سورة الإسراء

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ مِنَ اللَّیْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نافِلَةً لَکَ [And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you]; that is, the night prayer.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ مِنَ اللَّیْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نافِلَةً لَکَ [And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you]; it is the night prayer. And he said: "Praying prayer in the depth of the night will be the light and brightness of the Day of Resurrection."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): As for the encouragement and stirring of desire in the servants in the Book of Allah [such as this verse]: وَ مِنَ اللَّیْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نافِلَةً لَکَ عَسی أَنْ یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقاماً مَحْمُوداً [And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Choose the best times and finest hours of your night and day for yourself and your Lord — although, if the intention is correct and the subjects are at ease, all time is for Allah. Among the works that are dedicated to Allah and that you must perform with ikhlas (sincerity) is the performance of the obligatory acts that are specific to the Lord, so dedicate a portion of your night and day to worship of Allah. Carry out the obligations Allah has made incumbent upon you by night and by day; for indeed Allah made the nafila (supererogatory prayer) obligatory upon His Prophet, apart from His creation, and said: وَ مِنَ اللَّیْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نافِلَةً لَکَ عَسی أَنْ یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقاماً مَحْمُوداً [And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory]. So this vigil is a matter Allah made exclusive to His Prophet and honoured him with this attribute, and this act is not obligatory upon anyone other than the Prophet — for others it is mustahabb (recommended), because Allah says: whoever obeys the command of Allah in performing good deeds, Allah is grateful [for his act] and knowing [of his deeds]. (Baqarah/158)

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ishaq ibn Yazid and Muammar ibn Abi Ziyad and Ibn Riab said: We were sitting with Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) at Mina. A man asked: "What do you say about the nawafil (supererogatory prayers)?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "They are obligatory." We and that man became greatly alarmed. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "My intent and meaning is only the night prayer, which was obligatory upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Allah says: وَ مِنَ اللَّیْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نافِلَةً لَکَ [And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you]."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Bakr said: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said to me: "Do you know what the wisdom of the recommended (mustahabb) prayers is?" I said: "May I be your ransom! I do not know." He said: "They are optional and voluntary for you, and for the prophets they are counted as nafilah (supererogatory). Do you know why they were prescribed?" I said: "May I be your ransom! I do not know." He said: "So that if there is a deficiency in the obligatory prayer, the recommended prayer is placed upon it to complete it. Allah the Mighty and Majestic says to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): وَ مِنَ اللَّیْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّکَ [And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Nu'man narrates from one of the Shia: A man came into the noble presence of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and said: "O Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him)! I am deprived of praying the night prayer; what should I do?" Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: "Your sins have shackled you and prevented you from praying the night prayer."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): O Ali (peace be upon him)! In this world there are three joys for the believer: meeting brothers, breaking the fast, and staying awake for worship in the last part of the night.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Ismail ibn Musa narrates from his brother Imam Rida (peace be upon him) from his forefathers: Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) was asked: "Why are the people of tahajjud and worship at night the most beautiful of people in appearance?" He said: "Because they are alone with Allah, so Allah the Exalted clothes them with His own light."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mu'awiya ibn Ammar narrates from one of the Shia: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Hold fast to the night prayer, for it is the sunnah of your Prophet and the practice of the righteous who came before you, and it drives illness away from your bodies." And the Imam (peace be upon him) also said: "The night prayer makes the face radiant and the breath fragrant, and it brings sustenance."