بريد

I said to Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him: What is the least by which a servant is a disbeliever? He said: That he innovates a thing, and then befriends on the basis of it and dissociates from those who oppose it.

“When a man during a woman’s experiencing blood discharge because of childbirth or after going to bed with her divorces, such divorce is not a valid divorce. A divorce at such time when commencing waiting period is possible and valid, that it is in a menses-free time but without the presence of two just witnesses, such divorce also is not a valid divorce.’”

I heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: There is no one who has enlivened our remembrance and the narrations of my father عليه السلام except for Zurara, Abu Basir Layth al-Muradi, Muhammad b. Muslim and Burayd b. Muawiya al-Ijli. If it wasn’t for them then there wouldn’t be anyone who could derive these [i.e. the Ahkam]. They are the protectors of the religion and the trustees of my father عليه السلام upon the Halal of Allah and His Haram. They are the foremost to us in this world, and the foremost to us in the hereafter.

I heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: there is no one who has enlivened our remembrance and the narrations of my father عليه السلام except for Zurara, Abu Basir Layth al-Muradi, Muhammad b. Muslim and Burayd b. Muawiya al-Ijli. If it wasn’t for them there wouldn’t be anyone who could derive these (i.e. the Ahkam). They are the protectors of the religion and the trustees of my father عليه السلام upon the Halal of Allah and His Haram. They are the foremost to us in this world, and the foremost to us in the hereafter.

‘I asked Abu Ja’far (asws) about the Statement of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic: “[3:170] and they rejoice for the sake of those who, (being left) behind them, have not yet joined them, that they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve”. He (asws) said: ‘By Allah (azwj)! These are our (asws) Shiites, when their souls will arrive in the Paradise, and they will be Welcomed honourably from Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic, they would come to know and be convinced that they were upon the ‘الْحَقِّ’ Just, and upon the Religion of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic, and they would receive the good news of the ones whom they had left behind from their brethren from the Believers. There would be no fear to come upon them, nor would they be in any grief’.

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), state this Hadith. ‘If a man swears not to go to bed with his wife, not to touch her and not to place his head next to her head, he then has the choice before passing of four months. When four months pass he then must be taken in custody to reach a settlement and go to bed with her, or decide to divorce, thus, he must leave her until she experiences Hayd (menses) and becomes clean from Hayd (menses), then divorce her once before going to bed with her and in the presence of two just witnesses. Thereafter he has the right to go back to her until her passing three cycles of Hayd (menses)-free periods.”’

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah has addressed Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) in His book.” The narrator has said that asked him, “where and in which passage?” He said, “It is in His words that read, “If they ever do injustice to themselves and come to you (Muhammad) asking for God’s forgiveness and if the Messenger also was to ask God to forgive them, they would certainly find God All-forgiving and All-merciful. (4:64) “I swear by your Lord that they will not be considered believers until they let you judge their disputes (on the issue of their agreement not to allow the leadership pass to the descendants of Hashim). Then they will find nothing in their souls to prevent them from accepting your judgment, (to condemn or forgive them) thus, submitting themselves to the will of God.” (4:65) “

“I once visited abu Ja‘far (a.s.). A sheet of sharp red color was on him. I smiled when I entered. He (the Imam) said, ‘It seems I know why you are laughing. You laugh because of this cloth on me. It is because the Thaqafiy woman forced me to wear it and I love her.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘We do not perform Salat (prayer) in a cloth of sharp color and you also must not perform Salat (prayer) with such clothes.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘Afterward I went to see him when he had divorced her and he (the Imam) said, ‘I divorced her because I heard her denounce Ali (a.s.), so I could not keep her with such attitude.”’

Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, said: O my son, know that the rank of the Shi’a [1] is based upon the degree of their narrating and conscious knowledge, for indeed, conscious knowledge is comprehension. With comprehensions of the narrations, the believer elevates to the farthest levels of faith. Indeed, I have looked into the book of Ali, peace be upon him, and I found in the book: Indeed, the value and rank of every person is his conscious knowledge. Indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, will judge people in accordance to the amount of what He has granted them of intellects in the life of this world.

I asked Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as): "What is the meaning of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) - 'What is unlawful through lineage is also unlawful through breastfeeding'? Explain it to me." Imam (as) replied: "Every woman who nurses, with the milk of her husband, the child of another woman, whether the child is male or female, that is the breastfeeding (ridha') referred to by the Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah bless him and his family). But any woman who nurses, with the milk of two different husbands (one after the other), the child of another woman, whether male or female, this is breastfeeding that does not fall under the ruling of the statement of the Messenger of Allah (swt) 'What is prohibited through breastfeeding is the same as what is prohibited through lineage.'"

"If he engaged with her before midday, there is nothing upon him except to fast another day in place of that day. However, if he engaged with her after the sun had passed its zenith, then he must feed ten needy people, giving each a mudd of food. If he cannot afford this, he should fast one day in place of the missed day and add three additional days as expiation for what he did." It has also been narrated: "If he broke his fast before midday, there is no penalty upon him. But if he broke his fast after midday, then he must offer expiation similar to that required for breaking a fast during Month of Ramadan."

