Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Anecdotes of Reflection Part 4

Author(s): Sayyid Ali Akbar Sadaaqat

Publisher(s): The Islamic Education Board of the World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Introduction 7

Notes 9

61. Knowledge 10

Short Explanation 10

1) Al-Hajj Sheikh Abbas Qummi 10

2) The Tutor of Jibraeel 10

3) The Practicing A’alim 11

4) The Dangers of Possessing Knowledge without Prior Purification (of the Soul) 11

5) Asma’i and the Officious Grocer 12

Notes 13

62. Deeds 14

Short Explanation 14

1) The Lawful Work 14

2) The Practicing Ones and Paradise 15

3) The Working Youth 15

4) (Good) Deeds Cause a Jew to Become a Muslim 15

5) The Conduct of Mua’wiyah and Abu al-Aswad Du’ali 16

Notes 17

63. Food 18

Short Explanation 18

1) The Excessive Eater and the Moderate Eater 18

2) Food with Friendship 18

3) One Morsel and Selling One’s Faith 19

4) The Blessing is in the Bread 19

5) The Food of Death 20

Notes 20

64. Pride 22

Short Explanation 22

1) The Inner Pride 22

2) Pride with Respect to one’s Wealth and Children 23

3) The Proud Champion 23

4) The Scholar of Arabic Grammar 24

5) The Arrogance of Abu Jahl 24

Notes 24

65. Anger 26

Short Explanation 26

1) Dhul Kifl 26

2) Who is the Strong One? 27

3) One Advice 27

4) The Imam (peace be upon him) and the Slave 28

5) Bad Disposition and the Servants 28

Notes 28

66. Backbiting 30

Short Explanation 30

1) They Stopped the Backbiters 30

2) The Punishment for Backbiting, on the Day of Judgment 31

3) Impediment for the Rains 32

4) A Thousand Lashings 32

5) The Telltale Slave 33

Notes 33

67. Obscene Language 35

Short Explanation 35

1) The Imam’s Reaction 35

2) Usaamah’s Reply 36

3) Satan in the Company of Those Using Foul Language 36

4) Conduct 36

5) Ibn Muqaffa’ 37

Notes 38

68. Poverty 39

Short Explanation 39

1) The Poor Pious Person 39

2) The Destitute and Retirement 39

3) The Benefits of Assisting a Poor 40

4) The Neighbour of Sayyid Jawaad 40

5) Abandoning Poverty is also Difficult! 41

Notes 42

69. Adjudication 43

Short Explanation 43

1) The Imam (peace be upon him) and the Jinn Judge 43

2) The Inclination of the Judge and his Punishment 44

3) The ‘Hereafterly’ Judgment 44

4) The Jew and the Imam in the Presence of the Judge 45

5) The Eyes Turned Blind 46

Notes 46

70. Loans 47

Short Explanation 47

1) Abu Dahdaah 47

2) He Repaid the Loan of the One in Debt 48

3) The Fruits of Granting Respite to the Debtor 48

4) The Ignorant Debtor 48

5) The Debtor and the Prayer for the Deceased 48

Notes 49

71. Quran 50

Short Explanation 50

1) Attention towards the Creation or the Creator? 50

2) The Holy Prophet and the Quran 51

3) Ahmad Ibn Tuloon 51

4) Five Hundred Copies of the Quran atop the Spears 52

5) Napoleon 52

Notes 53

72. Destiny and Decree 54

Short Explanation 54

1) Fetters upon the Feet 54

2) Fish from the Sky 54

3) I’zraaeel, the Companion of Prophet Sulaiman 55

4) The Hoopoe 55

5) Faghfoor, the Chinese Emperor 56

Notes 57

73) Contentment 58

Short Explanation 58

1) The Conduct of Imam Sadiq 58

2) Salman 58

3) By Means of Contentment the Soul Becomes Submissive 59

4) Your Food or Your Ruler 59

5) The Conduct of the Contented Ones 60

Notes 60

74. The Day of Judgment 61

Short Explanation 61

1) The Plaintiff of the Day of Judgment 61

2) The Most Wicked of the People on the Day of Judgment 61

3) Fear of the Day of Judgment 62

4) Imam al-Mujtaba 63

5) Taubah Ibn Summah 63

Notes 64

75. Working 65

Short Explanation 65

1) The Endowment Letter 65

2) U'mar Ibn Muslim 66

3) To Work is Better than Consuming Charity 66

4) Putting the Soul to Labour 67

5) Ya’qub Ibn Laith Saffaar 67

Notes 68

76. Begging 69

Short Explanation 69

1) Imam Sadiq and the Beggar 69

2) Abbas Dous 70

3) The Limits of the Impoverished Ones 70

4) The Respectable Destitute 71

5 ) The Young Beggar 71

Notes 72

77. Helping Others 73

Short Explanation 73

1) Nine Thousand Years 73

2) Breaking the Circumambulation 74

3) Concern towards the Needy 74

4) Extinguishing the Lamp 75

Of course O’ Ali: I said 75

5) Lettuce 75

Notes 76

78. Malice 77

Short Explanation 77

1) Maliciousness of Waleed 77

2) Ibn Sallaar 77

3) Rancour Transforms into Friendship 78

4) The Vindictive Hypocrite 79

5) The Liver Eating Hind 79

Notes 80

79. Weeping 81

Short Explanation 81

1) Prophet Nuh 81

2) Prophet Yahya 81

3) The Intense Weeping of Hadhrat Zahra 82

4) Thirty Five Years of Weeping! 83

5) The Weeping of Mercy 83

Notes 83

80. Sins 85

Short Explanation 85

1) The Banishment of the Sinners 85

2) Prophet Isa and Praying for the Rains 86

3) The Reason for this Sin 86

4) The Expiation of Sins 86

5) Hameed Ibn Qahtabah Taai 87

Notes 88

Foreword

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) has said,

بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَكَارِمَ الأَخْلاَقِ

“I have been sent to perfect the good morals.”

The Islamic Education department of The World Federation has a proud tradition of producing literature in the field of Islamic Ethics, in its long history of service to the community. In continuation of this service, we are pleased to present part four of the Farsi work ‘Yaksad Mawzu, wa Pansad Dastan’ by Sayyid Ali Akbar Sadaqat. The translation from Farsi to English was carried out by Shaykh Shahnawaz Mahdavi.

