42 - شبكة رافـد للتنمية الثقافية

The Reasons for some Islamic Affairs

A group of traditions regarding the reasons for some Islamic affairs has been reported from the Ima`m, peace be on him, as follows:

The Qur'an is always new

Ibrahim b. al-'Abbas narrated on the authority of Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, that he narrated on the authority of his father that a man asked Ima`m al-Sa`diq, peace be on him, saying: "Why does the Qur'a`n not increase during spreading and studying but newness?"
He, peace be on him, replied: "Because Allah did not send it down to a time apart from a time nor to a people apart from a people, so it is new every time and is fresh with every people until the Day of Resurrection."
Surely the Qur'an is the great miracle of Islam, and that is because therein are moral lessons appropriate for all times and developments; therein is nothing deviates from the laws of the cosmos or opposes innate; moreover, it is wonderful in eloquence and great in style, so it is fresh and new throughout times.

'Ali is the Divider of Paradise and of Hell

Al-Ma'mun asked Imam al-Rida, peace be on him: "O Abu` al-Hasan, tell me about your grandfather the Commander of the faithful: Why is he called the divider of Paradise and of Hell, and how that attribute came to be applied to him?"
He, peace be on him, in turn asked him: "O commander of the faithful, have you not narrated from your father from his forefathers quoting 'Abd Allah b. 'Abba`s saying that he had heard the Messenger

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of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, saying: 'Loving 'Ali is belief and hating him is unbelief?'" "Yes," replied al-Ma'mun.
"If the distribution of Paradise and of Hell is done according to loving and hating him, then he is the distributor of Paradise and of Hell," explained al-Rida`, peace be on him.
So al-Ma'mu`n said: "May Allah never permit me to live after your demise, O Abu` al-Hasan! I witness that you are the heir of the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family."
Abu al-Salt al-Harawi said: "After al-Rida had gone back home, I came to visit him, and I said to him: 'O son of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, what an excellent answer you have given the Commander of the faithful! He said: 'O Abu al-Salt, I spoke to him in the way he understood best, and I have heard my father telling a tradition from his forefathers, on the authority of 'Ali, who said: 'Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'O 'Ali, you are the distributor of Paradise and of Hell on the Day of Judgment; you say to Hell: 'This is mine, and that is yours.'"
Ima`m 'Ali the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, stands for every noble deed in Islam. Without doubt he is the distributor of Paradise and of Hell. In this respect many authentic traditions have been reported from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. ¹ Al-Ma'mun admired this firm justification of Ima`m al-Rida, peace be on him.

'Ali does not restore Fadak

'Ali b. al-Hasan b. 'Ali b. Faddal narrated on the authority of his father, who said: "I asked al-Rida, peace be on him, about the Commander of the faithful (Imam 'Ali), peace be on him, as to why he
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1. Al-Sawai'q al-Muhriqa, p, 75. In Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 402, it has been mentioned: ''' Ali said: Iam the distributor of Hell.'' And in Kunuz al-Haqa'iq by al-Manawi, p. 92: "Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: " Ali is the divider of Hell.'"

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did not restore Fadak (to its rightful owners) when he undertook the affairs of men? He, peace be on him, replied: 'We are members of a family who, upon becoming rulers, do not take their rights from those who confiscated them. Should we become in charge of the Muslims, we shall rule them and restore their confiscated rights to them, but we do not do so for our own selves.'"
Abu Bakr confiscated Fadak and took it from the hand of Fa`tima, the mistress of the women of the world. As for the reason for that, it is that he desired to undermine the rank of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. He intended to wage an economic warfare against the enemy forces to paralyze them. Fadak remained in the hands of the governors and the rulers. However, the 'Alawide Sayyids restored it during the days of 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Azïz and of al-Ma'mu`n. The talk about it has many branches, and the judge is Allah, the Exalted, Who will decide among His servants on the day when neither property nor sons will avail.

