Refinement and Trial
Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 4|Chapter 83
1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ السَّرَّاجِ وَعَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمَّا بُويِعَ بَعْدَ مَقْتَلِ عُثْمَانَ صَعِدَ الْمِنْبَرَ وَخَطَبَ بِخُطْبَةٍ ذَكَرَهَا يَقُولُ فِيهَا أَلا إِنَّ بَلِيَّتَكُمْ قَدْ عَادَتْ كَهَيْئَتِهَا يَوْمَ بَعَثَ الله نَبِيَّهُ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ لَتُبَلْبَلُنَّ بَلْبَلَةً وَلَتُغَرْبَلُنَّ غَرْبَلَةً حَتَّى يَعُودَ أَسْفَلُكُمْ أَعْلاكُمْ وَأَعْلاكُمْ أَسْفَلَكُمْ وَلَيَسْبِقَنَّ سَبَّاقُونَ كَانُوا قَصَّرُوا وَلَيُقَصِّرَنَّ سَبَّاقُونَ كَانُوا سَبَقُوا وَالله مَا كَتَمْتُ وَسْمَةً وَلا كَذَبْتُ كَذِبَةً وَلَقَدْ نُبِّئْتُ بِهَذَا الْمَقَامِ وَهَذَا الْيَوْمِ.
1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ya‘qub al-Sarraj and Ali ibn Ri’ab from abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام who has said the following. “When people pledged allegiance to Amir al-Mu’minin عليه السلام after the assassination of ‘Uthman he addressed the people from the pulpit and delivered a sermon (that abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام mentioned). In this sermon he has said, “The time for your trial has returned in the same conditions as those of the day Allah sent his Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. By the One Who has sent him with the truth that you will suffer hideous confusions, will be sifted thoroughly and turned upside down. Of the contestants those who were behind of others will overtake those who were ahead and those who were ahead of others (because of their shortcomings) will be left behind of those who once were behind of others. By Allah I have not concealed any of the marks therein nor have I spoken a lie. I was certainly, told about this place and this day.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/180)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَالْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الانْبَارِيِّ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِي الْمَغْرَاءِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ وَيْلٌ لِطُغَاةِ الْعَرَبِ مِنْ أَمْرٍ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ كَمْ مَعَ الْقَائِمِ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ قَالَ نَفَرٌ يَسِيرٌ قُلْتُ وَالله إِنَّ مَنْ يَصِفُ هَذَا الامْرَ مِنْهُمْ لَكَثِيرٌ قَالَ لا بُدَّ لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ أَنْ يُمَحَّصُوا وَيُمَيَّزُوا وَيُغَرْبَلُوا وَيُسْتَخْرَجُ فِي الْغِرْبَالِ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ.
2. Muhammad Yahya and al-Hassan ibn Muhammad have narrated from al-Qasim ibn ’Isma‘il al-Anbari from al-Husayn ibn Ali from abu al-Mighra’ from abu Yah Ya‘fur who has said the following. “I heard abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام say as herein below, ‘Woe to the rebellious Arabs from the matter that is coming closer.’0” I then asked, May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, “How many people will be there with Al-Qa’im (the one who will rise with Divine Authority)?” The Imam عليه السلام said, “just a very few persons.” I then said, “Those who speak of this matter (the rise of al-Mahdi with Divine Authority) are quite many in number.” The Imam عليه السلام said, “People must be refined, distinguished and sifted. In the sifting process a great deal is taken out.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/183)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَالْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّيْرَفِيِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّيْقَلِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا مَنْصُورُ إِنَّ هَذَا الامْرَ لا يَأْتِيكُمْ إِلا بَعْدَ إِيَاسٍ وَلا وَالله حَتَّى تُمَيَّزُوا وَلا وَالله حَتَّى تُمَحَّصُوا وَلا وَالله حَتَّى يَشْقَى مَنْ يَشْقَى وَيَسْعَدَ مَنْ يَسْعَدُ.
