حدثنا أبي - رضي الله عنه - قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، قال: حدثنا أحمد ابن محمد بن عيسى، قال: حدثنا العباس بن معروف، عن عبد الله بن المغيرة، قال: حدثنا أبو حفص العبدي، قال: حدثنا أبو هارون العبدي  ، عن أبي سعيد الخدري، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: إذا سألتم الله لي فسلوه الوسيلة. فسألنا النبي صلى الله عليه وآله عن الوسيلة. فقال: هي درجتي في الجنة وهي ألف مرقاة، ما بين المرقاة إلى المرقاة حضر  الفرس الجواد شهرا وهي ما بين مرقاة جوهر إلى مرقاة زبرجد إلى مرقاة ياقوت إلى مرقاة ذهب إلى مرقاة فضة فيؤتى بها يوم القيامة حتى تنصب مع درجة النبيين فهي في درجة النبيين كالقمر بين الكواكب فلا يبقى يومئذ نبي ولا صديق ولا شهيد إلا قال: طوبى لمن كانت هذه الدرجة درجته. فيأتي النداء من عند الله عز وجل يسمع النبيين وجميع الخلق: هذه درجة محمد. فاقبل أنا يومئذ متزرا بريطة من نور على تاج الملك وإكليل الكرامة وعلي ابن أبي طالب أمامي وبيده لوائي وهو لواء الحمد مكتوب عليه " لا إله إلا الله، المفلحون هم الفائزون بالله " فإذا مررنا بالنبيين قالوا: هذان ملكان مقربان لم نعرفهما ولم نرهما وإذا مررنا بالملائكة قالوا: نبيين مرسلين. حتى أعلو الدرجة وعلي يتبعني حتى إذا صرت في أعلى درجة منها وعلي أسفل مني بدرجة فلا يبقى يومئذ نبي ولا صديق ولا شهيد إلا قال: طوبى لهذين العبدين ما أكرمهما على الله تعالى! فيأتي النداء من قبل الله عز وجل يسمع النبيين والصديقين والشهداء والمؤمنين: هذا حبيبي محمد وهذا وليي علي، طوبى لمن أحبه. وويل لمن أبغضه وكذب عليه. فلا يبقى يومئذ أحد أحبك يا علي إلا استروح إلى هذا الكلام وابياض وجهه وفرح قلبه، ولا يبقى أحد ممن عاداك أو نصب لك حربا أو جحد لك حقا إلا اسود وجهه واضطربت قدماه. فبينا أنا كذلك إذا ملكان قد أقبلا إلي أما أحدهما فرضوان خازن الجنة، وأما الاخر فمالك خازن النار، فيدنو رضوان فيقول: السلام عليك يا أحمد. فأقول: السلام عليك أيها الملك، من أنت؟ فما أحسن وجهك وأطيب ريحك! فيقول: أنا رضوان خازن الجنة وهذه مفاتيح الجنة بعث بها إليك رب العزة فخذها يا أحمد. فأقول: قد قبلت ذلك من ربي فله الحمد على ما فضلني به [ربي] ادفعها إلى أخي علي بن أبي طالب [فيدفع إلى علي]. ثم يرجع رضوان فيدنو مالك فيقول: السلام عليك يا أحمد. فأقول: عليك السلام أيها الملك فما أقبح وجهك وأنكر رؤيتك! [من أنت؟] فيقول: أنا مالك خازن النار وهذه مقاليد النار بعث بها إليك رب العزة فخذها يا أحمد. فأقول: قد قبلت ذلك من ربي فله الحمد على ما فضلني به ادفعها إلى أخي علي بن أبي طالب [فيدفعها إليه]، ثم يرجع مالك، فيقبل علي ومعه مفاتيح الجنة ومقاليد النار حتى يقف بحجزة جهنم   وقد تطاير شررها وعلا زفيرها واشتد حرها وعلي آخذ بزمامها فيقول له جهنم: جزني يا علي فقد أطفأ نورك لهبي فيقول لها علي: قري يا جهنم: خذي هذا واتركي هذا خذي عدوي واتركي وليي. فلجهنم يومئذ أشد مطاوعة لعلي من غلام أحدكم لصاحبه، فان شاء يذهبها يمنة وإن شاء يذهبها يسرة، ولجهنم يومئذ أشد مطاوعة لعلي فيما يأمرها به من جميع الخلائق.

1.	We were told by my father, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, that he said: We were told by Ahmad ibn Muhammed bin Isa, that he said: We were told by Abbas bin Ma’ruf, from Abdullah bin Mughaira, that he said: We were told by Abu Hafs al-‘Abdi, that he said: We were told by Abu Harun al-‘Abdi, from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: If you ask Allah for my sake, then ask Him about the Means. Then we asked the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, about the Means, so he said: It is my degree in Paradise, and it is a thousand stairs, between one stair to another stair is the running of the fast horse for a month, and it is what is between the stair of an element, to a stair of peridot, to a stair of ruby, to a stair of gold, to a stair of silver. They will be brought on the Day of Resurrection that they might be raised with the degree of Prophets. It is, among the degree of the Prophets, like the moon among planets. There will not remain on that day a Prophet, nor a truthful nor a martyr, except that he will say: Tuba iso for the one whose degree is this degree. Then the call will come from Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, which will be heard by the Prophets and all the creation: This is the degree of Muhammed. Then, on that day, I will come, wrapped in soft cloth of light, on the Crown of the Kingdom and Diadem of Dignity, while Ali ibn Abi Talib is front of me and in his hand is my Banner, that is the Banner of Praise on which it is written: «There is no god but Allah, the Successful are those who won with Allah». When we will pass by the Prophets, they will say: «These are two Angels brought near (to Allah) we do not know and whom we have not seen» and when we pass by the Angels, they will say: «Prophets who have been sent», and so, until I will raise through the degree and Ali will follow me until I become at the highest degree of it, while Ali is beneath me by one degree. There will remain, on that day, no Prophet, nor truthful nor martyr, except that he says: Tuba is for these two servants, how much are they dignified by Allah, Exalted is He! Then the call will come from Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, which will be heard by the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the believers: This is My Beloved, Muhammed, and this is My Viceregent, Ali. Tuba is for the one who loves him, and woe to the one who hates him and lies about him. It will remain, on that day, none who loves you, O Ali, except that he finds comfort in this speech, his face is whitened and his heart is rejoiced, and it will remain none who antagonizes you, wages war against you or knowingly rejects your right, except that his face is darkened and his feet are disturbed. While I am as such, two Angels will approach me. As for one of them, he is Ridwan, the Guardian of Paradise, and as for the other, he is Malik, the Guardian of the Fire, and Ridwan will come near and say: Peace be upon you, O Ahmad. I will say: Peace be upon you, O Angel. Who are you? For how good is your face and delightful is your fragrance! Then he will say: I am Ridwan, the Guardian of Paradise, and these are the keys of Paradise; they were sent to you by the Lord of Honor, so take them, O Ahmad. Then I will say: I have, certainly, accepted that from my Lord, so, to Him is praise for what my Lord has preferred me with. I will give them to my brother, Ali bin Abi Talib, and so it will be given to Ali. Then Ridwan will return and Malik will come near and say: Peace be upon you, O Ahmad. I will then say: Upon you is peace, O Angle. How ugly is your face and horrid is your look. Who are you? He will say: I am Malik, the Guardian of the Fire, and these are the keys to the Fire; they were sent to you by the Lord of Honor, so take them, O Ahmad. Then I will say: I have, certainly, accepted that from my Lord, so, to Him is praise for what my Lord has preferred me with. I will give them to my brother, Ali bin Abi Talib, and so he will give it to him. Then Malik will return, and Ali will approach and with him are the keys to Paradise and the keys to the Fire, until he stands at the edge of the Fire, while its sparks fly away, its blaze heightens and heat intensifies, while Ali is holding by its ropes, to which Hell will say to him: Cut me off, O Ali, for indeed, your light has extinguished my flame. Then Ali will say to it: Be cold, O Hell, take him, and leave him; take my enemy, and leave my ally. Hell, on that day, will, indeed, be more conformable to Ali than the boy of one you to his man, who according to his wish, he will go right, and according to his wish, he will go left. Hell, on that day, will, indeed, be more conformable to Ali with regards to what he will order it to than all the creatures.

Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār

Chapter #50