Introduction

God is One and Only

Abandoning the Present to Attain the Promised

Oppressive Characteristics

Characteristics Rooted in Love for Religion

One Characteristic for Five Characteristics

A Characteristic for a Characteristic

A Saving Characteristic

The Loftiest Characteristic of the Religion

No Two Things Combined which are Better than the Combination of Two Characteristics

A Characteristic that is the Honor of This World and the Hereafter

The Most Knowledgeable Person Is One who Combines One Characteristic with Another One

There Is One True Prosperity And One True Misery

A Characteristic for Which the People Deserve to be Rewarded or Punished

A Characteristic that Is the Noblest Holy War

The Hardest Thing is One Characteristic that Cannot Be Avoided Unless We Abandon Another Characteristic

A Believer’s Honor Is in One Characteristic and His Glory Is In Another Characteristic

One Characteristic Is the Key to All Evil

A Characteristic Due to Justice

A Characteristic Due to Which We Are Interested in How Others Judge About Us

Seek Nearness to God with One Characteristic

God Has Not Tested the Servants with Anything Harder Than One Characteristic

A Characteristic that Is the Result of Being Kind

A Characteristic that Stabilizes One’s Faith and One that Makes Him Lose His Faith

A Characteristic that Destroys a Believer’s Dignity

A Good Characteristic Which No Other Characteristic Is Better Than, and a Bad Characteristic That No Other Characteristic Is Worse Than

A Characteristic That Guarantees Who Will Not Become Poor

The Form of Chivalry of the Members of the Holy Household

A Characteristic Due to One’s Chivalry

A Characteristic that Is Not Good for a Dignified Man

God Loves One Characteristic and Despises One Characteristic

One Who has This Characteristic Would Not Be Thankful for Blessings

A Characteristic Due to Humbleness

A Characteristic that Is Close to Blasphemy and A Characteristic that Might Change Destiny

A Characteristic that Destroyed Previous Nations

Martyrdom Is Expiation for Every Sin Except for One’s Debt

God the Almighty Has Sent Muhammad (sw) and His Nation a Gift That He Has Not Given to Any Other Nation

A Characteristic that One Should Have If He Wants to Increase Goodness in His House

God Will Look at Whom He Likes. Once He Looks at Him, He Shall Grant Him One of Three Gifts

The Hereafter is the Wedding of the Pious Ones

A Characteristic That is Like its Opposite

The Most Wicked People Are Those Who Are Respected for Possessing One Characteristic

A Characteristic in This World is Abstinence, and a Characteristic That is Gratitude for all Blessings

Nothing Deserves to Be Restrained More Than the Tongue

Whoever Raises his Aspirations Does Wrong

Good Deeds Are Recorded for a Muslim as Long as He Remains Quiet

A Characteristic Having Which Will Result in God Saving You From the Fear of the Hereafter

The Most Intelligent Characteristic

The Most Pious, the Best Worshipping, the Most Ascetic and the Most Hard-Working People

Becoming Sorry Is the Same as Repenting

Whoever Earns More Than His Meals fom This World

A Characteristic That Deserves to Be Willed

A Characteristic That Causes One to Be Thrown Out and a Characteristic That Causes One to Be Joined

Lofty Characteristics and Bad Characteristics for the People of the World

There Is No Honor Except Through One Characteristic. There Is No Nobility Except Through Another Characteristic

When God Loves a Servant He Will Make Him Suffer from a Great Calamity

A Characteristic That Leads to Hemorrhoids

A Hand on Which There Is an Iron Ring Is Not Clean

Do Not Respond to Whoever Talks Before He Greets You

A Characteristic That if Practiced Implies Despise for Muhammad’s Religion

Only One of the Proverbs of the Prophets Has Remained

When God Wishes a Servant Well, He Will Expedite His Punishment in This World, and When He Wishes Someone Bad, He Will Procrastinate His Punishment

