Sayings of Prophet

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PEARLS OF WISDOM:

A Selection of hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad

Husayn Naghavi

The Prophet Muhammad has spoken about various aspects of
human life, both worldly and heavenly, and his words are curative
prescriptions for the various illnesses of human beings. In addition to
the sayings quoted in this paper, he has communicated many others
on topics too numerous to mention, and on diverse topics such as as
women, children, orphans, justice, government, leisure and sport,
entertainment, selflessness and sympathy, self-restraint, truthfulness,
watchfulness, cheating, oppression, relatives, animals and the
environment.

God and Man

1. “God's kindness towards His creatures is more than a mother's
towards her baby.”
2. “Remembrance of God is like polish for the heart.”
3. “Serve God as you would if you could see Him because
although you cannot see Him, He can see you.”
4. “God does not look at your appearance or your possessions,
but He looks at your heart and your deeds.”

The Faithful

5. A man asked: “O Prophet of God! What is faith?” The
Prophet said: “You are a person of faith when your good deed
gives you pleasure and your evil deed grieves you.”
6. “A believer is like a mirror to another believer. A believer is a
brother to another believer.”
7. “The most faithful of you are the best mannered.”
8. “Believers are like the different parts of a building, each one
supporting the other.”
9. “You will observe that the believers are like parts of the body
in relation to each other in matters of kindness, love and
affection. When one part of the body is afflicted, the entire
body feels it, there is loss of sleep and a fever develops.”

The True Muslim

10. “The perfect Muslim is not perfect if he eats until he is full
and yet leaves his neighbours hungry.”
11. “A perfect Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands
his fellow brothers and sisters are safe.”

Wisdom, Knowledge and Thought

12. “Fearing God is the peak (or source) of wisdom.”
13. “Ignorance is the worst kind of poverty, intellectuality is the
greatest of riches, and thought is the best form of worship.”
14. “Seek knowledge even in China because acquiring knowledge
is obligatory for every Muslim.”
15. “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”
16. “Retain knowledge by writing it down (recording it).”
Society
17. “The best people are those who are the most useful to
others.”
18. “A moment of justice is better than a year of worship.”
19. “Cursed be he who imposes his burden on people.”
20. “The best struggle (jihad) is a just word before a tyrannical
authority.”

Friendship and Love

21. “It is better to sit alone than in the company of bad people
and it is even better to sit with good people rather than alone.
It is better to speak to a seeker of knowledge than to remain
silent; but silence is better than idle words.”
22. The Prophet of Islam said: “The Apostles said to Jesus: “O
Spirit of Allah! With whom should we keep company?” He
said: “The person the sight of whom reminds you of God, the
speech of whom increases your knowledge and the deeds of
whom make you desirous of the other world.””
23. “Seven people shall be sheltered by God in the Shade of His
Throne when there will be no shade except His Shade… and
two people that love each other for the sake of God….”

Family Ties

24. “The best person among you is the one who treats his family
members the best and I am the person who treats his family
in the best way.”
25. A man once told the Prophet that he had many children but
had not kissed any of them. The Prophet replied: “Verily,
God will only show mercy to those of His servants who show
mercy to others.”
26. A person came to the Messenger of God and asked,
“Who among people is most deserving of my good
treatment?”' He said, “Your mother, then your mother, then
your mother, then your father, then those closest to you, then
those closest to you”
27. “A child’s affectionate look at their parents is a form of
worship.”
28. “Paradise is under the feet of mothers.”

Equality of Human Beings

29. “The God of all people is the same and the father of all
people is the same. All of you are children of Adam and
Adam was made from earth. The most honourable of you in
God’s estimation is the most pious.”
30. “Be careful because you are not better than people who are a
different color, unless you are better in piety.”
Neighbours
31. “Gabriel (the Angel of Revelation) is always instructing me
about neighbours, so much so that I think that neighbours
may inherit from their neighbours.”
32. “The person whose neighbour is not safe from his bad
behaviour will not enter Heaven.”