The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said Allah, Most High, says: "Grace and Blessing are My gift to My believing servant. If he accepts them, that is My mercy and from Me. And if he rejects them, that is because of his sins which deprive him; and it is his doing and not Mine. And I have guided every creature to Faith, and fashioned him in a shapely manner. And I never made him a victim of miserliness, for I always wished him good."

We believe in it, for all of this is from our Lord.” The Holy Quran consists of specific, general, clear, not so clear, abrogating and abrogated statements. The people who are well-grounded in knowledge know (all of) it.”

The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Whoever has four virtues, Allah shall write his name among the people of Paradise: One who saves oneself by testifying that there is no god but Allah and that I, Muhammad am His Messenger; and one who says: Praise be to Allah, when blessed with any bounty from Him; and one who says: I seek forgiveness from Allah, for the sin committed; and one when afflicted by any calamity, says: To Him we belong, and unto Him shall we return."

“May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, the word Muhaddith does not exist in our reading. What then is the meaning of The Messenger, Prophet and Muhaddith?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “A messenger is one to whom the angel comes openly and speaks to him. A prophet is one who sees in his dream. Sometimes prophethood and messengership may exist in one person. Al-Muhaddith is one who hears the voice but does not see the person (of the angel).” I then asked, may Allah keep you well, “How would one know that what one sees in his dream is true and that it is from the angel?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He receives help for success to know the angel. Allah has your book the last book and your Prophet the last of prophets.”

I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah: “We have made you (true Muslims) a moderate nation so that you could be (witness) an example for all people and the Prophet (a witness) an example for you. . .” (2:143) The Imam (a.s.) said, “We are the moderate nation and we bear witness to the activities of the people for Allah and we possess Divine authority on earth.” I then asked about the meaning following verse of the holy Quran: “. . the noble religion of your father, Abraham. God named you Muslims before and in this Book, so that the Messenger will witness (your actions). .” (22:78) The word ‘your father’ refers to us particularly we were called Muslims in the heavenly books that were sent before as well as this book. The messenger of Allah bears witness over us by means of teaching us the guidance of Allah and bear witness over the people. Those who would acknowledge our authority, on the Day of Judgment, we will acknowledge their faith and those who would reject our Divine authority, one the Day of Judgment, we will refuse to acknowledge their faith.”

I entered upon Abi Abdillah عليه السلام so he said to me: if you had come in a little earlier you would have met Hayyan al-Sarraj, he (Burayd) said: and he (al-Sadiq) pointed out a place in the room and said – he (Hayyan) was sat there, then he (Hayyan) brought up Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya and talked about his life (continued existence), and he began praising him and extolling him. So I (al-Sadiq) said to him: O Hayyan! don’t you and others claim and narrate: ‘there is nothing that happened to the Bani Israil except that it is also to occur in this Umma’, he (Hayyan) replied: yes, so I (al-Sadiq) said: then have we or you seen or heard – a Scholar (divine leader) – who died in the estimation of the people (as far as the people were concerned), and his wives were married off, and his inheritance was redistributed, while he was still alive not dead?!, so he (Hayyan) stood up (to leave) and did not answer me anything.

“Abu Ja‘far, and abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have said, ‘If a man swears not to go near his wife, then he has no say and no right for four months; and it is not a sin on him to stay away from her for four months. When four months pass if he agrees to touch her and she remains silent and agrees, then it is fine. He is within the law and his choices; but if she takes her case to the court he then will be told to expiate (find a remedy), then he can touch her or divorce her. Divorce becomes final when he leaves her until she experience Hayd (menses) and becomes clean, then he divorces her and he has the right to go back to her until three Hayd (menses)-free periods pass. This is the ‘Ila’ (swearing) that Allah, most Blessed, most High, has revealed in His book and in the Sunnah of His prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.”’

I said to Imam (as): "A man appointed me as his executor, and I asked him to appoint a relative of his to share the responsibility with me, and he agreed. The one who appointed me mentioned that the co-executor owed him one hundred and fifty dirhams and that he had a silver cup as collateral for this debt. When the man passed away, the co-executor began to claim that he was owed sacks of wheat instead." Abu Abdullah (as), said: "If he brings proof, then his claim is valid; otherwise, he has no right to anything." I asked: "Is it permissible for him to take anything from what is in his possession?" Imam (as) replied: "It is not permissible for him." I then asked: "What if someone wrongfully took his wealth, and he found the opportunity to take back from that person's wealth the equivalent of what was taken from him - would that be permissible?" Imam (as) replied: "This is not the same as that."

“I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), that a man made a will in which he appointed me as executor of the will. I asked him to appoint one more person of his relatives with me and he did. The testator told me that with the other executor of the will he has a bowl of silver, which is worth one hundred fifty dirham as a security item. When he dies the other executor of the will said that the testator owes him several Kur (a certain unit of measurement) of wheat. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he presents testimony he can have it, but not without testimony.’ I then asked, ‘Can he compensate from what is in his hand?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not lawful for him.’ I then said, ‘If one due to animosity takes away one’s assets, then it becomes possible for him to compensate his loss from his assets: if he can do so.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘This is not like that.’”