurisprudents say that one who is
given from zakat is not to be from those whose expense is on the giver
of the zakat like father or grandfather, children or grandchildren.
However, al-Kulayni mentioned in al-Kafi that Isma’il bin Imran al-Qummi
said, ‘I wrote to Abul Hasan the Third that I had male and female
children and asked him whether I could give them from the zakat or not.
He wrote to me that I could.’ The sheikh (at-Tusi) in at-Tahthibayn
thought this tradition to concern the case of this man, and his like,
whose money did not satisfy the expenditure of his family.55
There is no limitation to the money given to the poor from zakat except the zakat al-fitr.56
One of the Shia wrote to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) through Ahmad bin Isaaq
asking him, ‘Can I give my brothers two or three dirhams from the
zakat?’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote to him, ‘You can do so, insha’Allah.’57
The first kind of zakat legislated in Islam was the zakat al-Fitr which
jurisprudents called the zakat of bodies. It is obligatory on all
people; faithful and unfaithful, old and young, male and female. Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote to Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani saying, ‘The
zakat al-Fitr is (obligatory) on you and on all people and whoever you
are responsible for whether male or female, old or young, free or slave,
suckling or weaned. You pay six rotls according to the rotl of Medina. A
rotl is one hundred and ninety-five dirhams, and so the zakat al-Fitr
is one thousand and one hundred and seventy dirhams.’58
Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani said, ‘Traditions were different on
the zakat al-Fitr and so I wrote to Abul Hasan asking him about that and
he wrote to me saying, ‘The (amount of) zakat al-Fitr is a sa’59
of the usual food in your country. On the people of Mecca, Yemen,
Ta’if, the sides of Sham, Yamama, Bahrain, Iraq, Persia, Ahwaz, and
Kirman is a sa’ of dates, on the people of the middle of Sham a sa’ of
raisin, on the people of the island, Mosul, and all mountains a sa’ of
wheat or barley, on the people of Tabaristan a sa’ of rice, on the
people of KhurHasan a sa’ of wheat, on the people of Marw and Riy a sa’
of raisin, on the people of Egypt a sa’ of wheat, and on other peoples
is a sa’ of their usual foods. On the nomads of the desert is a sa’ of
uqt (dried cheese). The zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on you and on all
people.’60
The substance of the zakat al-Fitr is to
be from the usual food of the people of a country like wheat or barley
for example. The obligatory amount of this kind of zakat is one sa’
which is about three kilograms. One can pay money instead of food
substances as jurisprudents say.
Fasting
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was asked about many questions about fasting and he
answered them in traditions transmitted by his followers.
Fasting on seeing the crescent
The surest way of ascertaining the beginning of Ramadan is the sighting
of the crescent. Whoever sees the crescent, whether alone or with
others, must fast.
Ali bin Rashid narrated from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) his saying, ‘Do not fast except on the sighting (of the crescent).’61
Jurisprudents believe in the impermissibility of fasting with the
intention of obligation when the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan is
not proved.
Fasting of a suckling mother
Ali bin Mahziyar wrote to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) asking him, ‘There is
some woman who suckles her son or other than her son in the month of
Ramadan. She suffers much in her fasting. She suckles until she faints
and cannot fast. Does she suckle her child and breaks her fast and
instead keep it later if she is able, or does she give up suckling in
order to fast? If she cannot hire some woman to suckle her child, what
does she do?’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote to him saying, ‘If she
can hire a wet nurse for her child, she may do and keep her fasts;
otherwise, she breaks fasting and continues suckling her child and
performs her fasting later on whenever she is able to.’62
Jurisprudents depend on this tradition in giving a fatwa that a
suckling mother, whose milk is little, is permitted not to fast in
Ramadan if her fasting harms her child and she cannot hire a wet nurse.
Expiation (kaffara) of specified fasts
Al-Husayn bin Ubayda wrote to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) saying, ‘O my master,
some man vowed to fast on a certain day, but he slept with his wife on
that day. What expiation is on him?’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) replied to him,
‘He has to fast for one day instead of that day and set free a slave.’63
In the light of this tradition, jurisprudents say that the kaffara of
breaking one’s specified fast is the same as the kaffara of breaking
one’s oath which is the freeing of a slave, or feeding ten needy
persons, or giving them clothes, and if he cannot do that, he must fast
for three days.
Trade
Narrators transmitted from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) many questions about
trade, which jurisprudents depend on in deriving their fatwas. Here are
some of them:
Prohibition of working with the unjust
Since the Abbasid rulers were unjust and oppressive, work with them was
unlawful as the Shia believed. Muhammad bin Ali bin Eesa wrote to Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) asking whether the work for the Abbasids and taking from
their monies was permissible or not. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘That
which happens by force and subjection is pardoned by Allah, otherwise,
it is hated. There is no doubt that the little of it is better than the
excess. The expiation of that is that one does what may delight us and
our followers.’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said in his reply that
Allah did not punish one, who worked for the Abbasids, if his work was
by force and subjection, but if it was by one’s will, it would be hated -
or it might mean forbidden here. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said that the
expiation on one who worked with the Abbasids was to delight the Ahlul
Bayt (s) by carrying out the needs of the faithful and the poor and
saving them from misfortunes and oppression (of the government).
Jurisprudents mentioned many traditions in their studies on “working
with tyrants”.64
When the letter of Imam al-Hadi
(a.s.) came to Muhammad bin Ali bin Eesa, he wrote to the Imam, ‘I want
to work with them to cause them trouble and to take revenge on them
through being close to them.’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) replied, ‘Whoever does
so his work is not unlawful, but rather he will be rewarded (by
Allah).’65
Renting
1. Muhammad bin Eesa al-Yaqtini wrote to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) saying to
him, ‘Someone sent his son to some man to work for him as a busheler for
one year and for specified wage. Then another man came to the father
and asked him for employing the son for one year but more wage. Does the
father have the right to send his son to the second man and is it
permissible for him to annul his agreement with the first man?’ Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote to him that the father had to fulfill his agreement
with the first man except if his son became ill or weak.66
2. Muhammad bin Isaaq said, “I wrote to Abul Hasan (peace be upon him)
saying, ‘Some man rented a farm from another man. Then, the lessor sold
the farm in the presence of the tenant who did not deny the sale, but
rather he was present and as a witness. Then the buyer died and left
some heirs. Does that property go into the inheritance or it remains in
the hand of the tenant until the period of renting ends?’ Imam al-Hadi
(a.s.) wrote, ‘until the period of renting ends.’67
3. Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani said, ‘I wrote to Abul Hasan (a.s.)
asking him about some woman who rented out her land for ten years on the
condition that the rent was to be given at the end of every year.
Nothing of the rent would be given to her except after the end of every
year. Before (or after) three years, the woman died. Should her heirs
carry out the renting to the specified period, or would the renting
condition be invalidated by the death of the woman?’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)
wrote, ‘If the renting had a specified time that did not end when the
woman died, then the heirs would have the right to determine on the
renting condition, and if a third or a half or some period of renting
has passed, then the heirs could decide on the remaining period of
renting insha’Allah.’68
Jurisprudents disagreed on
renting whether it would be invalid or not by the death of the lessor or
the tenant. Some of them said it would not be invalid and some others
said it would be invalid since the death of the lessor and not from the
beginning. They relied in that on this saying of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.).
Entailment
Ali bin Mahziyar said, ‘I wrote to Abul Hasan the Third (a.s.) that I
had entailed a piece of land to my children, hajj, and other ways of
charity, and you have a right from it after me and for me after you, but
I changed it from this way.’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘You are free
from any blame and permitted to do so.’69
Sheikh
al-Hurr al-Aamili understood from this tradition that the change here
took place before receiving the entailment. It is also possible that the
entailment here might mean “will” because he said “after me”70
in order not to contradict entailment, which, if it takes place with
its correct conditions, becomes inevitable and cannot be renounced.
Foods
Once, Ayyub bin Noah asked Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) about buffalo. He said,
‘The people of Iraq say it has been metamorphosed- which means that its
meat is unlawful to eat.’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) replied to him saying, ‘Have you not heard the saying of Allah, (And two of camels and two of cows)71?’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) refuted this spuriousness and proved that the buffalo was a kind of cow and not a metamorphosed animal.
Judgment
Ja'far bin Eesa said, ‘I wrote to Abul Hasan (al-Hadi) (a.s.) asking
that, if a woman dies and her father claims that he has lent her some
things and some slaves, is his claim accepted without evidence?’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) replied that the father’s claim might be accepted
without evidence. I also wrote to him, ‘If the husband of the dead
woman, or his father or mother claim, like her father does, that they
have lent her some things or some slaves, are they considered like her
father in the claim?’ Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) wrote, ‘No…’72
Penalties
1. Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Shu’bah narrated that Abul Hasan the Third
(a.s.) said, ‘As for a man who confesses sodomy, if there is no evidence
proved against him, but he willingly confesses his guilt against
himself, and if the Imam, who is from Allah, is to punish on behalf of
Allah, he can pardon on behalf of Allah. Have you not heard the saying
of Allah, (This is Our free gift, therefore give freely or withhold
without reckoning)?’73
This tradition shows clearly
that a legal Imam, who is appointed by Allah, may pardon whoever
confesses sodomy against himself, though he has the right to punish for
that. However, if one is proved by clear evidence that he has committed
sodomy, the Imam is not to pardon him.
2. Ja'far bin Rizqillah
said, ‘Some Christian man, who committed adultery with a Muslim woman,
was brought to al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid caliph, in order to be
punished. When the caliph wanted to punish the man, the man converted to
Islam. Yahya bin Aktham said, ‘His faith (in Islam) cancelled his
polytheism and sin.’ Some other person said, ‘He is to be punished with
three penalties.’ Another one said, ‘He is to be punished with
so-and-so.’
Then, al-Mutawakkil ordered his men to ask Imam
Abul Hasan (al-Hadi) about his opinion on the matter and the Imam said,
‘He (the sinner) is to be hit until he dies.’ Yahya and the rest of
jurisprudents denied this fatwa and asked al-Mutawakkil to write to Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) and ask him for the evidence he depended on in his
fatwa.
Al-Mutawakkil wrote to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) and Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) replied, ‘But when they saw Our punishment, they said: We
believe in Allah alone and we deny what we used to associate with Him.
But their faith could not avail them when they saw Our doom. This is
Allah's law which hath ever taken course for His bondmen. And then the
disbelievers will be ruined).’74
Then, al-Mutawakkil ordered the sinner to be hit and he was hit until he died.’75
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) depended on the Book of Allah in issuing his fatwa
that made al-Mutawakkil and the jurisprudents feel astonished at his
abundant knowledge.
Disbelief of the Excessive
The Shia unanimously believe that the excessive are unfaithful and
impure and so it is permissible to kill them. It was narrated that Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) said to one of his companions, ‘If you see one of them
(the excessive) alone, you break his head with a stone.’76 We shall talk in details about them in one of the coming chapters.
We have mentioned above a few examples of Imam al-Hadi’s jurisprudence.
The questions he was asked showed that he was the highest authority of
fatwas in the Islamic world at his time and he had great scientific
treasures of knowledge in the Islamic laws.
Theological Arguments
At the age of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) many doubts and illusions spread
about the basics of Islam. The beginning was during the Umayyad rule
that paved the way for the spread of deviant and misguiding thoughts and
concepts. The Umayyads encouraged those misguiding cultures which
spread more strongly during the Abbasid rule. Muslim ulama’, at the head
of whom were the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (s), resisted and confuted the
atheistic opinions and thoughts using irrefutable, scientific
evidences. All these are recorded in the books of “argumentation”
written by Shia scholars to prove the struggle of their Imams in
supporting Islam and fighting against disbelief and atheism. Here we
mention some examples transmitted from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) in this
concern.
The Impossibility of Seeing Allah
Ahmad bin Isaaq wrote to Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) asking him about (the
possibility of) seeing Allah and what people said in this regard. Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) replied, ‘seeing is not possible if there is no air
(space) between the seer and the seen thing through which sight goes
through. If there is no air and no light between the seer and the seen
thing, there will be no sight. When the seer equals the seen thing in
the cause of sight between them, sight takes place, but those who
compare the seer (man) to Allah, they are mistaken because they liken
Allah to man…for effects must relate to causes.’77
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) proves the impossibility of seeing where there is no
air (space) and light, because the eye sees through these two means;
air and light, otherwise, seeing is impossible and these two powers
cannot see Allah the Almighty because they are limited possibilities
that cannot see the great power that created and managed these amazing
worlds and universes with all their wonders.
