Introduction

God is One and Only

Abandoning the Present to Attain the Promised

Oppressive Characteristics

Characteristics Rooted in Love for Religion

One Characteristic for Five Characteristics

A Characteristic for a Characteristic

A Saving Characteristic

The Loftiest Characteristic of the Religion

No Two Things Combined which are Better than the Combination of Two Characteristics

A Characteristic that is the Honor of This World and the Hereafter

The Most Knowledgeable Person Is One who Combines One Characteristic with Another One

There Is One True Prosperity And One True Misery

A Characteristic for Which the People Deserve to be Rewarded or Punished

A Characteristic that Is the Noblest Holy War

The Hardest Thing is One Characteristic that Cannot Be Avoided Unless We Abandon Another Characteristic

A Believer’s Honor Is in One Characteristic and His Glory Is In Another Characteristic

One Characteristic Is the Key to All Evil

A Characteristic Due to Justice

A Characteristic Due to Which We Are Interested in How Others Judge About Us

Seek Nearness to God with One Characteristic

God Has Not Tested the Servants with Anything Harder Than One Characteristic

A Characteristic that Is the Result of Being Kind

A Characteristic that Stabilizes One’s Faith and One that Makes Him Lose His Faith

A Characteristic that Destroys a Believer’s Dignity

A Good Characteristic Which No Other Characteristic Is Better Than, and a Bad Characteristic That No Other Characteristic Is Worse Than

A Characteristic That Guarantees Who Will Not Become Poor

The Form of Chivalry of the Members of the Holy Household

A Characteristic Due to One’s Chivalry

A Characteristic that Is Not Good for a Dignified Man

God Loves One Characteristic and Despises One Characteristic

One Who has This Characteristic Would Not Be Thankful for Blessings

A Characteristic Due to Humbleness

A Characteristic that Is Close to Blasphemy and A Characteristic that Might Change Destiny

A Characteristic that Destroyed Previous Nations

Martyrdom Is Expiation for Every Sin Except for One’s Debt

God the Almighty Has Sent Muhammad (sw) and His Nation a Gift That He Has Not Given to Any Other Nation

A Characteristic that One Should Have If He Wants to Increase Goodness in His House

God Will Look at Whom He Likes. Once He Looks at Him, He Shall Grant Him One of Three Gifts

The Hereafter is the Wedding of the Pious Ones

A Characteristic That is Like its Opposite

The Most Wicked People Are Those Who Are Respected for Possessing One Characteristic

A Characteristic in This World is Abstinence, and a Characteristic That is Gratitude for all Blessings

Nothing Deserves to Be Restrained More Than the Tongue

Whoever Raises his Aspirations Does Wrong

Good Deeds Are Recorded for a Muslim as Long as He Remains Quiet

A Characteristic Having Which Will Result in God Saving You From the Fear of the Hereafter

The Most Intelligent Characteristic

The Most Pious, the Best Worshipping, the Most Ascetic and the Most Hard-Working People

Becoming Sorry Is the Same as Repenting

Whoever Earns More Than His Meals fom This World

A Characteristic That Deserves to Be Willed

A Characteristic That Causes One to Be Thrown Out and a Characteristic That Causes One to Be Joined

Lofty Characteristics and Bad Characteristics for the People of the World

There Is No Honor Except Through One Characteristic. There Is No Nobility Except Through Another Characteristic

When God Loves a Servant He Will Make Him Suffer from a Great Calamity

A Characteristic That Leads to Hemorrhoids

A Hand on Which There Is an Iron Ring Is Not Clean

Do Not Respond to Whoever Talks Before He Greets You

A Characteristic That if Practiced Implies Despise for Muhammad’s Religion

Only One of the Proverbs of the Prophets Has Remained

When God Wishes a Servant Well, He Will Expedite His Punishment in This World, and When He Wishes Someone Bad, He Will Procrastinate His Punishment

Be Patient with the Enemies of the Blessings

The Prophet (sw) and Ali Ibn Abi Talib Were Created from the Same Root

A Characteristic That is Gratitude for All Blessings

Religion Is the Same as Love

When Two Believers Shake Hands They Shall Depart from Each Other Void of Any Sins

