حدثنا أحمد بن الحسن القطان، قال: حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن محمد الحسيني، قال: أخبرنا أبو جعفر أحمد بن عيسى بن أبي مريم العجلي، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أحمد بن عبد الله بن زياد العرزمي قال: حدثنا علي بن حاتم المنقري، عن المفضل بن عمر قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن الصراط. فقال: هو الطريق إلى معرفة الله عز وجل، وها صراطان: صراط في الدنيا، وصراط في الآخرة. وأما الصراط الذي في الدنيا فهو الامام المفترض الطاعة، من عرفه في الدنيا واقتدى بهداه مر على الصراط الذي هو جسر جهنم في الآخرة، ومن لم يعرفه في الدنيا زلت قدمه عن الصراط في الآخرة فتردى في نار جهنم.

1.	We were told by Ahmad bin Hasan al-Qattan, that he said: We were told by Abdul-Rahman bin Muhammed al-Hussaini, that he said: We informed told by Abu Ja’far, Ahmad bin Isa bin Abi Maryam al-‘Ajali, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Ahmad bin Abdullah bin Ziyad al-‘Azrami, that he said: We were told by Ali bin Hatem al-Manqari, from Mufaddal bin Umar, that he said: I asked Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, about the Path. So he said: It is the Way to conscious knowledge of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and they are two Paths: a Path in this world, and a Path in the Hereafter. As for the Path that is in this world, it is the Imam whose obedience is obligatory; the one who knows him in this world and follows his guidance, will walk on the Path that is the bridge of Hell in the Hereafter, and the one who does not know him in this world, his foot will slip off the Path in the Hereafter and collapse into the Fire of Hell.

حدثنا أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا محمد بن أحمد بن علي بن الصلت، [عن عبد الله بن الصلت] عن يونس بن عبد الرحمن، عمن ذكره، عن عبيد الله [بن] الحلبي، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: الصراط المستقيم أمير المؤمنين علي عليه السلام.

2.	We were told by my father, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Ahmad bin Ali bin Silt, from Abdullah bin Silt, from Yunus bin Abdul-Rahman, from those he mentioned, from Ubaidullah bin Halabi, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, that he said: The Straight Path is the Commander of the Believers, Ali, peace be upon him.

حدثنا أحمد بن علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا أبي، عن جدي، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قول الله عز وجل: " اهدنا الصراط المستقيم) قال: هو أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام ومعرفته، والدليل على أنه أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام قوله عز وجل: " وإنه في أم الكتاب لدينا لعلي حكيم " وهو أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في أم الكتاب في قوله عز وجل: " اهدنا الصراط المستقيم ".

3.	We were told by Ahmad bin Ali bin Ibrahim bin Hashim, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by my father, from my grandfather, from Hammad bin Isa, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, with regards to the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «Guide us the Straight Path» (1:5). He said: It is the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, and conscious knowledge of him, and the proof that it is the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, is His saying, Exalted and Glorious is He: «And indeed, he is in the Foundation of the Book, for us, certainly, Ali, the wise.» (43:4) [1] And it is the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, in the Foundation of the Book, in His saying, Exalted and Glorious is He: «Guide us the Straight Path».

