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

7-10 2 حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا علي بن ابراهيم بن هاشم قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن أحمد الموصلي، عن الصقر بن أبي دلف الكرخي قال: لما حمل المتوكل سيدنا أباالحسن العسكري عليه السلام جئت أسأل عن خبره قال: فنظر إلي الرازقي وكان حاجبا للمتوكل فامر أن ادخل إليه فادخلت إليه فقال: يا صقر ماشأنك؟ فقلت: خير أيها الاستاد، فقال: اقعد فأخذني ما تقدم وما تأخر وقلت: أخطأت في المجيء. قال: فوحى الناس عنه ثم قال لي: مـا شأنـك،وفيم جئت؟ قلت: لخير ما فقال: لعلك تسأل عن خبر مولاك؟ فقلت له: ومن مولاي؟ مولاي أمير المؤمنين فقال: أسكت مولاك هو الحق فلا تحتشمني فإني على مذهبك، فقلت: الحمد لله قال: أتحب أن تراه؟ قلت: نعم، قال: اجلس حتى يخرج صاحب البريد من عنده قال: فجلست فلما خرج، قال لغلام له: خذ بيد الصقر وأدخله إلى الحجرة التي فيها العلوي المحبوس وخل بينه وبينه قال: فأدخلني إلى الحجرة [التي فيه العلوي] فأومأ إلى بيت فدخلت فإذا عليه السلام جالس على صدر حصير وبحذاه قبر محفور، قال: فسلمت فرد، ثم أمرني بالجلوس، ثم قال لي:يا صقر ما أتي بك؟ قلت: ياسيدي جئت أتعرف خبرك؟ قال: ثم نظرت إلى القبر فبكيت، فنظر إلي فقال: يا صقر لا عليك لن يصلوا إلينا بسوء الآن، فقلت: الحمدلله، ثم قلت: ياسيدي حديث يروي عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله لاأعرف معناه، قال: وما هو؟ فقلت: قوله: "لاتعادوا الايام فتعاديكم" ما معناه؟فقال: نعم الايام نحن ما قامت السماوات والارض فالسبت اسم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، والاحد كناية عن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام، والاثنين الحسن والحسين والثلثاء علي بن الحسين ومحمد ابن علي وجعفر بن محمد، والاربعاء موسى بن جعفر وعلي بن موسى ومحمد بن علي وأنا، والخميس ابني الحسن بن علي، والجمعة ابن ابني وإليه تجتمع عصابة الحق وهو الذي يملاها قسطا وعدلا كما ملئت ظلما وجورا، فهذا معنى الايام فلا تعادوهم في الدنيا فيعادوكم في الآخرة، ثم قال عليه السلام: ودع واخرج فلا آمن عليكقال مصنف هذا الكتاب رضي الله عنه: الايام ليست بأئمة ولكن كنى بها عليه السلام عن الائمة لئلا يدرك معناه غير أهل الحق كما كنى الله عز وجل بالتين والزيتون وطور سينين وهذا لبلد الامين عن النبـي صـلى الله عليـه وآلـه وعليوالحسن والحسين عليهم السلام وكما كنى عز وجل بالنعاج عن النساء على قول من روى ذلك في قصة داود والخمصين، وكما كنى بالسير في الارض عن النظر في القرآن، سئل الصادق عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل: "أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ" قال: معناه أولم ينظروا في القرآن. وكما كنى عز وجل بالسر عن النكاح في قوله عز وجل: "وَلَكِنْ لاَ تُوَاعِدُوهُنَّ سِرًّا" وكما كنى عز وجل بأكل الطعام عن التغوط فقال في عيس وامه: "كَانَا يَأْكُلاَنِ الطَّعَامَ" ومعناه أنهما كانا يتغوطان، وكما كنى بالنحل عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في قوله "وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْل" ومثل هذا كثير

