The King Who Ruled for a Thousand Years

In this post I will post an excellent multifaceted tradition. On the surface, an excellent moral lesson can be extracted from this tradition. However, as we dig deeper into it a few other important points and teachings can be noticed as well.  First, let us read over the tradition. Following the tradition, I will add a few points regarding this tradition.

As always, please double-check the translation, and if it required improvement, please let me know.

This tradition is graded Good.

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ ع‏

أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي حَدِيثٍ يَذْكُرُ فِيهِ قِصَّةَ دَاوُدَ ع أَنَّهُ خَرَجَ يَقْرَأُ الزَّبُورَ وَ كَانَ إِذَا قَرَأَ الزَّبُورَ لَا يَبْقَى جَبَلٌ وَ لَا حَجَرٌ وَ لَا طَائِرٌ إِلَّا جَاوَبَتْهُ فَانْتَهَى إِلَى جَبَلٍ فَإِذَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْجَبَلِ نَبِيٌّ عَابِدٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ حِزْقِيلُ فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ دَوِيَّ الْجِبَالِ وَ أَصْوَاتَ السِّبَاعِ وَ الطَّيْرِ عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ دَاوُدُ ع فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ ع يَا حِزْقِيلُ تَأْذَنُ لِي فَأَصْعَدَ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَا فَبَكَى دَاوُدُ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَا حِزْقِيلُ لَا تُعَبِّرْ دَاوُدَ وَ سَلْنِي الْعَافِيَةَ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ حِزْقِيلُ بِيَدِ دَاوُدَ ع وَ رَفَعَهُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ يَا حِزْقِيلُ هَلْ هَمَمْتَ بِخَطِيئَةٍ قَطُّ قَالَ لَا قَالَ فَهَلْ دَخَلَكَ الْعُجْبُ بِمَا أَنْتَ فِيهِ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ قَالَ لَا- قَالَ فَهَلْ رَكَنْتَ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا فَأَحْبَبْتَ أَنْ تَأْخُذَ مِنْ شَهَوَاتِهَا وَ لَذَّاتِهَا قَالَ بَلَى رُبَّمَا عَرَضَ ذَلِكَ بِقَلْبِي قَالَ فَمَا كُنْتَ تَصْنَعُ إِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ أَدْخُلُ إِلَى هَذَا الشِّعْبِ فَأَعْتَبِرُ بِمَا فِيهِ قَالَ فَدَخَلَ دَاوُدُ ع الشِّعْبَ فَإِذَا سَرِيرٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ عَلَيْهِ جُمْجُمَةٌ بَالِيَةٌ وَ عِظَامٌ فَانِيَةٌ وَ إِذَا لَوْحٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ فِيهِ كِتَابَةٌ فَقَرَأَهَا دَاوُدُ ع فَإِذَا فِيهَا

أَنَا أَرْوَى بْنُ سَلَمٍ مَلَكْتُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَ بَنَيْتُ أَلْفَ مَدِينَةٍ وَ افْتَضَضْتُ أَلْفَ بِكْرٍ فَكَانَ آخِرَ عُمُرِي أَنْ صَارَ التُّرَابُ فِرَاشِي وَ الْحِجَارَةُ وِسَادَتِي وَ الدِّيدَانُ وَ الْحَيَّاتُ جِيرَانِي فَمَنْ رَآنِي فَلَا يَغْتَرَّ بِالدُّنْيَا.

Farsi Translation:

هشام بن سالم گويد: امام صادق عليه السّلام در حديثى كه در آن داستان داود عليه السّلام را ذكر مى ‏كند فرمود:

