Letter of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (p) to the Shia's
The Letter of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (AS) to the Shia’s
Contents
1 The People of the Reminder: teachers of God's Book, treasurers of its knowledge
2 Guidance to the truth rests on affirming the People of the Reminder and following the knowledge and traces of the Ahl al-Bayt
3 The counsel to supplicate abundantly
4 Holding fast to the traces, and following the tradition of God's Messenger and his Household
5 The marks of the true believers
6 When God intends good for a servant
7 The consequence when God does not intend good for a servant
8 Who truly obeys God
9 If a servant was created a believer at the root of creation
10 If a servant was created an unbeliever at the root of creation
1 The People of the Reminder: teachers of God's Book, treasurers of its knowledge
اِعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ عِلْمِ اَللَّهِ وَ لاَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ خَلْقِ اَللَّهِ فِي دِينِهِ بِهَوًى وَ لاَ رَأْيٍ وَ لاَ مَقَايِيسَ قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اَللَّهُ اَلْقُرْآنَ وَ جَعَلَ فِيهِ تِبْيَانَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَ جَعَلَ لِلْقُرْآنِ وَ لِتَعَلُّمِ اَلْقُرْآنِ أَهْلاً لاَ يَسَعُ أَهْلَ عِلْمِ اَلْقُرْآنِ اَلَّذِينَ آتَاهُمُ اَللَّهُ عِلْمَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذُوا فِيهِ بِهَوًى وَ لاَ رَأْيٍ وَ لاَ مَقَايِيسَ أَغْنَاهُمُ اَللَّهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ وَ خَصَّهُمْ بِهِ وَ وَضَعَهُ عِنْدَهُمْ كَرَامَةً مِنَ اَللَّهِ أَكْرَمَهُمْ بِهَا وَ هُمْ أَهْلُ اَلذِّكْرِ اَلَّذِينَ أَمَرَ اَللَّهُ هَذِهِ اَلْأُمَّةَ بِسُؤَالِهِمْ
Know that it is not from God's knowledge, nor from His command, that anyone of God's creation should take his religion from caprice, or from opinion, or from analogies. God has sent down the Qur'an and placed within it the clarification of all things, and He has appointed for the Qur'an, and for the learning of the Qur'an, a people of its own. Nor is it permitted for the people of the Qur'an's knowledge — those to whom God has given His knowledge — to take from it by caprice, or opinion, or analogy: God has made them independent of that by what He has given them of His knowledge, singling them out with it and depositing it with them as an honour from Him with which He honoured them. And they are the Ahl Al-Dhikr, the People of the Reminder, whom God has commanded this community to ask.
2 Guidance to the truth rests on affirming the People of the Reminder and following the knowledge and traces of the Ahl al-Bayt
وَ هُمُ اَلَّذِينَ مَنْ سَأَلَهُمْ وَ قَدْ سَبَقَ فِي عِلْمِ اَللَّهِ أَنْ يُصَدِّقَهُمْ وَ يَتَّبِعَ أَثَرَهُمْ أَرْشَدُوهُ وَ أَعْطَوْهُ مِنْ عِلْمِ اَلْقُرْآنِ مَا يَهْتَدِي بِهِ إِلَى اَللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَ إِلَى جَمِيعِ سُبُلِ اَلْحَقِّ وَ هُمُ اَلَّذِينَ لاَ يَرْغَبُ عَنْهُمْ وَ عَنْ مَسْأَلَتِهِمْ وَ عَنْ عِلْمِهِمُ اَلَّذِي أَكْرَمَهُمُ اَللَّهُ بِهِ وَ جَعَلَهُ عِنْدَهُمْ إِلاَّ مَنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ فِي عِلْمِ اَللَّهِ اَلشَّقَاءُ فِي أَصْلِ اَلْخَلْقِ تَحْتَ اَلْأَظِلَّةِ فَأُولَئِكَ اَلَّذِينَ يَرْغَبُونَ عَنْ سُؤَالِ أَهْلِ اَلذِّكْرِ وَ اَلَّذِينَ آتَاهُمُ اَللَّهُ عِلْمَ اَلْقُرْآنِ وَ وَضَعَهُ عِنْدَهُمْ وَ أَمَرَ بِسُؤَالِهِمْ
And they are such that whoever asks them — it having already passed in God's knowledge that he would affirm them and follow their trace — they guide him aright and give him of the knowledge of the Qur'an that by which he is guided, by God's leave, to God and to all the paths of truth. And they are such that no one turns away from them, nor from asking them, nor from the knowledge with which God honoured them and which He placed with them, save one against whom wretchedness had already passed in God's knowledge at the root of creation and the realm of shadows. Those are the ones who turn away from asking the People of the Reminder — from those to whom God gave the knowledge of the Qur'an, with whom He placed it, and whom He commanded that they be asked.