Peace

33. “Forgive him who wrongs you, re-unite with him who cuts
you off, do good to him who does you harm and speak the
truth although it may be to your disadvantage.”
34. “Do you know what is better than charity, fasting, and prayer?
It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as
quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind.”

Good Conduct and Morality

35. “If you guarantee me six things on your part, I shall guarantee
you Paradise: Speak the truth when you talk, keep a promise
when you make it, when you are trusted with something fulfil
your trust, avoid sexual immorality, lower your gaze (out of
modesty) and prevent your hands and tongue from
committing injustice.”
36. “The best people are the best mannered.”
37. “On the Day of Resurrection nothing will weigh heavier in
the scale of the believer than good manners.”
38. “When you see flatterers, throw dust in their faces.”
39. “Whoever is kind, God will be kind to him; therefore be kind
to man on earth. He Who is in heaven will then show mercy
to you.”
40. If Prophet Muhammad heard the crying of a child in the
company of its mother during prayer, he would recite only a
short chapter of the Holy Qur'an (in order to finish the prayer
more quickly and let the mother comfort her child).
41. “Love of this world (dunya) is the origin of every sin.”

Control of Anger

42. “Anger is like the devil. The devil has been created from fire
and fire is extinguished by water. Therefore, when any of you
feels angry, you should perform ablution”.
43. “Three things are part of the good morals of a believer. When
he is overcome by anger, his anger should not drive him to
falsehood. When he is happy, his happiness should not take
him beyond the bounds of what is right. When he has power,
he should not stake a claim to something which is not his.”

Modesty

44. “Modesty (haya) does not bring anything except good.”
45. “God has revealed to me that you must be humble. No one
should boast over another, and no one should oppress
another.”
46. “If someone does not feel ashamed of anything, then he is
likely to do whatever he likes.”

Patience

47. “How wonderful is the situation of a believer. There is good
for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If
prosperity comes to him, he expresses gratitude to God and
that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it
patiently and that is better for him.”
48. “Understand that victory comes to the one who is patient.”

The Golden Rule

49. “None of you (truly) believes until he wishes for his brother
what he wishes for himself.”

Harmfulness of Envy

50. “Truly, envy eats up and takes away good deeds as fire eats up
and burns wood.”

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The Prophetic Hadiths in Al-Khisal

Mohammad Javad Shomali

Al-Khisal (lit. traits of character) of Shaykh Saduq is one of the most
valuable early sources of hadiths (narrations) from Prophet
Muhammad and his household. Shaykh Saduq, Muhammad b.
Babawayh al-Qummi (d.329/940), was an outstanding jurist and a
prominent scholar of hadith. He was given the title “Imad Al-Din” by
Shaykh Tusi. In Al-Khisal, Shaykh Saduq has prepared a collection of
traditions in an interesting way. The main themes of the traditions are ethics,
manners and good characteristics. All the traditions are presented
with a complete record of transmission. Furthermore, they are
divided into different groups according to numbers e.g. all the
traditions related to the number one are gathered in one part then
traditions related to number two and so on. It starts with one and
ends with one million. Al-Khisal seems to be the first on record to be
compiled with this style. Moreover, Al-Khisal is a great encyclopedia
on Islamic knowledge and many authoritative works on Shi‘ite
traditions such as Bihar Al-Anwar have cited it as a reference.
The following article is a collection of traditions from the Prophet,
selected from Parts One to Twelve of Al-Khisal.


Characteristics related to the Number One

Abandoning the present to attain the promised

Blessed be the one who abandons a current tangible
desire to attain an unseen promised reward.

A believer's honor is in one practice and his glory is in one
Characteristic

It is reported from Prophet Muhammad that the Gabriel went to
him and said:

O Muhammad! Live for as long as you want. You will
finally die. Love whatever you want. You will finally be
separated from it. Do whatever you want. You will finally
be rewarded for it. Know that a man's honour is in his
staying up at night and his dignity is in his independence
from people.

A characteristic that constitutes half of the religion

Being good-tempered constitutes half of the religion.

A characteristic that is the best thing given to a Muslim

God's Prophet was asked: "What is the best thing given
to a Muslim?" He replied: "A good temper".

