Al-Khiṣāl > The Interpretation of the Letters Which Make Up the Alphabet
Hadith #1

6-30 حدثنا محمد بن علي ماجيلويه رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن محمد بن أحمد، عن محمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب، وأحمد بن الحسن بن علي بن فضال، عن علي بن أسباط، عن الحسين بن زيد قال: حدثني محمد بن سالم رفعه إلى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام قال: قال عثمان بن عفان: يارسول الله ما تفسير أبجد فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: تعلموا تفسير أبجد فإن فيه الاعاجيب كلها، ويل لعالم جهل تفسيره، فقال: يارسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، ما تفسير أبجد؟ قال: أما الالف فآلاء الله، حرف من أسمائه. وأما الباء فبهجة الله. وأما الجيم فجنة الله وجمال الله وجلال الله. وأما الدال فدين اللهوأما هوز فالهاء هاء الهاوية: فويل لمن هوى في النار. وأما الواو فويل لاهل النار. وأما الزاي فزاوية في جهنم نعوذ بالله مما في الزاوية يعني زوايا جهنم.وأما حطي فالحاء حطوط الخطايا عن المستغفرين في ليلة القدر، وما نزل به جبرئيل عليه السلام مع الملائكة إلى مطلع الفجر، واما الطاء فطوبى لهم وحسن مآب، وهي شجرة غرسها الله غزوجل بيده ونفخ فيها من روحه وإن أغصانها لترى من وراء سور الجنة تنبت بالحلي والحلل والثمار، متدلية على أفواههم.وأما الياء فيد الله فوق خلقه، سبحانه وتعالى عما يشركون.وأما كلمن فالكاف كلام الله لا تبديل لكلمات الله، ولن تجد من دونه ملتحدا.وأما اللام فإلمام أهل الجنة بينهم في الزيارة والتحية والسلام، وتلاوم أهل النار فيما بينهم. وأما الميم فملك الله الذي لا يزول، ودوام الله الذي لا يفنى، وأما النون "فنون والقلم وما يسطرون". فالقلم قلم من نور، وكتاب من نور، في لوح محفوظ، يشهده المقربون، وكفى بالله شهيدا، أما سعفص فالصاد صاع بصاع يعني الجزاء بالجزاء، كما تدين تدان، إن الله لا يريد ظلما للعباد، وأما قرشت يعني قرشهم فحشرهم ونشرهم إلى يوم القيامة، فقضي بينهم بالحق وهم لا يظلمونوقد أخرجت ما رويته في هذا المعنى في تفسير حروف المعجم من كتاب معاني الاخبار

6-30 Muhammad ibn Ali Majiluyih - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted Muhammad ibn Ahmad, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Hussein ibn Abil-Khat’tab and Ahmad ibn al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Faz’zal, on the authority of Ali ibn Asbat, on the authority of Al-Hussein ibn Zayd, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Salim who linked it up through a chain of narrators to the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB), “Uthman ibn Affan asked the Prophet (MGB), ‘O Prophet of God! What is the interpretation of ‘Abjad?’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘You should know the interpretation of ‘Abjad since all the wonders lie in it. Shame on a scholar who doesn’t know its interpretation!’ He asked, ‘O Prophet of God! What is the interpretation of ‘Abjad?’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘And the ‘alif is the first letter in Allah. It is one of the letters of His Name. And the ‘ba is the first letter in the Arabic ‘Behjat Allah which means God’s Pleasure. And the ‘jim is the first letter of the Arabic words ‘jinnah Allah which mean God’s Paradise; ‘jamal Allah which means God’s Beauty and ‘jalal Allah which means God’s Majesty. And the ‘dal is the first letter in the Arabic words ‘Din Allah which mean God’s Religion.About ‘hawaz’, you should know that the ‘ha is for fear of Hell. Shame on him who is thrown into the Fire of Hell. And the ‘wa is the second letter in the Arabic words ‘fawayl le ahlen Nar which means shame on in ‘Shame on the residents of the Fire.’ And the ‘za is the first letter in the Arabic word ‘zaviaa which refers to a corner - God forbid - from the various corners of Hell. The ‘hata is the first letter in the Arabic word ‘hutut which refers to the shedding down of the sins of those who repent on the Night of Power on which Gabriel and all the angels pray all night until dawn. And about the ‘T in ‘Fatooba lahum va hosne ma’ab (Usually translated as ‘Blessed be’) you should know that Tooba is a tree which the Honorable the Exalted God planted with his own Hand, and blew into it from His own Spirit! Tooba is the name of a Heavenly tree which is rooted in the Prophet’s (MGB) house. Its branches can be seen from the outside the walls around Paradise. And about the ‘Ya it refers to ‘Yadullah - that is God’s Hand which is above all His creatures. He is Glorified, and Sublime and has no partners. And the ‘kaf in ‘kalman refers to ‘Kalamullah implying that there can be no changing of God’s sayings and there are no protectors other than God. And the ‘lam in ‘kalman refers to the associations of the residents of Paradise; their visiting one another; and their greeting each other. It also refers to the mutual blaming of the residents of Hell. And the ‘mim in ‘kalman refers to God’s Dominion which never ends and God’s Persistence which never ends. The ‘nun in ‘kalman refers to ‘Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write.’ And the Pen is from Light; the Record is from Light. They are on a Tablet that is safeguarded. The nearby-stationed angels are witnesses to it. Their testimony suffices for God. The ‘sad in ‘safas refers to ‘sa which means a scale by which everything you do is measured. Indeed God would not stand any oppressions be done to the people. The ‘qarasht means that God will resurrect them and bring them all back on the Resurrection Day and judge them.”Sadooq added, “I have compiled whatever is related to the meaning of the letters of the alphabet in ‘Abjad in my book Ma’ani al-Akhbar.”