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- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ النَّضْرِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْفَزَارِيِّ قَالَ دَعَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَوْلًى لَهُ يُقَالُ لَهُ مُصَادِفٌ فَأَعْطَاهُ أَلْفَ دِينَارٍ وَقَالَ لَهُ تَجَهَّزْ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ إِلَى مِصْرَ فَإِنَّ عِيَالِي قَدْ كَثُرُوا قَالَ فَتَجَهَّزَ بِمَتَاعٍ وَخَرَجَ مَعَ التُّجَّارِ إِلَى مِصْرَ فَلَمَّا دَنَوْا مِنْ مِصْرَ اسْتَقْبَلَتْهُمْ قَافِلَةٌ خَارِجَةٌ مِنْ مِصْرَ فَسَأَلُوهُمْ عَنِ الْمَتَاعِ الَّذِي مَعَهُمْ مَا حَالُهُ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ مَتَاعَ الْعَامَّةِ فَأَخْبَرُوهُمْ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِمِصْرَ مِنْهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ فَتَحَالَفُوا وَتَعَاقَدُوا عَلَى أَنْ لا يَنْقُصُوا مَتَاعَهُمْ مِنْ رِبْحِ الدِّينَارِ دِينَاراً فَلَمَّا قَبَضُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَانْصَرَفُوا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَدَخَلَ مُصَادِفٌ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَمَعَهُ كِيسَانِ فِي كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ أَلْفُ دِينَارٍ فَقَالَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا رَأْسُ الْمَالِ وَهَذَا الآخَرُ رِبْحٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا الرِّبْحَ كَثِيرٌ وَلَكِنْ مَا صَنَعْتَهُ فِي الْمَتَاعِ فَحَدَّثَهُ كَيْفَ صَنَعُوا وَكَيْفَ تَحَالَفُوا فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ تَحْلِفُونَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ مُسْلِمِينَ أَلا تَبِيعُوهُمْ إِلا رِبْحَ الدِّينَارِ دِينَاراً ثُمَّ أَخَذَ أَحَدَ الْكِيسَيْنِ فَقَالَ هَذَا رَأْسُ مَالِي وَلا حَاجَةَ لَنَا فِي هَذَا الرِّبْحِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا مُصَادِفُ مُجَادَلَةُ السُّيُوفِ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ طَلَبِ الْحَلالِ.

1. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Ahmad ibn abu Nadr from abu Ja’far al-Fazariy who has said the following: “Once abu Ja‘far (a.s.), called one of his servants named Musadif and gave him a thousand dinar. He (the Imam) told him to prepare for traveling to Egypt and added, ‘The number of my dependents has increased.’ He (the narrator) has said that the servant prepared certain items of merchandise along with the traders to go for trade to Egypt. When they arrived near Egypt they met a caravan coming out of Egypt. They asked the outgoing caravan with regards to the condition of their merchandise, which was of general nature, in the city. The outgoing people informed them that no such merchandise was available in the city. They (people of the incoming caravan) made an agreement among themselves on oath not to sell their merchandise for less than a profit of one dinar for each dinar worth of merchandise. After taking possession of their belongings, they returned to al-Madinah and Musadif came to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), with two bagfuls of dinars, each of which had a thousand dinars. He said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, this is the capital and this is the profit.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘This is a great deal of profit. However, what did you do with the merchandise?’ He (Musadif) told the story of their agreement on oath. He (the Imam) said, ‘Allah is free of all defects. Why do you make an agreement on oath against a Muslim people not to sell for less than a profit of one dinar for each dinar worth of merchandise?’ He (the Imam) then took the two bags and said, ‘This is my capital and we do not need this profit.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O Musadif, settling with sword is easier than earning by lawful ways.’” 

2- وَعَنْهُ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْكُوفِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْسِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ تَغْلِبَ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَامَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَلَى دَارِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُعَيْطٍ وَكَانَ يُقَامُ فِيهَا الإبِلُ فَقَالَ يَا مَعَاشِرَ السَّمَاسِرَةِ أَقِلُّوا الأيْمَانَ فَإِنَّهَا مَنْفَقَةٌ لِلسِّلْعَةِ مَمْحَقَةٌ لِلرِّبْحِ.

2. Through the same chain of narrators as the previous one is the following Hadith from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufiy from ‘Ubays ibn Hisham from Aban ibn Taghlib from abu Hamzah in a marfu’ manner’ has said, the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), once stood on the house of ibn abu Mu‘ayt where camel men stayed, and said, ‘O middlemen people, you must reduce swearing; it makes a merchandise easily marketable but destroys the profit.’” 

3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ الدِّهْقَانِ عَنْ دُرُسْتَ بْنِ أَبِي مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ ثَلاثَةٌ لا يَنْظُرُ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَحَدُهُمْ رَجُلٌ اتَّخَذَ اللهَ بِضَاعَةً لا يَشْتَرِي إِلا بِيَمِينٍ وَلا يَبِيعُ إِلا بِيَمِينٍ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn Tsa from ‘Ubayd Allah al- Dihqan from Durust ibn abu Mansur from Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), has said, ‘On the Day of Judgment, Allah, most High, will not look to three kinds of people. Of such people one kind is a man who does not buy or sell anything without swearing.’” 

4- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ زَعْلانَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْمَاعِيلَ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْحَلْفَ فَإِنَّهُ يُنَفِّقُ السِّلْعَةَ وَيَمْحَقُ الْبَرَكَةَ. 

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Tsa from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan Za’lan from abu Tsma’il; in a marfu’ manner’ has said, the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), would say, ‘Beware of swearing; it may make a merchandise easily sell, but it destroys the blessings.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 5

Book 2, Chapter 62