In One Meeting, Imam Ali Taught Four-hundred Things Each of Which is Very Useful for a Muslim’s Life and Religion

27-1 (The compiler of the book said) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’ed ibn Abdullah quoted Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Ubayd al-Yaqtayni, on the authority of Al-Qasim ibn Yahya, on the authority of his grandfather Al-Hassan ibn Rashid, on the authority of Abi Basir and Muhammad ibn Muslim, on the authority of Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB), on the authority of his father (MGB), on the authority of his grandfather (MGB), on the authority of his forefathers (MGB) that in an assembly the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) taught his companions four-hundred things each of which is very useful for a Muslim’s life and religion. What he (MGB) taught is as follows.Blood-letting improves physical health and strengthens the intellect.Putting perfume on the moustache is one of the traditions of the Prophet (MGB) and of the Honorable Recorders (Kiraman Katibin) .Brushing the teeth is one of the things that pleases the Honorable the Exalted God. It is also one of the traditions of God’s Prophet (MGB). It cleans the mouth.Soap makes the cuticle soft, increases intelligence, facilitates the flow of water in the body, takes away dryness of the skin and improves the color of the face.Washing the head takes away dirtiness and cleans dust and rubbish.Gargling with water and pulling water up into the nose is a tradition. It cleans both the mouth and the nose.Drawing snuff into the nose clears up the head, cleans the body and alleviates any headaches.Applying depilatory cream or powder brings happiness and cleans the body.Keeping the shoes in proper order helps maintain the body and helps with cleanliness and prayer.Cutting the nails prevents major ailments, increases one’s sustenance and expedites the arrival of one’s share of daily bread.Shaving the underarm fights bad odor. It is a part of cleanliness and a custom which the clean Prophet (MGB) has ordered.Washing the hands before and after every meal causes an increase in one’s share of daily bread. It also prevents one’s clothes from getting oily and improves one’s sight.Staying up at night (to worship God) would improve your health, cause the pleasure of the Honorable the Exalted Lord, is a means of seeking His Mercy, and is a way of following behavior of the Prophets.Eating an apple is good for the stomach.Chewing gum would strengthen the teeth, eliminate phlegm and remove bad odor of the mouth.It is much better to sit in the mosque after dawn until sunrise than to go around and work to earn a living.Eating quinces would strengthen a weak heart, clean the stomach, improve spiritual strength, convert a scared person to a brave one, and result in the production of a better child.Eating twenty-one raisins with breakfast every morning would cure all the pains except death.

27-2 It is recommended for Muslim men to have intercourse with their wives on the first night of the month of Ramazan since the Blessed the Sublime God said, ‘Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives…’ And approach in this verse means having sexual intercourse.You should only wear silver rings since God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Any hand on which there is an iron ring is not clean.’If God’s name is inscribed on your ring, you should take it off when you want to wash your hand.Whenever you look at yourself in the mirror you should say, ‘Thanks God who has created me as an excellent creation, has made me beautiful, has adorned me like no one else, and has honored me due to Islam.When your brethren come to see you should adorn yourselves as if you would for a stranger, so that he may see you in your best form.Fast for three days each month, that is fast for one Wednesday in between two Thursdays. Fasting in the month of ‘Sha’ban would fight off temptations and concerns of the heart.Cleansing yourself with cold water after defecation would help prevent hemorrhoids.Washing the clothes would eliminate sadness and is a part of cleansing for prayer.You should not pull out grey hairs since they are the light of a believer.The white hair of whoever spends his youth for Islam will become his light on the Resurrection Day.A Muslim should not go to sleep while he is in a state of major impurity.A Muslim should not go to sleep until he gets cleaned. If he doesn’t have access to water, he should make ablutions with dirt since a believer’s spirit goes up to God in his sleep and the Blessed the Sublime God accepts it and blesses it. If the time of his death has come, then his spirit will be placed in the Treasury of God’s Mercy. However, if the time for his death has still not arrived, then his spirit will be returned with trusted angels and placed back in his body.A believer should not spit in the direction of the Qibla (prayer direction). Should he unintentionally do so, he should ask for forgiveness from the Honorable the Exalted God for that.You should not blow at the place of prostration.You should not blow at your food or your drink.You should not blow at your charm.You should not sleep on the passage-ways.You should not urinate in the air.You should not urinate in flowing water. Should you do so and get hurt, you have no one but yourselves to blame since there are residents in water and air.You should not sleep on your face. If you see someone sleeping on his face, wake him up and do not let him to do this again.You should not do your prayers lazily and while dozing off.You should not think about yourself while you are praying since then you are standing in the presence of your Honorable Exalted Lord. For one’s prayer to be accepted it must be said wholeheartedly.Eat whatever falls off of the table-cloth because it is the cure for every pain with the permission of the Honorable the Exalted God. He can cure anyone with it whom He Wills. When you eat a meal and lick your fingers with which you ate, the Honorable the Exalted God would says, ‘May God bless you with that.’Wear cotton clothing because it was God’s Prophet’s (MGB) clothing and it is our clothing. He never wore clothing made from animal’s hair and wool, except for a reason. For sure the Magnificent and the Exalted God is beautiful and likes to see the effect of his blessing in his servant. Be kind to your family members although it be by just greeting them. The Blessed the Sublime God says, ‘…reverence God, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you), for God ever watches over you.’Do not waste your time with vain talk or vain plans since there are certain angels which are appointed to record your deeds.Remember God everywhere since He is with you.Greet Muhammad (MGB) and his Household (MGB) so that the Honorable the Exalted God may accept your supplications through Muhammad’s remembrance and supplicating for him (MGB).Let your hot food cool down before you eat it since God’s Prophet (MGB) said, ‘Whenever they bring you hot food, let it cool down before you eat it. The Honorable the Exalted God doesn’t wish us to eat hot food. There are blessings in cooled food.’You should not urinate in the air or in the wind.You should teach your children things by which they may earn Godly benefits, so that they may not be taught erroneous beliefs by others.Watch your tongue and greet the people politely.Return what you are entrusted with to its possessor, even if he may be the murderer of the Prophet’s offspring (MGB).Whenever you enter a market and see that the people are busy doing their own affairs you should remember God as that would constitute an atonement for your sins and an increase in your good deeds. Thus, your name will not be recorded along with the ignorant ones.You should not travel when the month of fasting comes because God said, ‘… So everyone of you who is present (in his home) during that month should spend it in fasting…’There is no concealment of faith regarding drinking alcoholic beverages and washing the feet from over the foot-wear .

27-3 I admonish you against boasting about us. You should say that we are servants of God, but you may state our virtues.Whoever loves us should act as we do. You should seek the assistance of piety, since it is the best assistant in the affairs of this world and the Hereafter.Do not associate with those who try to find fault with us. Do not praise us in front of our enemies. Do not express our love publicly, since then you may become despised by the kings.Adhere to righteousness since it will save you.Be inclined to what is near the Honorable the Exalted God. Try to obey God. Persevere in obeying God.How awkward would it be for a believer to enter Paradise without dignity.You should not just be hopeful of our intercession on your behalf on the Resurrection Day. You should make an effort yourself to do good deeds.You should not disgrace yourself in front of your enemies in the Hereafter. You should not deny your own rank near God in front of your enemies for this lowly world.You should forget about trying to get what others own due to God’s commands. Have you not heard that God’s Prophet (MGB) has informed us that what is near God is better and more permanent. Should a believer receive the glad tidings from the Honorable the Exalted God, he would be delighted and interested in visiting God.Do not belittle your weak brethren. The Honorable the Exalted God will not unite whoever belittles a believer with that believer in Heaven, unless he repents. You should help fulfill the needs of your brethren as soon as you realize that he needs something before he asks. Be friends for each other. Be kind to each other. Give gifts to one another. Do not be like a hypocrite who says something, but doesn’t act accordingly.Get married as this is a tradition of God’s Prophet (MGB). He (MGB) said, ‘Whoever likes to follow my traditions should get married, since getting married is one of my traditions.’ You should also try to have children, since then your large nation will be proud in the Hereafter.You should not feed your babies with an adulterer’s milk or an insane woman’s milk, since milk could transfer a mother’s illness to the child. You should not eat any birds which do not have a gizzard, a spur on its feet, or a craw . You should not eat any wild animals that have canine teeth and or birds that have claws. You should not eat a spleen since it spoils the blood. You should not wear black clothes since that was how Pharaoh dressed. You should not eat any meat glands since this may cause leprosy. You should not make comparisons regarding religious affairs as that doesn’t hold. Those who do so are the enemies of the religion. It was Satan who did so first.Do not wear rectangular shoes since Pharaoh’s shoes were that way. Pharaoh was the first person who wore such shoes.You should oppose wine-drinkers. I advise you to eat dates since they are the cure of every pain. You should obey the sayings of God’s Prophet (MGB) who said, ‘God will open a door of poverty to anyone who opens up the door of a question to himself. ’ You should ask God for forgiveness often, since that would expedite the arrival of your daily sustenance. You should rush to do good deeds, so that you may benefit from them in the Hereafter.I admonish you against arguing because it causes doubt. If you have any needs from the Honorable the Exalted Lord, you should choose any of the following three times to ask Him for it: sometime on Fridays; at the time of sunset; when the wind blows - that is at times when the gates of Heaven are opened and Mercy descends; when the birds sing and at the last hours of night when the dawn comes at which time two angels announce, ‘Is there anyone who repents whose repentance is accepted of him? Is there anyone begging for anything so that it be granted to him? Is there anyone asking for forgiveness so that he be forgiven? Is there anyone asking for anything to be given to him?’ and one responds, ‘Yes. Here I am! I am responding to the Supreme God’s invitation.’Ask (God) for your share of daily bread from dawn until sunrise. This would be better than going around after work, since this is the time at which God divides his servants’ share of daily bread.

Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because on the things your hands have wrought, and for many (of them) He grants forgiveness.’ You should often remember God when you eat food. You should not rebel since the food is also one of God’s blessings, and it is a part of your daily bread. It is incumbent upon you to thank and praise God for it.It would be better if you are grateful for the blessings when you get them and before they are gone. Blessings will testify as to how their owner treated them.God would be pleased with a little bit of good deeds of anyone who is pleased with a little bit of daily bread from God.I admonish you against immoderation as it will result in regret when there is no use in regret.When you are in the battlefield and you encounter your enemies, you should talk less and remember God a lot. You should not flee since then you will face God’s Wrath. When you encounter your wounded brethren you should rescue them. You should do as many good deeds as you can so as to be saved from a bad death.If you wish to know about your rank in the sight of God, you should consider God’s rank in your sight when you are committing sins. This would be your rank in the sight of the Blessed the Sublime God.The best thing you can get in your house for your wife is a sheep. The angels would sanctify you once a day, if you have one sheep in your house. They would sanctify you twice a day if you have two sheep in your house. They would sanctify you three times, if you have three sheep in your house.Whenever a Muslim gets weak, he should eat meat and dairy products since the Honorable the Exalted God has placed strength in them.Whenever you decide to go on the Hajj pilgrimage, you should prepare for the trip in advance as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘If they had intended to come out, they would certainly have made some preparation.’

