Translator’s Introduction

On silence Except when Speaking what is Good, Abandonment of what does not concern one, and Slander

On Etiquette and Encouraging Others to do Good

On Good Character, Kindness and Anger

Virtue and Vice

Kindness to Parents, Relatives, Kinsfolk and Severance of Ties

The Rights of Neighbors

What has come in Reference to Slaves

What has come in Reference to this World and One who Seeks it

The Two Angels and what they Record

Humility and Arrogance

Showing off, Hypocrisy, Self-Admiration, and Conceit

Repentance, Seeking Forgiveness, Regret, and Admission (of Guilt)

Crying out of Fear of Allah

Remembering Death and the Grave

What the Believer and Disbeliever will See (Before Dying)

Questioning in the Grave, Chastisement in the Grave, and Barzakh

Resurrection, Reckoning, Standing Before Allah, the Exalted, and al-Ṣirāṭ

Intercession and Those who will come out of the Fire (of Hell)

Traditions About Paradise and Hell

Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

حدثنا الحسين بن سعيد قال: حدثنا القاسم بن محمد عن علي عن أبي بصير قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: يجاء بعبد يوم القيامة قد صلى فيقول: يا رب صليت ابتغاء وجهك فيقال له: بل صليت ليقال ما أحسن صلاة اذهبوا به إلى النار ويجاء بعبد قد قاتل فيقول: يا رب قاتلت ابتغاء وجهك فيقال له: بل قاتلت فيقال ما أشجع فلانا اذهبوا به إلى النار ويجاء بعبد قد تعلم القرآن فيقول: يا رب تعلمت القرآن ابتغاء وجهك فيقال له: بل تعلمت ليقال: ما أحسن صوت فلان اذهبوا به إلى النار ويجاء بعبد قد أنفق ماله فيقول: يا رب أنفقت ما لي ابتغاء وجهك فيقال له: بل أنفقته ليقال: ما أسخى فلانا اذهبوا به إلى النار.

1.Al-Ḥusayn ibn Saʿīd narrated to us, “Al-Qāsim ibn Muḥammad narrated to us from ʿAlī, from Abū Baṣīr who said, ‘I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, “A servant who offered prayers [in this world] will be brought forward on the Day of Judgment, so he will say, ‘O Lord, I used to pray seeking Your pleasure.’ But he will be told, ‘Rather, you used to pray so that it would be said: how good his prayer is!’ – ‘Take him to the Fire!’ Another servant who fought in battle will be brought forward and he will say, ‘O Lord, I used to fight [the enemies] seeking Your pleasure.’ But he will be told, ‘Rather, you fought so that it would be said: how brave he is!’ – ‘Take him to the Fire!’ Yet another servant, who had learnt the Qurʾān, will be brought forward. He will say ‘O Lord, I learnt the Qurʾān seeking Your good pleasure.’ He will be told, ‘Rather, you learnt the Qurʾān so that it would be said: how good is his voice!’ – ‘Take him to the Fire!’ A servant who has spent his wealth in charity will also be brought forward, and he will say, ‘O Lord, I gave away my wealth seeking Your pleasure.’ He will be told, ‘Rather you gave charity so that it would be said: how generous he is!’ – ‘Take him to the Fire!’”

عثمان بن عيسى عن علي بن سالم قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: قال الله تبارك وتعالى: انا اغنى الأغنياء عن الشريك فمن أشرك معي غيري في عمل عمله لم اقبله ولا أقبل الا ما كان لي خالصا

2.ʿUthmān ibn ʿĪsā narrated from ʿAlī ibn Sālim who said, “I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said, ‘I am the most needless of all who are needless of a partner, so whoever ascribes to Me another as a partner in any action he undertakes, I will not accept it from him. And I do not accept anything but that which was done only for Me exclusively.’”

النضر بن سويد عن محمد بن سنان عن إسحاق بن عمار عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن عالما أتى عابدا فقال له: كيف صلاتك؟ فقال: تسئلني عن صلاتي وانا أعبد الله منذ كذا وكذا فقال له: كيف بكائك؟ فقال: انى لا بكى حتى تجرى دموعي فقال له العالم: فان ضحكك وأنت تخاف الله أفضل من بكائك وأنت مدل على على الله ان المدل بعمله لا يصعد من عمله شئ.

