١ - حدثنا أحمد بن الحسن القطان وعلي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله قالا: حدثنا أحمد بن يحيى بن زكريا القطان، قال: حدثنا محمد بن العباس قال: حدثني محمد بن أبي السري، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن عبد الله بن يونس، عن سعد الكناني، عن الأصبغ بن نباتة، قال: لما جلس علي عليه السلام في الخلافة وبايعه الناس خرج إلى المسجد متعمما بعمامة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لابسا بردة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، متنعلا نعل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، متقلدا سيف رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فصعد المنبر فجلس عليه السلام عليه متمكنا، ثم شبك بين أصابعه فوضعها أسفل بطنه، ثم قال: يا معشر الناس سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني، هذا سفط العلم، هذا لعاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، هذا ما زقني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم زقا زقا، سلوني فإن عندي علم الأولين والآخرين، أما والله لو ثنيت لي الوسادة فجلست عليها لأفتيت أهل التوراة بتوراتهم حتى تنطق التوراة فتقول: صدق علي ما كذب، لقد أفتاكم بما أنزل الله في، وأفتيت أهل الإنجيل بإنجيلهم حتى ينطق الإنجيل فيقول: صدق علي ما كذب، لقد أفتاكم بما أنزل الله في، وأفتيت أهل القرآن بقرآنهم حتى ينطق القرآن فيقول: صدق علي ما كذب، لقد أفتاكم بما أنزل الله في، وأنتم تتلون القرآن ليلا ونهارا فهل فيكم أحد يعلم ما نزل فيه، ولولا آية في كتاب الله لأخبرتكم بما كان وبما يكون وما هو كائن إلى يوم القيامة وهي هذه الآية ﴿يمحو الله ما يشاء ويثبت وعنده أم الكتاب﴾ . ثم قال: سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني، فوالله الذي فلق الحبة وبرأ النسمة لو سألتموني عن آية آية في ليل أنزلت أو في نهار أنزلت، مكيها ومدنيها، سفريها و حضريها، ناسخها ومنسوخها، محكمها ومتشابهها، وتأويلها وتنزيلها لأخبرتكم، فقام إليه رجل يقال له: ذعلب وكان ذرب اللسان، بليغا في الخطب، شجاع القلب فقال: لقد ارتقى ابن أبي طالب مرقاة صعبة لأخجلنه اليوم لكم في مسألتي إياه، فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين هل رأيت ربك؟ قال: ويلك يا ذعلب لم أكن بالذي أعبد رباه لم أره، قال: فكيف رأيته؟ صفه لنا؟ قال: ويلك لم تره العيون بمشاهدة الأبصار، ولكن رأته القلوب بحقائق الإيمان، ويلك يا ذعلب إن ربي لا يوصف بالبعد، ولا بالحركة، ولا بالسكون، ولا بالقيام قيام انتصاب، ولا بجيئه ولا بذهاب، لطيف اللطافة لا يوصف باللطف، عظيم العظمة لا يوصف بالعظم، كبير الكبرياء لا يوصف بالكبر، جليل الجلالة لا يوصف بالغلظ، رؤوف الرحمة لا يوصف بالرقة مؤمن لا بعبادة، مدرك لا بمجسة، قائل لا باللفظ، هو في الأشياء على غير ممازجة. خارج منها على غير مباينة، فوق كل شئ فلا يقال: شئ فوقه، وأمام كل شئ فلا يقال: له أمام، داخل في الأشياء لا كشئ في شئ داخل، وخارج منها لا كشئ من شئ خارج، فخر ذعلب مغشيا عليه، ثم قال: تالله ما سمعت بمثل هذا الجواب، والله لا عدت إلى مثلها. ثم قال: سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني، فقام إليه الأشعث بن قيس، فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين كيف يؤخذ من المجوس الجزية ولم ينزل عليهم الكتاب ولم يبعث إليهم نبي؟ قال: بلى يا أشعث قد أنزل الله عليهم كتابا وبعث إليهم رسولا، حتى كان لهم ملك سكر ذات ليلة فدعا بابنته إلى فراشه فارتكبها، فلما أصبح تسامع به قومه فاجتمعوا إلى بابه، فقالوا: أيها الملك دنست علينا ديننا وأهلكته فأخرج نطهرك ونقم عليك الحد، فقال لهم: اجتمعوا واسمعوا كلامي فإن يكن لي مخرج مما ارتكبت، وإلا فشأنكم، فاجتمعوا فقال لهم: هل علمتم أن الله لم يخلق خلقا أكرم عليه من أبينا آدم وأمنا حواء؟ قالوا: صدقت أيها الملك، قال: أفليس قد زوج بنيه من بناته وبناته من بنيه؟ قالوا: صدقت هذا هو الدين فتعاقدوا على ذلك، فمحا الله ما في صدروهم من العلم، ورفع عنهم الكتاب، فهم الكفرة يدخلون النار بلا حساب، والمنافقون أشد حالا منهم، قال الأشعث: والله ما سمعت بمثل هذا الجواب، والله لا عدت إلى مثلها أبدا. ثم قال: سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني، فقام إليه رجل من أقصى المسجد متوكئا على عصاه، فلم يزل يتخطى الناس حتى دنا منه فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين دلني على عمل أنا إذا عملته نجاني الله من النار، قال له: اسمع يا هذا ثم افهم ثم استيقن، قامت الدنيا بثلاثة: بعالم ناطق مستعمل لعلمه، وبغني لا يبخل بماله على أهل دين الله، وبفقير صابر، فإذا كتم العالم علمه، وبخل الغني، ولم يصبر الفقير فعندها الويل والثبور، وعندها يعرف العارفون بالله أن الدار قد رجعت إلى بدئها أي الكفر بعد الإيمان، أيها السائل فلا تغترن بكثرة المساجد وجماعة أقوام أجسادهم مجتمعة وقلوبهم شتى، أيها السائل إنما الناس ثلاثة: زاهد وراغب وصابر، فأما الزاهد فلا يفرح بشئ من الدنيا أتاه ولا يحزن على شئ منها فاته، وأما الصابر فيتمناها بقلبه، فإن أدرك منها شيئا صرف عنها نفسه لما يعلم من سوء عاقبتها، وأما الراغب فلا يبالي من حل أصابها أم من حرام، قال له: يا أمير المؤمنين فما علامة المؤمن في ذلك الزمان؟ قال: ينظر إلى ما أوجب الله عليه من حق فيتولاه وينظر إلى ما خالفه فيتبرء منه وإن كان حميما قريبا، قال: صدقت والله يا أمير المؤمنين ثم غاب الرجل فلم نره، فطلبه الناس فلم يجدوه، فتبسم علي عليه السلام على المنبر ثم قال: ما لكم هذا أخي الخضر عليه السلام. ثم قال: سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني فلم يقم إليه أحد، فحمد الله وأثنى عليه و صلى على نبيه صلى الله عليه وآله، ثم قال للحسن عليه السلام: يا حسن قم فاصعد المنبر فتكلم بكلام لا تجهلك قريش من بعدي فيقولون: إن الحسن بن علي لا يحسن شيئا، قال الحسن عليه السلام: يا أبت كيف أصعد وأتكلم وأنت في الناس تسمع وترى، قال له: بأبي وأمي أواري نفسي عنك وأسمع وأرى وأنت لا تراني، فصعد الحسن عليه السلام المنبر فحمد الله بمحامد بليغة شريفة، وصلى على النبي صلى الله عليه وآله صلاة موجزة، ثم قال: أيها الناس سمعت جدي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله يقول: أنا مدينة العلم وعلي بابها وهل تدخل المدينة إلا من بابها، ثم نزل فوثب إليه علي عليه السلام فحمله وضمه إلى صدره، ثم قال للحسين عليه السلام: يا بني قم فاصعد المنبر وتكلم بكلام لا تجهلك قريش من بعدي فيقولون: إن الحسين بن علي لا يبصر شيئا، وليكن كلامك تبعا لكلام أخيك، فصعد الحسين عليه السلام المنبر فحمد الله وأثنى عليه وصلى على نبيه صلى الله عليه وآله صلاة موجزة، ثم قال: معاشر الناس سمعت جدي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وهو يقول: إن عليا هو مدينة هدى فمن دخلها نجا ومن تخلف عنها هلك، فوثب إليه علي فضمه إلى صدره وقبله، ثم قال: معاشر الناس اشهدوا أنهما فرخا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ووديعته التي استودعنيها وأنا أستودعكموها، معاشر الناس ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم سائلكم عنهما. 
‫‪1. Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qittan and `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq‬‬ ‫‪(may Allah have mercy on them both) said: Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Zakariyya al-Qittan said:‬‬ ‫‪Muhammad ibn al-`Abbas said: Muhammad ibn Abu al-Suri related to me that Ahmad ibn `abd‬‬ ‫‪Allah ibn Yunus said, on the authority Sa`d al-Kinani, on the authority of al-Asbagh ibn‬‬ ‫‪Nubatah that‬‬ ‫‪When `Ali  assumed the Caliphate, and the people were paying allegiance to him,‬‬ ‫‪he left for the Mosque wearing the turban, the outer garment [burdah], the shoes, and‬‬ ‫‪the sword of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He  went up the pulpit. He saw down‬‬ ‫)‪firmly. He crossed his fingers. He placed his hands cross his stomach. And he (AS‬‬ ‫‪said:‬‬ ‫‪O assembly of People! Ask me before you are deprived of me. This is the vessel of‬‬ ‫‪knowledge. This is (the effect of) the saliva of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. This is what‬‬ ‫‪the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fed me like the feeding of a bird. Ask me, for verily, I have‬‬ ‫‪the knowledge of the First Ones and the Last Ones.‬‬ ‫‪By Allah, if a cushion were folded up for me, I could sit on it and judge the believers in the Torah on the basis of the Torah until the Torah would profess: ``Ali has spoken the truth, and has not lied. He has judged you according to what Allah revealed through me.’ I could judge the believers in the Bible on the basis of the Bible until the Bible would profess: ``Ali has spoken the truth, and has not lied. He has judged you according to what Allah has revealed through me.’ And I could judge the believers in the Qur’an on the basis of the Qur’an until the Qur’an would profess: ``Ali has spoken the truth, and has not lied. He has judged you according to what Allah ha revealed through me.’ All of you read the Qur’an day and night. Does anyone of you know what is revealed in it? If it were not for a single verse in the Book of Allah, I would have informed of everything that has happened in the past, everything which is happening in the present, and everything which will happen in the future up to the Day of Judgment. That verse is this: Allah makes to pass away and establishes what He pleases, and with Him is the basis of the Book. He  then continued: Ask me before you are deprived of me. By Allah who split the grain seed and the made the persons, if you asked me about each and every verse; whether it was revealed during the day or during the night, whether it was revealed in Mecca or Medina, or revealed while traveling or not while traveling, the abrogating verses or the abrogated ones, the decisive verses or the allegorical ones, and their interpretations and their context, I would inform you. A man called Dhi`lib, who was sharp of tongue, eloquent in speaking, and brave at heart, stood up and said: “The son of Abu Talib has certainly climbed on a difficult ladder. In questioning him I will surely humiliate him today for all of you.” Then he addressed the Imam  and said: “O Commander of the Faithful, have you seen your Lord?” The Imam  replied, “Woe to you, O Dhi`lib! I do not serve a lord that I have not seen.” He said: “How did you see him? Describe Him for us.” `Ali  responded, Woe to you! The eyes do not see him through means of vision, but the hearts see Him through certainty of faith. Woe to you, O Dhi`lib! Verily, my Lord cannot be described in terms of proximity or movement. He is the Most Subtle of the Subtle and cannot be described in terms of subtletly. He is the Greatest of the Great whose greatness cannot be described in terms of greatness. He is the Grandest of the Grand whose grandeur cannot be expressed in terms of grandeur. He is the Highest of the High whose highness cannot be described in terms of toughness. He is the Most Affectionate of the Affectionate whose mercy cannot be described in terms of delicateness. He is the granter of Security, but not through sevice. He perceives not by touch, nor speaks though enunciation. He is Present in all Things, but not physically. And he is Absent in All thins, but not through conflict. He is Above all Things, yet it cannot be said that something is above Him. He is in Front of All Things, but it cannot be said: He as a front. He Permeates all Things, but He is neither inside nor outside them. Dhi`lib dropped fainting, and when he woke up again, he said: “By Allah, I have never heard the likeness of this reply, and by Allah I shall never ask such questions again.” The Imam  then continues: “Ask me before you are deprived of me.” So al-Ash`ath ibn Qays stood before him and asked, “O Commander of the Faithful! Why are the Zorastrians taxed [jizyah] when no book was revealed to them and no prophet was sent to them?” The Imam  replied, O Ash`ath! Allah certainly revealed a Book for them, and sent them a Messenger. They once had a king, who got drunk one night, called his daughter to his bed, and committed incest with her. When he got up in the morning, the people heard of this, gathered at his door and said: “O king! You have defiled and disgraced our religion and destroyed it. Come out at once so that we can purify you through the legal punishment [hadd].” He replied to them: “Gather together, and listen to my speech. If there is a way out for me from what I have perpetrated, then so be it. Otherwise, do with me as you please.” So they gathered and he addressed them: “Do you know that Allah has not created a creation more honorable to Him than our father Adam and our mother Eve?” They replied: “You are right, O king.” He said: “Is it not so that his sons married his daughters and his daughters married his sons?” They answered: “You are right. This is the religion.” Based on that they contracted in marriage. Hence Allah took away the knowledge from their chests, and raised the Book from them. Thus, they are unbelievers. They shall enter the Hell without any accountability and the hypocrites are worse off than them. Ash`ath said: “By Allah, I have never heard