I would like to personally thank both Sayyid Ali Akbar Sadaqat and Shaykh Shahnawaz Mahdavi for their efforts in bringing this collection of very practical, inspirational and motivational stories into the hands of lay-people. The ‘Anecdotes for Reflection’ series has proven to be very popular amongst all sectors of the community.

Indeed some of my own Zakir colleagues make use of them for lectures, as do Madrasah teachers for their lessons to the younger generation. The far-reaching effects of what Shaykh Sadaqat and Shaykh Mahdavi have produced will inshallahbe appreciated for years and generations to come, ameen.

I pray to Allah (SWT) to reward them amply and to grant them increased success in their lives in this world and the hereafter.

Shaykh Abbas M H Ismail

Islamic Education

The World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities

Dhul Qa'dah 1433 / October 2012

Introduction

There are numerous ways for man to achieve guidance and emerge from darkness and move towards light. Allah, for the prosperity of man and perfection of his morals, has created proofs, evidences and vestiges1 so great in number that they are beyond reckoning and computation. For the guidance of mankind, He sent the Prophets with Clear Proofs2 , books, miracles and signs so that perhaps, the people might perceive the right path and attain prosperity and success.

During the entire period of his prophethood, the Noble Prophet (s.a.w), with regards to refinement of souls and perfection of morals, was an exemplar in speech and did, and had (even) said, “I have been sent (as a Prophet) for (the purpose of) perfecting the morals”3 .

Man's problem lies in his disregard for virtues, acquisition of vices,inclination towards lust and obedience to the Shaytan. Some men stoop so low that they even lead their lives akin to animals. For the purpose of refinement and treatment of human morals, abatement of rebelliousness and controlling the natural disposition, the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) spared no effort and mentioned all that was necessary in this regard.

Attainment of prosperity in this world and the hereafter is only accomplished under the auspices of a teacher and at the same time, not every person can completely identify the two extremes of moral behaviour in order to demonstrate the moderate and balanced path. Allah,Who is the Absolute Wise, introduced all the Prophets, especially the Noble Prophet (s.a.w), as the 'teacher and trainer' of morals so that the people, by following in his footsteps, distance themselves from vices and acquire the honour of the two worlds.

In the Qur`an, there exists a chapter by the name ofاَلقَصَص (The Narratives), which itself is proof that man is in nid of stories and narratives.

In many places in the Qur`an, stories of Prophets, kings and nations have been mentioned. In addition, Allah has presented issues pertaining to wars, peace, family, religion, society and other similar topics, in the form of stories and narratives. By reading these accounts, the people can comprehend and distinguish the paths of progress and regress, and ascent and descent in every field, especially morals.

The entire chapter Yusuf has been devoted to the story of Yusuf, Yaqub, Zulaikha and the brothers. In the beginning of the Chapter, Allah says:

“We narrate to you (O' Prophet) the most excellent of the narratives by (means of) whatWe have revealed to you this Qur`an.”4

While, in the concluding verse of this very chapter, He says:

“ Indeed (there) in the history of theirs, is a lesson for men of understanding.”5

Indeed, one of the distinguished feats of the Qur`an is this very story of Yusuf (a.s .), which it refers to as the 'best of the narratives' and at the end of which, it says:

“In these stories there is a lesson for those, who desire to take a moral and adopt the path of the Perfect Men.”

In this regard, Amirul Mo`minin (a.s), in Nahjul Balagha, says to his son Imam Hasan (a.s.)

“Even though I have not reached the age, which those before me have, yet I have looked into their behaviour and reflected over the events of their lives. I walked amongst their ruins till I was as one of them. In fact, by virtue of those of their affairs that have become known to me, it is as though I have lived with them from the first to the last. I have therefore been able to discern the impure from the clean and the benefit from the harm. I have selected for you the choicest of those matters and collected for you their good points while keeping away from you the useless ones.”

Years ago, I had written a book on ethics (for the treatment of vices), by the name of Ihya al-Qulub.Ever since, I had been reflecting over the idea of compiling a book on moral stories. It so happened that divinely, an opportunity came up before me and with it the motivation for undertaking this assignment. In spite of the lack of necessary books, I contented myself with those that were available and commenced the compilation of this book, recording four to five stories for every topic.

I have certainly not come across any book which has been compiled in this fashion. Books like Namunah-e-Maarif-e-Islam and Pand-e-Tarikh have been present for around 30 years and I have made use of them too (in the course of this collection) but in those books, Qur`anic verses, traditions, poems and analogies have all been accumulated together; whereas, I have sought to satisfy myself by mentioning only the stories, while abstaining from presenting considerations relating to Qur`anic verses, traditions, poems and analogies, which would not only have increased the size of the book but would also have made it difficult to understand for many of the readers.

This collection caters for the general public, young and old alike, who are acquainted with basic reading and writing. As far as possible, I have endeavoured to omit scientific issues and those aspects, pertaining to traditions, whose comprehension would be demanding and exacting for the general masses.

Although some of the stories may not possibly possess any aspect of reality and actuality, what I have focused on is the admonition and 'taking-a-lesson' aspect contained in them, which hopefully, the honourable readers would perceive and comprehend.

As far as the issue of associating a story to a particular topic is concerned, I do not claim that the stories allude to just one topic or that particular one which has been specified here; rather there are stories which can be associated with several other topics too, in addition to the topic under which it has been mentioned here.

When narrating a text or presenting a translation, I have not restricted myself to the literal meaning but, for a better comprehension, have resorted to paraphrasing, allusion and conceptual explanation too.

To avoid interference of topics with one another and prolongation of discussion, I have refrained from bringing forth topics which are related to those already presented. For example, Ithar (altruism) has been presented as one of the topics but Infaq (spending in the path of Allah) has been excluded.

To prevent the reader from experiencing exhaustion and boredom, and for the sake of variety, I have desisted from presenting stories of a monotonous kind, like those of philosophers and poets, but have strived to make the collection varied. In this way, the readers will hopefully, derive a greater pleasure from the narratives.

In view of the fact that trustworthiness ought to be adhered to, I have referred every narrative presented here, to the book from which it has been extracted, also mentioning the volume and page. It is only with the objective of achieving a greater fluency of work that I have endeavoured to correct, polish or alter some of the words or sentences of the original text.

It is hoped that the readers, after going through the stories and narratives, reflect upon and take lessons from them so that they are able to create within themselves, a new impetus towards perfection of morals; and Allah Willing, those who are endowed with laudable morals, should relate them to others, for rectification and remedy of the weaker souls.

