The Author

Introduction

Tract on The Beliefs of The Shi'a Imamiya

The Belief of The Imamiya Concerning Tawhid

Attributes Of (His) Essence And Of (His) Actions

Belief Concerning Taklif (Responsibility)

The Belief In Respect Of Human Actions

Regarding the Denial of Both Constraint And Delegation

The Belief Concerning (Allah's) Intention (Irada) And Will (Mashi'a)

Concerning (qada') Destiny And Decree (qadar)

Concerning Man's Original Nature (fitra)  And His True Guidance (hidaya)

Belief In The Capacity Of Human Beings (al-istita'a)

Regarding the Source of Creation (mabda' )

Concerning Abstention From Disputation (jadal) And Contention About Allah (mira')

Concerning The Tablet (lawh) And The Pen (qalam)

Regarding The Chair (Kursi)

Concerning The Throne

Concerning Souls (nufus) And Spirits (arwah )

Concerning Death (mawt )

Concerning The Questioning In The Grave

Concerning Resurrection (Raj'a)

Concerning Return (Ba'th) After Death

Concerning The Pond (al-Hawd)

Concerning Intersession (ash-shafa'a)

Concerning The Promise (al-wa`d) And The Threat (al-wa'id)

Concerning What is Written Against The Slave

Concerning Justice (al-'adl)

Concerning Purgatory (al-A'raf)

Concerning The Bridge (as-Sirat)

Passes On the Road to Mahshar

Concerning The Reckoning (al-hisab) And The Scales (al-mawazin)

Concerning The Garden (al-janna) And The Fire (an-nar)

The Manner Of Descent Of Revelation (nuzulu'l-wahy)

Revelation Of The Qur'an In The Night Of Power

The Belief Concerning The Qur'an

Concerning the Extent of The Qur’an

Concerning Prophets Apostles, Imams And Angels

The Number of Prophets And Vicegerents

Concerning Infallibility ('isma)

The Denial Of Excess And Delegation

Belief Concerning Evil Doers

Concerning Dissimulation (Taqiyya)

The Ancestors Of The Prophet

Concerning The Alids ('alawiya)

Concerning Reports Detailed And Summary

Concerning Prohibition And Permission

Concerning The Reports Regarding Medicine

Concerning Two Divergent Traditions

This text is a translation of one of the most important works of Shayh
Saduq; it presents a summary of all of the core tenets of the Shi'ite
creed.


A Shi'ite Creed

Concerning The Pond (al-Hawd)
=============================

**Concerning The Pond (al-Hawd)**[^1]

Says the Shaykh Abu Ja'far, the mercy of Allah be upon him: Our belief
concerning the Pond *(al-Hawd)* is that it is true. Its width is the
distance between Ayla[^2] and San'a', and it belongs to the Prophet, on
whom be peace. And verily in it there are as many pitchers as star in
the sky. And verily on the day of resurrection the giver of drink out of
it will be the Prince of Believers, 'Ali bin Abi Talib, on whom be
peace.

He will give his friends water to drink and drive away his enemies. He
who drinks of it once will never thirst again. And the Prophet said: A
group of persons among my followers will be dragged before me, when I
shall be at the pond (of *Kawthar*), and be taken towards the left side
(i.e. hell). Then shall I raise the cry: My companions, my companions, O
my Lord! And I shall be told: You do not know what they did after you.

[^1]: Hawd is rendered as "basin" by Wensinck, Handbook of Early Muh.
Tradition, 33 -34. Cp. MC, 195 (art. 21), 231 sqq., 258, 268, 274.

[^2]: Among Sunnites, Ayla (S. Syria) and Aden, MC, 232.