The Companions of the Prophet

Mohammed b. Musa b. Nasr al-Razi narrated, saying: [My father related to me, saying: al-Rida, peace be on him, was asked about the tradition of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family: 'My companions are like the stars: If you follow any of them, you shall receive guidance.' And about his tradition: 'Leave my companions to me.' So he, peace be on him, replied:]
"Yes, he did say this tradition, meaning thereby the companions who did not make any alteration after him or any change (to the Islamic creed)."
The Ima`m was asked: "How can you tell that they altered and changed?"
He answered: "This is due to what is reported about him (the Prophet), may Allah bless him and his family, that he said: 'Certain individuals among my companions will be pushed away by force from my Pool (of Kawther) on the Day of Resurrection just as strange camels are pushed away from the watering place, and I shall say: 'O Lord! My companions! My companions!' And it shall be said to me:

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'You do not know what innovations they invented after you.' So they will be pushed away towards the left side (where Hell is), and I shall say: 'Away with them; ruined they shall be.' Such will be the penalty of those who alter and change (the Prophet's traditions and practices).¹ "
As for companionship, it did not protect the Prophet's companions from making mistakes, for some of his companions were Samra b. Jundub, 'Amru b. al-'As, al-Mughïra b. Shu'ba, and the like from among the heads of hypocrisy and mischief.

The People desert 'Ali

'Ali b. al-Hasan b. 'Ali b. Fadda`l narrated on the authority of his father, who said: [I asked Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, about the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, as to why the people deserted him after knowing his distinction, his past feats, and his rank to Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. He, peace be on him, answered:]
"They deserted him and preferred others over him after having come to know his merits simply because he had killed a great number of their fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles, and other relatives who defied Allah and His Apostle; therefore, they kept their grudge against him inside their hearts and they did not like him when he became their ruler. They did not have grudge against anyone else as much as they had against him, for nobody else was so forceful in making jiha`d in the defense of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, as much as he was; so, they deserted him for someone else."
Imam 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him,
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Al-Bukahri (vol. 6, p. 119) al-Amiriya edition) has narrated onthe authority of Abd Allah b. Mas'ud, on the authourity of Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who said:" I shall be the first to reach the pool, then the souls of some men from among you will be resurrected and they shall be prohibited from coming near me, and I shall say: ' O Lor! These are my companions! And it shall be said to me: ' You do not know what theu did after you'" Narration similar to this are numerous.

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killed those far and close for the sake of Allah, the Most High, and struck off the heads of those polytheists with his own sword through which he established Islam, so they harbored malice against him and deserted him for someone else.

Imam 'Ali does not take his own Right

Al-Haythem b. 'Abd Allah al-Rumma`ni narrated, saying: [I asked 'Ali b. Musa al-Rida, peace be on him, saying: 'O son of Allah's Messenger, tell me about 'Ali b. Abu Talib, peace be on him: Why did he not fight his enemies during the twenty-five years after the demise of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, as he did during the days of his caliphate?' He, peace be on him, answered:]
"It is due to his following the example of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, who did not fight the polytheists of Mecca during the thirteen years after his Prophethood, or the ones in Medina during the nineteen months period of his stay there; it is due to the numbers of his supporters being too small. Likewise, 'Ali did not engage himself in fighting his enemies because his owner supporters were too few. Since the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, was not nullified by the fact that he did not make jihad during the period of thirteen years (in Mecca) and nineteen months (in Medina), the Imamate of 'Ali was not nullified because he did not perform jihad for twenty-five years, for the deterring factor in both examples was one and the same."
Surely Imam 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, left his own right and did not make jihad against his enemies, for his own supporters were too few. In this connection, he has said: "Then I began to think whether I should assault or endure calmly the blinding darkness of tribulations wherein the grown up are feeble and the young grow old and the true believer acts under strain till he meets Allah (on his death). I found that endurance thereon was wiser. So I adopted patience although there was pricking in the eye and suffocation (of mortification) in the throats."
Surely Imam 'Ali had no group of people to support him, though

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he had many enemies and opponents, so he, peace be on him, was patient and left his own right preferring over it the general interest and keeping the word of the Muslims.
With this matter we will end our speech about the reasons which the Ima`m, peace be on him, has given for some Islamic affairs.

