The Rare Ahadith

“A man in Basrah brought a Sahifah (a booklet) and said, ‘O ’Amir al-Mu’minin, look at this booklet; there is advice in it.’ He (the Imam) looked at it, then he looked at the face of the man and said, ’If you are truthful we compensate you; if you are not truthful we will penalize you, if you want us to release you we will release you.’ He said, ’Release me O ’Amir al-Mu’minin. ’ When the man left ’Amir al-Mu’minin said, ‘You are the confused nation after your Prophet. Had you given priority to what Allah has given priority, kept back what Allah has kept back, placed people who possess divine authority and who inherit divine authority as Allah has placed, people who possess divine authority would not become needy. Obligations ordained by Allah would not remain neglected, two people would not quarrel [about a command of Allah and a nation would not fight over a command of Allah] but that the knowledge thereof is with us in the book of Allah. So taste the evil consequences of what your hands have sent ahead of you. Allah is not unjust to the servants. Very soon the unjust will find to what kind of returning place they have returned.”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah. What Allah places last no one is able to place it first, and no one is able to place last what He has placed first.’ He (the Imam) then tapped his one hand with the other hand. He said, ‘O confused nation after her Prophet, had you placed first what Allah had done so and had you placed last what Allah had placed last, had you placed people who possess divine authority and who inherit divine authority as Allah had done, people who possess divine authority would not become needy. Deficiency did not occur in the ordained obligations toward Allah. No two people ever disagree on an issue of the laws of Allah or a nation fight over a thing of the commandments of Allah. However, the answer to it and knowledge thereof is with us in the book of Allah. Thus, taste the evil consequences of your affairs and the excess that you committed by your hand’s sending ahead of you. Allah is not unjust to the servants and very soon the unjust will find to what terrible returning place they have returned.’”