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

5-18 حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله قال: حدثني القاسم ابن محمد الاصبهاني، عن سليمان بن داود المنقري، عن حفص بن غياث، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سأل رجل أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن حروب أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام، وكان السائل من محبينا فقال له أبوعبد الله عليه السلام: إن الله عز وجل بعث محمدا صلى الله عليه وآله بخمسة أسياف ثلاثة منها شاهرة لا تغمد إلى أن تضع الحرب أوزارها، ولن تضع الحرب أوزارها حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها، فإذا طلعت الشمس من مغربها آمن الناس كلهم في ذلك اليوم، فيومئذ لا ينفع نفسا إيمانها لم تكن آمنت من قبل أو كسبت في إيمانها خيرا، وسيف منها ملفوف وسيف منها مغمود سله إلى غيرنا وحكمه إلينا. فأما السيوف الثلاثة الشاهرة: فسيف على مشركي العرب، قال الله تبارك وتعالى "فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِنْ تَابُوا (يعني فان آمنوا) وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوْا الزَّكَاةَ…" فهؤلاء لا يقبل منهم إلا [السيف و] القتل أو الدخول في الاسلام وما لهم فيئ، وذراريهم سبي على ما سبى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فانه سبى وعفا، وقبل الفداء. والسيف الثاني على أهل الذمة قال الله عزوجل "وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا" نزلت في أهل الذمة ثم نسخها قوله "قَاتِلُواالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلاَ بِالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَلاَ يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلاَ يَدِينُونَ دِينَ الْحَقِّ مِنْ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حَتَّى يُعْطُوا الْجِزْيَةَ عَنْ يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ." فمن كان منهم في دار الاسلام لم يقبل منه إلا الجزية أو القتل، فإذا قبلوا الجزية على أنفسهم حرم علينا سبيهم، وحرمت أموالهم، وحل لنا مناكحتهم، ومن كان منهم في دار الحرب حل لنا سبيهم وأموالهم ولم يحل لنا نكاحهم، ولم يقبل منهم إلا القتل أو الدخول في الاسلاموسيف على مشركي العجم يعني الترك والديلم والخزر، قال الله عز وجل في سورة الذين كفروا: "فَإِذا لَقِيتُمْ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا الْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَاءً…" يعني المفاداة بينهم وبين أهل الاسلام فهولاء لا يقبل منهم إلا القتل أو الدخول في الاسلام، ولا يحل لنا نكاحهم ماداموا في دار الحرب. وأما [السيف] الملفوف فسيف على أهل البغي والتأويل قال الله تبارك وتعالى: "وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ" عز وجل ولما نزلت هذه الآية قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: إن فيكم من يقاتل بعدي على التأويل كما قاتلت على التنزيل، قيل: يا رسول الله من هو؟ قال: خاصف النعل يعني أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وقال عمار بن ياسر: قاتلت تحت هذه الراية مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وأهل بيته ثلاثا وهذه [هي والله] الرابعة، والله لو ضربونا حتى يبلغوا بنا السعفات من هجر لعلمنا أنا على الحق وأنهم على الباطل وكانت السيرة فيهم من أمير المؤمنين ما كان من رسول الله في أهل مكة يوم فتح مكة، فإنه لم يسب لهم ذرية، وقال: من أغلق بابه وألقى سلاحه أو دخل دار أبي سفيانفهو آمن، وكذلك قال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فيهم يوم البصرة: لا تسبوا لهم ذرية ولا تجهزوا على جريح ولا تتبعوا مدبرا، ومن أغلق بابه وألقى سلاحه فهو آمن. وأما السيف المغمود فالسيف الذي يقام به القصاص قال الله عز وجل "النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ" فسله إلى أولياء المقتول وحكمه إلينا، فهذه السيوف التي بعث الله عز وجل بها نبيه صلى الله عليه وآله فمن جحدها أو جحد شيئا [منها أو] من سيرها وأحكامها فقد كفر بما أنزل الله على محمد صلى الله عليه وآله

5-18 (The compiler of the book narrated) that his father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’ed ibn Abdullah quoted Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad al-Isfahani, on the authority of Suleiman ibn Davood al-Minqari, on the authority of Hafs ibn Qiyath on the authority of Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB), “A man asked Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) about the battles of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB). The man was one of those who love us. Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) told him, ‘Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God appointed five swords to Muhammad (MGB). Three of them were never besheathed until the wars are over in the world. The wars in this world will not end until the sun rises from where it sets. On the day the sun rises from the west, everyone will be safe all over the world. On that day, the belief of those without a previous record of belief or have not done any good deeds, while they had belief would not do them any good. One of those swords is wrapped up and the other one is sheathed. It is meant to be drawn for others, but its control has been entrusted with us. And the other three swords are as follows. The first is the sword drawn upon the Arab unbelievers. The Blessed the Sublime God said, ‘But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ Nothing is accepted from these pagans unless they are killed by the sword, or accept Islam. Once they get killed, their wealth is seized and their children are captured. When the Prophet (MGB) captured any of them, he (MGB) forgave them and took some money for ransom and freed them. The second sword is that which is used for the people who are under the protection of Islam. The Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘… speak fair to the people…’ This was changed later and the following verse was revealed,‘Fight those who believe not in God nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by God and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.’ Those of them who live in a Muslim country should pay the Jizya (the poll-tax ) or be killed. If they agree to pay the poll-tax then they cannot be taken as captives; their property is to be safeguarded; and we can marry their women. We cannot accept any poll-tax from those of them who live in an enemy country that are at war with us. We can shed their blood and seize their property, but cannot marry their women. They should either be killed or accept Islam. And the third sword was drawn upon the non-Arab atheists - that is the Turks, the Deilams and the Khazars. The Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been Allah’s Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself)…’ This implies that they should be killed unless they sign a treaty with you and pay ransom. As long as they are at war with the Muslims, no one can marry their women. And the sword that is wrapped up is the sword of the rebellious ones whose deeds would end up in war as the Blessed the Sublime God says, ‘If two parties among the Believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them: but if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other, then fight ye (all) against the one that transgresses until it complies with the Command of God...’ the Honorable the Exalted. Once this verse was revealed, the Prophet of God (MGB) said, ‘There is someone who is going to fight against those who transgress after me amongst you.’ He was asked, ‘Who is that?’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘The one who mends his shoes’ while he (MGB) was referring to the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB). Am’mar ibn Yasir said, “I have fought along with the Prophet (MGB) and his household with three groups of unbelievers under this flag and this is the fourth group with whom I fight. I swear by God that even if they drive us back as far away as the date plantations of Hajar, we are sure that we are rightful and they are deviated. The way the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) treated the rebellious ones was the same as that of God’s Prophet (MGB) with the people of Mecca at the time he (MGB) conquered Mecca. The Prophet (MGB) did not capture their offspring and ordered that anyone who sits in his home and puts his armaments aside is safe; anyone who had entered the house of Abu Sufyan is safe. This was the same way that the Commander of the FaithfulAli (MGB) ordered in Basra during the Battle of Jamal: do not capture the rebellions’ offspring; do not kill their injured ones and do not pursue those who escape. Whoever closes the door of his house and puts his armaments aside is a safe. And the sword which is left in its sheath is the sword with which punishment by the law of retaliation is to be performed as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘…Life for life…’. This sword is meant to be for the relatives of the person who has been killed, but the ruling over it has been entrusted with us. These were the swords which the Honorable the Exalted God appointed to His Prophet. Whoever denies them or denies any of the decrees regarding them has indeed rejected whatever God has revealed to Muhammad (MGB).”

Al-Khiṣāl

Book 6, Chapter 15