3.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from Muḥammad ibn Sinān, from Isḥāq ibn ʿAmmār, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “A scholar once came to a worshipper and said to him, ‘How is your prayer?’ He replied, ‘You are asking me about my prayer while I have been worshipping Allah since such-and-such a time?’ So he asked him, ‘How are you weeping?’ He replied, ‘Verily I weep until my tears flow [down my face].’ So the scholar said to him, ‘Indeed your laughter while you fear Allah is better than your weeping while you are self-conceited before Allah! Verily the one who is self-conceited due to his actions has none of his deeds ascend [to Allah].’”

النضر عن محمد بن سنان عن موسى بن بكر عن زرارة عن أبي عبيد الله عليه السلام قال قال: داود النبي عليه السلام لأعبدن الله اليوم عبادة ولا قرأ قراءة أحبت لم افعل مثلها قط فدخل محرابه ففعل فلما فرغ من صلاته إذا هو بضفدع في المحراب فقال له يا دود: أعجبك اليوم ما فعلت من عبادتك وقراءتك؟ فقال نعم فقال: لا يعجبنك فانى اسبح الله في كل ليلة الف تسبيحة يتشعب لي مع كل تسبيحة ثلاثة آلاف تحميدة وانى لاكون في قعر الماء فيصوت الطير في الهواء فاحسبه جائعا فأطفو له على الماء ليأكلني ومالي ذنب.

4.Al-Naḍr narrated from Muḥammad ibn Sinān, from Mūsā ibn Bakr, from Zurārah, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Prophet Dāwūd (a) said, ‘I will surely worship Allah today with such a worship, and will recite such a lovely recital, the likes of which I have never done before.’ So he entered his prayer niche and did so. When he had completed his prayer, he [suddenly] saw a frog in the prayer niche. It said to him, ‘O Dāwūd, are you pleased with yourself today due to your worship and recitation?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied. It said, ‘Do not be pleased [or impressed] by it, for verily I glorify Allah every night one thousand times, and with each glorification of mine three thousand praises branch out. And [at times] when I am in the depths of the water and a bird makes a sound in the air, I assume that it might be hungry so I come up to the surface of the water in order for it to eat me, while having committed no sin [to deserve that].’”

الحسن بن محمد عن أبي حمزة عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: إن داود النبي صلوات الله عليه كان ذات يوم في محرابه إذا مرت به دودة حمراء صغيرة تدب حتى انتهت إلى موضع سجوده فنظر إليها داود وحدث في نفسه: لم خلقت هذه الدودة؟ فأوحى الله إليها تكلمي فقالت له: يا داود هل سمعت حسي أو استبنت * على صفا اثرى؟ فقال لها داود: لا قالت: فان الله يسمع دبيبي ونفسي وحسي ويرى أثر مشيي فاخفض من صوتك.

5.Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad narrated from Abū Ḥamzah, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) whom he heard saying, “Prophet Dāwūd (a) was once in his prayer niche when a small red worm crept by until it came to the place of his prostration. Dāwūd looked at it and said to himself, ‘Why was this worm created?’ So Allah inspired it ‘Speak!’ So it said, ‘O Dāwūd, have you heard my sound as I move, or have you noticed my tracks on the smooth earth?’ Dāwūd replied, ‘No.’ So it said, ‘Verily Allah hears my crawl, my breathing, and my sound, and He sees the tracks of my movement [on the earth], so lower your voice [in humility].’”

النضر عن درست عن بعض أصحابه عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن الله بعث ملكين إلى أهل مدينة ليقلباها على أهلها فلما انتهيا إلى المدينة وجدا رجلا يدعو الله ويتضرع إليه فقال أحدهما للاخر: إما ترى هذا الداعي فقال قد رأيته ولكن أمضى لما أمرني به ربى فقال: ولكني لا أحدث شيئا حتى ارجع إلى ربى فعاد * إلى الله تبارك وتعالى فقال: يا رب انى انتهيت إلى المدينة فوجدت عبدك فلانا يدعوك ويتضرع إليك فقال: امض لما أمرتك فان ذلك الرجل لم يتغير وجهه غضبا لي قط.