Characteristics related to the Number Two

Two blessings which are normally taken for granted

Two blessings are taken for granted, security and health. 5
There is no good in this life except for two kinds of men

There is no good in this life except for two kinds of men:
a knowledgeable one who is obeyed and an obedient
student.

Seek refuge from two characteristics

God's Prophet said: "I seek refuge in God from
disbelief and debt." He was told, "O Prophet of God! Is
debt equal to disbelief?" He replied: "Yes".

Whoever possesses two characteristics is a true believer

Whoever is sympathetic with the poor and treats the
people fairly is a true believer.

Saying what is right under two conditions

Nothing that a believer does is more loved by God, the
Honourable and Exalted, than saying what is right
whether he is pleased or angry.

Two characteristics loved by God in the Heavens and by the
people on Earth

A man asked the Prophet: "O Prophet of God! Please
let me know something which I can do to be loved by
God in the Heavens and by the people on Earth." The
Prophet told him: "Be inclined to what belongs to
God to be loved by God, the Honourable and Exalted,
and abstain from what belongs to people to be loved by
people."

Jealousy is not proper except in two circumstances

It is not proper to be jealous except in two circumstances.
The first case is to be jealous of a man to whom God has

granted things and he gives some of them in charity day
and night. The second case is to be jealous of a man to
whom God has granted the Qur’an and he recites it
during the day and the night.

Two fears and two securities

God's Prophet said: “God the Blessed and the
Sublime swore by his Honour and Grandeur that He
would not give His servants two fears and two securities.
If a person is not afraid of Me in this world, I will scare
him on the Day of Resurrection and if he is afraid of Me
in this world, I will make him secure on the Day of
Resurrection.”

Two things improve this nation and two destroy it

The two things that made early generation of this
nation happy are abstinence and certitude, and the two

things that would destroy the ending generation of this
nation are stinginess and having high aspirations.

Characteristics related to the Number Three

Three characteristics, each of which would cause one to be
under the Shade of God’s Throne

There are three qualities having each of which would
cause one to be under the Shade of God, the Honourable
and Exalted, (on the Resurrection day) on the day in
which there is no shade but God's Shade. The first
characteristic is to grant people what you expect of them.
The second characteristic is to only do what pleases God,
and not do what would provoke God's Wrath. The third
characteristic is not to express the faults of one's Muslim
brothers in their absence, unless one first removes such
faults from himself. It is better to attend to the

improvement of one's own faults than to seek out other
people's faults.

Whoever possesses three characteristics has perfect faith

There are three characteristic which if possessed would
perfect one's faith. When one is pleased, his pleasure does
not lead him into sin and wrongful deeds; when one is
angered, his anger does not lead him away from what is
right; and when one is in power, his power does not lead
him to acquire what does not rightfully belong to him.

Having three characteristics is enough for one to be bad

Indeed the reward of doing good to others will arrive
much faster than any good deeds, the punishment for
doing wrong to others will arrive much faster than any
evil deeds. Having three characteristics is enough for one
to be considered imperfect: paying attention to other
people's faults while ignoring your own; admonishing
others against evil deeds without being able to abandon
them yourself and hurting your companion for nothing.16

Three characteristics without which you are not from God or
the Prophet

God's Prophet said: "There are three characteristics
which if not possessed then one is neither from me nor
from God, the Honourable and Exalted." The Prophet
was asked: "O Prophet of God! What are they?" The
Prophet replied: "Patience by which you forgive the
ignorance of those who are ignorant, being goodtempered
with people and piety which restrains you from
rebelling against God, the Honourable and Exalted."

Three things to respect and safeguard for God’s sake

There are three things to respect so that God will protect
your faith and your worldly affairs. And if you disrespect
them, God will not protect anything for you. These three
things to respect are Islam, me and my ‘Itrat
(household).

