Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār

حدثنا أبي - رضي الله عنه - قال حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن العباس بن هلال قال: سألت الرضا عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل: " الله نور السماوات والأرض "؟ فقال: هاد لأهل السماء، وهاد لأهل الأرض. وفي رواية البرقي. هدى من في السماوات، وهدى من في الأرض.

6. We were told by my father, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, from Ya’qub bin Yazid, from Abbas bin Hilal, that he said: I asked al-Rida, peace be upon him, about the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the earth» (24:35) so he said: A Guide to the people of Heaven, and a Guide to the people of the earth. In the narration of al-Barqi: The Guidance of those who are in the Heavens, and a Guidance to those who are in the earth.

حدثنا إبراهيم بن هارون الهيسي بمدينة السلام قال: حدثنا محمد بن أحمدبن أبي الثلج، قال: حدثنا الحسين بن أيوب، عن محمد بن غالب، عن علي بن الحسين، عن الحسن بن أيوب، عن الحسين بن سليمان، عن محمد بن مروان الذهلي، عن الفضيل بن يسار، قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله الصادق عليه السلام: " الله نور السماوات والأرض " قال: كذلك الله عز وجل. قال، قلت: " مثل نوره "؟ قال لي: محمد صلى الله عليه وآله. قلت: " كمشكاة "؟ قال صدر محمد صلى الله عليه وآله. قلت:؟ " فيها مصباح "؟ قال فيه نور العلم يعني النبوة. قلت: " المصباح في زجاجة "؟ قال: علم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله صدر إلى قلب علي عليه السلام. قلت: " كأنها "؟ قال: لأي شئ تقرء " كأنها "؟ قلت: وكيف أقرء جعلت فداك؟ قال: " كأنه كوكب دري " قلت: " توقد من شجرة مباركة زيتونة لا شرقية ولا غربية "؟ قال: ذلك أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام، لا يهودي ولا نصراني. قلت: " يكاد زيتها يضيئ ولو لم تمسسه نار "؟ قال: يكاد العلم يخرج من فم العالم من آل محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وعليهم من قبل أن ينطق به. قلت: " نور على نور "؟ قال: الامام على أثر الامام.

7. We were told by Ibrahim bin Harun al-Haysi – in the City of Peace [1] – that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Ahmad bin Abi’l-Thalj, that he said: We were told by Hussain bin Ayub, from Muhammed bin Ghalib, from Ali bin Hussain, from Hasan bin Ayub, from Hussain bin Sulayman, from Muhammed bin Marwan al-Dhahli, from Fudail bin Yasar, that he said: I said to Abu Abdillah, al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: «Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the earth» (24:35). He said: That is Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. He said: I said: «the example of His Light» (24:35). He said: Muhammed, may Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. I said: «like a lantern» (24:35). He said: The chest of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. I said: «in which there is a lamp» (24:35). He said: In it is the Light of Knowledge, that is Prophethood. I said: «the lamp is within a glass» (24:35). He said: The knowledge of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, was issued to the heart of Ali, peace be upon him. I said: «as if it is» [2]. He said: For what thing are you reciting: «as if it is”?!» [3] I said: And how do I read it, may I be sacrificed for you? He said: «As if it [4] is a glimmering planet» (24:35). I said: «That is lit from a blessed olive tree, neither of the east, nor of the west» (24:35). He said: That is the Commander of the Believers, Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, neither a Jew nor a Christian. I said: «Its oil is about to glow, although it has not been touched by fire» (24:35). He said: It is as if knowledge is about to exit the mouth of the Knowledgeable from the Family of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, before he utters it. I said: «Light upon Light» (24:35). He said: The Imam right after the Imam.

حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي قال حدثنا محمد بن إسماعيل، قال: حدثنا الحسين بن الحسن، قال: حدثنا بكر ، عن أبي عبد الله البرقي، عن عبد الله بن يحيى، عن أبي أيوب الخزاز، عن محمد بن مسلم، قال: سألت أبا جعفر عليه السلام فقلت: قوله عز وجل: يا إبليس ما منعك أن تسجد لما خلقت بيدي فقال: اليد في كلام العرب القوة والنعمة، قال: واذكر عبدنا داود ذا الأيد وقال: والسماء بنيناها بأيد: أي بقوة، وقال: وأيدهم بروح منه: أي قواهم ، ويقال: لفلان عندي يد بيضاء أي نعمة.