3 The counsel to supplicate abundantly
أَكثرُوا مِن أَن تَدعُوا اللَّهَ فإِنّ اللَّهَ يُحبُّ مِن عِبادهِ اَلمُؤمنينَ أَن يَدعوهُ و قدْ وَعد اللَّهُ عِبادهُ المُؤمنينَ بِالاستجابةِ و اللَّهُ مُصيّرٌ دُعاءَ المُؤمنينَ يَومَ القيامَةِ لَهُم عَملاً يزِيدهُم بهِ في الجنَّةِ فأكثِروا ذِكر اللَّهِ ما استَطَعتُم في كُلِّ ساعَةٍ مِن ساعاتِ اللَّيلِ و النّهارِ فإِنّ اللَّهَ أَمر بِكَثرةِ اَلذّكرِ لهُ و اَللَّهُ ذَاكرٌ لِمن ذَكَرهُ مِن اَلمُؤمِنِينَ وَ اِعلَموا أنّ اَللَّهَ لَم يَذكُرهُ أحدٌ مِن عِبادهِ المُؤمِنِينَ إلاَّ ذَكرَهُ بِخيرٍ فَأعطُوا اَللَّهَ مِن أنفُسِكمُ الاجتِهادَ في طاعَتهِ فإنَّ اَللَّهَ لا يُدرَكُ شَيءٌ منَ الخيرِ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِطاعَتهِ و اِجتِنابِ محَارمِهِ الَّتي حَرَّم اللَّهُ في ظاهِرِ القُرآنِ و باطِنهِ فَإنَّ اَللَّهَ تباركَ و تَعالى قالَ في كِتابهِ و قَولُه الحَقُّ «وَ ذَرُوا ظاهِرَ اَلإثْمِ وَ باطِنهُ»
Call upon God abundantly, for God loves of His believing servants that they call upon Him, and God has promised His believing servants a response. On the Day of Resurrection, God will turn the supplication of the believers into a deed for them, by which He will increase them in Heaven. So remember God as much as you are able, in every hour of the hours of the night and the day, for God has commanded that He be remembered abundantly; and God remembers whoever remembers Him among the believers. Know that no believing servant of His has ever remembered Him but that He remembered him with good. So, compel yourselves to strive in obedience to Him; for nothing of the good that is with Him is attained except by obeying Him and by shunning what He has forbidden — what God has forbidden in the outward of the Qur'an and in its inward. For God, blessed and exalted, said in His Book, and His word is the truth: 'Forsake sin, outward and inward.'
4 Holding fast to the traces, and following the tradition of God's Messenger and his Household
أَيَّتُهَا اَلْعِصَابَةُ اَلْحَافِظُ اَللَّهُ لَهُم أَمْرَهُم عَلَيْكُم بِآثَارِ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ سُنَّتِهِ وَ آثَارِ اَلأَئِمَّةِ اَلهُدَاةِ مِنْ أَهلِ بَيتِ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ مِن بَعدِهِ وَ سُنَّتِهِم فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ أَخَذَ بِذَلِكَ فَقَدِ اِهتَدَى وَ مَن تَرَكَ ذَلِكَ وَ رَغِبَ عَنهُ ضَلَّ لِأَنَّهُم هُمُ اَلَّذِينَ أَمَرَ اَللَّهُ بِطَاعَتِهِم وَ وَلاَيَتِهِم وَ قَد قَالَ أَبُونَا رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ اَلمُدَاوَمَةُ عَلَى اَلعَمَلِ فِي اِتِّبَاعِ اَلآثَارِ وَ اَلسُّنَنِ وَ إِن قَلَّ أَرْضَى لِلَّهِ وَ أَنفَعُ عِنْدَهُ فِي اَلعَاقِبَةِ مِنَ اَلاِجتِهَادِ فِي اَلْبِدَعِ وَ اِتِّبَاعِ اَلأَهوَاءِ أَلاَ إِنَّ اِتِّبَاعَ اَلأَهوَاءِ
O company whose affair God safeguards for them! Hold fast to the traces of the Messenger of God (may God bless him and his family) and to his tradition, and to the traces of the guiding Imams from the household of the Messenger of God (may God bless him and his family) after him, and to their tradition. For whoever takes hold of that has been guided, and whoever abandons it and turns away from it has gone astray — because they are the very ones whose obedience and whose Wilayah God has commanded. Our father, the Messenger of God (may God bless him and his family), said: perseverance in acting upon the traces and the established practices, even if it be little, is more pleasing to God and more profitable with Him in the end than great exertion in innovations and in following caprice.
