The Clay from Which the Believers and Unbelievers Are Made

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَلَقَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ طِينَةِ عِلِّيِّينَ قُلُوبَهُمْ وَ أَبْدَانَهُمْ‌[1] وَ خَلَقَ قُلُوبَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الطِّينَةِ وَ جَعَلَ خَلْقَ أَبْدَانِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ دُونِ ذَلِكَ وَ خَلَقَ الْكُفَّارَ مِنْ طِينَةِ سِجِّينٍ قُلُوبَهُمْ وَ أَبْدَانَهُمْ فَخَلَطَ بَيْنَ الطِّينَتَيْنِ- فَمِنْ هَذَا يَلِدُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْكَافِرَ وَ يَلِدُ الْكَافِرُ الْمُؤْمِنَ وَ مِنْ هَاهُنَ

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Rib’i ibn ‘Abd Allah from a man from Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) who has said the following: “Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, created the prophets from the clay of ‘Illiyiyyn (paradise), both their bodies and souls. He made the hearts of the beli

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَلَقَ الْمُؤْمِنَ مِنْ طِينَةِ الْجَنَّةِ وَ خَلَقَ الْكَافِرَ مِنْ طِينَةِ النَّارِ وَ قَالَ إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً طَيَّبَ رُوحَهُ وَ جَسَدَهُ فَلَا يَسْمَعُ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْخَيْرِ إِلَّا عَرَفَهُ وَ لَا يَسْمَعُ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْمُنْكَرِ إِلَّا أَنْكَرَهُ قَالَ وَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ الطِّينَاتُ ثَلَاثٌ طِينَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ تِلْكَ الط

“Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, created the believers from the clay of paradise. He created the unbelievers from the clay of fire. He then said, ‘When Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, decides to grant good to one of His servants. He purifies his spirit and body. Whenever he hears any good thing he recognizes it.

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ طِينَةَ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَقَالَ مِنْ طِينَةِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ فَلَمْ تَنْجَسْ أَبَداً[4].

“May Allah keep my soul of service to you, from what kind of material has Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, created the clay of the believers? He then replied, ‘He has created them with the clay from which the prophets were made. Thus, they never become unclean.’”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَ عَزَّ خَلَقَنَا مِنْ أَعْلَى عِلِّيِّينَ وَ خَلَقَ قُلُوبَ شِيعَتِنَا مِمَّا خَلَقَنَا مِنْهُ وَ خَلَقَ أَبْدَانَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ ذَلِكَ وَ قُلُوبُهُمْ تَهْوِي إِلَيْنَا لِأَنَّهَا خُلِقَتْ مِمَّا خُلِقْنَا مِنْهُ ثُمَّ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتابَ الْأَبْرارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ‌ وَ ما أَدْراكَ ما عِلِّيُّونَ كِتابٌ مَرْقُومٌ يَشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ‌[1] وَ خَلَقَ عَدُوَّنَا مِنْ س

Muhammad ibn Yahya and others have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalaf from abu Nahshal who has said that Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il narrated from abu Hamza al-Thumali who has the following: “I heard abu la’ far (a.s.) saying, ‘Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, created us from the top most of paradise. He made the

قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَنَا مَوْلَاكَ- عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ قَالَ أَمَّا النَّسَبُ فَأَعْرِفُهُ وَ أَمَّا أَنْتَ فَلَسْتُ أَعْرِفُكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّي وُلِدْتُ بِالْجَبَلِ وَ نَشَأْتُ فِي أَرْضِ فَارِسَ وَ إِنَّنِي أُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ فِي التِّجَارَاتِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَأُخَالِطُ الرَّجُلَ فَأَرَى لَهُ حُسْنَ السَّمْتِ‌[3] وَ حُسْنَ الْخُلُقِ وَ كَثْرَةَ أَمَانَةٍ ثُمَّ أُفَتِّشُهُ فَأَتَبَيَّن

“Once I said to the Imam, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, I am your servant, abu ‘Abd Allah ibn Kaysan.’ The Imam said, ‘I know your genealogy. However, I do not know you (so well).’ I said, ‘I was born in the mountains and grew up in the land of Persia. I associate with people in business and other

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- الْمُؤْمِنُونَ مِنْ طِينَةِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ قَالَ نَعَمْ.

“I asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Are the believers made from the clay from which the prophets were made?’ He said, ‘Yes, that is correct.’”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ آدَمَ ع بَعَثَ جَبْرَئِيلَ ع فِي أَوَّلِ سَاعَةٍ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَقَبَضَ بِيَمِينِهِ قَبْضَةً بَلَغَتْ قَبْضَتُهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَةِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا وَ أَخَذَ مِنْ كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ تُرْبَةً وَ قَبَضَ قَبْضَةً أُخْرَى مِنَ الْأَرْضِ السَّابِعَةِ الْعُلْيَا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ السَّابِعَةِ الْقُصْوَى فَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ كَلِمَ

“When Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, willed to create Adam He sent Jibril in the first hours of the Friday. He picked up with his right hand a handful. His hand had in its reach from the seventh heavens to the heaven above earth. From each of the heavens he picked up a handful. He also picked up another handful fro