Angels, Your Body, and the Earth Can Testify Against You

Here’s an authentic tradition regarding God’s mercy.

Arabic Text:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ وَهْبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‏ إِذَا تَابَ الْعَبْدُ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحاً أَحَبَّهُ اللَّه‏ فَسَتَرَ عَلَيْهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ فَقُلْتُ وَ كَيْفَ يَسْتُرُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ يُنْسِي مَلَكَيْهِ مَا كَتَبَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ وَ يُوحِي إِلَى جَوَارِحِهِ اكْتُمِي عَلَيْهِ ذُنُوبَهُ وَ يُوحِي إِلَى بِقَاعِ الْأَرْضِ اكْتُمِي مَا كَانَ يَعْمَلُ عَلَيْكِ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ فَيَلْقَى اللَّهَ حِينَ يَلْقَاهُ وَ لَيْسَ شَيْ‏ءٌ يَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ.

English Translation:

Moa'wiyah ibn Wahb said, I heard Abu Abdullah, peace be upon him, saying,

“If a servant repents sincerely, Allah loves him, so [He] covers his sins in this life and the next.”

I said, “And how does He cover him?”

He, peace be upon him, said, “He makes his two angels forget the sins that they had written upon him, and He reveals/signals to his body organs to hide his sins, and reveals/signals to the places on Earth, where he had committed sinful deeds, to hide them. Thus, when Allah meets him, and he meets Him, nothing will testify against him from [his] sins.”

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Page 430, Tradition #1

Explicit teachings:

•        God is merciful.
•        Sincere repentance results in your protection from your sins.
•        God commands angels, body parts, and Earth to conceal the sins of a sincere repentant.  

Implicit teachings:

•        Imam’s companion asked the Imam, peace be upon him, how God completes an affair. Neither the Imam nor the companion were hesitant to discuss the mechanics behind God’s order.

•        Our actions affect 3 things: angels, Earth, and our body parts. Sinful actions will leave negative effects on our body parts and Earth, which must be covered or concealed to not count against us.

•        Conceptually, what angels remember, is not the same as what is written down. Angels can forget what they have written down, and subsequently, what they have written down becomes inconsequential for us. Thus, it is my opinion, we ought not to picture a book of any sort; rather we must consider established effects that are linked to angels’ memories. In simpler words, what angels perceive, they remember, and what they remember has effects. Without the proximate cause of angels remembering, there won’t be any consequences for our actions. What memory implies in this case, I do not know. Here’s the given causal chain that links our action to their consequences:

o   Our actions -> angels’ memory -> established effects -> consequences of our actions

•        Imam’s companion asked the Imam, peace be upon him, how God completes an affair. Neither the Imam nor the companion was hesitant to discuss the mechanics behind God’s will. Thus, it is permitted, at least on some occasions, to ask how God achieves with His will.

•        God regularly sends revelations to our body parts and Earth, but not angels. How angels communicate with God is different than how Earth and our body parts communicate with God.

•        Earth and our body parts are commanded to hide, angels are commanded to forget. All three entities are portrayed to have consciousness, or a means to take in information and act upon it.  

•        It is a common Islamic knowledge that our body parts testify against us in the hereafter; however, this tradition makes it clear that Earth or the land that you walk on can also testify against you.

Two Types of God's Will

This post is a theological post about the will of Allah.  Needless to say, this is a very complicated topic and perhaps beyond our ability to comprehend it. However, we have been given some hints and ideas, which I found quite interesting to keep in mind and to think about, when necessary.

There are three traditions in this post. In the first two traditions, the original word for «will» is the word الْإِرَادَةِ, whereas in the last tradition the word  الْمَشِيئَةَis used. In my opinion, it is crucial to realize that these two words have two different connotations, even though both of these words denote the will of Allah.

As I looked into what the scholars have said regarding this difference in connotation, I noticed that there are multiple possibilities. However, the simplest possibility, which in my opinion is also coherent and fits well with these three traditions is the following: الْمَشِيئَةَ applies to the general will of Allah, whereas الْإِرَادَةِ refers to the specific will of Allah regarding specific things.  In this context, the specific will of Allah follows or comes after the general will of Allah. For the specific will of Allah, specific things need to exist, things to be willed up. Without things to be willed upon, specific will would not have a purpose to exist. On the other hand, the general will of Allah, which precedes the specific will of Allah, is not linked to any thing and was created before all else.

These are some preliminary notes that I thought I should mention before the traditions. Following these traditions, I will add a few more points.

