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 وَسَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ إِنَّ لِي ابْنَةَ عَمٍّ قَدْ رَضِيتُ جَمَالَهَا وَحُسْنَهَا وَدِينَهَا وَلَكِنَّهَا عَاقِرٌ فَقَالَ لا تَزَوَّجْهَا إِنَّ يُوسُفَ بْنَ يَعْقُوبَ لَقِيَ أَخَاهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَخِي كَيْفَ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَتَزَوَّجَ النِّسَاءَ بَعْدِي فَقَالَ إِنَّ أَبِي أَمَرَنِي وَقَالَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَكُونَ لَكَ ذُرِّيَّةٌ تُثْقِلُ الأرْضَ بِالتَّسْبِيحِ فَافْعَلْ قَالَ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْغَدِ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ تَزَوَّجْ سَوْءَاءَ وَلُوداً فَإِنِّي مُكَاثِرٌ بِكُمُ الأمَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا السَّوْءَاءُ قَالَ الْقَبِيحَةُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from and Sahl ibn Ziyad all from ibn Mahbub from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Once a man came to the Messenger of Allah and said, “O the Holy Prophet of Allah, I have the daughter of an uncle whose beauty, goodness and religion I like; but she is barren.’” He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘You must not marry her; Yusuf after meeting his brother asked him, “How did you manage to get married after me.” He replied, “Because my father said, ‘If you can have such a great number of children whose Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) can become a heavy load for the earth then do it.”” He (the Imam) has said, that the next day another man came who said a similar thing and he (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘Marry al-Su’a and child bearing because I will express pride for the greater number of my followers among the nations on the Day of Judgment.’ I (the narrator) then asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘What is al- Su’a? ’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It means an ugly looking woman.’” 

2- الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) تَزَوَّجُوا بِكْراً وَلُوداً وَلا تَزَوَّجُوا حَسْنَاءَ جَمِيلَةً عَاقِراً فَإِنِّي أُبَاهِي بِكُمُ الأمَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

2. Al-Hassan ibn Mahbub has narrated from al-‘ Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must marry virgin and child bearing women, but you must not marry good a looking but barren woman because I will express pride because of you among nations on the Day of Judgment.’” 

3- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْخَالِقِ عَمَّنْ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ شَكَوْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قِلَّةَ وُلْدِي وَأَنَّهُ لا وَلَدَ لِي فَقَالَ لِي إِذَا أَتَيْتَ الْعِرَاقَ فَتَزَوَّجِ امْرَأَةً وَلا عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ سَوْءَاءَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَمَا السَّوْءَاءُ قَالَ امْرَأَةٌ فِيهَا قُبْحٌ فَإِنَّهُنَّ أَكْثَرُ أَوْلاداً.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman from ‘Isma’il ibn ‘Abd al-Khaliq from those whom he has mentioned who has said the following: “I once complained before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), for not having enough children and that I have no child. He (the Imam) said to me, ‘When you arrive in Iraq, marry a woman and do not mind if she is al-Su’a’.’ I then asked, ’I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, what is al- Su’a’?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is a woman who has certain degrees of ugliness because such woman bears more children.’” 

4- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الرَّقِّيِّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْجَعْفَرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لِرَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجْهَا سَوْءَاءَ وَلُوداً وَلا تَزَوَّجْهَا حَسْنَاءَ عَاقِراً فَإِنِّي مُبَاهٍ بِكُمُ الأمَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الْوِلْدَانَ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لآبَائِهِمْ يَحْضُنُهُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَتُرَبِّيهِمْ سَارَةُ فِي جَبَلٍ مِنْ مِسْكٍ وَعَنْبَرٍ وَزَعْفَرَانٍ. 

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Sa‘id al-Riqqiy to whom narrated Sulayman ibn Ja’far al- Ja’fariy who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, once said to a man, ‘Marry al-Su’a’ and child bearing woman but do not marry a good looking barren woman. I will express pride because of you among nations on the Day of Judgment. Have you taken notice that children under the Throne ask forgiveness for their parents? Ibrahim and Sara are the custodians of these children in a mountain of musk, ambergris and saffron.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 5

Book 3, Chapter 14