The Clay from Which the Believers and Unbelievers Are Made

The Clay from Which the Believers and Unbelievers Are Made (additional)

The Clay from which the Believers and Unbelievers are made (additional)

The Messenger of Allah, recipient of divine supreme covenant, Was the First to Respond to the Call of Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, and Testify That He Is the Lord

How They Answered While They Were as Small Particles

Creation of the Creatures with Belief in Oneness of Allah in Their Nature

Believers as Offspring of Unbelievers

When Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, Wills to Create a Believer

The Coloring (referred to in the Holy Quran) Is Islam

Serenity Is Belief

Purely Sincere

On the Shari’ a (System of Laws)

The Fundamentals of Islam

Islam Is to Spare Lives (and to Keep the Trust) But Reward Comes From Belief

Belief Is Inclusive of Islam but Islam Is Not Inclusive of Belief

Another Chapter on the Same Issue That Islam Is Before Belief

No name

Belief Spreads In all Parts of the Body

Advancement in Belief

Degrees of Belief

Degrees of Belief (Additional)

Description of Islam

Qualities of a Believer

Description of Belief

Superiority of Belief over Islam and Certainty over Belief

The Essence of Belief and Certainty

Contemplation (Thinking)

The Noble Qualities (of Man)

Excellence of Certainty

To Agree With the Decision (of Allah)

Leaving It to Allah to Be the Person in Charge of Affairs, and Having Trust in Him

Fear and Hope

Hopefulness Toward Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy

To Profess One ’s Shortcomings

Obedience and Piety

Restraint from Worldly Matters (Sins)

Chastity

Abstaining From Unlawful Matters

Fulfilling Obligations

Balanced and Continuous Good Deeds

The Worship

The Intention

Part of Previous Chapter

Moderation in Worship

One Who Has Learned to Receive Rewards from His Lord for a Certain Deed

Patience

Gratitude and Thankfulness

Excellence in Moral Behaviors

Delightful Appearance

Truthfulness and Trust

Bashfulness

Forgiveness

Suppressing one ’s Anger

Forbearance

Silence and Controlling the Tongue

Gentleness in Dealings

Friendliness

Humbleness

Love for the Sake of Allah and Hate for the Sake of Allah

Condemnation of Worldly Matters and Abstaining Thereby

Additional Ahadith on the Above Subject

Contentment

Adequacy

Promptness in Good Deeds

Fairness and Justice

Independence from People

Good Relation with Relatives

Kindness to Parents

Concern for the Affairs of the Muslims, Giving Them Good Advice and to Benefit Them

High Regards for the Elderly

The Believer’s Mutual Brotherhood

The Rights of One Who Accepts the Belief and Then Severs Away

Brotherhood in Belief is not Due to Religion it only is a Way of Recognition

The Rights of a Believer on his Brother (in belief) and his duty to observe Such Rights

Compassion and Leniency

Visiting Brothers (in belief)

Greeting with Handshake

Holding in One ’s Arm

Kissing

Speak of and Remember the Brothers (in belief)

To Please the Believers

Assisting a Believer in his Needs

Endeavor to help a Believer

Relief for the Suffering of a Believer

Providing Food for a Believer

Providing Clothes for a Believer

To Show Kindness to and Honor a Believer

In the Sen’ice of Believing People

Giving Good Advice to the Believers

Improving Good Relations Among People

To Revive the Believer

Inviting one ’s Own People to Belief

Not to Invite People to Belief

Allah Grants Religion only to Whomever He Loves

Sound Religion

Al-Taqiyyah, Guarding and Cautiousness

Silence and Restraint against Publicity

A Believer’s Signs and Qualities

The Rarity of Believers

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) لا تَدَعْ بِسْمِ الله الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَإِنْ كَانَ بَعْدَهُ شِعْرٌ.

1. Allah Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Do not ignore the expression, “(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,” even if it is followed by a poem.’” 

2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ يُوسُفَ بْنِ عَبْدِ السَّلامِ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ هَارُونَ مَوْلَى آلِ جَعْدَةَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) اكْتُبْ بِسْمِ الله الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ أَجْوَدِ كِتَابِكَ وَلا تَمُدَّ الْبَاءَ حَتَّى تَرْفَعَ السِّينَ.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn Ali from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Yusuf ibn ‘Abd al-Salam from Sayf ibn Harun Mawla Ale (family) Ju’dah who has said the following:“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Write “(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,” with the best of your handwriting. Do not extend the letter ‘B’ more than the letter ‘S’.’” [Note: this may apply to kufi handwriting only]. 

3ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ السَّرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ لا تَكْتُبْ بِسْمِ الله الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ لِفُلانٍ وَلا بَأْسَ أَنْ تَكْتُبَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْكِتَابِ لِفُلانٍ.

3. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Hassan ibn al-Sari from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Do not write, ‘(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,’ ‘for so and so’ (in a letter), but it is not an offense to write at the back of the letter, ‘for so and so’.’” 

4ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ السَّرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا تَكْتُبْ دَاخِلَ الْكِتَابِ لأبِي فُلانٍ وَاكْتُبْ إِلَى أَبِي فُلانٍ وَاكْتُبْ عَلَى الْعُنْوَانِ لأبِي فُلانٍ.

4. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Muhammad ibn Ali from al-Nadr ibn Shu’ayb from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from al-Hassan ibn al-Sari from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Do not write in the letter: ‘For abu so and so’ but write ‘To abu so and so’. In the address area one should write, ‘For abu so and so’.” 

5ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَبْدَأُ بِالرَّجُلِ فِي الْكِتَابِ قَالَ لا بَأْسَ بِهِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ يَبْدَأُ الرَّجُلُ بِأَخِيهِ يُكْرِمُهُ.

5. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama’a who has said the following: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about a man who initiates writing to another man. The Imam said, ‘It is not an offense. It is an excellent act when a man initiates honoring his brother (in belief).”’ 

6ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ الأحْمَرِ عَنْ حَدِيدِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يَبْدَأَ الرَّجُلُ بِاسْمِ صَاحِبِهِ فِي الصَّحِيفَةِ قَبْلَ اسْمِهِ.

6. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Aban ibn al-Ahmar from Hadid ibn Hakim from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “It is not an offense for a man to begin with the name of his friend in a letter instead of his own name.” 

7ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُرَازِمِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ أَمَرَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) بِكِتَابٍ فِي حَاجَةٍ فَكُتِبَ ثُمَّ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ اسْتِثْنَاءٌ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ رَجَوْتُمْ أَنْ يَتِمَّ هَذَا وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ اسْتِثْنَاءٌ انْظُرُوا كُلَّ مَوْضِعٍ لا يَكُونُ فِيهِ اسْتِثْنَاءٌ فَاسْتَثْنُوا فِيهِ.

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Murazim ibn Hakim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) ordered to write a letter about an issue. The letter was written and was shown to him and there was no exception in it. The Imam said, ‘How can you expect that this may be completed without exception (that is, if Allah so wills)? Look into it and write down exceptions whenever needed.”’ 

8ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُتَرِّبُ الْكِتَابَ وَقَالَ لا بَأْسَ بِهِ.

8. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) would dry up the ink on a newlywritten letter by means of placing soil on it and would say that doing so is not an offense.” 

9ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ أَنَّهُ رَأَى كُتُباً لأبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مُتَرَّبَةً. 

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ali ibn ‘Atiyyah who has said the following: “He had seen a soiled letter of abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.).” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 2

Book 4, Chapter 29