Ali ibn Faddal, from his father, from Abu al-Hasan (AS), who said: I asked him about the Commander of the Faithful: why did he not reclaim Fadak when he took charge of the people? He said: Because we are a Household who do not take back our rights from those who wrong us; God alone takes them. We are the guardians of the believers: we give judgement on their behalf and take their rights from those who wrong them, but we do not take for ourselves. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 41)
The narrator says: I asked Imam al-Kazim (AS): Why did the Commander of the Faithful (AS) not restore Fadak when he became caliph? He said: We are a Household whose rights God alone takes back from the oppressor. We are the kin and protectors of the believers, and we take back their rights for them from the oppressor; but for ourselves we do not do such a thing.
Zayd ibn Ali, from his father, from his grandfather al-Husayn ibn Ali, from the Commander of the Faithful Ali (peace be upon them), who said: I came to the Prophet (PBUH) while he was in one of his chambers. I asked his permission to enter and he gave it, and when I entered he said to me: O Ali, whoever stands firm in loyalty to you is like one who dwells in my company. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 51)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said to me: O Ali, those who stand firm in your guardianship are like those who have long been my true companions.
Muhammad ibn Fudayl ibn Ghazwan al-Dabbi said: Ghalib al-Juhani related to us, from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father, from his grandfather, from Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them), who said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: When I was carried by night up to the heaven, and then from heaven to heaven, and then to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, I was made to stand before my Lord (Mighty and Majestic), and He said to me: ... I have chosen Ali for you, so take him for yourself as successor and legatee, for I have bestowed upon him My knowledge and My forbearance, and he is truly the Commander of the Faithful. No one before him has been given this title and no one after him shall be. O Muhammad, Ali is the banner of guidance, the leader of whoever obeys Me, the light of My friends, and he is the word that I have made binding upon the God-fearing. Whoever loves him has loved Me, and whoever hates him has hated Me. It has already passed in My knowledge that he shall be tried and that others shall be tried through him. Were it not for Ali, My party would not be known, nor My friends, nor the friends of My messengers. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 60)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH), telling me of the night of the Ascension, said that God addressed him thus: I have chosen Ali for you; make him your successor and legatee. I have given Ali My knowledge and My forbearance, and I have named him Commander of the Faithful, a title belonging to his person alone: no one has been called by it, and no one ever shall be. O Muhammad, Ali is the standard of guidance and the leader of those who are truly My servants. Ali is the light of My friends. He is the one to whose guardianship all the God-fearing must submit. Whoever loves Ali has loved Me, and whoever is Ali's enemy is My enemy. It has been so decreed that Ali shall be tried and that creation shall be tried through him. Ali exists so that My party, My friends, and the legatees of My prophets may be known.
Musa al-Ta'i, from his father, from Ibn Mas'ud, who said: They were disputing in the mosque of Kufa and said: How is it that the Commander of the Faithful (AS) did not contend against the three as he contended against Talha, al-Zubayr, A'isha, and Mu'awiya? Word of this reached Ali (AS), so he ordered the call to be made that prayer was to be held in congregation. When the people had gathered he ascended the pulpit, praised God and extolled Him, and then said: O company of people, I have been told that you say such and such. They said: The Commander of the Faithful has spoken truly; we did say that. He said: In what I did, I have a pattern in the practice of the prophets. God (Mighty and Majestic) has said in His Book: 'Indeed, in the Messenger of God you have a good example' [Qur'an 33:21]. They said: And who are they, O Commander of the Faithful? He said: The first of them is Abraham (AS), when he said to his people: 'I withdraw from you and from what you call upon besides God' [Qur'an 19:48]. And I have a pattern in his cousin Lot, when he said to his people: 'Would that I had power against you, or could betake myself to some strong support' [Qur'an 11:80]. And I have a pattern in Joseph (AS), when he said: 'My Lord, prison is dearer to me than that to which they call me' [Qur'an 12:33]. And I have a pattern in Moses (AS), when he said: 'So I fled from you when I feared you' [Qur'an 26:21]. And I have a pattern in my brother Aaron (AS), when he said to his brother: 'Son of my mother, the people deemed me weak and were about to kill me' [Qur'an 7:150]. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 65)
The narrator says: People in the mosque of Kufa were arguing with one another as to why the Commander of the Faithful (AS), who fought A'isha, Talha, al-Zubayr, and Mu'awiya, did not contend against the first three caliphs. When this talk reached the Commander of the Faithful (AS), he ordered the people to be gathered in the mosque. Then he mounted the pulpit and said: O people, word has reached me that you say such and such. They said: Yes. He said: Then listen. God has asked of us in the Qur'an that we act according to the way of the prophets, where He says: 'Indeed, in the Messenger of God you have a good example' [Qur'an 33:21]. They said: And how did you act according to their practice? He said: I acted according to the practice of Abraham, where he said: 'I withdraw from you and from what you call upon besides God' [Qur'an 19:48]; and according to the practice of Lot, where he said: 'Would that I had power against you, or could betake myself to some strong support' [Qur'an 11:80]; and according to the practice of Joseph, where he said: 'My Lord, prison is dearer to me than that to which they call me' [Qur'an 12:33]; and according to the practice of Moses, where he said: 'So I fled from you when I feared you' [Qur'an 26:21]; and according to the practice of Aaron, where he said: 'Son of my mother, the people deemed me weak and were about to kill me' [Qur'an 7:150].
