2. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar said: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abu al-Khattab said, on the authority of `Ali ibn Asbat, on the authority of `Ali ibn Abu Hamzah, on the authority of Abu Basir that Abu `Abd Allah (A)S about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: They shall say: O our Lord! Our adversity overcame us. He said: “They faced adversity as a result of their actions.”

3. Al-Sharif Abu `Ali Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn ibn `Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn `Ali ibn Abu Talib said: `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Qutaybah al-Naysaburi said, on the authority of al-Fadl ibn Shadhan, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abu `Umayr that I asked Abu al-Hasan Musa ibn Ja`far about the meaning of the Word of the Messenger of Allah : “The adverse is one who had been adverse in the womb of his mother, and the privileged in one who had been privileged in womb of his mother.” So he replied, The adverse person is he who Allah knows from the womb of his mother that he will perform the deeds of the adverse. And the privileged person is the one who Allah knows from the womb of his mother that he will perform the deeds of the privileged. I asked him, ,”Then what is the meaning of his Word: `All of you act! Everything has been made easy when created.’” He replied, Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, created the jinn and the human beings to serve Him and not to disobey Him. Hence, the Word of the Mighty and High: And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me. Therefore, He made everything easy when He created it. Woe to him who preferred blindness over guidance.

4. My father said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Nadr ibn Suwayd, on the authority of Yahya ibn `Imran al-Halabi, on the authority of Mu`alla Abu `Uthman, on the authority of `Ali ibn Hanzalah that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: The privileged will enter the path of the adverse until the people say: `He is so similar to them that he must be one of them.’ Then the privilege reaches him. And sometimes the adverse enters the path of the privileged until the people says: `He is so similar to them that he must be one of them.’ Then adversity reaches him. Verily, whoever Allah, the Exalted, knows to be privileged, He will bring his life to an end with privilege, even if the only time that remains tin the world is the hiccup of a she-camel.

5. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar said, on the authority of Ya`qub ibn Yazid, on the authority of Safwan ibn Yahya, on the authority of Mansur ibn Hazim that: Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, created privileged and adversity before He created His Creation. So whoever Allah knows to be privileged, Allah is never displeased with Him at any time. Even if he does an evil deed, Allah is displeased with the act, but not with him. If He knows someone to be adverse, Allah is displeased with Him at all times. Even if he does a good deed, Allah is please with the act, but displeased with him for what he will become. Thus, if Allah is pleased with something, then He never displeased with it; and if He is displeased with something, He is never pleased with it.

6. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar and Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah both said: Ayyub ibn Nuh said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of Hisham ibn Salim that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq was asked to interpret the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart. He said: “He intervenes between man and the belief that falsehood is the righteous.” It is also said: “Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, intervenes between man and his heart through death.” Abu `Abd Allah said: “Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, brings people from adversity to privilege, but does not bring people for privilege to adversity.”