Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Tradition of Mufaddal [Pearls of Wisdom from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S)]

This text is the English translation of the Tradition of Mufaddal, as narrated by his companion Mufaddal ibn `Umar. Recorded by by 'Allamah Majlisi (d. 1110 AH) in Bihar al-'Anwar, volume 3, page 57, chapter (bab) 4, tradition (riwayah) no. 29. It describes the amazing ingenuity the Almighty manifested in the universe, human beings, the animal kingdom, nature and natural disasters.

Author(s): N/A

Publisher(s):    Bashir Alidina

Table of Contents

Preface 4

Background. 5

First Session: The Human Being. 7

Creation of Man. 8

Teeth and Beard. 9

Absurdity of Atheism. 10

Tears 11

Saliva 11

Sexual Organs 11

General Organs 12

Nutrition. 13

General Development of the Human Body  13

Excellence of Man over Animals 13

The Five Senses 14

Systems in Pairs and Single Units 15

Voice 16

Tongue and Lips 16

Protective System. 16

Hairs and Nails 19

Saliva 20

Covering of the Stomach. 20

Urges 21

Physical Faculties 21

Psychological Faculties 22

Speech and Writing. 23

Restriction of Knowledge 24

Dreams 26

Catering for Human Needs 26

Distinctive Features 27

Limited Growth. 28

Fatigue and Pain. 28

Second Session - The Animal Kingdom   29

The Animal World. 29

The Elephant 32

The Giraffe 33

The Monkey. 33

The Animal Skin. 34

Burying The Dead. 34

Animal Instinct 35

The Python and the Cloud. 35

The Ant 35

The Spider 36

The Bird. 36

The Hen. 37

The Birds Crop. 37

The Birds Feather 38

The Long Legged Birds 38

The Provision of Food. 38

The Night Birds 39

The Bee 40

The Locusts 40

The Fish. 40

Third Session - The Environment 42

The Sky. 42

Sunrise and Sunset 42

The Four Seasons 43

The Sun. 43

The Moon. 44

The Stars 44

The Universe 46

The Days and Nights 47

Heat and Cold. 47

The Earth. 48

Air 49

Fire 50

Water 50

Rain. 51

Mountains 52

Vegetation. 53

Grains 54

Propagation Of Plants 54

Leaves 55

Seeds 55

The Pomegranate 56

Creeper Plants 56

The Date Palm. 57

Wood. 57

Herbs 57

Worthless Things 58

Fourth Session - The Natural Disasters 59

The Natural Disasters 59

Trouble Free Life 60

Death. 62

Injustice 63

Existence of God. 65

Glory Be To The Almighty Allah. 66

Preface

In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful.

All Praise is due to He Who Created, without Himself having been created.

I consider myself very fortunate at having been presented with the opportunity of typesetting and the re-organisation of this book which was first published by the P.E.T. publications of Pakistan.

The reason why this has been carried out is because the original publication which was translated by Muhammad Ibrahim or Narowal in 1966, was found to contain too many errors, so as to call for republication.

I have tried to use the original translation as far as possible, and avoid the translator's explanation as much as possible in order to present the translated version of the tradition, as I believe it should have been.

I have been informed that P.E.T. has consented to have this book republished, and I am very much thankful to them for that. May Allah (swt) increase their heavenly rewards.

I would like to assure all parties that there is no financial motivation behind this publication, and that it has been done solely for seeking the pleasure of the Almighty.

I would also like to thank brother Amirali Lakha and brother Ibrahim Rashid who allocated to me this task, for publication.

Servant of God

Bashir Alidina

Background

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent The Merciful

Muhammad Ibn Sanan relates that Mufaddhal Ibn Umar narrated to him thus:

"One day after the Asr prayers, I sat between the pulpit and the sepulchre of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), contemplating on the exalted excellences with which Allah (swt) had endowed our Lord Sayyed Muhammad Mustafa (saw) of which the generality of the Ummah had no apperception, nor that of his supreme eminence, perfect merit, and his outstanding grandeur.

While I was absorbed in such thoughts, there arrived Ibn Abi Al Auja, an atheistic pagan and took his seat within my hearing distance. A comrade of his followed him and sat attentive to him.

Ibn Ali Auja started the conversation with the remark, "The occupant of this sepulchre has attained unique eminence to the entirety of elevated honour in all his accomplishments." His comrade, adding an affirmation said: "He was a philosopher and made a mighty claim supported by miracles that confounded common sense. The wiseacres dived deep in mind's depths to penetrate the mysteries thereof, but all in vain. When his mission got accepted by the cultured, the erudite and the learned, the people in general entered the fold of his faith host upon host.

The places of worship and the mosques of all the places wherever the call to his prophethood reached, began to ring loud and clear with his name side by side with that of the Almighty Allah, without any distinction of sea and land, mountain or plain, not once but five times a day during the Adhan and Iqamah. He got his name attached to that of Allah (swt) with the express object of perpetuating his memory and to keep his mission dynamic."

Ibn Ali Auja remarked, "Leave aside the mention of Muhammad (saw) about whom my reason is astounded and my thoughts are bewildered. Let us talk about the reality at the basis of the people's acceptance of the faith of Muhammad (saw) - the Sustainer of the universe. Is there such a Being or not?"

Then he referred to the genesis and creation of the vast assortment of the universe. He made the preposterous claim that no one had created them and there exists no Creator, nor Designer, nor Renovator. The universe had been by itself in existence and will continue to exist as such ad infinitum.

I was outraged to hear this and said to him, "O disbeliever! Do you disbelieve in the faith of Allah (swt) by totally denying the existence of Him, who created you in such comeliness, transforming you from one state to another, till you arrived at your present form? Had you just considered about your own self and had your fine percipience helped you truthfully, you would have recognised in your own soul such obvious proofs of the existence of the Almighty Allah, the signs of His All comprehending sustenance and the evidence of His boundless workmanship."

He said: "We would discuss this issue if you can marshal well founded cogent arguments, which we will admit, otherwise you have no right to interpolate without a ken for polemics. If you are of the company of Ja'far Ibn Muhammad (A.S.), it does not behove you to talk in the strain that you do, for his is not this mode of address, nor does he argue with us in such

impropriety. He has heard more of our words than you have done, but he has never used any impropriety, nor has he ever retorted aggressively.

He is very forbearing, dignified, reasonable and of mature intellect. He is never harsh nor touchy. He listens to our talk very attentively. He invites our arguments, so much so that when we have exhausted our armoury and we think to have silenced him, he, with a brief resume, stultifies all our reasoning and dumfounds us, so that we are left without a plank to answer the arguments of the revered personage. If you are of his company, then talk to us in the same strain."

At this, I came out dejected and thoughtful because of their disbelief in Allah (swt) and the consequent tribulation of Islam and its votaries, because of their disbelief and a presumption of the meaninglesness of this universe.

I betook myself to my master, Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq (A.S.). On seeing me dejected, he asked me the reason thereof. I related to him the conversation of those atheists and the way I had tried to rebut their arguments.

He told me to come the next day when he would disclose to me the immense ingenuity of the Almighty Artificer manifested in this entire universe comprising the animals, the birds, the insects, all living beings whether of the animal or the vegetable kingdom, trees bearing fruits or trite and fruitless ones, the edible and non-edible vegetables - such description of ingenuity as would be an eye-opener for those who would welcome instruction, a solace for the believers and confounding for the heretics.