حدثنا محمد بن القاسم الاسترآبادي المفسر، قال: حدثني يوسف بن محمدبن زياد، وعلي بن محمد بن يسار، عن أبويهما، عن الحسن بن علي بن محمد بن علي بن موسى بن جعفر بن محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب عليهم السلام في قوله: " اهدنا الصراط المستقيم " قال: أدم لنا توفيقك الذي به أطعناك في ماضي أيامنا حتى نطيعك كذلك في مستقبل أعمارنا. والصراط المستقيم هو صراطان: صراط في الدنيا، و صراط في الآخرة. وأما الصراط المستقيم في الدنيا فهو ما قصر عن الغلو، وارتفع عن التقصير ، واستقام فلم يعدل إلى شئ من الباطل. وأما الطريق الآخر فهو طريق المؤمنين إلى الجنة الذي هو مستقيم لا يعدلون عن الجنة إلى النار ولا إلى غير النار سوى الجنة. قال: وقال جعفر بن محمد الصادق عليهما السلام، في قوله عز وجل: " اهدنا الصراط المستقيم " قال: يقول أرشدنا [إلى] الصراط المستقيم أرشدنا للزوم الطريق المؤدي إلى محبتك، والمبلغ [إلى] دينك والمانع من أن نتبع أهواءنا فنعطب  ، أو نأخذ بآرائنا فنهلك. ثم قال عليه السلام: فإن من اتبع هواه وأعجب برأيه كان كرجل سمعت غثاء العامة تعظمه وتسفه فأحببت لقاءه من حيث لا يعرفني لأنظر مقداره ومحله، فرأيته قد أحدق به خلق [الكثير] من غثاء العامة فوقفت منتبذا عنهم متغشيا بلثام أنظر إليه وإليهم، فما زال يراوغهم حتى خالف طريقهم وفارقهم ولم يقر فتفرقت العوام عنه لحوائجهم، وتبعته أقتفي أثره فلم يلبث أن مر بخباز فتغفله فأخذ من دكانه رغيفين مسارقة ، فتعجبت منه، ثم قلت في نفسي: لعله معاملة، قم مر بعده بصاحب رمان فما زال به حتى تغفله فأخذ من عنده رمانتين مسارقة، فتعجبت منه، ثم قلت في نفسي: لعله معاملة، ثم أقول: وما حاجته إذا إلى المسارقة، ثم لم أزل أتبعه حتى مر بمريض فوضع الرغيفين والرمانتين بين يديه ومضى، وتبعته حتى استقر في بقعة من الصحراء، فقلت له: يا عبد الله لقد سمعت بك وأحببت لقاءك، فلقيتك ولكنني رأيت منك ما شغل قلبي! وإني سائلك عنه ليزول به شغل قلبي، قال: ما هو قلت: رأيتك مررت بخباز وسرقت منه رغيفين، ثم بصاحب الرمان وسرقت منه رمانتين! قال: فقال لي: قبل كل شئ حدثني من أنت؟ قلت: رجل من ولد آدم عليه السلام من أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وآله. قال حدثني من أنت؟ قلت: رجل من أهل بيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله. قال: أين بلدك قلت: المدينة. قال: لعلك جعفر بن محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب صلوات الله عليهم قلت: بلى. فقال لي: فما ينفعك شرف أصلك مع جهلك بما شرفت به وتركك علم جدك وأبيك لئلا تنكر ما يجب أن يحمد ويمدح عليه فاعله؟ قلت: وما هو؟ قال: القرآن كتاب الله! قلت: وما الذي جهلت منه؟ قال: قول الله عز وجل: " من جاء بالحسنة فله عشر أمثالها ومن جاء بالسيئة فلا يجزى إلا مثلها   " وأني لما سرقت الرغيفين كانت سيئتين ولما سرقت الرمانتين كانت سيئتين فهذه أربع سيئات فلما تصدقت بكل [واحد] منهما كان لي [بها] أربعين  حسنة فانتقص من أربعين حسنة أربع بأربع سيئات بقي لي ست وثلاثون حسنة. قلت: ثكلتك أمك! أنت الجاهل بكتاب الله، أما سمعت أنه عز وجل يقول: " إنما يتقبل الله من المتقين  " إنك لما سرقت رغيفين كانت سيئتين ولما سرقت رمانتين كانت أيضا سيئتين ولما دفعتهما إلى غير صاحبيهما بغير أمر صاحبيهما كنت إنما أضفت أربع سيئات إلى أربع سيئات ولم تضف أربعين حسنة إلى أربع سيئات، فجعل يلاحظني فانصرفت وتركته. قال الصادق عليه السلام: بمثل هذا التأويل القبيح المستكره يضلون ويضلون وهذا نحو تأويل معاوية [لعنه الله] لما قتل عمار بن ياسر - رحمه الله - فارتعدت فرائص  خلق كثير، وقالوا: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: عمار تقتله الفئة الباغية. فدخل عمرو على معاوية [لعنه الله] وقال: يا أمير المؤمنين قد هاج الناس واضطربوا. قال: لماذا؟ قال: قتل عمار. فقال معاوية [لعنه الله]: قتلعمار فماذا؟ قال: أليس قد قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: [عمار] تقتله الفئة الباغية؟ فقال له معاوية [لعنه الله]: دحضت في قولك، أنحن قتلناه؟ إنما قتله علي بن أبي طالب لما ألقاه بين رماحنا! فاتصل ذلك بعلي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام، فقال: إذا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله هو الذي قتل حمزة لما ألقاه بين رماح المشركين! ثم قال الصادق عليه السلام: طوبى للذين هم كما قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: يحمل هذا العلم من كل خلف عدو له، وينفون عنه تحريف الغالين، وانتحال المبطلين، وتأويل الجاهلين.

