From Yunus ibn Zabyan, from al-Sadiq, from his father, from Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father, from the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon them all), who said: When God willed to take the soul of Abraham (AS), He sent the Angel of Death to him. He gave the greeting of peace, and Abraham returned the greeting. Then he said to him: Are you a visitor or a summoner? He said: Rather a summoner, so respond. He said: Have you ever seen an intimate friend cause the death of his intimate friend? So the angel returned and stood before God and said: My God, You have heard what Your friend Abraham said. God, Mighty and Exalted, said: O Angel of Death, go to him and say to him: Have you ever seen a beloved who dislikes meeting his beloved? Truly the beloved loves to meet his beloved. (Kulliyyat-i Hadith-i Qudsi, vol. 1, p. 46)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When God willed to take the soul of Abraham (AS), He sent the Angel of Death to him. Azrael gave the greeting of peace, and Abraham returned his greeting. Then he asked him: Have you come to visit me, or have you come to take my soul? Azrael answered: I have come to take you to God; respond. Abraham (AS) said: Have you ever seen a friend cause the death of his own friend? Azrael was astonished at this saying and returned to God and said: My God! Your friend Abraham says such and such. God, Mighty and Exalted, said: Go to him and say: Have you ever seen a beloved who is displeased at meeting his beloved? The beloved is always longing to meet his beloved.
Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Khazzaz, from Musa ibn Isma'il, from his father, from Musa ibn Ja'far, from his father, from his forefathers, from the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon them all): in the hadith of the Jew who was owed some dinars by the Messenger (PBUH) and demanded them from him, saying: I will not part from you until you pay me. So the Messenger of God (PBUH) sat with him until he had prayed in that very place the noon, afternoon, sunset, night, and dawn prayers, and he said: My Lord did not send me to wrong a protected person (mu'ahid) or anyone else. When the day rose high, the Jew embraced Islam and said: This is half of my wealth for the sake of God. I did that only in order to see your description as it is in the Torah; for I read your description in the Torah: Muhammad ibn Abdullah, his birthplace is Mecca and his migration is to Tayba (Medina); he is neither harsh nor hard-hearted, neither clamorous nor given to obscenity nor to foul speech. (Kulliyyat-i Hadith-i Qudsi, vol. 1, p. 116)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: A Jew was owed a sum by the Messenger of God (PBUH). One day he came to the Prophet and demanded what was owed him and said: Until you pay me my debt, I will not leave you. So the Messenger of God (PBUH), who at that time had nothing, was obliged to sit with him, and in that very place he performed the noon, afternoon, sunset, night, and dawn prayers. And he said: My Lord did not send me to wrong one with whom I have a covenant, nor indeed anyone at all! The next morning, when the day rose high, that Jew embraced Islam and said: I give half of my wealth in the way of God. I did this only so that I might be certain that you are the one described in the Torah; for I have read in the Torah that the Seal of the Prophets — his birthplace is Mecca and his migration is to Medina, and he is neither harsh-tempered, nor hard-hearted, nor quarrelsome, nor foul-mouthed, nor does he utter unseemly words.
