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- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ أَبَى اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلا أَنْ يَجْعَلَ أَرْزَاقَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَحْتَسِبُونَ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from abu Ayyub af-Khazzaz from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, disdains to provide sustenance for a believing person from any source other than an unexpected source.” 

2- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ كُنْ لِمَا لا تَرْجُو أَرْجَى مِنْكَ لِمَا تَرْجُو فَإِنَّ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) ذَهَبَ لِيَقْتَبِسَ لأهْلِهِ نَاراً فَانْصَرَفَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَهُوَ نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from abu Jamilah who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Your hope for help from an unexpected source should be greater than an expected source. Musa ‘Alayhi al-Salam, went to find fire for his family and came back as a prophet commissioned to preach.’” 

3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَاسَانِيِّ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كُنْ لِمَا لا تَرْجُو أَرْجَى مِنْكَ لِمَا تَرْجُو فَإِنَّ مُوسَى بْنَ عِمْرَانَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) خَرَجَ يَقْتَبِسُ لأهْلِهِ نَاراً فَكَلَّمَهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَرَجَعَ نَبِيّاً مُرْسَلا وَخَرَجَتْ مَلِكَةُ سَبَإٍ فَأَسْلَمَتْ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَخَرَجَتْ سَحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ يَطْلُبُونَ الْعِزَّ لِفِرْعَوْنَ فَرَجَعُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qasaniy from the one whom he has mentioned from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from abu ‘Abd Allah from his father, from his grandfather ‘Alayhi al- Salam, who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘Your hope for help from an unexpected source should be greater than an expected source. Musa (Moses) ‘Alayhi al-Salam went to find fire for his family, Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, spoke to him and he came back as a messenger prophet. Queen of Sheba’ (Saba’) went out and became a Muslim with Sulayman (Solomon). The magician went out to defend Pharaoh’s majesty then returned as believing people.’” 

4- عَنْهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي الْهَزْهَازِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ السَّرِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ جَعَلَ أَرْزَاقَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَحْتَسِبُونَ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا لَمْ يَعْرِفْ وَجْهَ رِزْقِهِ كَثُرَ دُعَاؤُهُ.

4. It is narrated from him (narrator of previous Hadith) from Safwan from Muhammad ibn abu al-Haz Haz from Ali ibn al-Sariy who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made the sustenance of the believing people to come unexpectedly; when a servant (of Allah) does not know wherefrom his sustenance comes, he prays a great deal.’” 

5- عَنْهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ حَمْزَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا فَعَلَ عُمَرُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى الْعِبَادَةِ وَتَرَكَ التِّجَارَةَ فَقَالَ وَيْحَهُ أَمَا عَلِمَ أَنَّ تَارِكَ الطَّلَبِ لا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهُ إِنَّ قَوْماً مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجاً وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَحْتَسِبُ أَغْلَقُوا الأبْوَابَ وَأَقْبَلُوا عَلَى الْعِبَادَةِ وَقَالُوا قَدْ كُفِينَا فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتُمْ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ تُكُفِّلَ لَنَا بِأَرْزَاقِنَا فَأَقْبَلْنَا عَلَى الْعِبَادَةِ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالطَّلَبِ. 

5. It is narrated from him (narrator of previous Hadith) from Muhammad ibn Ali from Harun ibn Hamzah from Ali ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once asked me, ‘What has ‘Umar ibn Muslim done?’ I replied, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, ‘he has devoted himself in worship and has given up doing any business.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Fie upon him! Does he not know that the prayer of one who neglects work to make a living is not answered? A people of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, when this was revealed, “Those who maintain piety before Allah, He makes a way out for them and provides them sustenance from unexpected sources” (66:7), closed their doors and begun to worship. They said, “We have found what we needed.” This was reported to the Holy Prophet who called them in his presence and asked, “What made you do what you had been doing?” They replied, O Messenger of Allah, you guaranteed our sustenance, and thus, we devoted ourselves in worship.” He said, “Whoever does this his prayer is not answered. You must work for your living.’”” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 5

Book 2, Chapter 8