زرارة بن أعين

whatever is measured with al-Sa‘ and it amounts to al-Awsaq (a certain unit of measurement) then it becomes subject to Zakat.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah made charity (Zakat) obligatory on everything that earth grows except vegetable, legumes and things that perish on the same day.’” H 5738, Ch. 5, h 3

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘When a woman stands up for Salah (prayer) she should place her feet close to each other and should not keep them apart from each other. She should keep her hands over her chest over her breast. In Ruku‘ position she should place her hands above her knees on her thighs so as not to bend down very much to lift up her rear end. When sitting she should sit on her posteriors unlike a man. When bowing down for prostration she should first bring down her knees before her hands, then place herself on the ground. When sitting she should keep her thighs together and raise her knees from the ground. When moving to stand up a woman should rise upward without allowing her rear end to be seen being lifted up first.”

"He must pay the full blood money (diyyah) plus one-third."

"On the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) will argue against seven groups: the child, the one who died between the prophets, the elderly person who reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) but did not comprehend, the simple-minded, the insane person who did not understand, the deaf, and the mute. Each one of them will present an argument before Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic." Imam (as) said: "Then Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, will send a messenger to them who will kindle a fire and say to them, 'Your Lord (azj) commands you to leap into it.' Whoever leaps into it, it will become cool and peaceful for him, but whoever refuses will be taken to the Fire."

"Indeed, Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, only forbade usury so that acts of kindness would not disappear."

"The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace be upon him and his family, accepted the jizya from the people of the dhimmah on the condition that they would not consume usury, would not eat pork, and would not marry their sisters, their nieces (daughters of their brothers), or their nieces (daughters of their sisters). Whoever among them does any of these acts has forfeited the protection (dhimmah) of Allah (swt) and His Messenger, peace be upon him and his family." He further said: "They no longer have any protection (dhimmah) today."

“I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘What should a man say on al-Safa’ and al-Marwah?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘He should say, ‘No one except Allah who is One and has no partners, deserves worship. To Him belong the Kingdom and all praise. He gives life and causes death and He has power over all things’ - three times.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘When must I say Talbiyah for al-Hajj?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When you leave for Mina’. Then he (the Imam) said, ‘When you reach the point where you find Shi‘b Dubb on your right and al-‘Aqabah on your left, then commence saying Talbiyah for al-Hajj.’” (Fatwa best explains this hadith and the following chapters).

“Once, I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a soldier who does not have Wudu’ and what is he required to do when he is not able to dismount? He (the Imam) said, ‘He can make Tayammum on his pad, saddle or mane of his stumper over which dust accumulates. He then performs Salah (prayer), makes Sujud (prostrations) lower than Ruku‘ (bowing down on one’s knees) and does not turn to al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) but turns his face wherever his stumper goes, except that he turns to al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) when saying the first Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) when paying attention.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘Can one pay Zakat after one-third of the year passes?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, can one perform al-Dhuhr before Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime)?”’ “It is also narrated that it is permissible if deserving recipient is present and to pay to him before the time for Zakat, except that he is responsible for it if at the time of Zakat, the recipient becomes affluent or an apostate, in which case he must pay Zakat again.”

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), if there is Zakat on mules. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, Zakat is not due on it.’ I then said, ‘How is it that there is Zakat on horses but not on mules?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because mules do not reproduce but mares do so and Zakat is not due on horses.’ I then asked are donkeys subject to Zakat?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not subject to Zakat.’ I then asked, ‘Are horses and camels that one uses for riding subject to Zakat?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, Zakat is not due on whatever one feeds. Only that which is left in pastures land to graze for one year is subject to Zakat, while in one’s possession. Other than this is not subject to Zakat.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ’Every time Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent a Prophet, it was in the knowledge of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, that in the case of completing His religion wine must have been made unlawful. It had to remain unlawful, however, religion is to change the habits one after the other. Were such change to take place at once people would boycott religion as a whole.’”

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the marriage of a slave-girl. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, unless it is an emergency.’”