داود در حالى كه زبور تلاوت مى‏ كرد بيرون آمد و هنگامى كه او زبور تلاوت مى‏ كرد كوهها و سنگها و پرندگان پاسخ وى را مى‏ گفتند و به كوهى رسيد كه پيامبر عابدى به نام حزقيل در آنجا بود و چون آواى كوهها و آواز درندگان و پرندگان را شنيد دانست كه وى داود عليه السّلام است، داود عليه السّلام به او گفت: اى حزقيل! آيا اذن مى‏ دهى كه به نزد تو بالا بيايم؟ گفت: نه، و داود گريست و خداى تعالى به حزقيل وحى كرد كه داود را سرزنش مكن و از من عافيت بخواه، گويد: حزقيل دست داود را گرفت و او را به جانب خود بالا برد داود گفت: اى حزقيل! آيا هيچ گاه قصد گناه كرده ‏اى؟ گفت: نه، گفت: آيا از اين عبادت خداوند تو را عجبى رسيده است؟ گفت: نه، گفت: آيا دل به‏ دنيا داده ‏اى و شهوات و لذّات آن را دوست داشته‏ اى؟ گفت: آرى، گاهى بر قلبم راه يافته است، گفت: وقتى چنين شود چه مى‏ كنى؟ گفت: به این دره برو و از آنچه در آنجاست عبرت بگیر. گويد: داود عليه السّلام به آن دره رفت و به ناگاه تختى از آهن ديد كه جمجمه و استخوانهاى پوسيده‏اى بر آن بود و لوحى آهنين نيز آنجا بود كه نوشته‏ اى داشت، داود عليه السّلام آن را خواند و بر آن چنين نوشته بود:

من اروى بن سلم هستم كه هزار سال پادشاهى كردم و هزار شهر ساختم و با هزار دوشيزه آميزش كردم، آخر كار چنين شد كه خاك بسترم و سنگ بالشم و كرمها و مارها همسايگانم هستند، پس هر كه مرا بنگرد به دنيا فريفته نشود.

English Translation:

My father, may Allah be pleased with him recounted to us: Ali Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Hashem narrated to us from his father from Mohamed Abu Umair from Hisham Ibn Salem from al-Sadiq Ja’afar Ibn Mohammed (PBUH) who recounted in a saying about Prophet Dawoud (David, PBUH) and his reciting of the Psalms [Zaboor]:

When he read the Psalms, there was no mountain, stone or bird but would respond. There was a mountain and upon that mountain was a pious prophet who was called Hizqeel. When he heard the echoes from the mountains and the sounds of the leopards and birds, he knew that it was Dawoud (PBUH). 

Dawoud (PBUH) said to him, “O Hizqeel, will you permit me to come up to you?” He said no and Dawoud wept. Allah the Most exalted sent an inspiration: “O Hizqeel, do not refuse Dawoud and ask that I grant you good health.” 

Hizqeel took Dawoud’s hand (PBUH) and lifted him to himself. Dawoud said, “O Hizqeel, have you committed any sin?” 

He (Hizqeel) said: no.

Dawoud said, “Have you been awestruck and such is your state from the worship of Allah?”

He said: no. 

Dawoud said, “Have you not yearned for worldly life and wanted to partake of its enjoyments and pleasures?” 

Hizqeel said, “Yes. It may have passed through my heart.” 

Dawoud said, “Why did you not do so [go after worldly life] if that is the case?” 

Hizqeel said, “Enter into this valley and consider what is therein.” Dawoud (PBUH) entered the valley and behold, there was a bed of iron upon which was a worn skull and eroded bones and a steel plate on which was some writing. 

Dawoud read what it said: “I am Arwa Ibn Salam. I ruled for a thousand years, built a thousand cities, deflowered a thousand virgins. I have been rewarded for my life’s work with dust for my bed, stones for my pillow; worms and adders are my companions. Thus, let all who see me be not deceived by the world.”

Source:

Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah

Volume 2, P. 524-525

Here are some of the points that could be taken from this tradition.

• We are provided with the name of a new prophet, Hizqeel. As it is readily noticeable, according to this tradition, two divine prophets lived during the same time and near one another.

• From the interaction between these prophets, peace be upon them, we learn that it is not the case that at all times all prophets communicate with each other and learn from one another. 

• We learn that even prophets are tempted in the hearts regarding worldly affairs. After all, they are humans like us and being tempted is a natural consequence of being a human. We are created with both lust and intellect and the degree of our piety is measured by how we prioritize between these two natural parts of us. Prophets, like Hizqeel, utilize their intellect to overpower their temptations. 

• This tradition teaches us how we could strengthen our will power. Hizqeel as a prophet of God combats his temptations by seeing the signs around him. He looks and learns from what is around him, and what is placed for him to help him strengthen his faith.  We all have numerous signs around us; we need to look for them and take lessons from them. 

