23 - شبكة رافـد للتنمية الثقافية

His Narrations on the Authority of
the Commander of the Faithful

Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, reported a brilliant group of the wise sayings of Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. In these wise sayings Ima`m 'Ali treated many social affairs. Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin also reported a group of his sermons of which is the following:
1. He, peace be on him, said: "The immoderate person has three marks: He eats that which does not belong to him, wears that which does not belong to him, and buys that which does not belong to him.²"
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1. Rabi' al-Abbrar, vol. 4, p. 328.
2. Al-Khisal, p. 94.

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The immoderate are deviated from economical conduct. 'Ali, the wise Ima`m, has limited this deviation in their conduct when he says that they eat, wear, and buy things which do not agree with their conditions and incomes.
2. He, peace be on him, said: [My father al-Husayn, peace be on him, related to me, he said: I heard my father, 'Ali, say:]
"Acts are three categories: Obligations, excellencies, and acts of disobedience. As for obligations, they (occur) in accordance with command, pleasure, decree, predetermination, will, and knowledge of Allah, the Great and Almighty. As for acts of disobedience, they do not (occur) according to Allah's command, but they (occur) according to Allah's decree, predetermination, will, and knowledge , then He punish (men) for them.¹"
Ima`m 'Ali shed light on man's deeds and their relationship with Allah's decree and predetermination. Hence all man's acts are known by Allah, Who knows the weight of an atom in the earth and the heavens, but man is not forced to practice both good and evil acts; rather that is up to his will and choice, which theologians have established in their books of theology.
3. He, peace be on him, narrated on the authority of his father that Ima`m 'Ali, Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, said: "Surely, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has concealed four (things) in four (things): He has concealed His pleasure in His obedience, hence make not little of any act of obedience to Him, for it may agree with His pleasure, while you do not know. He has hidden His wrath in disobeying Him, hence make not light of any act of disobeying Him, for it may agree with His wrath, while you do not know. He has concealed His answer in supplicating Him, hence make not little of supplicating Him, for it may match His answer, will you do not know. He has hidden His friends among His servants, hence make not light of any of His servants, for he may be His friend, while you do not know.²"
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1. Ibid., p. 156.
2. Ibid., 191.

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Ima`m 'Ali, peace be on him, urged men not to make little of any of the foregoing affairs, for disdaining them would result in corrupt acts.
4. He, peace be on him, said: [The Commander of the faithful would say:]
"Surely, time is three days, and your are among them: Yesterday and what was on it passed, hence it will never return. If you did good on it, you would not grieve for its passing and would be happy with what you received on it. If you neglected (your works) on it, you would intensely grieve for its passing. You were negligent on it and you are negligent on your next day which you do not know, perhaps you will not reach it. If you reached it, perhaps your share of negligence on it would be like your share on your past day. Hence one of the three days passed, while you were negligent on it. Then the day for which you wait, while you are not sure of leaving negligence on it; it is your day which you have entered. Hence, it is necessary for you to think about the good deeds which you neglected on your past day and the evil deeds from which you did not refrain on it. Yet, you will receive your next day, while you are not sure of reaching it, not certain of attaining good deeds or refraining from evil deeds. Therefore, your day which you have reached is like your past day. Hence act as the one who expects none of the days except his day and night upon which he has entered. Therefore, do (good) and leave (evil), and it is Allah Who helps (you) with this.¹" The Lord of the knowers and Ima`m of the Allah-fearing urged men to seize the opportunity through doing good and refraining from doing evil, for man's days pass quickly, and Allah will repay him for his good deeds and punish him for his evil deeds.
5. He, peace be on him, said: [The Commander of the faithful would say:]
"O Allah, be kind to me through trusting in You, entrusting (my affairs) to You, satisfying with Your predetermination, and submitting
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1. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 453.