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Jabir ibn Isma'il narrates: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) reported from his father that a man asked Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) about the merit of reciting the Qur'an when rising in the night. He said: "Give glad tidings that whoever spends a tenth of the night in prayer, with his intention purely for Allah and seeking the divine reward, Allah the Exalted says to the angels: 'Write down for this servant of mine reward and merit equal to the number of leaves, seeds and trees, and equal to all the reeds, fresh branches and pastures that grow in this night.' And whoever occupies himself with worship and prayer for one-ninth of the night, Allah grants him the answering of ten supplications, and on the Day of Resurrection He will place the record of his deeds in his right hand. And whoever occupies himself with prayer for one-eighth of the night, Allah grants him the reward of a patient, sincere martyr, and accepts his intercession on behalf of his household. And whoever prays for one-seventh of the night, he shall be raised from his grave with a face luminous as the moon on the fourteenth night, so that he crosses the Sirat with the company of those who are secure. And whoever prays for one-sixth of the night is written among those who turn back in repentance to Allah, and his past sins are forgiven. And whoever prays for one-fifth of the night, in paradise he will be among the close companions of Ibrahim al-Khalil (peace be upon him). And whoever stands in prayer for one-fourth of the night will be placed in the first rank of the successful, so that he passes over the Sirat like a rushing wind and enters paradise without reckoning. And whoever prays one-third of the night meets no angel except that it envies his rank and station before the Lord, and it is said to him: 'Enter through whichever of the eight gates of paradise you wish.' And if someone prays half the night, then were he given seventy thousand times the earth filled with gold, it would not equal his reward, and he has with Allah for this deed something better than freeing seventy slaves from the children of Isma'il. And whoever prays two-thirds of the night, for him are good deeds equal to the sands of the desert, the least of whose good deeds is heavier than the mountain of Uhud ten times over. And whoever spends an entire night in worship while reciting the noble Qur'an, all of it in bowing, prostration and remembrance of Allah, is given so much reward that the least of it is that his sins fall away and he becomes pure as on the day his mother bore him; and reward is written for him equal to all the good deeds and ranks; and a torch of light is set in his grave; and the darkness of sin and envy is removed from his heart; and he is made safe from the punishment of the grave; and he is granted a decree of freedom from the Fire; and he is raised among those secure from the divine punishment. And the Lord says to His angels: 'O My angels! Look at My servant who has kept his whole night alive seeking My good pleasure. Settle him in Firdaws — and for him there are one hundred thousand cities, in those cities is whatever suits the desires of men, and whatever the eyes take pleasure in is present, and blessings that have not occurred to the heart of anyone — besides what I have prepared for him of honours, increase and nearness.'"

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): وَ رَهْبانِیَّةً ابْتَدَعُوها ما کَتَبْناها عَلَیْهِمْ إِلَّا ابْتِغاءَ رِضْوانِ اللهِ [And the monasticism which they innovated for themselves, We did not prescribe it for them, only seeking the pleasure of Allah] (Hadid/27). What is meant by seeking the pleasure of Allah is seeking the night prayer.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Whoever prays the night prayer, his face is beautiful and radiant during the day.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Anas said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say: "Praying two rak'ats in the depth of the night is more beloved to me than the world and all that is in it."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): إِنَّ الحَسَناتِ یُذْهِبْنَ السَّیِّئاتِ [Indeed, good deeds remove evil deeds] (Hud/114). What is meant by al-hasanat (good deeds) is the night prayer that the believer prays at night, and thereby erases the sins he committed during the day.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurara narrates: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the verse: "[Is he who] during the hours of the night is occupied with worship, prostrating and standing, fearing the punishment of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord?! Say: 'Are those who know equal to those who do not know?!'" (Zumar/9). The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "What is meant is the night prayer."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sometimes a servant rises for the night prayer and sleep overcomes him, and he sways to the right and left [and from exhaustion and the intensity of sleep] his chin falls onto his chest. At this moment Allah the Exalted commands that the gates of the heavens be opened, and says to the angels: 'Look at this servant of Mine — what hardships he imposes upon himself in order to draw near to Me, while I have not made this act obligatory upon him. He seeks three things from Me: first, that I forgive his sins; second, that I grant him the success of repentance; third, that I make his provision abundant. O My angels! I take you as witnesses that I have granted him all three of his requests.'

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): عَسَی أَن یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا [Maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory], meaning intercession.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Jabir ibn Yazid said: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), concerning this word of Allah: عَسی أَنْ یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقاماً مَحْمُوداً [Maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory], said: 'Allah [on the Day of Resurrection] will seat the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) upon the Arsh (the throne that is the symbol of Allah's sovereignty and His management of the affairs of creation).'

