The Good Tree

As we are busy purifying ourselves, in this Holy Month of Ramadhan, via our good deeds, prayers and supplications, knowing the similitude of the good tree may help us pursue our worship more enthusiastically. This tradition will hopefully accomplish two tasks. First, it will hopefully encourage us to devote more time to our religious studies and good deeds, in order to ensure that we, truly, are the followers of Ahlul Bayt (Peace be upon them). Second, it will hopefully provide us with a sense of tranquility and hope that if we do our part and adhere closely to the teachings of Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) and ensure that our deeds and lives are in line with their teachings, then we are attached to the good tree.  

Always keep in mind that our deeds speak much louder than our words. We exhibit our beliefs and faith, not through our words but through our actions. Anyone can memorize nice religious words to say when opportunity arrives, but not everyone has sufficient faith in their beliefs to exhibit them via actions. Thus, use this Holy Month to break old undesirable habits, and in turn, begin new desirable and religious habits. Remember, habits take time to break or to form. Do not give up, be patient and preserve through.

The following tradition is graded authentic.

Arabic Text:

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَيْفٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ حُرَيْثٍ قَالَ:  
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ - كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُها ثابِتٌ‏ وَ فَرْعُها فِي السَّماءِ(14:24)  قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَصْلُهَا وَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فَرْعُهَا وَ الْأَئِمَّةُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا أَغْصَانُهَا وَ عِلْمُ الْأَئِمَّةِ ثَمَرَتُهَا وَ شِيعَتُهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَرَقُهَا هَلْ فِيهَا فَضْلٌ‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَا وَ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيُولَدُ فَتُورَقُ وَرَقَةٌ فِيهَا وَ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيَمُوتُ فَتَسْقُطُ وَرَقَةٌ مِنْهَا.

Farsi Translation:

عمرو بن حريث گويد: قول خداى تعالى را:  
«مانند درخت پاكى كه ريشه ‏اش برجا و شاخه‏اش سر به آسمان كشيده» (14:24) از امام صادق عليه السلام پرسيدم. حضرت فرمود: رسول خدا صلّى اللَّه عليه و آله اصل و ريشه آن درخت است و امير المؤمنين عليه السلام فرع (و تنه) آن و امامان از نسل آنها شاخه ‏هاى آن و علم امامان ميوه آن و شيعيان مؤمن ايشان برگهاى آنست، آيا در آن درخت چيز زياد ديگرى هست؟ عرضكردم: نه، بخدا. فرمود: بخدا كه چون مؤمنى متولد شود، برگى در آن درخت پيدا مى ‏شود و چون مؤمنى ميميرد، برگى از آن درخت مى‏ افتد.

English Translation:

Narrated by a number of our companions from Ahmed Ibn Mohamed from Ali Ibn Seif from his father from Amr Ibn Huraith who said: 
I asked Abu Abdullah (Peace be upon him) about the words of Allah the Most Exalted: “A goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens.” (14:24).

He (peace be upon him) said: “The Messenger of Allah is its root, the Prince of the Faithfuls is its trunk. The Imams from their progeny are its branches, the knowledge of the imams is its fruits and their faithful Shia are its leaves. Is there anything else in that [tree]?”

I said, “No, by Allah.”

He (peace be upon him) said, “By Allah, when a faithful [Mu'min] is born a leaf blossoms upon it and when a faithful [Mu'min] dies, a leaf falls.”

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 428, Tradition #80

The Meaning of "Better than a Thousand Months"

In his post, I present our Imam’s answer to a common question about the Night of Ordainment [Laylatul Qadr]. What does it mean for this night to be better than a thousand months? Many of us may have read this chapter thousands of time, but have barely spent time contemplating deeply about its meaning. This post is meant to shed some light on a few commonly-questioned issues surrounding the Night of Ordainment. Hopefully, following our better understanding of the significance of this night, we would be more motivated to plan properly how to utilize this divine opportunity most effectively.

I hope this post does indeed encourage and inspire us to dedicate more time and thoughts, on this night and other nights, to explore our faith, our religion and our hereafter. In-depth contemplation often leads to desirable for actions.

If this post does revitalize your desire for prayers and committing good deeds, then please do place and keep me in your supplications and prayers. Thank you.

This tradition is graded Good.