Al-Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahman, from his father, from his grandfather Amr ibn Sa'd, from the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), that he said one day to Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman: O Hudhayfa, do not speak to people of what they do not know, lest they rebel and fall into unbelief. Among knowledge there is that which is hard and heavy to bear: were the mountains to carry it, they would be unable to bear it. Truly, this knowledge of ours, the People of the House, will be denied and declared false, its transmitters will be killed, and whoever pursues it will be ill-treated out of malice and envy. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 67)
The narrator says: One day the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Hudhayfa al-Yamani: O Hudhayfa, do not tell people what is too heavy for them, for they will recoil and fall into unbelief. Part of knowledge is so weighty and heavy that the mountains have no strength to carry it. Our sciences will be denied and held to be false, their transmitters will be killed, and against whoever seeks after them, oppression and envy will be let loose.
Isa ibn Abd Allah al-Muhammadi, of the descendants of Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Ali, said: My father related to me, from his father, from his grandfather Ali (AS), who said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: The right of Ali over the Muslims is like the right of a father over his child. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 67)
The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: The right of Ali (AS) over the Muslims is like the right of a father over his child.
Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl ibn Ata, the client of Muzayna, said: Ja'far ibn Muhammad related to me, from his father (peace be upon them), from Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Hanafiyya (may God be pleased with him), who said: The standard was with me on the Day of the Camel, and most of the slain were among the Banu Dabba. When the people were routed, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) came forward, and with him were Ammar ibn Yasir and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (may God be pleased with them). He reached the litter, which looked like the spines of a hedgehog from all the arrows in it. He struck it with a staff and then said: Now then, O Humayra! Did you mean to kill me as you killed the son of Affan? Is it with this that God commanded you, or that the Messenger of God (PBUH) charged you? She said: You have prevailed, so be gracious. Then he (AS) said to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr: Look, has any weapon reached her? He found that she was unhurt; nothing had reached her except an arrow that had torn a rent in her garment and grazed her with a scratch that was nothing. Ibn Abi Bakr said: O Commander of the Faithful, she is safe from the weapons except for an arrow that got through to her garment and scratched her a little. Ali (AS) said: Take her up and lodge her in the house of the sons of Khalaf al-Khuza'i. Then he ordered his herald, who proclaimed: No wounded man is to be finished off, no fugitive is to be pursued, and whoever shuts his door is safe. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 87)
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya relates: On the day of the Battle of the Camel, the standard of the army of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was in my hand. Most of the slain were of the tribe of Banu Dabba. When the enemy's army was broken and Talha and al-Zubayr were killed, my father Ali (AS), together with Ammar ibn Yasir and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, who was A'isha's brother, went to A'isha's litter. The litter had fallen to the ground in a certain place, and so many arrows had struck it that from afar it looked like a gigantic hedgehog. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) struck the frame of the litter with his staff and said: Now then, Humayra! You killed Uthman; did you mean to kill me as you killed him? Did God tell you to do these things, or the Messenger of God? From inside the litter A'isha raised her voice tremblingly and said: Now that you have won the victory, be lenient. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr: See that no arrow has struck her. Muhammad looked inside the litter and said: No arrow has struck her except one, which has torn her shift and grazed her skin a little. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Lodge A'isha in the houses of the sons of Khuza'i. And he ordered the herald to proclaim: No one has the right to kill a wounded man or to pursue one who has fled, and in Basra whoever shuts the door of his house is safe.
