Registering Good Deeds

Condition for the Acceptance of Acts of Devotion.

Al-Harith Al-Hamadani and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

Four Habits from the treasures of Virtue

Helping a needy Mu’min

The Place of ‘Ali (as)

Dying with the love of ‘Ali (as)

The most beloved steps by a Mu’min

Witnessing Hearts

Reconciliation among people

Provision from unexpected quarters

On being mindful - not conceited

Love of Ahlul Bayt leads to Paradise

The System of Islam

Adam, Noah, Ibrahim & ‘Ali (as)

Mu’awiya’s Discussion on Imamah and Khilafa with Abdullah ibn Abbas

Words of Wisdom from Ibn Hanafiyya

On Ahlul Bayt (as)

Nine Testify to the Wilayah of ‘Ali (as)

Master Herein, Master Hereafter

Supplicate Constantly

Adopting Ignorant Leaders

Five Prostrations for glad tidings

Abu Hanifa acknowledges al-Sadiq’s authority

When the Angel came to greet ‘Ali (as)

The Prophet’s (SAW) inheritance: Knowledge of the unseen

Refraining from fault finding

When sins multiply

Events after the battle of Jamal

"Never confirm the tradition of Ghadeer-e-khumm" said Abu Hanifa

The Inner self

The status of the seeker

A deed performed with taqwa

Three groups within the Ummah

Saints & Nobles

The final Rites for our Prophet (SAW)

Asserting ones creed (and about Zaid ibn ‘Ali)

Helping Ahlul Bayt with one’s tongue

Love Ahlul Bayt with your heart and help with your hand & tongue

Spare your speech

Illness purifies a person of his sins

The Prophet (SAW) on his successor

The calamity of denying the pen to the Prophet (SAW)

Some companions who reneged

Some companions who will never see the Prophet (SAW) again

Allah tests His servants

Imam Husayn (as) as an ideal

Fatimah’s (as) elegy on Fadak

On constraint and indulgence

Traditions from a truthful source

Acting without understanding

Similitude of the transitory

Adhering to the Ahlul Bayt

Two types of manly virtues

The master of Arabs

Mahdi (as) will rise after a time of trials & tribulations

The Prophet’s (SAW) last assembly

Ibn Abbas’s address on Khilafah

The two who will be in deep anxiety

"I have not known of an assembly of people worse than you...." said Fatimah (as)

"Keep my cheek on the ground..." the last words of Umar

Earning the promised blessing one has not seen

About the people who apply analogy

Cursed are those who follow analogy

Traits of a religion person

"There is no way, other than my way..." said the Prophet (SAW)

Alms given early morning...

Cleanse and purify your heart before you ask Him

The four of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) virtues

‘Ali (as) forbade initiating the battle

We do not say except that which our Lord, Most High, has said

Die in the state of Taharat and you will die a martyr

‘Ali is my brother, my minister and my successor

What Jabir said about ‘Ali (as)

Umar’s comments about the Prophet’s companions

"My brothers are those who believe in me without ever having seen me" said the Prophet (SAW)

Seek refuge from Allah against the evil of the people of Al-Thatt

Allah helps according to the measure of our intentions

Knowledge precedes ignorance

Those nearest to the Prophet on the Day of Reckoning

Benevolence & Tyranny

Weeping for ones sins

Good deeds blot out evil ones

Obedience to the Imam

Uthman and Banu Umayya

The lonely martyr

Talha and al-Zubair

The first to enter Paradise

Surprise at the heedless

Dying the death of an infidel

Befriending for the sake of Allah

The four virtues of the people of Paradise

The Prophet commanded to reveal virtues of ‘Ali (as)

The Prophet’s prayers for his descendants

The Assasination of Malik al-Ashtar

Imamat, a continued covenant

A recitation to open the eight gates of Paradise

Allah reveals to Musa

Who are those devotees?