Reality of one’s faith can be proved by having three
characteristics

Abu Ja‘far Al-Baqir said: "God's Apostle encountered
a group of riders during one of his journeys. They greeted
him and he asked them who they were. They said they
were believers. The Apostle asked them about the
proof of the reality of their faith. They replied
'Contentment with what God has destined, entrusting
ourselves to God, and submitting to God's orders.' Then
God's Apostle said, 'These are wise and

knowledgeable people with such a high rank, near that of
the Prophets.' Then he faced them and said, 'If you are
truthful, do not build what you shall not reside in, do not
collect what you shall not eat and fear God to whom you
shall return.'"

Faith consists of three things

Faith consists of whole-hearted acceptance, verbal
expression and acting accordingly.

It is not allowed for one not to be on speaking terms with
one’s Muslim brother for more than three days

It is not allowed for one not to be on speaking terms with
one’s Muslim brother for more than three days.

Characteristics related to the Number Four

Four characteristics that can make one stay in God's light

God's Prophet said: "Whoever has the following four
characteristics is in the Greatest Light of God:

Witnessing to God's Unity and my Prophethood prevents
him from committing sins

Saying 'from God we are and to Him we return' in times of calamity

Saying 'praise be to the Lord of the two worlds' when he receives some blessings

Saying 'I ask for forgiveness from Allah and repent to him' whenever he commits a sin."

Four things that the nation should always do

My nation should always do the following four things:
1- They should love those who repent.
2- They should be sympathetic with the weak.
3- They should help gooddoers.
4- They should ask for forgiveness for sinners.

Four signs of misery

O Ali! The following are among the signs of misery:
solidity of the eye (inability to cry), hard-heartedness,
being too ambitious and love for a very long life.

One cannot move on the Resurrection Day until asked about
four things

A servant of God will be asked about four (things) on the
Resurrection Day before he can move: how he spent his
lifetime, what he used his youth for, how he earned his
income and how he spent it and about his love for us, the
members of the Holy Household.

Four characteristics of a hypocrite

Whoever possesses four characteristics is a hypocrite.
Even if one has only one of these characteristics he is a
hypocrite, unless he gives up that characteristic. One who

lies when he talks, one who breaks his promise, one who
breaks his pledges and one who cheats when he fights.

Characteristics related to the Number Five

A businessman must avoid five things

Whoever engages in buying and selling should avoid the
following five things; otherwise he must not do any
business. They are as follows: usury, swearing at
something or someone, covering up the defects of his
goods, praising goods while selling them and finding
faults (undervaluing) with goods while buying them.

Requirements of knowledge

A man asked the Prophet: "O Prophet of God! What
is (the requirement of) knowledge?" The Prophet
replied: "Silence." The man asked: "What is next?" The

Prophet replied: "Listening to knowledge (i.e. those
who are knowledgeable)." The man asked: "And what is
next?" The Prophet replied: "Remembering it." The
man asked: "And what is next?" The Prophet replied:
"Acting upon it." The man asked: "And what is next?"
The Prophet said: "Spreading and sharing it with
others."

The best of people are those who do five deeds

The Prophet of God was asked about the best of
people. He replied: "They are the ones who rejoice when
they do good and repent when they do evil. They thank
you when you do something good for them and
persevere in the face of calamites. They forgive (others)
when they get angry."

Characteristics related to the Number Six

If you do six things, you would be admitted to Paradise

Promise me that you will do the following six things and
then I will promise you that you will go to Paradise. Do
not lie when you quote something. Never break your
promise. Return what you are entrusted with. Do not
look at what is forbidden to see. Guard your modesty.
Do not bother people physically or verbally.

Six forms of chivalry

There are six forms of chivalry. Three of them are for
when you are at home and three others are for when you
are travelling. The three for when you are at home are:
reciting the book of God the Honourable and Exalted,
developing and promoting God's Mosques and making
friends for the sake of God, the Honourable and Exalted.
The three for when you are travelling are: to give to
others from your own travel provisions, being good-
tempered and joking regarding things other than acts of
disobedience.

Seek refuge from six characteristics

God's Prophet used to seek refuge from six
characteristics every day: doubt, associating partners with
God, bias, anger, injustice and jealousy.

