Humilité et Arrogance

2.ʿAbdullāh ibn Sinān narrated from ʿAlī ibn Shajarah, from his uncle Bashīr, from Abū Jaʿfar who said, “The Prophet (ṣ) once passed by a dark-skinned lady picking up manure or camel dung from the ground, so the Muslims [who were there] said, ‘Make way for the Messenger of Allah!’ The lady said, ‘The path is wide enough [for him to pass].’ So the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said to them, ‘Leave her alone, for she is insolent.’”

Le Prophète (que la prière d'Allah et Son salut soient sur lui et sa famille) passa près d'une femme noire qui ramassait des épis ou des dattes tombés au sol. Les musulmans lui dirent : "Sur le chemin, ô Messager d'Allah !" Il répondit : "La femme noire, le chemin est large." Le Messager d'Allah (que la prière d'Allah et Son salut soient sur lui et sa famille) dit alors : "Laissez-la, car elle est forte."

3.Al-Ḥasan ibn Maḥbūb narrated from ʿAlī ibn Riʾāb, from Abū ʿUbaydah al-Ḥadhdhāʾ, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) who said, “On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) stood up among the people and gave a sermon. He praised Allah and glorified Him, then he said, ‘O People, let the one who is present convey [this message] to the one who is absent: Verily Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has removed from you, through Islam, the haughtiness of the Age of Ignorance and the mutual boasting about forefathers and clans [that was prevalent] in it. O people, verily you are [all] from Ādam and Ādam was [created] from clay. Behold, verily the best of you in the sight of Allah and the noblest of you before Him on this day are those who are most Godwary and most submissive to Him. Know that being Arab is not [defined] through parentage; rather, it is a language that is spoken. So whoever is reviled among you [for being of a different race] and knows that it (his faith) will make him attain the pleasure of Allah, that is sufficient for him. Know that verily all the blood [that was shed], or the injustice [suffered], or the malice [borne] during the Age of Ignorance will remain under my feet [discarded henceforth] until the Day of Judgment.’”

Quand la conquête de La Mecque eut lieu, le Messager d'Allah (que la paix et les bénédictions d'Allah soient sur lui et sa famille) se leva parmi les gens pour faire un discours. Il loua Allah et le glorifia, puis dit : "Ô gens, que le témoin informe l'absent que certes, Allah, Le Très Glorifié et Très Haut, a éliminé de vous l'orgueil de l'ère de l'ignorance, ainsi que la vantardise concernant leurs ancêtres et leurs tribus. Ô gens, vous êtes tous issus d'Adam et Adam a été créé à partir de terre. Sachez que le meilleur d'entre vous auprès d'Allah, et le plus honoré par Lui aujourd'hui, est le plus pieux et le plus obéissant. Sachez que l'arabe n'est pas supérieur au non-arabe, ni le non-arabe au arabe ; ils sont tous égaux. Celui parmi vous qui a la protection divine, qu'il sache que toute forme de sang, d'oppression ou d'injustice qui existait à l'époque de l'ignorance restera sous mes pieds jusqu'au Jour de la Résurrection."

4.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from al-Ḥasan ibn Mūsā, and al- Ḥasan ibn Riʾāb from Zurārah who said, “I heard Abā Jaʿfar (a) say, ‘The background of a person is his religion, his status is his character, and his nobility is his Godwariness; verily all people are from Ādam, with the same origin.’”

L'origine de l'homme est sa religion, et son honneur dépend de sa moralité, sa noblesse dépend de sa piété, et les gens sont égaux, issus tous d'Adam.

5.Muḥammad ibn Sinān narrated from Bisṭām al-Zayyāt, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “When Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib returned from Abyssinia, he said to the Messenger of Allah (ṣ), ‘Should I tell you about something that happened, O Messenger of Allah? I went to visit al-Najāshī one day and found that he was neither seated on his royal throne nor was he dressed in his kingly attire, and he appeared different than he normally would. So I greeted him the way kings are greeted and said to him, “O king, why is it that I see you seated in a different place, dressed in different apparel, and having an altered appearance?” He replied, “Verily we find in the Gospels: whoever is given a blessing by Allah, let him show gratitude to Allah [for that blessing]. We also find in the Gospels: there is no form of gratitude to Allah which is comparable to humility. And verily I have received word on this night that my cousin Muḥammad (ṣ) has been granted victory by Allah over the polytheists at Badr, so I wanted to thank Allah, the Exalted, in the way that you see.”’”