Be Patient with the Enemies of the Blessings

The Prophet (sw) and Ali Ibn Abi Talib Were Created from the Same Root

A Characteristic That is Gratitude for All Blessings

Religion Is the Same as Love

When Two Believers Shake Hands They Shall Depart from Each Other Void of Any Sins

A Characteristic That Revives the Hearts

A Characteristic That Revives the Affairs of the Almighty God’s Proofs

God the Almighty Has Not Created Anything More Delightful Than This Characteristic

A Characteristic That Constitutes Nine-Tenths of Religion

Whoever is Pleased with His Destiny or is Displeased with it

A Characteristic for Which Even Red-Haired Camels Are Not Loved

A Characteristic That Increases the Daily Bread

A Characteristic That Leads to Hypocrisy and Poverty

The First Gift Given to a Believer Due to a Characteristic

A Characteristic for Which One Who Has No Good Deeds is Forgiven on the Resurrection Day

A Characteristic That is the Root of All Sins

How Awkward It Is If a Man Enters Heaven Having Lost His Honor

A Characteristic Doing Which Will Cause the Almighty God to Have Mercy Upon You

A Characteristic Doing Which Will Cause Increased Good for One’s House

On Him Whose Health Has Overcome His Illness but He Treats Himself and Dies

A Characteristic Which a Believer Avoids

Nothing Ruins Faith as Much as One Characteristic Does

One Who Lives to See his Successor Is Prosperous

A Believer’s Honor is More Than That of the Ka’ba

It Suffices for a Believer to See God’s Aid in the Form of His Enemies Engaged in the Almighty God’s Disobedience

A Gift Will Eliminate Animosities

Prosperous Be the One Who is Indifferent

A Characteristic That Will Make One Poor in the Hereafter

A Group of People Who Are the Masters of Heaven

God’s Prophet Made His Ablutions One Organ at a Time

The Characteristic That Is the Best Goodness

The Prophet Put off His Special Prayer for One Characteristic

A Characteristic That is the Best Form of Worshipping and a Characteristic That is the Noblest Form of Being Religious

