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 سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِذَوَاتِ الأوْرَاكِ فَإِنَّهُنَّ أَنْجَبُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from ‘Abd Allah ibn al- Mughirah who has said the following: “I once heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘You must marry women of large hips because they are most fertile for child bearing.’” 

2- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَشْيَمَ عَنْ بَعْضِ رِجَالِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) تَزَوَّجُوا سَمْرَاءَ عَيْنَاءَ عَجْزَاءَ مَرْبُوعَةً فَإِنْ كَرِهْتَهَا فَعَلَيَّ مَهْرُهَا.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Malik ibn ‘Ushaym certain persons of his people who have said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Marry woman of brunette color, wide buttocks and of medium height. If you disliked, her mahr (dowry) is on me.’” 

3- الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ قَالَ لِيَ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِذَا نَكَحْتَ فَانْكِحْ عَجْزَاءَ.

3. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla’ ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “Al-Rida’ (a.s.), once said to me, ‘If you want to marry, marry a woman of large buttocks.’” 

4- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا رَفَعَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) إِذَا أَرَادَ تَزْوِيجَ امْرَأَةٍ بَعَثَ مَنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا وَيَقُولُ لِلْمَبْعُوثَةِ شَمِّي لِيتَهَا فَإِنْ طَابَ لِيتُهَا طَابَ عَرْفُهَا وَانْظُرِي كَعْبَهَا فَإِنْ دَرِمَ كَعْبُهَا عَظُمَ كَعْثَبُهَا.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from certain persons of our people in a marfu’ manner has said the following: “When the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, wanted to marry a woman he would send a woman to examine her with the instruction, ‘Smell her neck; if it smells fine her scent smells fine, and if her soles are full, her knees are large.’” 

5- أَحْمَدُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ أَخِيهِ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنِّي جَرَّبْتُ جَوَارِيَ بَيْضَاءَ وَأَدْمَاءَ فَكَانَ بَيْنَهُنَّ بَوْنٌ.

5. Ahmad has narrated from his father from Ali ibn al-Nu’man from his brother from Dawud ibn al-Nu’man from abu Ayyub al- Khazzaz who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I have put to the test white and dark color slave-girls. There is a great difference between them.’” (It may also mean both kinds are good) 

6- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) تَزَوَّجُوا الزُّرْقَ فَإِنَّ فِيهِنَّ الْيُمْنَ.

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (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, ‘Marry blue colored eyes; it is a sign of good fortune.’” 

7- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مِنْ سَعَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَكْشِفَ الثَّوْبَ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ.

7. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Bakr ibn Salih from certain persons of his people who have said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘It is of the well-being of a man who on moving aside the veil of a woman finds her white.’” 

8- سَهْلٌ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَشْيَمَ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) تَزَوَّجْهَا عَيْنَاءَ سَمْرَاءَ عَجْزَاءَ مَرْبُوعَةً فَإِنْ كَرِهْتَهَا فَعَلَيَّ الصَّدَاقُ. 

8. Sahl has narrated from Bakr ibn Salih from Malik ibn ‘Ushaym from certain persons of his people who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘Marry a woman of large eyes, of brunette color, wide buttocks and of medium height; and if you disliked, her mahr (dowry) is on me.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 5

Book 3, Chapter 16