Mouood Mouood English Edition
Al-Mubarrad and Ibn Aisha narrated the following:
A Syrian man went on reviling at Imam al-Hasan (a) who was riding an animal. The Imam kept silent until the Syrian man finished. He then approached him and answered with handsome smiling: “Old man! I think you are foreigner. You might have been wrong. If you had admonished us, we would have satisfied you. If you had asked us, we would have given you. If you had sought our guidance, we would have led you. If you had asked us to load something on your riding animal, we would have done. If you had been hungry, we would have supplied you. If you had been naked, we would have dressed you. If you had been needy, we would have given you. If you had been fugitive, we would have succored you. If you had needed something, we would have settled your needs. I now hope you would drive your riding animal towards our residence so that you will be our guest until you determine to leave. This will be better for you. We have a large residence, a remarkable position, and an abundant fortune.”
As he heard the words of the Imam, the Syrian man wept and said:“It is surely that God is the most knowledgeable of the worthiest of conveying His message. Previously, your father and you were the most hateful creatures of God to me. But now, you are the dearest creature to me.” He then turned towards the residence of the Imam and was his guest until he left. He embraced the affection for The The Ahlul-Bayt (a).
Thus was al-Hussein Ibn Ali (a):
A servant of Imam al-Hussein committed a mistake that caused him to be punished. The Imam therefore gave the orders of beating him.
“Master,” said the servant, “(Remember God’s saying) those who refrain the anger.”
The Imam ordered to release him.
“Master,” said the servant, “(Remember God’s saying) and those who forgive people.”
The Imam forgave him.
“Master,” said the servant, “(Remember God’s saying) and Allah loves those who do good.”
The Imam said, “Go, you are free for the sake of Allah. I will also double your payment12”
As I have read the life accounts of The Ahlul-Bayt (a), I found them unique modes and ideal examples in the field of morality.
Narrators reported the following story about the unparalleled scope of Imam as-Sajjad’s clemency:
One of the servants of Imam as-Sajjad tried to serve the guests of his master with the grill. He was so hurried that one of the skewers fell down from his hand to kill one of the Imam’s sons. The servant was so confused, but the Imam (a) said to him: “Now, I set you free, because you did not intend to kill the boy.” Then, the Imam held the funeral ceremonies of the boy13.
Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far (a) was called Al-Kadhim the one who suppresses his anger–, because of his great clemency for the sake of God.
A narrator reported the following story in this regard: In Medina, a descendant of one of the caliphs used to hurt Abu al-Hasan Musa (a) whenever he would meet him. Moreover, he used to revile at Ali and the Imam. The Imam’s retinue asked him to allow them to kill that man. The Imam ordered them not to do so. As he asked about that man, the Imam was told that he had a ranch in Medina. The Imam rode on a donkey, went to the ranch, saw the man, and entered that ranch with his donkey. “Do not tread on our yields,” shouted the man. But the Imam did not pay attention to his warning, and drove his riding animal to tread on the yields until he approached the man. He, then, rode off, sat with the man, spoke with him kindly, smiled in his face, and asked: “How much did I cause you to lose as a result of treading on your yields?”
“About one hundred dinars,” said the man.
“How much do you expect to gain from it?” asked the Imam.
“I cannot tell of the unseen,” answered the man.
“I only asked how much do you expect,” said the Imam.
“I expect two hundred dinars,” answered the man. The Imam (a) took out a bag of three hundred dinars and said to the man “This is for the yields, and Allah may give you that which you expect.”
The man stood up, kissed the Imam on the head, and asked him to forgive his past wrongdoings. The Imam smiled and went away.
When the Imam entered the mosque, that man was sitting there. As soon as he saw him, he shouted: “It is surely that God is the most knowledgeable of the worthiest of conveying His message.”
The man’s associates jumped to him with astonishment and asked,“What is the matter with you? We used to see the opposite of this.”
“Well,” said the man, “you have heard my new situation,” and went on praising and praying to God for the Imam (a). That situation made him lose those associates.
When the Imam went back home, he said to the company who had asked him to kill that man: “Which one is the best your intention or my deed? I could guide that man to the right as much as you saw, and I could save myself from his evils14.”
Anger
Anger is a mental condition that provokes the excitement of man in words and deeds. Because of the dangers and sins –such like mocking, gibe, obscenity, beating, killing, and the like evildoings that are resulted from anger, it has been considered as the door to every evil:
Imam as-Sadiq narrated on the authority of his father that a Bedouin came to the Prophet (S) and said: “I live in the desert; hence, I want you to instruct me the comprehensive of speech.” The Prophet said: “I instruct you not to be angry.” As the Bedouin repeated the same request three times, the Prophet (S) repeated the answer three times. The Bedouin commented: “I will not ask you for anything anymore. Certainly, the Messenger of God has instructed me the best 15.”
Amirul-Mu’minin (a) said: “Keep off anger because it is one large army from the Shaitan’s armies.”
“Anger is a stroke of madness, for the angry, later on, feels sorry. If he does not, his madness then is inclusive 16.”
Imam al-Baqir (a) said: “A man often becomes so angry that he is never pleased until this causes him to be in Hell 17.”
Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: “Anger is the key to every evil 18.”
Incentives of Anger
• The incentive of anger could be a physical disorder, such as illness or neuropathy that cause hypersensitiveness.
• It could be a psychological defect that is arisen from mental stress, excessive selfishness, or feeling of insult or inferiority.
• It could be ethical, such as habituation of quarrelsomeness and quick anxiety.
