Imam Jafar As-Sadiq's(A.S.) Commandments
Imam Jafar As-Sadiq's(A.S.) Commandment
for Abdullah Bin Jundab
It is related that Imam As-Sadiq(A.S.) said:
O Abdullah, the Shaitan has arranged his traps in this deceitful world to target our disciples only, but the world to come is too great in their eyes to seek a substitute for it. Oh, for hearts that are stuffed with illumination. For them, this world is as same as a piosonous snake and an outlandish enemy. They found amiability with Allah and they found strange that with which the luxurious ones found amusement. They are surely my disciples. They uncover every seditious matter and relieve every misfortune.
O son of Jundab, it is obligatory upon every Muslim, who claims of knowing us, to maintain judgment with his deeds everyday; if he notices that he has done a good deed, he should do it increasingly, and if he notices that he has committed an evildoing, he should seek Allah's forgiving it so that he will not be disgraced on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed be the servant - of Allah - who does not envy the wrongdoers for their having the worldly pleasures. Blessed be the servant who sought the world to come painstakingly. Blessed be him who is not cheated by the false expectations. Allah's mercy be upon those who were lanterns and lights. They advocated us through their deeds and all efforts. They are unlike him who divulges out secrets.
O son of Jundab, the true faithful believers are those who fear Allah and work hard so as the guidance that they have been given will not be taken from them. If they remember Allah and His grace, they feel apprehensive and fearful. If Allah's Verses are recited before them, they will increase their faith due to the power that He shows, and they depend upon their Lord.
O son of Jundab, in the old time, ignorance was erected and based. This is because they betook Allah's religion playfully and jokingly to the degree that he whoever did something for Allah's sake was intending someone else. Those are surely the unjust.
O son of Jundab, if our Shais - adherents - opt for righteousness, the angels will shake hands with them, they will get provisions from above - the heavens -and below - the earth - , and Allah will respond to all their supplications.
O son of Jundab, speak only good wording about the sinful people of your sect. You should supplicate to Allah importunately to guide them and accept their repentance. He whoever proposes us, follows us, shuns our enemies, says only what he knows, and says nothing about what he ignores or deems it problematic will be in Paradise.
O son of Jundab, decline is the result of him who depends upon his acts. He who commits sins and depends totally upon Allah's mercy will not be sad. The safe ones are those who are in a situation between hope and fear, whose hearts are as if they are in a claw of a bird due to their eagerness for the reward and fear from the penalty.
O son of Jundab, he who is pleased the Allah will give him the women of Paradise in marriage and crown him with the light should please his faithful brother.
O son of Jundab, sleep little at night and speak little in day. The less thankful organs are the eye and the tongue. Mother of Solomon the prophet (A.S.) instructed him, saying: "O son, beware of sleeping. It makes you needy on that day when people will be in importunate need for their deeds."
O son of Jundab, the Shaitan has some traps with which he traps the others. Keep yourselves safe against his snares and traps.
(Abdullah-bin-Jundab related) I asked, "O son of the messenger of Allah, what are these traps and snares?"
Imam As-Sadiq(A.S.) answered: The trap of the Shaitan is withholding from doing chrity to the friends, while his snare is sleeping away the settlement of the obligatory prayers. Certainly, no worship is preferred to walking for visiting and providing charity to the friends. Woe to those who are inadverent against their prayers, sleep inattentively, and mock at Allah and His marks.
- "They shall be weightless on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will not speak to them nor will He look at them on the Day of Judgment nor will He purify them. They will face a painful torment. (Holy Qur'an 3:77)
O son of Jundab, Allah will ease him who begins his day thinking only how to save himself from Hell and seeking few profits from his Lord. Allah will make Hell the lodge of him who cheats, debases, and aggresses his friend. Like salt dissolving in water, faith will dissolve in the hearts of those who envy a faithful believer.
O son of Jundab, he who makes efforts for settling his friend's need is as same as that who roams between Safa and Marwa. He who settles the battles of Badr and Uhud for Allah's sake. Allah did not punish a nation before they had disregarded the rights of the poor among them.
