Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār > The meaning of what was mentioned about the camels with regards to that they are the interpositions of devils and that their goodness does not come except from its most ill-omened side
Hadith #1

حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن موسى - رضي الله عنه - قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله السكوني، عن صالح بن أبي حماد، قال: حدثنا إسماعيل بن مهران، عن أبيه، عن عمرو بن أبي المقدام، عن أبي عبد الله جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه، عن آبائه، عن علي عليهم السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: الغنم إذا أقبلت أقبلت وإذا أدبرت أقبلت، والبقر إذا أقبلت أقبلت وإذا أدبرت أدبرت، والإبل أعنان الشياطين إذا أقبلت أدبرت و إذا أدبرت أدبرت، ولا يجيئ خيرها إلا من جانبها الأشأم . قيل: يا رسول الله فمن يتخذها بعد ذا؟ قال: فأين الأشقياء الفجرة قال صالح: وأنشد إسماعيل بن مهران: هي المال لولا قلة الخفض حولها * فمن شاء داراها ومن شاء باعها

1. We were told by Ali bin Ahmad bin Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Abi Abdillah al-Sukuni, from Saleh bin Abi Hammad, that he said: We were told by Isma’eel bin Mahran, from his father, from Amru bin Abi’l-Miqdam, from Abu Abdillah, Ja’far bin Muhammed, from his father, from his fathers, from Ali, peace be upon them, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: With regards to sheep, if you come forward, they come forward, and if you return, they return, and with regards to cows, if you come forward, they come forward, and if you return, they return. Camels, however, are the interpositions of devils; if you come forward, they return, and if you return, they return, and their goodness does not come except from their most ill-omened side. It was said: O Messenger of Allah, then who will take them after this? He said: Then where are the wretched and dissolute? Saleh said: Isma’eel bin Mahran recited: It is property; were it not for the littleness of its decrease that surrounds it. Hence, the one who wishes, will circle with it, and the one who wishes, will sell it.

Comments:

Shaykh Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-Ṣaduq:

أخبرني محمد بن هارون الزنجاني قال: حدثنا علي بن عبد العزيز، عن أبي عبيد أنه قال: قوله: " أعنان الشياطين " أعنان كل شئ نواحيه وأما الذي يحكيه أبو عمرو فأعنان الشئ نواحيه قالها أبو عمرو وغيره فإن كانت الأعنان محفوظة فأراد أن الإبل من نواحي الشيطان أي أنها على أخلاقها وطبائعها وقوله: " لا تقبل إلا مولية ولا تدبر إلا مولية " فهذا عندي كالمثل الذي يقال فيها: " إنها إذا أقبلت أدبرت وإذا أدبرت أدبرت " وذلك لكثرة آفاتها وسرعة فنائها وقوله: لا يأتي خيرها إلا من جانبها الأشأم " يعني الشمال، يقال لليد الشمال: " الشؤم " ومنه قول الله عز وجل: وأصحاب المشأمة يريد أصحاب الشمال ومعنى قوله لا يأتي نفعها إلا من هناك يعني أنها لا تحلب ولا تركب إلا من شمالها وهو الجانب الذي يقال له: الوحشي في قول الأصمعي لأنه الشمال. قال: والأيمن هو الإنسي ، وقال بعضهم: لا، ولكن الإنسي هو الذي يأتيه الناس في الاحتلاب و الركوب، والوحشي هو الأيمن لان الدابة لا تؤتي من جانبها الأيمن إنما تؤتى من الأيسر. قال أبو عبيد: فهذا هو القول عندي وإنما الجانب الوحشي الأيمن لان الخائف إنما يفر من موضع المخافة إلى موضع الامن.

I was informed by Muhammed bin Harun al-Zanjani, that he said: We were told by Ali bin Abdul-Aziz, from Abu ‘Ubaid, that he said: His saying: «the interpositions of devils» refers to everything that is near it. As for what Abu Amru is speaking of, the interpositions of something refers to what is near it. It was said by Abu Amru and others. If the interpositions are preserved, he indicates that camels are near devils, meaning that they have possess their mannerisms and dispositions. His saying: «They do not come forward except by turning away, nor do they return except by turning away» is, according to me, like the example in which it is said: «If you come forward, they return, and if you return, they return». That is due to its many misfortunes and the quickness of its vanishing. His saying: «their goodness does not come except from their most ill-omened side» means the left. It is said about the left hand that it is the ill omen. From it is the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «And the people of the ill omen» (56:09) by which He indicated the people of the left side. The meaning of his saying that its benefit does not come except from there, is that they are not milked, nor ridden, except from their left side, and that is the side which is referred to as the animalistic, as in the saying of al-Asma’i, because it is the left. He said that the right side is the humanoid. Some of them said: No, however, the humanoid is that which people approach to milk and to ride, whereas the animalistic is the one to the right, because a riding animal is not approached from its right side, but is only approached from the left. Abu ‘Ubaid said: This is the (correct) opinion according to me, and the animalistic side is only the right, because one who fears only flees from the spot of fear to the spot of safety.

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