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): And Allah has promised the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) the praiseworthy and laudable station, and when the Day of Resurrection is established, Allah will seat him upon the Arsh.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated from his forefathers from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): When Allah, Blessed and Exalted, gathers the people on the Day of Resurrection, He who promised me the praiseworthy station worthy of praise will [on that Day] fulfil that promise for me. When the Day of Resurrection arrives, a pulpit with a thousand steps — not like your ladders — will be set up for me, and I shall ascend it until I reach its top. Then Jibril will bring me the banner of praise and place it before me, and say: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! This is the praiseworthy station worthy of praise which Allah promised you." I will say to Ali (peace be upon him): "Come up!" Ali (peace be upon him) [will come up and] be one step below me, and I will place the banner of praise in Ali's (peace be upon him) hands. Then Ridwan (the keeper of Paradise) will bring the keys of Paradise and say: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! This is the praiseworthy station worthy of praise which Allah promised you," and he will hand the keys over to me, and I will place them in the lap of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). Then Malik, the guardian of Hell, will come and say: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! This is the praiseworthy station worthy of praise which Allah promised you; these are the keys of Hell — cast your enemy, and the enemy of your children and your ummah, into Hell." I will take the keys and place them in the lap of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). On that Day, Hell and Paradise will be more obedient to me and to Ali (peace be upon him) than a bride is to her husband. This is the meaning of the word of Allah, who said: [Allah commands]: "أَلْقِیا فِی جَهَنَّمَ کُلَّ کَفَّارٍ عَنِیدٍ [Cast into Hell every obstinate disbeliever]" (Qaf/24) — meaning: O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and O Ali (peace be upon him)! Cast your enemy into Hell! Then I will rise and praise Allah with a praise such as no one before me has praised Him. Then I will praise the angels brought near to Allah, the prophets and messengers, and the righteous ummahs. Then I will sit down, and Allah will praise me, and His angels will praise me, and His prophets and messengers will praise me, and the righteous ummahs will praise me. Then a caller will call out from within the Throne: "O people! Lower your eyes so that the daughter of Allah's beloved (peace be upon him and his family) may pass to her palace." Then Fatimah (peace be upon her) will pass by, with two green garments upon her head, and seventy thousand houris accompanying her. When she reaches the door of her palace, she will find Hasan (peace be upon him) standing and Husayn (peace be upon him) lying down with his head severed. She will say to Hasan (peace be upon him): "Who is this?" Hasan (peace be upon him) will say: "This is my brother Husayn (peace be upon him), whom your father's ummah killed and whose head they severed." At that moment a call will come from Allah to Fatimah (peace be upon her): "O daughter of Allah's beloved (peace be upon him and his family)! I showed you this oppression and injustice which your father's ummah committed only so that I might show you the consolation which I have stored up for you for the affliction of Husayn (peace be upon him). Your consolation is that today I will not begin the reckoning of anyone until [first] you, your children and your followers, and those who were not your followers but did good to you, all enter Paradise." At that time, my daughter Fatimah (peace be upon her), her children and her followers, and those who were not among her followers but did good to her, will enter Paradise. This is the meaning of the word of Allah, who said: "لا یَحْزُنُهُمُ الْفَزَعُ الْأَکْبَرُ [The greatest terror will not grieve them]" (Anbiya/103) — the meaning is [the terror] of the Day of Resurrection. "وَ هُمْ فِی مَا اشْتَهَتْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ خالِدُونَ [And they shall abide forever in that which their souls desire]" (Anbiya/102). By Allah! Those referred to in this verse are Fatimah (peace be upon her), her children and her followers, and those who were not her followers but did good to them.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): عَسَی أَن یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا [maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory] — on the Day of Resurrection people will stand upright for the length of forty days, the sun will be commanded to shine down on the heads of the servants, and their sweat will rise up to their mouths, and the earth will be commanded not to absorb any of their sweat. The people will go to Adam (peace be upon him) and ask him for intercession; Adam (peace be upon him) will send them to Nuh (peace be upon him), Nuh to Ibrahim (peace be upon him), Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to Musa (peace be upon him), Musa (peace be upon him) to Isa (peace be upon him), and Isa (peace be upon him) will send them to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and will say: 'Go to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), the seal of the prophets.' Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) will say: 'I will intercede.' He will set off until he reaches the gate of Paradise and knock at the gate. It will be asked: 'Who are you?' He will say: 'Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).' It will be said: 'Open the gate for him.' When the gate is opened, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) will come face to face with his Lord and will prostrate before Him, and he will not raise his head until he is told: 'Speak and ask, for you will be granted; and intercede, for your intercession is accepted.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) will raise his head and face his Lord and once again fall into prostration, and the same words will be said to him again. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) will raise his head and intercede, even for the one who has been burned in the Fire. No one on that Day will have a more honoured standing than Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and this is the meaning of the word of Allah, who says: عَسَی أَن یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا [maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When you set out to enter Madinah, say: ... 'Grant that noble one a rank and station in Paradise, and raise him up with a praiseworthy rank and degree such that all creation, the first and the last, will envy it.'

