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TRADITIONS FROM 9th and 10th IMAMS
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# Imam Jawad Knowledge and Sciences
By: Baqir Shareef al-Qurashi
His knowledge and sciences
The abundance of Imam al-Jawad’s knowledge and sciences was astonishing and he was indeed the great miracle of Islam. He was skillful in different sciences and arts since he was too young. Scholars, jurisprudents, philosophers and theologians asked him about the deepest and most precise questions and he answered them all. They were astonished and confused for that and some of them believed in his imamate. It is naturally that there is no justification for this astonishing phenomenon save to believe in the imamate, which is the belief of the Shia that Allah has granted the imams of Ahlul Bayt knowledge, wisdom and sound judgment as He has granted His Arch-Prophets and Messengers.
Here we shall talk briefly about the sciences, maxims and arts of Imam al-Jawad.
The Hadith
Imam Muhammad al-Jawad narrated a group of traditions from the messenger of Allah through the series of his fathers. He also narrated from his grandfathers Imam Ali and Imam as-Sadiq and from his father Imam ar-Redha.
His narrations from the Messenger of Allah
Here are some traditions that he narrated from the Prophet:
1. He narrated that the messenger of Allah had said, ‘Fatima has protected her honor and been abstinent and therefore, Allah has protected her and her progeny from the Fire.’
2. He narrated from his grandfather Ameerul Momineen his saying, “The messenger of Allah sent me to Yemen
3. He narrated that the Prophet had said, ‘Whoever blames the time, his blaming will last long.’
4. He narrated from the Prophet his saying, ‘Man is hidden under his tongue.’
His narrations from Imam Ali
He narrated many traditions from his grandfather Ameerul Momineen. For example, he narrated,
“Once, a man from Basra
Imam Ali said, ‘Brothers are two kinds; brothers of trust and brothers of smile. As for the brothers of trust, they are like the hand, the wing, the kin and the money to you. If there is trust between you and your brother, you give him from your money, help him with your hand, make friends with his friends, be enemy to his enemy, keep his secrets, support him and show his good qualities. O asking man, know that brothers of trust are rarer than the red sulfur. And as for the brothers of smile, you get your pleasure from them. Do not cut your relation with them and do not ask them for more from their consciences. Smile at them and be courteous to them as long as they do that to you.’
Imam Ali had studied the psychology of the society and known the interiors of the selves and their intentions and tendencies and then he gave alive pictures on all the social sides such as friendship among people. He analyzed friendship in a real analysis that did not differ throughout history and ages.
His narrations from Imam as-Sadiq
He narrated from Imam as-Sadiq a tradition that once, a man had asked his father some questions and he answered by saying, ‘…Say to them: was there any contradiction in the knowledge of Allah that the Prophet had divulged? If they say “no’, then you would say to them: Does he, who legislate a verdict having contradiction, contradict the messenger of Allah? They will say “yes”. If they say “no”, they will contradict their first saying. You would say to them: (but none knows its (the Qur'an’s) interpretation except Allah and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge). If they say: who are those who are firmly rooted in knowledge? You would say: It is he whose doings have no contradiction. If they say: who is he? You would say: it was the messenger of Allah…if the messenger of Allah had not appointed a successor after him, he would have wasted those who would be the successors after him…he asked, ‘does the Qur'an not suffice you?’ He said, ‘Yes, if they find an interpreter to it.’ He asked, ‘Have the messenger of Allah not interpreted it?’ He said, ‘Yes, he have interpreted it to one man and declared to the nation the position of that man. It was Ali bin Abu Talib…a muhkam is not two things but one thing. Whoever gives a judgment that has no contradiction, his judgment is from the judgment of Allah and whoever gives a judgment that has contradiction and sees that he is right; his judgment is after the judgment of the Satan…’
His narrations from his father
Abdul Adheem bin Abdullah al-Hasani narrated that Abu Ja'far the second said to him, “I heard my father saying that his father Musa bin Ja’far said, ‘Once, Amr bin Ubayd came to Abu Abdullah (as-Sadiq). When he offered greeting and took a seat, he recited this Qur’anic verse, (And those who shun the great sins and indecencies) and kept silent.
Abu Abdullah said to him, ‘What made you keep silent?’
Amr said, ‘I like to know the great sins from the Book of Allah the Almighty.’
Abu Abdullah said, ‘O yes Amr! The greatest of sins is polytheism. Allah says, (Surely whoever associates (others) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden to him the Paradise) and being desperate of the mercy of Allah because Allah says, (…surely none despairs of Allah's mercy except the unbelieving people) and then the feeling safe from the sudden punishment of Allah because Allah says, (But none feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who shall perish). From the great sins there are also undutifulness to parents because Allah has considered an undutiful one to his parents as arrogant and unblessed, and killing a person that Allah has forbidden except for a just cause because Allah says, (And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it) and defaming a married woman because Allah says, (Surely those who accuse chaste believing women, who are unaware (of the evil), are cursed in this world and the hereafter, and they shall have a grievous chastisement) and eating the properties of the orphans for Allah says, (As for) those who swallow the property of the orphans unjustly, surely they only swallow fire into their bellies and they shall enter burning fire) and the fleeing from jihad (sacred war) for Allah says, ( And whoever shall turn his back to them on that day, unless he turn aside for the sake of fighting or withdraws to a company, then he, indeed, becomes deserving of Allah's wrath, and his abode is hell; and an evil destination shall it be) and eating usury because Allah says, (Those who devour usury will not stand except as stand one whom the Satan by his touch Hath driven to madness) and magic because Allah says, (…they taught men sorcery…then men learned from these two, magic…and surely they do know that he who bought it therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter) and adultery because Allah says, (…and (who) do not commit fornication, and he who does this shall find a requital of sin. The punishment shall be doubled to him on the day of resurrection, and he shall abide therein in abasement) and the perjury oath because Allah says, ((As for) those who take a small price for the covenant of Allah and their own oaths, surely they shall have no portion in the hereafter) and embezzlement because Allah says, (Whoso embezzles will bring what he embezzled with him on the Day of Resurrection) and preventing the obligatory zakat because Allah says, (On the day when it shall be heated in the fire of hell, then their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be branded with it) and false testimony and the concealing of a testimony because Allah says, (…and do not conceal testimony, and whoever conceals it, his heart is surely sinful) and drinking alcohol because Allah has prohibited it, worshipping the idles, giving up the prayer intentionally or giving up any other obligation that Allah has imposed because the messenger of Allah says, ‘Whoever gives up the prayer intendedly will be free from the trust of Allah and His messenger’ and breaking the promise and the rapture of the relations with the kin because Allah says, (And those who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and cut asunder that which Allah has ordered to be joined and make mischief in the land; (as for) those, upon them shall be curse and they shall have the evil abode).’ Then Amr went out weeping loudly and saying, ‘Perishes he who follows his own opinion and disputes with you on virtue and knowledge…’
This tradition warns of committing sins and crimes that annul man’s conscience, threaten the social life with dangers and place obstacles in the way of the civilization and the progress of man.
Monotheism
At the time of Imam al-Jawad many suspicions and illusions about monotheism had been raised by the spiteful enemies of Islam to shake the faith inside the hearts of Muslims and make them doubt about the beliefs of their great religion. Imam al-Jawad had refuted many of those suspicions and accusations. Here are some examples on that:
1. Some philosophers and theologians came to Imam al-Jawad and the following question was put forth: “Tell me about the Exalted Lord, He has names and attributes in His book. Are these names and attributes (equal) Him?’
Imam al-Jawad said, ‘This question has two faces; if you say that He is His attributes, this will mean that he can be described by number and quantity and Allah is far above this. And if you say: these names and attributes have existed since no beginning, this will have two meanings; if you say they have existed with Him in His knowledge and He deserves them, you are right and if you say: their graphing, spelling and pronouncing have existed, this will give another meaning. Glory be to Allah and He is far above to have anything or any associate with him. Allah has existed where there is no creation and then He created them to be the means between Him and His creatures to beseech and worship Him by them. They are his mention and He Who is mentioned by the mention is Allah the One and Only God Who has existed since no beginning. The meanings of His attributes have existed and the meaning of them is Allah that separating and uniting do not befit him. It is a divisible thing that separates and unites and it is not possible to say that Allah is united nor is he many or few but He is the God in His essence and whatever other than the One is indivisible and Allah is the One that is indivisible. He is not thought to be many or few, much or little. Every indivisible thing is thought to be many or few and is a creature that has a creator. Your saying that Allah has power over all things means that nothing at all fails Him. He is not said to be unable but all other than Him are unable. Also your saying that He is aware means that you deny ignorance from Him and ascribe ignorance to all other than Him. If Allah annihilates things, He annihilates graphs and spellings. He does not end and still exists Who has still been aware.’
Imam al-Jawad discussed the essence of monotheism and said every attribute of Allah did not require muchness or littleness. No change takes place in His attributes and no divisibility in His essence. His attribute are His very essence.
The asker was astonished at the vast knowledge of Imam al-Jawad on these complicated issues and he kept on asking him, ‘How is our Lord called All-hearing?
Imam al-Jawad said, ‘Nothing that is perceived by ears is unperceivable by Him though we do not describe Him of having the sensible hearing in the head. Also we call Him as All-Seeing because nothing that is seen by eyes is invisible to him such as colors, men and other things though we do not describe him of having eyes. We call Him “Gentle” because He knows everything about gentle (tiny) things such as insects and things tinier than insects. He knows the position of their organs, reason, lust, copulation, sympathy with their descendants, communication with each other, and carrying food to their offspring in mountains, valleys and deserts. We know that their creator is gentle without manner because manner is for fashioned creatures. Our Lord is called Mighty not for the might of violence available in creatures. If His might is the might of violence, He will be compared and there will be a possibility of increase, and that which undergoes increase is possible to undergo decrease, and that which is deficient is not God, and that which is not God is unable but our Lord is Exalted, High. He has no like, no opposite, no equal, no manner, no end and no dangers. It is prohibited for hearts to compare Him, for minds to limit Him, and for consciences to fashion Him. He is far above the aspects of His creatures and the features of His people, and exalted be He in high exaltation above that.’
Imam al-Jawad, in these studies, proved that he was one of the great philosophers and theologians in Islam. We ask: in which school Imam al-Jawad had studied philosophy and theology until he became one of the pillars of this art? He answered with accurate answers that great philosophers and thinkers were unable to answer like them. There is no justification for that except what the Shia believe in that Allah has granted him knowledge and virtue and given him judgment while yet young.
2. Muhammad bin Eesa asked Imam Abu Ja'far about monotheism saying, ‘I imagine something…’
Imam al-Jawad said to him, ‘Yes, He is not perceivable or limited. That which comes to your imagination is different from Him. Nothing is like Him and imaginations do not perceive Him. He is unlike what is imagined by minds…’
Imagination does not get to Allah the Almighty in His essence and attributes because imagination perceives possible things and not the Necessary Being.
3. Al-Husayn bin Sa’eed said, ‘Once, Abu Ja'far the second was asked: is it possible to say that Allah is a thing?’
He said, ‘Yes, when excluding Him from the two limits; the limit of ta’til (stripping Allah of His attributes) and the limit of tashbih (comparison).’
4. Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari asked Imam al-Jawad about this Qur’anic verse (Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision) and Imam al-Jawad said, ‘O Abu Hashim, the imagination of hearts is more accurate than the sight of eyes. You may perceive with your imagination Sind and India
The essence of Allah cannot be perceived by the imagination of hearts (minds) though this imagination is so great, and cannot be perceived by eyes for they both (minds and eyes) are limited to time and place whereas the essence of Allah does not submit to time or place because it is He Who has created them. Mind with all its abilities is finite that it cannot discover the things that are not limited to time and place. Ash-Shafi’iy says, ‘Mind has a limit that it ends at like sight that it has a limit it ends at.’
5. Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari asked Imam Abu Ja'far al-Jawad, ‘What is the meaning of the One?’
Imam al-Jawad said, ‘It is He Whom tongues have agreed on His oneness as Allah has said, (And if you ask them who has created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say: Allah).
Juristic questions
The traditions reported from Imam al-Jawad form a good source for the jurisprudents of the Twelver Shia to derive legal verdicts because they are a part of the Sunna which has been defined as “the sayings and doings of the infallible ones and their acknowledging of the doings of others”. A great number of traditions has been reported from Imam al-Jawad and written down in the encyclopedias of jurisprudence and Hadith. We mention some of them here:
The Prayer
The studies of prayer with their branches are from the widest chapters of jurisprudent. From among the branches which Imam al-Jawad had discussed are the following:
1. Sheikh as-Saduq mentioned a tradition from Yahya bin Imran who said, ‘I wrote to Abu Ja'far the second asking him about the (fur of) squirrel, the (fur of) fennec and the silk. I said to him, ‘May I die for you! I like that you do not answer me with the taqiyya (reservation or dissimulation).’ He wrote to me with his handwriting saying to me that I could offer the prayer with them.’
Jurisprudents took this tradition as an evidence on the permissibility of offering the prayers with the fur of these animals. There are other traditions showing the impermissibility of offering the prayers with the fur of these animals and it is not our business to prefer a group of these traditions to the other because it concerns the jurisprudential books and not this one.
2. Qassim as-Sayqal narrated, ‘I wrote to Imam ar-Redha telling him that I worked in making sheaths from the skins of dead donkeys and some of them stuck to my clothes which I offered prayers with. He wrote to me that I had to take a special dress for prayers. Then I wrote to Abu Ja'far telling him that I had written to his father so-and-so and he answered me with so-and-so and that it was difficult for me and so I began making the sheaths from the skins of the wild animals that were slaughtered legally. He wrote to me saying, ‘All good doings are carried out with patience, may Allah have mercy upon you! If you make (the sheaths) from (the skins of) wild animals that are slaughtered legally, there is no objection to it.’
3. Jurisprudents have concluded the permissibility of offering prayers with pure shoes made from the skins of legally slaughtered animals from the tradition narrated by Ali bin Mahziyar who said, ‘I saw Abu Ja'far offer six rak’as behind the Maqam (standing place) of Abraham at midday on the day of Tarwiya (moistening) with his shoes on and he did not take them off.’
Abdullah bin Razeen narrated that he saw Abu Ja'far the second offer the prayer in the mosque of the messenger of Allah near the house of Fatima after taking off his shoes and he saw him offer the prayer in the same place without taking off his shoes.
4. Jurisprudents have concluded the permissibility of supplicating Allah during the prayer according to the tradition narrated by Muhammad bin Ali bin al-Husayn that Imam Abu Ja'far had said, ‘It is possible for one to supplicate his Lord by saying everything during the prayer.’
The Zakat
Many traditions were reported from Imam Abu Ja'far about the branches of the zakat. Jurisprudents have concluded the permissibility of paying the zakat from the price of a certain thing and not necessary from the thing itself according to the traditions narrated from Imam Abu Ja'far by Muhammad bin Khalid al-Barqi who said, ‘I wrote to Abu Ja'far the second asking him: Is it possible to pay money for the due zakat on wheat, barley and gold or I should pay from each one the due portion?’ Abu Ja'far replied, ‘What is easy is paid.’
The Khums
The Twelver Shia believe in the obligation of the khums which is one of the most important Islamic taxes that cause the development of the Muslims’ economy and treat the problem of poverty, and a half of the khums, which is called the right of the imam, is spent on the Islamic foundations and the intellectual and scientific life in Islam. Khums is obligatory in some cases as jurisprudents have mentioned such as the amount that is over the year’s expenditure of one and his family from the profits of trade, agriculture and other professions. Jurisprudents have taken their verdicts on that from the traditions narrated from Imam Abu Ja'far al-Jawad. Here are some of those traditions:
1. Ali bin Mahziyar narrated that Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Ash’ari said, “One of our companions has written to Abu Ja'far the second saying, ‘Would you tell me about the khums; is it on all the profits that one gets from all kinds of professions and crafts? And how is that?’ Imam al-Jawad wrote to him, ‘The khums is after provision.’
2. Ali bin Mahziyar said, “Abu Ja'far wrote to him a letter and I read it on the way to Mecca
I did not impose that on them in every year. I do not impose anything on them except the zakat that Allah has imposed on them. I have just imposed the khums on them in this year in gold and silver which have been kept for a year and I have not imposed that on them in any provision, vessels, cattle, servants or any profit they have gained from trading or any garden except one garden that I shall explain to you about it. I have done that just to make it easy for my mawali as a favor from me because the rulers take much from their monies and oppress them. But as for the loots and profits, they are obligatory on them in every year. Allah says, (And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and in that which We revealed to Our servant, on the day of distinction, the day on which the two parties met; and Allah has power over all things). Loots, may Allah have mercy on you, are that which one gets in the wars. Profits are that which one gets in different professions and presents of a good value offered from one to another, and the inheritance that is got from neither a father nor a son, and when an enemy is annihilated and his possessions are taken, and like the money whose keeper is unknown, and the properties of the unbelieving Khuramites that my mawali have got. You know that great monies have reached the hands of some of my mawali. Whoever has something of that (all the aforementioned items) has to give it to my agent and whoever is far and it is difficult to him to pay those monies, let him try to send them even later on, because the (good) intention of a man is better than his doing. As for that which has been imposed on the gardens and the yields in every year, it is the half of the sixth on him whose garden satisfies his needs, and he, whose garden does not satisfies his needs, does not have to pay the half of the sixth or anything else…”
This true tradition is full of ambiguities and many of its points are not clear. It was accused of having several paradoxes which some jurisprudents tried to refute. The researcher and jurisprudent al-Bahrani said, ‘It is true that which some of our companions have mentioned that this tradition is too ambiguous and too problematic.’
The hajj
The Twelver Shia jurisprudents depended on the traditions of Imam al-Jawad in deriving their fatwas on some branches and questions of the hajj.
1. Jurisprudents concluded the recommendation of the hajj to a young boy from a tradition narrated by Muhammad bin al-Fudhayl who said, ‘I asked Abu Ja'far the second when a young boy would go to perform the hajj and he said, ‘When he replaces the milk teeth.’ Jurisprudents have detailed how a young boy would perform the hajj.
2. Jurisprudents have given a fatwa that if a dissenter (from the Shia) performs the hajj and then he becomes a Shia, he does not have to repeat his hajj except if he violates one of the pillars of the hajj according to the Shia. A tradition was reported from Imam al-Jawad determining that a dissenter had to repeat his hajj. Ali bin Mahziyar said, “Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Imran al-Hamadani wrote to Abu Ja'far saying to him, ‘I performed the hajj while I was a dissenter (from the Shia). I had not performed the hajj before. I came from the minor hajj into the major hajj.’ Imam al-Jawad wrote to him, ‘Repeat your hajj!’
3. Shia jurisprudents have agreed on that the minor hajj is the best kinds of hajj for one who wants to perform a mandob (recommended) hajj. They depended in that on the traditions narrated from Imam al-Jawad and other imams of Ahlul Bayt. Ahmed bin Abu Nasr said, “Abu Ja'far often said, ‘One, who performs the minor hajj and goes on to perform the major hajj, is better than a single one who leads al-hadiy.’ He also said, ‘A hajji does not enter (into the major hajj) with a thing better than the minor hajj.’
4. From the things that one must avoid in the hajj is the taking of shades by men when marching whereas women may take shades. Bakr bin Salih said, “I wrote to Abu Ja'far the second saying to him, ‘My aunt is with me and she is my mate (on the camel). She becomes very hot when she wears the ihram. Do you see I can make shade over her and me?’ He wrote, ‘You can make shade over her alone.’ These were some verdicts on the branches of the hajj that had reported from Imam al-Jawad.
Vow
Imam al-Jawad was asked about some questions of vow and its concerns and he answered them all.
1. He was asked about one who vowed a hundred sacrifices or something that he could not carry out. He said, ‘The messenger of Allah said, ‘This is from the steps of the Satan.’
The ability to obedience- as jurisprudents says- is a condition for the validity of the takleef which is impossible to concern what cannot be carried out. Because the vow, in this question, could not be carried out therefore, the vow was unlawful.
2. A man from the Hashemites wrote a letter to Imam al-Jawad saying in it, ‘I have vowed some years ago to go to the shore of the sea towards our side where the volunteers (of the mujahidin) stationed in Jeddah and other places on the shore. Do you see –may I die for you- that I must carry out my vow or not or I have to redeem it by doing some good or charity?’
Imam al-Jawad answered him in a letter saying, ‘If one of the dissenters had heard your vow from you, so you carry out your vow if you fear that he may vituperate you; otherwise, you can redeem what you have intended through doing good and charity. May Allah guide us and you to what He likes and pleases.’