Abu Suhayl ibn Malik, from Malik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathan, who said: When Ali (AS) took charge, the people hastened to pledge allegiance to him. The first to rise and pledge allegiance were Talha and al-Zubayr. Then the Emigrants and the Helpers rose, and then the rest of the people, until all had pledged allegiance to him. Those who took the pledge from them were Ammar ibn Yasir and Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan, and the two of them would say: We take your pledge upon obedience to God and the practice of His Messenger; and if we do not keep faith with you, then we have no claim to obedience from you, and no pledge is binding on your necks; and the Qur'an is our leader and yours. Then Ali (AS), on the pulpit, turned to his right and to his left and said: Whoever among you has merit and precedence, his reward for it lies with God. But whoever has answered God and His Messenger, entered our religion, faced our qibla, and eaten of our slaughtered animals, has thereby earned the rights of Islam and its bounds. So you, O people, are the servants of God, Muslims; and the wealth is God's wealth, to be divided among you equally. No one has any precedence over another save through God-fearing piety, and for the God-fearing there is with God the best of recompense and the most excellent of rewards. God has not made this world the recompense of the God-fearing, and what is with God is better for the righteous. When tomorrow comes, come early, for we have wealth that has been gathered. Let no one hold back, whether he has received a stipend or not, so long as he is a free Muslim. Attend, may God have mercy on you. Then he cried out: I am Abu al-Hasan, the lion that leads! And he came down from the pulpit and sat in a corner of the mosque. They gathered the next day and no one held back, and he divided among them three dinars for every person, noble and lowly, red and black, giving no one preference. No one held back except this group: Talha, al-Zubayr, Abd Allah ibn Umar, Sa'id ibn al-As, Marwan ibn al-Hakam, and some people with them. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 89)
The narrator says: When Ali (AS) became caliph, the people rushed forward to pledge allegiance to him. The first to rise and pledge allegiance were Talha and al-Zubayr; then came the Emigrants and the Helpers, and after them the rest of the people. Ammar ibn Yasir and Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan were taking the pledge, and they would say: The Commander of the Faithful's pledge with you rests upon the Book of God and the practice of the Messenger. And they would say: Whenever Ali is not faithful to these two, do not obey him, and he has no pledge binding upon your necks. And they would say: Let this Qur'an be witness between us and you. At that point the Commander of the Faithful (AS) mounted the pulpit and first looked carefully around the edges of the assembly. Then he said: Those who have merit and precedence in religion have their reward with God; but for me, all those who have answered God and the Messenger, entered the religion, and pray toward our qibla are equal in the rights of Islam, including the division of the public treasury. O people, you are all Muslims and servants of God, and therefore you have an equal share of the treasury. No one has any precedence over another except through God-fearing piety, and the reward and merit of the God-fearing with God is immense, though in this world they have no special recompense. Then he recited: 'And what is with God is better for the righteous.' Then he said: May God admit you all into His mercy! Tomorrow let everyone be present, so that I may divide the treasury among you equally. Then, with a roar, he said: I am Abu al-Hasan, the lion that leads! And he came down from the pulpit and sat in a corner of the Prophet's Mosque.
(We say: qarm is the title of the male lion who has mastery and sovereignty over the other lions of the wild, all of them obeying him. Thus the phrase 'I am Abu al-Hasan, the qarm' means: I am that Ali who must be obeyed, not one who obeys anyone.)
The next day everyone gathered, and each person, noble and lowly, white and black, received three coins as his share. But a number of people did not come, among them Talha, al-Zubayr, Abd Allah ibn Umar, Sa'id ibn al-As, and Marwan ibn al-Hakam.
Fudayl ibn Ghazwan, from al-Sha'bi, from al-Harith, from Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), who said: Whoever loves me shall see me on the Day of Resurrection in the state he loves, and whoever hates me shall see me on the Day of Resurrection in the state he detests. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 100)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever loves me will see me on the Day of Resurrection in the way that he loves; and whoever detests me will see me on the Day of Resurrection in the way that he finds hateful.
