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 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَشْتَرِي الْمَتَاعَ جَمِيعاً بِالثَّمَنِ ثُمَّ يُقَوِّمُ كُلَّ ثَوْبٍ بِمَا يَسْوَى حَتَّى يَقَعَ عَلَى رَأْسِ مَالِهِ جَمِيعاً أَيَبِيعُهُ مُرَابَحَةً قَالَ لا حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُ أَنَّمَا قَوَّمَهُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Muhammad ibn Aslam from abu Hamzah who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys goods altogether for a certain price, then sets a price for each piece proportionately until all of his capital is covered; if he can sell it in the form of Murabahah (capital plus a certain percent profit). He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so until he makes it clear that the item has a fixed price.’” 

2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُدِّمَ لأبِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَتَاعٌ مِنْ مِصْرٍ فَصَنَعَ طَعَاماً وَدَعَا لَهُ التُّجَّارَ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا نَأْخُذُهُ مِنْكَ بِدَهْ دَوَازْدَهْ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَبِي وَكَمْ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا فِي عَشَرَةِ آلافٍ أَلْفَيْنِ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَبِي إِنِّي أَبِيعُكُمْ هَذَا الْمَتَاعَ بِاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفاً فَبَاعَهُمْ مُسَاوَمَةً.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once goods for my father came from Egypt. He (the Imam) prepared food and invited the merchants. They said, ‘We buy from you Be dah dawazdah. He (the Imam) asked, ‘How much is that?’ They replied, ‘It is two thousand on every ten thousand.’ My father said to them, ‘I sell this to you for twelve thousand.’ He (the Imam) sold it to them in the form of Musawamah (fixed price regardless of the capital).” 

3- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ جَرَّاحٍ الْمَدَائِنِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنِّي لأكْرَهُ بَيْعَ دَهْ يَازْدَهْ وَدَهْ دَوَازْدَهْ وَلَكِنْ أَبِيعُكَ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from al-Qasim ibn Sulayman from Jarrah al-Mada’iniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I do not like the sale in the form of dah, yaz dah, and dah dawazdah but I sell for so and so (fixed price).”’ 

4- الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنِّي أَكْرَهُ بَيْعَ عَشَرَةٍ بِأَحَدَ عَشَرَ وَعَشَرَةٍ بِاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ وَنَحْوَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْبَيْعِ وَلَكِنْ أَبِيعُكَ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا مُسَاوَمَةً قَالَ وَأَتَانِي مَتَاعٌ مِنْ مِصْرٍ فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَبِيعَهُ كَذَلِكَ وَعَظُمَ عَلَيَّ فَبِعْتُهُ مُسَاوَمَةً.

4. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from Muhammad who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I do not like the sale of ten for eleven and ten for twelve and so on. I sell for so and so (fixed price) in the form of Musawamah (fixed price regardless of capital).’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Once goods from Egypt came for me and I disliked selling it in that way ( Murabahah (capital plus profit)) and it seemed greatly heavy, so I sold it in the form of Musawamah (fixed price regardless of capital).”’ 

5- الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ النَّهْدِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْخَالِقِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّا نَبْعَثُ بِالدَّرَاهِمِ لَهَا صَرْفٌ إِلَى الأهْوَازِ فَيَشْتَرِي لَنَا بِهَا الْمَتَاعَ ثُمَّ نَلْبَثُ فَإِذَا بَاعَهُ وُضِعَ عَلَيْهِ صَرْفُهُ فَإِذَا بِعْنَاهُ كَانَ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نَذْكُرَ لَهُ صَرْفَ الدَّرَاهِمِ فِي الْمُرَابَحَةِ يُجْزِئُنَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لا بَلْ إِذَا كَانَتِ الْمُرَابَحَةُ فَأَخْبِرْهُ بِذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُسَاوَمَةً فَلا بَأْسَ.

5. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Nahdiy from Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Isma’il ibn ‘Abd al-Khaliq who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘We send dirham to Ahwaz where the price of dirham is different. With it goods are bought for us. We then wait until the goods are sold, the difference of price of dirham is deducted from it, if we sell. Is it necessary for us to mention the difference in prices in selling in the form of Murabahah (capital plus profit) on our part (of such difference)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, you must mention it if it is in the form of Murabahah (capital plus profit), but if it is in the form of Musawamah (fixed price regardless of capital) then it is lawful.’” 

6- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِيَ اشْتَرِ لِي هَذَا الثَّوْبَ وَهَذِهِ الدَّابَّةَ وَيُعَيِّنُهَا وَأُرْبِحَكَ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ لا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ لَيَشْتَرِيهَا وَلا تُوَاجِبْهُ الْبَيْعَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْتَوْجِبَهَا أَوْ تَشْتَرِيَهَا.

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yahya ibn al-Hajjaj who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who said to me, ‘Buy this cloth and this stumper from me, then in the form of ‘Aynah sell them to me (sell them to me and I will give you a profit of so and so amount).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is lawful.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He should buy it but you must not make binding on him to sell before he makes it binding or you buy it.’” 

7- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ عَنْ مُيَسِّرٍ بَيَّاعِ الزُّطِّيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّا نَشْتَرِي الْمَتَاعَ بِنَظِرَةٍ فَيَجِي‏ءُ الرَّجُلُ فَيَقُولُ بِكَمْ تَقَوَّمَ عَلَيْكَ فَأَقُولُ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا فَأَبِيعُهُ بِرِبْحٍ فَقَالَ إِذَا بِعْتَهُ مُرَابَحَةً كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ النَّظِرَةِ مِثْلُ مَا لَكَ قَالَ فَاسْتَرْجَعْتُ وَقُلْتُ هَلَكْنَا فَقَالَ مِمَّ فَقُلْتُ لأنَّ مَا فِي الأرْضِ ثَوْبٌ إِلا أَبِيعُهُ مُرَابَحَةً يُشْتَرَى مِنِّي وَلَوْ وُضِعْتُ مِنْ رَأْسِ الْمَالِ حَتَّى أَقُولَ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ فَلَمَّا رَأَى مَا شَقَّ عَلَيَّ قَالَ أَفَلا أَفْتَحُ لَكَ بَاباً يَكُونُ لَكَ فِيهِ فَرَجٌ قُلْ قَامَ عَلَيَّ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا وَأَبِيعُكَ بِزِيَادَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَلا تَقُلْ بِرِبْحٍ.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Safwan from Ayyub ibn Rashid from Muyassir Bayya’ al- Zuttiy who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I buy goods with deferred payment for a certain time. A man comes to me and says, ‘What is the price.’ I say, ‘It is so and so amount.’ I then sell it to him with a certain amount of profit. He (the Imam) said, ‘When you sell it in the form of Murabahah (capital plus profit) he has a share in the value of deferred payment also just as you have.’ I then said Istirja‘ (the expression, ‘To Allah we belong and to Him we all return’) and said, ‘We are destroyed.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Because of what?’ I replied, ‘There is no cloth on earth that I buy without Murabahah (capital plus profit) and they are bought from me even if I reduce the capital to say it is for so and so amount. When he (the Imam) saw my difficulties he (the Imam) said, ‘Do you want that I open a door for you to make things easier for you? Say, “It has costed me so and so and I sell it for so and so price;” do not say I sell it in the form of Murabahah (capital plus profit).”’ 

8- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ أَسْبَاطِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّا نَشْتَرِي الْعِدْلَ فِيهِ مِائَةُ ثَوْبٍ خِيَارٍ وَشِرَارٍ دَسْتْشُمَارَ فَيَجِيئُنَا الرَّجُلُ فَيَأْخُذُ مِنَ الْعِدْلِ تِسْعِينَ ثَوْباً بِرِبْحِ دِرْهَمٍ دِرْهَمٍ فَيَنْبَغِي لَنَا أَنْ نَبِيعَ الْبَاقِيَ عَلَى مِثْلِ مَا بِعْنَا فَقَالَ لا إِلا أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ الثَّوْبَ وَحْدَهُ.  

8. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Asbat from Asbat ibn Salim who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case in which we buy a bundle of a hundred or so cloths in which there are good and bad ones ‘dast shumar ’ (farsi word for mixed). A man comes and takes ninety for the bundle with profit of one dirham for each. Is it proper for us to sell the rest as just we sold? He (the Imam) said, ‘No, unless he alone buys the cloth.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 5

Book 2, Chapter 85