5 The marks of the true believers
اِعْلَمُوا أَيَّتُهَا اَلْعِصَابَةُ أَنَّ اَلسُّنَّةَ مِنَ اَللَّهِ قَدْ جَرَتْ فِي اَلصَّالِحِينَ قَبْلُ وَ قَالَ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَلْقَى اَللَّهَ وَ هُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ حَقّاً حَقّاً فَلْيَتَوَلَّ «اَللّٰهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ اَلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا» وَ لْيَبْرَأْ إِلَى اَللَّهِ مِنْ عَدُوِّهِمْ وَ يُسَلِّمُ لِمَا اِنْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ مِنْ فَضْلِهِمْ لِأَنَّ فَضْلَهُمْ لاَ يَبْلُغُهُ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ وَ لاَ نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ وَ لاَ مَنْ دُونَ ذَلِكَ أَ لَمْ تَسْمَعُوا مَا ذَكَرَ اَللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِ أَتْبَاعِ اَلْأَئِمَّةِ اَلْهُدَاةِ وَ هُمُ اَلْمُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ «فَأُولٰئِكَ مَعَ اَلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اَللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ اَلنَّبِيِّينَ وَ اَلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَ اَلشُّهَدٰاءِ وَ اَلصّٰالِحِينَ وَ حَسُنَ أُولٰئِكَ رَفِيقاً»
Know that God's practice has already run its course among the righteous who came before. And he said: whoever would be gladdened to meet God while truly being a believer should accept the authority (Wilayah) of “Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe,” and before Allah, disassociate himself from their enemies, and submit to whatever of their excellence has reached him — for their excellence is not attained by any close angel, nor by any messenger prophet, nor by anyone below that. Have you not heard what God has said of the excellence of the followers of the guiding Imams, and they are the believers? He said: 'Those are with the ones whom God has favoured: of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous — and excellent are these as companions.'
6 When God intends good for a servant
Know that when God intends good for a servant, He 'expands his breast to Islam'; and once He has granted him that, He makes his tongue speak the truth and binds his heart upon it, so that he acts by it. And when God has gathered all of this for him, his Islam is complete; and should he die in that state, he stands with God among the true Muslims.
7 The consequence when God does not intend good for a servant
إِذَا لَمْ يُرِدِ اَللَّهُ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً وَكَلَهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَ كَانَ صَدْرُهُ «ضَيِّقاً حَرَجاً» فَإِنْ جَرَى عَلَى لِسَانِهِ حَقٌّ لَمْ يُعْقَدْ قَلْبُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِذَا لَمْ يُعْقَدْ قَلْبُهُ عَلَيْهِ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ اَللَّهُ اَلْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَإِذَا اِجْتَمَعَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ وَ هُوَ عَلَى تِلْكَ اَلْحَالِ كَانَ عِنْدَ اَللَّهِ مِنَ اَلْمُنَافِقِينَ وَ صَارَ مَا جَرَى عَلَى لِسَانِهِ مِنَ اَلْحَقِّ اَلَّذِي لَمْ يُعْطِهِ اَللَّهُ أَنْ يُعْقَدَ قَلْبُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ اَلْعَمَلَ بِهِ حُجَّةً عَلَيْهِ
When God does not intend good for a servant, He consigns him to himself, and his chest becomes 'straitened and constricted.' Then, if truth runs upon his tongue, his heart is not bound upon it; and when his heart is not bound upon it, God does not grant him to act by it. And when this gathers upon him until he dies in that state, he stands with God among the hypocrites; and the very truth that ran upon his tongue — which God granted neither his heart to be bound upon nor him to act by — becomes a proof against him.
