Al-Kāfi

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ داخِرِينَ﴾ قَالَ هُوَ الدُّعَاءُ وَأَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ الدُّعَاءُ قُلْتُ ﴿إِنَّ إِبْراهِيمَ لأوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ﴾ قَالَ الأوَّاهُ هُوَ الدَّعَّاءُ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurara from that Abu Ja’far (al-Baqir) (as) said: “Allah (azwj) has said: «Surely those who are too proud for My worship shall soon enter hell disgraced»(40:60). This is a reference to supplications, as the greatest act of worship is supplicating." I (Zurara) asked: "What is meant by: «Indeed, Ibrahim was very tender-hearted and forbearing» (9:114)." He said: "Tender-heartedness is (frequent) supplication."

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ حَنَانِ بْنِ سَدِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَيُّ الْعِبَادَةِ أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ مَا مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ أَفْضَلَ عِنْدَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ أَنْ يُسْئَلَ وَيُطْلَبَ مِمَّا عِنْدَهُ وَمَا أَحَدٌ أَبْغَضَ إِلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَكْبِرُ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَلا يَسْأَلُ مَا عِنْدَهُ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il and Ibn Mahbub, both narrating from Hanan ibn Sadir from his father who said: “Once I asked Abu Ja’far (al-Baqir) (as), ‘What is the best form of worship?’. He (as) said, ‘There is nothing more virtuous before Allah (azwj) than to ask and request Him for things.' There is no one more spiteful in the eyes of Allah (azwj) than one who seems himself as above the need to worship Him and does not ask Him.'"

3ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ مُيَسِّرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ لِي يَا مُيَسِّرُ ادْعُ وَلا تَقُلْ إِنَّ الأمْرَ قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ عِنْدَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَنْزِلَةً لا تُنَالُ إِلا بِمَسْأَلَةٍ وَلَوْ أَنَّ عَبْداً سَدَّ فَاهُ وَلَمْ يَسْأَلْ لَمْ يُعْطَ شَيْئاً فَسَلْ تُعْطَ يَا مُيَسِّرُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ بَابٍ يُقْرَعُ إِلا يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُفْتَحَ لِصَاحِبِهِ.

3. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from Maysir ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) once said to me, ‘O Maysir, pray and do not say that it is predetermined and it is all over. There is a position with Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, that is not accessible without praying to Him. If a servant keeps his mouth closed and does not plead to receive help, he will not receive anything. O Maysir, there is no door that is knocked repeatedly but that sooner or later it will open up.’”

4ـ حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْخَشَّابِ عَنِ ابْنِ بَقَّاحٍ عَنْ مُعَاذٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ جُمَيْعٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ لَمْ يَسْأَلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَقَدِ افْتَقَرَ.

4. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Khashshab from ibn Baqqah from Mu’adh from ‘Amr ibn Jumayi’ from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘One who does not ask help from Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, becomes needy and poor.’”

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ ادْعُ وَلا تَقُلْ قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنَ الأمْرِ فَإِنَّ الدُّعَاءَ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ داخِرِينَ وَقَالَ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ.

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Pray and do not say that it (belief in predetermination) is already determined and the matter is settled; prayer is worshipping. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘Those who consider themselves above the need to worship Me will soon go to hell in disgrace,’ (40:60) ‘Pray to Me, I will accept your prayers (first part of the above verse).”’

6ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ سَيْفٍ التَّمَّارِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالدُّعَاءِ فَإِنَّكُمْ لا تَقَرَّبُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلا تَتْرُكُوا صَغِيرَةً لِصِغَرِهَا أَنْ تَدْعُوا بِهَا إِنَّ صَاحِبَ الصِّغَارِ هُوَ صَاحِبُ الْكِبَارِ.

6. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from ibn Abu Najran from Sayf al-Tammar that he heard Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as): "Cling to supplication, for you will not be able to draw as close [to Allah] by a means other than this. Do not neglect supplicating for the smallest of things due to its insignificance. Indeed, the one who is turned to for small matters, is also turned to for big matters."

7ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) الدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ الَّتِي قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِي الآيَة ادْعُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلا تَقُلْ إِنَّ الأمْرَ قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ قَالَ زُرَارَةُ إِنَّمَا يَعْنِي لا يَمْنَعْكَ إِيمَانُكَ بِالْقَضَاءِ وَالْقَدَرِ أَنْ تُبَالِغَ بِالدُّعَاءِ وَتَجْتَهِدَ فِيهِ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ.

7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa’Id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from al-Qasim ibn Sulayman from ‘Ubayd ibn Zurara from his father from a man who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, pleading before Allah for help is the form of worship about which Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘Those who consider themselves above the need to worship Me will soon go to hell in disgrace,’ (40:60) pray to Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, and do not say that things are already determined and settled (due to predestination).’ “Zurara has said, ‘The Imam thereby has meant that your belief in Allah’s decision and His measures should not stop you from praying to Allah and pleading before Him for help with seriousness and enthusiasm just as he (the Imam) has said.’”

8ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الأشْعَرِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ الْقَدَّاحِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَحَبُّ الأعْمَالِ إِلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي الأرْضِ الدُّعَاءُ وَأَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ الْعَفَافُ قَالَ وَكَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) رَجُلاً دَعَّاءً.

8. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Ash’ari from ibn al-Qaddah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘The most beloved of deeds before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, on earth is pleading before Him for help and the best worship is chastity.’ The Imam said, ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) was a very prayerful man.’”