CHAPTER TWO
ON THE ADHAN
22. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [The Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, said:] "When Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, began learning the adha`n (call to prayer), Gabriel brought him the Buraq, but it was difficult for him (to
( 322 )
ride it). Then he brought him a riding animal called Bura`qa and it was difficult for him (to ride it), so Gabriel said to it: 'Be calm, for none more honorable than him in Allah's view has ever ridden you!' It became calm, and Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'I rode it until I reached the veil which was before the Merciful (Allah), and then an angel came out from behind the veil and said:
'Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar! (Allah is greater.)' He (Allah's Messenger) said: 'So I asked: O Gabriel, who is that angel?' He replied: 'By Allah who has honored you with the Prophethood, I have never seen that angel before this hour of mine.' He said:
'Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar! (Allah is greater.)' So he was called out from behind the veil: 'My servant is truthful; I am greater; I am greater!' Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'The angel said:
'Ashhadu anna La ilaha illa' llah, Ashhadu anna La ilaha illa' llah (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.)' So he was called out from behind the veil: 'My servant is truthful. I am Allah; there is no god but I.' Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said (that), so the angel said:
'Ashhadu anna Mohammedar rasul 'allah, Ashhadu anna Mohammedar rasul 'allah (I bear witness that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah.)' So he was called out from behind the veil: 'My servant is truthful; I have sent Mohammed as a Messenger.' Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'The angel said:
'Hayya 'alla's-salah, Hayya 'alla's-salah (Make haste to the prayer.)' So he was called out from behind the veil: 'My servant is truthful and summons (men) to worship Me.' Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'The angel said:
'Hayya 'alla'l falah, hayya 'alla'l falah (Make haste to salvation).' So he was called out from behind the veil: 'My servant is truthful and summons (men) to worship Me. And surely successful is he who perseveres in it.
1 ' Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'Allah has completed for me the honor over the first and the last.'"
____________
1. The tradition has been mentioned in the book Tarikh al-Khamis in this formula along with and addition Hayya 'ala Khayri'l-amal (Make haste to the best of action). The Shi'ite reference of hadith and jurisprudence have also mentioned it.
( 323 )
The Shï'ites have unanimously agreed that it was the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who legislated the adha`n in this manner which have been mentioned in this tradition or something similar to it; whilst the Sunnis have mentioned that when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, came to Medina, it was difficult for the people to know the timings of his prayers. So they discussed specifying a certain signal in order to know the timing of the payer of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, lest they should miss the congregational prayers. Hence some suggested a bell, but the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: "The bell belongs to the Christians." Others suggested a trumpet, but he said: "It belongs to the Jews." Others suggested a tambourine, but he said: "It belongs to the Romans." Others suggested burning fire, but he said: "It belongs to the Magus." Others suggested setting up a banner, but that did not appeal to him, may Allah bless him and his family. So, he may Allah bless him and his family, stood up concerned; hence 'Abd Allah b. Zayd spent the night concerned because of the concern of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and he saw in his sleep an angel who taught him the
adhan and the
iqama (the declaration of standing for prayer), so he told the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, about that. The dream coincided with the revelation. So the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, ordered it (
adhan) to be performed.
1
This is very impossible, for the
adhan and the
iqama are of the pre-conditions of prayer; they are like the rest of the pre-conditions such as
tahara (purity),
istiqba`l al-qibla (facing the
qibla), and
ibahat al-makan (the place should be permissible). The Revelation came down (to the Prophet) carrying all these pre-conditions and explanations of prayer. Then why did 'Abd Allah b. Zayd see the angle and the rest of Companions (of the Prophet), who were greater than him in importance, did not see him?
____________
1. Al-Fiqh 'ala al-Madhahib al-Arba'a vol. 1, p. 311.
( 324 )
CHAPTER TWO
ON URGING TO PERFORMING THE FIVE PRAYERS AND THE QUALITY OF
THE PRAYER FOR THE DEAD
23. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "Satan is still afraid of Adam's son as long as he keeps his prayers. However, if he neglects them, he (Satan) dares against him and throws him into great sins."
Allah, the Most High, honored and dignified man through praying and standing before Him during the five prayers. However, the stoned Satan plays with man and does his best to deprive him of this excellence and honorable rank.
24. Through his chain of authorities, he said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "He who performs a religious duty (
farïda), Allah responds to his supplication ."
Surely, he who performs a religious duty, whether prayer or fasting or hajj or others, Allah rewards him and accepts his supplication.
25. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "My community is still in good as long as they love each other, return things deposited (with them), refrain from the unlawful, entertain the guest, perform the prayer, and pay
zakat (alms). However, if they do not do that, they will be afflicted by drought."
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has summoned his community to keep these noble qualities, and he promised that they would be in good as long as they performed them, but if they neglected them, Allah would afflict them with a dreadful tribulation.
26. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "If man is not able to perform prayer in standing position, he can pray in
( 325 )
sitting position. If he cannot pray in sitting position, he can pray laying down on his back and his feet facing the
qibla, and he makes a sign."
The prayer is the most important of religious duties, and the responsible is not exempted from it in all circumstances. If he is able, he prays in standing position; if he is unable, he prays in
sitting position; and so on.
27. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "Keep the five prayers, for Allah, the Great and Almighty, will summon the servant on the Day of Resurrection; prayer will be the first thing about which He will ask him. If he brings it perfect; otherwise, he will be pushed into the Fire."
Prayer will be the first thing about which the responsible will be asked during his mustering and his raising from the dead. If he performs prayer perfectly, he will be safe from the chastisement of Allah; if he performs it imperfectly or neglects one of its pre-conditions, he will be thrown into the Fire.
28. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "Do not lose your prayers, for he who loses his prayer will be mustered along with Qa`ru`n and Fir'oun and Ha`ma`n; and it is incumbent upon Allah to make him enter the Fire along with the hypocrites; and woe unto him who does not keep his prayers and does not perform the Sunna of his Prophet."
Islam takes great care of prayer and distinguishes it from the rest of acts of worship. So he who performs it is a Muslim; and he who denies it dies the death of those pagans before Islam and will be mustered along with the oppressive and the unbelievers.
29. Through his chain of authorities, he said: ['Ali, the blessings of Allah be on him, said:] "Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, led us in the traveler's shortened prayer and recited in the first (
rak'a) al-hamd and qul ya
ayuha al-kafirun, and in the other (
rak'a) he recited
al-hamd and qul huwa Allahu ahad. Then he said: 'I recited to you the one-third and one-fourth of the Qur'an.'"
( 326 )
A four-rak'a prayer is shortened during travel, and surely the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, recited
qul ya ayuha al-kafirun in the first
rak'a after al-fatiha, and in the second
rak'a he recited surat
al-Tawhïd after
al-fatiha; and he, may Allah bless him and his family, made clear the reward of that when he said that he recited the one-third of the Qur'an in the first
rak'a and the one-fourth of the Qur'a`n in the second
rak'a.
30. Through his chain of authorities, he said: "Mohammed b. 'Ali, peace be on him, was asked about the prayer, and he claimed that his father would shorten the prayer during travel."
As for shortening prayer during travel, it is among the necessities of the creed of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them; the Book and the Sunna are two proofs of that.
31. Through his chain of authorities, he said: "I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, exclaim 'Allah is Great!' over his uncle Hamza, peace be on him, five times, and after him he exclaimed 'Allah is Great!' over the martyrs, so seventy times of exclaiming 'Allah is Great!' was the share of Hamza."
As for the prayer for the dead, it is one of the general obligations. In other words, it is not obligatory on all Muslims to perform it; rather it obligatory on some of them. As for its performance, it is as follows: Five
takbïrs should be made;
al-Shahadatayn (the two testimonies: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Mohammed is Allah's Messenger) should be recited after the first
takbïr, calling down blessing upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, should be after the second takbï~r; a supplication for the believers, male and female, should be recited after the third
takbïr; a supplication for the deceased should be recited after the fourth
takbïr; the fifth
takbïr should be recited, and then departure.
1 In this connection many traditions have been reported from the members of the House (
ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them.
2 As for the
____________
1. Al-Urwat al-Withqa, vol. 1. p. 170.
2. Wasa'il al-Shia, Chapter on the Prayer for the Dead.
( 327 )
Sunnis, they believe that the takbï~rs are four, and the worshipper departs after the fourth
(itakbïr).
1
32. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "O 'Ali, when you pray over a deceased person, say: O Allah, verily this is Your slave and son of Your bondmaid has passed away according to Your decree, and he is not a mentioned thing. He has visited You and You are the best One whom is visited. O Allah, dictate to him Your argument, join him to Your Prophet, brighten his grave for him, be generous toward him during his entering, make him firm through the firm statement, for he is in need of You and You are in no need of him. He bore witness that there was no god but You, so forgive him. O Allah, do not deprive us of the reward through him and do not try us after him.
