ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Tuhaf Al-uqul ( the Masterpieces of the Mind ) Narratives of Imam Al-baqir The following maxims and words of wisdom are related to Imam Abu Ja'far Mohammed bin Ali Al-Baqir (peace be upon him).

Imam Al-Baqir's Commandment for Jabir bin Yazid Al-Ju'fi It is related that Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said to Jabir: O Jabir, you should win five matters from the people of your time: They will not know you when you are present (in a gathering), they will not miss you when you are absent, they will not seek your consult when you witness a matter, and they will not listen to you when you provide an opinion.

I advise you to cling to five matters: you should not oppress him who oppressed you; you should not cheat him who cheated you; you should not be angry when you are belied; you should not be happy when you are praised; you should not be miserable when you are dispraised. Think of the dispraise that is said about you. If it is true, then it will be more catastrophic for you to be disregarded by God than being disregarded by people when you decline the right.

If it was incorrect, then it will be a reward that you gained without exerting any effort. You should know that if all the people of your region say unanimously that you are bad, this should not shake you, and if they all say unanimously that you are good, this should not please you and make you one of our followers. To be our follower, you should measure yourself according to the criteria of God's Book.

If you take its path, abstain from what it warns, desire for what it urges, and fear of what it cautions, then you should be stable and glad. In this case, whatever is said against you will not injure you. If you oppose the instructions of the Quran, then in what are you proud? The faithful believer should engage himself in fighting against his desires for overcoming his passions. Once, he wins and opposes his passion for God's sake, and once his passions overcome him.

Thus, he follows his whims, but he will live again as God grants him a new life and will remember as God pardons his flaws. As he seeks the refuge of repentance and God-fearing, he will be supplied with guidance and knowledge as much as he fears God. This is because God says: Surely those who guard against evil, when a visitation from the Shaitan afflicts them they become intelligent, then lo! They see. O Jabir, regard God's few sustenance as very much so as to be able to thank Him suitably.