O son of Jundab, inform our Shias - adherents - not to be highly tranquil. Pursuance to our leadership is not obtained without piety, painstakingness, and consoling the brothers for Allah's sake. He whoever opprresses people is not within our adherents.
O son of Jundab, the characters of our Shias are many: They are generous, open handedness with the friends, and offering fifty rak'as in day the nafilas). Our Shias neither shout like dogs nor are they avaricious like crows. They never lodge next to our enemies and never beg him who hates us even if they starve. Our Shias never have the meat of eel and never pass their hands over their slippers during the ritual ablution. They keep up the offering of the Dhuhr-midday-Prayer and do not drink any intoxicant.
(Abdullah-bin-Jundab related) I asked, "Allah make me your sacrifice, where can I find such Shias?" Imam As-Sadiq(A.S.) answered: You will find them on the summits of mountains and in outskirts. Whenever you are in a city, you will know the faithful by asking about the one whom the people of the city do not neighbor nor does he neighbor them. That is the faithful believer. This is in the Holy Quran. Allah says: "A man came running from the fartherst part of the city. (Holy Qur'an 36:20) That was Habib the carpenter. He was the only people of your sect. Every charity is acceptable except that which is done for showing off.
O son of Jundab, all sins are forgivable except mistreating the people of your sect. Every charity is acceptable except that which is done for showing off.
O son of Jundab, love (others) for Allah's sake. Cling to the firmest handle. Stick on the guidance so that your deeds will be accepted. Allah says: I am All-forgiving to the righteously striving believers who repent and follow the right guidance. (Holy Qur'an 20:82)
Hence, nothing except faith will be accepted. No faith without deed, no deed without conviction, and no conviction without submission. The master of all these is guidance. The deeds of him who follows the right guidance will be accepted and ascended to the Divine Realm. "Allah guides to the right path whomever He wants. (Holy Qur'an 2:213)
O son of Jundab, if you desire for neighboring the Glorified Allah and residing in the Elevated Paradise in His vicinty, you should demean the worldly pleasures, regard death permanently, and spare nothing for tomorrow. You should know that you will get the reward of whatever you precede-in charity- and suffer the punishment of whatever you delay.
O son of Jundab, he whoever deprives himself of enjoying his earnings is collecting for others. He whoever complies with his passions is complying with his enemy. For those who trust in Him, Allah will settle their worldly affairs as well as the affairs of the world to come and keep for them whatever they miss.
He who does not choose steadfastness for facing every mosfortune, thanks for every grace, and easiness for every complexity will surely be too short to continue. Be broad-minded whenever a misfortune inflicts you, whether in your son, whealth, or other matters. The fact of every misfortune is that Allah receives his loan and takes his gift back so as to test your tolerance and thanking.
Trust in Allah in a way that you will not dare to disobey Him. Fear Him in a way that you do not despair of His mercy. Do not believe the saying and praise of the ignorant so that you will not be arrogant, tyrant, and esteem your deeds exaggeratedly.
Adoration and modesty are the best of deeds. Do not waste your fortune and put up the others' fortunes through what you are going to leave for them, Satisfy yourself with what Allah is giving you. Never look to what others have. Never expect (the good of) What you will not get. He who satisfies himself will surely attain self-sufficiency. He who is not pleased will never satiate. Take your share of the world to come.
Never be so crude that people desist from approaching you. Never quarrel with him who is higher than you. Never dispute about a matter whose rightful owners are the opposite party. Never listen to the foolish. Never humiliate yourself before any person. Never depend upon anyone's protection. Stop engaging yourself in a matter before you check it completely and realize its entrance and exit so as to avoid sorrow.
Consider your mind as a kinsman whose opinion you seek. Consider your knowledge as the father that you follow. Consider your self as the enemy that you fight and the loan that you will defray. You are assigned as the physician of yourself and shown the prescription of health, the malady, and the remedy. See how you will treat yourself.
If you have done favor to someone, you should not violate it by mentioning it and showing the obligation on him. You should attach another favor to the precious. This will be more fitting for you and will make your rewward in the world to come more fixed.