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to Your command, that I may not love hastening what You have delayed nor delaying what You have hastened, O Lord of the worlds!¹" In these words the Commander of the faithful summoned men to trust in Allah, the Exalted, to entrust their affairs to Him, to satisfy with His predetermination, and to submit to His command, for only He, the Most High, can arrange the affairs of all men, and none other than Him is able to arrange them.
6. He, peace be on him, said: [While the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, was mobilizing his companions, an old man came to him, greeted him, and said to him: "I have come to you from Syria. I am an old man. I have heard about your countless outstanding merits. I think that you will be assassinated, hence teach me of what Allah, the Exalted, has taught you." The Commander of the faithful said to him:]
"Yes, O old man, he whose two days are equal is wronged. He whose worries are many in the world, his grief will be greater on leaving it. He whose next day is more wicked than his day is deprived. He who does not pay attention to what he sees in his next world, if this world of him is faultless for him, is ruined. He who does not take care of his own defect, caprice will overcome him. He who has defect, death is better for him (than life). O old man, this world is insignificant and it has people. The next world also has people whose souls are free from supporting the people of the world. They do not compete with each other for the world, nor are they happy with its ease, nor do they grieve for its misery. O old man, whoever is afraid of spending night, his sleep is little. How quick nights and days are in the span of a servant! Hence store your words, count your days, and say nothing except good. O old man, accept for men what you accept for yourself, and do for men as you want them to do for you."
Having given the old man these brilliant commandments and sermons, Ima`m 'Ali turned to his companions and said to them: "O men, do you not see that the people of the world enter into evening
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1. Ibid., p. 580. Nasikh al-Tawarikh, vol. 1, p. 142.

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and rise in the morning in various states? They are: One who is afflicted with epilepsy, another is a returner, another is returned, another sacrifices his own self, another hopes for (nothing), another is shrouded, another seeks the world and death seeks him, another is heedless, but (Allah) is not heedless of him, and the remaining ones walk on the path of the bygone ones."
The wise Ima`m ('Ali) talked about the general life which people lead throughout history; he spoke about people's affairs and states that will never change till Allah inherits the earth and what is on it.
Zayd b. Soha`n al-'Abdi was a companion and student of Ima`m 'Ali. He was the best of the companions, the most mindful of them, and the most knowledgeable of them in the sciences of Ima`n 'Ali, hence he questioned the Ima`m as follows: "O Commander of the faithful, Which authority is the most overcoming and strongest?"

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Zayd's questions were over. After Ima`m 'Ali had fully answered them, he turned to the old man and said to him:
"Surely, Allah, the Great and Almighty, created some creatures. He made the world narrow against them in order to test them. He increased for them the world's vanities, but they wished for the Abode of Peace to which He summoned them. They showed forbearance toward difficult livelihood and ordeal. They earned for the dignity with Allah. They sacrificed themselves for seeking Allah's good pleasure. Hence their final result was martyrdom. They met Allah, Who was pleased with them. They knew that death was the way of those who were before and after them. Hence they supplied themselves for their next world with (provisions) other than silver and gold. They showed forbearance toward minimum nourishment and

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offered the surplus (of it). They loved (men) for Allah and hated (them) for Him, the Great and Almighty. It is they who are lamps, and they will be the people of Paradise in the next world."
This sermon made a strong impression on the old man, hence he turned to Ima`m 'Ali and said to him: "I will not leave the Garden, for I see its people (standing) beside you. Supply me with a weapon to be able (to fight) against your enemy."
Ima`m 'Ali supplied the old man with a breastplate. Hence, the old man was among the most prominent fighters. He showed extreme courage at the battle until he was martyred before him. Hence Ima`m 'Ali prayed over him and asked Allah to have mercy on him.¹
7. Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, narrated one of the sermons of his grandfather, Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. The following is its text:
"Surely, praise belongs to Allah. I praise Him and ask Him for help and guidance. I seek refuge in Allah from misguidance. Whomever Allah guides, none misguides him. Whomever Allah misguides, none guides him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the One Who has no associate , and that Mohammed is His servant and His messenger, He chose him for His command and singled him out for prophecy, the noblest of His creatures and the most lovable with Him, hence he delivered the message of his Lord, counseled his community, and delivered that with which he was charged. I advise you to fear Allah. Indeed the fear of Allah is the best (thing) for which the servants of Allah advised each other, the nearest (thing) to Allah's good pleasure, and the best (thing) in the final results of the affairs with Allah. You were commanded to fear Allah. You were created for kindness and obedience. Hence be wary of Allah to the extent that He warned you against Himself, for He warned (you) against a severe torment. Fear Allah with a fear which is not a mere excuse. Act without dissimulation and reputation, for he who acts for other than Allah, Allah entrusts him to him for whom he acts.
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1. Al-Tusi, al-Amali, p. 277.

