سورة مريم

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this verse: وَ یَزِیدُ اللهُ الَّذِینَ اهْتَدَوْا هُدیً [And Allah increases in guidance those who go aright]. He said: "That is, on that day Allah increases the guidance of those who are guided, through their following al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble relief), such that they do not deny him nor reject him."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ یَزِیدُ اللهُ الَّذِینَ اهْتَدَوْا هُدیً [And Allah increases in guidance those who go aright]; this noble verse invalidates the claim of those who believe that faith neither increases nor decreases.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): الْبَاقِیَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ [the ever-abiding good works] refers to these remembrances: سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَکْبَر [Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest].

The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family): Regarding the statement of Allah the Exalted وَ الْباقِیاتُ الصَّالِحاتُ [and the ever-abiding good works]... the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "They are [the utterance of] the words of faith (سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَکْبَر [Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest])." It was said: "How so, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)?" He said: "That is the faith of the angels — Jibra'il, Mika'il, Israfil and Azra'il." He said: "Whoever says it sincerely, there will be for him the equivalent of the number of their tasbih (glorification), their tahmid (praise), their saying لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ, and their takbir (magnification)."

The Messenger (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: "Take up your shield." They said: "O Messenger of Allah! Has an enemy come?" He said: "No, but take up with you the shield against the Fire." They said: "O Messenger of Allah! What is our shield?" He said: "سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَکْبَر [Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest]; for on the Day of Resurrection these come, and they have things that precede them and things that follow them. And they are the ever-abiding good works that remain [with a person]."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to his companions: "Do you think that if you gathered together all the vessels, clothes and household necessities that you have and piled them up, they would reach the sky?" They said: "No, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)." He said: "If one of you, after his obligatory prayer, says thirty times: سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَکْبَر [Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the greatest], then the root of these 'four words' is in the earth and their branches and leaves are in the sky, and these words keep away burning, drowning, ruin, falling into a well, and an evil death, and they are the enduring righteous deeds whose fruit will remain forever."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) passed by a man who was planting a tree in his garden; the Prophet stopped by him and said: "Shall I not guide you to the planting of a tree whose root is more firmly established, and whose fruits are quicker to ripen, better, and more enduring?" He said: "Yes, guide me, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)!" He said: "In the morning and in the evening say: سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَکْبَر [Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the greatest], for if you say it, for each tasbih (each time) you will have ten trees in Paradise [each of which gives] one of the varieties of fruits, and they are among the righteous and enduring deeds."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Isa (peace be upon him) passed by a grave whose occupant was being punished, and the following year he passed by it and there was no punishment. He said: 'O my Lord! Last year I passed by this grave and its occupant was being punished, and this year there is no punishment.' Allah revealed to him: 'O Spirit of Allah! He had a righteous son who came of age, and he repaired a road and gave shelter to an orphan; so I forgave him because of what his son did.' Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) said to Yahya (peace be upon him): 'If it is said of you what is truly in you, know that it is a sin of yours that has been recalled to you; so seek Allah's forgiveness for it! And if you are accused of a fault that is not in you, a good deed is written for you for which you have taken no trouble to earn.'"