AMIRAL MOMININ ALI (AS)

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al- Hassan ibn Mahbub from Salih ibn Sahl from Abu ‘Abdillah  who has said the following: “Certain persons of Quraysh asked, ‘O messenger of Allah, by what means have you surpassed the prophets in excellence while you are the last and final one among them to come (with Divine message)?’ He replied, ‘I was the first among them to express my belief in my Lord and the first one to answer the call when Allah made a covenant with the prophets. He asked them to bear testimony against their own selves that they have answered, affirmatively to Allah’s Question, “Am I not your Lord?” I was the first among the prophets to say, “Yes, O Lord, You are the Lord.” By expressing and affirming my belief in Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, as the first one I surpassed them in excellence.’”

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَنَّ بَعْضَ قُرَيْشٍ قَالَ لِرَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) بِأَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ سَبَقْتَ الأنْبِيَاءَ وَأَنْتَ بُعِثْتَ آخِرَهُمْ وَخَاتَمَهُمْ فَقَالَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِرَبِّي وَأَوَّلَ مَنْ أَجَابَ حَيْثُ أَخَذَ الله مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَ لَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَكُنْتُ أَنَا أَوَّلَ نَبِيٍّ قَالَ بَلَى فَسَبَقْتُهُمْ بِالإقْرَارِ بِالله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.

Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Khalid from certain persons of our people from ‘ Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Once I said to Abu ‘Abdillah  ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, I find certain persons of our people who seem light-minded and very temperamental and this extremely saddens me. On the other hand 1 find certain persons of those who do not accept our belief seem to (have very good Simt) be very dignified.’ The Imam said, ‘Do not call it Simt because Simt means straight path. Call it Dignified appearance because Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, has said, “They have marks of the effects of frequent prostration on their faces,”’ (48:29). I (the narrator) then said, ‘I see them to be of good appearance and of dignity and this makes me very sad.’ The Imam said, ‘Do not feel sad for what you see of light-mindedness and temperamental conditions of your people and the good appearance of those who do not accept your belief. When Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, willed to create Adam, He created those two kinds of clay. He then divided them into two portions. To the people of the right hand He said, “Be a creature by My permission.” They became creatures that looked like small particles running around. He then said to the people of the left hand, “Be a creature by My permission.” They became a creature as small particles that crawled. He then started a fire for them and said to them, “Enter therein by My permission.” The first one who entered therein was Muhammad  followed by the ‘Ulu al-’Azm messengers, their successors and their followers. He then said to the people of the left hand, “Enter therein by My permission.” They said, “Our Lord, have you created us just to burn?” They disobeyed. He then said to the people of the right hand, “Come out from the fire by My permission” and the fire had caused no injuries to any of them and had left no marks on any one of them. When the people of the left hand saw this they said, “Our Lord, we see our people have come out safe and sound from the fire. Lord, forgive us and command us to enter the fire.” The Lord said, “I Have forgiven you, now you must enter the fire.” They went near the fire but when they felt the heat of the fire they turned back and said, “Our Lord, we are not able to endure the fire burning us and they disobeyed.” He commanded those ones three times to enter into the fire but every time they disobeyed and turned back. He commanded the others three times, each time they obeyed and came out of the fire. He then said to them, “Be a clay by My permission.” He then created Adam therefrom.’ The Imam then said, ‘Whoever is of those will never become of these (people of the right hand) and whoever is from these will never become of those ones (people of the left hand). When you find your people as light-minded ones and it causes sadness to you it is because of their mix with people of the left hand. The good appearance and dignity that you find in those who do not accept your belief is because of their mix with the people of the right hand.’”

أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي لأرَى بَعْضَ أَصْحَابِنَا يَعْتَرِيهِ النَّزَقُ وَالْحِدَّةُ وَالطَّيْشُ فَأَغْتَمُّ لِذَلِكَ غَمّاً شَدِيداً وَأَرَى مَنْ خَالَفَنَا فَأَرَاهُ حَسَنَ السَّمْتِ قَالَ لا تَقُلْ حَسَنَ السَّمْتِ فَإِنَّ السَّمْتَ سَمْتُ الطَّرِيقِ وَلَكِنْ قُلْ حَسَنَ السِّيمَاءِ فَإِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ سِيماهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ مِنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَأَرَاهُ حَسَنَ السِّيمَاءِ وَلَهُ وَقَارٌ فَأَغْتَمُّ لِذَلِكَ قَالَ لا تَغْتَمَّ لِمَا رَأَيْتَ مِنْ نَزَقِ أَصْحَابِكَ وَلِمَا رَأَيْتَ مِنْ حُسْنِ سِيمَاءِ مَنْ خَالَفَكَ إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ آدَمَ خَلَقَ تِلْكَ الطِّينَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ فَرَّقَهُمَا فِرْقَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ لأصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ كُونُوا خَلْقاً بِإِذْنِي فَكَانُوا خَلْقاً بِمَنْزِلَةِ الذَّرِّ يَسْعَى وَقَالَ لأهْلِ الشِّمَالِ كُونُوا خَلْقاً بِإِذْنِي فَكَانُوا خَلْقاً بِمَنْزِلَةِ الذَّرِّ يَدْرُجُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ لَهُمْ نَاراً فَقَالَ ادْخُلُوهَا بِإِذْنِي فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ دَخَلَهَا مُحَمَّدٌ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) ثُمَّ اتَّبَعَهُ أُولُو الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَأَوْصِيَاؤُهُمْ وَأَتْبَاعُهُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لأصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ ادْخُلُوهَا بِإِذْنِي فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا خَلَقْتَنَا لِتُحْرِقَنَا فَعَصَوْا فَقَالَ لأصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ اخْرُجُوا بِإِذْنِي مِنَ النَّارِ لَمْ تَكْلِمِ النَّارُ مِنْهُمْ كَلْماً وَلَمْ تُؤَثِّرْ فِيهِمْ أَثَراً فَلَمَّا رَآهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا نَرَى أَصْحَابَنَا قَدْ سَلِمُوا فَأَقِلْنَا وَمُرْنَا بِالدُّخُولِ قَالَ قَدْ أَقَلْتُكُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا فَلَمَّا دَنَوْا وَأَصَابَهُمُ الْوَهَجُ رَجَعُوا فَقَالُوا يَا رَبَّنَا لا صَبْرَ لَنَا عَلَى الإحْتِرَاقِ فَعَصَوْا فَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالدُّخُولِ ثَلاثاً كُلَّ ذَلِكَ يَعْصُونَ وَيَرْجِعُونَ وَأَمَرَ أُولَئِكَ ثَلاثاً كُلَّ ذَلِكَ يُطِيعُونَ وَيَخْرُجُونَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ كُونُوا طِيناً بِإِذْنِي فَخَلَقَ مِنْهُ آدَمَ قَالَ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ هَؤُلاءِ لا يَكُونُ مِنْ هَؤُلاءِ وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ هَؤُلاءِ لا يَكُونُ مِنْ هَؤُلاءِ وَمَا رَأَيْتَ مِنْ نَزَقِ أَصْحَابِكَ وَخُلُقِهِمْ فَمِمَّا أَصَابَهُمْ مِنْ لَطْخِ أَصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ وَمَا رَأَيْتَ مِنْ حُسْنِ سِيمَاءِ مَنْ خَالَفَكُمْ وَوَقَارِهِمْ فَمِمَّا أَصَابَهُمْ مِنْ لَطْخِ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Ali ibn ‘Isma’il from Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il from Sa’dan ibn Muslim from Salih ibn Sahl from abu ‘Abd Allah  who has said the following: “The messenger of Allah was asked, ‘By what means have you surpassed other descendents of Adam?’ He said, ‘I was the first one to affirm my faith in my Lord. Allah established a covenant with the prophets and made them to bear testimony against their own souls when the Lord asked, “Am I not your Lord.” They all said, “Yes, You are the Lord.” I was the first one to answer that question positively.’”

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) بِأَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ سَبَقْتَ وُلْدَ آدَمَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَوَّلُ مَنْ أَقَرَّ بِرَبِّي إِنَّ الله أَخَذَ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَ لَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُوا بَلَى فَكُنْتُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَجَابَ.