Al-Kāfi

1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اخْتَارَ لأنْبِيَائِهِ الْحَرْثَ وَالزَّرْعَ كَيْلا يَكْرَهُوا شَيْئاً مِنْ قَطْرِ السَّمَاءِ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from certain persons of his people from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Muhammad ibn ‘Atiyyah who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has chosen farming and plantation for His prophets so that they will not dislike the drops falling from the sky.”’

2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ اللهَ جَعَلَ أَرْزَاقَ أَنْبِيَائِهِ فِي الزَّرْعِ وَالضَّرْعِ لِئَلا يَكْرَهُوا شَيْئاً مِنْ قَطْرِ السَّمَاءِ.

2. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad in a marfu’ manner the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah has placed means of the sustenance of His prophets in agriculture and stock farming so that they will not dislike drops falling from the sky.’”

3- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ سَيَابَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَسْمَعُ قَوْماً يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ الزِّرَاعَةَ مَكْرُوهَةٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ ازْرَعُوا وَاغْرِسُوا فَلا وَاللهِ مَا عَمِلَ النَّاسُ عَمَلا أَحَلَّ وَلا أَطْيَبَ مِنْهُ وَاللهِ لَيَزْرَعُنَّ الزَّرْعَ وَلَيَغْرِسُنَّ النَّخْلَ بَعْدَ خُرُوجِ الدَّجَّالِ.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Khalid from Sayabah who has said the following: “A man once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I hear a people who say that farming is Makruh (detestable).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must farm and plant, by Allah, there is no work that people do which is sweeter and fine than farming. By Allah, farming will be done as well as plantations even after the emergence of al- Dajjal.’”

4- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عُمَارَةَ عَنْ مِسْمَعٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لَمَّا هُبِطَ بِ‏آدَمَ إِلَى الأرْضِ احْتَاجَ إِلَى الطَّعَامِ وَالشَّرَابِ فَشَكَا ذَلِكَ إِلَى جَبْرَئِيلَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ جَبْرَئِيلُ يَا آدَمُ كُنْ حَرَّاثاً قَالَ فَعَلِّمْنِي دُعَاءً قَالَ قُلِ اللهُمَّ اكْفِنِي مَئُونَةَ الدُّنْيَا وَكُلَّ هَوْلٍ دُونَ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَلْبِسْنِي الْعَافِيَةَ حَتَّى تَهْنِئَنِي الْمَعِيشَةُ.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from al-Hassan ibn ‘Umarah from Misma’ who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When Adam descended to earth he needed food and drinks and he complained to Jibril. Jibril said to him, ‘O Adam, be a farmer.’ He said, ‘Teach me a prayer.’ Jibril said, ‘Say: “O Lord, protect me against the worldly impediments and all horrors that are before reaching paradise and dress me in good health so life becomes pleasant for me.’”

5- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَانَ أَبِي يَقُولُ خَيْرُ الأعْمَالِ الْحَرْثُ تَزْرَعُهُ فَيَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ الْبَرُّ وَالْفَاجِرُ أَمَّا الْبَرُّ فَمَا أَكَلَ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَكَ وَأَمَّا الْفَاجِرُ فَمَا أَكَلَ مِنْهُ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ لَعَنَهُ وَيَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ الْبَهَائِمُ وَالطَّيْرُ.

5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from certain persons of our people who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘My father (a.s.), would say, “The best work is farming in which you plant, and the virtuous as well as sinful ones eat. The virtuous on eating asks forgiveness for you and the sinful one on eating it is condemned; and even animals and birds eat thereof.’”

6- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَيُّ الْمَالِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ الزَّرْعُ زَرَعَهُ صَاحِبُهُ وَأَصْلَحَهُ وَأَدَّى حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ قَالَ فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ بَعْدَ الزَّرْعِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ رَجُلٌ فِي غَنَمٍ لَهُ قَدْ تَبِعَ بِهَا مَوَاضِعَ الْقَطْرِ يُقِيمُ الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ قَالَ فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ بَعْدَ الْغَنَمِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ الْبَقَرُ تَغْدُو بِخَيْرٍ وَتَرُوحُ بِخَيْرٍ قَالَ فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ بَعْدَ الْبَقَرِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ الرَّاسِيَاتُ فِي الْوَحْلِ وَالْمُطْعِمَاتُ فِي الْمَحْلِ نِعْمَ الشَّيْ‏ءُ النَّخْلُ مَنْ بَاعَهُ فَإِنَّمَا ثَمَنُهُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ رَمَادٍ عَلَى رَأْسِ شَاهِقٍ اشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ إِلا أَنْ يُخَلِّفَ مَكَانَهَا قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ بَعْدَ النَّخْلِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ قَالَ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَأَيْنَ الإبِلُ قَالَ فِيهِ الشَّقَاءُ وَالْجَفَاءُ وَالْعَنَاءُ وَبُعْدُ الدَّارِ تَغْدُو مُدْبِرَةً وَتَرُوحُ مُدْبِرَةً لا يَأْتِي خَيْرُهَا إِلا مِنْ جَانِبِهَا الأشْأَمِ أَمَا إِنَّهَا لا تَعْدَمُ الأشْقِيَاءَ الْفَجَرَةَ. وَرُوِيَ أَنَّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ الْكِيمِيَاءُ الأكْبَرُ الزِّرَاعَةُ.

6. 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 (sw) was asked, ‘Which assets (belongings) are good?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘A farm whose owner farms and maintains it, then pays the dues on it on the day of harvest.‘ He then asked, ‘What asset is better than farms?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘A man tends sheep, takes them to pasture, performs Salat (prayer), pays Zakat.‘ He then asked, ‘What asset is better than sheep?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘Cows go out safely and come back in the evening safely.‘ He then asked, ‘What asset is better than cows?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘Firmly established palm trees reach moisture, the grafted ones produce sweet. How good is palm tree! One who sells them must notice that its price is like dust on a high place in a stormy windy day unless one replaces it.’ It was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what kind of asset is better after palm trees?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) remained calm for a while. A man then stood up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what about camel?‘ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘In it there are misfortune, injustice, fatigue and farness from home. In the morning it is a loss and in the evening it is a loss. Its benefit comes only from its unfortunate side. It always is with the wicked sinful ones.’” It is narrated from abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), that farming is the great alchemy.

7- عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ السَّرِيِّ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ هَارُونَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ الزَّارِعُونَ كُنُوزُ الأنَ��مِ يَزْرَعُونَ طَيِّباً أَخْرَجَهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَحْسَنُ النَّاسِ مَقَاماً وَأَقْرَبُهُمْ مَنْزِلَةً يُدْعَوْنَ الْمُبَارَكِينَ.

7. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ibrahim ibn Ishaq from al-Hassan ibn al-Sariy from al-Hassan ibn Ibrahim from Yazid ibn Harun who has said the following: “I once heard abu £ Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ’Farmers are the mines of living creatures. They farm goodness that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, makes to grow and on the Day of Judgment they will have the best position and the closest place and they are called the blessed ones.’”