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

4-35 حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن موسى رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا أحمد بن يحيى ابن زكريا القطان قال: حدثنا أبومحمد بكر بن عبد الله بن حبيب قال: حدثنا العباس ابن الفرج قال: حدثنا أبوسلمة الغفاري قال: حدثني عبـد الله بن إبراهيـم بن أبـيفروة عن عبدالملك بن مروان قال: كنا عند معاوية ذات يوم وقد اجتمع عنده جماعة من قريش وفيهم عدة من بني هاشم، فقال معاوية: يا بني هاشم بم تفخرون علينا؟ أليس الاب والام واحدا؟ والدار والمولد واحدا؟ فقال ابن عباس: نفخر عليكم بما أصبحت تفخر به على سائر قريش، وتفخر به قريش على [سائر] الانصار، وتفخز به الانصار على سائر العرب، وتفخر به العرب على [سائر] العجم: برسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وبما لا تستطيع له إنكارا ولا منه فرارا، فقال معاوية: يا ابن عباس لقد اعطيت لسانا ذلقا، تكاد تغلب بباطلك حق سواك، فقال ابن عباس: مه فان الباطل لا يغلب الحق، ودع عنك الحسد فلبئس الشعار الحسد، فقال معاوية: صدقت أما والله إني لاحبك لخصال أربع مع مغفرتي لك خصالا أربعا، فأما إني احبك فلقرابتك من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وأما الثانية فانك رجل من اسرتي وأهل بيتي ومن مصاص عبد مناف. وأما الثالثة فأبي كان خلا لابيك، وأما الرابعة فانك لسان قريش وزعيمها وفقيهها. وأما الاربع التي غفرت لك: فعدوك علي بصفين فيمن عدا، وإساءتك في خذلان عثمان فيمن أساء، وسعيك على عائشة أم المؤمنين فيمن سعى، ونفيك عني زيادا فيمن نفى، فضربت أنف هذا الامر وعينه حتى استخرجت عذرك من كتاب الله عز وجل وقول الشعراء، أما ما وافق كتاب الله عز وجل فقوله "… خَلَطُوا عَمَلاً صَالِحاً وَآخَرَ سَيِّئاً …" وأما ما قالت الشعراء فقول أخي بني ذبيان :ولست بمستبق أخا لا تلمهعلى شعث أي الرجال المهذبفاعلم أني قد قبلت فيك الاربع الاولى، وغفرت لك الاربع الاخرى، وكنت في ذلك كما قال الاول :سأقبل ممن قد احب جميلهوأغفر ما قد كان من غير ذلكاثم أنصت فتكلم ابن عباس فقال بعد حمد الله والثناء عليه: وأما ما ذكرت أنك تحبني لقرابتي من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فذلك الواجب عليك وعلى كل مسلم آمن بالله وبرسوله، لانه الاجر الذي سألكم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله على ما آتاكم به من الضياء والبرهان المبين، فقال عز وجل: " قل لا أسئلكم عليه أجرا إلا المودة في القربى" فمن لم يجب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله إلى ما سأله خاب وخزي وكبا في جهنم، وأما ما ذكرت أني رجل من اسرتك وأهل بيتك، فذلك كذلك وإنما أردت به صلة الرحم ولعمري إنك اليوم وصول مما قد كان منك مما لا تثريب عليك فيه اليوموأما قولك إن أبي كان خلا لابيك فقد كان ذلك، وقد سبق فيه قول الاول :سأحفظ من آخى أبي في حياتهوأحفظه من بعده في الاقاربولست لمن لا يحفظ العهد وامقاولا هو عند النائبات بصاحبوأما ما ذكرت من أني لسان قريش وزعيمها وفقيهها فاني لم اعط من ذلك شيئا إلا وقد اوتيته غير أنك قد أبيت بشرفك وكرمك إلا أن تفضلني، وقد سبق في ذلك قول الاول :وكل كريم للكرام مفضليراه له أهلا وإن كان فاضلاوأما ما ذكرت من عدوي عليك بصفين فوالله لو لم أفعل ذلك لكنت من ألام العالمين، أكانت نفسك تحدثك يا معاوية أني أخذل ابن عمي أمير المؤمنين وسيد المسلمين وقد حشد له المهاجرون والانصار والمصطفون الاخيار.ولم يا معاوية!! أشك في ديني؟ أم حيرة في سجيتي؟ أم ضن بنفسي؟وأما ما ذكرت من خذلان عثمان، فقد خذله من كان أمس رحما به مني ولي في الاقربين والابعدين اسوة، وإني لم أعد عليه فيمن عدا بل كففت عنه كما كف أهل المروات والحجىوأما ما ذكرت من سعيي على عائشة فان الله تعالى أمرها أن تقر في بيتها وتحتجب بسترها فلما كشفت جلباب الحياء وخالفت نبيها صلى الله عليه وآله، وسعنا ما كان منا إليهاوأما ما ذكرت من نفي زياد، فاني لم أنفه بل نفاه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله إذ قال: "الولد للفراش وللعاهر الحجر." وإني من بعد هذا لاحب ما سرك في جميع اموركفتكلم عمرو بن العاص فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين والله ما أحبك ساعة قط غير أنه قد اعطي لسانا ذربا فقلبه كيف شاء، وإن مثلك ومثله كما قال الاول وذكر بيت شعر فقال ابن عباس إن عمرا داخل بين العظم واللحم والعصا واللحاء وقد تكلم فليستمع فقد وافق قرنا. أما والله يا عمرو إني لابغضك في الله وما أعتذر منه، إنك قمت خطيبا فقلت: أنا شانئ محمد، فأنزل الله عز وجل "إن شانئك هو الابتر" فأنت أبتر الدين والدنيا، وأنت شانئ محمد في الجاهلية والاسلام، وقد قال الله تبارك وتعالى: "لا تجد قوما يؤمنون بالله واليوم الآخر يوادون من حاد الله ورسوله" وقد حاددت الله ورسوله قديما وحديثا ولقد جهدت على رسول الله جهدك، وأجلبت عليه بخيلك ورجلك حتى إذا غلبك الله على أمرك ورد كيدك في نحرك وأوهن قوتك وأكذب احدوثتك، نزعت وأنت حسير، ثم كدت بجهدك لعداوة أهل بيت نبيه من بعده ليس بك في [ذلك] حب معاوية ولا آل معاوية إلا العداوة لله عز وجل ولرسوله صلى الله عليه وآله مع بغضك وحسدك القديم لابناء عبد مناف ومثلك في ذلك كما قال الاول :تعرض لي عمرو وعمرو خزايةتعرض ضبع القفر للاسد الوردفما هو لي ند فأشتم عرضهولا هو لي عبد فأبطش بالعبدفتكلم عمرو بن العاص، فقطع عليه معاوية، وقال: أما والله يا عمرو ما أنت من رجاله فان شئت فقل وإن شئت فدعفاغتنمها عمرو وسكت، فقال ابن عباس: دعه يا معاوية فوالله لاسمنه بميسم يبقى عليه عاره وشناره إلى يوم القيامه تتحدث به الاماء والعبيد ويتغنى به في المجالس ويتحدث به في المحافل، ثم قال ابن عباس: يا عمرو وابتدأ في الكلام، فمد معاوية يده فوضعها على في ابن عباس، وقال له: أقسمت عليك يا ابن عباس إلا أمسكت، وكره أن يسمع أهل الشام ما يقول ابن عباس، وكان آخر كلامه: اخسأ أيها العبد وأنت مذموم، وافترقوا

