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His valuable pieces of advice and commandments are many. He followed every method to advise (people) to follow guidance. He sometimes urges us to cleave to religious devotion, piety, diligence, long adoration and bow (ruku'). He says: "Be propagandists to yourselves without your tongues, be graceful and do not be disgraceful.(389)
He sometimes urges us to stick to gratefulness, supplication, and reliance on Allah He says: "Whomever is given three (things) is not prevented from three (things)- whomever is given supplication is given the answer, whomever is given gratefulness is given the addition, and whomever is given reliance (on Allah) is given the adequacy." Then he said: "Have you recited the book of Allah, the Great and Almighty: And whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for him."(390) "If you are grateful, I would certainly give to you more."(391) "Call upon Me, I will answer you."(392)
He sometimes guides us to despair from all people He says: "If someone of you wants to ask Allah to give him everything, then he should despair from all people, he should have no hope with any one but with Allah. When Allah, the Great and Almighty, knows that from his heart, He gives him all his desires."(393)
He sometimes encourages us to have noble manners and virtuous qualities. So, he describes humbleness for us and limits its positions. He says: "It is an act of humbleness to be satisfied with sitting at the end of the sitting, to greet him whom you meet, to leave the argument even if you are right, and do not love to be lauded for religious devotion."(394)
Al- Sadiq mentioned many qualities to raise the person to a high social position He said to his companions: "Hear my words. They are better than the dark black horses: one of you should not speak about that which does not concern him, he should leave many words about that which concerns him to find a subject to them Perhaps, one may speak about an inconvenient subject, so he wrongs himself with his words. One of you should not argue with the clement person nor with the foolish one, for whoever argues with the clement person, he (the clement person) will drive him away. And whoever argues with the foolish one, he (the foolish one) will ruin him. When your brother is away, remember him with best words with which you want people to remember you when you are away. And do the deed of him who knows that he will be rewarded with kindness."(395)
He described good manners for us to make us to conform to them. He said: "Indeed, Allah is satisfied with Islam as religion for you, then make your relation with it good through generosity and good manners.
He advised his companions to adopt the following: "Visit each other, for your visit enlivens your hearts and reminds you of our traditions. Our traditions make you feel compassion for each other. If you put them into effect, you will be guided and saved. If you neglect them, you will go astray and (face) ruin. So, follow them and I guarantee your salvation."(396)
Social Relations:
Without doubt, man imitates by nature his friends and relatives. So, he is good when they are good and is bad when they are bad. For this reason, our Imam warned people against bad social relations: "Be careful not to associate with the kings and those who clings to the life in this world, for that corrupts your religion and causes hypocrisy to you. This is a bad illness which has no cure, and brings about a hard heart and deprives you of devoutness. Cleave to ordinary people who match you, for you find good manner with them. Be careful not to wish for that which is in the hands of the children of this world. Because whoever wishes for that, his grief becomes long, does not quench his anger, and regards Allah's blessing with him as little. So, his gratefulness is little. Look at those who are inferior to you, so you are grateful to Allah for his boons, worthy of His extra (boons), and happy at His liberality."(397)
Hastening toward Good Things:
It is not right to lose the good deed, for it is an opportunity. Perhaps, losing the good deed brings about regret. All affairs of life are opportunities which we are not able to repeat. However, Abu Abd Allah, peace be on him, urges us to seize such suitable opportunities. He said: "If you intend to do a good deed, then do not put it off Indeed, Allah, the Great and Almighty, may know that the servant has some obedience. So, He (Allah) says: 'By my Greatness and Might, I will never torture you after it.'" There are many similar traditions in this regard.
Also al- Sadiq, peace be on him, warns us against evil deeds He said: "And if you intend to do an evil deed, then do not do it. Indeed, Allah, the Great and Almighty, may know that the servant has some disobedience. So, He (Allah) says: 'By My Greatness and Might, I will never forgive you after it.'"(398) Al- Sadiq gave many similar comments in this regard.
Studying Religious Jurisprudence:
Studying Religious jurisprudence is the way to worship Allah, the Exalted Muslims can preserve the Islamic Law with it Rather, the Muslim Religion depends on the Muslim jurists who know its rule and defend it. From here al- Sadiq, peace be on him said many traditions on religious jurisprudence we have mentioned some of them before. Here we will add other traditions. He, peace be on him, said: "Whoever worships (Allah) without understanding (the religion) is like him who walks after the mirage in a desert- the speed of his walking increases him nothing but distance." Also he said: "Whoever of our companions does not study religious jurisprudence, then does not do any good deed." Also he said: "People are not able to act till they ask and understand (the religion)."(399) He, peace be on him, said: "If Allah wants a servant to do good makes him understand the religion." Also he said: "All perfection is in understanding the religion, patience during the misfortune, and appreciating the living."(400)
As religious jurisprudence plays an important role in the Muslim religion, he, peace be on him, said: "The death of the religious jurist is more desirable with Iblis (the Satan) than the death of any other believer." Also he said: "When the believing jurist dies he makes in Islam a gap which nothing fills."(401)
Gratefulness of Boons:
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, advised (Muslims) to preserve boons to make them last. In this connection he said: "Preserve constant boons. Be careful not to let them move to other than you Indeed, when they move from one person (to another), they rarely come back to him."