This vow was not permissible and Imam al-Jawad advised the man to spend the expense of his stationing in the camp on charity and helping the poor.
Expiation of breaking the oath
The Twelver Shia jurisprudents have given a fatwa that he, who breaks his covenant with Allah, must undergo one option of the expiation which is either to free a slave, fasting two successive months or feeding sixty needy persons. They depended in that on a tradition reported from Imam al-Jawad. Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Eesa narrated that there was a man who had promised Allah near the Black Rock (in the Kaaba) not to commit any sin at all but when he went back to his country, he began committing sins again. Abu Ja'far said, ‘He has to free a slave or fast or feed sixty poor persons and turn to Allah and ask Him to forgive him.’
Entailment
Imam Abu Ja'far was asked about many questions of entailment and he answered them and in the light of his answers jurisprudents gave their fatwas.
1. He was asked about the entailment on a family, whose members lived in different countries that whether the guardian of the entailment must take the share of each one from the income of the entailment to him (to the members of the family) or not. Imam al-Jawad answered that the guardian did not have to do that and the income of the entailment concerned those who were present in the country where the entailment was. Here is the tradition of this question:
Ali bin Muhammad bin Suleiman an-Nawfali narrated, ‘I wrote to Abu Ja'far the second asking him about the land which my father had entailed on the needy children of so-and-so who were too many and who lived in different places. He replied to me, ‘It is for those who are present in the country where the entailment is and you do not have to follow after those who are absent.’
2. Ali bin Mahzyar narrated, “I wrote to Abu Ja'far the second telling him, ‘So-and-so has bought a garden and entailed it. He made its fifth to you. He asks about your opinion on selling your share of the land or that he would take it for himself after estimating its price or he would leave it as an entailment. Imam al-Jawad wrote to me, ‘Tell so-and-so that I order him to sell my share of the land and send me the price and this is my opinion inshallah, or he would take it after estimating its price if this is better to him.’ Al-Hurr al-Aamily interpreted the tradition that Imam al-Jawad had not received the land as it was understood from the tradition and so the selling would be permissible.
3. Ali bin Mahziyar narrated, ‘I wrote to Abu Ja'far telling him that Is~haq bin Ibrahim had entailed his garden on the hajj and on his wife and the remainder on the poor. Muhammad bin Ibrahim witnessed on himself that he had some money to be distributed among our brothers, and from the Hashemites there were some ones who knew that they had a right in that money. Do you think it would be given to them if it was as charity because the entailment of Is~haq was charity…He wrote to me saying, ‘I understood- may Allah have mercy on you- that which you mentioned from the will of Is~haq bin Ibrahim and that which Muhammad bin Ibrahim witnessed on himself of and that which you undertook to take some of that money to the needy persons of the Hashemites. Take that to them- may Allah have mercy on you- because if they were in need, they would be worthier than the others for something that if I explain to you, you will understand it inshallah.’
Al-Hurr al-Aamily put this tradition under the title “the permissibility of giving the poor persons of the Hashemites from charity except the zakat of the entailments that are entailed on the poor”.
Marriage
Many traditions have been reported from Imam Abu Ja'far al-Jawad on the matter of marriage that jurisprudents have depended on in their fatwas. Among those traditions was that an uncle had no guardianship on his brother’s daughter in marriage. Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Ash’ari said, ‘I wrote about some of my cousins to Abu Ja'far the second telling him, ‘What do you say about a little girl whose uncle (father’s brother) had married her (to someone) and when she became adult, she refused that marriage?’ He wrote saying, ‘She is not to be forced to that and the matter is up to her.’
Divorce
Imam al-Jawad was asked about the divorce that was contrary to the jurisprudence of Ahlul Bayt and he replied that it was not lawful if the divorcee was from the followers of Ahlul Bayt and he/she obeyed what they said. But, if the divorcee was not from the followers of Ahlul Bayt, his/her divorce would be permissible. Here is the answer of Imam al-Jawad to the question which Muhammad bin Ibrahim had asked him: “I understood what you mentioned about the matter of your daughter and her husband…see if he is from those who follow us and believe in our sayings, then his divorce is not valid because he did not do something he ignored, but if he is from those who do not follow us or believe in our sayings, then you are to take her from him because he has intended separation.’
Suckling
If the conditions that jurisprudents have mentioned are available in the suckling then the legal effects incumbent on a child of kinship will be the same on a child of suckling. It is mentioned in the tradition that “Suckling is a bond like the bond of kinship”.
From among the questions of suckling offered to Imam al-Jawad is this one. Ali bin Mahziyar said, “Eesa bin Ja’far bin Eesa asked Abu Ja'far the second, ‘Some woman suckled one of my sons. Is it lawful to me to get married to her husband’s daughter?’
Imam al-Jawad said, ‘How a nice question you have asked! It is for this that people say: his wife is unlawful to him because of the “milk of man”, and this is the “milk of man” and nothing else.’ He said, ‘The girl is not the daughter of the woman who has suckled my son. She is the daughter of other than her.’ Imam al-Jawad said, ‘Even if they were ten from different mothers, it would be unlawful to you to get married to anyone of them. They are considered as your daughters.’
Lawfulness of the marriage of an adulterer to the woman he commits adultery with
Imam Abu Ja'far al-Jawad was asked if an adulterer could get married to the woman he has committed adultery with and he replied that he could after the woman would undergo the iddah.
Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Shu’ba narrated that Abu Ja'far al-Jawad was asked about a man who had married a woman after committing adultery with her whether this marriage was lawful or not. Imam al-Jawad said, ‘He would leave her until she passes the iddah from his sperm and from the sperm of other than him because she might commit adultery with other than him as she did with him. And then, he can get married to her if he wants. The example of this woman is like the example of a palm-tree; some man ate from its fruit unlawfully and then he bought it and ate from its fruit lawfully.’
Deprivation of illegitimate children of inheritance
From the dangerous consequences of adultery is that the illegitimate child is not attached to his father and mother and he does not inherit them. Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Ash’ari said, ‘One of our companions wrote to Abu Ja'far the second about a man who committed adultery with a woman and then he got married to her after she became pregnant. She gave birth to a boy who extremely looked like the man. Imam al-Jawad wrote with his hand and sealed it with his seal saying: ‘The child is a son of adultery and he does not inherit.’
Shuf’a
Shuf’a is one of the questions of jurisprudence. Imam al-Jawad was asked about some of its rulings and he replied to them.
The reliable jurisprudent Ali bin Mahziyar said, ‘I asked Abu Ja'far the second about a man who asked for a shuf’a of a piece of land and he went to bring the money but he did not come. What would the keeper of the land do? Would he sell the land or he would wait for the coming of his partner who wanted the shuf’a? Imam al-Jawad said, ‘If the partner was with him (the keeper of the land) in the same country, he would wait for him for three days to bring the money otherwise, he could sell the land and hence the shuf’a would be invalid. But, if the partner asked for a period of time so that he could bring the money from another country, he would wait for him as far as the period of the travel from that country and then for other three days if he arrived in the country; otherwise, the shuf’a would be invalid.’
Sheikh al-Hurr has mentioned this tradition under the title “If the money is in the same country, it is to be waited for three days and if it is in another country, it is to be waited for as much as the period of going (to that country) and coming back and for additional three days but if the period exceeds the limit, the shuf’a will be invalid”.
Inheritance
Imam Abu Ja'far al-Jawad was asked about some branches of inheritance and he answered them all. Here we mention some of them:
1. Muhammad bin Ali bin al-Husayn narrated that al-Bizanti had said, “I said to Abu Ja'far the second, ‘Some man died and left a daughter and an uncle.’ He said, ‘His wealth is to the daughter.’ I said, ‘Some man died and left a daughter and a brother, or a nephew.’ He kept silent long and then said, ‘His wealth is to the daughter.’”
2. Ali bin Mahziyar said, “I asked Abu Ja'far the second about a house which was for a woman who had a son and a daughter. The son went to work in the sea and did not come back. The woman died and the daughter claimed that her mother had donated the house to her. She bought some shares of the house and one share remained beside the house of one of our companions. He disliked buying this share because the son of that woman was absent. He feared it would be unlawful to buy it and he did not know anything about the absent son (whether alive or dead).’ Abu Ja'far asked me, ‘Since when has he been absent?’ I said, ‘Since many years.’ He said, ‘He has to wait for ten years since the absence of the son and then he can buy it.’ I said, ‘If he waits for ten years of absence, will the buying of the house then be lawful?’ He said, ‘Yes, it will.”
By here, talking about the jurisprudential questions that Imam al-Jawad has been asked about and replied to come to an end. Those questions show clearly that Imam al-Jawad was the only religious authority that all Muslims referred to concerning their religious affairs.
Causes of the verdicts
Imam al-Jawad had declared the causes behind the legislation of some verdicts.
1. Muhammad bin Suleiman asked about the cause of the iddah of a divorced woman why it was for three menstruations or three months whereas the iddah of a widow was four months and ten days, and Imam al-Jawad replied, ‘The iddah of a divorced woman is three months so that it will be certain that her womb has no fetus. But as for the iddah of widow, Allah has put a condition for (the benefit of) women and a condition on them. Allah has determined that it is not permissible for a husband to abstain from (sleeping with) his wife. Allah says, (Those who swear that they will not go in to their wives should wait four months). Allah has permitted no one not to sleep with his wife more than four months because He knows that woman cannot be patient for more than this period in this concern. And as for the condition that is on a woman when her husband dies, it is that she has to undergo the iddah for four months and ten days. Allah has taken from her after the death of her husband as that which He has taken for her from her husband during his life. Allah says, (And (as for) those of you who die and leave wives behind, they should keep themselves in waiting for four months and ten days). These ten days have not been mentioned except with the four months. It is known that the utmost patience of woman in abstaining from copulation is four months; therefore, Allah has necessitated this period for her and on her.’
2. Muhammad bin Suleiman asked Imam al-Jawad about the cause for that when a husband accused his wife of adultery his witness would be as four witnesses before Allah and when other than the husband accused the wife of that man whether he was one of her relatives or not, he would prove his accusation with clear evidence or otherwise, he would undergo the legal limits by being whipped. Imam al-Jawad said,
“Abu Ja'far (Imam al-Baqir) was asked so and he said, ‘When a husband accuses his wife of adultery and says that he has seen her (commit adultery) with his eyes, his witness will be as four witnesses before Allah and if he says that he has not seen her, he will be asked to prove his accusation by clear evidences; otherwise, he will be treated as others. It is so because a husband comes to his wife day and night in a way that neither does her father nor does her son do. It is possible to him to say that he has seen her (commit sin). But, if other than the husband says he has seen that wife (commit adultery),
it will be said to him: what has made you be in the position where you alone could see her commit adultery? You are accused and you must undergo the legal punishment that Allah has determined on you…”
Giving good news about the coming of Imam al-Mahdi
The thing that cannot be denied or concealed is the good news that the Prophet had given to his nation about the rise of the great reformer, the awaited imam who will restore the religion and achieve the great justice under his fair rule where the wronged and oppressed will live safely and peacefully, the truth and goodness will prevail allover the world, social injustice will disappear and all the humankind will live without any kind of wrongdoing or oppression. His rule will be the continuity of the government of the Prophet and the government of Imam Ali who was the pioneer of the truth and justice in the earth.
The belief in the necessity of the coming of the awaited imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance) is a part of the mission of Islam and an important element in the Islamic beliefs. Islam, in its real concept, must prevail in the earth and the worldly principles must disappear because they have caused misfortunes and disasters to man and brought him troubles and problems. Allah must save His peoples from all these evils at the hand of this great imam.
Anyhow, many true traditions have been reported from the Prophet and the infallibles imams confirming the inevitable rise of the awaited imam who is from the pure progeny of Prophet Muhammad. Imam al-Jawad was one of these imams who had given good news about the rise of the awaited imam, al-Mahdi.
1. Abdul Adheem bin Abdullah al-Hasani said, ‘Once, I went to my master Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa (al-Jawad) intending to ask him about al-Qa’im whether he was al-Mahdi or another one.
Before I uttered a word, he said, ‘O Abul Qassim, al-Qa’im of us is al-Mahdi who must be awaited in his occultation and must be obeyed in his appearance. He is the third of my progeny. By Allah Who has sent Muhammad with prophethood and singled us out with imamate, if there will be only one day in the world, Allah will prolong that day until al-Qa’im will appear to fill the earth with fairness and justice as it has been filled with injustice and oppression. Allah will prepare the affairs to him as He has prepared the affairs to Moses where he went to bring a fire and came back to be the prophet of his nation.’ Imam al-Jawad added, ‘The best deed of our Shia is the awaiting for deliverance.’
2. Abdul Adheem al-Hasani said, “I said to Muhammad bin Ali, ‘I wish you were the Qa’im of Ahlul Bayt who will fill the earth with justice and fairness as it has been filled with injustice and oppression.’
Imam al-Jawad said, ‘O Abul Qassim, every one of us is Qa’im (executor) of the orders of Allah the Almighty and a guide to the religion of Allah, but the Qa’im by whom Allah will purify the earth from the people of unbelief and theism and who will fill the earth with justice and fairness is he whose birth will be unknown to people and who will disappear and it will be impermissible for people to call him by his name. His name and surname are like those of the messenger of Allah. The earth will be submitted to him and every difficulty will be easy to him. His companions, who will be three hundred and thirteen men as the number of the men of Badr, will join him from the farthest parts of the world as Allah says, (wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has power over all things). When this number of loyal men will join him, Allah will make him appear.’
Imam al-Jawad informed about some aspects of the awaited imam such as his occultation and the number of his companions after his reappearance that was as the number of the companions of the Prophet on the day of Badr. The Prophet, with those few men who were armed with faith and loyalty, could defeat the heads of the ignorance of the pre-Islamic era and destroy the powers of oppression and raise the word of Allah high in the earth. So will be his great guardian the awaited imam. He, with his few faithful companions, will change the way of life and spread political and social justice allover the earth. He will achieve the greatest victories for humanity and do away with all the manifestations of ignorance that have prevailed in these ages where people have submitted to material pleasures and ignored the spiritual values and noble ideals. We pray Allah to make us live the bright days of the rule of Imam al-Mahdi.
From the reality of faith
Imam Abu Ja'far al-Jawad has given some high and meaningful advices inviting to believe in Allah, trust in Him and rely on Him.
1. Trusting in Allah
Imam al-Jawad says, ‘Whoever trusts in Allah, Allah makes him happy and whoever relies on Allah, Allah suffices his needs. The trust in Allah is a fort which no one takes refuge in except the believers, and the reliance on Allah is a protection from every evil and a refuge from every enemy.’
These golden words have the most wonderful thing people need in their lives. It is the trust in Allah, the Creator of the universe and the Giver of life.
2. Being satisfied with Allah
He says, ‘Whoever is satisfied with Allah, people need him and whoever fears Allah, people love him.’
Whoever is satisfied with Allah, will not need anyone other than Him and people will need him because he will be a guide and a source of giving to them.
3. Devotion to Allah
He urged on the devotion to Allah Whose abundant gifts and mercy do not stop, for whoever devotes himself to other than Him will lose and be disappointed.
He says, ‘Whoever devotes himself to other than Allah, Allah entrusts him to him (to that one).’
4. Turning to Allah with the heart
The essence of faith is to turn to Allah with the deep of the heart and the inners of the soul. Of course, this is much more important than tiring the organs with worships. Imam al-Jawad says, ‘Turning to Allah with the deep of the heart is much better than tiring the organs.’
Nobilities of character
1. Imam al-Jawad says, ‘From the good morals of someone is his refraining from harming others, from his generosity is his dutifulness to that who loves him, from his patience is the littleness of complaining, from his sincerity is his forbidding (others) from that which he does not please, from his kindness to his brother is avoiding scolding him in the presence of those whom he dislikes, from his true companionship is his looking over the expenses and from the signs of his love is his much agreeing and little disagreeing.’
With these wonderful words Imam al-Jawad has established the bases of the nobilities of character and good morals and has invited to the friendship and companionship that are based on intellect and leniency.
2. He says, ‘It is from the perfect magnanimity of one that he does not meet anyone with that which he dislikes…and from his reasonability and fairness is that he accepts the truth when it appears to him.’
Satisfying the needs of people
Imam al-Jawad himself often and always tried and invited to satisfy the needs of people because it would lead to good consequences one of which is the continuity of blessings.
He says, ‘Allah has some people whom He singles out with His blessings and these blessings are still with them as long as they spend from them (on needy people). If they prevent these blessings, Allah takes them back from them and gives them to other than them.’
Imam al-Jawad confirms this in another tradition. He says, ‘Whenever the blessings of Allah are plentiful to someone, the needs of people to him are great, and he, who does not undertake this responsibility, will cause these blessings to disappear.’
Manners of behavior
Imam al-Jawad has established correct programs to the good manners and behaviors among people. He says,
1. ‘Three features cause love; being fair in association, comforting in misfortunes and having a good heart.’
2. ‘There are three things that whoever has had will not regret; avoiding hastiness, consulting with others and relying on Allah when determining. He, who advises his brother secretly, does him good and he, who advises his brother openly, does him wrong.’
3. ‘The title of the page of a believer is his good morals and the title of the page of a happy one is the good praise to him. Gratefulness is the adornment of narration, humbleness is the adornment of knowledge and good manners are the adornment of reason. Beauty is in the tongue and perfection is in the mind.’
These words have the principles of wisdom and the bases of morals and manners. If he has not said except these words, they would be enough to prove his imamate, for how could a young man in the early years of his youth utter such immortal maxims that great scholars could not do?
His call to the doing of favor
He says, ‘The people of favor are in need of doing it (favor) more than the people who are in need of it because they will have its reward, pride and mention. Whatever favor man does it benefits him first.’
From his sermons
Many sermons have been reported from Imam al-Jawad. Here are some of them:
1. He says, ‘The delaying of repentance is self-deceit, long procrastination is confusion, claiming excuses before Allah is perishment and the insisting on sins is feeling safe from the punishment of Allah (But none feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who shall perish).’
2. Once a man asked him to advise him of some things and he said, ‘Make patience as your pillow, embrace poverty, refuse desires, contradict fancy, and know that you are always under the eye of Allah! See how you will do…’
3. Imam al-Jawad wrote this short letter to one of his followers. It was full of preaching and guidance. He said, ‘As for this life, we acknowledge it, but he, whose desire is like the desire of his companion and he believes in his religion, will be with him wherever he is, and the afterlife is the abode of eternity.’
These are some of his sermons that call for doing all that may take man closer to his Lord and take him away from His punishment. These sermons warn of following the evil desires inside man that lead him towards dangers and perishment and throw him into the fields of vices and crimes. Imam al-Jawad has cared much for preaching people and guiding them to the right path as his fathers had done before. This phenomenon is the shiniest one we read in their lives and biographies.
His letters
Imam al-Jawad exchanged letters on different matters with some of those who believed in his imamate. Here are some of those letters:
1. He sent a letter to a man from al-Heerah (in Iraq
‘Praise be to Allah Who has picked out from His creatures, chosen from His people and singled out from among His prophets Muhammad and sent him as a bearer of good tidings and a warner and a guide to His path which whoever walked in was saved, whoever preceded reneged and whoever deviated from perished. The blessings of Allah be on Muhammad and his progeny.
And then, I recommend the people of response to fear Allah Who has made to whoever fears Him a deliverance from his misfortune. Allah the Almighty has made to his guardian what He has made to Himself and to His prophet in His Book with eloquent Arabic language…I have been informed that some people claimed our love and fabricated in the religion of Allah and the religion of His angels.
They were ungrateful to the blessings and they bore their sins and the sins of those who imitated them. The Satan occupied them and made them forget the mention of Allah and what they had inherited from the good ancestors who saw the truth and kept to it and did not prefer a vile, transient worldly life to an eternal afterlife. Where will the falsifiers go? A day will come to them when their falsehood will disappear from them and the means of deceit will cease. That is the day of regret where the hearts will be in the larynxes. Praise be to Allah Who does whatever He likes and He is the Knowing, the Aware.’
The sources available did not refer to the names of those persons who had deviated from the truth. We do not know the reasons that made them reject the way of Ahlul Bayt and embrace another religion.
2. Bakr bin Salih said, “One of my kin wrote a letter to Abu Ja'far the second saying, ‘My father is an enemy to Ahlul Bayt having a malicious thought towards them. I met distresses and difficulties from him. Would you please pray Allah for me? What do you see I shall do, may I die for you? Shall I talk to him openly or I shall humor him?’
