Our antecedent sheikh, Mohammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulaini – may Allah sanctify his spirit – has reported, from a chain of narration referring back to Husain ibn Ulwan, that he said:
“We were in a gathering, seeking to obtain knowledge therein. My capital had depleted due to a number of journeys, so one of our comrades asked me: ‘In whom are you hoping (for help) with regards to what has befallen you?’
So I replied: ‘So-and-so’
He said: ‘In that case, by God your need will not be met, your hope will not be attained and your request will not produce the desired result’
I asked: ‘What do you suggest? May Allah have mercy upon you’
He said: ‘Indeed Abu Abdillah (Imam al-Sadiq) (as) told me that he read in certain books that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted says:
“By My glory, My sublimity, My majesty and My ascension upon My throne; I shall cut-off, by despair, the hope of anyone who places their hope in other than Me. I shall clothe him with the garb of degradation in front of people; I shall avert him away from My proximity; I shall distance him from ever joining Me. Does he place expectations in other than Me during hardships whilst (full control of) the hardships are in My hands? Does he hope in other than Me and contemplate knocking the door of others whilst I hold the keys to the doors when they are locked? And My door is open to whosoever may implore me. Who is it that has had hope in Me in his misfortunes and I have let him down?! Who is it that has expected from Me in adversity and I have severed his hope in Me? I have preserved the hopes of my slaves but they are not satisfied with my preservation. I have filled My heavens with those who do not tire from glorifying Me; and have commanded them not to shut the doors between Me and My servants, but they (My servants) do not have confidence in My words. Does he (My slave) not know that, when a misfortune from among My misfortunes strikes him, none but Me has the ability to relieve it, except by My permission. So why is it that I see him unmindful of Me?! I granted him, by My generosity, that which he did not even request, then I snatched it away from him; yet he does not ask Me to return it, rather he asks those other than Myself! Does he reckon that, despite Me granting initially before being asked, I would not respond to the one who begs Me after being asked? Am I such a miser that My slave has deemed Me to be miserly? Do generosity and open-handedness not behove Me? Are pardon and mercy not in My hands? Am I not suitable for hopes? Who aside from Me can break them? Do those who hope not then fear in placing hopes in those other than Me?
Had all the inhabitants of My heavens and the inhabitants of My earth, all wished together; and had I granted them all fully in accordance with their hopes – My kingdom would not have decreased even to the amount of one grain. How can a kingdom diminish whilst I am its curator? Alas, what an ill-fate for those who despair in My mercy; and what misery for he who disobeys Me and does not fear Me’”.
Al-Kafi, V.2, Pg.66. Bihaar al-Anwaar, V.68, Pg 130
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