Arabic Text:

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ وَ زُرَارَةَ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ حُمْرَانَ‏ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ - إِنَّا أَنْزَلْناهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبارَكَةٍ  (44:3)قَالَ نَعَمْ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ وَ هِيَ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ فَلَمْ يُنْزَلِ الْقُرْآنُ إِلَّا فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ - فِيها يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ‏(44:4)  قَالَ يُقَدَّرُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ كُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ يَكُونُ فِي تِلْكَ السَّنَةِ إِلَى مِثْلِهَا مِنْ قَابِلٍ خَيْرٍ وَ شَرٍّ وَ طَاعَةٍ وَ مَعْصِيَةٍ وَ مَوْلُودٍ وَ أَجَلٍ أَوْ رِزْقٍ فَمَا قُدِّرَ فِي تِلْكَ السَّنَةِ وَ قُضِيَ فَهُوَ الْمَحْتُومُ وَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهِ الْمَشِيئَةُ قَالَ قُلْتُ‏ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ(97:3)  أَيُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ عُنِيَ بِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهَا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ وَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ أَنْوَاعِ الْخَيْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ فِي أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ وَ لَوْ لَا مَا يُضَاعِفُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا بَلَغُوا وَ لَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضَاعِفُ لَهُمُ الْحَسَنَاتِ بِحُبِّنَا.

English Translation:

Narrated by Ali Ibn Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abu Omeir from Omar Ibn Othaina from Al-Fudhail, Zurara and Mohamed Ibn Muslim from Homran,  who asked Abu Ja’afar (PBUH) regarding the words of Allah the Most Exalted:  “Verily, We have revealed it (the Quran) on a blessed night.” (44:3)

He (As) replied: Yes; on the Night of Ordainment which comes every year in the month of Ramadhan, in one of the last 10 nights, for the Quran was not revealed except on the Night of Ordainment. Allah the Most Exalted says: “In it all judicious affairs are made distinct.” (44:4)

He (as) said: On the Night of Ordainment everything is decreed in that year until the like of it comes upon; good and evil and obedience and disobedience and births and deaths or livelihoods. So, what is decreed and dictated in that year becomes inevitable, and is the will of Allah the Most Exalted.

I asked him, “You said the “Night of Ordainment is better than a thousand months.” (97:3) What is meant by that?”

He (as) said, “Good deeds on this night including prayer, alms-giving and all nature of charitable are better than deeds done over a thousand months without a Night of Ordainment. And if not [for this night] Allah would not multiply for the faithfuls their deeds, but Allah the Most Exalted multiplies their rewards, with our love."

Note:

There is an almost identical tradition with a slightly different chain of transmission (sanad) and subtle different in the content (matn). This difference in matn seems to appear at the very end. The phrase “with our love” or “بِحُبِّنَا” is missing in Al-Sadooq’s Thawaab al-Amaal… (P. 65).

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 4, Page 157-158, Tradition#6

A List of Mandatory and Recommended Major Ablutions

Here’s a tradition which lists a number of mandatory [wajib] aghsal [plural of ghusl.] It also mentions a few recommended aghsal one of which is specifically named to be a sunna.  There is not many implicit points within this tradition that I would like to point to. Since many of the recommended aghsal should be done within the next few days, I decided to post this tradition as a reminder for all of us. 

For more recommended major ablutions [aghsal] you could click here.

If you do notice any interesting implicit or obscure points or teachings within this tradition, please let me know.

The following tradition is reliable.

Arabic Text:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ غُسْلِ الْجُمُعَةِ