27-5 When you sit in the sun, sit with your back towards the sun so that it doesn’t cause inner pains to appear.When you go on the Hajj pilgrimage, look at the house of Ka’ba a lot since the Honorable the Exalted God has established one-hundred and twenty forms of Mercy at His House, sixty of which is for those who circumambulate the Ka’ba, forty of which is for those who pray there and twenty of which is for those who look at the House of Ka’ba.Confess to your sins which you remember or you do not, at the Multazim and say, ‘O God! Please forgive those sins that your guards have recorded and I have forgotten’, since it is on the Honorable the Exalted God to forgive the sins of those who confess to their sins there, count them, remember them and ask God for forgiveness.Say supplications before calamities fall upon you.The gate to heavens open at five times: when it rains; when the holy warriors attack; during the recitation of the azan , when the Quran is recited; at sunset and at sunrise.Whoever performs the major ritual ablutions for the deceased should perform the major ritual ablutions himself after he shrouds the corpse.Do not put any perfumes on the corpse except for camphor, since a dead person is considered to be intimate .You should advise your folks to speak fairly about the dead ones, since when the father of Fatimah (MGB) died and all of the Hashemite women mourned in sympathizing with her, Fatimah (MGB) called them all in and said, ‘I invite you not to mourn and cry, but to say supplications.’Visit the graves of relatives since they become happy when you visit them.You should supplicate upon your parents’ graves and ask God for the fulfillment of your needs after what you ask of God for them.A Muslim should act like a mirror for his Muslim brethren .Whenever you notice a slippage or fault from your believing brother, you should not attack him. You should be kind to him, advise him and guide him.Avoid disputes so that you are not scattered about.I advise you to be moderate so that you may make progress.Whenever you reach your destination after having ridden a quadruped you should first give it some water and grass.You should not beat quadrupeds on the face since they glorify their Lord.Whenever you get lost and frightened while you are traveling, you should say, ‘Ya Salih Aqsani’, since one of your genie brothers called Salih is always moving around and would help you find your way and would stop a fleeing quadruped upon hearing your call.Whenever you are frightened for yourself or your sheep from a lion, you should draw a line around yourself and say, ‘O God! O Creator of Daniel and the den , Lord of all the lions! Please protect me and my sheep.’Whenever you become frightened by a scorpion you should recite the verses: ‘Peace and salutation to Noah among the nations! Thus indeed do we reward those who do right. For he was one of our believing Servants.’Whenever you get frightened from becoming drowned you should read ‘…In the name of Allah, whether it move or be at rest! For my Lord is, be sure, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!’You should shave the hair of your children when they are seven days old. Their head should be shaved and alms in the form of silver or gold equal in weight to their hair should be given as charity to Muslims. This is what God’s Prophet (MGB) did the same with Al-Hassan (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB) and his other offspring (MGB).Whenever you give something to a beggar ask him to pray for you. His prayer for you would be accepted, although since hey lies, his prayer for himself would never be accepted.You should kiss the hand with which you give something to a beggar, since the Honorable the Exalted God receives it before it reaches the beggar’s hand. The Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘Know they not that God doth accept repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity…’You should give charity at night since that would extinguish God’s anger - may His Majesty be Exalted.You should consider whatever you say to be a part of your deeds.Speak as little as possible except for fair speech.Give in charity from what God has given you, since the position of one who gives charity is like that of one who fights in the way of God. Anyone who is sure that God will reward him would give charity and anyone who is not sure would withhold it.Anyone who is sure and then doubts should maintain his certitude because doubt would not invalidate certitude.

27-6 Do not give false testimony.Do not sit at a table at which alcohol is served since you never know when you will die.When you go to the table to eat, sit like a good servant of God. Do not sit with your legs crossed, since God doesn’t like this kind of sitting and considers those who sit that way to be His enemy.The Prophets dined after dusk.Do not forgo eating dinner since that would ruin the body.Fever is the forerunner for death. It is God’s prison on the Earth. Whenever God wants to imprison someone on the Earth, he would get a fever. Fever would shed one’s sins as leaves fall off a tree in the fall.All illnesses are internal except for wounds and fever that enter the body.Lessen the burning of fever with violet and cool water, since such a burning is from hell.Do not treat a Muslim until illness overtakes him.Saying supplications would change destiny. Use it as a tool for defense.There are ten good aspects of making ablutions after cleaning one’s self.Do not be lazy since a lazy person would not honor the Honorable the Exalted God’s rights.You should renew your ablutions when you let out bad-smelling air.Cleanse yourself since the Honorable the Exalted God doesn’t like a filthy person and anyone who sits with him would hate him.You should not play with your beard while you are saying your prayers. You should not play with anything else either while you are praying.Strive to do good deeds before you get busy with other work.A believer is one who suffers himself while others are comfortable with him.The best of your sayings are the remembrance of the Honorable the Exalted God.Do not commit sins since that would imprison your share of daily bread.Treat the patients in your family by giving charity, and guard your property by paying the alms-tax.Prayer is the tool for becoming near to God for all pious people.Hajj is the weak people’s holy war.The Holy War for a women is taking good care of her husband.Poverty is the greatest death.Having a small family is a type of wealth.Destiny is half of life.Sadness is half of oldness.No one who is moderate will ever become poor.Whoever seeks advice regarding his affairs would not get harmed.Kindness is good to noble or religious men.There is a fruit for everything. The fruit of good deeds lies in hurrying up in doing them.Anybody who is certain that God will give in return would give charity.The reward of one who doesn’t do anything in times of difficulty will be ruined.The best deed for man is waiting for the arrival of the Relief (i.e. the Riser (MGB)) from the Honorable the Exalted God.He who makes his mother and father sad has becomes disobedient of them.Expedite the arrival of your sustenance by giving charity.Fend off calamities by saying supplications before the calamities arrive.I swear by Him who splits up a seed and creates man, the speed with which poverty and calamities rush towards a believer is more than the downward speed of the flood from the top of the mountain and the running speed of camels.Ask God for protection against calamities since hard disasters can take away one’s religion.

