Obedience and Piety

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from Muhammad brother of ‘Amr from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Do not allow (false) religions to confuse you. Of our Shi’a and true followers are only those who obey Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy.”

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

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Husayn ibn abu al-‘Ala’ who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about urine that pollutes one’s body. He (the Imam) said, Tour water on it twice; it is water.’ I then asked about urine, which pollutes one’s clothes. He (the Imam) said, ‘Wash it twice.’ I then asked him about the urine of a child that pollutes one’s clothes. He (the Imam) said, ‘After pouring a small amount of water on it you must also wring it.’”

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

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Sa‘d ibn Sa‘d al-Ash‘ariy who has said the following: “I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the case of a man who loves certain ones of his children more than others and gives preference to certain ones among them over the others. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), gave a present to Muhammad; so also did abu al- Hassan (a.s.), by gifting something to Ahmad and I went to collect them for him because he was a child.’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, can one love his daughters more than his sons?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Sons and daughters are the same in this matter, in fact, it depends up on how they are in the sight of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.”’

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

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Mansur from Hisham ibn Salim who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Nothing of the rewards follow a deceased after his death except three qualities: A charity that he established in his lifetime, it continues after his death; a Sunnah of guidance that he established upon which people act after his death; or a virtuous child who prays for him.’”

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

36. Sahl, from Ibn Fazzaal, from Ali Bin Uqba and Abdullah Bin Bukeyr, from Saeed Bin Yasaar who said: ‘I heard Abu Abdullah (asws) saying: ‘The Praise is to Allah (azwj). They have become the Murjiyya sect, and the Haruriyya sect, and the Qadiriyya sect, and you have been named as the Tarabiyya and the Shiites of Ali (asws). But, by Allah (azwj) and what is that except for that there is no god except Allah (azwj), One with no associates to Him (azwj), and His (azwj) Messenger (saww), and the Progeny (asws) of the Messenger, and the Shiites of the progeny (asws) of the Messenger (saww) of Allah (azwj). And what are the people except that it was Ali (asws) the best of the people after the Messenger (saww) of Allah (azwj), and the highest of the people than the people themselves’. He (asws) said it three times.

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

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Fadal from ‘Asim ibn Humayd from abu Hamza al-Thumali from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah addressed the people during his farewell (last) visit to Makka, ‘O people, I swear by Allah, everything that can take you closer to paradise and farther away from hell I have commanded you all to follow. Everything that may take you closer to hell and farther away from paradise I have prohibited you to do. You must know that the trusted spirit has inspired me that no soul dies before his supply of sustenance is completely exhausted. Be pious before Allah and do your best in search of means of sustenance. Do not allow laziness to overcome you in your search to make a living, or lead you to make a living through improper means; nothing is achievable from what is with Allah except through obedience to Him.’”

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

2. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ibrahim ibn abu Mahmud who has said the following: “I once asked al-Rida (a.s.), about how one should deal with velvet-like carpet and the beds that come in contact with urine, which are thick and bulky. He (the Imam) said, ‘Whatever is on the surface of such items must be washed clean.’”

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from certain individuals of his people who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘When Allah is not interested in a person, He allows greediness to dominate him.’”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Nothing follows a deceased after his death except three things: a charity that Allah has made to function in his lifetime which continues after his death, a Sunnah of guidance that one establishes which is acted upon after his death and virtuous children who pray for him.’” Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Safwan from ibn Muskan from Muhammad al-Halabiy from abu ‘Abd Allah, a similar Hadith except that he (the Imam) said, ‘or a child who asks forgiveness for him/”

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

3. Ahmad ibn Musa has narrated from al-Qasim from Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about clothes that come in contact with urine and it passes to the other side through its fillings. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must wash the polluted area, feel the other side and wash it clean, if you found something; otherwise, pour water on it to wash it clean.’”

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

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from al-Husayn ibn Ahmad from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar 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, once asked banu Salmah, ‘O banu Salmah, who is your master and leader?’ They replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, our chief is a stingy man.’ The Messenger of Allah then said, ‘No illness is more serious than stinginess.’ He then said, ‘In fact, your chief is al-Bara’ ibn Ma‘rur, whose body is white.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Nothing follows a deceased after his death except three things: a charity that Allah has made to function in his life time which continues after his death, a Sunnah of guidance that one establishes which is acted upon after his death and virtuous children who pray for him.’”

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

4. Ali Ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad Ibn Isma’il from Fadl Ibn Shadhan together who narrated from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham Ibn al-Hakam that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) said: “On the Day of Judgment, a group of people will raise their necks, approach the door of Paradise and knock on it. They will then be asked, ‘Who are you?’. They will say, ‘We are the people of patience.’ They will then be asked, ‘In what matters did you exercise patience?’. They will answer, ‘We exercised patience in obeying Allah and patience against disobeying Allah.’ Then Allah (swt) will say, ‘They have spoken the truth, allow them to enter into the Paradise.’ This is (the meaning of) the words of Allah (swt): «It is those who exercise patience that receive their reward without being asked to clear any accounts» (39:10)."

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim from Hakam ibn Hukaym al-Sayrafiy who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I may urinate but do not find water, my hands have come in contact with urine and I wipe it against the wall or soil. Then it perspires and I wipe my face with it or other parts of my body or my clothes. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

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

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father, from abu al-Jahm from Musa ibn Bakr from Ahmad ibn Sulayman who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), has said, ‘A stingy person is one who exercises stinginess in paying what Allah has made obligatory upon him to pay.’”

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

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Fudayl ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Ubaydah from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) would say, ‘A deed with piety is never considered a little deed. How could it be considered little when it is the very thing with which deeds are accepted?”’

