1- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ وَالْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا قَالَ أَتَى أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) رَجُلٌ بِالْبَصْرَةِ بِصَحِيفَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ انْظُرْ إِلَى هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ فَإِنَّ فِيهَا نَصِيحَةً فَنَظَرَ فِيهَا ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَى وَجْهِ الرَّجُلِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقاً كَافَيْنَاكَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِباً عَاقَبْنَاكَ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ نُقِيلَكَ أَقَلْنَاكَ فَقَالَ بَلْ تُقِيلُنِي يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَلَمَّا أَدْبَرَ الرَّجُلُ قَالَ أَيَّتُهَا الأمَّةُ الْمُتَحَيِّرَةُ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا أَمَا إِنَّكُمْ لَوْ قَدَّمْتُمْ مَنْ قَدَّمَ اللهُ وَأَخَّرْتُمْ مَنْ أَخَّرَ اللهُ وَجَعَلْتُمُ الْوِلايَةَ وَالْوِرَاثَةَ حَيْثُ جَعَلَهَا اللهُ مَا عَالَ وَلِيُّ اللهِ وَلا طَاشَ سَهْمٌ مِنْ فَرَائِضِ اللهِ وَلا اخْتَلَفَ اثْنَانِ فِي حُكْمِ اللهِ وَلا تَنَازَعَتِ الأمَّةُ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللهِ إِلا عِلْمُ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَنَا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ فَذُوقُوا وَبَالَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَمَا اللهُ بِظَلامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ.

1. Abu Ali al-Ash ‘ariy and al-Husayn from Muhammad have narrated from Ahmad ibn Ishaq from Sa‘d an ibn Muslim from more than one person of our people who has narrated the following: “A man in Basrah brought a Sahifah (a booklet) and said, ‘O ’Amir al-Mu’minin, look at this booklet; there is advice in it.’ He (the Imam) looked at it, then he looked at the face of the man and said, ’If you are truthful we compensate you; if you are not truthful we will penalize you, if you want us to release you we will release you.’ He said, ’Release me O ’Amir al-Mu’minin. ’ When the man left ’Amir al-Mu’minin said, ‘You are the confused nation after your Prophet. Had you given priority to what Allah has given priority, kept back what Allah has kept back, placed people who possess divine authority and who inherit divine authority as Allah has placed, people who possess divine authority would not become needy. Obligations ordained by Allah would not remain neglected, two people would not quarrel [about a command of Allah and a nation would not fight over a command of Allah] but that the knowledge thereof is with us in the book of Allah. So taste the evil consequences of what your hands have sent ahead of you. Allah is not unjust to the servants. Very soon the unjust will find to what kind of returning place they have returned.”’

2- أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ التَّيْمِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي لا مُقَدِّمَ لِمَا أَخَّرَ وَلا مُؤَخِّرَ لِمَا قَدَّمَ ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ بِإِحْدَى يَدَيْهِ عَلَى الأخْرَى ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا أَيَّتُهَا الأمَّةُ الْمُتَحَيِّرَةُ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا لَوْ كُنْتُمْ قَدَّمْتُمْ مَنْ قَدَّمَ اللهُ وَأَخَّرْتُمْ مَنْ أَخَّرَ اللهُ وَجَعَلْتُمُ الْوِلايَةَ وَالْوِرَاثَةَ حَيْثُ جَعَلَهَا اللهُ مَا عَالَ وَلِيُّ اللهِ وَلا عَالَ سَهْمٌ مِنْ فَرَائِضِ اللهِ وَلا اخْتَلَفَ اثْنَانِ فِي حُكْمِ اللهِ وَلا تَنَازَعَتِ الأمَّةُ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللهِ إِلا وَعِنْدَنَا عِلْمُهُ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ فَذُوقُوا وَبَالَ أَمْرِكُمْ وَمَا فَرَّطْتُمْ فِي مَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَمَا اللهُ بِظَلامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ.

2. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Taymiy from Muhammad ibn al-Walid from Yunus ibn Ya’qub who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah. What Allah places last no one is able to place it first, and no one is able to place last what He has placed first.’ He (the Imam) then tapped his one hand with the other hand. He said, ‘O confused nation after her Prophet, had you placed first what Allah had done so and had you placed last what Allah had placed last, had you placed people who possess divine authority and who inherit divine authority as Allah had done, people who possess divine authority would not become needy. Deficiency did not occur in the ordained obligations toward Allah. No two people ever disagree on an issue of the laws of Allah or a nation fight over a thing of the commandments of Allah. However, the answer to it and knowledge thereof is with us in the book of Allah. Thus, taste the evil consequences of your affairs and the excess that you committed by your hand’s sending ahead of you. Allah is not unjust to the servants and very soon the unjust will find to what terrible returning place they have returned.’”