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

22-21 حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه قال: حدثني محمد ابن الحسن الصفار، عن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن محمد بن علي المقرئ عن يحيى بن المبارك، عن عبد الله بن جبلة، عن إسحاق بن عمار، عن أبي عبد الله، عن أبيه، عن آبائه عن علي عليهم السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: من عمر أربعين سنة سلم من الانواع الثلاثة من الجنون والجذام والبرص، ومن عمر خمسين سنة رزقه الله الانابة إليه، ومن عمر ستين سنة هون الله حسابه يوم القيامة، ومن عمر سبعين سنة كتبت حسناته ولم تكتب سيئاته، ومن عمر ثمانين سنة غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه وما تأخر، ومشى على الارض مغفورا له وشفع في أهل بيته

22-21 Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Saffar quoted Ibrahim ibn Hashim, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Muqar’ri, on the authority of Yahya ibn al-Mobarak, on the authority of Abdullah ibn Jabal’le, on the authority of Ishaq ibn Ammar, on the authority of Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB), on the authority of his father (MGB), on the authority of his forefathers (MGB), on the authority of Ali (MGB) that God’s Prophet (MGB) said, “God will protect anyone who attains the age of forty from insanity, vitiligo and leprosy. God will ease the Reckoning of anyone who reaches the age of fifty. God will grant anyone who reaches the age of sixty opportunity to repent. God and the companions of the heavens love anyone who reaches the age of seventy. God will order the good deeds to be recorded, and the bad deeds to be eliminated for anyone who reaches the age of eighty. Whenever a man reaches the age of ninety, God will forgive all his past and future sins. He will be considered to be one of the slaves of God on Earth.”

22-22 حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله قال: حدثني سلمة بن الخطاب، عن أحمد بن عبدالرحمن، عن إسماعيل بن عبدالخالق، عن محمد بن طلحة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن الله عز وجل ليكرم ابن الاربعين ويستحيي من ابن الثمانين

22-22 (The compiler of the book narrated) that his father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’ed ibn Abdullah quoted Salamat ibn al-Khat’tab, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abdul Rahman, on the authority of Isma’il ibn Abdul Khaliq, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Talha that Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) said, “The Honorable the Exalted God honors those who reach forty years of age and is shy before those who reach eighty years of age.”

22-23 حدثنا محمد بن الحسن رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا أحمد بن إدريس، عن محمد بن أحمد بن يحيى، عن محمد بن السندي، عن علي بن الحكم، عن داود بن النعمان، عن سيف التمار، عن أبي بصير قال: قال أبوعبد الله عليه السلام: إذا بلغ العبد ثلاثا وثلاثين سنة فقد بلغ أشده، وإذا بلغ أربعين سنة فقد بلغ منتهاه، فإذا ظعن في إحدى وأربعين فهو في النقصان، وينبغي لصاحب الخمسين أن يكون كمن كان في النزع

22-23 Muhammad ibn al-Hassan - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ahmad ibn Idris quoted Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Sindy, on the authority of Ali ibn al-Hikam, on the authority of Davood ibn al-Nue’man, on the authority of Sayf al-TAmmar, on the authority of Abi Basir that Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) said, When a servant reaches the age of thirty-three, he has reached perfect maturity. When he reaches the age of forty years, he has attained his ultimate progress. Hence as he enters forty‑one his powers are on decline, and it is befitting for one at fifty to consider himself like someone in his death throes.”

22-24 وبهذا الاسناد، عن داود بن النعمان، عن سيف، عن أبي بصير قال: قال أبوعبد الله عليه السلام: إن العبد لفي فسحة من أمره ما بينه وبين أربعين سنة، فاذا بلغ أربعين سنة أوحى الله عز وجل إلى ملائكته أني قد عمرت عبدي عمرا [وقد طال] فغلظا وشددا وتحفظا واكتبا عليه قليل عمله وكثيره وصغيره وكبيرهقال: وقال أبوجعفر عليه السلام: إذا أتت على العبد أربعون سنة قيل له: خذ حذرك فإنك غير معذور، وليس ابن أربعين سنة أحق بالعذر من ابن عشرين سنة، فان الذي يطلبهما واحد، وليس عنهما براقد، فاعمل لما أمامك من الهول، ودع عنك فضول القول

22-24 It has been narrated with these documentations and on the authority of Davood ibn al-Nue’man, on the authority of Sayf, on the authority of Abi Basir that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) said, “Verily, a man has an amplitude [of freedom] until forty years; but when he reaches forty, God the Almighty and Glorious, reveals to His angels, ‘Verily, I have made My servant come of age, so now be strict and severe with him and record and write down his every action, whether it is a minor one or a major one, and whether his works are abundant or sparse.’”He added, “Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (MGB) said, ‘When a person reaches forty years of age he is told to watch his actions since he no longer has any excuses. Those who are forty years old do not deserve to bring excuses like those who are only twenty-years old. What seeks either of them is the same thing . It is not sleep. Therefore, talk less and work hard due to the fear of death which is approaching.”