Arabic Text:

 (1مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْعَطَّارُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْأَهْوَازِيِّ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ قُلْتُ لَمْ يَزَلِ اللَّهُ مُرِيداً قَالَ 
إِنَّ الْمُرِيدَ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا لِمُرَادٍ مَعَهُ لَمْ يَزَلِ اللَّهُ عَالِماً قَادِراً ثُمَّ أَرَادَ

 (3أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِرَادَةِ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ قَالَ فَقَالَ 
الْإِرَادَةُ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ الضَّمِيرُ وَ مَا يَبْدُو لَهُمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْفِعْلِ وَ أَمَّا مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَإِرَادَتُهُ إِحْدَاثُهُ لَا غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُرَوِّي وَ لَا يَهُمُّ وَ لَا يَتَفَكَّرُ وَ هَذِهِ الصِّفَاتُ مَنْفِيَّةٌ عَنْهُ وَ هِيَ صِفَاتُ الْخَلْقِ فَإِرَادَةُ اللَّهِ الْفِعْلُ لَا غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ بِلَا لَفْظٍ وَ لَا نُطْقٍ بِلِسَانٍ وَ لَا هِمَّةٍ وَ لَا تَفَكُّرٍ وَ لَا كَيْفَ لِذَلِكَ كَمَا أَنَّهُ لَا كَيْفَ لَهُ

 (4عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ 
خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْمَشِيئَةَ بِنَفْسِهَا ثُمَّ خَلَقَ الْأَشْيَاءَ بِالْمَشِيئَةِ

Farsi Translation:

 (1عاصم گويد: بامام صادق (ع) عرضكردم: خدا هميشه مريد (با اراده) است؟ فرمود: 
مريد نميباشد مگر با بودن مراد (اراده شده) با او، خدا هميشه عالم و قادر است و سپس اراده كرده است.

 (3صفوان گويد: بحضرت ابو الحسن عليه السلام عرضكردم، اراده خدا و اراده مخلوق را برايم بيان كنيد، فرمود: 
اراده مخلوق ضمير و آهنگ درونى او است و آنچه پس از آن از او سر ميزند، و اما اراده خداى تعالى همان پديد آوردن اوست نه چيز ديگر، زيرا او نينديشد و آهنگ نكند و تفكر ننمايد، اين صفات در او نيست و صفات مخلوقست، پس اراده خدا همان فعل او است نه چيز ديگر، بهر چو خواهد موجود شود گويد «باش پس ميباشد» (موجود شو بلا فاصله موجود شود) بدون لفظ و سخن بزبان و آهنگ و تفكر، و اراده خدا چگونگى ندارد چنانچه او چگونگى ندارد.

 (4امام صادق (ع) فرمود: 
خدا خود مشيت را بى‏ واسطه آفريد و همه چيز را به مشيت آفريد.

English Translation:

1) Authentic/Saheeh

Muhammad ibn Yahya al-‘Attar has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa al-Ash‘ari from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id al-Ahwazi from an-Nadr ibn Suwayd from ‘Asim ibn Hamiyd who has said the following. "I asked abu ‘Abdallah (peace be upon him), ‘Has Allah always been willing [or with will]?’" He (peace be upon him) replied, "There is no Will without [anything] to be is willed upon. Allah is eternally All-knowing and All-powerful. Then He wills [Eradah]."

3) Authentic/Saheeh

Ahmad ibn Idrees has narrated from Mohammed ibn Abdul-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya who has said: "I said to Abi Al–Hasan: Tell me about God's will and the will of creatures. He (peace be upon him) said: "Creatures’ will is in their inside [insticts] and the action that stems from it later. Hoever, the will of Allah, the Most High, is creation/invention/something-coming-to-be, and nothing else, because He does not tell nor deliberates nor cotemplates. These characteristics do not belong to Him and [instead] belong to creatures. God’s will is His action, and nothing else. He says to anything: Be and it becomes [or comes into existence]. This occurs without any articulation or utterance of the tongue, without any effort or thinking. His will has no conditions [or «how’s»] as His Self has no conditions [or «How’s»]."

4) Good/Hasan

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ’Udhaynah from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following: "Allah created His Will [Mashiyat] by itself [or Himself]. Then, He created all things by His Will [Mashiyat]."

The following are some points that I noticed in the aforementioned traditions:

• Both wills of Allah, general and specific, are created by Allah.

• The general will [Mashiyat] of Allah precedes the creation of everything else.  This general will was/is required to create all things, which includes the specific will.