27-7 Whoever learns a lesson from other people’s conditions would prosper.Foster good behavior in yourself. A Muslim can attain good behavior by staying up at nights in worship and fasting.God would feed anyone - who drinks alcohol and knows that it is forbidden – with the stinky blood of the people of Hell, although he is forgiven.You should not make a bet regarding what would constitute sin. You should not swear to cut off your relations of kin either.One who invites others to do good deeds but doesn’t himself do good deeds is like a person who wants to shoot an arrow without a bow.A Muslim woman should put on perfume only for her husband.Anyone who is killed for keeping his property is considered to be a martyr.One who is ripped off (in a deal) is neither praiseworthy nor is he to be rewarded.An offspring’s testifying without his father’s permission and a wife’s testifying without her husband’s permission is not correct.Not speaking for a whole day from the morning until night is not good unless one is busy remembering the Honorable the Exalted God.There is no emigration from an Islamic environment. There will be no migration after victory. Do business so that you do not become needy of people, since the Honorable the Exalted God likes honest businessmen.Nothing is dearer to the Honorable the Exalted God than prayer. Worldly affairs should not prevent you from praying on time because the Honorable the Exalted God has complained about such people and said they are those ‘Who are neglectful of their prayers…’ This means that they are neglectful and do not pay enough attention to the prayer times.Know that your enemies are hypocrites when doing a good deed. The Honorable the Exalted God would not grant them success and would not accept anything but a sincere deed.Goodness doesn’t become old. Sins would not be forgotten. The Majestic God is with those who have piety and do good.A believer would not trick his brother, betray him, debase him or have bad suspicions of him. He would not tell him, ‘I hate you’.Seek a maiden for your brother to marry, but if you did not find one, seek a pious woman for him to marry.It is easier to destroy a mountain than it is to abolish the rule of an emperor whose life has not ended yet. Seek help from God and be patient, since God would grant the Earth as inheritance to those of His servants whom He wills. There is a good ending for the pious ones.Do not hurry before it is the right time, since then you may become sorry. Do not put things off too much, since then your hearts may get hardened.Have mercy upon the weak ones and seek the Honorable the Exalted God’s Mercy for yourself by having mercy upon them.I admonish you against gossiping about a Muslim, since a Muslim would not gossip about his brethren. The Honorable the Exalted God has admonished against this and said, ‘Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?…’A Muslim would not hold his hands together in prayer while he is standing in front of the Honorable the Exalted God. This would be like what the unbelievers, i.e. the Magians doYou should sit down like a servant of God when you want to eat. Eat on the ground and do not drink while standing up.Whenever you encounter a biting living creature while you are praying, you should bury it under the ground, spit on it, or wrap it up in some cloth until you finish saying your prayer.Turning the head away from the direction of the Qibla (prayer direction) would invalidate the prayer. Whoever does so should say his prayer again including the azan , the iqamah and the Takbirs.The properties of whoever recites the Chapter Al-Ikhlas eleven times before sunrise would be safe.Whoever recites the Chapter Al-Ikhlas (and the Chapter Al-Qadr ) before sunrise would be safe from committing any sins on that day no matter how hard Satan tries.You should take refuge in God from any deviation in religion and domination of men. Whoever opposes us would get destroyed. Tucking up the clothes helps to keep them clean as the Blessed the Sublime God said, “And thy garments keep free from stain!” Thus, God has ordered us to tuck up our clothes.One spoon of honey is the treatment for all ailments. The Blessed the Sublime God said, “…there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men…” That includes reciting the Quran.

27-8 Chewing frankincense (luban) dissolves phlegm. Begin your meals with salt, for if people knew what is in salt, they would choose it over proven antidotes. Whoever begins his food with salt, seventy ailments are removed from him, and more — known only to Allah, the Almighty. Pour cold water on a fevered person in the summer, for it calms the heat. Fast three days each month, for it equals fasting for a lifetime. We fast two Thursdays with a Wednesday between, because Allah, the Almighty, created Hell on a Wednesday. When one of you has a need, let him seek it early on Thursday, for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "O Allah, bless my nation in its early mornings on Thursday." When leaving the house, recite the final verses of Āl ʿImrān, Āyat al-Kursī, Surah al-Qadr, and al-Fātiḥah — in them is fulfillment of the needs of this world and the next. Wear thick clothing, for whoever wears thin clothing — his religion becomes thin. Let none of you stand before the Lord, Majestic and Mighty, wearing something that reveals (his body). Repent to Allah, the Almighty, and enter into His love, for indeed Allah loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves. And the believer is ever-repenting. If a believer says to his brother, "Uff (shame on you)," the bond between them is cut. And if he says to him, "You are a disbeliever," then one of them becomes a disbeliever. And if he accuses him falsely, Islam melts in his heart just as salt melts in water. The gate of repentance is open for whoever seeks it. So repent to Allah with sincere repentance — perhaps your Lord will expiate your sins. Fulfill your covenants when you make them, for no blessing or ease of life was ever taken away except due to sins committed. Allah is never unjust to His servants. Had they responded with supplication and turning to Him, they would not have lost their blessings. And had they, when calamity struck and blessings were taken away, turned to Allah sincerely and without weakness or excess, Allah would have set right every corruption for them and restored every blessing. When a Muslim is afflicted or constricted in life, he should not complain about his Lord, rather he should complain to his Lord — the One who holds the keys and management of all affairs. In every person there is one of three: superstition (ṭiyarah), arrogance, or excessive desire. If one of you feels superstition, let him continue forward and remember Allah, the Almighty. If he fears arrogance, let him eat with his servant or slave and milk the sheep. If he desires something, let him ask Allah for it sincerely and not let his soul pull him toward sin. Associate with people based on what they recognize (and accept), and leave them from what they reject. Do not burden them with yourselves or with us. Indeed, our matter is difficult and burdensome — none can bear it except an angel brought near, a sent prophet, or a servant whose heart Allah has tested with faith. If Satan whispers to one of you, let him seek refuge in Allah and say: "Āmantu billāhi wa birasūlih mukhliṣan lahud-dīn" (I believe in Allah and His Messenger, sincerely devoting the religion to Him.) When Allah blesses a believer with new clothing, let him perform ablution, and pray two rakʿahs, reciting in them: al-Fātiḥah, Āyat al-Kursī, Surah al-Ikhlāṣ (Qul Huwa Allāhu Aḥad), Surah al-Qadr (Innā Anzalnāhu fī Laylat al-Qadr), Then let him praise Allah who covered his nakedness and beautified him among people, and say often: "Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh al-ʿAliyy al-ʿAẓīm" (There is no power nor strength except through Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.) For he will not disobey Allah in that garment, and for every thread in it, an angel will glorify Allah on his behalf, seek forgiveness for him, and invoke mercy upon him.

