إِنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً[1] الْأَنْبِيَاءُ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ[2].
“The trial (suffering hardships in life) of the prophets is the most difficult then is that for those next to the prophets in a (spiritual) position and thereafter those similar to the previous group and so forth.”
ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْبَلَاءُ وَ مَا يَخُصُّ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ الْمُؤْمِنَ فَقَالَ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مَنْ أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً فِي الدُّنْيَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّونَ ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ وَ يُبْتَلَى الْمُؤْمِنُ بَعْدُ عَلَى قَدْرِ إِيمَانِهِ وَ حُسْنِ أَعْمَالِهِ فَمَنْ صَحَّ إِيمَانُهُ وَ حَسُنَ عَمَلُهُ اشْتَدَّ بَلَاؤُهُ وَ مَنْ سَخُفَ إِيمَانُهُ[3] وَ ضَعُفَ عَمَل
“Once, trials and misfortunes and things that Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, has specially set for the believers were mentioned in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) and the qualities of the believer. The Imam said, ‘The Messenger of Allah was asked, ‘Who suffers the most in this world?’ The Messenger of Allah sa
إِنَّ عَظِيمَ الْأَجْرِ لَمَعَ عَظِيمِ الْبَلَاءِ وَ مَا أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ قَوْماً إِلَّا ابْتَلَاهُمْ.
‘The greatest reward comes from greatest trials and suffering. There have never been a people whom Allah loved but were not put to trial.”
أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً الْأَنْبِيَاءُ ثُمَّ الْأَوْصِيَاءُ ثُمَّ الْأَمَاثِلُ فَالْأَمَاثِلُ.
“People who are put to the most severe trials and sufferings are the prophets, then the successors of the prophets and then those similar to the last group in position and so forth.”
إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عِبَاداً فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ خَالِصِ عِبَادِهِ مَا يُنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ- تُحْفَةً إِلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا صَرَفَهَا عَنْهُمْ إِلَى غَيْرِهِمْ وَ لَا بَلِيَّةً إِلَّا صَرَفَهَا إِلَيْهِمْ.
5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has His most sincere of all of His servants on earth. He does not send any gift from the heavens but that is diverted
وَ عِنْدَهُ سَدِيرٌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَحَبَّ عَبْداً غَتَّهُ بِالْبَلَاءِ غَتّاً[1] وَ إِنَّا وَ إِيَّاكُمْ يَا سَدِيرُ لَنُصْبِحُ بِهِ وَ نُمْسِي.
“Sadir was present when the Imam said, ‘When Allah loves a servant He deeply immerses him in misfortunes. You and we, O Sadir, live in it mornings and evenings.’”
إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى إِذَا أَحَبَّ عَبْداً غَتَّهُ بِالْبَلَاءِ غَتّاً وَ ثَجَّهُ بِالْبَلَاءِ ثَجّاً[2] فَإِذَا دَعَاهُ قَالَ لَبَّيْكَ عَبْدِي لَئِنْ عَجَّلْتُ لَكَ مَا سَأَلْتَ إِنِّي عَلَى ذَلِكَ لَقَادِرٌ وَ لَئِنِ ادَّخَرْتُ لَكَ فَمَا ادَّخَرْتُ لَكَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ.
“When Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, loves any of His servants He immerses him in misfortunes deeply and allows him bleed a bleeding (like sacrificial animals). When he prays to Him, He answers, ‘Yes, my servant, if I like to answer your prayer quickly I have the power to do so, but if I save for you what I may sav
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِنَّ عَظِيمَ الْبَلَاءِ يُكَافَأُ بِهِ عَظِيمُ الْجَزَاءِ فَإِذَا أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ عَبْداً ابْتَلَاهُ بِعَظِيمِ الْبَلَاءِ فَمَنْ رَضِيَ فَلَهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الرِّضَا وَ مَنْ سَخِطَ الْبَلَاءَ فَلَهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ السَّخَطُ.
“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The great misfortunes are matched with great rewards. When Allah loves a servant He tries him with great misfortunes. Whoever accepts it, Allah accepts him and whoever becomes angry with misfortunes, with Allah for him there is anger.”’