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): عَسی أَنْ یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقاماً مَحْمُوداً [maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory]; what is meant by this station is the station in which I will intercede for my ummah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'When I stand at the praiseworthy station, I will intercede for those of my ummah who have committed major sins, and Allah will accept my intercession on their behalf. But by Allah, I will not intercede for those who have harmed my offspring.'

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Anas said: One day I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), while he was reciting this verse: وَ مِنَ اللَّیْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نافِلَةً لَکَ عَسی أَنْ یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقاماً مَحْمُوداً [And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory], come to Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) and say: 'O Ali (peace be upon him)! Allah has granted me complete authority to intercede for the monotheists of the Muslim ummah, but He has withheld this favour from those who oppose you and oppose your children.'

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has a station on the Day of Reckoning where he will stand, and that is the Maqam Mahmud (praiseworthy station) which Allah has mentioned. He will send praise upon Allah such as no one before him has sent, then the angels will praise him, for there is no angel that does not send blessings upon Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his family. Then he will praise the prophets (and afterwards the believers, beginning with the siddiqin (the truthful), the martyrs and the righteous). Then the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth will praise him, and this is the very saying of Allah the Exalted: عَسی أَنْ یَبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقاماً مَحْمُوداً [Maybe your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station]; Allah will raise you to the praiseworthy station. So blessed is he who has a share and portion in that station, and woe to him who has no share or portion in it.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "When I stand in the Maqam Mahmud (praiseworthy station), I will intercede for my father, my mother, and a brother I had in the Jahiliyya (pre-Islamic era)."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): I ask my Lord for four persons as a gift: Amina bint Wahb, Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib (peace be upon him), Abu Talib (peace be upon him), and a man between whom and me there was brotherhood and who asked me to request my Lord to grant him to me.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: On the Day of Judgment, when the people are gathered, a caller will call: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Allah, Majestic is His Name, has given you the power and authority to reward those who love you and those who love your Ahl al-Bayt; so recompense those who befriended them for your sake and those who showed enmity to them for your sake, however you wish." And I say: "O Lord! Paradise." Then it is called out to me: "Settle them in whichever part of Paradise you wish." And this is the Maqam Mahmud (praiseworthy station) which was promised to me.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ubayd ibn Zurara said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about intercession for the believer. He said: "Yes! The believer too is interceded for." A man rose and asked: "Does the believer on that day need the intercession of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)?" He said: "Yes! Believers have errors and sins, and everyone on that day is in need of the intercession of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)." And a person asked about the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) who said: "I am the master of the children of Adam (peace be upon him) without any boasting." He said: "Yes! The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) takes hold of the ring of the door of Paradise and opens it, and falls into prostration. Allah says: 'Raise your head and rise, intercede and it shall be accepted, ask and it shall be given.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) raises his head and again falls into prostration. Allah says to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): 'Raise your head and intercede, it shall be accepted, and ask whatever you wish, it shall be given to you.' Then the Prophet raises his head and intercedes, and his intercession is accepted, and whatever he asks is granted to him."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to Ali (peace be upon him): "O Ali (peace be upon him)! On the Day of Judgement your Shia are the ones who succeed. Whoever insults one of them has insulted you, and whoever insults you has insulted me, and whoever insults me — Allah the Blessed and Exalted will place him eternally in the fire of Hell, and what a wretched destination it is. O Ali (peace be upon him)! You are from me and I am from you, your spirit is from my spirit and your nature is from my nature and clay, and your Shia have been created from the remainder of our clay. Whoever loves them has loved us, whoever shows enmity to them has shown enmity to us, whoever bears malice against them has borne malice against us, and whoever befriends them has befriended us. O Ali (peace be upon him)! Without doubt, whatever defects and sins your Shia have will be forgiven. O Ali (peace be upon him)! On the Day of Judgement, when I stand at the Praiseworthy Station (al-Maqam al-Mahmud), I shall intercede for your Shia, so give them this glad tiding. O Ali (peace be upon him)! Your Shia are the Shia of Allah, your helpers are the helpers and supporters of Allah, your friends and awliya are the awliya of Allah, and your party is the party of Allah. O Ali (peace be upon him)! Whoever accepts your friendship and wilaya becomes prosperous, and whoever shows enmity towards you becomes wretched and miserable. O Ali (peace be upon him)! In Paradise you are the possessor of a treasure, and you are the Dhul-Qarnayn of Paradise."