The system of
seeing sees things when they equal the seer in the possible aspect of
seeing, and if there is no equality between them, there will be no
sight. Prophet Moses tried his best to see Allah;
(And when
Musa came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My
Lord! show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee. He said: You
cannot (bear to) see Me but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in
its place, then will you see Me; but when his Lord manifested His glory
to the mountain He made it crumble and Musa fell down in a swoon; then
when he recovered, he said: Glory be to Thee, I turn to Thee, and I am
the first of the believers).78
Prophet Moses (a.s.)
received the words of Allah and his soul longed and wished to see his
Lord, but he forgot who and what he was when he asked for that which no
human being in the earth was allowed or could bear this great seeing.
However, Prophet Moses (a.s.) was occupied by his great longing and
forced by wish until the decisive words of Allah woke him up, (You
cannot (bear to) see Me). Then the Great Creator pitied His prophet and
taught him why he could not see Him, (but look at the mountain, if it
remains firm in its place, then you will see Me). The mountain is firmer
and more fixed, though less sensitive and responsive than man but
nevertheless, (when his Lord manifested His glory to the mountain He
made it crumble). Prophet Moses (a.s.) understood the awe of the
situation and fell in a swoon, and when he woke up, said, (Glory be to
Thee, I turn to Thee, and I am the first of the believers).79
See how Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) spoke with his Lord with these bright
words, showing the extent of his recognition of Allah the Almighty:
‘O my Lord, thoughts of thinkers went astray, sights of seers fell
short, descriptions of describers dissipated, sayings of fabricators
vanished before the wonders of Your affair, or the reach to Your
highness, for You are in the unreachable place, and no eye can fall upon
You with a glance or expression. How far, and how far! O You the First,
the Only, the Unique! You have exalted in highness with the glory of
greatness, and risen up beyond every bottom and end with the omnipotence
of pride…’80
Impossibility of Embodiment
It is impossible for the Necessary Being to be described with features
of embodiment because this is an aspect of possible beings, which need,
for their existence a cause, and for their non-existence a cause,
because they are created things. In many traditions Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)
confuted those who believed in embodiment. Here are some of these
traditions:
1. As-Saqr bin Abu Dalf said, ‘I asked Abul Hasan
Ali bin Muhammad about monotheism and said to him that I believed in
that which Hisham bin al-Hakam believed. He believed in embodiment
before his guidance. The Imam (a.s.) became angry and said, ‘What do you
have to do with the saying (belief) of Hisham? He, who claims that
Allah has a body, is not from us and we are free from him in this world
and in the afterworld. O ibn Abu Dalf, body (substance) is created and
it is Allah Who has created and embodied it.’81
2.
Hamza bin Muhammad said, ‘I wrote to Abul Hasan (a.s.) asking him about
the body and the shape (of Allah) and he wrote to me, ‘Glory be to Him,
Whom nothing is like neither in body nor in shape.’82
3. Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani narrated, ‘I wrote to the man (he
meant Abul Hasan) saying to him, ‘With us there are some of your
followers who have disagreed on monotheism. Some of them say (Allah is)
“a body” and some say “shape”.’ He wrote saying, ‘Glory be to Him Who
can not be limited, and can not be described. Nothing is like Him and He
is the Hearing, the Knowing.’83
It is impossible to
describe Allah the Almighty with the limits of the created things and
it is impossible to describe Him with multiplicity of aspects because
His attributes are His very essence as theologians have proved.
Impossibility of Describing Allah
Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi (a.s.), in his talk with al-Fatah bin Yazeed
al-Jirjani, declared the impossibility of describing the Wise Creator
with any attribute that might cover his essence and truth. He said, ‘The
Creator is not described except with that which He Himself had
described Himself with. How can the Creator, Whom senses fail to
conceive, minds to arrive at, imaginations to contain, and sights to
surround, be described?
Exalted is He above what describers
say, and glorified is He above what depicters describe. He is far in His
nearness, and near in His farness. He has adapted the “how” that it is
not said (for Him) how, and has adapted the “where” that it is not said
(for Him) where. He is out of how and where. He is Only, One, Eternal,
Absolute. He begetteth not, nor was begotten, and there is none
comparable unto Him. Glory be to Him. Or how is Muhammad (blessings be
on him and on his progeny) described in his essence where Allah the
Sublime compared him with His own name, participated him in His gift,
and promised whoever obeyed him to be rewarded for his obedience when He
said, (and they did not find fault except because Allah and His
Messenger enriched them out of His grace)?84
It
relates the saying of those who give up His obedience and He tortures
them between the covers of Hellfire and its garments of tar, (O would
that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger).85
Or how are those (the Ahlul Bayt), whom Allah the Sublime compared
their obedience with the obedience of His messenger, described in their
essence when He said, (O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the
Messenger and those in authority from among you),86 and (and if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them),87 and, (Surely Allah commands you to make over trusts to their owners),88 and, (so ask the followers of the reminder if you do not know)?89
O Fatah, as Allah, glory be to Him, the messenger, the guardian (Imam
Ali), and the sons of Fatima (the infallible Imams) can not be
described, neither can a believer who believes and submits to our matter
be.’90
The tradition shows the impossibility of
describing Allah in a way that expresses His very essence and truth. It
is the same for the Prophet (S) and the infallible Imams and even a
believer who loyally submits and believes in the Ahlul Bayt (s), for
descriptions fail to surround a believer’s noble tendencies and virtuous
qualities.
Monotheism
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was asked about the truth of monotheism and he
said, ‘Allah the Almighty was still alone nothing with Him, and then He
created things skillfully, and chose names for Himself. Names and words
are still with Him since eternity.
Allah was and is still existent. Then He formed what He willed and nothing can repel His will or delay His determination…’91
Refuting of Compulsion and Free Will
Perhaps one of the most wonderful intellectual and scientific
traditions transmitted from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was this letter that he
sent to the people of Ahwaz (in Iran) in which he refuted the concept of
“compulsion” that the Ash’arites adopted and spread when they said that
man was compelled into his actions and he had no will or option. He
also refuted the concept of “free will” that the Mu’tazilites believed
in saying that Allah had authorized people in their actions due to their
will and there were no will or power over them. After refuting these
two concepts, Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) proved with irrefutable, scientific
proofs the concept of “the matter between the two matters; a moderate
concept between compulsion and free will”, which was the concept adopted
by the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (s) and by their followers. This letter
was one of the best discussions in this concern. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)
wrote in this letter:
‘From Ali bin Muhammad, peace, mercy, and
blessings of Allah be upon you and upon whoever follows the guidance.
Your letter came to me and I understood what you mentioned of your
disagreement in your religion, your plunging in the matter of “fate”,
the belief of some of you in “compulsion”, and others in “free will”,
and the disagreement, separation, and enmity among you because of that.
Then you asked me about that and to explain it you. I understood all
that…
Know, may Allah have mercy on you, that we looked up in
the abundant traditions and news and we found, for all Muslims who
understand from Allah, them (traditions) not free from two meanings;
either truth that is to be followed or falsehood that is to be avoided.
The nation has agreed unanimously with no disagreement between them that
the Qur'an is the truth that has no doubt in it for Muslims of all
sects.
Their agreement is the proof of the Book and that they
are right and guided due to the saying of the messenger of Allah (peace
be upon him and on his progeny), “My nation does not agree on
deviation.” He told that what the entire nation agreed on is truth when
no group disagrees with another. The Qur'an is the truth that there is
no difference between them (Muslims) in its revelation and truthfulness.
So when the Qur'an witnesses the truthfulness of some news but a group
of the nation denies it, they should acknowledge it as a necessity, for
basically the nation has agreed unanimously on the truthfulness of the
Qur'an, and if they deny, this requires them to be out of the (Muslim)
nation…’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) says in this passage that Muslims
must refer to the Qur'an, which falsehood shall not approach from before
it nor from behind it, in the matters they disagree on and see that
which agrees with the Qur'an is the truth and that which contradicts it
is falsehood. Whoever believes this falsehood will be out of Islam.
He added, ‘The first news that is proved, witnessed, and confirmed by
the Book is the saying of the messenger of Allah (SwT), ‘I leave to you
the two weighty things; the Book of Allah and my household. You shall
not go astray as long as you keep to them. They shall not separate until
they shall come to me at the pond (in Paradise).’ We found the
evidences of this tradition in the Book of Allah where Allah said,
(Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those
who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow. And whoever
takes Allah and His messenger and those who believe for a guardian, then
surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant).92
All Muslim sects narrated traditions that Amir’ul- Mu’minin (a.s.) had
given his ring as charity while he was bowing in prayer and Allah
praised him for that and revealed this verse. We found the messenger of
Allah (SwT) saying, ‘Whoever I was his guardian, Ali is to be his
guardian’ and (addressing Imam Ali), ‘You are to me as was Aaron to
Moses but there will be no prophet after me’ and, ‘Ali repays my debts,
carries out my promises, and he is my caliph over you after me’…
The tradition indicated clearly the caliphate of Imam Ali (a.s.) after
the Prophet (S) and that there was no one worthier of the Prophet (S)
than Imam Ali (a.s.), the pioneer of intellectual and civilizational
development in the earth.’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) added, ‘The
first tradition, from which these traditions were derived, is a true
tradition that all Muslims have agreed on with no disagreement among
them. It also conforms to the Book. When the Book witnesses the
truthfulness of these traditions besides other evidences, then the
nation has to acknowledge them as a necessity, for their evidences are
clear in the Qur'an and they conform to the Qur'an and the Qur'an
conforms to them. Moreover, the truth of these traditions were
transmitted from the messenger of Allah (SwT) through the truthful
(infallible Imams) and narrated by known, reliable people.
Therefore, following these traditions is obligatory on every believing
man and believing woman, and no one deviates except the obstinate. That
is because the sayings of the messenger of Allah (SwT) and his progeny
are connected with the sayings of Allah, as in this verse,
(Surely (as for) those who speak evil things of Allah and His Messenger,
Allah has cursed them in this world and the hereafter, and He has
prepared for them a chastisement bringing disgrace).93
We found the like of this verse in this saying of the messenger of
Allah (SwT), ‘He, who harms Ali, harms me, and who harms me harms Allah,
and whoever harms Allah is about to be revenged on (by Allah)’94 and his saying, ‘He, who loves Ali, loves me, and who loves me, loves Allah’95,
and, ‘…in bani Wulay’ah…I will send to them a man who is like myself.
He loves Allah and His messenger and Allah and His messenger love him. O
Ali, get ready to march to them!’, and his saying on the day of
Khaybar, ‘Tomorrow, I will send to them a man who loves Allah and His
messenger, and Allah and His messenger love him. He is brave and not a
runaway. He shall not come back until he shall conquer by the will of
Allah.’96
The messenger of Allah (SwT) confirmed the
conquer before the marching. The companions of the messenger of Allah
looked forward to that, but on the next day, the messenger of Allah
(SwT) sent for Ali and sent him at the head of the army. He singled him
out with this virtue and called him “brave and not a runaway”. Allah
called him “a lover of Allah and His messenger” and informed that Allah
and His messenger loved him.
We just introduced this
explanation as evidence and confirmation to what we want to say about
the matter of “compulsion and free will” and “the matter between the two
matters”. We ask Allah for help and assistance and on Him we rely in
all our affairs. We begin with the saying of Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.), ‘It
is neither compulsion nor free will but it is a position between the two
positions. It is the soundness of creation, freedom, enough time,
equipment, and the cause that provokes a doer towards his doing.’ These
are five things with which Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) grouped the items of
virtue. If someone lacks one of these items, obligations are not
required from him. Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) informed of the necessary thing
that people must know and the Book confirmed it. The clear verses of the
Qur'an and the messenger of Allah proved it.
