Tuhaf Al-uqul ( the Masterpieces of the Mind )

Maxims of Imam Al-hassan

The following sayings, maxims, and words of wisdom are related to the pious grandson of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) Abu Mohammed Al-Hasan bin Ali (peace be upon them).

The following are his answers about questions that were put by his father Amirul Muminin -or others- regarding various subjects. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful - What is asceticism?

  • Asceticism is the desire for God-fearing and the abstinence from the worldly pleasures. - What is clemency? - Clemency is the suppression of one's anger and self-possession.

  • What is appositeness? - Appositeness is to shove evil by means of goodness. - What is honor? - Honor is to regard the clan and assume a part of their misdeeds.

  • What is relief? - Relief is to protect the refugee, to be firm in misfortunes, and to be courageous in crises. - What is glory? - Glory is to give in loss and forgive the sin.

  • What is chivalry? - Chivalry is to keep the religion, promote the personality, be lenient, sustain in doing favors, fulfill the rights, and behave amicably with people. - What is generosity?

  • Generosity is to begin with providing the gift before it is asked from you and serve food in times of famine. - What is vice? - Vice is to take care in worthless things and refrain from giving the few. -What is meanness?

  • Meanness is the fewness of giving and the speech of obscene language. - What is indulgence? - Indulgence is to give in sorrow and in joy. - What is avarice?

  • Avarice is to consider what you have in hand as an honor and what you have spent as waste. - What is fraternity?

  • Fraternity is to keep fraternity in misfortune and luxury. - What is cowardice? - Cowardice is to dare the friend and fear the enemy. - What is opulence?

  • Opulence is to satisfy with the fated regardless of its quantity. - What is poverty? - Poverty is to be greedy to everything. - What is liberality? - Liberality is to do the best. - What is generosity? - Generosity is to preserve in good and bad situations. - What is intrepidity? - Intrepidity is to challenge the opponents. - What is might? - Might is the intensity of power and the contest against the strong men. - What is humility?

  • Humility is to feel fearful in situations of frankness. - What is clumsiness? - Clumsiness is to confr

ont the ruler and that who is more powerful than you. - What is sublimity? - Sublimity is to do the good and avoid the evil. - What is determination? - Determination is to be long-suffering, behave leniently with the rulers, and be cautious against all people. - What is honor?

de to the friends and regard the neighbors. - What is deprivation? - Deprivation is to shun the opportunity when you are able to seize it. - What is foolishness? - Foolishness is to pursue the mean and associate the seducers. - What is faltering?

  • Faltering is to play with your beard and to hem excessively before you speak. - What is courage? - Courage is to challenge the opponents and to be steadfast during fighting. - What is overacting? - Overacting is to intrude in unconcerned matters. - What is stupidity? - Stupidity is to behave foolishly with the wealth and to disregard the honor. - What is lowliness?

  • Lowliness is to will to have everything for oneself and to dissociate with the companion.

Words of Wisdom of Imam al-Hasan

Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: O people, he who advises for God's sake and betakes His sayings as guidance will surely be led to the most upright way and God will grant him success to the right guidance and will direct him to the best. The disciple of God is certainly secured and preserved while His enemy is surely fearful and disappointed. Be cautious of God by very much mention of Him, fear Him by means of God-fearing, and approach to Him through obedience to Him, for He is surely near and replying.

God the Blessed the Elevated says: If any of My servants ask you about Me, tell them that the Lord says, "I am near; I accept the prayers of those who pray." Let My servants answer My call and believe in Me so that perhaps they may know the right direction. Answer God and believe in Him because it is improper for anyone who acknowledges God's greatness to behave arrogantly. The sublimity of those who acknowledge God's greatness is certainly their modesty, the dignity of those who acknowledge God's majesty is their submission to Him, and the safety of those who acknowledge God's power is to acquiesce to Him and to avoid denying after acknowledgement and deviating after guidance. You should know convectively that you will not recognize God-fearing before you realize the character of guidance, you will not hold on the bond of the Book before you know those who deserted it, and you will not recite the Book so properly before you know those who distorted it. After you know all these, you will know heresies and overacting, will see forgery against God and distortion, and will know how the declining ones fell. Let not the ignorant engage you in their ignorance. Seek these from their proper people, for they are surely the light by which enlightenment is sought and the leaders whose examples should be followed. By them, knowledge survives and ignorance fades away. Their clemency refers to their ignorance, their utterance of wisdom refers to their silence, and their appearance refers to their hidden. They neither oppose the right nor do they disagree about it. Different traditions existed before them and God's decision passed before them. This is surely a reminder for those who mention. When you hear it, you should understand it heedfully, not just for relation. The relaters are certainly numerous while the heedful are few. God is the One Whose help is sought.