إِنَّمَا يُبْتَلَى الْمُؤْمِنُ فِي الدُّنْيَا عَلَى قَدْرِ دِينِهِ أَوْ قَالَ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ[3].
“A believer is tried in this world proportionately to the perfection of his religion or degree of his excellence in religion (uncertainty is from the narrator).”
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ كِفَّةِ الْمِيزَانِ كُلَّمَا زِيدَ فِي إِيمَانِهِ زِيدَ فِي بَلَائِهِ[1].
“The believers are like the two sides of a balance, as his belief increases in strength, his trial also increases in intensity.”
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ الْمُؤْمِنُ لَا يَمْضِي عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً إِلَّا عَرَضَ لَهُ أَمْرٌ يَحْزُنُهُ يُذَكَّرُ بِهِ.
“Before forty days pass something causes sadness to a believer to remind him.”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع إِنَّ الْمُغِيرَةَ[2] يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَا يُبْتَلَى بِالْجُذَامِ وَ لَا بِالْبَرَصِ وَ لَا بِكَذَا وَ لَا بِكَذَا فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ لَغَافِلًا عَنْ صَاحِبِ يَاسِينَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مُكَنَّعاً[3] ثُمَّ رُدَّ أَصَابِعُهُ[4] فَقَالَ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى تَكْنِيعِهِ أَتَاهُمْ فَأَنْذَرَهُمْ ثُمَّ عَادَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْغَدِ فَقَتَلُوهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ يُبْتَلَى بِكُل
“Once I said to Abu Ja’far (a.s.) ‘Al-Mughirah says, ‘A believer does not suffer from leprosy, bars (a form of leprosy) or so and so.’” The Imam said, ‘He must be unaware of Sahib Yasin (the man mentioned in (36:20)) whose hand was paralyzed - the Imam let his fingers hanging - and said, “It is as if I look at his para
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَبِأَفْضَلِ مَكَانٍ ثَلَاثاً[5] إِنَّهُ لَيَبْتَلِيهِ بِالْبَلَاءِ ثُمَّ يَنْزِعُ نَفْسَهُ عُضْواً عُضْواً مِنْ جَسَدِهِ وَ هُوَ يَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ.
“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘A believer has the best place in the sight of Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, - three times. Allah tries him with misfortunes and then pulls his soul out of the parts of his body one after the other but he continues praising Allah.’”
إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مَنْزِلَةً لَا يَبْلُغُهَا عَبْدٌ إِلَّا بِالابْتِلَاءِ فِي جَسَدِهِ.
“In paradise there is a position that is accessible only to those who have gone through bodily trials of suffering in this world.”
شَكَوْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا أَلْقَى مِنَ الْأَوْجَاعِ وَ كَانَ مِسْقَاماً[1] فَقَالَ لِي يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مَا لَهُ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ فِي الْمَصَائِبِ لَتَمَنَّى أَنَّهُ قُرِضَ بِالْمَقَارِيضِ.
“Once I complained to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about pain. (He was often in pains). The Imam said, ‘O ‘Abd Allah, had a believer known about the reward for suffering from afflictions, he would have wished to be cut in pieces with scissors.’”
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْحَقِّ لَمْ يَزَالُوا مُنْذُ كَانُوا فِي شِدَّةٍ أَمَا إِنَّ ذَلِكَ إِلَى مُدَّةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ وَ عَافِيَةٍ طَوِيلَةٍ.
“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘The people of truth had always, since their coming into being, been in suffering but that is for a short time which is followed by everlasting happiness.’”
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَيَتَعَاهَدُ الْمُؤْمِنَ بِالْبَلَاءِ[2] كَمَا يَتَعَاهَدُ الرَّجُلُ أَهْلَهُ بِالْهَدِيَّةِ مِنَ الْغَيْبَةِ وَ يَحْمِيهِ الدُّنْيَا[3] كَمَا يَحْمِي الطَّبِيبُ الْمَرِيضَ.
“Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has an undertaking to try the believers with misfortune just as a man is committed to send gifts to his family in his absence. He holds him (believer) back from the worldly things just as the physicians hold back a patient from certain items of food.”
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ لَمْ يُؤْمِنِ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنَ مِنْ هَزَاهِزِ الدُّنْيَا[4] وَ لَكِنَّهُ آمَنَهُ مِنَ الْعَمَى فِيهَا وَ الشَّقَاءِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ.
