Fascinating discourses from Imam Musa al-Kazim (as)

The Seventh Imam: Imam Musa Kazim (as)

Name: Musa

Renowned Titles: Abd e Saleh, Kazim Babul Hawaij (The gateway of fulfilment of needs)

Sub Title: Abul Hassan, Abu Ibrahim

Father: Imam Ja’far Sadiq (as)

Mother: Hameeda Khatoon

Time of Birth: Sunday morning

Date of Birth: 7th of Safar Year of Birth: 128 Hijrah

Place of Birth: 'Abwa' a place between Mecca & Medina.

Date of Martyrdom: 25th of Rajab

Year of Martyrdom: 18.3 Hijrah

Place of Martyrdom: The Prison of Haroon Rashid in Baghdad (Iraq).

Age: 55 years

Cause of Martyrdom: Poisoned by the order of Haroon.

Tomb: Kazemain, Near Baghdad.

The life duration:

The First era before Imamate spread out from 128 to 148 Hijrah (20 Years).

The Second period following his Imamate from 148 to 183 Hijrah coincident with the ruler’s hip periods of Mansoor Duwanaqi, Mahdi Abbasi Hadi Abbasi & Haroon Ur Rashid. The most of his Imamate period was coincident with the era of Haroon, which stretched as long as 23 year, 2 month & 17 days. And Haroon was the fifth caliph of the Abbasade Dynasty during whose period of rule the Imam mostly remained imprisoned.

Twenty Traditions from Imam Musa al-Kazim (as)

1. I found the knowledge of people in four (things) firstly, that you know your lord (recognition of Allah) & secondly that you know it as to what factors He made use of in creating you, & thirdly that you know as to what does he want & intend from you & fourthly that you learn what is it that will expell you from your religion. (Ayan ush-Shia (the modem print) Vol. 2. P 9)

1- وَجدتُ عِلمَ النّاسِ في أَربَعٍ :اوَّلُها أَن تَعرِفَ رَبَّکَ وَالثّانِيَةُ أَن تَعرِفَ ما صَنَعَ بِکَ، وَالثّالِثَةُ،أَن تَعرِفَ ما أَرادَ مِنکَ ،وَالرّابِعَةُ أَن تَعرِفَ ما يُخرِجُکَ عَن دِينِکَ. (اعيان الشيعه (الطبع الجديد)ج2 ص9)

-------------------------------------------------------

2. Indeed, there are two arguments & proofs from Allah for the people.

1. The conspicuous & apparent arguments.

2. The esoteric & intrinsic argument (proof). Nonetheless, apparent authorities are the Prophets, apostles & messengers & the Imams (as) However, the esoteric (ones) so these are the (human) intellects (minds). (Bihar ul-Anwar Vol. 1. P 137)

2- إِنَّ لِلّهِ عَلَی النّاسِ حُجَّتَينِ:حُجَّةً ظاهِرَةً، وَحُجَّةباطِنَةً، فَأَمَّا الظّاهِرَةُ فَالرُّسُلُ وَالأَنبِياءُ وَالأَئِمَّةُ عَلَيهِم السَّلامُ: وَأَمّا الباطِنَةُ فَألعُقُولُ. (بحارالانوار ج1 ص137)

---------------------------------------------------------

3. Put in endeavor & exercise effort that your time is scheduled into four hours (parts). An hour (part of it) for the supplication to Allah & an hour (another part) of it for the affairs of economy & livelihood & still another hour (part of it) for social contacts with the brothers & the persons of confidence who may let you learn your short comings & faults & they have a sincere interior (heart) for you. And a part of it in which you enjoy the unforbidden & lawful entertainments. And with this part of time you get the strength & vigor for the (rest of) three other (parts of) times. (Tuhful-Aqool. P 409)

5- اِجتَهِدُوا في أَن يَکُونَ زَمانُکُم أَربَعَ ساعاتٍ: ساعَةً لِمُناجاةِ اللهِ، وَساعَةً لأَِمرِ المَعاشِ، وَساعَةً لِمُعاشَرَةِ الإخوانِ وَالثِّقاتِ الَّذينَ يُعَرِّفُونَکُم عُيُوبَکُم وَيُخلِصُونَ لَکُم فِي الباطِنِ، وَساعَةً تَخلُونَ فيها لِلَذّاتِکُم في غَيرِ مُحَرَّمٍ وَبِهذِهِ السّاعَةِ تَقدِرُونَ عَلَی الثَّلاثِ ساعاتٍ. (تحف العقول ص409)

