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

20-4 حدثنا المظفر بن جعفر [بن المظفر] بن العلوي السمرقندي رضي الله عنه حدثنا جعفر بن محمد بن مسعود العياشي، عن أبيه قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن محمد خالد الطيالسي قال: حدثني أبي، عن محمد بن زياد الازدي، عن حمزة بن حمران، عن أبيه حمران بن أعين، عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي الباقر عليهما السلام قال: كان علي بن الحسين عليهما السلام يصلي في اليوم والليلة ألف ركعة كما كان يفعل أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام كانت له خمس مائة نخلة فكان يصلي عند كل نخلة ركعتين، وكان إذا قام في صلاته غشي لونه لون آخر، وكان قيامه في صلاته قيام العبد الذليل بين يدي الملك الجليل، كانت أعضاؤه ترتعد من خشية الله عز وجل، وكان يصلي صلاة مودع يرى أنه لا يصلي بعدها أبدا، ولقد صلى ذات يوم فسقط الرداء عن إحدى منكبيه فلم يسوه حتى فرغ من صلاته فسأله بعض أصحابه عن ذلك فقال: ويحك أتدري بين يدي من كنت، إن العبد لا يقبل من صلاته إلا ما أقبل عليه منها بقلبه، فقال الرجل: هلكنا فقال: كلا إن الله عز وجل متمم ذلك بالنوافل. وكان عليه السلام ليخرج في الليلة الظلماء فيحمل الجراب علىظهره وفيه الصرر من الدنانير والدراهم، وربما حمل على ظهره الطعام أو الحطب حتى يأتي بابا بابا فيقرعه ثم يناول من يخرج إليه، وكان يغطي وجهه إذا ناول فقيرا لئلا يعرفه فلما توفي عليه السلام فقدوا ذلك فعلموا أنه كان علي بن الحسين عليهما السلام، ولما وضع عليه السلام على المغتسل نظروا إلى ظهره وعليه مثل ركب الابل مما كان يحمل على ظهره إلى منازل الفقراء والمساكين، ولقد خرج ذات يوم وعليه مطرف خز فعرض له سائل فتعلق بالمطرف فمضى وتركه، وكان يشتري الخز في الشتاء، فإذا جاء الصيف باعه فتصدق بثمنه، ولقد نظر عليه السلام يوم عرفة إلى قوم يسألون الناس، فقال: ويحكم أغير الله تسألون في مثل هذا اليوم إنه ليرجى في هذا اليوم لما في بطون الحبالى أن يكونوا سعداء ولقد كان عليه السلام يأبى أن يؤاكل امه فقيل له: يا ابن رسول الله أنت أبر الناس وأوصلهم للرحم فكيف لا تؤاكل امك؟ فقال: إني أكره أن تسبق يدي إلى ما سبقت عينها إليه، ولقد قال له عليه السلام رجل: يا ابن رسول الله إني لاحبك في الله حبا شديدا فقال: اللهم إني أعوذ بك أن احب لك وأنت لي مبغض، ولقد حج على ناقة له عشرين حجة فما قرعها بسوط، فلما توفت أمر بدفنها لئلا تأكلها السباع، ولقد سئلت عنه مولاة له فقالت: أُطنب أو اختصر ؟ فقيل لها: بل اختصري ، فقالت: ما أتيته بطعام نهاراً قط ، وما فرشت له فراشاً بليلٍ قط. ولقد انتهى ذات يوم إلى قوم يغتابونه فوقف عليهم ، فقال لهم: إن كنتم صادقين فغفر الله لي ، وإن كنتم كاذبين فغفر الله لكم. وكان إذا جاءه طالب علم فقال: مرحباً بوصيِّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله. ثم يقول: إن طالب العلم إذا خرج من منزله لم يضع رجلَيه على رَطب ولا يابس من الأرض ، إلاّ سبَّحت له إلى الأرضين السابعة ، ولقد كان يعول مئة أهل بيت من فقراء المدينة. وكان يعجبه أن يحضر طعامه اليتامى والأضرار والزّمنى والمساكين الذين لا حيلة لهم. وكان يناولهمبيده، ومن كان له منهم عيال حمل له إلى عياله من طعامه ، وكان لا يأكل طعاماً حتى يبدأ فيتصدق بمثله. ولقد كان تسقط منه كل سنة سبع ثفنات من مواضع سجوده لكثرة صلاته ، وكان يجمعها ، فلما مات دُفنت معه.ولقد كان بكى على أبيه الحسين عليه السلام عشرين سنة، وما وضع بين يديه طعام إلا بكى حتى قال له مولى له: يا ابن رسول الله أما آن لحزنك أن تنقضي؟! فقال له: ويحك إن يعقوب النبي عليه السلام كان له اثنا عشر ابنا فغيب الله عنه واحدا منهم فابيضت عيناه من كثرة بكائه عليه،وشاب رأسه من الحزن، واحدودب ظهره من الغم، وكان ابنه حيا في الدنيا وأنا نظرت إلى أبي وأخي وعمي وسبعة عشر من أهل بيتي مقتولين حولي فكيف ينقضي حزني

