43-2 Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Imran al-Daqqaq - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Kufi quoted on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad al-Adami, on the authority of Abdul Adheem ibn Abdullah Al-Hassani, on the authority of Mo’ammar ibn Khallad and others that they went to see Ar-Ridha’ . One of them asked Ar-Ridha’ , “May we be your ransom! Why do you look so pale?” The Imam replied, “I stayed up last night and was thinking about the following poem by Marvan ibn Abi Hafsat:How come it could not be thatThe children of the daughter inherit instead of paternal uncles.Then I went to sleep and saw someone holding onto the door frame and saying:How come it could not be thatThe pagans be the pillars of Islam?The children of the daughter inherit from their grandfatherWhile the uncle is abandoned without any share.How could the one captured and freed inherit?Many of the captured confessed fearing the sword.And the Qur’an informed you about the nobility of the oneAnd has told you about all the relevant decrees.Indeed the son of Fatima, well-known by his nameIs the one to inherit from the Prophet from his paternal uncles.But the son of Notayla will stand wondering on the sideCrying while the relatives sympathize.

43-3 (The author of the book narrated) My father (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us, saying: Sa’d ibn Abdullah narrated to us, from Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from Abdullah ibn al-Mughira, who said, "I heard Abu al-Hasan al-Ridha (peace be upon him) say: "Indeed, you are in a world with a set duration; the deeds of the doer are accepted in it. Do you not see that death surrounds it? The hopes of the hopeful are deceived in it. You hasten toward sin for what you desire, and you hope for repentance in the future, while death comes suddenly to its people. Is this the behavior of a wise and thinking person?"

43-4 In the year 314 A.H. (925 A.D.) Al-Hassan ibn Abdullah ibn Sa’eed Al-Askari narrated that Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Fadhl - known as ibn al-Khabbaz - quoted on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Ahmad al-Katib, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Al-Husayn - Abil Fay’yaz’s secretary, on the authority of his father, “We were present in the meeting held by Ali ibn Musa . A man complained about his brother. Then the Imam said,Forgive your brother for his sins.Cover up and hide his imperfections.Calmly bear the accusations of the foolsAnd leave to time their declamations.Be noble and do not respondAnd entrust all oppressors to the Reckoner!”

43-5 Muhammad ibn Musa al-Mutawakkil narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rayyan ibn al-Salt, “Ar-Ridha’ recited the following poem about Abdul Muttalib for me.The people all find fault with timeBut we ourselves are the fault of the time.We blame the time, but the fault is in us.If the time could talk, it would make fun of us.In fact, wolves tear down their enemies, but do not eat their meat.But some of us clearly eat other people’s meat (gossiping).We dress nice to fool the people wellWoe be to those who are strange and know us not well.”

43-6 Abul Abbas Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taleqani - may God forgive him - narrated that Abu Sa’eed Al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Adawi quoted on the authority of al-Haytham ibn Abdullah al-Romani that Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ quoted on the authority of his father Musa ibn Ja’far , on the authority of his father Ja’far ibn Muhammad , on the authority of his father Muhammad ibn Ali , on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Husayn , on the authority of his father , “The Commander of the Faithful said,He created the creatures with His Ability.Some are generous and some are miserlyBut the generous ones are in comfortBut the miserly has long misery.”

43-7 Al-Hakim Abu Ali Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Bayhaqi narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sowli quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Abi Ebad, on the authority of his uncle, “Although Ar-Ridha’ rarely recited poems, one day I heard him recite the following poem:We all hope death to grant us more timeWhile death itself destroys all hopes.Let not false hopes fool you.Be moderate and abandon falsehood.This world is like a vanishing shadeA temporary resting place for ridersWho shall depart it shortly later.Then I asked the Imam , “May God honor you! Who recited this?” He replied, “An Iraqi has said it for you.” I said, “Abul al-Atahiya recited this to me regarding himself.” The Imam said, “Call him by his own name. Abandon calling people by names that are a form of a put down. Indeed God the Glorified the Highest said, ‘…nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames…’ Perhaps the man detests this.”

43-8 Ahmad ibn Ziyad al-Hamadani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Muhammad Al-Hassani, “Al-Ma’mun sent a young girl to Abil Hassan Ar-Ridha’ . Upon entering, she expressed her dislike of his white hair. When the Imam noticed this he returned her to Al-Ma’mun with the following poem that he himself composed:My white hair informs me of the approach of my deathAt old age one accepts adviceYes, indeed youth passed and has ended nowAnd I will never experience its returnI cry and weep over it having gone byAnd keep on calling it perhaps it hears my callAh! What I have lostMy lying self forces me to want it backBeautiful women fear my white hairBut whoever stays too long will get oldI see the beautiful silver-colored women running away from me.Now my share is their separation from meIf youth which has now gone by was my beloved friendNow it is old age that is my friendI will be in its company with piety untilThe soon to arrive death separates us!

43-9 Al-Hakim Abu Ali Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Bayhaqi narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sowli quoted on the authority of Abu Thakwan, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Al-Abbas that Ar-Ridha’ often recited the following:When you are blessed by goodness do not get dazzled by that, but keep on asking God to keep you healthy and perfect the blessings.