Islam Guidance

His Commandments to Abd Allah al- Najâshi in the Same Letter:

His Commandments to Abd Allah al- Najâshi in the Same Letter:
Abd Allah b. Sulayman al- Nawfali said:” I was sitting with Ja’far b. Mohammed al- Sâdiq. Suddenly, the servant of Abd Allah al- Najäshi came to al- Sâdiq. He greeted him and handed him a letter. Al- Sâdiq opened the letter and read it. The letter read as follows:
“In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, may Allah prolong the life of my master, and may He make me ransom for him. I have been inflected by the State of al- Ahwäz. I want my master to limit a punishment for me or to give me an example to use it as a proof for what makes me nearer to Allah, the Great and Almighty, and to His Apostle. I want him to sum up, in his letter: What does he think for me to put into effect? In what does he spend it? And in what shall I spend it? Where should I put my Zakat (alms)? In what shall I spend it? With whom shall I associate? With whom shall 1 be happy? Whom shall I entrust, believe in, resort to concerning my secrets? Indeed, you are the Proof of Allah for his creation and His trustee of authority in His country (i.e. the earth), may Allah bestow His blessing upon you.”
Abd Allah b. Sulaymân said:” Abui Abd Allah (al- Sãdiq), peace be on him, answered him.”:
“In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, may Allah compliment you with His good deed, be kind to you with His favor, and guard you with His care. Indeed, He is the Supporter of that. Now then, your messenger came to me with your letter. I have read it and understood what you have mentioned and asked about. You have claimed that you have been inflected by the State of al- Ahwäz. So, that has delighted me and grieved me. As for my delight at your ruling, I have said: May Allah help and strengthen with you a grieved (person) from the supporters of the Family. And as for my grief, I am afraid that you might mistreat a support of us, so you will not obtain the mercy of the Holy Being (Allah).
I am going to summarize to you all what you have asked about. If you put them into effect and do not exceed them, I hope you shall be saved, Allah willing. My father told me on the authority of his grandfathers on the authority of ‘Au b. Abü Talib, peace be on them, on the authority of the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, who said:’ Whomever his believing brother asks the advice of him but does not show him sincere advice, Allah deprives him of his intellect. Know that I am going to advise you. If you put my advice into effect, you will get rid of what you are afraid of. Know that you are able to accomplish your rescue and your salvation when you refrain from shedding blood and harming the supporters of Allah, through treating subjects kindly, with patience and good friendship, with leniency without weakness and strength without violence. Complying with the moods of your companion and his messengers who come to you, and treat your subjects according to justice and lnqulty, Allah willing.
Beware of slanderers, do not let anyone cleave to you, do not let Allah see you accepting (their words) absolutely, while you do not do justice to people. So, Allah will be angry with you and disgrace you. As for him whom you rely on, satisfied with, and entrust with to carry out your affairs
should be experienced, clear- sighted trustee, He should agree with you on your religion, know your subjects, and try the two parties. So, if you find such a person, then depend on him.
Be careful not to give even a dirham or take off a garment in the manner that displeases Allah to a poet, a comedian, and a joker, in this condition you should give the same (sum of many) to Please Allah.
Your prizes, bonuses, and robes of honor should be given to leaders, messengers, grandsons, postmen, the police, and the collectors of Chomps (fifth). As for the money which you want to spend in the fields of righteousness, success, generosity, alms, hajj, drinking water, the garment you use during / prayers, and the gift which you offer for Allah, the Great and Almighty and for his Apostle, my Allah bless him and his family, should be from your most lawful earn.
Abd Allah, spare no effort to avoid hoarding up gold and silver so as not to be among those about whom Allah, the Great and Almighty, says:’ And (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah’s way.’
Do not regard as little those remnants of food. Spend them to full the empty abdomens to clam the anger of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted. Know that I have heard my father reporting a tradition on the authority of his grandfathers, on the authority of ‘Ali b. Abi Talib, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who said:’ Whoever spends his night full, while his neighbor is hungry has not believed in Allah and the NEXT Day (the hereafter).’ So, we said, ‘Allah’s Apostle, we have been ruined!” He said:’ You can putout the anger of the Lord with the remnants of your dates, your living, and your worn- out pieces of cloth.’
Amir al- Mu’minin (Imam ‘Ali) went out of this world while he had no responsibility for anyone till he met Allah praised- unblamed nor dispraised. Then the Imams after him followed his example as you have known. They (the Imams) did not stain themselvewith anything of the worldly calamities, may Allah bless them all and make their abodes good.
I have sent you the noble deeds of this world and the future one. If you put my advice into effect, I hope that Allah, the Great and Almighty, will forgive you all your sins with His power, even if they are as heavy as the mountains or as the waves of the seas.
Abd Allah, be careful not to scare a believer, for my father Mohammed told me on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather ‘Au b. Abü Tâlib, peace be on him, who said:’ Whoever looks at a believer to scare him, Allah will scare him on that day when there will be no protection but His protection and gather his flesh, his body, and all his member in the shape of the small ants till He (Allah) brings him to his ruin.’