فَقَالَ وَاجِبٌ فِي السَّفَرِ وَ الْحَضَرِ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ رُخِّصَ لِلنِّسَاءِ فِي السَّفَرِ لِقِلَّةِ الْمَاءِ وَ قَالَ غُسْلُ الْجَنَابَةِ وَاجِبٌ وَ غُسْلُ الْحَائِضِ إِذَا طَهُرَتْ وَاجِبٌ وَ غُسْلُ الْمُسْتَحَاضَةِ وَاجِبٌ إِذَا احْتَشَتْ بِالْكُرْسُفِ فَجَازَ الدَّمُ الْكُرْسُفَ فَعَلَيْهَا الْغُسْلُ لِكُلِّ صَلَاتَيْنِ وَ لِلْفَجْرِ غُسْلٌ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَجُزِ الدَّمُ الْكُرْسُفَ فَعَلَيْهَا الْغُسْلُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّةً وَ الْوُضُوءُ لِكُلِّ صَلَاةٍ وَ غُسْلُ النُّفَسَاءِ وَاجِبٌ وَ غُسْلُ الْمَوْلُودِ وَاجِبٌ وَ غُسْلُ الْمَيِّتِ وَاجِبٌ‏ وَ غُسْلُ الزِّيَارَةِ وَاجِبٌ وَ غُسْلُ دُخُولِ الْبَيْتِ وَاجِبٌ وَ غُسْلُ الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ وَاجِبٌ وَ غُسْلُ أَوَّلِ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ يُسْتَحَبُّ وَ غُسْلُ لَيْلَةِ إِحْدَى وَ عِشْرِينَ وَ غُسْلُ لَيْلَةِ ثَلَاثٍ وَ عِشْرِينَ سُنَّةٌ لَا تَتْرُكْهَا فَإِنَّهُ يُرْجَى فِي إِحْدَاهُنَ‏ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ وَ غُسْلُ يَوْمِ الْفِطْرِ وَ غُسْلُ يَوْمِ الْأَضْحَى سُنَّةٌ لَا أُحِبُّ تَرْكَهَا وَ غُسْلُ الِاسْتِخَارَةِ يُسْتَحَبُ‏ الْعَمَلُ فِي غُسْلِ الثَّلَاثِ اللَّيَالِي مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ- لَيْلَةَ تِسْعَ عَشْرَةَ وَ إِحْدَى وَ عِشْرِينَ وَ ثَلَاثٍ وَ عِشْرِينَ.

English Translation:

Narrated by Mohamed Ibn Yahya from Ahmad Ibn Mohammad from Osman Ibn Eissa from Suma’a who said: 

I asked Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) regarding Ghusl on Friday. 
He (as) said, “It is mandatory [Wajib] in travel and in residence although women may be exempt during travel due to lack of water.”

He (as) said, “Ghusl after intercourse is mandatory [Wajib], and Ghusl for a menstruating woman after she becomes pure (stops menstruating) is mandatory [Wajib]. Washing for a woman who is menstruating is mandatory [Wajib] if she has inserted gossypium (Cotton cloth or pad) and the blood leaks from the gossypium; thus, upon her is to perform Ghusl. She must perform Ghusl between every two prayer times, and before dawn [prayers] there is Ghusl . If blood does not leak from the gossypium, upon her is to perform Ghusl once each day as well as the normal ablutions [Wudhu] before each prayer time.

Ghusl for a woman who has given birth is mandatory [Wajib]. The Ghusl of the newborn is mandatory [Wajib], the Ghusl of the deceased is mandatory [Wajib], Ghusl before visiting holy shrines is mandatory [Wajib] and Ghusl before entering the site of the Holy House (Mecca) is mandatory [Wajib].

Ghusl before performing rain prayers is mandatory [Wajib]. Ghusl on the first night of Ramadan is recommended [Mustahab], as is Ghusl on the 21^st night and on the 23d night (of Ramadan). This is Sunnah; do not neglect it for one of these nights is conceded to be the Night of Ordainment.

Ghusl should performed on the day of Breaking fast (Eid Al-Fitr) and on the day of sacrifice (Eid al-Adha). This is a Sunnah I do not like to neglect. (There is) Ghusl before Istikhara (guidance) prayers. Ghusl is a recommended act on three nights of Shahr Ramadan – the 19^th, the 21^st and the 23d.

Source

Al-Kafi, Volume 3, Page 40, Tradition #2

The Night of Ordainment and its Sign

Does the Night of Ordainment [Laylatul Qadr] have a special sign of its own? Yes. In this post, I will post a tradition, which in addition to informing us about the sign of the Night of Ordainment, concisely, acquaints us further with this special night.

This tradition is saheeh.

:Arabic Text

أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا ع قَالَ

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ عَلَامَةِ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ فَقَالَ عَلَامَتُهَا أَنْ تَطِيبَ رِيحُهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ فِي بَرْدٍ دَفِئَتْ‏ وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ فِي حَرٍّ بَرَدَتْ فَطَابَتْ قَالَ وَ سُئِلَ عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ فَقَالَ تَنْزِلُ فِيهَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَ الْكَتَبَةُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيَكْتُبُونَ مَا يَكُونُ فِي أَمْرِ السَّنَةِ وَ مَا يُصِيبُ الْعِبَادَ وَ أَمْرُهُ عِنْدَهُ مَوْقُوفٌ لَهُ وَ فِيهِ الْمَشِيئَةُ فَيُقَدِّمُ مِنْهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ يُؤَخِّرُ مِنْهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ يَمْحُو وَ يُثْبِتُ وَ عِنْدَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتابِ‏ 

.