3. Muhammad ibn Yahya and al-Hassan ibn Muhammad have narrated from Ja’far ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad al-Sayrafi from Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sayqal from his father from Mansur who has said the following. “Abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام said to me, “O Mansur, this matter (the rise of al-Mahdi with Divine Authority) will not come to you before despair, and not, by Allah, before (your good ones are) distinguished (from evil ones) and not, by Allah, before you are refined and not, by Allah, before tuning to misfortune of those who act in evil and before reaching salvation of those who seek salvation.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/184)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
4ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَمَّرِ بْنِ خَلادٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ الٓمٓ أَ حَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لا يُفْتَنُونَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي مَا الْفِتْنَةُ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الَّذِي عِنْدَنَا الْفِتْنَةُ فِي الدِّينِ فَقَالَ يُفْتَنُونَ كَمَا يُفْتَنُ الذَّهَبُ ثُمَّ قَالَ يُخْلَصُونَ كَمَا يُخْلَصُ الذَّهَبُ.
4. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Mu‘ammar ibn Khallad who has said the following: “I heard abu al-Hassan عليه السلام say, “Alif, Lam, Mim. Do people think they will not be tested because they say, “We have faith?” (29:1-2). Then he عليه السلام asked me, “What is al-Fitna (the Test)?” I said, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, in our opinion it is the test in religion.“ He عليه السلام replied, “They will be tested as gold is tested.” He عليه السلام then said, “They will be purified as gold is purified.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/184)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 42
5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ إِنَّ حَدِيثَكُمْ هَذَا لَتَشْمَئِزُّ مِنْهُ قُلُوبُ الرِّجَالِ فَمَنْ أَقَرَّ بِهِ فَزِيدُوهُ وَمَنْ أَنْكَرَهُ فَذَرُوهُ إِنَّهُ لا بُدَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ يَسْقُطُ فِيهَا كُلُّ بِطَانَةٍ وَوَلِيجَةٍ حَتَّى يَسْقُطَ فِيهَا مَنْ يَشُقُّ الشَّعْرَ بِشَعْرَتَيْنِ حَتَّى لا يَبْقَى إِلا نَحْنُ وَشِيعَتُنَا.
5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Sulayman ibn Salih in a Marfu‘ manner from abu Ja’far عليه السلام who has said the following. “Abu Ja‘far عليه السلام has said, ‘Your story (belief in the rise of al- Mahdi with Divine authority) causes apprehension in the hearts of people. Those who acknowledge it (belief in the rise of al- Mahdi with Divine authority) you should enlighten him further and those who would deny it you should leave them alone. There must come a period of trial in which all secrets and privacy will be no more even those who would like to split one piece of hair into two pieces to find a better argument would fall until no one would be left except we and our Shi‘a.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/185)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
6ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ الصَّيْقَلِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ وَجَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا جُلُوساً وَأَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَسْمَعُ كَلامَنَا فَقَالَ لَنَا فِي أَيِّ شَيْءٍ أَنْتُمْ هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ لا وَالله لا يَكُونُ مَا تَمُدُّونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْيُنَكُمْ حَتَّى تُغَرْبَلُوا لا وَالله لا يَكُونُ مَا تَمُدُّونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْيُنَكُمْ حَتَّى تُمَحَّصُوا لا وَالله لا يَكُونُ مَا تَمُدُّونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْيُنَكُمْ حَتَّى تُمَيَّزُوا لا وَالله مَا يَكُونُ مَا تَمُدُّونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْيُنَكُمْ إِلا بَعْدَ إِيَاسٍ لا وَالله لا يَكُونُ مَا تَمُدُّونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْيُنَكُمْ حَتَّى يَشْقَى مَنْ يَشْقَى وَيَسْعَدَ مَنْ يَسْعَدُ.
6. Muhammad ibn al-Hassan and Ali ibn Muhammad have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Sayqal from his father who has said the following. “Once I, al-Harith ibn al-Mughira and a group of our people were in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام who could hear our conversations. He asked ask us, “What is the issue in your dialogue? It will not happen and it will never happen. By Allah, what you are looking to will not take place before you are sifted, by Allah, what you are longing for will not happen until you are refined, by Allah, what you are looking will not happen before you are distinguished, by Allah, what you looking for will not take place before you despair, by Allah, what you are looking to will not take place before misfortune would strike those who become unfortunate and before the fortunate ones attain salvation.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/186)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī