يحيى

Abu Qurra the Hadith scholar asked me to facilitate his entrance into the presence of Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام … so Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: … if the narrations contradict the Qur’an then I reject them, and what the Muslims have all unanimously agreed upon is that He cannot be fully comprehended by knowledge, and the eye-sight cannot overtake Him, and there is nothing like Him.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram, his ears are affected by winds and is afraid of illness; if he can place cotton in his ears. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful if he is afraid of illness, otherwise, it is not permissible.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘All of the people who stay in those hills, good or evil, Allah answers them all. People of good deed receive answers for the worldly and the hereafter and the people of evil deeds receive answer to their worldly matters.’”

“I once was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), on his land where they were harvesting and someone asking for help came. I said, ‘Allah gives you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Wait. You cannot say that until you give him three times. When you give him three times thereafter if you give, it is for you, and if you stop giving him is also for you.’”

“Certain persons of our people once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a Muslim man who likes a beautiful woman; if he can marry her and she is insane. He (the Imam) said, ’No, however, if he has an insane slave-girl he can go to bed with her but must not seek her children (he must use contraceptives).”’

A believer eats with one intestine, but an atheist eats with seven intestines.”

“The man of this matter is the youngest and obscurest one of us.” Yahya asked him: “When will that (deliverance) be?” He said: “When delegations go to pay homage to a young boy and every fort (powerful chief) raises a flag (becomes independent) then you expect deliverance.” No one of the infallible imams has become imam while he is yet too young except this imam (al-Mahdi), whom Allah has granted the imamate and wisdom while he is yet a child as Jesus Christ and Yahya bin Zachariah, whom Allah has granted the Book, prophethood, knowledge and wisdom while yet children. The evidence for that is the saying of Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) “He (al-Qa’im) has aspects of four prophets…). One of them is Jesus the son of Marry (as), who has been granted wisdom, knowledge and prophethood while yet a child.

“Once I went to see Fatima (a.s.) (daughter of the Holy Prophet (saww) and I saw with her a tablet in which the names of the executors of the wills of (Leaders with Divine Authority) from her descendants were written. I then counted them to twelve. The last one’s name was al-Qa’im (the one who will rise with Divine authority). The names of three of them was Muhammad and the names of another three was Ali.”

‘Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), once asked me, ‘What do you manage? What do you make?’ I replied, ‘I am not in anything.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Find a house, (a facility) broom its yards, sprinkle water around, spread the merchandise on it. In doing this you have done what should have been done.’ I (the narrator) followed his instruction and found sustenance.’”

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who owes two consecutive months of fasting if he can separate the days. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he fasts for more than one month consecutively, then something happens because of which he stops fasting, it is not harmful; but if it is one month or less than one month, then he is required to start all over again.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Ignoring to counter-balance a favor that one receives is one of the reasons to weaken one; and it is of injustice to make a guest to work. When a guest comes to you help him. When he leaves do not help him to leave, it is of lowliness. You must provide him supplies and make his supplies good; it is an act of generosity.’”

“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.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of cows, sheep and camels in a pasture which destroy certain things; if anyone is held responsible for anything. He (the Imam) said, ‘If they destroy during the day there is no responsibility; the owners must protect them (their belongings); but if they destroy during the night then the owner of cattle is held responsibility.’”

If he brings payment from that time until night falls the transaction is valid, otherwise, he has no deal.’”

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a man who slaughters but does not mention the name of Allah. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is because of forgetfulness, it is not unlawful if he is a Muslim, knows slaughtering properly, and does not cut off the spinal cord and the neck after slaughtering.’”

“The people have been commanded and prohibited. Whoever has an excuse, Allah, the Mighty and High, forgives him.”

“Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has created an angel who is so huge that it would take a fluttering bird five hundred years to fly from its earlobe to its neck.”

“I heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say, ‘Whoever loves to have a complete belief he must say, “Everything that I say is from the family of Muhammad whether those that they kept secret or those that they made public those that have reached me from them and those that have not reached me.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘There is Wudu’ before every Ghusl (bath) except the Ghusl (bath) because of sexual relation.’”

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) asked me, ‘Did you tell anyone what I told you?’ I said, ‘No, I have not told anyone except Sulayman ibn Khalid.’ The Imam said, ‘Very good. Have you not heard the words of the poet: ‘Do not allow my secret and your secret pass to a third party. Is it not the case that a secret passing two people is public?”’