the Life of Imām 'ali Bin Mūsā Al-ridā

The Reason For The Performance Of The Prayer For Unusual Natural Events (Yāt)

The Reason for the Performance of the Prayer for Unusual Natural Events (Āyāt)

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: "Why has it (the prayer) been determined in ten rak'as?'

"It is said: 'Because the obligatory prayer which was first sent down from the heaven to earth regarding the day and the night was ten rak'as. So prayer was gathered together, and the sujūd was determined in it, because every prayer which has the rukū' has the sujūd, and that they may also complete their prayer with the sujūd and submission. It (the prayer) has been determined in four sujūds, because every prayer whose sujūd is less than four sujūds is not a prayer, because the least religious duty in prayer is sujūd, and it is not (correct) unless it is four sujūds (i.e. prostration four times).'"

The prayer for unusual natural events (Salāt al-Āyāt) consists of two rak'as; each of five rukū's; the worshipper should rise after each rukū'. After the worshipper has risen for the fifth rukū', he should perform two sajdas, recite the tashahud and salām. The Imām has given an account of the reason for determining this prayer in ten rukū's, and that it represents the ten -rak'a prayer which was first imposed on servants.

'Īd al-Fitr

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'Why has the day of fast breaking been regarded as 'Īd?'

"It is said: 'That the Muslims may have a meeting place in which they meet, appear for Allah, the Great and Almighty, so they praise Him for what He has bestowed upon them, so it is the day of 'Īd, the day of meeting, the day of fast breaking, the day of Zakāt, the day of desire, and the day of supplication, and because it is the first

day of the year in which eating and drinking is lawful, for the first of the months of the year with the people of the Truth is the month of Ramadān, so Allah, the Great and Almighty, desires that they may have a meeting place in which they praise and sanctify Him.'"

For these reasons which have been mentioned by the Imām, peace be on him, the day of fast breaking has been regarded as 'Īd for the Muslims; they gather together therein and congratulate each other on that Allah has made them successful in fasting the blessed month of Ramadān.

The 'Īd Prayers

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'Why has the takkbir therein ('Īd prayers) been made more than that in the prayers other than it?'

"It is said: 'Because takkbir is for Allah and is glorification (for Him) for guiding (them) and (giving them) well-being, just as Allah, the Great and Almighty, has said: That you should complete the number and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you and that you may give thanks.[1]'"

The Imām, peace be on him, has expressed the reason for making the takkbir in the 'Īd prayer more than that in the other prayers, and that is because this excellent day is great with Allah, the Most High.

Fasting

The Imām, peace be on him, talked about the reason for legislating fasting, and about some reasons for the legislation concerning the blessed month of Ramadān.

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'Why have they been ordered to fast?'

"It is said: 'That they may come to know about the pain of hunger and thirst, so they conclude the poverty in the hereafter, and that the fasting person may be lowly, abased, miserable, rewarded,

[1] Qur'ān, 2, 185.

relying (on Allah), and patient toward that which befall him of hunger and thirst, so he is worthy of reward, in addition to refraining from desires, and this may be a preacher for them in the immediate, a trainer for them against what He has entrusted to them, and a guide for them to the deferred, and that they may know the severity of that (hunger and thirst) against the people of poverty and misery in the world, so they give to them what Allah has apportioned as a religious duty in their properties.'"

The Imām has mentioned the profits which result from fasting of which is showing sympathy for the poor, for when the fasting person becomes hungry, he feels the pain of hunger, and this urges him to show affection toward the poor and the needy. Among the reasons for fasting is equality between the rich and the poor in this religious duty.

Yet another reason for it is that it strengthens man's will, and that is through his refraining from eating and drinking. Jihārdat, a German author, has written a book on building and strengthening will through fasting. He believes that fasting is the effective means for the authority of the soul over the body, and that man lives holding the reins of his own soul and is not a captive to his material inclinations.

These are some reasons of fasting. As for the Imām, peace be on him, he has mentioned many profits of it.

The Month of Ramadān

He, peace be on him, said: 'If a sayer says: 'Why has fasting been appointed especially in (the month of Ramadān) apart from the rest of the months?'

"It is said: 'Because (the month of Ramadān) is the month in which Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Qur'ān, and therein is a distinction between right and wrong, as Allah, the Great and Almighty, has said: The month of Ramadān is that in which the Qur'ān was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance
and the distinction.[1] In it Mohammed, may Allah bless him
and his family, was appointed as a prophet, and in it is Laylat al-Qadr,

[1] Ibid., 2, 185.

which is better than a thousand months, therein every wise affair is distinct; it is new year; He ordains therein what is in the year of good and evil, harm or profit, provision or death, and for this reason it has been called Laylat al-Qadr.'"

For this reason Allah, the Most High, has made fasting obligatory in this blessed month and distinguished it from the other months.

Fasting is confined to the Month of Ramadān

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'Why have they been ordered to fast the month of Ramadān, not less than that nor more (than it)?'

"It is said: "Because it is the strength of worship through which He includes the strong and the weak; Allah has made religious duties on most things, and He has included the strong, then He has given permission to men of weakness, and make men of strength desire for excellence, and if they are set right by the less than that, then He will decrease them, and if they are in need of more than that, He will increase them.'"

Surely Allah's wisdom and His directing things require that the interest of servants is in fasting thirty days, and if the interest was less than that, he would decrease them; likewise, if the interest was more than that, he would increase them.

The menstruating Women leave Fasting and Prayer

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'Why does the menstruating woman not fast nor  pray?'

"It is said: 'Because she is in the limit of uncleanness[1], so Allah desires that she does not serve Him except (when she is) pure, and because one who does not pray does not fast.'"

For this reason the menstruating woman does not fast; nor does she perform prayer. However, she has to compensate for fasting when she is pure.

[1] Perhaps the correct is: She is in the state of uncleanness.

The menstruating Women have to compensate for Fasting

He, peace be on him, said: "Why has she to compensate for fasting and has not to compensate prayer?'

"It is said: 'For various reasons of which is that fasting does not prevent her from serving herself, serving her husband, setting right her house, undertaking her affair, and fulfilling her livelihood, while prayer prevents her from all of that, for prayer is several times by day and night, so she is not able to (do) that, while fasting is not as such.

"'Of which surely there are suffering and tiredness in prayer and the limbs are busy, and there is nothing of that in fasting; rather it is refraining from eating and drinking, and the limbs are not busy therein.

"'Of which is that when a time comes, on her obligatory is a prayer new in day and night, while fasting is not as such, because it is not whenever a day comes fasting is obligatory on her, and whenever a time comes prayer is obligatory on her.'"

For these firm reasons, the Legislator has not ordered the menstruating woman to compensate prayer, for performing it causes difficulties and tiredness to her, and it is contrary to fasting, for compensating for it causes to her neither difficulties nor tiredness.

