Improving Good Relations Among People

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ صَدَقَةٌ يُحِبُّهَا اللَّهُ إِصْلَاحٌ بَيْنِ النَّاسِ إِذَا تَفَاسَدُوا وَ تَقَارُبٌ بَيْنِهِمْ إِذَا تَبَاعَدُوا. - عَنْهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مِثْلَهُ.

‘The charity that Allah loves is to improve good relations among the people when they cause devastation, and closeness when they get far away from each other.’” It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Hudhayfah ibn Mansur from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) a similar Hadith.

لَأَنْ أُصْلِحَ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَتَصَدَّقَ بِدِينَارَيْنِ.

“To improve good relations beween two people is more beloved to me than giving two Dinar in charity.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ مِنْ شِيعَتِنَا مُنَازَعَةً فَافْتَدِهَا مِنْ مَالِي‌[1].

‘When you find two of our followers disputing, settle it between them by means of paying from my property.’”

مَرَّ بِنَا الْمُفَضَّلُ وَ أَنَا وَ خَتَنِي‌[3] نَتَشَاجَرُ فِي مِيرَاثٍ فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْنَا سَاعَةً ثُمَّ قَالَ لَنَا تَعَالَوْا إِلَى الْمَنْزِلِ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَأَصْلَحَ بَيْنَنَا بِأَرْبَعِمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ فَدَفَعَهَا إِلَيْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا اسْتَوْثَقَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَّا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ مِنْ مَالِي وَ لَكِنْ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَمَرَنِي إِذَا تَنَازَعَ رَجُلَانِ مِ

Al-Mufaddal once passed us nearby, while my daughter in-law and I were disputing about a legacy. He stood by for a while and then said to us, ‘Come to my house.’ We went there and he settled it between us for four hundred dirhams, which he paid from his own pocket until each of us was happy with the other. He then said

الْمُصْلِحُ لَيْسَ بِكَاذِبٍ‌[1].

“A councilor cannot lie (is not supposed to).”

إِذَا دُعِيتَ لِصُلْحٍ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ فَلَا تَقُلْ عَلَيَّ يَمِينٌ أَلَّا أَفْعَلَ.

“About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Do not swear (saying, ‘By Allah’) I will not do good things, or have piety, or make peace among people. . . .,’ (2:224) the Imam said, “When you are called for arbitration between two people, do not say 1 have sworn not to do it.’”

قَالَ: أَبْلِغْ عَنِّي كَذَا وَ كَذَا فِي أَشْيَاءَ أَمَرَ بِهَا قُلْتُ فَأُبَلِّغُهُمْ عَنْكَ وَ أَقُولُ عَنِّي مَا قُلْتَ لِي وَ غَيْرَ الَّذِي قُلْتَ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّ الْمُصْلِحَ لَيْسَ بِكَذَّابٍ إِنَّمَا هُوَ الصُّلْحُ لَيْسَ بِكَذِبٍ‌[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) once said, ‘Convey from me to so and so, in a few matters that he commanded me to do.’ I said, ‘Therefore I convey from you to them and say from myself only what you have told me to say and other things that you said.’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, an arbitrator cannot lie. He is the councilor, not a liar