Yes, the Messenger of Islam (s.

Yes, the Messenger of Islam (s.a.w.a.) informed, “Nothing takes you closer to paradise and distances you from hell except that I have ordered you to do it. And nothing takes you nearer to hell and makes you further from paradise but that I have refrained you from it.[^1]” Surely the traditions comprise of what man needs. Hence, it is obligatory on us to make the requisite preparations for them i.e.

to learn them and ponder deeply over them universally, in societies, gatherings, at all appropriate places, in books, magazines, radio, television, etc. By Allah! I don’t know anybody who has learnt these traditions and their contents, and thought of them as paralleled except by Allah, that in his heart was some disease.

Indeed the politics of the day did not deem it preferable that the Muslims should benefit from the traditions and that they should be attentive towards this great scientific wealth and prudent systems due to their (politicians) being distant from the true life of the Muslims in beliefs, politics, governance and ethics.

Consequently, the Muslims became seekers after being the sought ones, they became servants after being masters just as the Messenger of Islam (s.a.w.a.) had prophesied “They will serve but they will not be served.” In the first era, tragedy was afflicted (on the Muslim nation) through the prohibition on the compilation of the traditions, while on the other hand, they had to encounter the disasters inflicted by the Jews.

People like Ka’b al-Ahbaar became the confidantes of the rulers and their reference in the interpretation of Quran, stories of the prophets, history and other important issues.

This was despite the fact that when the Messenger of Islam (s.a.w.a.) saw some of them reading or researching the books of the people of the book[^2], he (s.a.w.a.) remarked: “Had Musa been alive today he would have but followed me.”[^3] And despite the presence of an Imam like Ali ibne Abi Talib (a.s.), who was the door of the city of knowledge, a truth endorsed by the Messenger of Islam (s.a.w.a.) himself.