• According to these traditions, there seems to be a clear structure in place. In order for the specific will to exist, things to be willed upon must exist.  Similarly, in order for anything to exist, His general will needs to come into existence. This is confirmed by the usage of the term ثُمَّ or «then», which denotes steps or stages.

• With regard to the creatures, what is quite fascinating is that our Imam (as) has not made any distinctions amongst creatures when he speaks about their inside and will.  Now, I cannot understand how for example a rock could be comparable with living creatures, but at least in terms of living creatures, we can see that there are certainly some shared features.    

• The term الضَّمِيرُ could have multiple meanings. Considering that this term is shared for all creatures, we cannot think of a meaning that is specific to humans or only relevant to humans.

• In terms of humans, our actions stem from our ضَّمِير [inside or instincts or intuitions or …].  Therefore, clearly, there is a link between our inside, whatever that may be, and our actions.

• From a scientific perspective, our inside could mean our intuition, our perception of the world, our instincts, all of which are very subjective and relative, depending on our environment and circumstances.

• If our actions stem from our inside, then to commit good deeds, we need to be concerned about our inside. The question we need to ask ourselves is «how I can configure my inside in order to produce good actions on the outside?»

• Since our will includes both the inside [instinct or …] and the outside action that follows, then one without the other cannot be considered as our will.  In other words, if we commit an action without the inside motive or desire for it, then that action is not what we willed to do.  Similarly, if we have the desire or the motive to commit an action but do not actually do so, then we did not will to do so.

• In terms of God’s will, both specific and general, I cannot say anything, since according to our Imam (as), it is nothing like our will, and since that is that case we cannot even begin to make comparisons and should not make conjectures. Therefore, at this point, until I find other acceptable traditions that may shed more light on this issue, I won’t make any further comments on God’s will. 

• The view that I mentioned in this post is supported by another tradition that I had posted last year. According to that tradition, our Imam (as) states that God’s general will [الْمَشِيئَة] is the «First Rememberance» or الذِّكْرُ الْأَوَّلُ   and God’s specific will [الْإِرَادَة] is the «determination to do what He wants» or الْعَزِيمَةُ عَلَى مَا يَشَاءُ. Thus, this can be used as another evidence that God’s general will precedes God’s specific will, and that there is a clear structure in place.

These are some points that I noticed as I read and looked into this topic. I am certain that those who are much more knowledgeable than me in this topic have much more to say, or see much more than I perceived. If you would like to add any comments or any questions, please do so.

Lastly, please double-check the translations. If you feel there is room for improvement, please do let me know.

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 109-110, Tradition #1, #3, #4

"Those Who Have Knowledge"

Who are “those who have knowledge?”

The term “الْعُلَماء” [Ulama] can be interchangeably defined as “scholars” or “those who have knowledge.” when we check the translation for the following line, “إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ” (35:28) we notice that the term “الْعُلَماء” [Ulama] is almost unanimously translated as “those who have knowledge” and not “scholars.”

Let us put these two possible translations side by side and try to understand why most translations have chosen the former and not the latter.

“only those who have knowledge among His slaves fear Allah.” (35:28) versus “only scholars among His slaves fear Allah.” (35:28)

Nowadays, those who we consider as official “scholars” are a minority group amongst believers, namely, those who have attended a hawzah for many years and have attained the official permission to teach and give lectures. Yet, many believers may have an immense amount of religious knowledge but not be such scholars, officially.

In other words, our contemporary use of the term “scholar” is very exclusive, whereas “those who have knowledge” is much more inclusive. It would be unreasonable to assume that this verse was revealed about a group of people who had formal, institutionalized education, especially since there was not any official religious institution when this verse was revealed.  Therefore, it is very reasonable to accept the more inclusive translation, “those who have knowledge” for the term “ulama” / “الْعُلَماء” .

The term “الْعُلَماء” [Ulama] is in its plural form, and its singular form is “عَالِم‏” [Alim].  Based on the aforementioned logic, the term “عَالِم‏” [Alim] must be defined as “a person who has knowledge,” according to the Holy Quran.

Therefore, an Alim / “عَالِم‏” could be any individual, whether he or she is a student, a carpenter, a doctor, an engineer or unemployed.  The term “عَالِم‏” [Alim] does not automatically entail an official hawzah-educated scholar. 

Therefore, my first point is that, based on this line from the Quran, we should disconnect the association between the term “عَالِم‏” [Alim] or “الْعُلَماء” [Ulama] with a very specific group of people.  In simple words, and I’m repeating myself, we should not automatically assume that an Alim / “عَالِم‏” must have officially studied in a specific institution and have a specific certificate of some sort. 