22-25 حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن يحيى العطار رضي الله عنه قال: حدثني أبي، عن محمد بن أحمد، عن العباس بن معروف، عن عبدالرحمن بن أبي نجران، عن محمد ابن القاسم، عن علي بن المغيرة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: إذا بلغ المرء أربعين سنة آمنه الله عز وجل من الادواء الثلاثة: الجنون والجذام والبرصفاذا بلغ الخمسين خفف الله حسابه، فاذا بلغ الستين رزقه الانابة إليه، فاذا بلغ السبعين أحبه أهل السماء، فإذا بلغ الثمانين أمر الله باثبات حسناته وإلقاء سيئاته، فاذا بلغ التسعين غفر الله له ما تقدم من ذنبه وما تأخر، وكتب أسير الله في أرضه، وفي حديث آخر فاذا بلغ المائة فذلك أرذل العمر، وروي أن أرذل العمر أن يكون عقله عقل ابن سبع سنين

22-25 Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar - may God be pleased with him - narrated that his father quoted Muhammad ibn Ahmad, on the authority of Al-Abbas ibn Ma’ruf, on the authority of Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Najran, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, on the authority of Ali ibn al-Muqayrih that Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) quoted on the authority of the Prophet (MGB), “The Honorable the Exalted God will protect anyone who attains the age of forty from three diseases: insanity, vitiligo and leprosy . God will ease the Reckoning of anyone who reachesthe age of fifty. God will grant anyone who reaches the age of sixty opportunity to repent. The companions of the heavens love anyone who reaches the age of seventy. God will order the good deeds to be recorded, and the bad deeds to be eliminated for anyone who reaches the age of eighty. Whenever a man reaches the age of ninety, God will forgive all his past and future sins. He will be considered to be one of the slaves of God on Earth.”In another tradition we read, “When he reaches the age of one-hundred he has reached the worst age.”In another tradition we read, “When one reaches his worst age, his intellect is like that of a seven year old child.”

22-26 حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن سلمة بن الخطاب، عن علي بن الحسين، عن أحمد بن محمد المؤدب، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن خالد القلانسي، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: يؤتى بالشيخ يوم القيامة فيدفع إليه كتابه ظاهرة مما يلي الناس لا يرى إلا مساوي فيطول ذلك عليه، فيقول: يا رب أتامرني إلى النار؟ فيقول الجبار جل جلاله: يا شيخ إني أستحيي أن اعذبك، وقد كنت تصلي لي في دار الدنيا، إذهبوا بعبدي إلى الجنة

22-26 (The compiler of the book narrated) that his father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’ed ibn Abdullah quoted Salamat ibn al-Khat’tab, on the authority of Ali ibn al-Hussein , on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Mo’adab, on the authority of Asim ibn Hamid, on the authority of Khalid al-Qalanesi that Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) said, “When they bring an old man on the Resurrection Day for Reckoning, and hand him his Record of Deeds with the side of it showing his sins and evil deeds facing the people, time will pass very slowly for him. He will say, ‘O my Lord! Do you order that I be taken to Hell?’ God - may His Majesty be Exalted - says, ‘O old man! I feel too shy to punish you, since you prayed when you were living in the world. Take My servant to Paradise!’”

22-27 حدثنا أبوسعيد محمد بن الفضل بن محمد بن إسحاق المذكر قال: حدثنا أبوالعباس محمد بن يعقوب الاصم قال: حدثني بكر بن سهل الدمياطي قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن المهاجر ربيح النجيبي) قال: حدثنا ابن وهب، عن حفص بن ميسرة عن زيد بن أسلم، عن أنس قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ما من معمر يعمر أربعين سنة إلا صرف الله عنه ثلاثة أنواع من البلاء: الجنون والجذام والبرص، فإذا بلغ الخمسين لين الله عليه حسابه، فاذا بلغ الستين رزقه الله الانابة إليه بما يحب ويرضى، فاذا بلغ السبعين أحبه الله وأحبه أهل السماء، فاذا بلغ الثمانين قبل الله حسناته، وتجاوز عن سيئاته، فاذا بلغ التسعين غفر الله له ما تقدم من ذنبه وما تأخر، وسمي أسير الله في أرضه، وشفع في أهل بيته

