Chapter on the Loss of a Scholar

1. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz from Sulayman ibn Khalid that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) said, “Of the deaths from among the believers that Satan loves most, is the death of a Faqih (a person knowledgable of islamic laws)."

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

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Hisham ibn Salim from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Whoever prays and pleads before Allah for help before the fall of misfortune, his prayer is accepted when the misfortune arrives. The angels will say, ‘It is a known voice and it is not barred from heaven. ’ If one does not pray and plead before Allah for help before the fall of misfortune, his prayer will not be accepted when it falls upon him. The angels will say, ‘We do not know this voice.’”

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 and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr all from ‘Abd Allah ibn Yahya al-Kahiliy who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that today women have found a certain manner of hair dressing. One of them can find a certain device made of wool which a hair dresser uses along with certain fragrance, then places in a thin piece of fabric, then ties it up with a pin and places it over her head and then she may experience sexual relation. He (the Imam) (a.s.), said, ‘Women of earlier times would only decorate their hairs at the front of their head. If they may need to take Ghusl (bath), instruct them to allow water to reach their head and wring the decorated hair so water reaches it; when water reaches it then it is not harmful. 5 I then asked about Hayd (menses) and he (the Imam) said, ‘Women experiencing Hayd (menses) must reduce it (such decoration of hairs) a great deal.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Salih ibn abu Hammad from ibn Sinan from Hudhayfah ibn Mansur who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The month of Ramadan is thirty days and it never is less.”’ (Fatwa best explains this Hadith, however according to science, a lunar (synodic) month is 29 days, 12 hours, and approximately 44 minutes) It is narrated from him (narrator of previous Hadith) from al-Hassan ibn al-Husayn from ibn Sinan from Hudhayfah a similar Hadith.

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

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and a number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from Abu Hamza al-Thumali who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah during his farewell Hajj said, ‘The trustworthy spirit has inspired my understanding that no soul dies before its sustenance is complete (depleted). You must maintain piety before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, be meticulous in your work to make a living. You must not allow procrastination to make you fall behind in the work for living. You must not work in disobedience to Allah; Allah, most Blessed, most High, has divided sustenance among His creatures in a lawful way. He has not divided it in unlawful ways. One who maintains piety before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, He provides him sustenance from the lawful kind. One who tears the covering curtain in hastiness and takes it by unlawful ways, it is reduced from his lawful sustenance and he is held accountable for it on the Day of Judgment.’”

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

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Hamzah al-Thumaliy who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man who says to another man, ‘O so and so write to my wife her divorce or to my slave that he is free; if it is a divorce and setting free of a slave. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not a divorce or freedom until he says by his own tongue or his own handwriting and with the intention to divorce or set a slave free. This can happen by counting new moons and in the presence of witnesses when he is absent from his family.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ibn ’Udhaynah who has said that Zurarah has said, the following: “If you wish to deal with deficiency it is compensated from the share of those who have more, like children and brothers from the father. The husband and brothers from the mother do not compensate the deficiency from their ordained shares which Allah has mentioned.’”

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 one of his people that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) said: “When a believer who is a Faqih dies, it causes irreparable damage in the Islamic system."

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Sinan from ‘Anbasah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “If one fears the fall of a misfortune upon him and prays and pleads before Allah for help before its fall, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will never show him that misfortune.”

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from Muthanna’ al-Hannat from Hasan al-Sayqal who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A woman for her Ghusl (bath) due to Hayd (menses) must use nine Artal of water.” (One Ritl is about 449.28gms).

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

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Ibrahim ibn abu al-Balad from his father who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘There is not a single soul whose sustenance Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has not assigned of the lawful kind and in good health. He has disclosed the unlawful kind also but in another aspect. If the soul achieves a certain amount of the unlawful kind it is reduced from its lawful sustenance which He has assigned for him. Besides these two kinds of sustenance, there is a great deal of extra with Allah as is mentioned in the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘You must ask Allah to grant you (sustenance) from the extra with Him. . . .’ ( 3 : 37 )”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa or Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ibn ‘Udhaynah from Zurarah who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man who divorces his wife in writing or sets free his slave; he then changes his mind and deletes it. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not a divorce or setting free of a slave until he pronounces it through his mouth.’”

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

2. Humayd ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama‘ah, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Jabalah from abu al-Mighra’ from Ibrahim ibn Maymun from Salim al-Ashal who has narrated the following: “He had heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has placed the parents with all other heirs and [nothing] from their one-sixth is reduced. He has placed husband and wife with heirs and [nothing] is reduced from one-fourth and one-eighth.’”

