Thursday 16 February 2012

Akhlaq of the infallibles (as)

خطبة الجمعة لسماحة العلامة المحقق السيد هاشم الهاشمي         12 جمادى الثانية 1425 هـ الموافق 30 / 7 / 2004م

Friday sermon by Ayatullah Syed Hashim al Hashmi (from Kuwait) on 12 Jamadi al Thani 1425 AH (30 June 2004)

روى الكليني بسند صحيح عن محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن فضال، عن داود بن فرقد، عن أبي عبد الله (ع) «قال: قال أمير المؤمنين (ع): ضمنت لمن يسمي على طعامه أن لا يشتكي منه، فقال له ابن الكواء: يا أمير المؤمنين لقد أكلت البارحة طعاما فسميت عليه وآذاني، فقال: لعلك أكلت ألوانا فسميت على بعضها ولم تسم على بعض يا لكع». (الكافي ج6 ص295 ح18 وكلمة «لكع» قالوا أنها تطلق على عدة معاني، فهي تستعمل بمعنى اللئيم، والدنيء، والوسخ والأحمق، والعبد، والصغير في العمر أوالصغير في العلم والعقل، والذي لا يبين الكلام (لسان العرب ج12 ص321، مجمع البحرين ج4 ص388

Shaikh Kulaini reported in a sahih (authentic) hadith from Muhammad b. Yahya, from Ahmad b. Muhammad , from ibn Fudal, from Dawood b. Farqad, from abi Abdillah (as) who said: Ali (as) said: "I guarantee that whoever recites bismillah on his food, will not have a complain (sickness) due to it." So ibn Kawa (a khariji and enemy of Imam Ali) said to Imam Ali (as): "O Commander of the faithful! I ate food yesterday and recited bismillah on it, but still it made me sick." So Imam Ali (as) replied: "You worthless idiot! You probably ate different colors (types) of food and recited bismillah on some of them but did not say bismillah on others." (Al Kafi, Volume 6, Page 295, Hadith 18)

روى البرقي بسند صحيح عن محمد بن عيسى، عن معمر بن خلاد، قال: إن أبا الحسن عليه السلام اشترى دارا وأمر مولى له يتحول إليها، وقال (ع) له:« إن منزلك ضيق، فقال المولى: أجزأت هذه الدار لأبي، (أي اقتنعت بها واكتفيت) فقال أبو الحسن (ع): إن كان أبوك أحمق ينبغي أن تكون مثله». (المحاسن ج2 ص451 ح27كتاب المرافق باب سعة المنزل، عنه البحار 73 ص153 ح30، وكذلك رواه الكليني بسند صحيح عن محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن معمر بن خلاد، بمتن مقارب، ولكن فيها إن المولى قال: قد أحدث هذه الدار أبي (الكافي ج6 ص525 ح2

Al Barqi reported by a sahih sanad (chain of narrators) from Muhammad b. Isa, from Mu'mar b. Khallad who said: Aba al Hasan (as) bought a residence and ordered his servant/slave to switch to it. Imam (as) said to his slave: "Indeed your (current) dwelling is very cramped." So the slave said: "This house (i.e. the current cramped dwelling) sufficed for my father (so I am also content with it)." So abu al Hasan (as) said: "Indeed your father is an idiot, so you must be like him." (Al Mahasin, Volume 2, Page 451, Hadith 27, Biharul Anwar Volume 73 Page 153 Hadith 30, and like that Shaikh Kulaini also reported it by a sahih sanad in Kafi Volume 6 Page 525 Hadith 2 except that in it the slave is quoted to have said "This house was built by my father.")

