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Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.)'s Hadith Regarding Legislation

There have been manyahadith reported about Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) dealing in various aspects offiqh which are used as final arguments in determining obligation when they meet all necessary conditions such as the authenticity of the avenue of its reporting and its lack of ignorance or weakness and the absence of ambiguity in its indication and connotation.

His Hadith Regarding Causations

There is also a great deal of 'ilal (causes or foundations) for the legislation of manyahkam (legislative rules) in his answers to questions raised by Muhammad ibn Sinan, and also in his answers to Ibn Shathan at the end of which the narrator mentioned that he learned them one after the other from Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.).

Our View Regarding Causes

But we cannot determine that they are the actual bases for the derivation of the legislative rules; rather, they are other facets of the wisdom of which the legislative system is full, and it is quite possible that the Imam may mention one cause and adds saying that it is one cause among others.

Questioning the Causes is Human Nature

The human nature by instinct is eager to know the underlying motives which lie behind the existence of things, ascertaining such motives, looking for the reasons behind what necessitated the causes, be it in the area of their genesis, i.e., the process of their creation, or their legislation, out of the principle that there is a motive for everything in existence especially when the creation is that of the Wise One Who does not do thing for self-amusement. This is why we find those who asked Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) about the causes behind the legislation of some rules (ahkam ) in accordance with man's questioning nature.

Imam's Answers are Harmonious With the Nature of Legislation

The Imam's answers were all in harmony with the environment of the occasion surrounding their legislation. Causes may be to achieve a social benefit, when the social aspect of legislation is more apparent than any other, or for a health, spiritual or psychological benefit, each according to whatever the nature of legislation inspires.

For example, when he explains the causes for the prohibition of adultery, the Imam (a.s.) says: "Adultery is prohibited due to the corruption it causes such as murders, loss of lineage, child desertion, chaos regarding inheritance, and other such aspects of corruption." Here he determines the social causes behind the prohibition of adultery since the social aspect is more apparent in this case of legislation than any other.

From the same standpoint, the Imam (a.s.) explains to us why usury (riba) is prohibited by saying: "The reason for prohibiting usury is because it eliminates favors, ruins funds, causes greed for profit, causes people to abandon their dealing with loans to each other or in paying cash, or do each

other favors, and due to all the bad consequences of corruption and oppression and the exhaustion of funds."

As regarding the prohibition of eating the meat of pigs, rabbits, dead animals, spleens, the Imam (a.s.) says: "As regarding pigs, their creation was distorted by God in order to provide a moral lesson to man and in order to remind man to fear God and as an evidence of God's might to distort what He creates at will, and because the food they eat is the filthiest of filth, in addition to many other reasons. As regarding the rabbits, they are like cats: their claws are like those of the cats and like wild animals, so their behavior is equally wild, in addition to their own inner dirtiness and due to their bleeding which is similar to the bleeding of women during their menstrual period because they are miscreants. As regarding dead animals, the prohibition of eating their meat is due to the damage such meat will cause to the body, and due to the fact that God has made lawful the meat of animals slaughtered in His name so that that would be a distinction between what is lawful and what is not. As regarding the spleen, it is prohibited because of the bad blood it contains, and the cause of its prohibition is similar to that of dead animals because it is equally bad in its consequences."

These causes, as a whole, justify for us the health aspect necessitated by the legislative interest, its wisdom in safeguarding man against falling a victim to disease and as a preventive measure against ailments.

The Imam (a.s.) has said the following regarding the legislation of the pilgrimage (hajj ): "The reason for thehajj is to seek to be the guest of God, to request more blessings, to abandon past sins, to feel repentant about the past, and look forward to the future. It is due to spending on the trip seeking nearness to God, tiring the body, abstaining from pleasures and desires, seeking nearness to God by worshipping Him, yielding and submitting to Him, looking up towards Him in cases of hot weather and chilling cold, during security and fear, incessantly doing so, and due to all the benefits in it of desiring the rewards and fearing the wrath of God, the Dear One, the Exalted."

The causes here define for us the spiritual benefits of the legislation of the pilgrimage, for man needs in his life moments to leave materialistic ambition behind him in order to be in harmony with his Lord through his deep belief in God, his purely spiritual aspirations, so that the voice of belief may remain within his inner self strong and indefatigable. Thus, the legislation of the rite ofhajj came as a destined obligation performed by man when he satisfies the legislative conditions of being able to perform it. When he achieves his materialistic needs, one may think of himself as being superior to others, and he becomes arrogant due to the transient wealth he has had; therefore, he has no choice except to expose himself to a situation which strips him of the artificiality which overwhelms him and brings him back to the pristine spiritual reality, hence the legislation of thehajj which causes man to feel humble before the greatness of God, and that he and the others are equal before God when they are all stripped of any materialistic distinctions.

As regarding marital relations between man and woman, the Imam (a.s.) justifies for us some legislative rules in this regard. For example, the reason

why a man may marry up to four women, while a woman is prohibited from marrying more than one man, is that when a man marries four women, his children will all be related to him; had a woman married two husbands or more simultaneously, nobody would know for sure who fathered the sons she gave birth to, since they all were participating in cohabiting with her, and this causes a complete disorder for relating one to his father, and who should inherit who, and who is the kin of who.

The reason for repeating the divorce statement thrice is due to the time interval between each, and due to a possible desire for reconciliation or the calming of anger, if any, and to teach women to fear their husbands and deter them from disobeying them.

The reason why a husband can never remarry his wife whom he divorced thrice (articulating, in the process, the divorce statement nine times all in all), is that it is his right penalty so that men do not take divorce lightly or take advantage of women and think of them as weak, and so that the man would be considering his affairs, remaining awake and aware, so that he would lose all hope of a reunion after the ninth pronouncement of the divorce statement. The reason why a wife during her waiting period ('iddat ) cannot remarry her previous husband who had divorced her twice before till she marries someone else, is due to the fact that God had permitted divorce twice, saying, "A divorce is only permissible twice: after that, the parties should either hold together on equitable terms, or separate with kindness,"1 that is, after he had already divorced her for the third time, due to his committing something God Almighty hates for him to do; therefore, He prohibited him from marrying her again except after she marries someone else in order to prohibit people from taking divorce lightly and in order to protect women's rights.

These explanations which clarify the wisdom of some legislation related to the marriage relationship give us the impression regarding the great degree of concern Islam pays such relations, organizing them and safeguarding them and protecting their sanctity, emphasizing on giving them the dignified humane attitude which safeguards the rights of both parties.

Regarding the monetary distribution of inheritance by allotting the male heir twice the share of the female, the Imam (a.s.) says the following in order to explain the wisdom in it: "The reason for giving women half what men get of inheritance is that when the woman marries, she receives, while the man gives; therefore, God decided to assist the males to be able to give."

He gives another reason why the man is given twice as much as the woman: The woman is considered dependent on the man when she needs, and he has to take care of her living expenses and to spend on her, while the woman is not required to take care of the expenses of the man, nor can she be required to pay his expenses if he was in need; therefore, God decreed to give the man more according to the Qur'anic verse, "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because God has given the one more than the other, and because they support them from their means."2

Through these two causes, the Imam (a.s.) defines for us the principle of balance in the distribution of the inherited wealth according to the Islamic

legislative system and the justice of such distribution. Having burdened the man with the responsibility of spending and giving and exempting the woman from it, Islam had to compensate the man for that in order to avoid any unfairness he might suffer; otherwise, to distribute the inheritance between them equally is an unfair legislation which contradicts the principle of justice of the Islamic Message.

Thus, Islam's precision in safeguarding justice in the legislative system becomes clear to us. At the same time, the superficiality of the thinking of those who call for equality between man and woman in the distribution of inheritance unveils itself to us, and that such a call is no more than a cheap noise without a scientific or realistic basis.

Having favored the man in the distribution of inheritance by giving him twice the woman's share, Islam on the other hand provides the woman with the right to be provided for by the man who must give her dower, in addition to the share of inheritance she has already received, without requiring her to shoulder any financial responsibility whatsoever...; so, how can anyone say that such a legislation is unfair?

Regarding the common custom of defining the value of the dower to be equivalent to the value of five hundred dirhams, the Imam (a.s.) says in a narrative: "God the Almighty and the Exalted has promised that if one believer pronouncedAllahu Akbar! one hundred times, andSubhana-Allah one hundred times, andAlhamdu-Lillah one hundred times, andLa Ilaha Ila-Allah one hundred more times, and send blessings unto His Prophet (S) yet a hundred more, then he pleads Him to marry him to the hurin 'iin (huris of Paradise with large lovely eyes), He would surely marry him to one, then He determined women's dowers to be five hundred dirhams. If any believer asks the hand of a woman from another Muslim brother, pays him the five hundred dirhams, and the brother does not marry him to that woman, he would have committed'uqooq towards him, and God will not marry him to a huri."

This is a beautiful way of explaining the reason for the custom which is meant to provide a solution for the marriage problem of the needy who cannot afford to pay large sums of money as dowers and which may cause them to postpone getting married or cause them an unnecessary financial strain. Thehadith has considered the requirement ofiman (deep belief) as the most important reason to consider marriage in such situations.

Thishadith defines for us the crime of one who does not marry a woman to one who has asked for her hand and paid the five hundred dirhams, calling it'uqooq which is the renunciation of the feeling of compassion and kindness towards another Muslim, and to look down upon him which are attributes above which a good Muslim must rise in his conduct and dealing with his Muslim brother. The lack of compassion, kindness and respect between two Muslim brothers is something God hates most of all things.

Thus does the Imam (a.s.) explain to us some injunctions of the legislative system wherein there is a great deal of wisdom and the safeguarding of vital interests in a very beautiful and interesting style perfectly harmonious with the spirit of the eternal Islamic message which came for the happiness and goodness of man.

Select Hadith of the Imam

It is not possible here to recount all theahadith dealing with various fields of knowledge, the intellect, and history, that have reached us through Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), but this does not stop us from quoting someahadith which contain some objective wisdom in the areas of the creed, the legislative system, and history.

Thehadith of Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) contains precious jewels and invaluable treasures in which man senses the depth of the idea, the magnificence oftafsir , the beauty of performance, without an artificial manner of expression, nor the ambiguity of meaning nor stubbornness in instruction. When he is asked about the reasonable comprehension of someahadith of the Prophet (S) in which a cloud of ambiguity hovers above their narration, he defines their actual objective with flexibility and ease, as ifhadith has no other connotation except the one he provides.

Some asked him about the meaning of this tradition: "My companions are like the stars: If you follow any of them, you shall receive guidance," and another one saying, "Leave my companions to me." Both of these traditions are considered by Sunnis as the foundation of their generalization of their judgment regarding all companions of the Prophet (S), thus justifying even their acts which contradicted Islamic justice, calling what they could not justify as "an error inijtihad ." But the Imam (a.s.) provides us with the actual explanation of these and other suchahadith with honesty and integrity, outlining in an easy manner their exact meaning. In his answer regarding the first tradition, he said, "Yes; he did say thishadith , meaning thereby the companions who did not make any alteration after him or any change." He was asked, "How can you tell that they altered and changed?" He said, "This is due to what is reported about him (S) that he said, `Certain individuals among my companions will be forcibly pushed away from my Pool (of Kawthar) on the Day of Judgment just as strange camels are pushed away from the watering place, and I shall cry, `O Lord! My companions! My companions!' and it shall be said to me, `You do not know what innovations they invented after you,' so they will be pushed away towards the left side (where Hell is), and I shall say, `Away with them; ruined they shall be.'" The Imam continued to say, "Such will be the penalty of those who alter and change (hadith )."

Thishadith is narrated, with a minor variation in its wording, by al-Bukhari who quotes Abdullah ibn Mas'ood citing the Prophet (S) saying, "I shall be the first to reach the Pool, then the souls of some men among you will be raised and they shall be prohibited from coming near me, and I shall say, `Lord! These are my companions!' And it shall be said to me, `You do not know what they did after you...'"3 A number ofhuffaz and narrators ofhadith reported this tradition in various wordings which maintained the same contextual meaning, proving thus that it is consecutive according to them.

The Imam (a.s.), through his frank and proven answer, saved us the effort to look for lame excuses for the flagrant transgressions in which a number of the sahaba fell, and from far-fetched artificialities to justify the errors of conduct which they deliberately committed with determination and which

the samehuffaz could not justify except by saying that they were cases of "mistakenijtihad " which, according to them, did not contradict the justice expected of them, having been pressed by their attempt to attribute absolute justice to the sahabi no matter what he did.

A companion (sahabi) of the Prophet (S) who was distinguished with the honor of being so close to the Prophet (S) is one who is the custodian over the fruits of the Message and a protector of its structure through his faith and deeds. He is a man who ought to be taken as a model of conduct. He is a man, as the Imam (a.s.) used to say, who does not alter or change any of the statements of the Prophet (S). As regarding those who altered and changed, these cannot be awarded a unique distinction, just because they were companions of the Prophet (S), which raised them above other Muslims simply because they were not up to par with the level of responsibility of being honest, which is expected of them, to carry out after the demise of the Prophet (S) and the cessation ofwahi from coming to this world.

Thehadith which the Imam (a.s.) narrated about Ibn Mas'ood, and which is recorded by a number of those who learned the Holy Qur'an andhadith by heart in their books is considered as an explanation of thishadith and an explanation of its connotation. Moreover, it puts the sahaba on equal footing with the others in subjecting their behavior to criticism and discussion, and it shatters the self-immunity which was granted to them in accordance to Prophetic statements manufactured by a number ofhuffaz and traditionists without permitting themselves or others to discuss but take for granted.

In anotherhadith , the Imam (a.s.) proves to us, through a clear statement by the Prophet (S), that some individuals who were regarded as sahaba were not actually so, which shatters all the excuses used only to justify the mistakes and transgression committed by them. For example, Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Taliqani reported that a man in Khurasan swore by divorce that Mu'awiya was not among the true companions of the Messenger of God (S), and this happened when Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) was present there.

The jurists there issued their verdict that the man had actually divorced his wife, and the Imam (a.s.) was asked to provide his own opinion in this regard. He decided that that man's wife was not divorced; therefore, those jurists wrote a statement and sent it to him. In it, they asked him, "How did you come to say, O son of the Messenger of God (S), that the woman was not to be divorced?" He wrote down on the same sheet saying, "It is so because of what you yourselves narrate from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri quoting the Messenger of God (S) saying about those who accepted Islam on the day of opening Mecca, when he was surrounded by a large number of people, `You are good; my companions are good; and there shall be no migration after this Fath,' without including these (meaning Mu'awiya) among his companions." The jurists had to adopt the decision of the Imam (a.s.).