--------------------------------------------------------

4. Oh Hisham! A man is not faithful till such time that he gets fearful, (&) hopeful. And he will not become fearful (&) hopeful unless & until he becomes the conjuror & doer of that which he fears & hopes i.e. (He practices according to the requirement & needs of the fear & hope). (Tuhful-Aqool. P 395)

6- يا هِشامُ لا يَکُونُ الرَّجُلُ مُؤمِناً حَتّی يَکُونَ خائِفاً راجِياً. وَلا يَکُونُ خائِفاً راجِياً حَتّی يَکُونَ عامِلاً لِما يَخافُ وَيَرجُو. (تحف العقول ص395)

---------------------------------------------------------

Indeed, the greatest & biggest of all the people in worth & value is the person who does not consider the world a station & abode for himself moreover, there is no price & worth of your bodies except the paradise, so, do not sell them without (achieving) it. 

5. Indeed, the greatest & biggest of all the people in worth & value is the person who does not consider the world a station & abode for himself moreover, there is no price & worth of your bodies except the paradise, so, do not sell them without (achieving) it. (Tuhfool Aqool, P .389)

8- اِنَّ اَعظَم النّاسِ قَدرًا: الَّذِی لا يَرَی الدُّنيا لِنَفسِهِ خَطَراً، اَما اِنَّ اَبدانَکُم لَيسَ لَها ثَمَنٌ اِلاَّالجَنَّةَ،فَلا تَبِيعوُها بِغَيرِها. (تحف العقول ص389)

----------------------------------------------------------

6. Bad is the person who has two faces & two tongues (double cross & hypocrite). He praises & commends his brother (in faith) in his presence & when he is absent him back bites & slanders him. If he achieves (something) he gets jealous of him & if he is afflicted he leaves & abandons him. (Does not help him) (Tuhful-Aqool, P .395. Bihar ul-Anwar Vol. 78, P .310)

10- بِئسَ العَبدُ عَبدٌ يَکُونُ ذاوَجهَين وَذَا لِسَانَين يُطری اَخاهُ اِذا شاهَدَهُ وَيَأکُلُهُ اِذا غابَ عَنهُ اِن اُعطِیَ حَسَدَهُ وَاِنِ ابتلیَ خَذَلَهُ. (تحف العقول ص395) (بحار الانوار ج78 ص310)

----------------------------------------------------------

7. I inform you that the obligatory most right of your brother (in faith) is that you do not hide & conceal anything, which is beneficial & useful for his worldly affairs or affairs of the hereafter, from him. (Bihar ul-Anwar Vol. 78, P 329)

16- اُخبِرُکَ أَنَّ مِن اَوجَبِ حَقَّ اَخيِکَ اَن لا تَکتُمَهُ شَيئاً يَنفَعُهُ لِأَمرِ دُنياهُ وَلأَِمرِ آخِرَتِهِ. (بحارالانوار ج78 ص329)

-----------------------------------------------------------

8. Allah has prohibited heaven for all the users of abusive & obscene language. The shameless person, who does neither care about what he says & nor what is said about him. (Tuhaf al-Uqul P 394)

20- اِنَّ اللهَ حَرَّمَ الجَنَّةَ عَلی کُلِّ فاحِشٍ بَذِیٍّ قَلِيلِ الحَياءِ لا يُبالِی ما قالَ وَلا ما قيلَ فيهِ. (حف العقول ص394)

------------------------------------------------------------

.O Hisham! The wise person becomes contented with a little (share) from the world along with wisdom. And does not become satisfied & contented with small portion of wisdom with whole of the world. 

9.O Hisham! The wise person becomes contented with a little (share) from the world along with wisdom. And does not become satisfied & contented with small portion of wisdom with whole of the world. (Tuhaf al-Uqul P 387)

21- يا هِشامُ إِنَّ العاقِلَ رَضِيَ بالدُّونِ مِنَ الدُّنيا مَعَ الحِکمَةِ، وَلَم يَرضَ بالدُّونِ مِنَ الحِکمَةِ مَعَ الدُّنيَا. (تحف العقول /ص375)

-------------------------------------------------------------

10. O, Hisham! Indeed cultivation & growth takes shape in a soft, even land & not in a rocky (barren) land. So similarly, wisdom grows & develops in a humble heart & does not grow in a proud, vain & arrogant heart. (Tuhaf al-Uqul P 396)

