Gentleness in Dealings

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘There are three things for the absence of which none of one’s deeds is complete: restraint from the worldly things to keep him from disobeying Allah, moral behavior with which one can gently deal with people and forbearance with which one can repel the ignorance of ignorant people.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

57. One of our companions, from Ali Bin Al-Abbas, from Al-Hassan Bin Abdul Rahman, who has narrated: Abu Al-Hassan (asws) said: ‘The dreams did not exist in the past in the beginning of the creation, but rather they occurred later on’. I said, ‘And what is the reason with regards to that?’ He (asws) said: ‘Allah (azwj) Sent a Rasool (as) to the people of his (as) era. So he (as) called them to the worship of Allah (azwj) and to His (azwj) obedience’. They said, ‘If we were to do that, so what is in it for us, for by Allah (azwj), you (as) are no more wealthier than we are, nor is your (as) family stronger than ours’. He (as) said: ‘If you were all to obey me (as), Allah (azwj) will Make you to enter the Paradise, and if you were to disobey me (as), Allah (azwj) will Make you to enter the Fire’. So they said, ‘And what is the Paradise and the Fire?’ So he (as) described that for them. So they said, ‘When do we go to that?’ So he (as) said: ‘When you die’. So they said, ‘But we have seen our dead becoming bones and dust’. So they increased in their denial and contempt of it’. So Allah (azwj) Enabled them to experience dreams. So these came to them, and they got informed by what they saw, and what they had denied from that. So he (as) said: ‘Allah (azwj) Intended to Argue against you by this. This is how your spirits are. When you all die, and your bodies decay, your spirits will go toward Punishment until such time that the bodies are resurrected’.

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Husayn ibn al-Hassan who has said the following: “I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) say, ‘Jibril (the Archangel) once came to the Holy Prophet and said, “O Muhammad, your Lord sends you greetings of peace and says to you, ‘Be gentle and kind to My creatures.’””

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from Habib al- Sajistani from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “In the Torah it is of the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, to Moses ibn ‘Imran, ‘O Moses, keep My secret as secret in your secrecy. Demonstrate gentleness from Me in your public life toward your enemy and My enemy among My creatures. Do not express My secret (condemnation of the enemy) for Me before them and in public that, consequently, your enemy and My enemy join to abuse Me.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Muhammad ibn Isma’il from ibn Bazi’ from Hamza ibn Bazi’ from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘My Lord (Allah) has commanded me to be gentle to people just as He has commanded me to fulfill my obligations.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqa from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Dealing kindly with people is half of belief and leniency to them is half of livelihood.’ The Imam then said, ‘Meet the virtuous people privately. Meet the criminals in public and do not be attracted to them; they will do injustice to you. There will come a time when, from the religious people, only those will be safe who are thought of as fools. They exercise patience so much so that they will be called silly.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from certain individuals of his people whom he has mentioned (in his book) from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Hudhayfa ibn Mansur who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) say, ‘Certain people lacked gentle dealings with others, they were expelled from the tribe of Quraysh. I swear by Allah, there was nothing wrong with their birth. On the other hand, certain people who were not from the tribe of Quraysh dealt with people gently and they were joined in the family of superior status.’ The Imam then said, ‘One who holds his hand back from people he only holds back one hand but they (people) hold back from him many hands.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.