Virtue and Excellence of Serving in the Army

Jihad of Man and Woman

Kinds of Jihad (struggle)

To Whom Does the Obligation of Jihad Apply, and to Whom it Does not Apply

Mobilization Along with People when there is Fear for al-Islam

Under Whose Command Obligatory Jihad Takes Place?

‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd and al-Mu’taziliy Groups’ Visiting abu ‘Abd Allah ‘Alayhi al-Salam

The Recommendations of the Messenger of Allah and Amir al-Mu’minin, about Smaller Armed Expeditions

Chapter 9(a) - Granting Immunity

Chapter 9(b)

Chapter 9(c)

Challenging the Enemy for a Fight

Kindness to the Prisoners and Providing Him Food

Calling to al-Islam before Fighting

Chapter 13(a) - Matters about which Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s), Recommended at the Time of War

Chapter 13(b)

It is not Lawful for a Muslim to Reside in a War Zone

Chapter 15(a) - Distribution of the Properties Captured from the Enemy

Chapter 15(b)

Chapter 15(c)

The Slogan

The Virtue of Maintaining Horses, Racing and Sharp Shooting Contests

Man’s Defending Himself Against the Thief

The Case of one Murdered over His Stolen Property

Chapter 20(a) - The Excellence of Martyrdom

Chapter 20(b)

Chapter 20(c)

Commanding others what is Obligatory and to Prohibit them from doing Evil

Chapter 22(a) - Rejecting Evil in one’s Heart

Chapter 22(b)

The Case of those who Displease the Creator to Please the Creatures

It is Detestable to Expose One’s Self to What He Cannot Endure

Al-Sufiy People’s Visiting Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam

The Meaning of Zuhd (Asceticism)

Using the Worldly Resources as Means for Success in the Hereafter

The Degree Of Efforts Which One Must Make In Search For One’s Sustenance To Follow In the Footsteps of ‘A’immah ‘Alayhim al-Salam

Promoting The Quest For Sustenance And Work To Make A Living

Al^Ibla’ (Trying) in the Work for Living

Meticulous Effort to Make a Living

Receiving Sustenance from Unexpected Sources

The Detestability of Sleeping and Passing Time without Work

Detestability of Laziness

One’s Working in His House

Amending one’s Properties and Planning for one’s Living

Hard Work for the Family

Earning Lawful kind of Sustenance

Saving for One’s Living Expenses

Detestability of Offering Oneself for Hire

Performing Personally one’s Business Tasks

Buying and Selling Real Estate

Debts and Borrowing

Payment of Debts

To Retaliate and Offset for Debts

When a Man Dies Payment of his Debts becomes Due

The Case of One Who Borrows But Does Not Intend To Pay Back

Sell off Debts in Exchange for Debts

Etiquette of Asking for Payment

The Case of Delaying Due Payment

Lodging With a Borrower When Demanding Payment

Chapter 28(a) - The Case of Gift to a Creditor

Chapter 28(b) - Bail out and Assignment or Referral

Working for al-Sultan and his Rewards

The Conditions to Work for al-Sultan

Selling Arms to al- Sultan

The Crafts (Technologies)

The Legal Status of Income from Cupping Operation

Income from Eulogizing Someone to Make People Mourn

The Legal Status of Income from Hairdressing and Circumcising

The Legal Status of the Income of Female Singer from Singing and Selling Singers (Slave-girls)

The Legal Status of Income from Teaching

The legal Status of Income from Selling Copies of the Holy Quran

Gambling and Looting

Earning in Unlawful ways

Unlawful Earnings in the form of al-Suht such as Buying and Selling of Intoxicating Liquors . . .