20-4 Al-Muzaf’far ibn Ja’far (ibn al-Muzaf’far) ibn al-Alavi al-Samarqandi - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Mas’ood al-Ayashi quoted his father, on the authority of Abdullah ibn Muhammad Khalid al-Tayalesi, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Zyad al-Azodi, on the authority of Hamzih ibn Himran, on the authority of his father Humran ibn A’ayn, on the authority of Abi Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (MGB), “Ali ibn al-Hussein (MGB) said one-thousand units of prayers each day and night as the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) did. He (MGB) had five-hundred date palms and used to say two units of prayers under each of them.When he (MGB) prayed, he stood very humbly and his color changed due to his fear of God. He prayed as if a lowly servant was praying in front of a Majestic King. His organs shook as he prayed out of fear of the Honorable the Exalted God. He prayed like one who was saying farewell to praying and that this was going to be his last prayer. One day his cloak fell off his shoulder as he was praying. He did not correct this until after he finished saying his prayers.Some of his companions asked him about the reason for this. He (MGB) replied, ‘Woe to you! Do you know who I was standing before? Indeed only as much of a person’s prayer is accepted that he concentrates on.’ Then the man said, ‘O thus we are all ruined!’Then, the Imam (MGB) said, ‘No! Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God would perfect your prayers with the recommendable (Nafila) prayers whichyou perform.’ The Imam (MGB) often went out in the darkness of the night with a bag on his back in which he (MGB) carried coins. He even carried food and wood on his back. He (MGB) went to the doors, knocked on them and gave things to whoever came out of the house. The Imam (MGB) covered up his face when he (MGB) gave something to the poor so that they could not recognize him. Only when the Imam (MGB) died, did they recognize that it had been him who brought the stuff for them. Once they put his corpse down to perform the ritual ablutions (wuzu) for the deceased, they looked at his back and noticed that it had become rough like a camels’ knees due to carrying heavy loads on his back to the doors of the needy and the poor. One day he went out and he was carrying a fur cloak. A beggar came and hanged onto it. He (MGB) gave it to him and left. He (MGB) bought fur clothes in the winter and sold them it the summer and gave away the money in charity. He (MGB) saw a group of people who were begging on the day of Arafat. He (MGB) said, ‘Woe to you! You should not ask for things from anyone other than God on such a day! Even babies in their mother’s wombs are hoped to be fortunate on this day.’ He (MGB) abstained from eating food with his mother. They asked him (MGB), ‘O son of God’s Prophet (MGB)! You always do good deeds and have good relationships with your next of kin. How come you do not eat any food with her?’ He (MGB) replied, ‘I do not like to reach out for what her eyes may have sought.’ A man asked him (MGB), ‘O son of God’s Prophet! Indeed I really like you for God’s sake, while you despise me.’ He (MGB) went on the Hajj pilgrimage twenty times riding a female camel, and he (MGB) never cracked the whip at it! When the female camel died, he (MGB) ordered that it be buried under the ground so that the beasts do not eat it. Once they asked his female slave about him (MGB). She said, ‘Should I give you a short answer or a long one?’ They said, ‘Give a short reply.’ She said, ‘I never fed him during the day, and never spread out his bed for him at night.’ He ran into a group of people who were gossiping about him. He (MGB) stood in front of them and told them, ‘May God forgive me if you are saying the truth, and may God forgive you if you are lying.’ Whenever a seeker of knowledge came to him, he (MGB) said, ‘Hail to what is recommended by God’s Prophet.’ Then he (MGB) said, ‘Indeed when a seeker of knowledge leaves his house and walks on wet or dry things, everything as deep down as the seventh level beneath the Earth will say glorifications for him.’ He (MGB) used to feed one-hundred poor families in Medina. He (MGB) liked the orphans, the helpless ones, the weak and the helpless beggars to sit at his table-cloth . He fed them with his own hand and gave the married ones some food to take for the wives. He (MGB)never ate anything unless he (MGB) gave the equal of it in charity. He (MGB) prayed so much that the places of his body where he prostrated peeled off seven times each year. He collected them and these were buried with him when he died. He (MGB) cried twenty years for his father Al-Hussein (MGB). He cried every time they brought him some food. Once his servant said, ‘O son of God’s Prophet! Your sorrow is endless and I am afraid that you may die.’ He (MGB) said, ‘Woe to you! Indeed the Prophet Jacob (MGB) had twelve sons. God made one of them absent. He (MGB) cried so much for him that his eyes turned white and all the hair on his head got white due to grief. Moreover, his back was bent in his sorrow while his son was alive in this world. However, I have seen my father, my brother, my uncle and seventy members of my family get killed. How can I overcome my grief.’

Al-Khiṣāl

Book 21, Chapter 4