From al-Nu'man ibn Sa'd, from Ali (AS): The Prophet (PBUH) said: The best of you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it. (al-Burhan, vol. 1, p. 14)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) used to say: The best of you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it to others.
There has come, by way of both the Sunnis and the Shi'a, the report handed down from Abd Allah ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him), that he said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to me: To us belong the noblest passages of the Qur'an, and the noblest passages of the Qur'an are its finest, according to the words of the Exalted: 'Those who listen to the word and follow the best of it' [Qur'an 39:18] - and the 'word' here is the Qur'an. (al-Burhan, vol. 1, p. 52)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The noblest passages of the Qur'an belong to us. The noblest passages of the Qur'an are its finest parts. The Qur'an itself has said: Listen to the Qur'an and act upon the finest of it.
Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) said: I heard the Messenger of God (PBUH) say: I and Ali are the two fathers of this community, and our right over them is greater than the right of their own parents; for we - if they obey us - rescue them from the Fire to the abode of permanence, and we raise them from servitude to join the best of the free.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) used to say: I and Ali are the fathers of this community. Our right is greater than the right of parents, because we deliver the people from the Fire and bring them to the abode of permanence, and lead them from servitude to freedom.
(Amali of al-Shaykh): with his chain of transmission from Abu Umama al-Bahili, that he heard Ali ibn Abi Talib (may God's blessings be upon him) say: I do not consider that a man whose intellect has grasped Islam, and which has guided him within Islam, should pass a night in its sawad - I said: and what is its sawad? He said: the whole of it - without reciting this verse: 'God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting' [Qur'an 2:255]. And he recited the verse up to His words: 'and the preserving of them both does not weary Him, and He is the Most High, the Immense.' Then he said: Were you to know what is in it, you would not leave it under any circumstance. (al-Burhan, vol. 1, p. 527)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: One upon whose being the blessing of Islam has settled does not abandon Ayat al-Kursi. At the very least he recites it at night before sleeping. If you knew what a treasure Ayat al-Kursi is, you would never let go of its hem.
(The commentary attributed to Imam al-Askari (AS)): Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS) said: Two men from among his companions came in to the Commander of the Faithful (AS). One of them trod upon a snake and it bit him, and upon the other, on his way, a scorpion fell from a wall and stung him. Both collapsed, and because of what had befallen them they were moaning and weeping. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) was informed of it, and he said: Leave them be, for their time has not yet come and their trial is not yet complete. So the two were carried to their homes, and they remained ill and in pain, in severe torment, for two months. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) sent for them, and they were carried to him while the people were saying: They will die in the hands of those carrying them. He said to them: How are you? They said: We are in great pain and severe torment. He said to them: Seek God's forgiveness for every sin that has brought you to this, and seek refuge with God from whatever nullifies your reward and magnifies your burden of sin. They said: And how is that, O Commander of the Faithful? Ali (AS) said: Neither of you was afflicted except by his own sin. As for you, so-and-so - and he turned to one of them - do you recall the day when so-and-so disparaged Salman al-Farisi (may God have mercy on him) and reviled him for his loyalty to us, and what kept you from answering him back and belittling him was no fear for yourself, nor for your family, nor for your children and property, but only that you felt ashamed before him? For that reason this has befallen you. If you wish God to remove what afflicts you, then resolve that you will never see anyone slandering one of our friends, when you have the power to come to his aid even in his absence, without coming to his aid - unless you fear for yourself, your family, your children, or your property. And he said to the other: As for you, do you know why what befell you befell you? He said: No. He said: Do you not recall the time when Qanbar, my servant, came forward while you were in the presence of that tyrant so-and-so, and you rose out of respect for him because of your respect for me? He said to you: Do you rise for this one in my presence?! And I said to him: Why should I not rise, when the angels of God spread their wings for him upon his path, so that he walks upon them? When you said this to him, he rose against Qanbar and struck him, insulted him, harmed him, threatened him and threatened me, and forced me to swallow my anger as one swallows a mote in the eye. It is for this that this snake fell upon you. If you wish God the Exalted to grant you relief from this, then resolve never to do, to us or to any of our followers in the presence of our enemies, anything from which harm is feared for us or for them. Know that the Messenger of God (PBUH), despite the precedence he accorded me, would not rise from his seat for me when I came to him, as he used to do for some who did not possess a tenth of a tenth of one part in a hundred thousand of the regard he owed me; for he knew that this would drive some of God's enemies to what would grieve him, grieve me, and grieve the believers. And he would rise for people concerning whom he feared neither for himself nor for them what he feared for me had he done that for me. (al-Burhan, vol. 1, p. 584)