Sayyid ‘Ali Akbar Sadaaqat

And our final prayer (is):

All Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Mordad, 1378 [July 1999]

Notes

1. Surat Ibrahim (14), Verse 5:

وَ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسى‏ بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلـى النُّورِ

2. Suratul Hadid (57), Verse 25:

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَ أَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَ الْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ

3. Safinatul Bihar, vol. 1, pg. 411:

بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَكَارِمَ الأَخْلاَقِ

4. Surat Yusuf (12), Verse 3:

نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هذَا الْقُرْآنَ‏

5.Ibid., Verse 111:

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِأُولِي الأََلْبَابِ‏

61. Knowledge

Allah, the Wise, has said:

وَ عَلَّمَكَ ما لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ‏

“And He has taught you what you did not know”1

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said:

لاَ يُحِبُّ الْعِلْمَ اِلاَّ السَّعِيْدُ

“None loves knowledge except the one, who is fortunate (and prosperous)”2

Short Explanation

The way to attain cognisance of God and the Sharia’h is by means of knowledge. Knowledge is an embellishment for man in this world, and causes its owner to become one of those with whom God is pleased.

One who possesses knowledge, ought to realize that the acquisition of an hour of knowledge demands a life-time of practice (in accordance with the knowledge). Thus, when one seeks to acquire knowledge he should bear in mind that he has to practice what he acquires. This is because God, regarding a scholar that does not act in accordance with the knowledge that he possesses, has said: “From seventy of my punishments (that I would subject him to), the least that I would do to him is to remove the sweetness ofMy remembrance from his heart.”3

Knowledge does not mean mere memorization of terminologies, or information that is not beneficial, or information that is accompanied by evil intentions such as exhibiting one’s scholarly calibre before other scholars - in which case it would only serve to be an encumbrance and burden - rather, it means the comprehension of piety, (divine) cognisance and certainty.

1) Al-Hajj Sheikh Abbas Qummi

The late Sheikh Abbas Qummi, the author of Mafatih al-Jinan narrates:

“When I had compiled and published the book Manazil al-Akhirah, it reached the hands of Sheikh Abd al-Razzaq who used to explain religious rulings daily before dhuhr time in the holy courtyard of Hadhrat Ma’sumah (peace be upon her).

My father, Kerbalai Muhammad Ridha, was greatly fond of Sheikh Abd al-Razzaq and would attend his sessions every day. The Sheikh had procured the book Manazil al-Akhirah and used to read from it for his audience.

One day my father returned home and said to me: O Sheikh Abbas! I wish you would be like that person, who explains religious rulings, and climb onto the pulpit and recite from the book in the manner he recited for us today.

Several times I felt the urge to tell him that the book was authored by me, but I restrained myself and just said to him: “Pray to God that He may grant (me) grace and success (for such a venture).”4

2) The Tutor of Jibraeel

Once, Jibraeel was engaged in a conversation with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) when Imam Ali (peace be upon him) entered. As soon as Jibraeel’s eyes fell upon him he stood up and displayed great respect towards him (peace be upon him).

Witnessing this, the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) asked: O Jibraeel! For what reason did you display such respect for this young man? Jibraeel replied: How could I not exhibit deference towards him when I am under his obligation by virtue of the fact that he has taught me!

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) inquired: What teaching? Jibraeel replied: After God created me, He questioned me: “Who are you and who am I?” I did not know what to answer and so remained silent for some time whereupon this youth appeared before me in a state of light and taught me that I should say: “You are the Glorious and Beautiful Lord while I am Jibraeel, a lowly servant.” And it is for this reason that when I saw him now, I paid my respects to him.

How old are you, Jibraeel? Asked the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny). He replied: O Prophet of God! In the heavens there is a star, which rises once every thirty thousand years, and I have witnessed it thirty thousand times!5

3) The Practicing A’alim

Sheikh Ahmad Ardabili, popularly known as Muqaddas Ardabili (d. 993 AH) was an abstentious and practicing scholar, and lived contemporaneous to scholars such as Sheikh Bahaai, Mulla Sadra and Mir Damaad. His grave lies within the holy shrine of Imam Ali (a.s .) in the city of Najaf. It has been reported that once a person had come to Najaf for pilgrimage and not recognising him, had requested him to wash his clothes.

Muqaddas agreed and after washing it, brought it to the pilgrim. It was at this point that the pilgrim happened to become aware of his identity and felt greatly embarrassed at his own behaviour, and the people too rebuked him for his conduct. Muqaddas, however, said:

Why do you censure him? Nothing (significant) has happened. The rights of brethren-in-faith are far more than what I have done for him.6

4) The Dangers of Possessing Knowledge without Prior Purification (of the Soul)

Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Mawardi, an inhabitant of Basra, was a judge, a teacher of the Shafi’i jurisprudence and a contemporary of Sheikh Tusi. He narrates:

I had expended great effort in writing a book on the religious rulings relating to transaction and business, and had memorized all the details in connection with the topic such that when the book reached completion, it crossed my mind that I was the most learned of all in this topic; I was overcome with pride, conceit and vanity.

One day, two Arab bedouins came to my assembly and sought to know from me the ruling in connection with a transaction that had transpired in their village. The issue also had four other offshoots to it; however I was unable to provide answers to any one of them.

For a while I was lost in thought, I then said to myself: You claim to be the most learned of all your contemporaries in this chapter of jurisprudence; how is it that you are unable to answer the questions of the inhabitants of the village?

Turning to them, I confessed: I do not know the answers. Astonished, they said: You ought to study more in order that you are able to answer the questions.

They left me and proceeded to refer their queries to a person, who in terms of knowledge, was inferior to even some of my students, but when they presented their questions to him, he was able to provide them with the answers. The Bedouins were delighted to hear the answers and praising him, left for their village.

Al-Mawardi says: This incident caused me to come to my senses and extricate my soul from conceit and vanity of knowledge so that I may not incline towards self-praise in the future.7

5) Asma’i and the Officious Grocer

Asma’i8 narrates:

The initial period of my education was endured in poverty and indigence. Every morning when I would leave my house for acquiring knowledge I would have to pass by an officious grocer who would question me: Where are you going? I would reply: I am going to gain knowledge. On my way back home, he would repeat the same question.

At times, he would say: ‘Don’t waste your life. Why don’t you learn some work so that you can become wealthy and affluent? Give me these books and papers of yours; I shall put them in the wine-jar and you will see nothing shall remain of them.’

