Chapter 3 - On Certitude

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.

“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!”

“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.”

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.