The messenger of
Allah and his progeny do not exceed by their sayings the limits of the
Qur'an. If traditions conform to the Qur'an and agree with its proofs,
following them is obligatory and no one violates them except the people
of intransigence. When we pondered on the saying of as-Sadiq about “the
position between the two positions” and his denying of “compulsion and
free will”, we found the Book proving and confirming his saying, besides
that there was another saying by him confirming the first one. Once,
as-Sadiq was asked, ‘Has Allah forced His people to commit sins?’ He
said, ‘He (Allah) is more just than this.’ It was said to him, ‘Has He,
then, completely authorized them to do that (commit sins)?’ He said,
‘Allah is mightier and more omnipotent over them than this.’
It was narrated that he said, ‘People, in fate, are of three kinds; one
claims that people are authorized to do as they like and thus he deems
Allah weak in His authority, and this one will perish. The other one
claims that Allah forces people into sins and charges them with what
they are unable to do, and this one mistakes Allah and he will perish.
And one claims that Allah charges people with what they are able to do
and does not charge them with what they are unable to do, so when this
one does good, he thanks Allah and when he does wrong, he asks Allah to
forgive him and this is a true Muslim.’ As-Sadiq (a.s.) told that he,
who believed in “compulsion” or “free will”, opposed the truth. I have
already explained “compulsion” and “free will” and that whoever believed
in them is wrong, and therefore the truth is “the position between the
two positions”…’
I give example on each topic to explain the
meaning for requesters and make research easier. These examples are
confirmed by the Qur’anic verses and proved true by men of
understanding. We ask Allah for success and perfection.
‘As for
“compulsion”, it is the belief of those who claim that Allah forces
people into committing sins and disobediences and then He punishes them
for that. Whoever believes in this concept wrongs Allah, falsifies Him
and denies His saying, (and your Lord does not deal unjustly with
anyone)97 and, (This is due to what your two hands have sent before, and Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants)98 and, (Surely Allah does not do any injustice to men, but men are unjust to themselves)99
besides many other verses regarding this. He, who claims he is forced
into disobedience, ascribes his sins to Allah and considers Allah as
unjust in punishing him.
Whoever considers Allah as unjust
denies His Book, and whoever denies His Book must be an unbeliever due
to the consensus of the nation. The example of this is like the example
of a man having a slave, who neither possesses himself nor does he have
any property at all. The lord knows this about his slave; nevertheless,
he orders the slave to go to the market to bring him something but
without giving him the price of that thing. The lord knows well that
that something has an owner that no one can take that thing from him
except after paying the price. The lord of the slave considers himself
as just, fair, wise, and free from any kind of injustice.
He
threatens his slave with punishment if he does not bring him that thing,
though he knows well that no one can take that thing except after
paying its price and the slave does not have the price. When the slave
comes back to his lord unsuccessfully, his lord becomes angry at him and
punishes him. If the lord is just and fair in his judgment, he should
not punish his slave; otherwise, he shall be considered as unjust and
oppressive, and if he does not punish his slave, he shall contradict
himself and be a liar for he has threatened his slave with punishment.
So lying and oppression contradict justice and wisdom. High Exalted is
He above what they say!
‘Whoever believes in “compulsion” or in
what leads to “compulsion” considers Allah as unjust and oppressive if
He punishes those whom He forces into committing sins. Whoever claims
that Allah forces His people into their doings must say that Allah
should not punish them, and whoever claims that Allah does not punish
sinners denies Allah when He says,
(Yea, whoever earns evil and his sins beset him on every side, these are the inmates of the fire; in it they shall abide)100
and, ((As for) those who swallow the property of the orphans unjustly,
surely they only swallow fire into their bellies and they shall enter
burning fire)101
and, ((As for) those who
disbelieve in Our communications, We shall make them enter fire; so oft
as their skins are thoroughly burned, We will change them for other
skins, that they may taste the chastisement; surely Allah is Mighty,
Wise)102
and many other sayings in different
verses. Thus, whoever denies the threat of Allah must be an unbeliever
and be one of those about whom Allah has said, (Do you then believe in a
part of the Book and disbelieve in the other? What then is the reward
of such among you who do this but disgrace in the life of this world,
and on the day of resurrection they shall be sent back to the most
grievous chastisement, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do).103
We say that Allah the Almighty rewards people for their doings and
punishes them for their doings that they do with their will and ability
He has given to them. He has enjoined them to do some things and
forbidden them from doing some other things. He says in His Book,
(Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it, and whoever
brings an evil deed, he shall be recompensed only with the like of it,
and they shall not be dealt with unjustly)104 and, (On the
day that every soul shall find present what it has done of good and what
it has done of evil, it shall wish that between it and that (evil)
there were a long duration of time; and Allah makes you to be cautious
of (retribution from) Himself; and Allah is Compassionate to the
servants)105 and, (This day every soul shall be rewarded for what it has earned; no injustice (shall be done) this day).106
These clear verses refute “compulsion” and deny whoever believes in it.
There are many other verses like these ones but we do not mention them
in order not to expatiate. We pray to Allah for success.
‘As
for the concept of “free will”, which Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) refuted, it
is the concept of saying that Allah the Almighty has authorized His
people to choose His enjoinments and prohibitions and He neglected them.
The infallible Imams of the Prophet’s progeny say that if Allah has
authorized people and neglected them, then he must be pleased with what
they choose and they deserve reward for that and should not be punished
for sins they commit if indeed there is negligence.
This
belief (of free will) has two meanings; the first is that people have
defeated Allah and forced Him, willingly or unwillingly, to accept their
choices; and this shows that He is weak, or He has failed to make them
worship Him through the enjoinments and prohibitions according to His
will, whether they wanted or not, and therefore, He authorized them to
choose His enjoinments and prohibitions according to their wills when He
failed to make them worship according to His will, and so He gave them
the option in choosing faith or unfaith.
It is like a man who
buys a slave to serve him, acknowledge his favor, submit to his
lordship, follow his orders, and refrain from his prohibitions. The lord
of the slave claims he is mighty and wise. The lord orders his slave to
do things and forbids him from doing other things. He promises the
slave of great rewards if he follows his orders and threatens him with
severe punishments if he disobeys. The slave contradicts the will of his
lord and does not submit to his orders and prohibitions.
Whatever the lord orders or forbids the slave to do or not to do, the
slave does not obey but follows his own will and tendency and not his
lord’s. The lord is not able to make the slave act according to his
will, and so he lets him free to choose by his own will and tendency and
accepts whatever he does. One day, the lord sends the slave to do
something for him. The slave carries out that thing according to his
tendency and not to his lord’s.
When he comes back, the lord
finds that the slave has done unlike what he (the lord) wants. He says
to him, ‘Why did you do unlike what I have asked you to do?’ The slave
says, ‘I depended on your authorization to me and did as I liked.’ An
authorized one is free in his doing; therefore, “free will” is
impossible for people towards their Lord…’
Free will is the
belief that Allah has left His people free to do as they like and that
Allah has no relation in people’s doings. The Imam (a.s.) refuted this
belief with clear proofs and said it was impossible. He added,‘It is,
due to that, that the lord of the slave is either able to make the slave
follow his orders and refrain from his prohibitions according to his
will and not to the slave’s will, and to give him ability as much as
that which he orders him to do and forbids him from. If he orders him to
do something and forbids from doing another thing, he should tell him
the reward and punishment for each.
He should warn him against
his punishment and encourage him towards his reward so that the slave
will know the power of his lord through the power the lord has given to
the slave himself that makes him able to follow his orders, refrain from
his prohibitions, approve his encouragement, and keep off his warning.
Thus, the lord will be just and fair to the slave and his excuse in
pardoning and warning will be clear. Then, if the slave follows his
lord’s orders, he shall be rewarded by him, and if he does not refrain
from his prohibitions, he shall be punished. The second meaning is that
the lord is unable to punish the slave and make him follow his orders
and so he lets the slave free to do good or bad, to obey or disobey.
This inability disproves might and deity and makes “enjoining of the
right and forbidding from the wrong” vain. It contradicts the Holy Book
where Allah says,
(and He does not like ungratefulness in His servants; and if you are grateful, He likes it in you)107 and, (be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims)108 and,
(And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should
serve Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that they should
feed Me)109 and, (And serve Allah and do not associate any
thing with Him)[188] and, (Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn
back from Him while you hear).110
He, who claims
that Allah has entrusted His orders and prohibitions to His people,
describes Allah as unable and consequently He must accept all that which
His people do whether good or bad. This one also denies the orders,
prohibitions, warnings and threatening of Allah. When one claims that
Allah has entrusted all that to man, it means that man is free to
believe or disbelieve and he shall not be blamed for his decision. He,
who believes in “free will” in this meaning, denies the orders,
prohibitions, warning, and threatening of Allah and he is one of those
who are included in this verse,
(Do you then believe in a part
of the Book and disbelieve in the other? What then is the reward of
such among you as do this but disgrace in the life of this world, and on
the day of resurrection they shall be sent back to the most grievous
chastisement, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do).111 Allah is too far above that which the people of “free will” believe in…’
After refuting the concepts of “compulsion” and “free will”, Imam
al-Hadi (a.s.) proved the concept of “the matter between the two
matters” which was the theory of the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt
(s). He said, ‘But we say: Allah the Almighty created people by His
power and gave them the ability of obeying Him. He ordered them to do
what He wanted and forbade them from what He wanted. He accepted from
them their obedience to His orders and He was pleased by it, and He
prohibited them from disobeying Him, dispraised the disobeyers, and
punished them for that. Allah has the choice of enjoining His people on
doing some things that He is pleased with and forbidding them from other
things that He hates. He punishes for disobediences due to the ability
he has given to His people by which they can obey Him and avoid His
prohibitions because He is just, fair, wise, and has clear excuses.
He chooses from among His people as He wills to inform of His mission
and authority over people. He chose Muhammad (a.s.) and sent him with
His mission to His creation, but some unbelievers from (Muhammad’s)
people said out of envy and haughtiness, (Why was not this Qu’ran
revealed to a man of importance in the two towns).112 They
were Umayyah bin Abussalt and Abu Mas’oud ath-Thaqafi. But Allah refuted
their sayings and thoughts when revealing, (Will they distribute the
mercy of your Lord? We distribute among them their livelihood in the
life of this world, and We have exalted some of them above others in
degrees, that some of them may take others in subjection; and the mercy
of your Lord is better than what they amass).113
‘Therefore, He enjoined on what He liked, and forbade from what He
disliked. He would reward whoever obeyed Him and would punish whoever
disobeyed Him. If Allah entrusted His affairs to His people, He would
permit Quraysh114 to choose Umayyah bin Abussalt or Abu Mas’oud ath-Thaqafi for they were preferred by Quraysh to Muhammad (a.s.).
When Allah disciplined the believers by saying, (And it behooves not a
believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in
their matter when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter),115
He did not allow them to choose according to their desires, and He did
not accept from them except to follow His orders and avoid His
prohibitions that had been informed by those, whom He had chosen (as
prophets). He, who obeyed Him, was guided, and he, who disobeyed Him,
deviated and went astray and would not be excused because he had the
ability to obey Allah’s orders and avoid His prohibitions; therefore,
Allah prevented a disobeyer from His reward and He would punish him
instead…’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) proved in the previous
paragraphs the theory of “the matter between the two matters” that the
Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (s) believed in. This concept was established on
a firm basis of understanding, intellect, and logic. Grand Ayatollah
al-Khoei, in his studies on Usul, proved the matter. He said, ‘The
matter is not a matter of worship, but the medium way, by which the
problem of “compulsion and free will” can be solved, is limited to it.
Deeds of people depend on two sides; the first is their lives,
abilities, knowledge, and the like, and the second is their wills and
doings. The first side is from Allah and connected to His Eternal Being
and is submissive to Him. It is the very connection and submission
itself and not something with this connection and submission. In this
light, if Allah the Almighty stops that for a moment, surely life will
stop…
The second side is from people. Supposing the existence
of the first side, it is connected with the second one in its essence
and branched with it naturally. Hence, no deed comes from man except by
the correlation of these two sides. But, if one side prevails, no deed
is achieved. On this base, it is true to ascribe deeds to Allah and to
man. To explain this point, we give examples to show the difference of
the concepts of “compulsion” and “free will” from the theory of the
Twelver Shia. A deed of man comes in three kinds:
First, the
deed that comes without man’s will and choice; as when we suppose that
there is someone with a trembling hand who is unable to control his
hand. If his master ties a sword in his trembling hand, supposing that
there is someone lying beside him, though this man knows that when the
sword slips from his hand and falls on that sleeping person, it will
kill him, naturally this deed is not from his will and choice.