He would constantly reproach me as a result of which I would become disturbed, mentally.

Days passed by with such great financial hardships that I would be unable to buy even a garment for myself.

Years passed till one day a messenger of the ruler of Basra approached me and asked me to present myself before the ruler. I said to him: “How can I present myself before him in this torn garment?“ The messenger departed, only to arrive again with some clothes and money. I wore the clothes and arrived before the ruler. He said: I have selected you to educate the Caliph’s son and so you must proceed to Baghdad.

I set off for Baghdad and approached the Abbasid caliph, Harun al-Rashid, who ordered me to educate his son Muhammad Amin. With this, my financial state gradually became extremely good.

Years passed and when Muhammad Amin had achieved a high level of knowledge, Harun desired to test him asked him to deliver a sermon. One Friday, Muhammad delivered an extremely eloquent sermon, which greatly pleased Harun and so, turning to me, said: What do you aspire for? I replied: I wish to return to my birth-place, Basra. He accepted my request and arranged for me to return to Basra with great honour and esteem.

The people of Basra came to meet me and amongst them was the officious grocer. As soon as my eyes fell upon him, I said: Do you observe the fruits which that knowledge and those papers have yielded?

Apologetic and rueful, he said: I uttered those words out of ignorance. Even though the returns may be delayed, but knowledge does yield returns that possess worldly and religious benefits.

Notes

1. Qur’an, 4:113.

2. Jami’ al-Sa’adat, v. 1, p. 104.

3. Tadhkirah al-Haqaiq, p. 58.

4. Seema-e-Farzanagan, p. 153; Mard-e-Taqwawa Fadhilat, p. 48.

5. Tuhfah al-Majalis, p. 80.

6. Muntakhab al-Tawarikh, p. 181.

7. Safinah al-Bihar, v. 2, p. 162.

8. A'bd Al-Malik Ibn Qareeb Basri (d. 213 A.H.) had been of the great narrators of poems and Arab traditions, and has several books to his credit.

62. Deeds

Allah, the Wise, has said:

مَن عَمِلَ صاَلحِاً فَلِنَفسِهِ وَ مَن اَساَءَ فَعَلَيهاَ

وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ

“Whoever doesgood , it is for his own soul, and whoever does evil, it is against it; and your Lord is not in the least unjust to the servants.”1

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him):

کُونُوا دُعاَةَ النَّاسِ بِاَعماَلِکُم وَ لاَ تَکُونُوا دُعاَةً بِاَلسِنَتِکُم

Invite the people (towards guidance) by means of your deeds and not by means of your tongues2

Short Explanation

Since ancient times it has been said that the markets of deeds and actions are bearish; meaning that to a certain extent all the people possess awareness of the rulings of religion, however, when it comes to deeds and actions, they falter and usually fall short of what is expected of them.

All deeds of man are recorded in his Book of Deeds, and only his deeds shall accompany him after his death.

If a person’s deeds have been solely for the sake of God and without having trampled the rights of others or offended any person, God shall suffice for him with respect to all his affairs in this world and the hereafter, will regard him with love and affection, and will exhibit pride over him and his actions before the angels.

1) The Lawful Work

Hasan Ibn Husain Anbari narrates:

Over a period of fourteen years I kept writing letters to Imam Ridha (peace be upon him), seeking permission from him to allow me to work within the administrative setup of the ruler (of the city).

Since the Imam (peacebe upon him) never replied, I, in my final letter, wrote: I fear oppression and persecution. Those working with the Sultan say: “You are of the Shiites and this is why you do not co-operate with us and are evasive.”

In reply, the Imam (peacebe upon him) said: From your letter I sense that you fear for your life. You are aware that if you are placed in a (high and) responsible position, you can adhere to and act upon the teachings and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny); this would cause your subordinates to also follow the dictates of your faith.

If you happen to come across instances whereby you have to deal with poor and indigent Mu’minin, ensure that you exhibit consideration, toleration and forbearance towards them!

And since you would now be working with them, it would be deemed that you are one of them, (and thus) you would have to strive hard to perform God-pleasing deeds, since these deeds would then serve to compensate your co-operation with the illegal ruling apparatus.

However, if you are unable to act in this manner, then it is not permissible for you to take up this employment.3

2) The Practicing Ones and Paradise

Imam Baqir (peacebe upon him) once related:

Once, when my father was seated in the company of his companions, addressing them, he (peacebe upon him) said: Which of you is willing to hold flaming fire in his hand till the flames die out?

All those present, as if to express their inability, lowered their heads and remained silent!

I said: Dear father! Do you permit me to do it? He said: No, dear son! You are from me and I am from you. It is these people whom I was addressing.

After this he repeated his request three times but when no one spoke up, he (peace be upon him) said: How numerous are those who talk and how few are those who act. I only wanted to have you tested.

Imam Baqir (peacebe upon him) said: By God! At that moment I observed that they were overcome with such embarrassment that it appeared as if the earth was pulling them towards itself. Perspiration flowed from the foreheads of some, but they did not raise their lowered eyes.

When my father observed their embarrassment, he said to them: May God forgive you! I did not intend anything except goodness. Paradise has many ranks, one of which pertains to none but those who practice and act.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: After these words (from my father) when I looked at them, they seemed to have calmed down and appeared as if they have been relieved of a heavy and weighty burden.4

3) The Working Youth

Once, when the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) was seated with a group of his companions, he observed a strong and robust youth hard at work since the early morning. Those around him (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) remarked: Had this youth expended his strength and energy in the way of God, he would have been worthy of immense commendation and praise.

Hearing this, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: Do not utter such words, for there are several probabilities that exist; he could be working to earn his sustenance in order that he does not have to depend upon others, in which case he is striving in the way of God. He could be working to look after the needs of his feeble parents and weak children, so that they are not dependent upon other people, in which case he is again striving in the way of God.

However, if by means of this work he seeks to increase his wealth and manifest his superiority over those who are underprivileged, then he has travelled on the path of Satan and deviated from the right path.5

4) (Good) Deeds Cause a Jew to Become a Muslim

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) once owed a few dinars to a Jew. One day, the Jew sought his money from him (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny), whereupon he (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: Presently I do not have any money. The Jew said: I shall not leave you till you repay my money.

Hearing this, the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said: If that is the case then I too shall sit by you here. He (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) sat down beside the Jew and continued to do so for such a long period that he recited his Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and the morning prayers of the next day, right there.

