محمد بن علي بن محبوب

And whatever is narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub, I have narrated it from my father, and from Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan, and from Muhammad ibn Musa ibn Al-Mutawakkil, and from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya Al-Aṭṭar, and from Muhammad ibn Ali Majilawayh - may Allah (swt) be pleased with them - from Muhammad ibn Yahya Al-Aṭṭar, from Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub. And I have also narrated it from my father and from Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Idris - may Allah (swt) be pleased with them - from Ahmad ibn Idris, from Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub.

I asked him about a man who comes to the market and buys a cloak of fur but he is not sure whether it is pure or not pure – can he pray in it? he said: yes, you do not have to inquire about it, Aba Ja’far عليه السلام used to say: the Khawarij straitened things for themselves because of their ignorance, the religion is more expansive than that.

Wealth cannot be accumulated unless through five deeds: extreme jealousy; high aspirations; a lot of greed; cutting off ties of kinship; and preferring this world to the Hereafter.”

A man wrote to the 'Jurist' (Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari (as)) asking about a case where a person gave a garment to a launderer to clean, and the launderer then handed it over to another launderer to clean, but the garment was lost. Should the first launderer be required to compensate for what he entrusted to another? Imam (as) wrote in reply: "He is liable for it unless the second launderer is trustworthy and reliable, God willing."

A man wrote to the 'Jurist' (Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari (as)) regarding a case where someone entrusted another person with a deposit (wadi'ah) and instructed him to keep it in his own house, or gave no specific instruction. However, the man placed it in his neighbor's house, and it was lost. Does he bear responsibility if he disobeyed the instruction or moved it out of his possession? The 'Jurist' (Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari (as)) replied: "He is liable for it, if Allah (swt) wills."

My son Ali (Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.)) will be oppressively poisoned and killed. He will be buried in Toos next to (Al-Ma’mun’s father) Harun. Whoever visits Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), it is as if he has visited God’s Prophet (S)."

I said: And what is arbi’aa’? He said: Drinking, and nitaf is that which is excessive from water. However, its acceptance is by silver, gold, halves, thirds and fourths.

I asked Imam (as), or a man asked Imam (as), about a man whose wife accused him of being impotent while the man denied it. Imam (as) replied: "The midwife should apply khaluq (a type of perfume) to her without the man's knowledge. Then the man should enter upon her. If he comes out and khaluq is found on his private part, he has spoken the truth and she has lied. But if it is not found, then she has spoken the truth and he has lied."

I asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام: at what age is the boy taken to task over prayers? He said: between seven and six years of age, I said: at what age is fasting demanded from him? he said: between fifteen or fourteen years, and if he fasts before that then leave him to do it for one of my sons began fasting before that and I let him.

Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) said, “The neighborhood zone of a mosque is forty ells , and the precincts of a mosque span out to forty houses away in each direction.”

"He is given a choice between two options. It is said to him: 'If you wish, you can accept the blame upon yourself, in which case the prescribed punishment (ḥadd) will be carried out on you, and you will be entitled to her inheritance. However, if you choose to admit to your accusation, you must perform liʿan (mutual cursing) with her closest living relative, and in that case, you will not inherit from her.'"

“When two men dispute each other, two angels come down and say to the foolish one of the two, ‘You said what you said and you were the kind to say what you said and you will be brought to account for what you have said.’ Then they will say to the forbearing one of the two men, ‘You exercised patience and forbearance. Allah will forgive you if you will complete it.’ The Imam said, ‘If the forbearing man answers back to the other man the two angels will ascend.’”

I asked him about a boy – when does prayer become obligatory on him? he said: if he completes thirteen years, but if he has nocturnal emissions before that then the prayer has already become obligatory on him and the Pen begins to record for him, and the girl likewise if she completes thirteen years or if she menstruates before that – the prayer become obligatory on her and the Pen begins to record for her.

I wrote to Abu Ja'far Al-Thani (as), peace be upon him, asking about a piece of land that my grandfather had endowed for the needy among the descendants of so-and-so, the man who united the tribe. However, they are numerous and scattered across different lands, while the descendants of the one who made the endowment are in severe need. They asked me to allocate the endowment specifically to them, excluding the other descendants of the man who united the tribe. Imam (as) replied: "You mentioned the land that your grandfather endowed for the poor among the descendants of so-and-so. It is designated for those who are present in the town where the endowment exists, and you are not permitted to seek out those who are absent."

