Al-Kāfi - Volume 8


Book 1, Chapter 546

We lived very affluently
1 Ḥadīth

سَهْلٌ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عليه السلام) أَنَا وَ حُسَيْنُ بْنُ ثُوَيْرِ بْنِ أَبِي فَاخِتَةَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّا كُنَّا فِي سَعَةٍ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ وَ غَضَارَةٍ مِنَ الْعَيْشِ فَتَغَيَّرَتِ الْحَالُ بَعْضَ التَّغْيِيرِ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ يَرُدَّ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَالَ أَيَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ تُرِيدُونَ تَكُونُونَ مُلُوكاً أَ يَسُرُّكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِثْلَ طَاهِرٍ وَ هَرْثَمَةَ وَ إِنَّكَ عَلَى خِلَافِ مَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ قُلْتُ لَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا يَسُرُّنِي أَنَّ لِيَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَا فِيهَا ذَهَباً وَ فِضَّةً وَ إِنِّي عَلَى خِلَافِ مَا أَنَا عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ فَمَنْ أَيْسَرَ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى اعْمَلُوا آلَ داوُدَ شُكْراً وَ قَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبادِيَ الشَّكُورُ وَ أَحْسِنُوا الظَّنَّ بِاللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (عليه السلام) كَانَ يَقُولُ مَنْ حَسُنَ ظَنُّهُ بِاللَّهِ كَانَ اللَّهُ عِنْدَ ظَنِّهِ بِهِ وَ مَنْ رَضِيَ بِالْقَلِيلِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ قَبِلَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ الْيَسِيرَ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ وَ مَنْ رَضِيَ بِالْيَسِيرِ مِنَ الْحَلَالِ خَفَّتْ مَئُونَتُهُ وَ تَنَعَّمَ أَهْلُهُ وَ بَصَّرَهُ اللَّهُ دَاءَ الدُّنْيَا وَ دَوَاءَهَا وَ أَخْرَجَهُ مِنْهَا سَالِماً إِلَى دَارِ السَّلَامِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا فَعَلَ ابْنُ قِيَامَا قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَيَلْقَانَا فَيُحْسِنُ اللِّقَاءَ فَقَالَ وَ أَيُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ يَمْنَعُهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ لا يَزالُ بُنْيانُهُمُ الَّذِي بَنَوْا رِيبَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَقَطَّعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ تَدْرِي لِأَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ تَحَيَّرَ ابْنُ قِيَامَا قَالَ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ تَبِعَ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ (عليه السلام) فَأَتَاهُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ وَ هُوَ يُرِيدُ مَسْجِدَ النَّبِيِّ (صلى الله عليه وآله) فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عليه السلام) فَقَالَ مَا تُرِيدُ حَيَّرَكَ اللَّهُ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَ رَأَيْتَ لَوْ رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ مُوسَى فَقَالُوا لَوْ نَصَبْتَهُ لَنَا فَاتَّبَعْنَاهُ وَ اقْتَصَصْنَا أَثَرَهُ أَ هُمْ كَانُوا أَصْوَبَ قَوْلًا أَوْ مَنْ قَالَ لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عاكِفِينَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنا مُوسى قَالَ قُلْتُ لَا بَلْ مَنْ قَالَ نَصَبْتَهُ لَنَا فَاتَّبَعْنَاهُ وَ اقْتَصَصْنَا أَثَرَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ مِنْ هَاهُنَا أُتِيَ ابْنُ قِيَامَا وَ مَنْ قَالَ بِقَوْلِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ ابْنَ السَّرَّاجِ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَقَرَّ بِمَوْتِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عليه السلام) وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ أَوْصَى عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ فَقَالَ كُلُّ مَا خَلَّفْتُ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ حَتَّى قَمِيصِي هَذَا الَّذِي فِي عُنُقِي لِوَرَثَةِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عليه السلام) وَ لَمْ يَقُلْ هُوَ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عليه السلام) وَ هَذَا إِقْرَارٌ وَ لَكِنْ أَيُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ يَنْفَعُهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ مِمَّا قَالَ ثُمَّ أَمْسَكَ.


546. Sahl, from Ubeydullah, from Ahmad Bin Umar who said: I went to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Ridha (a.s) with Husayn Bin Suweyr Bin Abu Fakhta. So I said to him (a.s), ‘May I be sacrificed for you (a.s), we used to be in a time of sustenance and led an affluent lifestyle. Our condition changed as it sometimes does, so supplicate to Allah (azwj) to return that state to us’. So he (a.s) said: ‘What is it that you want? To become kings? Would you be satisfied to become like Tahir and Harsama, and they are opposed to what you are upon?’ I said, ‘No, by Allah (azwj), it would not satisfy me that there should be for me the whole world and whatever is in it of the gold and the silver, whilst I am upon the opposite to what I am upon at present (Al-Wilayah). He (a.s) said; ‘So the one who is contented among you, should be thankful to Allah (azwj). Allah (azwj) is Saying: “[14:7] If you are grateful, I would certainly give to you more”. And the Glorious and High Said: “[34:13] give thanks, O family of Dawood! and very few of My servants are grateful”. And think good with Allah (azwj), for Abu Abdullah (a.s) used to say; ‘The one who thinks about Allah (azwj), Allah (azwj) would also Mention him (Reward him), and the one who is happy with a little from the sustenance, Allah (azwj) would Accept even small amount of deeds. And the one who is happy with a small amount of Permissible, his expenses would be light and his family would enjoy, and Allah (azwj) would Show him the sicknesses of the world and its cure and Bring him out from it safely to the House of Peace’. Then said; ‘What is the action of Ibn Qayama?’ I said, ‘By Allah (azwj), he (does not) meet us in a goodly manner’. So he (a.s) said: ‘And which thing prevents him from that?’ Then he (a.s) recited this Verse: “[9:110] The building which they have built will ever continue to be a source of disquiet in their hearts, except that their hearts get cut into pieces”. Then he (a.s) said: ‘Do you know what was it that confused Ibn Qayama?’ I said, ‘No’. He (a.s) said: ‘He chased Abu Al-Hassan (a.s), so he came to him (a.s) from his (a.s) right, and from his (a.s) left, and he wanted Masjid of the Prophet ﷺ. So Abu Al-Hassan (a.s) turned towards him and said: ‘What do you want, may Allah (azwj) Confuse you’. Then he (a.s) said: ‘Consider if Musa (a.s) were to return to them, so they said, ‘Had you (a.s) appointed him (Haroun (a.s)) for us, so we would have followed him (a.s) in his (a.s) footsteps’, were they more desirable in their speech or the ones who said, ‘We will not leave our devotions for him (Haroun (a.s)) until Musa (a.s) returns to us’. So I said, ‘No, but the ones who said, ‘He (a.s) has been appointed for us, so we will follow him (a.s) in his (a.s) footsteps’. So he (a.s) said; ‘So it is from there that Ibn Qayama and the ones who speak by his speech come from’. Then he (a.s) mentioned Ibn Al-Sarraaj, so he (a.s) said: ‘He had accepted the death of Abu Al-Hassan (a.s) and that is why he bequeathed during his death, so he said, ‘All of what I leave behind from the things, even my shirt which is upon my neck, is for the inheritors of Abu Al-Hassan (a.s)’. And he never said that it is for Abu Al-Hassan (a.s). And this is his acceptance, but which thing will profit him from that and from what he said?’ Then he (a.s) was quiet’.