Imam al-Jawad replied to him after mentioning the name of Allah,
‘I understood your letter and what you mentioned about the case of your father. I shall not stop praying Allah for you inshallah. To humor your father is better to you than talking to him openly. Surely with difficulty there is ease. Be patient for the end is to the pious. May Allah fix you on the guardianship of those whom you follow. We and you are the deposit of Allah Who does not waste His deposits.’
This letter shows that a child must be dutiful to his father even if he is an enemy to Ahlul Bayt. It also orders a child to be patient with the difficulties and misfortunes he meets from his father. With these high morals the infallible imams recommended their followers to be good examples to people.
3. Ibrahim bin Muhammad was the deputy of Imam al-Jawad in Hamadan (in Iran
‘The amount has arrived. May Allah accept from you and be pleased with them (those people) and make them with us in this life and in the afterlife. I have sent you so-and-so dinars and so-and-so clothes. May Allah bless you and bless all His gifts to you. I have written to al-Nasr ordering him to refrain from resisting and objecting to you and informed him about your position to me. I have also written to Ayyob ordering him to do the same and I have written to my followers and allies in Hamadan
This letter shows the trust of Imam al-Jawad in his deputy Ibrahim and his supporting to him. He has written to the opponents of Ibrahim ordering them to submit to him and to obey his orders in order to strengthen his position.
Repentance
Allah has opened the door of repentance to His people and invited them to purify their souls and save themselves from the great sins and crimes they commit.
Ahmed bin Eesa mentioned a tradition from his father that a man, who had dealt with usury for a long time, went to Abu Ja'far al-Jawad and told him about the major sin he had committed. Imam al-Jawad said to him, ‘Your deliverance is in the Book of Allah. Allah says, (He unto whom an admonition from his Lord comes, and (he) refrains (in obedience thereto), he shall keep (the profits of) that which is past). The admonition is repentance. He might ignore the prohibition (of usury) and then he knew it. That which has passed is permissible and that which remains must be dealt with carefully.’
As for the monies he has taken out of usury without any right, he must pay them back to their owners because he will not be free from them just by repenting and the tradition talks about the obligatory verdict.
From the revelation of Allah to some of His prophets
Imam al-Jawad narrated from his fathers that Allah had revealed to one of His prophets, “As for your asceticism in this life, it is that you hasten to comfort and as for your devotedness to Me, it makes you mighty by Me; but have you resisted an enemy of Me and supported a guardian of Me?”
What a believer needs
Imam al-Jawad talked about that which a believer needed in this life by saying, ‘A believer needs a success from Allah, an adviser from inside himself and accepting (the advices of) those who advises him.’
Wonderful maxims and arts
Imam Abu Ja'far al-Jawad has a collection of wonderful words which are considered as one of the mines of the Islamic heritage and the wonderful intellectual treasures in Islam. They have the origins of wisdom, the bases of morals and the extract of experiments.
1. He says, ‘Do not anticipate matters before their time that you may regret. Do not live just with wishes that your hearts may be hard. Be merciful to the weak and ask for mercy from Allah by being merciful yourselves!’
This tradition has some important points:
a. forbidding from hastiness in dealing with matters before they become clear because it leads to regret and loss
b. Forbidding from living with wishes because it makes one hard-hearted and away from Allah
c. Urging on being merciful to the weak and charitable to the needy because it is the key to the mercy of Allah
2. He says, ‘Three things take one to the contentedness of Allah; asking Allah for forgiveness often and always, being lenient and giving charity. And there are three things that whoever has, will not regret; avoiding hastiness, consulting with others and relying on Allah when determining something.’
This tradition is rich with what takes man closer to his Lord. It invites man to keep on asking Allah for forgiveness, to be lenient and to give charities often and always because Allah loves these qualities and by them man gets to the contentedness of Allah. The tradition also talks about that which makes man happy in this life. It invites man to be characterized by these three aspects:
a. Avoiding hastiness because it causes man many problems and distresses. One of the poets says,
‘A slow one may achieve some of his needs
and hasty one may miss his aim.’
b. Consulting with others on the affairs and avoiding despotism because man often mistakes
c. Relying on Allah when determining to do something and avoiding hesitation for it causes worry and upset to man’s mentality and personality
3. He says, ‘How will he, whom Allah secures, be lost and how will he, whom Allah pursues, be safe?’
In this tradition there is an invitation for man to be closer to his Lord and to trust in His powers. It is impossible for one, whom Allah secures, to be lost and it is impossible for one, whom Allah pursues, to be safe.
4. He says, ‘The day of justice on the oppressor is severer than the day of injustice on the oppressed.’
Imam al-Jawad warns from practicing injustice and oppression against people because surely Allah will avenge on the unjust whether sooner or later. The day of justice when a wrongdoer will be punished will be much severer than the day when an oppressed one is wronged.
5. He says, ‘Nothing destroys religion like heresies do. Nothing degrades gravity like greediness does. By the ruler the subjects become good and by supplication misfortunes are discharged.’
These words show some religious, social and political sides:
a. The heresies that are ascribed to religion distort its truth and harm its spiritual and intellectual essence.
b. Greediness degrades the dignity of man and takes him to dark abysses in the ignorant corners of this life.
c. If a ruler is good, his people will be good and developed spiritually, socially, intellectually and economically.
d. Supplication to Allah discharges misfortunes and disasters.
6. He says, ‘Know that piety is honor, knowledge is a treasure and silence is a light.’
There is no doubt about these facts that Imam al-Jawad has said. Fearing Allah brings man honor, knowledge is the greatest and most precious treasure in this life and silence is a light because it gives one many advantages and keeps him safe from many troubles and problems.
7. He says, ‘When two men are equal in religiousness and honor, the better of them to Allah is the politer of them…by his reciting the Qur'an as it has been revealed and supplicating Allah with correct language because a solecistic supplication does not go up to the Heaven.’
This tradition considers politeness as one of the best qualities of man and that it takes man closer to Allah and that one of the essential morals is reciting the Qur'an without solecism. Imam al-Jawad denies solecism even in supplications saying that a solecistic supplication is not accepted by Allah.
8. He says, ‘He, who reviles (others), is answered and he, who becomes rash, is stricken.’
It is a wonderful word that expresses the very social reality. He, who reviles people, is certainly answered with the same, and he, who is rash, meets perishment and destruction.
9. He says, ‘Knowledgeable persons are strangers because of the many ignorant people around them.’
Scientists and scholars are strangers in a society that is prevailed by ignorance because their knowledge and sciences are not appreciated by the ignorant. Rather, the ignorant mock at the scientist and this is the worse estrangement for the scientists.
10. He says, ‘He, who wants to live long, has to prepare a patient heart for misfortunes.’
When man wants to live long, he has to be so patient with the misfortunes and bad events he meets. Being impatient with misfortunes man makes himself liable to diseases and perishment.
11. He says, ‘He, who acts without knowledge, damages more than he does good.’
12. He says, ‘He, who has a brother (friend) in the way of Allah, will have a house in Paradise .’
13. He says, ‘He, who follows his desirers, pleases his enemy.’
One, who follows his desires, fancies and lusts, carries out the aims of his enemy. If he obeys Iblis, he will be far from Allah and this is the goal of Iblis. Following the desires degrades man in the society which makes the enemies pleased.
14. He says, ‘The rider of lusts, his slip is not forgiven.’
He, who submits to his lusts, becomes a captive to them. He will not be forgiven or excused.
15. He says, ‘The honor of a believer is in his unneediness to people.’
16. He says, ‘Let the guardian of Allah in the openness not be an enemy to Him in privacy.’
He, who pretends to be faithful before people and disobeys Allah secretly, is a liar and hypocrite.
17. He says, ‘Be patient with what you hate in the way of the truth and refrain from what you like if it leads you to desires!’
18. He says, ‘He, who conceals guidance from you just for the sake of his desires, is your enemy.’
Imam al-Jawad talks about some agents and followers of governments who conceal from the rulers what the nation needs for reform and development. In fact, these are enemies even if they show sincerity and kindness.
19. He says, ‘Beware of accompanying an evildoer because he is like a drawn sword whose look is nice but its effect is bad!’
20. He says, ‘Needs are requested by hope and they come down by fate.’
The needs of people are requested through the expectation from Allah and they are satisfied by the fate of Allah. The will and efforts of man have nothing to do with that.
21. He says, ‘Good health is the best of blessings.’
22. He says, ‘When fate is decided, the wide space becomes narrow.’
When Allah determines to take the life of someone, the space, in spite of its greatness, becomes narrow for that someone.
23. He says, ‘Do not make an enemy of anyone until you know what there is between him and Allah! If he is good, Allah will not leave him to you, and if he is bad, then your knowing of his badness will make you safe from him and so you do not need to make him your enemy.’
24. He says, ‘Being cautious of something is as much as fearing from it and being greedy to something is as much as getting from it.’
Being cautious of committing sins, for example, is as much as fearing Allah. If someone fears Allah too much, he abstains from committing any sin totally and if his fear is weak, he slips in sins and crimes. As for greediness, if someone gets too much from something, his greediness to that thing is great and vice versa.
25. He says, ‘It is enough for someone to be a traitor that he is loyal to traitors.’
26. He says, ‘No one thanks Allah for a blessing that Allah has given to him, unless he deserves more blessings before he utters the words of thanking.’
Allah, Who has all the goodness in His hand, has promised to give whoever thanks Him more goodness and blessings. Allah says, (If you are grateful, I would certainly give to you more). Allah gives more to His people when they intend to thank Him and before they utter the words of thanking.
27. He says, ‘Whoever hopes in a dissolute, the least of his punishment is that he will be deprived (of blessing) and his needs will not be satisfied.’
Man must not hope except in his Creator; otherwise, Allah will deprive him of blessings and will not satisfy his needs and requests.
28. He says, ‘Man’s death by sins is more than his death by fate and his life by charity is more than his life by age.’
Imam al-Jawad refers to the moral life that he who commits sins and crimes is considered as dead among the alive people and he who does good to his nation and country remains alive and his mention is immortal even if he dies.
29. He says, ‘Who misses good manners, means (of good results) will fail him.’
30. He says, ‘He, who approves a vice, is a participant in it.’
Whoever approves a bad doing bears its sin and burden and is considered as a partner with the doer.
31. He says, ‘He, who conceals his griefs, makes his body ill.’
32. He says, ‘Four things assist man in his work; good health, wealth, knowledge and success.’
33. He says, ‘The doer of injustice, the supporter on it and the one who agrees on it (against others) are participants in it.’
These three kinds of people are the same in undertaking the responsibility of injustice and they all are punished for it. Some are directly responsible for injustice and the others indirectly by agreeing with the unjust on their injustice.
34. He says, ‘Being patient with misfortunes is a misfortune to those who rejoice at others’ misfortunes.’
35. He says, ‘If the ignorant keep silent, people will not disagree (with each other).’
36. He says, ‘The murder of man is between his two jaws.’
The end of man is often due to the thoughts he adopts. Many free people in the world are killed because of their criticism to the tyrants and unjust rulers.
37. He says, ‘People are different and each one acts according to his own form.’
People are different in their tendencies and ways of thinking and each of them acts according to his thoughts and beliefs.
38. He says, ‘People are brothers. The brotherhood that is not in the way of Allah turns into enmity, for Allah says, (Friends on that day will be foes one to another, save those who kept their duty (to Allah).’
If friendship is not based on the true love that is for the sake of Allah, and in stead it is based on personal advantages, it turns to enmity and hatred when the advantages of friends are influenced by some effects.
39. He says, ‘Being ungrateful to the blessings causes detestation.’
It causes detestation from Allah and from people.
40. He says, ‘He, who rewards you with gratefulness, gives you more than he takes from you.’
Rewarding a good doer by thanking him and spreading his virtues is, in fact, more than his giving because it makes a good mention to him among people which is the greatest gain to man.
41. He says, ‘He, who advises his brother secretly, does him good and he, who advises him openly, does him wrong.’
Advising a brother or a friend secretly indicates sincerity and truthfulness of advising, but if it is openly it may cause defame.
42. He says, ‘Whenever Allah gives a blessing to someone who knows it is from Allah, Allah will write on that someone’s name the gratefulness to that blessing before he will praise Allah, and when someone commits a sin and he knows that Allah sees him and that Allah may punish him if He likes or forgive him if He likes, Allah will forgive him before he will ask Allah for forgiveness.’
43. He says, ‘A honorable, with all honor is he whose knowledge honors him, and glory, all the glory is for him who fears Allah his Lord.’
44. He says, ‘He, who witnesses something and denies it, is like one who is absent from it, and he, who is absent from something but accepts it, is like one who witnesses it.’
It is mentioned in the prophetic traditions that “to every one is that which he intends” that if someone witnesses something but denies it he will be free from its sin as if he has been absent from it and if someone is absent from something but accepts it, its good or evil will be recorded on him.
45. He says, ‘He, who listens to a speaker, worships him. If the speaker speaks on behalf of Allah, he (the listener) worships Allah and if the speaker speaks on behalf of Iblis, he worships Iblis.’
When someone listens to a speaker, believes in him and follows him, he worships Allah if the speaker speaks on behalf of Allah; otherwise, he worships the Satan.
46. He says, ‘Showing something before it becomes complete spoils that thing.’
Spreading a political or social idea before it becomes complete and compact may destroy it before it appears to existence.
47. He says, ‘The blessing that is not thanked becomes a sin that is not forgiven.’
Being ungrateful to the blessing is one of the sins that are not forgiven because it wastes the charity that should be appreciated.
48. He says, ‘He, who gives up humoring, comes closer to misfortunes.’
Whoever does not humor people harms himself and meets troubles.
49. He says, ‘He, who trusts to tranquility before experience, exposes himself to perishment and bad end.’
Whoever trusts in something before testing and trying it exposes himself to problems and losses.
50. He says, ‘He, who does not know the entries, the exits will fail him.’
51. He says, ‘Let him, who when becomes angry oppresses (others), not deceive you.’
This tradition warns of communicating with the unjust who oppress people when they become angry.
52. He says, ‘Time uncovers hidden secrets.’
Whenever time passes, the secrets of nature and the unknown facts of the universe will be known.
53. He says, ‘Whoever blames (others) without suspicion his blame is accepted without angriness.’
54. He says, ‘The best worship is devotedness.’
55. He says, ‘Trusting in Allah is a price to every dear thing and a ladder to every high thing.’
In the previous words, Imam al-Jawad has dealt with different issues in sociology, psychology, morals and the results of different experiences in life that may benefit all the people.
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ABNA Posted: 26.6.2012
# Imam al-Hadi Knowledge and Sciences
By: Baqir Shareef al-Qurashi
Allah had dilated the chest of Imam al-Hadi for receiving knowledge and expanded his heart for sciences. Secrets of facts and intricacies of things were uncovered for him without any request or effort. People spoke about the vast knowledge he had, with none equal to him in his amazing, scientific treasures, covering all sciences of Hadith, jurisprudence, philosophy, theology, and other branches of knowledge.
Scholars and jurisprudents often referred to his opinions in complicated and mysterious questions on the verdicts of the Islamic Sharia. Al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid caliph, who was the bitterest enemy of Imam al-Hadi and of his fathers, referred to the opinion of Imam al-Hadi in the questions which the ulama' of his age disagreed on, and he preferred the opinion of Imam al-Hadi to the opinions of the rest of ulama'. We shall discuss this point in the coming chapters.
Anyhow, we shall talk in brief about the knowledge and sciences transmitted from him and his maxims and literatures that dealt with different educational and social matters.
Traditions (Hadith)
The traditions transmitted from the Prophet and the infallible Imams of his progeny were not limited to legal verdicts and religious questions, but they included all aspects of life. They had established the bases of morals, disciplines, good behaviors, and other intellectual and social issues.
Many traditions were transmitted from Imam al-Hadi - some of them were narrated from the Prophet, and some were narrated from his infallible fathers.
His traditions from the Prophet
Imam al-Hadi narrated a group of traditions from his fathers who narrated them one by one from the Prophet. Here are some of them:
1. Al-Mas'oudi said, "Muhammad bin al-Faraj told me in Jirjan.that Abu Du'amah said, 'I visited Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa during his illness that led to his death and when I wanted to leave, he said to me, 'O Abu Du'amah, you have a right on me. Shall I tell you a tradition that shall delight you?' I said to him, 'I am in utmost need of that O son of the messenger of Allah.'
He said, 'My father Muhammad bin Ali told me from his father Ali bin Musa bin Ja'far from his father Ja'far bin Muhammad from Muhammad bin Ali from Ali bin al-Husayn from al-Husayn bin Ali from his father Ali bin Abu Talib that the messenger of Allah said to him, 'Write down!' Ali said, 'What shall I write down?' The messenger of Allah said, 'Write down: "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Faith is that which hearts acknowledge and deeds prove, and Islam is that which tongues witness and marriage becomes lawful with.'
Abu Du'amah said, 'O son of the messenger of Allah, I do not know which of them is better; the tradition or the narrators!' Ali al-Hadi said, 'It is a book written down by the hand of Ali bin Abu Talib and the dictation of the messenger of Allah that we inherit one from the other.'[78]
This tradition shows the difference between faith and Islam (being a Muslim). Faith is to settle inside the soul and the depth of the heart and to be proved through good deeds, but Islam (being or turning a Muslim) is to witness the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad and consequently marriage becomes lawful besides other positive orders that require being a Muslim in order to be achieved.
2. Al-Hasan bin Ali narrated from Abul Hasan al-Hadi from his fathers that Amir'ul- Mu'minin said, "Once, I heard the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) say, 'When people will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection, a caller will call me: O messenger of Allah, Allah has permitted you to reward your lovers and the lovers of your household (progeny) who have followed them for your sake, and have been opposed to their enemies for your sake. You can reward them as you like.' I shall say, 'O my Lord, Paradise ! You put them in whatever part of it You like. This is the praised estate You have promised of."[79]
3. Abul Hasan al-Hadi narrated from his fathers that the Prophet said, 'Love Allah for the blessings He gives you, and love me for the love of Allah, and love my household for my love!'[80]
4. Imam al-Hadi narrated from his fathers that the Prophet said, 'On the Day of Resurrection I will be intercessor for four ones; the lovers of my progeny, one who follows them, one who shows enmity against their enemies, one who carries out their needs, and one who relieves their distresses.'[81]
The Prophet stressed on loving his pure progeny and made this love as an obligation on every Muslim man and Muslim woman, because loving and following them would protect the nation from disagreement, separation, deviation and seditions.
5. Imam al-Hadi narrated from his fathers that the Prophet said, 'Allah the Almighty says: O son of Adam, you are not fair to Me. I endear Myself to you through blessings and you make yourself hated through sins. My good comes down to you and your evil comes up to Me. Every day and night an honorable angel comes to Me bringing ugly deeds from you. O son of Adam, if you hear your description from other than you while you do not know who the described one is, you will soon hate him.'[82]
The tradition invites people to do good deeds and avoids the deeds that Allah hates, because every deed goes up to Allah. Allah has said, (To Him do ascend the good words; and the good deeds.)[83] and He rewards His people due to their deeds in the worldly life.
6. Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi narrated from his fathers that the Prophet said, 'My daughter was named Fatima because Allah the Almighty has weaned[84] her and whoever loves her from Fire.'[85]
7. Imam al-Hadi narrated from his fathers from his grandfather Imam al-Baqir that Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari said, 'Once I was with the Prophet. I was at his side and Ali Amir'ul- Mu'minin at the other side when Umar bin al-Khattab came drawing some man from the collars. The Prophet asked Umar, 'What is the matter with this man?' Umar said, 'He narrated that you had said: 'He, who says "there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" will be in Paradise . If people hear this, they will give up good deeds. Have you said this?' The Prophet said, 'Yes, if they keep to the love and guardianship of this man.' He pointed to Imam Ali (peace be upon him).'[86]
8. Imam al-Hadi narrated from his fathers from his grandfather Imam Ali that the Prophet said, 'O Ali, Allah has created me and you from His light. He created Adam and put that light into Adam. This light reached to Abdul Muttalib and then it divided and so I was in Abdullah and you were in Abu Talib. Prophethood does not befit anyone other than me and guardianship does not befit anyone other than you. Whoever denies your guardianship denies my prophethood and whoever denies my prophethood Allah will throw him down on his nose into Fire.'[87]
Allah created Prophet Muhammad and his guardian Imam Ali from one light and then they illuminated intellectual and social life and liberated the earth from idolatry and superstitions of the pre-Islamic era. They were but one self. Whoever denied the guardianship of Imam Ali denied the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad and will have no share in the afterlife and will be among losers.
