The lawful and the unlawful things...

The lawful and the unlawful things, which we gather, will be divided among (our) sons, daughters, and those whom we gave nothing before death. The lovers will forget our association with them, and when we turn into decayed bones, as if we did not associate with them in love, and were not intimate friends among them.    O conceited one, for whom do you gather plentiful property and furniture?

You will pass away dispraised and alone, the husband of your wife will appropriate the inheritance, the executor will abandon you without sincerity, and corrupt affairs cannot be set right. You have committed weighty evil deeds which will close the means to resurrection. Hence you have neither refuge nor support nor help but fear of Allah.

   You cure with medicine every malady, while there is no medicine for the malady of your religion, except pure pleading to the Most Merciful (Allah) through the intention of a fearful one, the certitude of a hopeful one, long prayer for seeking pardon in a night with a dark covering, and showing remorse every time for the crookedness you have led, that you may tomorrow attain the subsistence and delight of a successful one. All the divan follows such an example of weakness.

It is certain that the Imam, peace be on him, did not compose it, rather it was composed by some of those who admired his sermons, his pieces of advice, and his wise sayings, so they ascribed it to him. I (the author) firmly believe that this poet had no ability to compose poetry, for he wrote most of the lines in weak words which were poor in the elegance of style. His Handwritten Works Dr.

Husayn ‘Ali Mahfu’z mentioned that some copies of the Qur’an were written by the holy hand of Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin, peace be on him, and that they were in the libraries of Shiraz, Qazwin, Asfahan, and Mashhad[^2]” [^1]: Nasikh al-Tawarikh, vol. 1, p. 947. Al-Nu`ri, Ma‘alim al-‘Ibar. [^2]: Al-Balagh Magazine, no. 7, first year, p. 59. Previous…