Imam al-Sajjad (AS) said: Two of the companions of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) were coming to him when one of them trod upon a snake and it bit him, and upon the other a scorpion fell from a wall and stung him. Both were laid low and, from the pain, fell to moaning and weeping. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) was informed, and he said: Leave them be! The time for help has not come and the trial is not yet complete. They were carried to their homes and lay ill for two months in severe and painful torment. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) asked after them and they were brought to him, while the people were saying: They will die on the way. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to them: How are you? They said: The pain has left us no rest. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Seek God's forgiveness for every sin that has brought you to this state, and take refuge with God from whatever ruins your reward and magnifies your sin. They said: O Commander of the Faithful, why has it turned out so? He turned to one of the two and said: Do you recall the day when a certain man reviled Salman al-Farisi and humiliated him because of his friendship with us, and you did not defend Salman? And your failure to defend him was not out of fear for your life, your property, or your family, but merely out of embarrassment! For this reason this affliction came upon you. If you want God to remove this pain from you, make a covenant that whenever you see someone humiliating a believer and you have the power to defend him, you will defend him, unless you fear for your life, your property, or your family. And to the other he said: As for you! Do you know why this affliction came upon you? He said: No! He said: Do you recall the day when Qanbar, my servant, came to you while you were in the presence of that tyrant, and out of respect for me you rose to honour Qanbar? That man said to you: Do you rise for this person in my presence?! And you said to him: Why should I not rise, when the angels of God spread their wings upon his path and he treads upon them? When you said this, that man rose and struck Qanbar, insulted him, harmed him and threatened him, and he threatened me too, and forced me into silence. It is for this reason that this snake was set upon you. If you wish God to heal you, make a covenant that in the presence of our enemies you will do nothing that causes fear or harm to us or to our friends. Know that the Messenger of God (PBUH), for all the merit he ascribed to me, would not rise from his place when I came to him - as he did for certain others who did not have even a hundred-thousandth of the honour due to me - because he knew that such an act would move some of the enemies to do something that would distress him, and me, and the believers. But he would rise for certain people for whom he feared nothing, neither for himself nor for them, unlike my case, where, had he done so, he feared sedition would follow.
From Yazid ibn Thabit, who said: A man asked the Commander of the Faithful (AS): May women be approached from the rear? He said: You have sunk low - may God bring you low! Have you not heard God say: 'You indeed commit the indecency that none in all the worlds has committed before you' [Qur'an 29:28]? (al-Burhan, vol. 2, p. 564)
Someone asked the Commander of the Faithful (AS): Is it permissible to approach women from the rear? He said: How base you are! May God not forgive you! Have you not read in the Qur'an that of the deed of the people of Lot (intercourse from behind) it is said that it is a flagrant sin without precedent?
Muhammad ibn Ya'qub said: It has been narrated that the Commander of the Faithful (may God's blessings and peace be upon him) said in a sermon - and he related the sermon until he (AS) said: But God, Mighty and Majestic, tests His servants with various hardships, calls them to worship through various struggles, and tries them with all kinds of unpleasant things, in order to drive arrogance out of their hearts, to settle humility within their souls, and to make of that gateways to His bounty, and means and evidence for His pardon and His testing, as He has said: 'Alif Lam Mim. Do people suppose that they will be left to say: We believe, and not be tried? We tried those who were before them; God shall surely know those who are truthful, and He shall surely know the liars' [Qur'an 29:1-3]. (al-Burhan, vol. 4, p. 303)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: God afflicts His servants with hardships, entangles them in the events of life, and tries them with what they find disagreeable, so that He may drive arrogance out of their hearts and settle humility within their souls, and so that through those very events He may open for them gateways to His bounty and provide them with means and grounds for His pardon. As He has said: Do people suppose that once they have said 'We believe' the matter is settled and We shall not test them? God tested those who came before them too, so as to distinguish the truthful from the liars.