Compensating for the Month of Ramadān

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'If a man falls ill or travels in the month of Ramadān  and does not end his travel nor does he recover from his illness until another (month of Ramadān) comes to him, then a redemption for the first (month) is obligatory on him and the compensation drops. If he recovers or rises between them and does not compensate for it, then (both) compensation and redemption are obligatory on him?

"It is said: 'Because that fast was obligatory on him in that month, in that year. As for him who does not recover during the whole year, and Allah, the Exalted, overcame him and made a way for him to perform it, then it is not obligatory on him to perform it; likewise,

those whom Allah overcomes such as the one who faints for a day and a night, so it is not obligatory on him to perform the prayer; just as al-Sādiq, peace be on him, has said: 'If the servant is overcome by Allah, then he has an excuse, for the month (of Ramadān) has come while he is still ill, so it is not obligatory on him to fast in the month of him nor in the year of him because of the illness in which he is, and redemption is obligatory on him, for he is with the same rank to him on whom fasting is obligatory but cannot perform it, so redemption is obligatory on him.' Just as Allah, the Great and Almighty, has said: Let him fast for two months successively; then as for him who is not able, let him feed sixty needy ones.[1] And as Allah, the Great and Almighty, has said: A compensation by fasting or alms or sacrificing.[2] So He has put alms in the place of fasting when it is difficult for him (the worshipper to fast).'"

The Imām, peace be on him, has mentioned those whose illness lasts from a month of Ramadān to another, and they do not recover, so compensation for fasting is not obligatory on them; rather redemption is obligatory on them. As for those who recover during the year and have not fasted yet, it is obligatory on them to compensate for the fast, for they are able to fast as well as redemption is obligatory on them.

Then the Imām commented on that, saying: "If a sayer says: 'If he (the worshipper) was unable (to fast) at that time and is able now?'

"It is said: 'As another month of Ramadān has come to him, then redemption for the past (months) is obligatory on him, for he is with the same rank to him on whom fasting in religious expiation is obligatory, but he was not able to fast it, so redemption is obligatory on him. And if redemption is obligatory, then fasting is not obligatory; fasting is not obligatory but redemption is obligatory. If he (the worshipper) recovers between them (the two months of Ramadān) but had not fast it, then redemption is obligatory on him, because of his negligence, and fasting because he was able (to fast).'"

[1] Qur'ān, 58, 4.
[2] Ibid., 2, 196.

Fasting instead of Releasing a Salve

He, peace be on him, said: "Regarding the religious expiation due on him who cannot find, why is it obligatory on him to release a slave, fasting apart from the hajj, prayer, and the like?

"It is said: 'Because prayer, the hajj, and all the religious duties prevent man from being changeable in the affairs of his world and interest of his livelihood, in addition to those reasons which we have mentioned regarding the menstruating woman who has to compensate for fasting and has not to compensate prayer.'"

For these reasons the Legislator has decided fasting instead of releasing a slave, and He has not decided prayer, the hajj, and the like instead of it, for this requires stopping works and makes man unable to get his daily bread.

Fasting two successive Months

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'So why has He  made it obligatory on him (the worshipper) to fast two successive months, and has not made it obligatory on him to fast one month or three months?'

"It is said: 'Because the religious duty which Allah has made incumbent upon people is one month, so He has doubled the religious expiation of this month as sign of emphasizing strictness.

The Succession in fasting two Months

He, peace be on him, said: "Why has the two months been made successive?

"It is said: "Lest he (the worshipper) should find it easy to perform (them), so he disparages it (fasting). Because if he compensate them separately, then compensation (for fasting) is easy for him.'"

Surely the succession in fasting the two months is a punishment on him who intentionally breaks the fast and violates the things made unlawful by Allah, the Most High. So Allah, the Exalted, is severe with him regarding that.

The Hajj

The Imām, peace be on him, has mentioned the reason for legislating the hajj and the reasons for some precepts concerning it.

The Hajj is obligatory

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'Why has He ordered them (to perform) the hajj?'

"It is said: 'The reason for the hajj is to seek to be the guest of Allah, to request more blessings, to part with past sins, to feel repentant about the past, and to look forward to the future. It is due to spending on the trip, seeking nearness to Allah, tiring the body, abstaining from pleasures and desires, seeking nearness to Allah by worshipping Him, yielding and submitting to Him, looking up towards Him in cases of hot weather and chilling cold, during security and fear, incessantly doing so, and due to all the benefits in it in the east and west of the earth, and those who are in cold and heat[1], from among those who perform the hajj and from among those who do not perform the hajj, from among the merchants, the importers, the sellers, the buyers, the tradesmen, the needy, those who hire animals, the poor, and accomplishing the needs of the people of the outskirts in the places in which it is possible for them to collect expenses and reporting the news of the Imāms, peace be on him, to every region and district, just as Allah, the Exalted, has said: Why should not then a company from every party from among them go forth that they may apply themselves to obtain understanding in religion, and that they may warn their people when they come back to them that they may be cautious? [2]'"

The hajj is a general conference aiming at great purposes and important benefits brining about general good to Islamic world, and Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, has stated some of them. If we desire to mention the fruits and benefits of the hajj, the book will be unduly

[1] Perhaps the correct is in the land and on sea.
[2] Qur'ān, 9, 122.

long. Any how, the most important thing in the hajj is that the Muslim peoples come to know about each other, that they may reach an exalted level among the peoples and communities of the world, and, in addition, it is useful from economic point of view, for every Muslim country has industries and products which are not available in other than it, and through the hajj it is possible for the Muslim countries to make commercial agreements in order to exchange such industries and products.

Any how, the hajj aims at raising the level of the intellectual, scientific, and economic life of the Muslims; therefore, it is a unique conference in the world.

The Hajj is one Time

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'So why have they been ordered to perform the hajj one time, not more than that?'

"It is said: 'Because Allah, the Exalted, has decided the religious duties according to the minimum (degree) of the people, just as He, the Great and Almighty, has said: Whatever offering is easy to obtain [1], namely one ewe, that the strong and the weak may be able to perform it; likewise, all the religious duties have been decided according to the minimum strength of the people, so one of these religious duties is the hajj which is obligatory one time, then He has made the men of strength desire for (more than one time) according to their ability.'"

The obligatory hajj in Islam is one time, and performing the hajj many times is not obligatory according to the reasons which have been mentioned by the Imām, peace be on him, and of which is that Islam has legislated its religious duties and precepts according to the least of the people in strength, and the least of them in body and property is not able to perform the hajj more than one time.

For this reason it is incumbent on everybody to perform the hajj one time, yes, the hajj may be obligatory through vow, hiring, and the like from among that which the jurists have mentioned.

[1] Ibid., 2, 196.

The Ihrām [1]

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'Why have they been ordered to enter the state of ritual consecration (ihrām)?'