“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Allah has not protected the believers from the turmoil of the world but He has protected them from blindness in it and the wickedness of the next life.’”
كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع يَقُولُ إِنِّي لَأَكْرَهُ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يُعَافَى فِي الدُّنْيَا فَلَا يُصِيبَهُ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْمَصَائِبِ.
“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) has said, ‘I do not like a person’s (total freedom from) suffering in the world from misfortunes.’”
قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع دُعِيَ النَّبِيُّ ص إِلَى طَعَامٍ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ مَنْزِلَ الرَّجُلِ نَظَرَ إِلَى دَجَاجَةٍ فَوْقَ حَائِطٍ قَدْ بَاضَتْ فَتَقَعُ الْبَيْضَةُ عَلَى وَتِدٍ فِي حَائِطٍ فَثَبَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَمْ تَسْقُطْ وَ لَمْ تَنْكَسِرْ فَتَعَجَّبَ النَّبِيُّ ص مِنْهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ أَ عَجِبْتَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْبَيْضَةِ فَوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا رُزِئْتُ[1] شَيْئاً قَطُّ قَالَ فَنَهَ
“Once, the Holy Prophet was invited for food. When he entered the house he saw a hen that had laid an egg on a wall and it fell on the top of a stake. It stayed there and did not fall off or break. The Holy Prophet expressed astonishment and the man said, ‘Were you astonished because of this egg? I swear by the One who
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص لَا حَاجَةَ لِلَّهِ فِيمَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُ[3] فِي مَالِهِ وَ بَدَنِهِ نَصِيبٌ.
“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Allah is not interested in a person in whose property or his own self there is no share (of losses).”’
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَبْتَلِي الْمُؤْمِنَ بِكُلِّ بَلِيَّةٍ وَ يُمِيتُهُ بِكُلِّ مِيتَةٍ وَ لَا يَبْتَلِيهِ بِذَهَابِ عَقْلِهِ أَ مَا تَرَى أَيُّوبَ كَيْفَ سُلِّطَ إِبْلِيسُ عَلَى مَالِهِ وَ عَلَى وُلْدِهِ وَ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ وَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ وَ لَمْ يُسَلَّطْ عَلَى عَقْلِهِ تُرِكَ لَهُ لِيُوَحِّدَ اللَّهَ بِهِ[1].
22. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ‘Uthman al-Nawa’ from those he has mentioned (in his book) from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who said: “Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, sets the believers into trials of all kinds and causes them to die by all kinds of deaths but He does n
إِنَّهُ لَيَكُونُ لِلْعَبْدِ مَنْزِلَةٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَمَا يَنَالُهَا إِلَّا بِإِحْدَى خَصْلَتَيْنِ إِمَّا بِذَهَابِ مَالِهِ أَوْ بِبَلِيَّةٍ فِي جَسَدِهِ.
“For a servant (of Allah) there is a position with Allah that he can reach only through two qualities: Loss of his property or misfortune in his body.”
قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَوْ لَا أَنْ يَجِدَ عَبْدِيَ الْمُؤْمِنُ فِي قَلْبِهِ[2] لَعَصَّبْتُ رَأْسَ الْكَافِرِ بِعِصَابَةِ حَدِيدٍ لَا يُصَدَّعُ رَأْسُهُ أَبَداً[3].
24. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from ibn Faddal from Muthanna al-Hannat from abu ‘Usamah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘Had my believing servant not felt sadness in his heart, I would have wrapped up the head of the u
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ كَمَثَلِ خَامَةِ الزَّرْعِ[1] تُكْفِئُهَا الرِّيَاحُ كَذَا وَ كَذَا وَ كَذَلِكَ الْمُؤْمِنُ تُكْفِئُهُ الْأَوْجَاعُ وَ الْأَمْرَاضُ وَ مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَمَثَلِ الْإِرْزَبَّةِ الْمُسْتَقِيمَةِ[2] الَّتِي لَا يُصِيبُهَا شَيْءٌ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقْصِفَهُ قَصْفاً[3].