• The interaction between Hizqeel and Dawoud, peace be upon them is peculiar. Initially, Hizqeel refused to let Dawoud join him on his elevated place, until Allah sent Hizqeel an inspiration to permit Dawoud to join him. This point reminded me of the story of Khizr and Moses, peace be upon them. Khizr was initially hesitant to let Moses accompany him until Moses promised him that he would behave and be patient. In both cases, we seem to have lesser-known prophets, who teach better-known prophets valuable lessons. Allah, through these prophets, teaches His other prophets, important necessary lessons. What stands out in both cases is that Allah uses natural means to train and elevate the status of His prophets.  Even in case of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, Allah placed certainty in his heart by showing him His power. In other words, Ibrahim, peace be upon him, gained certainty via a bodily experience. 

• This tradition confirms that prophets did not commit any sins at any point in their lives. 

•  The story of Arwa Ibn Salam is quite intriguing. Firstly, it should be noted that he was not a divine representative, and even though he was neither a prophet nor a messenger nor an Imam, he lived for a thousand years. Therefore, it is not the case that only God’s chosen representatives receive the privilege to live an extraordinary long life. 

• Human nature has the capacity to live a very long life. For whatever reason, throughout history, we have lost the means and the knowledge to prolong our lives, but this does not imply that living an extraordinary long life is inherently impossible. 

• Awra Ibn Salam boasts about the length of his kinghood, not the length of his life. This implies that he may have lived many years longer than a thousand years, but this tradition does not provide us with any further information regarding his age. 

• He boasts about building a thousand cities and deflowering a thousand virgins. This implies that expanding one’s kingdom or power and deflowering virgins have always been a source of pride for those who seek this worldly life. 

• Lastly, and the obvious moral conclusion of this tradition is that regardless of how much one runs after this world and seeks to accumulate from it, at the end, he will leave everything behind and be placed in dust amongst worms with nothing in his possession. This should be a reminder to all of us, who are concerned or stressed about how much power and wealth we have in our possession. At the end, we leave this world as we entered it, alone and with nothing. Only our deeds will accompany us. Therefore, a wise decision to make is to lighten our worldly load and accumulate good deeds to prepare ourselves for what is certainly to come to each and every one of us, sooner or later.

If you have any comments or questions, please do leave me a message. If you notice any more points that I have missed, please do post them in the comment box below.  

Fast on the 25th of Dhul Qa'dah

As we are all aware, in our religion, there are certain days in which fasting is highly recommended.  One of these great days is very near, and I wanted to make a short post reminding all of us to use this opportunity and fast on this blessed day.  

            On this blessed day, according to the following Authentic tradition, three significant events have occurred. The first and second important events are the births of our beloved prophets, Jesus son of Mary as well as prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon them.  The third momentous event that has occurred on this day is the extension and formation of Earth, from under where the Ka’aba is located.  As science today confirms, at the beginning, Earth was completely molten, a big droplet of melt floating in space, a planet utterly hostile to life.  Yet amazingly, today, it is home to billions of living creatures, including humans.

            By putting this scientific fact and the following tradition together, we can imagine that on this blessed day, a significant milestone on Earth’s journey to become the habitat of billions of creatures was taken.

            Therefore, on this sacred day, we are encouraged to fast to not only appreciate God’s mercy on us for creating such a wonderful place of habitat, but also to appreciate His blessing of sending exemplary guides to us to help us attain felicity on His Earth and in the hereafter.

Arabic Text:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي وَ أَنَا غُلَامٌ فَتَعَشَّيْنَا عِنْدَ الرِّضَا ع لَيْلَةَ خَمْسٍ وَ عِشْرِينَ مِنْ ذِي الْقَعْدَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ لَيْلَةُ خَمْسٍ وَ عِشْرِينَ مِنْ ذِي الْقَعْدَةِ وُلِدَ فِيهَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع وَ وُلِدَ فِيهَا عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَ فِيهَا دُحِيَتِ الْأَرْضُ مِنْ تَحْتِ الْكَعْبَةِ فَمَنْ صَامَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ كَانَ كَمَنْ صَامَ سِتِّينَ شَهْراً

English Translation:

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Al Hussain has narrated from Al Hassan ibn Ali Al-Washa'a who has said: when I was young I had a dinner with my father and Al-Redha (peace be upon him) on the night of the 25^th of Dhul Qa'dah and he [the Imam] said: On the night of the 25^th of Dhul Qa'dah, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was born, Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) was born as well and the Earth was extended from below the Ka’aba. Thus, if one fasts on this day it is as if one has fasted sixty months.