Thus did the Imam (a.s.) deny that Mu'awiya was a companion of the Prophet (S), which claim used to surround the man with a halo of sanctity of his personality and which used to be used to justify the very serious transgressions he committed which left their terrible marks on the structure of the Islamic government since then, and to justify such transgressions by saying that he was a sahabi, and that as such whatever he did or said could

not possibly cast a doubt about his justice, adding, "If we see the good aspect of his action missing, we may say that he attemptedijtihad , and he erred," even if such error was at the expense of the Prophetic Message itself...

If we accept this argument, we would be justifying all the transgressions and erroneous behavior of some companions of the Prophet (S) regardless of their motives or horrible consequences. The transgressions of Mu'awiya and his norms of conduct, in which he departed from the line of the Islamic Message, and which agreed with the attitude of animosity towards Islam, and whose motives and impulses were reasons to cast doubts and suspicions, nobody is really obligated to defend and describe as within the IslamicShari'a simply because they were the result of an erroneousijtihad wherein themujtahid is rewarded with one reward, due to his "immunity" which does not include Mu'awiya simply because the latter was not a companion of the Prophet (S) but was just like any other Muslim whose conduct was subject to accountability and criticism, and the verdict in his regard is based on the anticipated results of his deeds.

The directive the Imam (a.s.) intended by denying that those who accepted Islam, including Mu'awiya, were not companions of the Prophet on the day when Mecca was conquered is one of the strongest and deepest of his directives, for he drew a line between the Prophet (S) and his true companions on one side, and those who accepted Islam after the conquest of Mecca and under the pressure of a superior power and authority on the other hand. Had it not been for their feeling of their precarious situation versus the might of their opponent, realizing that they had no choice except to make asylum and submit to the word of Islam, they would have otherwise dealt with Islam in a quite different manner.

Al-Ma’mun once asked him why the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) is called the divider of Paradise and of Hell, and how that attribute came to be applied to him. The Imam (a.s.) in turn asked him, "O commander of the faithful! Have you not narrated from your father from his forefathers quoting Abdullah ibn Abbas saying that he had heard the Messenger of God (S) saying, `Loving Ali (a.s.) isiman , and hating him iskufr ?'" Al-Ma’mun answered in the affirmative, so the Imam (a.s.) said, "If the distribution of Paradise and of Hell is done according to loving or hating him, then he is the distributor of Paradise and of Hell." Al-Ma’mun then said, "May God never permit me to live after your demise, O father of al-Hasan! I testify that you are the heir of the knowledge of the Messenger of God (S)."

Abul-Salt al-Harawi said, "After the Imam (a.s.) had gone back home, I came to visit him, and I said to him, `O son of the Messenger of God! What an excellent answer you have given the commander of the faithful!' He said, `O Abul-Salt! I spoke to him in the way he understood best, and I have heard my father tellinghadith from his forefathers about Ali (a.s.) saying, `The Messenger of God (S) said: `O Ali! You are the distributor of Paradise and Hell on the Day of Judgment; you say to Hell: `This is mine, and that is yours...'"

Al-Ma’mun was probably unable to absorb the idea that the Imam (a.s.) was a direct distributor of Paradise and Hell, as his question to the Imam (a.s.) suggested; this is why he asked him, "O Abul-Hasan! Tell me about your grandfather the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.); in which way and in which sense is he distributor of Paradise and Hell, for I have been contemplating a lot about that...?" The answer of the Imam (a.s.) was realistic on its own grounds, and it does not contradict the statement he made to Abul-Salt in which he indicated that his distribution is direct, not just in meaning, and the Imam (a.s.) did not openly tell al-Ma’mun that the distribution was not direct, but his wise statement was regarding the origin of being called as such.

In another narrative, he asked the Imam (a.s.) about the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) as to why he did not restore Fadak to its rightful owners after becoming the caliph. He answered saying, "We are members of a family who, upon becoming rulers, do not take their rights from those who confiscated them. Should we become in charge of the Muslims, we shall rule them and restore their confiscated rights to them, but we do not do so for our own selves."

It is possible that the Imam (a.s.) did not openly wish to tell the inquirer that it was not realistic that al-Zahra (a.s.) should demand Fadak and that Fadak by itself did not represent something that valuable for the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), and that they were not less generous than others in spending everything they had to look after the interests of the Muslims and safeguard their strength and unity in the face of the enemy from within or without. Demanding Fadak, then, was the starting point for proving that government rightfully belonged to the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) and it was the beginning of a reawakening campaign with an objective. Had it been successful, it would have caused very significant changes to the Islamic government and, accordingly, history would have been quite different.

When the role Fadak was expected to play in shaping the fate of the Islamic world, and there was no longer any further function for it, and the big motives for demanding it having ceased to exist, the stance of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) in its regard was now overturned after it became no more than the materialistic value it represented. But Fadak remained the symbol of the lost justice according to the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.); for al-Zamakhshari says in his Rabi' al-Abrar,

"Harun al-Rashid kept pressing Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) to take Fadak back, and he kept refusing. When he insisted that he should, he said, `I shall not take it back except in its boundaries.' He asked him, `And what are its boundaries?' He said, `The first is Aden;' al-Rashid's face changed color and he asked him, `And what is the second boundary?' He said, `Samarkand;' now his face started shaking in outrage. He asked him, `And what is the third boundary?' He said, `Africa;' and the caliph's face now turned black in anger, yet he asked him, `And what is the fourth boundary?' He said, `The ocean, and whatever is beyond the Caspian Sea and Armenia.' Harun al-Rashid then said, `There is nothing left for us; so, come and take my throne as well!' The Imam (a.s.) said, `I had told you before that if I defined its boundaries, you would refuse to give it back to me.'"

From this dialogue between Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) and Harun al-Rashid, we can comprehend the vast dimension of the significance of Fadak to Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), and that it did not represent simply a piece of land and a few palm trees but a big missionary objective whose significance was linked to the significance of the Message itself in its connotation and depth.

Another person asked him about the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) as to why people deserted him after knowing his distinction, his past feats, and the status he enjoyed in the eyes of the Messenger of God (S). He answered, "They deserted him and favored others to him after having come to know of his merits simply because he had killed a great number of their fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles, and other relatives who defied God and His Messenger (S); therefore, they kept their grudge against him inside their hearts and they did not like it when he became their ruler. They did not have grudge against anyone else as much as they had against him, for nobody else was so forceful in makingjihad in the defense of the Messenger of God (S) as much as he was; so, they deserted him for someone else."

In his answer, the Imam (a.s.) was making the point that the nation deep down was still suffering from deviations the causes of which rested in the period of the foolish days of ignorance; otherwise, the removal of Imam Ali (a.s.) from the responsibility of government, despite the qualifications and merits he enjoyed, which raised him above anyone else in the nation, was not a natural matter necessitated by an innocent political mistake. It was the result of a move which knew its direction and whose indications became apparent during the moments when Ali's sword was dripping with the blood of the enemies of God, so much so that there was hardly a house in Arabia where Ali's sword did not cause a mourning.

The Prophet (S) realized the seriousness of Ali's stance, the difficulty of the situation after his demise, and the dire consequences awaiting him due to his firmjihad in the Cause of God. The statements he (S) made regarding Ali (a.s.), therefore, were meant to deter those who were waiting for a chance to get even with him. Had they not been veiled by grudges, and by his own glorious past, they would have been described as the beginning of the tragedy of justice and righteousness.

We cannot find a better explanation for the change in public opinion regarding Ali's stance after the death of the Prophet (S) better than what Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) provided. If we set aside the clearahadith which named the Imam (a.s.) as the caliph succeeding the Prophet (S) without any question, and we consulted the faculty of reason in all the criteria and logical orders it has to define for us the person who should succeed the Prophet (S) as the caliph, the unavoidable outcome would certainly be none other than Ali (a.s.). Besides, had the grudges and the past not been the cause of the removal of Ali from the post of ruler, the question would have remained unanswered by any honest and equitable person.

Another person asked him, "Tell me, O son of the Messenger of God! Why didn't Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.) fight his enemies during the twenty-five years after the demise of the Messenger of God (S) as he did during the days of his caliphate?" He answered, "It is due to his following the example of

the Messenger of God (S) who did not fight the polytheists of Mecca during the thirteen years after his Prophethood, or the ones in Medina during the nineteen months period of his stay; it is due to the number of his supporters being too small.

Likewise, Ali (a.s.) did not engage himself in fighting his enemies because his own supporters were too few. Since the Prophethood of the Messenger of God (S) was not nullified by the fact that he did not makejihad during the period of thirteen years (in Mecca) and nineteen months (in Medina), the Imamate of Ali (a.s.) was not nullified because he did not performjihad for twenty-five years, for the deterring factor in both examples was one and the same."

What the Imam (a.s.) has indicated here can be used as an answer to those who regarded the peaceful stance taken by the Imam (a.s.) towards his opponents for twenty-five years as an evidence to the Imam's satisfaction with the legitimacy of the then government, or to his relinquishing of his own right to be the caliph.

What is most beautiful in this narrative is the comparison between the peaceful stance of Imam Ali (a.s.) towards his opponents before assuming the caliphate and the stance of the Prophet (S) prior to thehijra (migration to Medina) and thereafter, giving the explanation that the reason in both instances is the small number of supporters and the scarcity of followers, and that had the Imam's reluctance to wage a holy war in order to achieve his objective been the reason for the invalidation of his Imamate, the reluctance of the Prophet (S), likewise, to wage a holy war during that period of time would have been a reason for the invalidation of his Prophethood, for the Prophet (S) had set the example, and the Imam (a.s.) and all other Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) followed suit.

Among theahadith of Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) is one narrated by Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Hamadani; he said, "I asked Abul-Hasan ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), `What is the reason for which the Almighty and Exalted God drowned Pharaoh even after Pharaoh had believed in Him and admitted His unity?' He answered, `Because he believed only when he saw God's retribution, and belief to avoid danger is not accepted. This is God's judgment regarding past and future generations. The Exalted and the Almighty God has said: `When they saw Our Punishment, they said, `We believe in God, the One God, and we reject the partners we used to join with Him,' but their professing the faith when they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to profit them.'4

The Exalted and Almighty has also said, `The day that certain of the Signs of thy Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its faith.'"5 So when Pharaoh was about to be drowned, he said, "I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the children of Israel believe in, and I am of those who submit (to God in Islam).' (It was then said to him), `Ah now! But a little while before wast thou in rebellion! And thou didst mischief (and violence)! This day shall We save thee in thy body, that thou mayest be a Sign to those who come after thee!'"6

This narrative has a moral for those who wish to learn, foriman is not that one believes and returns to his Lord only when he sees no avenue of salvation before him and despair overcomes him; rather,iman is belief in God and going towards Him voluntarily in both cases of despair and of hope.

Anotherhadith Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) narrated stated, "Anyone who meets a poor Muslim and greets him in a greeting different from the one whereby he greets the rich, he would meet the Exalted and the Almighty God on the Day of Judgment and He is angry with him." In this tradition, the Imam (a.s.) provides us with a very beautiful example of humanity enjoined by genuine Islamic conduct governing the Muslim's conduct with his Muslim brother, for Islam united all members of the nation in its law of personal conduct; there is no distinction for the wealthy man over the deprived poor man, and all people are equal under the judgment of Islam.

Anotherhadith of the Imam (a.s.) is one in which he was asked by Ibn al-Sakit, "Why did the Almighty and Exalted God send Musa (Moses) ibn Imran (a.s.) with a miraculous cane and white hand and the tool of sorcery, Isa (Jesus, AS) with miraculous medicine, and Muhammad (a.s.) with miraculous speech and oratory?" The Imam (a.s.) said, "When the Almighty and the Exalted God sent Moses (a.s.), sorcery dominated the minds of people of his time, so he brought them from the Almighty and the Exalted something which they never had, nor could they bring about anything like it, thus rendering their sorcery void and proving his argument against them. When the Almighty and the Exalted God sent Jesus during a period when chronic diseases became widespread and people were in dire need of a cure. Jesus (a.s.) brought them from God the Almighty and the Exalted something they never had, bringing the dead back to life, curing those born blind and the lepers by the Will of God, proving his argument against them. And when the Almighty and Exalted God sent Muhammad (S) during the time when speeches and oratory (and I think he said with poetry, too), he brought them the Book of the Almighty and the Exalted God and with pieces of wisdom and counsel thereby he voided their arguments." Ibn al-Sakit said, "By God I have never seen anyone like you! What is the argument against people these days, then?" He answered, "Reason. Through it can you come to know who tells the truth about God and you believe in him, and who tells lies about God and you disbelieve in him." Ibn al-Sakit said, "This, by God, is the right answer..."

A miracle is a super-natural thing which the ordinary individual is unable to perform due to his limited energies and motivational powers. Miracles are different from sorcery. Sorcery is not an actual super-natural act but a swift movement which causes the viewer to see the realities turned upside down, or changes the visible picture into its contrary. This may take place by subjecting the viewer to obscure effects which veil from his sight a certain color or a certain picture. What leads us to that conclusion is the statement of the Almighty in the context of narrating how Moses (a.s.) fared with the wizards from the descendants of Israel, saying, "So their ropes and their canes seemed to him, because of their sorcery, as though they were crawling."7

Sorcery, then, is nothing more than stimulating the imagination, making things look different than they are, and causing one to fall under a magical spell. As regarding what a miracle is, it is an actual result of a super-natural deed intended to win the argument against people in the process of proving one's true prophethood and mission, and it is an act which God causes to happen. It is different from sorcery because it is not subjected to psychological effects, or complications in the movement, but a broadening of the energy which affects matters viewed by man due to the effect of the Might of God.

In narrating the story of Moses (a.s.), the Almighty stated, "And (appoint him) an apostle to the children of Israel, (with this message): `I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God's leave; and I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I bring the dead back to life by God's leave.'"8 And the Almighty has also said, "And it was never the part of an apostle to bring a Sign except as God permitted. For each period is a Book (revealed)."9

Every one of the Prophets had a miracle which distinguished him from other prophets and messengers and which was in harmony, in its own particular way, with the common phenomena which prevailed upon the social condition of the time so that the psychological effect caused by its miraculous effect would become a reality, as the Imam (a.s.) meant in the tradition above. The miracles of prophets, according to the contexts of the verses and narratives, were not the result of the effect of a natural human energy; rather, they were the results of a creative energy whereby God distinguished His Prophets for the purpose of establishing the superiority of their argument when such a miracle was necessitated by the mission.

As regarding the miracles of the Imams which are reported in order to testify to their Imamate and to their being the most rightful for the post of caliphate, this is not something unusual about them since they were selected by God to be His vicegerents on earth, entrusting them with the message after His Prophet (S), but what must be researched is that many such miracles were proven to have been performed by them and were attested to by an acceptable medium.

But the Imams never needed a miracle beyond the qualifications of knowledge and conduct which distinguished them in order to prove the authenticity of their Imamate, for the qualifications which characterized them were by themselves the miracles proving their right.