What Is A Lot but Its Doers Are A Few

A Characteristic That Constitutes Half of the Religion

A Characteristic That is the Best Thing Given to a Muslim

The Prophet and Ali Ibn Abi Talib Were Created from One Light

A Servant’s Well-Being Depends Upon the Well-Being of One of His Organs

10-33 حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه عن عبدالرحمن بن أبي نجران، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن محمد بن قيس، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: بينما أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في الرحبة والناس عليه متراكمون فمن بين مستفت ومن بين مستعد إذ قام إليه رجل فقال: السلام عليك يا أمير المؤمنين ورحمة الله وبركاتهفنظر إليه أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام بعينيه هاتيك العظيمتين ثم قال: وعليك السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته. من أنت؟فقال: أنا رجل من رعيتك وأهل بلادكقال: ما أنت من رعيتي وأهل بلادي، ولو سلمت علي يوما واحدا ماخفيت عليفقال: الامان يا أمير المؤمنينفقال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: هل أحدثت في مصري هذا حدثا منذ دخلتهقال: لاقال: فعلك من رجال الحرب؟قال: نعمقال: إذا وضعت الحرب أوزارها فلا بأسقال: أنا رجل بعثني إليك معاوية متغفلا لك أسألك عن شيء بعث فيه ابن الاصفر وقال له: إن كنت أنت أحق بهذا الامر والخليفة بعد محمد فأجبني عما أسألك فإنك إذا فعلت ذلك اتبعتك وأبعث إليك بالجائزة فلم يكن عنـده جـواب،وقد أقلقه ذلك فبعثني إليك لاسألك عنهافقال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: قاتل الله ابن آكلة الاكباد ماأضله وأعماه ومن معه. والله لقد أعتق جارية فما أحسن أن يتزوج بها. حكم الله بيني وبين هذه الامة، قطعوا رحمي، واضاعوا أيامي، ودفعوا حقي وصغروا عظيم منزلتي وأجمعوا على منازعتي. يا قنبر، عليّ بالحسن والحسين ومحمدفاحضروا، فقال: ياشامي هذان ابنا رسول الله وهذا ابني فسأل أيهم أحببت؟فقال: أسأل ذا الوفرة، يعني الحسن عليه السلام، وكان صبيافقال له الحسن عليه السلام: سلني عما بدا لكفقال الشامي: كم بين الحق والباطل، وكم بين السماء والارض، وكم بين المشرق والمغرب، وماقوس قزح، وما العين التي تأوي إليها أرواح المشركين، وما العين التي تأوي إليها أرواح المؤمنين، وما المؤنث، وما عشرة أشياء بعضها أشد من بعض؟فقال الحسن بن علي عليهما السلام: بين الحق والباطل أربع أصابع فما رأيته بعينك فهو الحق، وقد تسمع باذنيك باطلا كثيراقال الشامي صدقتقال: وبين السماء والارض دعوة المظلوم ومد البصر، فمن قال لك غير هذا فكذبهقال: صدقت يا بن رسول اللهقال: وبين المشرق والمغرب مسيرة يوم للشمس تنظر إليها حين تطلع من مشرقها وحين تغيب من مغربهاقال الشامي: صدقت. فما قوس قزح؟قال عليه السلام: ويحك، لا تقل قوس قزح، فإن قزح اسم شيطان، وهو قوس الله وعلامة الخصب وأمان لاهل الارض من الغرق. وأما العين التي تأوي إليها أرواح المشركين فهي عين يقال لها برهوت، وأما العين التي تأوي إليها أرواح المؤمنين وهي يقال لها سلمى، وأما المؤنث فهو الذي لا يدري أذكر هو أم انثى، فإنه ينتظر به فإن كان ذكرا احتلم وإن كانت انثى حاضت وبدا ثديها، وإلا قيل له بُل عـلىالحائط فان أصاب بوله الحائط فهو ذكر وإن انتكص بوله كما انتكص بول البعير فهي امرأةوأما عشرة أشياء بعضها أشد من بعض فأشد شيء خلقه الله عز وجل الحجر، وأشد من الحجر الحديد الذي يقطع به الحجر، وأشد من الحديد النار تذيب الحديد وأشد من النار الماء يطفئ النار، وأشد من الماء السحاب يحمل الماء، وأشد من السحاب الريح تحمل السحاب، واشد من الريح الملك الذي يرسلها، وأشد من الملك ملك الموت الذي يميت الملك، وأشد من ملك الموت الموت الذي يميت ملك الموت، وأشد من الموت أمر الله رب العالمين يميت الموتفقال الشامي: أشهد أنك ابن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله حقا وأن عليا أولى بالامر من معاويةثم كتب هذه الجوابات وذهب بها ألى معاوية، فبعثها معاوية ألى ابن الاصفر فكتب أليه ابن الاصفر: يا معاوية، لم تكلمني بغير كلامك وتجيبني بغير جوابك؟ اقسم بالمسيح ما هذا جوابك وما هو إلا من معدن النبوة وموضع الرسالة. وأما أنت فلو سألتني درهما ما أعطيتك