Following the aforementioned point, we can now return to the question that I asked at the beginning of this post.  Who are “those who have knowledge?”

In the following Authentic tradition, our Imam, peace be upon him, tells us about a necessary quality of an Alim [a person who has knowledge].  This quality is necessary because without it a person cannot be said to have knowledge.  

After stating this tradition, I would like to bring your attention to a few crucial points.

Arabic text:

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ النَّصْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِنَّما يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبادِهِ الْعُلَماءُ (فاطر: 28) قَالَ يَعْنِي بِالْعُلَمَاءِ مَنْ صَدَّقَ فِعْلُهُ قَوْلَهُ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يُصَدِّقْ فِعْلُهُ قَوْلَهُ فَلَيْسَ بِعَالِمٍ

Farsi Translation:

امام صادق (ع) در تفسير گفته خداى عز و جل (28 سوره 35): «همانا مى‏ ترسند از خدا بندگان عالمش» فرمود:

مقصود او از علماء كسانى است كه كردارشان گفتارشان را تصديق كند و هر كه كردارش مصدق گفته ‏اش نباشد عالم نيست .

English Translation:

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from al-Harith ibn Mughirah al-Nasri from abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, who about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Gracious, has said the following:

“ ’only those who have knowledge among His slaves fear Allah’ (35:28) means that those who have knowledge [ulama] are those whose deeds testify to the truthfulness of their words; otherwise, whoever, whose deeds do not testify to the truthfulness of his words is not a person who has knowledge [alim].”

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 36, Tradition #2

This tradition and this Quranic statement are much deeper than they may initially seem. 

Firstly, as it is clear, only those whose deeds testify to the truthfulness of their words are people who have knowledge. This is a necessary condition.  It implies that, whoever, regardless of how much information he has obtained via various means, is not a person of knowledge until his actions follow his words. For example, an individual may have read hundred books, yet his deeds do not reflect the information that he has read.  Based on this tradition, this person cannot be considered a knowledgeable person.  Islam, vividly, distinguishes between information and knowledge [ilm]. An individual’s Knowledge is visible and can be known only through his or her deeds and actions. 

Secondly, based on this tradition, fear of God is linked to one’s actions and not the information that one has read in books or heard in lectures.  I may have read much about God’s punishments and hell fire and etcetera, but I begin to fear Allah only when I begin to follow His ordained laws.  Until I follow His commands, fear of Allah will not enter my heart.

Thirdly, based on this tradition and two of my previous posts (1 & 2), fear of Allah is directly linked to our faith, and both are directly linked to our deeds and actions.   Those who have gained faith in their hearts, through their pious deeds, fear Allah. 

Lastly, this tradition teaches us that we should not be fooled by those who talk much but act little, because if they do not act according to their words, then they themselves do not really comprehend or understand what they are talking about.   We need to always be quite vigilant as to whom we learn from, especially when it comes to learning about the path to Allah.

God Almighty's Counsel to Jesus Son of Mary (Peace be upon him) ... Part III

O Jesus, humble yourself before those who do good deeds; become one of them and bear witness to them. Tell the transgressors among the children of Israel, committers and companions of evil, to desist or I shall transform them into apes and swine. O Jesus, tell the transgressors from amongst the children of Israel, at my wisdom the multitudes weep yet you laugh and forsake Me. I have shown you My evidence or do you have a safeguard against My torture or do you forsake Me to punish Me? I have created you to make of you an example to others.

O son of Maryam the virgin maiden, I commend to you My revered messenger and My beloved Ahmed of the red camel; he of the beautiful face radiant with pure light, he of the courageous heart, the venerable one, for he is a mercy to the worlds and a prince amongst the children of Adam on the day of our meeting; the most blessed of the harbingers and the messenger most beloved by Me. The honest Arab, the believer in My religion, the steadfast for My sake; he battles the pagans with his own hands for the sake of My religion. Enlighten the Children of Israel about him. Command them to believe in him and have faith in him, to follow him and champion him. 

Jesus said, “My Lord, who is he that I may seek his utmost favour?” 

God said, “He is Mohammed, the messenger of God to all the people of the world, the dearest to Me and the foremost intercessor. Blessings upon the prophet and upon his people that come to Me through him. He is praised by the people of the earth, blessed by the inhabitants of the heavens. Trustworthy, auspicious, good and pleasing, the most favoured by Me from amongst the rest. He will come at the end of times. When he goes out the heavens bow to his glory, the earth brings forth its flowers that all may see its blessings, and My blessings upon all he touches. He of the many wives and few children, he resides in Mecca the founding place of Abraham. 