"It is said: 'Because they become humble before they enter the sanctuary and security of Allah, the Great and Almighty; lest they should amuse and busy themselves with one of the affairs of the world and its embellishment, that they may be earnest regarding that which is among them, heading for it, walking toward it thoroughly, and, in addition, they magnify Allah, the Exalted, and His House, abase their own souls during their heading for Allah, the Exalted, for they are His guests, hoping for His reward, fearing His punishment, going towards Him, walking towards Him with abasement, submission, and yielding.'"

If the pilgrim enters the state of ritual consecration, then he has to abstain from desires and pleasures; it is unlawful for him to practice the means of luxury and embellishment such as women, wearing sewn clothes, and perfume. He has to have his hair cut and to abstain from obscene words, for their is neither sexual intercourse nor fornication nor quarreling during the hajj.

Surely the ihrām trains soul to bear exertions and hardships, to magnify Allah, the Most High, and to be humble before Him, and the like from among the reasons which have been mentioned by the Imām, peace be on him.

The Procession round the Ka'ba

In his answer to Mohammed b. Sinān, the Imām, peace be on him, wrote: "The reason for the procession round the Ka'ba is that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said to the angels: And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth vicegerent, they said: What! Will You place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood.[2] So they answered Allah, the Exalted, with this answer; then they repented, sought refuge in the Throne and asked

[1] Ihrām  is entering into the state of ritual consecration.
[2] Qur'ān, 2, 30.

(Allah) for forgiveness. Allah, the Great and Almighty, desired (servants) to serve Him with such an act of worship. He placed a House called al-Durāh in the fourth heaven, then He placed in the heaven of the world a House called al-Ma'mūr beside the inhabited House. Then He ordered Ādam to go round it and he did, so Allah, the Great and Almighty, forgave him, and this (procession) has been put into practice by his (Adam's) sons till the Day of Resurrection."

Surely the circumambulation round the Holy Ka'ba consists of high lessons of which are: It immortalizes the Magnified Place which was built by the Shaykh of the prophets, Ibrāhim, peace be on him, that men may wherein serve Allah, the One and the Compeller. That was in the time when there was no place of worship except it. And of which is that circumambulation round the Ka'ba is a ladder for the believer like prayer, for through it soul becomes sublime and communicates with the Great Creator, and the like from among the fruits and benefits.

Kissing and Touching the Black Stone

He, peace be on him, said: "And the reason for kissing and touching the (Black) Stone: Surely when Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, took a promise from the children of Ādam, he fed him the stone, and then He entrusted the people with undertaking that promise, and then it is said: 'I have accomplished my trust and the promise I have undertaken by the (Black) Stone, that it may bear witness that I am truthful.' Yet of which is the statement of Sulaymān: 'Surely the (Black) Stone will come on the Day of Resurrection like Abū Qubays having a tongue and two lips bearing witness to the sincerity of him who comes to it.'"

The Imām, peace be on him, has mentioned the reason for kissing and touching the Black Stone, which is the place of sanctification and magnification with the Muslims. That is because the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, had honored and kissed it. Without doubt this indicates the exalted position of this Stone, which will bear witness to the sincerity of him who comes to it on the Day of Resurrection.

The Hajj in Dhu al-Hijja

He, peace be on him, said: "If a sayer says: 'Why has its time been appointed on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijja?'

"It is said: 'Because Allah, the Exalted, desires to be served with this act of worship during ayyām al-tashriq [1] and it was the first time when the angles performed the hajj (to the Ka'ba) and circumambulated it. As for the prophets: Ādam, Nūh, Ibrāhim, Mūsā, 'Īsā, and Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, they performed the hajj at this time. So their children have regarded it as sunna (a religious practice) until the Day of Resurrection."

For these reasons the hajj has been appointed at this blessed time, and not at a time other than it.

Philip Hatti's Statement regarding the Hajj

It is worth mentioning that we end this research on the hajj with the statement of Dr. Philip Hatti, who has said: "And the hajj is still throughout the ages a system with which (no system) competes for strengthening the ties of Islamic understanding and harmony among the different classes of the Muslims; and thanks to it that it is possible for every Muslim to be a traveler at least one time during his lifetime, to meet with other than him from among his believing brothers at a brotherly meeting, and to unify his feeling with the feeling of other than him from among those who come (to Mecca) from the parts of the earth. And by virtue of this system, it is easy for the Negroes, the Barbers, the Chinese, the Persians, the Turks, the Arabs, and the like, whether they are rich or poor, great or paupers to harmonize with each other in language, faith, and thought. Islam has made a success which no religion in the world has made in abolishing differences due to gender, color, and nationality, especially among its followers, for it does not recognize any difference among mankind except that which stands between the believers and unbelievers. Without doubt the meeting in the season of the hajj has rendered a great service in this path.[2]"

[1] Ayyām al-tashriq are the days following the day of immolation.
[2] Tārikh al-'Arab (2nd edition), vol. 1, p. 187.

Zakāt

In his answer to Mohammed b. Sinān's  questions, the Imām, peace be on him, said:

"And the reason for zakāt (alms) is for the sake of the food of the poor and fortifying the properties of the rich, for Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has entrusted the healthy with undertaking the affairs of the sick and the afflicted; just as Allah, the Exalted, has said: You shall certainly be tried respecting your wealth and your souls.[1] Respecting your wealth is through giving zakāt; respecting your souls is through adjusting the souls to patience; in addition to showing gratitude toward the blessings of Allah, the Great and Almighty, craving for an increase, showing affection and mercy to the weak, sympathizing with the miserable and urging to help them, strengthening the poor and helping (them) with the affairs of the religion, for they are an exhortation for the rich and a lesson for them, that they may be shown the way to the poor of the next world through them; and this urges them to thank Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, for what He has entrusted them with and given to them; (zakāt urges) them (the rich) to supplicate and plead (Allah) and to fear (Him) lest they should be like them (the poor) in many affairs; they should pay zakāt and alms, tighten the bonds of kinship and do favor."

Zakāt is a creative, social system which keeps balance among the classes of the community and puts an end to poverty which is the cause of all crimes. Extreme creeds and wild deeds spread among the communities who lead a poor life.

Surely zakāt removes from souls miserliness, cruelty, selfishness, greediness, and the like from among dirty, social vices which lead to discords, hatred, and enmities. As for the Imām, peace be on him, he has talked about zakāt which leads to general, social benefits.

[1] Qur'ān, 3, 185.

The Reasons for some unlawful Things

In his answer to the questions of Mohammed b. Sinān, the Imām, peace be on him, has mentioned the reasons for some unlawful deeds in Islam as follows:

1. Killing the Soul

He, peace be on him, said: "And Allah has made it unlawful to kill the soul, for if He made it lawful, then it would lead to the corruption of the creation, their annihilation, and the corruption of direction."

