Excellence of Shi’ah and their prominent positions

6. A number from our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Muhammad Bin Suleyman, from his father who said: ‘I was in the presence of Abu Abdullah عليه الصلاة والسلام, when Abu Baseer came up to him عليه الصلاة والسلام, and he was panting. So when he took his seat, Abu Abdullah عليه الصلاة والسلام said to him: ‘O Abu Muhammad, what is this heavy breathing for?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, O son عليه الصلاة والسلام of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم of Allah عز وجل, great is my age, and my bones are creaking, and my term (death) is approaching, besides that I do not know what will happen to me from the matters of the Hereafter’. Abu Abdullah عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, and you are saying this?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, and how can I not say this?’ He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, but do you know that Allah عز وجل the High has Honoured the young ones among you, and is Bashful towards the elderly?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you, so how has He عز وجل Honoured the young, and been Bashful towards the elderly?’ He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Allah عز وجل has Honoured the young ones (too much) to Punish them, and is too Bashful towards the elderly to bring them to the Reckoning’. He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, is this especially for us, or for (all) the people of Tawheed (Believe in the Unity of Allah عز وجل)?’ He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘No, by Allah عز وجل, it is only for you (Shiites) especially, apart from the whole world’. He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, we are being named by a name which is breaking our backs, and killing our hearts, and our blood has been declared lawful to be shed in the Hadeeth which are being narrated to them from their scholars’. Abu Abdullah عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Is it ‘Al-Rafiza’ (the rejectors)?’ He said, ‘Yes’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘No, by Allah عز وجل, they are not the ones who have named you as such, but it is Allah عز وجل Who has Named you all with it’. But, do you know, O Abu Muhammad that seventy men from the Children of Israel rejected the Pharaoh (la) and his people, when they detected his misguidance. So they attached themselves with Musa عليه السلام when they detected his عليه السلام guidance. So they were named (referred to) in the army of Musa عليه السلام as Al-Rafiza (The Rejectors) because they had rejected the Pharaoh (la), and they were the most intense worshippers in that army, and very intense in their love for Musa عليه السلام and Haroun عليه السلام and their عليه السلام offspring. So Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic Revealed unto Musa عليه السلام that: “Establish this name for them in the Torah, for I عز وجل has Named them with it, and have Gifted it to them”. So Musa عليه السلام established the name for them, then Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic Reserved this name for you all to the extent that we عليه الصلاة والسلام have gifted it to you. O Abu Muhammad, they rejected the good, and you have rejected the evil. All the people have separated into sects, and they all divided into branches. You have branched out with the People عليه الصلاة والسلام of the Household of your Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and you did what they did, and you chose what Allah عز وجل had Chosen for you, and you wanted what Allah عز وجل wanted. So received glad tidings upon glad tidings, for By Allah عز وجل, you (Shiites) are ones with whom Allah عز وجل has been Merciful, the ones whose good deeds will be Accepted, and the sins being Overlooked. The one who does not come to Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic, with what you are upon, on the Day of Judgement, the good deeds will not be Accepted from him, nor will his sins be Overlooked. O Abu Muhammad, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic has Assigned Angels to cut-off the sins from the backs of our عليه الصلاة والسلام Shiites just like the leaves get cut-off in the autumn by the wind, and that is His عز وجل Statement, the Mighty and Majestic: “[40:7] Those who bear the Throne and those around Him celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask protection for those who believe”. By Allah عز وجل, their Seeking of Forgiveness is for you (Shiites) apart from the other creatures. O Abu Muhammad, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, Allah عز وجل has Mentioned you (Shiites) in His عز وجل Book. He عز وجل said: “[33:23] Of the believers are men who are true to the covenant which they made with Allah: so of them is he who accomplished his vow, and of them is he who yet waits, and they have not changed in the least” You all have been loyal to the Covenant which Allah عز وجل has Taken from you, of our عليه الصلاة والسلام Wilayah, and you never exchanged us عليه الصلاة والسلام for others. Had you not done that, Allah عز وجل would