8 Who truly obeys God
وَ اَللَّهِ لاَ يُطِيعُ اَللَّهَ عَبْدٌ أَبَداً إِلاَّ أَدْخَلَ اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي طَاعَتِهِ اِتِّبَاعَنَا وَ لاَ وَ اَللَّهِ لاَ يَتَّبِعُنَا عَبْدٌ أَبَداً إِلاَّ أَحَبَّهُ اَللَّهُ وَ لاَ وَ اَللَّهِ لاَ يَدَعُ أَحَدٌ اِتِّبَاعَنَا أَبَداً إِلاَّ أَبْغَضَنَا وَ لاَ وَ اَللَّهِ لاَ يُبْغِضُنَا أَحَدٌ أَبَداً إِلاَّ عَصَى اَللَّهَ وَ مَنْ مَاتَ عَاصِياً لِلَّهِ أَخْزَاهُ اَللَّهُ وَ أَكَبَّهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فِي اَلنَّارِ
By God, no servant has ever obeyed God but that God has included within that obedience of His the following of us. No — by God, no servant has ever followed us but that God loved him. No — by God, no one has ever abandoned following us but that he hated us. No — by God, no one has ever hated us but that he disobeyed God; and whoever dies disobeying God, God abases him and casts him upon his face into the Fire.
9 If a servant was created a believer at the root of creation
إِنَّ اَلْعَبْدَ إِذَا كَانَ خَلَقَهُ اَللَّهُ فِي اَلْأَصْلِ أَصْلِ اَلْخَلْقِ مُؤْمِناً لَمْ يَمُتْ حَتَّى يُكَرِّهَ اَللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ اَلشَّرَّ وَ يُبَاعِدَهُ عَنْهُ وَ مَنْ كَرَّهَ اَللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ اَلشَّرَّ وَ بَاعَدَهُ عَنْهُ عَافَاهُ اَللَّهُ مِنَ اَلْكِبْرِ أَنْ يَدْخُلَهُ وَ اَلْجَبَرِيَّةِ فَلاَنَتْ عَرِيكَتُهُ وَ حَسُنَ خُلُقُهُ وَ طَلُقَ وَجْهُهُ وَ صَارَ عَلَيْهِ وَقَارُ اَلْإِسْلاَمِ وَ سَكِينَتُهُ وَ تَخَشُّعُهُ وَ وَرِعَ عَنْ مَحَارِمِ اَللَّهِ وَ اِجْتَنَبَ مَسَاخِطَهُ وَ رَزَقَهُ اَللَّهُ مَوَدَّةَ اَلنَّاسِ وَ مُجَامَلَتَهُمْ وَ تَرْكَ مُقَاطَعَةِ اَلنَّاسِ وَ اَلْخُصُومَاتِ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْهَا وَ لاَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا فِي شَيْءٍ
Truly, when God has created a servant a believer at the root of creation, he does not die until God has made evil hateful to him and set him far from it. And whoever God has made evil hateful to, and set far from it, God preserves from arrogance and tyranny entering him: his temper turns gentle, his character good, his face open; the dignity, tranquillity and humility of Islam settles upon him; he is scrupulous before what God has forbidden and shuns what angers Him. And God provides him with the affection of people and with courtesy towards them, and with the abandoning of estrangement from people and of quarrels, so that he has no part in these, nor in those given to them.
10 If a servant was created an unbeliever at the root of creation
إِنَّ اَلْعَبْدَ إِذَا كَانَ اَللَّهُ خَلَقَهُ فِي اَلْأَصْلِ [أَصْلِ اَلْخَلْقِ] كَافِراً لَمْ يَمُتْ حَتَّى يُحَبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ اَلشَّرَّ وَ يُقَرِّبَهُ مِنْهُ فَإِذَا حَبَّبَ إِلَيْهِ اَلشَّرَّ وَ قَرَّبَهُ مِنْهُ اُبْتُلِيَ بِالْكِبْرِ وَ اَلْجَبَرِيَّةِ فَقَسَا قَلْبُهُ وَ سَاءَ خُلُقُهُ وَ غَلُظَ وَجْهُهُ وَ ظَهَرَ فُحْشُهُ وَ قَلَّ حَيَاؤُهُ وَ كَشَفَ اَللَّهُ سِتْرَهُ وَ رَكِبَ اَلْمَحَارِمَ فَلَمْ يَنْزِعْ عَنْهَا وَ رَكِبَ مَعَاصِيَ اَللَّهِ وَ أَبْغَضَ طَاعَتَهُ وَ أَهْلَهَا فَبُعْدٌ مَا بَيْنَ حَالِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِ وَ حَالِ اَلْكَافِرِ
Truly, when God has created a servant an unbeliever at the root of creation, he does not die until God has made evil beloved to him and brought him near to it. And once He has made evil beloved to him and brought him near it, he is afflicted with arrogance and tyranny: his heart hardens, his character turns evil, his face grows coarse, his obscenity shows and his shame grows slight; God strips away the covering over him; he commits what is forbidden and does not desist from it; he takes to disobeying God, and comes to hate God's obedience and the people of it. How far apart, then, is the state of the believer from the state of the unbeliever!