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Whoever sincerely acts for Allah, Allah undertakes repaying him. Fear Allah's torment, for He did not create you in vain nor will vainly He leave any of your affairs. He named your traces, knew your works, and wrote down your fixed terms. Hence let not the world delude you, for it beguiles its people, and those who admire it are deceived. This world will perish, but the next world is the abode of life, if only they knew. I ask Allah for the abodes of the martyrs, accompanying the prophets, and the life of the happy. Indeed, we belong to Allah and turn to Him (for help).¹"
In this holy sermon, Ima`m 'Ali, peace be on him, summoned the men to cling to reverential fear, which is the best thing for which the pious servants of Allah advised each other. He also urged them to purify their works from dissimulation, for he who works for those other than Allah corrupts his work, his effort is straying, and his hope is disappointed.
8. He, peace be on him, said: [The Commander of the faithful said:]
"O men, do you know who will follow the man after his death? They kept silent. Hence he said: 'His son will follow him, supplicate (Allah) for him, and ask (Allah) to forgive him.² The reward of alms which he gives during his lifetime will follow him after his death. The reward of his good conduct and of those who practice it, though their reward will not be decreased, will follow him."
9. He, peace be on him, said: [The Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, performed (the morning) prayer. Then he remained (praying) in his place until the sun rose. Then he turned his face to the men and said (to them):]
"By Allah, it happened that we lived until we met groups of people who spent night in prostrating and standing (in prayer) for their Lord, and who marked time between their foreheads and their
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1. Waqi'at Siffin.
2. The pious, righteous son is the one who supplicates to Allah for his father and ask Him to forgive him.

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knees as if they heard the roaring of the Fire with their own ears. When the name of Allah was mentioned before them, they bent as the trees did as if they spent night heedless." Then he, peace be on him, went away, and none saw him laugh until he passed away.¹"

In the Fields of the Qur'a`n
Before we mention some examples of the commentaries of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, on some verses of the Holy Qur'a`n, we would like to explain what has been narrated on his authority in the fields of this Great Book.

His Fondness of the Qur'a`n
Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, was the ally of the Holy Qur'a`n and was fond of reciting it, for he found in it a matchless pleasure. Hence he, peace be on him, said: "If those who are between the east and the west died, I would not feel lonely, for the Qur'a`n is with me.²"

His Reciting the Qur'a`n
The Ima`m was the best of the people in voice when he recited the Holy Qur'a`n. He had a strong impression on those who heard his voice. The narrators said: "The water carriers who passed by the door of his house stopped to listen to his voice.³"

His Reflecting on the Qur'a`n
The Ima`m, peace be on him, did not recite the Holy Qur'a`n with a passing recitation; rather he recited its verses with reflection and scrutiny. He carefully considered the treasures of wisdom and knowledge therein. Hence he said: "The verses of the Qur'a`n are treasures. Whenever you open a treasure of them, you must consider it
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1. Al-Tubrisi, Mishkat al-Anwar, p. 57.
2. Al-Majjlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46, p. 107.
3. Sharh Shafiyat Abi Firas, vol. 2, p. 198. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 616.

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carefully.¹" The narrators said: "When he recited 'Master of the Day of Judgment,' he repeated it to the extent that he was about to die.²" The reason for this is that he carefully considered the meaning of this Holy Verse.

His Supplication upon Completing
a Reading of the Qur'a`n
When the Ima`m completed reciting the Holy Qur'a`n, he would supplicate Allah with this holy supplication:
"O Allah, You have helped complete Your Book, which You sent down as a light and appointed as a guardian over every book You have sent down, preferring it over every narrative which You have recounted, a separator, through which You separated Your lawful from Your unlawful, a Qur'a`n through which You have made plain the approaches to Your ordinances, a book, which You have distinguished very distinctly for Your servants, a revelation, which You have sent down, a sending down, upon Your prophet Mohammed (Your blessings be upon him and his Household). You appointed it a light through following which we may be guided from the shadows of error and ignorance, a healing for him who turns ear toward hearing it with the understanding of attestation, a just balance whose tongue does not incline from truth, a light of guidance whose proof is not extinguished before the witnesses, and a guidepost of deliverance, Hence that he who repairs straightway to its prescription will not go astray and he will clings to its preservation's handhold will not be touched by the hands of disasters.
"O Allah, since You have given us help to recite it and made smooth the roughness of our tongues through the beauty of its expression, place us among those who observe it as it should be observed, serve You by adhering in submission to the firm text of its verses, and seek refuge in admitting both its ambiguous parts and the
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1. Al-Wafi.
2. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 602.