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Isa ibn al-Qasim narrates that Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: A group from Banu Hashim came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and asked him to entrust them with collecting the alms of livestock. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "O sons of Abd al-Muttalib! Sadaqah (alms) is not lawful for me, nor for you, but I have been promised shafa'ah (intercession)." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "By Allah! Allah had indeed promised him intercession." And [the Prophet said:] "You, O sons of Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah have mercy on him)! Do not suppose that when I take hold of the ring of the door of divine mercy I will give preference over you to others! On the Day of Resurrection, jinn and mankind will sit together on one level; when their standing there grows long they will search for intercession and an intercessor and will say: 'To whom shall we take refuge?' They will come to Nuh (peace be upon him) and ask him for intercession, and Nuh (peace be upon him) will say: 'Alas! I myself am in need of another.' They will ask: 'To whom shall we take refuge?' They will be told: 'To Ibrahim (peace be upon him).' They will come to Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and ask him for intercession, and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) will say: 'Alas! I am in need of another.' They will ask: 'To whom shall we take refuge?' He will say: 'Go to Musa (peace be upon him).' They will go and ask him for intercession, and Musa (peace be upon him) will say: 'Alas! I myself am in need of another.' They will ask: 'To whom shall we take refuge?' It will be said: 'Go to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).' They will come to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and ask him for intercession. He will rise with pleasure and satisfaction and come forward, and when he reaches the door of Paradise he will take the ring of the door and knock it. It will be asked: 'Who is this?' He will say: 'Ahmad (peace be upon him and his family).' They will welcome him and open the door. When he looks at Paradise he will fall in prostration and greatly honour and glorify his Lord. An angel will come to him and say: 'Raise your head and ask, and you will be granted; and intercede, and it will be accepted.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) will raise his head and enter Paradise and again fall in prostration and mention the majesty and greatness of his Lord. An angel will come and say: '[O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)]! Raise your head and ask, and you will be granted; and intercede, for it is accepted.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) will rise and walk in Paradise for an hour, then fall in prostration and greatly glorify and magnify his Lord. An angel will come and say: 'Raise your head and ask, and you will be granted; and intercede, and you will be granted intercession.' He will rise, and whatever he asks will be given to him."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Khaythama al-Ju'fi said: One night I and Mufaddal ibn Umar were with Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), and no one else was there apart from us. Mufaddal al-Ju'fi said, "May I be your ransom! Narrate a hadith to us so that we may be gladdened and delighted by hearing it." The Imam (peace be upon him) said, "Yes. When the Day of Resurrection is established, Allah will gather all creatures on a high plain, barefoot, naked and ghurl." I asked, "May I be your ransom! What does ghurl mean?" He said, "It means as they were on the day they were first born. And they will stand for so long that sweat will reach their mouths, and they will say, 'If only Allah would pass judgement between us, even if it were to the Fire' — because they see that being in the Fire is more restful than the state they are in. Then they will come to Adam (peace be upon him) and say, 'You are our father and the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family); ask your Lord to judge between us, even if it be towards the Fire.' Adam (peace be upon him) will say, 'I am not the one for you. My Lord created me with His own hand, carried me upon His Throne and commanded the angels to prostrate before me; then He gave me a command and I disobeyed. But I will guide you to a truthful prophet who remained among his people for nine hundred and fifty years and called them to Allah — and the more they denied him, the more the truth and reality of his affair became manifest: he is Nuh (peace be upon him), the Prophet of Allah.' The people will go to Nuh (peace be upon him) and say, 'Ask your Lord to judge between us, even if it be to the Fire.' Nuh (peace be upon him) will say, 'I am not the one for you. I considered my disbelieving son to be from my family. But I will guide you to one whom Allah took as His close friend in the world: go to Ibrahim (peace be upon him).' Then the people will come to Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and he will say, 'I am not the one for you. I told the idolaters that I was sick. But I will guide you to a prophet with whom Allah spoke directly — I mean Musa (peace be upon him).' The people will come to Musa (peace be upon him) and put their request to him, and Musa (peace be upon him) too will say, 'I am not the one for you. I killed a person. But I will send you to one who used to create by the permission and will of Allah, and would heal those born blind and those afflicted with leprosy by the command of Allah: go to Isa (peace be upon him).' The people will come to Isa (peace be upon him) and he will say, 'I am not the one for you. But I will guide you to a prophet whose coming I gave you glad tidings of in the world: go to Ahmad (peace be upon him and his family). Every prophet born from the time of Adam (peace be upon him) up to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) will be under the banner of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).' The people will come to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and say, 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Ask your Lord to judge between us, even if it be to the Fire.