From Ali ibn Asbat, from his uncle Ya'qub ibn Salim, tracing it back to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), who said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: Let the first thing a woman in childbed eats be fresh dates, for God Most High said to Mary: And shake toward yourself the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates [Qur'an 19:25]. It was said: O Messenger of God, and if it is not the season of fresh dates? He said: Then seven dried dates of the dates of Medina; and if there are none, then seven dried dates from the dates of your own towns. For God Most High says: By My might and My majesty and the loftiness of My station, no woman in childbed eats fresh dates on the day she gives birth but that, if the child is a boy, he shall be forbearing, and if it is a girl, she shall be forbearing. And al-Barqi related it in al-Mahasin with the aforementioned chain. (Kulliyyat-i Hadith-i Qudsi, vol. 1, p. 254)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) used to counsel that the first thing a woman in childbed eats should be rutab (fresh dates), because God Most High said to Mary: And shake toward yourself the trunk of the palm tree, so that fresh, ripe dates will fall upon you [Qur'an 19:25]. They asked: And if it is not the season of fresh dates? He said: Then let her eat seven dates of Medina in their place. They asked: And if there are no dates of Medina? He said: It makes no difference; let her eat seven dates. God Most High has said: The woman who eats fresh dates on the day of her delivery — her child will be forbearing.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: The Messenger of God (PBUH) had a secret, so guard the secret of the Messenger of God (PBUH). For I heard the Messenger of God (PBUH) say: O Ali, I tell you nothing except what my two ears have heard, my heart has grasped, and my eyes have seen. If it is not from God, then it is from His messenger — meaning Gabriel. When I was taken on the Night Journey and reached the heaven, I was called: O Muhammad, your Lord sends you greetings of peace and says to you: Say to whoever of your community has committed a grave sin and wishes it to be erased and to be purified of it: let him purify for Me his body and his garments, and let him go out into the open wilderness of My earth and turn his face toward Me where no one sees him. Then let him raise his hands to Me — for there is no veil between Me and him — and let him say: O All-Encompassing One, O Beautiful One, O You whose returning favor is good, O You who are sought for the bounty of Your mercy, O You who are held in awe for the might of Your sovereignty, O You who are merciful in every place: a helpless one whom affliction has struck has come out to You, seeking refuge in You and in awe of You. He says: I have done evil and wronged my own soul, and for Your forgiveness I have come out to You. I seek Your protection that I may be brought out of the Fire; by the might of Your majesty, grant pardon; and by Your Name by which You have named Yourself, which You have set in all Your grandeur and with all Your power and in all Your sovereignty, which You have placed in Your grasp, which You have illumined by Your Book, and which You have clothed with dignity from Yourself. O God, I ask of You that You erase it from me; so erase from me that for which I have come to You, and keep my body far from the like of it. For truly I believe in You — there is no god but You — and in Your Name in which lies the distinguishing of all affairs. This is my confession, so do not forsake me; grant me well-being and deliver me from this enormous sin. I am ruined, so retrieve me, by the right of all Your rights, O Generous One. For if he intends by what I have commanded you none other than Me, I shall free him from that grave sin, so that I forgive it for him and purify him of it forever.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) used to explain certain matters to me and to emphasize that I should keep them, like a secret, hidden from those unworthy of them. One day he said to me: O Ali! I tell you nothing except what my ears have heard, my heart has understood, and my eyes have seen. These matters, if they are not from God, are from His messenger Gabriel. On the night when I was taken on the Ascension, when I reached the heaven, I heard a call: O Muhammad! Your Lord sends you greetings of peace and says: Say to whoever of your community has committed a great sin and wishes to have it erased and to be purified: let him purify his body and his garments, then go to a solitary place in the open country, turn his face toward Me where no one sees him, and raise his hands toward Me — there is no veil between him and Me — and let him say: O God of vast mercy, O God whose returning kindness is good, O You who grant the bounty of Your mercy to those who seek it, O You whose sovereign majesty is awesome, O You whose mercy is spread everywhere! A powerless servant who has fallen into hardship has taken refuge with You and stands in fear of You. He says: I have committed a sin and wronged myself. In hope of Your forgiveness I have come to You, and I seek Your protection that You may save me from the Fire. By Your might and Your majesty, pardon my sin. By the holy Name that You have caused to run through all Your grandeur and power and sovereignty, by Your illuminating Book, and by the particular dignity and awe that You have bestowed upon that Name — O God! I ask of You that You wipe away my sin; so erase it from me and keep me far from returning to it. Truly there is no god but You, and I believe in Your holy Name which contains within it the clear distinction of all affairs. This is my confession, so do not abase me; grant me well-being, and deliver me from this enormous sin. I am ruined, so by the right of all Your rights, take my hand, O Generous One!
So if a servant supplicates in this way and his intention in it is sincere, I shall deliver him from his sin, forgive it for him, and purify him of that sin forever.