9. Imam al-Hadi narrated from his fathers that the Prophet had said to Imam Ali, 'O Ali, he, who loves you, loves me, and he, who hates you, hates me.'
There are many prophetic traditions declaring that the love of Imam Ali is out of the love of the Prophet and the hatred towards Imam Ali is out of the hatred of the Prophet because Imam Ali was the very self of the Prophet, the gate of the town of his knowledge, the father of his two grandsons, and his defender in all situations and battles.
10. Imam al-Hadi narrated from his fathers from his grandfather Amir'ul- Mu'minin that the Prophet said, 'He, who likes to meet Allah (on the Day of Resurrection) safe, purified, and without fearing the great horror, let him follow you O Ali, and follow your two sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and (your grandsons) Ali bin al-Husayn, Muhammad bin Ali, Ja'far bin Muhammad, Musa bin Ja'far, Ali bin Musa, Muhammad bin Ali, Ali bin Muhammad, al-Hasan bin Ali, and al-Mahdi the last of them. O Ali, at the end of time there will be a group of people following you where people will hate them, but if they love them it will be better for them if they know. They (that group) will prefer you to their fathers, mothers, brothers, tribes, and all relatives. The best blessings of Allah be upon them. Those people will be resurrected under the banner of Hamd (praise). Allah will forgive their bad deeds and exalt their positions as reward for what they have done.'[88]
11. He narrated that the Prophet said, 'People (after death) are of two kinds; one will rest and the other will relieve (others). One, who will rest, is a believer. He will be free from this world with all its troubles and will go to the mercy of Allah and His great reward. As for the one, who will relieve, is a dissolute. People, animals, and trees will be relieved from him and he will go to what he has done.'[89]
His narrations from Amir'ul- Mu'minin
Imam al-Hadi narrated a good collection of maxims and sayings from his grandfather Amir'ul- Mu'minin, the pioneer of wisdom and justice in the earth. Here are some of them:
1. He narrated that Amir'ul- Mu'minin Imam Ali said, 'Beware of wishes because they are from the wares of the dissolute ones.'[90]
Islam resists all means that lead to backwardness and deterioration. Among these means is the relying on wishing and giving up work and labor, which means the end of progress and development in life.
2. He narrated that Amir'ul- Mu'minin said, 'He, who busies himself thinking of the afterlife, will be rich with no money, feel at ease with no family, and feel mighty with no fellows.'[91]
One, who cares for the affairs of the afterlife, will be rich with his piety and religiousness, will be happy because he satisfies his conscience through associating with his Creator, and will be respectable and honorable among people by his benevolence and piety.
3. He narrated that Amir'ul- Mu'minin said, 'Knowledge is a worthy inheritance, morals are graceful garments, pondering is a clear mirror, and taking lessons is a sincere warner. It suffices for you to have good manners by giving up what you hate of others.'[92]
4. He narrated that Imam Ali said, 'Whoever feels conceited will perish.'[93]
5. He narrated from Amir'ul- Mu'minin his saying, 'He, who is certain of recompense (from Allah), will give generously.'[17][94]
6. Imam al-Hadi said, "Once, a Jew came to Amir'ul- Mu'minin and said to him, 'Tell me about that which is not of Allah, that which Allah does not have, and that which Allah does not know!'
Imam Ali said, 'What Allah does not know is that He does not know (accept) that He has a child. This refutes your (the Jews') saying that Uzayr is the son of Allah. As for that which is not of Allah, it is injustice because there is no injustice with Allah against His people. And as for your saying about that which Allah does not have, it is that Allah has no partner.'
The Jew was astonished and became Muslim. He declared the shahada and then said to Imam Ali, 'I bear witness that you are the truth, from the people of truth, and have said the truth.'[18][95]
Imam Ali was the gate of the town of the Prophet's knowledge. If he was given his right (in the caliphate), he would have given verdicts to the people of the Bible from their Bible, to the people of the Psalms (Zabur) from their Psalms, and to the people of the Torah from their Torah. He often said that if the caliphate had come to him after the death of the Prophet, every Jew or Christian would have turned Muslim and followed the path of the truth.
7. Imam al-Hadi narrated from his fathers that a man from Iraq
Imam Ali said, 'O sheikh (old man), yes, it is. By Allah, you do not mount a castle or descend into a valley unless it has been determined by the fate of Allah.'
The man said, 'I expect the reward of my efforts from Allah O Amir'ul- Mu'minin.'
Imam Ali explained fate by saying, 'O sheikh, wait! You may think it is inevitable fate and inescapable doom! If it is so, then reward and punishment, enjoining and forbidding, scolding, warning and threatening will be void, and a bad doer will not to be blamed and a good doer will not be rewarded. A good doer will be worthier of being blamed than a guilty one, and a guilty one will be worthier of reward than a good doer. This opinion is of idolaters, enemies of Allah, fatalists, and the magi. O sheikh, Allah the Almighty has charged His people but has given them the option to do or not to do, and forbidden them as warning. He gives much for a little. He is not disobeyed out of defeat and He is not obeyed by force. He has not created the heavens, the earth, and what is between them in vain. That is the opinion of those who disbelieve, and woe unto those who disbelieve from the Fire.'
The man got up reciting some verses of poetry in which he praised Imam Ali and showed his satisfaction regarding what Imam Ali said.[20][97]
We shall discuss in detail the subject of fate in the following chapter insha'Allah.
8. He narrated that Imam Ali said, 'Many are they, those inattentive people, who may weave a dress to wear, but it becomes their shroud, and build a house to live in but it becomes the place of their grave.'[21][98]
His narrations from Imam al-Baqir
He narrated from his grandfather Imam Muhammad al-Baqir his saying, 'Beware of the physiognomy of a believer because he sees by the light of Allah.' Then he recited this verse, (Lo! therein verily are portents for those who read the signs).[22][99]
His narrations from Imam as-Sadiq
Imam al-Hadi narrated many traditions from his grandfather Imam as-Sadiq. Here are some of them:
1. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq said, 'There are three prayers that are not blocked from Allah the Almighty; the prayer of a father for his child if he is dutiful to him or against his child if he is undutiful to him, the prayer of an oppressed one against his oppressor or for his (oppressed one's) supporter, and the prayer of a believer for his believing brother if he comforts him or against him if he does not, when he is able to do that (to comfort him).'[23][100]
2. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq said, 'Keep to piety because it is the essence of religion which you keep to and believe in Allah through it. It is that which Allah wants from those who follow us.'[24][101]
3. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq said, 'He, who does not practice taqiyyah (dissimulation) to keep us safe from the villains of people, is not from us.'[25][102]
The infallible Imams urged their followers to act due to taqiyyah to spare their lives from the tyrannical governments who killed the Shia without a bit of mercy. If taqiyyah had not been legislated, none of the Shia and lovers of the Ahlul Bayt would have remained alive.
4. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq said, 'There are three times at which du'a is not blocked from Allah the Almighty; the du'a after the obligatory prayers, the du'a during the falling of rain, and the du'a when one of the signs of Allah appears in His earth.'[26][103]
Allah the Almighty likes to be supplicated at these times and He has promised to respond to His suppliants as He also responds to supplication in the holy shrines of the infallible Imams.
5. He said, "Once, a man came to Imam as-Sadiq and said to him, 'I am bored with this life. Would you please ask Allah for death to me?' Imam as-Sadiq said, 'The price of life is to obey and not to disobey. That you live long to obey is better for you than to die and neither disobey nor obey.'"
6. He said, "Imam as-Sadiq was asked to describe death and he said, 'For the faithful death is sweeter than breeze that a faithful smells and refreshes with it and all fatigue and ends pain, and for the unbelievers it is like the stinging of snakes and scorpions or even bitterer.' It was said to him, 'Some people say that death is bitterer than sawing, cutting with scissors, stoning, and turning of millstones on the pupils of eyes.' Imam as-Sadiq said, 'Yes, it is so for some unbelievers and sinners. Do you not see that some of them suffer these severities? What they will meet after that will be much more severe. It is the torment of the afterlife which will be much more severe than the torment in this life.' It was said to him, 'Then, why do we see some unbelievers die easily while talking and laughing, and some believers too, and we see some believers and unbelievers suffer much when dying?'
Imam As-Sadiq said, 'The easy death of a believer is an early reward for him, and when he suffers at death, he is purified from his sins in order to be pure and then to deserve the eternal reward in the afterlife. The easy death of some unbelievers is that they are given the reward of their good deeds in this world and in the afterworld they will have torment. And if some unbelievers suffer at death, it is the beginning of the torment of Allah on them. Allah is just and He does not wrong.'[27][104]
7. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq explained the saying of Prophet Jacob "Comely patience!" by saying, 'It is the patience that one undergoes without complaining.'[28][105]
8. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq interpreted this Qur'anic verse (Their sides draw away from (their) beds)[29][106] by saying, 'They did not sleep until they offer the Isha' (evening) prayer.'[30][107]
9. He narrated that Imam as-Sadiq said in interpreting this Qur'anic verse (.We will most certainly make him live a happy life),[31][108] 'It means satisfaction.'
His narrations from Imam Musa bin Ja'far
Imam al-Hadi narrated from his fathers that his grandfather Imam Musa bin Ja'far al-Kadhim said, 'Allah created creation and knew what they would be. He enjoined them to do some things and forbade them from doing other things. He gave them a way to do what He enjoined them to do and gave them a way to refrain from what He forbade them from. He forced no one of His creation to disobey but He tried them with misfortunes as He had said, (He may try you; which of you is best in deeds).[32][109]'
In this tradition, Imam al-Kadhim refuted the concept of "compulsion" which we shall discuss in one of the coming chapters.
His narrations from Imam ar-Ridha
Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi narrated from his grandfather Imam Ali bin Musa ar-Ridha that one day Abu Hanifah was with Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq and when he went out, he met Imam Musa Bin Ja'far al-Kadhim and asked him, 'O boy, from whom does disobedience come?'
Imam Musa al-Kadhim replied, 'It is one of three; it either comes from Allah the Almighty - and certainly not - and it does not behoove the Generous Lord to punish His slave for something he does not do, or from Allah and man - and it does not - and it does not behoove the mighty partner to oppress the weak partner, or from man - and it does - and if Allah punishes him, it will be for his guilt, and if He forgives him, it will be out of His generosity and munificence.'[33][110]
In this tradition the Imam refuted the concept of "compulsion" and showed that man is free in this life. He is forced neither to obey nor to disobey. His will makes him free to choose whatever he likes.
Referring Obscure Traditions to the Ahlul Bayt
Imam al-Hadi ordered his followers to be certain about the traditions narrated from the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt. If they were certain that those traditions had come from the infallible Imams and they understood their contents, they should act according to them; otherwise, they should refer them to the Imams to verify and explain them.
Once, Dawud bin Farqad al-Farisi said in a letter he sent to Imam al-Hadi, 'We ask you about the knowledge transmitted to us from your fathers and grandfathers. There is some contradiction in them. How do we act due to them with this contradiction?'
Imam al-Hadi replied to him, 'If you are certain it is our saying, you act upon it, otherwise, you refer it to us.'[34][111] He ordered his followers to refer such traditions to the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt so that they would show whether they were theirs or fabricated.
Contradictory traditions
Al-Himyari wrote to Imam al-Hadi asking about contradictory traditions and how to act upon them. Imam al-Hadi replied to him, 'He, who clings to the head of a spring, his affairs will not be confused because they come out white and pure.' Imam al-Hadi meant that whoever associated with the Imam directly nothing would be confused to him because he would take facts from their origin and source.
When al-Himyari read this reply, he wrote to Imam al-Hadi, 'How can we get to the head as it is blocked between us and it (him)?' Al-Himyari meant that there was no way for people to contact with Imam al-Hadi because of the political pressure and severe punishment the government followed against the Shia who contacted with the infallible Imams.
Imam al-Hadi replied, 'The truth is available for whoever sincerely seeks it.'[35][112]
Jurisprudence
Imam al-Hadi paid a lot of attention to the spreading of the principles of the Islamic Sharia, the explaining of its verdicts, and the teachings of its sciences. Jurisprudents and scholars gathered around him acquiring from the springs of his knowledge and recording his traditions that were of the sources of the Islamic rulings to the Twelver Shia.
Imam al-Hadi was the unequalled jurisprudent of his age, to a degree that even al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid caliph, who was one of the bitterest enemies to the Alawids, referred to him in complicated questions and preferred his fatwas to those of other jurisprudents. Here we mention some traditions of Imam al-Hadi that Shiite jurisprudents refer to in deriving legal verdicts;
Washing the Dead
Ahmad bin al-Qassim wrote a letter to Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi asking if a believer died and a washer wanted to wash the corpse (perform the ritual ghusl of the dead) while there were some Murjites[36][113] present whether the washer would wash the corpse of the believer in the way like the other (sects of) Muslims did without putting a turban on his head and without putting a palm branch with him or not. Imam al-Hadi replied, 'He should perform the ghusl of believer even if they are present. As for the palm branch, it should be put secretly and he (the washer) should try his best not to let them see him do that.'[37][114]
This tradition showed clearly that a dead believer should be washed according to the way of the Ahlul Bayt paying no attention to the Murjites. It also instructed to place palm branches with the corpse secretly due to taqiyyah. There are many traditions about the recommendation of putting two green palm branches with a dead believer, or else some branches of trees other than palm-tree. One of these traditions is the one narrated by Ali bin Bilal from Imam al-Hadi, on which jurisprudents depend upon in deriving their fatwa.[38][115]
Offering Prayers in (clothes of) Fur
Shiite jurisprudents specify certain conditions of one's clothing, when offering prayers (Salat) for the validity of the prayer, such as their purity and their not being illegally obtained. They depend in these rulings on valid traditions transmitted from the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt.
Ali bin Eesa wrote to Imam al-Hadi asking about the permissibility of offering the prayer with clothes of fur of the animals whose meat is unlawful to eat, and Imam al-Hadi replied to him saying, 'I do not like offering the prayer in any of these furs.' He wrote again to Imam al-Hadi saying that he lived among people such that he had to practice taqiyyah with them and that no one could travel in his country without clothes of fur, and he feared that he would be harmed if he put off his fur clothing. Imam al-Hadi replied to him, 'You wear fur of fennec and beaver.'[39][116] This tradition permitted offering prayer with clothes of the fur of fennec and beaver when one is obliged.
Offering prayers with man's hair
There are many traditions from the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt showing the impermissibility of prayer with fur of animals whose meat is unlawful to eat, like cats, for example. Of course, this does not include man's hair.
Once, ar-Rayyan bin as-Salt asked Imam al-Hadi about the permissibility of offering prayer with a garment on which some hair or nail of man were present and Imam al-Hadi said to him that it was permissible.[40][117]
Passing before a prayer
Twelver Shia jurisprudents believe that prayer is not invalidated when someone passes in front of one who is offering prayer. They depend in that on a tradition narrated by Abu Sulayman from Imam al-Hadi in which a man asked him (Imam al-Hadi) whether prayer would be invalidated if someone passed in front of one during offering his prayer and Imam al-Hadi said, 'No, prayer is not so simply invalidated. It is accepted from its keeper.'[41][118]
Offering prayers in the desert
Ali bin Mahziyar asked Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi, 'If someone is in the desert when the time of obligatory prayer comes and he cannot get out of the desert before the time of prayer elapses, what should he do with his prayer since it is forbidden to offer prayer in the desert?' Imam al-Hadi said, 'He can offer prayer in the desert but he should avoid roads.'[42][119]
It is unrecommended (makruh) to offer prayers in the middle of roads whether they are busy with people or empty, and if one troubles the passers-by when offering prayer in the middle of roads, prayer is unlawful in this case.[43][120]
Prostrating on glass
Shia jurisprudents have agreed that prostration in prayer must be performed on the earth or what is grown from the earth.[44][121] They have not permitted prostration on things which are eatable or wearable and they have prohibited prostration on glass. They depend in all these claims on traditions narrated from the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt.
Muhammad bin al-Husayn said, 'One of our companions wrote a letter to Imam Abul Hasan asking about prostrating on glass. He said, 'When I sent my letter, I thought to myself and said: it (glass) is from that which is grown from the earth and I did not have to ask about it. Imam al-Hadi wrote to me, 'Do not offer prayer on glass even if your self says to you it is grown from the earth because it is from salt and sand which are changed.'[45][122]
An Unconscious Person is not to Reoffer Prayer
Jurisprudents say a mukallaf[46][123] must not be unconscious when prayers are required from him. If a mukallaf is unconscious from the beginning of the time of charging to the end, he is not charged with prayers neither ada' nor qadha'.[47][124] They depend on many traditions of the infallible Imams.
Ali bin Mahziyar asked Imam al-Hadi about the unconscious and he said, 'An unconscious one has neither to offer qadha' prayer nor to perform qadha' fasting. Allah is worthier of pardoning him.'[48][125]
Ayyub bin Noah wrote to him asking about one who was unconscious for a day or a little more whether he had to offer qadha' prayers or not. Imam al-Hadi wrote to him, 'He has to offer neither prayers nor fasting.'[49][126]
Offering qasr' prayer in the journey to Mecca
Twelver Shia jurisprudents make conditions on qasr prayer such that qasr prayers should be prayed while traveling except if traveling is one's job, like drivers, sailors, shepherds and the like. Such persons offer tamam (full) prayer in travel. A traveling job depends on one's will, and practice of travel a time after another in a way that there is no unusual break in it. Travelers who take pilgrims to the hajj every year are not permitted to offer full prayer but they must offer qasr (shortened) prayer.[50][127]
Muhammad bin Jazzak said, 'I wrote to Abul Hasan the Third (Imam al-Hadi) that I had some camels and had employees on them (to travel in caravans), but I did not go except in the way of Mecca Mecca
Khums
Khums (one fifth) is one of the Islamic taxes that Islam has imposed to fight poverty, spread culture, develop intellect, and revive Islamic sciences. Khums is obligatory on the profits of trades, industries, and other kinds of work that are more than one and his family's expenditure of one year as it is mentioned in the books of jurisprudence. Jurisprudents depend in this on the traditions transmitted from the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt.
In al-Kafi it has been mentioned that Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani said, "I wrote to Abul Hasan (al-Hadi) saying, 'Ali bin Mahziyar read to me your father's letters in which he imposed (a tax of) a half of the sixth on the owners of small villages after deducting the costs, and one, whose village income does not cover the costs, does not have to pay a half of the sixth or anything else. Some people disagreed on this and said, 'The khums must be paid from the income of villages after deducting the costs of the village and the tax taken on it by the government and not the expenditure of one and his family.' Imam al-Hadi wrote replying, 'After deducting his and his family's expenditure and after the tax of the government.'[52][129]
Ali bin Mahziyar narrated that Ali bin Muhammad bin Shuja' an-Naysaburi said to Abul Hasan the Third, 'Some man got from his farm one hundred kurrs[53][130] of wheat which included zakat. The tenth, which was ten kurrs, was taken, thirty kurrs were spent on repairing the farm, and sixty kurrs remained for him. What must be paid to you (as khums) from that?...' Imam al-Hadi wrote, 'For me is the khums (fifth) of what remains after deducting his (the owner's) expenditure (of a year).'[54][131]
Jurisprudents have depended on these traditions in providing verdicts that khums is obligatory on whatever remains from the expenditure of a year. Jurisprudential books and practical theses have discussed this matter in details.
Zakat
Zakat is one of the effective programs Islam has established in its economic system. It is one of the wonderful means that pluck out the roots of poverty and wretchedness in society. Imam al-Hadi was asked about some branches of zakat and he gave answers to them where jurisprudents depended and still depend on in deriving legal verdicts.
Among the conditions jurisprudents make on the deserving of zakat is that one, who deserves to be given zakat, must be a believer. Unbelievers are not to be given from the zakat. It was narrated that Imam al-Hadi was asked whether it was permissible to give those, who believed in embodiment (of God), from the zakat or not and he said, 'Do not give whoever believes in embodiment from the zakat and do not offer prayer behind him!'[55][132]
Of course, there is no specification for those who believe in embodiment and so this prevention from zakat includes every unbeliever who does not believe in Allah and the Day of Resurrection.