27-9 Do not be pessimistic about each other since the Honorable the Exalted God has prohibited it.I will be along with God’s Prophet at the Heavenly Pool . My household and my grandsons will be with me. Whoever wants us should follow our sayings and deeds. There are good folks in every family for whom we shall intercede. We shall also intercede on behalf of those who love us.Therefore you should compete with each other for seeing us at the Heavenly Pool. We shall block off our enemies from access to it and shall satiate our lovers with it.Anyone who takes a sip of the Heavenly Pool’s water will never become thirsty. There are two Heavenly Creeks flowing into our Pool. One of them is called Tasnim and the other one is called Mo’een. There is saffron dirt on the side of the Pool with pearls and rubies as pebbles. This Pool is called Al-Kauthar.The good flow of affairs is up to the Honorable the Exalted God. It is not based upon the will of the people. Were it based upon the will of the people, they never would have chosen others (to follow) instead of us. However, God wants to make certain people especial as He wills. You should thank God since He has made you especial with a great blessing being that you are born legitimately.On the Resurrection Day every eye will be crying and sleepless except for the eyes of those whom God has made especial through His Nobility and have cried over the calamities imposed upon Al-Hussein (MGB) and the Holy Household of Muhammad (MGB).Our followers are like honey bees. If people knew (about the sweetness of) what they believed in, they would eat them up.You should not rush to eat until you get finished. You should also not rush when you are in the toilet.When you wake up from sleep, you should say ‘There is no god save Allah, the All-clement, the All-Noble, the Ever-living, the Self-Subsisting. He has power over all things. All glory be to the Lord of the Prophets and the God of the Messengers. All glory be to the Lord of the seven heavens, the seven layers of the earth, and whatever is between them, and the Lord of the Great Throne. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.’Once you sit down you should say the following before you stand up, ‘Sufficient to me is Allah. Sufficient to me is the Lord against the servants (of Him). Sufficient to me is He Who has been always sufficient to me. Sufficient to me is Allah, and He is the best of all guardians.When you wake up at night you should look at the stars in the sky and recite the last four verses of the Chapter Al-i-Imran as follows, ‘Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the Earth, (with the thought): "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire. Our Lord! any whom Thou dost admit to the Fire, Truly Thou coverest with shame, and never will wrong-doers Find any helpers! Our Lord! we have heard the call of one calling (Us) to Faith, ’Believe ye in the Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous. Our Lord! Grant us what Thou didst promise unto us through Thine apostles, and save us from shame on the Day of Judgment: For Thou never breakest Thy promise.’The Zamzam well can take away pains. Drink its water. The well is located at the Rukn where the Hajar ul-Aswad is located since there are four Heavenly creeks flowing under the Hajar ul-Aswad called Al-Forat, Al-Niel , Al-Seihan , and Al-Jeihan which are in two streams.A Muslim should not go to fight along with one in whose orders there can be no assurance of and who may not abide by the Decrees of the Honorable the Exalted God regarding booties. Should one die in these conditions, he would be considered to be an aid to our enemies for having usurped our rights and having shed our blood. Such a death is similar to death in the Age of Ignorance.The remembrance of us - the members of the Holy Household - is the treatment for pains, illnesses and the temptations of hearts. Our friendship brings the satisfaction of the Honorable the Exalted Lord.Anyone who follows our orders is going to be with us in the Holy Presence. Anyone who awaits our Rule is like a person whose blood is shed in the way of God.God will throw into the Fire anyone who participates in a war against us or who hears our cry for justice but doesn’t help us.

Blessed the Sublime God despises hypocritical people. Therefore, do not deviate from what is right.Do not give up friendship with the righteous ones. Whoever prefers others to us will be destroyed. He will also be at a loss in this world. He will leave it (i.e. die) with regret.When you enter your house, greet your family by saying ‘Peace be upon you.’ If no one is at home, say, ‘peace be upon us from our Lord.’You should recite the Chapter Al-Ikhlas while entering your house, since that would eliminate poverty.Teach your children how to pray and question them about it when they become eight years old.Do not get near dogs. Anybody who touches a wet dog should make ablutions. Anyone who touches a dry dog should sprinkle water on his clothes.If you hear a tradition from us which you do not understand, compare it with other works by us, and ponder over it until the truth becomes known to you.Do not be one who rushes to divulge the secrets.The people who have boasted about us should return to the limits of our instructions, and the people who have neglected us should join us.Whoever adheres to us will reach the goal. However, whoever follows ways other than our way will be drowned.There are flocks of God’s Mercy for our friends, and there are flocks of God’s Wrath for our enemies.Moderation is our way, and there is progress in following our orders.Doubting about which units you are saying will invalidate the following prayers: the Al-Vatr prayers , the Friday prayers, in the first two units of all prayers, the dawn prayer and the evening prayer.When you are not clean you should not recite the Quran until you make ablutions.When you are saying your prayers you should honor and perform any necessary prostrations and bowings for the Chapters which you recite.You should not pray in such clothing that the people of Lot wore.

27-11 A man can say his prayer in a piece of clothing which he fastens up to his neck and in a shirt which he buttons up.You should not perform a prayer on an image or on a carpet on which there is an image. However, it is allowed to stand on such a carpet on which there is an image or throw a cloth on it so that it becomes covered. You should not tie a coin upon which there is an image onto your clothes in which you pray. However, you can put the coin into a bag or in other clothing. If you are worried about it being stolen, you may tie it onto your waist.You should not say your prayers upon wheat, barley, other nutrients or bread.You should not make ablutions before mentioning God’s name.Before touching the water to make ablutions one must say ‘In the name of God. By God. O my Lord! Please accept me as one of those who repent. Please accept me as one of the purified ones. Once you finish making ablutions, you should say ‘I bear witness that there is no god save Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger,’ so that you may deserve to benefit from God’s Mercy.Anyone who prays with recognition of its truthfulness would be forgiven.One should not say the recommendable (Nafila) prayers at the time of the obligatory prayers unless he has an excuse. He can say the recommendable (Nafila) prayers after saying his obligatory prayers. He can make them up later.When God the Blessed the Sublime said, ‘Those who remain steadfast to their prayer; ’ He meant those who make up what they missed at night during the daytime and make up what they missed during the day at night.You should not say the recommendable (Nafila) prayer at the time of the obligatory prayers. You should say the obligatory prayers first, then you can pray as much as you wish.The reward for saying prayers in Mecca or Medina equals that of saying one-thousand prayers elsewhere, and the reward for spending one Dirham in Hajj equals giving one-thousand Dirhams in charity.One should be humble in his prayer. None of the body parts of anyone whose heart has fear of God would move. You should not play with anything while praying.The Qunut on Friday prayers should be said before bowing down in prostration (the Ruku). You should recite the Opening Chapter (Al-Fatiha ) and the Chapter Al-Jumuah (Friday) in the first unit and the Opening Chapter (Al-Fatiha ) and the Chapter Al-Munafiqun in the second unit of Friday prayer.You should sit down after prostration after having said two units of prayers so that your body gets calm, then you may stand up. This is the way we did it.Whenever you stand in front of the Mighty the Exalted God, you should place your hands on your chests. Whenever you are standing in front of the Mighty the Exalted God you should extend out your chest, stand up straight and do not bend.Whenever you finish saying your prayers, you should raise your hands up towards the heavens and seek what you want.Abdullah ibn Saba asked, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Is it not true that God exists everywhere?’ The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) replied, ‘Yes.’ Then Abdullah ibn Saba asked, ‘Why is it then that one should raise his hands up towards the heavens when he prays?’ He (MGB) replied, ‘Have you not read the following verse, ‘And in heaven is your Sustenance, as (also) that which ye are promised.’ Would you then seek your sustenance elsewhere? The heavens is the place where our sustenance and whatever the Honorable the Exalted God has promised lies.You should not finish your prayer without asking God for heaven, seeking refuge to God from hell and asking God to marry you to a green-eyed Houri .Whenever you stand to say your prayers, you should say it as if it is going to be the last prayer you are ever going to say in your life.Smiling would not void one’s prayers but laughing out loud would.Whenever you fall asleep, you should renew your ablutions.Whenever you start to doze off or fall asleep in the middle of saying your prayers, you should stop praying since in such a prayer you might curse yourself instead of saying supplications.Whoever who loves us by heart and helps us with his tongue and fights our enemies would be along with us and in the same rank as we are in Paradise.Whoever loves us by heart and helps us with tongue, but doesn’t assist us in fighting our enemies would be two ranks lower.Whoever loves us by heart, but doesn’t help us either with his tongue or hand would be in Paradise.Whoever is our enemy by heart and doesn’t harm us with tongue and hand would go to Hell along with our enemies.Whoever is our enemy by heart and doesn’t harm us with his tongue would go to Hell.Whoever is our enemy by heart and harms us with his tongue and hand would go to Hell.

“I bear witness that there is no god save Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger and that the Hour shall definitely come, there is no doubt about it, and that Allah shall definitely resurrect those who are in graves.” Then whenever you say something else your prayer is finished.There is no form of worship that is harder than walking to God’s House on foot.Seek goodness from the camel’s hooves and neck as they go back and forth.God has named the Zamzam Pool Al-Saqayat since God’s Prophet (MGB) ordered the raisins that were brought for him from Medina to be thrown into the Zamzam Pool. This is because its water was sour and he wanted to lower its sourness.Once soaked raisins get old, you should not drink of it since it would ferment into wine.When a man becomes naked, Satan would look at him and get envious. Therefore cover yourself up. A man should not take his clothes off from his thighs and sit in a community.You should not go to the mosque after eating something which smells bad.A man should hold up his lower abdomen while in prostration of an obligatory prayer.When you want to make ablutions you should first wash your two forearms.When you say prayer say it such that you can hear yourself reciting and saying the Takbir and Tasbih.Look to the right whenever you finish your prayers.Take something from this world (on your trip to the Hereafter). Indeed the best thing that you can take from it is piety.The Children of Israel were divided up into two groups that were lost. One was lost at sea and the other one was lost in the desert.You should not eat any animals that you do not recognize to be legitimate.Whenever a believer gets ill and doesn’t complain to anyone but God for three days, God will bestow upon him health.When one is only interested in filling his stomach and fulfilling his sexual desires, he gets farther away from God.One should not go on a trip that might harm his religion or prayer.There are four who hear everyone: The Prophet (MGB), Paradise, the Fire, and the green-eyed Houries. When one finishes saying his prayer, he should send blessings upon Muhammad (MGB) and his Holy Household, ask God for Paradise, ask God for protection from the Fire, ask God to be paired up with green-eyed Houries . In fact, the Prophet (MGB) hears the prayers of whoever sends blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (MGB) and takes them up to God. When anyone asks God for Paradise, Paradise would say, ‘O Lord! Please grant to your servant what he has asked Thee for.’ When anyone seeks protection from the Fire, the Fire would say, ‘O Lord! Protect your servant from what he seeks protection.’ And when anyone asks for green-eyed Houries, they will say, ‘O Lord! Please grant your servant what he asks for.’Music is the cry of Satan for Paradise.Whenever any of you decides to go to sleep, you should put your right hand under your right cheek and say the following: “In the Name of Allah. I put my side for the sake of Allah, following the faith of Abraham, the religion of Muhammad, and the loyalty to him whom Allah has imposed loyalty to him on me. Only that which Allah wills shall come to pass, and whatever He does not will shall never come to pass.”Anybody who says this supplication before going to sleep would be safe from a plundering thief, going under the load of a collapsed building and the angels would pray for his forgiveness.The Honorable the Exalted God would appoint 50,000 angels to protect whomever recites the Opening Chapter of the Holy Quran (Al-Fatiha ) when he goes to bed.