Farsi Translation:

از ابو جعفر باقر (ع) و يا ابو عبد اللَّه صادق (ع) پرسيدم:

شب قدر، با چه علامتى شناخته مى‏ شود، آن سرور گفت: نشانه شب قدر آن است كه نسيم آن شب مطبوع و دلاويز مى‏ شود: اگر فصل سرما باشد، سوز سرما به گرمى مى‏ گرايد و اگر فصل گرما باشد، سوز گرما به سردى و خنكى مى‏ گرايد، به حدّى كه مطبوع مى‏ شود. يك نفر پرسيد كه در شب قدر، چه مسائلى تقدير مى‏ شود؟ آن سرور گفت: در شب قدر، فرشتگان و دبيران تا آخرين آسمان فرود مى ‏آيند و مقدّرات سال آينده را ثبت مى‏ كنند و مصائبى كه بر مردم نازل مى‏ شود، آمار مى‏ كنند. با وجود اين اجراى همه اين مقدّرات، متوقف بر خواست خداوند است: آن چه را بخواهد مقدّم مى‏ دارد و آنچه را بخواهد مؤخر مى‏ دارد. برخى از نوشته‏ ها را محو مى‏ كند و نوشته‏ هاى ديگرى مى ‏افزايد: منبع همه نوشته‏ ها نزد او است.

English Translation:

Narrated by Ahmed Ibn Mohamed from Al-Hussein Ibn Sa’eed from Fadhala Ibn Ayoub from Al-Alaa Ibn Razin from Mohamed Ibn Muslim from one of the two Imams (peace be upon them): 

I asked him regarding the sign of the Night of Ordainment.

He (as) replied, “It is signaled by a pleasant breeze. If it is cold, the breeze is warm. If it is hot, the breeze is cool and pleasant.”

He (as) was asked regarding the Night of Ordainment.

He (as) said: in it the angels and the scribes descend to the lower [or lowest or worldly] heavens. They record what the command [Amr] is for that year, what will befall the servants [of Allah] and what has been reserved [or commanded] for each [upcoming year]. On this night the [general] Will of God is done [or is in place]. So, He advances from it [from His general will] what He wills, and postpones from it [from His general Will] what He wills; He erases and preserves [or confirms], for His is the Mother Book [Ummol Kitab.]

Source

Al-kafi, Volume 4, Page 157, Tradition #3

There are a few interesting points that I noticed in this tradition. 

Firstly, in this tradition, we informed about the descending of the angels and scribes, whereas in the Quran, we are informed about the descending of the angels and The Spirit [97:4]. Moreover, the angels and the scribes are portrayed as two different entities, via the conjunction “and.” There is a common assumption that angels are the scribes. However, this tradition seems to imply otherwise. We neither know the nature of the angels nor the nature of the scribes. Nonetheless, this tradition provides us with an opportunity to think of them as two separate entities as opposed to one. This distinction may be quite useful for anyone who is deeply interested in the study of angels, The Spirit and the scribes.

Secondly, in this tradition we are informed a bit further regarding where the angels descend to on this night. They descend to the lowest [or worldly] heavens or the lowest skies. In the Quran, we learn that God has adorned the lowest [or worldly] heavens with lamps/lights [37:6][41:12][67:5].  Scholars have interpreted this verse to be referring to the stars that we see at night time. If these scribes and angels descend to this lowest [worldly] skies only on this special night, then they cannot be identical to those scribes that record our daily activities, which are commonly-believed to be on our right and left sides at all times. 

Finally, according to this tradition, God has the Mother Book, which He may use to either erase or confirm what has been written previously. This fact implies that whatever the scribes and the angels have written may be modified through the Mother Book. There is the decree book and there is also the Mother Book. If we the notion “book” to denote law and order, as opposed to regular books that we see daily, then we can realize that there is a hierarchy in place. There are higher-order laws, which may come into effect and modify lower-order laws.

If you have noticed more points in this tradition, please do not hesitate to mention them in the comment box. On the same note, if you are aware of other acceptable traditions that conflict with my notes in this post, please let me know and if needed, I will revise my notes.