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CHAPTER XI
INCLUSIVE WISE SAYINGS

It is related from Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, a group of outstanding wise sayings, manners, commandments, pieces of advice, and other than them from among that which profit men. They indicate that he was the greatest educator in Islamic world, and that he spared no effort to educate the Muslims and to bring them up with wise reason. We will mention some wise sayings on his authority.

The Excellence of Reason

As for reason, it is the best favor which Allah has given to man and through which He distinguished him from grazing animals. Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, spoke about reason in some of his traditions, which are as follows:
A. He, peace be on him, said: "Everyone's friend is his reason; his enemy is his ignorance.¹ "
How wonderful this wise statement is! That is because reason is the great friend of man; it protects him, safeguards him from the afflictions and misfortunes of this world. The great enemy of man is ignorance, which throws him into deep mazes of this world.
B. Abu Hashim al-Ja'far narrated: [We were with al-Rida, peace be on him. We discussed reason and he said:] "O Abu Hashim, reason is a free gift from Allah, and politeness is acquisition. He who undertakes politeness has power over it. He who undertakes reason increases (himself) through that nothing but ignorance. ²"
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1. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 11. Wasa'il al-Shia, vol. 1, p. 161.
2. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 23.

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As for courtesy, it is an acquisitive matter. Man can acquire it. As for reason, it is a free gift from Allah, the Most High. Man cannot acquire it.
C. Al-Hasan b. al-Jahm reported: [Reason was mentioned in the presence of Abu` al-Hasan al-Rida`, peace be on him, and he said:] "(None) pays attention to the men of religion who have no reason." I (i.e. al-Hasan b. al-Jahm) said: "May I be your ransom. In our opinion there is no harm upon the people who describes this affair. Do they have not reason?" "They are not from among those whom Allah addressed," he replied, "Allah created reason and ordered it to come forward, and it came forward. Then He ordered it to go back and it went back. Hence He said: 'By My might and majesty, I have not created anything better than you or more lovable to me than you. I punish (men) and reward (them) through you. ¹"
Allah did not create anything better than reason. All religious obligations depend on it, hence he who loses his reason is not required to perform them and is not sinful when he commits sins. That is because reason is the only condition in the correctness of religious duties and their validity on him whom performs them.
D. He, peace be on him, said: "The best reason is that man knows his own soul.² "
When man knows how his soul was shaped and ended, he will gain abundant good. That is because such knowledge will drive him away from evil inclinations, urges him to cling to good inclinations, and makes him know his Almighty Creator. It has been mentioned in the tradition: "He who knows his own soul knows his Lord."

Reflecting on the Affair of Allah

Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, said: "Worship is not abundant prayer and fasting; rather it is abundant reflecting on the affair of Allah, the Great and Almighty. ³"
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1. Ibid., p. 11.
2. A'yan al-Shi'a 4/Q2/ 196.
3. Al-Mizan, vol. 8, p. 369. Wasa'il al-Shi'a vol. 11, p. 16.

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Reflecting on the creatures of Allah, contemplating His wonderful creatures, and thinking of the secrets and wonders of this universe are clear evidence for the existence of the Almighty Creator. When man knows his Lord, he is safe from evil and committing crime, and he becomes the source of bestowal and good for his own soul and his society.

Reckoning Soul

He, peace be on him, said: "He who reckons his own soul is successful; he who is heedless of it is unsuccessful. ¹"
If man reckons his own soul with regard to doing good and evil deeds and prevents it from committing evil deeds, he will be sublime and attain success and good. If he is heedless of it, he will throw himself into endless evil.

Clemency

He, peace be on him, said: "Man is not worshipful unless he is clement.² "
Clemency is the noblest quality by which man is distinguished. Clemency toward evildoer and pardoning aggressor indicate that soul is sublime and has reached the highest degree of perfection. Through clemency man is the master of other than him and is a good guide to his own society.