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

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn abu Hamza who has said the following. “(Imam) abu al-Hassan Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘When a true believer dies the angels and the parts of earth where he worshipped Allah weep because of his death. Also the doors of the heavens through which his good deeds had been taken up weep and it causes an irreparable damage in the Islamic system. It is because the true believing Fuqaha, people of proper understanding in religion and its laws are the strongholds of the Islamic system just as the fortress around a city is a stronghold for it.’”

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

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Isma’Il ibn Mehran from Mansur ibn Yunus from Harun ibn Kharijah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Prayer and pleading before Allah for help in one’s enjoying well-being brings about (causes to happen) what one needs in the fall of misfortune.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Muhammad and others have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu ‘Ubaydah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman who after Hayd (menses) experiences a Hayd-free condition during a journey and cannot find water enough for Ghusl (bath) when it is time for Salah (prayer). He (the Imam) said, ‘If she has enough water to wash clean her private parts, she must do so and take Tayammum instead of Ghusl (bath); then perform Salah (prayer). 5 I then asked, ‘What happens if her husband comes? 5 He (the Imam) said, ‘After her washing clean her private parts and Tayammum it is not harmful.

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

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ibn Sinan from Hudhayfah ibn Mansur from Mu’adh ibn Kathir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The month of Ramadan has thirty days; it never by Allah is incomplete.’”

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

3. Ibrahim ibn abu al-Balad has narrated from his father from one of the two Imams (a.s.), who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘O people, the trustworthy spirit has inspired my understanding that a soul never dies until it completes (depleting of) its sustenance even if it takes place with a certain degree of delays. You must maintain piety before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and seek your sustenance meticulously. You must not allow certain degrees of delays from Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, to cause you to indulge in Allah’s disobedience. What is with Allah is only achieved through obedience to Him.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from abu Basir who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Nothing is reduced from the ordained shares of four people: the parents and the husband and the wife.’”

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

4. From him (Muhammad ibn Yahya) from Ahmad from ibn Mahbub from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz from Sulayman ibn Khalid that Abu ‘Abdillah (as) said, "Of the deaths of the believers that Satan loves most, is the death of a Faqih (a knowledgable person of islamic laws)."

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

4. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama’a who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever likes his prayers answered in difficult times should pray when he enjoys well-being and comfort.’”

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

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘For Ghusl (bath) because of Hayd (menses) if wetness and moisture reaches (the skin) from hairs it is sufficient.

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

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Al-Husayn from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Hashim from abu Khadijah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Even if a servant lives in a hole, Allah has his sustenance for him. Thus you must seek your sustenance meticulously.’”

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 Durust ibn abu Mansur from abu al-Mighra’ from a man who has narrated the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has placed parents with all other heirs who have ordained shares and nothing is reduced from their one-sixth for each parent and He has placed a husband and wife with all other heirs but nothing is reduced from one-fourth and one-eighth.’”

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

5. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Asbat from his uncle Ya’qub ibn Salim from Dawud ibn Farqad who has said the following. “Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) has said, ‘My father used to say, ‘Allah does not take back the knowledge that He has sent down. But when the scholar dies it takes away his knowledge and after this the unjust ones come and they go astray and mislead people and there is no good in things without basis.’”

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

5. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from his father from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Yahya from a man from ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Ghawwas al-Ta’I from Muhammad ibn Muslim from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “My grandfather would say, ‘You must pray and plead before Allah for help before the fall of misfortune; if a servant (of Allah) is prayerful and misfortune befalls him and he prays, it is then said, ‘It is a familiar voice,’ but if he does not pray and plead before Allah for help when misfortune befalls him, only then he prays, it then is asked, ‘Where have you been before this day?’”

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

5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Ahmad ibn al-Hassan ibn Ali from ‘Amr ibn Sa‘id from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah from ‘Ammar ibn Musa who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a woman who takes Ghusl (bath) because of Hayd (menses) and there is saffron on her body which is not removed with Ghusl (bath), has said, ‘It is not harmful.

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Salih ibn al-Sindiy from Ja’far ibn Bashir from ‘Umar ibn abu Ziyad from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who said, “ Allah, the most Majestic and Glorious, has created the creatures and with them He has created their sustenance of the lawful and beautiful kind. If anyone achieves a certain amount of unlawful sustenance, then it is deducted from his lawful sustenance.’”

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

6. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Ali from the person who he mentioned from Jabir from Abu Ja’far (al-Baqir) (as) that Ali ibn al-Husayn (as) would say, "My soul shows generosity in accepting the quickening of our death or being murdered. It is due to the words of Allah that say, 'Have they not considered that We have taken over the land and reduced its borders?' (13:41) the reference here is to the death of the scholars.”