Premeditated murder is the most dangerous one, for it disturbs peace. As for Islam, it has forbidden it and legislated a severe punishment on him who commits it. In this connection Allah, the Most High, has said: "And there is life for you in (the law of) retaliation, O men of understanding.[1]" If this crime was made lawful, then it would result in the corruption and annihilation of the creation.

2. The Disobedience of Parents

He, peace be on him, said: "And Allah has made unlawful the disobedience of parents because therein is the violation of reverence."

Surely Allah, the Most High, has associated the rights of parents with His rights and obedience to them with obedience to Him. The ugliest and most unlawful thing is the disobedience of parents and denying their kindness to their children.

3. Adultery

He, peace be on him, said: "And adultery is prohibited due to the corruption it causes such as murders, loss of lineage, child desertion, chaos regarding inheritance, and other such aspects of corruption."

Adultery is among the ugliest kinds of vice; Allah, the Most High, has described it in the Qur'ān as an indecency, saying: "And go not nigh to adultery; surely it is an indecency and evil is the way.[2]"

As for the adulterer, he causes crime to society. For if  a child

[1] Ibid., 2, 179.
[2] Ibid., 17, 32.

results from him, then the child will have no father to look after him, commit the most horrible crime and, in addition, adultery results in the loss of lineage. As for lawful marriage, it is a natural law which makes it incumbent on one to sacrifice his own life for educating his own children with righteous education, that they may be the delight of his eye.

The Punishment for Adulterer

He, peace be on him, said: "And the reason for flogging adulterer with the severest flogging is due to his committing adultery in which the whole body takes pleasure, so flogging has been determined as a punishment for him and a lesson to other than him; and it (adultery) is the greatest crime."

An example of the good Islamic legislation is this heavy punishment for this vice, which is one hundred lashes for the single adulterer and stoning for the married one. In this respect Allah has said: "(As for) the adulterer and the adulteress, flog each of them, (giving) a hundred stripes, and let not pity for them detain you in the matter of obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the last day, and let a party of the believers witness their chastisement.[1]"

The Testimony which establishes Adultery

He, peace be on him, said: "And the reason for the witness of four (witnesses) regarding adultery and two (witnesses) respecting all the rights is due to the severe punishment of the married, for therein is killing, so the witness regarding it (adultery) has been doubled due to killing his soul, the loss of the lineage of his children, and the corruption of the inheritance."

Surely the punishment is not established except through four just witnesses. So if one of them fails to attend, then the three witnesses are liable to the punishment of slander. The witness has been made strict lest people should carelessly accuse each other.

[1] Ibid., 24, 2.

3. Sodomy and Lesbianism

He, peace be on him, said: "And the reason for prohibiting males for males and females for females is due to that which has been created in females and that which males have by nature, and due to the cessation of progeny, the corruption of planning, and the destruction of the world which happens when males (practice sodomy) with males and when females (practice lesbianism) with females."

As for sodomy, it is among immoral crimes and leads to  deviation from the laws of nature, and Allah has named it  indecency. He, the Exalted, has said: "And (We sent) Lut when he said to his people: Most surely you are guilty of an indecency which none of the nations has ever done before you.[1]"

The punishment for sodomy is killing, because this crime leads to the loss of lineage and the destruction of the world, as the Imām, peace be on him, has said.

As for lesbianism, it is among immoral vices and leads to deviation from the law of Allah, the Most High, and man's nature.

5. Looking at the hair of women

He, peace be on him, said: "Looking at the hair of married and single women is prohibited, for it excites men, and this excitement results in (committing) the unlawful; likewise (looking at) that which is like hair (is unlawful) except that concerning which Allah has said: And (as for) women advanced in years who do not hope for a marriage, it is no sin for them to put off their clothes without displaying their ornaments.[2] He means other than the garment; there is no harm in looking at the hair of such a kind of women."

Surely looking at woman's hair excites man and motivates him to commit the unlawful. As for looking at the hair of  women advanced in years, it does not excite man, so Islam has made it permissible.

[1] Ibid., 29, 28.
[2] Ibid., 24, 60.

6. Usury

The Imām, peace be on him, explained the reasons for prohibiting usury (ribā) as follows:

A. He, peace be on him, said: "And as for the reason for prohibiting usury is because Allah has prohibited it; because it corrupts funds, for when one buys a dirham for two dirhams, then the price of the dirham is a dirham, and the price of the other is injustice, so the sale of usury is any how a loss for the buyer and the seller. So Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has prohibited usury because of the corruption of funds just as He has prohibited fund to be given to the fool until his sane is perceived. For this reason Allah has prohibited usury and the sale of the two dirhams hand in hand."

B. He, peace be on him, said: "The reason for prohibiting usury after the evidence because it (makes the usurer) disparage the unlawful, and it is a great (sin) after the explanation, and the prohibition of Allah, the Exalted, for it. And that does not occur through him (the usurer) except disparaging the unlawful; and disparaging that (means) entering unbelief."

C. He, peace be on him, said: "The reason for prohibiting usury is because it eliminates favors, ruins funds, causes greed for profit, causes people to abandon their dealing with loans to each other or in paying with cash, or when they do one another favors, and due to all the bad consequences of corruption and oppression and the exhaustion of funds."

Islam has inclusively prohibited usury and regarded it as the most excessive of all kinds of oppression. Usury opposes the Islamic teachings which summon men to help each other and have mercy on one another. It brings about enmity and hatred, spreads misery and poverty among men.

It has been established that usury is a means for colonizing and occupying peoples, for some colonists double the profits against loans, accordingly those who take such a kind of loan are unable to repay them and fall into the net of the colonists who plunder their wealth and spread poverty in their countries.

Usury has decisively been prohibited in the Qur'ān. Allah, the Exalted, has said: "O you who believe, do not devour usury, making it double and redouble.[1]" He, the Exalted, has also said: "O you who believe, be careful of (your duty to) Allah and relinquish what remains (due) from usury, if you are believers. But if you do (it) not, then be apprised of war from Allah and His Messenger; and if you repent, then you shall have your capital; neither shall you make (the debtor) suffer loss, nor shall you be made to suffer loss.[2]"

Islam has cursed the capitalist, the creditor, the scribe, and the witness, for they help the usurer with that which Allah has prohibited.

7. Swallowing the Property of the Orphans

He, peace be on him, said: "Swallowing the property of the orphans unjustly has been prohibited for many reasons of the aspects of corruption. The first of that is that if one swallows the property of the orphan, surely he helps with killing him, for the orphan is not free from need; nor does he undertake his own soul; nor does he know his affairs; nor has he anyone to take care of him and spare him as his parents do. So if one swallows his property, he kills him, makes him poor and needy.  And due to that Allah, the Great and Almighty, has frightened (men) through the punishment He has decided in these words of Him, the Great and Almighty: And let those fear who, should they leave behind them weakly offspring, would fear on their account; so let them be careful of (their duty to) Allah, and let them speak right words.[3]

"And due to the statement of Abū Ja'far, peace be on him: 'Surely Allah, the Great and Almighty, has promised two punishments regarding swallowing the property of the orphan: one punishment is in the world and the other is in the next. So through making the property of the orphan prohibited, the orphan subsists, depends on himself, the

[1] Ibid., 3, 129.
[2] Ibid., 2, 278-279.
[3] Ibid., 4, 9.

offspring are saved from what has befallen him, because of the punishment Allah has promised regarding it (swallowing the property of the orphan), and, in addition, the orphan will avenge himself when he becomes a grown-up; enmity and hatred occur to the extent that they annihilate each other.'"

