Imam Zainul Abidin's Wording of Admonition and Wisdom
Imam Zainul Abidin's Wording of Admonition and Wisdom
adopted from : Tuhaf al-Uqool
Allah guard you and us against the trickeries of the oppressors, the tyranny of the envious, and the violence of the despots.O believers, do not be misled by the tyrannical rulers and their fellows who are desiring only for the pleasures of this world, tending to it, deceive by its attractions, approaching it as well as its destruction and smashes which will certainly terminate and be ruined in the morrow. Beware of matters against which Allah has warned you. Abstain from matters from which Allah has ordered you to abstain. Do not copy the inclination of those who regarded this world as a permanent abode. All that which is in this world is evidence on its lowliness.Its ornamentation, changeability of manners, variableness of conditions, lessons, playing with people-all these are proofs on its lowliness. It surely exalts the mean and demeans the noble. It will drive some people into Hell. This is an efficient lesson, trial, and warning for the heedful. The everyday conditions, including the gloomy seditious affairs, the heresies, the consecutive authorities of injustice, the misfortunes, the fear from the rulers, and the incitement of the Shaitan-all these shake the pure intentions of the hearts and stop against the existent right guidance and the recognition of the rightful, except the hearts of those whom Allah the Majestic protects. Surely, no one can realize the changeability and the variableness of the worldly conditions, as well as the result of its harmful sedition, except those whom Allah has protected. They are those who took the very right path and followed the straight way.
They, then sought the aid of abstinence through pondering (over things) and learning lessons from others. So, they abstained form receiving the transitory pleasures of this world, deserted its lusts, desired for the bounty of the life to come, worked hard for obtaining them, watched for death, and refused to live the life with the oppressors. Thus, they looked at this world with eagle eye and keen sight and understood the seditious events, heretic deviation, and ruler's injustice. By my life I swear, you have been shown sufficent proofs, through the misfortunes that befell the ancient people, on the necessity of avoiding te misleading ones as well as people of heresies, tyranny, and (amiss) commitment of sins on this earth. Seek Allah's help and return to the obedience to Him and those whose obedience should be preferred to those whom are currently followed and obeyed. Be thoroughly careful before you suffer regret and sorrow when you will be taken to Allah to stand before him (for maintaining judgment). By Allah I take the oath, any people who direct to the disobedience to Allah will surely suffer His agony, and any people who prefer the worldly pleasures to the life to come will surely suffer grievous end and ill fate. The acknowledgment of Allah and the pursuance of the acts of obedience to Him are connected to each other. He whoever acknowledges Allah will fear Him, and whoever fears Allah will be urged acting obediently to Him. Scholars and their disciples worked hard for the sake of Allah and desired for Him after they had acknowledged Him. In this regard, Allah says: Only Allah's knowledgeable servants fear Him. (Holy Qur'an 35:28)
Do not receive anything from the pleasures of this world through committing an act of disobedience to Allah. Spend your times with performing acts of obedience to Allah, seize the opportunities of this world, and work for matters due to which you will be saved from the agony of Allah. This way will decrease your sins, make your apologies more excusable, and increase your opportunities of salvation. Precede the fulfillment of Allah's instructions and the acts of obedience to Him and to them whose obedience is incumbent upon you to your other affairs. Do not precede the acts of obedience to the tyrannical rulers and the pleasures of this world to the fulfillment of Allah's instructions and the acts of obedience to Him and to them whose obedience is incumbent upon you. You should know that you, as well as we, are the servants of Allah, Who prevails us and will be the Only judge tomorrow when He will subjugate you to interrogation. Prepare the answers for that interrogation before it falls and before you are standing ahead of the Lord of the worlds. On that day, no one will speak before obtaining His permisson. You should also know that Allah will not believe the liars, belie the truthful, reject the excusable apology, or excuse the unjustifiable apology. Allah's is the whole argument against the creatures through His messengers and their successors.
Fear Allah and keep on reforming yourselves, performing acts of obedience to Him and to His representatives. It happens that one feels sorry for his past negligence and omission of Allah's dues and rights. Seek Allah's forgiveness and repent to Him, for He accepts the repentacne, pardons the evildoings, and knows well whatever you do. Beware of associating with the disobedient (to Allah), supporting the oppressors, and neighboring the sinful. Beware of the seditious affairs of such people and be away from their fields. You should know that those who oppose the disciples of Allah, opt for a religion other than Allah's, and prerfer their own opinions to the opinions of Allah's disciples (namely the Imams) will be suffering flaming fire (in Hell) that will consume their bodies [from which the souls are absent] and whose hard-heartedness overcame them; [therefore, they are dead as they do not feel the heat of Hell. Learn lessons, people of sights, and thank Allah for His guiding you. You should know that you cannot move away from the control of Allah's ability to anything else. Allah will watch your actions and you will be gathered before Him. Benefit by the lessons and imitate the ethics of the virtuous ones.