6.Al-Naḍr narrated from Durust, from one of our companions, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Verily Allah sent two angels to the people of a city in order to overturn it upon its inhabitants. When they arrived at the city, they found a man supplicating to Allah and beseeching Him. So one of them told the other, ‘Do you not see this supplicant?’ He replied, ‘I see him, but I will proceed to do as my Lord has commanded me.’ ‘I, on the other hand, will not do anything before returning to my Lord [and asking about the man],’ said the first angel. So he returned to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, and said, ‘My Lord, I went to the city and found Your servant so-and-so supplicating to You and beseeching You.’ He said, ‘Do as I have commanded you, for indeed that man’s face has never changed out of anger for My sake, ever.’”

النضر عن محمد بن هاشم عن رجل عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن قوما ممن آمن بموسى عليه السلام قالوا: لو أتينا عسكر فرعون وكنا فيه ونلنا من دنياه فإذا كان الذي نرجوه من ظهور موسى صرنا إليه ففعلوا فلما توجه موسى ومن معه هاربين ركبوا دوابهم وأسرعوا في السير ليوافوا موسى ومن معه فيكونوا معهم فبعث الله ملائكة فضربت وجوه دوابهم فردتهم إلى عسكر فرعون فكانوا فيمن غرق مع فرعون.

7.Al-Naḍr narrated from Muḥammad ibn Hāshim, from a man [who reported it] from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Verily a group of people who believed in Mūsā (a) said, ‘If we were to go to the army of Firʿawn and join it, we would acquire some of his worldly wealth, and then when what we hope for from the arrival of Mūsā transpires, we will go to him [and join him].’ So that is what they did. When Mūsā and those in his company turned to flee [from Firʿawn], they mounted their horses and speedily rode towards Mūsā, hoping to catch up with him and his companions in order to join them. But Allah sent angels who struck the faces of their mounts thereby causing them to return towards the army of Firʿawn. Hence, they were among those who drowned with Firʿawn.”

محمد بن سنان عن يزيد بن خليفة قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: من عمل لله كان ثوابه على الله ومن عمل للناس كان ثوابه على الناس ان كل رياء شرك

8.Muḥammad ibn Sinān narrated from Yazīd ibn Khalīfah who said, “I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘Whoever does a deed for [the sake of] Allah, his reward is upon Allah, and whoever does a deed for [praise from] the people, his reward is upon the people. Verily every act done to show off is [a form of] polytheism.’”

محمد بن أبي عمير عن فضالة عن جميل قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله تبارك وتعالى: فلا تزكوا أنفسكم هو اعلم بمن اتقى فقال: هو قول الانسان: صليت البارحة وصمت أمس ونحو هذا ثم قال عليه السلام: ان قوما كانوا يصبحون فيقولون: صلينا البارحة وصمنا أمس فقال علي عليه السلام لكني أنام الليل والنهار ولو أجد بينهما شيئا لنمته

9.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Faḍālah ibn Jamīl who said, “I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about the verse wherein Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says: Do not assert your own virtue. He knows best who is truly virtuous (Q53:32). So he said, ‘It is when a person says: I prayed last night, and I fasted yesterday, and other statements such as these.’ Then he (a) said, ‘There were some people who would say in the mornings, “We prayed last night and we fasted yesterday,” so ʿAlī (a) said, “But as for me, I sleep at night and in the day, and were I to find between them any other time, I would have slept in it as well.”’” [1]

ابن أبي البلاد عن سعد الإسكاف عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: كان في بني إسرائيل عابد فاعجب به داود عليه السلام فأوحى الله تبارك وتعالى إليه: لا يعجبك شئ من امره فإنه مراء فمات الرجل فاتى داود فقيل له: مات الرجل فقال: ادفنوا صاحبكم قال فأنكرت ذلك بنو إسرائيل وقالوا كيف لم يحضره؟ قال: فلما غسل قام خمسون رجلا فشهدوا بالله ما يعلمون الا خيرا فلما صلوا عليه قام خمسون (آخرون) رجلا فشهدوا بالله ما يعلمون الا خيرا فأوحى الله عز وجل إلى داود عليه السلام ما منعك ان تشهد فلانا قال: الذي أطلعتني عليه من أمره قال: إن كان لكذلك (ذلك كذلك) ولكن شهده قوم من الأحبار والرهبان فشهدوا بي: ما يعلمون الا خيرا فأجزت شهادتهم عليه وغفرت له مع علمي فيه (عليه).