Jurisprudents say that one who is given from zakat is not to be from those whose expense is on the giver of the zakat like father or grandfather, children or grandchildren. However, al-Kulayni mentioned in al-Kafi that Isma'il bin Imran al-Qummi said, 'I wrote to Abul Hasan the Third that I had male and female children and asked him whether I could give them from the zakat or not. He wrote to me that I could.' The sheikh (at-Tusi) in at-Tahthibayn thought this tradition to concern the case of this man, and his like, whose money did not satisfy the expenditure of his family.[56][133]
There is no limitation to the money given to the poor from zakat except the zakat al-fitr.[57][134] One of the Shia wrote to Imam al-Hadi through Ahmad bin Isaaq asking him, 'Can I give my brothers two or three dirhams from the zakat?' Imam al-Hadi wrote to him, 'You can do so, insha'Allah.'[58][135]
The first kind of zakat legislated in Islam was the zakat al-Fitr which jurisprudents called the zakat of bodies. It is obligatory on all people; faithful and unfaithful, old and young, male and female. Imam al-Hadi wrote to Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani saying, 'The zakat al-Fitr is (obligatory) on you and on all people and whoever you are responsible for whether male or female, old or young, free or slave, suckling or weaned. You pay six rotls according to the rotl of Medina
Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani said, 'Traditions were different on the zakat al-Fitr and so I wrote to Abul Hasan asking him about that and he wrote to me saying, 'The (amount of) zakat al-Fitr is a sa'[60][137] of the usual food in your country. On the people of Mecca, Yemen, Ta'if, the sides of Sham, Yamama, Bahrain, Iraq, Persia, Ahwaz, and Kirman is a sa' of dates, on the people of the middle of Sham a sa' of raisin, on the people of the island, Mosul, and all mountains a sa' of wheat or barley, on the people of Tabaristan a sa' of rice, on the people of KhurHasan a sa' of wheat, on the people of Marw and Riy a sa' of raisin, on the people of Egypt a sa' of wheat, and on other peoples is a sa' of their usual foods. On the nomads of the desert is a sa' of uqt (dried cheese). The zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on you and on all people.'[61][138]
The substance of the zakat al-Fitr is to be from the usual food of the people of a country like wheat or barley for example. The obligatory amount of this kind of zakat is one sa' which is about three kilograms. One can pay money instead of food substances as jurisprudents say.
Fasting
Imam al-Hadi was asked about many questions about fasting and he answered them in traditions transmitted by his followers.
Fasting on seeing the crescent
The surest way of ascertaining the beginning of Ramadan is the sighting of the crescent. Whoever sees the crescent, whether alone or with others, must fast.
Ali bin Rashid narrated from Imam al-Hadi his saying, 'Do not fast except on the sighting (of the crescent).'[62][139] Jurisprudents believe in the impermissibility of fasting with the intention of obligation when the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan is not proved.
Fasting of a suckling mother
Ali bin Mahziyar wrote to Imam al-Hadi asking him, 'There is some woman who suckles her son or other than her son in the month of Ramadan. She suffers much in her fasting. She suckles until she faints and cannot fast. Does she suckle her child and breaks her fast and instead keep it later if she is able, or does she give up suckling in order to fast? If she cannot hire some woman to suckle her child, what does she do?'
Imam al-Hadi wrote to him saying, 'If she can hire a wet nurse for her child, she may do and keep her fasts; otherwise, she breaks fasting and continues suckling her child and performs her fasting later on whenever she is able to.'[63][140]
Jurisprudents depend on this tradition in giving a fatwa that a suckling mother, whose milk is little, is permitted not to fast in Ramadan if her fasting harms her child and she cannot hire a wet nurse.
Expiation (kaffara) of specified fasts
Al-Husayn bin Ubayda wrote to Imam al-Hadi saying, 'O my master, some man vowed to fast on a certain day, but he slept with his wife on that day. What expiation is on him?' Imam al-Hadi replied to him, 'He has to fast for one day instead of that day and set free a slave.'[64][141] In the light of this tradition, jurisprudents say that the kaffara of breaking one's specified fast is the same as the kaffara of breaking one's oath which is the freeing of a slave, or feeding ten needy persons, or giving them clothes, and if he cannot do that, he must fast for three days.
Trade
Narrators transmitted from Imam al-Hadi many questions about trade, which jurisprudents depend on in deriving their fatwas. Here are some of them:
Prohibition of working with the unjust
Since the Abbasid rulers were unjust and oppressive, work with them was unlawful as the Shia believed. Muhammad bin Ali bin Eesa wrote to Imam al-Hadi asking whether the work for the Abbasids and taking from their monies was permissible or not. Imam al-Hadi said, 'That which happens by force and subjection is pardoned by Allah, otherwise, it is hated. There is no doubt that the little of it is better than the excess. The expiation of that is that one does what may delight us and our followers.'
Imam al-Hadi said in his reply that Allah did not punish one, who worked for the Abbasids, if his work was by force and subjection, but if it was by one's will, it would be hated - or it might mean forbidden here. Imam al-Hadi said that the expiation on one who worked with the Abbasids was to delight the Ahlul Bayt by carrying out the needs of the faithful and the poor and saving them from misfortunes and oppression (of the government). Jurisprudents mentioned many traditions in their studies on "working with tyrants".[65][142]
When the letter of Imam al-Hadi came to Muhammad bin Ali bin Eesa, he wrote to the Imam, 'I want to work with them to cause them trouble and to take revenge on them through being close to them.' Imam al-Hadi replied, 'Whoever does so his work is not unlawful, but rather he will be rewarded (by Allah).'[66][143]
Renting
1. Muhammad bin Eesa al-Yaqtini wrote to Imam al-Hadi saying to him, 'Someone sent his son to some man to work for him as a busheler for one year and for specified wage. Then another man came to the father and asked him for employing the son for one year but more wage. Does the father have the right to send his son to the second man and is it permissible for him to annul his agreement with the first man?' Imam al-Hadi wrote to him that the father had to fulfill his agreement with the first man except if his son became ill or weak.[67][144]
2. Muhammad bin Isaaq said, "I wrote to Abul Hasan (peace be upon him) saying, 'Some man rented a farm from another man. Then, the lessor sold the farm in the presence of the tenant who did not deny the sale, but rather he was present and as a witness. Then the buyer died and left some heirs. Does that property go into the inheritance or it remains in the hand of the tenant until the period of renting ends?' Imam al-Hadi wrote, 'until the period of renting ends.'[68][145]
3. Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani said, 'I wrote to Abul Hasan asking him about some woman who rented out her land for ten years on the condition that the rent was to be given at the end of every year. Nothing of the rent would be given to her except after the end of every year. Before (or after) three years, the woman died. Should her heirs carry out the renting to the specified period, or would the renting condition be invalidated by the death of the woman?' Imam al-Hadi wrote, 'If the renting had a specified time that did not end when the woman died, then the heirs would have the right to determine on the renting condition, and if a third or a half or some period of renting has passed, then the heirs could decide on the remaining period of renting insha'Allah.'[69][146]
Jurisprudents disagreed on renting whether it would be invalid or not by the death of the lessor or the tenant. Some of them said it would not be invalid and some others said it would be invalid since the death of the lessor and not from the beginning. They relied in that on this saying of Imam al-Hadi.
Entailment
Ali bin Mahziyar said, 'I wrote to Abul Hasan the Third that I had entailed a piece of land to my children, hajj, and other ways of charity, and you have a right from it after me and for me after you, but I changed it from this way.' Imam al-Hadi said, 'You are free from any blame and permitted to do so.'[70][147]
Sheikh al-Hurr al-Aamili understood from this tradition that the change here took place before receiving the entailment. It is also possible that the entailment here might mean "will" because he said "after me"[71][148] in order not to contradict entailment, which, if it takes place with its correct conditions, becomes inevitable and cannot be renounced.
Foods
Once, Ayyub bin Noah asked Imam al-Hadi about buffalo. He said, 'The people of Iraq
Imam al-Hadi replied to him saying, 'Have you not heard the saying of Allah, (And two of camels and two of cows)[72][149]?' Imam al-Hadi refuted this spuriousness and proved that the buffalo was a kind of cow and not a metamorphosed animal.
Judgment
Ja'far bin Eesa said, 'I wrote to Abul Hasan (al-Hadi) asking that, if a woman dies and her father claims that he has lent her some things and some slaves, is his claim accepted without evidence?'
Imam al-Hadi replied that the father's claim might be accepted without evidence. I also wrote to him, 'If the husband of the dead woman, or his father or mother claim, like her father does, that they have lent her some things or some slaves, are they considered like her father in the claim?' Imam al-Hadi wrote, 'No.'[73][150]
Penalties
1. Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Shu'bah narrated that Abul Hasan the Third said, 'As for a man who confesses sodomy, if there is no evidence proved against him, but he willingly confesses his guilt against himself, and if the Imam, who is from Allah, is to punish on behalf of Allah, he can pardon on behalf of Allah. Have you not heard the saying of Allah, (This is Our free gift, therefore give freely or withhold without reckoning)?'[74][151]
This tradition shows clearly that a legal Imam, who is appointed by Allah, may pardon whoever confesses sodomy against himself, though he has the right to punish for that. However, if one is proved by clear evidence that he has committed sodomy, the Imam is not to pardon him.
2. Ja'far bin Rizqillah said, 'Some Christian man, who committed adultery with a Muslim woman, was brought to al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid caliph, in order to be punished. When the caliph wanted to punish the man, the man converted to Islam. Yahya bin Aktham said, 'His faith (in Islam) cancelled his polytheism and sin.' Some other person said, 'He is to be punished with three penalties.' Another one said, 'He is to be punished with so-and-so.' Then, al-Mutawakkil ordered his men to ask Imam Abul Hasan (al-Hadi) about his opinion on the matter and the Imam said, 'He (the sinner) is to be hit until he dies.' Yahya and the rest of jurisprudents denied this fatwa and asked al-Mutawakkil to write to Imam al-Hadi and ask him for the evidence he depended on in his fatwa. Al-Mutawakkil wrote to Imam al-Hadi and Imam al-Hadi replied, 'But when they saw Our punishment, they said: We believe in Allah alone and we deny what we used to associate with Him. But their faith could not avail them when they saw Our doom. This is Allah's law which hath ever taken course for His bondmen. And then the disbelievers will be ruined).'[75][152] Then, al-Mutawakkil ordered the sinner to be hit and he was hit until he died.'[76][153]
Imam al-Hadi depended on the Book of Allah in issuing his fatwa that made al-Mutawakkil and the jurisprudents feel astonished at his abundant knowledge.
Disbelief of the Excessive
The Shia unanimously believe that the excessive are unfaithful and impure and so it is permissible to kill them. It was narrated that Imam al-Hadi said to one of his companions, 'If you see one of them (the excessive) alone, you break his head with a stone.'[77][154] We shall talk in details about them in one of the coming chapters.
We have mentioned above a few examples of Imam al-Hadi's jurisprudence. The questions he was asked showed that he was the highest authority of fatwas in the Islamic world at his time and he had great scientific treasures of knowledge in the Islamic laws.
Theological Arguments
At the age of Imam al-Hadi many doubts and illusions spread about the basics of Islam. The beginning was during the Umayyad rule that paved the way for the spread of deviant and misguiding thoughts and concepts. The Umayyads encouraged those misguiding cultures which spread more strongly during the Abbasid rule. Muslim ulama', at the head of whom were the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt, resisted and confuted the atheistic opinions and thoughts using irrefutable, scientific evidences. All these are recorded in the books of "argumentation" written by Shia scholars to prove the struggle of their Imams in supporting Islam and fighting against disbelief and atheism. Here we mention some examples transmitted from Imam al-Hadi in this concern.
The Impossibility of Seeing Allah
Ahmad bin Isaaq wrote to Imam al-Hadi asking him about (the possibility of) seeing Allah and what people said in this regard. Imam al-Hadi replied, 'seeing is not possible if there is no air (space) between the seer and the seen thing through which sight goes through. If there is no air and no light between the seer and the seen thing, there will be no sight. When the seer equals the seen thing in the cause of sight between them, sight takes place, but those who compare the seer (man) to Allah, they are mistaken because they liken Allah to man.for effects must relate to causes.'[78][155]
Imam al-Hadi proves the impossibility of seeing where there is no air (space) and light, because the eye sees through these two means; air and light, otherwise, seeing is impossible and these two powers cannot see Allah the Almighty because they are limited possibilities that cannot see the great power that created and managed these amazing worlds and universes with all their wonders.
The system of seeing sees things when they equal the seer in the possible aspect of seeing, and if there is no equality between them, there will be no sight. Prophet Moses tried his best to see Allah;
(And when Musa came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My Lord! show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee. He said: You cannot (bear to) see Me but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then will you see Me; but when his Lord manifested His glory to the mountain He made it crumble and Musa fell down in a swoon; then when he recovered, he said: Glory be to Thee, I turn to Thee, and I am the first of the believers).[79][156]
Prophet Moses received the words of Allah and his soul longed and wished to see his Lord, but he forgot who and what he was when he asked for that which no human being in the earth was allowed or could bear this great seeing. However, Prophet Moses was occupied by his great longing and forced by wish until the decisive words of Allah woke him up, (You cannot (bear to) see Me). Then the Great Creator pitied His prophet and taught him why he could not see Him, (but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then you will see Me). The mountain is firmer and more fixed, though less sensitive and responsive than man but nevertheless, (when his Lord manifested His glory to the mountain He made it crumble). Prophet Moses understood the awe of the situation and fell in a swoon, and when he woke up, said, (Glory be to Thee, I turn to Thee, and I am the first of the believers).[80][157]
See how Imam al-Hadi spoke with his Lord with these bright words, showing the extent of his recognition of Allah the Almighty: 'O my Lord, thoughts of thinkers went astray, sights of seers fell short, descriptions of describers dissipated, sayings of fabricators vanished before the wonders of Your affair, or the reach to Your highness, for You are in the unreachable place, and no eye can fall upon You with a glance or expression. How far, and how far! O You the First, the Only, the Unique! You have exalted in highness with the glory of greatness, and risen up beyond every bottom and end with the omnipotence of pride.'[81][158]
Impossibility of Embodiment
It is impossible for the Necessary Being to be described with features of embodiment because this is an aspect of possible beings, which need, for their existence a cause, and for their non-existence a cause, because they are created things. In many traditions Imam al-Hadi confuted those who believed in embodiment. Here are some of these traditions:
1. As-Saqr bin Abu Dalf said, 'I asked Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad about monotheism and said to him that I believed in that which Hisham bin al-Hakam believed. He believed in embodiment before his guidance. The Imam became angry and said, 'What do you have to do with the saying (belief) of Hisham? He, who claims that Allah has a body, is not from us and we are free from him in this world and in the afterworld. O ibn Abu Dalf, body (substance) is created and it is Allah Who has created and embodied it.'[82][159]
2. Hamza bin Muhammad said, 'I wrote to Abul Hasan asking him about the body and the shape (of Allah) and he wrote to me, 'Glory be to Him, Whom nothing is like neither in body nor in shape.'[83][160]
3. Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Hamadani narrated, 'I wrote to the man (he meant Abul Hasan) saying to him, 'With us there are some of your followers who have disagreed on monotheism. Some of them say (Allah is) "a body" and some say "shape".' He wrote saying, 'Glory be to Him Who can not be limited, and can not be described. Nothing is like Him and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.'[84][161]
It is impossible to describe Allah the Almighty with the limits of the created things and it is impossible to describe Him with multiplicity of aspects because His attributes are His very essence as theologians have proved.
Impossibility of Describing Allah
Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi, in his talk with al-Fatah bin Yazeed al-Jirjani, declared the impossibility of describing the Wise Creator with any attribute that might cover his essence and truth. He said, 'The Creator is not described except with that which He Himself had described Himself with. How can the Creator, Whom senses fail to conceive, minds to arrive at, imaginations to contain, and sights to surround, be described? Exalted is He above what describers say, and glorified is He above what depicters describe. He is far in His nearness, and near in His farness. He has adapted the "how" that it is not said (for Him) how, and has adapted the "where" that it is not said (for Him) where. He is out of how and where. He is Only, One, Eternal, Absolute. He begetteth not, nor was begotten, and there is none comparable unto Him. Glory be to Him. Or how is Muhammad (blessings be on him and on his progeny) described in his essence where Allah the Sublime compared him with His own name, participated him in His gift, and promised whoever obeyed him to be rewarded for his obedience when He said, (and they did not find fault except because Allah and His Messenger enriched them out of His grace)?[85][162]
It relates the saying of those who give up His obedience and He tortures them between the covers of Hellfire and its garments of tar, (O would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger).[86][163]
Or how are those (the Ahlul Bayt), whom Allah the Sublime compared their obedience with the obedience of His messenger, described in their essence when He said, (O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority from among you),[87][164] and (and if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them),[88][165] and, (Surely Allah commands you to make over trusts to their owners),[89][166] and, (so ask the followers of the reminder if you do not know)?[90][167]
O Fatah, as Allah, glory be to Him, the messenger, the guardian (Imam Ali), and the sons of Fatima (the infallible Imams) can not be described, neither can a believer who believes and submits to our matter be.'[91][168]
The tradition shows the impossibility of describing Allah in a way that expresses His very essence and truth. It is the same for the Prophet and the infallible Imams and even a believer who loyally submits and believes in the Ahlul Bayt, for descriptions fail to surround a believer's noble tendencies and virtuous qualities.
Monotheism
Imam al-Hadi was asked about the truth of monotheism and he said, 'Allah the Almighty was still alone nothing with Him, and then He created things skillfully, and chose names for Himself. Names and words are still with Him since eternity.
Allah was and is still existent. Then He formed what He willed and nothing can repel His will or delay His determination.'[92][169]
Refuting of Compulsion and Free Will
Perhaps one of the most wonderful intellectual and scientific traditions transmitted from Imam al-Hadi was this letter that he sent to the people of Ahwaz (in Iran) in which he refuted the concept of "compulsion" that the Ash'arites adopted and spread when they said that man was compelled into his actions and he had no will or option. He also refuted the concept of "free will" that the Mu'tazilites believed in saying that Allah had authorized people in their actions due to their will and there were no will or power over them. After refuting these two concepts, Imam al-Hadi proved with irrefutable, scientific proofs the concept of "the matter between the two matters; a moderate concept between compulsion and free will", which was the concept adopted by the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt and by their followers. This letter was one of the best discussions in this concern. Imam al-Hadi wrote in this letter: 'From Ali bin Muhammad, peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you and upon whoever follows the guidance. Your letter came to me and I understood what you mentioned of your disagreement in your religion, your plunging in the matter of "fate", the belief of some of you in "compulsion", and others in "free will", and the disagreement, separation, and enmity among you because of that. Then you asked me about that and to explain it you. I understood all that.
Know, may Allah have mercy on you, that we looked up in the abundant traditions and news and we found, for all Muslims who understand from Allah, them (traditions) not free from two meanings; either truth that is to be followed or falsehood that is to be avoided. The nation has agreed unanimously with no disagreement between them that the Qur'an is the truth that has no doubt in it for Muslims of all sects.
Their agreement is the proof of the Book and that they are right and guided due to the saying of the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and on his progeny), "My nation does not agree on deviation." He told that what the entire nation agreed on is truth when no group disagrees with another. The Qur'an is the truth that there is no difference between them (Muslims) in its revelation and truthfulness. So when the Qur'an witnesses the truthfulness of some news but a group of the nation denies it, they should acknowledge it as a necessity, for basically the nation has agreed unanimously on the truthfulness of the Qur'an, and if they deny, this requires them to be out of the (Muslim) nation.'
Imam al-Hadi says in this passage that Muslims must refer to the Qur'an, which falsehood shall not approach from before it nor from behind it, in the matters they disagree on and see that which agrees with the Qur'an is the truth and that which contradicts it is falsehood. Whoever believes this falsehood will be out of Islam.
He added, 'The first news that is proved, witnessed, and confirmed by the Book is the saying of the messenger of Allah, 'I leave to you the two weighty things; the Book of Allah and my household. You shall not go astray as long as you keep to them. They shall not separate until they shall come to me at the pond (in Paradise ).' We found the evidences of this tradition in the Book of Allah where Allah said,
(Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow. And whoever takes Allah and His messenger and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant).[93][170]
All Muslim sects narrated traditions that Amir'ul- Mu'minin had given his ring as charity while he was bowing in prayer and Allah praised him for that and revealed this verse. We found the messenger of Allah saying, 'Whoever I was his guardian, Ali is to be his guardian' and (addressing Imam Ali), 'You are to me as was Aaron to Moses but there will be no prophet after me' and, 'Ali repays my debts, carries out my promises, and he is my caliph over you after me'.