O Jesus, his religion is the Abrahamic faith, his tribe is Yemeni. He walks in My company and I am with him. Blessings upon him, blessings upon him. He holds the highest rank in the gardens of Eden. He is the most generous amongst the living and he shall die a martyr. His dominion stretches from Mecca to the place where the sun rises, like basins of fragrant nectar more numerous than the stars in the sky, a sweet cup as wide as the earth filled with all nature of drink and fruits of the earth. He who sips from it shall never thirst. This is My bequest to him and such is My preference for him.

You and he are in accord; in secret, in public, in word and in deed; he commands people to follow his religion, to practice Jihad in good times and in bad. He will lead nations; the king of the Romans he will conquer in the name of the religion of Abraham. He will bless food in My name before eating it; he will spread peace; he will pray through the night while people sleep. He will uphold five daily prayers. The call to prayer will be like a call to arms; prayers will commence with My name and end with the salutation. He positions his feet in prayer as the angels position theirs, with reverence in his heart, his radiant head bowed upon his chest, his tongue uttering the word of truth. 

Truthful he has always been since he was a lost orphan for a period of time. His eyes slumber but his heart never sleeps. He is the intercessor and for his people will the Day of Judgment be held. My hand will be upon their hands. Whomsoever transgresses, transgresses against himself. Whosoever keeps the covenant, I shall keep My covenant and reward him with paradise. Command the transgressors from amongst the children of Israel to study his book and to not falsify his ways for he is the prophet of peace and holds a place of high regard.

O Jesus, all that would bring you closer to Me I have shown you; all that would distance you from Me I have forbidden. Reflect within yourself, O Jesus; worldly life is sweet and I have bestowed upon you some parts of it and forbidden others, so take what I have bestowed and allowed you. O Jesus, look at your deeds as a sinner and wrongdoer; look not at the deeds of others as a lord. Be frugal, do not desire life excessively or you shall become corrupt.

O Jesus, use your reason [Aql], think, observe throughout the ages the fate of transgressors. O Jesus, all I have described is for your guidance; My words are the truth for I am the ultimate truth. Do not disobey Me after I have informed you of your obligations to Me, for without Me you have no better champion.

O Jesus, make you heart humble with fear. Look to those who are beneath you and look not to those above you. Know that the seed of every sin and transgression is the love of worldly life; therefore, do not love it for I do not love it.

O Jesus, make your heart pleasing to Me. Make remembrance of Me in your solitude and know that I delight in your closeness to Me, and do so with eagerness and not with inattention. O Jesus, worship none other than Me and beware of Me. Be not vain about your health or become arrogant for life is but a passing shadow and as you arrive into it so do you depart. Vie to do good deeds and defend truth wherever it may be. Do not denounce Me after you have known Me, even should you be cut or burned with fire and do not be like the ignorant. For everything there is a reason. 

O Jesus, let your eyes pour tears for Me; worship Me devoutly with your heart. O Jesus, in times of hardship I succour those who are in distress and assist the oppressed for I am the Most Merciful.”

 Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 8, Page 131, Tradition #103

God Almighty's Counsel to Jesus Son of Mary (Peace be upon him) ... Part II

O Jesus, no creature have I blessed with such a faith nor graced with such clemency.

O Jesus, with water cleanse your outer self and with good deeds cleanse your inner self for you shall return unto Me. O Jesus, with blessings have I inundated you in abundance and without meagreness. I have requested a measure of your soul in return. Should you be miserly with it you shall be of the damned.

O Jesus, adorn yourself with faith and love for the poor. Walk in humility, pray in all parts of the earth thereof for they are all untainted. Rejoice, O Jesus for the time is nigh. Read My book in purity and raise your voice to Me in supplication.

O Jesus, there is no virtue in delights that do not endure nor a mortal life that does not last. O son of Maryam, if your eyes could glimpse what I have prepared for My righteous followers, your heart would melt and your life would expire with longing for it. For there is no place such as the hereafter; an abode where the righteous dwell as neighbors, visited by our closest angels. To this refuge they come, safe from the horrors of The Judgement Day, an unchanging paradise, everlasting for its dwellers.