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

6. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla ibn Muhammad from al- Washsha’ from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) from abu al-Hassan al-Awwal (a.s.) who has said the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) would say, ‘Prayer and pleading before Allah for help after the fall of misfortune does not benefit one.’”

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

6. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad in a marfu’ manner the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘There is many a soul who tires itself (by work) and lives stringently. On the other hand there are those who moderately seek their sustenance; and measures favorably assist them/”

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

7. Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Qummiy has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from ‘Isma’il al-Qasir from those whom he has mentioned from abu Hamzah al-Thumaliy who has said the following: “The condition of very high prices was mentioned before Ali ibn Al-Husayn (a.s.). He (the Imam) said, ‘Very high prices do not affect me; it is only against Him. If it becomes very high, it is against Him, and if it becomes very low, it is against Him.’”

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

8. It is narrated from him (narrator of previous Hadith) from ibn Faddal from the one whom he has mentioned who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that your effort in work for living must be above the efforts of a losing person and below that of a greedy one who is happy with confidence in the worldly matters. You must keep your soul in the position of the fair and conservatives ones, and lift your soul above the position of neglectful and weak ones. You must earn what is necessary. Those who are granted wealth but do not appreciate it they, in fact, have no wealth at all.’”

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

9. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from ibn Jumhur from his father in a marfu’ manner who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), very often would say, ‘You must take notice with absolute certainty that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, does not allow a servant, no matter how intensely he strives, how great the kind of means he prepares, and no matter how numerously he suffers fatigue, to exceed the limit which He has mentioned in His book of wisdom. It does not change anything for a man, with his weakness and his little means, in reaching what is already assigned for him in the book of wisdom. O people, one’s wisdom does not increase a naqir (a certain unit of measurement) for him and one’s lack of understanding does not reduce anything against him. One who knows this and acts accordingly is the greatest of people to enjoy comfort in profit, and one who knows it but ignores to act accordingly does the biggest work to cause losses. There are many of those who are led to destruction in the process of receiving favors, and also there are many of those who are thought of among people as being deceived, but in reality receive favors. O you who strive hard, beware of your struggle, hold back your haste and wake up from the slumber of your unawareness. Think about what has come from Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, through the tongue of His Holy prophet. Preserve these seven letters; they are of the words of the people of reason and of the decisive issues in the book of wisdom. One cannot reach before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, with the presence of any single of these habits in him: considering things as partners of Allah in the matters that Allah has made obligatory on him, quenching his anger by destruction of his soul, claiming to have done what in fact others have done, seeking success before a creature by means of a heretic act in his religion, enjoying people’s praising him for what he has not done, acting oppressively and conceitedly, and being of honorable position but speaking lies. O people, what is important for beasts is transgression, and what is important for animals is to eat, what is important for women is their men; and believing people are anxious, fearful and afraid. I pray to Allah to make us one of them (such believers).”’

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

10. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Rabi’ ibn Muhammad al- Musalliy from ‘ Abd Allah ibn Sulayman who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Allah, most High, has expanded the sustenance of the dimwitted ones so that people of reason learn a lesson and take notice that the worldly things are not achieved by means of work and means only.”’

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

11. Ahmad ibn Muhammad from has narrated from Ali ibn al-Nu’man from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from Jabir from abu Ja’far ‘Alayhi al- Salam, 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, ‘I have not left anything that can take you closer to paradise or keep you away from hellfire but that I have informed you of all such matters. You must take notice that the Holy Spirit has inspired my understanding and has told me that a soul does not die until it completes (depleting) its sustenance. You must maintain piety before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and work for your living meticulously. Certain delays in reaching of sustenance must not take you to find sustenance by means of disobedience to Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious; what is with Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, can be achieved only by means of obedience to Him.”

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

2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il from certain persons of his people who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, most Blessed, most High, created the world in six days, then He took away this from the days of the year which became three hundred fifty four days. The month of al-Sha‘ban is never complete and the month of Ramadan, by Allah is never less. A duty (obligation) is never left incomplete. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says, “You must complete the term.” (2:181) Shawwal is twenty-nine days, Dhu al-Qa’dah is thirty days because of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, “We made an appointment with Musa (Moses) for thirty days and We completed it with ten more days so the appointment with his Lord lasted for forty days.” (7:142) Dhu al-Hajjah has twenty-nine days and Muharram has thirty days, then the other months thereafter, one is complete and the next incomplete.’”

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