Al-Kāfi

1- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ وَاللهِ لألْفُ ضَرْبَةٍ بِالسَّيْفِ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ مَوْتٍ عَلَى فِرَاشٍ قَالَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Khalid from Sa‘d ibn Sa‘d who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), about the words of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), ‘I swear by Allah, enduring one thousand strikes by the sword is easier than dying on the bed.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It means ‘for the cause of Allah.’”

2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي بِرٍّ بِرٌّ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَإِذَا قُتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَهُ بِرٌّ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Over every virtuous deed is a virtuous deed until one is murdered for the cause of Allah; thereafter there is no other virtuous deed which can stand over and before it.’”

3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَنْبَسَةَ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِما السَّلام) كَانَ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مَا مِنْ قَطْرَةٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ قَطْرَةِ دَمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from ‘Uthaman ibn ‘Isa from ‘Anbasah from abu Hamzah who has said the following: “I heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), would say, “The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘No drop is more beloved to Allah than the drop of blood spilled in the way of Allah.”””

4- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ رَفَعَهُ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) خَطَبَ يَوْمَ الْجَمَلِ فَحَمِدَ اللهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي أَتَيْتُ هَؤُلاءِ الْقَوْمَ وَدَعَوْتُهُمْ وَاحْتَجَجْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَدَعَوْنِي إِلَى أَنْ أَصْبِرَ لِلْجِلادِ وَأَبْرُزَ لِلطِّعَانِ فَلأمِّهِمُ الْهَبَلُ وَقَدْ كُنْتُ وَمَا أُهَدَّدُ بِالْحَرْبِ وَلا أُرْهَبُ بِالضَّرْبِ أَنْصَفَ الْقَارَةَ مَنْ رَامَاهَا فَلِغَيْرِي فَلْيُبْرِقُوا وَلْيُرْعِدُوا فَأَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الَّذِي فَلَلْتُ حَدَّهُمْ وَفَرَّقْتُ جَمَاعَتَهُمْ وَبِذَلِكَ الْقَلْبِ أَلْقَى عَدُوِّي وَأَنَا عَلَى مَا وَعَدَنِي رَبِّي مِنَ النَّصْرِ وَالتَّأْيِيدِ وَالظَّفَرِ وَإِنِّي لَعَلَى يَقِينٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَغَيْرِ شُبْهَةٍ مِنْ أَمْرِي أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ لا يَفُوتُهُ الْمُقِيمُ وَلا يُعْجِزُهُ الْهَارِبُ لَيْسَ عَنِ الْمَوْتِ مَحِيصٌ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَمُتْ يُقْتَلْ وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الْمَوْتِ الْقَتْلُ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لألْفُ ضَرْبَةٍ بِالسَّيْفِ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ مِيتَةٍ عَلَى فِرَاشٍ وَا عَجَبَا لِطَلْحَةَ أَلَّبَ النَّاسَ عَلَى ابْنِ عَفَّانَ حَتَّى إِذَا قُتِلَ أَعْطَانِي صَفْقَتَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ طَائِعاً ثُمَّ نَكَثَ بَيْعَتِي اللهُمَّ خُذْهُ وَلا تُمْهِلْهُ وَإِنَّ الزُّبَيْرَ نَكَثَ بَيْعَتِي وَقَطَعَ رَحِمِي وَظَاهَرَ عَلَيَّ عَدُوِّي فَاكْفِنِيهِ الْيَوْمَ بِمَا شِئْتَ.

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub who in a marfu’ has said the following: “On the day of Jamal Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), delivered a speech. He praised and glorified Allah; then said, ‘O people, I came to these people, called them and presented proof in support of my truthfulness. They then called me for a contest. Their mothers will certainly weep for them; I never was and will not feel threatened by war or intimidated by the pounding of swords. No one is able to defeat experience. They should act thunderously with lightening to frighten people other than me. I am abu al-Hassan. I am the one who turned their sharp edge very blunt and dispersed their large united group. With this kind of heart I am ready to face my enemy. I have firm belief in the promise of my Lord of victory, His support and triumph. I have firm belief in my Lord. I have not even a shred of doubt about the truthfulness of my cause. O people, death does not miss people living at home and those who run away cannot defeat it. There is no escape from death. If one does not die he is killed and the best death is being killed. I swear by the One in whose hand is my soul, enduring a thousand poundings of the sword is easier for me than dying in bed. It is very strange of Talhah who was very close to the son of ‘Affan, until the time he was killed soon thereafter he extended his right hand to me to pledge allegiance voluntarily; then he disregarded his pledging allegiance with me. O Allah, clinch him without respite. Zubayr also disregarded his pledge of allegiance with me as well as the good relationship that was his obligation to maintain with me as relatives. He supported my enemies, therefore, O Lord, suffice me against him as You deem proper.’”

5- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قِيلَ لِلنَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مَا بَالُ الشَّهِيدِ لا يُفْتَنُ فِي قَبْرِهِ فَقَالَ [النَّبِيُّ] (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) كَفَى بِالْبَارِقَةِ فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِ فِتْنَةً.

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that someone asked the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, ‘Why is a martyr not examined and tried in his grave?’ The Holy Prophet, replied, ‘It is because the sword over his head is a sufficient examinition and trial.’”

6- الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَنْ قُتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ لَمْ يُعَرِّفْهُ اللهُ شَيْئاً مِنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِ.

6. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Ishaq from Sa‘dan from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one is killed for the cause of Allah, Allah will not show him any of his sins.”

7- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ سُوَيْدٍ الْقَلانِسِيِّ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَيُّ الْجِهَادِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ مَنْ عُقِرَ جَوَادُهُ وَأُهَرِيقَ دَمُهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Al-Husayn from Ali ibn al-Nu’man from Suwayd al-Qalanisiy from Sama‘ah from abu Basir who has said the following: “I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Which kind of Jihad is more virtuous?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘It is the one in which the legs of one’s horse are cut off and his own blood is spilled for the cause of Allah.’”