O son of Maryam, vie for it amongst the competitors for this is the highest and best of aspirations.  Blessed indeed are you, son of Maryam, that you would join your forefathers Adam and Abraham in gardens of delight from which you could desire nothing more.

Hence, join the righteous, O Jesus. Flee with those who flee the fire of roaring flames, a hellfire of shackles and chains, into which no good soul enters, and no despair exists, dark as the darkest night. He who is spared from it is saved; for the damned will not be spared, neither the toughest or most ruthless tyrants nor every coarse ruffian, nor the arrogant and vain.

O Jesus, such is the abode of those who seek it through evil intentions, the abode of transgressors. Be warned O Jesus, be knowledgeable and observant of Me and bear witness that I have created you. You are My servant; I formed you in your image and put you upon the earth. 

O Jesus, two tongues cannot fit into one mouth nor two hearts within one breast. Likewise, O Jesus, the minds of men; they awaken not the disobedient nor do they alert the forgetful. Wean yourself from the lusts of mortal sins; abstain from every desire that distances you from Me. Know that you are My trustworthy herald; be warned and know that your worldly life is your path to Me. I have given you knowledge of Me. Speak of Me with humbleness and humility, and keep vigilance to Me while others sleep.

O Jesus, this is My counsel to you. Heed My guidance: I am the Lord of the worlds, O Jesus. If My servant is patient in My name, his righteous deed is rewarded and I shall heed his prayers. Likewise will I take retribution on those who disobey Me – where shall the transgressors flee from Me?

O Jesus, speak in virtuous words and be always knowing and knowledgeable. O Jesus, be generous with your good deeds that I may observe them; adhere to My counsel for it is a cure for the hearts of men. O Jesus, beware of My cunning; do not forget to utter My name in your solitude. O Jesus reward yourself by returning to Me that you may receive the recompense of the faithful who receive their just rewards, for I am the best of benefactors.

O Jesus, with My word you were created. Maryam gave birth to you at My command, revealed by My trusted herald, the angel Gabriel. Thus you stood upright and walked the earth; all of this known to Me beforehand. O Jesus, Zakariya [Zachariah], your mother’s guardian is like a father to you; he entered her sanctuary to find we had provided sustenance for her. Likewise your counterpart Yahya [John]; I created him and bestowed him upon his mother in her old age that I may demonstrate My power to her and in you demonstrate My supremacy to those who love Me the most, the most obedient and fearful of My wrath.

O Jesus, be vigilant; lose not faith in Me; praise Me with goodly words as others praise Me and make My name hallowed. O Jesus, how can My servants disbelieve in Me when their souls are in My grip? They are ignorant of My blessings and call Me an enemy; thus the disbelievers will perish. O Jesus, the world is but a fetid [rotten] prison; yet you see in it things so becoming that titans will battle each other for them. Beware of the worldly life for all of its delights are not eternal.

O Jesus, yearn for Me in your slumber and you shall find Me; call upon Me with love for I am the best Listener; I respond to the supplicant. O Jesus, fear Me and enjoin My servants to fear Me that the sinners may desist from what they do and be spared damnation. Let your terror of Me be as your terror of the wild beast and death, which you will surely face. I am the creator of all that, so fear none other than Me. O Jesus, dominion is mine. I am The King. Obey Me and you shall enter My paradise in the company of the righteous.

O Jesus, beware My wrath, for My favour and none other will benefit you. Should you win My favour no other’s wrath shall harm you. O Jesus, keep remembrance of Me and of you shall I keep remembrance of you. Keep remembrance of Me throughout the realm and so shall I make remembrance of you in a realm better than the realm of mortals. O Jesus, supplicate Me like the drowning man who has no succour.

O Jesus, do not swear on My name in vain for My throne will shake with anger. This world is short-lived while hope is eternal, and My abode is far better. O Jesus, what shall you do on the day when I reveal to you a book which utters the truth, and you yourselves bear witness to secrets you have concealed and deeds you have committed?

O Jesus, say to the transgressors amongst the children of Israel, “You have washed your faces and defiled your hearts.” Would you dare think to deceive Me? You scent yourselves with fragrance for mortals of this world while behold, your souls are like rotting carrion, as if you were a people long-dead. O Jesus, say to them, “Trim your nails of forbidden gains, stop your ears against the voices of evil and come to me with your hearts for I do not want your empty bodies.”

O Jesus, rejoice at good deeds for they are pleasing to Me and weep for sins for they are odious. Do not unto others what you would not want done unto you. Should one strike you on the right cheek give him your left. Seek closeness to Me with loving deeds and distance yourself from the ignorant.