The blessings of freedom for human being

Solomon and the Peasant

Allah’s selected servant, prophet Solomon (a.s), passed by a peasant in a splendid magnificent manner. Seeing Solomon’s glory, the peasant said: “The Beneficent Allah has granted the son of David a glorious kingdom.” This was brought to Solomon by the wind. Prophet Solomon (a.s) got off from his top position to the peasant and told him: “Do not wish something whose responsibility you cannot tolerate! If Allah accepts your glorifying him, it would be better for you than Solomon’s kingdom, because the reward of glorifying Allah is eternal but Solomon’s kingdom is finite![1]“

The late Shaykh Sad£q has narrated a strange tradition in his worthy ‘Thawab Al-A’mal’: Ism¡`¢l Ibn Yas¡r said: I heard Imam Sadiq (a.s) saying:

إيَّاكُمْ وَالكَسَلَ! إنَّ رَبَّكُمْ رَحِيمٌ يَشْكُرُ القَلِيلَ. إنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيُصَلِّي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ تَطَوُّعاً يُرِيدُ بِهِمَا وَجْهَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيُدْخِلُهُ اللهُ بِهِمَا الجَنَّةَ، وَإنَّهُ لَيَتَصَدَّقُ بِالدِّرْهَمِ تَطَوُّعاً يُرِيدُ بِهِ وَجْهَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيُدْخِلُهُ اللهُ بِهِ الجَنَّةَ، وَإنَّهُ لَيَصُومُ اليَوْمَ تَطَوُّعاً يُرِيدُ بِهِ وَجْهَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيُدْخِلُهُ اللهُ بِهِ الجَنَّةَ.

Avoid laziness and dullness because Your Lord is Beneficent and grants great reward for your small acts. Someone accomplishes a two-unit prayer, not obligatorily, for Allah’s sake, so Allah takes him to Paradise for it. He willingly gives a drachma away as charity for Allah’s sake; hence Allah takes him to Paradise for it. And fasts in a day for Allah’s sake, therefore Allah takes him to Paradise for it![2]

Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s) narrates that the Prophet (s.a) said:

مَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ أكْرَمُ عَلَى اللهِ مِنِ ابْنِ آدَمَ. (قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ! وَلاَ المَلاَئِكَةُ؟ قَالَ:) المَلاَئِكَةُ مَجْبُورُونَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الشَّمْسِ وَالقَمَرِ.

Nothing in Allah’s presence is more valuable than Adam’s progeny. He was then asked: O Messenger! Aren’t the angels valuable? He stated: The angels, just like the sun and the moon, are obliged to worship and glorify Allah.

It is only human being who has the blessings of freedom and will. Whenever he uses this freedom in performing Allah’s orders, he would get subject to His especial Mercy and Benevolence.

An Important Tradition

The Prophet (s.a) stated:

الصَّلاَةُ عَمُودُ الدِّينِ، وَفِيهَا عَشْرُ خِصَالٍ: زَيْنُ الوَجْهِ، وَنُورُ القَلْبِ، وَرَاحَةُ البَدَنِ، وَأُنْسُ القُبُورِ، وَمَنْزِلُ الرَّحْمَةِ، وَمِصْبَاحُ السَّمَاءِ، وَثِقْلُ المِيزَانِ، وَمَرْضَاةُ الرَّبِّ، وَثَمَنُ الجَنَّةِ، وَحِجَابُ النَّارِ. وَمَنْ أقَامَهَا فَقَدْ أقَامَ الدِّينَ، وَمَنْ تَرَكَها فَقَدْ هَدَمَ الدِّينَ.

Prayer (¥al¡t) is the religion’s pillar and it brings about ten features; beauty of the face, illumination of the heart, comfort of the body, companion in the grave, bringer of Mercy, the light of the heavens, heaviness of scale in the Hereafter, satisfaction of the Lord, price of the Paradise, and hinderer of the Hell Fire, anyone who performs it has set up the religion and anyone who leaves it has obliterated the religion.[3]

It is really surprising that the Benevolent Lord has set such benefits and results for performing two units of prayer (salat), which is not hard for anyone!