We have said that the miracle is the super-natural phenomenon which in its own particular way agrees with the general phenomena which dominated the social reality of its time, and the common phenomenon which enjoyed a clear priority during the time of the Imams was knowledge; therefore, it is mandatory that their miracles proving their Imamate should be super-natural knowledge whereby they rise above all other levels of their contemporary folks. Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) was asked about the phenomenon whereby an Imam could be identified as an Imam when his time comes as an accurate indication of his Imamate, and he answered by saying, "It is knowledge, and God's response to his plea."

In a tradition regarding the distinctions of an Imam, he said, "His indications are in two attributes: knowledge and God's answer to his plea, and all the events which he foretold before their occurrence, for that is according to a promise made to him by the Messenger of God (S) which he inherited from his forefathers, peace be upon them, which in turn would be among matters told to the Prophet (S) through Gabriel from God, the Knower of the Unseen and the Unknown, Glory be to Him."

This statement of the Imam (a.s.) leads us to realize that the miracle should be in harmony with the phenomenon of the time, thus proving the argument. Each of the two requirements mentioned by the Imam were actually satisfied in him and in all other Imams; through them, their super-natural miracle is completed, without the need to prove their Imamate, or to prove its authenticity by other miracles the truth about many of which we may not have a way to prove. It is also a clear answer to those who accused the Imams (a.s.) of claiming to know the unknown due to their foretelling of events which were yet to occur and which did take place after that. All this, according to the context of the statement of the Imam (a.s.), is the knowledge which they gained as a prerogative privilege they inherited from their grandfather the Messenger of God (S) according to the commandments of the Almighty and Exalted God so that their distinction might be evident to the public and they would be distinguished from all other segments of the nation.

Among theahadith narrated by the Imam (a.s.) regarding al-Mahdi, may God hasten his reappearance, is one narrated by al-Husayn ibn Khalid who said, "I said to him, `May my life be sacrificed for you, tell me about onehadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Bakkir from Ubayd ibn Zarara.' He asked, `What is it?' I said, "Ubayd ibn Zarara said that he met Abu Abdullah (a.s.) during the year in which Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn al-Hasan came out forjihad , and he said to him, `May my life be sacrificed for you! This person has caused people to talk, and people have rushed to his aid; so, what do you order us to do?' He said, `Fear God, and stay calm as long as the heavens and the earth stay calm.' Then he added, `Abdullah ibn Bakkir used to say, `Had Ubayd ibn Zarara been truthful, nobody would have come out and no Qaaim (Mahdi) would there be.' Abul-Hasan ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) said, `Thehadith according to the narration of Ubayd is accurate, but not according to the way Abdullah ibn Bakkir understood it. What Abu Abdullah meant was as long as the heavens echo the calls of your fellow, and as long as the earth is firm under the feet of his marching army.'" Thishadith may be counted among themutashabih ahadith to which the Imam (a.s.) made reference above. Abdullah ibn Bakkir used to refer to their clear traditions regarding al-Mahdi (a.s.) in order to avoid falling into dangerous confusion and misunderstandings.

Among theahadith of the Imam (a.s.) which deal with the Islamic legislative system is one narrated by Abdullah ibn Taoos who said: "I told Abul-Hasan ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) that I had a nephew whom I married to my daughter and who used to frequently pronounce the divorce statement. He said, `If he is a descendant of one of your (Shi'a) brethren, there is nothing to worry about, but if he is from these (Sunni) brothers, then recall your

daughter for they shall be separated.' I said, `But, may my life be sacrificed for yours, did not Abu Abdullah (a.s.) use to say, `Beware of those divorced thrice at one time, for they shall marry more than once?'' He said, `Yes, this is the case if the man is one of your brethren, not one of these; whoever follows the creed of certain people is bound to follow their [juristic] rules.'"

Jurists have relied on this and similar narratives to consider all the verdicts issued by followers of other schools of thought to be accurate in both areas of obligations and personal status except in the case of zakat about which they have decided that it will have to be taken out again if its believing recipients are not residents of the same area (where the payer resides) according to the beliefs of followers of the creed of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) who rely on certain texts in this matter which rule this issue in particular.

As regarding the issue of divorce, which is the subject-matter of thishadith , the school of thought of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) determines that if the divorce statement contains "thrice" in it, rather than being repeated twice again, is not considered binding but it would be if the statement were repeated twice provided it meets the other conditions such as the presence of two just witnesses, the absence of the use of force, and the woman being tahir (clean), that is, she has not cohabited with her husband prior to his pronouncement and has not taken her ghusul (ceremonial bathing) yet, in addition to other conditions which validate divorce. This is what is commonly accepted, while others have decided that it will be null as the apparent understanding of thishadith suggests. But if the husband repeats his statement, "She is divorced!" three times, it is, according to Imami (Shi'a) Muslims considered as one-time divorce with rendering the repetition null if such repetition is to be doubtful. The rest of Muslim sects regard divorce in both instances as binding and the husband cannot go back to her before she marries another husband.

Anotherhadith narrated by the Imam (a.s.) says, "The Almighty and Exalted God has decreed three rites each depends on yet another one: He decreed the prayers and the payment of zakat; so, He does not accept the prayers of anyone who says his prayers but does not pay zakat; He decreed that one must thank Him and thank his parents too; so, He does not accept the thanks of one who thanks Him but is not grateful to his parents; and He decreed that one should fear Him and remain in constant contact with his kin; so, anyone who does not remain in close touch with his relatives does not in turn fear God, the Exalted, the Almighty."

Another one says, "A believer (mu'min ) cannot be truly so except after acquiring three attributes: from his Lord, from his Prophet (S), and from his fellow humans. From his Lord, he must learn how to keep a secret; the Almighty and the Exalted said, `He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make anyone acquainted with his Mysteries, except an apostle whom He has chosen.'10 From his Prophet, he must learn patience while dealing with people; the Exalted and the Almighty God ordered His Prophet to be patient with people, saying, `Uphold forgiveness; command what is right; but turn away from the ignorant (folks).'11 From his fellows, he has to learn patience

during periods of poverty and adversity, for the Dear and the Almighty One says, `... And to be firm and patient in pain and in adversity.'12

Among his interesting and entertaininghadith is one narrated by Yasir who says, "I have heard Abul-Hasan ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) saying, `Young man!Aatinal ghadaa [which permits two meanings],' and I looked somehow astonished at his request. He noticed the puzzlement on my face whereupon he recited the verse, `... Moses said to his attendant, `Bring us our early meal.'13 So I said, `The prince is the most knowledgeable of people and their very best.'"

The narrator of this incident interpreted the statement of the Imam (a.s.) to mean something like what the Almighty meant when He said, "... then produce a Sura like thereunto,"14 whereas he intended his servant simply to bring them their food [which does not require a miracle like producing a Qur'anic verse!].

This is just a specimen of beautiful traditions narrated by or about Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) which we hope we have been successful in selecting among the ones that over-flow with goodness in various fields.

His Morals and Counsels

The value of wisdom and moral is when it sets out of its leading springs to make its way in life to plant goodness, beauty, and love, and to uproot evil, corruption, and hatred. The individual who wishes to spiritually build his inner self wholly has to search for the wisdom whereby he discovers his shortcomings which distance him from virtuous humanity, and he has to look for the moral which brings him closer to his Lord and which deepens the roots ofiman within him. This is the value of wisdom and of moral, and this is their plentiful product. It is the dividing line between the man of righteousness, and the man of evil. Good wisdom is the one which sows within the depths of the individual the seed of light in order to grow there from a plant blossoming with goodness, love, and beauty.

So let us read the pure wisdom and the magnificent moral in the words of Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), then let us open up our souls in order to plant therein the seed of light. After that, let us look after that plant that will come out of that seed so that we may harvest from it the fruit ofiman , the belief in God, the belief in the principles and morals which God has legislated for us in order to be able to build ourselves from within, and to be able to rise thereby above the level of wishes and desires to the level whereby the individual becomes a true human being in his pure link with his Lord, in his honest dealing with his brother man, and in his own emancipation from worshipping his own ego.

The first moral we meet as we read the words of the Imam (a.s.) is his statement: "It is not adoration to perform the fast or the prayers a great deal; adoration is to contemplate upon God a great deal." What the Imam (a.s.) meant from such a definition of what adoration in its deep context is all about is his correction of the general attitude towards a rite such as the fast or the daily prayers, saying that prayers are not merely the prescribed movements accompanying quotations relevant particularly to prayers, nor is the fast merely the abstention from eating and drinking and such things. These particular movements and this performance are nothing more than the

outer frame of the picture, while the adoration is the context which lies beyond the picture. What the Imam (a.s.) aims at by making this statement is making us aware of the reality from which we have to set out in performing the rite we are supposed to perform, and to distance us from the stagnation of the empty routine which causes us to lose the greatly spiritual meanings the rites we perform are intended to help us live. So, what is adoration, after all?

The Imam (a.s.) says that it is a great deal of contemplation upon the Almighty. It is not a great deal of fasting or prayers which do not go beyond the particular movements and timings as a routine action an individual has become accustomed to be doing during certain times away from the deep context of belief.

Such is not adoration, for how many are those who perform their prayers and uphold their fast and at the same time commit the greatest of sins and perform various kinds of immoralities, yielding to wishes and desires, without being able towards them to take control of themselves, without trying to give authority over them to the deterring power ofiman in order to avoid slipping into the paths of misguidance? The prayers of such individuals and their fast are nothing more than movements and performances which have lost their sense of wisdom and spiritual integrity.

Abundant contemplation upon the Will of God is by itself a form of worship and, at the same time, a starting point of every adoration and ritual. When someone feels harmony while contemplating upon the cosmos and its Creator, and the particles of life and their secrets filling the general existence of the cosmos, he cannot avoid feeling how small he is before this great Power which created this system in such perfection, determined its rules with such precision and exactness; and when he, through his power of reason, feels that the Power of the Great Creator surrounds this cosmos, that everything in existence is overwhelmed by its Authority and Might, without any avenue through which one may escape from the center of the Power controlling it..., then he cannot help feeling a deep belief in the perfecting Creator, and a genuine awe before the manifestations of such Greatness.

When man considers the bounties God has bestowed upon him which can never be exhausted while satisfying his continuous needs, and His absolute ability to deprive him of them any moment He wishes, without the existence of any power that would forbid Him from doing so, he would surely then thank Him sincerely and be grateful to Him, distancing himself from the hated elements of disbelief.

When man realizes the wisdom behind his own creation and the end awaiting him that will take him to another life so that the doers of good will be rewarded for their good deeds and the doers of evil will be punished for their evil, he cannot help considering what secures his salvation while doing what he does, and feeling angry at whatever displeases God. The feeling one develops of all of this and the comprehension of all of this is by itself a form of adoration because this feeling is the conscientious path which takes man to knowledge, and knowledge is the foundation of belief. At the same time, such comprehension gives adoration the vast spiritual meaning for which it was decreed.

A man asked him once about the meaning of the verse, "Whoever relies on God, He suffices him." He said: "Reliance on God is in various degrees one of which is that you rely on Him in everything related to you, and when He does something to you which you know will not bring you anything good, you rely on His wisdom in doing it, so you nevertheless put your trust in Him willingly. Another is to believe in the Unseen regarding God of which you have no knowledge, so you relied on Him and on His custodians, trusting in Him in their regard, and in others."

He was asked once about the extent of such reliance. He said, "It is that you fear none save God." What the Imam here means is that you submit to the Will of God and accept His decree. Ahmed ibn Najm asked him about the pride which spoils one's deeds. He said: "Pride is degrees; among them is that one sees his bad deed as good, so he likes it and feels proud of it; another is that one believes in God and feels he is doing Him a favor by believing in Him, whereas He is the One who enabled that person to believe in Him." He, peace be upon him, said once, "If one lacks five attributes, do not expect to gain anything good out of him for your life in this world or in the life to come: if his lineage is known to be untrustworthy, if his nature lacks generosity, if his temper lacks balance, if he lacks a noble conduct, and if he lacks fear of his Lord."

He was asked once who a lowly person is. He said, "Anyone who has something to distract him from God."

Among his wise sayings are the following:

"God abhors hearsay, the loss of one's funds (through foolishness), and excessive questioning."

"To be courteous to people is to cross half the way to achieving wisdom."

"The mind of a Muslim is not complete except after he acquires ten merits: God accepts his good deeds, he is trustworthy, he sees as plentiful what little good others do for him, while seeing his own abundant good as little; he does not fret from being asked for favors, nor does he feel tired of constantly seeking knowledge; poverty reached in order to please God is better for him than wealth accumulated otherwise; to be subjected to power while trying to serve God is better in his regard than achieving power over his foe, and obscurity he prefers over fame." Then he said, "And the third one..., do you know what the third one is?" It was said to him, "What is it?" He said, "Whenever he meets someone, he says, `He is better than me and more pious.' People are two types: a person better than him and more pious, and one who is more evil than him and more lowly.

If he meets the one who is more evil than him and more lowly, he would say to himself `Maybe the goodness of this (statement) is implied, and it is better that he hears such a compliment, while my own goodness is apparent and it is detrimental to me.' And when he sees someone better than him and more pious, he would humble himself before him trying to raise himself to his level. So if he does that, his glory will be higher, his reputation will be better, and he will become distinguished above his contemporaries."

"Silence is one of the gates of wisdom. Silence wins the love of others. It is an indication of everything good."

"Everyone's friend is his reason; his enemy is his ignorance."

"Among the habits of Prophets is cleanliness."

"One who is blessed with plenty must spend generously on his family."

"If you mention someone who is present, use a kunya (surname) for him, and if he is absent, mention his full name."

"Time will come when one's safety lies in ten things nine of which are in staying aloof from people, and the tenth in staying silent."

"Whoever scrutinizes his behavior wins; whoever does not loses. Whoever fears consequences will live safely. Whoever learns a moral from others achieves insight, and whoever achieves insight achieves wisdom, and whoever achieves wisdom achieves knowledge.

One who befriends the ignorant will be worn out.

The best of wealth is that which safeguards one's honor.

The best of reason is one's knowledge of his own self.

If a true believer becomes angry, his anger does not cause him to abandon righteousness; when he is pleased, his pleasure will not tempt him into wrong-doing, and when he achieves power, he does not take more than what rightfully is his."

"If one's attributes become plentiful, they will relieve him from having to win praise by mentioning them."

"Do not pay attention to the view of someone who does not follow your advice for his own good. Whoever seeks guidance from the appropriate source will never slip, and if he slips, he will find a way to correct himself."

"People's hearts are sometimes coming towards you, sometimes keeping away from you; sometimes they are active, sometimes they are relaxed. If they come along, they will achieve wisdom and understanding, and if they stay away, they will be exhausted and worn out; so, take them when they come to you and when they are active, and shun them when they stay away or are relaxed."

"Accompany with caution the person who has authority over you; be humble when in the company of a friend; stay alert when facing an enemy, and mingle with the public with a smile on your face."