4-35 Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Musa - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Zakariya al-Qattan quoted Abu Muhammad Bakr ibn Abdullah ibn Habib, on the authority of Al-Ab’bas ibn al-Faraj, on the authority of Abu Salmat al-Qaffari, on the authority of Abdullah ibn Ibrahimibn Abi Forut, on the authority of Abdul Malik ibn Marvan, “Once I was with Muawiyah and a group of the people from the Quraysh tribe were there. Some of the Hashemites were among them. Muawiyah said, “O Hashemites! Why do you think you are better than us while we both come from the same father and mother, and we both come from the same family and country?”Ibn Abbas said, “We say we are better than you for the same reason that you say you are better than the Quraysh, and the Quraysh say they are better than the Helpers (Ansar), and the Helpers (Ansar) say they are better than the Arabs, and the Arabs say they are better than the non-Arabs. That is we are proud because of God’s Prophet (MGB). You can neither deny this nor escape from this fact.”Muawiyah said, “O Ibn Abbas! You have been granted such a convincing tongue with which you press your false accusations over the truth.”Ibn Abbas said, “Shut up! Indeed falsehood can never overcome the truth. Quit being jealous as jealousy is bad.”Muawiyah said, “You spoke the truth. I swear by God that I like you for four characteristics and I forgive you for four deeds. The four reasons I like you for are: First of all I like you because of your close relationship to God’s Prophet (MGB). The second reason is that you are a man from my family and from the pure race of Abd Manaf. The third reason is that my father was friends with your father. The fourth reason is that you are the speaker for the Quraysh tribe and you are their learned man. And your four deeds which I forgive you for are: your taking part in the Battle of Siffin along with those who attacked me; your ugly act being not assisting Uthman against the rebels who attacked him, and your attempts against Ayesha , plus your rejection of Zyad being my step-brother.When I considered your wicked deeds in detail, I found an excuse for your deeds from the Book of the Honorable the Exalted God and one from Arab poems. Your excuse based on the Book (Quran) comes from the following verse, ‘Others (there are who) have acknowledged their wrong-doings: they have mixed an act that was good with another that was evil. Perhaps Allah will turn unto them (in Mercy): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ Your excuse based on Arab poems comes from the words of the Zebyan tribe who said, ‘Which of your brothers can you find free of faults. You will be left without any friends if you cut off relations for small faults.’ You should know that I have recognized your four good characteristics and have forgiven your four deeds as the poet said, ‘I accept good deeds from my loved ones. I forgive them for whatever else they may have done.’”When he finished, Ibn Abbas started to respond by first reciting God’s praises and glorifications. Then he said, ‘You mentioned that you like me because I am close to God’s Prophet (MGB). This is incumbent upon you and all Muslims who believe in God and His Prophet (MGB), since this love is the reward which God’s Prophet (MGB) asked for in return for what he brought you in terms of illumination and clear reasoning. The Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘…Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin.’ Whoever doesn’t follow this verse and doesn’t love his near of kin is going to be hopeless, without honor and in Hell.You mentioned that you like me because I am a man from your family. Well, that is right. You wanted to perform your duty and visit your relations of kin. You seem to be doing a lot of that these days. You are not to be blamed today for your past mistakes.You mentioned that you like me because my father was friends with your father. That is right and it is certified by what the poet said about it:I will strive to be loyal to my friend for as long as he is aliveAnd shall do so with his relatives should he die and I stay aliveWhoever honors not his pledge, I shall not trustSince then he shall not pacify my swollen heart.You mentioned that you like me because I am the speaker for the Quraysh tribe and I am their learned man. You likewise have a similar rank. However, you are so noble as to mention me to be of such a rank. This is also supported by what the poet said about it:Noble ones set other ones up higher than themselvesThey honor others though they are nobler themselvesYou mentioned my animosity with you, since I attacked you at Siffin. By God, I would have been amongst the worst creatures in the world had I not done so. O Muawiyah! How could you even imagine that I would abandon my cousin Ali - the Commander of the Faithful and the Master of the Muslims - who was supported by the Emigrants (Muhajerin), the Helpers (Ansar), and the cream of the crop of the freedom-lovers, and join you! O Muawiyah! Then I would have serious doubts about my faith in my religion, my moral constitution and myself.You mentioned that I abandoned Uthman. Well, even those who were much closer to him abandoned him and left. I followed his close associates and those who were not so close to him. I never assisted the rebels who revolted against him. I just abandoned him. You mentioned my effort made against Ayesha . You know that she had been ordered by the Sublime God’s Prophet (MGB) to stay behind the veil at home, but she tore the veil, left her house and opposed the Prophet (MGB). The way we treated with her was appropriate.You mentioned my rejection of your step-brotherhood with Zyad. However, this was not my denial but the Prophet’s denial since he (MGB) has said, ‘the offspring belongs to the owner of the bed and the fornicatress gets stoned.’ Now I like to do what would please you, whatever it may be.’Then Amr Ibn Al-A’as started to talk and said, ‘O commander of the faithful (referring to Muawiyah!) By God, he doesn’t like you and just wants to fool you into thinking that he agrees with you using his sharp tongue. He cited the poems to support this.’Then Ibn Abbas said, ‘Indeed Amr put himself to great trouble. He should now know that he is facing a strong opponent.’Then Ibn Abbas added, ‘O Amr! I swear by God that I am opposed to you for the sake of God and I shall not apologize for that. You had said, ‘I hate Muhammad.’ The Honorable the Exalted God revealed, ‘For he who hateth thee, he will be cut off (from Future Hope).’You have been cut off from the religion and the world. You even hated Muhammad in the Age of Ignorance!Indeed the Blessed the Sublime God says, ‘Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger…’ Indeed you have always resisted God and God’s Prophet (MGB). You did whatever you could against the Prophet of God (MGB). You gathered all your forces - on foot or riding - against the Prophet (MGB) until God defeated you, hanged up your sign of deception around your neck, reduced your strength and rejected your way. That is why you turned around and changed your approach and re-directed your plans of animosity with the members of the Holy Household of the Prophet (MGB). Therefore, you united with Muawiyah for this goal. However, you should know that love for the household of Muawiyah and no others is nothing but animosity with the Honorable the Exalted God and His Prophet (MGB). You still have your old animosity with and jealousy of the progeny of Abd Manaf as the poet says,Amr blamed me but he himself was debasedNear a male lion he turned into a weak hyenaHe doesn’t equal me so I shall not fight himHe is not my servant so I can’t punish him!Amr Ibn Al-A’as wanted to reply but Muawiyah stopped him and said, ‘O Amr! I swear by God that you cannot match him. It would be best for you to stop it.’Amr Ibn Al-A’as used this opportunity and became silent. Ibn Abbas said, ‘O Muawiyah! Please I beseech by God! Please let him start talking. Then I shall debase him so much that the masters and the slaves cite his case and restate his story in meetings and parties up until the Resurrection Day.’Then Ibn Abbas started to speak and said, ‘O Amr!’ However, Muawiyah put his hand on Ibn Abbas’s mouth and said, ‘O Ibn Abbas! I swear to you to finish this since I do not like the Syrians to hear this speech.’ Then Ibn Abbas told Amr, ‘O blameworthy servant! Get lost.’ Then they left.”

Al-Khiṣāl

Book 5, Chapter 24