Lorsque Ja'far ibn Abī Ṭālib est revenu de l'Abyssinie, il dit au Messager d'Allah صلى الله عليه وآله : "Permets-moi de te raconter, ô Messager d'Allah. Un jour, je suis entré chez le Négus alors qu'il n'était ni dans la salle du trône, ni dans ses appartements royaux, ni vêtu de ses habits royaux. Je l'ai salué comme un roi et lui ai dit : 'Ô roi, que t'arrive-t-il pour ne pas être dans la salle du trône, ni dans tes appartements royaux, ni vêtu de tes habits royaux ?' Il répondit : 'Nous trouvons dans l'Évangile que quiconque bénéficie des bienfaits d'Allah devrait Le remercier. Et nous trouvons dans l'Évangile que rien n'égale l'humilité dans la gratitude envers Allah. Et cette nuit-là, il m'a été révélé que ton cousin Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله a triomphé des polythéistes de Badr. J'ai donc voulu remercier Allah Tout-Puissant comme tu le vois."

6.Muḥammad ibn Sinān narrated from the one who informed him, from Abū Baṣīr who said, “I heard Abā Jaʿfar (a) say, ‘Verily divine revelation was withheld from Mūsā ibn ʿImrān (a) for thirty days, so he ascended a mountain in al-Shām which was called Arīḥā, and said, ‘O Lord, why have You withheld Your revelation and Your communication from me? Have I sinned in any way? Then here I am before You so punish me as You please! And if You have withheld Your revelation and communication from me due to the sins of the Banī Isrāʾīl, then Your forgiveness is pre-eternal!’ So Allah revealed to him saying, ‘O Mūsā, do you know why I chose you for My revelation and communication among My creation?’ ‘I do not know that, O Lord,’ he replied. He said, ‘O Mūsā, I examined My creation, inspecting them, but did not see anyone among them as intensely humble as you. That is why I chose you for My revelation and communication among My creation.’” He (the Imam) said, “When Mūsā (a) used to pray, he did not turn aside [from his prayers] until he placed his right cheek on the earth and [then] his left cheek upon the earth [in humility before Allah].”

Certes, Moïse, fils d'Imran (que la paix soit sur lui), fut privé de la révélation pendant trente jours. Il monta alors sur une montagne en Syrie appelée Ar-Ra'iha et dit : "Ô Seigneur, pourquoi m'as-tu privé de Ta révélation et de Ta parole alors que j'ai commis le péché ? Me voici devant Toi, satisfais-toi de moi. Si Tu m'as privé de Ta révélation et de Ta parole à cause des péchés des Enfants d'Israël, alors que Ta miséricorde ancienne soit mon pardon." Alors Allah lui révéla : "Ô Moïse, sais-tu pourquoi Je t'ai choisi spécifiquement pour Ma révélation et Ma parole parmi Mes créatures ?" Il répondit : "Je l'ignore, ô Seigneur." Allah dit : "Ô Moïse, J'ai observé Mes créatures et je n'ai rien vu de plus humble que toi parmi elles. C'est pourquoi Je t'ai choisi spécifiquement pour Ma révélation et Ma parole parmi Mes créatures." Moïse (que la paix soit sur lui) priait en s'inclinant jusqu'à ce que sa joue droite touche le sol et que sa joue gauche ne se soulève pas du sol.

7.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from Ibn Sinān, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, ‘I do not like an old man who is ignorant, nor a rich man who is oppressive, nor a poor man who is vain.’”

