سورة يونس

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): O servants of Allah! Put forth your effort in this world so that in its short span you may take provision for the long time of the Hereafter; for this world is the abode of action and the Hereafter is the abode of settlement, rest, and the reckoning of the recompense of deeds. Detach your hearts from it, for the deceived one is he who is deceived by it. Never make this world the utmost of your aspirations, for those who have placed the utmost of their inclination and desire in [enjoyment of] this world, and love it, and are at ease with it, will in the end be deceived by it. [So do not be such, otherwise] you will become the very example of what Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: کَماءٍ أَنْزَلْناهُ مِنَ السَّماءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَباتُ الْأَرْضِ مِمَّا یَأْکُلُ النَّاسُ وَ الْأَنْعامُ [As water which We send down from the sky, then the plants of the earth mingle with it, from which people and cattle eat].

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said: Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) used to advise and admonish the people on Fridays in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), warning them against the world and urging them toward the affairs of the Hereafter. His words were memorised and written down. He would say: "Fear Allah and adopt piety toward Allah, and know that Allah the Exalted has not approved the allurements of this world and its fleeting things for any of His awliya, nor has He encouraged them toward the world and the deceptive attraction of its outward pleasantness. He created this world and its people only in order to test them, so that it may become clear which of them is best in deed. (Kahf/7) By Allah the Exalted! He has struck many parables for you and expounded clear signs for a people who use their intellect, and لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ [there is no power except by Allah]. (Kahf/18) So adopt renunciation regarding the fleeting affairs of the world from which Allah has commanded you to withdraw; for Allah, whose word is truth, says: إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الحَیَاةِ الدُّنْیَا کَمَاءٍ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الأَرْضِ مِمَّا یَأْکُلُ النَّاسُ وَ الأَنْعَامُ حَتَّیَ إِذَا أَخَذَتِ الأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَ ازَّیَّنَتْ وَ ظَنَّ أَهْلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَیْهَآ أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَیْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِیدًا کَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالأَمْسِ کَذَلِکَ نُفَصِّلُ الآیَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ یَتَفَکَّرُونَ [The likeness of the life of this world is only as water which We have sent down from the sky, then the plants of the earth mingle with it, from which people and cattle eat, until when the earth takes on its ornament and is adorned, and its people think that they have power over it, Our command comes to it by night or by day, so We make it as reaped harvest, as though it had not flourished the day before; thus do We expound the signs for a people who reflect]; so, O servants of Allah, be among the people who reflect."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Muhammad ibn Fudayl: I said to the Imam (peace be upon him), "May I be your ransom! It has reached us that the descendants of Ja'far [ibn Abi Talib] have one banner and the descendants of Abbas have two banners. Has any knowledge concerning this reached you?" He said, "The descendants of Ja'far will not remain and will not reach any position, but the descendants of Abbas will have a long and drawn-out rule, such that during that period they will draw the distant close to themselves and push the near far from themselves. The endurance of their rule will be hard upon the people, and there is little good in it. When they feel that they are safe from Allah's retribution and His punishment, suddenly a cry and outcry will be raised among them [and they will be struck with a calamity] such that they will no longer have the ability to gather wealth, and their notables and chiefs will not be able to help them in preventing the collapse [of their government]. This is the meaning of the noble verse حَتَّی إِذا أَخَذَتِ الْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَها وَ ازَّیَّنَتْ [until when the earth puts on its golden raiment and it becomes garnished]." I said, "When will this meaning come to pass?" He said, "This matter has no fixed time with us. Whenever we narrate something to you, if what we have said turns out to be correct, say, 'Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth.' And if in your view it does not turn out correctly, still say, 'Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth'; for [through this affirmation] you will be given two rewards. But when poverty and need become severe and people deny one another, at that time expect the occurrence of this matter morning and evening." I said, "I know what poverty and need are. But what does it mean that people deny one another?" He said, "It means that a person goes to his religious brother to have a need and request of his fulfilled, but that brother meets him with a face different from what he used to show at first, and speaks with him with words different from those he used to speak to him before."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): أَتاها أَمْرُنا لَیْلًا أَوْ نَهاراً [Our command comes to it, by night or by day] means al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble relief), who rises with the sword, فَجَعَلْناها حَصیداً کَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالْأَمْسِ [so We render it as reaped produce, as though it had not been in existence yesterday].

Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance): It is narrated from Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar that the Imam (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) addressed me and said: "O son of Mahziyar! When you left your religious brothers in Iraq and came here, in what condition [in terms of livelihood] were they?" I said: "I left them in the straits of life, in evil, corruption and hardship, while the swords of [the tribe of] Banu Shaysaban continually fall upon them." He said: "قاتَلَهُمُ اللهُ أَنَّی یُؤْفَکُونَ [May Allah destroy them, how are they turned away from the truth]. (Tawbah/30) It is as though I see them slain in their own houses, and by night and by day they are seized by the wrath of Allah." I said: "O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! When will this event take place?" He said: "When ill-natured people, from whom Allah and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) are free, block the road to the House of Allah against you, and a redness appears in the sky for three days in a row, and columns of light shine forth from it. And [a person named] Shurusi rises up from Armenia and Azerbaijan, heading for the Black Mountain behind the city of Rayy, which is joined to the Red Mountain and the mountains of Taleqan. A fierce battle breaks out between him and the 'Marwazi,' the [severity of which] makes children grow old and the aged wear out, and from both sides many are killed. At that time expect his (Shurusi's) rising, for he will rise in 'Zawra'' and will not delay there but will proceed to Mahan. Then he will head for Wasit of Iraq (the city of Kut) and remain there for a year or less; then he will go to Kufa. And between them a battle will break out from Najaf to Hira and from there to Ghari, such that minds will be stupefied. Then both sides will perish, and it is upon Allah to reap those who remain." Then he recited this noble verse: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ أَتاها أَمْرُنا لَیْلًا أَوْ نَهاراً فَجَعَلْناها حَصِیداً کَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالْأَمْسِ [In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Our command comes to it, by night or by day, so We render it as reaped seed; produce, as though it had not been in existence yesterday]. I said: "My master! O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), what is meant by the 'command' in this verse?" He said: "The command is Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and we are His armies." I said: "My master! O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Is the time of your coming near?" He said: اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ [The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder]. (Qamar/1)