Islam has strongly prohibited swallowing the property of the orphan and ordered men to maintain his property until he becomes an adult. Allah, the Most High, has said: "And test the orphans until they attain puberty; then if you find in them maturity of intellect, make over to them their property.[1]"

The Imām, peace be on him, has mentioned the reasons for prohibiting swallowing the property of the orphan.

8. Theft

He, peace be on him, said: "Theft is prohibited. If it was permissible, then it would lead to the corruption of funds, killing, disputes, envy, abandoning trades and industries, and acquiring properties without any right."

As for theft, it is among the ugliest prohibited things, for it means swallowing the funds of people without any right. The thief takes the funds of those who have sacrificed their own souls for gathering them, makes them lead a life of neediness, while he leads a happy life through the funds he has taken. Theft is among the worst kinds of injustice, for this reason Allah, the Most High, has said: "And (as for) the man who steals and the woman who steals, cut off their hands as a punishment for what they have earned.[2]"

The jurists have mentioned numerous conditions regarding cutting the hand off. If these conditions are available, the thief's hand is cut off.

Amputating the right hand of the Thief

He, peace be on him, said: "And the reason for amputating the right hand of the thief is because he undertakes the things with his

[1] Ibid., 4, 6.
[2] Ibid., 5, 38.

own right hand, which is the best of his limbs and most useful of them to him. So amputating the right hand has been decided as a punishment and lesson to the creatures lest they should seek taking funds without any right; and because he (the thief) most times undertakes theft with his own right hand.

"Usurping and taking funds without right has been prohibited, for it results in kinds of corruption; corruption is prohibited because it leads to total ruin, and other aspects of corruption."

For these firm reasons which the Imām, peace be on him, has mentioned, Islam has ordered the right hand of the thief to be cut off, and not his left hand.

9. Wine

He, peace be on him, said: "Allah has prohibited wine because it leads to corruption, changes the intellects of those who drink it, makes them deny Allah, the Great and Almighty, and fabricate lies against Him and his apostles, and makes them do other things such as corruption, murder, slander, and adultery; therefore they do not refrain from the unlawful. For this reason we have decided that all intoxicating drinks are unlawful for they result in that which results from wine; therefore, he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should turn aside from it, show love for us, for their is no safeguard between us and those who drink it (wine)."

As wine does man and society abundant harm, Islam has decisively prohibited it. In this connection Allah, the Most High, has said: "O you who believe, intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan's work; shun it therefor that you may be successful.[1]"

Surely wine brings about all vices and leads to committing all the prohibited such as fornication and theft, and, in addition, it
destroys man's health, for it gives rise to enteritis, high blood
pressure, and the like. Moreover, the drunk's blood is full of alcohol to

[1] Ibid., 5, 90.

the extent that it burns just as alcohol does. I (the author) have mentioned the damages of wine in my book Work and the Rights of the Worker in Islam.

10. Dead Animals

He, peace be on him, said: "As regarding dead animals, the prohibition of eating their meat is due to the damage such meat will cause to the body, and due to the fact that Allah has made lawful the meat of animals slaughtered in His names so that that would be a distinction between what is lawful and what is not."

As for eating the meat of dead animals, it gives rise to many diseases and, perhaps, death.[1] That is because dead animals are still accompanied by germs which sometimes do not die even through roasting their meat, as it has been mentioned by modern medicine.

11. The Blood

He, peace be on him, said: "And Allah, the Great and Almighty, has prohibited the blood just as He has made unlawful dead animals, for it (the blood) gives rise to the corruption of the bodies, the yellow water, bad breath, bad smell, bad manners, the cruelty of the heart, the paucity of graciousness and mercy, to the extent (that the one who drinks it) kills his father and his friend."

Islam has prohibited drinking the blood, for it conveys deadly secretions and poisons. If one drinks the blood of a sick animal, surely his blood will have the germs of such an animal. Physicians have unanimously agreed on that the blood is never a food.

12. The Spleen

He, peace be on him, said: "The spleen has been prohibited because of the blood it contains; the cause of its prohibition is similar to that of the blood and dead animals; it is equally bad in its consequences."

[1] Dr. 'Abd al-'Aziz Ismā'il, al-Islām wa al-Tibb al-Hadith, p. 17.

Islam has prohibited the spleen and regarded it as the blood and dead animals, for eating it causes damages and corruption to man's body, just as the Imām, peace be on him, has stated.

13. Pigs and Apes

He, peace be on him, said: "And pigs are prohibited; their creation was distorted by Allah in order to provide a moral lesson to the creation, and in order to remind them to fear Allah, and as evidence of Allah's might to distort what He creates at will, and because the food they eat is the filthiest of filth, in addition to many other reasons.

"And likewise, pigs are prohibited; (Allah) distorted their creation as He distorted that of pigs  in order to provide a moral lesson to the creation, and as evidence of Allah's might to distort what He creates at will; and He has placed in them (qualities) similar to that of man in order to indicate that they (apes) belong to the creation upon whom (His) wrath was brought down."

Islam has prohibited the meat of pigs, and, through that, it has saved the Muslims from great evil. Bity Wdikson says: "Surely the infection by the worms of the pig's meat is about general in special regions from France, Germany, Italy, and Briton, but it is rare in the eastern country, for the religion of its people has prohibited eating pig's meat; pig's meat also conveys Tarnjina to man."

The following are some realities on pig's meat and the extent of its danger:

A. The specialist physician cannot decide that one pig is not infected by these worms; rather all pigs are infected by them.

B. Each female of these worms lays 1500 ova in the mucous membrane of the sick person's bowels. So the blood distributes and spreads the million ova laid by all the female worms all over the body, and the fetuses come together in muscles, so the give rise to severe aches, and very painful muscular inflammations, and after that one is inflected by malignant tumors.

C. There is no medicine for this disease and, in addition, pig's meat coveys to man some germs and paratyphoid, and they cause to

him an acute poisoning accompanied by severe inflammations in the digestive system, and they may give rise to death within some hours.[1]

14. Rabbits

He, peace be on him, said: "The rabbits are prohibited because they are with the same rank to cats: their claws are like those of cats and like wild animals, so their behavior is equally wild, in addition to their own inner dirtiness and due to their bleeding which is similar to the bleeding of women during their menstrual period; and because they are miscreants."

