Ten Things Each of Which Is Harder Than the Other

Once when the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) was in a courtyard, the people had gathered around him (MGB). Someone wanted to ask about a decree, another one had a complaint, and was expressing his conditions. Suddenly a man came to him and said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Peace be upon you as well as God’s Mercy and His Blessings.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) looked at him with his two big eyes and replied, ‘And peace be upon you as well as God’s Mercy and His Blessings. Who are you?’ The man said, ‘A man and I are from your people, and I am a resident of one of your towns.’The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘You are not one of my people and are not a resident of one of our towns. I would not have forgotten it, even if you had greeted me once.’Then the man said, “O Commander of the Faithful! Please grant me immunity.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) asked, ‘Have you committed a crime in my town since you came here?’The man replied, ‘No.’ The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) asked him, ‘Then are you a soldier?’ The man replied, ‘Yes.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘Now that there is a peace treaty in effect, it doesn’t matter.’The man said, ‘I am one of the agents of Muawiyah. I was sent here in a disguise in order to ask you questions which Ibn al-Asfar (who is the Emperor of Rome) asked Muawiyah. The Emperor replied that if Muawiyah is the real ruler and the Caliph after Muhammad (MGB), he should be able to answer these questions. Then the Emperor would pledge allegiance to Muawiyah and pay him remuneration. Since Muawiyah could not answer thequestions he has dispatched me to ask them from you.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB) said, ‘May God kill the offspring of the liver-eater Hind. How deviated and blind he and his companions are! I swear by God that he freed his female slave and did not understand how to join her in marriage. God will rule between me and this nation. They cut off my bonds of relationship; wasted my time; usurped my rights; belittled my grand position and united against me. O Qanbar! Bring Al-Hassan (MGB), Al-Hussein (MGB) and Muhammad (MGB) to me.’ The sons came by him. Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Syrian man! These two are the (grand)sons of God’s Prophet (MGB) and this one is my own son. Ask your questions from any of them as you wish.’ The Syrian man said, ‘I will ask my questions from the long-haired one that is Al-Hassan (MGB) who is young. Then Al-Hassan (MGB) told him, ‘Ask me whatever you wish to ask.’Then the Syrian fellow asked, ‘What is the distance between right and wrong? How much is the distance between the heavens and the Earth? How much is the distance between the East and the West? What is Qus and Qazah (the bow and the rainbow)? Where is the place in which the unbelievers’ souls reside? Where is the place in which the believers’ souls reside? What does Al-Mo’anas refer to? What are the ten things each of which is harder than the other?’ Then Al-Hassan ibn Ali (MGB) said, ‘The distance between right and wrong is just four fingers. Whatever you yourself see is right, but most of whatever you hear may be wrong.’ The Syrian fellow said, ‘You are right!’ Al-Hassan (MGB) said, ‘The distance between the heavens and the Earth is the supplication of the oppressed one and the closing of the eyes. Anyone who says anything else has lied.’ The Syrian fellow said, ‘O (grand)son of the Prophet! You are right!’ Al-Hassan (MGB) said, ‘The distance between the East and the West is just the duration of time needed for the rotation of the sun from where it rises to where it sets during one day.’ The Syrian man said, ‘You are right! Then what is Qus and Qazah (the bow and the rainbow)?’ Al-Hassan ibn Ali (MGB) said, ‘Shame on you! Do not say Qus and Qazah since Qazah is the name of Satan. It is Qus Allah and it is a sign of abundance and immunity of the people of the Earth from drowning. The place in which the unbelievers’ souls shall reside is called Barahut. And the place in which the believers’ souls shall reside is called Salma. And Al-Mo’anas refers to one whose gender cannot be recognized. Once he or she grows up, it is a male if he ejaculates and it would be a female if she menstruates and the nipples grow. If its gender is still not distinguishable with these two signs, it should be asked to urinate towards a wall. It would be a male, if the urinationis fast flowing and it reaches the wall, while it would be a female if the urination just flows out like that of a camel. The ten things each of which is harder than the other are as follows. The hardest thing which the Honorable the Exalted God has created is the stone. However, iron is even harder than stone since it cuts the stone. Fire is even harder than iron since it can melt the iron. Water is even harder than fire since it can extinguish it. Clouds are even harder than water since they move it around. Winds are even harder than clouds since they move the clouds around. Yet the angel who dispatches the winds is harder than the wind itself. And the angel of death is even harder than the angel which dispatches the winds since it can take away its life. And death is even harder than the angel of death, since it takes away the angel of death. Yet harder than all of these is the order of God - the Lord of the Two Worlds - which can take away death itself. Then the Syrian fellow said, ‘I bear witness that you are the (grand)son of God’s Prophet (MGB). You are right! And I bear witness that Ali more deserves to rule than Muawiyah.’Then the Syrian fellow wrote down these answers and went to Muawiyah with them. Muawiyah wrote these answers to (Ibn Al-Asfar) the Emperor of Rome. Then Ibn al-Safar wrote the following back to Muawiyah, ‘O Muawiyah! Why do you use other people’s sayings and answer me with other people’s responses? I swear by Jesus that these are not your answers. Rather they have come from the treasury of Prophethood and the seat of messengership. And I will not even give you one Dirham if you ask for it.’”

Prophet (MGB) said, “The Honorable the Exalted God has not created anything without having another creature overpowering it. When the Blessed the Sublime God created the seas they became proud and flooded and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower us?’ Then the Honorable the Exalted God created the orbit which overpowered the seas. Then the Earth became too proud and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created the mountains and established them on the back of the Earth to hold it down. Then the mountains became too proud and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower us?’ Then God created iron which cuts down the mountains and overpowers them. Then iron became too proud and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created the fire which melts iron. Then fire became ablaze, roared, became proud and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then, God created water whichextinguishes fire. Then water became too proud, flooded and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created the wind which moved the waves of water and overcame the powers within it. Then the wind became proud, turned into a storm, spread about and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created man who designed and made a house in which he was safe from the wind and other things. Then man rebelled and said, ‘Is there anything to overpower me?’ Then God created death for him which overpowered and belittled man. Then death became proud of itself. Then God - may His Majesty be Exalted - said, ‘Do not be proud of yourself, since I shall keep you between the residents of Hell and residents of Paradise and will never give you life. Thus, death was belittled and frightened.’”