Amir al- Mu'minin said: "When the thing turns away, it rarely comes back."(402)
He (al- Sadiq) taught them (Muslims) how to preserve boons. He said to Sadir al- Sayrafy: "When the person has many properties, the proof of Allah against him is great. So, if you are able to change it (Allah's proof), then do." He (Sadir) said: "Son of Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, with what?" He, peace be on him, said: "With fulfilling the needs of your brothers from your properties." Then he said: "Receive boons, Sadir, in a good manner. Thank Him. Who bestows upon you. Bestow upon him who thanks you. Indeed, if you behave in such a manner. Then the addition from Allah and the advice from your brothers are a must." Then he recited these Words of Allah, the Exalted: "If you are grateful, I would certainly give you more."(403)
Among the methods of gratefulness is that the servant should show the boons of Allah, the Glorified For this reason, Abu Abid Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, guides us to this laudable trait. He said: "Surely, Allah loves beauty and embellishment, and hates misery and showing misery. Indeed, when Allah bestows a boon upon a person, He loves to see its effect on him." It was said: "How?" He, peace be on him, said: "He (the person) should clean his clothes, perfume himself, sweeps the yards (of his house), and plasters his house." These are some important methods to show gratefulness for Allah's boons. They explained this verse." And as for the favor of your Lord, do announce (it)."
Good Friendship:
Good friendship is not the matter which comes to you automatically Rather, it comes through habituating the self and controlling its pleasures. That is because good friendship sometimes forces you to sacrifice your desires and appetites for your friend and to prefer him to yourself. For this reason, Abu Abd Allah, peace be on him, said: "Adjust yourself to good friendship to him whom you make friends with."
As there are many methods to make good friendship, and as the person does not know which one is the best, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, teaches us how to make good friendship with our friends. He said: "Make your manners good, prevent your tongue (from saying obscene words), suppress your anger, decrease your nonsense, plant your forgiveness, and be generous."(404)
Moreover, he wants us to make good friendship as permanent slogan with our friends. He said: "Shi'a (followers) of the family of Mohammed, whoever does not control himself during his anger and does not treat his friend kindly is not one of us."(405) There are many traditions like this.
When we make friends with someone and when we part from him for a incumbent on us to look certain time, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, makes it for him to know his conditions. So, he said to al- Mufaddal b. 'Amr when he came back from his travel: "Who accompanied you?" "A man of my brothers," said al- Mufaddal" "What has he done," asked al- Sadiq. "I have not known his place since I arrived," said al- Mufaddal. "Do you not know that whoever accompanies a believer for forty steps, Allah will ask him about the believer on the Day of Judgment."(406)
Friendship during Travel:
Travel has special manners which are different from those ones during the normal life. From the first look, you may know it is an act of generosity, the noble self, and manhood to spend much money on the food in the manner that surpasses your friends. However, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, prevented (Muslims from doing that) during travel, for such kind of spending costs the friend a lot when he wants to vie in spending with his other friends or it may humiliate him when he prevents himself from doing that. It is not an act of politeness or good friendship to cost your friend or humiliate him. For this reason, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to Shahab b. 'Abd Raba(407): "Shahab, do not do that, for if they spend and you spend (more than them), then you wrong them or humiliate them when they prevent from (spending). So, accompany your matches, accompany your matches."
The Imam said these words when Shahab said to him: "You have known my condition, my open- hand, and my generosity toward my brothers. I accompany the person of them to cover the road to Mecca and I become generous toward him."(408)
I (the author) say: The person humiliates others when he spends on them. In the meantime, others humiliate him when they spend on him. So, the Imam prevented (Muslims) from adopting both cases. He said to Abu Basir: "I do not want (the person) to humiliate himself, so he should accompany those who match him."
The Imam said these words when Abu Basir asked about the person who accompanies the rich, while he is inferior to them (in spending). So, the men take out the expense, while he is not able to take out what they do."
When Hisham b al- Hakam asked the Imam about some cases, the Imam answered: "Accompany those who are like you."(409)
Accordingly, the Imam regard the companionship of the match as a rule for both causes, lest the person should humiliate himself or humiliate the others. This is among his great wisdoms which he adopted to make people follow good manners.
