Pearl of Wisdom
											
	A group of people from Isfahan among whom were Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad b. al-Nar and Imam 'Ali b. Muhammad al-Hadi (AS) Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. 'Alawiyya, narrated, 'There was a man named 'Abd al-Rahman in Isfahan who was a shi?a. He was asked, 'Why have you accepted the Imama of 'Ali al-Naqi instead of anyone else from among the people of the time?' So he replied, 'I witnessed that which obligated me to believing such. I was a poor man but outspoken and daring. So the people of Isfahan exiled me and a few others. We came to Mutawakkil to ask for justice. We were at Mutawakkil's gate when the command came to bring 'Ali b. Muhammad b. al-Rida. I asked those present there who this man was that had been commanded to be brought there. Someone replied, 'He is an 'Alawi whom the Rafida believe to be their Imam.' He then said, Mutawakkil may have summoned him in order to kill him.' I said, 'I will not move from here until I see who this person is .' [He continued]: 'He came riding on a horse and verily people were standing in a line on the right and left of his path watching him. When I saw him, I stopped and looked at him. Love for him filled my heart. I prayed for him in my heart for Allah to repel from him the evil of Mutawakkil. He moved through the crowd, his sight fixed on the reins of his horse, not looking around. And I was constantly supplicating for him. When he reached me, he turned his face towards me and said, may Allah accept your supplication, lengthen your life, and increase your wealth and your children.' After that, we returned to Isfahan. Allah opened phases of wealth upon me, so much so that I have to lock away in my house more than a million dirhams and this is apart from the wealth that is outside my house. I have been blessed with ten sons and I have reached an age in excess of seventy years. This is the reason for my faith in the Imama of this man who knew what was in my heart and Allah granted his prayers for me.'
 Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi [as] Kashf al-Ghamma, v. 3, p. 179  					 
				 
			 
		 
			
			
	
														 
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					The Tashahhud			 | 
				
		
				
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 The tashahhud is praise of Allah. Be a slave to Him in your innermost being, fearful and humble to Him in action as you are His bondsman by word and claim. Join the truthfulness of your tongue to the pure truthfulness of your innermost being.   He created you a slave and commanded you to worship Him with your heart, your tongue and your limbs. Realise your enslavement to Him by His lordship over you. Know that the forelocks of creation are all in His hand. Creatures possess neither breath nor sight except by His power and will: they are incapable of bringing forth the least thing in His kingdom, unless it is by His permission and will. Allah said, 
  Your Lord creates and chooses whom he pleases; to choose is not theirs. Glory be to Allah, and exalted be He above what they associate [with Him]. (28:68) 
Therefore be a slave to Allah, remembering Him by speech and proclamations, and join the truthfulness of your tongue to the purity of your innermost being, for He created you. He is too mighty and majestic for anyone to have will or volition except by His earlier will and volition. Fulfill the state of enslavement by being content with His wisdom, and by worshipping in order to carry out His commands.   He commanded you to send blessings upon His beloved Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace. Therefore join your prayer to Muhammad with your prayer to Allah, obedience to Muhammad to obedience to Allah, and your witnessing of Muhammad to your witnessing of Allah. Watch out that you do not miss the blessings of knowledge which are contained in one's respect for his sanctity, with the result that you are denied the benefits of the prayer on him. 
Allah commanded him to ask for forgiveness for you, and to intercede for you when you perform what is obligatory in the command and prohibition, and in the sunnah and courtesies (adab) demonstrated to man through the Holy Prophet. You should know the majesty of his rank with Allah. 
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