Hadith of ‘Abd al-’A’la’

282. Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Muhammad, from Yunus, from Abdul A’ala who said: I said to Abu Abdullah عليه الصلاة والسلام that, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, your عليه الصلاة والسلام Shites hate and dispel each other. If you عليه الصلاة والسلام could look into this affair of theirs’. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘I am thinking of writing a document so that no two of them would differ’. I said, ‘We have never been more needy of it than we are today’. Then he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘This (will not settle the matter between) Marwaan and Ibn Dharr’. I thought that he عليه الصلاة والسلام had prevented me from that. I stood up from his عليه الصلاة والسلام presence, so I came up to Ismail. I said, ‘O Abu Muhammad! I mentioned to your father عليه الصلاة والسلام the differing of his عليه الصلاة والسلام Shites and their hatred (towards each other). So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘I عليه الصلاة والسلام am thinking of writing a book so that no two of them would differ’. He said, ‘What Marwaan and Ibn Dharr have said?’ I said, ‘Yes’. He said, ‘O Abdul A’ala! You all have rights over us as we have rights over you all. By Allah عز وجل, you are not quicker to us for the rights than we are to you’. Then he said, ‘I will look into it’. Then said: ‘O Abdul A’ala! What is wrong with a people if their matter was one that they would turn their attention to one man عليه الصلاة والسلام, taking (instructions) from him عليه الصلاة والسلام and not oppose him عليه الصلاة والسلام, and assign their matters to him عليه الصلاة والسلام?’ O Abdul A’ala! It is not befitting for the Believer that if his brother has preceded him to a Level from the Levels of the Paradise that he should pull him back from his place, which he is in. And it does not befit this other one who has not reached (to his level) that he should push back his chest, but he should hold his hand and make him join him, and seek Forgiveness from Allah عز وجل’.