4.	We were told by Muhammed bin Qasim al-Esterabadi, the Exegetist, that he said: I was told by Yusuf bin Muhammed bin Ziyad, and Ali bin Muhammed bin Sayyar, from their fathers, from Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammed bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far bin Muhammed bin Ali bin Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them, with regards to His saying: «Guide us the Straight Path», that he said: Maintain to us Your success by which we have obeyed You in the past of our days that we might obey you, likewise, in the future of our ages. The Straight Path is two Paths: a Path in this world, and a Path in the Hereafter. As for the Straight Path in this world, it is what has shortened beneath exaggeration, arisen above short-coming and become straight by which it does not deviate to anything of falsehood. As for the other Way, it is the Way of the believers to Paradise, which is straight; they do not deviate from Paradise to the Fire, nor to other than the Fire, but to Paradise. He said: Ja’far bin Muhammed al-Sadiq, peace be upon them both, said with regards to His saying, Exalted and Glorious is He: «Guide us the Straight Path». He said: He says: Direct us to the Straight Path, direct us to adherence to the Way that leads to Your love, the transmitter to Your Religion and the impediment from making us follow our desires, lest we become impaired, or making us follow our opinion, lest we perish. Then he, peace be upon him, said: Indeed, the one who follows his desire and is admired by his own opinion, will be like a man whom I have heard the populace’s waste material magnify and ridicule. I wanted to meet him in a manner that he does not recognize me, that I might see his value and position. I saw that he was surrounded by many people from the populace’s waste material, and I stood in withdrawal from them, covered with a veil, looking at him and them, and he continued to elude them until he went in an opposing direction, separated from them and did not stay, after which the populace dispersed from him to their needs. I followed him, tracing his steps, and he did not stay but that he passed by a baker, distracted him and took from his shop two loafs in theft, and so I was amazed by him, and then I said in myself: Perhaps it was a transaction? Then after it, he passed by an owner of pomegranates, and he remained with him until he distracted him and took from him two pomegranates in theft, and so I was amazed by him, and then I said in myself: Perhaps it was a transaction? Then I said: What need does he have for theft then? I kept following him until he passed by an ill person and placed the two loafs and the two pomegranates between his hands and went. I followed him until he dwelled in an area of the desert, and I said to him: O servant of Allah, I have heard of you and wanted to meet you, and so I saw you, but I saw from you what distressed my heart, and I will ask you about it, so that the distress of my heart vanishes. He said: What is it? I said: I saw you passing by a baker and you stole two loafs from him, then by the owner of pomegranates and you stole two pomegranates from him. He said: Then he said to me: Before everything, tell me, who are you? I said: A man from the sons of Adam, peace be upon him, from the nation of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. He said: Tell me, who are you? I said: A man from the Household of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. He said: Where is your country? I said: Medina. He said: Perhaps you are Ja’far bin Muhammed bin Ali bin Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib, Allah’s blessings be upon them? I said: Sure. Then he said to me: So what does the nobility of your origin benefit you with your ignorance of what you have been honored with and your abandonment of the knowledge of your grandfather and father with regards to not rebuke that whose doer must be praised and commended for? I said: What is it? He said: The Qur’an, the Book of Allah! I said: What thing have I been ignorant of from it? He said: The saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «Whoever comes with a good deed, will have ten the likes thereof, and whoever comes with a misdeed, will not be rewarded except the like thereof» (6:160) When I stole the two loafs, they were two misdeeds, and then I stole the two pomegranates, they were two misdeeds. So, these are four misdeeds, and when I gave each one of them as charity, I had forty good deeds with them. So, reduce from the forty good deeds, four, due to four misdeeds, and it remains to me thirty six good deeds. I said: May your mother mourn you! You are the ignorant of the Book of Allah. Have you not heard that He, Exalted and Glorious is He, says: «He only accepts from the godfearing» (5:27)? When you stole two loafs, they were two misdeeds, and when you stole two pomegranates, they were also two misdeeds, and when you gave them to other than their owners without the order of their owners, then you would only have added four misdeeds onto four misdeeds, and you would not have added forty good deeds onto four misdeeds. Then he kept glancing at me, so I went and left him. Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: With such a horrid, disliked, interpretation they are aberrated and they aberrate. This is similar to the interpretation of Mu’awiya, may Allah curse him, when Ammar bin Yasir, may Allah grant him mercy, was killed, the shoulders flanks of many people shivered and they said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: Ammar will be killed by the transgressing faction. Therein, Amru entered into Mu’awiya, may Allah curse him, and said: O Commander of the Believers, the people have become agitated and disordered. He said: Why? He said: The killing of Ammar. Then Mu’awiya, may Allah curse him, said: The killing of Ammar, then what? He said: Did not Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family [2], say: Ammar will be killed by the transgressing faction? Then Mu’awiya, may Allah curse him, said to him: You are revoked with your saying. Did we kill him? He was only killed by Ali bin Abi Talib when he threw him between our spears! Then this reached Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, and he said: Hence, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, would have been the one who killed Hamza when he threw him between the spears of the polytheists! Then al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Tuba [3] is for those who are like the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: This knowledge will be carried from every successor, by an enemy of him, and they will negate from it the alteration of the exaggerators, the assumption of the undue and the interpretation of the ignorant ones.

حدثنا أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه عن محمد بن سنان، عن المفضل بن عمر، قال: حدثني ثابت الثمالي، عن سيد العابدين علي بن الحسين عليهما السلام قال: ليس بين الله وبين حجته حجاب، فلا  له دون حجته ستر، نحن أبواب الله، ونحن الصراط المستقيم، ونحن عيبة علمه، ونحن تراجمة وحيه، و نحن أركان توحيده، ونحن موضع سره.

5.	We were told by my father, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by Ali bin Ibrahim bin Hashim, from his father, from Muhammed bin Sinan, from Mufaddal bin Umar, that he said: I was told by Thabit al-Thumali, from the Master of Worshippers, Ali bin Hussain, peace be upon them both, that he said: There is not, between Allah and His Proof, a veil, and so, there is not for Allah any cover before His Proof. We are the Gates of Allah, and we are the Straight Path, and we are Bag of His Knowledge, and we are the Interpreters of His Revelation, and we are the Pillars of His Oneness, and we are the Place of His Secret.

حدثنا أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثني سعد بن عبد الله، عن إبراهيم بن هاشم عن عبيد الله بن موسى العبسي، عن سعد بن طريف، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: يا علي إذا كان يوم القيامة أقعد أنا وأنت وجبرئيل على الصراط فلم يجز أحد إلا من كان معه كتاب فيه براة بولايتك.

6.	We were told by my father, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: I was told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, from Ibrahim bin Hashim, from Ubaidullah bin Musa al-‘Absi, from Sa’d bin Turayf, from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family: O Ali, when the Day of Resurrection shall be, I, you and Jibra’eel will sit upon the Path, and none will pass except for those who have a book that includes the acquittal of your befriendship.

حدثنا الحسن بن محمد بن سعيد الهاشمي، قال: حدثنا فرات بن إبراهيمالكوفي، قال: حدثني محمد بن الحسن بن إبراهيم، قال: حدثنا ألوان بن محمد، قال: حدثنا حنان بن سدير،  عن جعفر بن محمد عليهما السلام قال: قول الله عز وجل في الحمد: " صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم " يعني محمدا وذريته صلوات الله عليهم.

7.	We were told by Hasan bin Muhammed bin Sa’eed al-Hashimi, that he said: We were told by Furat bin Ibrahim al-Kufi, that he said: I was told by Muhammed bin Hasan bin Ibrahim, that he said: We were told by Alwan bin Muhammed, that he said: We were told by Hannan bin Sudayr, from Ja’far bin Muhammed, peace be upon them both, that he said: The saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, in al-Hamd [1]: «The Path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor» (1:7) means: Muhammed and his Progeny, Allah’s blessings be upon them.

