Hadith of Abu al-Hassan Musa, 'Alayhim al-Salam to Ali ibn Suwayd

95. A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Ismail Bin Mahraan, from Muhammad Bin Mansour Al-Khuzai’e, from Ali Bin Suweyd and Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Muhammad Bin Al-Husayn, from Muhammad Bin Ismail Bin Yazi’e, from his uncle Hamza bin Yazi’e, from Ali Bin Suweyd and Al-Hassan Biin Muhammad, from Muhammad Bin Ahmad Al-Nahdy, from Ismail Bin Mahraan, from Muhammad bin Mansour, from Ali Bin Suweyd who said: ‘I wrote to Abu Al-Hassan Musa عليه الصلاة والسلام whilst he عليه الصلاة والسلام was in the solitary confinement. I wrote asking him عليه الصلاة والسلام about his عليه الصلاة والسلام condition and about numerous matters. The answer did not come for months, then he عليه الصلاة والسلام answered me by an answer and this is its copy: - In the Name of Allah عز وجل the Beneficent, the Merciful. Praise be to the High, the Magnificent. It is by His عز وجل Greatness and His عز وجل Light the hearts of the ‘الْمُؤْمِنِينَ’ (believers) achieve vision, and by His عز وجل Greatness and His عز وجل Light, (whereas) the ignorant ones are inimical to Him عز وجل, and by His عز وجل Greatness and His عز وجل Light crave the ones in the heavens and in the earth and to Him عز وجل is the Means by the different deeds and the contradictory Religions. So the rightful, and the mistaken, and the stray, and the guided, and the hearing, and the deaf, and the seeing, and the blind ones are perplexed. So the Praise Belongs to Allah عز وجل Whose Religion was recognised and described by Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. Having said that, you are of the people whom Allah عز وجل has Blessed by Sending the Progeny عليه الصلاة والسلام of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم (towards you and) and by special status, and Preserved the cordiality which attracted you to His عز وجل Religion, and what He عز وجل has Inspired from your guidance and your vision from the matters of your Religion that you give preference to them عليه الصلاة والسلام and are referring your matters to them عليه الصلاة والسلام. You wrote to me عليه الصلاة والسلام asking me عليه الصلاة والسلام about matters which I عليه الصلاة والسلام was observing dissimulation in and concealed them for a while. So when the authority of the tyrant passed by, and there came the authority of the One عز وجل with Great Authority, by my عليه الصلاة والسلام departing from the world which has been condemned by its inhabitants who have hardened themselves against their Creator, I عليه الصلاة والسلام saw that I عليه الصلاة والسلام could explain to you what you had asked me عليه الصلاة والسلام about, fearing that our عليه الصلاة والسلام weak Shiites may enter into confusion because of the ignorance which is in front of them. So fear Allah عز وجل, Mighty is His عز وجل Mention, and single out for these matters, its deserving ones, and be cautious that you should become a reason for the calamities against the successors عليه الصلاة والسلام or provoking (people) against them عليه الصلاة والسلام by publicising what I عليه الصلاة والسلام am entrusting you with and exposing what I عليه الصلاة والسلام have told you to conceal, and Allah عز وجل Willing, you will not do this. Firstly what I عليه الصلاة والسلام would like to inform you is that you should mourn for myself عليه الصلاة والسلام in this very night without remorse and no complaints, for what is to transpire is from what Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic has Ordained and is inevitable. So attach yourself to the Handle of the Progeny عليه الصلاة والسلام of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and the Firmest Handle of the successor عليه الصلاة والسلام after the successor عليه الصلاة والسلام, and the submission to them عليه الصلاة والسلام and be pleased with what they عليه الصلاة والسلام say, and do not seek Religion from the ones who are not from your Shiites, and do not love their Religion, for they are traitors who have betrayed Allah عز وجل and His عز وجل Rasool صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and betrayed their trusts. And do you know how they betrayed their trusts? They were entrusted with the Book of Allah عز وجل so they distorted it and changed it, and evidenced it upon the rulers among them. So stay away from them. Allah عز وجل has Made them to Taste the clothing of the hunger, and the fear due to what they had done. And you asked about two men (Abu Bakr and Umar) who usurped the wealth of a man which he used to spend upon the poor and the needy and the traveller in need, and in the Way of Allah عز وجل. So when they usurped that, they were not happy until they made him carry it unwillingly upon his ride to their own homes. When they undertook to be in charge