The tradition indicated clearly the caliphate of Imam Ali after the Prophet and that there was no one worthier of the Prophet than Imam Ali, the pioneer of intellectual and civilizational development in the earth.'
Imam al-Hadi added, 'The first tradition, from which these traditions were derived, is a true tradition that all Muslims have agreed on with no disagreement among them. It also conforms to the Book. When the Book witnesses the truthfulness of these traditions besides other evidences, then the nation has to acknowledge them as a necessity, for their evidences are clear in the Qur'an and they conform to the Qur'an and the Qur'an conforms to them. Moreover, the truth of these traditions were transmitted from the messenger of Allah through the truthful (infallible Imams) and narrated by known, reliable people.
Therefore, following these traditions is obligatory on every believing man and believing woman, and no one deviates except the obstinate. That is because the sayings of the messenger of Allah and his progeny are connected with the sayings of Allah, as in this verse,
(Surely (as for) those who speak evil things of Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world and the hereafter, and He has prepared for them a chastisement bringing disgrace).[94][171]
We found the like of this verse in this saying of the messenger of Allah, 'He, who harms Ali, harms me, and who harms me harms Allah, and whoever harms Allah is about to be revenged on (by Allah)'[95][172] and his saying, 'He, who loves Ali, loves me, and who loves me, loves Allah'[96][173], and, '.in bani Wulay'ah.I will send to them a man who is like myself. He loves Allah and His messenger and Allah and His messenger love him. O Ali, get ready to march to them!', and his saying on the day of Khaybar, 'Tomorrow, I will send to them a man who loves Allah and His messenger, and Allah and His messenger love him. He is brave and not a runaway. He shall not come back until he shall conquer by the will of Allah.'[97][174]
The messenger of Allah confirmed the conquer before the marching. The companions of the messenger of Allah looked forward to that, but on the next day, the messenger of Allah sent for Ali and sent him at the head of the army. He singled him out with this virtue and called him "brave and not a runaway". Allah called him "a lover of Allah and His messenger" and informed that Allah and His messenger loved him.
We just introduced this explanation as evidence and confirmation to what we want to say about the matter of "compulsion and free will" and "the matter between the two matters". We ask Allah for help and assistance and on Him we rely in all our affairs. We begin with the saying of Imam as-Sadiq, 'It is neither compulsion nor free will but it is a position between the two positions. It is the soundness of creation, freedom, enough time, equipment, and the cause that provokes a doer towards his doing.' These are five things with which Imam as-Sadiq grouped the items of virtue. If someone lacks one of these items, obligations are not required from him. Imam as-Sadiq informed of the necessary thing that people must know and the Book confirmed it. The clear verses of the Qur'an and the messenger of Allah proved it.
The messenger of Allah and his progeny do not exceed by their sayings the limits of the Qur'an. If traditions conform to the Qur'an and agree with its proofs, following them is obligatory and no one violates them except the people of intransigence. When we pondered on the saying of as-Sadiq about "the position between the two positions" and his denying of "compulsion and free will", we found the Book proving and confirming his saying, besides that there was another saying by him confirming the first one. Once, as-Sadiq was asked, 'Has Allah forced His people to commit sins?' He said, 'He (Allah) is more just than this.' It was said to him, 'Has He, then, completely authorized them to do that (commit sins)?' He said, 'Allah is mightier and more omnipotent over them than this.'
It was narrated that he said, 'People, in fate, are of three kinds; one claims that people are authorized to do as they like and thus he deems Allah weak in His authority, and this one will perish. The other one claims that Allah forces people into sins and charges them with what they are unable to do, and this one mistakes Allah and he will perish. And one claims that Allah charges people with what they are able to do and does not charge them with what they are unable to do, so when this one does good, he thanks Allah and when he does wrong, he asks Allah to forgive him and this is a true Muslim.' As-Sadiq told that he, who believed in "compulsion" or "free will", opposed the truth. I have already explained "compulsion" and "free will" and that whoever believed in them is wrong, and therefore the truth is "the position between the two positions".'
I give example on each topic to explain the meaning for requesters and make research easier. These examples are confirmed by the Qur'anic verses and proved true by men of understanding. We ask Allah for success and perfection.
'As for "compulsion", it is the belief of those who claim that Allah forces people into committing sins and disobediences and then He punishes them for that. Whoever believes in this concept wrongs Allah, falsifies Him and denies His saying, (and your Lord does not deal unjustly with anyone)[98][175] and, (This is due to what your two hands have sent before, and Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants)[99][176] and, (Surely Allah does not do any injustice to men, but men are unjust to themselves)[100][177] besides many other verses regarding this. He, who claims he is forced into disobedience, ascribes his sins to Allah and considers Allah as unjust in punishing him.
Whoever considers Allah as unjust denies His Book, and whoever denies His Book must be an unbeliever due to the consensus of the nation. The example of this is like the example of a man having a slave, who neither possesses himself nor does he have any property at all. The lord knows this about his slave; nevertheless, he orders the slave to go to the market to bring him something but without giving him the price of that thing. The lord knows well that that something has an owner that no one can take that thing from him except after paying the price. The lord of the slave considers himself as just, fair, wise, and free from any kind of injustice.
He threatens his slave with punishment if he does not bring him that thing, though he knows well that no one can take that thing except after paying its price and the slave does not have the price. When the slave comes back to his lord unsuccessfully, his lord becomes angry at him and punishes him. If the lord is just and fair in his judgment, he should not punish his slave; otherwise, he shall be considered as unjust and oppressive, and if he does not punish his slave, he shall contradict himself and be a liar for he has threatened his slave with punishment. So lying and oppression contradict justice and wisdom. High Exalted is He above what they say!
'Whoever believes in "compulsion" or in what leads to "compulsion" considers Allah as unjust and oppressive if He punishes those whom He forces into committing sins. Whoever claims that Allah forces His people into their doings must say that Allah should not punish them, and whoever claims that Allah does not punish sinners denies Allah when He says,
(Yea, whoever earns evil and his sins beset him on every side, these are the inmates of the fire; in it they shall abide)[101][178] and, ((As for) those who swallow the property of the orphans unjustly, surely they only swallow fire into their bellies and they shall enter burning fire)[102][179]
and, ((As for) those who disbelieve in Our communications, We shall make them enter fire; so oft as their skins are thoroughly burned, We will change them for other skins, that they may taste the chastisement; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise)[103][180]
and many other sayings in different verses. Thus, whoever denies the threat of Allah must be an unbeliever and be one of those about whom Allah has said, (Do you then believe in a part of the Book and disbelieve in the other? What then is the reward of such among you who do this but disgrace in the life of this world, and on the day of resurrection they shall be sent back to the most grievous chastisement, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do).[104][181]
We say that Allah the Almighty rewards people for their doings and punishes them for their doings that they do with their will and ability He has given to them. He has enjoined them to do some things and forbidden them from doing some other things. He says in His Book,
(Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed, he shall be recompensed only with the like of it, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly)[105][182] and, (On the day that every soul shall find present what it has done of good and what it has done of evil, it shall wish that between it and that (evil) there were a long duration of time; and Allah makes you to be cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and Allah is Compassionate to the servants)[106][183] and, (This day every soul shall be rewarded for what it has earned; no injustice (shall be done) this day).[107][184]
These clear verses refute "compulsion" and deny whoever believes in it. There are many other verses like these ones but we do not mention them in order not to expatiate. We pray to Allah for success.
'As for the concept of "free will", which Imam as-Sadiq refuted, it is the concept of saying that Allah the Almighty has authorized His people to choose His enjoinments and prohibitions and He neglected them. The infallible Imams of the Prophet's progeny say that if Allah has authorized people and neglected them, then he must be pleased with what they choose and they deserve reward for that and should not be punished for sins they commit if indeed there is negligence. This belief (of free will) has two meanings; the first is that people have defeated Allah and forced Him, willingly or unwillingly, to accept their choices; and this shows that He is weak, or He has failed to make them worship Him through the enjoinments and prohibitions according to His will, whether they wanted or not, and therefore, He authorized them to choose His enjoinments and prohibitions according to their wills when He failed to make them worship according to His will, and so He gave them the option in choosing faith or unfaith.
It is like a man who buys a slave to serve him, acknowledge his favor, submit to his lordship, follow his orders, and refrain from his prohibitions. The lord of the slave claims he is mighty and wise. The lord orders his slave to do things and forbids him from doing other things. He promises the slave of great rewards if he follows his orders and threatens him with severe punishments if he disobeys. The slave contradicts the will of his lord and does not submit to his orders and prohibitions. Whatever the lord orders or forbids the slave to do or not to do, the slave does not obey but follows his own will and tendency and not his lord's. The lord is not able to make the slave act according to his will, and so he lets him free to choose by his own will and tendency and accepts whatever he does. One day, the lord sends the slave to do something for him. The slave carries out that thing according to his tendency and not to his lord's.
When he comes back, the lord finds that the slave has done unlike what he (the lord) wants. He says to him, 'Why did you do unlike what I have asked you to do?' The slave says, 'I depended on your authorization to me and did as I liked.' An authorized one is free in his doing; therefore, "free will" is impossible for people towards their Lord.'
Free will is the belief that Allah has left His people free to do as they like and that Allah has no relation in people's doings. The Imam refuted this belief with clear proofs and said it was impossible. He added,'It is, due to that, that the lord of the slave is either able to make the slave follow his orders and refrain from his prohibitions according to his will and not to the slave's will, and to give him ability as much as that which he orders him to do and forbids him from. If he orders him to do something and forbids from doing another thing, he should tell him the reward and punishment for each.
He should warn him against his punishment and encourage him towards his reward so that the slave will know the power of his lord through the power the lord has given to the slave himself that makes him able to follow his orders, refrain from his prohibitions, approve his encouragement, and keep off his warning. Thus, the lord will be just and fair to the slave and his excuse in pardoning and warning will be clear. Then, if the slave follows his lord's orders, he shall be rewarded by him, and if he does not refrain from his prohibitions, he shall be punished. The second meaning is that the lord is unable to punish the slave and make him follow his orders and so he lets the slave free to do good or bad, to obey or disobey. This inability disproves might and deity and makes "enjoining of the right and forbidding from the wrong" vain. It contradicts the Holy Book where Allah says,
(and He does not like ungratefulness in His servants; and if you are grateful, He likes it in you)[108][185] and, (be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims)[109][186] and,
(And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me)[110][187] and, (And serve Allah and do not associate any thing with Him)[111][188] and, (Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn back from Him while you hear).[112][189]
He, who claims that Allah has entrusted His orders and prohibitions to His people, describes Allah as unable and consequently He must accept all that which His people do whether good or bad. This one also denies the orders, prohibitions, warnings and threatening of Allah. When one claims that Allah has entrusted all that to man, it means that man is free to believe or disbelieve and he shall not be blamed for his decision. He, who believes in "free will" in this meaning, denies the orders, prohibitions, warning, and threatening of Allah and he is one of those who are included in this verse,
(Do you then believe in a part of the Book and disbelieve in the other? What then is the reward of such among you as do this but disgrace in the life of this world, and on the day of resurrection they shall be sent back to the most grievous chastisement, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do).[113][190] Allah is too far above that which the people of "free will" believe in.'
After refuting the concepts of "compulsion" and "free will", Imam al-Hadi proved the concept of "the matter between the two matters" which was the theory of the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt. He said, 'But we say: Allah the Almighty created people by His power and gave them the ability of obeying Him. He ordered them to do what He wanted and forbade them from what He wanted. He accepted from them their obedience to His orders and He was pleased by it, and He prohibited them from disobeying Him, dispraised the disobeyers, and punished them for that. Allah has the choice of enjoining His people on doing some things that He is pleased with and forbidding them from other things that He hates. He punishes for disobediences due to the ability he has given to His people by which they can obey Him and avoid His prohibitions because He is just, fair, wise, and has clear excuses.
He chooses from among His people as He wills to inform of His mission and authority over people. He chose Muhammad and sent him with His mission to His creation, but some unbelievers from (Muhammad's) people said out of envy and haughtiness, (Why was not this Qu'ran revealed to a man of importance in the two towns).[114][191] They were Umayyah bin Abussalt and Abu Mas'oud ath-Thaqafi. But Allah refuted their sayings and thoughts when revealing, (Will they distribute the mercy of your Lord? We distribute among them their livelihood in the life of this world, and We have exalted some of them above others in degrees, that some of them may take others in subjection; and the mercy of your Lord is better than what they amass).[115][192]
'Therefore, He enjoined on what He liked, and forbade from what He disliked. He would reward whoever obeyed Him and would punish whoever disobeyed Him. If Allah entrusted His affairs to His people, He would permit Quraysh[116][193] to choose Umayyah bin Abussalt or Abu Mas'oud ath-Thaqafi for they were preferred by Quraysh to Muhammad.
When Allah disciplined the believers by saying, (And it behooves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter),[117][194] He did not allow them to choose according to their desires, and He did not accept from them except to follow His orders and avoid His prohibitions that had been informed by those, whom He had chosen (as prophets). He, who obeyed Him, was guided, and he, who disobeyed Him, deviated and went astray and would not be excused because he had the ability to obey Allah's orders and avoid His prohibitions; therefore, Allah prevented a disobeyer from His reward and He would punish him instead.'
Imam al-Hadi proved in the previous paragraphs the theory of "the matter between the two matters" that the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt believed in. This concept was established on a firm basis of understanding, intellect, and logic. Grand Ayatollah al-Khoei, in his studies on Usul, proved the matter. He said, 'The matter is not a matter of worship, but the medium way, by which the problem of "compulsion and free will" can be solved, is limited to it. Deeds of people depend on two sides; the first is their lives, abilities, knowledge, and the like, and the second is their wills and doings. The first side is from Allah and connected to His Eternal Being and is submissive to Him. It is the very connection and submission itself and not something with this connection and submission. In this light, if Allah the Almighty stops that for a moment, surely life will stop.
The second side is from people. Supposing the existence of the first side, it is connected with the second one in its essence and branched with it naturally. Hence, no deed comes from man except by the correlation of these two sides. But, if one side prevails, no deed is achieved. On this base, it is true to ascribe deeds to Allah and to man. To explain this point, we give examples to show the difference of the concepts of "compulsion" and "free will" from the theory of the Twelver Shia. A deed of man comes in three kinds: First, the deed that comes without man's will and choice; as when we suppose that there is someone with a trembling hand who is unable to control his hand. If his master ties a sword in his trembling hand, supposing that there is someone lying beside him, though this man knows that when the sword slips from his hand and falls on that sleeping person, it will kill him, naturally this deed is not from his will and choice. Reasonable people see that he is not responsible for this deed and he is not to be blamed for it. The one, who is responsible and to be blamed for that, is the one who ties the sword to that man's hand. This is the theme of the theory of "compulsion".
Second, the deeds that come from man by his will, choice, and independency with no need to resort to any other than him; it is like when we suppose that a master gives a sword to a free person who is free to do what he wants and able to move his hand freely. In this case, if this person commits a murder in the outside, he himself will be responsible for that murder and not the giver of the sword, though the giver of the sword knows that giving the sword to that person leads to a murder, and besides that, he can take the sword from that person whenever he wants; nevertheless, the murder cannot be imputed to the giver of the sword but to that person who was free in moving his hand with no external influence. This is the theme of the theory of "free will".
Third, the deeds that come from man by his choice and power, though he is not independent by himself but in need of other than him, so that if the aid of that other one stops at any time, his deeds will stop definitely; as an example we suppose that the master has a paralyzed slave that is unable to move. The master connects an electric current to the slave's body to arouse power in his muscles and make him able to move and act. The master holds the control of the electric current, which gives power to the slave's body at all time, with his hand that if he cuts the current for a moment, the power will be cut from the slave's body and he becomes unable to move.
On this base, if the master connects that power to the slave's body and the slave goes by his will and kills someone where the master knows what the slave does, in this case this deed is imputed to both of them; to the slave because he is able to or not to do that deed as he wills after power is connected to his body, and to the master because he gives power to the slave even at the time of committing that murder though he is able to cut that power from the slave at any time he wants. This is the theme and fact of the theory of "the matter between the two matters".'[118][195]
We come back again to the tradition of Imam al-Hadi. He says,'The matter between the two matters is neither "compulsion" nor "free will". It is this what Amir'ul- Mu'minin told Abayah bin Rub'iy al-Asadi about when he asked him about the ability by which man could stand up, sit down, and act. Amir'ul- Mu'minin said to Abayah, 'You asked about ability. Do you have it without Allah or with Allah?' Abayah kept silent and did not know what to say. Imam Ali said, 'If you say that you have it with Allah, I will kill you, and if you say that you have it without Allah, I will kill you.' Abayah said, 'Then what shall I say, O Amir'ul- Mu'minin?'
Imam Ali said, 'You say that you have it by Allah Who has it without you. If He makes you possess it, it is from his favor, and if He deprives you of it, it is from His trial for you. He is the Possessor of what He makes you possess, and He is the Powerful over what He gives you power in. Do you not hear people asking (Allah) for ability and power when they say: there is no ability and power save in Allah (la hawla wela quwwata illabillah)?' Abayah said, 'O Amir'ul- Mu'minin, what does it mean?' Imam Ali said, 'There is no ability to keep away from disobediences save by the preservation of Allah, and we have no power to obey Allah save by the assistance of Allah.' Abayah jumped and kissed Imam Ali's hands and feet.'
Imam al-Hadi added, 'It is narrated from Amir'ul- Mu'minin that one day Najda came to him asking about how to know Allah. He asked, 'O Amir'ul- Mu'minin, with what you have known your Lord?' Imam Ali said, 'With the thinking that has empowered me and the mind that has led me.' Najda said, 'Are you molded into that? (i.e., Is this thinking forced upon you)' Imam Ali said, 'If I am molded into that, I shall not be praised for good deeds and blamed for bad deeds, and so a good doer shall deserve blame more than a wrongdoer. I know that Allah is Eternal, Everlasting and anything other than Him is transient and mortal. The Eternal, Everlasting One is not like a transient creature.' Najda said, 'I see you have become wise.' Amir'ul- Mu'minin said, 'I am free to choose. If I commit a bad deed instead of good deed, I shall be punished for it.'
It is also related that Amir'ul- Mu'minin said to a man who asked him after coming back from Sham, 'O Amir'ul- Mu'minin, tell us about our marching to Sham! Is it by the fate of Allah?' Amir'ul- Mu'minin said, 'O sheikh (old man), yes. You do not ascend up a hill or descend a valley unless it is by the will and fate of Allah.' The old man said, 'I expect the reward of my efforts from Allah O Amir'ul- Mu'minin.'
Imam Ali explained fate by saying, 'O sheikh, wait! Allah has rewarded you for your marching as you march, for your resting as you rest, and for your going back as you go back. You may think it is inevitable fate and inescapable doom. If it is so, then reward and punishment, enjoining and forbidding, scolding, warning and threatening will be void, and a bad doer shall not be blamed and a good doer shall not be rewarded. A good doer shall be worthier of being blamed than a guilty one, and a guilty one shall be worthier of reward than a good doer. This opinion is of idolaters, enemies of Allah, fatalists, and the magi. O sheikh, Allah the Almighty has charged His people but given them the option to do or not to do, and forbidden them as warning. He gives much for a little. He is not disobeyed out of defeat and He is not obeyed by force. He has not created the heavens, the earth, and what is between them in vain. That is the opinion of those who disbelieve, and woe unto those who disbelieve from the Fire.' The old man got up, kissed Imam Ali's head, and recited some verses of poetry praising him.
'Amir'ul- Mu'minin proved what complied with the Book and he denied "compulsion" and "free will" and showed that whoever believed in them denied the Book of Allah and was unbeliever. We seek the protection of Allah from deviation and disbelief. We believe neither in compulsion nor in free will, but we believe in "the matter between the two matters" that is the trial of the ability which Allah has given to us in order to worship Him with it as the Book witnessed and the pure Imams of the Prophet's progeny (peace be upon them) believed in.'
Imam al-Hadi gave an example by saying, 'The example of the trial of ability is like the example of a man who possesses a slave and he has a lot of money. He wants to try his slave though he knows what his slave shall do. He gives the slave some of his money and agrees on certain conditions with him. He orders him to spend the money on some things and forbids him from other things that he (the master) does not like. He orders him to avoid them and not to spend from his money on those things, though money is spent in both sides.