His Wording of Abstinence
Imam Sajjad(A.S.) said: The character of the abstinent from the worldly pleasures and the desirous for the life to come is that they desert every mate and associate and they abandon every friend that does not take their trend. The very wisher for the reward of the life to come is the abstinent from the transitory pleasures of this world, the ready for death, and the hard-working who precede caution before the fall of death and the coming of the inevitable event. Allah the Majestic says: When death approaches on of the unbelievers, he says, 'Lord, send me back again so that perhaps I shall act righteously for the rest of my life. (Holy Qur'an 23:99-100)
You should regard your residence in this world as the residence of that who is returned to it and feeling regret for the past negligence of good doing. O servants of Allah, you should know that he who anticipates waylaying leaves (laying on) the pillow, refrains from sleeping, and abstains from some food and drink. This is for those who fear a powerful one in this world. Woe to you, son of Adam, how should you behave when you anticipate the waylaying of the powerful Lord, His painful attack, and His ambush for the committers of sins and acts of disobedience to Him, including the strikers of death at night and in day? That is surely the inescapable waylaying from which there is no shelter or getaway. O believers, imitate the people of conviction and God-fearing in their fear of Allah's waylaying, for Allah says: This is for those who are afraid of Me and of My warning. (Holy Qur'an 14:14)
Beware of the pleasures, deceit, and evils of this world and remember the harm that is originated from inclination to it, for its ornamentation is a trial and the fondness of it is a sin. Woe is you, son of Adam! The severity of the gluttony, nature of the inclination (to this world), drunkenness of the satiation, deception of authority -all these matters cause laziness and tardiness from acting, make one forget the reference (to Allah), and divert from the imminence of death. Those who are afflicted with the fondness of this world are as same as the mad out of inebriety. The mindful of Allah, the fearful of Him, and the hard-working for His sake train themselves and accustom to tolerate starvation, so that they will not long for satiation, in the same way as racehorses are trained for competitons. O servants of Allah, fear Allah like the fearing of those who desire for gaining His rewards and those who shrink from His punishment. Allah has certainly had enough excuses, warned, wrought up, and frightened.Nevertheless, you neither long for the abundant reward of which He has promised and work for it, nor do you fear the painful punishment with which He has threatened and stop. In His Book, He has told you that, "The reward of the righteously striving believers will not be neglected. We are keeping the record of their good deeds. (Holy Qur'an 21:94)
He, the exalted, then cited examples for you in His Book and simplified the evidences so that you may beware of the transitory pleasures of this world. He said: Your property and children are a trial for you, but the reward (which one may receive from Allah) is great. (Holy Qur'an 64:15)
Fear Allah as much as possible, listen, and obey. Fear Allah and learn lessons from the examples that Allah cite. I am sure that most of you were fagged by the consequences of your acts of disobedience to Allah before you could beware of them. Moreover, they (these acts of disobedience to Allah) injured the religion of most of you before you detest them. You should have heard Allah censuring and belittling them as He says: Know that the worldly life is only a game, a temporary attraction, a means of boastfulness among yourselves and a place for multiplying your wealth and children. It is like the rain, which produces plants that are attractive to the unbelievers. These plants flourish, turn yellow, and then become crushed bits of straw. In the life hereafter there will be severe torment or forgiveness and mercy from Allah. The worldly life is only an illusion. Compete with one another to achieve forgiveness from your Lord and to reach Paradise, which is as vast as the heavens and the earth, and is prepared for those who believe in Allah and His messenger. This is the blessing of Allah and He grants it to whomever He wants. The blessings of Allah are great. (Holy Qur'an 57:20-1)
Believers, have fear of Allah. A soul must see what is has done for the future. Have fear of Allah for He is All-aware of what you do. Do not be like those who forget about Allah. He will make them forget themselves. These are the sinful people. (Holy Qur'an 59:18-9)
O servants of Allah, fear Allah, ponder over Him, and work for that for which you have been created. Allah has definitely not created you out of play and He will not leave you vainly after He has introduced Himself to you, sent His messengers, and revealed His Book in which He has presented the legal and illegal matters in addition to His arguments and examples. Fear Allah Who has claimed against you (thoroughly). He said: Have We not given him two eyes, a tongue, and two lips? Have We not shown him the ways of good and evil? (Holy Qur'an 90:8-10)
This is Allah's claim against you. Do your best in the field of fearing Allah as long as all power belongs to Him and all entrustment is to Him. Allah bless Muhammad(S.A.W.) the prophet and his family.
His Message of Admonition to one of His Companion
Allah save you and us from seditious matters and guard you against the Fire (of Hell) out of His mercy. You have been enjoying a state due to which it is serving for anyone who knows you to show compassion to you. You have been overburdened with the graces of Allah who has given you a good physical health and a long age. Furthermore, He has constituted His claims against you when He charged you with the responsibility of His Book, made you understand His religion, introduced to you the traditions of His Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.). He has also imposed upon you a responsibility in every favor that He has done to you and every claim that He has instituted against you. He has tested your gratitude in every matter that He has done to you and every grace through which He has shown His favors to you. He says: If you give thanks, I shall give you greater (Favors), but if you show ingratitude, know that My retribution is severe. (Holy Qur'an 14:7)
Consider to which party you will be added when you will (inevitably) stand before Allah who will ask you about His graces; how you acted upon them, and about His claims; how you treated them. Never think that Allah will accept your unjustifiable excuses or will be satisfied with your negligence. Too far is that! Too far is that! It is definitely not in that manner. Allah has ordered the scholars (to show the course to people and not to hide any part of it) in His Book.
