Reports from al-Shabi

Al-Sha'bi said: Some people will look down from Paradise into Hell, and they will see some people there. They will say to them: "Why are you in Hell? We acted upon what you used to teach us!" They will say: "We used to teach you, but we ourselves did not act upon it."

Al-Sha'bi, in the explanation of the Qur'anic verse "And stairways upon which they ascend" [Az-Zukhruf: 33], said that it means stairs.

Al-Sha'bi, in the explanation of the Qur'anic verse "And stairways upon which they ascend", said that it means stairs; by "roofs" is meant tree trunks, and by "adornment" is meant gold [Az-Zukhruf: 33, 35].

Ubaydullah bin al-Ayzar said: On the Day of Resurrection, feet will be like arrows in a quiver. The fortunate one on that Day will be the one who finds a place to put his foot. Beside the Scale an angel will be announcing: So-and-so son of so-and-so, his record of deeds has become heavy; he has become fortunate today, and after today he will never meet misfortune. And so-and-so son of so-and-so, the scale of his deeds has become light; he has become wretched, and after today he will never see the face of happiness.

A man of the Ansar used to say: The worldly blessing of Allah Almighty which He has not given me seems greater to me than the blessing of Allah Almighty which He has given me.

Abd al-Malik bin Iyas was among those who would listen and then remain silent.

Mujahid said: The most pleasing to me among the people of Kufah are four people: Talhah, Zubayd, Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman and Yahya bin Abbad.

Layth said: I said to Talhah that Tawus used to dislike moaning. He said: No moaning was heard from him until he died.

Mis'ar said: Zayd al-Ammi gave me a letter in which it was written that a man advised his son: O my son! Become a person who keeps away from people out of self-sufficiency and purity, and whose nearness to those he is near is gentleness and mercy. His keeping away should not be out of arrogance or haughtiness, and his nearness should not be for deceiving or betraying. He does not hasten in a doubtful matter, and he pardons what has become clear to him. He is not deceived by the praise of one who does not know him, and he does not forget what he has done. If he is mentioned, what people say makes him fearful, and he seeks forgiveness for what they do not know. He says: My Lord knows me better than I know myself, and I know myself better than others do. He asks in order to gain knowledge, speaks in order to gain benefit, stays silent in order to be safe, and mixes with people in order to understand. If he is among the heedless, he is counted among those who remember Allah, and if he is among those who remember Allah, he is not counted among the heedless, because he remembers Allah when people are heedless, and when people remember, he too does not forget his Lord.

Husayn said: Ibn Uyaynah added to it: He blends knowledge with forbearance, and his abstinence from what perishes is like his desire for what remains.

Suwayd bin Ghaflah said: When Allah Almighty intends that the people of Hell be forgotten, He will make for each of them a coffin of fire according to his size, then locks of fire will be fastened upon it. No vein in him will throb but there will be a nail of fire in it. Then that coffin will be placed in another coffin of fire, then more locks of fire will be fastened upon it, then fire will be kindled between the two. Then each person will think that there is no one in the Fire but him. This is the meaning of the saying of the Lord of Honour: "They will have canopies of fire above them and canopies beneath them" [Az-Zumar: 16], and this is the meaning of His saying: "They will have a bed of Hell, and over them coverings; and thus do We recompense the wrongdoers" [Al-A'raf: 41].

Muhammad bin al-Munkadir said: Because of a servant's righteousness, Allah Almighty also grants goodness to his children and his grandchild, and in the same way He grants goodness to his household and to the households around his home. As long as that righteous servant is among them, they remain under the protection of Allah.

Abu Harb bin Abi al-Aswad al-Dili said: A man will be held back at the gate of Paradise for a hundred years because of his sin, and he will see his wives and servants in Paradise.

Bakhtari al-Ta'i said: It used to be said: Envy the living for that for which the dead are envied. Know that worship is not sound without abstinence. Humble yourself at the time of obedience, feel it hard at the time of disobedience, and love people according to their piety.

Al-Qasim bin al-Walid, in the explanation of the Qur'anic verse "But when the greatest calamity comes" [An-Nazi'at: 34], said that this refers to the time when the people of Paradise are taken to Paradise and the people of Hell to Hell.

Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah Almighty will clothe every person in the cloak of his deeds.

Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah Almighty will clothe every person in the cloak of his deeds. If they are good, then a good cloak, and if they are bad, then a bad cloak.

Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), in the explanation of the Qur'anic verse "And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness" [Qaf: 21], said: A driver will drive every soul to the command of Allah, and a witness will bear witness to its deeds.

Sayyiduna Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man's most blessed and most ill-omened possession is what lies between his two jaws.

Sayyiduna Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You are in a time whose good is the evil of a time that has passed, and whose evil is the good of a time yet to come.

Zayd bin Wahb said: I once went to the graveyard and sat beside a wall. Then a man came and levelled a grave, and then sat next to me. I asked him: Whose grave is this? He said: It is my brother's grave. I said: Your brother's? He said: He is my brother in Islam. I saw him in a dream last night, and I said to him: O so-and-so, you have lived! All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. He said: You have said it. To be able to say it would be dearer to me than the fill of the earth and all that is in it. Did you not see, when people were burying me, that a man stood up and prayed two rak'ahs? To be able to pray those two rak'ahs would be dearer to me than the world and everything in it.

Ata bin Yasar said: For those who make people despair of the mercy of Allah there will be a bridge on the Day of Resurrection, and people will tread on their faces.

Sayyiduna Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Soon there will be cries, so listen attentively to them.

Ibn Abi Layla said: I have gone around these cities, and I have not seen anyone more devoted to night prayer (tahajjud) or quicker to the remembrance of Allah than the people of Basrah.

Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami said: Every morning the angel comes to each of you with a white record of deeds, so let him dictate good into it. When the sun has risen, let him get up for his need, and when he has prayed Asr, let him dictate good into it. For when there is good at the beginning and end of the record, it is hoped that the good of these two parts will suffice for the part in between.

Khalid bin Ma'dan said: People will pass by the Fire while it is subdued. They will say: Where is the Fire that we were promised? It will be said to them: When you passed by it, it was subdued.

Abd al-Rahman bin Sabit said: Sayyiduna Sa'id bin Amir bin Hidhyam (may Allah be pleased with him) was the governor of Egypt. Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) learned about him that there were times when his oven was not lit. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him some money, and he bought with it what he and his family needed. Then Sayyiduna Sa'id bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his wife: Why do we not give this money to a merchant who may earn a profit on it for us? His wife said: Do so. Then he gave that money away in charity, and kept giving until nothing of it remained. Some time later they fell into need, and his wife said to him: If you would look to those dirhams and take them back, for we need them now. Sayyiduna Sa'id bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) paid no attention to what she said. His wife repeated the same words, and again he turned away. When it became clear to her that he had spent it, she began to reproach him. Sayyiduna Sa'id bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) sought the help of Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke to her and said: You have hurt Sa'id. It was as if this only incited her against him, and she said the same to him again. When he saw this, he knelt on his knees and said: It would not please me to be held back from entering the first group on the Day of Resurrection, even if in exchange I were given everything on the face of the earth. And if a maiden of Paradise were to reveal her fingers to the people of the earth from above the heavens, all would perceive their fragrance. Shall I then leave them for the sake of you women? To leave you for their sake is more fitting than to leave them for yours. When she saw this, she left him alone.

Malik bin Mighwal said: A man passed by Rabi' bin Abi Rashid while he was sitting on one of the cobblers' boxes. The man said to him: It would be good if you came to the mosque and talked with your Muslim brothers. Rabi' said to him: If the remembrance of death were to part from my heart for even a moment, I fear that my heart would be corrupted.

Isma'il bin Shu'ayb said: My father was the travel companion of Rabi' bin Abi Rashid on the way to Makkah. One day he said: If I knew which of my deeds is most beloved to my Lord, I would take great care over it. Then he saw in his dream: gratitude and remembrance.

Umar bin Dharr said: Rabi' bin Abi Rashid met me in a market of al-Suddah. He shook hands with me and said: O Abu Dharr! Whoever asks Allah Almighty for His pleasure is in reality asking Allah for something very great.

Awn bin Shaddad said: When the time of death came to Harim bin Hayyan al-Abdi, the people said to him: O Harim! Make a bequest. He said: I enjoin you to pay off my debt. Then the people said: How do you enjoin us to live? He recited from Surah An-Nahl, from "Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction" to "Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good" [An-Nahl: 125, 128].

Harim used to make this supplication: O Allah! I seek refuge from the evil of a time in which their young are in rebellion, their old are caught up in hopes, and their deaths have drawn near.

Abu Nadrah said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Harim bin Hayyan in command of an army. Then Harim became angry with a man and ordered that he be struck on the neck, and it was done. Then he turned to his companions and said to them: May Allah deprive you of good! When I said this, why did you not advise me, and why did you not restrain me from my anger? By Allah, I will not lead you in any matter. Then he wrote to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): O Commander of the Faithful! I do not have the strength for any task concerning the subjects. Send someone else for this task.

Harim bin Hayyan used to say: I do not consider Hell a thing from which one who flees could fall asleep, nor do I consider Paradise a thing which one seeking to attain it could sleep through.

Humayd bin Hilal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Harim bin Hayyan was the governor of some villages in the region of Ahwaz. One of his companions asked his permission to go to his family, and he refused to give it. Humayd bin Hilal said: Harim bin Hayyan was delivering the Friday sermon when suddenly a man put his hand on his nose and asked for permission, and Harim signalled to him with his hand: Go. He left until he reached his home, and after fulfilling his need he returned. Harim asked him: "Where were you?" He replied: "Did you not see that when I stood up holding my nose, you told me to go?" Harim said: "Put off bad men for a bad time."

Bakr said: On the Day of Resurrection, Allah Almighty will fulfil every need of the believer, and the believer will ask Him only for what accords with His pleasure.

Sa'id al-Jurayri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muwarriq al-Ijli passed by a gathering of the tribe and greeted them with peace. They returned his greeting, and a man asked him: "Is your condition entirely sound?" He replied: "I wish that even a tenth of it were sound."

Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A man cannot be pious until he guards himself against anger and greed.