Is not the soul more excellent than food...

Is not the soul more excellent than food, and the body more excellent than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor store away, yet your heavenly Lord provides for them. Are you not more excellent than they are? Who among you by worrying can add a single measure to his stature? Then why do you worry about your clothes?” (12) Self-knowledge 29.

It is reported by Mufaddal, one of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq (‘a), from Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, Peace be upon him, in a long hadith, that he said: Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon our Prophet and upon him, used to spend some time with the disciples and advise them, and he used to say: ‘He does not know me who knows not his soul, and he who does not know the soul between his two sides, does not know the soul between my two sides.

And he who knows his soul which is between his sides, he knows me. And he who knows me knows He Who sent me.’ (13) On Prayer and Worship 30. Jesus (‘a) said to a worshipper, What do you do? He answered: I worship. He (‘a) said, Then who provides for you? He said, My brother. He (‘a) said, Your brother is more of a worshipper than you are ! (14) 31.

I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq (‘a)] about the best thing by which the servant may draw near to his Lord and what is most beloved by Allah, the Almighty and Glorious. He said: I know of nothing, after knowledge (ma’rifah), better than the ritual prayer (salat). Do you not see that the good servant Jesus the son of Mary (‘a) said: ‘And He enjoined on me the ritual prayer (salat) and the alms tax (zakat) for as long as I live.’? (15) 32.

It is reported that Imam Sadiq (‘a) said: Jesus the son of Mary (‘a) passed by a group of people who were crying. He asked why they were crying. It was said to him that they were crying for their sins. He said, they should pray about them and they will be forgiven. (16) To be continued! NOTES: ________________________ 1. Bihar al-anwar, 14, 329 2. Bihar al-anwar, 73, 122 3. Bihar al-anwar 14, 319 4. Bihar al-anwar, 14, 304; al-Kafi. 2, 127 5. Bihar al-anwar, 14, 327. 6. Bihar al-anwar, 14, 325.