10.Ibn Abī al-Bilād narrated from Saʿd al-Iskāf, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) who said, “There was a worshipper among the Banī Isrāʾīl with whom [Prophet] Dāwūd (a) was impressed, so Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed to him, ‘Do not be impressed by anything [you see] from him, for verily he is a hypocrite [who is only showing off].’ Then the man died, so they came to Dāwūd and said, ‘The man has died.’ He said to them, ‘Bury your companion.’ This caused some discontentment among the Banī Isrāʾīl and they said, ‘How could he not attend [this pious man’s funeral]?’ After the man had been washed, fifty men stood and bore witness, [swearing] by Allah, that they knew nothing but good [about him]. After they had prayed over him, another fifty men came forward and bore witness, [swearing] by Allah, that they knew of nothing but good [about him]. So Allah, the Almighty, revealed to Dāwūd (a), ‘What prevented you from testifying for so-and-so?’ He said, ‘[I was prevented by] what you had informed me of his affair.’ He said, ‘Though he was truly such, since a group of rabbis and monks have testified, swearing by Me, that they did not know anything but good [about him], I have accepted their testimony regarding him and forgiven him despite what I know about him.’”

محمد بن الفضيل عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: كتبت إليه أسأله عن مسألة فكتب إلى: ان الله يقول: (ان المنافقين يخادعون الله وهو خادعهم إلى قوله سبيلا) ليسوا من عترة رسول الله وليسوا من المؤمنين وليسوا من المسلمين يظهرون الايمان ويسرون الكفر والتكذيب لعنهم الله.

11.Muḥammad ibn al-Fuḍayl narrated from Abū al-Ḥasan al-Riḍā (a) saying, “I had written to him asking him about a [religious] question, so he wrote back to me saying, ‘Verily Allah says: Indeed the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah but it is He who causes them to be deceived. When they stand up for prayer, they do so sluggish, to be seen by the people, and remember Allah only a little, wavering all the time between this and that, belonging neither to one side nor the other. And whoever Allah leaves to stray, you will never find for him a way (Q4:142-3). These [people] are not from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah, and they are not from the faithful believers, and they are not [even] from the Muslims. Rather, they manifest belief [outwardly] but hide disbelief and rejection [of faith in their hearts] – may Allah curse them.’”

النضر بن سويد عن القاسم بن سليمان عن جراح المدائني عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قوله تعالى: (ولا يشرك بعبادة ربه أحدا) قال: هو العبد يعمل شيئا من الطاعات لا يطلب به وجه الله إنما يطلب تزكية الناس يشتهى أن يسمع به فهذا الذي أشرك بعبادة ربه وقال: ما من عبد أسر خيرا فتذهب الأيام حتى يظهر الله له خيرا وما من عبد أسر شرا فتذهب الأيام حتى يظهر الله له شرا

12.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from al-Qāsim ibn Sulaymān, from Jarrāḥ al-Madāʾinī, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said regarding the verse wherein Allah, the Exalted, says: …and does not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord (Q18:110), “It is [a warning to] the servant who performs an act of worship without seeking the pleasure of Allah; rather, he only seeks the commendation of people [for his piety] through which he desires renown. That is the one who associates others in the worship of his Lord.” Then he added, “There is no servant who hides a good [deed] and days go by, but that Allah manifests good for him and there is no servant who hides an evil [deed] and days pass, but that Allah will manifest evil for him.”

حمد بن أبي عمير عن عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن العبد ليذنب الذنب فيندم عليه ثم يعمل العمل فيسره ذلك فيتراخى عن حاله تلك ولان يكون على حاله تلك خير له مما دخل فيه.

13.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al- Ḥajjāj, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Verily the servant may commit a sin and then feel remorse for it, and later [he may] perform a deed by which he is pleased such that he becomes remiss and turns away from his previous state [of remorse and humility]. Indeed, it would have been better for him to remain in that previous state of his, rather than what he later entered into.”