The slave spends some money in obeying the master and seeking his pleasure, and some in the way he has forbidden. The master houses the slave in a temporary house and informs him that he shall not live in this house forever but he shall live in another house, which the master will take him to, where there shall be eternal reward and eternal punishment. If the slave spends the money in the way that the master has ordered him to do, he shall be rewarded with the eternal reward as his master has promised to reward him in the other house that he will take him to, and if he spends the money in the way that his master has forbidden him from, he shall be punished with eternal punishment in the eternal house. The master determines a limit for that. It is the abiding in the first house.
When the limit is reached, the master changes the slave and the money, though he is still the owner of the slave and money in all times but he has promised that he shall not deprive the slave of that money as long as he lives in that house until he completes his abiding in it. The master fulfils the desires of the slave because justice, loyalty, fairness, and wisdom are from the qualities of the master. If the slave spends that money in the way he is ordered to, the master shall carry out his promise to him by rewarding him with eternal bliss in an everlasting house, and if he spends the money in the way he is forbidden from and contradicts the orders of his master, he shall be punished with the eternal punishment that the master has warned him of.
Doing so, the master is not unjust to the slave because he has pre-informed him that he will carry out his promise and threat to him. It is for this reason that the master is described as mighty and omnipotent. The master is Allah the Almighty, the slave is man, money is the vast power of Allah, the trial is the showing of wisdom and might, the temporary (transient) house is the worldly life, the sum of money that the master has given to the slave is the ability that man has, and the way Allah has ordered the money to be spent in is the ability of following the prophets and acknowledging what they have brought from Allah the Almighty.
The ways Allah has forbidden are the ways of Iblis, the promise of the eternal bliss is the Paradise , the transient house is this life, and the other house is the everlasting house that is the afterlife. The moderate concept between "compulsion" and "free will" is the trial and test of the ability that the slave has been given. It is explained in the five examples which Imam as-Sadiq has mentioned that they have had all virtues. I shall interpret them using proofs from the Qur'an and reason, insha'Allah.'
This example presented by Imam al-Hadi is clear that man has full control over his will and choice. When man obeys Allah, he obeys Him out of his satisfaction and choice and he is not forced into it, and when he disobeys his Lord, he does so by his will and choice too. On the basis of this choice, the concept of "the matter between the two matters" is based, which is the concept that has been adopted by the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt.
Imam al-Hadi added, 'As for the saying of as-Sadiq, it means the perfection of man's morals, the perfection of senses, constancy of mind, discernment, and eloquence. Allah says, (And surely We have honored the children of Adam, and We carry them in the land and the sea, and We have given them of the good things, and We have made them to excel by an appropriate excellence over most of those whom We have created).[119][196]
Allah informs that He has preferred man to all His creatures of animals, beasts, sea creatures, birds, and all living creatures by virtue of reason and speaking. Allah says, (Certainly We created man in the best make),[120][197] and, (O man ! what has beguiled you from your Lord, the Gracious one, Who created you, then fashioned you, then proportioned you, into whatever form He pleased He constituted you),[121][198] and in many other verses.
The first blessing of Allah for man is the soundness of his mind and his preference to all creatures with the perfection of his mind and the faculty of speaking. Every living creature in the earth is independent in its senses and complete in its being, but man is preferred by the faculty of speaking to all other sensitive creatures. It is for this faculty of speaking that Allah has made man prevail over all creatures. Man is the commander while other creatures are submissive to him. Allah says,
(thus has He made them subservient to you, that you may magnify Allah because He has guided you aright)[122][199] and, (And He it is Who has made the sea subservient that you may eat fresh flesh from it and bring forth from it ornaments which you wear)[123][200] and, (And He created the cattle for you; you have in them warm clothing and (many) advantages, and of them do you eat. And there is beauty in them for you when you drive them back (to home), and when you send them forth (to pasture). And they carry your heavy loads to regions which you could not reach but with distress of the souls).[124][201]
For that, Allah invited man to follow His orders and obey Him by preferring him through straightening his shape and giving him the faculty of speaking and knowledge after giving him the ability of carrying out what He has ordered him to do. Allah says,
(Therefore be careful of (your duty to) Allah as much as you can, and hear and obey)[125][202] and, (Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability),[126][203] and, (Allah does not lay on any soul a burden except to the extent to which He has granted it),[127][204] and in many other verses. If Allah deprives man of one of his senses, He exempts him from his duty by that sense. Allah says, (No blame is there upon the blind nor any blame upon the lame nor any blame upon the sick).[128][205]
Allah has exempted these persons from jihad and all duties that they cannot do. Rather, He has imposed on wealthy people to offer the hajj and pay the zakat for they have the ability of that. Allah has not imposed the hajj and zakat on poor people. He says, (and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, (upon) everyone who is able to undertake the journey to it),[129][206] and, (Those who put away their wives (by saying they are as their mothers) and afterward would go back on that which they have said, (the penalty) in that case (is) the freeing of a slave.and for him who is unable to do so (the penance is) the feeding of sixty needy ones).[130][207]
This proves that Allah has not imposed on His people what is beyond the ability He has given to them, nor forbidden them from what they have no ability to refrain from. This is the soundness of creation.
'And as for his saying "clearing the way", it means that there is no watch over man that prevents him from carrying out what Allah has ordered him to do. It is due to the saying of Allah about the disabled who are not free to act as Allah says, (Except the feeble among men, and the women, and the children, who are unable to devise a plan and are not shown a way).[131][208] He informs that a disabled one is not given a way and so he is not to be blamed if his heart is full of faith.
'As for the time limit, it is the age of man where he is required to seek knowledge, from the time he comes of age until death. He, who dies while seeking the truth and does not get perfection, shall be to good. Allah says, (and whoever goes forth from his house emigrating to Allah and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him, his reward is indeed with Allah).[132][209]
'Equipment are wealth and power by which man is be able to follow the commands of Allah. Allah says, (There is no way (of blame) against the doers of good).[133][210] Do you not see that Allah has accepted the excuse of those who have no further money to spend, but imposed on the people who have enough money and riding camels (or horses)[134][211] to go to the hajj and jihad? He has also accepted the excuse of the poor and imposed to them a share from the wealth of the rich. He has said, ((Alms are) for the poor who are confined in the way of Allah).[135][212] Allah has exempted them and has not charged them with what they are unable to do.
'As for his saying "the provoking cause", it is the intention that leads man to all his deeds. The sense of this intention is in the heart (mind). Whoever does a thing without intending it by his heart (sincerely) it shall not be accepted from him. Allah does not accept from man any deed except those with sincere intentions, and therefore He has said about hypocrites, (They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, and Allah is best aware of what they conceal).[136][213] Then Allah revealed to His messenger a blame on the believer, (O you who believe! why do you say that which you do not do).[137][214]
If man says something and believes in it, his true intention makes him prove his saying by acting upon it, and if he does not believe in his saying, the truth of his saying shall not appear. Allah has accepted the true intention even if the action does not comply with the intention because of something that may prevent the person from achieving so, as Allah says, (.except he who is compelled while his heart is still content with faith)[138][215] and (Allah does not punish you for what is vain in your oaths, but He will punish you for what your hearts have earned).[139][216]
The Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet show that the heart is the possessor of all senses and it confirms their doings, and nothing invalidates what the heart confirms. This is the explanation of the five examples mentioned by as-Sadiq which determine "the position between the two positions". The two positions are "compulsion" and "free will". If these five items are found in a man, it is obligatory on him to do as Allah and His messengers have ordered, and if that man lacks one of these items, he is exempted from the doing concerning that item.
'As for the proofs in the Holy Qur'an on the "trying according to ability" which means the concept of "the matter between the two matters", are many, such as this holy verse (And verily We shall try you till We know those of you who strive hard (for the sake of Allah) and the patient, and till We test your record),[140][217] and (And those who deny Our revelations, We draw them near (to destruction) step by step from whence they know not),[141][218] and (Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe, and not be tried),[142][219] and (And certainly We tried Sulaiman),[143][220] and in the story of Prophet Moses (He said: So surely We have tried your people after you, and the Samiri has led them astray),[144][221] and the saying of Moses (It is naught but Thy trial).[145][222] These verses are compared one to another and they confirm one another.
As for the verses of affliction which mean "trying", they are also many such as, (but that He might try you in what He gave you),[146][223] and (then He turned you away from them that He might try you),[147][224] and (We have tried them as We tried the people of the Garden),[148][225] and (Who created death and life that He may try you; which of you is best in deeds),[149][226] and (And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain words),[150][227] and (and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have exacted what is due from them, but that He may try some of you by means of others).[151][228]
'These verses and many others like them prove the "trying". Allah the Almighty has not created the creatures in vain, nor has He ignored them, nor has He showed His wisdom for play. He has said, (What! did you then think that We had created you in vain and that you shall not be returned to Us?).[152][229] If someone says, 'Did Allah not know what His people would do so that He tried them?' We say, 'Yes, He knows what they shall do before they do. He says, (and if they were sent back, they would certainly go back to that which they were forbidden).[153][230]
Allah tries people to show them His justice and that He does not torture them except by a certain excuse and after committing their deeds. Allah says, (And had We destroyed them with chastisement before this, they would certainly have said: O our Lord, why didst Thou not send to us a messenger, for then we should have followed Thy communications before that we met disgrace and shame),[154][231] and (and We never punish until we have sent a messenger),[155][232] and ((We sent) messengers as the givers of good news and as warners, so that people should not have a plea against Allah after the (coming of) messengers).[156][233]
So the trial of Allah is on the ability that He has given to man and this is the concept of "the matter between the two matters". About this the Qur'an spoke and the traditions of the infallible Imams confirmed.
'If someone says: What is the argument in this saying of Allah (Surely Allah makes err whom He pleases and guides aright whom He pleases),[157][234] and in other verses like it? It is said: the metaphor in all these verses has two meanings; one is that Allah tells about His might that He is able to guide whomever He pleases and misguide whomever He pleases, and if He forces them into one of these two ways, neither reward nor punishment they would deserve, and the second is the "informing" like in this verse (And as to Thamud, We gave them guidance, but they chose error above guidance).[158][235]
It means that Allah has showed them the right way. If He had forced them into guidance, they would not be able to go astray. It is not right that, whenever an allegorical verse is mentioned, that it be used as an argument agaisnt the clear verses which we have been ordered to follow. Allah says, (He it is Who has revealed the Book to you; some of its verses are decisive, they are the basis of the Book, and others are allegorical. Then as for those in whose hearts there is perversity, they follow the part of it which is allegorical, seeking to mislead and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation),[159][236] and (.give good news to My servants who listen to the word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom Allah has guided, and those who are the men of understanding).[160][237] The best of the word means the clearest and most decisive.
'May Allah make us successful in saying and doing to what He likes and pleases, and may He keep us away from His disobedience by His favor and grace. Much praise be to Allah as He deserves, and His blessings be on Muhammad and on His good progeny. Allah is sufficient for us and most excellent is the Protector.'[161][238]
This is the end of the wonderful letter of Imam al-Hadi in which he refuted the illusions of the Ash'arites and the Mu'tazilites and proved with irrefutable proofs the concept of "the matter between the two matters" which the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt believed in.
Samples of his supplications
The supplications of the Ahlul Bayt form a wonderful part of the Islamic heritage. They had established the bases of behaviors and morals and the spiritual elements of personality. They included important, political documentation that showed the extent of persecution and oppression the Islamic nation faced during those ages under the rule of the Umayyads and the Abbasids who spared no effort in oppressing people and using them as tools to serve the rulers and their retinues. Besides that, these supplications showed the reliance and devotedness of the Imams to Allah, and that they believed with their hearts, feelings, and passions.
His supplication (du'a) during distress
When Imam al-Hadi suffered a distress or he wanted some need to be satisfied, he prayed to Allah with this du'a. Narrators said that before reciting this du'a Imam al-Hadi fasted on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, performed a ghusl in the morning of Friday, paid charity to a poor person, offered a four rak'ah prayer, and then he spread his palms towards the heaven and invoked sincerely by reciting,
"O Allah, praise be to You with the best praise that You deserve, the most pleHasant praise to You, the most appropriate praise to You, the most beloved praise to You. Praise be to You as You deserve, and as You accepted for Yourself, and as those, whose praise You accepted, praised You from all Your creation. Praise be to You as Your prophets, messengers, and angels praised You with, and as fits Your glory, highness, and greatness. Praise be to You that tongues are unable to express, and speech stops before reaching its end. Praise be to You that is not less than Your contentment, and that is better than every praise.
'O Allah, praise be to You in joy and trouble, ease and distress, soundness and illness, years and ages. Praise be to You for Your favors and blessings to me. Praise be to You for what You have gifted me, tried me, healed me, provided me with livelihood, given me what I need, preferred me, honored me, dignified me, and guided me to Your religion; a praise that no describer can describe and no speaker can suffice.
'O Allah, praise be to You for Your kindness to me, and Your favors on me, and Your preferring me to other than me. Praise be to You for Your adjusting my creation, and for Your educating me well as a favor from You and not for a precedent good from me. O my Lord, then which blessings have You not given me? And which gratitude is not required from me to You? I am satisfied with Your kindness, and You suffice me from among all creation.
'O my Lord, You are the Bestower upon me, the Beneficent, the Gracious, the Beautiful, the Lord of glory and honor, and of great favors and blessings, so praise be to You for all that. O my Lord, You did not disappoint me in any distress, did not betray me for any guilt, and did not expose me for any concealed sin. Your blessings are continuous on me in every difficulty and ease. You have always done me good and pardoned me.
'O Allah, make me enjoy my hearing, sight, and organs and all that which the earth has for me. O Allah, my first need I ask You for, and my wish I request from You, and make it the means before my request, and I come nearer to You by it, is the sending of blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad. And I ask You to send blessings on him and on them as the best blessings that You have commanded Your people to send on them, and as the best of that which any of Your people has ever asked You for, and as You are responsible for them until the Day of Resurrection. O Allah, send blessing on them inasmuch as all those who have sent blessings on them, inasmuch as all those who shall send blessings on them; a continuous blessing with the means, exaltedness, and virtue, and send blessings on Your prophets, messengers, and Your good slaves, and send blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and send much peace on them!
'O Allah, and Your generosity is that You do not disappoint whoever asks You for something, and looks forward to what You have, and You dislike whoever does not ask You, and no one is so other than You. O my Lord, my greed for Your mercy and forgiveness, and my trust in Your kindness and favor has led me to call on You, yearn for You, and offer my need before You. I have presented before my request, the aiming at You by the means of Your Prophet, who had brought the truth from You, and brought Your light and straight path by which You have guided the people, and by whose light You have enlivened the earth, and whom You have endowed with the highest dignity, and honored with the shahada, and sent him after a cessation of the messengers. O Allah, I believe in his secret and openness, and in the secret of his progeny whom You had kept uncleanness away from and purified a thorough purifying.O Allah, do not cut ties between me and them in this life and in the afterlife and accept my deeds by them!
'O Allah, You had guided Your people to Yourself when You said, (And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way),[162][239] and (O my servants, who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful),[163][240] and (And Noah did certainly call upon Us, and best of answerers are We).[164][241]
O Lord, yes! The best of the called upon are You, the best of lords are You, and the best of answerers are You! You say, (Say: Call upon Allah or call upon the Beneficent; whichever you call upon, His are the best names),[165][242] and I call upon You, O Allah, by Your names which if You are called upon by, You respond, and if You are asked by, You give. I call upon You suppliantly, humbly with the call of one whom inadvertence has taken away and neediness has exhausted. I call upon You with the call of one who has given up, confessed his guilt, and hoped for Your great pardon, and wide reward.
'O Allah, if You have singled out someone, who followed what You have ordered him and acted as You have created him for, with Your mercy, he would not reach that except by You and Your assistance. O Allah.to You my Master is my preparing, hoping for Your prizes and gifts. I ask You to send blessings on Muhammad and on the progeny of Muhammad and to satisfy my request and need.
'O You, the most generous of givers, the best of the beneficent, send blessings on Muhammad and on the progeny of Muhammad, and whoever from Your people wants to harm me disconcert his heart, refute his tongue, blind his sight, curb his head, make him busy with himself, and make me safe from him by Your might and power! O Allah, do not make it the last time to me that I call upon You suppliantly, and if You do, then forgive me all my faults with forgiveness that does not leave behind a single guilt. Make my call among the responded calls, my deed among the accepted deeds near you, and my speech among that which comes up to You of good deeds, and make me be with Your Prophet and chosen, and the Imams, peace be upon them all. By them I beseech You, and by them I yearn to You. Respond to my call O the most Merciful of the merciful, and forgive me my slips.' Then Imam al-Hadi asked for his need and went down into prostration and said,
"There is no god but Allah the Forbearing, the Generous. There is no god but Allah the Most High, the Great. Glory be to Allah the Lord of the seven heavens, the lord of the seven earths, and the Lord of the Great Throne. O Allah, I resort to Your pardon from Your punishment, and to Your contentment from Your wrath, and to You from You. I cannot reach Your praise, or the gratitude You deserve. You are as You have praised Yourself. Make my life a growth for me in every goodness, and my death a relief to me from every evil. Make the delight of my eyes in Your obedience. O my Trust and Hope, do not burn my face in Fire after my prostration to You my Master.
With no favor from me on You, You have the favor upon me, so pity my weakness and delicate skin, and relieve me from the distresses of this life and of the afterlife, and favor me with the company of the Prophet and his progeny (peace be upon them) in the high ranks in Paradise.O You the Light of light, the Manager of affairs, Generous, Glorious, One, Unique, Eternal, Who neither begot nor was begotten, and there is none comparable to You, O You Who are so, and no one is so other than You, O You Whom there is no god in the high heavens or in the low earth other than You, O You Who honor every humble one, and humble every mighty one, by Your glory and loftiness I have lost my patience, so send blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and relieve me.!'
His Du'a at Sleeping time
When he went to bed or awoke from sleep, he recited this du'a: "There is no god but Allah the Alive, the Eternal, and He has power over all things. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and the Deity of the messengers. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens and all that which they have, and the Lord of the seven earths and all that which they have, the Lord of the Great Throne, and peace be on the messengers, and praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds."
The Du'a of Resorting
"O You, my supply, my hope and reliance, my resort and support, O You the One and Unique, O You, Who "say: He, Allah, is One", O Allah, I ask You by those like whom You have not created in Your creation, to have blessing on them."
His Du'a of Seeking Protection from Satan
"O You Who are mighty in Your might, Who are the mightiest in Your might, make me mighty from Your might, assist me with Your help, keep away from me the evil suggestion of the Devils, defend me by Your defense, protect me by Your protection, and make me from the good people of Your creation, O You One, Unique, Eternal!'
A Lofty Du'a
"O You the most hearing of hearers, the most perceptive of seers, the best of lookers, the promptest of accounters, the Most Merciful of the merciful, the wisest of judges, have blessing on Muhammad and on the progeny of Muhammad, and increase my livelihood, prolong my old, favor me with Your mercy, make me from those who defend Your religion and do not replace me by other than me.!'[166][243]
His communes
Imam al-Hadi communed Allah the Almighty in the darkness of night with a suppliant heart and peaceful soul. It was narrated that he said in his communes:
1. "O my Lord, a guilty has come, and a poor has sought; do not disappoint his effort! Have mercy on him, and forgive his faults.'[167][244]
2. "My Lord, bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and have mercy on me when my trace will disappear from this life and my mention will be removed among people, and I shall be forgotten as those who had been forgotten. My Lord, I have become old, my skin has become delicate, my bones have become thin, time has affected me, my death has approached me, my days have elapsed, my lusts have gone but my guilt remained! O my Lord, have mercy on me when my shape will change!"[168][245]
3. "O my Lord, thoughts of thinkers went astray, sights of seers fell short, descriptions of describers dissipated, sayings of fabricators vanished before the wonders of Your affair, or the reach to Your highness, for You are in the unreachable place, and no eye can fall upon You with a glance or expression. How far, and how far! O You the First, the Only, the Unique! You have exalted in highness with the glory of greatness, and risen up beyond every bottom and end with the omnipotence of pride."[169][246]
His Ziyarahs
A collection of wonderful Ziyarahs[170][247] were transmitted from Imam al-Hadi by which he visited his pure fathers, the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt. These ziyarahs are full of arguments on the right of the Ahlul Bayt in the Islamic caliphate. They also include important documentations of their achievements, morals, virtues, and qualities.
Az-Ziyarah al-Jami'ah is the most famous and important ziyarah of the infallible Imams. It is very widespread among the Shia and all followers of the Ahlul Bayt who have memorized it. They recite it on Fridays as a visit to the pure Imams. It has been published hundreds of times in different editions and we think there is no need to mention it here for it is very well-known and widespread among Muslims.