Silence

He, peace be on him, said: "Some signs of understanding are clemency, knowledge, and silence. Silence is one of the doors to wisdom. It brings about love and is evidence for all good.³ "
Silence and controlling the tongue protect man from great evil and turn him aside from detested things which result from speech and utterance.
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1. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 111.
2. Ibid., p. 113.
3. Ibid., p. 124.

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Humbleness

He, peace be on him, said: "Humbleness is that you give to men that which you want them to give to you."
He, peace be on him, wrote to Mohammed b. Sina`n: "Humbleness is degrees. One of them is that man should know the measure of his own soul and sincerely place it in its rank. He does not like to do anything for others except that which he wants others to do for him. If others do evil deed for him, he repels the evil deed with a good one. He restrains his anger, pardons men,and Allah loves good-doers.¹"
The reality of humbleness is that man should honor men and treat them kindly just as he wants them to treat him in the same manner.
Humbleness is evidence for the honor and exaltedness of soul. Men love and honor him who shows humbleness toward them. Meanwhile Allah loves and exalts him.

Believer's Noble Qualities

He, peace be on him, said: "The believer is not believing unless he has three qualities: a quality from his Lord, a quality from his Prophet, and a quality from his ruler. As for the quality from his Lord, it is concealing his secret. Allah, the Great and Almighty has said: The Knower of the unseen, so He does not reveal His secrets to any. As for the quality from his Prophet, it is humoring with men, for Allah, the Great and Almighty ordered His Prophet to humor with men, saying: Take to forgiveness and enjoin good. As for the quality from his ruler, it is patience during prosperity and adversity.² "
How noble qualities are these! They raise the level of man to the top of honor and perfection, and they turn him aside from falling into destruction.
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1. Al-Durr al-NAzim, p. 216.
2. Wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol. 11, p. 241.

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The Best and Worst of Men

'Ali b. Shu'ayb said: [I visited Abu al-Hasan al-Rida, peace be on him, and he asked me:] "O 'Ali, do you know whose subsistence is the best?"
"Master, you know better than me," I replied "It is that of one through whom others' subsistence is improved," he explained.
"O 'Ali, do you know who has the worst subsistence?" he asked.
"Master, you know better than me," I answered.
"It is that of the one who does not include others in it," he declared.
The Ima`m went on advising him to do good and kindness to men, saying: "O 'Ali, be thoughtful to the boons, for they are wild: if they leave people, they never come back to them. O 'Ali, the worst of men is he who stops his contributions to charity, eats by himself, and whips his slave. ¹"
These words summons man to do good and kindness to men.

Faith and Islam

He, peace be on him, said: "Faith is a degree above Islam; Allah-fearingness is a degree above faith; and nothing less than Allah-fearingness has been divided among men. ²"
Certainty of Allah is the best degree of faith and is one of qualities of the great Allah-fearing whose hearts Allah examines for faith.

Vainglory corrupts deeds

Ahmed b. Najm asked Imam al-Rida about vainglory which corrupted deeds, and he, peace be on him, answered: "Vainglory is degrees: One of them is that the deed of a servant is embellished and he regards it as good. One of them is that the servant believes (in Allah) and reminds Him of favor, while Allah shows kindness toward him. ³"
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1. Al-Bihar, vol. 78, p. 335.
2. Mawahib al-Rahman, vol. 1, p. 64.
3. Al-Bihar, vol 78, p. 335.

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The vainglory, in the second sense, results from unbelief and unripe thoughts, and hence it corrupts deeds.

Sins

He, peace be on him, said: "When the servants commit sins which they have not known before, affliction which they have not known before befalls them. ¹"
Men have committed terrible kinds of sins and acts of disobedience which have not been known before. Hence Allah has let down upon them various kinds of afflictions and misfortunes which they have not known before.

Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Imam al-Rida said: "Either you enjoin (men) to do good and forbid (them) from evil or Allah will employ the wicked from among you over you, hence the righteous from among you supplicate (Him), but (He) does not respond to them.² "
Enjoining good and forbidding evil is an original method in Islamic life; hence neglecting it leads to bad results of which are spreading abominable things and the supplication of the righteous is not accepted.