The messenger of Allah (s.a) also stated:

مَا مِنْ صَلاَةٍ يَحْضُرُ وَقْتُهَا إلاّ نَادَى مَلَكٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ النَّاسِ: أيُّهَا النَّاسُ قُوموا إلَى نِيرانِكُمُ الَّتِي أوْقَدْتُمُوهَا عَلَى ظُهُورِكُمْ فَأطْفِئُوهَا بِصَلاَتِكُمْ.

No prayer time comes except that an angel calls out: ‘O People! Rise up against the Fire you have burnt behind you (due to sins) and put it off with your prayer.’[4]

Imam Sadiq (a.s) and the Terrified Caravan

Imam M£s¡ Ibn Ja’far (a.s) says: “Imam Sadiq (a.s) accompanied a caravan that was going on in the desert. Then the caravan was informed that the thieves have hidden themselves on their way. The people of the caravan trembled with fear. Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) asked about the reason. They said: ‘We have some property and fear that the thieves take it from us. Do you take them from us so that the thieves might not take them from you?’ Imam (a.s) said: ‘You cannot be sure; maybe they only intend to rob me and then your property would be stolen by them.’ The people said again: ‘So what can we do? Is it wise to burry our property under the ground?’ Imam (a.s) answered: ‘No, because they may get damaged, someone may rob them, or you may not relocate them.’ The caravan people asked: ‘What can we do then?’ Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: ‘Give them to the One Who can protect them, increase the amount of them, and then give them back to you more than you need!’

‘Who is it?’ they asked. Imam replied: ‘The Lord of the worlds.’ They asked: ‘How can we do this?’ Imam (a.s) stated: ‘Give them away as charity to poor Muslims.’ They said: ‘We have no access to the poor in the middle of desert.’ Imam said: ‘Intend to give away one third of it so that Allah would save all of it.’ ‘We intended,’ they said. Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: ‘You are safe now so go on your journey.’

When the caravan moved the thieves appeared. The caravan people were afraid but Imam (a.s) told them: ‘Why are you afraid while Allah will save you.’ The thieves came and, recognizing Imam Sadiq (a.s), kissed his hands and said: ‘Last night, we dreamed of the Messenger of Allah (s.a) and he ordered us to protect you and the caravan; now we are at your service!’ Imam (a.s) said: ‘There is no need to your help. The One Who saved us from you will save us from other enemies and robbers.’ So the caravan reached the city and the people gave away one third of their property to the poor. Furthermore, they witnessed abundance in their wealth; every drachma got ten. They were astonished at this and Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) told them: ‘Now that you know about trading with Allah, continue it!’”[5]

The Wonder of Allah’s favorites

When Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s) reached Siffiyn region, Mu’awiya had cut all the water ways to take Imam’s soldiers into trouble and weaken their fighting ability. Imam `Al¢ (a.s) ordered a group of fighters under the guidance of Imam °usayn (a.s) to open the water way. Imam °usayn (a.s) attacked the water resource, so Mu’awiya’s guards fled the place and water was again open for the Muslim army. Some people suggested Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s) cut off the water way for Mu’awiya and his troops. Imam (a.s) stated: “By Allah that I don’t do so.” Then he sent a convoy to Mu’awiya to tell him: “Your army is free to take as much water as it wants.”

A Strange letter from Imam al-Reza (a.s)

Bazanti, a reliable Shi`¢te narrator says: I read Imam al-Reza’s letter from Khorasan to his son, Imam Jaw¡d (a.s), in Medina. He had written:

My Son! I have been informed that whenever you want to go out and mount your horse, the servants take you out from the small door of the house. This is because of their stinginess so that you could not grant anything to others. I ask you, by my fatherhood and Imamate, to come and go from the larger door. Also bring money with yourself so that you can give away to the poor. If your uncles wanted money, don’t give them less than fifty drachmas and do not give less than twenty five drachmas to your aunts and you are free to pay them more. I want Allah to grant you high position and status. Donate money and do not fear poverty by the Owner of the Empyrean![6]

When Allah’s favorite servants are this much generous to other servants, how would be Allah’s Generosity?

It is because of Allah’s indefinite Mercy and unending benevolence that Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s), after saying ‘O Allah! Can’t you see yourself hearing within the Fire the voice of a slave surrendered to You, imprisoned there because of his violations’, says ‘Far be it from You! That is not what is expected of You.’