Reasonable people see that he is not responsible for this deed and he is
not to be blamed for it. The one, who is responsible and to be blamed
for that, is the one who ties the sword to that man’s hand. This is the
theme of the theory of “compulsion”.
Second, the deeds that
come from man by his will, choice, and independency with no need to
resort to any other than him; it is like when we suppose that a master
gives a sword to a free person who is free to do what he wants and able
to move his hand freely. In this case, if this person commits a murder
in the outside, he himself will be responsible for that murder and not
the giver of the sword, though the giver of the sword knows that giving
the sword to that person leads to a murder, and besides that, he can
take the sword from that person whenever he wants; nevertheless, the
murder cannot be imputed to the giver of the sword but to that person
who was free in moving his hand with no external influence. This is the
theme of the theory of “free will”.
Third, the deeds that come
from man by his choice and power, though he is not independent by
himself but in need of other than him, so that if the aid of that other
one stops at any time, his deeds will stop definitely; as an example we
suppose that the master has a paralyzed slave that is unable to move.
The master connects an electric current to the slave’s body to arouse
power in his muscles and make him able to move and act. The master holds
the control of the electric current, which gives power to the slave’s
body at all time, with his hand that if he cuts the current for a
moment, the power will be cut from the slave’s body and he becomes
unable to move.
On this base, if the master connects that power
to the slave’s body and the slave goes by his will and kills someone
where the master knows what the slave does, in this case this deed is
imputed to both of them; to the slave because he is able to or not to do
that deed as he wills after power is connected to his body, and to the
master because he gives power to the slave even at the time of
committing that murder though he is able to cut that power from the
slave at any time he wants. This is the theme and fact of the theory of
“the matter between the two matters”…’116
We come
back again to the tradition of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.). He says,‘The matter
between the two matters is neither “compulsion” nor “free will”. It is
this what Amir’ul- Mu’minin (a.s.) told Abayah bin Rub’iy al-Asadi about
when he asked him about the ability by which man could stand up, sit
down, and act. Amir’ul- Mu’minin (a.s.) said to Abayah, ‘You asked about
ability. Do you have it without Allah or with Allah?’ Abayah kept
silent and did not know what to say. Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘If you say
that you have it with Allah, I will kill you, and if you say that you
have it without Allah, I will kill you.’ Abayah said, ‘Then what shall I
say, O Amir’ul- Mu’minin?’
Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘You say that
you have it by Allah Who has it without you. If He makes you possess
it, it is from his favor, and if He deprives you of it, it is from His
trial for you. He is the Possessor of what He makes you possess, and He
is the Powerful over what He gives you power in. Do you not hear people
asking (Allah) for ability and power when they say: there is no ability
and power save in Allah (la hawla wela quwwata illabillah)?’ Abayah
said, ‘O Amir’ul- Mu’minin, what does it mean?’ Imam Ali (a.s.) said,
‘There is no ability to keep away from disobediences save by the
preservation of Allah, and we have no power to obey Allah save by the
assistance of Allah.’ Abayah jumped and kissed Imam Ali’s hands and
feet.’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) added, ‘It is narrated from
Amir’ul- Mu’minin (a.s.) that one day Najda came to him asking about how
to know Allah. He asked, ‘O Amir’ul- Mu’minin, with what you have known
your Lord?’ Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘With the thinking that has empowered
me and the mind that has led me.’ Najda said, ‘Are you molded into
that? (i.e., Is this thinking forced upon you)’ Imam Ali (a.s.) said,
‘If I am molded into that, I shall not be praised for good deeds and
blamed for bad deeds, and so a good doer shall deserve blame more than a
wrongdoer. I know that Allah is Eternal, Everlasting and anything other
than Him is transient and mortal. The Eternal, Everlasting One is not
like a transient creature.’ Najda said, ‘I see you have become wise.’
Amir’ul- Mu’minin (a.s.) said, ‘I am free to choose. If I commit a bad
deed instead of good deed, I shall be punished for it.’
It is
also related that Amir’ul- Mu’minin (a.s.) said to a man who asked him
after coming back from Sham, ‘O Amir’ul- Mu’minin, tell us about our
marching to Sham! Is it by the fate of Allah?’ Amir’ul- Mu’minin (a.s.)
said, ‘O sheikh (old man), yes. You do not ascend up a hill or descend a
valley unless it is by the will and fate of Allah.’ The old man said,
‘I expect the reward of my efforts from Allah O Amir’ul- Mu’minin.’
Imam Ali (a.s.) explained fate by saying, ‘O sheikh, wait! Allah has
rewarded you for your marching as you march, for your resting as you
rest, and for your going back as you go back. You may think it is
inevitable fate and inescapable doom. If it is so, then reward and
punishment, enjoining and forbidding, scolding, warning and threatening
will be void, and a bad doer shall not be blamed and a good doer shall
not be rewarded.
A good doer shall be worthier of being blamed
than a guilty one, and a guilty one shall be worthier of reward than a
good doer. This opinion is of idolaters, enemies of Allah, fatalists,
and the magi. O sheikh, Allah the Almighty has charged His people but
given them the option to do or not to do, and forbidden them as warning.
He gives much for a little. He is not disobeyed out of defeat and He is
not obeyed by force. He has not created the heavens, the earth, and
what is between them in vain. That is the opinion of those who
disbelieve, and woe unto those who disbelieve from the Fire…’ The old
man got up, kissed Imam Ali’s head, and recited some verses of poetry
praising him.
‘Amir’ul- Mu’minin proved what complied with the
Book and he denied “compulsion” and “free will” and showed that whoever
believed in them denied the Book of Allah and was unbeliever. We seek
the protection of Allah from deviation and disbelief. We believe neither
in compulsion nor in free will, but we believe in “the matter between
the two matters” that is the trial of the ability which Allah has given
to us in order to worship Him with it as the Book witnessed and the pure
Imams of the Prophet’s progeny (peace be upon them) believed in…’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) gave an example by saying, ‘The example of the
trial of ability is like the example of a man who possesses a slave and
he has a lot of money. He wants to try his slave though he knows what
his slave shall do. He gives the slave some of his money and agrees on
certain conditions with him. He orders him to spend the money on some
things and forbids him from other things that he (the master) does not
like. He orders him to avoid them and not to spend from his money on
those things, though money is spent in both sides.
The slave
spends some money in obeying the master and seeking his pleasure, and
some in the way he has forbidden. The master houses the slave in a
temporary house and informs him that he shall not live in this house
forever but he shall live in another house, which the master will take
him to, where there shall be eternal reward and eternal punishment. If
the slave spends the money in the way that the master has ordered him to
do, he shall be rewarded with the eternal reward as his master has
promised to reward him in the other house that he will take him to, and
if he spends the money in the way that his master has forbidden him
from, he shall be punished with eternal punishment in the eternal house.
The master determines a limit for that. It is the abiding in the first
house.
When the limit is reached, the master changes the slave
and the money, though he is still the owner of the slave and money in
all times but he has promised that he shall not deprive the slave of
that money as long as he lives in that house until he completes his
abiding in it. The master fulfils the desires of the slave because
justice, loyalty, fairness, and wisdom are from the qualities of the
master. If the slave spends that money in the way he is ordered to, the
master shall carry out his promise to him by rewarding him with eternal
bliss in an everlasting house, and if he spends the money in the way he
is forbidden from and contradicts the orders of his master, he shall be
punished with the eternal punishment that the master has warned him of.
Doing so, the master is not unjust to the slave because he has
pre-informed him that he will carry out his promise and threat to him.
It is for this reason that the master is described as mighty and
omnipotent. The master is Allah the Almighty, the slave is man, money is
the vast power of Allah, the trial is the showing of wisdom and might,
the temporary (transient) house is the worldly life, the sum of money
that the master has given to the slave is the ability that man has, and
the way Allah has ordered the money to be spent in is the ability of
following the prophets and acknowledging what they have brought from
Allah the Almighty.
The ways Allah has forbidden are the ways
of Iblis, the promise of the eternal bliss is the Paradise, the
transient house is this life, and the other house is the everlasting
house that is the afterlife. The moderate concept between “compulsion”
and “free will” is the trial and test of the ability that the slave has
been given. It is explained in the five examples which Imam as-Sadiq
(a.s.) has mentioned that they have had all virtues. I shall interpret
them using proofs from the Qur'an and reason, insha’Allah.’
This example presented by Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) is clear that man has full
control over his will and choice. When man obeys Allah, he obeys Him
out of his satisfaction and choice and he is not forced into it, and
when he disobeys his Lord, he does so by his will and choice too. On the
basis of this choice, the concept of “the matter between the two
matters” is based, which is the concept that has been adopted by the
infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)
added, ‘As for the saying of as-Sadiq (a.s.), it means the perfection of
man’s morals, the perfection of senses, constancy of mind, discernment,
and eloquence. Allah says, (And surely We have honored the children of
Adam, and We carry them in the land and the sea, and We have given them
of the good things, and We have made them to excel by an appropriate
excellence over most of those whom We have created).117
Allah informs that He has preferred man to all His creatures of
animals, beasts, sea creatures, birds, and all living creatures by
virtue of reason and speaking. Allah says, (Certainly We created man in
the best make),118 and, (O man ! what has beguiled you from
your Lord, the Gracious one, Who created you, then fashioned you, then
proportioned you, into whatever form He pleased He constituted you),119 and in many other verses.
The first blessing of Allah for man is the soundness of his mind and
his preference to all creatures with the perfection of his mind and the
faculty of speaking. Every living creature in the earth is independent
in its senses and complete in its being, but man is preferred by the
faculty of speaking to all other sensitive creatures. It is for this
faculty of speaking that Allah has made man prevail over all creatures.
Man is the commander while other creatures are submissive to him. Allah
says,
(thus has He made them subservient to you, that you may magnify Allah because He has guided you aright)120
and, (And He it is Who has made the sea subservient that you may eat
fresh flesh from it and bring forth from it ornaments which you wear)121
and, (And He created the cattle for you; you have in them warm clothing
and (many) advantages, and of them do you eat. And there is beauty in
them for you when you drive them back (to home), and when you send them
forth (to pasture). And they carry your heavy loads to regions which you
could not reach but with distress of the souls).122
For that, Allah invited man to follow His orders and obey Him by
preferring him through straightening his shape and giving him the
faculty of speaking and knowledge after giving him the ability of
carrying out what He has ordered him to do. Allah says,
(Therefore be careful of (your duty to) Allah as much as you can, and hear and obey)123 and, (Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability),124 and, (Allah does not lay on any soul a burden except to the extent to which He has granted it),125
and in many other verses. If Allah deprives man of one of his senses,
He exempts him from his duty by that sense. Allah says, (No blame is
there upon the blind nor any blame upon the lame nor any blame upon the
sick).126
Allah has exempted these persons from
jihad and all duties that they cannot do. Rather, He has imposed on
wealthy people to offer the hajj and pay the zakat for they have the
ability of that. Allah has not imposed the hajj and zakat on poor
people. He says, (and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for
the sake of Allah, (upon) everyone who is able to undertake the journey
to it),127 and, (Those who put away their wives (by saying
they are as their mothers) and afterward would go back on that which
they have said, (the penalty) in that case (is) the freeing of a
slave…and for him who is unable to do so (the penance is) the feeding of
sixty needy ones).128
This proves that Allah has
not imposed on His people what is beyond the ability He has given to
them, nor forbidden them from what they have no ability to refrain from.
This is the soundness of creation.
‘And as for his saying
“clearing the way”, it means that there is no watch over man that
prevents him from carrying out what Allah has ordered him to do. It is
due to the saying of Allah about the disabled who are not free to act as
Allah says, (Except the feeble among men, and the women, and the
children, who are unable to devise a plan and are not shown a way).129 He informs that a disabled one is not given a way and so he is not to be blamed if his heart is full of faith.