Observing the state of affairs, the companions of the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) began to threaten the Jew, but he (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said to them: What is this that you are doing?

How can a Jew hold you a captive? They replied. Hearing this, the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) explained: God has not sent me as a Prophet in order that I permit those, who have established a religious covenant with me, to be oppressed.

Till sunrise of the next day he (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) continued to be seated there, whereupon the Jew, addressing the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), said: O Prophet of God! By God! It was not impertinence and audaciousness that prompted me to behave in the manner I did with you; rather, I desired to know whether the traits mentioned in the Torah about the Final Prophet, conformed with you or not?

This is because I have read in the Torah that Muhammad Ibn Abdullah would be born in Makkah, and subsequently emigrate to Medina; he would neither possess a bad temperament, nor would he be discourteous. He would not speak with a loud voice and would not be foul-mouthed and abusive.

I now bear witness to the Unity of God and to your Prophethood, and I place my entire wealth at your disposal for you to utilise in whatsoever manner God commands you to.6

5) The Conduct of Mua’wiyah and Abu al-Aswad Du’ali

Mua'wiyah, in order to attract people towards himself, would usually send them money, honey or other similar gifts. Impoverishedpeople who could not even afford curd to satiate their hunger, would suddenly receive leather sacs of honey from Mua’wiyah, which at times would even contain money which he would place in them. All this was done to ensure that they do not incline towards Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him). Those who would be willing to reject the money and also refuse to abandon Ali (peacebe upon him) were very miniscule in number.

One day Mua'wiyah sent some sacs of honey for Abu al-Aswad Du’ali,7 one of the companions of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), in order to attract him towards himself. Abu al-Aswad Du’ali was in the mosque when he was handed Mua'wiyah’s letter and told: Sacs of honey have been delivered to your house.

Just as he reached home, he observed that his five year old daughter was about to put a finger, coated with honey, into her mouth. Seeing this, he shouted: O My Daughter! Do not eat it for it is poison. The girl immediately wiped her finger in the mud, and (after he had explained the situation to her) recited a couplet: O Son of Hind! Do you wish to destroy our faith and religion by means of pure honey? Never shall our support cease for Ali (peace be upon him).

Abu al-Aswad, holding Mua'wiyah’s letter in one hand and his daughter’s hand in the other, approached the Imam (peace be upon him) and recited his daughter’s verses for him (peace be upon him). Hearing them, the Imam (peace be upon him) smiled and prayed for both of them.8

Notes

1. Qur’an, 41:46.

2. Safinah al-Bihar, v. 2, p. 278.

3. Baa Mardum In Guneh Barkhord Kuneem, p. 65.

4. Daastaan-ha Wa Pand-ha, v. 2, p. 140, Kashkool of Bahrani, v. 2, p. 93.

5. Dunyaa-e-Jawaanaan, p. 316; Mahajjah al-Baydha, v. 3, p. 140.

6. Daastaan-ha-e-Zindagi-e-Payaambar, p. 82; Bihar al-Anwar, v. 16, p. 16.

7. He died due to plague, in the city of Basrah, at the age of eighty five and had witnessed the lives of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), Amir al-Mu'minin, Imam Hassan, Imam Husayn and Imam Sajjad (peace be upon them) in the course of his lifetime. He is credited with writing, upon the instructions and assistance of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), a book on nahw (Arabic grammar) and placing dots on the Arabic letters that form the words of the Qur’an.

8. Khazinah al-Jawahir, p. 536.

63. Food

Allah, the Wise, has said:

وَ يُطعِمُونَ الطَّعاَمَ عَلیَ حُبِّهِ مِسکِيناً وَ يَتِيماً وَ اَسِيراً

“And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive”1

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) has said:

إنَّ الاِطعاَمَ مِن مُوجِباَتِ الجَنَّةِ وَ المَغفِرَة

“Surely, feeding (others) is one of the causes for forgiveness (of sins) and entering into Paradise”2

Short Explanation

Do know that eating less for the well-being of one’s interior and exterior self is always recommended. Consuming food is indispensable for the body and is necessary for procuring strength for performing acts of worship and other needful tasks. However, eating excessively causes the heart to become hard and cruel, passions to be aroused and the body to become sick. It ought to be noted that procurement of food by lawful means is mandatory; all the prophets and the auliya (friends of God) always abstained from impure, unlawful and dubious food, and constantly endeavoured to procure their livelihoods by lawful means. This is because the foremost of the achievements and successes is attained by means of the morsels that enter into the stomach.

1) The Excessive Eater and the Moderate Eater

Two mystics from Khorasan set out on a journey together. One of them was weak, consuming food only once in two nights, while the other was strong and healthy, eating food three times a day.

As fate would have it, when they happened to be near a city both of them were taken into custody, charged with spying for the enemies, imprisoned in a house and the door of the house was locked and sealed. A couple of weeks later it came to be known that they were not spies but two innocent people. When the house was opened, it was observed that the strong mystic had died while the weak one was still alive. The fact that it was the stronger of the two, who had died caused great astonishment amongst the people.

Coming to know of the bewilderment of the people, a learned doctor from amongst them said: On the contrary, it would have been a matter of great astonishment had the weak mystic died; the death of the strong one was caused by the fact that being an excessive eater, he could not get himself to endure these fourteen days without food, whereas the weak one, being accustomed to eating less, was able to endure this adversity and managed to survive.3

2) Food with Friendship

Abd al-Rahman Ibn Hajjaj narrates:

We were in the house of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and were having food with him when some more rice was brought for us. We sought to excuse ourselves from eating more whereupon the Imam (peacebe upon him) said: Whoever likes us more shall consume more food with us.

Hearing this, we once again sat down and began eating the food. Witnessing this, the Imam (peacebe upon him) stated: This is so much better.

He (peace be upon him) then continued: One day, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) was presented with some rice, whereupon he (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) invited Salman, Abu Dharr and Miqdad to join him in eating it. They sought to excuse themselves but he (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) insisted: “Whoever likes us more ought to eat more with us.” Hearing this, all of them ate to their full.4

3) One Morsel and SellingOne’s Faith

Fadhl Ibn Rabi’ relates:

Once, Sharik Ibn Abdullah Nakhai’ arrived before Mahdi Abbasi, the third Abbasid Caliph, who said to him: You must accept to perform one of these three tasks: Become a judge in the judicial setup, educate my children, or eat my food.