A Characteristic That Revives the Hearts

A Characteristic That Revives the Affairs of the Almighty God’s Proofs

God the Almighty Has Not Created Anything More Delightful Than This Characteristic

A Characteristic That Constitutes Nine-Tenths of Religion

Whoever is Pleased with His Destiny or is Displeased with it

A Characteristic for Which Even Red-Haired Camels Are Not Loved

A Characteristic That Increases the Daily Bread

A Characteristic That Leads to Hypocrisy and Poverty

The First Gift Given to a Believer Due to a Characteristic

A Characteristic for Which One Who Has No Good Deeds is Forgiven on the Resurrection Day

A Characteristic That is the Root of All Sins

How Awkward It Is If a Man Enters Heaven Having Lost His Honor

A Characteristic Doing Which Will Cause the Almighty God to Have Mercy Upon You

A Characteristic Doing Which Will Cause Increased Good for One’s House

On Him Whose Health Has Overcome His Illness but He Treats Himself and Dies

A Characteristic Which a Believer Avoids

Nothing Ruins Faith as Much as One Characteristic Does

One Who Lives to See his Successor Is Prosperous

A Believer’s Honor is More Than That of the Ka’ba

It Suffices for a Believer to See God’s Aid in the Form of His Enemies Engaged in the Almighty God’s Disobedience

A Gift Will Eliminate Animosities

Prosperous Be the One Who is Indifferent

A Characteristic That Will Make One Poor in the Hereafter

A Group of People Who Are the Masters of Heaven

God’s Prophet Made His Ablutions One Organ at a Time

The Characteristic That Is the Best Goodness

The Prophet Put off His Special Prayer for One Characteristic

A Characteristic That is the Best Form of Worshipping and a Characteristic That is the Noblest Form of Being Religious

What Is A Lot but Its Doers Are A Few

A Characteristic That Constitutes Half of the Religion

A Characteristic That is the Best Thing Given to a Muslim

The Prophet and Ali Ibn Abi Talib Were Created from One Light

A Servant’s Well-Being Depends Upon the Well-Being of One of His Organs

13-1 حدثنا محمد بن علي ما جيلويه رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار‘ عن محمد بن أحمد بن يحيى قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، عن علي بن أسباط، عن علي بن جعفر، عن مغيرة، عن أبى عبد الله، عن أبيه، عن جده عليهم السلام قال: المسوخ من بني آدم ثلاثة عشر صنفا، منهم القردة والخنازير والخفاش والضب والدب والفيل والدعموص والجريث والعقرب وسهيل والقنفذ والزهرة والعنكبوتفأما القردة فكانوا قوما من بني إسرائيل كانوا ينزلون على شاطئ البحر اعتدوا في السبت فصادوا الحيتان فمسخهم الله قردة، وأما الخنازير فكانوا قوما من بني اسرائيل دعا عليهم عيسى بن مريم عليه السلام فمسخهم الله خنازير، وأما الخفاش فكانت امرأة مع ظئرلها فسخرتها فمسخها الله خفاشا، وأما الضب فكان أعرابيا بدويا لا يدع عن قتل من مربه من الناس فمسخه الله ضبا، وأما الدب فكان رجلا يسرق الحاج فمسخه الله دبا. وأما الفيل فكان رجلا ينكح البهائم فمسخه الله فيلا، وأما الدعموص فكان رجلا زاني الفرج لا يدع من شيء فمسخه الله دعموصا. وأما الجريث فكان رجلا نماما فمسخه الله جريثا. وأما العقرب فكان رجلا همازا لمازا فمسخه الله عقربا. وأما سهيل فكان رجلا عشارا صاحب مكاس فمسخه الله كوكبا. وأما الزهرة فكانت امرأة فتنت هاروت وماروت فمسخها الله. وأما العنكبوت فكانت امرأة سيئة الخلق عاصية لزوجها مولية عند فمسخها الله عنكبوتا. وأما القنفذ فكان رجلا سيئ الخلق فمسخه الله قنفذا