And from him, who said: Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qattan related to us, saying: Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Hasani related to us, saying: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Hafs al-Khath'ami related to us, saying: al-Hasan ibn Abd al-Wahid related to us, saying: Ahmad ibn al-Taghlibi related to me, saying: Ahmad ibn Abd al-Hamid related to me, saying: Hafs ibn Mansur al-Attar related to me, saying: Abu Sa'id al-Warraq related to us, from his father, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from his grandfather (peace be upon them), who said: When the affair of Abu Bakr and the people's pledge of allegiance to him had taken place, and what they did to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) had occurred, Abu Bakr kept showing him a cheerful openness while seeing from him only aloofness. This weighed heavily upon Abu Bakr, so he desired to meet him, to draw out what was in his heart, and to excuse himself to him on the grounds that the people had gathered around him and had entrusted him with the affair of the community, and that he himself had little desire for it and no attachment to it. He came to him at a moment when he was unoccupied and asked to be alone with him, and said to him: By God, O Abu al-Hasan, this affair came about with no collusion on my part, nor from any desire for what I have fallen into, nor from eagerness for it, nor from any confidence in myself regarding what the community requires; I have no strength of wealth, nor a numerous clan, nor did I seize it away from anyone else. So why do you harbour against me in your heart what I do not deserve from you, and show me your displeasure at what I have come to, and look upon me with an eye of weariness? He said: Ali (AS) said to him: Then what moved you to it, if you had no desire for it, nor eagerness for it, nor confidence in yourself to undertake it and to fulfil what it requires of you? Abu Bakr said: A tradition I heard from the Messenger of God (PBUH): God does not gather my community upon error. When I saw them gathered, I followed the tradition of the Prophet (PBUH) and deemed it impossible that their gathering should be contrary to guidance; so I gave them the reins of consent. Had I known that anyone would hold back, I would have refused. He said: Ali (AS) said: As for what you mention of the tradition of the Prophet (PBUH), 'God does not gather my community upon error' - was I one of the community, or was I not? He said: Indeed you were. He said: And likewise the group who held back from you: Salman, Ammar, Abu Dharr, al-Miqdad, Ibn Ubada, and those of the Ansar who were with him? He said: All of them are of the community. Ali (AS) said: Then how can you argue by the tradition of the Prophet (PBUH) when the like of these have held back from you, men against whom the community casts no reproach, and who fell short neither in their companionship with the Messenger (PBUH) nor in their sincerity toward him? He said: I did not learn of their holding back until after the matter had been settled, and I feared that if I pushed the affair away from myself it would grow so grave for me that the people would turn back as apostates from the religion; and your bearing with me - if you would consent - would be a lighter burden upon the religion and more preserving of it than that people should strike one another and revert to unbelief. And I knew that you are no less concerned than I for their preservation and for their faith. Ali (AS) said: True; but tell me of the one who deserves this affair - by what does he deserve it? Abu Bakr said: By sincere counsel, fidelity, the abandonment of flattery and favouritism, good conduct, the manifestation of justice, knowledge of the Book and the Sunna and of decisive judgement, together with detachment from the world and little desire for it, and securing justice for the oppressed against the oppressor, whether near or far. Then he fell silent. Ali (AS) said: I adjure you by God, O Abu Bakr, do you find these qualities in yourself, or in me? He said: Rather in you, O Abu al-Hasan. Then Ali (AS) recounted the proofs he set forth against Abu Bakr from what had come concerning him from God, glory be to Him, and from His Messenger (PBUH), until he (AS) said: I adjure you by God, is the verse of purification from all defilement for me and my family and my children, or for you and the people of your house? He said: Rather for you and the people of your house. He said: Then I adjure you by God, am I, with my family and my children, the one for whom the Messenger of God (PBUH) prayed on the Day of the Cloak: O God, these are my family, to You and not to the Fire - or is it you? He said: Rather you, and your family, and your children. And the Commander of the Faithful (AS) recounted to him seventy virtues - then, after the mention of the seventy virtues, it is related in the tradition: He (AS) continued to enumerate to him the virtues that God, Mighty and Majestic, had granted to him and to