Al-Husayn ibn Mikhraq, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father: that a man from among the notables of the Arabs came as a delegate to Ali (AS). Ali (AS) said to him: Are there in your land people who have made themselves renowned for good, so that they are known for nothing else? He said: Yes. He said: And are there in your land people who have made themselves renowned for evil, so that they are known for nothing else? He said: Yes. He said: And are there in your land people who commit evil deeds and also earn good deeds? He said: Yes. He said: Those are the best of the community of Muhammad (PBUH); they are the middle cushion. To them the extremist returns, and to them the one who falls short comes up. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 114)
One of the Arab notables came into the presence of the Commander of the Faithful (AS). Ali (AS) asked him: In your land are there people who have made themselves renowned for good and are known only for good? He said: Yes. He said: Are there people who have made themselves renowned for evil and are known only for evil? He said: Yes. He said: And are there also people who sometimes do evil and sometimes good? He said: Yes. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: These are the best of the community of Muhammad (PBUH). These are the balanced ones (al-numruqa al-wusta). The extremists will one day return toward them, and those who have fallen short will one day come to join them.
Tha'laba ibn Maymun, from Abu Abd Allah (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: This world is but perishing and toil, changefulness and admonition. Of its perishing is that time has strung its bow and notched its arrow, striking the healthy with sickness and the living with death. Of its toil is that a man gathers what he does not eat and builds what he does not inhabit. Of its admonition is that you see the man who was envied become an object of pity, and the man who was pitied become an object of envy; in it there is nothing but a bliss that passes away or a misery that descends. Of its changefulness is that a man comes within sight of his hope, and then his appointed term snatches it away from him before he reaches it. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 114)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: This world is perishing, wearying, ever-changing, and a lesson. Its perishing lies in this, that time draws its bow and sets an arrow to strike the healthy with sickness and the living with death. Of its weariness is that a man gathers what he himself does not eat and builds what he does not dwell in. Of its changefulness and turning is that you see the man who was envied suddenly brought low, and the man who was helpless suddenly become enviable, neither state being anything but a fleeting good fortune or a hardship come down upon him. Of its lessons is that a man draws near to his hope, and then his appointed term snatches it away from him.
Sa'd ibn Tarif, from al-Asbagh ibn Nubata, who said: I was praying at the door of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), calling upon God, when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) came out and said: O Asbagh. I said: At your service. He said: What were you doing? I said: I was praying and calling upon God. He said: Shall I not teach you a supplication I heard from the Messenger of God (PBUH)? I said: Yes indeed. He said: Say: 'Praise be to God for whatever has been, and praise be to God in every state.' Then he struck my left shoulder with his right hand and said: O Asbagh, if your foot stands firm, and your loyalty is made complete, and your hand is opened wide, then God is more merciful to you than you are to yourself. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 116)
Al-Asbagh ibn Nubata says: I was outside the door of the Commander of the Faithful's house, occupied with prayer and calling upon God, when Ali (AS) came out and said in surprise: Asbagh, what are you doing? I said: I am praying for a need of mine. He said: Shall I teach you a supplication from the Messenger of God (PBUH)? I said: Yes, O Commander of the Faithful. He said: Say constantly: Thanks be to God for whatever has been, and thanks be to God always! (al-hamdu li'llahi ala ma kana wa'l-hamdu li'llahi ala kulli hal). Then he placed his right hand on my shoulder and said: Asbagh, if you stand firm in faith and become complete in loyalty and open your hand to take the hand of God's creatures, then God is more compassionate toward you than you are toward yourself. (That is, there is no need to stand praying in the alley and to press your requests.)
Ibn Uqda said: Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Ibrahim Abu Ali related to me, saying: My father's uncle al-Husayn ibn Musa related to me, from his father Musa, from his father Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father Muhammad ibn Ali, from his father Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon them), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The believer never rises in the morning but in fear, even if he is a doer of good, and never comes to the evening but in fear, even if he is a doer of good; for he stands between two things: between a time that has passed, and he does not know what God will do with him concerning it, and an appointed term drawn near, and he does not know what destructions will befall him in it. Beware, and speak good, that you may be known by it; and act by it, that you may be of its people. Join ties with your kin even if they cut you off; return with bounty to those who have deprived you; render back the trust to whoever has entrusted you; keep faith with the covenant of whomever you have made a covenant with; and when you judge, judge justly. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 116)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When the believer rises in the morning he is fearful, even if he is a doer of good; and when evening comes he is fearful, even if he is a doer of good. For he is caught between two things: between a time that has passed, and he does not know how God will deal with him on account of that time, and an appointed term that is near, and he does not know what dangers he will meet. So speak with goodness and be known for goodness, and act with goodness so that you may be among the good. Maintain ties with your kin even if they keep away from you; be generous to everyone who has deprived you; return the trust to whoever has held you trustworthy; keep faith with the covenant of the one with whom you have made a covenant; and in judging, incline to justice.