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elucidations of its clear signs! O Allah, You sent it down upon Your prophet Mohammed (Allah bless him and his Household) in summary form, You inspired him with the science of its wonders to complement it, You made us the heirs of its knowledge as interpreters, You made us to surpass him who is ignorant of its knowledge, and You gave strength over it to raise up above those not able to carry it.
"O Allah, just as You have appointed our hearts as its carriers and made known to us through Your mercy its nobility and excellence, Hence bless Mohammed, its preacher, and his Household, its guardians, and place us among those who confess that it has come from You, lest doubt about attesting to it assail us, or deviation from its straightforward path shake us!"
As for the Holy Qur'a`n, it is the greatest miracle of Islam. In these paragraphs of his supplication, the Prophet's grandson, Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, talked about some aspects and lights of the Holy Qur'a`n, which are as follows:
1. Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Holy Qur'a`n as light through which He guided to the straight way those who went astray and the perplexed.
2. Allah, the Exalted, appointed the Holy Qur'a`n as a guardian over all His books which He sent down upon His prophets, hence it (the Qur'a`n) shows all acts of change, alteration, and distortion done by the devious and the summoners to misguidance.
3. Allah, the Exalted, preferred His Holy Book over every narrative in which He mentioned the stories and affairs of the prophets, for He objectively and inclusively mentioned in the Holy Qur'a`n all their conditions, affairs, and stories.
4. The Holy Qur'a`n is a life, general law; it separates the lawful from the unlawful, makes plain the approaches to the ordinances, and distinguishes very distinctly all the needs of men.
5. Allah, the Exalted, appointed His Holy Book a light through following which men may be guided from the shadows of error and ignorance. He also appointed it a healing for the diseases and psychological defects of those who believed in it.

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6. The Holy Qur'a`n is the balance of justice and fairness. In it there is no deviation from truth nor is there in it following caprice. Whoever clings and holds fast to it will follow the straight way and be safe from disasters.
7. Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, asked Allah to be kind to him through making him observe His Book, submit to the elucidations of its clear signs, and admit its ambiguous parts.
8. Allah, the Exalted, inspired His great prophet with the wonders of the Holy Qur'a`n and taught him how to interpret them. Moreover, the Ima`m praised the Ima`ms of guidance from among the Household of the Prophet (Allah's blessings be upon him and his Household), whose rank Allah made high, whom He made guardians over His knowledge, and guides to His Book.
After this, let's listen to another part of this holy supplication:
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, and make us one of those who hold fast to its cord, seek haven from its ambiguities in its fortified stronghold, rest in the shadow of its wing, find guidance in the brightness of its morning, follow the shining of its disclosure, acquire light from its lamp, and beg not guidance from any other! O Allah, just as through it You have set up Mohammed as a guidepost to point to You and through his Household You have made clear Your good pleasure's roads to You, Hence also bless Mohammed and his Household and make the Qur'a`n our mediation to the noblest stations of Your honor, a ladder by which we may climb to the place of safety, a cause for our being repaid with deliverance at the Plain of Resurrection, and a means whereby we may reach the bliss of the House of Permanence! O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, lessen for us through the Qur'a`n the weight of heavy sins, give us the excellent qualities of the pious, and make us follow the tracks of those who stood before You in the watches of the night and the ends of the day, such that You purify us from every defilement through its purification and make us follow the tracks of those who have taken illumination from its light and whom expectation has not distracted from works, cutting them off through its delusions'

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deceptions! O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, and appoint the Qur'a`n for us an intimate in the shadows of nights and a guardian against the instigations of Satan and confusing thoughts, for our feet an obstruction from passing to acts of disobedience for our tongues a silencer without blight preventing a plunge into falsehood, for our limbs a restrainer from committing sins, and for the scrutiny of heedfulness rolled up in heedlessness an unroller, such that You attach to our hearts the understanding of the Koran's wonders and its restraining similitudes which immovable mountains in all their solidity were too weak to carry! O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, and through the Qur'a`n make permanent the rightness of our outward selves, veil the ideas of confusing thoughts from the soundness of our innermost minds, wash away the dirt of our hearts and the ties of our heavy sins, gather our scattered affairs, quench the thirst of our burning heat in the standing place of the presentation to You, and clothe us in the ropes of security on the Day of the Greatest Terror at our uprising!"
In this wonderful part the Ima`m pleaded to Allah, the Exalted, and asked Him to place him among those who held fast to the cord of the Qur'a`n, to refer to Him concerning its ambiguities, to make him acquire light from its lamp, and not to beg guidance from any other. Also he asked Him to make the Qur'a`n a mediation through which he would reach the highest ranks of those brought nigh, a ladder by which he might climb to the places of safety, a cause for his being repaid with deliverance on the Day of Resurrection, to lessen for him through the Qur'a`n the weight of heavy sins, to make the recitation and reflection of the Qur'a`n an intimate for him in the shadows of nights, and to guard him with it against the instigations of the accursed Satan. These are some contents of this part. Now, let's listen to the last paragraphs of this holy supplication:
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, and through the Qur'a`n redress our lack(our destitution in poverty(drive toward us the comforts of life and an abundance of plentiful provisions, turn aside blameworthy character traits and base moral qualities, and