“There is the case of a man who marries a virgin woman, then divorces her before going to bed with three divorces, one divorce every month. One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘With the first divorce she becomes stranger to him and the other two are extra. He is one of those who may propose marriage when he wants with new mahr (dower)/ It then was asked from him (the Imam), ‘Can he go back to her before the passing of three months?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so. He could have done so if he were to go to bed with her before, but with a divorce without going to bed with her he cannot revoke and she becomes stranger to him in the same hour of his divorcing.’”

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A divorced woman can use kohl, dyes, perfumes and wear whatever she likes because Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says, . .perhaps Allah may bring about something thereafter.’ Perhaps something happens in his mind and he goes back to her.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A widow whose husband has died must not use perfumes and beautify herself until her ‘Iddah (waiting period) of four months and ten days is complete.’”

I asked him about a matter so he answered me, then a man came to him and asked him about it so he answered him with a different answer to mine, then another man came so he answered him with a different answer to the one he gave me and the first man, so when the two men had exited I said: O the son of the messenger of Allāh – two men from the people of Iraq from among your followers came to ask you – but you answered each one of them with a different answer? He said: O Zurara, this is better and more safe for us and you, for if you were all to unite upon one position the people would believe you [in what you say] about us and that would be a threat to both our and your survival, he (Zurara) said: then I [later] said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام: your followers – if you were to make them move in the face of arrows or on fire they would do it but they come out from you having differences! He said: so he answered me with the same reply as his father.

Abu Ja'far (Imam al-Baqir) stated: "All Qunoot (supplication during prayer) is to be recited aloud."

“One day I visited Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as). On his right side there was the master of his sons Musa (al-Kadhim) (as) and before him there was a covered coffin. He said to me: “O Zurara, send for Dawood bin Katheer, Hamran and Abu Baseer to come.” Then al-Mufadhdhal bin Umar came in. I left to bring those persons. People began to come one after the other until we became about thirty men inside the house. When the house became crowded, Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said: “O Dawood, uncover the face of Issma’eel!” Dawood uncovered Issma’eel’s face. Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said: “O Dawood, is he alive or dead?” Dawood said: “O my master, he is dead.” Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) asked everyone in the house the same question after showing them the dead body of his son and all of them answered that he was dead. Then he said: “O Allah, witness!” He ordered to wash the dead (according to the Islamic rituals) and to put him into his last clothing. When everything was finished, Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said to al-Mufadhdhal: “O Mufadhdhal, uncover his face!” Al-Mufadhdhal did. Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said to him: “Is he alive or dead?” He said: “He is dead.” Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said: “O Allah, be the witness over them!” Then Issma’eel was carried to his grave. When he was put into the grave, Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said: “O Mufadhdhal, uncover his face!” He asked the all: “Is he alive or dead?” We said: “He is dead.” He said: “O Allah, witness and you, O people witness because those, who follow falsehood, will doubt. They want to put out the light of Allah with their mouths-he pointed to his son Musa-and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light.” Then we began to pour soil over the dead. He asked us again: “Who is the dead buried inside this grave?” We said: “He is Issma’eel.” He said: “O Allah, witness!” Then he held the hand of his son Musa and said: “He (al-Qa’im) is a truth and the truth is from him until Allah inherits the earth and all there is on it.” I have found this tradition with somone of our companions, who said that he had written it from Abul Murajja bin Muhammad al-Ghamr at-Taghlubi and he mentioned that Abu Sahl had narrated it to him from Abul Faraj the clerk of Bundar al-Qommi from Bundar from Muhammad bin Sadaqa and Muhammad bin Amr from Zurara. Abu al-Murajja mentioned that he had shown this tradition to some of his companions, who had said that al-Hasan bin al-Munthir had narrated it to him from Zurara and added that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said: “By Allah, your man will appear to you and he will not have had any homage to anyone at all.” And he said: Your man will not appear until the people of truth will suspect him. “Say: It is a message of importance. (And) you are turning aside from it.”

I asked him about the sick person – how does he prostrate? He said: on a small palm-leaf mat or on a hand-held fan or on a tooth-stick which is raised to him [made to touch his forehead], and it is better than gesturing [without the forehead touching anything], verily the one who dislikes prostrating on the hand-held fan dislikes it because of the idols which used to be worshiped apart from Allah, and we never worship anything besides Allah ever – so prostrate on the fan and on the tooth-stick and on a piece of wood.