From al-Asbagh ibn Nubata, who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The sages of ages past used to say that a man ought to frequent doors for ten purposes. The first of them is the House of God (Mighty and Majestic), to perform its rites, to fulfil what is due to it, and to discharge its obligation. The second: the doors of those rulers whose obedience is joined to obedience to God (Mighty and Majestic), whose right is binding, whose benefit is great and whose harm is severe. The third: the doors of the scholars, from whom the knowledge of religion and of this world is gained. The fourth: the doors of the generous and open-handed, who spend their wealth seeking praise and hoping for the Hereafter. The fifth: the doors of the rash and unreflecting, who are needed when calamities strike and to whom one turns in times of need. The sixth: the doors of those notables whose favour is sought for gifts, for chivalrous help, and for the meeting of needs. The seventh: the doors of those from whom benefit is hoped for in opinion and counsel, in strengthening resolve, and in making the preparations required. The eighth: the doors of the brethren, because of the bond that is owed to them and the rights that are due to them. The ninth: the doors of enemies, whose mischief is calmed by courtesy and whose enmity is warded off by tact, gentleness, kindness, and visiting. And the tenth: the doors of those whose company profits one, from whom good manners are learned, and whose conversation gives comfort. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 117)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The sages of old used to say that a man should, as occasion requires, frequent ten places. First: the door of the House of God, for worship and supplication. Second: the court of the just ruler, for acquaintance with him brings much benefit and lack of acquaintance with him much harm. Third: the house of the scholar, in order to learn. Fourth: the mansion and estate of the generous, so as to enjoy their giving. Fifth: the house of those men of little judgement and much strength who will defend a man without stopping to think, since some affairs are carried through only by their hand, and certain kinds of support are possible only from them. Sixth: the house of the great and influential of society, since the knots of great matters are untied by their recommendation. Seventh: the house of sensible men with whom one may take counsel in the affairs of life. Eighth: the house of friends in faith, to do good to them and to observe their rights. Ninth: the house of enemies, so as to lessen their enmity through courtesy. Tenth: the house of the companion who is a man's intimate and friend and who makes his heart glad.
From al-Mu'alla, who said: Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Khalid related to us, saying: Abd Allah ibn Bakran al-Muradi related to us, from Musa ibn Ja'far, from his father, from his grandfather, from Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS), who said: One day, while the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was sitting with his companions, arraying them for battle, an old man came to him bearing the marks of travel and said: Where is the Commander of the Faithful? It was said: This is he. He greeted him and then said: O Commander of the Faithful, I have come to you from the region of Syria, and I am a very old man. I have heard of your merits more than I can count, and I think that you will be assassinated; so teach me of what God has taught you. He (AS) said: Yes, O elder. Then he said: O elder, keep guard over your tongue, weigh your words, and say nothing but good. O elder, be content for people with what you are content with for yourself, and do to people what you would love to have done to you.
Then Zayd ibn Suhan al-Abdi said to him: O Commander of the Faithful, which sovereign is most overpowering and strongest? He said: Caprice. He said: And which humiliation is the most abasing? He said: Greed for this world. He said: And which poverty is the most severe? He said: Unbelief after faith. He said: And which deed is the most excellent? He said: God-fearing piety. He said: And which of creation is the most wretched? He said: One who sells his religion for another man's world. He said: And which of creation is the strongest? He said: The forbearing. He said: And which of people is the shrewdest? He said: One who discerns his right course from his straying. He said: And who is the most forbearing of people? He said: The one who does not grow angry. He said: And which of people is the most foolish? He said: The one deluded by this world. He said: And which of creation is the most blind? He said: The one who works for other than God. He said: And which of afflictions is the most severe? He said: Affliction in religion. He said: And which of deeds is the most beloved to God? He said: Awaiting the relief. He said: And which speech is the most excellent with God? He said: Abundant remembrance of Him, humble entreaty to Him, and supplication to Him. He said: And which of deeds is the greatest with God? He said: Submission.