‘Ali’s faith and descent

4 - قال: وبهذا الإسناد قال: سمعت الرضا علي بن موسى عليهما السلام يتكلم في توحيد الله سبحانه فقال: أول عبادة الله معرفته، وأصل معرفة الله جل اسمه توحيده، ونظام توحيده نفي التحديد عنه، لشهادة العقول أن كل محدود مخلوق، وشهادة كل مخلوق أن له خالقا ليس بمخلوق، الممتنع من الحدث هو القديم في الأزل. فليس الله عبد من نعت ذاته، ولا إياه وحد من اكتنهه ، ولا حقيقته أصاب من مثله، ولا به صدق من نهاه، ولا صمد صمده من أشار إليه بشئ من الحواس ، ولا إياه عني من شبهه، ولا له عرف  من بعضه، ولا إياه أراد من توهمه. كل معروف بنفسه مصنوع ، وكل قائم في سواه معلول، بصنع الله يستدل عليه، وبالعقول تعتقد معرفته، وبالفطرة تثبت حجته . خلقه تعالى الخلق حجاب بينه وبينهم ، ومباينته إياهم مفارقته لهم ، وابتداؤه لهم دليل على أن لا ابتداء له لعجز كل مبتدء منهم عن ابتداء مثله ، فأسماؤه تعالى تعبير، وأفعاله سبحانه تفهيم. قد جهل الله تعالى من حده، وقد تعداه من اشتمله ، وقد أخطأه من اكتنهه، ومن قال: " كيف هو " فقد شبهه، ومن قال فيه: " لم " فقد علله، ومن قال: " متى " فقد وقته، ومن قال: " فيم " فقد " ضمنه "، ومن قال: " إلى م " فقد نهاه، ومن قال: " حتى م " فقد غياه ، ومن غياه فقد حواه، ومن حواه فقد ألحد فيه. لا يتغير الله بتغاير المخلوق ، ولا يتحدد بتحدد المحدود، واحد لا بتأويل عدد، ظاهر لا بتأويل المباشرة، متجل لا باستهلال رؤية، باطن لا بمزايلة، مباين لا بمسافة، قريب لا بمداناة، لطيف  لا بتجسم، موجود لا عن عدم، فاعل لا باضطرار، مقدر لا بفكرة، مدبر لا بحركة، مريد لا بعزيمة، شاء لا بهمة، مدرك لا بحاسة، سميع لا بآلة، بصير لا بأداة. لا تصحبه الأوقات، ولا تضمنه الأماكن، ولا تأخذه السنات ، ولا تحده الصفات، ولا تفيده  الأدوات، سبق الأوقات كونه، والعدم وجوده والابتداء أزله، بخلقه الأشباه  علم أن لا شبه له، وبمضادته بين الأشياء علم أن لا ضد له، وبمقارنته بين الأمور عرف أن لا قرين له. ضاد النور بالظلمة، والصر بالحرور ، مؤلف بين متباعداتها، ومفرق بين متدانياتها، بتفريقها دل على مفرقها، وبتأليفها على مؤلفها ، قال الله عز وجل: " ومن كل شئ خلقنا زوجين لعلكم تذكرون  ". له معنى الربوبية إذ لا مربوب، وحقيقة الإلهية إذ لا مألوه ، ومعنى العالم ولا معلوم، ليس منذ خلق استحق معنى الخالق، ولا من حيث أحدث استفاد معنى المحدث، لا تغيبه " منذ " ، ولا تدنيه " قد "، ولا تحجبه " لعل "، ولا توقته " متى "، ولا تشمله  " حين "، ولا تقارنه " مع "، كل ما في الخلق من أثر غير موجود في خالقه، وكل ما أمكن فيه ممتنع من صانعه، لا تجرى عليه الحركة والسكون، وكيف يجري عليه ما هو أجراه؟ أو يعود فيه ما هو ابتدأه؟ إذا لتفاوتت ذاته، ولامتنع من الأزل معناه، ولما كان للبارئ معنى غير المبروء . لوحد له وراء لحد له أمام، ولو التمس له التمام للزمه النقصان، كيف يستحق الأزل من لا يمتنع من الحدث؟ وكيف ينشئ الأشياء من لا يمتنع من الانشاء؟، لو تعلقت به المعاني لقامت فيه آية المصنوع، ولتحول عن كونه دالا إلى كونه مدلولا عليه ، ليس في محال القول حجة ، ولا في المسألة عنه جواب، لا إله إلا الله العلي العظيم، [وصلى الله على محمد النبي وآله الطاهرين] . 