Imam Al-Hasan's Answers of Some Questions

Muawiya sent a disguised man to Al-Kufa to ask Amirul Muminin (peace be upon him) for the answers of certain questions that the King of the Romans addressed at him. The Imam could recognize the man who confessed of his reality as soon as he was interrogated. Amirul Muminin (peace be upon him) said, "God may curse son of that who ate the livers . He, as well as his followers, is extremely deviant. God curse him. He manumitted a bondmaid. It was preferable for him to marry her. May God be the judge between this nation and me. They disregarded my kinship, discounted my great rank, and wasted my characters." He then summoned Al-Hasan, Al-Hussein, and Mohammed -bin Al-Hanafiya-. As they were before him, the Imam said, "O Syrian brother, these two are the Prophet's sons and this one is mine. You may ask anyone of them." The man referred to Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him), then put his questions:

"What is the distance between the right and the wrong? What is the distance between the heavens and the earth? What is the distance between the east and the west? What is that colorless spot seen in the moon? What is the rainbow? What is this galaxy? What was the first thing that sprinkled on the earth? What was the first thing that shook on the earth? What is the spring at which all the spirits of the believers and the disbelievers lodge? What is the hermaphrodite? What are the ten things one of which is stronger than the other?" Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) answered:

O Syrian brother, what is between the right and the wrong is only the distance of four fingers. The right is only what is seen with the eye, whereas you may hear very much wrong with the ears. What lies between the heavens and the earth are the supplication of the wronged and the extension of the sight.

He whoever says anything else is lying. What lies between the east and the west is a day with steady movement of the sun. You wait for sunrise and then wait for sunset. He whoever says anything else is lying. This galaxy is the rips of the heavens and the place from which the torrential water ascended to Noah the prophet (peace be upon him). Regarding the rainbow, you should not name it 'Qawsu Quzah -the bow of Quzah-' because 'Quzah' is the name of a devil. You should name it 'Qawsullah -the bow of God-'. It is security against drowning.

Regarding the colorful spots of the moon, the moonlight was as shiny as sunlight, but God erased it. This is His saying: We have made the sign of the night to pass away and We have made the sign of the day manifest. The first thing that sprinkled on the earth was a valley of gloom. The first thing that shook on the earth was the date-palm tree. The spring at which the spirits of the believers lodge is a spring named Salma. The spring at which the spirits of the disbelievers lodge is called Barahout. The hermaphrodite is the human being that is unknown whether he is male or female. He should be waited until attaining maturity. If bosoms appear to him, he is then woman. If a beard appears to him, he is then man. If this is unsuccessful, he should be examined by urinating on a wall. If his urination hits the wall, he is man then. If it shrinks like a camel's urination, he is woman then. The ten things one of which is stronger than the other are as follows. The strongest creation of God was the stone. Iron is stronger than the stone. Fire is stronger than iron. Water is stronger than fire. Clouds are stronger than water. Wind is stronger than clouds. The angels are stronger than wind. The angel of death is stronger than the other angels. Death is stronger than the angel of death. God's act is stronger than death.

The Syrian man said: "I declare that you are surely the son of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and I declare that Ali is surely Mohammed's successor." He then wrote down the answers and took them to Muawiya who sent them to the king of the Romans. As the latter received them, he said, "I am sure this is not Muawiya's. These are surely the answers of the house of prophethood.

Imam Al-Hasan's Wording about the Source of Power

Al-Hasan bin Abul-Hasan Al-Basri wrote the following missive to Abu Mohammed Al-Hasan bin Ali (peace be upon him): So then, you, the Hashemites, are the progressing ships in the high waves, the celebrated illuminative signs, and the ark of Noah (peace be upon him) on which the believers embark and by which the Muslims are saved. I write to you, son of the Prophet, about out argument about fate and our perplexity about the source of power. I wish you would tell us of the opinion of your fathers and yours. It is surely that your knowledge is a part of God's, and you are the witnesses on people and God is the witness on you. You are the offspring of one another, and God is All-hearing and All-seeing.

Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) answered:

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I have received your missive. Only because you referred to the perplexity of you and those who passed, I will explain the question to you. He who does not believe in the fact that God has full acquaintance with the good and the evil of the fate is disbeliever. He who refers the doing of the acts of disobedience to Him is sinful. God has not been obeyed by force and has not been defied due to His being overcome. He has not respited the servants uselessly. He is surely the possessor of what He has given to them in possession and controls what He has empowered. His commandments are optional and His warnings are means of caution. If the servants cling to the obedience to God, they will not find any barrier in their way and if they disobey, God may do them favor by precluding them from doing such acts of disobedience. If he does not do, then it is not He who encourages them committing so by force or compulsorily. On the contrary, He does them the favor of informing, advising, warning, ordering, and telling them not to do so. He does not frame them to obey Him like the angels and does not oblige them to commit acts of disobedience to Him. Final authority belongs only to God. Had He wanted, He would have given you all guidance. Peace be upon those who follow the right guidance.

Imam Al-Hasan's Admonition

You should know that God has not created you vainly and will not let you pass to nothing. He limited your terms of death and arranged your livings so that every intelligent will realize his actual position and realize that whatever God has disposed for him will unavoidably befall him and whatever is taken away from him will never hit him. God has saved you from running after the sustenance of this world, given you all the time for worshipping Him, urged you thanking Him, ordained you to mention Him, advised you to fear Him, and made fear of Him the utmost purpose of His satisfaction. Certainly, God-fearing is the door to all repentance, the head of all wisdom, and the honor of all actions. God-fearing is the means by which triumph is achieved. God says:

The pious ones will be triumphant. God will save the pious ones because of their virtuous deeds. No hardship will touch them nor will they be grieved. O servants of God, fear God and know that he whoever fears God will have an exit from seditious matters and God will direct him in his affairs, prepare for his guidance, support him with argument, whiten his face, and achieve all his hopes with those whom receive God's grace, such as the prophets, the veracious, the martyrs, and the virtuous. They are the best friends one can have.

Imam Al-Hasan's Sermon

All praise and thanks belong to God. Peace be upon Mohammed the Prophet and his family. This is I for those who know me. For those who do not know me, I say that I am Al-Hasan, the son of the messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family). I am the son of the proclaimer of the good tidings and the warner. I am the son of the chosen for the Divine Message. I am the son of that whom the angels have blessed. I am the son of that by whom the umma have been honored. I am the son of that to whom Gabriel the angel was the emissary of God. I am the son of that whom was sent as mercy for the peoples. All peace and blessings be upon him and his family. As Muawiya could not control his malice and envy, he said to the Imam (peace be upon him), "O Hasan, describe ripe dates for us." Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: Yes, Muawiya, I will do.

Ripe dates are pollinated by the wind, puffed by the sun, colored by the moon, ripened by hot weather, and cooled by night. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) then was back to continue his sermon: I am the son of that whose supplication is answered. I am the son of that who was as close to his Lord as the distance of two bows, or even less. I am the son of the obeyed interceder. I am the son of Mecca and Mina. I am the son of that to whom the people of Koreish submitted unwillingly. I am the son of that whose follower will be happy and whose disappointer will be unhappy. I am the son of that to whom the earth has been made a place of prostration and pure. I am the son of that to whom the news of the heavens came successively. I am the son of those from whom God has removed filth and purified them thoroughly.

Muawiya said: "O Hasan, I think you are willing for the position of caliphate!" Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) answered:

Woe is you, Muawiya. The true caliph is that who pursues the practices of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and acts upon the obedience to God. I swear by my life, we are surely the signs of guidance and the light marks of God-fearing. You, Muawiya, are one of those who extinguished the (prophetic) traditions, livened up heresies, betook God's servants as slaves and God's wealth as means of play. Hence, He caused your affairs to be obscure and you will live for a short time and burden the consequences of your evildoings. O Muawiya, God has created two cities - one in the east and the other in the west. He named them Jabulqa and Jabulsa. Except my grandfather the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), God has never sent anyone to these cities. Muawiya then asked, "O Abu Mohammed, tell us about the Qadr Night." The Imam (peace be upon him) said:

Yes, you should ask such questions. God created seven heavens, created the jinn from seven (things), and created the human beings from seven. Thus, you should seek the Qadr Night from the twenty-third (night of Ramadan) up to the twenty-seventh. The Imam (peace be upon him) then left.

Short Maxims of Imam Al-hasan

  1. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: The people who consult for their affairs will surely be guided to the right.

  2. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: Meanness is to avoid thanking the grace.

  3. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said to one of his sons: O son, do not befriend anyone before you know his means and sources. When you try him and please to associate with him, you should then befriend him on bases of pardoning his faults and consoling him in misfortunes.