Source:

Wasael ul-Shia, Volume 10, Page 449, Tradition #13815

Only The Most Knowledgeable Can Enforce Obedience

In this post I will present a Good tradition, which is relatively long, yet very informative and important.  The main conclusion that it teaches is that “whosoever strikes others with his sword and commands them to follow him when there are those more knowledgeable, he has been led astray and is false.”

            This conclusion is in itself very powerful.  Take a moment, contemplate upon it and then consider today’s so-called Islamic societies and their leaders. 

            However, in addition to this very authoritative conclusion, there are many more lessons that we can learn from this tradition.  As you read this tradition, pay close attention to how our Imam, peace be upon him, discusses a sensitive issue with a power-seeking inquirer. 

            Here are some of the lessons that we can learn from this tradition.

            First, our Imam, peace be upon him, requested that the orators to cease their excessiveness in speech and instead concisely express their concerns.  To do so, he asked them to elect one spokesperson, who all others agree upon to speak for them.  Please note that the Imam, before responding to the inquiry of the spokesperson, ensured that everyone has elected this speaker and accepts his words. 

            Second, our Imam, peace be upon him, began by invoking Allah and by sending blessings upon the messenger of Allah and his household, peace be upon them.

            Third, our Imam, peace be upon him, proceeded and conducted this discussion mostly through questioning and providing concise replies.  In other words, to hold a discussion, to get his main message across, our Imam did not give a lengthy sermon to the inquirers.  Rather, our blessed Imam, systematically, step by step, showed his inquirers how their conclusion was false.  

            A fact that should not be missed is that our Imam was holding this discussion with Mutazalites, who were known for their rational approach towards religion and God. So, it could be said that our Imam spoke with them in a manner that they, themselves, regarded as eloquent, educated and intelligent.

            Fourth, our blessed Imam, very concisely and intelligently, indicated that a ruler cannot emulate both the first and the second caliph, simultaneously, as their actions contradicted one another.

            Fifth, our blessed Imam, Abu Abdullah, peace be upon him, in this tradition, informs us about certain incidents and conditions that occurred during the Shura (consultation) that was set up by the second caliph.

            Sixth, our Imam did not cease the discussion after tackling one issue; rather he continued to assess certain hypothetically possible scenarios. This is done to remove any lingering rational doubts, and to strength the correct conclusion with more solid premises.

            Seventh, in an Islamic society, idolaters are treated differently than the non-believers, who are the people of the book.  On the same note, infidels and idolaters from amongst Arabs are treated differently than infidels and idolaters, who are non-Arab.

            Eighth, if you pay attention, you will notice that our blessed Imam, peace be upon him, did not attempt, at any point, to humiliate Amr.  If Amr did not know about an issue, our Imam chose to move on with the discussion as opposed to halt to prove a point. This is very important from multiple perspectives. Firstly, “hammering” a point in a single discussion session does not help in getting one’s message across. Moreover, one must keep the respect of the inquirer and one must not try to press on the weak points of the inquirer, especially in a single session.  This improper method, if taken, may in fact be detrimental, as the inquirer may become defensive and lose his receptiveness.

            Lastly, if you notice, our Imam, peace be upon him, did not expect Amr to take his words as the Truth.  Rather, since he was aware that Amr would not do that and since our Imam wanted to teach us about humility, he mentioned to Amr to check what he says with other scholars of the time to see and realize that what the Imam says is in fact correct.

            In conclusion, our beloved Imam, peace be upon him, teaches us multiple lessons through this discussion.  He teaches us, not only, how we should hold a discussion, but he also informs us about certain historical and legal matters.  Via this discussion, he vividly displays his superiority in knowledge and his right to be the leader of his time.  Indirectly, in his conclusion, yet very firmly and clearly, he indicates that only the people of the house, only the ahlul bayt, peace be upon them, truly deserve to be the leaders of their times and only they can be considered legitimate to lead and seek the obedience and allegiance of their subjects.

            Note: since this is a relatively long tradition I will only post the English translation.  However, if you would like the Arabic text as well, please inform me and I will send it to you.

            Now without any further ado, I present to you the following Good tradition.

           

English Translation:

Narrated by Ali Ibn Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abu Omeir from Amr Ibn Uthaina from Zurara from Abdel Karim Uthba Al-Hashemi who said:

I was sitting in the presence of Abu Abdullah (pbuh) in Mecca when some people from Al-Mu’tazila (A sect of Muslims) entered.  Amongst them was Amr Ibn Obaid,  Wasel Ibn Atta, Hafs Ibn Salem, Mawla Ibn Hubeira and others from amongst their leaders, [and they spoke] regarding the incident of the murder of Al-Walid and the ensuing disputes amongst the people of Levantine.

They spoke, debated and orated for a long time.

Abu Abdullah said to them, “You are too excessive. Elect a man from amongst you to represent your point of view and to be brief.”

They elected Amr Ibn Obaid; he spoke and gave a long oration. His speech included the following words:

“The people of Levantine have killed their caliph. Allah has driven them against one another and divided them. We have made a search and found a man of piety, reason and chivalry, of a caliber suited for the caliphate, and he is Mohamed Ibn Abdullah Ibn Al-Hassan. We seek to unite around him, pledge our allegiance and appear with him in public, that all who pledge allegiance to him shall be of us and we of them. Those who retreat from us shall be spared. Those who wage war on us we shall fight, deter their aggression and return them and their people to the truth.  We desired to present this matter to you that you may join us. We cannot manage without a man such as you, with your standing and recognition.”

When he finished, Abu Abdullah (pbuh) said, “Are you all united on what Amr has said?”

They said, “Yes.”

He (the Imam) then praised Allah, glorified and invoked blessings upon the Prophet (pbuh). He said, “Verily, we shall be miserable if Allah is disobeyed, and if Allah is obeyed we shall be content. Tell me, Amr, should the nation entrust you with its affairs and appoint you caliph without fighting or conflict, and if you were told you had free rein over all that you rule, what then?”

Amr replied, “I would implement Shura (Counsel) amongst all Muslims.”

He (Abu Abdullah) said, “Amongst all Muslims?”

He (Amr) said, “Yes.”

Abu Abdullah said, “Amongst their authorities in Jurisprudence and the best amongst them?”

Amr said, “Yes.”

Abu Abdullah said, “Amongst Quraish and others?”

He replied, “Yes.”

Abu Abdullah said, “Amongst Arabs and foreigners?”

He replied, “Yes.”

He said, “Tell me, Amr; would you emulate Abu Bakr and Omar or renounce them?”

He (Amr) replied, “I would emulate them.”

Abu Abdullah said, “You go against them.”

(The Imam then asked the group) “What say you? Do you emulate or renounce them?”

They replied, “We emulate them.”

He said, “O Amr, if you are a man who has renounced them you are permitted to go against their way. If you desire to emulate them, you have contradicted them. Omar pledged his allegiance to Abu Bakr without consulting any man. Abu Bakr passed the caliphate to him without consulting any man. Omar implemented the Shura amongst six and removed all of the Muhajereen (Those who had emigrated to Medina with the Prophet) and the Ansar (The supporters of the prophet in Medina) except for those six men from Quraish. To them he recommended something I do not see you and your companions emulating by desiring to implement Shura amongst all Muslims.”

Amr asked, “What did he do?”

He replied, “He ordered Suhaib to lead the people in prayer for three days. The six would consult together with no one else with them except Ibn Omar whom they would consult but who had no say in the matter.

He advised those who were present from the Muhajereen and Ansar that if three days pass and they have not finished and elected a man, that they should behead those six. If four of them should agree before the three days have passed and two are in disagreement, that they should behead those two. Would you agree to this if you were to apply Shura amongst the Muslims?”

They said “no.”