حدثنا الحسن بن محمد بن سعيد الهاشمي، قال: حدثنا فرات بن إبراهيم، قال: حدثني عبيد بن كثير، قال: حدثني محمد بن مروان، قال حدثنا عبيد بن يحيى بن مهران العطار، قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، عن أبيه، عن جده قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في قول الله عز وجل: " صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين " قال: شيعة علي عليه السلام الذين أنعمت عليهم بولاية علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلاملم يغضب عليهم ولم يضلوا.

8.	We were told by Hasan bin Muhammed bin Sa’eed al-Hashimi, that he said: We were told by Furat bin Ibrahim, that he said: We were told by Ubaid bin Kathir, that he said: I was told by Muhammed bin Marwan, that he said: We were told by Ubaid bin Yahya bin Mahran al-‘Attar, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Hussain, from his father, from his grandfather, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, with regards to the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «The Path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not the path of those upon whom is the anger, nor those who are mislead.» (1:7) He said: The Shi’a of Ali, peace be upon him, upon whom You have bestowed with the Divine Authority of Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him. He was not angry at them, nor did were they mislead.

حدثنا محمد بن القاسم الاسترآبادي المفسر، قال: حدثني يوسف بن محمدبن زياد، وعلي بن محمد بن سيار، عن أبويهما، عن الحسن بن علي بن محمد بن علي بن موسى ابن جعفر بن محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب عليهم السلام في قول الله عز وجل: " صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم " أي قولوا: اهدنا صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم بالتوفيق لدينك وطاعتك وهم الذين قال الله عز وجل: " ومن يطع الله والرسول فأولئك مع الذين أنعم الله عليهم من النبيين والصديقين والشهداء والصالحين وحسن أولئك رفيقا  " وحكي هذا بعينه عن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام قال: ثم قال: ليس هؤلاء المنعم عليهم بالمال وصحة البدن وإن كان كل هذا نعمة من الله ظاهرة، ألا ترون أن هؤلاء قد يكونون كفارا أو فساقا؟ فما ندبتم إلى أن تدعوا بأن ترشدوا إلى صراطهم، وإنما أمرتم بالدعاء بأن ترشدوا إلى صراط الذين أنعم عليهم بالايمان [بالله] وتصديق رسوله وبالولاية لمحمد وآله الطاهرين، وأصحابه الخيرين المنتجبين، وبالتقية الحسنة التي يسلم بها من شر عباد الله، ومن الزيادة في آثام أعداء الله وكفرهم، بأن تداريهم ولا تعزيهم بأذاك وأذى المؤمنين، وبالمعرفة بحقوق الاخوان من المؤمنين، فإنه ما من عبد ولا أمة والى محمد وآل محمد عليهم السلام وعادى من عاداهم إلا كان قد اتخذ من عذاب الله حصنا منيعا وجنة حصينة، وما من عبد ولا أمة داري عباد الله فأحسن المداراة فلم يدخل بها في باطل ولم يخلج من حق إلا جعل الله عز وجل نفسه تسبيحا، وزكى عمله، وأعطاه بصيرة على كتمان سرنا واحتمال الغيظ لما يسمعه من أعدائنا ثواب المتشحط بدمه في سبيل الله، وما من عبد أخذ نفسه بحقوق إخوانه،، فوفاهم حقوقهم جهده، وأعطاهم ممكنه، ورضي عنهم بعفوهم وترك الاستقصاء عليهم، فيما يكون من زللهم واغتفرها لهم إلا قال الله له يوم يلقاه: يا عبدي قضيت حقوق إخوانك، ولم تستقص عليهم فيما لك عليهم، فأنا أجود وأكرم وأولى بمثل ما فعلته من المسامحة والكرم فإني أقضيك اليوم على حق [ما] وعدتك به، وأزيدك من فضلي الواسع، ولا أستقصي عليك في تقصيرك في بعض حقوقي، قال: فيلحقهم بمحمد وآله، ويجعله في خيار شيعتهم. ثم قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله على وآله لبعض أصحابه ذات يوم: يا عبد الله أحب في الله، وأبغض في الله، ووال في الله، وعاد في الله، فإنه لا تنال ولاية الله إلا بذلك، ولا يجد رجل طعم الايمان وإن كثرت صلاته وصيامه حتى يكون كذلك وقد صارت مؤاخاة الناس يومكم هذا أكثرها في الدنيا، عليها يتوادون، وعليها يتباغضون، وذلك لا يغني عنهم من الله شيئا، فقال الرجل: يا رسول الله فكيف لي أن أعلم أني قد واليت وعاديت في الله، ومن ولي الله حتى أواليه؟ ومن عدوه حتى أعاديه؟ فأشار له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله إلى علي عليه السلام فقال: أترى هذا؟ قال: بلى. قال: ولي هذا ولي الله فواله، وعدو هذا عدو الله فعاده، ووال ولي هذا ولو أنه قاتل أبيك [وولدك]، وعاد عدو هذا ولو أنه أبوك أو وولدك.

9.	We were told by Muhammed bin Qasim al-Esterabadi, the Exegetist, that he said: I was told by Yusuf bin Muhammed bin Ziyad, and Ali bin Muhammed bin Sayyar, from their fathers, from Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammed bin Ali bin Musa ibn Ja’far bin Muhammed bin Ali bin Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them, with regards to the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «The Path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor» means (that you shall) say: Guide us the Path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor by granting success to Your Religion and obedience, and they are those about whom Allah, Exalted and Glorious, said: «And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor, from the Prophets, the Truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.» (4:70) Exactly this was also reported of the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, that he said: It is not those upon whom it has been bestowed with favors of money and health in bodies, although all this is an apparent grace from Allah. Do you not see that these might be disbelievers or grieve sinners? You were not called to pray that you are directed to their path, but rather, you were ordered to pray that you are directed to the Path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed with the favors of faith in Allah, belief in His Messenger and befriendship to Muhammed and his Pure Family and his good, noble, companions, and of righteous Taqiya by which safety is granted from the evil among Allah’s servants and from increasement of the evil deeds and disbelief of Allah’s enemies, by being affable with them and not impute them for harming you and harming the believers, and by knowing the rights of the brothers among the believers. Verily, there is no servant nor maid who befriends Muhammed and the Family of Muhammed, peace be upon them, and antagonizes those who antagonized them, except that he took from the torment of Allah a protective shield. And there is no servant nor slave who appeased the servants of Allah and did well in appeasement by which he did not enter into any falsehood and not deviate from any truth, except that Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, makes his breathing a glorification, purifies his deeds and gives an insight to conceal our secret and patience with anger due to what he hears from our enemies, like the reward of the one smeared with his blood for the sake of Allah. And there is no servant who takes himself to carry out the rights of his brothers, fulfills their rights effortfully, gives them what is possible for him and is satisfied with them by pardoning them and abandoning the investigation into them with regards to what happens of their errors, and who forgivest hem for it, except that Allah says to him on the Day he meets Him: O my servant, you fulfilled the rights of your brothers, and you did not investigate into them with regards to that which they owe you. Hence, I am more Munificent and Generous and Prior of what you did of pardoning and generosity, so, I will today, indeed, fulfil a right I promised you and increase from My wide favor, and I will not look into you with regards to your short-coming with some of My rights. He said: Then He will joint hem with Muhammed and his Family and make him among the best of their Shi’a. Then he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said to some of his companions one day: O servant of Allah, love for the sake of Allah, hate for the sake of Allah, befriend for the sake of Allah, antagonize for the sake of Allah, for indeed, the befriendship of Allah cannot be attained except by such, and a man will not find the taste of faith, even if his prayers and fasts augment, until he becomes as such. Indeed, the fraternity among people has, on this day of yours, has mostly become for the sake of this world; for its sake they affectionate, and for its sake they antagonize, and that will not avail them from Allah at all. Then the man said: O Messenger of Allah, how can I know that I have befriended and antagonized for the sake of Allah, and who is the Ally of Allah, that I may befriend him? And who is his enemy, that I may antagonize him? Then the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, pointed towards Ali, peace be upon him, and said: Do you see him? He said: Sure. He said: The ally of his is the ally of Allah, so befriend him, and the enemy of his is the enemy of Allah, so antagonize him, and befriend the ally of his, even if he has fought your father and sons, and antagonize the enemy of his, even if he is your father or sons.

Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār

Chapter #22