1153 - الاستِرجاعُ‏¹ عِندَ المُصيبَةِ

1153. To Say “Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him do we indeed return” when Struck with an Affliction

(وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِّنَ الخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصّابِرِينَ * الَّذِينَ إذا أصابَتْهُمْ مُصِيْبَةٌ قالُوا إنّا لِلّهِ وَإنّا إلَيهِ راجِعُونَ).²

“We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and crops; and give good news to the patient – those who, when an affliction visits them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him do we indeed return.”³

3693.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : مَن اُلهِمَ الاستِرجاعَ عندَ المُصيبَةِ وَجَبَت لَهُ الجَنَّةُ .⁴

3693. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: He who is inspired to utter the words, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him do we indeed return’ during an affliction, his entrance into Paradise is made obligatory.’⁵

1152 - أشَدُّ المَصائِبِ‏

1152. THE WORST OF AFFLICTIONS

3689.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - لَمّا سُئِلَ عن أشَدِّ المَصائبِ - : المُصيبَةُ بِالدِّينِ .¹

3689. Imam Ali (AS) was once asked what the worst affliction was, to which he replied, ‘To be afflicted with a blow to one’s faith.’²

3690.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أعظَمُ المَصائبِ والشَّقاءِ الوَلَهُ بِالدُّنيا .³

3690.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The greatest affliction and source of wretchedness is infatuation with this world.’⁴

3691.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام: أعظَمُ المَصائبِ الجَهلُ .⁵

3691.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The greatest affliction is ignorance.’⁶

3692.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - لِرَجُلٍ قدِ اشتَدَّ جَزَعُهُ على‏ وَلَدِهِ - : يا هذا جَزِعتَ لِلمُصيبَةِ الصُّغرى‏، وغَفَلتَ عنِ المُصيبَةِ الكُبرى‏ ! ولو كنتَ لِما صارَ إليه وَلَدُكَ مُستَعِدّاً لَما اشتَدَّ علَيه جَزَعُكَ ، فَمُصابُكَ بتَركِكَ الاستِعدادَ لَهُ أعظَمُ مِن مُصابِكَ بوَلَدِكَ .⁷

3692. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said to a man who was experiencing intense grief at the loss of his son, ‘You are grieving at the minor affliction and are heedless of the major affliction! If only you prepared yourself for the place that your son has passed away to, your grief would not be so intense, for your affliction at having neglected preparation for it [i.e. the Hereafter] is much greater than the loss of your son.’⁸