  4. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: Do not fight the demand like the fighting of the triumphant and do not depend upon the destiny like the surrendering. To seek the graces is a prophetic tradition and to seek moderately is a form of chastity. However, neither chastity will stop the earnings nor will acquisitiveness bring any surplus. The earnings are already divided and acquisitiveness leads to sins.

  5. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: The true close is that whom is drawn near by cordiality despite the far kinship, and the true remote is that whom is taken away by cordiality despite the near kinship. Nothing is closer to the body than the hand. Hands may be amputated and cut due to betrayal. 6. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said:

He who depends upon God's good option for him will not wish to be in a situation other than that which God opts for him. 7. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: Dishonor is less bearable than the fire (of Hell).

  1. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: The good that lacks evil is to thank the grace and to tolerate the misfortune. 9. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said to a man who had just been cured from a disease: God has mentioned you; therefore, you should mention Him, and has pardoned you; therefore, you should thank Him.

  2. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said when he concluded the peace treaty with Muawiya: By God, it was not doubt or sorrow that made us stop confronting people of Syria. We could fight the Syrian people with safety and steadfastness. Today, enmity, unfortunately, seized the safety and intolerance seized the steadfastness. When you fought in (the battle of) Siffine, your religion was preceded to your worldly life. Today, your worldly life is preceded to your religion.

  3. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: I do not know anyone who is not foolish in his relation to His Lord.

  4. As someone accused him of enjoying haughtiness, Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: No, I enjoy honor. God says:

Honor belongs to God, His Messenger and the believers. 13. Describing the features of one of his virtuous friends, Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said:

He was the greatest of people in my eye. The head of his characters that made him great in my eye was the insignificancy of this world in his eyes. He was beyond the power of ignorance. He extended his hand to no one except the trustful and only for a profit. He was not complaining, showing dissatisfaction, or repining. He spent most of his time with silence; but when he spoke, he was excelling the speakers. He was weak and feeble, but in situations of seriousness, he was as same as an attacking lion. When he was sitting with the scholars, he was abiding by listening more than speaking. He was not overcome in silence even if he was overcome in speaking. He was not saying what he would not do and was doing what he did not say. When he ignored which of the two matters, which he encountered, was the nearer to his Lord, he used to notice the one that was nearer to his passion so that he would take in the other. He avoided blaming anyone for a matter the like of which might be excused.

  1. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said:

He who frequents to the mosque will gain one of eight things - a decisive (Quranic) Verse, a useful friend, an original information, an expected mercy, a word that guides to the right, a word that saves from perdition, or a desertion of sins whether shyly or fearfully. 15. People of Koreish visited Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) for the birth of a male baby. They said (their usual expression of congratulation in such an occasion): "Enjoy the existence of this knight." He answered, "What is this saying? Who knows, he may be walking." "O son of God's Messenger," said Jabir, "What should we say then?"

The Imam (peace be upon him) answered: To congratulate for a male newborn, you should say: May you thank the Endower, blessed be this gift, and God may cause him to attain maturity and bestow upon you with his earnings.

  1. As he was asked about chivalry, Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) answered: Chivalry is to cling to the religion, recondition the wealth, and fulfill the duties completely. 17. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said:

The most discerning sight is that which is most piercing in the good. The most perceptive hearing is that which retains the reminding and makes benefits. The soundest heart is that which is pure from suspicions. 18. As a man asked him for advice, Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: Avoid praising me because I know myself better than you do. Avoid belying me because the opinions of those whom are belied are valueless. Avoid backbiting anyone before me.

As the man asked the Imam's permission to leave, the Imam (peace be upon him) permitted him. 19. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: He who seeks worship should clean himself for it. Decline the recommendable rites if they injure the obligatory ones. Conviction is refuge for safety. He who considers the long journey will surely prepare for it. The intelligent should not cheat those who seek advice. Between the admonition and you lies the screen of haughtiness. Knowledge invalidates the excuses of the learners. Every anticipated (one) asks for respite and every respited busies himself with negligence. 20. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said:

O servants of God, fear God, seek (from Him) seriously and escape (His punishment). Enter upon acting before the befalling of the punishment and the coming of the destroyer of the pleasures. The comfort of this world is not ceaseless, its misfortunes cannot be trusted, and its troubles cannot be avoided. It is surely an unsteady delusion and a slanting pillar. O servants of God, you should therefore take a warning from the examples, learn lessons from the transmitted events, refrain from committing sins for the sake of Paradise, and benefit by the admonitions. God is a sufficient protector and supporter, the Book (of God) is sufficient arguer and adversary, Paradise is a sufficient reward, and Hell is a sufficient penalty and evil result.

