Abandonment and Desertion

فِي وَصِيَّةِ الْمُفَضَّلِ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ لَا يَفْتَرِقُ رَجُلَانِ عَلَى الْهِجْرَانِ إِلَّا اسْتَوْجَبَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْبَرَاءَةَ وَ اللَّعْنَةَ وَ رُبَّمَا اسْتَحَقَّ ذَلِكَ كِلَاهُمَا فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَتِّبٌ جَعَلَنِيَ اللَّهُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا الظَّالِمُ فَمَا بَالُ الْمَظْلُومِ قَالَ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَدْعُو أَخَاهُ إِلَى صِلَتِهِ وَ لَا يَتَغَامَسُ لَهُ عَنْ كَلَامِهِ‌[1] سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Of the two people who depart each other to abandon and walk out on each other, one is subject to disowning and condemnation or perhaps both of them will face such conditions.’ Mu’attib then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, one is unjust, what about the oppr

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَا هِجْرَةَ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثٍ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘(Due to) walking out on another person (separation) should not continue more than three days.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَصْرِمُ‌[4] ذَوِي قَرَابَتِهِ مِمَّنْ لَا يَعْرِفُ الْحَقَّ قَالَ لَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَصْرِمَهُ.

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about a man who has forsaken his relatives who do not recognize the truth.’ The Imam said, ‘It is not proper for him to abandon them.’”

كَانَ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا يُلَقَّبُ شَلَقَانَ‌[1] وَ كَانَ قَدْ صَيَّرَهُ فِي نَفَقَتِهِ وَ كَانَ سَيِّئَ الْخُلُقِ فَهَجَرَهُ فَقَالَ لِي يَوْماً يَا مُرَازِمُ وَ تُكَلِّمُ عِيسَى‌[2] فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ أَصَبْتَ لَا خَيْرَ فِي الْمُهَاجَرَةِ.

“In the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) there was a man from our people, also called Shalqan. The Imam had appointed him over his household expenses (included among his dependents) but he had bad manners so he was removed from the job (by Murazim). One day the Imam asked me, ‘O Murazim, have you talked to ‘Isa (Shalqa

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ قَالَ أَبِي ع قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ أَيُّمَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ تَهَاجَرَا فَمَكَثَا ثَلَاثاً لَا يَصْطَلِحَانِ إِلَّا كَانَا خَارِجَيْنِ مِنَ الْإِسْلَامِ‌[3] وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَايَةٌ فَأَيُّهُمَا سَبَقَ إِلَى كَلَامِ أَخِيهِ كَانَ السَّابِقَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ- يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ.

‘Whoever of two Muslims forsake the other and do not make peace within three days they both will be considered out of Islam and there will be no Divine Guardianship relations among them. Whoever of the two speaks first to the other, he, on the Day of Judgment, will be the first one to enter paradise.’”

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يُغْرِي بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا لَمْ يَرْجِعْ أَحَدُهُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ‌[4] فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ اسْتَلْقَى عَلَى قَفَاهُ وَ تَمَدَّدَ[5] ثُمَّ قَالَ فُزْتُ فَرَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً أَلَّفَ بَيْنَ وَلِيَّيْنِ لَنَا يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ تَأَلَّفُوا وَ تَعَاطَفُوا.

“Satan keeps throwing animosity among the believers until one of them forsakes his religion. When this happens, Satan stretches down on his back and says, ‘This is my victory.’ May Allah grant blessings to those who make peace between two of our friends. O believing people, unite and be compassionate to each other.”’

لَا يَزَالُ إِبْلِيسُ فَرِحاً مَا اهْتَجَرَ الْمُسْلِمَانِ فَإِذَا الْتَقَيَا اصْطَكَّتْ رُكْبَتَاهُ‌[1] وَ تَخَلَّعَتْ أَوْصَالُهُ وَ نَادَى يَا وَيْلَهُ مَا لَقِيَ مِنَ الثُّبُورِ[2].

“As long as two Muslims continue abandoning each other, Satan enjoys it. When they meet, his (Satan’s) knees began to shake and his bone joints began to come apart and he cries, ‘Woe upon me; I have to face this destruction!’”