Tuhaf Al-uqul ( the Masterpieces of the Mind )

Introduction of the Copilier

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allah Who made the praising him, although He does not need any praise, a way of the confession of His godhood, independence, and divinity. He also made it a way of obtaining more mercy and a means for the seekers of His grace. In the hiddens of the utterance, He enabled others to attain the true confession of His benevolent elegance. Praising Him for His elegance has been one of His elegances. The confession of His being the Gracious substitutes all the utterances of His praise, no matter how big it is. I declare there is no god but Allah exclusively without any associate. The origin of this declaration is the pure sincerity and its articulation represents a secret truth. He is the Creator, the Designer, the Modeler, and to Him belong all the virtuous names. Nothing is like Him. Everything is a part of His will, and the thing is unlike its Maker.

I declare that Mohammed is His servant and messenger. In the eternity, He chose him among all the nations because He knew that he would have been completely different and beyond compare with others. He selected him to be His representative whose mission is to give orders and warn (others against acting disobediently to God) on behalf of Him. God assigned him in the world that He created to represent Him since the sights cannot realize Him, the notions cannot cognize Him, and the mysteries of the suppositions in the secrets cannot describe Him. There is no god but Him. He is surely the King and the Omnipotence. He joined the confession of Mohammed's prophecy to the confession of His godhood, and gave him an exclusive rank, as a sign of honoring, that no one of the creatures would ever catch him.

Mohammed (peace be upon him and his family), however, surely deserves so for his unparalleled character and mannerism. God never treats exclusively those who may change or those who have likes. He -God- ordered to bless him -Mohammed (peace be upon him and his family)- as an additional honor and as an introduction to present his progeny. God bless, honor, dignify, and sanctify him and his progeny so greatly that it will never cease or discontinue. After His Prophet, God, the Blessed the Elevated, has chosen exclusively some choice ones whom He elevated out of His elevation, took them highly to the rank of His elation, and made them the heralds and the guides to Him. They have been sinless, virtuous, and perfect imams whom God has made the claims against the creatures and chosen as His heralds. By His permission, they are the interceders who never precede Him in speech and according to His commandment only do they act. They judge according to His rules, follow His regulations, execute the doctrinal provisions that He constitutes, and fulfill the incumbent rituals (that He imposed) so that he who would perish will perish by a clear proof and he who would live will live by a clear proof. The blessings of God and the noble angels be upon Mohammed and his virtuous progeny.

As I looked deeply and carefully in the (verbal) traditions that we have received from the Prophet, his successor, and their sons (All peace, mercy, and blessings be upon them), I could conclude that we have received only a few of what they had actually said. It is surely very few if compared with what they had said but we could not receive. I could understand that these traditions contain the worldly and the religious affairs and join the good of this life and the life to come. The truth is found only with them individually, the right is taken only from them separately, and the veracity is seen only with them exclusively. Besides, I noticed that the former Shiite scholars had compiled their sayings regarding the legal and the illegal matters in addition to the obligatory rituals and the recommendable practices. God will surely record the rewards of these compilations that sufficed the next generations from shouldering the burdens of compilation.

I could notice excellent words of wisdom and curative sermons that are within the instructions of the Imams (peace be upon them). These words urge desiring for what will permanently remain and leaving what will eventually expire. They also bear good tidings, threatening, encouragement on the good traits and manners, warning against the ill manners, motivation to the religiosity, and driving to abstinence. I also found that they (peace be upon them) had referred to many sentences regarding the previous aspects through their prolonged commandments, speeches, sermons, and advises. The relaters have likewise reported many short words of unparalleled references to these meanings and advantageous significances. I have not received any book that our Shiite scholars have authored regarding these meanings so that I might pursue its way of compilation and with which I might satisfy myself. Thus, I compiled the words of such meanings and added to them their likes and matches from the fascinating reports and the good indications, seeking the favor of God, the Worthy of exalted praise, and asking for His rewards. I applied these words of wisdom, maxims, and instructions to myself first. This is because I hope for obtaining the rewards and I fear the penalty. Likewise, these words and maxims would alert me in the times of inadvertence and remind me in the times of oblivion.

