Chapter 3 - On Certitude

”Whoever wants to know his status near God should ponder over how close God is to him.”

“There are four pillars for faith: perseverance, certitude, justice and unity.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Faith is superior to submission (to God), and certitude is superior to faith. Nothing is more superior than certitude.”

Yunus ibn-i-Abdul Rahman said that when he asked Imam Reza (a.s) about faith and submission to God, Imam Reza (a.s) replied: “Religion is only submission (Islam). Faith is a level higher than submission. Piety is a level higher than faith, and certitude is a level higher than piety. Nothing is divided amongst the children of Adam (a.s) better than certitude.” Then he said that he asked the Imam (a.s): “What are the signs of certitude?” The Imam (a.s) replied: “Reliance on God, submitting to Him, being content with divine destiny, and entrusting one's affairs to God.” Then he asked the Imam (a.s): “What does all this mean?” Then Imam Reza (a.s) replied: “This is what Imam Baqir (a.s) said.”

Saf'fvan al-Jammal said that he asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) about God's statement: “As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans, in the town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled.”[The Holy Quran: Kahf 18:82] He replied: “Know that 'treasure' in the verse did not refer to gold or silver, but the following four: (1) I am God, and there is no God but Me, (2) Whoever really believes in death will not laugh so hard that his teeth are seen, (3) Whoever really believes in being accountable for his deeds will not become happy, and (4) Whoever really believes in destiny will only fear God.”

“No one experiences true faith unless he realizes that he will obtain only what is destined to be his, and he will not obtain anything that is destined to belong to others.”

“One of the signs of certitude is that you do not displease God to please the people, and do not admire the people for the daily bread that God has granted you through them, and that you do not blame the people for God depriving you of your daily bread. No one's greed will bring him an increase in his daily bread, and no one's jealousy will stop one's daily bread. If one tries to escape from his daily bread as he escapes from death, one's daily bread seeks its owner faster than death does. In fact, God the Almighty has established comfort and peace of mind in certitude and contentment, and has established sorrow and discomfort in anger and doubt.”

“One of the signs of the perfection of certitude of a Muslim is that he does not please the people through raising God's anger.” In another tradition it is stated that he said: “Before death his daily bread will seek him just as his death does.” He then added: “God the Almighty has established comfort and happiness in certitude and contentment due to His justice and has established sorrow and sadness in doubt and anger. Therefore be content with divine destiny and submit to God's orders.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Imam Ali's servant named Ghanbar really liked him and would always follow him at night with his sword in order to protect him. One night Imam Ali (a.s) noticed him and asked him what he was doing. He said: “I am following you.” The Imam (a.s) asked: “Are you trying to protect me from heavenly or earthly creatures?” He replied: “I am guarding you against earthly creatures.” The Imam (a.s) said: “Please go home since no one on Earth can do me any harm unless God' permits so.” Then Ghanbar returned home.

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “There is nothing for which there is no limit.” He was asked what the limit for reliance is. He replied: “It is certitude.” He was asked about the limit for certitude. He replied: “That with God, you fear no one.”

Imam Reza (a.s) was asked about the limits for reliance. He replied: “That with God, you fear no one else.”

“O' God! Please honor me by enabling me to be able to rely on You, and entrust You with my affairs, and be content with what You have destined for me, and submit to Your orders, so much so that I submit to your decrees and not be in a rush to obtain what you have already destined for me; and be pleased with whatever You have granted me, O' the Kindest of the kind!”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said that God's Prophet (a.s) said: “Certitude is the best wealth, and God's worship is the best job.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Muhammad ibn Hanifeh was a calm and brave man. Once Haj'jaj told him that he had decided to chop off his head several times. He answered: “You do not have the power to do so. There are three hundred and sixty moments for God each day. I wish Him to rid me of you in one of these moments.”

“One day after the Prophet (a.s) had said the morning congregational prayer in the mosque, he saw a slim, drowsy young man in the mosque. He was pale, skinny with eyes sinking deep into his face, and his skin loosely attached to his bones. He told him: “O' Harith! How did you get through the night?” He replied: “O' Prophet of God! I passed the night with certitude.” The Prophet was surprised and said: “There is a sign for certitude. What is the sign of your certitude? “ He replied: “O' Prophet of God! The sign of my certitude is that I am sad and sleepless. I suffer from thirst in the day. I have turned away from the world and everything in it. This has gone so far that I can see my Lord's Throne set up for Reckoning. All the people have been resurrected for Reckoning, and I am amongst them and can see the residents of Heaven filled with blessings; and resting on sofas; and getting to know each other. And I see the residents of Hell being tortured in fire and crying out. It is as if right now I can hear the roaring sound of the blazing fire of Hell.” The Prophet (a.s) turned to the other people and said: “This is a man whose heart is filled with the light of faith.” He then turned to that young man and said: “Be steadfast.” The man said: “O' Prophet of God! Please ask God to honor me to accompany you in some of the wars and get martyred.” The Prophet (a.s) prayed for him, and not long after that, they went to fight in a battle and he was the tenth man to be martyred in that battle.”

“One of Imam Ali’s (a.s) companions named Ghays was performing his prayers. After saying one unit of prayer, a black snake came to where he wanted to prostrate. He turned his face away from the snake when he wanted to say the second unit of prayer, but the snake wrapped itself around his neck and then went inside his shirt.” The Imam (a.s) said: “One day I went to a place called Fore located between Mecca and Medina. When the time came to pray I got off my horse and went near a plant called Samameh. After I said one unit of my prayer, a boa came towards me from beneath the plant, and returned after it got close to me. I started my prayer, and did not cut it short. After finishing my prayers, I started saying supplications, and I did not cut that short either. When I finished, I told my companions to capture the boa. They captured and killed the boa. God helps whoever fears none but Him.”

“One of the followers of the Ummayad clan requested permission to visit Imam Baqir (a.s). We were afraid of him and told the Imam (a.s) that he might have ill intentions. Why don't you hide and we will tell him that you are not here.” The Imam (a.s) replied: “No, let him enter. God's Prophet (a.s) has said that God hears whatever is said, and sees the hands of all the oppressors. Thus he cannot say what God does not want him to say, and cannot do anything that God does not want him to do.” Then the Imam (a.s) admitted him into his presence. He came in and asked his questions, heard the answers to his questions, and then left.

Imam Ali (a.s) asked Imam Hassan (a.s) and Imam Hussein (a.s) the difference between faith and certitude. They remained silent. Then he asked Imam Hassan (a.s) to answer him. Imam Hassan (a.s) said: “There is only one hand-breadth distance between the two.” Imam Ali (a.s) asked: “How come?” He replied: “Since faith is related to what we hear and acknowledge with our heart, and certitude is related to what we see and use to argue in favor of what we cannot see.