Keep silent and you will be reckoned as indulgent whether you were knowledgeable or ignorant. Silence is an ornament before the scholars and a screen before the ignorant.
O son of Jundab, once, Jesus son of Mary(A.S.) said "I tell you truthfully that you will not get what you want unless you leave your desires. Likewise, you will not attain your hopes unless you become steadfast against matters that you hate. Beware of looking (at foreign women even one time), because it sets sexual appetite in the heart. This will sufficiently be sedition. Blessed are those whose sight is in their hearts not in their eyes. Do not go after people's defects as if you are lords. You should inspect your defects like the slaves. People are either sick or healthy. Be kind to the sick and thank Allah for the health.
O son of Jundab, regard him who ruptured relation with you, give him who deprived you (of his bestowals), treat kindly him who mistreated you, greet him who reviled at you, be just to him who disputed with you, and pardon him who wronged you in the same way as you like others to pardon you. Take lessons from Allah's pardoning you; do you not see that His sun is covering the pious and the licentious and His rain is falling on the virtuous and the wrongdoers?
O son of Jundab, do not give alms openly for the purpose of making people second you. If you do so, then you have taken your reward. You should not let your left hand know that your right hand has given alms. He to whom you are giving alms secretly will surely reward you openly before all people on the day on which it will not be harmful for you that people witness your alms-giving.
Low you voice because your Lord, Who knows whatever you say secretly or openly, has already known your question before you ask it. When you observe fast, you should not backbite anybody. Do not oppress anyone while you are fasting. Do not be like those who fast for showing off; their faces are dusty, hair is disheveled, and mouths are dry just for making people know that they are fasting.
O son of Jundab, all the good and all the evil are in front of you. You will see the true good and the true evil after the world to come. Allah the Glorified put all the good in Paradise and all the evil in Hell, because they will persist.
It is an obligation upon him whom Allah has gifted guidance, honored with faith, granted intelligence, supplied with a brain with which the graces are recognized, and given knowledge and wisdom with which the worldly and religious affairs are managed, it is an obligation of him to deem obligatory upon himself to thank Allah never show ingratitude, never forget, obey, and never challenge Him. This obligation is for the old graces that the lord considered perfectly, the new ones that He gave after creation, the great rewards that He promised, and the favor of imposing only the possible and guaranteeing to help do it.
He also called man to seek His help to perform the fewest of what He imposed upon him. Nevertheless, man is ignoring and unable to do what Allah ordered him to do. He dressed the gard of belittling the bond between the Lord and him, pursued his whims, went on complying with his lusts, and preferred this world to the world to come; yet, he hopes to be in the Highest Paradise.
You should never expect to have the ranks of the doers of charity while you practice the deeds of the evildoers. When the Falling Event will come to pass, the Resurrection will arise, the Great Predominating Calamity comes, the All-omnipotent will maintain the scale for judgment and the creatures will be resurrected for the Day of Judgment, only then you will realize whose is the honor and exaltation and whose is sorrow and disappointment. Hence, work in this world so that you will win in the world to come.
O son of Jundab, in one of His revelations, Allah, the Majestic the Glorified, said: I will accept only the prayers of him who humiliates himself before My greatness, abstains from the pleasures for My sake, spends his day with referring to Me, never tyrannizes My creatures, serves the hungry, attires the naked, treats the injured kindly, and finds a place for the strange. The light of such people will shine like sunlight. I will give him light in the gloom and composure in the situations of ignorance. I will protect them by My might and assign My angels as their guards. I will respond when they call on Me and give when they ask Me. They are the like of the Highest Paradise; its fruits are unparalleld and it never changes."
O son of Jundab, Pudency is Islam'sits dress, decorum is its adornment, good deed is its personality, and piety is its pillar.
Everything should have a basis. The basis of Islam is the adoration to us-the Prophet's family.
O son of Jundab, Allah, the Blessed the Exalted, has a wall of light that is framed with aquamarine and silk and decorated with fine green silk.
This wall is fixed between our enemies and our followers. When the brains will boil, the hearts will reach the throats, and the livers will be fired due to the long period of the situation of the resureection, the disciples of Allah will be taken into that wall.
