١- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ وَالْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا قَالَ أَتَى أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) رَجُلٌ بِالْبَصْرَةِ بِصَحِيفَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ انْظُرْ إِلَى هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ فَإِنَّ فِيهَا نَصِيحَةً فَنَظَرَ فِيهَا ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَى وَجْهِ الرَّجُلِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقاً كَافَيْنَاكَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِباً عَاقَبْنَاكَ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ نُقِيلَكَ أَقَلْنَاكَ فَقَالَ بَلْ تُقِيلُنِي يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَلَمَّا أَدْبَرَ الرَّجُلُ قَالَ أَيَّتُهَا الأمَّةُ الْمُتَحَيِّرَةُ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا أَمَا إِنَّكُمْ لَوْ قَدَّمْتُمْ مَنْ قَدَّمَ اللهُ وَأَخَّرْتُمْ مَنْ أَخَّرَ اللهُ وَجَعَلْتُمُ الْوِلايَةَ وَالْوِرَاثَةَ حَيْثُ جَعَلَهَا اللهُ مَا عَالَ وَلِيُّ اللهِ وَلا طَاشَ سَهْمٌ مِنْ فَرَائِضِ اللهِ وَلا اخْتَلَفَ اثْنَانِ فِي حُكْمِ اللهِ وَلا تَنَازَعَتِ الأمَّةُ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللهِ إِلا عِلْمُ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَنَا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ فَذُوقُوا وَبَالَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَمَا اللهُ بِظَلامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ.
1. Abu Ali al-Ash ‘ariy and al-Husayn from Muhammad have narrated from Ahmad ibn Ishaq from Sa‘d an ibn Muslim from more than one person of our people who has narrated the following: “A man in Basrah brought a Sahifah (a booklet) and said, ‘O ’Amir al-Mu’minin, look at this booklet; there is advice in it.’ He (the Imam) looked at it, then he looked at the face of the man and said, ’If you are truthful we compensate you; if you are not truthful we will penalize you, if you want us to release you we will release you.’ He said, ’Release me O ’Amir al-Mu’minin. ’ When the man left ’Amir al-Mu’minin said, ‘You are the confused nation after your Prophet. Had you given priority to what Allah has given priority, kept back what Allah has kept back, placed people who possess divine authority and who inherit divine authority as Allah has placed, people who possess divine authority would not become needy. Obligations ordained by Allah would not remain neglected, two people would not quarrel [about a command of Allah and a nation would not fight over a command of Allah] but that the knowledge thereof is with us in the book of Allah. So taste the evil consequences of what your hands have sent ahead of you. Allah is not unjust to the servants. Very soon the unjust will find to what kind of returning place they have returned.”’ 