7-102 Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutevakil - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim quoted Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Mooseli, on the authority of Al-Seqr ibn Abi Delph al-Kurkhi, “When al-Mutevakil arrested our master Abal-Hassan Al-Askari (MGB) and sent him to jail, I went to find out some things about him. Razeqi who was the gate-keeper for Al-Mutevakil looked at me and ordered that I be taken to his presence. Once I entered, he asked me, ‘O Seqr! What do you want?’ I said, ‘Sir. It is good!’ He said, ‘Be seated!’ I told myself that I had made a mistake and was going to be captured, too. Once the others present left and when he found some time he looked at me and said, ‘How are you doing? What do you want here?’ I said, ‘I have come for a good deed.’ Hesaid, ‘Perhaps you have come to ask about the news of your master?’ Then I said, ‘Who is my master? My master the Commander of the Faithful (Referring to Al-Mutevakil.)’ Then he said, ‘Be quiet! Your master is the one who is rightful! Do not be afraid of me. I follow the same beliefs as you do.’ Then I said, ‘Thanks God!’ He said, ‘Do you wish to see him?’ He said, ‘Then be seated until the postman leaves him.’ Then I sat down and waited until the postman left him. Then he told his servant, ‘Take Seqr’s hand and guide him to the room in which that Alavite is imprisoned and leave them alone.’ The servant took me to the jail and showed me the room. When I entered the room, I saw that the Imam (MGB) was sitting on a piece of straw mat with a dug up grave in front of him. I greeted and the Imam (MGB) responded and asked me to sit down. I sat down. The Imam (MGB) said, ‘O Seqr! Why have you come here?’ I said, ‘O my Master! I have come here to get some news about you.’ I looked at the grave and cried. The Imam (MGB) looked at me and said, ‘O Seqr! Do not worry! They cannot mistreat me now.’ I said, ‘Praise be to God!’ Then I added, ‘There is a narration on the authority of the Prophet (MGB), the meaning of which I cannot understand.’ The Imam (MGB) asked, ‘Which one?’ I said, ‘The one in which he (MGB) said, ‘Do not be enemies with the days so that they do not be your enemies.’ The Imam (MGB) said, ‘We are the days and we shall be for as long as the heavens and the Earth are there! Sunday refers to the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB). Monday refers to Al-Hassan (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB). Tuesday refers to Ali ibn al-Hussein as-Sajjad (MGB), Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (MGB) and Ja’far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (MGB). Wednesday refers to Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kadhim (MGB), Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (MGB), Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad (MGB), and I. Thursday refers to my son Al-Hassan ibn Ali (MGB) and Friday refers to my grandson who shall gather all the followers of the truth together as a single party and fill the Earth with justice after it has become full of oppression. This is what ‘days’ refers to. Do not be our enemies so that we may not be your enemies in the Hereafter!’The he (MGB) said, ‘Say goodbye and leave. You are not secure here.’”The compiler of the book - may God be pleased with him - said, “The days of the week are not really the same as the Divine Leaders. Here the Prophet (MGB) has used it as a symbolic reference to the Divine Leaders just as the Imam (MGB) said so that those who are not on the right path do not understand it. This is similar to the use of ‘By the Fig and the Olive, And the Mount of Sinai, And this City of security’ by the Honorable the Exalted God in reference to the Prophet (MGB), Ali (MGB), Al-Hassan (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB). This is similar to when the Honorable theExalted God used ‘sheep’ in reference to ‘women’ as supported by some interpreters in the story of David and the two who went to see him. This is also similar to the use of ‘travel through the Earth’ in the Quran. As-Sadiq (MGB) was asked about the following words of the Honorable the Exalted God, ‘Do they not travel through the Earth?’ He (MGB) replied, ‘What is meant is would you not delve into the meaning of the Quran as in the following verse the Honorable the Exalted God has used ‘a secret covenant’ to refer to having sex, ‘But do not make a secret contract with them’ or used ‘to eat’ to refer to having to go to the toilet in ‘They had both to eat their (daily) food’ when referring to Jesus (MGB) and his mother Mary (MGB) or used ‘the Bee’ in ‘And thy Lord taught the Bee’ to refer to the Prophet (MGB). There are many similar instances.”

Al-Khiṣāl

Book 8, Chapter 50