Translation of the saying:
A number of our helpers informed us, they said: His Honor Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani came to a village to invite its people toward God and His Caliph on the earth; so its people welcomed him, and he was their guest for three days; then when he wanted to leave them, they rushed to him and surrounded him and said: “O friend of God! Give us some advice before you go; for we heard nothing from you but wisdom, and your words move the rocks!”, so he stood on the edge of a pool so that everyone could see him, and said:
“O people! Know that no treasure is of use to you more than knowledge, and people are one of the three: one who knows, one who seeks to know, and one who is no one. O people! Do not immerse yourselves in your lives, and do not remain unaware of what is happening in your world and your Hereafter. Unawareness is nowadays a great sin. Incline toward the Quran and act on it. Know the Sunnah of the Prophet and his household and follow it. Use your intellects and assess the words of these people –and he pointed toward the scholars and elders of the village; if you found them in accordance with your intellects and in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnah, accept it, otherwise throw them into the wall, and I shall bear its sin. Do not consider anyone worthy of obedience except for God and His Caliphs on the earth; for the Jews went astray because they obeyed their scholars and elders; as it has been said in the Quran: ﴿اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ﴾[1]; ‘They considered their scholars and monks as lords apart from God’. Imitation withers the root of the intellect and leaves no room for thinking. Do not be prejudiced toward your old beliefs and misconceptions, for such a prejudice is a gate from the gates of Hell. The best of you is one who has more knowledge, not one who performs the prayer and fast more. Faith and righteous deed are joined together like these two fingers of mine –and he joined the middle and index fingers together-, and neither of them will benefit you without the other. Faith is correct beliefs, and one who does not have correct beliefs will not gain salvation, even if he is one of the most devout worshipers. So put your beliefs in the balance of the intellect, and present them to the Quran and the Sunnah, lest you go astray. Do not fall in love with the world, nor sell your Hereafter for it. Whoever has sold his Hereafter for this world has made a loss-making deal and gone bankrupt. Do not follow your desires, for there is no end to desires, rather listen to the call of conscience, for it will not bring about regret. My last word to you is, know the Imam of your time; because whoever does not know the Imam of his time does not known his religion, and there is no good in such a person[2]. I was your guest for a few days and now I am leaving you. You were good hosts for me, may God reward you well; was I a good guest for you?”
People answered from everywhere: “You were the best guest we have ever had”, then he said:
“If so, then do not forget me and my words, and remind each other of them, and deliver them to those who do not know me and my words, perhaps God will benefit them. God will ask you about me, did you listen to the words of My servant whom I brought to you?! I entrust you all to God the Merciful, and I hope that fate brings me back to you or you back to me; peace be upon you and the mercy of God”.
Then he came down from the edge of the pool and went to the scholars and elders of the village, who were standing in a corner and listening to his words angrily, and made amends to them; because he knew that they held a grudge against him. Then he left the village with his helpers to travel through the earth and invite toward God and His Caliph.
