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

3-41 حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال: حدثني محمد بن معقل القرميسيني، عن جعفر الوراق قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الاشج، عن يحيى بن زيد بن علي بن الحسين عليهما السلام قال: خرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ذات يوم وصلى الفجرثم قال: معاشر الناس أيكم ينهض إلى ثلاثة نفر قد آلوا باللات والعزى ليقتلوني وقد كذبوا ورب الكعبة، فأحجم الناس ما تكلم أحد، فقال: ما أحسب أن علي بن أبي طالب فيكم، فقام إليه عامر بن قتادة فقال: إنه وعك في هذه الليلة ولم يخرج يصلي معك، فتأذن لي أن اخبره؟ فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله: شأنك، فمضى إليه فأخبره فخرج أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وكأنه نشط من عقال وعليه إزارقد عقد طرفيه على رقبته فقال: يا رسول الله ما هذا الخبر فقال: هذا رسول ربي يخبرني عن ثلاثة نفر قد نهضوا إلي ليقتلوني وقد كذبوا ورب الكعبة، فقال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: أنا لهم سرية وحدي هو ذا ألبس علي ثيابي فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله: بل هذه ثيابي وهذا درعي وهذا سيفي فألبسه ودرعه وعممه وقلده وأركبه فرسه وخرج أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فمكث ثلاثة أيام لا يأتيه جبرئيل بخبره ولا خبر من الارض فأقبلت فاطمة بالحسن والحسين عليهم السلام على وركيها تقول: أو شك أن يؤتم هذين الغلامين فأسبل النبي صلى الله عليه وآله عينيه يبكي، ثم قال: معاشر الناس من يأتيني بخبر علي، ابشره بالجنة، وافترق الناس في الطلب لعظيم ما رأوا بالنبي صلى الله عليه وآله وأقبل عامر بن قتادة يبشر بعلي ودخل أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام ومعه أسيران ورأس وثلاثة أبعرة وثلاثه أفراس وهبط جبرئيل فخبر النبي صلى الله عليه وآله بما كان فيه، فقال له النبي صلى الله عليه وآله: تحب أن اخبرك بما كنت فيه يا أبا الحسن؟ فقال المنافقون: هو منذ ساعة قد أخذه المخاض وهو الساعة يريد أن يحدثه، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله: بل تحدث أنت يا أبا الحسن لتكون شهيدا على القوم، فقال: نعم يا رسول الله لما صرت في الوادي رأيت هؤلاء ركبانا على الاباعر، فنادوني من أنت فقلت: أنا علي بن أبي طالب ابن عم رسول الله، فقالوا: ما نعرف لله من رسول سواء علينا وقعنا عليك أو على محمد، وشد علي هذا المقتـول، ودار بينـيوبينه ضربات وهبت ريح حمراء وسمعت صوتك فيها يا رسول الله وأنت تقول: قد قطعت لك جربان درعه فاضرب حبل عاتقه، فضربته فلم أحفه، ثم هبت ريح سوداء سمعت صوتك فيها يا رسول الله وأنت تقول: قد قلبت لك الدرع عن فخذه فاضرب فخذه،فضربته فقطعته ووكزته وقطعت رأسه ورميت به وأخذت رأسه، وقال لي: هذان الرجلان: بلغنا أن محمدا رفيق شفيق رحيم فاحملنا إليه ولا تعجل علينا وصاحبنا كان يعد بألف فارس.فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله: أما الصوت الاول الذي حك مسامعك فصوت جبرئيل، وأما الصوت الآخر فصوت ميكائيل، قدم إلى أحد الرجلين [فقدمه علي عليه السلام] فقال [النبي صلى الله عليه وآله]: قل لا إله إلا الله واشهد أني رسول الله فقال لنقل جبل أبي قبيس أحب إلى من أن أقول هذه الكلمة. فقال: أخره يا أبا الحسن واضرب عنقه [فضرب علي عليه السلام عنقه] ثم قال: قدم الآخر، فقدم، فقال: قل لا إله إلا الله واشهد أني رسول الله فقال: ألحقني بصاحبي، قال: أخره يا أباالحسن واضرب عنقه فأخره وقام أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام ليضرب عنقه فهبط جبرئيل فقال: يا محمد إن ربك يقرئك السلام ويقول لك: لا تقتله فانه حسن الخلق، سخي في قومه، فقال الرجل وهو تحت السيف: هذا رسول ربك يخبرك؟ قال: نعم، فقال: والله ما ملكت درهما مع أخ لي قط إلا أنفقته، ولا كلمت بسوء مع أخ لي، ولا قطبت وجهي في الجدب، وأنا أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وأنك رسول الله. فقال صلى الله عليه وآله: هذا ممن جره حسن خلقه وسخاؤه إلى جنات النعيم