no other, neither to Abu Bakr nor to anyone else, and Abu Bakr kept saying to him: Rather you. He said: Then it is by this and its like that one deserves to undertake the affairs of the community of Muhammad (PBUH). Ali (AS) said to him: Then what has deluded you away from God, and from His Messenger, and from His religion, while you are devoid of what the people of His religion require? He said: Abu Bakr wept and said: You have spoken truly, O Abu al-Hasan; grant me this day of mine, that I may consider what I am in and what I have heard from you. He said: Ali (AS) said to him: That is yours, O Abu Bakr. So he returned from him and kept to himself all that day, giving permission to no one until nightfall, while Umar went back and forth among the people because of what had reached him of Abu Bakr's private meeting with Ali (AS). Then he spent his night, and he saw the Messenger of God (PBUH) in his sleep, appearing to him in his assembly. Abu Bakr rose toward him to greet him, but he turned his face away. Abu Bakr said: O Messenger of God, have you commanded some matter that I have not carried out? The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: Shall I return your greeting when you have shown enmity to one whom God and His Messenger have befriended? Return the right to its rightful owner. He said: I said: Who is its rightful owner? He said: The one who reproached you for it, and he is Ali. He said: I have restored it to him, O Messenger of God, by your command. He said: Then he awoke and wept, and said to Ali (AS): Stretch out your hand; and he pledged allegiance to him and surrendered the affair to him, and said to him: Let us go out to the mosque of the Messenger of God (PBUH), and I shall inform the people of what I saw in my night and of what has passed between me and you, and I shall withdraw myself from this affair and salute you as commander. He said: Ali (AS) said: Yes. So he went out from him with his colour changed, and Umar met him, having been searching for him, and said to him: How are you, O successor of the Messenger of God? He informed him of what had happened to him, and of what he had seen, and of what had passed between him and Ali (AS). Umar said to him: I adjure you by God, O successor of the Messenger of God, do not be deceived by the sorcery of the Banu Hashim, for this is not the first sorcery from them. And he kept at him until he turned him back from his opinion, diverted him from his resolve, made him desire what he was in, and commanded him to hold firmly to it and to carry it out. He said: Ali (AS) came to the mosque for the appointment, but saw none of them there, and he sensed evil from them, so he sat by the grave of the Messenger of God (PBUH). Umar passed by him and said to him: O Ali, short of what you seek is the stripping of the qatad thorn-bush. So he understood the matter, rose, and returned to his house. (al-Burhan, vol. 4, p. 446)
When the affair of Abu Bakr and the people's pledge of allegiance to him came about, and what they did to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) took place, Abu Bakr kept showing him an outward cheerfulness, yet he saw only aloofness from Ali (AS). This weighed heavily upon Abu Bakr, so he resolved to meet him, to win his heart, to apologize to him and to say that the people had chosen him and that he himself had had no desire for the matter. So he came upon Ali (AS) unannounced, met him in private, and said: By God, O Abu al-Hasan! This caliphate was not by any agreement of mine, and I had no desire for what I have fallen into, nor was there any eagerness for it, nor did I have any confidence in myself to fulfil the needs of the community. Why then are you angry with me in your heart when I do not deserve it? Ali (AS) said: Then if you had no desire for the caliphate, nor eagerness for it, nor confidence in your own ability to carry it out, what compelled you to accept it? Abu Bakr said: A tradition from the Messenger of God (PBUH), who said: God does not gather my community upon error. When I saw that the people had gathered around me, I acted upon this tradition and supposed that their gathering was not contrary to guidance. So I answered their request; and had I known that anyone would object, I would have refused to accept. Ali (AS) said: Concerning this tradition - was I part of this community, or was I not? Abu Bakr said: Of course you were. Ali (AS) said: And likewise the group who refused you, such as Salman, Ammar, Abu Dharr, al-Miqdad, Ibn Ubada and his companions from the Ansar - were they also part of the community? Abu Bakr said: All of them were of the community. Ali (AS) said: Then how do you argue from this tradition when men such as these dissented from you, men who fell short neither in faith, nor in companionship with the Messenger of God (PBUH), nor in sincere counsel to him! Abu Bakr said: I did not become aware of their opposition until after the matter of the caliphate had been firmly established, and I feared that if I withdrew from the caliphate, matters