the likeness of this reply, and by Allah I shall never ask such questions again.” The Imam  then continued: “Ask me before you are deprived of me.” So a man from further away in the Mosque stood up, leaning on his stake. He crossed all the people until he was close to the Imam . Then he said: “O Commander of the Faithful! Teach me something that will save me from the Fire.” `Ali  said to him, Listen to me, O man, and understand! This world is established on three things: on a leaned person who speaks using his knowledge; on a wealthy person who is not miserly with his wealth towards the religious; and on a patient poor person. Thus, if the learned hides his knowledge, the wealthy acts miserly, and the poor do not practice patience, they shall meet the affliction and ruin. At that point the recognizers of Allah know that he house will return to its origin, i.e. disbelief after faith. O Questioner, do not be dazzled over large numbers of mosques and groups of people who are united in their bodies, but separated in hearts. O questioner! Verily, there are three types of people: the ascetic [zahid], the hedonist [raghib], and the patient person [sabir]. As for the ascetic, he is never pleased with anything from this world that comes to him nor is he displeased over anything that expires from him. As for the patient person, he longs for the world from his heart, but when he finds anything from it he refrains from it due to knowing its evil result. As for the hedonistic, he is careless of obtaining the world from permissible means or forbidden means. This man asked, “O Commander of the Faithful! What is the sign of a believer in such a time?” He  replied, “He fulfils the obligations that Allah has imposed upon him and he keeps away from what Allah has forbidden, regardless of how much he yearns for it.” The man asked, “You are right, by Allah, O Commander of the Faithful.” Then the man disappeared, and we did not see him. So the people looked for him, but did not find him. `Ali  smiled, while on the pulpit, and said: “What is the matter with you? That was my brother, al-Khidr .” The Imam  then continues: “Ask me before you are deprived of me.” No one stood up to him. Hence, he praised Allah and extolled Him, and sent his blessings on the Prophet ﷺ. He then said to alHasan , “O Hasan, stand up and go up the pulpit and deliver a speech so that the Quraysh may not claim ignorance of you after me, otherwise they will say: “Verily, alHasan ibn `Ali knows nothing good.” Al-Hasan  said: “O father! How can I go upon the pulpit and speak when you are among the people listening and seeing?” `Ali (ibn Abu Talib) said to him, “May my father and mother be your ransom! I will conceal myself form you and will listen and see you while your cannot see me.” Al-Hasan  went up the pulpit, praised Allah profusely, and blessed the Prophet ﷺ briefly. He  then said: “O people, I have heard my grandfather the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “I am the City of Knowledge and `Ali is its Gate. A city can only be entered by its gate.” Then he  came down. `Ali  leapt towards him, pulled him, and embraced him. Then he said to al-Husayn , “O my son! Stand up. Go to the pulpit and deliver s speech so that the Quraysh cannot claim ignorance of you after me; otherwise, they will say: ”Verily, al-Husayn ibn `Ali has no vision. Your speech should be subsequent to your brother’s speech.” Al-Husayn  went up the pulpit, praised Allah profusely, and blessed the Prophet ﷺ briefly. He  then said: “O Assembly! I heard my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ says: “Verily, `Ali is the City of Guidance. Whoever enters it is saved, and whoever fails to enter it is lost.” `Ali  leapt towards him, embraced him, and kissed him. Then he  said: “O Assembly! Bear witness that these two are sons of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ which he has entrusted to my custody, and I am entrusting them to you. Beware O people, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will question you about them.”