He Who loves the Disobedient!

He, peace be on him, said: "He who loves the disobedient is disobedient; he who loves the obedient is obedient. He who helps a wrongdoer is a wrongdoer; he who deserts a wrongdoer is just. There is no kinship between Allah and any, and the protection of Allah is not attained but through obedience. ³"
He who loves the work of people, he will be mustered in their band, just as it has been mentioned in the tradition. So whoever loves the disobedient is disobedient, and whoever loves the obedient is obedient.
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1. Wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol. 11, p. 240.
2. Ibid., p. 394.
3. Ibid., p. 446.

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The Good Men

The Imam, peace be on him, was asked about the good men, and he replied: "It is they who are delighted when they do good, ask Allah's forgiveness when they do evil, give thanks when they are given, are patient when they are tried, and pardon (men) when they become angry. ¹"
He who has such noble qualities is indeed one of the good men and is perfect and meritorious.

Honest Work

He, peace be on him, said: "The reward of him who works to spare his family is greater than that of the struggler in the way of Allah. ²"
The work for sparing family is struggle in the way of Allah, honor which the worker attains, and glory of which he boasts.

Perfect Reason

He, peace be on him, said: "The discretion of a Muslim is not perfect except after he acquires ten qualities: Allah accepts his good deeds, he is trustworthy, he sees as plentiful the little good that others do for him, while seeing his own abundant good as little; he does not fret from being asked for favor, nor does he feel tired of constantly seeking knowledge; poverty reached in order to please Allah is better for him than wealth accumulated otherwise; to be subjected to power while trying to serve Allah is better in his regard than achieving power over his foe, and obscurity he prefers over fame."
Then he, peace be on him, said: "And the tenth (one), do you know what the tenth (one) is?"
He was asked: "What is it?"
He, peace be on him, replied: "Whenever he sees someone, he says to himself: 'He is better than me and more pious. People are two types: a person better than him and more pious, and one who is more
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1. Tuhaf al-'Uqul, p. 445.
2. Ibid.

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evil than him and more lowly. If he meets the one who is more evil than him and more lowly, he says to himself: 'Maybe, the goodness of this (statement) is implied, and it is better that he hears such a compliment, while my own goodness is apparent and it is detrimental to me. And when he sees someone better than him and pious, he would humble himself before him trying to raise himself to his level. So if he does that, his glory will be higher, his reputation will be better, and he will become distinguished above his contemporaries. ¹"
He who has these ten qualities is indeed perfect in faith and reason. Moreover Allah exalts him, raise his reputation in the world, and gives him the highest degree on the Day of Resurrection.

The Reality of Reliance on Allah

A man asked the Imam about these words of Him, the Exalted: "Whoever relies on Allah, He suffices him.² "
He, peace be on him, answered: "Reliance (on Allah) is in various degrees one of which is that you rely on Him in everything related to you, and when He does something to you which you know will not bring you anything good, you rely on His wisdom in doing it, so you nevertheless put your trust in Him willingly. Another you believe in the Unseen regarding Allah of which you have no knowledge, so you relied on Him and on His custodians, trusting in Him in their regard and in others.³ "
The Imam, peace be on him, gives a clear picture of the reality of reliance on Allah, the Exalted, which is that man should entrust all his affairs to Him, the Exalted, for this is pure faith and certitude in Allah.

The Pillars of Faith

He, peace be on him, said: "Faith is four pillars: trust in Allah, satisfaction with Allah's decree, submission to Allah's command, and
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1. Ibid., 443.
2. Qur'an, 65, 3.
3. Tuhaf al-Uqul, p. 443.

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entrusting (affairs) to Allah. The Righteous Servant¹ said: And I entrust my affair to Allah, so Allah protected him from the evil deeds of what they had schemed.² "
Faith in Allah stands on these four pillars. When a person has them, he attains the top of faith.