Sharik thought that teaching the Caliph’s children was a tough proposition; becoming a judge was tougher; however, eating the Caliph’s food appeared to be simple and so he accepted the third option. Mahdi instructed the cook to prepare various kinds of delicacies which were then brought before Sharik, who satiated himself with them.

The kitchen attendant said to Mahdi: O Caliph! This sheikh, after consuming these delicacies, shall never attain salvation.5

Fadhl Ibn Rabi’ states:

By God! After consuming that food, not only did Sharik began to increase his association with the Bani Abbas and agree to educate their children, but also consented to become the judge. Once, Sharik’s pay-slip, which was used to collect his salary from the treasury, was handed over to him. When he approached the treasurer for his pay he insisted that he be paid immediately in cash. Noting his insistence, the treasurer said to him: You have not sold linen or an expensive garment that you insist so vehemently on receiving immediate cash payment.

Hearing this, Sharik retorted: By God! I have sold something that is more precious than linen – I have sold my religion!6

4) The Blessing is in the Bread

The Blessing is in the Bread7

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) has said: Regard bread with great esteem for most of the entities that exist between the Arsh (Throne) and the earth have some form of contribution in making and preparing it. He (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) then said: Previous to you, there lived a Prophet by the name of Daniyal. One day he gave a loaf of bread to a pauper, who, upon receiving it frowned and flung it in the middle of the road, saying: What can I do with a loaf of bread, which has no worth.

When Daniyal witnessed this he raised his hands towards the skies and said: Honour bread with a lofty rank!

Due to that reprehensible act of that person, God withheld the rains from pouring and prohibited the earth from bringing forth its vegetation. Circumstances became so adverse that people resorted to cannibalism, and began eating one another.

Two women, each of them possessing two children, decided amongst themselves that one day the child of one woman would be eaten while the next day it would be the turn of the child of the other. On that day one child was consumed; however the next day, the mother of the other child whose turn it was to be eaten, refused to give her child. This led to a great dispute between them until eventually they approached Daniyal and placed their issue before him.

When he came to realise the condition of the people, he prayed to God, Who then opened the doors of His mercy upon them.8

5) The Food of Death

After the death of Mu’tasim Abbasi (d. 227 AH), his son Harun, titled Waathiq Billaah Abbasi, became the Caliph. It has been recorded that he was immensely fond of sexual intercourse, and so requested his doctor to provide him a concoction that would serve to increase his sexual strength.

Excessive sexual intercourse wastes away the body and I do not want your body to be wasted, the doctor advised. But Waathiq insisted: You have got to prepare it for me.

The doctor, seeing no alternative, set about to prepare the concoction; he ordered meat of wild beasts to be boiled seven times in vinegar that was procured from wine. This meat was to be consumed in a measure equivalent to the weight of 54 peas, after drinking wine.

However, Waathiq consumed more than the prescribed quantity and before long was afflicted with dropsy. The doctors were unanimous in their opinion that his stomach would have to be split open after which he would have to be placed within a furnace heated by means of olive oil.

They then set about putting their suggestion into execution and, despite his repeated requests, refrained from providing him water for 3 hours till large boils manifested themselves upon his body, whereupon he was taken out of the furnace.

Do not place me in the furnace again for I shall surely die, he beseeched, but once again they put him inside. When the boils burst they pulled him out of the furnace in a state that his entire body had turned black; he died shortly afterwards.

A cloth was placed over his dead body, and his corpse lay forgotten and unattended as the people soon became occupied in pledging allegiance to his brother Mutawakkil. Thus, in the year 232 AH, at the age of 34, he succumbed to his food of death.9

Notes

1. Qur'an, 76:8.

2. Safinah al-Bihar, v. 2, p. 83.

3. Hikaayat-ha-e-Gulistaan, p. 154.

4. Shanidanihaa-e-Taareekh, p. 26; Mahajjah al-Baydha, v. 3, p. 22.

5. لَيسَ يُفلحُ الشّيخُ بَعدَ هَذِهِ الاَکلَةِ اَبَداً

6. Pand-e-Taareekh, v. 4, p. 86; Muruj al-Dhahab, v. 3, p. 320.

7. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) has said: اللَّهُمَّ باَرِک لَناَ فيِ الخُبز and also اَکرِمُوا الخُبز

8. Namunah-e-Ma’arif, v. 1, p. 276; Safinah al-Bihar, v. 1, p. 375.

9. Tatimmah al-Muntaha, p. 231.

64. Pride

Allah, the Wise, has said:

اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ

“Know that this world's life is only sport and play and gaiety and boasting among yourself”1

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said:

لمثقال ذرة من صاحب تقوى و يقين اءفضل من مل ء الاءرض من المغترين

“An atom’s weight of good deed by a person, possessing piety and firm faith is better than good deeds that are so numerous so as to fill the earth, by one, who is conceited.”2

Short Explanation

A conceited person is (in reality) underprivileged in this world and would be left cheated in the hereafter. One ought not to be proud and conceited with respect to one’swealth, family, soundness of health, leadership, authority and the likes of these, for all of these are transitory and shall not remain forever.

Man, as a result of possessing a good life or attaining some of his personal desires, should never become conceited; at times it so happens that these themselves become causes of adversity and calamity for man.

If one happens to perform numerous acts of worship or develops a fear of God or becomes repentant (over past misdeeds), it is better for him to thank God for having granted him this state of mind than to receive praise from people. This is because praise and extolment of people is a scourge which brings about pride, conceit and heedlessness (towards God).

On the Day of Judgment, the greatest loser and the most remorseful of all would be one, who was proud and conceited (in this world).3

1) The Inner Pride

Some of the companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) were seen to be constantly praising a particular person in his (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) presence. One day they saw him while they were with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) and pointing to him said: That is the person whom we used to praise.

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) looked at the person and said: I am witnessing on his face a satanic blackness. As the person came near and greeted him (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said to him: I place you under the oath of God; tell me, did you not say to yourself: “Amongst the companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) there is none, who is superior to and better than me?”

The person confessed: Yes, the thought did pass my mind.

(In this manner the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), by means of his inner vision, informed him of his inner conceit and pride.)4

2) Pride with Respect to one’s Wealth and Children

Aas Ibn Wail was an irreligious person, who used to ridicule the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny). He was the one who had referred to him (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) by means of that outrageous title of abtar - meaning one without a son and lineage.

He left behind an equally unworthy son by the name of Amr Ibn Aas, who was the mastermind behind the policies of artifice and deception of Mua'wiyah against Imam Ali (peace be upon him).

