It was said to Amir al-Mu’minin : O Amir al-Mu’minin! inform us about “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful” (1:1) – is it from the Fatiha of the Book? So, he said: Yes, the Messenger of Allah (s) would recite it, and afterwards a verse from it. And he would say: The Fatiha of the Book is the Seven Oft-Coupled Verses.

Muhammad b. al-Qasim narrated to us. He said: Yusuf b. Muhammad b. Ziyad and `Ali b. Muhammad b. Sayyar narrated to me from their father from al-Hasan b. `Ali from his father `Ali b. Muhammad from his father Muhammad b. `Ali from his father al-Rida `Ali b. Musa from his father Musa b. Ja`far from his father Ja`far b. Muhammad form his father Muhammad b. `Ali from his father `Ali b. al-Husayn from his father al-Husayn b.`Ali from his brother al-Hasan b. `Ali . He said: Amir al-Mu’minin said: Surely, “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful” (1:1) is a verse from the Fatiha of the Book. It is seven verses, the best of which is “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” (1:1) I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: Surely, Allah said to me: O Muhammad! “We have given you the Seven Oft-Coupled verses and the Great Qur’an” (15:87), so be grateful to Me through the Fatiha of the Book and put it at the beginning of the Great Qur’an. Surely, the Fatiha of the Book is more honourable than the treasures of the Throne. Surely, Allah has chosen Muhammad and honoured him with it, and no prophet shares [any of] that honour except Sulayman , for he was given “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful” (27:30), which is seen in the story of Balqis, who said, “It is from Sulayman, and it reads: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” (27:30). Surely, whomever recites it, whilst aligned with Muhammad and his Righteous Family, acting by their orders, and believing in their apparent and esoteric [teachings], Allah will give him a deed for every letter: each of which is better than this world and everything in it, from its wealth to its goodness. Whomever listens to a reciter who recites it will be given the same reward at the reciter. So, you should increase this good thing that has been given to you, for it is a treasure that does not disappear with time, and it will remain in your repentant hearts.

My father narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim b. Hashim narrated to us from his father from `Ali b. al-Hakam from al-Mufaddal b. Salih from Jabir from Abi Ja`far . He said: When this verse, “And brought, that Day, is Hell” (89:23) was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (s) was asked about that, so he said: The Trustworthy Spirit informed me that when Allah – and there is no god except Him – raises the creation, and brings the firsts and the lasts together, He will bring forth Hell, which be steered by one thousand reins, and each rein will be held by one thousand rough, severe angels. It has a clunk, rage, a wail, and a howl. It wails with a wail. Had Allah not delayed them for the Judgment, it would have consumed everything. Then, a flare will emerge from it that will surround the creatures, both the righteous and the transgressor. Allah has not created a servant from the servants of Allah, nor an angel, nor a prophet, except that he will call out: “My self, my self!” But you, O Prophet of Allah, will call out: “My Nation, my Nation!” Then, a Path will be placed upon it that is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. There will be three arches upon it: the first will be safety and mercy, the second will be prayer, and the third will be the justice of the Lord of the Worlds, there is no god except Him. They will be made to pass upon it, then safety and mercy will trap them. If they overcome that, then prayer will trap them. If they overcome that, then the end is to the Lord of the Worlds, and that is His saying, “Surely, your Lord is in observation” (89:14). The people will be upon the Path, and they will hang from it with the hand, and the foot will slip, so they will cling [to it] by the foot. The angels around it will call: “O Forbearing One! Forgive, and fulfill Your promise, by Your grace! Give peace, give peace.” The people will fall into the Fire like a moth. If a person is saved by mercy and passes through it, he will say: “Praise be to Allah, and by His blessing, good works are fulfilled, and good deeds are purified. Praise be to Allah, who saved me from you after despair by His favour and His grave. Surely, our Lord is Forgiving and Thankworthy.”

Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. Ahmad b. al-Walid narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Saffar narrated to us. He said: Ahmad b. Muhammad b. `Isa narrated to us from Muhammad b. Khalid al-Barqi from al-Qasim b. Muhammad al-Jawhari from `Ali b. Abi Hamza from Abi Basir from Abi `Abdillah al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad . He said: People will pass through the Path in different ranks. The Path is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. Some will pass through it like lightning, some will pass through it galloping, some will pass through it walking, and some will pass through it crawling. Some will pass through it hanging, and the Fire will overtake part of him and leave part of him.