"O 'Ali, when you pray over a woman, say: O Allah, You created her, and You gave life to her, and You made her die, and You are more knowledgeable of her secret and openness. We have come to You as intercessors for her, so forgive her. O Allah, do not deprive us of the reward through her.
"O 'Ali, when you pray over a child, say: O Allah, make him an ancestor and provisions for his parents, make him an intercessor (for them), make him for them as light and guidance, and make his parents follow (him to) the Garden. Verily, You are powerful over all things!"
As for the performance of the prayer for the dead, we have already mentioned it. As for this supplication, it should be recited after the fourth
takbïr. As for the prayer over the child, it is as follows: If he/she dies at the age of six years, then the prayer for the dead should be performed over him. If he/she has not reached this age, then prayer over them is recommended.
____________
Al-Fiqh ala al-Madhahib al-Arba'a. vol. 1, p. 519.
( 328 )
CHAPTER FOUR
ON THE EXCELLENCE OF AHL AL-BAYT,
AND IT IS IN THREE PARTS
Part one is on the Excellence of 'Ali Bin Abu Talib (a.s):
33. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "O 'Ali, I am the master of the messengers, and you are the commander of the faithful, Ima`m of the Allah-fearing, and leader of the excellent, famous ones."
As for Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, he is the pioneer of thought and wisdom in Islam. He is the soul of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, gate of the city of his knowledge, and his testamentary trustee after him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, lauded his exalted rank and great position. No tradition has been transmitted from him, may Allah bless him and his family, concerning his praising any of his companions like his praising Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. His purpose of that is to provide evidence of his succession after him.
34. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "When I was ascended to the heaven, Gabriel took me by the hand and sat me on a
darnuk <1of the Garden. Then he gave me a quince from it (the Garden), and it (the quince) and what was therein was prepared for Ima`m 'Ali, peace be on him."
Certainly, Allah has prepared for 'Ali, peace be on him, all favors of the hereafter and made him dwell Paradise and live wherever he likes.
____________
1. Darnuk is one of the carpets of the Garden.
( 329 )
35. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "O 'Ali, I asked my Lord to give me five qualities regarding you, and He gave (them) to me. As for the first of them, it is that I asked my Lord to split open the ground and to dust my head and you were with me, so He (Allah) gave it to me. As for the second, it is that I asked my Lord to let me stop by the Scale of the Balance and you were with me, so He gave it to me. As for the third, it is that I asked him to make you the carrier of the standard, which was the Standard of
Allahu akbar under which were those who gained the Garden, and He gave it to me. As for the fourth, it is that I asked my Lord (to let) you water my community from my pond (
hawd), and He gave it to me. As for the fifth, it is that I asked my Lord to make you the leader of my community to the Garden, so my Lord gave it to me. Praise belongs to Allah who has bestowed that upon me!"
Surely, Allah singled Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, with all noble qualities and endowed him with all virtues. He accepted the supplication of His Prophet when he asked Him to give these qualities and virtues to 'Ali.
36. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "When the Day of Resurrection occurs, I will take hold of the
hijjza of Allah; you will hold my
hijjza; your sons will grasp your
hijjza; and the Shï~'ites of your sons will take hold of their
hijjza.
1"
Imam 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, has a noble rank with Allah, the Exalted. Through this rank he has gained exaltedness over the righteous and the Allah-fearing, and through it he, his sons, and his Shï'ites will be distinguished from the rest of the people on the Day of Judgment.
37. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "O
____________
1. Abu al-Qasim al-Tai said: " I asked al-Abass al-Taiabout hijjza, and he replied: ' It is means. 'Then I asked Ibn Naftawayh, the grammarian, about it, and he answered: 'It is means."
( 330 )
'Ali, you will be the Divider of the Garden and of the Fire; you will knock at the gate of the Garden and enter it with out any reckoning."
This tradition has been narrated by a group of religious scholars from among the Shï'ites and the Sunnis. It gives an account of the outstanding merit of Imam 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and his great importance with Allah, which none of the people has ever reached except the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.
38. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "When the Day of Resurrection occurs, you and your sons will be on the (backs of) piebald horses and crowned with pearls and corundum. Allah will ordered you (to be taken) to the Garden and the people look (at you)."
How great the rank of the Ima`m and his pure sons with Allah is! For He has singled them out with all noble qualities and distinguished them from the rest of his creatures.
39. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "When the Day of Resurrection occurs, I will be called out from inside the Throne: The best father is your father Ibra`hï~m; the best brother is your brother 'Ali b. Abu` Ta`lib!"