One of the companions of the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) reports:

Aas Ibn Wail owed me some money and so, approaching him I sought my money from him. However, he refused saying: I shall not give you your money. I said to him: In that case I shall collect my dues from you in the hereafter.

In the hereafter, if at all it exists, I would have numerous children and great riches; if I go there and you too happen to come there, I shall return your money to you! He replied with an air of supreme arrogance and conceit.

God revealed the following verses to the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny):

أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ بِآيَاتِنَا وَقَالَ لَأُوتَيَنَّ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا

أَطَّلَعَ الْغَيْبَ أَمِ اتَّخَذَ عِنْدَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ عَهْدًا

كَلَّا ۚ سَنَكْتُبُ مَا يَقُولُ وَنَمُدُّ لَهُ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ مَدًّا

“Have you, then, seen him who disbelieves inOur communications and says: I shall certainly be given wealth and children? Has he gained knowledge of the unseen, or made a covenant with the Beneficent? By no means! We write down what he says, andWe will lengthen to him the length of the chastisement.”5 ,6

3) The Proud Champion

Once, there was a champion wrestler, who by utilising his great skills and defeating all his opponents, had come to acquire great fame for himself.

His overwhelming strength and power filled him with such pride and conceit that one day, looking towards the heavens, he called out: O Lord! Now arrange to send down Jibraeel so that I can test my strength against him, for on this earth there is none that can stand up against my strength.

Before long God afflicted him with weakness and frailty, and in order to crush his vanity, reduced him to such a state of penury that he was forced to live in the ruins of dilapidated houses. So overcome was he with weakness that one day when he placed his head upon a brick to rest, a mouse darted over his face and began nibbling his toes, but he did not possesses the strength to even pull his legs away from the nibbling rodent.

A holy person, who happened to pass by him, observed his state and said: God has made one of his smallest soldiers to become dominant over you in order that you realise your mistake and repent over your conceited behaviour. God, in addition to being The Patient, is also The Concerned and if you seek forgiveness, He shall surely grant you soundness of health.7

4) The Scholar of Arabic Grammar

Once, there was a person who had studied and acquired such immense mastery over Arabic grammar that people referred to him as the ‘scholar of Arabic grammar’.

One day he boarded a ship and, since he prided himself on his knowledge of Arabic grammar, turning to the captain of the ship, asked: Have you studied Arabic grammar? No, replied the captain of the ship. Hearing this, the scholar criticised: Then you have wasted half of your life!

This criticism greatly hurt and disturbed the captain, but he kept quiet and did not say anything. The ship continued on its way when suddenly a storm struck as a result of which it founditself caught in the midst of a whirlpool and was on the verge of sinking.

Observing this, the captain, who knew how to swim, asked the scholar: Do you know to swim? The scholar replied: No. Hearing this, the captain remarked: Then your entire life is about to be wasted, for the ship is about to sink and you cannot swim!

It was then that the scholar became aware of his conceit and came to realise that the best knowledge is that which man utilises to eliminate the vices that exist within him so that he does not drown in the sea of pride and vanity.8

5) The Arrogance of Abu Jahl

One night Abu Jahl, the most obstinate enemy of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), was circumambulating the Ka’bah in the company of Walid Ibn Mughirah, and while engaged in the act, began to speak about him (peace be upon him and his holy progeny).

Abu Jahl said: By God! He speaks the truth.

Walid rebuked: Keep quiet! How do you speak such a thing?

Abu Jahl replied: We knew him, from his childhood, to be a truthful and trustworthy person. How could he, after having grown up and his intellect having matured, become a liar and a traitor?

Walid said: If this is the case, then why don’t you testify to his truthfulness and accept Islam? Abu Jahl said: Do you desire the womenfolk of the Quraish to say that I, Abu Jahl, have submitted myself out of fear of defeat. By the idols Lat and Uzza, I shall never follow him.

Due to this pride and haughtiness, God revealed the following verse9 :

أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَنْ يَهْدِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ اللَّهِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Have you then considered him who takes his low desire for his god, and Allah has made him err having knowledge and has set a seal upon his ear and his heart and put a covering upon his eye.”10

Notes

1. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Hadeed (57), vs. 20.

2. Jaame' Al-Sa'adaat, vol. 3, pg. 5.

3. Tadhkerah al-Haqaaiq.

4. Shanidanihaa-e-Taareekh, pg. 378, Mahajjah al-Baidhaa, vol. 6, pg. 298.

5. Holy Qur'an, ch. Maryam (19), vs. 77-79. أَ فَرَأَيتَ الَّذِي مِنَ الْعَذاَبِ مَدّاً

6. Hikayaat-ha-e-Shanidani, vol. 5, pg. 157, Mahajjah al-Baidhaa, vol. 6, pg. 204.

7. Rangaarang, vol. 1, pg. 411.

8. Daastaan-ha-e-Mathnawi, vol. 1, pg. 52.

9. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Jaathiyah (45), vs. 23. خَتَمَ عَلیَ سمَعِهِ وَ قَلبِهِ وَ جَعَلَ عَلیَ بَصَرِهِ غِشاَوَةً

10. Daastaan-ha Wa Pand-ha, vol 5, pg. 85, Tafseer Iraqi, vol. 25, pg. 27.

65. Anger

Allah, the Wise, has said:

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْماً غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ‏

“O you who believe! Do not make friends with a people with whom Allah is wroth.”1

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said:

الْغَضَبُ يُفْسِدُ الْإِيمَانَ كَمَا يُفْسِدُ الْخَلُّ الْعَسَلَ

“Anger corrupts faith just as vinegar corrupts honey.”2

Short Explanation

One of the harmful diseases, which possesses numerous ill-effects and also causes aggravation of the nerves, is anger. This is especially so if it creates a feeling of vengefulness and malice, for then its harm becomes twofold.

Anger that manifests itself while battling the infidels or opposing someone who seeks to inflict harm upon one’s reputation, family, etc., is not only regarded as commendable by religion and intellect, but is also a sign of courage and valour.

But in instances other than the above, anger is from the whisperings of Shaitan and a key to all evils. It destroys intellect and forces changes in the physical and mental disposition of man by altering the colour of the face and the eyes, and bringing about mental aggravation and stress; it is also accompanied by other effects such as abuses, taunts, violence, ridicule, murder and other similar acts.