‘As for the time limit, it is the age of man where he is required to
seek knowledge, from the time he comes of age until death. He, who dies
while seeking the truth and does not get perfection, shall be to good.
Allah says, (and whoever goes forth from his house emigrating to Allah
and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him, his reward is indeed
with Allah).130
‘Equipment are wealth and power by
which man is be able to follow the commands of Allah. Allah says, (There
is no way (of blame) against the doers of good).131 Do you
not see that Allah has accepted the excuse of those who have no further
money to spend, but imposed on the people who have enough money and
riding camels (or horses)132 to go to the hajj and jihad? He
has also accepted the excuse of the poor and imposed to them a share
from the wealth of the rich. He has said, ((Alms are) for the poor who
are confined in the way of Allah).133 Allah has exempted them and has not charged them with what they are unable to do.
‘As for his saying “the provoking cause”, it is the intention that
leads man to all his deeds. The sense of this intention is in the heart
(mind). Whoever does a thing without intending it by his heart
(sincerely) it shall not be accepted from him. Allah does not accept
from man any deed except those with sincere intentions, and therefore He
has said about hypocrites, (They say with their mouths what is not in
their hearts, and Allah is best aware of what they conceal).134
Then Allah revealed to His messenger (a.s.) a blame on the believer, (O
you who believe! why do you say that which you do not do).135
If man says something and believes in it, his true intention makes him
prove his saying by acting upon it, and if he does not believe in his
saying, the truth of his saying shall not appear. Allah has accepted the
true intention even if the action does not comply with the intention
because of something that may prevent the person from achieving so, as
Allah says, (…except he who is compelled while his heart is still
content with faith)136 and (Allah does not punish you for what is vain in your oaths, but He will punish you for what your hearts have earned).137
The Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet (S) show that the heart is
the possessor of all senses and it confirms their doings, and nothing
invalidates what the heart confirms. This is the explanation of the five
examples mentioned by as-Sadiq (a.s.) which determine “the position
between the two positions”. The two positions are “compulsion” and “free
will”. If these five items are found in a man, it is obligatory on him
to do as Allah and His messengers have ordered, and if that man lacks
one of these items, he is exempted from the doing concerning that item.
‘As for the proofs in the Holy Qur'an on the “trying according to
ability” which means the concept of “the matter between the two
matters”, are many, such as this holy verse (And verily We shall try you
till We know those of you who strive hard (for the sake of Allah) and
the patient, and till We test your record),138 and (And those who deny Our revelations, We draw them near (to destruction) step by step from whence they know not),139 and (Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe, and not be tried),140 and (And certainly We tried Sulaiman),141 and in the story of Prophet Moses (He said: So surely We have tried your people after you, and the Samiri has led them astray),142 and the saying of Moses (It is naught but Thy trial).143 These verses are compared one to another and they confirm one another.
As for the verses of affliction which mean “trying”, they are also many
such as, (but that He might try you in what He gave you),144 and (then He turned you away from them that He might try you),145 and (We have tried them as We tried the people of the Garden),146 and (Who created death and life that He may try you; which of you is best in deeds),147 and (And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain words),148
and (and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have exacted what is
due from them, but that He may try some of you by means of others).149
‘These verses and many others like them prove the “trying”. Allah the
Almighty has not created the creatures in vain, nor has He ignored them,
nor has He showed His wisdom for play. He has said, (What! did you then
think that We had created you in vain and that you shall not be
returned to Us?).150 If someone says, ‘Did Allah not know
what His people would do so that He tried them?’ We say, ‘Yes, He knows
what they shall do before they do. He says, (and if they were sent back,
they would certainly go back to that which they were forbidden).151
Allah tries people to show them His justice and that He does not
torture them except by a certain excuse and after committing their
deeds. Allah says, (And had We destroyed them with chastisement before
this, they would certainly have said: O our Lord, why didst Thou not
send to us a messenger, for then we should have followed Thy
communications before that we met disgrace and shame),152 and (and We never punish until we have sent a messenger),153
and ((We sent) messengers as the givers of good news and as warners, so
that people should not have a plea against Allah after the (coming of)
messengers).154
So the trial of Allah is on the
ability that He has given to man and this is the concept of “the matter
between the two matters”. About this the Qur'an spoke and the traditions
of the infallible Imams (a.s.) confirmed.
‘If someone says:
What is the argument in this saying of Allah (Surely Allah makes err
whom He pleases and guides aright whom He pleases),155 and in
other verses like it? It is said: the metaphor in all these verses has
two meanings; one is that Allah tells about His might that He is able to
guide whomever He pleases and misguide whomever He pleases, and if He
forces them into one of these two ways, neither reward nor punishment
they would deserve, and the second is the “informing” like in this verse
(And as to Thamud, We gave them guidance, but they chose error above
guidance).156
It means that Allah has showed them
the right way. If He had forced them into guidance, they would not be
able to go astray. It is not right that, whenever an allegorical verse
is mentioned, that it be used as an argument against the clear verses
which we have been ordered to follow. Allah says, (He it is Who has
revealed the Book to you; some of its verses are decisive, they are the
basis of the Book, and others are allegorical. Then as for those in
whose hearts there is perversity, they follow the part of it which is
allegorical, seeking to mislead and seeking to give it (their own)
interpretation),157 and (…give good news to My servants who
listen to the word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom
Allah has guided, and those who are the men of understanding).158 The best of the word means the clearest and most decisive.
‘May Allah make us successful in saying and doing to what He likes and
pleases, and may He keep us away from His disobedience by His favor and
grace. Much praise be to Allah as He deserves, and His blessings be on
Muhammad and on His good progeny. Allah is sufficient for us and most
excellent is the Protector.’159
This is the end of
the wonderful letter of Imam al-Hadi (a.s) in which he refuted the
illusions of the Ash’arites and the Mu’tazilites and proved with
irrefutable proofs the concept of “the matter between the two matters”
which the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) believed in.
Samples of his supplications
The supplications of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) form a wonderful part of the
Islamic heritage. They had established the bases of behaviors and morals
and the spiritual elements of personality. They included important,
political documentation that showed the extent of persecution and
oppression the Islamic nation faced during those ages under the rule of
the Umayyads and the Abbasids who spared no effort in oppressing people
and using them as tools to serve the rulers and their retinues. Besides
that, these supplications showed the reliance and devotedness of the
Imams to Allah, and that they believed with their hearts, feelings, and
passions.
His supplication (du’a) during distress
When Imam al-Hadi (a.s) suffered a distress or he wanted some need to
be satisfied, he prayed to Allah with this du’a. Narrators said that
before reciting this du’a Imam al-Hadi (a.s) fasted on Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday, performed a ghusl in the morning of Friday, paid
charity to a poor person, offered a four rak’ah prayer, and then he
spread his palms towards the heaven and invoked sincerely by reciting,
“O Allah, praise be to You with the best praise that You deserve, the
most pleHasant praise to You, the most appropriate praise to You, the
most beloved praise to You. Praise be to You as You deserve, and as You
accepted for Yourself, and as those, whose praise You accepted, praised
You from all Your creation. Praise be to You as Your prophets,
messengers, and angels praised You with, and as fits Your glory,
highness, and greatness. Praise be to You that tongues are unable to
express, and speech stops before reaching its end. Praise be to You that
is not less than Your contentment, and that is better than every
praise.
‘O Allah, praise be to You in joy and trouble, ease and
distress, soundness and illness, years and ages. Praise be to You for
Your favors and blessings to me. Praise be to You for what You have
gifted me, tried me, healed me, provided me with livelihood, given me
what I need, preferred me, honored me, dignified me, and guided me to
Your religion; a praise that no describer can describe and no speaker
can suffice.
‘O Allah, praise be to You for Your kindness to
me, and Your favors on me, and Your preferring me to other than me.
Praise be to You for Your adjusting my creation, and for Your educating
me well as a favor from You and not for a precedent good from me. O my
Lord, then which blessings have You not given me? And which gratitude is
not required from me to You? I am satisfied with Your kindness, and You
suffice me from among all creation.
‘O my Lord, You are the
Bestower upon me, the Beneficent, the Gracious, the Beautiful, the Lord
of glory and honor, and of great favors and blessings, so praise be to
You for all that. O my Lord, You did not disappoint me in any distress,
did not betray me for any guilt, and did not expose me for any concealed
sin. Your blessings are continuous on me in every difficulty and ease.
You have always done me good and pardoned me.
‘O Allah, make me
enjoy my hearing, sight, and organs and all that which the earth has
for me. O Allah, my first need I ask You for, and my wish I request from
You, and make it the means before my request, and I come nearer to You
by it, is the sending of blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of
Muhammad. And I ask You to send blessings on him and on them as the best
blessings that You have commanded Your people to send on them, and as
the best of that which any of Your people has ever asked You for, and as
You are responsible for them until the Day of Resurrection. O Allah,
send blessing on them inasmuch as all those who have sent blessings on
them, inasmuch as all those who shall send blessings on them; a
continuous blessing with the means, exaltedness, and virtue, and send
blessings on Your prophets, messengers, and Your good slaves, and send
blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and send much peace on
them!
‘O Allah, and Your generosity is that You do not
disappoint whoever asks You for something, and looks forward to what You
have, and You dislike whoever does not ask You, and no one is so other
than You. O my Lord, my greed for Your mercy and forgiveness, and my
trust in Your kindness and favor has led me to call on You, yearn for
You, and offer my need before You. I have presented before my request,
the aiming at You by the means of Your Prophet, who had brought the
truth from You, and brought Your light and straight path by which You
have guided the people, and by whose light You have enlivened the earth,
and whom You have endowed with the highest dignity, and honored with
the shahada, and sent him after a cessation of the messengers. O Allah, I
believe in his secret and openness, and in the secret of his progeny
whom You had kept uncleanness away from and purified a thorough
purifying…O Allah, do not cut ties between me and them in this life and
in the afterlife and accept my deeds by them!
‘O Allah, You had
guided Your people to Yourself when You said, (And when My servants ask
you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of
the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and
believe in Me that they may walk in the right way),160 and (O
my servants, who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do
not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults
altogether; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful),161 and (And Noah did certainly call upon Us, and best of answerers are We).162
O Lord, yes! The best of the called upon are You, the best of lords are
You, and the best of answerers are You! You say, (Say: Call upon Allah
or call upon the Beneficent; whichever you call upon, His are the best
names),163 and I call upon You, O Allah, by Your names which
if You are called upon by, You respond, and if You are asked by, You
give. I call upon You suppliantly, humbly with the call of one whom
inadvertence has taken away and neediness has exhausted. I call upon You
with the call of one who has given up, confessed his guilt, and hoped
for Your great pardon, and wide reward.
‘O Allah, if You have
singled out someone, who followed what You have ordered him and acted as
You have created him for, with Your mercy, he would not reach that
except by You and Your assistance. O Allah…to You my Master is my
preparing, hoping for Your prizes and gifts. I ask You to send blessings
on Muhammad and on the progeny of Muhammad and to satisfy my request
and need…
‘O You, the most generous of givers, the best of the
beneficent, send blessings on Muhammad and on the progeny of Muhammad,
and whoever from Your people wants to harm me disconcert his heart,
refute his tongue, blind his sight, curb his head, make him busy with
himself, and make me safe from him by Your might and power! O Allah, do
not make it the last time to me that I call upon You suppliantly, and if
You do, then forgive me all my faults with forgiveness that does not
leave behind a single guilt. Make my call among the responded calls, my
deed among the accepted deeds near you, and my speech among that which
comes up to You of good deeds, and make me be with Your Prophet and
chosen, and the Imams, peace be upon them all. By them I beseech You,
and by them I yearn to You. Respond to my call O the most Merciful of
the merciful, and forgive me my slips.’ Then Imam al-Hadi (a.s) asked
for his need and went down into prostration and said,
“There is
no god but Allah the Forbearing, the Generous. There is no god but
Allah the Most High, the Great. Glory be to Allah the Lord of the seven
heavens, the lord of the seven earths, and the Lord of the Great Throne.
