عيسى

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) is not of four because it has no divorce or inheritance; she is only hired.’”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) asking, ‘Do you think I do not distinguish the bad from good among you? Yes, by Allah, the bad ones among you are those who love people walking behind him. Such a person is inevitably a liar or a helpless one (due to his ignorance) in his opinion.’”

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the animals slaughtered by the people of the book. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful if they mention the name of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and I mean those of them who are on the command of Moses and Jesus.’”

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ’When I stand up for Salah (prayer) can I read, “In the name of Allah, most Beneficent, most Merciful” in the beginning of the recitation?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’ I then asked, ‘When I complete reading al-Fatihah can I read “In the name of Allah, most Beneficent, most Merciful” in the beginning of the chapter?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’”

“I heard ‘Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), saying, ‘Zuhd (restraint from worldly matters) in the world is to shorten one’s hopes, give thanks for every bounty and restrain from everything that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made unlawful.’”

“How wonderful indeed is the drop of anger for one who curbs it with exercising patience! Great rewards are for those who go through great trials and tribulations. Allah has not loved any people without exposing them to trials and tribulations.”

“I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), ‘What are the facts that help one know those who have gained their salvation?’ The Imam replied, “One whose words agree with his deeds you must consider his testimony as valid and one whose words do not agree with his deeds (if he may have faith) it is temporarily.’”

“Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) has said, ‘Those who know that we say nothing but the truth what they know from us should consider it sufficient. If they would hear from us what is different from what they already know from us they should note that it is our way of defending them.’”

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I am thinking to quit doing business in market place while there is a certain amount of wealth in my hands.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Then your opinion becomes of no value and no one will seek help from you.’”

“A believer’s having no hope in (what is in the hands of) people, is his respect and power in his religion. Have you not heard the words of Hatim, ‘When I decided not to have any hope I found it to be independence, when I made the soul to know it. Greed is poverty?”’ (The quote is due to its popularity not as evidence).

Everything in this book that is narrated from Dawud ibn Surhan has been transmitted by me from my father and from Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan - may Allah (swt) have mercy on them both - from Sa'd ibn Abdullah, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn 'Isa, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr Al-Bazanti and Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Najran, from Dawud ibn Surhan Al-'Attar Al-Kufi.

regarding the Words of the Honorable the Exalted God, ‘Then let them complete the rites prescribed for them, perform their vows…’ Abul Hassan (s) said the following, “The rites consist of cutting the nails, cleaning the body, and leaving the state of ritual consecration for the Hajj (‘Ihram).”

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has had sexual relation after which he stands in the rain until water flows over his body. ‘Is this sufficient for Ghusl (bath)? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is sufficient.’”

Abu al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام sent me a bundle of clothes, servants and money covering [the expenses of] my Hajj, that of my brother Musa b. Ubayd, and for Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman – ordering us to make the Hajj on his behalf, so we had a hundred gold coins to be divided up three ways between us. When I wanted to ready the clothes [for the journey] I saw between them some soil, I said to the messenger: what is this? he said: he [the Imam] does not send out any item except that he places in it some soil from the grave of al-Husayn عليه السلام, then the messenger said: Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: it [the soil] is to provide you safety by the permission of Allah. He also handed us some additional amount to be used to maintain relation with the people of his house and to assist a group who were needy and went un-cared for [in Madina]. He ordered that three hundred gold coins be given to a relation of a woman who was under him [his wife] and ordered me to divorce her on his behalf and provide for her from this amount. He ordered me to make Safwan b. Yahya and another man – whose name Muhammad b. Isa forgot – as witnesses to the divorce.