22-27 Abu Sa’id Muhammad ibn al-Fazl ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Mozakir narrated that Abul Ab’bas Muhammad ibn Yaqoob al-Asim quoted Bakr ibn Sahl al-Damyati, on the authority of Abdullah ibn al-Muhajir (ibn al-Rabih al-Najibi) , on the authority of Ibn Wahab, on the authority of Hafs ibn Maysara, on the authority of Zayd ibn Aslam, on the authority of Anas that God’s Prophet (MGB) said, “The Honorable the Exalted God will protect anyone who attains the age of forty from the three diseases: insanity, vitiligo and leprosy . God will ease the Reckoning of anyone who reaches the age of fifty. God will grant anyone who reaches the age of sixty an opportunity to repent as God likes him/her and is pleased with him/her. God and the companions of the heavens love anyone who reaches the age of seventy. God will order the good deeds to be recorded, and the bad deeds to be eliminated for anyone who reaches the age of eighty. Whenever a person reaches the age of ninety, God will forgive all his past and future sins. He will be considered to be one of the slaves of God on Earth, and his intercession on behalf of his family members would be accepted.”

22-28 حدثنا أبوأحمد محمد بن جعفر البندار الفقيه بفرغانة قال: حدثنا أبوالعباس الحمادي قال: حدثنا محمد بن علي الصائغ المكي بمكة قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن المنذر الحزامي قال: حدثني عبد الله بن محمد بن الحسين قال: حدثني محمد بن عبد الله بن عمر بن عثمان، عن أنس بن مالك قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ما من عبد يعمر في الاسلام أربعين سنة إلا صرف الله عنه ثلاثة أنواع من البلاء: الجنون والجذام والبرص، فاذا بلغ الخمسين لين الله عليه الحساب، فاذا بلغ الستين رزقه الله الانابة إليه بما يحب الله عز وجل، فإذا بلغ السبعين أحبه الله وأحبه أهل السماء، فاذا بلغ الثمانين قبل الله حسناته، وتجاوز عن سيئاته، فاذا بلغ التسعين غفر الله له ما تقدم من ذنبه وما تأخر، وسمي أسير الله في أرضه، وشفع في أهل بيته

22-28 Abu Ahmad Muhammad ibn Ja’far al-Bandar, the jurisprudent in Furqan - narrated that Abul Ab’bas al-Himady quoted Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sa’eq al-Maki in Mecca, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Monzar al-Haza’ami, on the authority of Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hussein, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Uthman, on the authority of Anas ibn Malik that God’s Prophet (MGB) said, “The Honorable the Exalted God will protect anyone who attains the age of forty from the three diseases: insanity, vitiligo and leprosy. God will ease the Reckoning of anyone who reaches the age of fifty. God will grant anyone who reaches the age of sixty opportunity to repent as the Honorable the Exalted God wills. God and the companions of the heavens love anyone who reaches the age of seventy. God will order the good deeds to be recorded, and the bad deeds to be eliminated for anyone who reaches the age of eighty. Whenever a man reaches the age of ninety, God will forgive all his past and future sins. He will be considered to be one of the slaves of God on Earth and his intercession on behalf of his family members would be accepted.”

22-29 حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن محمد بن الحسين ابن أبي الخطاب عن أبي جعفر الاحول، عن زكريا الموصلي كوكب الدم قال: سمعت العبد الصالح عليه السلام يقول: من حج أربعين حجة قيل له: اشفع فيمن أحببت ويفتح له باب من أبواب الجنة يدخل منه هو ومن يشفع له

22-29 (The compiler of the book narrated) that his father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’ed ibn Abdullah quoted Muhammad ibn al-Hussein ibn Abil Khat’tab, on the authority of Abi Ja’far al-Ahval, on the authority of Zakariya al-Mousily - known as Kokab al-Dam , on the authority of Al-Abdul Salih (MGB), “Anyone who has gone on the Hajj pilgrimage will be told, ‘You may intercede on behalf of whomever you wish.’ One of the gates of Paradise shall be opened up for him and whomever he intercedes for on his behalf.”

Al-Khiṣāl

Book 23, Chapter 14