Le Messager d'Allah (que la paix et les bénédictions d'Allah soient sur lui) a dit : "Je n'aime pas le vieillard ignorant, ni le riche injuste, ni le pauvre orgueilleux."

8.Faḍālah ibn Ayyūb narrated from Sayf ibn ʿAmīrah, from ʿAlī ibn al-Mughīrah, from his brother who said, “I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, “Two hungry wolves among a flock of sheep that has been separated from their shepherd, one in front of the flock and the other behind it, are not more harmful to it than love of wealth and status is [harmful] to the religion of a Muslim.”

Deux loups affamés lâchés parmi un troupeau de brebis, en disperseront une partie, l'un à l'avant et l'autre à l'arrière, plus rapidement que l'amour de la richesse et de la gloire ne corrompent la religion d'un musulman.

9.Ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Ḥammād ibn ʿĪsā who said, “I never saw Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) eat while reclining.” Then he remembered the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) and said, “He never ate while reclining until he passed away.”

Je n'ai jamais vu Abu 'Abdillah (as) manger en s'appuyant, puis il mentionna le Messager d'Allah (sws) en disant : "Il n'a jamais mangé en s'appuyant jusqu'à sa mort."

10.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from ʿAlī ibn Riʾāb, from Zurārah who said, “I told Abū Jaʿfar (a), ‘People are narrating that the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, “The most honourable among you during the Age of Ignorance are the most honourable among you in Islam.”’ He (a) said, ‘They have spoken the truth, but it is not as they understand it. The most honourable of them during the Age of Ignorance were the most generous among them, those who had the best character, were most neighbourly, and least likely to cause harm [to anyone] – this is the kind of person whose acceptance of Islam increased him in nothing but goodness.’”

Le plus honorable d'entre vous à l'époque de l'ignorance est le plus honorable d'entre vous dans l'Islam.

11.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from ʿAlī ibn Riʾāb, from Zurārah, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) who said, “ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) saw a lady in one of the ceremonial precincts of Makkah and was impressed by her. He thus proposed to her and married her, and she stayed with him. He had a friend among the Anṣār who was distressed by his marriage to this woman, so he asked about her and was informed that she was from the family of Dhī al-Jaddayn from the Banī Shaybān in a prestigious household among her clan. So he went to ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) and said, ‘May Allah make me your ransom! Your marriage to this woman was continually occupying my thoughts, and I said to myself: ʿAlī ibn al- Ḥusayn has married an unknown woman, and this is something that people are also saying. So I kept asking about her until I found out who she was and came to know that she is from the clan of Shaybāniyyah.’ So ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) said to him, ‘I used to consider you to be someone with a better judgement than what I now see. Verily Allah sent Islam and through it He raised the lowly one, perfected the deficient one, and ennobled [the people] from rebuke [and false accusation]. Hence, there is no [undue criticism or] blame upon the Muslim; rather, the blame is only [for] ignorance.’”

"Ali ibn al-Husayn (paix soit sur eux) a vu une femme lors d'une de ses visites à La Mecque et elle lui plut. Il la demanda en mariage et l'épousa. Il avait un ami parmi les Ansar qui désirait également l'épouser. Lorsqu'il apprit qu'elle était de la tribu des Dhi al-Jadyn de la lignée de Shayban, il accepta la situation. Ali ibn al-Husayn (paix soit sur eux) lui dit : 'Que Dieu te récompense, j'ai toujours eu des doutes sur le mariage de cette femme, mais maintenant je suis convaincu. J'ai pensé que tu avais fait un meilleur choix, car je vois que l'Islam a éliminé la bassesse, complété ce qui manquait et honoré ceux qui étaient blâmés. Il n'y a pas de blâme sur un musulman, le blâme revient seulement à l'ignorance préislamique.'"