10-33 (The compiler of the book narrated) that his father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Najran, on the authority of Asim ibn Hamid, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Qays that Abi Ja’far al-Baqir (MGB) said, “Once when the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) was in a courtyard, the people had gathered around him (MGB). Someone wanted to ask about a decree, another one had a complaint, and was expressing his conditions. Suddenly a man came to him and said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Peace be upon you as well as God’s Mercy and His Blessings.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) looked at him with his two big eyes and replied, ‘And peace be upon you as well as God’s Mercy and His Blessings. Who are you?’ The man said, ‘A man and I are from your people, and I am a resident of one of your towns.’The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘You are not one of my people and are not a resident of one of our towns. I would not have forgotten it, even if you had greeted me once.’Then the man said, “O Commander of the Faithful! Please grant me immunity.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) asked, ‘Have you committed a crime in my town since you came here?’The man replied, ‘No.’ The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) asked him, ‘Then are you a soldier?’ The man replied, ‘Yes.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘Now that there is a peace treaty in effect, it doesn’t matter.’The man said, ‘I am one of the agents of Muawiyah. I was sent here in a disguise in order to ask you questions which Ibn al-Asfar (who is the Emperor of Rome) asked Muawiyah. The Emperor replied that if Muawiyah is the real ruler and the Caliph after Muhammad (MGB), he should be able to answer these questions. Then the Emperor would pledge allegiance to Muawiyah and pay him remuneration. Since Muawiyah could not answer thequestions he has dispatched me to ask them from you.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB) said, ‘May God kill the offspring of the liver-eater Hind. How deviated and blind he and his companions are! I swear by God that he freed his female slave and did not understand how to join her in marriage. God will rule between me and this nation. They cut off my bonds of relationship; wasted my time; usurped my rights; belittled my grand position and united against me. O Qanbar! Bring Al-Hassan (MGB), Al-Hussein (MGB) and Muhammad (MGB) to me.’ The sons came by him. Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Syrian man! These two are the (grand)sons of God’s Prophet (MGB) and this one is my own son. Ask your questions from any of them as you wish.’ The Syrian man said, ‘I will ask my questions from the long-haired one that is Al-Hassan (MGB) who is young. Then Al-Hassan (MGB) told him, ‘Ask me whatever you wish to ask.’Then the Syrian fellow asked, ‘What is the distance between right and wrong? How much is the distance between the heavens and the Earth? How much is the distance between the East and the West? What is Qus and Qazah (the bow and the rainbow)? Where is the place in which the unbelievers’ souls reside? Where is the place in which the believers’ souls reside? What does Al-Mo’anas refer to? What are the ten things each of which is harder than the other?’ Then Al-Hassan ibn Ali (MGB) said, ‘The distance between right and wrong is just four fingers. Whatever you yourself see is right, but most of whatever you hear may be wrong.’ The Syrian fellow said, ‘You are right!’ Al-Hassan (MGB) said, ‘The distance between the heavens and the Earth is the supplication of the oppressed one and the closing of the eyes. Anyone who says anything else has lied.’ The Syrian fellow said, ‘O (grand)son of the Prophet! You are right!’ Al-Hassan (MGB) said, ‘The distance between the East and the West is just the duration of time needed for the rotation of the sun from where it rises to where it sets during one day.’ The Syrian man said, ‘You are right! Then what is Qus and Qazah (the bow and the rainbow)?’ Al-Hassan ibn Ali (MGB) said, ‘Shame on you! Do not say Qus and Qazah since Qazah is the name of Satan. It is Qus Allah and it is a sign of abundance and immunity of the people of the Earth from drowning. The place in which the unbelievers’ souls shall reside is called Barahut. And the place in which the believers’ souls shall reside is called Salma. And Al-Mo’anas refers to one whose gender cannot be recognized. Once he or she grows up, it is a male if he ejaculates and it would be a female if she menstruates and the nipples grow. If its gender is still not distinguishable with these two signs, it should be asked to urinate towards a wall. It would be a male, if the urinationis fast flowing and it reaches the wall, while it would be a female if the urination just flows out like that of a camel. The ten things each of which is harder than the other are as follows. The hardest thing which the Honorable the Exalted God has created is the stone. However, iron is even harder than stone since it cuts the stone. Fire is even harder than iron since it can melt the iron. Water is even harder than fire since it can extinguish it. Clouds are even harder than water since they move it around. Winds are even harder than clouds since they move the clouds around. Yet the angel who dispatches the winds is harder than the wind itself. And the angel of death is even harder than the angel which dispatches the winds since it can take away its life. And death is even harder than the angel of death, since it takes away the angel of death. Yet harder than all of these is the order of God - the Lord of the Two Worlds - which can take away death itself. Then the Syrian fellow said, ‘I bear witness that you are the (grand)son of God’s Prophet (MGB). You are right! And I bear witness that Ali more deserves to rule than Muawiyah.’Then the Syrian fellow wrote down these answers and went to Muawiyah with them. Muawiyah wrote these answers to (Ibn Al-Asfar) the Emperor of Rome. Then Ibn al-Safar wrote the following back to Muawiyah, ‘O Muawiyah! Why do you use other people’s sayings and answer me with other people’s responses? I swear by Jesus that these are not your answers. Rather they have come from the treasury of Prophethood and the seat of messengership. And I will not even give you one Dirham if you ask for it.’”

