Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

HIS CHOSEN WORDS

Indeed, no one is able to encompass the words of Abfl Abd Allah, and the pages are not able to contain them. How many their origins are! How abundant their branches are! Anyhow, here, we want to mention only four chapters. They are: the orations, the sermons, the commandments, and the wise sayings. Surely, in them are the hopes of the pioneer, the quenching of the thirsty, and the life of the soul. I did my best to collect and choose them from the best books and chosen volumes.

1-HIS ORATIONS

No one has reported that AbU Abd Allah went up on the pulpits for guidance. In the meantime his conditions did not suite him to address the masses. Still, to the best of my ability in researching, I have found two orations- one is long; the other is short.

The first oration is of two parts: (the first part) is about the outstanding merits of the Prophet. This part is his following words’[1] : So, their great sins and their ugly acts did not prevent our Lord (for His clemency, His tolerance, and His mercy) from choosing for them the most lovable one of His prophets and the most honorable one of them, Mohammed bin Abd Allah, may Allah bless him and his family. In the most exalted place of glory was his birth. In the tree of nobility was his origin. Not mingled was his ancestry. Not mixed was his lineage. Not unknown with the people of knowledge was his quality. The prophets brought glad tidings (to people) about him in their deacription. The wise men considered him carefully with their qualification. He was unapproachable educated one ‘peerless Hashimy, and matchless Abtahy. His trait was modesty and his nature was liberality. He was naturally disposed for the burdens of the Prophethood and its good manners’, having the inborn characteristics of the mission and its dreams till the causes of the powers of Allah led him to their times and the destiny put into effect with the permission of Allah to their ends through him, the inevitable destiny of Allah led to their purposes. Every nation brought good news about him to (the nation) after it. And every father pushed him to father from one BACK to BACK. And marriage did not impure him at his birth. From Adam to his father Abd Allah, he was in the best group, the noblest tribe, strongest family, the safest pregnancy gentlest lap. Allah chose him, was pleased with him, and selected him. He gave him keys of knowledge, wisdom their fountains. He sent him as mercy for people and as spring for the country. Allah sent down the Book to him. In it (the book) there are eloquence and explanation. (It is) Arabic Koran without crookedness that they may guard (against evil). He (Allah) already explained it to men, detailed its method with knowledge, explained the religion, ordained (religious) duties, limited and explained punishments for people, disclosed and declared matters for his creation In them (the matters), there is a direction to salvation and marks Summon (men) to guidance. So, Allah’s Apostle propagated what he was sent to do, declared what he was ordered to, and fulfilled the burdens of prophethood. He was patient for his Lord, waged holy war in His way, loyal to his nation, summoned them to Salvation, urged them (to read)the Koran, showed them the way of guidance with methods and reasons, (which) he founded their foundation for people, and ways which he proved for them that they will not go astray after him, and he was compassionate and merciful to them.’[2]

(the second part): It is about the qualities of the Imams, peace be on them. Al- Kulayni, may his grave be fragrant, has mentioned this part in his book al- Kâfi, Chapter: the Imam and His Qualities. Also al- Mas’fldi, ‘Ali b. al- Husayn,[3] has mentioned it in his book al- Wasiya, p.139, who said:” When tile Order of Allah, the Great and Almighty, come to him (i.e. alSadiq, peace be on him.), he gathered the ShY’a and addressed them. So, he praised Allah and lauded Him. Then he (al- Mas’üdi) has mentioned the part which we will mention. There is a small difference between the report of al- Kulayni and that of al- Mas’udi. We will mention the part according to the report of al- Kulayni because it has additions.

He (al- Sâdiq), peace be on him, said:” Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, unveiled His religion through the Imams of guidance of the family of our Prophet, has made clear through them the direction of His path. He has opened. the intermost part of the springs of His knowledge through them. So, whoever among the community of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, knows the obligatory rights of his Imam finds the taste of the sweetness of his belief aiid knows the virtue of acceptance of his Islam, for Allah, the Exalted, has appointed the Imam as a sign for His creation and has made him as evidence for the people of his time and his world.

Allah, the Exalted, crowned him with solemnity, covered him with the Light of His might. He made a rope to stretch up to heaven, whose provisions are not cut off from him. Nothing can be obtained from what is with Allah but through him, not does Allah accept the acts of men unless they know him[4] , for he (the Imam) knows what reaches him of the ambiguities of darkness, the obscurities of the paths and the complications of disturbances. Allah the Exalted, went on choosing them for His creation from the sons of al- Husayn, peace be on him, an Irnam from the progeny of the Imam. He chose and selected them for that. He approved them for His creation and is pleased with them. Whenever an Imam of them passed away, He appointed an Imam from his progeny for His creation. (The Imam) is a clear sign, brilliant guide, custodian leader and knowledgeable proof.