13-1 Muhammad ibn Ali Majiluyih - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted Muhammad ibn al-Hussein, on the authority of Ali ibn Asbat, on the authority of Ali ibn Ja’far, on the authority of Muqayrih, on the authority of Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB), on the authority of his father (MGB), on the authority of his grandfather (MGB), “The transmuted Children of Adam (i.e. the people) are in thirteen groups. They include monkeys, swine, bats, lizards, bears, elephants, leeches, seals, scorpions, Canopus, Venus, spiders, and porcupines. The ‘monkeys’ refers to a tribe from the Children of Israel who lived by the sea. They violated the Shabbat and fished on Saturdays. Then God transmuted them into monkeys. The ‘swine’ refers to a group of the Children of Israel who were cursed by Jesus - the son of Mary (MGB). Then God transmuted them into swine. The ‘bat’ refers to a woman who exploited her wet-nurse by using magic. Then God transmuted her into a bat. And ‘lizard’ refers to a Bedouin Arab who killed anyone he saw. Then God transmuted him into a lizard. And ‘bear’ refers to a man who robbed the pilgrims. Then God transmuted him into a bear. And ‘elephant’ refers to a man who made love to beasts. Then God transmuted him into an elephant. And ‘leech’ refers to an adulterer who did not forsake of anything. Then God transmuted him into a leech. And ‘seal’ refers to a man who was a slanderer. Then God transmuted him into a seal. And ‘scorpion’ refers to a man who was a backbiter. Then God transmuted him into a scorpion. And ‘Canopus’ refers to a tax collector whom God transmuted into a star. And ‘Venus’ refers to a woman with whom Harut and Marut practiced black witchcraft. And ‘spider’ refers to an ill-natured woman who disobeyed her husband. Then God transmuted her into a spider. And ‘porcupine’ refers to an ill-natured man. Then God transmuted him into a porcupine.

13-2 حدثنا أبوالحسن علي بن أحمد الاسواري المذكر قال: حدثنا مكي ابن أحمد بن سعدويه البرذعي قال: حدنيا أبومحمد زكريا بن يحيى بن عبيد العطار بدمياط قال: حدثنا القلانسي قال: حدثنا عبدالعزيز بن عبد الله الاويسي قال: حدثنـا عليبن جعفر، عن معتب مولى جعفر، عن جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه، عن جده، عن علي بن أبي طالب عليهم السلام قال: سألت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله عن المسوخ، فقال: هم ثلاثة عشر: الفيل والدب والخنزير والقرد والجريث والضب والوطواط والدعموص والعقرب والعنكبوت والارنب وسهيل والزهرةفقيل: يا رسول الله ما كان سبب مسخهم؟فقال: اما الفيل فكان رجلا لوطيا لا يدع رطبا ولا يابساوأما الدب فكان رجلا مؤنثا يدعو الرجال إلى نفسهوأما الخنازير فكانوا قوما نصارى سألوا ربهم إنزال المائدة عليهم فلما انزلت عليهم كانوا أشد ما كانوا كفرا وأشد تكذيبا،وأما القردة فقوم اعتدوا في السبتوأما الجريث فكان رجلا ديوثا يدعو الرجال إلى حليلتهوأما الضب فكان رجلا أعرابيا يسرق الحاج بمحجنهوأما الوطواط فكان رجلا يسرق الثمار من رؤوس النخلوأما الدعموص فكان نماما يفرق بين الاحبةوأما العقرب فكان رجلا لذاعا لا يسلم على لسانه أحدوأما العنكبوت فكانت امرأة تخون زوجهاوأما الارنب فكانت امرأة لا يتطهر من حيض ولا غيرهوأما سهيل فكان عشارا باليمنوأما الزهرة فكانت امرأة نصرانية وكانت لبعض ملوك بني إسرائيل وهي التي فتن بها هاروت وماروت وكان اسمها ناهيل والناس يقولون: ناهيدقال مصنف هذا الكتاب رضي الله عنه: الناس يغلطون في الزهرة وسهيل فيقولون إنهما نجمان وليسا كما يقولون، ولكنهما دابتان من دواب البحر سميتا باسمي نجمينفي السماء كما سمت بروج في السماء بأسماء حيوان في الارض مثل الحمل والثور والجوزاء والسرطان والعقرب والحوت والجدي، وكذلك الزهرة وسهيل وإنما غلط الناس فيهما دون غيرهما لتعذر مشاهدتهما والنظر إليهما لانهما دابتان في البحر المطيف بالدنيا بحيث لا تبلغه سفينة ولا تعمل فيه حيلة وما كان الله عز وجل ليمسخ العصاة أنوارا مضيئة يهتدى بها في البر والبحر، ثم يبقيهما ما بقيت السماء والارض والمسوخ لم تبق أكثر من ثلاثة أيام حتى ماتت ولم تتوالد وهذه الحيوانات التي تسمى المسوخ فالمسوخية لها اسم مستعار مجازي بل هي مثل ما مسخ الله عز وجل على صورتها قوما عصوه واستحقوا بعصيانهم تغيير ما بهم من نعمة وحرم الله تبارك وتعالى لحومها لكيلا ينتفع بها ولا يستخف بعقوبتها حكيت لي هذه الحكاية عن أبي الحسين محمد بن جعفر الاسدي رضي الله عنه