My father told me on the authority of his grandfathers, on the authorit) of ‘Ali, on the authority of the Prophet, my Allah bless him and his family, who said:’ Whoever helps a grieved believer, Allah will help him on that day when there will be no protection but His protection, make him safe on the Day of the Great Scare, and make him safe from the evil consequence. Whoever fulfills a need for his believing brother, Allah fulfills many needs for him, among them is Paradise. Whoever clothes his believing brother (to cover) his nakedness, Allah will clothe hun from the sacrament of Paradise and from its brocade and its silk. And he will go on enjoining himself with the pleasure of Allah as long as there is a piece of thread on the clothed person. Whoever feeds his brother, Allah will feed him from the good provisions of Paradise. Whoever waters his brother, Allah will water him from the sealed nectar. Whoever serves his brother, Allah will make the Immortal boys to serve him, and dwells him with His pure friends. Whoever carries his believing brother from the saddle of his (animal), Allah will carry him on a she- camel of the she- camels of Paradise and vie him in glory with the close angels on the Day of judgment. Whoever marries his believing brother to a woman whom he depends on, who helps him, and with whom he is pleased, Allah will marry him to one of the pure, beautiful girls (in Paradise), and entertains him with the truthful ones of his family and his brothers. Also he (Allah) will entertain hii1a with them. Whoever helps his believing brother against an oppressive ruler, Allah will help him pass the road (on the day when) the legs shake (with fear). And whoever visits his believing brother in his house not for a need, Allah will regard him as one of the Visitors of (His Scared House), and it will be a must on Allah to honor His visitors.
Abd Allah, my father told me on the authority of his grandfathers on the authority of ‘Au b. Abü Tâlib, peace be on him, on the authority of the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, that he, one day, said to his companions:’ Men, whoever curses (people) with his tongue and does not believe (in Allah) in his heart is not a believer. Do not look for the defects of the believers, for whoever looks for the defects of a believer, Allah will look for his defects on the Day ofjudginent and expose him in his house.
My father told me on the authority of ‘Au, peace be on him, who said:” Allah had taken a promise from the believer that people do not believe his words, nor does he take revenge on his enemy, ncr does he quench his anger but through exposing himself to scandal, for every believer is controlled, that is for a short purpose and long rest.”
“Allah had taken a promise from the believer (to conform to) things. The simplest one of them is (that) a believer like him (who) believes in his thought makes him tired, envies him, and the Satan tempts him (the second believer) and helps him. The ruler follows his acts (the acts of the first
believer) and his mistakes. He (the ruler) disbelieves in what he (the first believer) believes. He (the ruler) thinks that shedding his blood is a must and violating his sacredness as booty, then is the life of the believer (important) after these things?”
Abd Allah, my father told me on the authority of his grandfathers, on the authority of ‘All b. Abu Tâlib, peace be on him, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, that he said:’ Gabriel, peace be on him, came down and said: Mohammed, Allah has sent His regards to you and said: I have derived a name from My Names for the believer. I have called him believer. The believer is from Me and I am from the believer. Whoever disdains a believer, surely, wages war against me.
Abd Allah, my father told me on the authority of his grandfathers, peace be on them, on the authority of ‘Au, peace be on him, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who, one day, said: ‘Au, do not debate with a man till you know his inner self. If his inner self is good, Allah, the Great and Almighty, does not forsake His supporter. And if his inner self is evil, his counterpart is enough for him. You are not able (to convince him) even if you do your best to do (deeds) more than he does, not to disobey Allah, the Great and Almighty.
Abd Allah, my father told me on the authority of his grandfathers on the authority of ‘Ali, peace be on him, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who said:’ The minimum (degree) of unbelief is that the person hears a word from his brother, to memorize it against him so as to expose him with it. Such a person shall have no Portion (in the hereafter).’
Abd Allah, my father told me on the authority of his fathers on the authority of ‘Au, peace be on him, who said:’ Whoever says about the believer what his eyes do not see and his ears do not hear to disgrace him and to destroy his manhood is among those about him Allah, the Great and Almighty, says: Surely (as for) those who love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement.’
Abd Allah, my father told on the authority of his grandfathers on the authority of ‘All, peace be on him, who said:’ Whoever reports a story about his believing brother to demolish his manhood and to defame him, Allah will degrade him with-his sin till he brings an excuse for what he has said and will never bring the excuse. Whoever delights his believing brother, delights (ahl al Bayt), peace be on them. Whoever delights (alt? a? Bayt), delights Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. And whoever delights Allah’s Apostle delights Allah. So, it is a must on Him to make him enter Paradise
Then I advise you to fear Allah and to hold fast to His religion, for Whoever holds fast to the religion of Allah is guided to the straight Path (of Islam). So, fear Allah and do not prefer anyone to His pleasure and will.
That is because it is the commandment of Allah, the Great and Almighty, to His creation. He (Allah) does not accept anything from them except it nor does He regard anything as great but it. Know that the creatures have not been authorized to do anything greater than to fear Allah. Also it is our commandment, we, (ahl al Baiyt). If you are able to refrain from doing the deeds about which you will be asked tomorrow, then do.”
Abd Allah b. Sulayman said:” When al- Najäshy received the letter of al- Sâdiq, peace be on him, he looked at it and said: By Allah with whom there is no good but Him, my master (al- Sadiq) is truthful. Whoever puts into effect what has been written in this letter is saved. So, Abd Allah went on acting according to this letter throughout his lifetime.”’[1]
Notes: _______________________________________
1 Bihar al- Anwar, 73/271/112.
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Taken From : Imam Al-Sadiq By Shaykh Mohammed al-Husayn al-Muzaffar , Translator : Jasim al-Rasheed

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