"Postponement is detrimental to the fulfillment of desires. Fulfillment is the gain of the strict. Wastefulness is the calamity of one who can afford it. Miserliness tears up honor. Passion invites trouble. The best and most honorable of virtues is to do others favors, to aid the one who calls for help, to bring the hope of the hopeful to reality, not to disappoint the optimist, to have an ever increase of the number of friends when you are alive, and the number of those who will cry when you die."

"The miser one is never restful. The envious is never pleased. The grumbling is never loyal. The liar has no conscience."

"One who struggles to satisfy the needs of his family shall have more rewards than those who make jihad in the Way of God."

He (a.s.) was asked once who the best of believers are; he said,"They are the ones who are excited with expectation when they do a good deed, who pray for God's forgiveness when they commit a bad one, who show gratitude when they are granted something, who are patient when they are tried, who forgive those who anger them."

He (a.s.) was asked once, "How did you start your day?" He answered, "With a shorter life-span, with our deeds being recorded, with death round our necks, with Fire behind our backs, and we do not know what will be done to us."

He (a.s.) said, "Wealth is not accumulated except by five means: extreme miserliness, a long-standing optimism, an overwhelming care, a boycott of the relatives, and a preference of this life over the life to come."

Ali ibn Shu'ayb said that he once visited Abul-Hasan Ali ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) who asked him, "O Ali! Do you know whose subsistence is the best?" He answered, "You, master, know better than me." He said, "It is that of the one whose others' subsistence is improved through his own. Do you know who has the worst subsistence?" Ali answered, "You know better than me!" The Imam (a.s.) answered saying, "It is that of the one who does not include others in it." Then he added, "O Ali! Be thoughtful to the boons for they are wild: if they leave people, they never come back to them. O Ali! The worst of people is someone who stops his contributions to charity, eats by himself, and whips his slave."

He (a.s.) also said the following:

"Your assistance of the weak is better than your act of charity."

"No servant of God achieves true belief except when he acquires three attributes: He derives juristic deductions of the creed; he is wise regarding his livelihood, and he is patient when faced with calamities."

"Beware of one who wants to offer you advice by speaking behind others' backs; he does not realize how bad his own end shall be."

He (a.s.), upon the death of al-Hasan ibn Sahl, said, "To congratulate one for a reward in store for him is better than to console him on a quick calamity."

This is a magnificent bouquet of shining statements of Imam a-Rida (a.s.) which emanate with wisdom, overflow withiman , and over brim with good fruits. In them, the Imam (a.s.) defines glorious ethical and educational manners, the upright conduct of true belief, offering some glimpses of humanity for social cooperation and coexistence a Muslim is supposed to implement if he wants to be in harmony with the principles of Islam which are the turning point of social change from an oppressive ignorant society to an advanced civilized society built upon virtue and love, justice and equity.

We have to translate these statements and their peers into actions in our daily life and be in harmony with their ethical and humane practical implications if we wish to direct our individual and social conduct to the right direction which safeguards its principles and precepts in order to create a nation based on virtues and humanity, and build it from within in a firm spiritual structure. Such a structure is reflects its practical reality and affects its intellectual and social objectives so that it would be "the best nation that ever was."15

Finally, this has been, we believe, an honest and clear picture of the biography of Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) in both its historical and intellectual aspects in which we tried to go beyond the style of narrating the facts as the books of history and biography have recorded for us, which are not always free from contradictions, and to employ the scholarly critical method with

honesty and sincerity without having any objective in mind other than to arrive at the facts which are free of falsehood, and to define the realistic boundaries of the concept which lies behind the background of events.

We have also tried in it to provide a quick glimpse of the intellectual life of the Imam in its various aspects, and to provide the reader with a brief picture of the magnificent intellectual output presented by the Imam (a.s.) to mankind.

I do not claim that I have, in what I have written about the Imam (a.s.) here, covered all the aspects of the greatness of his personality; rather, it is a quick research necessitated by certain circumstances. The initial objective was to research his selection by al-Ma’mun, in response to transient political circumstances dictated by the nature of the then government, to be his heir to the throne. But the absence of an inclusive and independent study of this great Imam forced me to expand the scope of the research and present the various aspects of his personality in a research which I hope has proven to be a successful experience and a starting point for a more inclusive study and a more vast presentation.

I hope I have, with whatever effort and energy available to me, been faithful to this study in its presentation, research and style, and from God Alone do I derive aid and assistance; He suffices me, and what a Great Support He is!

Beirut, Jumada I 20, 1393

June 20, 1973

Muhammad Jawad Fadlallah

His Preaching

Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, preached to his companions as the prophets preached to their communities. He warned them from the deception and delusions of the world. He enlightened them on the attack of time and the disasters of days. He summoned them to think deeply about what they would come to when they would leave the world for the dark graves and the lonely narrow spaces within the graves, where nothing would avail them except their good deeds. The following are some of his preaching:

1. He, peace be on him, said: “O People, you are targets in this world. Deaths compete with each other for you. No one of you receives a new day of his lifetime but through ending another day of his appointed time. Which meal has no lump (in the throat)? Which drink has no lump (in the throat)? Set right what you will go to with what you will depart from. As for today, it is booty. As for tomorrow, you do not know to whom it belongs. The people of the world are traveling. They will untie their baggage in (a place) other than it. Origins have left us. We are their branches. So, what is the survival of the branch after its origin?

“Where are those whose lifetimes were longer than yours, and whose desires were farther than yours? O Son of Adam, what you cannot repel, has come to you. What does not come back, has left you. So, do not number the livelihood that goes away as livelihood. You have nothing of it except the pleasure that approaches you to your death and brings you nearer to your appointed time. So, you look like the missing lover and torn blackness. So, take care of your own soul. Leave other than it. Ask Allah for help, and He will help you.”[27]

2. Some of his Shi‘ites came to him. He preached to them and warned them from the punishment of Allah. However, they paid no attention to his preaching. That displeased him. So, he bowed his head for a while, and then he raised it. He admonished them and preached to them again, saying:

“Surely, if part of this speech of mine came into the heart of one of you, he would be dead. Indeed you are ghosts without souls and flies without a lamp. You look like big pieces of wood clad with garments, and mutinous idols. Do you not take gold from stone? Do you not take light from the brightest light? Do you not take pearls from the sea? Take the good word from him who says it even if he does not put it into effect. That is because Allah says: ‘Those who listen to the word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom Allah has guided.'[28]

“O Conceited one, woe unto you! Would you not praise Him Whom you gives something perishable and He gives you something remaining? (Give) one perishable dirham for ten dirhams to a hundred fold from the All-Generous (Allah). Allah has given you a reward from Him. It is He Who feeds you, waters you, clothes you, heals you, suffices you, and protects you from those who frighten you. Who protects you by day and night, fulfills your urgent need, and tests you according to reason? It seems that you have forgotten the nights of your aches and fear. You asked Him, and He responded to you. So, He is worthy of gratefulness for His favor. However, you have forgotten Him concerning him whom He has mentioned. Woe

unto you! You are a thief from among the thieves of sins. You hasten to desires and commit sins. You do that through your ignorance. It seems that your not under the oversight of Allah. Or it seems that Allah does not watch you.

“O Seeker of the garden, how long your sleep is! How weak your walking is! How weak your intention is! By Allah, you are invoked and wanted. O You who escape from the Fire, how quick your walking to it! How fast you are in earning that which will throw you into it!

“Look at those lines of graves by the yards of the houses. They (the dead) are near in their lines and their graves. However, they are far in their meeting. They lived long, and then they were ruined. They associated (with people), and then they were forced to dwell deserted places. They were tranquil, and then they were disturbed. They were hopeless, and then they passed away. Therefore, no one is near and far, far and near, living and ruined, sociable and lonely, tranquil and disturbed, inhabitant and departed, except the people of the graves.

“O Son of the three days, (I mean) your day when you were born. Your day when you will come down into your grave. And your day when you will come out (of your grave to meet) your Lord. How important this day will be! O Possessors of the admirable appearance and of thirst-quenching and kneeling camels, why do I see your bodies sound and your hearts ruined? By Allah, if you saw what you would meet and what you would come to, you would say: ‘Would that we were sent back, and we would not reject the communications of our Lord and we would be of the believers.'[29] Allah, the Great and Almighty, said: ‘And if they were sent back, they would certainly go back to that which they are forbidden, and most surely they are liars.'[30] ”[31]

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, blamed these people when they turned away from his preaching and directions. He wanted to set right their behavior. He wanted them to follow righteousness to gain good here and in the hereafter. He gave them these effective preaching to make them obey Allah. For Allah is able to do good for them and to deprive them of that.

He preached to them with these lessons to which souls submit, and of which hearts are afraid.

3. Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, preached to one of his companions. He informed him of the reality of this life. He, peace be on him, said to him: “Regard the world as a house where you live, and then you leave the house. Or regard (it) as perfection you obtain in your sleep. When you wake, you find nothing of it.”[32]

Indeed if man thinks about the world through this correct opinion, he will be free from conceit, selfishness, greediness, and other psychological diseases that deviate him from the right path.

4. Among his preaching is this: “If the eye is bathed in tears, Allah will protect its owner from the Fire. If the tear flows down the cheek, neither miserliness nor abasement will befall its owner. There is a punishment for everything except the tear. For Allah, the Most High, forgives the seas of sins through it.”[33]

Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, summoned Moslems to weep out of fear of Allah. Weeping is among the signs of faith. It shows the relationship between the servant and his Lord and Creator.

5. Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, said: “Man should mention death very much. If he mentions death very much, he will refrain from the world.”[34]

Surely, if man mentions death, he will renounce the world and refrains from its vanities and pleasures.

6. Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, was asked about the most ascetic of all the people. So, he, peace be on him, replied: “It is he who pays no attention to the world.”Then he was asked: “Who is the most hopeless of all the people?”“It is he who sells the remaining (life) for the transitory (life),”he replied. Then he was asked: “Who is the most important of all the people?” “It is he who thinks that the world is not important,”he answered.[35]

7. He, peace be on him, preached to his companions, saying: “Allah, the Exalted, says: ‘O Son of Adam, I have done you three favors: I have concealed what your family does not know. For, if they knew it, they would not take care of you. I have given to you generously. Now, I ask you for a loan, but you have offered no good. I have had mercy on you in the third one, but you have offered no good.’”[36]

These are some examples of the Imam's valuable preaching. He, peace be on him, reported them to cure and educate souls. This educational phenomenon is among the most prominent values in the teachings of the Imams of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them.

The Virtue of Reason

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, talked about the virtue of reason. He denoted that it was the greatest of all things which Allah, the Exalted, created. He, peace be on him, said:

“When Allah created reason, He tested it. Then He ordered it to come forward and it came forward. Then He ordered it to go back and it went back. Then Allah said: ‘I swear by My power and majesty that no creation of Mine is dearer to Me than you are, and I have made you perfect in those whom I love. Lo! To you are My orders and prohibitions. And for you are My rewards and retributions reserved.'”[37]

Surely, through reason, the value of man becomes high. Were it not for reason, there would be no difference between man and the animal. Reason is among the fundamental conditions necessary for performing the religious duties, as the jurists say.

Cleverness

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, praised cleverness. He regarded it as the only source of man's happiness and righteousness. He, peace be on him, said: “The goodness of all coexistence and living together is a full measure. Two thirds of the measure are cleverness. And one third of it is heedlessness. Nothing has a portion of good and righteousness except cleverness. That is because man feigns inattention to the things which he realizes and knows.”[38]

How wonderful this maxim is! A religious scholar commented on it, saying: “Indeed, it has gathered together all the righteousness of the affairs of the world.”

Contemplation

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, summoned Moslems to think things over. He, peace be on him, said: “Through thinking (things) over, the fruitful opinion is concluded.”[39]

This word is among the wonderful maxims. Man can come to a correct genuine opinion through considering things carefully. He can conclude scientific facts and inventions through contemplating things. It is impossible for him to come to that without contemplation.

Noble Manners

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, took care of spreading high moral standards among people. For they are necessary for building a Moslem society. Tradition books are full of his wise words. The following are some of them:

1. Kindness

As for kindness to people, it plays an important role in strengthening social ties and spreading love and friendship among people. Islam has urged Moslems to cling to kindness to people. Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, said: “Continuous kindness is the best means with me.”[40]

The most lovable things with the Imam, peace be on him, was continuing kindness to people, for he wanted to plant love and affection in their hearts through it.

2. Fairness

In many of his traditions, Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, urged Moslems to treat people with fairness. Among what he said is the following:

A. He, peace be on him, said: “Indeed, Allah singles out people from among His creatures for fairness. He makes them love fairness. He makes them love fair acts. Then He orders the seekers of fairness to go to them. Then He makes it easy for them to do fairness, as He makes it easy for rain (to come down) to the arid land to enliven it and its people. Allah singles out people from among His creatures to be enemies of fairness. He makes them hate fairness. And He makes them hate fair acts. He prevents the seekers of fairness from going to them, as He prevents rain from (coming down) to the arid land to ruin it and its people. And what Allah forgives is more (than this).”[41]

B. He, peace be on him, said: “Fair acts prevent evil deaths (from happening). Every fair act is alms. The people of fairness here are the people of fairness in the hereafter. The people of the abominable acts here are the people of the abominable acts in the hereafter. The people of the fair acts will be the first to enter the garden. The people of the abominable acts will be the first to enter the Fire.”[42]

3. Kindness should be Equivalent to Fairness

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, ordered his companions to repay fairness with much more kindness. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever

does a favor like that which is done for him returns like for like. Whoever doubles the favor is grateful. Whoever thanks (people for their favors) is generous. He who knows that what he does is for his own interest should not find people slow in their gratefulness (for him), nor should he ask them for more love (for him). So, do not ask other than you to thank you for what you do for your own interest, and through which you protect your honor. Know that the one who asks you for a need does not honor himself when he asks you (for a need). So, honor yourself through fulfilling his need.”[43]

When the Imam, peace be on him, had ordered his companions to return like for like, he summoned them to do kindness for kindness. He ordered them not to ask people for a reward. For they did that for their own interests and honor.