Six rights of a quadruped incumbent upon its owner

A quadruped has six rights incumbent upon its owner.
When he stops, he should feed it first. He should give it
water whenever it passes by water. He should not hit it
on the face, since it glorifies God with its face. He should
not ride on its back, unless it is in the way of God. He
should not overload it beyond its capability. He should
not force it to walk more than it can.

There are six who are damned

There are six groups of people who are damned by God
and all the Prophets (whose calls are accepted): Those
who add to any divine book, those who deny the divine
decree, those who abandon my Sunnah (Traditions),
those who allow what God has forbidden regarding my
Itrat, those who take power by force to debase those
whom God has honoured and honour those whom God
has debased, those who misappropriate public money
that belong to all Muslims.

Characteristics related to the Number Seven

Blessed be those who believe without having seen the
Prophet

"Blessed be those who meet me and believe." Then the
Prophet added: "Blessed be those who believe in me
without having seen me." He then repeated it seven
times.

Seven people who will be in the shade of God's Throne on
Resurrection Day

Seven people will be in the Shade of God, the
Honourable and Exalted 's Throne on the day in which
there is no shade except for His Shade: just leaders,
young people who have grown up in the worship of God,
men who give charity in private such that even their left
hands do not realize what they gave with their right hands
(stressing the fact that they give charity in such a way that
no one else sees it), men who remember God, the
Honorable and Exalted when they are alone and cry due
to fear of God, the Honourable and Exalted, men who
upon seeing their believing brethren say, 'I like you for
the sake of God, the Honorable and Exalted ', men who
intend to return to the Mosque whenever they leave it,
men who when enticed by a beautiful woman do not
accept her invitation and say that they fear the Lord of all
the worlds."

God's Prophet gave Abu Dharr seven pieces of advice

Abu Dharr said: "God's Prophet gave me seven pieces
of advice. He advised me to always consider the situation
of people who are in a worse position (less affluent) than
I am. The Prophet advised me never to consider the
situation of those who are in a better position (more
affluent) than I am. The Prophet advised me to like
the poor and associate with them. The Prophet
advised me to tell the truth even though it may be
unpleasant. The Prophet advised me to visit my
relatives, even if they have cut off relations with me. The
Prophet advised me not to fear the blame of those
who blame me for the sake of God. The Prophet
advised me to often say 'There is neither any power nor
any strength except with God, the Sublime, the Great' as
it is one of the treasures of Paradise."

The belief of one who has seven characteristics is complete

God's Prophet told Ali b. Abi Talib (A): "O Ali! The
belief of one who has the following seven characteristics
is complete and the gates of Paradise shall open up for
him: to perform the (ritual) ablution properly, to say the
prayers properly, to pay the alms, to quench one's anger,
to control one's tongue, to seek God's forgiveness for
sins and to (follow and) wish good for the Prophet's
Household."

God would send seven calamities upon people if He gets
angry with them and yet does not destroy them

If God, the Honourable and Exalted, becomes angry with
a nation and does not destroy them, He will bring about
inflation, shorten their lives, bring loss to their trade,
reduce the amount of fruit grown on their trees, reduce
the amount of water flowing in their streams, withhold
rain from them and wicked ones will prevail over them.39
Love for the Prophet and his Household (pbut) is beneficial
on seven occasions

Love for me and my Household would be beneficial on
seven occasions: at the time of death, in the grave, at the
time of Resurrection, at the time of receiving one's record
of deeds, at the time of reckoning, at the time of
examining good and bad deeds and at the time of
crossing the Bridge.

Characteristics related to the Number Eight

A believer should have eight characteristics

God's Prophet told Ali b. Abi Talib (A): "O Ali! A
believer should have eight characteristics: 1- He should
maintain his dignity when calamities befall him. 2- He
should be patient when he is in trouble. 3- He should be
grateful when he has plenty of blessings. 4- He should be
content with his share of God-given daily bread. 5- He
should not oppress his enemies. 6- He should not be a
burden on his friends. 7- He should use his body (to
perform his duties). 8- People should be safe from him."41
Those who go to the Mosque often shall acquire one of eight
characteristics

Those who go to the Mosque often shall acquire one of
the following eight characteristics: brotherhood for the
sake of God, the Honourable and Exalted, new
knowledge, a word of guidance, a word which may save
him from destruction, an awaited mercy or abandonment
of sins out of shyness or fear.