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preserve us from the pit of unbelief and the motives for hypocrisy, such that the Qur'a`n may be for us at the resurrection a leader to Your good pleasure and Your gardens, for us in this world a protector against Your displeasure and transgressing Your bounds, and for what is with You a witness by its declaring lawful the lawful and its declaring unlawful the lawful!
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, and through the Qur'a`n make easy for our souls at death, the distress of the driving, the effort of the moaning, and the succession of the rattling, when souls reach the throats and it is said, 'Where is the enchanter? '; when the angel of death discloses himself to seize them from behind the veils of unseen things, letting loose at them from the bow of destinies the arrows of the terror of lonesome separation, and mixing for them from sudden death a cup poisoned to the taste; and when departure and release for the hereafter come close to us, works become collars around the necks, and the graves become the haven until the appointed time of the Day of Encounter!
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, make blessed for us the arrival at the house of decay and the drawn out residence between the layers of the earth, appoint the graves, after separation from this world, the best of our way stations, make room for us through Your mercy the narrowness of our tombs, and disgrace us not among those present at the Resurrection through our ruinous sins! Through the Qur'a`n have mercy upon the lowliness of our station at the standing place of presentation to You, make firm the slips of our feet during the shaking of the bridge across hell on the day of passage over it, illuminate the darkness of our graves before the Uprising, and deliver us from every distress on the Day of Resurrection and from the hardships of terrors on the Day of Disaster! Whiten our faces on the day when the faces of wrongdoers are blackened during the Day of Regret and Remorse, appoint love for us in the breasts of the faithful, and make not life for us troublesome!
"O Allah, bless Mohammed, Your servant and Your messenger, just as he delivered Your message, executed Your command, and

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counseled Your servants! O Allah, on the Day of Resurrection make our Prophet (Your blessings be upon him and his Household) the nearest of the prophets in seat, the ablest of them before You with intercession, the greatest of them with You in measure, and the most eminent of them with You in rank. O Allah, bless Mohammed the Household of Mohammed, ennoble his edifice, magnify his proof, make weighty his balance, accept his intercession, bring near his mediation, whiten his face, complete his light, and raise his degree! Make us live according to his Sunna , make us die in his creed, take us on his road, make us travel his path, place us among the people who obey him, muster us in his band, lead us to up his pool, and give us to drink of his cup! And bless Mohammed and his Household with a blessing through which You will take him to the most excellent of Your good, Your bounty, and Your generosity for which he hopes! You are Possessor of boundless mercy and generous bounty.
"O Allah, repay him for Your message which he delivered, Your signs which he passed on, the good counsel he gave to Your servants, and the struggle he undertook in Your way, with the best You have repaid any of Your angels brought nigh and Your prophets sent out and chosen! And upon him and his Household, the good, the pure, be peace, Allah's mercy, and His blessings!¹"
With this we will end our talk about this holy supplication, which is among the excellent supplications of the Ima`ms of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them. In these paragraphs, Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, magnified the Holy Qur'a`n and depicted it with the greatest descriptions and the most high attributes, for none knows the importance and interpretation of this Great Book except the Ima`ms of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, who were the treasurers of the knowledge of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and the narrators of his wisdom. In these paragraphs, he asked Allah, the Exalted, to be bounteous to him through the good of this world and of
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1. Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiya, Supplication no. 42.

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the next world and to bestow upon him forgiveness and good pleasure when he met him and was in His neighborhood. Also he magnified the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his Household, who spread thought and knowledge on earth, and asked Allah, the Exalted, to repay him for his efforts and struggle for freeing and saving man from unbelief.

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23

His Narrations on the Authority of
the Commander of the Faithful

In the Fields of the Qur'a`n

His Fondness of the Qur'a`n

His Reciting the Qur'a`n

His Reflecting on the Qur'a`n

His Supplication upon Completing
a Reading of the Qur'a`n

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23

His Narrations on the Authority of the Commander of the Faithful

In the Fields of the Qur'a`n

His Fondness of the Qur'a`n

His Reciting the Qur'a`n

His Reflecting on the Qur'a`n

His Supplication upon Completing a Reading of the Qur'a`n

Comments

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His Narrations on the Authority of
the Commander of the Faithful

His Supplication upon Completing
a Reading of the Qur'a`n