You should know that the least of concealing knowledge and the lightest burden is to entertain the estrangement of an unjust person and pave the way of seduction to him through responding to him when he sought your nearness and called upon you. I am too afraid that you will acknowledge your sins with the betrayers tomorrow and will be asked about whatever you have gotten due to your supporting the unjust in oppression, since you have taken the gift that was not yours, you have been close to him who did not give back anyone's right, you have not rejected a wrongdoing when he approached you, and you have responded to him who antagonized Allah. As the unjust ones invited you, they made you the axis of the hand-mill of their wrongdoings, the bridge on which they cross to their misfortunes, and the stairs to their deviation. You have been the propagandist of their temptation when you took their courses.
They have employed you as the means through which they aroused doubts against the scholars and dragged the hearts of the ignorant to them. The best one in their government and the most powerful of them could not achieve success like that which you have attained through showing their corrupt affairs as honest and attracting the attentions of the celebrities as well as the ordinary people to you. If you compare what you have done to them with what they have given to you, you will find it too little. Likewise, they have built for you very trivial thing while they ruined your great things. Look in yourself, for no one will look in you except you yourself, and maintain judgment with yourself as if you are the judge. Look into your gratitude to Him Who nourished you with His graces when you were little and when you became old. I am too afraid you will be one of those about whom Allah says in His Book: Their descendants who inherited the Book gained (by bribery only) worthless things from the worldly life saying, "We shall be forgiven (for what we have done). (Holy Qur'an 7:169)
You are not living in a permanent abode; you are in a temporary house that you will leave soon. How does a man stay after the departure of his matches? Blessed be those who are fearful of this world. How miserable those who die and leave their sins after them are! Beware; you have been told. Take the initiative; you have been respited. You are dealing with Him Who is never ignorant. He who counts your deeds is never remiss. Supply yourself (with the necessary provisions); the long journey is approaching you. Correct your guilt; it has been inflicted by a cureless malady. Do not think that I wanted only to censure, reproach, and dishonor you. I only wanted Allah to revive the opinions that you have missed and give you back your religious affairs that you have lost. This is because I remembered Allah's saying: Keep on reminding them. This benefits the believers. (Holy Qur'an 51:55)
You neglected the reference to your old men and friends who passed away while you remained after them like a hornless sheep. See whether they had suffered what you suffered or faced what you faced. Had they neglected a good-deed that you did or had they been unaware of something that you retained?
The only difference between you and them is that you have occupied a distinctive standing in people's minds that they have been pursuing your opinious and carrying out your orders. They deem lawful anything that you deem lawful and deem unlawful anything that you deem unlawful. You are not fit enough for so. It is, in fact, The departure of ther scholars, the prevalence of ignorance upon them and you, the foundness of leadership, and the seeking of the worldly pleasures that they, as well as you, enjoy- these matters made them overcome you through their desire to gain what you have obtained. They therefore have drowned in a bottomless ocean and an immeasurable misfortune.
Allah give you and us. He is the One Whose help is sought.
So then, leave all that in which you are engaged so that you may catch up with the virtuous ones whom were buried with their tatters while their bellies were stuck to their backs. No screen was put between Allah and them. The worldly pleasures could not charm them and they paid no attention to them (such pleasures). They longed for (Allah), sought (Him), and soon caught up (with Him). If this world makes you in such a manner, while you are attaining such an age, enjoying such a deep-rooted knowledge, and being so near of death, how can then a juvenile be saved (against the worldly pleasures), while he is ignorant, weak-minded, and brainless? We are Allah's and to Him we will return. Upon whom should we depend? Whom should we blame?
We should only complain about our grief and what we are suffering to Allah. We only charge our misfortune about you to Allah's account. Look into your gratitude to Him Who nourished you with His graces when you were little and when you became old, your magnifying Him Who makes you handsome among people through His religion, your preserving the dress of Him Who covered you up among people through His dress, and your closeness or remoteness from Him Who ordered you to come near and be modest to Him. Why do you not wake up from your slumber and reform yourself after your stumble? You should have said: By Allah I swear, I have not done any act for the sake of Allah and for stimulating one of the rites of His religion or terminating one of the wrong customs.
Do you show gratitude to Him Who settled all your needs in this way?
I am too afraid you are one of those about whom Allah the Exalted says: (They) neglected their prayers and followed their worldly desires. They will certainly be lost. (Holy Qur'an 19:95)
Allah has ordered you to carry His Book and deposited His knowledge with you, but you have wasted them both. We thank Allah Who has saved us from that with which He has inflicted you.