The eight classes of people who should blame no one but
themselves if they are insulted

God's Prophet told Ali b. Abi Talib (A): "O Ali! The
following eight have no one but themselves to blame if
they are insulted: those who attend a banquet without
being invited, those who order their hosts around at a
party, those who expect goodness from their enemies,
those who seek favours from lowly people, those who
interfere in other people's private affairs without being
asked to do so, those who mock rulers, those who sit in a
position which they do not deserve and those who
converse with people who do not listen to them"

Characteristics related to the Number Nine

God granted the followers of Ali (A) nine characteristics

Jabir Abdullah al-Ansari reports that one day he was with
the Prophet when he turned his face towards Ali b.
Abi Talib (A) and said: "O Aba al-Hasan! Do you want
me to give you glad tidings?" Ali (A) said: "Yes, O
Prophet of God!" The Prophet continued: "God – may
His Majesty be Exalted – informed me through Gabriel
that He granted nine things to your followers and lovers.
They will have: 1- gentle treatment at the time of death,
2- a companion at times of fear, 3- light at times of
darkness, 4- security at the time of Resurrection, 5- justice
at the time of Reckoning, 6- permission to pass through
the bridge (to Heaven), 7- entry to Heaven before other
people, 8- with the light (of their faith) shining in front of
them and 9- on their right side."

Characteristics related to the Number Ten

Ten characteristics which are due to nobility

Aba Abdullah Sadiq (A) said: "Indeed God, the Blessed
and Sublime, has granted God's Prophet noble
characteristics. Examine yourselves. If you have them,
praise God, the Honourable and Exalted, and ask Him
for their increase. Then Imam Sadiq (A) mentioned the
following ten: certitude, contentment, perseverance,
gratitude, contentedness, being good-tempered,
generosity, zeal, bravery and chivalry."

A believer without ten characteristics is not intelligent

God, the Honourable and Exalted, has not been
worshipped by anything better than the intellect. A
believer is not intelligent unless he has ten characteristics:
Good is expected from him. Evil is not expected from
him (people should feel safe from his wickedness). He
values highly whatever goodness he receives from others
and undervalues whatever goodness he does for people.
He does not become tired of acquiring knowledge
throughout his lifetime. He does not become fed up due
to the requests of the needy ones from him. Humbleness
should be better in his opinion than pride. Poverty should
be better in his opinion than being wealthy. His share of
this world should only be his daily sustenance. The tenth
characteristic which is extremely important is that he
should consider everyone he sees to be more pious and
better than himself. Indeed people are only of two kinds.
The first group are those who are really better than he is,
and the second group are those who are more wicked
than he is. He should be humble when he meets someone
who is better and more pious than himself, until he
attains his rank. If he meets someone who is apparently
more wicked than himself, he should say may be in reality
I am more wicked than him or may be that person is a
good person so as to end up with a better condition of
faith and piety. Should he behave this way, he will
become honourable and will prevail over people of his
own time.

Islam is founded upon ten pillars

Islam is founded upon ten pillars which are as follows:
bearing witness that 'There is no god but God' – that is
the basis of a Muslim's faith, prayer which is an obligatory
deed, fasting which is a shield against the fire, payment of
the alms which purifies one's possessions, going on the
Hajj pilgrimage which is a decree, participating in struggle
for the sake of God which is to fight (alternative version:
an honour), enjoining to do good deeds which is
persistence in belief, prohibiting the bad which is giving
an ultimatum, attending congregational prayers which
results in mutual sympathy and avoiding sins which is the
basis of obedience.

Characteristics related to the Number Eleven

The Night of Qadr and the eleven leaders from progeny of
Ali b. Abi Talib

The Apostle of God told his companions: “Believe in the
Night of Qadr as that belongs to Ali b. Abi Talib and
eleven of his progeny after me.”
There are many hadiths on the relation between the Night of Qadr
and the divinely appointed leader of every age. Shaykh Saduq also
reports that Imam Ali (A) told Ibn Abbas: “Indeed there is the Night
of Qadr every year. On this night the affairs for the whole year
descend. After the Apostle of God there are people who are in charge
of those affairs”. Ibn Abbas asked: “Who are they?” Imam Ali
replied: “Me and eleven people from my progeny who will be Imams
to whom the angels will speak”.