Rules of Conduct

Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, urged his companions to treat people according to the rules of social conduct. Among these rules are the following:

1. Cheerfulness

He, peace be on him, asked his companions to meet people with cheerfulness and good words. He, peace be on him, said: “Good words and cheerfulness lead to love and nearness to Allah. Bad words and frowning lead to hate and remoteness from Allah.”[44]

2. Treating people kindly

He, peace be on him, urged his companions to treat people kindly. He, peace be on him, said: “Say to people the best (words) which you want them to say to you. For Allah hates the one who curses and abuses and defames the believers. He detests the one who uses an obscene language and insists on begging. He loves the one who is modest, clement, chaste.”[45]

Moslem’s Rights

He, peace be on him, denoted the rights which Islam legislated for the Moslem towards his Moslem brother. He, peace be on him, said: “Love your Moslem brother. Love for him what you love for yourself. Hate for him what you hate for yourself. When you are in need of (a certain thing), then ask him for that. When he asks you for (a certain need), then give (it) to him. If you spare no good for him, he will spare no good for you. If you help him, he will help you. If he is absent, then keep him during his absence. If he is present, then visit him, and respect him. For he is from you, and you are from him. If he admonishes you, then do not leave him till his hate comes to an end. If good befalls him, then thank Allah for that. If a tribulation afflicts him, then help him.”[46]

If Moslems put into effect these excellent teachings, they will be the strongest of all the peoples of the world, and nations will not invade them, enslave them, and plunder their wealth. However, they have deviated from these true teachings, so they have become weak humble parties. “Each party is happy with that which it has.”

Fulfilling the Moslem’s Need

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, summoned the Moslems to fulfill the needs of their Moslem brothers. He warned them from leaving them. He, peace be on him, said: “If the servant refrains from helping his Moslem brother and does not strive to fulfill his need, he will be afflicted by the need causing a sin not a reward. If the servants refrains from spending on that which pleases Allah, then he will be afflicted by spending a hundred fold on that which displeases Allah.”[47]

Relations with Womb Relatives

Islam takes care of the relations with womb relatives. It summons Moslems to cling to them, for they strengthen the family and lead the community to fruitful results. Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, urged the Moslems to cleave to them. He, peace be on him, said: “Relations with blood relatives increase acts, develop properties, repel the tribulation, make easy the reckoning, and postpone the a fixed term (of death).”[48]

Alms

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, underlined alms. He mentioned the advantages which the one who gives alms obtains. He mentioned that before his companions. He, peace be on him, said: “Shall I tell you about the thing that drives away the ruler and the Satan from you?”

“Yes, tell us to do it,”replied Abu Hamza.

He, peace be on him, said: “Give alms early in the morning. For it blackens the Satan's face and breaks the greediness of the oppressive ruler on that days of

yours. Love each other for Allah. Help each other with the good deeds. For such deeds put end to the Satan and the oppressive ruler. Insist on asking Allah for forgiveness, for such insistence erases sins.”[49]

Pity for the Orphan

Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, urged the Moslems to feel pity for the orphan and to have affection for the weak. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever has four (qualities), Allah will build a house for him in the garden. The one who shelters the orphan, has mercy on the weak, feel compassion for his parents, and treats his slave gently.”[50]

Good Qualities

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, talked about the good qualities that draw the servant nearer to Allah and make him far from His wrath and punishment. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever has four (qualities), his Islam is perfect, is helped with his faith, his sins are erased, and meets Allah, the Great and Almighty, while He is pleased with him. If he has sins from his head to his feet, Allah forgives him his sins. They are: Loyalty to Allah, the truthfulness of the tongue with the people, shame of the ugly (things) with Allah and people, and good manners towards the family and people. The believer who has four (qualities), Allah, the Exalted, will make him live in the rooms on the rooms in the most high gardens. It is he who shelters the orphan, has mercy on him, and is like the father for him. It is he who has mercy on the weak, helps them, and suffices them. It is he who

spends on his parents, treats them gently, and pleases them. And it is he who helps and suffices his slave.”[51]

The Imam, peace be on him, ordered man to do all things that drew him nearer to his Lord. He guided him to the good deeds which Allah loved, for which He rewarded him very much, and for which He did him many favors.

Silence

The Imam, peace be on him, summoned the Moslems to cling to silence. He ordered them to refrain from saying useless words. He, peace be on him, said: “Indeed, this tongue is the key of all good and evil. So, the believer must seal his tongue as he seals his gold and silver. For Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘May Allah have mercy of the believer who restrains his tongue from all evil. For that is alms from him for himself. No one is safe from sins unless he restrains his tongue.'”[52]

Bad Qualities and Deeds

The Imam, peace be on him, warned the Moslems from having bad qualities and abominable deeds. The following are some of the traditions reported on his authority:

1. He, peace be on him, said: “If some haughtiness enters the person's heart, some of his reason decreases.”[53]

He, peace be on him, said: “The haughty one quarrels with Allah about His gown.”[54]

Indeed, haughtiness results from ignorance and the decrease of reason. If man knows that he will be a mass of mean earth after death, he shows no haughtiness towards Allah's creatures.

2. The Imam, peace be on him, dispraised the hypocrite person, who is double-faced and double-tongued. He, peace be on him, said: “Bad is the servant who is double-faced and double-tongued. He flatters his brother when he is present. He backbites him when he is absent. He envies him brother when he is given. He betrays him when he is afflicted by a tribulation.”[55] These qualities denotes that such a person has an evil soul, that he has no morals, and that he has no faith in his Lord.

3. The Imam, peace be on him, warned the Moslems from having the following qualities. He, peace be on him, said: “Bad is captivity after victory, depression after the misfortune, rudeness with the poor, cruelty with the neighbor, miserliness towards the relative, disagreement with the friend, misbehavior towards the family, impudence through the power, greediness during poverty, backbiting the friend, telling lies, the slander, perfidy from the ruler, the rage from the generous. Whoever asks more than his right is worth of deprivation. Setting right the one who does not know dignity is through disgracing him. The careful one rises (in rank). The cautious one finds (good).”[56]

Whoever refrains from these qualities is endowed with high moral standards and is among the unique people.

4. The Imam, peace be on him, prevented the Moslems from practicing the following qualities. He, peace be on him, said: “The owner of three traits will not die till he sees their evil results: oppression, cutting off ties of relations, and binding oath through which he fights with Allah. Indeed the

quickest obedience in reward is the relations with womb relatives. Perhaps some people are sinners. However, they visit each other. So, their properties increase and they become rich. Binding oath and cutting off ties of relations leave houses empty of their people.”[57]

5. The Imam, peace be on him, hated the people who were endowed with the following traits. He, peace be on him, said: “Four (traits) lead to the quickest punishment: The person whom you treat with kindness but he mistreats you. The person who you do not oppress but oppresses you. The person to whom you are loyal but he betrays you. The person who visits his relations but they end their relationship with him.”[58]

6. The Imam, peace be on him, prevented the Moslems from drinking wine. For it is among the mortal sins. He, peace be on him, said: “Indeed the one who is alcoholic is like the one who worships the idol. Wine makes him shake, and destroys his manhood. It makes him violate the prohibitions such as shedding blood and committing fornication.”[59]

Surely, wine is the source of all sins and offenses. It is among the social catastrophes that defame man and leads him to commit all the prohibitions. As for its bodily damages, we have talked about them in one of our books.

7. The Imam, peace be on him, dispraised the person who used obscene language. He, peace be on him, said: “Surely, Allah detests the one who uses obscene language.”[60]

Backbiting and Slander

The Imam, peace be on him, made a distinction between backbiting and slander. He, peace be on him, said: “It is an act of backbiting to say concerning your brother what Allah conceals for him. As for the manifest traits of him such as fury and hastiness, there is no harm in mentioning them. As for slander, it is that you say concerning your brother what he has not.”[61]

Anger and its Remedy

The Imam, peace be on him, warned the Moslems from anger. He provided a remedy for it. He, peace be on him, said : “Indeed this anger is an ember from Satan. The ember is burnt in the heart of the son of Adam (i. e., man). When one of you becomes angry, his eyes become red and his jugular veins become swollen. Thus, Satan enters him. When he becomes angry, he must sit on the ground. With that he removes the cunning of Satan.”[62]

Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, underlined the affair of anger. He warned the Moslems of its final results. Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, said: “My father said: 'There is nothing more intense than anger. Perhaps the person becomes angry. So, he kills the soul which Allah has forbidden and defames the chaste woman.”[63]

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, said: “The person sometimes becomes angry and continues his anger till he enters the Fire.”[64]

Vanity

 The Imam, peace be on him, said: “I wonder at the one who is vain and boastful. He was created from a sperm. Then he becomes carrion. Between this and that, he does not know what will be done for him.”

Al-Baqir’s Supplications

There is wonderful heritage in the supplications of the Imams of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them. There are treasures of valuable maxims and morals in them. These supplications represent the absolute inclination of the Imams, peace be on them, to Allah. They represent their relation with Him and their devotion to him. They also represent the spiritual qualities which the Imams had such as asceticism, pity, and cleaving to religion. Moreover, they are rich in ethics, philosophy, and theology. Many supplications were reported on the authority of Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. The following are some of them:

1. Abu Hamza al-Thumali reported this supplication on the authority of Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. He called it al-Jami‘ (the conclusive). This supplication is as follows: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I bear witness that there is no god apart from Allah, who is unique and without partners. I also bear witness that Mohammed is His servant and His Apostle. I have believed in Allah, all His Apostles, and all what Allah revealed to His Apostles. Allah's promise is true. Meeting Him is true. Allah is truthful. The Apostles conveyed (their messages). Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Glory belongs to Allah whenever a thing glorifies Allah, and as He wants (His creatures) to glorify Him. Praise belongs to Allah whenever a thing praises Allah, as He wants (His creatures) to praise Him. There is no god but Allah whenever a thing says: there is no god but Allah, as He wants (His creatures) to say: there is no god but Allah. Allah is Great whenever a thing says: Allah is Great, and as He wants (His creatures) to say: Allah is Great.

“O Allah, I ask You (to give me) the keys of good, its ends, its laws, its precedents, its advantages, its blessings, what its knowledge has exceeded me, and what my memorization falls short of counting it. O Allah make clear for me the means of its knowledge. Open for me its doors. Bestow upon me the blessings of Your mercy. Grant me protection from the Cursed Satan, for he wants to deviate me from Your religion. Purify my heart from doubts. Do not busy my heart with my world. (Do not) distract (my heart) from the later reward of the hereafter through my sooner livelihood. Make my heart busy with memorizing the thing whose ignorance You do not accept from me. Make my tongue obedient to all good. Purify my heart from hypocrisy. Do not make it flow in my joints. Make my deeds sincere to you.

“O Allah, I seek refuge with You from evil, all outward and inward ill-deeds, their heedlessness, and all what the stubborn ruler desires for me. You know that and you are able to keep it away from me.

“O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the misfortunes of the jinn and men. (I seek refuge with You) from their storms, their followers, their calamities, their tricks, seeing the sinners from among the jinn and men, and deviating from my religion so my life in the hereafter is corrupt. That will be a damage from them against me in my daily bread. Or intentional

tribulation from them hits me. Thus, I have no ability for the tribulation nor have I patience to bear it. So, My Lord, do not test me with its sufferings. For that will prevent me from praising You and divert me from worshipping You. You are the Preserver, the Protector, the repeller, and the Guarder from that all.

“O Allah, I ask You (to grant me) ease in my livelihood as long as You keep me alive in a livelihood through which I can obey You, through which I can reach Your pleasure, and through which I will get to the everlasting life tomorrow. Do not provide me with the means of subsistence that makes me oppressive nor do You test me with poverty through which I become miserable to press me. Give me an abundant share in my life in the hereafter, and ample easy daily-bread in my life in this world. Do not make the world a prison against me. Do not make me sad when I leave it. Take me out of its temptations and be pleased with me. Make my deeds acceptable and my efforts laudable in it.

“O Allah, whoever desires evil for me-desire (it) for him! And whoever deceives me-deceive him. Turn away from me the worries of those who drive their worries in me. Plan against those who plan against me. Indeed, You are the best of planners. Tear out for me the eyes of the unbelievers, the oppressors, and the envious tyrants.

“O Allah, send down to me from you tranquillity and sobriety. Clothe me Your well-fortified shield. Protect me with Your preventive shelter. Make me (live) through Your useful health. Accept as true my words and deeds. Bless for me my children, my family, my property. Forgive me what I have brought forward, what I have delayed, what I have neglected, what I have (done) intentionally, what I have (done) slowly, and what I have concealed, through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of all the merciful.”[65]

This supplication denotes the intense devotion of the Imam to Allah. He relied on Him in all his affairs. He sought refuge in Him from the temptations and deception of the world. For he was afraid that the world would prevent him from remembering Allah, the Most High.

2. Al-Rabi‘ reported on the authority of ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abd al-Rahman, on the authority of Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, who said: “Shall I teach you a supplication? We, the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), recite the supplication when a certain affair grieves us, and when we are afraid of the evil of Satan.”

“Yes, may my father and mother be ransom for you,” replied Abd Allah.

“Say: O You Who were before all things! O You Who created all things! O You Who will remain after all things! Bless Mohammed and his Household. Then mention your need....”[66]

Other traditions were reported on the authority of the Imam. They show his high soul, and his strong relationship with his Creator.

Imam al-Baqir urged Moslems to Supplication.

The Imam, peace be on him, urged Moslems to supplicate to Allah. He, peace be on him, said: “Surely, Allah hates that people insist on each other for their request. However, He, Exalted be His name, loves that for Himself. He wants them to ask Him for what He has (with insistence).”[67]

Wonderful Maxims

Short wonderful maxims were reported on the authority of Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. They are full of noble morals and are useful. The following maxims are some of them.

1. He, peace be on him, said: “If you can deal with anyone and do him a favor, do that.”

2. He, peace be on him, said: “Flatter the hypocrite with your tongue. Make your love sincere to the believer. When a Jew associates with you, associate well with him.”

3. He, peace be on him, said: “Nothing is mixed with a thing better than (mixing) clemency with knowledge.”

4. He, peace be on him, said: “Assume the truth. Leave that which does not concern you. Avoid your enemy. Be careful of your friends except the trusty one who fears Allah. Do not make friends with the sinner. Do not inform him of your secrets. Ask the advice of those who fear Allah.”

5. He, peace be on him, said: “The friendship of twenty years is kinship.”

6. He, peace be on him, said: “The decree of Allah is good for the believer.”

7. He, peace be on him, said: “He for whom Allah does not make a preacher from his own self, the preaching of people do not avail him.”

8. He, peace be on him, said: “He whose outward (deeds) are heavier than his inward (deeds), his scales are light.”

9. He, peace be on him, said: “How many a person meets a person and says to him: may Allah ruin your enemy, and he has no enemy except Allah.”

10. He, peace be on him, said: “He who disobeys Allah does not recognize Him.” Then the Imam composed:

Do you disobey the Lord and show your love (for Him)?

By your life, this is an innovation among deeds.

If your love was truthful, you would obey him.

Indeed the lover obeys him whom he loves.

11. He, peace be on him, said: “The need with the one who has recently gotten property is like the dirham in the mouth of the snake. You need him, and you are in danger.”

12. He, peace be on him, said: “Know the love in the heart of your brother through what he has in your heart.”

13. He, peace be on him, said: “Faith is love and hatred.”

14. He, peace be on him, said: “Four (acts) are among the treasures of kindness: Concealing the need, concealing the alms, concealing the pain, and concealing, the misfortune.”

