أبان بن عبدة الصيرفي الكوفي

“I guarantee a home in Heaven for anyone who treats the people well, abstains from lying whether it be jokingly or serious; and abandons quarrelling, even if he is right.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you shoot the prey with flareless arrow and if it pierces into the prey you can use it for food; but if it does not pierce into the prey and hits it widthwise, then do not use it for food.”’

“About the case of a man who marries a woman by the approval of her guardian and finds a defect in her after going to bed with her, abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘If the defect is al-‘Afal, al-Bars (albino), insanity, or ‘Ifda’ (an injury that cuts into her feces and urine passages), one who has an apparent defect and illness, such defective people’s marriage is revoked and they are returned to their families without divorce. The husband demands for mahr (dower) from her guardian who has cheated about her, and if her guardian did not know about it then there is nothing on him (the guardian) and she is returned to her family.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If the husband receives back what he had given, it belongs to him but if he did not get back anything then there is nothing for him.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She must complete a waiting period which is for divorce if he has gone to bed with her but if he has not gone to bed with her then she does not need to complete a waiting period.’”

“Certain people came to the Messenger of Allah after accepting Islam and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, will any of us, after accepting Islam, be held responsible for what he had done in the time of ignorance?’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Whoever is good in his Islam and corrects the certainty of his belief is not held responsible for his acts in the time of ignorance in the judgment of Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High. Whoever’s Islam is nonsense and has not corrected the certainty of his belief will be held responsible in the judgment of Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, for his past and later deeds.’”

Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘The Rasool Allah (saww) stood upon Al-Safa and said: ‘O Clan of Hashim (as)! O Clan of Abdul Muttalib (as)! I (saww) am the Rasool Allah (saww) to you all, and I (asws) am compassionate towards you, and for me (saww) are my (saww) deeds, and for every man among you are his deeds. Do not say that Muhammad (saww) is from us and so we shall be entering where he (saww) would be entering (The Paradise). So, no, by Allah (azwj)! There are no friends for me (saww) from among you, nor from the others. O Clan of Abdul Muttalib (as)! Except for the pious ones, otherwise I (saww) will not recognise you on the Day of Judgement. You will be coming carrying the ‘world’ (burden of the world) upon your backs and the people would be coming carrying the Hereafter. So I (saww) warn you with regards to what is between me (saww) and you all, and with regards to what is between myself (saww) and Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic with regards to you all’.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘When the stomach is full it rebels.’”

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a boy and a girl who are not mature and whose guardians arrange their marriage. He (the Imam) said, ‘Their marriage is permissible and whoever of the two becomes mature has the right to choose the marriage or not. If they die before maturity there is no inheritance between them and no mahr (dower) unless they become mature and approve the marriage.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if one of them becomes mature before the other?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is permissible for him if he approves.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if the man becomes mature before the girl and approves the marriage, then dies before she becomes mature; if she inherits. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, her share must be kept aside until she becomes mature and swears by Allah that the reason for her claiming inheritance is because of her approving the marriage, then it is given to her with one-half of mahr (dower).’ I then asked, ‘What happens if the girl dies before her maturity; if she inherits the husband who is mature.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, because she has the choice upon her maturity.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if her father is the reason for her marriage before her maturity?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Such a marriage is permissible for her and for the boy but mahr (dower) is due on the father for the girl.’”

“About the case of a man who kills his mother, abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘He cannot inherit from her. Instead he is executed against his wishes and I do not think that his execution can remedy his sin.’”

“Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, says, ‘I swear by My Majesty, Glory, Greatness, Height and the height of My position, if anyone of My servant acts as I wish instead of acting according to his own wish, I will protect his lost and straying property and guarantee to provide him sustenance from the heavens and earth, and I will be for him (his supporter) in his business with every merchant.’”

I asked Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) about a man who had three unmarried daughters. He married one of them to a man but did not specify which daughter to the husband or the witnesses. The husband had already agreed upon a dowry for her. When the time came for the husband to consummate the marriage, he was informed that the bride was the eldest daughter. However, the husband said to the father, "I only intended to marry your youngest daughter." Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) replied: "If the husband had seen all the daughters and had not specified one of them, then the decision is based on the father's word. However, the father must, before Allah (swt) (Glorified and Exalted), give the husband the daughter he intended to marry off at the time of the marriage contract. But if the husband had not seen all the daughters and no specific one was identified during the marriage contract, then the marriage is invalid."