نهج البلاغة للسيد الرضي

Nahjul Balagha by Syed al Radhi (ra)

١٩ - ومن كلام له عليه السلام قاله للأشعث بن قيس وهو على منبر الكوفة يخطب فمضى في بعض كلامه شئ اعترضه الأشعث فقال يا أمير المؤمنين هذه عليك لا لك فخفض عليه السلام إليه بصره فقال ما يدريك ما علي مما لي عليك لعنة الله ولعنة اللاعنين. حائك ابن حائك منافق بن كافر والله لقد أسرك الكفر مرة والاسلام أخرى. فما فداك من واحدة منهما مالك ولا حسبك وإن امرأ دل على قومه السيف. وساق إليهم الحتف. لحري أن يمقته الأقرب.
ولا يأمنه الأبعد
ج ١ - الصفحة ٥٦

19- Imam Ali (as) was delivering a sermon from the pulpit of Kufa when Qais ibn As'ath interjected upon a point and argued: "O commander of the faithful! This goes against you, not for you."

So Imam Ali (as) looked down at him and responded: "What do you know what goes against me and what goes for me? La'nah (damnation) of Allah and everyone be on you! You weaver son of a weaver! You hypocrite son of a kafir! By Allah you were once imprisoned in your days of kufr and then in Islam, but neither your wealth nor your status helped to save you from both. And indeed one who invites the sword upon his people (i.e. betrays them) and brings to them doom, is certainly deserving of hatred by near ones and distrust by strangers. (Volume 1, Page 56)

١٣٥ - ومن كلام له عليه السلام وقد وقعت مشاجرة بينه وبين عثمان فقال المغيرة بن الأخنس لعثمان أنا أكفيكه فقال علي كرم الله وجهه للمغيرة:
يا بن اللعين الأبتر، والشجرة التي لا أصل لها ولا فرع، أنتتكفيني؟ والله ما أعز الله من أنت ناصره، ولا قام من أنت منهضه. اخرج عنا أبعد الله نواك، ثم أبلغ جهدك فلا أبقى الله عليك إن أبقيت
ج ٢ - الصفحة ١٩

 135- There occurred a dispute between Imam Ali (as) and Uthman, so Mughia b. al Akhnas offered to Uthman: "Let me deal with him." 

So Ali (as) challenged Mughira: "You son of a damned childless person! You product of the tree which has no root or branches, you will deal with me?! By Allah! Allah does not honor the one who has you as helper and neither can the one who is supported by you hold his ground. Go away from us then strive (to do what you can)! May Allah distance your destination and may He (swt) not sustain you even if you go easy on me. (Volume 2, Page 19)

2 comments:

  1. Salam brother,
    I don't understand what point you are trying to prove in this article. Is it that Imam Ali (as) had bad akhlaq? Can you please elaborate further?

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  2. @Anonymous: Wa'laikum assalam,

    Imam Ali (as) is our master and the point is certainly not to prove that he (as) had bad akhlaq, but to prove that he had the best akhlaq.

    As for this article, it should be taken into consideration that as per the Islamic model, good akhlaq and bad akhlaq are somewhat relative terms. The best akhlaq is the one which is appropriate for the situation.

    Islam teaches us balance and the Imams (as) perfectly exhibited that balance by reacting in the most appropriate manner to each situation. As can be seen in the above ahadith, the Imams (as) did not at all resort to any vulgar language, rather they gave befitting responses to their opponents in a firm and eloquent manner. The above ahadith are just a tiny sample among many other similar ahadith in which the Imams (as) silenced their opponents with extremely firm and assertive replies.

    Unfortunately Shia clerics, lecturers etc only present those ahadith which portray the soft and kind behavior of the Imams (as) as per the appropriate situation, whereas completely disregarding the ahadith which exhibit their aggressive side. The negative result of this is that I often see young and well intentioned Shias always acting like complete doormats as they are under the misconception that it is how the Imams (as) would act. Now turning the other cheek maybe the recommended practice in Christianity, Buddhism, Gandhi ideology etc, but it has no place in tashayyu (If someone wants to follow the mentioned ideologies then that's his choice and I respect that, but the point is that it has no place in tashayyu).

    Remember, neither does Islam allow oppression and neither does it allow tolerating being oppressed, therefore the Imams (as) acted perfectly in accordance with Islam when they strongly rebuked people for their wrongdoings. Besides, the rebuking of Imams is also helpful in rijal studies, as those companions which were rebuked are considered special cases in rijal.

    Wassalam

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