Noble Traits

He, peace be on him, said: "If one lacks five attributes, do not expect to gain anything good out of him for your life in this world or your life to come: if his lineage is known to be untrustworthy, if his nature lacks generosity, if his temper lacks balance, if he lacks a noble conduct, and if he lacks fear of his Lord. ³"
He who has these noble qualities scores a great success in honor and manhood and is hoped for help and generosity.

Giving Thanks for Favors

He, peace be on him, said: "He who does not thank the benefactor from among the creatures does not thank Allah, the Great and Almighty.⁴ " Showing gratitude to the benefactor for his favor is a must. He who does not thank him and denies him does not thank Allah, the Great and Almighty, for His favors toward him.

His Commandments

The Imam, peace be on him, gave some commandments to his close Shï'ites. The following are some of them:

A. His Commandments to Ahmed

The Imam, peace be on him, gave some commandments to Ahmed b. Abu Nasr. The following are some of them: "Do not be tired of supplicating, for it is of great importance with Allah. Be
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1. The Righteous Servant was the believer of the family of Pharaoh.
2. Tuhaf al-'Uqul, p. 445.
3. Ibid., p. 446.
4. Wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol. 11, p. 542.

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patient, seek the lawful, tighten (your) bonds of kin with gifts, beware of showing enmity toward men, for we, the members of the House, join him who cuts us off, and do good for him who does evil for us, so, by Allah, we see good results through that.¹ "
He advised him to cling to noble moral traits and good deeds through which man becomes exalted.

B. His Commandments to Ibrahïm

The Imam, peace be on him, gave some commandments to Ibrahïm b. Abu Mahmud. (He said to him): [My father told me on the authority of his fathers, on the authority of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his Family, who said:] "He who listens to a speaker serves him. If the speaker (talks on behalf of) Allah, he serves Allah. If the speaker (talks on behalf) of Satan, he serves Satan." Then he said: "Son of Abu Mahmud, when men go to left and right, then cling to our way, for we cling to him who clings to us and separate ourselves from him who separates himself from us. The least thing through which man deviate from faith is that he calls pebble stone, then he embraces this and renounces those who oppose him. Son of Abu Mahmud, keep in mind what I have told you about, for I have gathered for you thereby the good of this world and the next. ²"

C. His Commandments to Ahmed and al-Husayn

Ahmed b. 'Umar and al-Husayn b. Yazïd said: "We visited Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, and said to him: 'We were in plenty of provision and ease of livelihood. (Our) state has changed, so supplicate Allah to return that to us.'"
The Imam ordered them to be content and satisfied with that
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1. Ibid., vol. 4, p. 1129.
2. Ibid., vol. 18, p. 92.

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which Allah had apportioned for them, saying: "What do you want? Do you want to be kings? Does it please you to be like Tahir¹ and Herthima² while you oppose your doctrine?"
One of them interrupted the Ima`m, saying: "No, by Allah, it does not please me that I possess the gold and silver of the world. I oppose my doctrine." This means that he deviated from the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on him.
The Imam, peace be on him, said: "Allah says: Give thanks, O family of Dawud, and very few of My servants are grateful. Have a good opinion in Allah, for he who has a good opinion of Allah, Allah has a good opinion of him. He who is satisfied with a little provision, his little work is accepted. He who is content with a little lawful thing, his provision is light, his family leads a life of ease and comfort, Allah makes him see the malady of the world and its medicine, brings him out of it sound and (sends him) to the Abode of Peace.³ "
The Imam, peace be on him, advised them to cling to contentment which is an everlasting treasure. He made them know that they had something more expensive than silver and gold, which was showing friendship to the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them, who were the greatest favor of Allah toward His righteous servants.

D. Equality between the Rich and the Poor

The Imam advised his companions (to spread) equality among
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1. Tahir was Abu al-Tayyib, who was given the nick-name of Dhi al-Yamani ( the possessor of the right hand), for he stroke a person with his left hand and cut him into two halves. Concerning him a poet said: "Both your hands are right when you hit with them." Al-Ma'mun appointed him as governor over Khurasan. It was he who overthrew the government of al-Aminand killed him and installed al-Ma'mun in his place. He was a Shi'ite and was among the companions of Imam al-Rida, peace be upon him.
2. Hirthima b. A'yun was among the leaders of al-Ma'mun and one of the close companions of Imam al-Rida, peace be upon him.
3. Thuhaf al-Uqul, p. 448.