I asked Abu Abdullah (as), about a man who had a slave woman with whom he had a son. When death approached him, he bequeathed for her two thousand dirhams or more and instructed his heirs to enslave her. Imam (as) said: "No, rather she should be freed from one-third of the deceased's estate and given what he had bequeathed for her."

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘One who performs al-Hajj of Tamattu’ should offer a sacrifice which he can offer.’ (2:195) He (the Imam) said, ‘It is one sheep.’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if performing Salat (prayer) in all of al-Haram (the sacred area) is of the same degree of virtue. He (the Imam) said, ‘O abu ‘Ubaydah, all Salat (prayer) in Masjid al-Haram are not of the same degree of virtue; then how can it be the same in all of al-Haram (the sacred area)?’ I then asked, ‘Which part of it is more excellent?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is between the door and the Black Stone.’”

“I heard Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) saying, ‘When the angels hear the believing person praying for his brother (in belief) in his absence or speak of him good, they say, “You are a good brother (in belief). You pray for him in his absence and speak good of him. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has granted you double of what you asked for him and He has praised you double of your praising him and you have excellence over him, but if they (angels) hear him speak evil of his brother (in belief), and pray against him, they will say, ‘You are a bad brother for him! Stop, O you whose sins and privacy are covered, reduce your burden. Praise and thank Allah, Who has covered you, and notice that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, knows more about His servant than you do.’”

“Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) would say, ‘A deed with piety is never considered a little deed. How could it be considered little when it is the very thing with which deeds are accepted?”’

“It is a good idea for the believers to shake each other’s hands after one of them remains out of sight, even because of a tree in between.”

“I heard abu Ja‘far say, (a.s.) when he saw people in Makka and what they were doing, “Activities like those in the days of ignorance. By Allah, they are not commanded to do as suCh What they are commanded to do is to complete their Hajj, relieve themselves of the obligations of vows and visit us to inform us of their support and express their help before us.”

Amirul Mu’mineen (‘Ali) peace be upon him, used to say: "Any act performed with taqwa is not little. How can that which is accepted (by Allah) be called little?"

Nabighah al-Ja’diy was a monotheist even in the pre-Islamic era, rejecting all wines and intoxicants and avoiding idol worshipping and fortune telling as abominations. And among his statements during the pre-Islamic era is what he said: "All Praise be to Allah, Who has no associate, Whoever does not say so, wrongs himself." He professed the religion of Ibrahim and was Hanif, always praying and fasting, abstaining from things in which people indulged. And he called upon the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and said: "I have come to the messenger of Allah, as he came with guidance; And recites the Book, (the wisdom of which is) spread like a constellation; And I tried my best together with my companions, but failed to see, the Canopus star as it rose and then disappeared; And I have adopted the path of Taqwa, fearing no disbeliever, and have always held back from the fearful fire." He said: Nabighah was inclined towards ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) and after the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, he left to meet Amirul Mu’mineen (as) at the battle of Siffin. He arrived at night and was straitened to see the situation. So he said: "Both the Misrs (i.e. Egypt and Hijaz) and Iraq know well, that ‘Ali is its highborn; He is the brilliant master and of pure nobility, His mother is the one for whom dowry became high; The most honourable among those for whom one may tighten his belt, The others may be your contemporaries but can not excel. They have their own field, and you have your own. And your companions have distinguished them; you have led to the path of true guidance. While they have led to a group where hypocrisy is the way of life."

I am worried about three things for my nation after me: to interpret the Quran in a way other than its true meaning ; to follow the errors of a religious scholar; and become disobedient due to gaining some wealth. You should act according to what is clearly stated in the Quran and believe in what is doubtful in it. You should expect a harsh trial for a religious scholar who has made mistakes and should not follow his errors. You should be grateful for wealth in this world and pay it its right dues.”