Characteristics related to the Number Twelve

The twelve caliphs and Divine leaders after the Prophet

The Prophet said: “There will be twelve people who will
rule this nation.” The narrator adds that then the people
made some noise and I could not hear what the Prophet
said. I asked my father, who was closer to God's
Prophet than others, "What did the Prophet say?" My
father said: ‘The Prophet said: "They are all from the
Quraysh."’

There are twelve advantages in brushing the teeth

The Prophet told Ali b. Abi Talib (A): "O Ali!
Brushing the teeth with a toothbrush is a recommendable
practice since it cleans the mouth, improves vision,
pleases the Merciful Lord, whitens the teeth, removes the
mouth's bad smell, strengthens the gums, improves the
food’s taste, alleviates the phlegm, improves memory,
increases reward for good deeds and makes the angels
happy."
The twelve dirhams donated to the Prophet
Imam Sadiq (A) reports that a man went to see God's
Prophet. When he saw that the Prophet's shirt was
old, he gave him twelve dirhams (silver coins). The
Prophet said: "O Ali! Take this money and buy me a
shirt with it." Ali (A) said: "I went and bought the
Prophet a shirt with twelve dirhams and took it to the
Prophet." The Prophet looked at it and said: "O
Ali! I would like a different shirt! Do you think that the
seller would take it back?" Ali (A) replied: "I do not
know." The Prophet said: "Then try it." Ali (A) went
back to the seller and told him: "The Prophet of God
doesn’t like this shirt. He wants another shirt. Please take
it back and return my money." Then he returned the
money to the Prophet. The Prophet accompanied
Ali (A) to buy another shirt. They came across a slave girl
who was sitting there and crying. The Prophet asked
her: "Why are you crying?" She said: "O Prophet of God!
My master gave me four Dirhams with which to buy
things from the market. I don’t know where I lost that
money. Now I don’t have the courage to go back home."
The Prophet gave her four dirhams and told her: "Buy
whatever you had to buy and go back home."
Then the Prophet went to the market to buy a shirt
for himself for four dirhams. He put it on, praised
God, the Honourable the Exalted and returned. On his
way back from the market, the Prophet saw an
unclothed man who kept on saying: "God will put
heavenly attire on whoever clothes me." Then the
Prophet took off his shirt and put it on the needy
man.
Then the Prophet himself went to the market to buy
another shirt for himself with the last four dirhams. He
put it on, praised God, the Honourable the Exalted
and returned. On his way back, he came across the slavegirl
again who was sitting there and crying. The Prophet
asked her: "Why didn’t you go home?" She replied:
"O Prophet of God! It is too late for me to return and I
am afraid that they might beat me." The Prophet of God
said: "Walk ahead of me and take me to your house."
The Prophet walked with her until they reached her
house. He stopped at the door and said: "O residents of
this house, Peace be upon you!" There was no response.
He gave greetings again but they did not respond. So he
greeted them for the third time. Then they said: "O
Prophet of God! Please, His Blessings and His Mercy be
upon you!" The Prophet asked: "So what was the
reason that you didn’t respond to my greeting the first
and the second time?" They said: "O Prophet of God!
Yes! After hearing your voice for the first time we came
to know that it was you. However, we loved to hear your
voice over and over again." God's Prophet said: "Your
slave-girl has taken a long time to come back. Hence, I
have come to request that you do not punish her." They
said: "O Prophet of God! Due to the blessing of your
gracious arrival at our home, we have set this slave-girl
free." The Prophet said:

"Praise is due to God. I have not seen any twelve dirhams
more blessed than these. With them, God clothed two
unclothed persons and freed a slave-girl. "

[Source: "Message of Thaqalayn - A Quarterly Journal of Islamic Studies" (2009)]


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