27-13 Whenever any of you decides to go to sleep, you should say the following before lying down on bed: “I seek the guard of God’s majesty, greatness, omnipotence, power, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, might, influence, unique Godhead, pillars, made, gathering, Apostle(s) , and all-powerfulness on myself, family, religion, wealth, sons, results of my deeds, and my Lord’s authority and provisions against the evils of poisonous pests, vermin, jinn, mankind, whatsoever is walking on the surface of this earth, whatsoever is going out of it, whatsoever is descending from the heavens, whatsoever is ascending there, and every creature the destiny of which is under my Lord’s control. Surely, my Lord knows the right path. He is All-Powerful over everything. All might and power belongs to God.”Anybody who says this supplication before going to sleep would be safe from a plundering thief, going under the load of a collapsed building and the angels would pray for his forgiveness.God’s Prophet (MGB) protected al-Hassan (MGB) and al-Hussein (MGB) this way and he (MGB) has ordered us to use it.We are the treasures of God’s religion. We are the keys to knowledge. Whenever one of us - Divine Leaders - passes away, another one will come after him. Whoever follows us would not go astray. Whoever denies us would not be guided. Whoever prefers our enemies over us would not be saved. Whoever abandons us will find no one to help him. Do not turn back from us due to greed for this world in which the goods will not last. Whoever prefers this world over the Hereafter and prefers it to us would be very sorry in the Hereafter. These are the words of the Honorable the Exalted God, “Lest the soul should (then) say, ‘Ah! Woe is me!- In that I neglected (my duty) towards God, and was but among those who mocked!’”Keep your children clean and wash off any food after meals from them since Satan would smell it, frighten the child while he sleeps, and the two angels who record your deeds will be annoyed by it.The first look at a woman is fine, but you should not repeat it and you should fear temptations.An alcoholic would meet God as an idol worshipper would. Hujr ibn Uday asked, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Who is an alcoholic?’ The Imam (MGB) replied, ‘It is a person who drinks wine whenever he finds it.’The prayers of anyone who drinks an intoxicative drink would not be accepted for forty days and nights.The Sublime God will imprison in oozy grounds in Hell whoever says something to dishonor a Muslim until he proves what he has said.Two naked men should not sleep in one bed. (Two naked women should also not sleep in one bed.) Should they do so, they must be chastised.Eat pumpkin since it strengthens mental powers. God’s Prophet (MGB) was amazed at pumpkin.Eat lemons before and after each meal as the members of the Holy Household of Muhammad (MGB) did.Eating pears would brighten the heart and sooth inner pains.When one stands up to say his prayer Satan faces him and watches him with regret since Satan sees that the man is showered with God’s Mercy.The worst deed related to religion is making innovations and the best ones are those which please the Honorable the Exalted God.Anyone who worships this world and prefers it to the Hereafter shall have a terrible ending.Use clean water.Whoever is satisfied with what God has granted him would be in comfort.Whoever spends his vigor and life in what would take him far away from the Honorable the Exalted God is a loser.If one who prays only knew how God’s Glory surrounds him during prayer, he would never raise his head up after prostrating in worship.Do not procrastinate your task. Do as much of it as you can.You will receive whatever is your share of daily bread no matter how weak you may be. You would suffer from any calamities which you are supposed to suffer from. There is no way for you to fend off what is destined for you.Enjoin to do good and admonish against doing evil. Persevere at times of difficulty.A believer’s lantern is recognizing our rightfulness.The worst form of blindness is not being able to see our virtues and our enemies although we are not guilty of anything but to have invited them to the truth, while others invited them to sedition and sticking to this world. They chose sedition and sticking to this world over us. They hate us and is our enemy.We hold the flag of righteousness in our hands. It will protect anyone who comes under its shadow. Whoever rushes to follow it would prosper. Whoever opposes it would perish. Whoever abandons it would be debased. Whoever adheres to it would be rescued.I am the Queen Bee (Leader) of the believers, while wealth is the queen bee of cruel people.I swear by God that nobody but believers love me, and nobody but hypocrites despise me.Whenever you met your brethren you should shake hands, smile and be happy until you part. Then all your sins will be eliminated when you leave each other.When anyone sneezes you should tell him, ‘May God bless you.’ He should say, ‘May God forgive and bless you’ in return. The Blessed the Sublime God says, ‘When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy…’Shake hands with your enemies and treat them with kindness as the Honorable the Exalted God has ordered His servants to do so, ‘…Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate! And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune.’The hardest way to punish your enemy is to obey God regarding him and treat him according to God’s orders. It would suffice for you to see that your enemies disobey the Honorable and the Exalted God.This world rotates. Seek what you want to gain from it slowly whenever your turn comes.

Garden of Bliss’ unless you are pious.Those who become filthy with sinful deeds would abandon the Honorable the Exalted God’s remembrance.God would appoint a satan to be constantly with whomever doesn’t obey those whom the Honorable the Exalted God has ordered us to obey.Your opponents are more steadfast in their wickedness. They are better in spending money on their desires. Indeed you pay attention to this world on which you rely. You have become used to tolerating cruelty. You are stingy regarding this world’s goods and have neglected what would be better for your honor, comfort and power to overcome those who oppress you. You are neither ashamed of God regarding what He has ordered you to do, nor would you think about what would be best for you.You are not awakened, although you are oppressed every day. Your feebleness doesn’t end.Don’t you see that each day your towns and religion suffer more and more, while you are ignorant and entertained with this world. The Honorable the Exalted God tells you, ‘And incline not to those who do wrong, or the Fire will seize you; and ye have no protectors other than God, nor shall ye be helped.’You should name your children. In case you do not know their gender (before birth), you can give them a name that is suitable for either boys or girls. Even if it gets aborted, it would question the father on the Resurrection Day for not having named it. God’s Prophet (MGB) had named Fatimah’s (MGB) child Mohsen before he was born.You should not drink water while standing up, since that would cause a pain for which there is no cure unless the Honorable the Exalted God restores health.Whenever you mount a quadruped remember the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘…In order that ye may sit firm and square on their backs, and when so seated, ye may celebrate the (kind) favor of your Lord, and say, "Glory to Him Who has subjected these to our (use), for we could never have accomplished this (by ourselves). And to our Lord, surely, must we turn back!”’Whenever you go on a trip you should say: “O Allah, You are the companion in journeys, the helper in transport, and the guard of the wife, property, and sons. ”When you settle down in a house you should say, “O Allah, grant me a blessed landing. You are the One who provides the safest landing.”When you go shopping you should say, “I declare there is no god but Allah uniquely without any associate, and declare that Mohammed is His servant and messenger. O Allah, I seek Your safety from losing deals and perjury, and seek Your safety from stagnancy.”Anyone who awaits for the time of the next prayer is considered to be amongst the visitors of the Honorable the Exalted God. He has a right incumbent upon the Sublime God to honor His visitors and grant them whatever they ask for.Whoever goes on the Hajj pilgrimage or the Umra Hajj is God’s guest. It is hoped that God would forgive him.The Sublime God will imprison in oozy grounds in Hell whoever gives a child an alcoholic drink, until he apologizes for what he has done.Giving charity is a strong shield from the Fire for a believer, and for a nonbeliever is a device to save his money. It is a protection of property for an atheist. Soon it will be returned to him. It would fend off calamities. However, there will be no heavenly reward for it for an atheist.The residents of Hell shall fall down into the Fire with their tongues first.The residents of Light will be bestowed light through their tongues. Therefore watch your tongues and keep them busy remembering the Honorable the Exalted God.The most wicked deed is what would lead one to going astray. The best deeds are acts of charity.Beware not to make any sculptures, since you would be questioned about them on the Resurrection Day.

