AMIRAL MOMININ ALI (AS)

Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn Yahya have narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Ahmar from ‘Abdallah ibn Hammad from Sayf al-Tammar who has said that he with a group of Shi‘a were in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah  in Hijr and the Imam  said the following. “An eye is watching over us.” We then looked right and left and did not see anyone. We said, “No eye is watching over us.” The Imam  said, “I swear by the Lord of the Ka‘ba. I swear by the Lord of the House.” He said so three times. “Had I been with Moses and al-Khidr I would have told them that I had more than they did and would have informed them of what they had no knowledge. This is because Moses and al-Khidr were given the knowledge of what was in the past and they were given the knowledge what will be in future or what will exist up to the Day of Judgment while we have inherited all of them from the Messenger of Allah as heirs.”

أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ الاحْمَرِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ سَيْفٍ التَّمَّارِ قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله  جَمَاعَةً مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ فِي الْحِجْرِ فَقَالَ عَلَيْنَا عَيْنٌ فَالْتَفَتْنَا يَمْنَةً وَيَسْرَةً فَلَمْ نَرَ أَحَداً فَقُلْنَا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا عَيْنٌ فَقَالَ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ وَرَبِّ الْبَنِيَّةِ ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ لَوْ كُنْتُ بَيْنَ مُوسَى وَالْخَضِرِ لاخْبَرْتُهُمَا أَنِّي أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُمَا وَلانْبَأْتُهُمَا بِمَا لَيْسَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمَا لانَّ مُوسَى وَالْخَضِرَ (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) أُعْطِيَا عِلْمَ مَا كَانَ وَلَمْ يُعْطَيَا عِلْمَ مَا يَكُونُ وَمَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ وَقَدْ وَرِثْنَاهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ وِرَاثَةً.

A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sinan from Yunus ibn Ya‘qub from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah and a group of our people, among whom were ‘Abd al-A‘la’, abu ‘Ubaydah and ‘Abdallah ibn Bishr al-Khath‘ami, who have said that they heard abu ‘Abdallah  say the following. “I certainly know what is the heavens and what is in the earth. I know what is in paradise and what is the fire. I know what was there and what will be there.” The narrator has said that the Imam  paused for a while and found that what he had just said was much heavy for the audience then he  said, “I learned all of it from the book of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has said, “In it there is the clarification of all things.”

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ وَعِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا مِنْهُمْ عَبْدُ الاعْلَى وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ وَعَبْدُ الله بْنُ بِشْرٍ الْخَثْعَمِيُّ سَمِعُوا أَبَا عَبْدِ الله  يَقُولُ إِنِّي لاعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الارْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا فِي النَّارِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا كَانَ وَمَا يَكُونُ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَكَثَ هُنَيْئَةً فَرَأَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَبُرَ عَلَى مَنْ سَمِعَهُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ عَلِمْتُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ كِتَابِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ فِيهِ تِبْيَانُ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ.

Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Aabu Nasr from ‘Abd al-Karim from Jama‘a ibn Sa‘d al-Khath‘ami who has said that al-Mufaddal was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah . Al-Mufaddal asked the Imam  the following. “May Allah, take my soul in service for your cause, does Allah command (his) servants to obey a servant and hide the news of the heavens from him?” The Imam  said, Allah is by far much honorable, kind and caring towards His servants than to command them to obey a servant (of His) and then hide form him the news of the heavens mornings and evenings.”

عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْكَرِيمِ عَنْ جَمَاعَةَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ الْخَثْعَمِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَانَ الْمُفَضَّلُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله  فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُفَضَّلُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ يَفْرِضُ الله طَاعَةَ عَبْدٍ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ وَيَحْجُبُ عَنْهُ خَبَرَ السَّمَاءِ قَالَ لا الله أَكْرَمُ وَأَرْحَمُ وَأَرْأَفُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَفْرِضَ طَاعَةَ عَبْدٍ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ ثُمَّ يَحْجُبَ عَنْهُ خَبَرَ السَّمَاءِ صَبَاحاً وَمَسَاءً.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from Durays al-Kunasi who has said that he heard abu Ja‘far  the following to an audience of his companions: “What an strange case is the case with a group of followers! They acknowledge us as the Divine authority over themselves, accept us as their Imam and say that obedience to us is obligatory just as is the case with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They then destroy the veracity of their belief as such and dispute against their own selves due to weakness of their hearts. They then diminish our right and blame those whom Allah has granted evidence to know us as it should be and the (abulity) to submit themselves to our Divine authority. Do you not consider that how would Allah, the Most Holy and Most High, make it obligatory to obey those who possess Divine authority over his servants and then hide from them (people who possess Divine authority) the new of the heaves and the earth? How would He cut them off of the sources of knowledge that might come to them to maintain their religion?”

Humran then said to the Imam , “May Allah, take my soul in service for your cause, how would you explain the case of the uprising of Ali ibn abu Talib, al-Hassan and al-Husayn ? They came out and rose up for the cause of Allah, Whose mention is so Majestic. How much they suffered and how mercilessly were they murdered at the hands of the rebels? They were defeated, murdered and over powered.” Abu Ja‘far  then said, “O Humran, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, had determined it on them. He had decreed, approved and made it unavoidable though the voluntary manner. He then allowed to take place. It, thus, happened with a pre-existing knowledge that had come to them from the Messenger of Allah. Ali, al-Hassan and al-Husayn  rose up for the cause of Allah with full knowledge of the consequences and remained silent from us those who remained silent. Had they, O Humran, when facing what Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, made them to face and suffer defeat at the hands of the rebels, asked Allah, the Most Holy and Most High, to remove their suffering and would implore Him to destroy the government and kingdom of the rebels, He would have answered their prayers and would grant them relief. In such case the destruction of the governments of the rebels and the ending of their time would take place quicker than the dispersal under a great pressure, of beads threaded together. The suffering, O Humran, that befell them, was not due to sins they committed, nor was it a punishment for a disobedience in which they defied Allah. It was because of the high marvelous position that Allah had prepared and wanted them to reach. Do not let people’s opinions take you away from the right path.”