12.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from Ḥusayn ibn Mūsā, from Zurārah, from one of them (al-Bāqir or al-Ṣādiq) (a) who said, “ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) married the slave wife of his late uncle, al-Ḥasan (a), and got his mother married to his [manumitted] slave.[1] When ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān heard about that, he wrote to him saying, ‘O ʿAlī ibn al- Ḥusayn, it seems you do not know your position in the eyes of your community and your station among the people! You married a slave woman and got your slave married to your mother?!’ So ʿAlī ibn al- Ḥusayn wrote back to him, ‘I have [read and] understood your letter, yet our exemplar is the Messenger of Allah (ṣ). He married off his own cousin Zaynab to his [freed] slave Zayd, and he himself married his slave maiden Ṣafiyyah bint Ḥayy ibn Akhṭab.’”

Certes, Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, que la paix soit sur eux, a épousé la femme de son cousin Al-Ḥasan, que la paix soit sur lui, et a marié sa mère à son esclave. Lorsque ceci parvint à ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān, il écrivit à Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn : "Il semble que tu ne connais pas ta place parmi ton peuple et ton statut parmi les gens, tu as épousé la femme de ton esclave et tu as marié ton esclave avec ta mère." Alors Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn lui écrivit en retour : "J'ai bien compris ta lettre et nous avons pour modèle le Messager d'Allah, que la paix soit sur lui et sur sa famille, car il a marié Zaynab, la fille de son oncle, à Zayd, son esclave affranchi, et il a marié son esclave, Ṣafiyyah, la fille de Ḥuyayy ibn Akhtab."

13.One of our companions narrated from ʿAlī ibn Shajarah, from his uncle Bashīr al-Nabbāl, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “A bedouin approached the Prophet (ṣ) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, will you race me with this camel of yours?’ So he raced him and the bedouin won the race. The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, ‘You had all raised it (my camel) but Allah liked that He should lower it. Verily the mountains vied for the ark of Nūḥ (a), but al-Jūdī was the most humble, so Allah made the ark stop at al-Jūdī.’”

Qu'un bédouin est venu voir le Prophète (que la paix et les bénédictions de Dieu soient sur lui) et lui a dit : "Ô Messager de Dieu, veux-tu faire la course avec moi avec ta chamelle ?" Le Prophète a accepté et le bédouin l'a devancé. Alors le Prophète (que la paix et les bénédictions de Dieu soient sur lui) a dit : "Vous l'avez élevée, mais Dieu préfère qu'elle soit abaissée, car les montagnes se sont abaissées devant l'arche de Noé (paix soit sur lui), et certes, la modestie est plus noble." Dieu l'a donc fait redescendre vers le bédouin.

14.Ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from one of our companions, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “One who has even a [tiny] seed’s weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise.”

"Celui en qui il y a ne serait-ce qu'un atome d'orgueil n'entrera pas au Paradis."

15.Ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Muʿāwiyah ibn ʿAmmār, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) whom he heard saying, “Verily there are two angels in the sky who have been placed in charge of [observing] the servants, so whoever humbles himself before Allah is elevated by them and whoever is haughty is abased by them.”

Dans le ciel, il y a deux anges chargés des serviteurs. Celui qui s'humilie devant Allah, Il l'élève, et celui qui s'enorgueillit, Il l'abaisse.

16.Ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Muḥammad ibn Abī Ḥamzah, and Ḥusayn ibn ʿUthmān, from Isḥāq ibn ʿAmmār, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Pride is the robe of Allah, so whoever attempts to take Allah’s robe from Him, Allah will throw him face-first into the Fire.”

"L'orgueil est le manteau d'Allāh. Celui qui dispute à Allāh Son manteau, Allāh l'humiliera dans le feu de l'Enfer."

17.Ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Hishām ibn al-Ḥakam, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a), and Manṣūr [narrated] from al-Thumālī, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) who said, “ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) used to say, ‘I would not like to have [even] the best of comforts [and wealth] if it entails humiliating myself, and I have not swallowed anything that I liked more than the suppressed rage for which I do not retaliate against the one who caused it.’”

Ali ibn al-Husayn (paix soit sur lui) a dit : "Je n'aime pas dépenser ma vie pour des plaisirs éphémères, et je n'ai jamais goûté à une gorgée que j'aime plus qu'une gorgée de colère qui ne suffit pas à apaiser celui qui la ressent."