would reach the point where the people would turn back from the religion and apostatize. Ali (AS) said: Another point: he who is worthy of this station - by what does he become worthy of it? Abu Bakr said: By sincere counsel and fidelity, by keeping clear of compromise and improper partiality, by good conduct and the manifestation of justice, by knowledge of the Book and the Sunna and decisive speech, together with detachment from the world and little desire for it, and by securing justice for the oppressed against the oppressor, whether near or far. Then he fell silent. Ali (AS) said: I adjure you by God, O Abu Bakr! Do you find these qualities in yourself, or in me? Abu Bakr said: Rather in you, O Abu al-Hasan. Then Ali (AS) enumerated one after another the virtues God had granted him and withheld from others, among them: I adjure you by God, was the verse of purification revealed for me and my household, or for you and your household? Abu Bakr said: For you and your household. Ali (AS) said: I adjure you by God, are I and my household the ones intended by the prayer of the Messenger of God (PBUH) on the Day of the Cloak, or are you? Abu Bakr said: You and your household and your children. Ali (AS) enumerated seventy of his virtues, and in each case Abu Bakr said: Rather you are more worthy. Then he said: With these virtues and distinctions, is it not fitting that the affair of the community of Muhammad (PBUH) be in the hands of one who possesses these qualities? Abu Bakr wept and said: You have spoken truly, O Abu al-Hasan! Grant me this day so that I may reflect upon what I have done and upon what I have heard from you. Abu Bakr returned from him and kept to himself all day, permitting no one to visit him. Umar, who had learned of his private meeting with Ali (AS), was going back and forth among the people. That night Abu Bakr went home and saw in a dream the Messenger of God (PBUH) seated in his assembly. Abu Bakr went toward him to greet him, but the Prophet (PBUH) turned his face away. Abu Bakr said: O Messenger of God! Have you given a command that I have not carried out? The Prophet (PBUH) said: Return the right to its rightful owner. Abu Bakr said: Who is the rightful owner? The Prophet (PBUH) said: The one who reproached you for this deed. Abu Bakr said: O Messenger of God! At your command I have returned the right to him. After this dream Abu Bakr awoke, wept, and went to Ali (AS) and said to him: Stretch out your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you and entrust the affair of the caliphate to you. Ali (AS) said: Let us go to the mosque of the Messenger of God (PBUH) so that you may inform the people of what you saw in your dream and of what passed between me and you, and withdraw yourself from this station and present me as Commander of the Faithful. Abu Bakr accepted, and left him with his face transformed. Umar, who was searching for him, met him and said: O successor of the Messenger of God! What has happened?! Abu Bakr recounted the affair to him. Umar said: I adjure you by God! Do not be taken in by the sorcery of the Banu Hashim! This is not their first act of sorcery. And he pressed him until he turned him back from his decision and made him resolute in continuing the caliphate. Ali (AS) came to the mosque so that Abu Bakr's promise might be fulfilled, but he found no one there. So he realized that a deception was afoot. He sat by the grave of the Messenger of God (PBUH). Umar passed by and said to him: O Ali! What you seek is like the thorns of the qatad [this is a proverb for an unattainable task, meaning that reaching it is impossible]. So Ali (AS) rose and returned home.
And Ali ibn Ibrahim said, concerning His words: 'It is the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe' [Qur'an 36:10] up to His words: 'and everything We have enumerated in a manifest imam' [Qur'an 36:12] - that is, in a manifest book. And Ibn Abbas related from the Commander of the Faithful (AS) that he said: By God, I am the manifest imam; I make manifest the truth as distinct from falsehood. I inherited it from the Messenger of God (PBUH). (al-Burhan, vol. 4, p. 546)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said concerning the verse 'and everything We have enumerated in a manifest imam': I am the manifest imam! I distinguish truth from falsehood. This station came to me after the Messenger of God (PBUH).
Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Abd Allah (AS) - in a tradition - said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Give alms by night, for almsgiving by night extinguishes the wrath of the Lord, majestic is His majesty. Spend of what God, Mighty and Majestic, has provided for you, for the one who spends is in the rank of one who strives in the way of God. (al-Burhan, vol. 4, p. 586)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Do not forget the alms of the night, for the alms of the night extinguish the wrath of God. Spend of what God has provided for you, for spending is like waging jihad in the way of God.