13-2 Abul Hassan Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Aswari al-Mozak’kar narrated that Maki ibn Ahmad ibn Sa’duyeh al-Barza’ee quoted Abu Muhammad Zakariya ibn Yahya ibn Ubayd ul-Attar in Damietta, on the authority of Al-Qalanesi, on the authority of Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah al-Owaysi , on the authority of Ali ibn Ja’far, on the authority of Ma’tab - the servant of Ja’far, on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (MGB), on the authority of his father (MGB), on the authority of his grandfather (MGB),on the authority of Ali ibn Abi Talib (MGB), “I asked God’s Prophet (MGB) about the transmuted ones. The Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘They are in thirteen groups. They are elephant, bear, swine, monkey, seal, lizard, bat, leech, scorpion, spider, rabbit, Canopus and Venus. Then I said, ‘O Prophet of God! What was the reason they were transmuted?’ The Prophet (MGB) replied, ‘The one who was transmuted into an elephant was a man who made love to almost anything.The one who was transmuted into a bear was a shemale who invited men to herself.And the ones that were transmuted into swine were a Christian tribe who asked their Lord to descend water for them. Then when it rained, they blasphemed more and denied God more strongly than before.And the ones that were transmuted into monkeys were a tribe who violated the Shabbat .And the one that was transmuted into a seal was a pimp who invited men to make love to his own wife.And the one that was transmuted into a lizard was a Bedouin Arab who robbed the pilgrims’ crosiers .And the one that was transmuted into a bat was a man who robbed the fruits from the top of palm trees.And the one that was transmuted into a leech was a slanderer who caused disunion between loved ones.And the one who was transmuted into a scorpion was a vulgar man who bothered everyone with his tongue.And the one who was transmuted into a spider was a woman who was disloyal to her husband.And the one that was transmuted into a rabbit was a woman who would not purify herself after menstruation etc.And the one who was transmuted into Canopus was a tax-collector in Yemen.And the one who was transmuted into Venus was a Christian woman who was from some of the Israel monarchs with whom Harut and Marut practiced black witchcraft. Her name was Naheel but the people called her Naheed.The compiler of the book - may God be pleased with him - said, “The people made a mistake about Venus and Canopus and said that they were stars while it was not so. They were transmuted into two aqueous creaturesfrom the sea which were named after two stars from the sky: just as some of the stars in the sky are named after some of the animals on the Earth such as Aries (the Ram), the Taurus (the Bull), Betelgeuse, Cancer (the Raven), Scorpion (the stag), Neptune (the Whale), Capricorn (the goat).Thus, a mistake was made regarding Venus and Canopus since the people cannot see them given that they are two aqueous creatures which exist in the sea and the Honorable the Exalted God would not distort His enemies into the form of bright stars which would illuminate forever. The perverted would not live for more than three days. They will not reproduce either. There are no perverted creatures on the Earth these days. Animals like monkeys, pigs, bears or other similar animals are not perverted themselves, but are similar to those who were cursed and transmuted by the Honorable the Exalted God for denying the Unity of God and denouncing the Prophets. The Blessed the Sublime God has made it forbidden to eat their flesh. I heard this narration from Abil Hussein Muhammad ibn Ja’far Al-Asady - May God be pleased with him.

Al-Khiṣāl

Book 14, Chapter 1