have Reproached you just as He عز وجل Reproached them where He عز وجل, Majestic is His عز وجل Remembrance, Said: “[7:102] And We did not find in most of them any (faithfulness to) covenant, and We found most of them to be certainly transgressors”. O Abu Muhammad, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, Allah عز وجل has Mentioned you in His عز وجل Book: “[15:47] (they shall be) as brethren, on raised couches, face to face”. And Allah عز وجل has not Intended by this other than you (Shiites), O Abu Muhammad. So, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام: ‘O Abu Muhammad, “[43:67] The friends shall on that day be enemies one to another, except those who guard (against evil)”, and Allah عز وجل has not Intended by this other than you (Shiites). O Abu Muhammad, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic has Mentioned us عليه الصلاة والسلام and our عليه الصلاة والسلام Shiites, and our عليه الصلاة والسلام enemies in a Verse from His عز وجل Book. The Mighty and Majestic Said: “[39:9] Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed”. So we عليه الصلاة والسلام are the ones who know, and our عليه الصلاة والسلام enemies are the ones who do not know, and our عليه الصلاة والسلام Shiites are the men of understanding. O Abu Muhammad, so have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you, increase it for me’. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, By Allah عز وجل, Allah عز وجل has not Made an Exception for anyone from the successors عليه السلام of the Prophets عليه السلام and their عليه السلام followers except for Amir-ul-Momineen عليه الصلاة والسلام and his عليه الصلاة والسلام Shiites. So He عز وجل Said in His عز وجل Book, and His عز وجل Words are True: “[44:41] The day on which a friend shall not avail (his) friend aught, nor shall they be helped, [44:42] Save those on whom Allah shall have mercy; surely He is the Mighty the Merciful” Meaning by that Ali عليه الصلاة والسلام and his عليه الصلاة والسلام Shiites. O Abu Muhammad, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, Allah عز وجل the High has Mentioned you all when He عز وجل Said: “[39:53] Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful”. And Allah عز وجل has not Intended by this other than you (Shiites). So, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy, O Abu Muhammad’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, Allah عز وجل has Mentioned you all in His عز وجل Book: “[17:65] Surely (as for) My servants, you have no authority over them; and your Lord is sufficient as a Protector”. And Allah عز وجل has not Intended by this but the Imams عليه الصلاة والسلام and their عليه الصلاة والسلام Shiites. So, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy, O Abu Muhammad?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, Allah عز وجل has Mentioned you all in His عز وجل Book. He عز وجل Said: “[4:69] these are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favours from among the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous, and a goodly company are they!” So the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم of Allah عز وجل in the Verse is ‘from among the Prophets عليه السلام’, and we عليه الصلاة والسلام, in this subject are the ‘truthful and the martyrs’, and you all are the ‘righteous’, therefore adopt this name by the righteousness as Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic has Named you. O Abu Muhammad, so, have I made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, Allah عز وجل has Mentioned you all when He عز وجل Narrated about your enemies in the Fire by His عز وجل Statement: “[38:62] And they shall say: What is the matter with us that we do not see men whom we used to count among the vicious? [38:63] Was it that we (only) took them in scorn, or have our eyes (now) turned aside from them?” And Allah عز وجل has not Meant, and not Intended by this other than you (Shiites). You have become as the evil people in the eyes of this world, and by Allah عز وجل, you will be in the Paradise you will be in delight whereas in the Fire you will be sought. O Abu Muhammad, so have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, there is none from the Verses Revealed Which Guides to the Paradise, nor Mentions it addressees with goodness except that it is regarding us عليه الصلاة والسلام and regarding our عليه الصلاة والسلام Shiites. And there is none from the Verses Revealed Which Mentions its addressees with evil, or Points to the Fire except that it is regarding our عليه الصلاة والسلام enemies and the ones who are opposed to us عليه الصلاة والسلام. So, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy, O Abu Muhammad?’ He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you عليه الصلاة والسلام, increase it for me’. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, There is no one upon the Nation of Ibrahim عليه السلام except for us عليه الصلاة والسلام, and our عليه الصلاة والسلام Shiites, whereas the rest of the people are remote from that. O Abu Muhammad, have I عليه الصلاة والسلام made you happy?’ And in another report, he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘This is enough’.