“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The likeness of the believers is like sprouting plants that are swirled back and forth by the winds. The believers are also turned and bent by pain and illness. The likeness of a hypocrite is that of an iron that is not affected by anything until death comes and shatters him with a (f
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَوْماً لِأَصْحَابِهِ مَلْعُونٌ كُلُّ مَالٍ لَا يُزَكَّى مَلْعُونٌ كُلُّ جَسَدٍ لَا يُزَكَّى وَ لَوْ فِي كُلِّ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْماً مَرَّةً فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَمَّا زَكَاةُ الْمَالِ فَقَدْ عَرَفْنَاهَا فَمَا زَكَاةُ الْأَجْسَادِ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَنْ تُصَابَ بِآفَةٍ قَالَ فَتَغَيَّرَتْ وُجُوهُ الَّذِينَ سَمِعُوا ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ فَلَمَّا رَآهُمْ قَدْ تَغَيَّرَتْ أَلْوَانُهُمْ قَالَ لَهُمْ
“The Messenger of Allah one day said to his companions, ‘Condemned is every property that is not purified by paying al- Zakat (charity), condemned is the body that is not purified once in every forty days.’ He was then asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we know how property is purified, but what is al-Zakat (purification) o
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَ يُبْتَلَى الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالْجُذَامِ وَ الْبَرَصِ وَ أَشْبَاهِ هَذَا قَالَ فَقَالَ وَ هَلْ كُتِبَ الْبَلَاءُ إِلَّا عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ.
“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘Does a believer suffer from leprosy or similar diseases?’ The Imam asked, ‘Is misfortune written for anyone other than the believers?”’
إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيَكْرُمُ عَلَى اللَّهِ حَتَّى لَوْ سَأَلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا فِيهَا- أَعْطَاهُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْتَقِصَ مِنْ مُلْكِهِ شَيْئاً وَ إِنَّ الْكَافِرَ لَيَهُونُ عَلَى اللَّهِ حَتَّى لَوْ سَأَلَهُ الدُّنْيَا بِمَا فِيهَا أَعْطَاهُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْتَقِصَ مِنْ مُلْكِهِ شَيْئاً وَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيَتَعَاهَدُ عَبْدَهُ الْمُؤْمِنَ بِالْبَلَاءِ كَمَا يَتَعَاهَدُ الْغَائِبُ أَهْلَهُ بِالط
“A believer is so important to Allah that if he asks Him paradise and all that is therein. He will give it to him without any shortages caused to His kingdom. The unbeliever is so insignificant before Allah that if he asks the whole world and all that is therein. He will give it to him without any shortages caused in H
إِنَّ فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع أَنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً النَّبِيُّونَ ثُمَّ الْوَصِيُّونَ ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ وَ إِنَّمَا يُبْتَلَى الْمُؤْمِنُ عَلَى قَدْرِ أَعْمَالِهِ الْحَسَنَةِ فَمَنْ صَحَّ دِينُهُ وَ حَسُنَ عَمَلُهُ اشْتَدَّ بَلَاؤُهُ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا ثَوَاباً لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَ لَا عُقُوبَةً لِكَافِرٍ وَ مَنْ سَخُفَ دِينُهُ وَ ضَعُفَ عَمَلُهُ قَلَّ بَلَا
“It is in the book of Ali (a.s.) that the people who suffer from the most intense form of misfortune are the prophets, then the successors of the prophets, then are people of closer position to the successors of the prophets and so on are the other groups. The trials of the believers are proportionate to their good dee
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ هَذَا الَّذِي ظَهَرَ بِوَجْهِي[3]- يَزْعُمُ النَّاسُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَبْتَلِ بِهِ عَبْداً لَهُ فِيهِ حَاجَةٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي لَقَدْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنُ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ مُكَنَّعَ الْأَصَابِعِ[4] فَكَانَ يَقُولُ هَكَذَا وَ يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ وَ يَقُولُ- يا قَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي إِذَا كَانَ الثُّلُثُ الْأَخِيرُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ فَتَوَضَّ وَ قُ
“Once I said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘About this thing that has appeared on my face, people think Allah does not make suffer (from this) any servant in whom He is interested.’ The Imam said, ‘The believer among the people of Pharaoh had crippled fingers. He would extend his fingers and say, “My people follow the Messen