ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Tradition of Mufaddal Second Session - The Animal Kingdom At dawn I presented myself to my master, and after obtaining admittance to his lodgings, I sat down at his behest. He (as)began, "All Praise is due to Him Who is the Creator of revolution of the ages, Who brings one stage after another and one state after another of decades of time, to reward the righteous and to chastise the evil-doers, because He is just. All His Names are Exalted.

His Blessings are Magnificent. He does not do the least injustice to His creatures, rather, man does injustice to himself. Allah (s.w.t.)'s own words bear testimony to this: Then he who has done an atoms weight of good shall see it and he who has done an atoms weight of evil shall see it - 99:7-8. There are other verses in the Holy Book to this same effect giving detailed explanations of all matters. Falsehood cannot come in front of, nor behind It.

It is a Book revealed by the Almighty Praiseworthy Allah. It is on this account that the Holy Prophet (saw) has said to the effect that your actions will be returned to you." The Imam (as)bent down his head for a while and said, "O Mufaddhal! Mankind is perplexed and bewildered, blind, infatuated in their perverseness, following their devils and spectres. They have eyes but do not see, they have tongues but are dumb, and do not understand. They have ears but do not hear.

They are happy in their contemptible degradation. They presume that they are well-guided. They are diverted from the rank of rational beings. They feed on the vegetation of' polluted dirty people. They deem themselves safe from a sudden visitation of death and the retribution of deeds. Alas! How ill fated are these people!" This moved me to tears, and the Imam (as)solaced me by saying that I was saved, because of having accepted the faith and the gnosis, and was granted salvation.

The Animal World He (as)continued, "I now wish to speak to you about the animal world, so that you may have as much information about it as you have got about the rest. Just consider the physical constitution and the pattern of construction underlying their build. They are not as hard as stone, for had they been so, they could not have been able to perform actions, nor are they soft, for in that case they could not have reared up their heads or stood erect by themselves without prop.

They are composed of such pliable muscles as bend and double up.