267. Tuhaf al-‘Uqul, narrating from Sufyān al-Thawri who said: “I went to al-Sādiq (a.s.) and asked him to advise me. He (a.s.) said: “O Sufyān! My father disciplined me with three good manners and forbade me from three things. As for the good manners, he told me: “O my son! He who accompanies an evil person will not remain safe, he who does not control his speech will regret and he who goes to bad places will be accused.” I [Sufyān] said: “O the son of the daughter of the Messenger of Allah! And what were the three things that he prohibited you from?” He said: “He forbade me from companionship with an envier of bounties, a gloater over the misfortunes of others and a talebearer.”1
I - Useful Poems:
268. Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) said: “The Commander of the Faithful [‘Ali] (a.s.) liked having the poetry of Abu Tālib being recited to him, saying: “Learn it [by heart] and teach it to your children, for he was the follower of the religion of Allah and there is abundant knowledge in it.”2
269. Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) said: “O nation of Shi‘ah! Teach your children the poems of al-‘Abdi,3 for he was a follower of the religion of Allah.”4
1.. Tuhaf al-‘Uqul, p. ۳۷۶. al-Khisāl, p. ۱۶۹, h. ۲۲۲.
2.. Imān Abu Tālib, also known as al-Hujjah ‘alā al-Dhāhib ilā Takfir Abu Tālib, p. ۱۳۰. Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۳۵, p. ۱۱۵, h. ۵۴.
3.. Abu Muhammad Sufyān ibn Mas‘ab al-‘Abdi al-Kufi was a poet who composed poems about Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), and he had sincere devotion for them and was also acknowledged by them. There is no correct date about his birth and death, but it is understood from some evidences that he was alive during the time of the death of Sayyid Humyari (۱۷۸ A.H.).
He had been very skilful in composing poetry and his poems were mostly on the of virtues of the Commander of the faithful (a.s.) and introducing Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), and also describing their sufferings and pains. This was done so much to the extent that ‘Allāmah Amini claims that he could find no poetry from this poet that was not about Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). He recited poetry for the people about ‘Ashurā' at the house of Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) and made them so sad that because of their wailing the people of Medina crowded behind that house.
He was one of the companions of Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) and his friendship was not an ordinary one. It was not for the sake of social interaction or because of living during the same time of the Imām (a.s.), but it was because of his sincere inclination, his pure friendship and his untainted faith, so much that the Imām (a.s.) wanted his followers to teach al-‘Abdi’s poetry to their children since it was based on the religion of Allah. Some of his poems are mentioned in this book.
4.. Rijāl al-Kashi, vol. ۲, p. ۷۰۴, h. ۷۴۸, narrating from Samā‘ah. Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۷۹, p. ۲۹۳, h. ۱۶.