  1. Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) said: When you meet your friends, you should kiss them on the place of light in the forehead. 22. As he passed by some people who were playing and laughing on the Eid ul-Fitr , Imam Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) stopped at them and said: God has made the month of Ramadan the racetrack of His creation so that they will compete with each other in acts of obedience to Him to attain His satisfaction. Some people preceded others and could win, while others dropped behind and failed. How strange that who plays and laughs on the day when the good-doers are rewarded and the wrongdoers are losing is! By God I take the oath, if the cover is removed, they will realize that the good-doers are engaged in their advantages and the evildoers are engaged in their sins. The Imam (peace be upon him) then left.

MAXIMS OF IMAM AL-HUSSEIN

The following sayings are related to the pious Imam, the Prophet's grandson, the martyr Abu Abdillah Al-Hussein bin Ali (peace be upon them). Imam Al-Hussein's sermon Regarding enjoining good and forbidding evil O people, take lessons from the matters that God has cited as warnings for His disciples when he dispraised the rabbis in His saying: Why did the men of God and rabbis not forbid them from following their sinful words and their consuming of unlawful gains? The unbelievers among the Israelites, because of their disobedience and transgression, were condemned by David and Jesus, the son of Mary, for their disobedience; they were transgressors. They did not prevent each other from committing sins nor would they themselves stay away from them. Evil was what they had done!

God dishonored them because they did not forbid the wrongdoers from doing evil and committing sins while they were among them, for they had desired for gaining more gifts from the wrongdoers and they had feared them. God says: Do not be afraid of people but have fear of Me.

The believers, both male and female, are each other's guardians. They try to make others do good and prevent them from committing sins. God has begun with enjoining good and forbidding evil because He has known that if these two matters are carried out thoroughly, all the other obligatory duties, including the easy and the difficult, will be carried out thoroughly. This is because enjoining good and forbidding evil is advocacy to Islam, restoration of the grievances, opposition of the wrongdoer, (just) allotment of the booty and the spoils, and taking the alms to put them in their proper places.

You are the company that are famous for knowledge, mentioned in goodness, renowned with advice, and respected by people through God. The masters stand in awe of you, the weak honor you, and those whom you have not done favors and who do not need you prefer you to others. You intercede for settling people's needs when they are deprived. You walk in the ways with gravity of kings and dignity of celebrities. You have attained all these just because you are expected to fulfill the rights of God; yet, you omitted most of His rights when you disregarded the rights of the Imams, threw away the rights of the weak, and sought only your claimed rights. You have not spent any wealth, risked your souls for their Creator, or opposed your clan for sake of God. You are looking forward to gaining Paradise, the neighborhood of God's apostles, and the salvation from His punishment. I anticipate you, who hope God, will suffer a form of God's retribution because you, through the favors of God, have attained such a rank by which you are preferred to other. You are respected among people by means of God. However, you notice that the traditions of God are omitted, but you do not move for it, while you may move when any of your fathers' traditions is violated. The traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) are broken. The blind, the deaf, and the chronically ill are left without help in the cities. You neither behave mercifully nor do you use your positions. You do not aid those who assume such deeds and you achieve your safety from the wrongdoers (or the unjust rulers) by means of flattery and cajolery. God has warned you against all these conducts but you are negligent while you will be responsible more than the others because you enjoy the positions of scholars. Had you only felt of so! Moreover, the courses of affairs and rulings are under the control of the scholars who are the keepers of the legal and the illegal affairs of God. This standing is surely seized from you just because you have gone in different direction away from the right and disagreed about the Sunna after the clear exposition of the evidences.

If you tolerated the harm and bore the burdens for God's sake, all the affairs of God would arrive at your hands, emanate from you, and devolve upon you. But you have made the unjust rulers occupy your positions and handed over the affairs of God to them. They are acting suspiciously and pursuing their passions. Your escape from death and adherence to this life, which will sooner or later leave you, gave them a free hand on doing so. Thus, you forsook the weak ones some of whom were enslaved compulsorily and others were suffering under the control of the straits of livelihood. The unjust rulers therefore are rolling in royalty with their own opinions and disgracing others by their own passions as they follow the examples of the evil and dare the All-omnipotent (God). In every country, they are assigning an eloquent orator on the pulpits of God. Lands are vacant for them as their hands are prevailing everything and people are taken as their slaves because they lack the power to defend themselves. They are either a transgressing tyrant or a domineering, coarse to the weak, and obeyed who does not acknowledge the Initiator the Recreator. How strange this is! I should astonish at such affairs when the lands are prevailed by tyrannical cheaters, wrongful bribers, or unmerciful governors. God is the judge in our question of disputation and His judgment will pass over our controversy.