It is better to stay away from all such things that induce anger, and repel it by practicing patience and forbearance.3

1) Dhul Kifl

When the life of Prophet Elisha was nearing its end, he decided it was time to appoint his successor. With this in mind, he gathered the people and said: Whosoever from amongst you undertakes to perform three things, I shall make him my successor: To fast during the days, to remain awake during the nights and abstain from anger.

A youth by the name of U’waidiya, who apparently did not possess a great status in the eyes of the people, stood up and said: I am willing to accept the undertaking. The next day when Prophet Elisha repeated his words, once again it was only this youth who stood up to accept the offer, and so Prophet Elisha appointed him as his successor; shortly afterwards he departed from the world.

God granted Prophethood to the youth, who was none other than Prophet Dhul Kifl.4

Once, Shaitaan resolved to make him angry and thus cause him to break his pledge, and so appointing asatan by the name of Abyadh for this task, commanded him: Go and make him angry.

Dhul Kifl would usually remain awake during the nights and sleep a little during the day. Abyadh waited till he had gone to sleep; then, approaching him, he shouted: I have been oppressed and have suffered injustice. Grant me justice from my oppressor!

Dhul Kifl said: Go and bring the person before me. Thesatan said: I shall not move from here since I know he shall not come with me. Giving him his ring, Dhul Kifl asked him to take it to the oppressor and ask him to come in his presence.

Abyadh took possession of the ring and departed. The next day arriving again, he wailed: I have been oppressed; the oppressor disregarded your ring and refused to come with me!

Dhul Kifl’s doorkeeper said: Let him rest, for neither did he sleep yesterday nor has he slept the whole of last night. But Abyadh insisted: I shall not let him sleep; I have been oppressed.

Hearing this, Dhul Kifl wrote a letter and handed it to Abyadh so that he could show it to the oppressor who would then present himself before Dhul Kifl.

On the third day, no sooner had Dhul Kifl closed his eyes when Abyadh appeared again and woke him up to state that the person still refused to come. This time Dhul Kifl took hold of Abyadh’s hand and, without any sign of anger, set off in the sun to talk to the person.

Realizing he had failed in his task of making Dhul Kifl angry, Abyadh slipped away from him and took to flight.5

2) Who is the Strong One?

Once, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) happened to be passing by a locality when he noticed a large crowd. In the midst of the people stood a strong and powerful man, who was exhibiting his strength by lifting a gigantic stone, which the people referred to as ‘stone of the strong ones’ and ‘weight of the champions’. The spectators, visibly impressed over his display of strength, were seen complimenting and praising him.

The Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) questioned: Why have these people gathered here? Some people, informing him of the weight-lifting acts of the champion, said: A person is displaying his strength.

Hearing this, he (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said: Should I inform you, who (in reality) is a strong person and a champion? A champion is one, who, when someone abuses him, does not get enraged, exhibits tolerance, prevails over his ego and gains dominance over thesatan of his self.6

3) One Advice

Once, a person approached the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) and said: Impart me knowledge and teach me the rulings of religion. He (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) said: Go and refrain from getting enraged.

The man said: This very sentence shall suffice for me, and then proceeded to return to his tribe.

When he reached his tribe he observed that dispute had arisen amongst them and having armed themselves, they stood facing each other ready for battle. Observing this, the man too put on his battle-dress ready to join his friends for battle when suddenly he recollected the words of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) asking him to abstain from anger.

Dropping his weapons, he proceeded towards the opposition and began to reason with them: Battle and war shall not yield anything. I shall pay you from my own wealth whatever you desire!

Realizing the truth of his words, they acquiesced: We are more deserving of disregarding and ignoring the differences that have taken place.

And thus, by this advice of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), a major conflict was averted.7

4) The Imam (peace be upon him) and the Slave

Imam Sadiq (peacebe upon him) had sent his servant out to perform a task for him. When a long time had passed and he had not returned, the Imam (peace be upon him) set out in search for him. After searching for a while, the Imam (peacebe upon him) found him asleep.

Without the slightest exhibition of anger, the Imam (peace be upon him) sat down near his head and began to fan him till he woke up from his sleep. After he had woken up, he (peace be upon him) said to him: By God! It does not befit you that you sleep during the night as well as during the day. You ought to sleep during the night, but work for us during the day.8

5) Bad Disposition and the Servants

Abdullah Ibn Taahir, after the death of his brother Talhah (d. 213 A.H.), was appointed the governor of Khorasan. He continued to rule over it till the time of Al-Waathiq Billah and, after seventeen years of governorship, died in the year 230 A.H. at the age of forty eight.

Abdullah Ibn Taahir relates:

One day when I was with the Abbasid Caliph, none of the servants were seen to be around. Observing this, the Caliph called out: O’ Slave! O’ Slave! A Turkish slave suddenly appeared and discourteously said to the Caliph:

The servants too have important tasks to do for themselves such as eating, using the lavatory, performing ablutions, offering prayers and sleeping; just as we go out for some important task you raise your voice and holler out O’ Slave! ’ Slave! How long will you go on saying: O’ Slave?

Abdullah says: Hearing this outburst, the Caliph lowered his head; I was convinced that the moment the Caliph raised his head he would order the slave to be beheaded!

However, when the Caliph raised his head after a few moments, he said to me: O’ Abdullah! When the masters conduct themselves in a good manner, the slaves become ill-mannered; (however) we cannot become ill-mannered in order that the slaves behave in a good manner (Meaning that the slaves misuse the patience and tolerance of their masters).9

Notes

1. Holy Qur'an, ch. Al-Mumtahanah (60), vs. 13.

2. Jaame' Al-Sa'adaat, vol. 1, pg. 288.

3. Ihyaa al-Quloob, pg. 56.

4. He was one of the prophets and lived after the period of Prophet Sulaiman.

5. Taareekh-e-Anbiya, vol. 2, pg. 196.

6. Iblees Naameh, vol. 1, pg. 75; Majmua-e-Warraam, vol. 2, pg. 10. The late Sheikh Saduq has reported in his book Ma’ani al-Akhbaar, that the Holy Prophet (peacebe upon him and his holy progeny) had stated three things in connection with a person, who is a champion - one of them being that when he is enraged, his anger does not distance him from truthful and correct speech.

7. Shanidanihaa-e-Taareekh, pg. 305, Mahajjah al-Baidhaa, vol. 5, pg. 293.

8. Muntahal Aa’maal, vol. 2, pg.130.

9. Lataaif al-Tawaaif, pg. 94.