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim wrote to Imam (as) in the year 233 AH, asking about a man who passed away and left behind a wife, sons, and daughters. He had also left them a servant (ghulam) whom he had endowed for them for ten years, after which the servant would become free. He asked: "Is it permissible for these heirs to sell this servant if they are in need, given the situation I described to you? May Allah (swt) make me your ransom." Imam (as) wrote in reply: "They should not sell him until the appointed time of his condition (the ten years) unless they are in severe need. In that case, it is permissible for them to sell him."

I asked Abu Abdullah (as), about a man who dies and leaves behind an Umm al-Walad (a female slave who bore him a child) and has a child from her. Can another man marry her? Imam (as) said: "I was informed that Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as), instructed regarding the Umm al-Walad women he had relations with: 'Whoever among them has borne a child, she becomes the share of her child. And whoever has not borne a child, she is set free.' And those who had children were assigned to their children to ensure that they would not marry except with the permission of their family."

Al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) said: Three types of people get up from their beds: (1) One whose waking is for him and not against him, (2) one whose waking is against him and not for him, and (3) one whose waking is neither for him nor against him. As for the first type, he is one who deliberately awakes from sleep, performs ablution, prays, and remembers Allah (dhikr). As for the second type, he is one who does not stop disobeying Allah until he sleeps again – so that will be against him and not for him. As for the third type, he is one who does not stop sleeping until he awakes in the morning – so that will neither be against him nor for him.

A man wrote to the 'Jurist' (Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari (as)) regarding a case where a man had a mill situated on a river that passed through a village. The village belonged to one or two men. The owner of the village wanted to divert the water to his village through a different channel, which would disable the mill. He asked whether he had the right to do so. The 'Jurist' Imam (as) responded: "He should fear Allah (swt) and act in a fair manner, and he should not harm his believing brother." He also asked about a man who had a canal in a village, and another man wanted to dig another canal above it. He inquired about the required distance between them so that one would not harm the other, especially if the land was either hard or soft. The 'Jurist' Imam (as) responded: "It should be done in such a way that neither of them harms the other, if Allah (swt) wills."

Abu Al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) made this endowment: "This is what Musa ibn Jafar (as) has endowed. He (as) has endowed all His (as) land in such and such a place. The boundary of the land is such and such. He (as) has endowed all of it, including its palm trees, land, water channels, water, mills, rights, irrigation rights from the water, and every right associated with it, whether it be in an elevated or low area, across its width or length, its easements, open spaces, conduits, offshoots, streams, developed or undeveloped parts. He (as) has endowed all these rights upon his direct descendants, both male and female. The administrator shall distribute the produce that Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, brings forth from it, in a way that is sufficient for its maintenance and facilities. After setting aside thirty date palms, the remainder shall be distributed among the needy of the village and the descendants of such and such, with the male receiving the share of two females. If any woman from the daughters of so-and-so gets married, she shall have no share in this endowment until she returns unmarried. If she returns, she shall receive a share equal to that of those daughters who have not married. If any of the descendants of so-and-so passes away leaving behind children, then his children shall inherit his share in accordance with the rule of 'the male receiving the share of two females.'" Similar to the conditions set by so-and-so among his direct descendants, if any of the descendants of so-and-so dies without leaving behind children, his share shall revert to the beneficiaries of the endowment. None of my daughters' children shall have any right in this endowment unless their fathers are from my direct descendants. No one shall have any right in my endowment as long as my descendants and their offspring remain. If all my descendants and their offspring cease to exist, the endowment shall be transferred to the descendants of my father from my mother, as long as any of them remain, following the same conditions I have set for my descendants and offspring. If the descendants of my father from my mother perish, leaving no one, the endowment shall pass to the descendants of my father and their offspring, according to the same conditions I have set for my descendants and offspring. If the descendants of my father also perish, leaving no one, then my endowment shall be passed on successively to the nearest relatives, one after another, until it ultimately returns to Allah (swt), the true inheritor, and He (swt) is the best of inheritors. So-and-so has endowed this endowment while in good health, as an absolute and irrevocable charity, free from any condition or revocation, solely seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt). This endowment has been made for the sake of the Hereafter, and it is not permissible for any believer who believes in Allah (swt) and the Last Day to sell it, purchase it, gift it, or transfer it in any form. No one should alter anything from it until Allah (swt) inherits the earth and all that is on it. He (as) entrusted the administration of this endowment to Ali and Ibrahim. If one of them passes away, then Al-Qasim shall join the remaining one. If one of them passes away, then Ismail shall join the remaining one. If one of them passes away, then Al-Abbas shall join the remaining one. If one of them passes away, then the eldest of my offspring shall join the remaining one. If there remains only one among my descendants, he shall be the one responsible for managing it.