3-41 (The compiler of the book narrated) that his father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Ma’qel al-Qarmaysani quoted Ja’far al-Var’raq on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Ashj, on the authority of Yahya ibn Zayd ibn Ali ibn al-Hussein (MGB), “One day God’s Prophet (MGB) went out and said the dawn prayer.Then he (MGB) asked, ‘O people! Which of you will rise against the three people who have sworn to Lat and Uzza to kill me? By the Lord of the Ka’ba! They have lied!’ The people all looked down and no one said anything. The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘I think Ali ibn Abi Talib (MGB) is not amongst you?’ Amir ibn Qatada said, ‘He (MGB) had a fever at night and did not come out to pray with you. Will you permit me to inform him?’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Go and do so.’He went and informed Ali (MGB). Then the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB) came out while he (MGB) had tied the two corners of his robe to his neck. He said, ‘O Prophet of God! What has happened?’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘My Lord has informed me that there are three people who have risen up to kill me, but I swear by the Lord of the Ka’ba that they have lied.’Then the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB) said, ‘I will get ready and go to fight with them by myself.’ Then the Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Fine. Here is my garment, my armor, and my sword.’ The Prophet (MGB) dressed him, put on his own armor on Ali (MGB), gave Ali (MGB) his own sword and put his own turban on Ali’s head. The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) rode his horse and left. Three days passed. Gabriel did not bring any news about Ali (MGB) and there was no other news about him. Fatimah (MGB) brought forth Al-Hassan (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB) and said, ‘I hope you have not made these boys orphans!’ The Prophet (MGB) cried and said, ‘I give the glad tidings of Paradise for whoever brings me any news about Ali (MGB).’ The people who were present there started to look around. Then Amir ibn Qatada returned with the news of Ali’s (MGB) return. Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) came back with two slaves, three camels and three horses. Gabriel descended to the Prophet (MGB) and informed the Prophet (MGB) about what had happened. The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Abal-Hassan ! Do you want me to tell you what happened?’ Then the hypocrites said, ‘So far Muhammad was in great pains wondering about Ali’s whereabouts and now he wants to tell us what has happened to Ali (MGB)!’Then the Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Abal-Hassan (Ali)! You yourself tell us what happened to you so that you be the witness for these people.’ Ali (MGB) said, ‘O Prophet of God! Yes. Once I got there I found these three people riding on camels. They yelled at me and asked me who I am. I replied, ‘I am the cousin of God’s Prophet!’ They said, ‘We do not know who God’s Prophet is. To us killing you and Muhammad is the same.’ Then this man who was killed attacked me and we had a fight. Then there came a red wind in which I could hear your voice saying, ‘I have cut off the neck of his armour for you. Hit him at the neck!’ I hit him at the neck, but it did not work. Then a black wind started to blow and I heard your voice saying‘I have raised his armour!’ I hit him on the leg and chopped it off. Then I threw him on the ground and chopped off his head. Then the other two said, ‘We have heard that Muhammad is a kind and sympathetic friend. Please do not rush in killing us and take us to him. This friend of ours equaled one-thousand fighters.’ Then the Prophet (MGB) said, ‘The first voice was that of Gabriel, and the second one was that of Michael.’ Then the Prophet (MGB) turned to one of the two men and said, ‘Say ‘There is no god but God, and I bear witness that you are God’s Prophet.’’The man replied, ‘It is easier for me to carry Mount Abi Qays on my shoulders than to say this. The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Then chop off his head.’ They brought forth the other man. The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Say ‘There is no god but God, and I bear witness that you are God’s Prophet.’’The man said, ‘Let me join my friend.’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘O Abal-Hassan (Ali)! Chop off his head.’ The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) got up to chop off the man’s head. However, Gabriel descended and said, ‘O Muhammad! Your Lord sends you greetings and says ‘Thou shall not kill him since he is good-tempered and kind with his tribe.’ The man who was under the sword asked, ‘Is this the messenger from your Lord who is informing you?’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Yes.’ The man said, ‘I swear by God that I never withheld even a penny from my brethren and I never fled from war. Now I bear witness that there is no god but God and that you are His Messenger.’ The Prophet (MGB) said, ‘This is a man whose generosity and being good-tempered will take him to Paradise.’”

Al-Khiṣāl

Book 4, Chapter 33