O Allah, I resort to Your pardon from Your punishment, and to Your
contentment from Your wrath, and to You from You. I cannot reach Your
praise, or the gratitude You deserve. You are as You have praised
Yourself. Make my life a growth for me in every goodness, and my death a
relief to me from every evil. Make the delight of my eyes in Your
obedience. O my Trust and Hope, do not burn my face in Fire after my
prostration to You my Master.
With no favor from me on You,
You have the favor upon me, so pity my weakness and delicate skin, and
relieve me from the distresses of this life and of the afterlife, and
favor me with the company of the Prophet (a.s) and his progeny (peace be
upon them) in the high ranks in Paradise…O You the Light of light, the
Manager of affairs, Generous, Glorious, One, Unique, Eternal, Who
neither begot nor was begotten, and there is none comparable to You, O
You Who are so, and no one is so other than You, O You Whom there is no
god in the high heavens or in the low earth other than You, O You Who
honor every humble one, and humble every mighty one, by Your glory and
loftiness I have lost my patience, so send blessings on Muhammad and the
progeny of Muhammad and relieve me…!’
His Du’a at Sleeping time
When he went to bed or awoke from sleep, he recited this du’a:
“There is no god but Allah the Alive, the Eternal, and He has power
over all things. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and the Deity
of the messengers. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens and
all that which they have, and the Lord of the seven earths and all that
which they have, the Lord of the Great Throne, and peace be on the
messengers, and praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.”
The Du’a of Resorting
“O You, my supply, my hope and reliance, my resort and support, O You
the One and Unique, O You, Who “say: He, Allah, is One”, O Allah, I ask
You by those like whom You have not created in Your creation, to have
blessing on them…”
His Du’a of Seeking Protection from Satan
“O You Who are mighty in Your might, Who are the mightiest in Your
might, make me mighty from Your might, assist me with Your help, keep
away from me the evil suggestion of the Devils, defend me by Your
defense, protect me by Your protection, and make me from the good people
of Your creation, O You One, Unique, Eternal!’
A Lofty Du’a
“O You the most hearing of hearers, the most perceptive of seers, the
best of lookers, the promptest of accounters, the Most Merciful of the
merciful, the wisest of judges, have blessing on Muhammad and on the
progeny of Muhammad, and increase my livelihood, prolong my old, favor
me with Your mercy, make me from those who defend Your religion and do
not replace me by other than me…!’164
His communes
Imam al-Hadi (a.s) communed Allah the Almighty in the darkness of night
with a suppliant heart and peaceful soul. It was narrated that he said
in his communes:
1. “O my Lord, a guilty has come, and a poor
has sought; do not disappoint his effort! Have mercy on him, and forgive
his faults.’165
2. “My Lord, bless Muhammad and
the progeny of Muhammad, and have mercy on me when my trace will
disappear from this life and my mention will be removed among people,
and I shall be forgotten as those who had been forgotten. My Lord, I
have become old, my skin has become delicate, my bones have become thin,
time has affected me, my death has approached me, my days have elapsed,
my lusts have gone but my guilt remained! O my Lord, have mercy on me
when my shape will change!”166
3. “O my Lord,
thoughts of thinkers went astray, sights of seers fell short,
descriptions of describers dissipated, sayings of fabricators vanished
before the wonders of Your affair, or the reach to Your highness, for
You are in the unreachable place, and no eye can fall upon You with a
glance or expression. How far, and how far! O You the First, the Only,
the Unique! You have exalted in highness with the glory of greatness,
and risen up beyond every bottom and end with the omnipotence of pride.”167
His Ziyarahs
A collection of wonderful Ziyarahs168
were transmitted from Imam al-Hadi (a.s) by which he visited his pure
fathers, the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s). These ziyarahs
are full of arguments on the right of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) in the
Islamic caliphate. They also include important documentations of their
achievements, morals, virtues, and qualities.
Az-Ziyarah
al-Jami’ah is the most famous and important ziyarah of the infallible
Imams (a.s). It is very widespread among the Shia and all followers of
the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) who have memorized it. They recite it on Fridays as
a visit to the pure Imams (a.s). It has been published hundreds of
times in different editions and we think there is no need to mention it
here for it is very well-known and widespread among Muslims.
Ziyarah of Al-Ghadir
The Day of al-Ghadir is one of the most important occasions for the
Twelver Shia who consider it as an Eid where the Prophet (a.s) had
appointed Imam Ali (a.s) as the caliph over Muslims after him. The Shia
visited and still visit the holy shrine of Imam Ali (a.s) on the Day of
al-Ghadir every year to confirm their guardianship and allegiance to
him.
Imam al-Hadi (a.s) visited the holy shrine of his
grandfather Imam Ali (a.s) in the year when al-Mu’tasim, the Abbasid
caliph, brought him from Medina to Sammarra’.169 Imam al-Hadi
(a.s) visited his grandfather Amir’ul- Mu’minin with this wonderful
ziyarah in which he mentioned the virtues of Imam Ali (a.s) and the
political and social problems he suffered at that age. We mention here
some passages from the ziyarah:
“…And you were the first one
who believed in Allah and offered prayer to Him, fought in His way, and
did well in the house of polytheism where the earth was full of
deviation and Satan was worshipped openly.
You had the
memorable situations, famous occasions, and great days; the Day (battle)
of Badr and the Day of al-Ahzab (when the eyes turned dull, and the
hearts rose up to the throats, and you began to think diverse thoughts
of Allah. There the believers were tried and they were shaken with
severe shaking, and when the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts was a
disease, were saying: Allah and His messenger promised us naught but
delusion, and when a party of them said: O people of Yathrib, there is
no place to stand for you here, therefore go back, and a party of them
asked permission of the prophet, saying: Surely our houses are exposed;
and they were not exposed; they only desired to fly away)170
and Allah said, ( And when the believers saw the allies, they said: This
is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His
Messenger spoke the truth; and it only increased them in faith and
submission).171
Then you killed their Amr172
and defeated their parties (and Allah turned back the unbelievers in
their rage; they did not obtain any advantage, and Allah sufficed the
believers in fighting; and Allah is Strong, Mighty).173 And
on the Day of Uhud (when you climbed (the hill) and paid no heed to
anyone, while the messenger, in your rear, was calling you (to fight),174
but you drove away the polytheists from the Prophet (a.s) on the right
and on the left until Allah drove them from it (war) fearfully and gave
victory by you to the (disappointers), and on the Day of Hunayn as Allah
said, (when your great numbers made you vain, but they availed you
nothing and the earth became strait to you notwithstanding its
spaciousness, then you turned back retreating. Then Allah sent down His
tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers).175
And the believers were you and your companions…And on the Day of
Khaybar when Allah showed the weakness of the hypocrites and cut the
roots of the unbelievers- praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds-
(And certainly they had made a covenant with Allah before, that they
would not turn (their) backs; and Allah's covenant shall be inquired
of).176
And you participated with the Prophet (a.s)
in all his wars and battles holding the banner before him, and beating
with the sword in front of him. Then for your well-known resolution and
insight on affairs, he made you the emir in the battles and there was no
emir over you…
In your sleeping in the bed (of the Prophet)177
you were like the slaughtered (Prophet Ishmael) Peace be upon him, that
you responded as he responded, and you obeyed as he obeyed patiently
hoping for the reward when his father said to him, (O my son! surely I
have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you; consider then what you
see. He said: O my father, do what you are commanded; if Allah please,
you will find me of the patient ones),178 and so were you
when the Prophet (a.s) ordered you to sleep in his bed to save him by
your self and you hurried to respond obediently and to expose your self
to killing, and so Allah thanked your obedience and showed your good
deed by saying, (And among men is he who sells himself to seek the
pleasure of Allah).179
I witness that you
contradicted desires, allied with piety, suppressed anger, pardoned
people, became angry when Allah was disobeyed, became pleased when Allah
is obeyed, carried out what you were entrusted with, kept what you were
confided, achieved what you were charged with, and waited for what you
were promised, and I witness that you did not avoid (some people) out of
humbleness, nor refrained from your right (in the caliphate) with
grief, nor abstained from confronting the extorters of your right out of
subservience, nor you showed satisfaction unlike the satisfaction of
Allah out of flattering, nor you became weak after what you faced for
the sake of Allah, nor you weakened or gave up the demanding of your
right and lay in wait. God forbid! You were not so, but if you were
wronged, you were content with your Lord and entrusted your affairs to
Him.
You did not mind misfortunes, and did not weaken at
distresses, and did not abstain from fighting against falseness…It was
you who said: neither do the masses of people around me increase my
glory, nor does their separation from me cause me loneliness even if all
people betray me…
Allah the Almighty responded to His prophet’s call concerning you,180
and then He ordered him to announce that he entrusted you with the
affair (caliphate) of his nation as glorification to you, declaring your
proof, and refuting the falsehood and fabricated excuses. When he
feared a sedition from the dissolute and feared for you from the
hypocrites, the Lord of the worlds revealed to him, (O Messenger,
deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do it
not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you
from the people).181
He burdened himself with
journey, stopped at the hot desert, and made his speech. He called out
and made everyone hear, and asked them, ‘Have I informed?’ They said,
‘By Allah, yes!’ He said, ‘O Allah, bear witness!’ Then he said, ‘Am I
not worthier of Muslims than themselves to them?’ They said, ‘Yes, you
are.’ Then, he took your hand and said, ‘Whoever his guardian I am, here
is Ali to be his guardian. O Allah, support whoever supports him, be
enemy to whoever shows enmity towards him, help whoever helps him, and
disappoint whoever disappoints him!’ They did not believe in what Allah
had revealed to His prophet concerning you except a few, and most of
them did not add save perdition…!
Then was your ordeal on the
Day of Siffin when the copies of the Qur'an were raised trickily and
cunningly. Suspicion appeared, the truth was known, but supposition was
followed. It was like the ordeal of Aaron when Moses made him the emir
over his people but they separated from him and left him alone while
Aaron calling out, (O my people! you are only tried by it, and surely
your Lord is the Beneficent Allah, therefore follow me and obey my
order. They said: We will by no means cease to keep to its worship until
Musa returns to us).182
So were you when the copies
of the Qur'an were raised and you said: ‘O people, you are tried by it
and deceived.’ But they disobeyed and objected to you and called for the
two judges. You, before Allah, exempted yourself from their doing and
made Allah the judge over them. When the truth shone, and their
abominable doing was refuted, they confessed their fault and deviation
from the truth, and after that they disagreed.
Then, they
forced you to accept the arbitration which you denied and prohibited but
they liked. They permitted their guilt that they committed. You were on
insight and guidance and they were in deviation and blindness. They
still insisted on hypocrisy and were still in error until Allah made
them taste the evil results of their doing and He killed from them by
your sword who opposed you and became wretched and lost, and gave life
by your argument to whoever followed the guidance and was happy. The
blessings of Allah be on you everywhere and every when. Neither can a
praiser cover your description, nor can a dispraiser encompass your
virtues…’
From the prophets’ stories
In some traditions Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) told his companions some stories of the prophets.
Noah And Iblis
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) related a dialogue between Prophet Noah (a.s.) and
Iblis. He said, ‘One day, Iblis came to Noah and said to him, ‘You have
done me a great favor. Trust in me and I shall not betray you.’ Noah
became angry. Allah revealed to him to let Iblis speak out. Noah said to
Iblis, ‘Speak out!’ Iblis said, ‘If we find the son of Adam stingy,
envious, arrogant, or rash, we (the Devils) snatch him as the snatching
of a ball. If all these morals gather in him, we call him a mutinous
devil.’ Noah said, ‘What is the great favor I have done to you?’ Iblis
said, ‘You invoked Allah against the people of the earth and sent them
to Hell, and so I was free. Without your invoking against them, I would
be busy with them for a long time.’183
Moses And Allah
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) related, “Moses said, O my Lord, what is the reward of one who avoids treason out of being shy of You?’
Allah the Almighty said, ‘He shall be safe on the Day of Resurrection.’
Moses said, ‘What is the reward of one who loves the people of Your obedience?’
Allah the Almighty said, ‘I will save his body from My Fire.’