Wuhayb ibn Nafi' said: Kadih related to us, from al-Sadiq Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his forefathers, from Ali (peace be upon them), concerning the words of Him, Mighty and Majestic: 'Peace be upon the family of Ya-Sin' [Qur'an 37:130], he said: Ya-Sin is Muhammad (PBUH), and we are the family of Ya-Sin. (al-Burhan, vol. 4, p. 624)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said concerning the phrase 'Peace be upon the family of Ya-Sin' which occurs in the Qur'an: Ya-Sin is Muhammad (PBUH), and we are the family of Ya-Sin.
Ibn Shahrashub, from the commentary of Waki': Sufyan ibn Murra al-Hamdani related to us, from Abd Khayr, who said: I asked Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) about the words of the Exalted: 'Fear God as He should be feared' [Qur'an 3:102]. He said: By God, none has acted upon it but the People of the House of the Messenger of God (PBUH). We remembered God and do not forget Him; we gave Him thanks and shall never be ungrateful to Him; we obeyed Him and did not disobey Him. When this verse was revealed, the Companions said: We cannot bear this. So God the Exalted revealed: 'So fear God as much as you are able' [Qur'an 64:16]. Waki' said: that is, as much as you have the capacity for. Then He said: 'And listen to what you are commanded, and obey' - meaning: obey God, and His Messenger, and the People of his House in what they command you. (al-Burhan, vol. 5, p. 400)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said concerning the verse 'Fear God as He should be feared' (that is: be mindful of God as it truly befits that He be feared): None but we, the People of the House of the Messenger of God (PBUH), can act upon this verse. We remembered God and did not forget Him; we thanked Him and were never ungrateful; and we obeyed Him and did not disobey. When this verse was revealed, the Companions said: We do not have the strength to fulfil it. So God the Exalted revealed: 'So fear God as much as you are able' (that is: be mindful of God to the extent of your capacity) - meaning, to the measure of your ability.
Ali ibn Hashim, from Muhammad ibn Abd Allah, from Abu Ubayda ibn Muhammad ibn Ammar, from his father, from his grandfather Ammar, who said: I was with the Messenger of God (PBUH) in one of his campaigns, and Ali (AS) killed the standard-bearers and scattered their host, and killed Amr ibn Abd Allah al-Jumahi and killed Shayba ibn Nafi'. I came to the Messenger of God (PBUH) and said to him: O Messenger of God, Ali has truly striven in God's cause as striving should be. He said: Because he is of me and I am of him. He is the inheritor of my knowledge, the settler of my debt, the fulfiller of my promise, and the successor after me. Were it not for him, the pure believer would not be known after me. War against him is war against me, and war against me is war against God; peace with him is peace with me, and peace with me is peace with God. Know that he is the father of my two grandsons, and the imams are from his loins. God the Exalted will bring forth the rightly guided imams from his loins, and among them is the Mahdi of this community. I said: May my father and mother be your ransom, O Messenger of God, who is this Mahdi? He said: O Ammar, God, Blessed and Exalted, has made a covenant with me that from the loins of al-Husayn nine imams will come forth, and the ninth of his descendants will be hidden from them. That is His saying, Mighty and Majestic: 'Say: Have you considered, if your water were to sink away, who then would bring you flowing water?' [Qur'an 67:30]. He will have a long occultation, from which some people will turn back while others will remain firm in it. Then, when it is the end of time, he will come forth and fill the world with equity and justice as it had been filled with tyranny and oppression. He will fight for the inner meaning of the revelation as I fought for its outward revelation. He bears my name and is the most like me of all people. O Ammar, after me there will be a sedition; when that happens, follow Ali and keep his company, for he is with the truth and the truth is with him. O Ammar, after me you will fight alongside Ali against two groups: the oath-breakers and the deviators; then the rebellious faction will kill you. He said: O Messenger of God, will that not be with God's good pleasure and yours? He said: Yes, with God's good pleasure and mine; and the last provision you take from this world will be a draught of milk that you will drink. Then, on the day of Siffin, Ammar ibn Yasir went out to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said to him: O brother of the Messenger of God, will you permit me to fight? He said: Wait a while, may God have mercy on you. After an hour he repeated his words, and he answered him likewise. He repeated it a third time, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) wept. Ammar looked at him and said: O