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ ضُرَيْسٍ الْكُنَاسِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ  يَقُولُ وَعِنْدَهُ أُنَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ عَجِبْتُ مِنْ قَوْمٍ يَتَوَلَّوْنَا وَيَجْعَلُونَا أَئِمَّةً وَيَصِفُونَ أَنَّ طَاعَتَنَا مُفْتَرَضَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ كَطَاعَةِ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ ثُمَّ يَكْسِرُونَ حُجَّتَهُمْ وَيَخْصِمُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِضَعْفِ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَيَنْقُصُونَا حَقَّنَا وَيَعِيبُونَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى مَنْ أَعْطَاهُ الله بُرْهَانَ حَقِّ مَعْرِفَتِنَا وَالتَّسْلِيمَ لامْرِنَا أَ تَرَوْنَ أَنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى افْتَرَضَ طَاعَةَ أَوْلِيَائِهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ ثُمَّ يُخْفِي عَنْهُمْ أَخْبَارَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالارْضِ وَيَقْطَعُ عَنْهُمْ مَوَادَّ الْعِلْمِ فِيمَا يَرِدُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِمَّا فِيهِ قِوَامُ دِينِهِمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ حُمْرَانُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَ رَأَيْتَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِ قِيَامِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَالْحَسَنِ وَالْحُسَيْنِ  وَخُرُوجِهِمْ وَقِيَامِهِمْ بِدِينِ الله عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ وَمَا أُصِيبُوا مِنْ قَتْلِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ إِيَّاهُمْ وَالظَّفَرِ بِهِمْ حَتَّى قُتِلُوا وَغُلِبُوا فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ  يَا حُمْرَانُ إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى قَدْ كَانَ قَدَّرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَضَاهُ وَأَمْضَاهُ وَحَتَمَهُ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الاخْتِيَارِ ثُمَّ أَجْرَاهُ فَبِتَقَدُّمِ عِلْمٍ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ قَامَ عَلِيٌّ وَالْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ  وَبِعِلْمٍ صَمَتَ مَنْ صَمَتَ مِنَّا وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ يَا حُمْرَانُ حَيْثُ نَزَلَ بِهِمْ مَا نَزَلَ مِنْ أَمْرِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِظْهَارِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ عَلَيْهِمْ سَأَلُوا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ عَنْهُمْ ذَلِكَ وَأَلَحُّوا عَلَيْهِ فِي طَلَبِ إِزَالَةِ مُلْكِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ وَذَهَابِ مُلْكِهِمْ إِذاً لاجَابَهُمْ وَدَفَعَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُمْ ثُمَّ كَانَ انْقِضَاءُ مُدَّةِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ وَذَهَابُ مُلْكِهِمْ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ سِلْكٍ مَنْظُومٍ انْقَطَعَ فَتَبَدَّدَ وَمَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ الَّذِي أَصَابَهُمْ يَا حُمْرَانُ لِذَنْبٍ اقْتَرَفُوهُ وَلا لِعُقُوبَةِ مَعْصِيَةٍ خَالَفُوا الله فِيهَا وَلَكِنْ لِمَنَازِلَ وَكَرَامَةٍ مِنَ الله أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْلُغُوهَا فَلا تَذْهَبَنَّ بِكَ الْمَذَاهِبُ فِيهِمْ.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ali ibn Ma‘bad from Hisham ibn al-Hakam who has said the following. “I asked abu ‘Abdallah  at Mina five hundred letters from al-Kalam (theology). I asked the Imam , “They say that he has said so and so.” Then he says, “You say so and so.” I then said to the Imam , “May Allah, take my soul in service for your cause, “This is lawful and that is not lawful. I know that you are the authority in this and you are the most knowledgeable person in it and this is al-Kalam.” The Imam  said to me, “O poor, Hisham, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, does not require any duty from His creatures without first availing them all that they need to comply with the command.”

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَد عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله  بِمِنًى عَنْ خَمْسِمِائَةِ حَرْفٍ مِنَ الْكَلامِ فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَقُولُ يَقُولُونَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ فَيَقُولُ قُلْ كَذَا وَكَذَا قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا الْحَلالُ وَهَذَا الْحَرَامُ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ صَاحِبُهُ وَأَنَّكَ أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِهِ وَهَذَا هُوَ الْكَلامُ فَقَالَ لِي وَيْكَ يَا هِشَامُ لا يَحْتَجُّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى عَلَى خَلْقِهِ بِحُجَّةٍ لا يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ كُلُّ مَا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl from abu Hamzah who has that he heard abu Ja‘far  say the following. “No, I swear by Allah, the scholar (who possesses Divine authority) is never ignorant or knowledgeable in something and ignorant of other things. The Imam  then said, “Allah, the Most Holy, Most High and Most Gracious, is far exalted and above imposing the obedience of a servant (of His) on the others and then hide the knowledge of things in the heavens and on earth from him and then say, “Do not hide that from him.”

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ  يَقُولُ لا وَالله لا يَكُونُ عَالِمٌ جَاهِلاً أَبَداً عَالِماً بِشَيْ‏ءٍ جَاهِلاً بِشَيْ‏ءٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ الله أَجَلُّ وَأَعَزُّ وَأَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يَفْرِضَ طَاعَةَ عَبْدٍ يَحْجُبُ عَنْهُ عِلْمَ سَمَائِهِ وَأَرْضِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لا يَحْجُبُ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُ.