Chapter 5
Fifth Assembly
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(This is) From what he dictated on Monday, the 17th of Ramadhan, and was heard by Abul Fawaris - may Allah keep him - reported to me by the grand Sheikh Al-Mufid, Abu Abdillah, Muhammad b. Muhammad b. No'man, may Allah continue to protect him and grant him beneficent care, having read over to him.
1. Illness purifies a person of his sins
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Umar b. Salim al-Je'abi reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Hasani, who reported from al-Fadl b. al-Qasim, who reported from his father, from his grandfather, who reported from his father, that Abdullah b. Muhammad b. Aqil. b. Abi Talib who said:
I heard Ali b. al-Husain, Zainul Abedeen (AS) say: "A nerve (of a Mo'min) does not twitch, nor does he have a headache except because of his sins. And that which Allah forgives is much more." And whenever he saw a sick person having recovered, he would say: "May the purification from the sins do you good! Now start (good) deeds all over again."
2. The Prophet (SAW) on his successor
He said: Abu Hafs Umar b. Muhammad b. Ali al-Sayrafi reported to me from Abul Husain al-Abbas b. al-Mughairah al-Jawhari, who reported from Abu Bakr Ahmad b. Mansoor al-Ramadi, who reported from Abdul Razzaq, who reported from his father, who reported from Mayna, the client of Abdul Rahman b. Auf, who reported from Abdullah b. Mas'ood who said:
On the night of the delegation of Jinn (i.e. during the battle of Tabuk), we were with the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, when he made a station at Ula. Then he went away, and when he returned, he heaved a sigh. Then he said: "O Ibn Mas'ood, I have been warned of my impending death." So I said: "O messenger of Allah, appoint a successor." He asked: "Who?" "I said: "Abu Bakr." He said: (The Prophet) walked for sometime, and heaved a sigh and then said: "My death has been announced to me O Ibn Mas'ood." Then I said: "Appoint a successor, O messenger of Allah." He asked: "Who?" I said: "Umar." He remained silent, and then walked for sometime, heaved a sigh, and said: "I have been given news of my death, O Ibn Mas'ood!" So, I said: "Appoint a successor!" He asked: "Who?" I said: "Uthman." He kept silent, walked for sometime, heaved a sigh and said: "O Ibn Mas'ood, my death has been announced to me!" I said: "Appoint a successor, O Prophet of Allah" He asked: "Who?" I said: "Ali b. Abi Talib." He heaved a sigh and said: "By He Who controls my soul, if they obey him (i.e. Ali), they will definitely enter Paradise, everyone of them."
3. The calamity of denying the pen to the Prophet (SAW)
He said: Abu Hafs Umar b. Muhammad b. Ali Al-Sayrafl reported to me from Abul Husain al-Abbas b. al-Mughairah al-Jawhari, who reported from Abu Bakr Ahmad b. Mansoor al-Ramadi, who reported from Ahmad b. Swaleh, who reported from Anbasah, who reported from Yunus, from Ibn Shihab from Ubaidullah b. Abdullah b. Utbah, from Abdullah b. Abbas who said:
When the death of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was approaching, there were some people, including Umar b. al-Khattab, in the house. The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Come, let me write for you a testament so that you may never go astray after that!" So, Umar said: "Do not give him anything, for he is overwhelmed with pain; and you have the Qur'an, the Book of Allah is sufficient for us." Then the inmates began disputing each other, some saying, "Rise, and (let) the Prophet write for you", while others agreed with Umar. When there was too much noise and dispute, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Go away from me".
Ubaidullah b. Abdullah b. Utbah said: Abdullah b. Abbas, may Allah bless him with mercy, used to say: "What a calamity! Total calamity, which prevented the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, from writing for us that testament because of their disputation and noise."
4. Some companions who reneged
He said: Abu Bakr, Muhammad b. Ummar b. Salim al-Je'abi, reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far b. Muhammad a.-Hasani who reported from Abu Musa Isa b. Mehran al-Must'ataf, who reported from Affan b. Muslim, who reported from Waheeb, who reported from Abdullah b. Uthman b. Khuthaym who reported from Ibn Abi Maleekah, from Ayesha who said:
I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: "As if I am at the Pool (Kawthar) seeing those who arrive at me; and there are some who are pushed away from me, so I say: My Lord! (these are) my companions, my companions!" Then the voice says: "You do not know what they did after you. They continued to renege, by turning back on their heels."
5. Some companions who will never see the Prophet (SAW) again
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Umar b. Salim reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Hasani, who reported from Isa b. Mehran, who reported from Abu Mu'awiyah al-Dhareer, who reported from A'amash, from Shaqeeq, from Ummu Salemah, the Prophet's wife, who said that Abdul Rahman b. Awf (once) called upon her and said:
"O Mother, I fear that my abundant wealth may destroy me. I am the richest among the Quraish." She said: "O Son, spend (in the way of Allah), for surely, I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, say: From my companions, there will be some who will never see me again after I have departed from them."
He said: Abdul Rahman left, and on his way met with Umar b. al-Khattab. He informed him about what Ummu Salemah had said. He (Umar) came to Ummu Salemah with insistence that he be allowed to visit her, then he said: "O mother, am I among them?" She said: "I do not know, nor am I going to absolve anyone beside you."
6. Allah tests His servants
He said: Al-Sharif Abu Abdillah Muhammad b. Muhammad Tahir al-Musavi reported to me from Abul Abbas Abmad b. Muhammad b. Saeed al-Hamadani, who reported from Yahya b. Zakariyya Ibn Shayban, who reported from Muhammad b. Sinan, who reported from Ahmad b. Sulayman al-Qummi al-Kufi, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far b. Muhammad (AS) say: "Even a prophet among the Prophets may be tested with thirst till he dies thirsty; even a prophet among the Prophets may be tested at a deserted place till he dies naked; even a prophet among the Prophets may be tested with diseases and illness till he dies; even a prophet among the Prophets may come to his people, stay with them so as to enjoin upon them obedience to Allah, and call them to the absolute unity of Allah, yet he may not be spared a night, nor given an opportunity to complete his speech, nor given even a patient listening, until he is killed. Verily, Allah, Most High, tests His servants according to their station in His estimate."
7. Imam Husain (AS) as an ideal
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Umar al-Je'abi reported from Abul Abbas Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Saeed, who reported from Yahya b. Zakariyya, who reported from Uthman b. Isa, who reported from Ahmad b. Sulayman and Imran b. Marwan, from Sama'ah b. Mehran who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja'far b. Muhammad (AS) say: "The person mentioned by Allah in the verse: 'And mention in the Book, Ismail; indeed he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger Prophet.' (Maryarn V:54) he was the one who Allah tested by his people, so they pulled off the skin from his face and scalp. Then Allah sent His angel unto him, who said: "The Lord of the entire creation greets you with peace; and says: I have seen what your people have done to you, so ask Me whatever you want." He said: "O Lord of the worlds, I have an ideal in the person of al-Husain b. Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be upon them." Then Abu Abdillah said: "He was not Ismail the son of Ibrahim, peace be upon our Prophet and upon both of them."
8. Fatimah's (AS) elegy on Fadak
He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Umar al-Je'abi reported to me from Abu Abdillah Ja'far b. Muhammad b. Ja'far al-Hasani, who reported from Isa b. Mehran, from Yunus, from Abdullah b. Muhammad b. Sulaiman al-Hashemi, from his father, from his grandfather, from Zainab b. Ali b. Abi Talib (AS) that she said:
When the opinion of Abu Bakr and his supporters became unanimous about depriving Fatimah, peace be upon her, from Fadak, and she lost all hope about his reconsideration, she came to her father's grave, threw herself upon it, and grievously complained about the way the {people} treated her. And she wept, till the earth on the grave became wet with her tears, and then she said in her elegy:
"There have been after you news and incidents
were you to witness them, you would have disapproved them;
We have missed you, the way a parched land misses the rainfall,
your people are in total disarray, see how they have reneged.
Jibraeel used to endear us with the verses (of Qur'an),
but after you have hid from us, all good is also concealed;
You were the moon, from whose light people benefited,
and upon you was revealed the books - from the Lord Almighty.
Men have attacked us and humiliated us,
after the Prophet, and all wealth has been usurped;
The perpetrator of injustices to us will know his fate
on the day of Judgement, where he will finally land.
We have come across things which no one before us,
neither from Arabs nor from the Ajam have suffered;
So, we shall continue weeping over you as long as we live,
and as long as we have eyes which well up with flowing tears."
9. On constraint and indulgence
He said: Al-Shareef Abu Abdillah Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Tahir reported to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Saeed, from Ahmad b. Yusuf al-Ja'fi, from al-Husain b. Muhammad, from his father, from Adam b. Uyaynah b. Abi Imran al-Hilali al-Kufi, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah, Ja'far b. Muhammad (AS) say: "How often a moment's constraint and patience can bring about long lasting pleasure and satisfaction, and how often a moment's indulgence can result in a prolonged grief and sorrow."
10. Traditions from a truthful source
He said: Abul Qasim Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Qummi, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from Sa'd b. Abdullah, who reported from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa, who reported from Harun b. Muslim, from Ali b. Asbat, from Saif b. Umayrah, from Amru b. Shimr, from Jabir who said:
I told Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Ali al-Baqir (AS): "When you relate a tradition to me, provide its chain of narrators for me." He said: "My father reported to me, from my grandfather, from the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, from Jibraeel (AS), from Allah, Most High. Whatever I mention to you is based on this chain of narrators." And then he said: "O Jabir, a tradition received by you from a truthful source is better for you than the whole world and whatever is in it."
11. Acting without understanding
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Hasan reported to me from his father, from Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa, from Muhammad b. Sinan, from Musa b. Bakr, who said:
Someone who heard from Abu Abdillah Ja'far b. Muhammad (AS) reported to me that he said: "One who acts without any understanding and vision, is like a person walking behind a mirage on a levelled desert, the faster he runs the farthest he ends up.