Ziyarah of Al-Ghadir
The Day of al-Ghadir is one of the most important occasions for the Twelver Shia who consider it as an Eid where the Prophet had appointed Imam Ali as the caliph over Muslims after him. The Shia visited and still visit the holy shrine of Imam Ali on the Day of al-Ghadir every year to confirm their guardianship and allegiance to him.
Imam al-Hadi visited the holy shrine of his grandfather Imam Ali in the year when al-Mu'tasim, the Abbasid caliph, brought him from Medina to Sammarra'.[171][248] Imam al-Hadi visited his grandfather Amir'ul- Mu'minin with this wonderful ziyarah in which he mentioned the virtues of Imam Ali and the political and social problems he suffered at that age. We mention here some passages from the ziyarah: ".And you were the first one who believed in Allah and offered prayer to Him, fought in His way, and did well in the house of polytheism where the earth was full of deviation and Satan was worshipped openly.
You had the memorable situations, famous occasions, and great days; the Day (battle) of Badr and the Day of al-Ahzab (when the eyes turned dull, and the hearts rose up to the throats, and you began to think diverse thoughts of Allah. There the believers were tried and they were shaken with severe shaking, and when the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts was a disease, were saying: Allah and His messenger promised us naught but delusion, and when a party of them said: O people of Yathrib, there is no place to stand for you here, therefore go back, and a party of them asked permission of the prophet, saying: Surely our houses are exposed; and they were not exposed; they only desired to fly away)[172][249] and Allah said, ( And when the believers saw the allies, they said: This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth; and it only increased them in faith and submission).[173][250]
Then you killed their Amr[174][251] and defeated their parties (and Allah turned back the unbelievers in their rage; they did not obtain any advantage, and Allah sufficed the believers in fighting; and Allah is Strong, Mighty).[175][252] And on the Day of Uhud (when you climbed (the hill) and paid no heed to anyone, while the messenger, in your rear, was calling you (to fight),[176][253] but you drove away the polytheists from the Prophet on the right and on the left until Allah drove them from it (war) fearfully and gave victory by you to the (disappointers), and on the Day of Hunayn as Allah said, (when your great numbers made you vain, but they availed you nothing and the earth became strait to you notwithstanding its spaciousness, then you turned back retreating. Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers).[177][254]
And the believers were you and your companions.And on the Day of Khaybar when Allah showed the weakness of the hypocrites and cut the roots of the unbelievers- praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds- (And certainly they had made a covenant with Allah before, that they would not turn (their) backs; and Allah's covenant shall be inquired of).[178][255]
And you participated with the Prophet in all his wars and battles holding the banner before him, and beating with the sword in front of him. Then for your well-known resolution and insight on affairs, he made you the emir in the battles and there was no emir over you.
In your sleeping in the bed (of the Prophet)[179][256] you were like the slaughtered (Prophet Ishmael) Peace be upon him, that you responded as he responded, and you obeyed as he obeyed patiently hoping for the reward when his father said to him, (O my son! surely I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you; consider then what you see. He said: O my father, do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones),[180][257] and so were you when the Prophet ordered you to sleep in his bed to save him by your self and you hurried to respond obediently and to expose your self to killing, and so Allah thanked your obedience and showed your good deed by saying, (And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah).[181][258]
I witness that you contradicted desires, allied with piety, suppressed anger, pardoned people, became angry when Allah was disobeyed, became pleased when Allah is obeyed, carried out what you were entrusted with, kept what you were confided, achieved what you were charged with, and waited for what you were promised, and I witness that you did not avoid (some people) out of humbleness, nor refrained from your right (in the caliphate) with grief, nor abstained from confronting the extorters of your right out of subservience, nor you showed satisfaction unlike the satisfaction of Allah out of flattering, nor you became weak after what you faced for the sake of Allah, nor you weakened or gave up the demanding of your right and lay in wait. God forbid! You were not so, but if you were wronged, you were content with your Lord and entrusted your affairs to Him.
You did not mind misfortunes, and did not weaken at distresses, and did not abstain from fighting against falseness.It was you who said: neither do the masses of people around me increase my glory, nor does their separation from me cause me loneliness even if all people betray me.
Allah the Almighty responded to His prophet's call concerning you,[182][259] and then He ordered him to announce that he entrusted you with the affair (caliphate) of his nation as glorification to you, declaring your proof, and refuting the falsehood and fabricated excuses. When he feared a sedition from the dissolute and feared for you from the hypocrites, the Lord of the worlds revealed to him, (O Messenger, deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people).[183][260]
He burdened himself with journey, stopped at the hot desert, and made his speech. He called out and made everyone hear, and asked them, 'Have I informed?' They said, 'By Allah, yes!' He said, 'O Allah, bear witness!' Then he said, 'Am I not worthier of Muslims than themselves to them?' They said, 'Yes, you are.' Then, he took your hand and said, 'Whoever his guardian I am, here is Ali to be his guardian. O Allah, support whoever supports him, be enemy to whoever shows enmity towards him, help whoever helps him, and disappoint whoever disappoints him!' They did not believe in what Allah had revealed to His prophet concerning you except a few, and most of them did not add save perdition.!
Then was your ordeal on the Day of Siffin when the copies of the Qur'an were raised trickily and cunningly. Suspicion appeared, the truth was known, but supposition was followed. It was like the ordeal of Aaron when Moses made him the emir over his people but they separated from him and left him alone while Aaron calling out, (O my people! you are only tried by it, and surely your Lord is the Beneficent Allah, therefore follow me and obey my order. They said: We will by no means cease to keep to its worship until Musa returns to us).[184][261]
So were you when the copies of the Qur'an were raised and you said: 'O people, you are tried by it and deceived.' But they disobeyed and objected to you and called for the two judges. You, before Allah, exempted yourself from their doing and made Allah the judge over them. When the truth shone, and their abominable doing was refuted, they confessed their fault and deviation from the truth, and after that they disagreed.
Then, they forced you to accept the arbitration which you denied and prohibited but they liked. They permitted their guilt that they committed. You were on insight and guidance and they were in deviation and blindness. They still insisted on hypocrisy and were still in error until Allah made them taste the evil results of their doing and He killed from them by your sword who opposed you and became wretched and lost, and gave life by your argument to whoever followed the guidance and was happy. The blessings of Allah be on you everywhere and everywhen. Neither can a praiser cover your description, nor can a dispraiser encompass your virtues.'
From the prophets' stories
In some traditions Imam al-Hadi told his companions some stories of the prophets.
Noah And Iblis
Imam al-Hadi related a dialogue between Prophet Noah and Iblis. He said, 'One day, Iblis came to Noah and said to him, 'You have done me a great favor. Trust in me and I shall not betray you.' Noah became angry. Allah revealed to him to let Iblis speak out. Noah said to Iblis, 'Speak out!' Iblis said, 'If we find the son of Adam stingy, envious, arrogant, or rash, we (the Devils) snatch him as the snatching of a ball. If all these morals gather in him, we call him a mutinous devil.' Noah said, 'What is the great favor I have done to you?' Iblis said, 'You invoked Allah against the people of the earth and sent them to Hell, and so I was free. Without your invoking against them, I would be busy with them for a long time.'[185][262]
Moses And Allah
Imam al-Hadi related, "Moses said, O my Lord, what is the reward of one who avoids treason out of being shy of You?'
Allah the Almighty said, 'He shall be safe on the Day of Resurrection.'
Moses said, 'What is the reward of one who loves the people of Your obedience?'
Allah the Almighty said, 'I will save his body from My Fire.'
Moses said, 'What is the reward of one who kills a believer intentionally?'
Allah the Almighty said, 'I will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection and I will not pardon his sin.'
Moses said, 'My Lord, what is the reward of one who refrains from harming people and helps them instead?'
Allah the Almighty said, 'On the Day of Resurrection, Fire will say to him: I have no way over you.'[186][263] Imam al-Hadi told such stories to his companions to be examples for them on good morals and manners.
A Maxim From Jesus Christ
Imam al-Hadi narrated to his companions, 'If one of you gives (charity) with his right hand, let him conceal that from his left hand, and if he prays, let him conceal that.'
Allah the Almighty loves that when a believer gives charity or does good, he is to keep it secret and not to announce or spread it among people lest he shall lose the reward, for he has to seek the reward from Allah.
From The Islamic Events
Imam al-Hadi talked to his companions about some important Islamic events that happened at the first Islamic age. One of them was the killing of the martyr Qanbar, Imam Ali's servant, at the hand of the tyrant al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf ath-Thaqafi.[187][264] He said,
'Qanbar came in to al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf who shouted at him, 'What service did you offer to Ali bin Abu Talib?'
Qanbar said, 'I helped him in performing ablution.'
Al-Hajjaj said, 'What did he say when he finished his ablution?'
Qanbar said, 'He recited this Qur'anic verse: (But when they neglected that with which they had been admonished, We opened for them the doors of all things, until when they rejoiced in what they were given We seized them suddenly; then lo! they were in utter despair. So the roots of the people who were unjust were cut off; and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds).[188][265]
Al-Hajjaj said, 'I think he meant us?!'
Qanbar said, 'Yes, he did.'
Al-Hajjaj said to Qanbar, 'What do you do if I behead you?'
Qanbar said, 'Then I shall be happy and you shall be wretched.'
The tyrant ordered his men to behead this good man and he was killed.'[189][266]
The Virtue of The Prophet and Ali
Imam al-Hadi praised the innumerable favors the Prophet and Imam Ali did the nation. He said, 'From glorifying Allah is the preferring of the two fathers of religion Muhammad and Ali to the fathers of kinship, and from being indifferent to the loftiness of Allah is to prefer the fathers of kinship to the fathers of religion; Muhammad and Ali.'[190][267]
He also said, 'If the two fathers of religion Muhammad and Ali are not glorified to one more than his fathers of kinship, one shall have no value near Allah.'[191][268]
The Prophet and his guardian Imam Ali have had rights on the nation more than the rights of fathers. By them Allah has taken people out of the life of ignorance, meanness, and wretchedness to the life of Islam that is full of honor, glory, and dignity.
The Virtue of the Ulama' During the Time of Occultation
Imam al-Hadi talked about the virtue of the ulama' during the time of the occultation of his grandson Imam al-Mahdi. He said, 'If, after the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi, there will be no ulama' who will invite and guide to him, defend his religion with clear proofs, and save the weak faithful from the traps of Iblis and his followers and from the traps of the enemies of the Ahlul Bayt, no one remains unless he will apostate from the religion of Allah, but it is they who will hold the hearts of the weak of the Shia as a shipper when holding the rudder of his ship. Those are the best of people near Allah.'
The Virtue Of Patience
Imam al-Hadi talked about patience and the great reward the patient shall get from their Lord. Al-Hasan bin Ali narrated, "I heard Abul Hasan saying, 'On the Day of Resurrection, a caller will call out: where are the patient? Some people will get up. Then, a caller will call out: where are the discerning? Some people will get up. The patient are those who are patient with the performing of the obligations, and the discerning are those who are discerning in refraining from sins.'[192][269]
Pessimism Towards Days
Islam resisted all bad habits and traditions of the pre-Islamic era. From those habits that Islam resisted was the pessimism at days which the pre-Islamic society believed in. It neither brought good nor did it save from evil, for all things were determined by Allah the Creator of the universe and Giver of life.
Al-Hasan bin Mas'oud[193][270] said, "One day, I went to Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad after my finger was scratched, and a rider knocked against my shoulder, and I went into a crowd that some of my clothes were torn. I said: may Allah save me from your evil O day! How ill-omened you are!'
Abul Hasan said to me, 'O Hasan, you say so though you frequent us! You throw your guilt on that which is guiltless!'
I recovered my senses, understood my mistake, and said: I ask Allah to forgive me.'
Abul Hasan said, 'O Hasan, what is the guilt of days that you are pessimistic at when you are punished for your deeds on them?'
I said, 'I always ask Allah for forgiveness. It is my repentance O son of the messenger of Allah.'
He said, 'By Allah, it does not benefit you. Allah punishes you for blaming days which have no guilt in what you blame them for. O Hasan, do you know that it is Allah Who rewards and punishes for deeds whether sooner or later?'
I said, 'O yes, my master.'
He said, 'Do not give days a role in the judgment of Allah!'
I said, 'O yes, my master."[194][271]
Imam al-Hadi confirmed what the Prophet had announced in one of his traditions that it was not from Islam that a Muslim be pessimistic, but he must have a strong will and determination in doing everything except sins.
Cleanness
Imam al-Hadi invited to cleanness and prettification. He said, 'Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty and prettification, and He hates misery and miserable ones. Allah the Almighty likes, when He gives a blessing to His slave, to see the effects of that blessing appear on him.' He was asked, 'How is that?' He said, 'To clean his dress, make his smell good, order his house, and sweep the yard. Even a lamp lit before sunset takes poverty away and increases livelihood.'[195][272]
Rarity of Lawful Income
Sayyid bin Tawus narrated that Muhammad bin Harun al-Jallab said, 'I said to my master Ali bin Muhammad al-Hadi: we narrated from your fathers that a time would come where there would be nothing rarer than a friendly brother or gaining a lawful dirham (well-gotten money).' He said, 'O Muhammad, a friendly brother is available, but you are in a time where there is nothing rarer than a well-gotten dirham and a loyal, faithful brother.'[196][273]
The rarity of well-gotten money results from the impiety in gaining and the greediness to get money in any way. As for a friendly brother who seeks his own benefits, he is available everywhere and everywhen, but as for a god-fearing brother who keeps his brother away from committing sin and takes him to do good, he is rare at all times.
Ignoring the Fact of Death
Imam al-Hadi was asked, 'Why do these Muslims hate death?' He said, 'Because they ignore it, and therefore, they hate it. If they knew it and were from the devotees of Allah, they would surely love it and know that the afterlife would be better than the worldly life.' Then Imam al-Hadi turned to his companions and said, 'Why do a child and an insane refrain from drug that recovers their bodies and relieves them from pain?'
They said, 'Because they ignore the benefit of drug.'
He said, 'I swear by Him Who had sent Muhammad with the truth as prophet, whoever prepares himself to death, it would be better for him than this curative drug. If they know what bliss death gets to, they will love it and call for it more than a sane, determined man when calling for drug to cure his diseases and get safety.'[197][274]
In another tradition it was related that one day Imam al-Hadi visited a sick companion and saw him cry fearing from death. He said to him, 'O Abdullah (slave of Allah), you fear from death because you do not know it. If you become dirty and filthy, and you suffer from this dirt and filth that cause you sores and mange, and then you know that washing in the bathroom will relieve all that, do you not want to go to the bathroom and remove all that from you, or you hate to do that and you let filth, sores, and mange on you?'
The sick man said, 'O yes, son of the messenger of Allah, may Allah have blessing and peace on you and your household.'
Imam al-Hadi said, 'Death is that bathroom. It is the last thing remaining for you to wash your guilt and purify you from your sins. If you come to it and be its neighbor, you shall be free from every distress, grief, and pain, and shall get to every happiness and delight.' The sick man was calm. He submitted to death and pleased with the fate of Allah.[198][275]
True Repentance
Ahmad bin Hilal asked Imam al-Hadi about true repentance and he replied to him, 'that the inward and the outward are to be the same and better.'[199][276]
The Meaning Of "Rajeem"
Abdul Adhim al-Hasani narrated that he heard Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad al-Hadi saying, 'The meaning of "rajeem-accursed" that Satan is described with is that he is stoned with curse, and rejected from every place of good. No faithful mentions him unless he curses him. In the eternal knowledge of Allah that when Imam al-Mahdi (al-Qa'im) will reappears, every believer at his time will stone Satan as he had been stoned with curse before.'[200][277]
Mob
Imam al-Hadi said, 'Mob are the killers of the prophets.Allah was not pleased with them when He compared them to the livestock and said, (but they are worse).[201][278]
Mobs are those groups of people who have no social or religious understanding. It is they whom tyrannical powers push to kill prophets and reformers throughout history.
Words Of Light
A collection of precious words was narrated from Imam al-Hadi. These words are from the wonderful intellectual treasures in Islam, in which Imam al-Hadi has discussed different educational, moral, and psychological issues. Here are some of his words:
1. "Better than good is its doer, better than favor is its sayer, and more preferable than knowledge is its follower.'
2. He said to one of his servants, 'Blame so-and-so (friendly) and say to him: if Allah wants good for someone, He made him be pleased when he is blamed.'
3. "He, who asks for more than his merit, is worthier of deprivation."
4. "The rightness of one, who ignores dignity, is his lowness."
5. "Patience is to possess yourself and control your anger when you are able to show it."
6. "People (run their affairs) in this life with money and in the afterlife with deeds."
7. "Whoever is pleased with himself, many are those who are displeased at him."
8. "Fates show you what you do not imagine."
9. "The evilest of misfortune is bad morals."
10. "Wealth is the littleness of wishing and the satisfaction with what suffices you, poverty is greediness and despair, and lowness is following the little and looking forward to insignificants.'
11. Imam al-Hadi was asked about resolution and he said, 'It is to see your opportunity and hurry to achieve it as possible as you can.'
12. "The rider of a reluctant horse is a captive of himself." He, who walks in crooked ways, is led by his fancy that throws him into the abyss of misfortunes.
13. "An ignorant one is a captive of his tongue.'
14. "Disputing destroys old friendship, and unties firm knots. The least of it is that it leads to hatred which is the first cause of the rupture of relations."
15. "Blaming is the key to haughtiness, though it is better than spite."
16. One of Imam al-Hadi's companions exaggerated in praising the Imam who said to him, 'Much flattery attacks discernment. If you are trusted by your brother, turn from flattery to good will."
17. "Misfortune for the patient is one, and for the impatient is two."
18. "Envy eradicates good deeds, and pride brings detestation."
19. "Self-conceit turns one away from seeking knowledge and leads him to ignorance."
20. "Stinginess is the worst of morals, and greediness is a bad nature."
21. "Associating with the wicked shows the wickedness of one who associates with them."
22. "The denying of blessings is a sign of ungratefulness and a cause for changing (of blessings)."
23. "Importunity takes peacefulness away and leads to regret."
24. "Mockery is the joking of the foolish and the craft of the ignorant."
25. "Undutifulness (to parents) lessens offspring and leads to meanness."
26. "Sleeplessness makes sleep more pleHasant, and hunger makes food more delicious."
27. "Think of your death between your family where no physician shall defend you and no friend shall benefit you!"
28. "Think of the regrets of wasting to be more determined!"
29. "A niggard and a wise man do not rest."
30. "There is no cure for corrupted natures."
31. "He, who cannot prevent, cannot give."
32. "Worse than evil is its doer and more horrible than horror is an adventurer into it."
33. "Beware of envy for it harms you and not your enemy."
34. "In a time where justice is more than oppression, it is unlawful to suspect anyone before being certain of that which is suspected of, and in a time where oppression is more than justice, one should not trust in anyone except after being certain of him."
35. Imam al-Hadi said to al-Mutawakkil (the Abbasid caliph), "Do not expect good will from one whom you have offended, or loyalty from one whom you have betrayed, or sincerity from one whom you have suspected, because the hearts of others towards you are like your heart towards them."
36. "Retain blessings by being good neighbor to them (by spending them in the right way and helping people through charities), expect more by being grateful to Allah for them, and know that soul is very willing to what it is given and very unwilling to what it is prevented from, so carry it on a sumpter that does not slow."
37. "Ignorance and niggardliness are the worst of morals."
38. "Good appearance is apparent beauty and good mind is hidden beauty."
39. "It is from inadvertence to Allah that one keeps on disobedience and wishes forgiveness from Allah."
40. "If people walked in a vast valley, I would walk in a valley of a man who worshipped Allah alone sincerely."
41. "The anger at one, over whom you have authority, is meanness."
42. "A grateful one is happier with gratitude than with the blessing that requires gratitude, because blessings are enjoyment and gratitude is a blessing."
43. "Allah made the worldly life a place of trying and the afterlife a place of reward. He made the misfortunes of the worldly life as a means for the reward of the afterlife, and the reward of the afterlife as a compensation for the misfortunes of the worldly life."
44. "An understanding oppressor is about to take attentions away from his oppression through his understanding, and a foolish just man is about to put out the light of his justice through his foolishness."
45. "Whoever shows you his sincere love you are to show him your obedience."
46. "Do not feel safe from the evil of one who despises himself."
47. "The world is a market in which some people gain and others lose."
48. "Think of your death among your family where no physician shall save you and no lover shall benefit you."[202][279]
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