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) will say, 'Yes, I am the one for you.' And he will go to Dar al-Rahman, which is the Garden of Adn, whose door has a width equal to the distance between the east and the west, and he will knock on one of the rings of the door. It will be said, 'Who is this?' — though He knows him better than anyone. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) will say, 'I am Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).' It will be said, 'Open it for him.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, 'Then that door is opened for me, and when I behold my Lord I glorify Him with such glorification that no one before me has glorified Him thus, and no one after me will glorify Him thus; then I fall down in prostration.' Allah will say, 'Raise your head and rise, and speak — whatever you say will be heard; and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted; and ask, for you will be given.' When I raise my head and look at my Lord, I again glorify and sanctify Him in a manner better and higher than the first, and I fall down in prostration. Allah will say, 'Rise, and speak — your speech will be heard; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted; and ask, and you will be given.' When I raise my head and look at my Lord, I glorify and sanctify Him in a manner better and higher than the first and the second, and I fall down in prostration. Allah will say, 'Raise your head and speak — your speech will be heard; intercede and your intercession will be accepted.' When I raise my head I say, 'My Lord! Judge between Your servants, even if it be to the Fire.' And Allah will say, 'Very well, O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Then a she-camel of red ruby with a bridle of green chrysolite will be brought so that I may mount it.' Then I will come to al-Maqam al-Mahmud (the praised station) and stand there. That station is a hill of pure musk, facing the divine Throne. Then Ibrahim (peace be upon him) will be summoned and mounted on a she-camel like it, and he will come and stand on the right of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) raised his hand and struck the shoulder of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, 'Then, by Allah, a she-camel like the one I rode will be brought for you, and you will mount it and come until you stand between me and your father Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Then a caller from the Most Merciful will call out and say, "O people! Is it not the justice of your Lord that today every people should have as their guardian and master the one who was their guardian in the world?" They will say, "Yes! And what other than this could be just?" Then the satan who misled a group of people until they believed that Isa (peace be upon him) was Allah and the son of Allah will rise, and his followers will go after him to the Fire. And the satan who misled a group until they believed that Uzayr was the son of Allah will rise, and his companions will follow him to the Fire. Then in the same way every satan who misled a people will rise, and that people will follow him to the Fire, until only the Muslim ummah remains. Then a caller from Allah will call out and say, "O people! Is it not the justice of your Lord that today every faction among you should have as its Imam (peace be upon him) and leader the one who was so in the world?" They will say, "Yes! What justice is higher and better than this?" Then a satan will rise and his group and companions will follow him. Then another satan will rise and his companions and followers will go after him. Then a third satan will rise and his companions will follow him. Then Mu'awiya will rise and whoever was with him will follow him, and Ali (peace be upon him) will rise and his Shia will follow him. Then Yazid will rise and his companions will follow him, and Hasan (peace be upon him) will rise and whoever was his Shia will move after him. Then Husayn (peace be upon him) will rise and his companions will follow him. Then Marwan ibn al-Hakam and Abd al-Malik will rise, and their companions and supporters will follow them. Then Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) will rise and whoever is his Shia will follow him. Then al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik will rise and his companions will follow him. Then Muhammad ibn Ali (peace be upon him) will rise and his Shia will follow him. Then I will rise and my Shia will follow me, and it is as though I see the two of you with me. Then we will be brought forward and we will sit upon the Throne of our Lord, and the records of deeds will be brought and placed there, and they will bear witness against our enemies, and we will intercede for those of our Shia who are muhaqqaq (burdened with sin).'" I asked, "May I be your ransom! What does muraqqaq mean?" He said, "It means the sinner. As for the Allah-fearing and pious among our Shia, Allah has already delivered them through their own salvation and felicity; no evil, harm or grief touches them." At that moment a maid of the Imam (peace be upon him) came and said to the Imam (peace be upon him), "So-and-so of the Quraysh is [standing] at the door." The Imam (peace be upon him) said, "Tell him to come in," and said to us, "Say nothing further."