Moses said, ‘What is the reward of one who kills a believer intentionally?’
Allah the Almighty said, ‘I will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection and I will not pardon his sin.’
Moses said, ‘My Lord, what is the reward of one who refrains from harming people and helps them instead?’
Allah the Almighty said, ‘On the Day of Resurrection, Fire will say to him: I have no way over you.’184 Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) told such stories to his companions to be examples for them on good morals and manners.
A Maxim From Jesus Christ
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) narrated to his companions, ‘If one of you gives
(charity) with his right hand, let him conceal that from his left hand,
and if he prays, let him conceal that.’
Allah the Almighty
loves that when a believer gives charity or does good, he is to keep it
secret and not to announce or spread it among people lest he shall lose
the reward, for he has to seek the reward from Allah.
From The Islamic Events
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) talked to his companions about some important
Islamic events that happened at the first Islamic age. One of them was
the killing of the martyr Qanbar, Imam Ali’s servant, at the hand of the
tyrant al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf ath-Thaqafi.185 He said,
‘Qanbar came in to al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf who shouted at him, ‘What service did you offer to Ali bin Abu Talib?’
Qanbar said, ‘I helped him in performing ablution.’
Al-Hajjaj said, ‘What did he say when he finished his ablution?’
Qanbar said, ‘He recited this Qur’anic verse: (But when they neglected
that with which they had been admonished, We opened for them the doors
of all things, until when they rejoiced in what they were given We
seized them suddenly; then lo! they were in utter despair. So the roots
of the people who were unjust were cut off; and all praise is due to
Allah, the Lord of the worlds).186
Al-Hajjaj said, ‘I think he meant us?!’
Qanbar said, ‘Yes, he did.’
Al-Hajjaj said to Qanbar, ‘What do you do if I behead you?’
Qanbar said, ‘Then I shall be happy and you shall be wretched.’
The tyrant ordered his men to behead this good man and he was killed.’187
The Virtue of The Prophet and Ali
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) praised the innumerable favors the Prophet (S) and
Imam Ali (a.s.) did the nation. He said, ‘From glorifying Allah is the
preferring of the two fathers of religion Muhammad and Ali to the
fathers of kinship, and from being indifferent to the loftiness of Allah
is to prefer the fathers of kinship to the fathers of religion;
Muhammad and Ali…’188
He also said, ‘If the two
fathers of religion Muhammad and Ali are not glorified to one more than
his fathers of kinship, one shall have no value near Allah.’189
The Prophet (S) and his guardian Imam Ali (a.s.) have had rights on the
nation more than the rights of fathers. By them Allah has taken people
out of the life of ignorance, meanness, and wretchedness to the life of
Islam that is full of honor, glory, and dignity.
The Virtue of the Ulama’ During the Time of Occultation
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) talked about the virtue of the ulama’ during the
time of the occultation of his grandson Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.). He said,
‘If, after the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi, there will be no ulama’ who
will invite and guide to him, defend his religion with clear proofs,
and save the weak faithful from the traps of Iblis and his followers and
from the traps of the enemies of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), no one remains
unless he will apostate from the religion of Allah, but it is they who
will hold the hearts of the weak of the Shia as a shipper when holding
the rudder of his ship. Those are the best of people near Allah.’
The Virtue Of Patience
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) talked about patience and the great reward the
patient shall get from their Lord. Al-Hasan bin Ali narrated, “I heard
Abul Hasan saying, ‘On the Day of Resurrection, a caller will call out:
where are the patient? Some people will get up. Then, a caller will call
out: where are the discerning? Some people will get up. The patient are
those who are patient with the performing of the obligations, and the
discerning are those who are discerning in refraining from sins.’190
Pessimism Towards Days
Islam resisted all bad habits and traditions of the pre-Islamic era.
From those habits that Islam resisted was the pessimism at days which
the pre-Islamic society believed in. It neither brought good nor did it
save from evil, for all things were determined by Allah the Creator of
the universe and Giver of life.
Al-Hasan bin Mas’oud191
said, “One day, I went to Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad (a.s.) after my
finger was scratched, and a rider knocked against my shoulder, and I
went into a crowd that some of my clothes were torn. I said: may Allah
save me from your evil O day! How ill-omened you are!’
Abul Hasan (a.s.) said to me, ‘O Hasan, you say so though you frequent us! You throw your guilt on that which is guiltless!’
I recovered my senses, understood my mistake, and said: I ask Allah to forgive me.’
Abul Hasan (a.s.) said, ‘O Hasan, what is the guilt of days that you
are pessimistic at when you are punished for your deeds on them?’
I said, ‘I always ask Allah for forgiveness. It is my repentance O son of the messenger of Allah.’
He said, ‘By Allah, it does not benefit you. Allah punishes you for
blaming days which have no guilt in what you blame them for. O Hasan, do
you know that it is Allah Who rewards and punishes for deeds whether
sooner or later?’
I said, ‘O yes, my master.’
He said, ‘Do not give days a role in the judgment of Allah!’
I said, ‘O yes, my master.”192
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) confirmed what the Prophet (S) had announced in one
of his traditions that it was not from Islam that a Muslim be
pessimistic, but he must have a strong will and determination in doing
everything except sins.
Cleanness
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) invited to cleanness and prettification. He said,
‘Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty and prettification, and He hates
misery and miserable ones. Allah the Almighty likes, when He gives a
blessing to His slave, to see the effects of that blessing appear on
him.’ He was asked, ‘How is that?’ He said, ‘To clean his dress, make
his smell good, order his house, and sweep the yard. Even a lamp lit
before sunset takes poverty away and increases livelihood.’193
Rarity of Lawful Income
Sayyid bin Tawus narrated that Muhammad bin Harun al-Jallab said, ‘I
said to my master Ali bin Muhammad al-Hadi (a.s.): we narrated from your
fathers that a time would come where there would be nothing rarer than a
friendly brother or gaining a lawful dirham (well-gotten money).’ He
said, ‘O Muhammad, a friendly brother is available, but you are in a
time where there is nothing rarer than a well-gotten dirham and a loyal,
faithful brother.’194
The rarity of well-gotten
money results from the impiety in gaining and the greediness to get
money in any way. As for a friendly brother who seeks his own benefits,
he is available everywhere and everywhen, but as for a god-fearing
brother who keeps his brother away from committing sin and takes him to
do good, he is rare at all times.
Ignoring the Fact of Death
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was asked, ‘Why do these Muslims hate death?’ He
said, ‘Because they ignore it, and therefore, they hate it. If they knew
it and were from the devotees of Allah, they would surely love it and
know that the afterlife would be better than the worldly life.’ Then
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) turned to his companions and said, ‘Why do a child
and an insane refrain from drug that recovers their bodies and relieves
them from pain?’
They said, ‘Because they ignore the benefit of drug.’
He said, ‘I swear by Him Who had sent Muhammad with the truth as
prophet, whoever prepares himself to death, it would be better for him
than this curative drug. If they know what bliss death gets to, they
will love it and call for it more than a sane, determined man when
calling for drug to cure his diseases and get safety.’195
In another tradition it was related that one day Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)
visited a sick companion and saw him cry fearing from death. He said to
him, ‘O Abdullah (slave of Allah), you fear from death because you do
not know it. If you become dirty and filthy, and you suffer from this
dirt and filth that cause you sores and mange, and then you know that
washing in the bathroom will relieve all that, do you not want to go to
the bathroom and remove all that from you, or you hate to do that and
you let filth, sores, and mange on you?’
The sick man said, ‘O yes, son of the messenger of Allah, may Allah have blessing and peace on you and your household.’
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘Death is that bathroom. It is the last thing
remaining for you to wash your guilt and purify you from your sins. If
you come to it and be its neighbor, you shall be free from every
distress, grief, and pain, and shall get to every happiness and
delight.’ The sick man was calm. He submitted to death and pleased with
the fate of Allah.196
True Repentance
Ahmad bin Hilal asked Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) about true repentance and he
replied to him, ‘that the inward and the outward are to be the same and
better.’197
The Meaning Of “Rajeem”
Abdul Adhim al-Hasani narrated that he heard Abul Hasan Ali bin
Muhammad al-Hadi (a.s.) saying, ‘The meaning of “rajeem-accursed” that
Satan is described with is that he is stoned with curse, and rejected
from every place of good. No faithful mentions him unless he curses him.
In the eternal knowledge of Allah that when Imam al-Mahdi (al-Qa’im)
(a.s.) will reappears, every believer at his time will stone Satan as he
had been stoned with curse before.’198
Mob
Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘Mob are the killers of the prophets…Allah
was not pleased with them when He compared them to the livestock and
said, (but they are worse).199
Mobs are those groups
of people who have no social or religious understanding. It is they
whom tyrannical powers push to kill prophets and reformers throughout
history.
Words Of Light
A collection of precious words was narrated from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.).
These words are from the wonderful intellectual treasures in Islam, in
which Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) has discussed different educational, moral,
and psychological issues. Here are some of his words:
1. “Better than good is its doer, better than favor is its sayer, and more preferable than knowledge is its follower.’
2. He said to one of his servants, ‘Blame so-and-so (friendly) and say
to him: if Allah wants good for someone, He made him be pleased when he
is blamed.’
3. “He, who asks for more than his merit, is worthier of deprivation.”
4. “The rightness of one, who ignores dignity, is his lowness.”
5. “Patience is to possess yourself and control your anger when you are able to show it.”
6. “People (run their affairs) in this life with money and in the afterlife with deeds.”
7. “Whoever is pleased with himself, many are those who are displeased at him.”
8. “Fates show you what you do not imagine.”
9. “The evilest of misfortune is bad morals.”
10. “Wealth is the littleness of wishing and the satisfaction with what
suffices you, poverty is greediness and despair, and lowness is
following the little and looking forward to insignificants.’
11. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was asked about resolution and he said, ‘It is
to see your opportunity and hurry to achieve it as possible as you can.’
12. “The rider of a reluctant horse is a captive of himself.” He, who
walks in crooked ways, is led by his fancy that throws him into the
abyss of misfortunes.
13. “An ignorant one is a captive of his tongue.’
14. “Disputing destroys old friendship, and unties firm knots. The
least of it is that it leads to hatred which is the first cause of the
rupture of relations.”
15. “Blaming is the key to haughtiness, though it is better than spite.”
16. One of Imam al-Hadi’s companions exaggerated in praising the Imam
who said to him, ‘Much flattery attacks discernment. If you are trusted
by your brother, turn from flattery to good will.”
17. “Misfortune for the patient is one, and for the impatient is two.”
18. “Envy eradicates good deeds, and pride brings detestation.”
19. “Self-conceit turns one away from seeking knowledge and leads him to ignorance.”
20. “Stinginess is the worst of morals, and greediness is a bad nature.”
21. “Associating with the wicked shows the wickedness of one who associates with them.”
22. “The denying of blessings is a sign of ungratefulness and a cause for changing (of blessings).”
23. “Importunity takes peacefulness away and leads to regret.”
24. “Mockery is the joking of the foolish and the craft of the ignorant.”
25. “Undutifulness (to parents) lessens offspring and leads to meanness.”
26. “Sleeplessness makes sleep more pleHasant, and hunger makes food more delicious.”
27. “Think of your death between your family where no physician shall defend you and no friend shall benefit you!”
28. “Think of the regrets of wasting to be more determined!”
29. “A niggard and a wise man do not rest.”
30. “There is no cure for corrupted natures.”
31. “He, who cannot prevent, cannot give.”
32. “Worse than evil is its doer and more horrible than horror is an adventurer into it.”
33. “Beware of envy for it harms you and not your enemy.”
34. “In a time where justice is more than oppression, it is unlawful to
suspect anyone before being certain of that which is suspected of, and
in a time where oppression is more than justice, one should not trust in
anyone except after being certain of him.”
35. Imam al-Hadi
(a.s.) said to al-Mutawakkil (the Abbasid caliph), “Do not expect good
will from one whom you have offended, or loyalty from one whom you have
betrayed, or sincerity from one whom you have suspected, because the
hearts of others towards you are like your heart towards them.”