O Allah, You know that it was not a matter of conflict for power or request of the worldly wreckage (that made me say so), but it was just for showing the signs of Your religion and spreading betterment on Your lands so that the wronged servants will be secured and Your ordinances, traditions, and laws will be acted. Because you had not supported or treated us fairly, the wrongdoers overcame you and wrought towards extinguishing the illumination of your Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). God is sufficient protector for us. Upon Him we depend, to Him we refer, and to Him will be our return.

Imam Al-Hussein's Admonition

I advise you to adhere to God-fearing, warn you against the difficult days, and show you the signs of God. The feared (death) is about to come with its frightful arrival, drastic befalling, and horrible taste. It will lap your souls and impede you from acting. As long as you enjoy sound physiques and enough time, take the initiative in acting because you may suffer the sudden visit of death that takes you from the surface of the earth to its inside, from its highest point to the lowest, from its affability to its loneliness, from its ease and light to its gloom, and from its wideness to its narrowness where the intimate friend cannot be visited, the ill cannot be called on, and the seeker of help cannot be aided. God may help you and us stand the horrors of that day, save you and us from His punishment, and grant you and us the profuse reward. O servants of God, if that was your target and the end of your advance, it would be sufficient for one to find a work that empties his griefs, engages him from his world, and increases his fatigue for seeking escape from it. How it will be then when man is subject to what he earned and detained for judgment? There will be no supporter to protect and no helper to preserve. On that day, the belief of any soul will be of no avail to it unless some good deeds have been done with it, or it has been formed before the coming of such a day. Tell them, "Wait and we, too, are waiting." I command you to fear God because He has guaranteed for those who fear him to take them from what they detest to what they like and to provide them with sustenance in a way that they will not even notice. Beware of being one of those who concern for people's sins and feel safety from the punishment for their own sins. God, the Blessed the Exalted, will not be cheated in matters regarding His Paradise and no one will get what He has in possession except through obedience to Him, if He wills.

Imam Al-Hussein's Message to People of Al-Kufa

when he noticed their disappointment after he had begun his march to them So then, fie and grief be on you, O group. When you appealed for our help grievously and we hurried for your help exhaustingly, you unsheathed against us a sword that had been in our right hands and ignited against us the fire that we had struck against your and our enemy. You therefore formed groups surrounding your allies and became the support of your enemies although they did not spread justice among you and you lost any hope in them. In addition, you noticed no heresy or new opinion that came out of us. Why did you -woe to you!- not leave us when swords were sheathed, malice was hidden, and the decision was not taken. But you hurried to the sedition like locusts and fell on it like the falling of butterflies (in fire). Damn and away with the idols of the umma, irregulars of the parties, deserters of the Book, expectorants of the Shaitan, distorters of the meanings, extinguishers of the traditions, avowers of the bastards, and the mockers who divided the Quran believing in some parts and rejecting others. By God I swear, your disloyalty is expected because it is entwined with your arteries and it recurred in your origins. You therefore are the bitterest fruit that causes its caretaker to choke and gives good taste for its usurper. God curse the disloyal ones who disregard their firm oaths after they have already appointed God as their Guarantor.

The bastard, son of the bastard, has forced me to choose one of two things - either the religion or ignominy. Ignominy is impossible for us. God, His Apostle, the (faithful) believers, chaste laps, jealous noses (individuals), and noble souls (personalities) refuse for us to prefer obedience to the mean to the death of the honorable. I am advancing to them with this family despite the alliance of the enemies, their great numbers, and the betrayal of the supporters. They will soon ride their horses, war will flare up, and the necks will be lapped. My father (peace be upon him) foretold me of so. So, plan against me without delay. I trust God who is my Lord as well as yours. It is God who controls the destiny of all living creatures. It is my Lord who knows the right path.