Consuming the Properties of Orphans

The Amount a Supervisor of the Properties of Orphans Can Lawfully Use

Using the Properties of Orphans in Business and Lending

Safe Return of Trust

A Father and Son’s Using Each Others Properties

A Husband and Wife’s Using Each Other’s Properties

Found and Lost Properties

Gifts and Presents

Rule about Unlawful Interest

Unlawful Interest Does Not Apply Between a Father and Son

The Excellence of Doing Business and Giving It Proper Attention

Etiquettes of Doing Business

Excellence of Keeping Accounts and Books

Entering the Market Before Others

Speaking of Allah, Most High, in the Market

Words to Say When Buying for Resale Purposes

People With Whom Doing Business Is Not Recommended

Using Proper and Improper Measurements in Business

Cheating in Business

Swearing at the Time of Buying and Selling

The Case of Prices of Goods

The Case of Monopolization (Hoarding) Goods in Public Demand

Another Chapter

Excellence of Buying Wheat and Food

Detestability of Estimating and Preferability of Using Measurements

Continuing Profitable Businesses

1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَأَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكَرْخِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ قَرْيَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ وَلَهُ فِيهَا عُلُوجٌ ذِمِّيُّونَ يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُمُ السُّلْطَانُ الْجِزْيَةَ فَيُعْطِيهِمْ يُؤْخَذُ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمْ خَمْسُونَ وَمِنْ بَعْضِهِمْ ثَلاثُونَ وَأَقَلُّ وَأَكْثَرُ فَيُصَالِحُ عَنْهُمْ صَاحِبُ الْقَرْيَةِ السُّلْطَانَ ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ هُوَ مِنْهُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يُعْطِي السُّلْطَانَ قَالَ هَذَا حَرَامٌ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Ibrahim al-Kharkhiy who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who had a large town in which he had taxpayer infidels from whom al-Sultan collected taxes and they paid to him fifty or thirty or more or less, each one. The owner of the town reached a settlement for them with al-Sultan and he collected more from them than what he paid to al-Sultan. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is unlawful.”’ 

2- حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْمِيثَمِيِّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو نَجِيحٍ الْمِسْمَعِيِّ عَنِ الْفَيْضِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا تَقُولُ فِي أَرْضٍ أَتَقَبَّلُهَا مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ ثُمَّ أُؤَاجِرُهَا أَكَرَتِي عَلَى أَنَّ مَا أَخْرَجَ اللهُ مِنْهَا مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ كَانَ لِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ النِّصْفُ وَالثُّلُثُ بَعْدَ حَقِّ السُّلْطَانِ قَالَ لا بَأْسَ بِهِ كَذَلِكَ أُعَامِلُ أَكَرَتِي.

2. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn al-Hassan al-Mithamiy who has said that narrated to him abu Najih al-Misma‘iy from al-Fayd ibn al-Mukhtar who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, what do you say about a land that I rent from al-Sultan, then rent it to my tenants for, whatever Allah makes to grow, one-half or one-third after excluding the share of al-Sultan. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful and that is how I deal with my tenants.’” 

3- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا بَأْسَ بِقَبَالَةِ الأرْضِ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً وَأَقَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَكْثَرَ فَيَعْمُرُهَا وَيُؤَدِّي مَا خَرَجَ عَلَيْهَا وَلا يُدْخِلِ الْعُلُوجَ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْقَبَالَةِ لأنَّهُ لا يَحِلُّ.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Um ay r from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not unlawful to reach an agreement with the owners of the land for twenty years or less or more, then revive it and pay what he spends on it; but one must not include al-‘ilj (the infidels) in the agreement because it is not lawful.’” 

4- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَتَقَبَّلُ الأرْضَ بِطِيبَةِ نَفْسِ أَهْلِهَا عَلَى شَرْطٍ يُشَارِطُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ هُوَ رَمَّ فِيهَا مَرَمَّةً أَوْ جَدَّدَ فِيهَا بِنَاءً فَإِنَّ لَهُ أَجْرَ بُيُوتِهَا إِلا الَّذِي كَانَ فِي أَيْدِي دَهَاقِينِهَا أَوَّلا قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ قَدْ دَخَلَ فِي قَبَالَةِ الأرْضِ عَلَى أَمْرٍ مَعْلُومٍ فَلا يَعْرِضُ لِمَا فِي أَيْدِي دَهَاقِينِهَا إِلا أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدِ اشْتَرَطَ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ الأرْضِ مَا فِي أَيْدِي الدَّهَاقِينِ.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who formed a contract for a land without compulsion on the owners, with the condition with them that if he did certain repairs or built a building, that he would have the rent of such homes except what was in the hands of the farmers from before. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he has entered into contract for a known matter, he must not bother with farmers unless he has set a condition with the owner to include what is in the hands of the farmers also.’” 

5- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَرْيَةٍ لأنَاسٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ لا أَدْرِي أَصْلُهَا لَهُمْ أَمْ لا غَيْرَ أَنَّهَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ وَعَلَيْهِمْ خَرَاجٌ فَاعْتَدَى عَلَيْهِمُ السُّلْطَانُ فَطَلَبُوا إِلَيَّ فَأَعْطَوْنِي أَرْضَهُمْ وَقَرْيَتَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْ أَكْفِيَهُمُ السُّلْطَانَ بِمَا قَلَّ أَوْ كَثُرَ فَفَضَلَ لِي بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَضْلٌ بَعْدَ مَا قَبَضَ السُّلْطَانُ مَا قَبَضَ قَالَ لا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ لَكَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ فَضْلٍ. 

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from Ibrahim ibn Maymun who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a town that belonged to non-Muslim taxpayers and I did not know if they were the original owners or not, except that it was in their hands and they paid Kharaj (taxes). Al-Sultan infringed on them and they asked me to take over their town and land to suffice them against al-Sultan with more or less. A certain amount of extra remained with me after whatever al-Sultan took away. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful for you to have such extra remainders.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 5

Book 2, Chapter 130