They were Imams from Allah, who guide to the truth and by it (the truth) Allah acts with justice. (They were) the Proofs of Allah, His propagandists, and His guardians over His creation. People foHow their guidance. The, country is lit up by their light. The unripe product grows by their blessing. Allah has made them life for men, lamps for darkness, keys for speech, and supporters for Islam. The unshakable decrees of Allah put into effect for them. So, the Imam was chosen and approved. He was an elected guide,1 and promising responsible. There by, Allah chosen him. He created him under His Protection. He was in the world of scattering when he scattered him.

He was in the creation when he created him. Before the creating of creatures, he was a soul on the right side of His Throne. He was gifted wita wisdom in the world of the unseen with him. Allah chose him with His knowledge, selected him for his purity. He (the Imarn) was the rest of Adam, peace be on him, the choice of the progeny of Noah, the chosen (one) of the family of Abraham, the best (one) of the family of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family. He (the Imam) was still under the protection of Allah. He (Allah) protected him and guarded him. The snares of the Satan and his soldiers were driven away from him. The coming of the evil of the utterly dark night, and the magic of the evil- doer were pushed BACK from him. The committing of the evil was averted from him. He (the Imam) was free from defects, preserved from indecencies, known for clemency and piety during his youth, attributed to chastity and knowledge and favor during his end. The authority (the Imamate) of his father was entrusted to him. He (the Imam) kept silent during the lifetime of his father, then when the extent of his father’s life came to an end, the decree of Allah concerning him (his father) was fulfilled by His Will; the Will of Allah came to him by His Love, and the extent of his father’s life reached its end, then he passed away, and the Command of Allah reached him after him (his father), and He (Allah) entrusted His religion to him, and appointed him the Proof over His creatures and His custodian over His inhabited lands and confirmed him with His Sprit and gave him His knoWledge, and made him to know His decisive speech, and committed His Secret to him, and appointed him to His great affairs, and made him know the excellence of the expression of His knowledge, and established him as a sign for His creatures, and appointed him as the Proof over the people of his time, the Light for the people of His religion, and the custodian over His creatures. Allah approved him as an Imam for them, committed His secrets to him, made him the safeguard for His knowledge, confined His Wisdom to him, made him a guardian for His religion, appointed him to His great affairs, and brought to life through him the tracks of His way, His ordinances, and His restrictions. When the ignorant and the disputers (in matters of religion), he set up injustice the brilliant light and the beneficial healing through the clear truth and a lucid explanation of everything which required it by the trodden path along with his truthful grandfathers, peace be on him, passed. So, there is no one ignores the right of this knowledgeable (man) except an evildoer, no one denies him but astray (ones), and no one turns away from him except the insolent (ones) towards Allah, the Exalted.

I (the author) say: You may regard these qualities as great practically for man. Where is he who has these traits? However, when you know that the Imamate means the caliphate after the Prophet, and his caliph should carry out his duties to guide his nation and reform people in general, you will know that these qualities are necessary for him, and that it is necessary for the nation to have such a person who has these qualities[5] .

The second Oration:

In his book al- Manâqib (1/183-184), bin Shahrâshflb said:” When Hishâm b. al- WalTd entered Medina, banü (the sons) of al- Abbâs came to him and lodged a complaint against al- Sädiq, peace be on him. (They claimed) that he had taken the estates of Mâhir al- Khishy and given them nothing. So, Abü Abd Allah (al- Sâdiq), peace be on him, made a speech. Some of what he said is as follows:

“When Allah appointed His Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, our grandfather Abfl Tâlib supported him and was ready to sacrifice himself for him, (while) your grandfather al- Abbäs and Abfi Lahab aCcused him (the Prophet) of lying and incited the Satans (followers) of Unbelief. Your grandfather exposed him to calamities and led the tribes against him at (the Battle of) Badr. He (AbU Lahab) was in the vanguard (of the battle), the owner of its horses and its men. He was the feeder (of the tribes) then. And he declared war on him.” Then he (al- Sadiq) said:

Your grandfather was our freed captive. He became Muslim reluctantly with our swords. He never migrated for Allah and His Apostle. So, Allah broke off his’guardianship with us through His Words:’ And (as for) those who believed and did not migrate, not yours is their guardianship.””[6] He was our patron. (However), he passed away. His heritage is our glory, for he was our patron, and for we are the grandsons of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, and our grandmother Fatima obtained his heritage.

I (the author) say: Indeed, al- Sâdiq was above the claims of banü (the sons) of al- ‘Abbâs concerning the estates. However, I think that he wanted to tell people about the unknown condition of al- ‘Abbâs, for his grandsons would be their rules.

Historians may derive many advantages from these words though they are short. I do not think that historians have mentioned those attitudes of al‘Abbãs.

I have said before: I spared no effort to find the orations of al- Sâdiq, but I have found only these two ones. Besides, his orations maybe regard as three when we add to them his attitude against Shayba b. ‘Affal, the governor, of Medina during the ruling of aI- Mansür. We have mentioned it (the oration) in: His Attitudes against al- Mansflr and His Governors.