بُرَيْدَةَ بْنِ حُصَيْبٍ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهٖ عَهِدَ إِلَيَّ رَبِّي تَعَالَى عَهْداً فَقُلْتُ يَا رَبِّ بَيِّنْهُ لِي فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ اسْمَعْ عَلِيٌّ رَايَةُ الْهُدَى وَ إِمَامُ أَوْلِيَائِي وَ نُورُ مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي وَ هُوَ الْكَلِمَةُ الَّتِي أَلْزَمْتُهَا الْمُتَّقِينَ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّهُ فَقَدْ أَحَبَّنِي وَ مَنْ أَبْغَضَهُ فَقَدْ أَبْغَضَنِي فَبَشِّرْهُ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ اللَّهُمَّ أَجْلِ [أَجِلَ] قَلْبَهُ وَ اجْعَلْ رَبِيعَةَ الْإِيمَانِ فِي قَلْبِهِ قَالَ فَقَدْ فَعَلْتُ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنِّي مُسْتَخِصُّهُ بِبَلَاءٍ لَمْ يُصِبْ أَحَداً مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَخِي وَ صَاحِبِي قَالَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا قَدْ سَبَقَ مِنِّي إِنَّهُ مُبْتَلًى وَ مُبْتَلًى بِهِ
Buraidah Ibn Husaib al-Aslami reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him and his progeny) said,
“My Lord – the High – made a covenant with me. I requested, ‘O My Lord! Explain it for me’. He replied, ‘O Muhammad! Listen, Ali is the flag of guidance, the Imam of my friends and the light of those who obey me. He is the Word whom I have bound with the pious ones. Whoever loves him loves Me. Whoever bears malice against him bears malice against me. Give him tidings about this’. I invoked, ‘O Allah! Make his heart shine and make the spring of faith in his heart’. He responded, ‘I have already done it’ and continued, ‘I have made specific for him a test with which I have not inflicted anyone from your nation’. I pleaded, ‘He is my brother and my companion!’ Allah retorted, ‘This is what I have already decided from before that surely he will be tested and through him people will be tested’.”
References:
1. Al-Amaali of al-Shaikh Abu Jafar al-Toosi (r.a.), p. 513, 18th Majlis
2. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 27, p. 208, H. 3
Notes:
1) The word ‘Listen’ in the tradition is for importance.
2) ‘Bound with pious ones’ implies that his mastership is the criterion for piety and fear of God.
3) ‘Spring of faith’ implies the highest level of faith and belief.
4) The greater the position a person enjoys in front of Allah the Almighty, the more calamities and difficulties he faces in this world. His tests and examinations are more than those lower than him. In case of Ameer al-Momineen (peace be on him), not only was he tested more than anybody else, but he was examination of the people i.e. whether they submit before him or not.
5) It should be known that divine examination is the aim of creation as mentioned by Allah the Almighty in the Holy Quran and traditions. Nobody can escape it. Once a person was praying, ‘O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the tests’. Ameer al-Momineen (peace be on him) heard his invocation and restrained him from such a prayer. He said, ‘Instead, you supplicate that O Allah! I seek refuge in you from the tests that will deviate me’.” وَ لَكِنْ قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ مَضَلَّاتِ الْفِتَنِ