Imam Al-Hussein's Answers

of the Questions Put By the King of the Romans that He Sent to Yazid bin Muawiya and Him The king of the Romans asked about the galaxy and seven creatures that were not created in a womb. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) laughed. He was asked about his laughing, and he answered that these questions are as small as a mote in an ocean. He (peace be upon him) then answered : The galaxy is the bow of God. The seven things that were not created in a womb are Adam, Eve, the crow, the ram of Abraham (peace be upon him), the she-camel of God, the stick of Moses (peace be upon him), and the bird that was created by Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon them). He then was asked about the sustenance of the servants. The Imam (peace be upon him) answered:

The sustenance of the servants are in the fourth heaven. God descends and extends them in definite quantities. He was then asked about the place where the believers' souls gather. The Imam (peace be upon him) answered: The believers' souls gather under the stone of Jerusalem on Friday nights. This site is the minor throne of God. This stone is the center of the extension of the earth and the point at which God will fold the earth and He established His dominance over the heavens. The disbelievers' souls gather -in this world- in Hadhramaut beyond Yemen. Then God will send fire from the east and the west between which there will be two winds that crowd people to that stone of Jerusalem and detain them to the right of the stone. There, Paradise will be brought near for the God-fearing individuals. Hell will be to the left of the stone in the depths of the earth where there are the bastinado and the Sijjin. The creatures will be separated at that stone. Those who will win Paradise will enter it from that stone, and those whose share is Hell will enter it from that stone, too.

Forms of Jihad

As he was asked whether jihad is obligatory or recommendable, Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) answered: Jihad is of four forms - two are obligatory, one is recommendable but performed only with the obligatory, and one is independently recommendable. One of the two obligatory jihads is self-control against committing acts of disobedience to God. It is surely the greatest form of jihad. The other obligatory jihad is fighting the near disbelievers. The jihad that is recommendable but performed only with the obligatory is fighting the enemy. It is obligatory upon everybody. If they neglect fighting the enemies, punishment will befall them. Meanwhile, fighting the enemies is recommendable for the Imam who is permitted to fight the enemies with people. The jihad that is independently recommendable is every (good) tradition that a man founds and exerts efforts for instituting, achieving, and enlivening it. Activities and efforts that are exercised for achieving such traditions are the best deeds because they represent the restoration of the traditions. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: He who introduces a good tradition will be gaining the reward of that tradition in addition to the rewards of everybody who follows it up to the Day of Resurrection without any imperfection in their rewards.

Monotheism

Beware, O people, of those apostates who anthropomorphize. They copy the sayings of the disbelieving Christians and Jews. He is Allah. There is certainly nothing like Him. He is All-hearing and All-aware. No mortal eyes can see Him, but He can see all eyes. He is All-kind and All-aware. He devotes monotheism and omnipotence to Him and finalizes volition, will, power, and knowledge with whatever will happen. No one can dispute with Him about any of His matters. There is no one equal to Him, there is no opposite that disputes with Him, there is no opponent that resembles Him, and there is no one like Him. Affairs cannot affect Him, changes cannot influence Him, and events cannot befall Him. Describers cannot depict the essence of His greatness and hearts cannot recall the edge of His omnipotence because He is not like anything else. Scholars and people of thought cannot comprehend Him except by means of believing in the unseen, because the descriptions of the creatures are not applicable to Him. He is the One the Absolute. He is the contrary of anything that is ideated in the illusions. He is not lord if He is a matter of discussion. He is also not worshipped if He exists in the air or any other place. He exists in things, but not encompassed by them. He is far away from things, but not absent from them. He is not powerful if He is compared to an opponent or equaled by an adversary. His sempiternity was not from time and His existence is not in the places. He concealed from the minds as well as sights. His concealment from the inhabitants of the heavens is identical concealment from the inhabitants of the earth. His nearness is His honoring and His remoteness is His offending. He has no place in 'in' -adverb of place-, has no time in 'when' -adverb of time-, and has no submission to 'if' -hesitation-. His elevation does not need ascent and His coming does not need motion. He originates the nonexistent and eliminates the existent. Except for Him, no one can have two attributes in the same time. The intellect can only believe in His existence. The existence of believing is not the existence of attributes. The attributes are described through Him, but He is described by these attributes. Knowledge is known through Him, but He is not known by knowledge. That is Allah to Whom there is no namesake. All glory to Him. There is certainly nothing like Him. He is All-hearing and All-aware.

Short Maxims of Imam Al-Hussein

  1. On his way to Karbala , Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: This world has changed, snubbed, and its good has turned tail. Nothing has remained from it except a thing that is as scanty as the leftover of a cup and a mean life that is like a noxious grazing. Have you not noticed that the right is ignored and the evil is not forbidden? This is sufficient for making the believers desire for meeting God rightfully. I consider death as happiness and life with the wrongdoers as boredom. People are certainly the slaves of this world. The religion is only a slaver on their tongues. They turn it wherever their livelihood demands. If they are examined by misfortunes, the religious will be very little.

  2. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said to a man who backbit another before him: O you, stop backbiting, for it is the daily meal of the dogs of Hell. 3. Before Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him), a man said that favors are worthless if they are done to other than its people. The Imam commented: No, this is accurate. Favors should be like the heavy rain that covers the pious and the sinful.

