1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al- Washsha’ from Jamil ibn Darraj from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah would look to every one of his companions in equal proportions of time. He would look to this and then to that person. The Messenger of Allah was never seen stretching his legs in a gathering of his companions. When he would shake hands, with a person, the Messenger of Allah would not pull back his hand before the other man. When they noticed it thereafter a man shaking hands with him would pull his hand away quickly.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Mu’ammar ibn Khallad from abu al-Hassan (a.s.) who has said the following: “When a man is present, call him by his Kunyah (father of so and so) and in his absence call him by his name.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever loves his Muslim brother should ask what his name, the name of his father, his tribe and family is. It is of necessary rights and truthful brotherhood (friendship) to ask such questions; otherwise, it is a foolish recognition.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Ya’qub ibn Yazid from Ali ibn Ja’far from ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Qudamah from his father from Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah one day said to the people in his meeting, ‘Do you know what is (of one’s) weakness?’ They said, ‘Allah and the Messenger of Allah know better.’ He then said, ‘There are three kinds of weaknesses: First, a friend prepares food for another friend but fails to keep his promise and does not come for food. Second, one of you meets a man and wants to know who he is but fails to acquire such information and he departs the man. Third, is about women, one becomes close to his wife and depletes his energy before she is satisfied.’ ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr al-‘As asked, ‘What should he do, O the Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘He should hold back until it comes from both of them in concert.’” “In another Hadith it is said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The weakest of all is one who meets a man and is attracted to him but does not ask his name, his relationships or where he lives.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama’a who has said the following: “I heard abu al-Hassan Musa saying, ‘Keep your decorum intact between yourself and your brother (friend) and preserve it; removal is the elimination of bashfulness.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Isma’il from ‘Abd Allah ibn Wasil from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Do not trust your brother (friend) in totality; a sudden fall of attachment is never repairable.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from Mu’Alla ibn Khanis and ‘Uthman ibn Sulayman al- Nakhkhas from Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar and Yunus ibn Zabyan who have said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Try your brothers (friends) in two things that if not found then keep away from them, keep away, keep away from them. The two qualities are the preservation of their prayers on time and kindness to their brethren in good and bad times.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

1. Allah Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Do not ignore the expression, “(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,” even if it is followed by a poem.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn Ali from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Yusuf ibn ‘Abd al-Salam from Sayf ibn Harun Mawla Ale (family) Ju’dah who has said the following:“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Write “(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,” with the best of your handwriting. Do not extend the letter ‘B’ more than the letter ‘S’.’” [Note: this may apply to kufi handwriting only].

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Hassan ibn al-Sari from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Do not write, ‘(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,’ ‘for so and so’ (in a letter), but it is not an offense to write at the back of the letter, ‘for so and so’.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Muhammad ibn Ali from al-Nadr ibn Shu’ayb from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from al-Hassan ibn al-Sari from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Do not write in the letter: ‘For abu so and so’ but write ‘To abu so and so’. In the address area one should write, ‘For abu so and so’.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama’a who has said the following: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about a man who initiates writing to another man. The Imam said, ‘It is not an offense. It is an excellent act when a man initiates honoring his brother (in belief).”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Aban ibn al-Ahmar from Hadid ibn Hakim from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “It is not an offense for a man to begin with the name of his friend in a letter instead of his own name.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Murazim ibn Hakim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) ordered to write a letter about an issue. The letter was written and was shown to him and there was no exception in it. The Imam said, ‘How can you expect that this may be completed without exception (that is, if Allah so wills)? Look into it and write down exceptions whenever needed.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

8. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) would dry up the ink on a newlywritten letter by means of placing soil on it and would say that doing so is not an offense.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ali ibn ‘Atiyyah who has said the following: “He had seen a soiled letter of abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.).”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.