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the rich and the poor with greetings (sala`m). He said: "He who meets a poor and greets him in a manner different from greeting the rich meets Allah, the Great and Almighty, and He is angry with him. ¹"
This commandment represents the great morals of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them, whom Allah created as mercy for His servants, for they made it incumbent upon their Shï'ites to spread equality among Muslims even through greetings (salam) and made them hate color discrimination.

Smiling at the Believer

The Imam advised his companions to smile at the believer and not to receive him with anger. He, peace be on him, said: "He who smiles at his believing brother, Allah will write a good deed for him, and Allah will not torture him for whom He writes a good deed. ²"
The Imams, peace be on them, advised their companions to follow these noble moral traits, that they might be an example to men.

General Commandments

The Imam, peace be on him, advised his companions and the rest of people to follow these valuable commandments: "Fear Allah, O men, regarding the favors of Allah toward you. Do not repel them from you through disobeying Him. Know that you do not thank Allah for a thing after faith in Him and His Messenger, and after confessing the rights of Allah's friends from among the family of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, more lovable (to Him) than your helping your believing brothers in their world, which is a bridge for you to the Gardens of their Lord. He who does that is among the close friends of Allah. ³" These commandments are full of urging men to fear Allah, the Exalted, to help their brothers, and to show kindness toward them.
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1. Wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol. 8, p. 442.
2. Ibid., vol. 8, p. 483.
3. Al-Durr al-Nazim, p. 215.

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Tightening the Bonds of Kin

A group of traditions has been reported from Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, concerning urging his companions and Shï~'ites to tighten the bonds of kin. Some of them are as follows:
A. He, peace be on him, said: "If only three years of a person's span of life has remained and he tightens the bond of kin, Allah will make them thirty years, and Allah does whatever He wills. "
B. He, peace be on him, said: "We know that nothing increases the span of life except tightening the bonds of kin, to the extent that the person's fixed term is three years and he tightens the bonds of kin, so Allah adds thirty years to his span of life, and hence He makes them thirty-three years. If his fixed term is thirty-three and he cuts off the bonds of kin, Allah subtracts thirty years from it, and makes his fixed term three years. "
C. He, peace be on him, said: [Abu` 'Abd Allah, peace be on him, said:] "Tighten the bonds of kin even through a drink of water. The best thing through which you tighten the bonds of kin is withholding harm from them. Tightening the bonds of kin delays the fixed term and (brings about) love among family. "
The best means of strengthening social ties is showing kindness toward blood relatives. This will unify their sentiments and feelings and form righteous cells on which society stands.

Wise Sayings of some Prophets

Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, narrated some valuable wise sayings of some prophets, peace be on them. The following are some of them:

Musa's Whispered Prayers

He, peace be on him, said: "When Musa b. 'Umran whispered (words) to his Lord in prayer, he said: 'My Lord, are You far from me,
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1. wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol. 15, p. 243
2. Ibid., p. 245.
3. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 245.

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so I will call out for You? Or are You near, so I will whisper (words to) You in prayer?' Hence, Allah inspired him: 'Musa, I am the Friend of him who remembers Me.' Musa said: 'I am in a state in which You are greater than to be remembered.' Allah said: 'Musa, remember Me in every state. ¹'"

In the Scriptures of Ibrahïm

He, peace be on him, said: [(Allah says) in the Scriptures of Ibra`hï~m:] "O vainglorious king, I did not send you in order to build the building nor to gather for this world, but I sent you in order to answer the supplication of the wronged, for I respond to it even if it (issues) from an unbeliever. ²"

'Isa with the Disciples

He, peace be on him, said: ['Isa said to the disciples:] "O Children of Isra'ïl, do not grieve for that which escapes you of the world just as the people of the world who do not grieve for that which escapes them of their religion when they attain their world. ³"
In the previous researches we mentioned some of the traditions reported from the Ima`m, peace be on him, regarding the states of the prophets, and which were full of their wise words.

