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 أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ كَسْبِ الْمُغَنِّيَاتِ فَقَالَ الَّتِي يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا الرِّجَالُ حَرَامٌ وَالَّتِي تُدْعَى إِلَى الأعْرَاسِ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللهِ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa’id from Ali ibn abu Hamzah from abu Basir who has said the following: “I once asked Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the legal status of the income from female music playing singers. He (the Imam) said, ’Such singing and playing music of females where men are also present is unlawful. There is no offense in inviting female singers on the occasion of a wedding program. It is in the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, “Among people are those who purchase useless talk to make people lose the path of Allah.” (31:6)”’ 

2- عَنْهُ عَنْ حَكَمٍ الْحَنَّاطِ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ الْمُغَنِّيَةُ الَّتِي تَزُفُّ الْعَرَائِسَ لا بَأْسَ بِكَسْبِهَا.

2. It is narrated from him (narrator of the previous Hadith) from Hakam al-Hannat from abu Basir, who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ’The income of a female singer who attends wedding ceremonies is lawful.’” 

3- أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ الْحُرِّ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَجْرُ الْمُغَنِّيَةِ الَّتِي تَزُفُّ الْعَرَائِسَ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ لَيْسَتْ بِالَّتِي يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا الرِّجَالُ.

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad from has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabiy from Ayyub al-Hurr from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The payment that a female singer receives from singing in wedding ceremonies is lawful, provided men do not attend her singing program.’” 

4- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ سُئِلَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ شِرَاءِ الْمُغَنِّيَةِ فَقَالَ قَدْ تَكُونُ لِلرَّجُلِ الْجَارِيَةُ تُلْهِيهِ وَمَا ثَمَنُهَا إِلا ثَمَنُ كَلْبٍ وَثَمَنُ الْكَلْبِ سُحْتٌ وَالسُّحْتُ فِي النَّارِ.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan al-Rida’ (a.s.), was asked about the legal status of purchasing a female singer. He (the Imam) said, ‘Sometimes a slave-girl of a man makes him go astray. What is then paid for such a slave-girl is like payment to purchase a dog. Payment for a dog is Suht (unlawful and filthy) and Suht is in the fire.’” 

5- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الطَّاهِرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ عَنْ بَيْعِ الْجَوَارِي الْمُغَنِّيَاتِ فَقَالَ شِرَاؤُهُنَّ وَبَيْعُهُنَّ حَرَامٌ وَتَعْلِيمُهُنَّ كُفْرٌ وَاسْتِمَاعُهُنَّ نِفَاقٌ.

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from all from ibn Faddal from Sa‘id ibn Muhammad al-Tahir from his father who has said the following: “A man once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about selling slave-girl singers. He (the Imam) said, ‘Buying and selling them is unlawful, teaching them (singing) is disbelief and listening to them is hypocrisy.’” 

6- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ نَصْرِ بْنِ قَابُوسَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ الْمُغَنِّيَةُ مَلْعُونَةٌ مَلْعُونٌ مَنْ أَكَلَ كَسْبَهَا.

6. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Ishaq ibn Ibrahim from Nasr ibn Qabus who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘A singer female is condemned, and condemned is one who consumes the income from her singing.’” 

7- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَبِي الْبِلادِ قَالَ أَوْصَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عُمَرَ عِنْدَ وَفَاتِهِ بِجَوَارٍ لَهُ مُغَنِّيَاتٍ أَنْ نَبِيعَهُنَّ وَنَحْمِلَ ثَمَنَهُنَّ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَبِعْتُ الْجَوَارِيَ بِثَلاثِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ وَحَمَلْتُ الثَّمَنَ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ مَوْلًى لَكَ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عُمَرَ قَدْ أَوْصَى عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ بِبَيْعِ جَوَارٍ لَهُ مُغَنِّيَاتٍ وَحَمْلِ الثَّمَنِ إِلَيْكَ وَقَدْ بِعْتُهُنَّ وَهَذَا الثَّمَنُ ثَلاثُمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ فَقَالَ لا حَاجَةَ لِي فِيهِ إِنَّ هَذَا سُحْتٌ وَتَعْلِيمَهُنَّ كُفْرٌ وَالاسْتِمَاعَ مِنْهُنَّ نِفَاقٌ وَثَمَنَهُنَّ سُحْتٌ.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from certain persons of his people from Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il from Ibrahim ibn abu al-Balad who has said the following: “Ishaq ibn ‘Umar made a will about his singer slave-girls at the time when he was about to die that said, ‘They must be sold and funds from their sale delivered to abu al-Hassan (a.s.). Ibrahim has said, ‘I sold the slave-girls for three hundred thousand dirham and took it to him (the Imam) and said, ‘One of your followers, called Ishaq ibn ‘Umar has made a will at the time he was about to die to sell his singer slave-girls and take the funds from their sale to you. I have sold them and this is the three hundred thousand dirham from the sale. He (the Imam) said, ‘I do not need them. It is Suht (filthy), teaching them is disbelief, listening to them is hypocrisy and funds from their sale are Suht (filthy) unlawful.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 5

Book 2, Chapter 37