Commander of the Faithful, this is the day that the Messenger of God (PBUH) described to me. So the Commander of the Faithful (AS) dismounted from his mule, embraced Ammar and bade him farewell, then said: O Abu al-Yaqzan, may God reward you well on behalf of your Prophet and on my behalf; what an excellent brother you have been, and what an excellent companion you have been. Then he (AS) wept, and Ammar wept, and then he said: By God, O Commander of the Faithful, I followed you only with clear insight, for I heard the Messenger of God (PBUH) say on the day of Khaybar: O Ammar, after me there will be a sedition; when that happens, follow Ali and his party, for he is with the truth and the truth is with him; and after me you will fight the oath-breakers and the deviators. So may God reward you well, O Commander of the Faithful, with the best of rewards on behalf of Islam; you have discharged your trust, delivered the message, and given sincere counsel. Then he mounted, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) mounted, and he went out to the fight. Then he called for a draught of water, and it was said: We have no water with us. A man from the Ansar rose to him and gave him a draught of milk, and he drank it. Then he said: Thus did the Messenger of God (PBUH) make a covenant with me, that the last provision I take from this world would be a draught of milk. Then he charged upon the enemy and killed eighteen men. Two men from the people of Syria came out against him and stabbed him, and he was killed (may God have mercy on him). When night came, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) walked among the slain and found Ammar lying among them. He laid his head upon his thigh, then wept over him and began to recite: O death that will not leave me be, grant me rest, for you have destroyed every dear friend. O death, how long this violent parting? You leave no bond of affection for any friend. I see you keen-sighted toward those whom I love, as though you walked toward them with a guide. (al-Burhan, vol. 5, p. 448)
Ammar relates: I was with the Messenger of God (PBUH) in one of the battles. In that battle Ali (AS) killed the enemy's standard-bearers, scattered their army, and slew Amr ibn Abd Allah al-Jumahi and Shayba ibn Nafi'. I went to the Messenger of God (PBUH) and said: O Messenger of God! Ali has striven in the way of God as was truly fitting. The Prophet said: He is of me and I am of him. He is the inheritor of my knowledge, the discharger of my debts, the fulfiller of my promises, and my successor after me. Were it not for him, the true believers would not be known after me. His war is my war, and my war is God's war. His peace is my peace, and my peace is God's peace. Then he said: O Ammar! After me there will be a sedition. At that time, follow Ali and stay with him, for he is with the truth and the truth is with him. O Ammar! After me you will fight alongside Ali against two groups: the oath-breakers and the deviators. Then a rebellious group will kill you, and your last provision from this world will be a draught of milk that you will drink. One day at the battle of Siffin, Ammar came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said: Will you permit me to go out to the field of battle? He said: Wait, may God have mercy on you. After an hour he asked again and heard the same answer. The third time he asked permission, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) wept. Ammar looked at him and said: O Commander of the Faithful! Is today the very day the Messenger of God (PBUH) described to me?! The Commander of the Faithful (AS) dismounted from his steed, embraced Ammar and bade him farewell, then said: O Abu al-Yaqzan! May God reward you well for the sake of His Prophet and for my sake. What a good brother you have been, and what a worthy companion! Then he wept, and Ammar wept as well. Ammar said: By God, O Commander of the Faithful! I followed you with clear insight. On the day of Khaybar I heard the Messenger of God say: O Ammar! After me there will be a sedition; at that time follow Ali and his followers, for he is with the truth and the truth is with him. After me you will fight the oath-breakers and the deviators. Then Ammar mounted and went to the battlefield. After a while he asked for water. They said: There is no water at hand. A man from the Ansar brought him milk. Ammar drank a draught of it and said: This is the very thing the Messenger of God (PBUH) promised me, that my last provision from this world would be a draught of milk. Then he charged upon the enemy and killed eighteen men. In the end two men from the people of Syria attacked him and martyred him. At night, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) went among the slain until he found the body of Ammar. He took his head upon his lap and wept, then said: O death, who leaves no one alone; grant me rest, for you have taken away all my friends ...