27-15 Whenever filth is removed from you, you should say, ‘May God remove the filthy things from me.’Whenever you leave the bath and your brethren tell you, ‘Happy bathing to you, you should in response tell them, ‘May you have peace of mind.’Whenever your brethren tell you, ‘May God’s Greetings be upon you,’ you should in response tell them, ‘May God’s Greetings be upon you, and may He take you to the Eternal Home.’You should never urinate or defecate on the passage-ways.One should present his requests after saying praises. First glorify the Honorable the Exalted God, then ask Him to fulfill your needs.)O Suppliant! Do not ask for an illegitimate or an impossible thing.Whenever you want to congratulate someone for having been granted a boy, you should say, ‘May God bless you with this munificence, extend his life to youth and may God establish his good deeds as your share of daily bread.Whenever one of your brethren returns from the Hajj pilgrimage, kiss him between his two eyes and kiss his lips with which he has kissed the Black Stone which God’s Prophet (MGB) kissed. Kiss his eyes because he has seen the Honorable the Exalted God’s house with it. Kiss his forehead and face and to congratulate him say ‘May God accept your Hajj. May God take this into consideration and reimburse you with whatever you have spent. May this not be the last time you go on the Hajj pilgrimage.’Stay away from the lowly people, since they are not afraid of the Honorable the Exalted God. The murderers of the Prophets are amongst them. Our enemies are amongst them.The Blessed the Sublime God honored the Earth and chose us. He chose followers for us so that they may help us; be pleased when we get pleased and be sad when we are sad; and give away their money and life in our way. They are from us and will join us.When any of our followers commits a sin, he will not die until he encounters a calamity that would be an expiation for his sins. This calamity would either be regarding his property, children or health so that they may be purified when they meet the Honorable the Exalted God. Should any sins be left when they die, then they will have a very harsh death.Our followers will die as sincere martyred friends (of ours), since they have acknowledged our leadership, have been friends (with some) for our sake, have been enemies (with some) for our sake. This is what the Honorable the Exalted God wishes. They have believed in God and His Prophet (MGB). The Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘And those who believe in God and His apostles - they are the Sincere (lovers of Truth), and the witnesses (who testify), in the eyes of their Lord, They shall have their Reward and their Light.’The Children of Israel divided up into seventy-two sects. There will come a time when these people will divide up into seventy-three sects. Only one of these sects will go to Paradise.God would make anyone who divulges our secret taste the hardness of the iron (i.e. God would punish him).Circumcise your children on the seventh day after their birth. Do not worry about the heat or the cold.Circumcision cleans the body.The Earth would cry to God when an uncircumcised person urinates.There are four kinds of being drunk: drunkenness due to alcohol; drunkenness due to wealth; drunkenness due to sleeping; and drunkenness due to kingdom.When one of you sleeps, he should place his hand under the right cheek because he doesn’t know whether he wakes up or not.When you intend to sleep place your right hand under your right cheek, since you never know whether you are going to wake up or not.I would like believers to apply depilatory powder or cream once every fifteen days.

"And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe fresh dates. So eat and drink and be comforted."
Ritually sweeten (ḥanakkū) your newborns with dates, for this is what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did with al-Hasan and al-Husayn.
When one of you wants to approach his wife, let him not rush her, for women have needs.
If one of you sees a woman that pleases him, let him go to his wife, for she has what the other has. Let him not give Satan a path to his heart, and let him turn his gaze away.
And if he has no wife, let him pray two rakʿahs, praise Allah much, send blessings upon the Prophet and his family (ﷺ), and then ask Allah from His bounty — for by His mercy, He will provide him sufficiency.
When one of you approaches his wife, let him not speak excessively, for speaking at that moment leads to speechlessness (or stammering).
Let no one of you look inside the private parts of his wife — perhaps he may see something he dislikes, and it may cause blindness.
When one of you wants to have intercourse with his wife, let him say:
"O Allah, I have made her private parts lawful by Your command, and accepted her through Your trust. So if You decree a child from her for me, make him a sound, righteous male, and do not give Satan any share or partnership in him."
Cupping (ḥijāmah) is one of the four recommended remedies. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"The best of what you treat yourselves with is cupping, for it enlarges the stomach, cleanses internal ailments, and strengthens the body."
Use violet oil as nasal drops, and take to cupping.
When one of you wants to approach his wife, let him avoid the beginning of lunar months and the middle of months, for Satan seeks children during those times, and the devils seek to share in such offspring — and so they come and cause conception.
Avoid cupping and hair removal on Wednesdays, for Wednesday is a continuously inauspicious day, and on it Hell was created.
On Friday, there is a time in which whoever is cupped will die.