Then he (AS) turned to the old man and said: O elder, God has created creatures for whom He straitened this world out of regard for them; He made them abstain from it and from its worthless refuse, so they desired the Abode of Peace, bore patiently the narrowness of their livelihood, bore patiently what was hateful, longed for what is with God, and gave their very selves seeking the good pleasure of God. Those are the lamps and the people of bliss in the Hereafter. And peace.
The old man said: And where should I go, leaving Paradise behind, when I see it and see its people with you? Equip me with strength by which I may gain strength against your enemy. So the Commander of the Faithful gave him a weapon and mounted him, and in the battle he was in front of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), striking forward and ever forward, while the Commander of the Faithful marvelled at what he did. When the fighting grew fierce he drove his horse forward until he was killed. A man from among the companions of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) followed him and found him fallen, and found his mount, and found his sword still in his forearm's grip. When the battle was over, his mount and his weapon were brought to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) prayed over him and said: By God, this man is the truly blessed one; so ask God's mercy for your brother. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 118)
The narrator says: One day the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was sitting with his companions, preparing them for battle, when an old man who was clearly a traveller arrived and asked: Which one is the Commander of the Faithful? They said: That is he. He greeted him and said: O Commander of the Faithful, I have come from Syria and I am a worn-out old man. I have heard much of your merit, and I reckon that you will soon be killed. So I have come to gain knowledge from you before your death. Teach me of what God has taught you. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Very well, O elder. Then he said: Speak little, and weigh well whatever you say; then, if you judge it to be good, say it. O elder, whatever you desire for yourself, desire it also for others, and do to people as you would love them to do to you.
At this point Zayd ibn Suhan broke in on Ali's words and asked: O Commander of the Faithful, what is the thing that most overpowers a man? He said: Caprice. He asked: In what lies the greatest abasement? He said: Greed for this world. He asked: The worst poverty? He said: Unbelief. He asked: The best deed? He said: God-fearing piety. He said: The most wretched of men? He said: The one who gives away his Hereafter for the world of others. He said: The strongest human being? He said: The forbearing. He asked: The shrewdest? He said: The one who can tell his right course from his straying. He asked: The mark of forbearance? He said: Not growing angry. He asked: The most foolish of men? He said: The one whom this world has occupied. He asked: The most senseless of men? He said: The one who wearies himself for the pleasure of other than God. He asked: The worst affliction? He said: Affliction in religion. He asked: The deed most beloved to God? He said: Not despairing, and hoping for the relief. He asked: The best speech? He said: Remembering God, speaking with God. He asked: The greatest work in God's sight? He said: Submitting to Him.
Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) turned again to the elder and said: God has servants upon whom He deliberately straitens this world, because He loves them. He makes them without desire for this world and its worthless refuse and inclines them toward the Hereafter. He makes them patient in the narrowness of their livelihood and in its hardships, and makes them long for what is with Him, so that they may give their very being in the way of His good pleasure. Such people are the lamps of guidance and the possessors of the Hereafter. When his words had reached this point, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: And now, farewell!
The elder said: Farewell for what? Should I leave Paradise and go where? I see Paradise in you and in your companions. Give me a weapon too, that I may fight your enemy at your side. So the Commander of the Faithful (AS) gave him a weapon and a mount, and he began to fight at his master's side. The old man went ahead of everyone toward the enemy's army and fought with all his strength and ardour, so that he astonished the Commander of the Faithful. At one point in the battle he threw himself into the heart of the enemy army and no news of him was heard. After the battle they found his horse without a rider, and when they searched they found him slain, lying somewhere with his sword still gripped firmly in his hand. They brought his sword and his mount to the Commander of the Faithful. Ali (AS) invoked blessings upon him and said: By God, this man was truly one of the blessed. Then he said: Let all of you ask God's mercy for this brother in faith of yours.