As for eating the meat of rabbits, it is prohibited according to the reasons given by the Imām, peace be on him. However, some Islamic schools do not regard rabbit as dirty, and they have regarded eating the meat of rabbits as permissible.

15. Beasts and Birds of Prey

He, peace be on him, said: "Beasts and birds of prey are prohibited because they eat carcasses, the flesh of men, feces, and the like. So Allah, the Great and Almighty, has placed signs in the lawful and the unlawful animals and birds. And just as my father has said: 'Beasts with canine teeth and birds with claws are prohibited; birds with gizzards are lawful.'

"Yet another reason for distinguishing lawful birds from unlawful ones is these words of him, peace be on him: 'Eat birds which flap their wings and do not eat those birds which glide their wings.'"

Islam has prohibited birds of prey such as falcon and Egyptian vulture; likewise, the birds which have neither crop nor gizzard nor spurs on their feet; it is sufficient when one spur is on the feet of the lawful birds.[2]

The Imām, peace be on him, has stated that such birds and animals are prohibited because they eat carcasses, the flesh of men,

[1] Rūh al-Din al-Islāmi (3rd edition), p. 405.
[2] Minhājj al-Sālihi`n, vol. 2, p. 274.

feces, and their meat is affected by that, so their meat is not appropriate for man's stomach.

16. That over which any other (Name) than that of Allah has been invoked

He, peace be on him, said: "It is prohibited (to eat) that over which any other (name) than that of Allah has been invoked, for Allah, the Great and Almighty, has made it incumbent on His creation to profess Him and to invoke His name over the lawful sacrifices; lest that through which they seek nearness to Him and that which has been made as act of worship to Satan and idols should be equal, because invoking the name of Allah, the Great and Almighty, (over sacrifices) means professing His Lordship and His Oneness. As for that over which any other (name) than that of Allah has been invoked, it has nothing except associating others with Him and seeking nearness through it to other than Him, that mentioning and invoking the name of Allah over sacrifice may be a difference between what Allah has made lawful and what He has made unlawful."

 It is prohibited to eat the meat of the sacrifices over which any other name than that of Allah is invoked, for they are slaughtered to seek nearness to other than Allah such as idols, and this was the custom of those people who lived before Islam, and who had neither awareness nor thought; rather they were like beasts. When Islam came, it prohibited their sacrifices. It regarded their thoughts and works as dirty, their sacrifices as unclean and inedible.

17. Eating the Meat of Mules is Reprehensible

He, peace be on him, said: "It is reprehensible to eat the meat of domestic mules because the people are in need of their backs and employing them; and for fear that they may be few; not because of the dirtiness of their creation nor because of the dirtiness of their food."

Islam has made it reprehensible to eat the meat of domestic donkeys and mules, for they were the most important means for transportation during those times. If they had been slaughtered, the

means of transportation would have been few. As for their meat, it is eatable and has nothing to damage general health.

18. Man may marry up to four Women

He, peace be on him, said: "Why may a man marry up to four women, while a woman is prohibited from marrying more than one man? Because when a man marries four women, his children will all be related to him; had a woman married two husbands or more simultaneously, nobody would know for sure who fathered the sons she gave birth to, since they all were in cohabiting with her, and this causes a complete disorder for relating one to his father, and who should inherit who, and who is the kin of who."

The Imām, peace be on him, has explained the reason why a man may marry four women, while a woman may not marry two husbands or more simultaneously. Had it was permissible for her to marry more than a husband at the same time, then who would father the son she gave birth to? Surely such a kind of marriage loses lineage and corrupts inheritances.

19. Repeating the Divorce Statement thrice

He, peace be on him, said: "The reason for repeating the divorce statement thrice is due to the time interval between each, and due to a possible desire for reconciliation or the calming of anger, if any, and to teach women to respect their husbands and deter them from disobeying them."

The revocable divorce (talāq al-'idda) is that the husband divorces his wife when the pre-conditions are available; then he has the right to return to her during the 'idda and to remarry her. Then he divorces her during another purity, so it is prohibited for him to remarry her until she marries another husband; the reasons for such a kind of divorce has been mentioned by the Imām, peace be on him.

20. The Woman divorced nine times

He, peace be on him, said: "The reason why a husband can never remarry his wife whom he divorced nine times is that it is his right

penalty so that men do not take divorce lightly or take advantage of women and think of them as weak, and so that the man would be considering his affairs, remaining awake and aware, so that he would lose all hope of a reunion after the ninth pronouncement of the divorce statement."

If a woman is divorced in the manner mentioned in the previous question, and someone else marries her, then he divorces her, and her first husband marries her and divorces her three times in the previous manner, then it is prohibited for him to marry her until she marries someone else. If someone else marries her and divorces her, then her first husbands marries her and divorces her thrice in the previous manner, then he can never marry her again. As for the reasons for such a kind of divorce, they have been mentioned by the Imām, peace be on him. If the divorce is not revocable, the divorced woman can never be prohibited, even if the divorce is more than nine times.

21. The Inheritance of Woman

As for the inheritance of a woman, it is that she inherits half what men get of inheritance. The Imām, peace be on him, has given two reasons for that:

Regarding the first reason, he, peace be on him, said: "The reason for giving women half what men get of inheritance is that when the woman marries, she receives, while the man gives; therefore, Allah decided to assist the males to be able to give."

Regarding the second reason, he, peace be on him, said: "Yet another reason for giving the male twice as much as the female is that the female is considered dependent on the male when she needs, and he has to take care of her living expenses and to spend on her, while the woman is not required to take care of the expenses of the man, nor can she be required to pay his expenses if he was in need; therefore, Allah decreed to give the man more according to these words of Him, the Great and Almighty: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more than the other, and because they support them from their means.[1]"

[1] Qur'ān, 4, 34.

As the man is responsible for paying the expenses of the woman such as those of house, food, clothes, and others mentioned by the jurists, the woman is given half what the man gets of inheritance, just as the Imām, peace be on him, has stated. With this question we will end our talk about the reasons for some precepts which have been reported from Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him.

The Conditions of the Prophets and Bygone Communities

The Imām, peace be on him, was asked about the reasons for the conditions of some prophets and bygone communities, and he answered. The following are some of them:

The Drowning of Pharaoh

Ibrāhim b. Mohammed al-Hamadāni narrated, saying: "I asked Abū al-Hasan 'Ali b. Mūsā al-Ridā, peace be on him: 'What is the reason for which Allah, the Great and Almighty, drowned Pharaoh even after Pharaoh had believed in Him and admitted His unity?'"