They will be under Allah's security and protection. They will have whatever they desire and whatever their eyes find sweet. The enemies of Allah will be muffled by the sweat and thrilled by fear. They will look at what Allah will arrange for them and say: "Why is it that we cannot see men whom we had considered as wicked? (Holy Qur'an 38:62) Then, Allah's disciples will look and laugh at them. This is Allah's sayings"
"We mocked at them. Can our eyes not find them? (Holy Qur'an 38:63)
"On the Day of Judgment, the believers will laugh at the disbelievers, while reclining on couches and reviewing the bounties given to them. (Holy Qur'an:34-35)
At that time, Allah take everyone who supported any of our disciples, even by a single word, to Paradise without judgment.
Imam Jafar As-Sadiq's(A.S.) commandment for Abu-Ja'far Muhammad Bin Annu'man Al-Ahwal
Abu-Ja'far said: Imam as-Sadiq(A.S.) said to me: Allah the Glorified imputed dishonor to some people in the Qur'an because they divulged secrets.
Abu-Ja'far said: Allah make me your sacrifice, where is that (in the Qur'an)?" asked I. The Imam (A.S.) answered: This is in His saying: When they receive any news of peace or war, they anounce it in public. (Holy Qur'an 4:83)
He (A.S.) then added: The divulgers of our secrets are as same as those who unsheathe swords in our faces. Allah's mercy be upon him who buries under the feet whatever he hears from our concealed issues. I swear by Allah, I know the evil among you more accurately than a veterinarian's knowledge of his sick animals. The evil ones among you are those who recite the Qur'an only in public, offer the prayers in the final of their times, and do not control their tongues.
When Al-Hasan-bin-Ali(A.S.) was stabbed and people mutinied, he conceded to Muawiya. Hence, his followers came to him and said: Peace be upon you, disgracer of the believers!" He (A.S.) said: I am not the disgracer of the believers. I am their consolidator. When I noticed that you were weaker than them, I conceded so that you, as well as I, would remain among them. This is the same reason that made the scholar crack the ship so that it would be kept for its owners.
O son of Annu'man, as I say something to one of you, he relates it to me before others. This will make him deserve my curse and disavowal. My father used to say: "Nothing is more delightful that taqiyyah. It is the shelter of the faithful believers. Without taqiyyah, Allah would not have been worshipped." Allah says in this regard: The believers must not establish friendship with the unbelievers in preference to the faithful. Whoever does so has nothing to hope for from Allah unless he does it out of fear or pious dissimulation - taqiyyah. (Holy Qur'an 3:28)
O son of Annu'man, beware of disputation, because it destroys you. Beware of quarrelsomeness, because it takes you away from Allah. Those who preceded you used to keep silence, while you are learning how to speak. If one of them wanted to dedicate his efforts to worship, he would have to learn keeping silent ten years before so. If he learned it adequately, he would go worshipping. Otherwise, he would say: No, I am not fit enough for so.
Only he who keeps silent against obscenity and tolerates harm under the ruling of the unjust authorities will be saved. These are the chaste, the pure, and the true disciples. Moreover, they are the faithful believers. The most hated to me are the distributors of the news, the gossiping, and those who envy their friends. They are not from me and I am not from them. My disciples are only those who submit to our affairs, our tracks, and rest upon us in every matter. I swear by Allah, if you provide gold as much as this earth for Allah's sake and then envy a believer, you will be ironed with that gold after it will be hearted in Hell.
O son of Annu'man, the divulger of our secrets is more sinful than him who kills us with his sword. He is surely more sinful. He is surely more sinful.
O son of Annu'man, he whoever relates a narrative to us is murdering us intentionally, not unintentionally.
O son of Annu'man, the Shaitan is still attaching to us -the prophet's family - those who are neither with us nor with our religion. When such an individual is raised and regarded by people, the Shaitan will order him to fabricate lies against us. Whenever such an individual goes, another will come forth.
O son of Annu'man, he who says, 'I do not know,' if he does not find the answer of a question is behaving fairly to knowledge. The faithful believers who bear malice in a situation should get rid of that malice as soon as that situation ends.