10-34 حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار قال: حدثنا محمد بن أحمد قال: حدثنا هارون بن مسلم، عن مسعدة بن صدقة، عن جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه عليهما السلام أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله قال: ما خلق الله عز وجل خلقا إلا وقد أمر عليه آخر يغلبه به وذلك أن الله تبارك وتعالى لما خلق البحار فخرت وزخرت وقالت: أي شيء يغلبني فخلق الله عز وجل الفلك فأدارها به وذللها، ثم إن الارض فخرت وقالت: أي شيء يغلبني؟ فخلق الله الجبال فأثبتها في ظهرها أوتادا منعها أن تميد بما عليها فذلت الارض واستقرت، ثم إن الجبال فخرت على الارض، فشمخت واستطالت، وقالت: أي شيء يغلبني؟ فخلق الله الحديد فقطعها فقرت الجبال وذلت، ثم إن الحديد فخر على الجبال وقال: أي شيء يغلبني فخلق الله النار فأذابت الحديد فذل الحديد، ثـم إن النـار زفـرت وشهـقتوفخرت، وقالت: أي شيء يغلبني فخلق الله الماء فأطفأها فذلت، ثم إن الماء فخر وزخر وقال: أي شيء يغلبني، فخلق الله الريح فحركت أمواجه، وأثارت ما في قعرة وحبسه عن مجاريه فذل الماء، ثم إن الريح فخرت وعصفت وأرخت أذيالها وقالت أي شيء يغلبني؟ فخلق الانسان فاحتال واتخذ مايستتر به من الريح وغيرها فذلت الريح، ثم الانسان طغى وقال: من أشد مني قوة؟ فخلق له الموت فقهره فذل الانسان، ثم إن الموت فخر في نفسه فقال الله جل جلاله: لا تفخر فاني ذابحك بين الفريقين أهل الجنة والنار، ثم لا احييك أبدا فذل وخاف

10-34 (The compiler of the book narrated) that his father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted Harun ibn Muslim, on the authority of Mus’adat ibn Sadaqah, on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (MGB), on the authority of his father (MGB) that the Prophet (MGB) said, “The Honorable the Exalted God has not created anything without having another creature overpowering it. When the Blessed the Sublime God created the seas they became proud and flooded and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower us?’ Then the Honorable the Exalted God created the orbit which overpowered the seas. Then the Earth became too proud and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created the mountains and established them on the back of the Earth to hold it down. Then the mountains became too proud and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower us?’ Then God created iron which cuts down the mountains and overpowers them. Then iron became too proud and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created the fire which melts iron. Then fire became ablaze, roared, became proud and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then, God created water whichextinguishes fire. Then water became too proud, flooded and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created the wind which moved the waves of water and overcame the powers within it. Then the wind became proud, turned into a storm, spread about and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created man who designed and made a house in which he was safe from the wind and other things. Then man rebelled and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created death for him which overpowered and belittled man. Then death became proud of itself. Then God - may His Majesty be Exalted - said, ‘Do not be proud of yourself, since I shall keep you between the residents of Hell and residents of Paradise and will never give you life. Thus, death was belittled and frightened.’”

Al-Khiṣāl

Book 11, Chapter 25