24- يا هِشامُ إِنَّ الزَّرعَ يَنبُتُ فِي السَّهلِ وَلا يَنبُتُ فِي الصَّفا. فَکَذلِکَ الحِکمَةُ تَعمُرُ في قَلبِ المُتَواضِعِ وَلا تَعمُرُ في قَلبِ المُتَکّبِرِ الجَبّارِ. (تحف العقول ص396)

-------------------------------------------------------------

11. Oh Hisham! If that (sustenance) which is sufficient for you renders you needless then the most meagre & little of what is in the world can be sufficient for you. And if the limitations of sufficiency does not make you needless & independent then there is nothing in the world which could make you needless. (Tuhaf al-Uqul P 387)

26- يا هِشامُ إِن کانَ يُغنيکَ ما يَکيفکَ فَأَدنی ما فِي الدُّنيا يَکفيکَ، وَإِن کانَ لا يُغنيکَ ما يَکفيکَ فَلَيسَ شَيءٌ مِنَ الدنيا يُغنيکَ. (تحف العقول ص387)

--------------------------------------------------------------

Oh Hisham! The one who intends to achieve self-sufficiency & needlessness short of wealth, & the comfort of heart from jealousy, & the security of religion, so he must humbly supplicate to Allah to complete & mature his mind & intellect, for, the one who becomes intellectual & witful gets contented upon what (sustenance) suffices him. And the one who gets contented upon what is sufficient for him becomes needless & self-sufficient. The one who does not get contented upon what suffices him can definitely & absolutely not reach the (state of) needlessness & self-sufficiency.

12. Oh Hisham! The one who intends to achieve self-sufficiency & needlessness short of wealth, & the comfort of heart from jealousy, & the security of religion, so he must humbly supplicate to Allah to complete & mature his mind & intellect, for, the one who becomes intellectual & witful gets contented upon what (sustenance) suffices him. And the one who gets contented upon what is sufficient for him becomes needless & self-sufficient. The one who does not get contented upon what suffices him can definitely & absolutely not reach the (state of) needlessness & self-sufficiency. (Usool e Kafi. Vol. 1, P 18)

31- يا هِشامُ مَن أَرادَ الغِنی بِلامالٍ ،وَراحَةَ القَلبِ مِنَ الحَسَدِ،وَالسَّلامَةَ فِي الدَّينِ، فَليَتَضَرَّع إِلَی اللهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ فی مَسأَلَتِهِ بِأَن يُکَمِّلَ عَقلَهُ، فَمَن عَقلَ قَنَعَ بِما يَکفيهِ، وَمَن قَنَعَ بِما يَکفيهِ استَغنی، وَمَن لَم يَغنَع بِمايَکفيهِ لَم يُدرِکَ الغِنی أَبَداً. (اصول الکافي ج1 ص18)

---------------------------------------------------------------

13. Oh Hisham! Indeed all the people see the stars & but no one gets guided by them except those who know their (star's) courses & stations.

And similarly you teach wisdom but nobody among you gets guided by it except the one who puts it into practice. (Tuhaf al-Uqul P 392)

33- يا هِشامُ اِنَّ کُلَّ النّاسِ يُبصِرُ النُّجُومَ وَلکِن لا يَهتَدِی بِها اِلاّ مَن يَعرِفُ مَجَارِيهَا وَمَنازِلَها وَکَذلِکَ اَنتُم تَدرُسُونَ الحِکمَةِ وَلکِن لا يَهتَدِی بِها مِنکُم اِلاّ مَن عَمِلَ بِها. (تحف العقول ص392)

---------------------------------------------------------------

14. Kill in yourself the avarice & temptation of achievement from creatures (people), since, avarice is the key to humility & disgrace. (Tuhaf al-Uqul P 315)

34- وَأَمِتِ الطَّمَعَ مِنَ المَخلُوقينَ، فَإنَّ الطَّمَعَ مِفتاحٌ لِلذُّلِّ... (بحارالانوار ج78 ص315)

--------------------------------------------------------------

15. The best things following knowing Allah which proximate & nears a servant to Allah are service (prayers) & nicety & kindness to parents & abandoning jealousy & self-conceit, self-applause, pride, & boasting. Tuhaf al-Uqul P 391

37- اَفضَل ما يَتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ الَعَبدُ اِلَی اللهِ بعدَ اَلمَعرِفَةِ بِهِ:الصَّلاةُ وَبِرُّ الوَالِدَينِ وَتَرکُ الحَسَدِ وَالعُجب وَالفَخرِ. (تحف العقول ص391)

--------------------------------------------------------------

The one who restrains his anger from reaching people Allah stops chastisement from getting him on the dooms day.

