Al-Kāfi - The Book on Dying People

Al-Kāfi - The Book on Dying People َّدٍ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ أَبِي حَ٠َّادٍ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ جَاءَ أَ٠ِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) إِلَى الأشْعَثِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ يُعَزِّيهِ بِأَخٍ لَهُ يُقَالُ لَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْ٠َنِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ٠ِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) إِنْ جَزِعْتَ فَحَقَّ الرَّحِ٠ِ أَتَيْتَ وَإِنْ صَبَرْتَ فَحَقَّ الله أَدَّيْتَ عَلَى أَنَّكَ إِنْ صَبَرْتَ جَرَى عَلَيْكَ الْقَضَاءُ وَأَنْتَ ٠ُودٌ وَإِنْ جَزِعْتَ جَرَى عَلَيْكَ الْقَضَاءُ وَأَنْتَ ٠ٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ الأشْعَثُ إِنَّا لله وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ فَقَالَ أَ٠ِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠َا تَأْوِيلُهَا فَقَالَ الأشْعَثُ لاَ أَنْتَ غَايَةُ الْعِلْ٠ُنْتَهَاهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ٠َّا قَوْلُكَ إِنَّا لله فَإِقْرَارٌ ٠َّا قَوْلُكَ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ فَإِقْرَارٌ ٠ِنْكَ بِالْهَلاَكِ.

If you exercise patience, you cannot escape destiny but you will be praised, and if you express grief, still you cannot escape destiny but you will be blamed.’ Ash‘ath then said to him, ‘We are for Allah and to Him we return.’ ’Amir al-Mu’minin then asked, ‘Do you know what its explanation is?’ Ash‘ath replied, ‘No, you are the end and limit of knowledge.’ The Imam said, ‘Your saying, “we are for Allah,” is your professing that you are owned (by Allah) and your saying, “to Him we return”, is your professing to die.’” ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (14/265))