Shafaqna English- What follows is an extract from the book Nahjul-Balaghah, the most famous collection of sermons, letters, Tafsirs and stories attributed to Imam Ali (AS). This is a part of his letter for Hassan ibn Ali (his son – peace be upon them), when Amir Al-muminin encamped at Al-Hadirin on his way back from Siffin, selected by Shafaqna.
And before you probe into this, you should begin by seeking your Allah’s (SWT) help and turning to Him for competence and keeping aloof from everything that throws you into doubt or flings you towards misguidance. When you have made sure that your heart is clean and humble and your thoughts have come together and you have only one thought which is about this matter, then you will see what I have explained to you; but if you have not been able to achieve that peace of observation and thinking which you would like to have, then know that you are only stamping the ground like a blind she-camel and falling into darkness while a seeker of religion should not grope in the dark or create confusion. It is better to avoid this.
Appreciate my advice, O’ my child, and know the One Who is the Master of death is also the Master of life, that the Creator causes death as well; that the One Who destroys is also the restorer of life and that the One Who inflicts disease is also the curer. This world continues in the way Allah (SWT) has made it with regard to the pleasures, trials, rewards on the Day of Judgement and all that God wishes and you do not know. If anything of this advice is not understood by you then attribute it to your ignorance of it, because when you were first born you were born ignorant. Thereafter, you acquired knowledge.
Appreciate my advice, O’ my child, and know the One Who is the Master of death is also the Master of life, that the Creator causes death as well; that The One Who destroys is also the restorer of life and that the One Who inflicts disease is also the curer. This world continues in the way Allah (SWT) has made it with regard to the pleasures, trials, rewards on the Day of Judgement and all that God wishes and you do not know. If anything of this advice is not understood by you then attribute it to your ignorance of it, because when you were first born you were born ignorant.
Thereafter, you acquired knowledge. There are many matters of which you are ignorant and in which your sight first wonders and your eye wanders then after this you see them. Therefore, cling to God Who created you, fed you and put you in order. Your worship should be for God, your eagerness should be towards God and your fear should be of God.
Know O’ my child, that no one received messages from Allah (SWT), the Glorified, as the Prophet (PBUH)) did. Therefore, regard him as your forerunner and leader towards deliverance. Certainly, I shall spare no effort in giving you advice and surely even if you try, you cannot acquire that insight for your welfare as I have for you.
A part of Imam Ali’s (AS) Advice to Imam Hassan (AS)
Source: Islam Plus