BB00415: Letter to Mulla Husayn III

The traditions recorded on the sheet of Mulla Ḥusayn—may God, exalted be He, preserve him in submission unto Himself.

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

ʿAli, peace be upon him, said:

“O God, I know that knowledge will never cease entirely nor will its sources be cut off, and that Thou wilt never leave Thy earth without a Proof over Thy creatures—one manifest, though not obeyed, or one in fear and concealed—lest Thy proof be invalidated and Thy friends go astray after Thou hast guided them. But where are they and how many are they? They are few in number but great in the sight of God, glory be to His mention. They follow the true leaders of religion, the guiding Imams, who are led by their proofs and follow their path. Through this, knowledge brings them to the reality of faith, their spirits respond to the leaders of knowledge, and they find easy what others find difficult, and are at peace with what the deniers and transgressors fear. These are the followers of the learned who associate with the people of this world and the transgressors through obedience to God, blessed and exalted be He, and to His friends, practicing dissimulation in their religion and fear of their enemy. Their spirits are attached to the highest realm. Their learned ones and their followers are mute and silent during the dominion of falsehood, awaiting the dominion of truth. And God will establish the truth through His words and obliterate falsehood. Blessed are they for their patience regarding their religion in times of truce. How great is the longing to see them when their dominion appears! May God gather us and them in the Gardens of Eden, along with the righteous among their fathers, spouses and offspring.”

And Imam Abu ʿAbdullah, peace be upon him, said:

“None but an unbeliever would call the Master of this Cause by his name.”

And he, peace be upon him, said: “By God, our Cause is more evident than this sun.”

And Ar-Rida, peace be upon him, said:

“There is none among our followers who is tried with an affliction or suffers pain and bears it with patience, but God will write for him the reward of a thousand martyrs.”

On the authority of Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, who said:

“These traditions of yours make men’s hearts recoil. Therefore, for those who accept them, give them more, and those who deny them, leave them be. There must needs be a trial wherein every intimate one will fall, until even he who would split a hair into two strands falls into it, such that none remain except us and our followers.”

And he, peace be upon him, said:

“Associate with them outwardly but oppose them inwardly when authority is in the hands of darkness.”

And he, peace be upon him, said:

“Guard your religion and conceal it through dissimulation, for there is no faith for one who has no dissimulation.”

And he, peace be upon him, said:

“People were commanded two qualities which they have lost, thereby becoming as nothing: patience and concealment.”

And he, peace be upon him, said:

“If God’s permission is with you, do as you wish, for He is well-informed.”