He, peace be on him, answered: "Because he believed only when he saw Allah's retribution, and belief to avoid danger is not accepted. This is Allah's judgment regarding past and future generations. Allah, the Great and Almighty, has said: When they saw Our punishment, they said: We believe in Allah, the One, and we reject the partners we used to associate with Him. But their professing the faith when they (actually) saw Our punishment was not going to benefit them.[1] And He, the Great and Almighty, has said: The day that certain signs of your Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it did not believe before nor did it earn righteousness through its faith.[2]

"So when Pharaoh was about to be drowned, he said: I believe that there is no god except the One in Whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam). (It was said

[1] Ibid., 40, 84-85.
[2] Ibid., 6, 158.

to him): Ah now! But a little before were you in rebellion! And you did mischief (and violence)! This day shall We save you in your body, so that you may be a Sign to those who come after you![1]

"Pharaoh was dressed in iron from head to foot; he had worn it on his body. When he drowned, Allah placed him in his body on an upland, that he might be a Sign to those who came after him, so they would see him on a lofty ground though he was heavy in iron; heavy things go down and do not go up; and that was a sign and mark.

"And for another reason Allah, the Great and Almighty, drowned Pharaoh; and it is that when he was about to be drowned, he sought the help of Mūsā and did not seek the help of Allah, so Allah, the Great and Almighty, revealed to Mūsā: O Mūsā, why do you help Pharaoh? Because you did not create him. If he asked Me for help, I would help him."

The Drowning of the World during the Days of Nūh

'Abd al-Salām b. Sālih al-Harawi narrated, saying: "I asked al-Ridā, peace be on him: 'O son of Allah's Messenger, what is the reason for which Allah, the Great and Almighty, drowned all the world in the time of Nūh, while there were among them children and those who had no sins?'

"He, peace be on him, answered: 'There were no children among them because Allah, the Great and Almighty, sterilized the loins of the people of Nūh and the wombs of their wives for forty days, so their progeny ceased. They were drowned and there was no child among them; and Allah, the Great and Almighty, does not destroy with His punishment him who has no sin. As for the rest of the people of Nūh, they were drowned due to the lying of the liars; and he who is absent from an affair and is satisfied with it is like him who witnesses and does it."

The Miracle of Mūsā

Ibn al-Sikkit asked Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him: "Why did Allah, the Great and Almighty, send Mūsā (Moses) b. 'Umrān with a

[1] Ibid., 10, 90-92.

miraculous cane and white hand and the tool of sorcery, 'Īsā (Jesus) with miraculous medicine, and Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, with miraculous speech and oratory?"

He, peace be on him, replied: "When Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, sent Mūsā, sorcery dominated the minds of the people of his time, so he brought them from Allah, the Great and Almighty, something which they never had, nor could they bring about anything like it, thus rendering their sorcery void and proving his argument against them. When Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, sent 'Īsā during a period of time when chronic diseases were widespread and people were in dire need of cure, 'Īsā brought them from Allah, the Great and Almighty, something they never had, bringing the dead back to life, curing those born blind and the lepers by the will of Allah, proving his argument against them. And when Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, sent Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, during the time when speeches and oratory dominated the minds of the people of his time, he brought them the Book of Allah, the Great and Almighty, and with the wisdom and counsel, thereby voiding their arguments."

Ibn al-Sikkit admired this answer of the Imām and said: "By Allah, I have never seen anyone like you! What is the argument against people these days, then?"

"Reason," answered the Imām, "through it can you come to know who tells the truth about Allah, so you believe in him, and who tells lies about Allah, so you disbelieve in him."

"This, by Allah, is the right answer," retorted Ibn al-Sikkit.

Ulū al-'Azm

The Imām, peace be on him, said: "Ulū al-'Azm have been called Ulū al-'Azm because they were the possessors of the laws and resolutions, and that is every prophet after Nūh, and every prophet during the days of Ibrāhim and after him adopted his law and his method and followed his Book, to the time of our Prophet Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family. So these five (prophets) are Ulū al-'Azm (the Possessors of Constancy); they are the most excellent of the prophets and the messengers; the shari'a (law) of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, is not abrogated until the Day of Resurrection, nor is there a prophet after him until the

Day of Resurrection. So if one claims prophecy after him or brings a book after the Qur'ān, then his blood is permitted for all those who hear that from him." 

Al-Hawariyūn (the Disciples)

'Ali b. al-Hasan b. 'Ali b. Faddāl narrated on the authority of his father, who said: "I asked Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā, peace be on him: 'Why have the Hawariyūn been called the Hawariyūn?'"

He, peace be on him, answered: "In the opinion of the people is that they have been called the Hawariyūn because they shortened (their clothes) purified their clothes of dirt through washing; and it is a name derived from al-khubz al-hawār [1]. In my opinion the Hawariyūn have been called the Hawariyūn because they purified their own souls and purified those other them of the dirtiness of sins through preaching (to them) and reminding (them of Allah)"

He ('Ali's father) said: "I asked him (al-Ridā): 'Why have they been call al-Nasārā.'"

"Because they were from a village called Nāsira in Syria (bilād al-Shām) inhabited by Maryam (Mary) and 'Īsā after their return from Egypt," he answered.

Ibrāhim, the Bosom Friend of Allah

Al-Husayn b. Khālid narrated on the authority of Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā, peace be on him, who said: [I heard my father relate on the authority of his father, peace be on him, who said:] "Allah, the Great and Almighty, took Ibrāhim for friend because he did not come to anyone and never asked anyone except Allah, the Great and Almighty."

Ismā'il, the Truthful in his Promise

Sulaymān al-Ja'fari narrated on the authority of Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā, peace be on him, who said: "Did you know why Ismā'il was called the Truthful in his promise?"

[1] Al-khubz al-hawār it is that which is sifted several time; and in al-Qāmūs, it is the white flour.

"No, I did not know," replied Ismā'il.

"He promised a man and sat down for a year waiting for him," retorted the Imām.

With this matter we will end our talk about the reasons which the Imām, peace be on him, has given for the conditions of some prophets and bygone communities.

The Reasons for some Islamic Affairs

A group of traditions regarding the reasons for some Islamic affairs has been reported from the Imām, peace be on him, as follows:

The Qur'ān is always new

Ibrāhim b. al-'Abbās narrated on the authority of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, that he narrated on the authority of his father that a man asked Imām al-Sādiq, peace be on him, saying: "Why does the Qur'ān not increase during spreading and studying but newness?"

He, peace be on him, replied: "Because Allah did not send it down to a time apart from a time nor to a people apart from a people, so it is new every time and is fresh with every people until the Day of Resurrection."

Surely the Qur'ān is the great miracle of Islam, and that is because therein are moral lessons appropriate for all times and developments; therein is nothing deviates from the laws of the cosmos or opposes innate; moreover, it is wonderful in eloquence and great in style, so it is fresh and new throughout times.

'Ali is the Divider of Paradise and of Hell

Al-Ma'mūn asked Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him: "O Abū al-Hasan, tell me about your grandfather the Commander of the faithful: Why is he called the divider of Paradise and of Hell, and how that attribute came to be applied to him?"