do not abandon your gods. Do not abandon Wadd, Suwa’, Yaghuth, Ya’uq and Nasr” (71:23) - He said: They (the people named in the verse) used to worship Allah Mighty and Majestic then they died. Their people cried out (because of that) and it weighed heavily on them. Iblis - curse of Allah be upon him - came to them and said: ‘I will make idols for you in their image, you will look at them and obtain comfort while continuing to worship Allah’. He made for them idols in their likeness. They used to worship Allah Mighty and Majestic and look upon those idols. When winter and the rains came they transferred the idols inside their houses. They continued worshipping Allah Mighty and Majestic until that generation died out and their sons grew up. They (the second generation) said: ‘Our fathers used to worship these (idols)’ so they began worshipping them instead of Allah Mighty and Majestic. This then is the interpretation of the words of Allah Blessed and Elevated: “Do not abandon Wadd nor Suwa’a …”

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that among our people there is a shaykh, called ‘Umar. He asked ‘Isa ibn ’A‘yan for help because he is needy. ‘Isa ibn ’A‘yan said to him, ‘There is Zakat with me, but I cannot give to you.’ He asked for reason. ‘Isa replied, ‘I saw you buying meat and dates.’ He said, ‘I had earned one dirham. With two daniq, I bought meat and with two daniq, I bought dates and I returned with two daniq for some other things that I needed.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), placed his hand on his forehead for a while, then raised his head then said, ‘Allah, most Blessed, most High, looked at the wealth of the wealthy, then He looked at the poor people. He then assigned a share for the needy in the wealth of the wealthy, which will be sufficient for their needs. Had it (Zakat) not been sufficient (for the needs of the needy) He would have increased it. They (needy) must receive from Zakat what is sufficient for them to eat, drink, dress, marry, give charity and perform Hajj.’”

“Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) after completing the prayer at noon time would say, ‘O Lord, I seek nearness to You through Your generosity and magnanimity, I seek nearness to You through Muhammad, Your servant, and Your messenger, I seek nearness to You through Your favorite angels. Your messenger prophets and Your Own Self. O Lord, You are Self-sufficient and do not need me and I need You. You are wealthy and I am poor, correct my slips (mistakes) and cover up my sins, provide me help this day, do not punish me for the evil that You know of me, but pardon me and Your munificence may encompass me.’ The Imam said, ‘Then he would prostrate and say, “O You Who deserves people’s observing piety before Him, O You Who grants forgiveness, O Virtuous, and O Merciful, You are more kind to me than my father and mother and all the creatures, accept my plea in providing me help, answering my supplication and prayer, grant me favor for my call while You have already removed so many misfortunes from me.’”

“Dear daughter, we Ahle Bayt are given seven things that no one has been given before us. Our apostle is the best of the apostles. Our successor is the best of the successors, and he is your husband. Our martyr is the best of the martyrs, and he is Hamzah, the uncle of your father. From us is the one with two wings, by which he glides in Paradise, and he is your cousin Ja’far. From us are the two heirs of this Ummah, and they are your two sons: Hasan and Husain. And from us is, by Allah, a deity other than Him is not, the Mahdi of this Ummah, behind whom Isa Ibn Maryam will pray.” Then the Messenger of Allah (s) touched Husain’s shoulder and said thrice, “From him.”

My father [Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s)] said: “My son, when the fifth descendant of the seventh Imam disappears, then by Allah, by Allah, be cautious about your faith, because definitely there such is a occultation for this Patron until many who believe in this matter turn away from their beliefs. My son, his occultation would be a trial from Allah, by which He will try His creation. If your fathers and grandfathers knew a creed better than this, they would have followed it.” Ali bin Ja’far said: Abul Hasan [Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s)] asked: “My master, who is the fifth descendant of the seventh?” He said: “My son, your intellects are deficient to understand him and you cannot bear it, but if you live, you will see that matter.”

Verily, on the subject of free will, there are three types of persons. One person claims that Allah, the Mighty and High, has compelled people to sin. He is an unbeliever who has insulted the judgment of Allah. The second person claims that Allah has relinquished all mattes. He is an unbeliever as well, as he has insulted the rule of Allah. The third person claims that Allah only obliges His Servants to do what they have the strength to do, and does not oblige them to do what they do not have the strength to do. This is the correct Muslim: he who praises Allah when he does good and repents to Allah when he commits a sin.