16. The one who restrains his anger from reaching people Allah stops chastisement from getting him on the dooms day. (Wasail ul-Shia, Vol. 11, P 289)

23- مَن کَفَّ غَضَبَهُ عَنِ النّاسِ کَفَّ اللهُ عَنهُ عَذابَ يَوم القِيامَةِ. (وسائل الشيعة، ج11 ص289)

---------------------------------------------------------------

17. Oh Hisham! Christ Essa (as) said to his disciples ',And the small & little sins are among the deceits & trickeries of Satan. He makes them insignificant for you & belittles them in your eyes.
So those (sins) get accumulated & multiplied & plenty in number thus encompassing & surrounding you. (Tuhaf al-Uqul, P 392)

19- يا هِشامُ اِنَّ المَسِيحَ عَلَيهِ اَلسَّلامُ قالَ لِلحَوارِيّيِن:... وَاِنَّ صِغارَ الذُّنُوب ومُحَقَّراتِها مِن مَکائِِدِ اِبليسَ يُحَقِّرُها لَکُم ويُصَغَّرُها فی اَعيُنِکُم فَتجتمِعُ وَتَکثُرُ فَتُحيِطُ بِکُم..)) (تحف العقول ص392)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

18. The more people commit variant sins which were not in practice before (novel sins) the more Allah creates calamities & catastrophe’s which they did not know before.

14- کُلّما أَحدَثَ النّاسُ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ ما لَم يَکُونُوا يَعلَمُونَ، أَحدَثَ اللهُ لَهُم مِن البَلاءِ ما لَم يَکُونُوا يَعُدّوُنَ. (بحارالانوار ج78 ص322)

------------------------------------------------------------------

19. Put in endeavor & exercise effort that your time is scheduled into four hours (parts). An hour (part of it) for the supplication to Allah & an hour (another part) of it for the affairs of economy & livelihood & still another hour (part of it) for social contacts with the brothers & the persons of confidence who may let you learn your short comings & faults & they have a sincere interior (heart) for you.

And a part of it in which you enjoy the unforbidden & lawful entertainments. And with this part of time you get the strength & vigor for the (rest of) three other (parts of) times. (Tuhful-Aqool. P 409)

5- اِجتَهِدُوا في أَن يَکُونَ زَمانُکُم أَربَعَ ساعاتٍ: ساعَةً لِمُناجاةِ اللهِ، وَساعَةً لأَِمرِ المَعاشِ، وَساعَةً لِمُعاشَرَةِ الإخوانِ وَالثِّقاتِ الَّذينَ يُعَرِّفُونَکُم عُيُوبَکُم وَيُخلِصُونَ لَکُم فِي الباطِنِ، وَساعَةً تَخلُونَ فيها لِلَذّاتِکُم في غَيرِ مُحَرَّمٍ وَبِهذِهِ السّاعَةِ تَقدِرُونَ عَلَی الثَّلاثِ ساعاتٍ. (تحف العقول ص409)

--------------------------------------------------------------

O, Hisham! Verily, Luqman said to his son ', adopt humility & humbleness for the right (Allah) you will become the most intellectual of the people, Oh son! World is a deep & profound ocean. Already lot many of the world creations have immersed & drowned into it. So make Piety your ship in it (to sail out safely) & make the faith it's cargo & putting trust in Allah it's sails & intellect (mind & wits) it's sailor (guide & captain) & knowledge it's guide & patience it's passengers (on board).

20. O, Hisham! Verily, Luqman said to his son ', adopt humility & humbleness for the right (Allah) you will become the intellectual most of the people, Oh son! World is a deep & profound ocean. Already lot many of the world creations have immersed & sunk into it. So make Piety your ship in it (to sail out safely) & make the faith it's cargo & putting trust in Allah it's sails & intellect (mind & wits) it's sailor (guide & captain) & knowledge it's guide & patience it's passengers (on board). (Tuhful-Aqool P 386)

3- يا هِشامُ إِنَّ لُقمانَ قالَ لاِبنِهِ:«تَواضَع لِلحَقِّ تَکُن أَعقَلَ النّاسِ. يابُنَیَّ إِنَّ الدُّنيا بَحرٌ عَميقٌ، قَد غَرِقَ فيهِ عالَمٌ کَثيرٌ فَلتَکُن سَفينَتُکَ فيها تَقوَی اللهِ وَحَشوُهَا الإِيمانَ وَشِراعُهَا التَّوکُّلَ وَقَيِّمُهَا العَقلَ. وَدَليلُهَا العِلمَ وَسُکّانُها الصَّبرَ». (تحف العقول ص386)