15. He, peace be on him, said: “He whose tongue is truthful, his acts grow. He whose intention is good, his daily-bread increases. He whose kindness to his family is good, Allah prolongs his life.”

16. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever gets a brother in Allah in addition to faith in Allah and faithfulness to his brotherhood seeking Allah's pleasure gets a ray from Allah's light, safety from the punishment of Allah, a pilgrimage (to Mecca) through which he will be successful on the Day of Judgment, everlasting honor, and increasing reputation. That is because the

believer is neither mawsool nor mafsool from Allah, the Great and Almighty.”He was asked: “What is the meaning of mawsool and mafsool?”He, peace be on him, replied: “Mawsool meaning the believer is not connected to (Allah). Mafsool meaning the believer is not separated from (Allah).”

17. He, peace be on him, said: “It is sufficient cheat for the person is that he sees from the people the vague affair of his own soul. Or he finds faults with other than him through what he cannot leave. Or he hurts his friend through that which does not concern him.”

 18. He, peace be on him, said: “Humbleness is that you should be satisfied with the humble sitting-place, that you should greet whomever you meet, and that you should leave the dispute even if you are right.”

 19. He, peace be on him, said: “The believer is the brother of the believer. So, he should not abuse him nor should he deprive him (of his rights) nor should he doubt him.”

 20. He, peace be on him, said: “He to whom clumsiness is apportioned, faith is veiled from him.”

 21. He, peace be on him, said: “Indeed Allah has punishments in the hearts, the bodies, the daily-bread, and the worship. However, the cruelty of the heart is the most intense punishment.”

22. He, peace be on him, said: “On the Judgment Day, a caller will call: ‘Where are al-Sabirun (the patient)?' So, a group of people will rise. Then a caller will call : ‘Where are al-Mutasabbirun?' Thus, a group of people will rise.”He was asked: “Who are al-Sabirun and al-Mutasabbirun?”He, peace be on him, replied: “Al-Sabirun are those who are patient with performing the religious duties. Al-Mutasabbirun are those who are patient with the prohibitions.”

23. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah says: ‘O Son of Adam, refrain from what I have prohibited, so you are the most pious of all people.'”

24. He, peace be on him, said: “The best worship is the abstinence of the private parts and the abdomen.”

25. He, peace be on him, said: “Modesty and faith are coupled with each other. If one of them goes away, the other will follow it.”

26. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah gives this world to both the righteous and the sinners. However, He gives this religion to His close friends only.”

27. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah gives the world to those whom He loves and those whom He detests. However, He gives religion to those whom He loves only.”

28. He, peace be on him, said: “If the beggar knew what was in begging, he would never beg anyone. If the begged one knew was in prevention, he would never prevent anybody.

29. He, peace be on him, said: “Some blessed rich servants belong to Allah. They associate with people. People live under their wing. Some wicked servants belong to Allah. They do not associate with people. People do not live under their protection. They are like grass -hoppers.”

30. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah likes spreading greetings.”[68]

31. He, peace be on him, said: “Everything has a catastrophe. The catastrophe of knowledge is forgetfulness.”[69]

32. He, peace be on him, said: “O Allah, help with the world through riches, and with the hereafter through piety.”[70]

33. He, peace be on him, said: “The person increases in opinion when he gives sincere advice.”[71]

34. He, peace be on him, said: “The weapon of the ignoble person is ugly words.”[72] A poet composed this wonderful maxim, saying:

Al-Baqir al-Murtada, the descendant of the Imam, peace be on him, was truthful when he said: “Ugly words are the weapon of the ignoble.”[73]

35. He, peace be on him, said: “Thunderbolt strikes the believer and the unbelievers. However, it does not strike the person who praises (Allah).”[74]

36. He, peace be on him, said: “The best deeds are three: Praising Allah in all conditions, treating people with justice, and giving the friend money.”[75]

37. He, peace be on him, said: “Regard the good deed as small. Do it quickly, and conceal it.”[76]

38. He, peace be on him, said: “In the Sunna (the Prophet's practices) and the religion, it is not an act of truthfulness to turn away from the generous.”[77]

39. He, peace be on him, said: “How wonderful good deeds are after evil deeds! How shameful evil deeds are after good deeds!”[78]

40. He, peace be on him, said: “The person may earn money through four (sources). They are unfaithful act, usury, treason, and theft. Such money is not accepted in four (acts). They are zakat, alms, pilgrimage (to Mecca), and omra.”[79]

41. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah, the Great and Almighty, refuses to accept the pilgrimage and omra performed through ill-gotten gains.”[80]

42. He, peace be on him, said: “He whose outward (deeds) are heavier than his inward (deeds), his balance is light.”[81]

43. He, peace be on him, said: “Lying destroys faith.”[82]

44. He, peace be on him, said: “I had a companion. The companion regarded the world as small. Thus, I regarded him as great.”[83]

45. He, peace be on him, said to his companions: “Do you enter your hands in the bags of your companions and take what you want?”“No,”they replied. “You are not our companions as you say,”he, peace be on him, explained.[84]

46. He, peace be on him, said: “Kindness may make the father go to extremes. This is the worst father. Negligence may make the child disobey (his parents). Such a child is the worst.”[85]

47. He, peace be on him, said: “Preach to your companions, and respect them. Do not attack each other.”[86]

48. He, peace be on him, said: “Sins make misfortunes strike the servant.”[87]

49. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah decreed that He would not take the blessing He bestowed on the servant. However, when the servant commits a sin, he is worthy of the adversity.”[88]

50. He, peace be on him, said: “If there is no love in my heart for the saints of Allah and no hatred for His enemies, nothing will avail me, even if I fast throughout the day, pray throughout the night, and spend all my money for Allah.”[89]

51. Zarara asked Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him: “What is the meaning of al-Hanafiya?”He, peace be on him, replied: “It is the nature Allah has created in men. He has created it in them to make them recognize Him.”[90]

52. Imam Abu Ja‘far was asked: “Is there a thing better than gold?”He, peace be on him, answered: “Yes, the one who gives it.”[91]

53. He, peace be on him, said: “The tribulation of the people against us is burdensome. When we ask them (to follow us), they do not respond to us. When we leave them, they do not follow other than us.”[92]

54. He, peace be on him, said: “The chasteness of the abdomen and private parts is the best (quality) through which Allah is worshipped.”[93]

55. He, peace be on him, said: “Be patient towards misfortunes. Do not transgress (Allah's) rights. Do not give the person a thing that harms you more than it avails you.”[94]

56. He, peace be on him, said: “Our followers obey Allah.”[95]

57. He, peace be on him, said: “The friend may take care of you when you are rich, and abandon you when you are poor. How bad such a friend is!”[96]

58. He, peace be on him, said: “Kindness to friends is the best help in the world.”[97]

59. He, peace be on him, said: “Whomever is given ethics and kindness is given good and rest. Besides His state is good here and the hereafter. Whomever is deprived of them, that will be a way to evil and tribulations, except him whom Allah protects.”[98]

60. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah (sometimes) makes a person recognize the truth. So, the person can remain on the top of a mountain. He can eat from the plants of the earth till death comes to him. Still, he faces no problem.”[99]

61. He, peace be on him, was asked: “The people of the garden will enter the garden through their deeds. Will Allah release (some people) from the Fire?”“Surely, Allah will release (some people) from the Fire,”he replied.[100]

62. He, peace be on him, said: “He who has no precautionary dissimulation has no good.”[101]

63. He, peace be on him, said: “If you want to know that you have good, consider carefully your heart. Does your heart love obedience to Allah? Does it detest the disobedience to Him? If it is so, you have good and Allah loves you. Does it detest the obedience to Allah? Does it love the disobedience to Him? If it is so, you have no good and Allah detests you. The person is with his lover.”[102]

64. He, peace be on him, said: “Among the steps of Satan are the oath for divorce, the vow for sins, and the swearing by other than Allah, the Exalted.”[103]

65. He, peace be on him, said: “When the abdomen is full, (the person) becomes tyrannical.”[104]

66. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah detests the full abdomen.”[105]

67. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever seeks the world to be chaste with the people, to maintain his family, and to help his neighbor, will meet Allah, the Great and Almighty, and his face will be like the full moon.”[106]

68. He, peace be on him, said: “Our talk is difficult. It is difficult (for people) to understand it. No one bears it except a close angel or a prophet or a servant whose heart Allah has tested for faith.”[107]

69. He, peace be on him, said: “I hate the person whose words are more than his knowledge. I also hate the person whose knowledge is more than his reason.”[108]

With this we will end our talk about some of the Imam's wise words that represent genuine creative thinking.

Did al-Baqir write poetry?

The references did not mention that Imam Abu Ja‘far al-Baqir, peace be on him, wrote poetry. Rather they mentioned that he split open many doors to knowledge, that he founded most of its rules, and that he was given wisdom and sound judgments. However, Sayyid ‘Ali Sadr al-Madani ascribed the following lines of poetry to him.

I wonder at the one who admires his form

while he had been a sperm before.

Tomorrow, after his good form, he will be dirty carrion in the grave.

In spite of his admiration and haughtiness,

He carries stool between his two sides.[109]

It is no matter whether the Imam, peace be on him, wrote poetry or not. Surely, he was the foremost eloquent person of the period. The large group of his first-class eloquent wise words proves that.

Now I want to end the talk about the talents of Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him. It is an act of truthfulness to say that I have mentioned few examples of his knowledge and sciences. I do not say that I have encompassed them. It is difficult for me to do that. Thus, I have left the door open for other researchers to discover the other bright dimensions of his life. For it was a personal extension to his outstanding grandfathers, who illumined the cultural life for people.

His Preaching

Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, preached to his companions as the prophets preached to their communities. He warned them from the deception and delusions of the world. He enlightened them on the attack of time and the disasters of days. He summoned them to think deeply about what they would come to when they would leave the world for the dark graves and the lonely narrow spaces within the graves, where nothing would avail them except their good deeds. The following are some of his preaching:

1. He, peace be on him, said: “O People, you are targets in this world. Deaths compete with each other for you. No one of you receives a new day of his lifetime but through ending another day of his appointed time. Which meal has no lump (in the throat)? Which drink has no lump (in the throat)? Set right what you will go to with what you will depart from. As for today, it is booty. As for tomorrow, you do not know to whom it belongs. The people of the world are traveling. They will untie their baggage in (a place) other than it. Origins have left us. We are their branches. So, what is the survival of the branch after its origin?

“Where are those whose lifetimes were longer than yours, and whose desires were farther than yours? O Son of Adam, what you cannot repel, has come to you. What does not come back, has left you. So, do not number the livelihood that goes away as livelihood. You have nothing of it except the pleasure that approaches you to your death and brings you nearer to your appointed time. So, you look like the missing lover and torn blackness. So, take care of your own soul. Leave other than it. Ask Allah for help, and He will help you.”[27]

2. Some of his Shi‘ites came to him. He preached to them and warned them from the punishment of Allah. However, they paid no attention to his preaching. That displeased him. So, he bowed his head for a while, and then he raised it. He admonished them and preached to them again, saying:

“Surely, if part of this speech of mine came into the heart of one of you, he would be dead. Indeed you are ghosts without souls and flies without a lamp. You look like big pieces of wood clad with garments, and mutinous idols. Do you not take gold from stone? Do you not take light from the brightest light? Do you not take pearls from the sea? Take the good word from him who says it even if he does not put it into effect. That is because Allah says: ‘Those who listen to the word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom Allah has guided.'[28]

“O Conceited one, woe unto you! Would you not praise Him Whom you gives something perishable and He gives you something remaining? (Give) one perishable dirham for ten dirhams to a hundred fold from the All-Generous (Allah). Allah has given you a reward from Him. It is He Who feeds you, waters you, clothes you, heals you, suffices you, and protects you from those who frighten you. Who protects you by day and night, fulfills your urgent need, and tests you according to reason? It seems that you have forgotten the nights of your aches and fear. You asked Him, and He responded to you. So, He is worthy of gratefulness for His favor. However, you have forgotten Him concerning him whom He has mentioned. Woe

unto you! You are a thief from among the thieves of sins. You hasten to desires and commit sins. You do that through your ignorance. It seems that your not under the oversight of Allah. Or it seems that Allah does not watch you.

“O Seeker of the garden, how long your sleep is! How weak your walking is! How weak your intention is! By Allah, you are invoked and wanted. O You who escape from the Fire, how quick your walking to it! How fast you are in earning that which will throw you into it!

“Look at those lines of graves by the yards of the houses. They (the dead) are near in their lines and their graves. However, they are far in their meeting. They lived long, and then they were ruined. They associated (with people), and then they were forced to dwell deserted places. They were tranquil, and then they were disturbed. They were hopeless, and then they passed away. Therefore, no one is near and far, far and near, living and ruined, sociable and lonely, tranquil and disturbed, inhabitant and departed, except the people of the graves.

“O Son of the three days, (I mean) your day when you were born. Your day when you will come down into your grave. And your day when you will come out (of your grave to meet) your Lord. How important this day will be! O Possessors of the admirable appearance and of thirst-quenching and kneeling camels, why do I see your bodies sound and your hearts ruined? By Allah, if you saw what you would meet and what you would come to, you would say: ‘Would that we were sent back, and we would not reject the communications of our Lord and we would be of the believers.'[29] Allah, the Great and Almighty, said: ‘And if they were sent back, they would certainly go back to that which they are forbidden, and most surely they are liars.'[30] ”[31]

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, blamed these people when they turned away from his preaching and directions. He wanted to set right their behavior. He wanted them to follow righteousness to gain good here and in the hereafter. He gave them these effective preaching to make them obey Allah. For Allah is able to do good for them and to deprive them of that.

He preached to them with these lessons to which souls submit, and of which hearts are afraid.

3. Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, preached to one of his companions. He informed him of the reality of this life. He, peace be on him, said to him: “Regard the world as a house where you live, and then you leave the house. Or regard (it) as perfection you obtain in your sleep. When you wake, you find nothing of it.”[32]

Indeed if man thinks about the world through this correct opinion, he will be free from conceit, selfishness, greediness, and other psychological diseases that deviate him from the right path.

4. Among his preaching is this: “If the eye is bathed in tears, Allah will protect its owner from the Fire. If the tear flows down the cheek, neither miserliness nor abasement will befall its owner. There is a punishment for everything except the tear. For Allah, the Most High, forgives the seas of sins through it.”[33]

Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, summoned Moslems to weep out of fear of Allah. Weeping is among the signs of faith. It shows the relationship between the servant and his Lord and Creator.

5. Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, said: “Man should mention death very much. If he mentions death very much, he will refrain from the world.”[34]

Surely, if man mentions death, he will renounce the world and refrains from its vanities and pleasures.

6. Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, was asked about the most ascetic of all the people. So, he, peace be on him, replied: “It is he who pays no attention to the world.”Then he was asked: “Who is the most hopeless of all the people?”“It is he who sells the remaining (life) for the transitory (life),”he replied. Then he was asked: “Who is the most important of all the people?” “It is he who thinks that the world is not important,”he answered.[35]

7. He, peace be on him, preached to his companions, saying: “Allah, the Exalted, says: ‘O Son of Adam, I have done you three favors: I have concealed what your family does not know. For, if they knew it, they would not take care of you. I have given to you generously. Now, I ask you for a loan, but you have offered no good. I have had mercy on you in the third one, but you have offered no good.’”[36]

These are some examples of the Imam's valuable preaching. He, peace be on him, reported them to cure and educate souls. This educational phenomenon is among the most prominent values in the teachings of the Imams of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them.

The Virtue of Reason

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, talked about the virtue of reason. He denoted that it was the greatest of all things which Allah, the Exalted, created. He, peace be on him, said:

“When Allah created reason, He tested it. Then He ordered it to come forward and it came forward. Then He ordered it to go back and it went back. Then Allah said: ‘I swear by My power and majesty that no creation of Mine is dearer to Me than you are, and I have made you perfect in those whom I love. Lo! To you are My orders and prohibitions. And for you are My rewards and retributions reserved.'”[37]

Surely, through reason, the value of man becomes high. Were it not for reason, there would be no difference between man and the animal. Reason is among the fundamental conditions necessary for performing the religious duties, as the jurists say.

Cleverness

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, praised cleverness. He regarded it as the only source of man's happiness and righteousness. He, peace be on him, said: “The goodness of all coexistence and living together is a full measure. Two thirds of the measure are cleverness. And one third of it is heedlessness. Nothing has a portion of good and righteousness except cleverness. That is because man feigns inattention to the things which he realizes and knows.”[38]

How wonderful this maxim is! A religious scholar commented on it, saying: “Indeed, it has gathered together all the righteousness of the affairs of the world.”

Contemplation

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, summoned Moslems to think things over. He, peace be on him, said: “Through thinking (things) over, the fruitful opinion is concluded.”[39]

This word is among the wonderful maxims. Man can come to a correct genuine opinion through considering things carefully. He can conclude scientific facts and inventions through contemplating things. It is impossible for him to come to that without contemplation.

Noble Manners

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, took care of spreading high moral standards among people. For they are necessary for building a Moslem society. Tradition books are full of his wise words. The following are some of them:

1. Kindness

As for kindness to people, it plays an important role in strengthening social ties and spreading love and friendship among people. Islam has urged Moslems to cling to kindness to people. Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, said: “Continuous kindness is the best means with me.”[40]

The most lovable things with the Imam, peace be on him, was continuing kindness to people, for he wanted to plant love and affection in their hearts through it.

2. Fairness

In many of his traditions, Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, urged Moslems to treat people with fairness. Among what he said is the following:

A. He, peace be on him, said: “Indeed, Allah singles out people from among His creatures for fairness. He makes them love fairness. He makes them love fair acts. Then He orders the seekers of fairness to go to them. Then He makes it easy for them to do fairness, as He makes it easy for rain (to come down) to the arid land to enliven it and its people. Allah singles out people from among His creatures to be enemies of fairness. He makes them hate fairness. And He makes them hate fair acts. He prevents the seekers of fairness from going to them, as He prevents rain from (coming down) to the arid land to ruin it and its people. And what Allah forgives is more (than this).”[41]

B. He, peace be on him, said: “Fair acts prevent evil deaths (from happening). Every fair act is alms. The people of fairness here are the people of fairness in the hereafter. The people of the abominable acts here are the people of the abominable acts in the hereafter. The people of the fair acts will be the first to enter the garden. The people of the abominable acts will be the first to enter the Fire.”[42]

3. Kindness should be Equivalent to Fairness

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, ordered his companions to repay fairness with much more kindness. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever

does a favor like that which is done for him returns like for like. Whoever doubles the favor is grateful. Whoever thanks (people for their favors) is generous. He who knows that what he does is for his own interest should not find people slow in their gratefulness (for him), nor should he ask them for more love (for him). So, do not ask other than you to thank you for what you do for your own interest, and through which you protect your honor. Know that the one who asks you for a need does not honor himself when he asks you (for a need). So, honor yourself through fulfilling his need.”[43]

When the Imam, peace be on him, had ordered his companions to return like for like, he summoned them to do kindness for kindness. He ordered them not to ask people for a reward. For they did that for their own interests and honor.

Rules of Conduct

Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, urged his companions to treat people according to the rules of social conduct. Among these rules are the following:

1. Cheerfulness

He, peace be on him, asked his companions to meet people with cheerfulness and good words. He, peace be on him, said: “Good words and cheerfulness lead to love and nearness to Allah. Bad words and frowning lead to hate and remoteness from Allah.”[44]

2. Treating people kindly

He, peace be on him, urged his companions to treat people kindly. He, peace be on him, said: “Say to people the best (words) which you want them to say to you. For Allah hates the one who curses and abuses and defames the believers. He detests the one who uses an obscene language and insists on begging. He loves the one who is modest, clement, chaste.”[45]

Moslem’s Rights

He, peace be on him, denoted the rights which Islam legislated for the Moslem towards his Moslem brother. He, peace be on him, said: “Love your Moslem brother. Love for him what you love for yourself. Hate for him what you hate for yourself. When you are in need of (a certain thing), then ask him for that. When he asks you for (a certain need), then give (it) to him. If you spare no good for him, he will spare no good for you. If you help him, he will help you. If he is absent, then keep him during his absence. If he is present, then visit him, and respect him. For he is from you, and you are from him. If he admonishes you, then do not leave him till his hate comes to an end. If good befalls him, then thank Allah for that. If a tribulation afflicts him, then help him.”[46]

If Moslems put into effect these excellent teachings, they will be the strongest of all the peoples of the world, and nations will not invade them, enslave them, and plunder their wealth. However, they have deviated from these true teachings, so they have become weak humble parties. “Each party is happy with that which it has.”

Fulfilling the Moslem’s Need

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, summoned the Moslems to fulfill the needs of their Moslem brothers. He warned them from leaving them. He, peace be on him, said: “If the servant refrains from helping his Moslem brother and does not strive to fulfill his need, he will be afflicted by the need causing a sin not a reward. If the servants refrains from spending on that which pleases Allah, then he will be afflicted by spending a hundred fold on that which displeases Allah.”[47]

Relations with Womb Relatives

Islam takes care of the relations with womb relatives. It summons Moslems to cling to them, for they strengthen the family and lead the community to fruitful results. Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, urged the Moslems to cleave to them. He, peace be on him, said: “Relations with blood relatives increase acts, develop properties, repel the tribulation, make easy the reckoning, and postpone the a fixed term (of death).”[48]

Alms

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, underlined alms. He mentioned the advantages which the one who gives alms obtains. He mentioned that before his companions. He, peace be on him, said: “Shall I tell you about the thing that drives away the ruler and the Satan from you?”

“Yes, tell us to do it,”replied Abu Hamza.

He, peace be on him, said: “Give alms early in the morning. For it blackens the Satan's face and breaks the greediness of the oppressive ruler on that days of

yours. Love each other for Allah. Help each other with the good deeds. For such deeds put end to the Satan and the oppressive ruler. Insist on asking Allah for forgiveness, for such insistence erases sins.”[49]

Pity for the Orphan

Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, urged the Moslems to feel pity for the orphan and to have affection for the weak. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever has four (qualities), Allah will build a house for him in the garden. The one who shelters the orphan, has mercy on the weak, feel compassion for his parents, and treats his slave gently.”[50]

Good Qualities

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, talked about the good qualities that draw the servant nearer to Allah and make him far from His wrath and punishment. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever has four (qualities), his Islam is perfect, is helped with his faith, his sins are erased, and meets Allah, the Great and Almighty, while He is pleased with him. If he has sins from his head to his feet, Allah forgives him his sins. They are: Loyalty to Allah, the truthfulness of the tongue with the people, shame of the ugly (things) with Allah and people, and good manners towards the family and people. The believer who has four (qualities), Allah, the Exalted, will make him live in the rooms on the rooms in the most high gardens. It is he who shelters the orphan, has mercy on him, and is like the father for him. It is he who has mercy on the weak, helps them, and suffices them. It is he who

spends on his parents, treats them gently, and pleases them. And it is he who helps and suffices his slave.”[51]

The Imam, peace be on him, ordered man to do all things that drew him nearer to his Lord. He guided him to the good deeds which Allah loved, for which He rewarded him very much, and for which He did him many favors.

Silence

The Imam, peace be on him, summoned the Moslems to cling to silence. He ordered them to refrain from saying useless words. He, peace be on him, said: “Indeed, this tongue is the key of all good and evil. So, the believer must seal his tongue as he seals his gold and silver. For Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘May Allah have mercy of the believer who restrains his tongue from all evil. For that is alms from him for himself. No one is safe from sins unless he restrains his tongue.'”[52]

Bad Qualities and Deeds

The Imam, peace be on him, warned the Moslems from having bad qualities and abominable deeds. The following are some of the traditions reported on his authority:

1. He, peace be on him, said: “If some haughtiness enters the person's heart, some of his reason decreases.”[53]

He, peace be on him, said: “The haughty one quarrels with Allah about His gown.”[54]

Indeed, haughtiness results from ignorance and the decrease of reason. If man knows that he will be a mass of mean earth after death, he shows no haughtiness towards Allah's creatures.

2. The Imam, peace be on him, dispraised the hypocrite person, who is double-faced and double-tongued. He, peace be on him, said: “Bad is the servant who is double-faced and double-tongued. He flatters his brother when he is present. He backbites him when he is absent. He envies him brother when he is given. He betrays him when he is afflicted by a tribulation.”[55] These qualities denotes that such a person has an evil soul, that he has no morals, and that he has no faith in his Lord.

3. The Imam, peace be on him, warned the Moslems from having the following qualities. He, peace be on him, said: “Bad is captivity after victory, depression after the misfortune, rudeness with the poor, cruelty with the neighbor, miserliness towards the relative, disagreement with the friend, misbehavior towards the family, impudence through the power, greediness during poverty, backbiting the friend, telling lies, the slander, perfidy from the ruler, the rage from the generous. Whoever asks more than his right is worth of deprivation. Setting right the one who does not know dignity is through disgracing him. The careful one rises (in rank). The cautious one finds (good).”[56]

Whoever refrains from these qualities is endowed with high moral standards and is among the unique people.

4. The Imam, peace be on him, prevented the Moslems from practicing the following qualities. He, peace be on him, said: “The owner of three traits will not die till he sees their evil results: oppression, cutting off ties of relations, and binding oath through which he fights with Allah. Indeed the

quickest obedience in reward is the relations with womb relatives. Perhaps some people are sinners. However, they visit each other. So, their properties increase and they become rich. Binding oath and cutting off ties of relations leave houses empty of their people.”[57]

5. The Imam, peace be on him, hated the people who were endowed with the following traits. He, peace be on him, said: “Four (traits) lead to the quickest punishment: The person whom you treat with kindness but he mistreats you. The person who you do not oppress but oppresses you. The person to whom you are loyal but he betrays you. The person who visits his relations but they end their relationship with him.”[58]

6. The Imam, peace be on him, prevented the Moslems from drinking wine. For it is among the mortal sins. He, peace be on him, said: “Indeed the one who is alcoholic is like the one who worships the idol. Wine makes him shake, and destroys his manhood. It makes him violate the prohibitions such as shedding blood and committing fornication.”[59]

Surely, wine is the source of all sins and offenses. It is among the social catastrophes that defame man and leads him to commit all the prohibitions. As for its bodily damages, we have talked about them in one of our books.

7. The Imam, peace be on him, dispraised the person who used obscene language. He, peace be on him, said: “Surely, Allah detests the one who uses obscene language.”[60]

Backbiting and Slander

The Imam, peace be on him, made a distinction between backbiting and slander. He, peace be on him, said: “It is an act of backbiting to say concerning your brother what Allah conceals for him. As for the manifest traits of him such as fury and hastiness, there is no harm in mentioning them. As for slander, it is that you say concerning your brother what he has not.”[61]

Anger and its Remedy

The Imam, peace be on him, warned the Moslems from anger. He provided a remedy for it. He, peace be on him, said : “Indeed this anger is an ember from Satan. The ember is burnt in the heart of the son of Adam (i. e., man). When one of you becomes angry, his eyes become red and his jugular veins become swollen. Thus, Satan enters him. When he becomes angry, he must sit on the ground. With that he removes the cunning of Satan.”[62]

Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, underlined the affair of anger. He warned the Moslems of its final results. Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, said: “My father said: 'There is nothing more intense than anger. Perhaps the person becomes angry. So, he kills the soul which Allah has forbidden and defames the chaste woman.”[63]

Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, said: “The person sometimes becomes angry and continues his anger till he enters the Fire.”[64]

Vanity

 The Imam, peace be on him, said: “I wonder at the one who is vain and boastful. He was created from a sperm. Then he becomes carrion. Between this and that, he does not know what will be done for him.”

Al-Baqir’s Supplications

There is wonderful heritage in the supplications of the Imams of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them. There are treasures of valuable maxims and morals in them. These supplications represent the absolute inclination of the Imams, peace be on them, to Allah. They represent their relation with Him and their devotion to him. They also represent the spiritual qualities which the Imams had such as asceticism, pity, and cleaving to religion. Moreover, they are rich in ethics, philosophy, and theology. Many supplications were reported on the authority of Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. The following are some of them:

1. Abu Hamza al-Thumali reported this supplication on the authority of Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. He called it al-Jami‘ (the conclusive). This supplication is as follows: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I bear witness that there is no god apart from Allah, who is unique and without partners. I also bear witness that Mohammed is His servant and His Apostle. I have believed in Allah, all His Apostles, and all what Allah revealed to His Apostles. Allah's promise is true. Meeting Him is true. Allah is truthful. The Apostles conveyed (their messages). Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Glory belongs to Allah whenever a thing glorifies Allah, and as He wants (His creatures) to glorify Him. Praise belongs to Allah whenever a thing praises Allah, as He wants (His creatures) to praise Him. There is no god but Allah whenever a thing says: there is no god but Allah, as He wants (His creatures) to say: there is no god but Allah. Allah is Great whenever a thing says: Allah is Great, and as He wants (His creatures) to say: Allah is Great.

“O Allah, I ask You (to give me) the keys of good, its ends, its laws, its precedents, its advantages, its blessings, what its knowledge has exceeded me, and what my memorization falls short of counting it. O Allah make clear for me the means of its knowledge. Open for me its doors. Bestow upon me the blessings of Your mercy. Grant me protection from the Cursed Satan, for he wants to deviate me from Your religion. Purify my heart from doubts. Do not busy my heart with my world. (Do not) distract (my heart) from the later reward of the hereafter through my sooner livelihood. Make my heart busy with memorizing the thing whose ignorance You do not accept from me. Make my tongue obedient to all good. Purify my heart from hypocrisy. Do not make it flow in my joints. Make my deeds sincere to you.