Preaching and Guidance

The narrators and the historians mentioned a group of the worlds and poems of the Ima`m on preaching and guidance. The following are some of them:
1. Mohammed b. 'Ubayda said: [I visited 'Ali al-Rida`, peace be on him. He sent for Sa`lih b. Sa'ï~d, and then he preached to both of us. A part of his preaching was that he said:] "Abu Ja'far (i.e. Imam Mohammed al-Ba`qir, peace be on him) said: 'Be good with out evil; be leaves with out thorns. Do not be thorns without leaves and evil without good.'"
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1. Al-Fusul al-Muhimma, p. 224. Wasa'il al-Shi'a, 1/0.
2. Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh.
3. Usul al-Kafi, vol 2, p. 137.

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Then he said: "Surely Allah detests idle talk, wasting money, and much begging."
Then he said: "The children of Isra'ïl became strict, so Allah became strict with them. Musa said to them: 'Slaughter a cow.' They asked: 'What color is it?' They were still so strict that they (were forced to) slaughter a very expensive cow."
Then he said: ['Ali b. Abu` Ta`lib said:] "The wise lost wisdom when they placed it with other than its people. "
2. Al-Ma'mu`n wrote the Ima`m asking him to preach to him, and he wrote him these lines:
You are in the world with a period in which the deed of the doer is accepted.
Do you not see that death encompasses it and deprives the hopeful of their hope.
You hasten to sin as you like and expect repentance from the Acceptor.
Death surprisingly comes to people. This is not the deed of the one resolute and wise.
3. The following poetry lines are part of what he composed on preaching:
All of us hope for drawn out fixed term, while death is the blight of expectation.
Let not the false things of desires deceive you, cling to moderation, and leave defects.
The world is like perishing shade in which a rider stops and then he departs.
4. He was asked once: "How did you start your day?" He, peace be on him, answered: "With a shorter life-span, with our deeds being recorded, with death round our necks, with Fire behind our backs, and we do not know what will be done to us. ⁴"
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1. Al-Bihar, vol. 72, p. 345.
2. A'yan al-Shi'a, 4/Q2/199. Quoted from al-Ikhtisas.
3. U'yun al-Tawarikh, vol. 3, p. 227. Photographed, in the Library of Imam Amir al-Mu'mineen, no. 2769. AlBidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 10, p. 250.
4. Tuhaf al-'Uqul, p. 446.

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5. Yasir, the retainer, said: [I heard 'Ali b. Mu`sa` al-Rida`, peace be on him, say:] "This creature (i.e. man) is lonely in three situations: On the day when he is born in the world and sees it, on the day when he dies and sees the next world and its people, and on the day when he is resurrected and sees the rules which he did not see in the world. Allah, the Exalted, greeted Yahya in these three situations and calmed his fear, saying: And peace on him on the day he was born, and on the day he dies, and on the day he is raised to life. 'Isa b. Maryam greeted himself in these three situations, saying: And peace be on me on the day when I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life. ¹"
6. A man complained to the Ima`m of his brother, and he, peace be on him, composed, saying:
Forgive your brother's sin; cover and cloak his defects.
Be patient toward the slander of the foolish and the misfortunes of time.
Leave the answer as bounty and entrust the wrongdoer to his Lover.²
7. Al-Nawfali recited the following poetry lines before the Ima`m, peace be on him:
I have seen that white hair is detested, respect thereby, and sins are not appropriate for it. When the possessor of white hair commit sins, all will say: When will he repent?
I will make friends with it through Allah-fearingness until the close fixed term separates us.³
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1. Nur al-Absar, p. 140.
2. A'yan al-Shi'a 4/Q2/198.
3. Uyun al-Tawarikh, vol. 3, p. 227

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