Allah singled His great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, with all kinds of excellence of which is that he was among the progeny of Ibra`hï~m, Allah's bosom friend, and that his brother was Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, who defended the word of monotheism, the values and principles of Islam.
40. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "Verily, Allah ordered me to love four (persons): 'Ali, Salma`n, Abu` Dharr, and al-Muqda`d b. al-Aswad."
Surely, these four (leading figures) took part in building Islam and carried the torch of monotheism; accordingly, Allah ordered his Prophet to love them, for they were among the elements of piety and righteousness.
( 331 )
41. He, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "O 'Ali, surely, Allah has already forgiven you, your progeny, your Shï~'ites, those who love your Shï~'ites, those who love the lover of your Shï~'ites; therefore be cheerful, for you are free from polytheism and full of knowledge."
Imam 'Ali, peace be on him, had great communication with Allah, the Exalted, so Allah endowed him with this excellence of forgiving him, his children, his Shï~'ites, and their followers.
42. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "Whomsoever I am his Master, then 'Ali is his master. O Allah, be friend of one who is his friend and be the enemy of one who is his enemy; and desert one who deserts him and help one who helps him."
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, declared these brilliant words, which were the most expensive medals he gave to the Ima`m, on the Day of Ghadï~r Khum, which is the most important 'Id in Islamic world, for he appointed the Ima`m as a successor after him and ordered the Muslims to pledge allegiance to him. They pledged allegiance to him, so did the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. On that immortal day, the greatest favor toward the Muslims was completed, and on it this holy verse was revealed: This day I have completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.
43. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "O 'Ali, had it not been for you, the believers would not have been recognized after me."
Surely, Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, is the measure through whom the believer is distinguished from the sinner; so, he who loves him is a believer and he who shows enmity toward him is a sinner. 'Aisha says:
When gold is touched by a touchstone, its cheat appears
without doubt.
Cheat is in us, and 'Ali, the purified gold, is like a touchstone among us.
1
____________
1. Al-Shiblanji, Nur al-Abbasar.
( 332 )
44. Through his chain of authorities, he said: ['Ali b. Abu` Ta`lib, peace be on him, related to me. He said:] "I have inherited two books from Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family: the Book of Allah, the Exalted, and a book concerning the sheath of my sword."
He was asked: "O Commander of the faithful, what is the book concerning the sheath of your sword?"
"He who kills other than his killer and hits other than his hitter, then the curse of Allah be upon him."
Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, inherited all qualities of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, of which are what he, peace be on him, has mentioned above.
45. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said:[Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "O 'Ali, you have been given three (things) the like of which I have not been given."
I (i.e. 'Ali) asked: "May my father and mother be your ransom, what have I been given?"
He, may Allah bless him and his family, replied: "You have been given a father-in-law like me; you have been give a wife like Fa`tima, peace be on her; and you have been given the like of your two sons, al-Hasan and al-Husayn."
Allah, the Most High, singled Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, with these three traits with which He had never endowed anyone.
46. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said: [Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said:] "On the Day of Resurrection there will be no rider other than us, and we will be four."
A man from the Ansa`r stood up and asked him: "O Allah's Apostle, who are they?"
He (the Apostle) replied: "I will be on (the back of) al-Bara`q riding animal; and my brother (Prophet) Sa`lih on Allah's she-camel which was slaughtered; my uncle Hamza on my she-
( 333 )
camel al-'Adba`'; and my brother 'Ali b. Abu, peace be on him, on one of the she-camels of the Garden and the Standard of Praise will be in his hand; and he will say: There is no god but Allah; Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, is the Messenger of Allah! So the human beings will say: That is an angel brought nigh or a prophet sent out or the bearer of the Throne. So an angel from the inside of the Throne will answer them: O group of human beings, that is not angel brought nigh nor a prophet sent out nor a bearer of the Throne; that is 'Ali b. Abu` Ta`lib!"
Certainly, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah, the Most High, will manifest the position of His friend Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and his exalted rank with Him, to the extent that He will make the prophets brought nigh, the messengers sent out, His friends, and the rest of the creatures know the importance of the Ima`m with Him.
47. Through his chain of authorities, he said: ['Ali, peace be on him, said:] "He who loves me finds me at his death in such a manner which he loves; and he who hates me finds me at his death in such a manner which he hates."
Many traditions indicate that Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, attends at the death of everyone, believer and unbeliever. He asks the Angel of Death to treat the person gently if he/she is a believer; and he asks him to treat the person roughly if he/she is unbeliever.
