جَاءَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) إِلَى الْأَشْعَثِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ يُعَزِّيهِ بِأَخٍ لَهُ يُقَالُ لَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) إِنْ جَزِعْتَ فَحَقَّ الرَّحِمِ أَتَيْتَ وَ إِنْ صَبَرْتَ فَحَقَّ اللَّهِ أَدَّيْتَ عَلَى أَنَّكَ إِنْ صَبَرْتَ جَرَى عَلَيْكَ الْقَضَاءُ وَ أَنْتَ مَحْمُودٌ وَ إِنْ جَزِعْتَ جَرَى عَلَيْكَ الْقَضَاءُ وَ أَنْتَ مَذْمُومٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْأَشْعَثُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) أَ تَدْرِي مَا تَأْوِيلُهَا فَقَالَ الْأَشْعَثُ لَا أَنْتَ غَايَةُ الْعِلْمِ وَ مُنْتَهَاهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَمَّا قَوْلُكَ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ فَإِقْرَارٌ مِنْكَ بِالْمُلْكِ وَ أَمَّا قَوْلُكَ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ فَإِقْرَارٌ مِنْكَ بِالْهَلَاكِ .
Translation
Ali Bin Muhammad, from Salih Bin Abu Hammad, raising it, said, ‘Amir Al-Momineen came over to Al-Ash’as Bin Qays consoling him for (the demise of) a brother of his called Abdul Rahman. So Amir Al-Momineen<sup>asws</sup> said to him: ‘If you were to panic, you would have given the right of the womb (relationship), and if you were to be patient, so you would have paid the Right of Allah<sup>azwj</sup>. On top of that, if you were to be patient, the Ordained matter would flow upon you and you would be a praised one, and if you were to panic, the Ordained matter would flow upon you (anyway) and you would be a condemned one’. So Al-Ash’as said to him<sup>asws</sup>, ‘<span class="ibTxt"><a href="/#/books/quran:2#h156"><a href="/books/quran:2#h156">[2:156]</a></a> Surely we are for Allah and to Him we are returning</span>;. So Amir Al-Momineen<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘Do you know what its interpretation is?’ So Al-Ash’as said, ‘No. You<sup>asws</sup> are the peak of knowledge and its limit’. So he<sup>asws</sup> said to him: ‘<span class="ibTxt">We are for Allah</span> – so it is the acknowledgement from you of the King. And as for your words <span class="ibTxt">and to Him we are returning</span> – so it is the acknowledgement from you of the death’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.