2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muskan from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, chose His messengers for noble moral (human) qualities. You must test yourselves. If you find the noble qualities in you then be thankful to Allah and understand that it is of goodness. If you do not find them in you, then pray to Allah to grant them to you and show Him that you are interested in having them. The narrator has said that the Imam counted the noble qualities up to ten: They consist of Certainty, Contentment, Patience, Thankfulness, Forbearance, Good Moral Behavior, Generosity, Dignity, Bravery and Kindness. “Certain narrators have listed other qualities after the above- mentioned ones and have added to them Truthfulness and Keeping Trust.”

3. It is narrated from him from Bakr ibn Salih from Ja’far ibn Muhammad al- Hashimi from Isma’il ‘Abbad who has said that perhaps he has heard it from Isma’il from ‘Abd Allah ibn Bukayr from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “We certainly love a person of reason, of good understanding, who has good knowledge and understanding of the law, who is forbearing, who is kind, who bears patience, who is truthful and who is loyal. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has chosen the prophets for noble moral (human) qualities. Whoever has them (noble qualities) should be thankful to Allah. Whoever does not have them he must pray humbly to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and request Him to grant them to him. “I (the narrator) then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, what are the noble qualities?’ “The Imam said, ‘They consist of restraint from indulging in worldly matters, to be content, to bear patience, to be thankful, to be forbearing, to be bashful, to be generous, to have dignity, to be virtuous, to be truthful in one’s words and to be trustworthy.’”

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from certain individuals of his people from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has chosen Islam to be your religion. Keep good company with your religion by means of exercising generosity and good moral behavior.”

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) has said, ‘Belief has four pillars. They consist of agreeing with the decision of Allah, trusting Allah, choosing Allah to be the person in charge of all affairs, and submission to the command of Allah.’”

6. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla ibn Muhammad from al- Hassan ibn Ali from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from a man from Banu Hashim who has said the following: “If four things are found in a person his Islam is perfect, even though he may be filled with sins from his head to his toes it will not harm him. They consist of Truthfulness, Bashfulness, Good Moral Behavior and Thankfulness.”