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah who has said that it is in the book of Sama‘ah who in a marfu‘ manner has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If clothes come in contact with the urine of cats, performing Salah (prayer) with such clothes is not valid until they are washed.’”

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, has narrated from his father (a.s.), who 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, ‘No other thing is more effacing to Islam than stinginess.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Greediness creeps like an ant and has branches (or thorns) like polytheism.’”

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

6. Hamid ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama’a from certain individuals of his people from Aban from ‘Amr ibn Khalid from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘O the community of Shi’a, Shi’a of Muhammad (a.s.) be the central support so that both al- Ghali and al-Tali refer to you.’ A man from Ansar (people of Madina) called Sa’d, said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, what is the meaning of al-GhaliV The Imam said, ‘They are the people who say about us what we do not say about ourselves. Thus, they are not of our people and we are not of their people.’ The man then asked, ‘Who are al-TaliV The Imam said, ‘They are those who search for good. They receive good instructions (from our Shi’a) and are rewarded for it.’ The Imam then turned to us and said, ‘I swear by Allah that we do not possess any amnesty from Allah and there is no family relation between Allah and us nor do we possess any authority over Allah. We do not seek nearness to Allah through any other means but obedience to Him. Whoever of you is obedient to Allah it (our guardianship, Wilayah ) will benefit him, and whoever of you is disobedient to Allah our guardianship, Wilayah, will not benefit him. What is the matter with you? Do not be misled! What is the matter with you? Do not be misled!”’

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

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the urine of a child. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must just pour water on it but if the child eats food, wash it clean, and a baby boy or baby girl are the same.’”

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

6. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from abu Jamilah from Jabir 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, ‘One who pays zakat that is due on his property and presents gifts to his people is not a stingy person.’”

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

7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar who has said the following: “Once I was in the presence of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). We spoke about deeds and I said, ‘My deeds are the weakest.’ The Imam said, ‘Calm down. Ask forgiveness from Allah.’ Then the Imam said to me, ‘A little deed with piety is better than a great deal of deeds without piety.’ I then asked, ‘Can there be a great deal of deeds without piety?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, it is true. It is like a man who feeds people, who is kind to his neighbors and entertains people at his home, but when a door to unlawful matters opens he enters such a door. Such are deeds without piety. There can be another person who does not have such deeds but when a door to unlawful matters opens he does not enter into such doors.’”

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

7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Fadl ibn Ghazwan from al- Hakam ibn Hukaym who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I may go to market place and need to urinate but do not find water. I then wipe it dry, then wipe my hand against the wall or ground, and scratch with it my body afterwards. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

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

7. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sharif ibn Sabiq from al-Fadl ibn abu Qurrah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked me, ‘Do you know who a greedy person is?’ I replied, ‘He is a stingy person.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘A greedy person is worse than a stingy one. A stingy person is stingy about what is already in his hands. A greedy person is greedy about things that are in the hands of others, as well as about what is in his own hands. Whenever he finds something in other people’s hands, he wishes it to have been his, regardless of lawfulness or otherwise, and he is not satisfied with what Allah has given to him.’”

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

8. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’ alia ibn Muhammad from abu Dawud al-Mustariqq from Muhsin al-Maythami from Ya’qub ibn Shu’ayb who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, does not transfer a believer from the humiliation of sins to the honor of piety before granting him freedom from wants without property, strength without tribesmen and comforting companionship without people.’”

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

8. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from al-Muthanna from abu Ayyub who has said the following: “I once said to abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I enter the toilet area and there is a ring on my hand with a name of the names of Allah, most High. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, do not go there with it and do not perform sexual intercourse when you are wearing it.’” It also is narrated that when washing because of using a toilet one must remove such ring from the hand with which one is washing.

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

8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father, from ibn al-Mughirah from al-Mufaddal ibn Salih from Jabir 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, ’One who pays zakat that is due on his property and presents gifts to his people is not stingy. A real stingy person is one who does not pay zakat that is obligatory on his property and does not present any gift to his people, but spends extravagantly on other things.’”

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

3. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn Salim and Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father all from Ahmad ibn al-Nadr from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from Jabir from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “O Jabir, do people think just claiming to be our Shi’a and saying they love us ( Ahl al-Bayt) is enough for their salvation? I swear by Allah, of our Shi’a are only those who are pious before Allah and obey Him. No one, O Jabir, would know them except by their humbleness, submissiveness, trustworthiness, their speaking frequently of Allah, fasting, prayer, virtuous deeds toward parents, good relations with neighbors, the needy, the destitute, the heavily indebted, the orphans, by their truthfulness, recitation of the Holy Quran, and restraining of their tongues except for the good of the people and their being trusted among the people of their tribe in all things. I (Jabir) then said, ‘O descendent of the Messenger of Allah, today we do not find anyone with such qualities.’ The Imam said, ‘O Jabir, do not allow (false) religions confuse you. One should not think, since he loves Ali (a.s.) and supports him, thereafter he does not have to be active in anything. If one says he loves the Messenger of Allah who is better than Ali (a.s.) but does not follow his way of life or practice his tradition, his love as such is of no benefit for him. You must be pious before Allah and work to achieve things that exist with Allah. There is no family relation between one and Allah. The most beloved one to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is the most noble before Him, the most pious ones before Him and the most obedient ones to Him. O Jabir, I swear by Allah, nothing helps one to become nearer to Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, except obedience to Him. There is no immunity from hell and no one possesses any authority over Allah. Only those who obey Allah, they are our supporters. Whoever is disobedient to Allah, is our enemy. Our guardianship applies only to those who do good deeds and maintain restraint over their desires for worldly things.’”

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