O Muhammad, and whoever of your community has many sins — sins less than the grave ones — until he becomes known for their multitude and is detested for following them: let him rely upon Me at the break of dawn and before the twilight fades, and let him set his face toward Me and say: O my Lord, O my Lord! So-and-so son of so-and-so, Your servant, is deeply ashamed before You, since he exposes himself to Your mercy while persisting in the enormous sin You have forbidden. O Mighty One, O Mighty One! The enormity of what I have done none knows but You. The near and the far have gloated over me in it; enemy and friend alike have abandoned me in it; and I have surrendered my hand to You, coveting one thing alone, and my coveting in that is Your mercy. So have mercy on me, O Possessor of vast mercy, and retrieve me with forgiveness and with preservation from sins, for I implore You. I ask You by Your Name whose mention makes the feet of the bearers of Your Throne give way, and at whose hearing the pillars of the Throne tremble down to the lowest depths. I ask You by the might of that Name which has filled everything besides You, that You have mercy upon me for my seeking refuge with You. And by this Name of Yours, O Mighty One, I have come to You with such and such — and he names the deed he has committed — so forgive me its consequence and keep me safe from its aftermath after this standing of mine, O Merciful One. For truly, when he says that, I change his sins into good deeds, raise up his supplication as answered, and give him victory over his own desire.
O Muhammad! Whoever of your community's sins have become many, to the point that he has become notorious for sinfulness and is blamed for following his sins: let him, after the dawn call to prayer and before the twilight vanishes and the sun rises, turn his face toward Me and say: O my Lord, O my Lord! So-and-so son of so-and-so (let him say his own name and his father's) is a servant who is ashamed before You, for although he knows that Your mercy is vast, he has nevertheless persisted in what You have forbidden. O Mighty One! O Mighty One! The great sin I have committed, none knows but You. Those near to me and strangers alike have reproached me; enemy and friend have left me alone; and now I have stretched out my hands toward You in hope of one thing alone, and that is hope in Your mercy. So O God, Possessor of vast mercy, have mercy upon me, and take my hand with forgiveness and with preservation from sins, for I implore You. I ask You by Your holy Name at whose mention the feet of the bearers of Your Throne tremble and the pillars of the Throne shake down to the depths of the earth. By the might of that Name which encompasses all things save Your own Essence, I ask You that, because of my seeking refuge with You, You make me an object of Your mercy. And by this great Name of Yours I have come to You, having committed such and such a sin (let him name his sin); so lift its burden from my shoulders and protect me from its consequences after this standing of mine before You, O Merciful God!
So if he says this, I shall turn his sins into good deeds, answer his supplication, and make him victorious over the desire of his soul.
O Muhammad, and whoever of your community has many cares: let him call upon Me in secret and say: O Dispeller of sorrows, O You who widen what is straitened, O You who are nearer to His creatures than they are to themselves, O Fashioner of these souls and Inspirer of their wickedness and their piety! There has descended upon me, O Reliever of care, a care by which my strength is straitened and my breast constricted, so that I fear I may become the target of trial. O God, and by Your remembrance hearts find rest! O Turner of hearts, turn my heart from cares to ease and tranquility, and do not let the cares that are upon me distract me from Your remembrance by Your leaving them with me, for I have emptied myself for You. I ask You by Your Name which cannot be described save in meaning, because You have concealed it in Your luminous unseen realms: by its right, clear away my sorrows, and expand my breast by stripping away the care that is upon me, O Generous One. For truly, when he says that, I take him into My care and clear away his cares, and they shall never return to him.
O Muhammad! Whoever of your community's sorrows have grown many: let him call upon Me in secret and say: O Remover of sorrows! O Opener of straitened places! O You who are nearer to the servants than they are to themselves! O Creator of souls and Inspirer of their wickedness and their piety! A sorrow has descended upon me that has taken away my strength and endurance, and I fear lest I fall into some trial. O God! Hearts find rest in Your remembrance. O Turner of hearts, turn my heart from sorrow to ease and tranquility, and do not, by leaving these sorrows with me, make me heedless of Your remembrance, for I have emptied myself for You alone. I adjure You by the Name that cannot be described except through its meaning, because You have kept it veiled within Your luminous hidden realms, that You remove my sorrow and expand my breast by clearing away these griefs, O Generous One!
So if he says this, I shall bring him into My own guardianship and wipe away his sorrow in such a way that it does not return.