O son of Annu'man, the scholar cannot tell you of everything he knows, because he is Allah's secret that He revealed to Gabriel the angel. Gabriel revealed it to Muhammad (S.A.W.), and he revealed to Ali(A.S.) who revealed it to Al-Hasan(A.S.). Al-Hasan revealed to al-Hussein (A.S.) who revealed to Ali(A.S.). Ali(A.S.) revealed it to Muhammad (A.S.) who revealed it to someone. Do not be hasty. This issue was about to be come forth three times, but it was postponed because you declared it publicly. Your enemies are more acquainted with your secrets.
O son of Annu'man, Keep yourself safe. You have disobeyed me. Do not divulge my secrets. Al-Mughira-bin-Saeed forged lies against my father and divulged his secrets; therefore, Allah caused him to suffer the heat of iron. Likewise, Abul-Khattab forged lies against me and divulged my secrets;therefore, Allah caused him to suffer the heat of iron, For those who conceal our affairs, Allah will adorn them with our affair in this world and the world to come, give them their shares, and guard them against the heat of iron and the narrow detention.
Once, the Israelis were inflicted with such a harsh famine that their animals and children perished. Hence, Moses the prophet (A.S.) supplicated to Allah to save them. Allah said: O Moses, they have made public fornication and usury, constructed the churches, and wasted the alms,-giving."
Moses said: O Lord, be merciful to them out of your compassion. They do not understand."
Thus, Allah told Moses that He would send rainfall on them and test them for forty days. But they publicized this matter; hence, Allah ceased rainfall for forty years. In the same way, as your issue was about to come forth, you publicized the matter in your sessions.
O son of Annu'man, what is your business with people? Leave them alone and do not call anyone to this matter. I Swear by Allah, if the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth support each other on deviating a servant whom Allah wants to guide, they will not be able to do it. Let people alone and do not say this is my brother, uncle, or neighbor. When Allah the Glorified wants the good of somebody, He will make his soul so fertile that he accepts any good matter and refuse any evil. Then Allah will strike his heart with a word that corrects his matter totally.
O son of Annu'man, if you want your friend to keep your friendship, you should not joke or dispute with him, show him pride, or mistreat him. Do not inform your frined of Allah of your secrets except those which will not harm you if your enemy knows them, because it is possible that your friend becomes your enemy someday.
O son of Annu'man, a servant will nor be a faithful believer before he learns three characters; one from Allah, one from His messenger, and one from the Imam. The character that he should learn from Allah is the concealment of secrets. Allah the Glorified says: He knows the unseen and He does not allow anyone to know His secrets... (Holy Qur'an 72:26)
The character that he should learn from the Prophet (S.A.W.) is that he should treat people courteously.
The character that he should learn from the Imam(A.S.) is to be steadfast against situations of misfortune and crises until relief comes about.
O son of Annu'man, eloquence is neither the sharpness of the tongue nor the much speaking. It is targeting the meaning and going for the evidence.
O son of Annu'man, he whoever sits with those who revile at Allah's disciples is disobeying Allah. He whoever suppresses his rage for our sake since he cannot show it will be with us on the Highest Peak. Allah will cause to suffer the heat of iron and the narrow detention those who begin their days with divulging our secrets.
O son of Annu'man, do not seek knowledge for showing off, pride, and disputation. Do not leave it for the desire of ignorance, belittlement of knowledge, and feeling shy of people. The protected knowledge is the like of a covered torch.
O son of Annu'man, when Allah the Glorified wants to do good to a servant, He situates a white mark in his heart. Hence, the heart will be in search of the right. Then he will be as hasty as a bird going back to its nest for achieving your affair.
O son of Annu'man, Allah causes the adoration to us-the Prophet's family-to descend from the heavens. It is situated in warehouses, like those of gold and silver, under the Divine Throne. He descends it in limited quantities and gives it to the best of His creatures only. It is in a cloud similar to that of rain. When Allah wants to give it exclusively to whom He loves, he permits that cloud to pour. It then pours, like rainfall, on the fetuses in their mothers' wombs.
Reference:Tuhaf al-Uqool
/129