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