محمد بن أبي عمير عن منصور بن يونس عن الثمالي عن أحدهما عليهما السلام قال: إن الله تبارك وتعالى يقول: إن من عبادي من يسألني الشئ من طاعتي لأحبه فاصرف ذلك عنه لكي لا يعجبه عمله.

14.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Manṣūr ibn Yūnus, from al-Thumālī, from one of the two [Imams] (a) who said, “Verily Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says, ‘Indeed among My servants is one who asks Me for [the ability to perform] certain acts of worship so that I may love him, but I turn that away from him so that he would not be pleased with [himself and] his deed.’”

محمد بن أبي عمير عن منصور بن يونس عن الثمالي عن علي بن الحسين عليهما السلام قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ثلاث منجيات وثلاث مهلكات قالوا يا رسول الله ما المنجيات؟ قال: خوف الله في السر كأنك تراه فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك والعدل في الرضا والغضب والقصد في الغناء والفقر قالوا يا رسول الله: فما المهلكات؟ قال: هوى متبع وشح مطاع واعجاب المرء بنفسه.

15.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Manṣūr ibn Yūnus, from al-Thumālī, from ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) who said, “The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, ‘Three things deliver [one to safety] and three things destroy.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are the things that save [a person]?’ He said, ‘Fearing Allah in secret as though you see Him, for if you cannot see Him, surely He can see you; exercising justice in happiness and anger; and [thirdly,] moderation in [times of] abundance and poverty.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, and what are the destroyers?’ He (ṣ) said, ‘Vain desire that is followed, the adoption of stinginess, and for a person to be pleased with himself.’”

النضر عن الحلبي عن أبي سعيد المكارى عن أبي بصير عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام في قوله تعالى: (فكبكبوا فيها هم والغاوون) قال: (فقال يا أبا بصير:) هم قوم وصفوا عدلا بألسنتهم ثم خالفوا إلى غيره.

16.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from al-Ḥalabī, from Abū Saʿīd al-Mukārī, from Abū Baṣīr, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) who said regarding the verse wherein Allah, the Exalted, says: Then they will all be hurled headlong into Hell, along with the deviant ones. (Q26:94), “[O Abā Baṣīr], they are a group who describe justice with their tongues then contravene it with something else [in action].”

بعض أصحابنا عن حنان بن سدير عن محمد بن طلحة عن زرارة عن أبى جعفر عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: أيما عبد كان له صورة حسنة مع موضع لا يشينه ثم تواضع لله كان من خالصة الله قال: قلت: ما موضع لا يشينه؟ قال: لا يكون ضرب فيه سفاح.

17.One of our companions narrated from Ḥanān ibn Sadīr, from Muḥammad ibn Ṭalḥah, from Zurārah, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) whom he heard saying, “Whichever servant has a handsome appearance along with an untainted position, then he humbles himself before Allah, he will be among the special [chosen] ones of Allah.” He (the narrator) said, “I asked, ‘What is [the meaning of] an untainted position?’ He replied, ‘He should not have been sullied by debauchery.’”

الحسن بن علي (الخزاز) (الوشاء) عن أبي الحسن عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: إن أيوب النبي عليه السلام قال: يا رب ما سألتك شيئا من الدنيا قط وداخلني (وداخله) شئ فأقبلت إليه سحابة حتى نادته: يا أيوب من وفقك لذلك؟ قال: أنت يا رب.

18.Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī al-Khazzāz [al-Washshāʾ] narrated from Abū al- Ḥasan (a) whom he heard saying, “Verily Prophet Ayyūb (a) said, ‘O Lord, I have never asked You for anything of this world, ever.’ And an inkling of self-admiration entered his heart. Then a cloud approached him and called out to him, ‘O Ayyūb, who enabled you to do this?’ [Thus he realised the mistake, and turning to his Lord] he said, ‘You, O Lord!’”

محمد بن خالد عن عبد الله بن المغيرة عن أبي خالد عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: من أظهر للناس ما يحب الله وبارز الله بما يكرهه (يكره لقى الله وهو له ماقت.

19.Muḥammad ibn Khālid narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mughīrah,from Abū Khālid, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Whoever manifests for the people what Allah loves and fights against Allah by [doing] what He dislikes,[1] he will meet Allah while He loathes him.”

Kitāb al-Zuhd

Book 2, Chapter 11