Good Neighborhood:
It is an act of the politeness of the person and of his superior intellect is to adopt good neighborhood. Besides, it is a virtuous act which the wise summon people to put it into effect. The Arabs vied with each other for treating their neighbor kindly. Also they did their best to defend the neighbor When Islam came it adopted this noble trait, increased the respect for it, and urged the Muslims to cling to it. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, gave frequent commandments concerning it. For this reason, Amir al- Mu'minin (Imam 'Ali), peace be on him, said: "Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, went on advising us (to treat) the neighbor (kindly). So, we thought that he would bequeath him."
The grandsons of the Prophet followed the same manner in regard with the neighbor. For example, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "Cleave to Allah fearingness.... good manners, and good neighborhood."(410) Al- Sadiq repeated these commandments many times. So, he blamed those who neglected them. In this connection, he, peace be on him, said: "Do the person of you not feel shame that his neighbor knows his right, while he does not know his neighbor's right?"
Moreover, al- Sadiq excluded those who do not treat their neighbors kindly. He, peace be on him, said: "Whoever does not treat his neighbor kindly is not one of us."(411)
Accepting Advice:
People know that the person has superior intellect when he listens to advice and conforms to the words of the adviser, for the ignorant person sticks to fanaticism that he does not listen to the adviser. Besides, he thinks that the adviser may disclose his defects. However, he forgets that disclosing. his defects urges him to reform them. For this reason, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "The most desirable one of my brothers for me is he who gifts me my defects."(412) He said these words to teach us, for he is far above defects.
I (the author) say: Of course, such a person is the most desirable one because he wants to save himself from -the vices and adorn it with the virtue. As this quality is good, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, regarded disclosing the defects as a gift. This was his maximum aim to encourage the brothers (i.e. friends) to adopt this quality to disclose the defects of each other to reform them.
Al- Sadiq made it necessary for the believer to accept advice. He, peace be on him, said: "The believer is in need of three traits: success granted by Allah, the great and Almighty, a preacher from his own self, and accepting advice."(413)
Consultation:
Whoever asks the advice of the wise knows the ways of the entries and of the outlets and discovers the ways of success. So, he saves himself from dangers. Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, discovered this fact for us when he said: "The person who asks the advice (of others) does not perish."(414) Also he guided us to the consultant when we face accidental vague things. He said: "When the person of you faces (a thing) which he has no ability to solve, Why does he not ask the advice of the wise man with has religion and piety?"(415)
Al- Sadiq increased the conditions of consultation and of the consultant when he, peace be on him, said: "Consultation does not take place except within its (limits. So, the advice- seeker should know it with in its limits; otherwise it harms him more than it avails him. Firstly, the consultant should be wise. Secondly, he should be free and religious. Thirdly, he should be a close friend lastly, you should tell him about your secret that his knowledge of it is as your knowledge of yourself. Then he keeps your secret. Indeed, if he (the consultant) is wise, you make use of his advice. If he is free and religious, he does his best to advise you. If he is a close friend, he keeps your secret when you tell him about it. And if you tell him about your secret that his knowledge of it is as your knowledge of it, then consultation is perfect."(416)
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, warned (Muslims) against disobeying the consultant when he is fully qualified. He said: "Of men, ask the advice of the wise, pious (one), for he does not order (you) but (to do) good. Be careful not to disobey (him), for disobeying the wise, pious (one) corrupts religion and the life in this world."(417)
Also he made it incumbent on the consultant to give his advice and warned him against the end when he refuses to give his advice. He, peace be on him, said: "Whoever asks the advice of his brother, but he (the brother) does not give him pure advice, Allah, the Great and Almighty, shall deprive him of his opinion.(418)
Making Many Brothers:
Indeed, the person becomes many with his brother (friend), for he (the friend) helps him during misfortunes and poverty, entertains him during loneliness and estrangement, advise him during perplexity, guides him during the error, remembers him when he is away, and so on. For this reason, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, ordered (Muslims) to make men brothers. He, peace be on him, said: "Make many friends in this world, for they avail (you) in here and the hereafter. In this world, they fulfill (your) needs. In the hereafter, the people of the fire will say: 'So we have no intercessors, nor a true friend.'"(419)
When al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said that the friend would avail his friend in the hereafter, he meant that the religious wise one who guides his friend to good through advising him, so he will save him from the ruin in the hereafter.
Or he may make use of his supplication for his life in the hereafter, as al-Sadiq said in other tradition: "Make many brothers, for every believer has an accepted supplication."
Or because he may make use of his intercession in the hereafter, as al-Sadiq, peace be on him said: "Make many brothers, for every believer has intercession." Also he, peace be on him, said: "Make friends with the believers, for they have intercession with Allah."(420)
Besides, the believing friend is worth a collection of all these qualities in here and the hereafter.