Ahmad b. Ziyad al-Hamadani narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim b. Hashim narrated to us from his father from Muhammad b. Abi `Umayr from Jamil b. Darraj from al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad . He said: When Allah decides to resurrect the creation, He will cause the sky to rain on the Earth for forty mornings. Then, the bones, the vegetation, and the flesh will reassemble.

Muhammad b. Musa b. al-Mutawakkil narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim b. Hashim narrated to us from his father from al-Rayyan b. al-Salt from al-Rida `Ali b. Musa from his father Musa b. Ja`far from his father Ja`far b. Muhammad from his father Muhammad b. `Ali from his father `Ali b. al-Husayn from his father al-Husayn b. `Ali . He said: Amir al-Mu’minin saw a man from his Shi`a after a long time [away from him], and the signs of aging were visible on him. He had a limp in his walk. So, he said: O man! You have aged. He said: In obedience to you, O Amir al-Mu’minin. So, he said: You are limping. He said: Due to your enemies, O Amir al-Mu’minin. So, he said: I see some strength in you. He said: It is for you, O Amir al-Mu’minin.

Al-Rayyan b. al-Salt said: al-Rida recited a poem of `Abd al-Mutalib to me: “All the people blame time, But there is nothing as blameworthy in our time as us, We blame our time when we are to blame, If time could talk, it would have attacked us. Surely, a wolf leaves the flesh of a wolf, But we knowingly eat [the flesh of] one another.”

Ja`far b. Muhammad b. Masrur narrated to us. He said: Al-Husayn b. Muhammad b. `Amer narrated to us from his uncle `Abdullah b. `Amer from Muhammad b. Abi `Umayr from `Abdullah b. al-Qasim from al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad from his father from his grandfather from `Ali . He said: Be more hopeful in that which you have no hope than in that which you have hope. Surely, Musa b. `Imran went to fetch some fire for his family, yet Allah spoke to him and he returned [to them] as a prophet. The queen of Saba’ came out and accepted Islam with Sulayman . The magicians of Pharaoh went out seeking glory for Pharaoh, yet they returned as believers.

`Ali b. Ahmad narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. Abi `Abdullah al-Kufi narrated to us. He said: Musa b. `Imran al-Nakha`i narrated to us from his uncle al-Husayn b. Yazid al-Nawfali from Muhammad b. Sinan from al-Mufaddal b. `Umar. He said: al-Sadiq said: My father narrated to me from his father : Al-Hasan b. `Ali b. Abi Talib was the most devout, ascetic, and virtuous person of his time. When he would perform Hajj, he would perform Hajj on foot – sometimes barefoot. When he would remember death, he would weep. When he would remember the grave, he would weep. When he would remember the Resurrection, he would weep. When he would remember the passing on the Path, he would weep. When he would remember a promise to Allah, he would gasp in a way that would distress him. When he would stand in prayer, his limbs would tremble before his Lord. When he would remember Paradise and the Fire, it was as though he was stung; he would ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge in Him from the Fire. He would not recite “O you who believe” from the Book of Allah except that he would say: “I am at Your service, O Allah, I am at Your service.” (labbayk allahumma labbayk) He would not be seen in any condition except that he would be remembering Allah. He was the most truthful of people in words and the most eloquent of them in speech. It was proposed to Mu`awiya one day: “If you order al-Hasan b. `Ali b. Abi Talib to climb the pulpit, his defects will become clear to the people.” So, he called for him and said to him: “Climb the pulpit and speak words that will exhort us.” So, he stood, climbed the pulpit, praised and commended Allah, and said: “O people! Whoever knows me knows me, and whoever does not know me: I am al-Hasan b. `Ali b. Abi Talib. I am the son of the Mistress of Women Fatima the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (s). I am the son of the best of Allah’s creation. I am the son of the Messenger of Allah. I am the son of the possessor of merit. I am the son of the possessor of miracles and signs. I am the son of Amir al-Mu’minin. I am the one who has been ejected from my right. I and my brother al-Husayn are the Two Masters of the Youth of Paradise. I am the son of the rukn and the maqam. I am the son of Mecca and Mina. I am the son of al-Mash`ar (in Muzdalifa) and `Arafat.” So, Mu`awiya said to him: “O Aba Muhammad, take a date and leave this.” So, he said: “Wind expands it, heat ripens it, and cold sweetens it.” Then, he returned to his speech. He said: “I am the Imam of the creation of Allah. I am the son of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.” So, Mu`awiya was too humiliated to speak thereafter, as the people were enchanted by him. So, he said: “O Aba Muhammad! Descend, for what you have said is sufficient.” So, he descended.