of its spending, and so reached infidelity by doing that. By my عليه الصلاة والسلام life, they had become hypocrites before that and rejected against Allah عز وجل His عز وجل Words, and mocked at His عز وجل Rasool صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and they were both infidels. May Allah عز وجل Curse them, and the Angels, and the people altogether. By Allah عز وجل, the ‘Eman’ (belief) did not enter into the heart of any one of them since their coming out from their condition (Kufr), and it did not increase them in anything except for doubts. They were deceivers, sceptical, hypocrites until they both died and the Angels of Punishment took them to the place of disgrace in the eternal abode. And you asked about those who were in the presence of that man whilst he was usurping his wealth and placed it upon his ride, and there were among them who knew about it and denied it. So those (Abu Bakr and Umar) are the first apostates from this community, and so may the Curse of Allah عز وجل and the Angels and all the people be upon them. And you asked about extent of our عليه الصلاة والسلام Knowledge, and it is upon three aspects. The past, and the future, and the newly recurring. So as for the past, it has been explained, and as for the future, it has been written down, and as for that which is newly occurring, so it gets imprinted upon the hearts, and resonated in the ears, and it is the highest of our عليه الصلاة والسلام Knowledge, and there is no Prophet عليه السلام after our عليه الصلاة والسلام Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. And you asked about the mothers of their children (the followers of those two), and about their marriages, and about their divorces. So, as for the mothers of their children, they are prostitutes up to the Day of Judgement, having married without a guardian (Wali’s consent), and going through divorces without (completing the) waiting periods. And as for the one who enters into our عليه الصلاة والسلام Invitation (call to Wilayah), so his ‘Eman’ demolishes his misguidance, and so does his ‘Yaqeen’ conviction (demolish) his doubts. And you asked about the Zakaat among them. So, there was nothing from the Zakaat (for them), as you are more deserving of it, because we عليه الصلاة والسلام have made that to be lawful for you, and those who are from you wherever they may be. And you asked about the weak. So the weak is the one who cannot argue against (the batil) and he does not understand the differences, for if he understands the difference, then he is not with the weakness. You asked about the ‘الشَّهَادَاتِ’ testimonies for them. So establish the testimony for the sake of Allah عز وجل, even if it is against your own-self, and the parents and the relatives in what is between you and them. So if you fear injustice against your brother, don’t (be part of it). And call to the Law of Allah عز وجل, as He عز وجل has (placed those) in our عليه الصلاة والسلام recognition (Ma’rifat). The one who hopes would be Answered and do not barricade yourself by the fort of hypocrisy. And befriend the Progeny عليه الصلاة والسلام of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and do not speak of what reaches you from us عليه الصلاة والسلام, and ascribe to us that ‘this is false’, and you may know something from us عليه الصلاة والسلام which is against it, for you do not know why we عليه الصلاة والسلام may have said it, and upon which perspective we may have described it. Believe in what I عليه الصلاة والسلام inform you عليه الصلاة والسلام and do not publicise what I عليه الصلاة والسلام have told you to conceal from what I عليه الصلاة والسلام inform you. It is from the obligatory right of your brother that you do not conceal anything from him which might benefit him in the affairs of the world and the Hereafter. And do not hold a grudge against him and not to hurt him, and answer his call when he calls you and do not leave him alone between him and his enemies from the people even though they may be closer to you than him, and support him in his illness. It is not from etiquettes of the ‘الْمُؤْمِنِينَ’ Believers, the defrauding, and the injuring, and the treachery, and the arrogance, and the vulgarities, and the immoralities, and the commanding for such things. So if you were to see the deformed Bedouin in legions (large armies), so wait for your relief (Al-Qaim عليه الصلاة والسلام), and for your Shiites, the believers, and when the sun rises, raise your vision to the sky and look at what Allah عز وجل has Done with the criminals. So I عليه الصلاة والسلام have explained to you all of this in summary. And send greetings upon Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and his صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم Progeny عليه الصلاة والسلام, the righteous’.