He, peace be on him, in turn asked him: "O commander of the faithful, have you not narrated from your father from his forefathers quoting 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbās saying that he had heard the Messenger

of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, saying: 'Loving 'Ali is belief and hating him is unbelief?'"

"Yes," replied al-Ma'mūn.

"If the distribution of Paradise and of Hell is done according to loving and hating him, then he is the distributor of Paradise and of Hell," explained al-Ridā, peace be on him.

So al-Ma'mūn said: "May Allah never permit me to live after your demise, O Abū al-Hasan! I witness that you are the heir of the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family."

Abū al-Salt al-Harawi said: "After al-Ridā had gone back home, I came to visit him, and I said to him: 'O son of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, what an excellent answer you have given the Commander of the faithful! He said: 'O Abū al-Salt, I spoke to him in the way he understood best, and I have heard my father telling a tradition from his forefathers, on the authority of  'Ali, who said: 'Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'O 'Ali, you are the distributor of Paradise and of Hell on the Day of Judgment; you say to Hell: 'This is mine, and that is yours.'"

Imām 'Ali the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, stands for every noble deed in Islam. Without doubt he is the distributor of Paradise and of Hell. In this respect many authentic traditions have been reported from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.[1] Al-Ma'mūn admired this firm justification of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him.

'Ali does not restore Fadak

'Ali b. al-Hasan b. 'Ali b. Faddāl narrated on the authority of his father, who said: "I asked al-Ridā, peace be on him, about the Commander of the faithful (Imām 'Ali), peace be on him, as to why he

[1] Al-Sawā'iq al-Muhriqa, p. 75. In Kanz al-'Ummāl, vol. 6, p. 402, it has been mentioned: "'Ali said: 'I am the distributor of Hell.'" And in Kunūz al-Haqā'iq by al-Manāwi, p. 92: "Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ''Ali is the divider of Hell.'"

did not restore Fadak (to its rightful owners) when he undertook the affairs of men? He, peace be on him, replied: 'We are members of a family who, upon becoming rulers, do not take their rights from those who confiscated them. Should we become in charge of the Muslims, we shall rule them and restore their confiscated rights to them, but we do not do so for our own selves.'"

Abū Bakr confiscated Fadak and took it from the hand of Fātima, the mistress of the women of the world. As for the reason for that, it is that he desired to undermine the rank of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. He intended to wage an economic warfare against the enemy forces to paralyze them. Fadak remained in the hands of the governors and the rulers. However, the 'Alawide Sayyids restored it during the days of 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz and of al-Ma'mūn. The talk about it has many branches, and the judge is Allah, the Exalted, Who will decide among His servants on the day when neither property nor sons will avail.

The Companions of the Prophet

Mohammed b. Mūsā b. Nasr al-Rāzi narrated, saying: [My father related to me, saying: al-Ridā, peace be on him, was asked about the tradition of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family: 'My companions are like the stars: If you follow any of them, you shall receive guidance.' And about his tradition: 'Leave my companions to me.' So he, peace be on him, replied:]

"Yes, he did say this tradition, meaning thereby the companions who did not make any alteration after him or any change (to the Islamic creed)."

The Imām was asked: "How can you tell that they altered and changed?"

He answered: "This is due to what is reported about him (the Prophet), may Allah bless him and his family, that he said: 'Certain individuals among my companions will be pushed away by force from my Pool (of Kawther) on the Day of Resurrection just as strange camels are pushed away from the watering place, and I shall say: 'O Lord! My companions! My companions!' And it shall be said to me:

'You do not know what innovations they invented after you.' So they will be pushed away towards the left side (where Hell is), and I shall say: 'Away with them; ruined they shall be.' Such will be the penalty of those who alter and change (the Prophet's traditions and practices).[1]"

As for companionship, it did not protect the Prophet's companions from making mistakes, for some of his companions were Samra b. Jundub, 'Amru b. al-'Ās, al-Mughira b. Shu'ba, and the like from among the heads of hypocrisy and mischief.

The People desert 'Ali

'Ali b. al-Hasan b. 'Ali b. Faddāl narrated on the authority of his father, who said: [I asked Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, about the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, as to why the people deserted him after knowing his distinction, his past feats, and his rank to Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. He, peace be on him, answered:]

"They deserted him and preferred others over him after having come to know his merits simply because he had killed a great number of their fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles, and other relatives who defied Allah and His Apostle; therefore, they kept their grudge against him inside their hearts and they did not like him when he became their ruler. They did not have grudge against anyone else as much as they had against him, for nobody else was so forceful in making jihād in the defense of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, as much as he was; so, they deserted him for someone else."

Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him,

[1] Al-Bukhāri (vol. 6, p. 119, al-Amiriya edition) has narrated on the authority of  'Abd Allah b. Mas'ūd, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who said: "I shall be the first to reach the Pool, then the souls of some men from among you will be resurrected and they shall be prohibited from coming near me, and I shall say: 'O Lord! These are my companions!' And it shall be said to me: 'You do not know what they did after you.'" Narrations similar to this are numerous.

killed those far and close for the sake of Allah, the Most High, and struck off the heads of those polytheists with his own sword through which he established Islam, so they harbored malice against him and deserted him for someone else.

Imām 'Ali does not take his own Right

Al-Haythem b. 'Abd Allah al-Rummāni narrated, saying: [I asked 'Ali b. Mūsā al-Ridā, peace be on him, saying: 'O son of Allah's Messenger, tell me about 'Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him: Why did he not fight his enemies during the twenty-five years after the demise of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, as he did during the days of his caliphate?' He, peace be on him, answered:]

"It is due to his following the example of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, who did not fight the polytheists of Mecca during the thirteen years after his Prophethood, or the ones in Medina during the nineteen months period of his stay there; it is due to the numbers of his supporters being too small. Likewise, 'Ali did not engage himself in fighting his enemies because his owner supporters were too few. Since the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, was not nullified by the fact that he did not make jihād during the period of thirteen years (in Mecca) and nineteen months (in Medina), the Imāmate of 'Ali was not nullified because he did not perform jihād for twenty-five years, for the deterring factor in both examples was one and the same."

Surely Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, left his own right and did not make jihad against his enemies, for his own supporters were too few. In this connection, he has said: "Then I began to think whether I should assault or endure calmly the blinding darkness of tribulations wherein the grown up are feeble and the young grow old and the true believer acts under strain till he meets Allah (on his death). I found that endurance thereon was wiser. So I adopted patience although there was pricking in the eye and suffocation (of mortification) in the throats."

Surely Imām 'Ali had no group of people to support him, though

he had many enemies and opponents, so he, peace be on him, was patient and left his own right preferring over it the general interest and keeping the word of the Muslims.

With this matter we will end our speech about the reasons which the Imām, peace be on him, has given for some Islamic affairs.