Forgiving Brothers:
Not all people are infallible. Most people make mistakes. So, it is impossible for you to find the friend free from defects. Accordingly, whoever wants to make many friends should forgive them their mistakes. From here, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "Where do you find a prefect brother? Which one of men is. Also he said: "Whoever does not make friends but with him who has no defect, his friends are very few perfect?"(421)
Also he said: "Whoever does not make friends but with him who has no defect, his friends are very few."(422)
When the person wants friendship to last he should not look for the defects of his friend, as al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "Looking for (defects) is parting."(423) Also he said: "Do not look for (the defects) of people lest you should be without friend."(424)
The experienced persons should be satisfied with the little act of his brother to continue his friendship with him, as al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "It is not an act of equity to demand the brothers to do equity, and whoever is dissatisfied with his brother unless his brother prefers him to himself, his dissatisfaction will last."(425)
Yes, admonition does not spoil the continuation of friendship. Rather, it may remove the hatred and hidden spites of the hearts. However, admonition should not be very much because it brings about negative results. For this reason, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "He whose admonition is much, his friends are very few." Also he said: "Whoever admonishes his brother for every mistake, his admonition will last."(426)
The Rights of Brothers:
Brothers have many rights. It is difficult for us to count them, and we do not want to search what has been mentioned on them in this connection. However, we will mention only one tradition. The tradition is enough for the brother to treat his brother kindly when he puts it into effect. Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to al- Mu'alla b. Khanis that the brother has seven rights. They are: The first right: You should love to him what you love to your self and hate to him what you hate to your self. The second right: You should avoid making him angry, follow his pleasure, and obey his orders. The third right: You should help him with your self, your money, your tongue, your hand, and your leg. The fourth right: You should be his eye, his guide, and his mirror. The fifth right: You should not be full, while he is hungry. You should not quench your thirst, while he is thirsty. You should not clothe your self, while he is naked. The sixth right: When you have a servant, and your brother has no servant, so you should sent him your servant to wash his clothes, to fix his food, and to prepare his bed. The seventh right: You carry out his oath, accept his invitation, visit his ill ones, participate in his funeral procession. When you know that he has a need, you should hasten to fulfill it. You should not force him to request it (the need) from you, but you should hasten to (fulfill it) of your own accord. When you do that, you relate your friendship to his friendship, and his friendship to your friendship."(427)
Helping the Brothers:
In the previous topic the Rights of Brothers, we have mentioned something about helping the brothers. However, it has been mentioned separately in the traditions of al- Sadiq, peace be on him. He, peace be on him, said: "Help your brothers with what you have earned."(428) Also he, peace be on him, said: "Come nearer to Allah through helping your brothers."(429)
As helping the brothers is very difficult, Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, said: "Among the strongest things which Allah has imposed on his creatures are three: (The believer should) treat his believing brother with justice, (namely) he should love to him what he loves to himself, helping the believing brother with money, calling to mind Allah's name during every attitude- it is not to say Subhana Allah wa, al- hamdu lillah, rather during (doing) what Allah has prohibited him from."(430)
I (the author) say: Indeed these are among the difficult things for the person to do, for they oppose his strongest pleasure such as self- love, money- love, pride, and so on.
Treating the Brothers Kindly:
Treating the brothers kindly is a branch of rendering help to them Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, urged Muslims very much to treat each other kindly. In his commandments to Jamil b Darraj, he said: "It is an act of pure belief is to treat the brothers kindly and to Satisfy their needs. The Merciful (Allah) loves him who treats his brothers kindly ... Jamil, tell your honorable companions about this tradition. He (Jamil) said: "May I be ransom for you, who are my honorable companions?" He said: "Those who treat their brothers kindly during poverty and riches."(431)
In his foregoing commandments to Abid Allah b Jundub, al- Sadiq said: "Indeed, to move the feet to visit the brothers and to treat them kindly is the best way to worship Allah."
As treating the brothers kindly is great with Allah, the Exalted, the Satan does his best to prevent man from doing that, In these commandments, he said: "Bin Jundub, the Satan has snares to catch (people) so, beware of his snares." He (Bin Jundub) said: "Son of the Prophet of Allah, what are his snares?" He (the Prophet) said: "As for his snares, he (the Satan) prevent you from treating your brothers kindly."
Truthful Talk and Giving the Trust:
Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, advised his companions to be truthful in their talks and to give trusts to their owners. In this connection, we have mentioned some information before.
Though these two traits are the best of all traits in themselves, they have clear effects on the religion. For example, they bring about love and confidence among people, so riches happens. In this regard, we will mention the following tradition.
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to Abd al- Rahman b Sayyaba: "Do you not want me to give you a commandment?" Abd al- Rahman said: "Yes, may I be ransom for you." Al- Sadiq said: "Cleave to the truthful talk and giving the trust So, you will share people their properties." Abd al- Rahman said: "I have memorized the tradition, so I have earned three hundred thousand dirhams."(432)
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