  3. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: Whenever God seizes the power of somebody, He will surely free him from acts of obedience to Him, and whenever He seizes the ability of somebody, He will surely save him from the burdens.

  4. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: Some people worshipped God for the purpose of gaining His gifts. This is the worship of the merchants. Some worshipped Him for the purpose of avoiding His punishment. This is the worship of the slaves. Some worshipped Him as showing gratitude to Him. This is the worship of the genuine ones. It is the best worship.

  5. A man received Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) with saying, "How are you? God may grant you good health." The Imam instructed him: Salaam -greeting- should precede wording. God may grant you good health. Do not permit anybody before he says salaam. 7. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said:

When God wills to lead a servant to destruction gradually, He bestows upon him with graces and does not favor him show gratitude -for these graces-. 8. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) wrote the following missive to Abdullah bin Al-Abbas when Abdullah bin Az-Zubair banished him to Yemen : So then, I have been informed that Abdullah bin Az-Zubbair banished you to Ta'if. God has so therefore raised your reputation and pardoned a sin for so. It is only the virtuous ones who suffer afflictions. If you are rewarded only for what you like, the reward then will be little. God may grant you and us steadfastness against afflictions and gratitude in graces. God may save you and us from the schadenfreude of any envious enemy. Peace be upon you.

  1. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said to a man who begged him: Asking for -financial- help is acceptable only in big loss, extreme poverty, or horrible guarantee. The man said: Because of one of these I came. Hence, the Imam (peace be upon him) ordered to be given one hundred dinars. 10. Imam Al-Hussein said to His son Ali (peace be upon them): O son, beware of wronging him who does not have a supporter except God the Majestic. 11. As a man asked for the exegesis of God's saying, "Proclaim the bounties of your Lord," Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: God orders him to proclaim the religious graces. 12. A man from Ansar wanted to ask Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) for -financial- help, but the Imam said: O brother of Ansar, protect your face from the humility of seeking others' help. You may write your need in a paper and I will respond to it pleasantly, God willing.

The man wrote to the Imam (peace be upon him) that he owed a certain individual five hundred dinars and that man insisted on receiving his money soon. He also asked the Imam to speak to persuade that man to grant him a respite until he becomes able to defray the sum. As Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) read the paper, he entered his house to take out a bale containing one thousand dinars. He handed them to the man and said: You may defray the debt and use the other five hundred dinars for settling your financial problems. Do not say your need to anybody except three - a religious, a chivalrous, or a highborn individual. The religious will try to keep his religion pure, the chivalrous will be embarrassed by his chivalry, and the highborn will feel that you have not kept your face from asking for your need; therefore, he will protect your face against disappointing you.

  1. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said:

There are four kinds of friends: there is the friend who is for you and for himself, the friend who is for you, the friend who is against you, and the friend who is neither for you nor for himself. As he was asked an explanation, Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said:

The friend who is for you and for himself is that who seeks the continuity of your friendship through fraternity and does not seek the interruption of your friendship through fraternity. This friend is for you and for himself. This is because the life of both of you will be pleasant as long as your fraternity is achieved, but when fraternity encounters contradiction, everything will be valueless. The friend who is for you is that who moves from the state of greed to the state of desire. He does not feel greedy to the worldly affairs as long as he desire for fraternity. Such a friend will completely save you from any defect. The friend who is against you is that who waylays you, conceals his reality, forges lies against you among the clans, and looks at you enviously. The One curse such a friend.

The friend who is neither for you nor for himself is that whom God has filled with idiocy and thrown away. Thus, you see him prefer himself to you and his eye is focused on your wealth.

  1. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: Sitting with the intelligent is a sing of successfulness. Disputation with other than the disbelievers is a sign of ignorance. A sign of a scholar is his self-criticism of his sayings and his acquaintance with the various hypotheses. 15. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: The true believer is that who betakes God as his defender and betakes his wording as his mirror. He once looks in the qualities of the believers and once in the qualities of the haughty. He therefore relieves his character and discovers himself. He is also sure of his intelligence and capable of respecting himself.

  2. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: Beware of things for which you apologize. The true believer should not make mistakes and should not apologize. The hypocrite makes mistakes and apologizes everyday. 17. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: There are seventy advantages for the greeting. Sixty-nine are given to the one who greets first and one is given to the one who responds to the greeting.

  3. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: The true stingy is that who refrains from greeting. 19. Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: He who tries to achieve something through acting disobediently to God will miss what he expects and fall in what he fears.