The holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said:
“Anyone who writes forty hadiths of mine should hope for mercy of Allah, he will be forgiven and will enjoy the ranking of the martyrs.”
He has also said:
“Any of my followers who recited forty hadiths of religious matters, Allah would unite him with the wise and pious, on the day of resurrection.” And “I would be his redeemer and bear witness for him.”
Such declarations by the holy Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged the Gnostics, clerics, narrators, and many others to compile forty hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which bore the names of people such as Sheikh Bahaee, Sheikh Sadreddin Ghonyavi and Jami, etc.
Hazrat Molana-al-Moa’zam Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl Angha, Pir Oveyssi, (fortieth teacher of the Oveyssi School of Sufism) has also complied forty hadiths of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him), regarding spiritual poverty and has presented them in his book of poems, “Anvar-e Gholoub-e Salekin – The Lights of the Hearts of Believers”.
This is a comprehensive and unique book in Islamic Sufism, and a perfect proof of His Holiness’ comprehensiveness in the “tradition”, the “path” and the “truth” of religion.
There is a further forty Hadiths Ghodsi by Imam Ali (peace be upon him) with a difference where their source is the Almighty God. The Author of Al-Zaria’h explains that these hadiths were selected from the Old Testament and contain forty verses which Imam Ali (peace be upon him) has translated from Hebrew into Arabic. Abdullah ibn Abbas has then quoted them from Imam Ali (peace be upon him).
These Hadiths have frequently been translated into Persian and are known as the forty scrolls or forty verses.
- Montakhab Kanz-ol-Amal, vol.4, p.161. Avali-ol-Leali, vol.1, p.95. vol.4, p.79. Ehya-ol-Uloum, vol.1, p.29
- Al-Zaria’h ela Tasaneef-ol-Shi’a, vol 1. p.278.