4. He said: And with this chain of narration, he said: I heard al-Ridha, ‘Ali ibn Musa, peace be upon him, speak thus on the subject of Oneness of Allah: "The first step toward worship of Allah is to know Him, and the root of that knowledge is in recognizing His Oneness; And the principle of that recognition lies in negating all definitions from Him; Every reason guides to the fact that anything defined is created (and not the creator), And every created one testifies that it has a creator, who is not created. The one, who is not contingent, is the One, timeless in eternity. So he who ascribes attributes to Him has not (truly) worshipped Him, And he who knows Him by similitude has not understood His oneness; And one who compares Him (to anything) has not understood the true essence, nor has he confirmed Him if he sets any limit for Him; And he who points towards Him with any of his senses is, in fact, aiming at something other than Him; So, he who likens Him (to others) does not actually mean Him, and he who considers Him a part of the whole, does not actually know Him, and he who imagines Him is indeed deluded. Everything, which can be encompassed by knowledge and imagination, is created, and everything that is dependent upon others for its existence is an effect. By His creation, we are guided to His existence, and by reason we believe in (the necessity of) knowing Him, and by the innate nature (of human beings) His Proof is established. His creation is a veil between Him and His creatures, and He is distinct from them by His disparateness. His beginning of their creation is the proof that He has no beginning, for the one who is begun (in time) cannot be a (timeless) beginner; So, all the names used for Him are mere interpretations, and acts attributed to Him are meant for common understanding. Indeed, he who defines or sets a limit to Him, displays ignorance about Him, and he who tries to encompass Him transgresses the bounds. And he who makes a surmise of His Being, misses Him (altogether). Whoever says ’How is He?’ has indeed invoked His likeness, and whoever asks ’Why?’ has indeed indulged in explaining Him away. And he who says ’When?’ sets a time limit for Him, and he who asks ’In what?’ tries to contain Him. And whoever asks ’Where to?’ confines Him, and whoever asks ’Till when?’ indeed fixes (an imagined) goal for Him. Thus whoever fixes a goal for Him, limits Him, and to set a limit for Him is to disbelieve in Him. The discrepancy among the creatures does not effect any variation in Him, and the limitation of the limited ones creates no confine for Him. He is One but not as number, and He is Manifest but not by was of associating; He is Evident but not by way of being visible. He is intrinsic but not by separation, and He is apart but not by distance. And He is near but not by proximity. He is (truly) subtle, but not in body, He Exists but not from nothingness. He is the doer but not under any duress, and He is the assessor but not yielded to pondering; He is designer without needing any movement. He Wills without being driven by resolves or determination, He perceives without depending on any senses. He hears and sees without any organ. Time does not accompany Him, places do not contain Him, slumber does not overtake Him, attributes do not define Him, and implements do not benefit Him. His Existence precedes time, His Being precedes void and nothingness. His Eternity precedes all beginning. By His creating similar things, it is established that He has no likeness, and by His creating dissimilarities among things, it is evident that He has no contrast. And by equation among things, it is understood that He has no equal. He contrasted light with darkness, severe winter with hot wind. He puts together things which are divergent, and separates things which are closer to each other. Thus by separating, He guides us to its Separator and by putting things together, He guides to its Integrator. Allah, Most High, says (in Qur’an): ’We have created a pair, that perchance you might remember.’(51:49) The meaning of Sustainer applied to Him when there was no one sustained, and the essence of (all) Divine Power belonged to Him when there was no worshipper, and He was the Knower when there was nothing knowable. He did not merit the meaning of being Creator after having created, nor did He become the Originator after having originated. He is not caused to be absent by ’since,’ nor is He brought nearer by ’indeed.’ And ’perchance’ does not veil Him, nor is He limited in time by ’when.’ He is not contained by ’then,’ nor is He accompanied by ’with.’ Every effect that is seen in the creation does not exist in its Creator, and all that is contingent in it is not possible in its Maker. Movement and Stillness do not occur in Him. And how can they occur in Him Who caused them? How could that which He initiated return to be applied to Him? In that case, there would have risen discrepancy in His Being, and the meaning of Eternal would be inapplicable to Him, and the word Creator would have had its opposite meaning. If He were bound by rear, He would have been bound by fore also, and if completeness were solicited for Him, then incompleteness would have been necessarily conceivable for Him. How could He be worthy of being called Eternal if He were contingent? How can He initiate things if He Himself needed to be initiated? In that case, the signs of being created would be evident in Him, and He would have changed from being the Indicator into the one indicated. Any statement contradicting this truth has no proof, nor do the questions arising therefrom have any answers. There is no god but Allah, Most High and Most Mighty. (And may Allah bless His Prophet, Muhammad and his pure Progeny.)"

Al-Amālī

Book 30, Chapter 4