Will of the Prophet to Ali

Here is a Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic) ḥadīth from Imām al-Sādiq (عليه السلام) telling us the wasiyyah (will) of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to Imām `Alī (عليه السلام).

وَصِيَّةُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع

Will (Advise) of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to Amīr al-Mu’minīn (عليه السلام)

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ كَانَ فِي وَصِيَّةِ النَّبِيِّ ص لِعَلِيٍّ ع أَنْ قَالَ يَا عَلِيُّ أُوصِيكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ بِخِصَالٍ فَاحْفَظْهَا عَنِّي ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنْهُ أَمَّا الْأُولَى فَالصِّدْقُ وَ لَا تَخْرُجَنَّ مِنْ فِيكَ كَذِبَةٌ أَبَداً وَ الثَّانِيَةُ الْوَرَعُ وَ لَا تَجْتَرِئْ عَلَى خِيَانَةٍ أَبَداً وَ الثَّالِثَةُ الْخَوْفُ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ وَ الرَّابِعَةُ كَثْرَةُ الْبُكَاءِ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ يُبْنَى لَكَ بِكُلِّ دَمْعَةٍ أَلْفُ بَيْتٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ الْخَامِسَةُ بَذْلُكَ مَالَكَ وَ دَمَكَ دُونَ دِينِكَ وَ السَّادِسَةُ الْأَخْذُ بِسُنَّتِي فِي صَلَاتِي وَ صَوْمِي وَ صَدَقَتِي أَمَّا الصَّلَاةُ فَالْخَمْسُونَ رَكْعَةً وَ أَمَّا الصِّيَامُ فَثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ فِي الشَّهْرِ- الْخَمِيسُ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَ الْأَرْبِعَاءُ فِي وَسَطِهِ وَ الْخَمِيسُ فِي آخِرِهِ وَ أَمَّا الصَّدَقَةُ فَجُهْدَكَ حَتَّى تَقُولَ قَدْ أَسْرَفْتُ وَ لَمْ تُسْرِفْ وَ عَلَيْكَ بِصَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ وَ عَلَيْكَ بِصَلَاةِ الزَّوَالِ وَ عَلَيْكَ بِصَلَاةِ الزَّوَالِ وَ عَلَيْكَ بِصَلَاةِ الزَّوَالِ وَ عَلَيْكَ بِتِلَاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ وَ عَلَيْكَ بِرَفْعِ يَدَيْكَ فِي صَلَاتِكَ وَ تَقْلِيبِهِمَا وَ عَلَيْكَ بِالسِّوَاكِ عِنْدَ كُلِّ وُضُوءٍ وَ عَلَيْكَ بِمَحَاسِنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ فَارْكَبْهَا وَ مَسَاوِي الْأَخْلَاقِ فَاجْتَنِبْهَا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَلَا تَلُومَنَّ إِلَّا نَفْسَكَ

From Mu`āwiyah bin `Ammār said, I heard Abā `Abd Allāh (عليه السلام) say: “In the will of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to `Alī (عليه السلام) that he (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘O `Alī, I advise you about characteristics about yourself that you must preserve them from me.’ Then he (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘O Allāh, (help) him.

1.     First, speak the truth, and do not let a lie leave from you, ever.

2.     Second, al-Wara` (Piety), and do not dare do disloyalty, ever.

3.     Third, Fear in Allāh in His mentioning, as if you see Him.

4.     Fourth, Weep a lot from the fear of Allāh, and for every tear a thousand houses will be built for you in al-Jannah

5.     Fifth, give your fortune and your blood for your religion.

6.     Sixth, take a hold of my Sunnah in my Salāh, my fasting, my charity. As for al-salāh it is 50 rakk`ah (units). As for fasting, it is three days in a month, first Thursdays (of the month), the middle Wednesdays (of the month) and the last Thursday (of the month). As for charity, it is your effort, until you say, ‘I (have given) excessively’, but it is not excessive.

7.     And upon you is the night prayer (salāh al-layl). And upon you is noon prayer, and upon you is the noon prayer, and upon you is the noon prayer.

8.     And upon you is the recitation (tilāwah) of the Qur’ān in every situation.

9.     And upon you is the raising of your hands in your salāh, and turning them

10.  And upon you is siwāk (brushing teeth) with every wudū’

11.  And upon you are beautiful manners (al-akhlāq) and possess them, and avoid bad manners.

And if you do not do this, then do not blame (anyone) except yourself’”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3^rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 8, pg. 79, hadeeth # 33

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 25, pg. 180