And the author of al-Nukhab mentioned, with his chain of transmission to Alqama: that on the day of Siffin a man came out from the army of Syria wearing armour, with a copy of the Qur'an held above him, reciting: 'About what are they asking one another? About the great tidings' [Qur'an 78:1-2]. I wished to go out to duel with him, but Ali (AS) said to me: Stay where you are. And he himself went out and said to him: Do you know the great tidings concerning which they differ? He said: No. So Ali (AS) said to him: By God, I am the great tidings concerning which you have differed, over whose authority you have quarrelled, from whose guardianship you turned back after you had accepted it; by your rebellion you have perished after you were saved by my sword. On the Day of Ghadir you knew, and on the Day of Resurrection you will know what you knew. Then he struck him with his sword and sent his head and his hand flying. (al-Burhan, vol. 5, p. 566)
The narrator says: One day at Siffin, a champion came out from the Syrian army, armed to the teeth, holding a Qur'an in his hand and reciting: 'About what are they asking one another? About the great tidings ...' and he kept calling for an opponent. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) cried out: Wait! And he himself went out to fight him and said to him: Do you know who the great tidings is, over which they all differ? He said: No! He said: The great tidings in the Qur'an is I; you have differed over me and over my guardianship, and for that reason you shall perish, even if you escape my sword with your life! Then he swung his sword through the air, and the champion's head, along with one of his hands, was flung into the air.
Ibn Babawayh, in Bisharat al-Shi'a, said: Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab related to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Imran related to us, from his father, from Abu Abd Allah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Qanbar: Rejoice and give glad tidings, for by God the Messenger of God (PBUH) died displeased with his community, except for the Shi'a. Know that everything has a handhold, and the handhold of religion is the Shi'a. Know that everything has a leader, and the leader of the earth is the land in which the Shi'a dwell. Know that everything has an object of desire, and the desire of this world is that our Shi'a dwell upon it. (al-Burhan, vol. 5, p. 643)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Qanbar: Glad tidings to you and glad tidings to all the Shi'a! The Messenger of God (PBUH) departed this life displeased with all the people except you, the Shi'a. Everything has its best, and the best of the religious are the Shi'a. The best land, too, is the land that is the cradle of the Shi'a. The longing and delight of the earth is that the Shi'a should dwell upon it.
And the Commander of the Faithful (AS) recited: 'Say: He is God, One' [Qur'an 112:1], and when he had finished he said: O He, O One besides whom there is no He but He, forgive me and grant me victory over the disbelieving people. Ali (AS) used to say this on the day of Siffin while he was engaged in combat. Ammar ibn Yasir said to him: O Commander of the Faithful, what are these allusions? He said: It is the Greatest Name of God, and the pillar of divine unity is 'God, there is no god but He.' Then he recited: 'God bears witness that there is no god but He' [Qur'an 3:18], and the closing verses of Surat al-Hashr. (al-Burhan, vol. 5, p. 803)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) would recite Surat al-Tawhid and then say: O He, O One besides whom there is no He but He, forgive me and grant me victory over the disbelieving people. At Siffin he kept repeating this invocation (O He, O One besides whom there is no He but He) while striking with his sword. Ammar Yasir said: O Commander of the Faithful! What invocation is this?! He said: It is the Greatest Name. Then he said: The pillar of divine unity is 'God, there is no god but He.' Then he recited: 'God bears witness that there is no god but He, and so do the angels and those possessed of knowledge, upholding justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise' [Qur'an 3:18], and after that he recited the closing verses of Surat al-Hashr: 'He is God, besides whom there is no god ...'
'Madinat al-Ma'ajiz' is another book of Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani, concerning the miracles of the Twelve Imams (AS). The copies of the book that survive are all incomplete, and the complete work has not reached us to this day. Even so, this book is among the most magnificent works written on the miracles of the pure Imams (AS), and it has the important distinction that in most cases it relates miracles upon which Shi'i and Sunni transmitters agree. Some of the traditions in this book are even drawn from the reports of the six canonical Sunni collections. In certain cases it records a tradition of which no trace is to be found in any work written up to his time.