36. “Retain blessings by being good neighbor to them (by spending them
in the right way and helping people through charities), expect more by
being grateful to Allah for them, and know that soul is very willing to
what it is given and very unwilling to what it is prevented from, so
carry it on a sumpter that does not slow.”
37. “Ignorance and niggardliness are the worst of morals.”
38. “Good appearance is apparent beauty and good mind is hidden beauty.”
39. “It is from inadvertence to Allah that one keeps on disobedience and wishes forgiveness from Allah.”
40. “If people walked in a vast valley, I would walk in a valley of a man who worshipped Allah alone sincerely.”
41. “The anger at one, over whom you have authority, is meanness.”
42. “A grateful one is happier with gratitude than with the blessing
that requires gratitude, because blessings are enjoyment and gratitude
is a blessing.”
43. “Allah made the worldly life a place of
trying and the afterlife a place of reward. He made the misfortunes of
the worldly life as a means for the reward of the afterlife, and the
reward of the afterlife as a compensation for the misfortunes of the
worldly life.”
44. “An understanding oppressor is about to take
attentions away from his oppression through his understanding, and a
foolish just man is about to put out the light of his justice through
his foolishness.”
45. “Whoever shows you his sincere love you are to show him your obedience.”
46. “Do not feel safe from the evil of one who despises himself.”
47. “The world is a market in which some people gain and others lose.”
48. “Think of your death among your family where no physician shall save you and no lover shall benefit you.”200
* The Life of Imam ‘Ali al-Hadi, Study and Analysis. By: Baqir Shareef al-Qurashi. Published by: Ansariyan Publications
---------------------------------------------------
1- Muruj ath-Thahab, vol.4 p.114.
2- Bihar al-Anwar, vol.3.
3- Al-Amali by Sheikh at-Tusi.
4- Ibid.
5- Al-Amali by Sheikh at-Tusi.
6- Qur'an, 35:10.
7- In Arabic “fatama” means weaned.
8- Bihar al-Anwar, vol.10.
9- Bihar al-Anwar, vol.8.
10- Bihar al-Anwar, vol.9.
11- Bihar al-Anwar, vol.9.
12- Al-Amali by at-Tusi.
13- Ibid.
14- Al-Amali by at-Tusi.
15- Ma’athir al-Kubara’, vol.3 p.219.
16- Wassa’il ash-Shia, vol.1 p.78.
17- Ibid., vol.11 p.523.
18- Ma’athir al-Kubara’.
19- Nowadays Damascus. But then, Sham encompassed the present Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine.
20- At-Tawhid, p.380-381.
21- Uyoon Akhbar ar-Ridha.
22- Ma’athir al-Kubara’, vol.3 p.220.
23- Ma’athir al-Kubara’, Wassa’il ash-Shia, vol.4 p.163.
24- Al-Amali by at-Tusi.
25- Wassa’il ash-Shia, vol.11 p.466.
26- Al-Amali by at-Tusi.
27- Uyon Akhbar ar-Ridha.
28- Ma’athir al-Kubara’, vol.3 p.228.
29- Qur'an, 23:16.
30- Al-Amali by at-Tusi.
31- Qur'an, 16:97.
32- Qur'an, 67:2.
33- At-Tawhid, p.96.
34- Basa’ir ad-Darajat.
35- Ad-Dur an-Nadhim (a manuscript).
36- Or “Murji’a”: the name of a politico-religious movement in early Islam.
37- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.2 p.737.
38- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.2 p.738, al-Hada’iq an-Nadhirah, vol.4 p.41.
39- Wassa’il ash-Shia, vol.3 p.254.
40- Wassa’il ash-Shia, vol. 3 p.277.
41- Ibid., vol.3 p.334.
42- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.3 p.251.
43- Al-Lum’ah, vol.1 p.223.
44- This especially concerns the place where the forehead is put during prostration.
45- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.4 p.604.
46- A mukallaf is one who is obliged to fulfill the religious duties.
47- Ada’ is to offer prayer (or other obligations) at its specified
time and qadha’ is to offer prayer out of its specified time.
48- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.5 p.352.
49- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.5 p.352.
50- Minhaj as-Salihin, vol.1 p.216-217.
51- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.5 p.518.
52- Al-Hada’iq an-Nadhirah, vol.12 p.348.
53- Kurr is a unit of weight.
54- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.6 p.123.
55- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol. 6 p.157.
56- Al-Hada’iq an-Nadhirah, vol.
57- The zakat that is given at the end of fasting in Ramadan.
58- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.6 p.177.
59- Ibid., p.237.
60- Sa’ is a measure of about 3.25 kilograms.
61- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.6 p.238.
62- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.7 p.187.
63- Ibid., p.154.
64- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.7 p.187.
65- Al-Makasib by Sheikh al-Ansari.
66- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.12 p.137.
67- Ibid., vol.13 p.254.
68- Wassa’il ash-Shia, Vol.13 p.268.
69- Ibid.
70- Ibid., p.299.
71- Ibid.
72- Qur'an, 6:144.
73-Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.18 p.213.s
74- Qur'an, 38:39.
75- Qur'an, 40:84-85.
76- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.18 p.331.
77- Wassa'il ash-Shia, vol.18 p.554.
78- Usul al-Kafi, vol.1 p.97, at-Tawhid, p.109.
79- Qur'an, 7:143.
80- Fee Dhilal al-Qur’an (in the shadows of the Qur’an), vol.9 p.39.
81- At-Tawhid, p.66.
82- At-Tawhid, p.104.
83- Ibid., p.97.
84- Ad-Durr an-Nadhim, at-Tawhid, p.100.
85- Qur'an, 9:74.
86- Qur'an, 33:66.
87- Qur'an, 4:59.
88- Qur'an, 4:83.
89- Qur'an, 4:58.
90- Qur'an, 21:7.
91- Kashf al-Ghummah, vol.3 p.176.
92- Al-Ihtijaj by at-Tabarsi.
93- Qur'an, 5:55-56.
94- Qur'an, 33:57.
95- Mustadrak as-Sahihayn, vol.3 p.122, al-Isabah,vol.4 p.304, Kanzul
Ummal, vol.6 p.152, Majma’ az-Zawa’id, vol.9 p.129, ar-Riyadh
an-Nadhirah, vol.2 p.165.
96- Mustadrak as-Sahihayn, vol.3 p.130,
Tareekh Baghdad, vol.13 p.32, Usd al-Ghabah, vol.4 p.383, Majma’
az-Zawa’id, vol.9 p.131.
97- Sahih of ibn Majah, p.12, Hilyat al-Awliya’, vol.1p.62, Khasa’is of an-Nassaei, p.32, Kanzul Ummal, vol.6 p.395.
98- Qur'an, 18:49.
99- Qur'an, 22:10.
100- Qur'an, 10:44.
101- Qur'an, 2:81.
102- Qur'an, 4:10.
103- Qur'an, 4:56.
104- Qur'an, 2:85.
105- Qur'an, 6:160.
106- Qur'an, 3:30.
107- Qur'an, 40:17.
108- Qur'an, 39:7.
109- Qur'an, 3:102.
110- Qur'an,51:56-57.
111- Qur'an,4:36.
112- Qur'an, 8:20.
113- Qur'an, 2:85.
114- Qur'an, 43:31.
115- Qur'an, 43:32.
116- Quraysh was the tribe which inhabited Mecca.
117- Qur'an, 33:36.
118- Lectures on usul al-Fiqh, vol.2 p.87-89.
119- Qur'an, 17:70.
120- Qur'an, 95:4.
121- Qur'an, 82:6-8.
122- Qur'an, 22:37.
123- Qur'an, 16:14.
124- Qur'an, 16:5-7.
125- Qur'an, 64:16.
126- Qur'an, 2:286.
127- Qur'an, 65:7.
128- Qur'an, 24:61.
129- Qur'an, 3:97.
130- Qur'an, 58:3-4.
131- Qur'an, 4:98.
132- Qur'an, 4:100.
133- Qur'an, 9:91.
134- Means of transportation.
135- Qur'an, 2:273.
136- Qur'an, 3:167.
137- Qur'an, 61:2.
138- Qur'an, 16:106.
139- Qur'an, 2:225.
140- Qur'an, 47:31.
141- Qur'an, 7:182.
142- Qur'an, 29:2.
143- Qur'an, 38:34.
144- Qur'an, 20:85.
145- Qur'an, 7:155.
146- Qur'an, 5:48.
147- Qur'an, 3:152.
148- Qur'an, 68:17.
149- Qur'an, 67:2.
150- Qur'an, 2:124.
151- Qur'an, 47:5.
152- Qur'an, 23:115.
153- Qur'an, 6:28.
154- Qur'an, 20:134.
155- Qur'an, 17:15.
156- Qur'an, 4:165.
157- Qur'an, 35:8.
158- Qur'an, 41:17.
159- Qur'an, 3:7.
160- Qur'an, 39:17-18.
161- Tuhaf al-Uqul, p.458-475, also mentioned in brief in al-Ihtijaj by at-Tabarsi.
162- Qur'an, 2:186.
163- Qur'an, 39:53.
164- Qur'an, 37:75.
165- Qur'an, 17:110.
166- A’yan ash-Shia, vol.4 p.285.
167- Ad-Durr an-Nadheem.
168- Ad’iyat al-Bihar.
169- At-Tawhid.
170- Ziyarah linguistically means “a visit” but here it refers to the
special sacred wordings said by the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt
(a.s) and by others as a kind of greeting, respect and reverence offered
to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and other holy personalities when visiting
their shrines or may be recited on certain days and occasions wherever
one is.
171- Mafatih al-Jinan by Sheikh Abbas al-Qummi, p. 363.
172- Qur'an, 33:10-13.
173- Qur'an, 33:22.
174- Amr bin Abd Widd was the most famous, and bravest hero of the polytheists who fought in the battle of al-Ahzab.
175- Qur'an, 33:25.
176- Qur'an, 3:153.
177- Qur'an, 9:25-26.
178- Qur'an, 33:15.
179- Here Imam al-Hadi (a.s) talked about the sleeping of Imam Ali
(a.s) in the Prophet’s bed when Quraysh decided to kill the Prophet
(a.s) but Imam Ali (a.s) sacrificed his life for him.
180- Qur'an, 37:102.
181- Qur'an, 2:207.
182- In this passage Imam al-Hadi (a.s) talked about the famous event
of al-Ghadir when Muslims paid homage to Imam Ali (a.s) as the caliph
after the Prophet (a.s) due to the decree of the Prophet (a.s) himself.
183- Qur'an, 5:67.
184- Qur'an, 20:90-91.
185- Qisas al-Anbiya’ (The stories of the prophets) by ar-Rawandi.
186- Al-Amali by as-Saduq.
187- He was one the most oppressive walis of the Umayyads.
188- Qur'an, 6:44-45.
189- Rijal al-Kashshi.
190- Ma’athir al-Kubara’, vol.3 p.227.
191- Al-Ihtijaj.
192- Bihar al-Anwar.
193- He might be al-Hasan bin Sa’eed al-Ahwazi.
194- Tuhaf al-Uqul, p.482-483.
195- Al-Amali by Sheikh al-Mufid.
196- Ma’athir al-Kubara’, vol.3 p.227.
197- Ma’ani al-Akhbar by as-Saduq.
198- Ibid.
199- Ma’ani al-Akhbar by as-Saduq.
200- Ma’ani al-Akhbar by as-Saduq.
201- Qur'an, 7:179.
202- These sayings are quoted from ad-Durr an-Nadhim, al-Ittihaf
Bihubil Ashraf, Bihar al-Anwar, al-Amali of Sheikh at-Tusi, Aa’yan
ash-Shia, Nuzhat an-Nadhir, Tuhaf al-Uqul, al-Amali of Sheikh al-Mufid,
Ma’ani al-Akhbar of Sheikh as-Saduq, Ma’athir al-Kubara’.
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22 June 2024 - 06:56
News ID: 1466979
Allah had dilated the chest of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) for receiving knowledge and expanded his heart for sciences. Secrets of facts and intricacies of things were uncovered for him without any request or effort. People spoke about the vast knowledge he had, with none equal to him in his amazing, scientific treasures, covering all sciences of Hadith, jurisprudence, philosophy, theology, and other branches of knowledge.