I have narrated the hadith of our master Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (AS) from our master the Commander of the Faithful (AS), who said (AS): Do not spend away your day with 'such and such' and 'we did so and so,' for with you are recording angels who reckon up all that you do — and all that we do. (Muhasabat al-Nafs by Ibn Tawus, vol. 1, p. 15)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Do not squander your time to no purpose, for the guardian angels who are also charged with recording your deeds are grieved by it.
And he (AS) said: The believer's way out of suspicion is that he not seek to confirm it. (Muhasabat al-Nafs by Ibn Tawus, vol. 1, p. 21)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The remedy for suspicion is to give it no weight.
It has been narrated from Ali (AS) that a man came to him hastening to denounce another man. He said: O you, we shall inquire into what you have said. If you prove truthful, we shall detest you; if you prove a liar, we shall punish you; and if you wish us to let you off, we shall let you off. He said: Let me off, O Commander of the Faithful. (Muhasabat al-Nafs by Ibn Tawus, vol. 1, p. 45)
One day a man came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and spoke ill of someone behind his back. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: I shall investigate what you have said. If you have spoken the truth, then for backbiting you are a wrongdoer and of no worth in my eyes; and if you have lied, I shall punish you. But if you wish, I shall pass over the whole matter and take no notice of it. When the man heard this, he said: O Commander of the Faithful! Let the matter drop entirely and consider it unheard.
Muhammad ibn Ja'far, of the descendants of Umar ibn Ali (AS), said: My father related to me, from his father, from his forefathers, from the Commander of the Faithful Ali (AS), who said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: The believer owes his brother thirty rights, from which he is not absolved except by fulfilling them or by being pardoned: that he forgive his slip, have mercy on his tears, cover his shame, overlook his stumbling, accept his excuse, rebut backbiting against him, be constant in giving him sincere counsel, preserve his friendship, keep faith with his trust, visit him in sickness, attend his funeral, answer his invitation, accept his gift, requite his kindness, give thanks for his favour, aid him well, guard his womenfolk, fulfil his need, intercede for his request, invoke a blessing when he sneezes, guide him back when he strays, return his greeting, speak kindly to him, treat his bounty well, believe his oaths, befriend him and not act with enmity toward him, and help him whether he be wrongdoer or wronged — as for helping him when he is a wrongdoer, that is by restraining him from his wrongdoing, and as for helping him when he is wronged, that is by assisting him to obtain his right — and that he not abandon him, nor forsake him, and that he love for him of good what he loves for himself, and dislike for him of evil what he dislikes for himself. Then he (AS) said: I heard the Messenger of God say: Truly, one of you may neglect something of his brother's rights, and he will be called to account for it on the Day of Resurrection, and judgement will be given against him in his brother's favour. (Muhasabat al-Nafs by Ibn Tawus, vol. 1, p. 76)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I heard from the Messenger of God (PBUH) that the believer owes his brother thirty rights, which must either be discharged or else pardoned by his brother. Otherwise he will be called to account for them at the Resurrection and must discharge them then. Those thirty rights are: that he forgive his sin; that he be compassionate toward him; that he cover his blunder; that he pass over his fault; that he accept his excuse; that he rebut backbiting against him; that he be constantly well-wishing toward him; that he preserve his friendship; that he consider himself indebted to him; that he visit him when sick; that he take part in his funeral procession; that he accept his invitation; that he accept his gift; that he requite his kindness; that he thank him for his favour; that he aid him well; that he guard his honour; that he fulfil his need; that he intercede with others for what he asks; that he pray for him when he sneezes; that he guide him; that he return his greeting; that he speak well with him; that he requite his goodness; that he affirm what he says; that he keep friendship with him; that he show no enmity; that he help him whether he be wrongdoer or wronged (when he is a wrongdoer, by preventing him from wronging, and when he is wronged, by assisting him to obtain his right); that he not abandon him in hardships; that he not let him be humiliated; and that whatever he approves or disapproves for himself, he approve or disapprove for him also.
And my father said: Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS) said: I heard Abu Abd Allah say: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) related to me, saying: I was at Fadak, in one of its walled gardens, which had become the property of Fatima (AS). He said: And suddenly there was a woman who had burst in upon me, and in my hand was a spade with which I was working. When I looked at her, my heart took flight at the beauty of hers that entered into me, and I likened her to Buthayna, daughter of Amir al-Jumahi, who was among the most beautiful women of Quraysh. She said: O son of Abu Talib, will you marry me, so that I may free you from need of this spade and lead you to the treasures of the earth? Then sovereignty shall be yours as long as you live, and your posterity's after you. Ali (AS) said to her: Who are you, that I may ask your family for your hand? She said: I am the world. He said to her: Then go back and seek a husband other than me. And I turned again to my spade. (Muhasabat al-Nafs by Ibn Tawus, vol. 1, p. 85)
Imam al-Sajjad (AS) narrated from his father, from the Commander of the Faithful (AS), that: I was busy digging with a spade at Fadak when a woman of surpassing beauty came toward me. She was so beautiful that my heart was shaken by her beauty. She resembled Buthayna, daughter of Amir al-Jumahi, who is the most beautiful woman of Quraysh. She said to me: O son of Abu Talib, wed me, that I may make you rich and free you forever from such labour as digging with a spade! I will make you master of the kingdom of the earth, and after you I will give that kingdom to your children. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I said to her: Who are you? She said: I am the world. When I heard this I said: Go and find yourself another husband! And I took up my spade and set about my work.
Muhammad ibn Ali (AS) related to me, from his father, from his grandfather Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), that he (AS) used to say: Whoever looks at a believer with a look meant to frighten him, God will make him afraid. (Muhasabat al-Nafs by Ibn Tawus, vol. 1, p. 85)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever looks at his believing brother in a way that frightens him, God will make him afraid.
My father related to me, from his forefathers, from Ali, that he (AS) said: God has taken a covenant from the believer that he shall not be believed in what he says, nor obtain redress against his enemy, and that he shall not assuage his anger except by disgracing himself — for every believer is bridled. And that is for a short span, and a long ease. (Muhasabat al-Nafs by Ibn Tawus, vol. 1, p. 85)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: God has already made a covenant with the believer and told him that in this world his word will not be believed, that he will not succeed in taking revenge on his enemy, and that anger will bring him no benefit save that his own honour is lost and he is disgraced. Indeed the believer is, as it were, bridled by God in this world. Yet this state is brief, and everlasting ease awaits the believer.