He said, “O Amr, let us put this aside. Say I pledge allegiance to your friend as you ask me to do. The nation is unanimous in support of you; no two men have differed over it. You set out to battle the infidels who do not embrace Islam or pay the Jizya. Are you and your friend knowledgeable in the ways of the prophet regarding his wars with the infidels?”

He replied, “Yes.”

Abu Abdullah said, “What would you do?”

Amr replied, “Invite them to Islam and if they refuse, ask them to pay the Jizya.”

Abu Abdullah asked, “What of the idolaters who are not people of the Scripture?” (Christians and Jews)

He replied, “The same applies.”

Abu Abdullah said, “And the infidels and idolaters from amongst the Arabs?”

He replied, “The same applies.”

Abu Abdullah said, “Tell me about the Quran, do you recite it?”

He said, “Yes.”

He said, “Recite this: ‘Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of Truth from those who were given the Scripture - until they give the Jizyah willingly while they are humbled.’ (Al-Tawbah:29) Allah the Most exalted excludes those who have been given the scripture with condition.  Are they then equal to those who were not given the scripture?”

Amr replied, “Yes.”

He said, “From whom have you taken this?”

He replied, “I have heard it said.”

Abu Abdullah said, “Let us put that matter aside. Say they refuse to pay the jizya and you set to fight them. Now say you have defeated them. How would you divide the spoils?”

Amr said, “I would set aside a fifth for charity and divide four-fifths between those who have fought.”

Abu Abdullah said, “Tell me about the fifth; to whom would you give it?”

He (Amr) replied that Allah has decreed this and recited, “Know that anything you obtain of war booty - then indeed, for Allah is one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and the orphans, the needy, and the traveler.” (Al-Anfal:42)

Abu Abdullah asked, “To whom would you give the Prophet’s share? Who are the near relatives and orphans?”

He replied, “The scholars have differed over this. Some say the relatives of the Prophet (pbuh) and the people of his house; others say the caliph and others have said the relatives of those Muslims who fought in the battle.”

Abu Abdullah asked, “Which of these views do you adopt?”

He replied, “I do not know.”

Abu Abdullah said, “Leave it then, since you do not know. The other four-fifths, would you divide it amongst all who fought for it?”

Amr replied, “Yes.”

He said, “You thus go against the Prophet (pbuh) and his ways. Let the scholars of jurisprudence and sheiks in Medina judge between you and I. Ask them for they do not differ nor dispute the fact that the Prophet (pbuh) made a treaty with the Arabs, that he would allow them to remain in their homes and not migrate, with the condition that should his enemies attack him, he would call on them to fight and they would have no share in the spoils. You say amongst all (spoils should be divided). You have gone against the Prophet (pbuh) and his ways in all you have said regarding the infidels. Despite that, what is your view on alms-giving?”

Amr recited the verse, “Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect them...” (Al-Tawbah:60) until the end of the verse.

He (The Imam) said, “Yes, but how would you divide it?”

He (Amr) said, “I would divide it into eight parts and give a part to each of the eight” (sectors specified in the Quran).

Abu Abdullah said, “If one sector has ten thousand and another only one man, or two or three men, would you give this one man the same share you would divide amongst ten thousand?”

He replied, “Yes.”

He said, “Would you collect an equal share of alms from inhabitants of deserts and towns alike?”

He replied “Yes.”

Abu Abdullah said, “You have gone against the Prophet (pbuh) and his ways in all that you have said. The Prophet (pbuh) used to distribute the alms of the desert people amongst the desert people and those of the townspeople amongst the townspeople, and did not divide it amongst both equally but according to the amount he collected from each as he saw fit. There is nothing odious or abhorrent about this, for he did so according to his judgment and the portion collected. If you have any doubts about what I have said, go to the scholars of jurisprudence in Medina. They do not differ over the fact the Prophet (pbuh) did thus.”

He then approached Amr Ibn Obeid and said to him, “Fear Allah; and you others, fear Allah. My father informed me, and he was the best of the inhabitants of the earth and the most knowledgeable in the Book of Allah and the ways of His prophet (pbuh); whosoever strikes others with his sword and commands them to follow him when there are those more knowledgeable, he has been led astray and is false.”

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 5, Page 23, Tradition #1