Al-Amālī


Book 1, Chapter 2

Condition for the Acceptance of Acts of Devotion.
1 Ḥadīth

2 - قال: أخبرني أبو الحسن علي بن محمد بن الزبير الكوفي إجازة، قال: حدثنا أبو الحسن علي بن الحسن بن فضال، قال: حدثنا علي بن أسباط، عن محمد بن يحيى أخي مغلس، عن العلاء بن رزين، عن محمد بن مسلم، عن أحدهما عليهما السلام: قال: قلت له: إنا نرى الرجل من المخالفين عليكم له عبادة واجتهاد وخشوع، فهل ينفعه ذلك شيئا؟. فقال: يا محمد إنما مثلنا أهل البيت مثل أهل بيت كانوا في بني إسرائيل، وكان لا يجتهد أحد منهم أربعين ليلة إلا دعا فأجيب، وإن رجلا منهم اجتهد أربعين ليلة ثم دعا فلم يستجب له فأتى عيسى ابن مريم عليه السلام يشكو إليه ما هو فيه، ويسأله الدعاء له. فتطهر عيسى وصلى ثم دعا فأوحى الله إليه: يا عيسى إن عبدي أتاني من غير الباب الذي أوتي منه، إنه دعاني وفي قلبه شك منك، فلو دعاني حتى ينقطع عنقه وتنتثر أنامله ما استجبت له. فالتفت عيسى عليه السلام فقال: تدعو ربك وفي قلبك شك من نبيه؟ قال: يا روح الله وكلمته قد كان والله ما قلت، فاسأل الله أن يذهب به عني، فدعا له عيسى عليه السلام، فتقبل الله منه وصار في حد أهل بيته، كذلك نحن أهل البيت لا يقبل الله عمل عبد وهو يشك فينا .


2. He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Zubair al-Kufi reported to me, with permission to report from Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Faddhal, who reported from ‘Ali ibn Asbat who reported from Muhammad ibn Yahya, the brother of Mughallas, from al-Ula ibn Razin, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from one of the two (Imams), peace be upon them, saying that: I told him: "We see a man deeply engrossed in the acts of devotion, humble and trying his best (to please Allah), yet he is opposed to you. Does that benefit him anything?" He said: "O Muhammad, the similitude of us Ahlul Bayt is like that of a household among Banu Israel, of whom whoever strived devotedly for forty nights, his prayer was answered." Among them there was one who strenuously worshipped for forty nights and his prayer went unanswered. So he came to Isa, son of Maryam, peace be upon him, complaining about the situation he was in, and beseeching him to pray for him. So Isa performed ablution, and prayed. Allah revealed unto him: "O Isa, surely, this servant of mine came through a gate other than the one through which I am reached. He prayed while his heart had doubts about you. So, (even) if he called upon me till his neck were severed and his fingers fell apart, I would not answer him." Then Isa approached him and said: "You call upon your Lord while your heart doubts His Prophet?" He said: "O Spirit of Allah, and His word, by Allah, it was like what you said. Now, please pray unto Him to remove that from me." Then Isa prayed (for him) and Allah accepted it from him, and he was again reverted to his household. Similar is the case of us Ahlul Bayt. Allah does not accept the acts of devotion from a servant who doubts about us.