I also expected that a faithful believer would look in them -after I would compile them in this book- and learn lessons from the maxims that he would understand and benefit by what he does not understand exactly. Hence, I will have a share in the rewards that he will get for his applying what he has learnt, since these words and maxims contain the principals as well as the secondary pillars of the religion in addition to the chapters and the general affairs of the right. They also comprise the general ethics of the Sunna, the words of wisdom and deeds of the Imams (peace be upon them), the admirable advantages, and the excellent reports. I arranged the book according to the succession of the Imams (peace be upon them) before I moved to mention four commandments that conform to the book.

I neglected the series of relations for simplification and brief. However, most of the reports have been received directly because they are words of ethics and wisdom that they themselves witness their veracity. I did not compile this work for the dissidents and those who deny (the divine ranks of the Imams, peace be upon them), but I compile it for the use of the believers, who succumb to the Imams (peace be upon them), confess of their (supreme) standings, accede to their sayings, and refer to them in questions. These meanings are too many to be counted and too wide to be banned. What we have previously mentioned is completely persuasive for those who have a heart or listen carefully.

It is also sufficient for those who have minds. O followers of the Imams, Look deeply in what your Imams (peace be upon them) said and what they recommended and advised. Look at these matters in the eyes of your hearts, listen to them in opened ears, and understand them with what God has given to you and made the claims against you: your sound minds and accurate comprehensions. Do not be like your opponents who hear the binding evidences and the eloquent proofs, but they look at them negligently, and like their eloquence only. They do not benefit by the admonition. Furthermore, they neither desire for that which God drives to nor do they stop committing the matters against which they are warned. They are condemned by clear evidence and, therefore, their grief will be endless. O believers, Cling firmly to what has come to you from those whose obedience is obligatory upon you (namely the Imams, peace be upon them). Listen to and comply with the maxims and words that the trusty narrators have related to the master Imams (peace be upon them). Beware of being negligent and confess of your imperfection.

O believers, Work hard for seeking the knowledge of that which you ignore and apply that which you know to your conducts so that your words will always agree to your deeds. The salvation and the good life are obtained only by means of the instructions of the Imams (peace be upon them) through whom God has constituted the claim, showed the very (right) path, and blocked any excuse. They ordered to take all of the courses that take to God, recommended to adhere to all of the reasons that lead to His contentment, and referred to all of the ways that carry to Paradise. They defined these ways and reasons publicly and secretly and showed them openly and suggestively. They warned against any trend that leads to acts of disobedience to God, approximates to His wrath, and nears to His punishment. They showed these trends and warned people against them so that people will not have a justifiable excuse before God. The very happy is he whom God leads to follow, pursue, and accede to their sayings. The very unhappy is he who opposes them, pursues another course, and leaves them intentionally. They -the Imams (peace be upon him)- are surely the firmest handle and the bond of God that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) ordered us to cling to them. They are also the ship of salvation and the authorized persons whom God ordered us t obey. God says:

O you who believe, Obey God and obey the Apostle and those in authority from among you; then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to God and the Apostle, if you believe in God and the last day; this is better and very good in the end.

They are also the true ones whom God ordained us to be with. He, the Exalted, says:

O you who believe, Be careful of (your duty to) God and be with the true ones. Strive, O you believers, in carrying out whatever they -the Imams (peace be upon them)- ordered, no matter how small or big it is, and beware of whatever they warned against, no matter how small or big it is. He who clings to the small matters will surely advance to the big ones. Likewise, he whoever commits few sins will surely commit many. It is said, "Beware of the insignificant sins. They are the wish if you would not commit any other sin." It is also said, "Do not consider the insignificance of the sin. You should consider the One Whom you disobey. He is surely God, the Exalted the Great." When God knows His servant's pure intention of obedience to Him and the seeking of His satisfaction and the avoidance of His wrath, He will surely grant him success, aid him, and open his heart increasingly. Deeds are subject to the intentions. May God lead you and us to the best of deeds and the best wording, and help us in the affairs of this world and the life to come, include us with those who thank when they are endowed, and tolerate when they are afflicted, and seek forgiveness when they make a mistake. May Allah make our faith, profession of His oneness, and pursuance of the Imams (peace be upon them) be fixed, not shaky, in our hearts. He is surely All-benevolent and All-generous.