O Muhammad, and whoever is struck by the calamity of poverty in his worldly life and desires relief from it: let him bring his need down before Me and say: O Repository of the treasures of the wealthy, O Enricher of the destitute out of the abundance of those treasures, through the favor returned upon them and Your regard for them! O God, we name none but You as god; all the gods worshipped besides You are worshipped only through fabrication and falsehood. There is no god but You, O Stopper of the breach of poverty, O Mender of harm, O Knower of what is hidden: have mercy on my flight to You from my poverty. I ask You by Your Name that dwells in Your self-sufficiency, whose invoker is never impoverished, that You shelter me from a clinging poverty through which I would forget religion, or from the lash of wealth by which I would be seduced away from obedience. By the right of the light of all Your Names, I ask of You of Your provision a sufficiency for this world by which religion may be preserved. I find none for me but You; the measures of provisions are with You — a sufficiency for this world by which religion is preserved. So benefit me from Your power over them by that which uproots the poverty that has befallen me, O Self-Sufficient One. For truly, when he says that, I pull poverty out of his heart, cover him over with sufficiency, and make him one of the people of contentment. (Kulliyyat-i Hadith-i Qudsi, vol. 1, p. 342)
O Muhammad! Whoever of your community upon whom the affliction of poverty has descended and who desires deliverance from it: let him take refuge with Me and say: O Source of the treasures of the wealthy! O Enricher of the needy through Your grace and favor! O God! We call upon none but You as god; all the other objects of worship that are worshipped besides You are the fabrications of illusion and falsehood. There is no god but You, O Remover of poverty! O Mender of loss! O Knower of secrets! I have fled from my poverty to You and taken refuge with You. I adjure You by Your Name of self-sufficiency — that Name which, whoever calls it to mind is never afflicted with poverty — that You shelter me from an enduring poverty that would cause me to forget religion, and from a wealth that would drag me into trial and heedlessness of Your obedience. By the right of the light of all Your Names, I ask of You a provision sufficient for this world that preserves religion, for I have no refuge but You, and the destinies of provisions are in Your hand. So from Your power grant me a provision that meets my need and drives poverty far from me, O Self-Sufficient One!
So if he says this, I shall drive poverty out of his heart, clothe him in sufficiency, and make him one of the people of contentment.
Ahmad ibn Abi Abdillah al-Barqi, tracing it back to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), who said: When God manifests Himself to His creation, He swears an oath upon Himself and says: By My might and My majesty, no wrongdoer's wrong shall pass Me by — not even a hand struck against a hand, nor a mere brushing with the hand, nor the butting between a horned ewe and a hornless one. (Kulliyyat-i Hadith-i Qudsi, vol. 1, p. 623)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When God would manifest Himself to His creation, He swore an oath and said: By My might and My majesty, I shall not let pass the wrong of any wrongdoer — even if that wrong be no more than a hand pushed back against a hand, or a horn struck wantonly, like the butting of a ram against a ewe.
'Al-Burhan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an' is among the most important narration-based Shi'i commentaries on the Qur'an, composed by Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani, a Shi'i scholar of the eleventh century (Hijri). In this commentary the author, following the sequence of the verses of the Noble Qur'an, touches upon matters of jurisprudence, the stories of the prophets, the traditions of the Prophet, and the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). Al-Bahrani was an Akhbari, and his commentary was written from that standpoint. In the introduction to his book he presents his motive for writing this commentary as the wish to provide a source for understanding the interpretations given by the Ahl al-Bayt of the Qur'anic verses and the secrets of the Noble Qur'an, and the necessity of being acquainted with their views in order to understand the Qur'an. The prevailing spirit of al-Burhan is that of a theological defence aimed at establishing the rightful claim of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) and setting forth their virtues. Most of the traditions in this book are found in older works, and al-Bahrani's achievement lay in gathering together the traditions scattered through various books on this subject.
Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani was born in Bahrain and pursued his studies in his homeland; he also made journeys to Najaf and Mashhad. His distinguishing feature is that he transmits traditions without criticizing them and without writing any explanation or commentary upon them. Al-Bahrani gathered a great many traditions without saying a word about the appraisal or disqualification of their transmitters, and without attempting any reinterpretation of reports that conflict with reason or with the transmitted sources; this is the method of the extreme Akhbaris. Al-Bahrani held the position of religious and social authority for the people of Bahrain, and he was buried there. His tomb stands to this day and is a place of visitation.