“O Allah, I seek refuge with You from evil, all outward and inward ill-deeds, their heedlessness, and all what the stubborn ruler desires for me. You know that and you are able to keep it away from me.

“O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the misfortunes of the jinn and men. (I seek refuge with You) from their storms, their followers, their calamities, their tricks, seeing the sinners from among the jinn and men, and deviating from my religion so my life in the hereafter is corrupt. That will be a damage from them against me in my daily bread. Or intentional

tribulation from them hits me. Thus, I have no ability for the tribulation nor have I patience to bear it. So, My Lord, do not test me with its sufferings. For that will prevent me from praising You and divert me from worshipping You. You are the Preserver, the Protector, the repeller, and the Guarder from that all.

“O Allah, I ask You (to grant me) ease in my livelihood as long as You keep me alive in a livelihood through which I can obey You, through which I can reach Your pleasure, and through which I will get to the everlasting life tomorrow. Do not provide me with the means of subsistence that makes me oppressive nor do You test me with poverty through which I become miserable to press me. Give me an abundant share in my life in the hereafter, and ample easy daily-bread in my life in this world. Do not make the world a prison against me. Do not make me sad when I leave it. Take me out of its temptations and be pleased with me. Make my deeds acceptable and my efforts laudable in it.

“O Allah, whoever desires evil for me-desire (it) for him! And whoever deceives me-deceive him. Turn away from me the worries of those who drive their worries in me. Plan against those who plan against me. Indeed, You are the best of planners. Tear out for me the eyes of the unbelievers, the oppressors, and the envious tyrants.

“O Allah, send down to me from you tranquillity and sobriety. Clothe me Your well-fortified shield. Protect me with Your preventive shelter. Make me (live) through Your useful health. Accept as true my words and deeds. Bless for me my children, my family, my property. Forgive me what I have brought forward, what I have delayed, what I have neglected, what I have (done) intentionally, what I have (done) slowly, and what I have concealed, through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of all the merciful.”[65]

This supplication denotes the intense devotion of the Imam to Allah. He relied on Him in all his affairs. He sought refuge in Him from the temptations and deception of the world. For he was afraid that the world would prevent him from remembering Allah, the Most High.

2. Al-Rabi‘ reported on the authority of ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abd al-Rahman, on the authority of Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him, who said: “Shall I teach you a supplication? We, the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), recite the supplication when a certain affair grieves us, and when we are afraid of the evil of Satan.”

“Yes, may my father and mother be ransom for you,” replied Abd Allah.

“Say: O You Who were before all things! O You Who created all things! O You Who will remain after all things! Bless Mohammed and his Household. Then mention your need....”[66]

Other traditions were reported on the authority of the Imam. They show his high soul, and his strong relationship with his Creator.

Imam al-Baqir urged Moslems to Supplication.

The Imam, peace be on him, urged Moslems to supplicate to Allah. He, peace be on him, said: “Surely, Allah hates that people insist on each other for their request. However, He, Exalted be His name, loves that for Himself. He wants them to ask Him for what He has (with insistence).”[67]

Wonderful Maxims

Short wonderful maxims were reported on the authority of Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. They are full of noble morals and are useful. The following maxims are some of them.

1. He, peace be on him, said: “If you can deal with anyone and do him a favor, do that.”

2. He, peace be on him, said: “Flatter the hypocrite with your tongue. Make your love sincere to the believer. When a Jew associates with you, associate well with him.”

3. He, peace be on him, said: “Nothing is mixed with a thing better than (mixing) clemency with knowledge.”

4. He, peace be on him, said: “Assume the truth. Leave that which does not concern you. Avoid your enemy. Be careful of your friends except the trusty one who fears Allah. Do not make friends with the sinner. Do not inform him of your secrets. Ask the advice of those who fear Allah.”

5. He, peace be on him, said: “The friendship of twenty years is kinship.”

6. He, peace be on him, said: “The decree of Allah is good for the believer.”

7. He, peace be on him, said: “He for whom Allah does not make a preacher from his own self, the preaching of people do not avail him.”

8. He, peace be on him, said: “He whose outward (deeds) are heavier than his inward (deeds), his scales are light.”

9. He, peace be on him, said: “How many a person meets a person and says to him: may Allah ruin your enemy, and he has no enemy except Allah.”

10. He, peace be on him, said: “He who disobeys Allah does not recognize Him.” Then the Imam composed:

Do you disobey the Lord and show your love (for Him)?

By your life, this is an innovation among deeds.

If your love was truthful, you would obey him.

Indeed the lover obeys him whom he loves.

11. He, peace be on him, said: “The need with the one who has recently gotten property is like the dirham in the mouth of the snake. You need him, and you are in danger.”

12. He, peace be on him, said: “Know the love in the heart of your brother through what he has in your heart.”

13. He, peace be on him, said: “Faith is love and hatred.”

14. He, peace be on him, said: “Four (acts) are among the treasures of kindness: Concealing the need, concealing the alms, concealing the pain, and concealing, the misfortune.”

15. He, peace be on him, said: “He whose tongue is truthful, his acts grow. He whose intention is good, his daily-bread increases. He whose kindness to his family is good, Allah prolongs his life.”

16. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever gets a brother in Allah in addition to faith in Allah and faithfulness to his brotherhood seeking Allah's pleasure gets a ray from Allah's light, safety from the punishment of Allah, a pilgrimage (to Mecca) through which he will be successful on the Day of Judgment, everlasting honor, and increasing reputation. That is because the

believer is neither mawsool nor mafsool from Allah, the Great and Almighty.”He was asked: “What is the meaning of mawsool and mafsool?”He, peace be on him, replied: “Mawsool meaning the believer is not connected to (Allah). Mafsool meaning the believer is not separated from (Allah).”

17. He, peace be on him, said: “It is sufficient cheat for the person is that he sees from the people the vague affair of his own soul. Or he finds faults with other than him through what he cannot leave. Or he hurts his friend through that which does not concern him.”

 18. He, peace be on him, said: “Humbleness is that you should be satisfied with the humble sitting-place, that you should greet whomever you meet, and that you should leave the dispute even if you are right.”

 19. He, peace be on him, said: “The believer is the brother of the believer. So, he should not abuse him nor should he deprive him (of his rights) nor should he doubt him.”

 20. He, peace be on him, said: “He to whom clumsiness is apportioned, faith is veiled from him.”

 21. He, peace be on him, said: “Indeed Allah has punishments in the hearts, the bodies, the daily-bread, and the worship. However, the cruelty of the heart is the most intense punishment.”

22. He, peace be on him, said: “On the Judgment Day, a caller will call: ‘Where are al-Sabirun (the patient)?' So, a group of people will rise. Then a caller will call : ‘Where are al-Mutasabbirun?' Thus, a group of people will rise.”He was asked: “Who are al-Sabirun and al-Mutasabbirun?”He, peace be on him, replied: “Al-Sabirun are those who are patient with performing the religious duties. Al-Mutasabbirun are those who are patient with the prohibitions.”

23. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah says: ‘O Son of Adam, refrain from what I have prohibited, so you are the most pious of all people.'”

24. He, peace be on him, said: “The best worship is the abstinence of the private parts and the abdomen.”

25. He, peace be on him, said: “Modesty and faith are coupled with each other. If one of them goes away, the other will follow it.”

26. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah gives this world to both the righteous and the sinners. However, He gives this religion to His close friends only.”

27. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah gives the world to those whom He loves and those whom He detests. However, He gives religion to those whom He loves only.”

28. He, peace be on him, said: “If the beggar knew what was in begging, he would never beg anyone. If the begged one knew was in prevention, he would never prevent anybody.

29. He, peace be on him, said: “Some blessed rich servants belong to Allah. They associate with people. People live under their wing. Some wicked servants belong to Allah. They do not associate with people. People do not live under their protection. They are like grass -hoppers.”

30. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah likes spreading greetings.”[68]

31. He, peace be on him, said: “Everything has a catastrophe. The catastrophe of knowledge is forgetfulness.”[69]

32. He, peace be on him, said: “O Allah, help with the world through riches, and with the hereafter through piety.”[70]

33. He, peace be on him, said: “The person increases in opinion when he gives sincere advice.”[71]

34. He, peace be on him, said: “The weapon of the ignoble person is ugly words.”[72] A poet composed this wonderful maxim, saying:

Al-Baqir al-Murtada, the descendant of the Imam, peace be on him, was truthful when he said: “Ugly words are the weapon of the ignoble.”[73]

35. He, peace be on him, said: “Thunderbolt strikes the believer and the unbelievers. However, it does not strike the person who praises (Allah).”[74]

36. He, peace be on him, said: “The best deeds are three: Praising Allah in all conditions, treating people with justice, and giving the friend money.”[75]

37. He, peace be on him, said: “Regard the good deed as small. Do it quickly, and conceal it.”[76]

38. He, peace be on him, said: “In the Sunna (the Prophet's practices) and the religion, it is not an act of truthfulness to turn away from the generous.”[77]

39. He, peace be on him, said: “How wonderful good deeds are after evil deeds! How shameful evil deeds are after good deeds!”[78]

40. He, peace be on him, said: “The person may earn money through four (sources). They are unfaithful act, usury, treason, and theft. Such money is not accepted in four (acts). They are zakat, alms, pilgrimage (to Mecca), and omra.”[79]

41. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah, the Great and Almighty, refuses to accept the pilgrimage and omra performed through ill-gotten gains.”[80]

42. He, peace be on him, said: “He whose outward (deeds) are heavier than his inward (deeds), his balance is light.”[81]

43. He, peace be on him, said: “Lying destroys faith.”[82]

44. He, peace be on him, said: “I had a companion. The companion regarded the world as small. Thus, I regarded him as great.”[83]

45. He, peace be on him, said to his companions: “Do you enter your hands in the bags of your companions and take what you want?”“No,”they replied. “You are not our companions as you say,”he, peace be on him, explained.[84]

46. He, peace be on him, said: “Kindness may make the father go to extremes. This is the worst father. Negligence may make the child disobey (his parents). Such a child is the worst.”[85]

47. He, peace be on him, said: “Preach to your companions, and respect them. Do not attack each other.”[86]

48. He, peace be on him, said: “Sins make misfortunes strike the servant.”[87]

49. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah decreed that He would not take the blessing He bestowed on the servant. However, when the servant commits a sin, he is worthy of the adversity.”[88]

50. He, peace be on him, said: “If there is no love in my heart for the saints of Allah and no hatred for His enemies, nothing will avail me, even if I fast throughout the day, pray throughout the night, and spend all my money for Allah.”[89]

51. Zarara asked Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him: “What is the meaning of al-Hanafiya?”He, peace be on him, replied: “It is the nature Allah has created in men. He has created it in them to make them recognize Him.”[90]

52. Imam Abu Ja‘far was asked: “Is there a thing better than gold?”He, peace be on him, answered: “Yes, the one who gives it.”[91]

53. He, peace be on him, said: “The tribulation of the people against us is burdensome. When we ask them (to follow us), they do not respond to us. When we leave them, they do not follow other than us.”[92]

54. He, peace be on him, said: “The chasteness of the abdomen and private parts is the best (quality) through which Allah is worshipped.”[93]

55. He, peace be on him, said: “Be patient towards misfortunes. Do not transgress (Allah's) rights. Do not give the person a thing that harms you more than it avails you.”[94]

56. He, peace be on him, said: “Our followers obey Allah.”[95]

57. He, peace be on him, said: “The friend may take care of you when you are rich, and abandon you when you are poor. How bad such a friend is!”[96]

58. He, peace be on him, said: “Kindness to friends is the best help in the world.”[97]

59. He, peace be on him, said: “Whomever is given ethics and kindness is given good and rest. Besides His state is good here and the hereafter. Whomever is deprived of them, that will be a way to evil and tribulations, except him whom Allah protects.”[98]

60. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah (sometimes) makes a person recognize the truth. So, the person can remain on the top of a mountain. He can eat from the plants of the earth till death comes to him. Still, he faces no problem.”[99]

61. He, peace be on him, was asked: “The people of the garden will enter the garden through their deeds. Will Allah release (some people) from the Fire?”“Surely, Allah will release (some people) from the Fire,”he replied.[100]

62. He, peace be on him, said: “He who has no precautionary dissimulation has no good.”[101]

63. He, peace be on him, said: “If you want to know that you have good, consider carefully your heart. Does your heart love obedience to Allah? Does it detest the disobedience to Him? If it is so, you have good and Allah loves you. Does it detest the obedience to Allah? Does it love the disobedience to Him? If it is so, you have no good and Allah detests you. The person is with his lover.”[102]

64. He, peace be on him, said: “Among the steps of Satan are the oath for divorce, the vow for sins, and the swearing by other than Allah, the Exalted.”[103]

65. He, peace be on him, said: “When the abdomen is full, (the person) becomes tyrannical.”[104]

66. He, peace be on him, said: “Allah detests the full abdomen.”[105]

67. He, peace be on him, said: “Whoever seeks the world to be chaste with the people, to maintain his family, and to help his neighbor, will meet Allah, the Great and Almighty, and his face will be like the full moon.”[106]

68. He, peace be on him, said: “Our talk is difficult. It is difficult (for people) to understand it. No one bears it except a close angel or a prophet or a servant whose heart Allah has tested for faith.”[107]

69. He, peace be on him, said: “I hate the person whose words are more than his knowledge. I also hate the person whose knowledge is more than his reason.”[108]

With this we will end our talk about some of the Imam's wise words that represent genuine creative thinking.

Did al-Baqir write poetry?

The references did not mention that Imam Abu Ja‘far al-Baqir, peace be on him, wrote poetry. Rather they mentioned that he split open many doors to knowledge, that he founded most of its rules, and that he was given wisdom and sound judgments. However, Sayyid ‘Ali Sadr al-Madani ascribed the following lines of poetry to him.

I wonder at the one who admires his form

while he had been a sperm before.

Tomorrow, after his good form, he will be dirty carrion in the grave.

In spite of his admiration and haughtiness,

He carries stool between his two sides.[109]

It is no matter whether the Imam, peace be on him, wrote poetry or not. Surely, he was the foremost eloquent person of the period. The large group of his first-class eloquent wise words proves that.

Now I want to end the talk about the talents of Imam Abu Ja‘far, peace be on him. It is an act of truthfulness to say that I have mentioned few examples of his knowledge and sciences. I do not say that I have encompassed them. It is difficult for me to do that. Thus, I have left the door open for other researchers to discover the other bright dimensions of his life. For it was a personal extension to his outstanding grandfathers, who illumined the cultural life for people.