8. We were told by Ali bin Ahmad bin Muhammed, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Abi Abdillah al-Kufi, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Isma’il, that he said: We were told by Hussain bin Hasan, that he said: We were told by Bikr, from Abu Abdillah al-Barqi, from Abdullah bin Yahya, from Abu Ayub al-Khazzaz, from Muhammed bin Muslim, that he said: I asked Abu Ja’far (as) concerning the saying of Allah (swt): «O Iblees, what prevented you from prostrating to what My Hands created? (bi-yadday)» [38:75]. So he said: "The hand, in the words of the Arabs connotes strength and grace. [Allah] has said: «And mention Our servant Dawood, possesser of strength (dhul-yadd)» [38:17] and «The heavens, We constructed [it] with strength (bi-yadd)» [51:47], and «[Allah] strengthened (wa-yaddhum) them with a spirit from Him» [58:22], [all use the word 'hand'] to mean strength. And (the poets) say: 'I have a white hand with so-and-so', meaning grace."

أبي - رحمه الله - قال حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمدبن عيسى، عن الحسن بن علي الخزاز، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله يوم القيامة آخذ بحجزة الله ، ونحن آخذون بحجزة نبينا، وشيعتنا آخذون بحجزتنا ثم قال، الحجزة النور.

9. My father, may Allah grant him mercy, said: We were told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, that he said: We were told by Ahmad bin Muhammed bin ‘Isa, from Hasan bin Ali al-Khazzaz, from Abu’l-Hasan al-Rida, peace be upon him, that he said: Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, will on the Day of Resurrection grab hold of the Waist Cloth of Allah, and we will grab hold of the Waist Cloth of our Prophet, and our party [1] will grab hold of our Waist Cloth. Then he said: The Waist Cloth is the Light.

أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن فضالة بن أيوب، عن أبان بن عثمان، عن محمد بن مسلم، قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: إن لله عز وجل خلقا خلقهم من نوره، ورحمة من رحمته لرحمته، فهم عين الله الناظرة، وأذنه السامعة، ولسانه الناطق في خلقه باذنه، وامناؤه على ما أنزل من عذر أو نذر أو حجة، فبهم يمحو الله السيئات، وبهم يدفع الضيم ، وبهم ينزل الرحمة، وبهم يحيي ميتا ويميت حيا، وبهم يبتلي خلقه، وبهم يقضي في خلقه قضية. قلت: جعلت فداك من هؤلاء؟ قال: الأوصياء.

10. My father, may Allah grant him mercy, said: We were told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, that he said: We were told by Ahmad bin Muhammed ibn ‘Isa, from Hussain bin Sa’eed, from Fadala bin Ayub, from Aban bin Uthman, from Muhammed bin Muslim, that he said: I heard Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, say: Indeed, to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, there are creations which He created from His Light, and a mercy from His mercy to His mercy; they are the observing Eye of Allah, and His hearing Ear, and his Tongue that speaks with his creation by His permission, and His Guardians upon what He has sent down of Justification, Warning or Proof. Hence, by them Allah erases misdeeds, and by them He repels grievance, and by them He sends down mercy, and by them He brings life into a dead and makes dead a living, and by them He tests His creation, and by them He decides in His creation His decision. I said: May I be sacrificed for you, who are these? He said: The Successors.

أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن عمر بن أذينة، عن محمد بن مسلم، قال: سألت أبا جعفر عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل " ونفخت فيه من روحي " قال، روح اختاره الله واصطفاه وخلقه وأضافه إلى نفسه وفضله على جميع الأرواح فأمر فنفخ منه في آدم عليه السلام.

11. My father, may Allah grant him mercy, said: We were told by Ali bin Ibrahim bin Hashim, from his father, from Ibn Abi Umair, from Umar bin Adheena, from Muhammed bin Muslim, that he said: I asked Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, of the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «And I blew into him from My Spirit» (15:29). He said: It is a Spirit that Allah chose, selected, added to Himself and preferred over all Spirits, and so He ordered and blew from him into Adam, peace be upon him.

حدثني غير واحد من أصحابنا، عن محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي، عن محمد بن إسماعيل، قال: حدثنا الحسين بن الحسن، قال حدثنا بكر، عن القاسم بن عروة، عن عبد الحميد الطائي، عن محمد بن مسلم، قال: سألت أبا جعفر عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل: " ونفخت فيه من روحي " كيف هذا النفخ؟ فقال: إن الروح متحرك كالريح، وإنما سمي روحا لأنه اشتق اسمه من الريح، وإنما أخرجه على لفظة الروح لان الروح مجانس للريح، وإنما أضافة إلى نفسه لأنه اصطفاه على سائر الأرواح كما اصطفى بيتا من البيوت فقال: " بيتي " وقال لرسول من الرسل: " خليلي " وأشباه ذلك [وكل ذلك] مخلوق مصنوع محدث مربوب مدبر.