Abu Hassan al-Ijli said: I met Amat Allah, the daughter of Rushayd al-Hajari, and said to her: Tell me what you heard from your father. She said: I heard him say: My beloved, the Commander of the Faithful (AS), said to me: O Rushayd, how will your patience be when the bastard of the Umayyads sends for you and cuts off your hands, your feet, and your tongue? I said: O Commander of the Faithful, will the end of that be Paradise? He said: Yes, O Rushayd, and you will be with me in this world and the next. She said: By God, not many days had passed before that bastard Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad sent for him and called upon him to disavow the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and he refused to disavow him. Ibn Ziyad said to him: And by what death did your master tell you that you would die? He said: My intimate friend (God's blessings be upon him) told me that you would call upon me to disavow him, and that I would not disavow him, and that you would bring me forward and cut off my hands, my feet, and my tongue. He said: By God, I will prove your master a liar! Bring him forward, and cut off his hand and his foot, and leave his tongue. So they cut them off and then carried him to our house. I said to him: O father, may I be your ransom, do you feel any pain from what has befallen you? He said: By God, no, my little daughter, except like the jostling of a crowd of people. Then his neighbours and acquaintances came in to him, grieving for him, and he said: Bring me a sheet of paper and an inkwell, that I may tell you what is to come, of what my master the Commander of the Faithful (AS) taught me. So they brought him a sheet and an inkwell, and he began to recount and dictate to them reports of the great trials and the events to come, ascribing them to the Commander of the Faithful (AS). Word of this reached Ibn Ziyad, so he sent the cupper to him until he had cut out his tongue, and he died that very night (may God have mercy on him). The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to call him Rushayd the sorely tried, for he (AS) had imparted to him the knowledge of trials and of deaths. He would meet a man and say to him: O so-and-so, son of so-and-so, you will die such a death; and you, so-and-so, will be killed in such a manner. And the matter would come to pass just as Rushayd (may God have mercy on him) had said. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 124)
The narrator says: I met Amat Allah, the daughter of Rushayd al-Hajari, and said: Tell me what you heard from your father. She said: My father used to say: My beloved, the Commander of the Faithful (AS), said to me: How will your endurance be when the bastard of the Umayyads sends a company against you to cut off your two hands, your two feet, and your tongue? I said: O Commander of the Faithful, will its end be Paradise? He said: Yes, O Rushayd, you will be with me in this world and in the Hereafter. Rushayd's daughter says: After my father told me this, not much time passed before Ibn Ziyad sent a group after my father and called upon him to disavow the Commander of the Faithful (AS). But he refused. So Ibn Ziyad said: Has your master told you in what manner you will depart this world? Rushayd said: Yes; he told me that you would call upon me to disavow him, and that I would not disavow him, and that you would cut off my two hands, my two feet, and my tongue. Ubayd Allah said: By God, your master has lied! Bring him and cut off his hands and feet, and leave his tongue. So they cut off my father's hands and feet and brought him back home to die. At that point I said to him: O father, may I be your ransom, do you feel any pain from what has come upon you? He said: By God, no, except like the pressure one feels from a great throng of people. The neighbours and acquaintances came in to my father and mourned and sympathised with him. Then he said: Bring paper and an inkwell, so that I may tell you what the Commander of the Faithful (AS) made known to me. So they brought paper and an inkwell, and he began to speak, telling of coming events and of the trials of society; and to whoever wished it, Rushayd would tell the manner of his death. All of this he ascribed to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and knew from the sciences that he had bestowed upon him. Word reached Ibn Ziyad that Rushayd was not dying, that he was continually speaking of the unseen, and that people were gathering around him in throngs. So he sent his executioner to cut out his tongue as well, and that very night he departed this world, just as the Commander of the Faithful (AS) had said. May God have mercy on him. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to call him Rushayd the sorely tried, and had taught him the knowledge of trials and of deaths. All those whose manner of death Rushayd had foretold died exactly as Rushayd had said.
Tha'laba ibn Maymun, from Abu Kahmas, from Imran ibn Maytham, from Malik ibn Damra, who said:
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to his Shi'a: Be among the people like the bee among the birds. There is not a bird but reckons it weak; yet if they knew what is within it, they would not treat it as they do. Mix with people with your bodies, but remain apart from them in your hearts and your deeds; for every man has what he has earned, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be with whomever he has loved. (Fada'il Ibn Uqda, vol. 1, p. 127)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to his Shi'a: Among people be like the honeybee among the birds; all of them count it weak and of no worth, and they do not know what treasure it holds hidden within. Keep company with people outwardly, but let your hearts and your deeds be other than theirs. In the end, everyone is a guest at the table of what he himself has sown, and will be raised up with the one he loves.