12. I was told by more than one of our companions, from Muhammed bin Abi Abdillah al-Kufi, from Muhammed bin Isma’il, that he said: We were told by Hussain bin Hasan, that he said: We were told by Bikr, from Qasim bin Urwa, from Abdul-Hameed al-Ta’I, from Muhammed bin Muslim, that he said: I asked Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, about the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «And I blew into him from My Spirit» (15:29). How was this blowing? So he said: «Indeed, the Spirit is moving like the wind, and it was only named a Spirit [1] because its name was derived from wind [2], and He only extracted it on the phrase of Spirit because a spirit is homogenic to wind, and He only added it to Himself because He selected it over other spirits, like how He has selected one house among the houses and said: My House, and how He said to a Messenger among the Messengers: My Good Friend, and the likes of so. All of that is created, made, subject to a Lord and is managed.

وبهذا الاسناد: عن محمد بن إسماعيل، قال: حدثنا علي بن العباس، قال: حدثنا عبيس بن هشام، عن عبد الكريم بن عمرو، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قوله عز وجل: " فإذا سويته ونفخت فيه من روحي " قال: من قدرتي.

13. With this chain, from Muhammed bin Isma’il, that he said: We were told by Ali bin Abbas, that he said: We were told by ‘Abees bin Hisham, from Abdul-Kareem bin Amru, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, with regards to His saying, Exalted and Glorious is He: «And When I proportioned him and I blew into him from My Spirit» (15:29) that he said: (It means) From My Ability.

حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد - رضي الله عنه - قال: حدثنا الحسين ابن الحسن أبان، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن النضر بن سويد، عن ابن سنان، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام، قال: أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في خطبته : أنا الهادي، أنا المهتدي، وأنا أبو اليتامى والمساكين، وزوج الأرامل، وأنا ملجأ كل ضعيف، ومأمن كل خائف، وأنا قائد المؤمنين [إلى الجنة]، وأنا حبل الله المتين، وأنا عروة الله الوثقى، وكلمة الله التقوى، وأنا عين الله، ولسانه الصادق، ويده، وأنا جنب الله الذي يقول: " أن تقول نفس يا حسرتي على ما فرطت في جنب الله " وأنا يد الله المبسوطة على عباده بالرحمة والمغفرة، وأنا باب حطة من عرفني وعرف حقي فقد عرف ربه لأني وصي نبيه في أرضه وحجته على خلقه، لا ينكر هذا إلا راد على الله وعلى رسوله.

14. We were told by Muhammed bin Hasan bin Ahmad bin Waleed, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Hussain bin Hasan bin Aban, from Hussain bin Sa’eed, from Nadr bin Suwayd, from Ibn Sinan, from Abu Naseer, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, that he said: The Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, said in his speech: I am the Guide, I am the Guided, and I am the father of the orphans and the needy and the husband of the widows, and I am the refuge of every weak and the secure place of every fearful, and I am the leader of the believers into Paradise, and I am the Solid Rope of Allah, and I am the Strong Loop of Allah and the Godfearing Word of Allah, and I am the Eye of Allah and His Truthful Tongue and His Hand, and I am the Regard of Allah, about which He says: «For a soul to say: How heartbroken am I for how undutiful I was towards the Regard of Allah» (39:56). And I am the Hand of Allah that is extended towards His servants with mercy and forgiveness, and I am the Door of Humility. The one who knows me and knows my right, then he has known his Lord, because I am the Successor of His Prophet in His earth and His Proof upon His creation; none deny this except for one who rejects Allah and His Messenger.

أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن أبي عبد الله البرقي، عن أبيه، عن علي بن النعمان، عن إسحاق بن عمار، عمن سمعه، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال: في قول الله عز وجل: " وقالت اليهود يد الله مغلولة " لم يعنوا أنه هكذا، ولكنهم قالوا: قد فرغ من الامر فلا يزيد ولا ينقص (2). فقال الله جل جلاله تكذيبا لقولهم: " غلت أيديهم ولعنوا بما قالوا بل يداه مبسوطتان ينفق كيف يشاء " ألم تسمع الله عز وجل يقول: " يمحو الله ما يشاء ويثبت وعنده أم الكتاب ".

15. My father, may Allah grant him mercy, said: We were told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, that he said: We were told by Ahmad bin Abi Abdillah al-Barqi, from his father, from Ali bin Nu’man, from Ishaq bin Ammar, from those he heard, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, that he said with regards to the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «And the Jews said: The Hand of Allah is chained» (5:64) They did not mean that it is as such, however, they said: He has completed the matter, and so He does not add nor subtract, to which Allah, Glorified be His Glory, said in denial of their saying: «Chained be their hands! And they were cursed for what they said. Rather, His Hands are extended; He spends how He wishes.» (5:64) Have you not heard Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, say: «Allah erases what He wishes, and He confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book» (13:39)?