Kinds of Masjid Where ’Ttikaf Is Valid

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ‘Umar ibn Yazid who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about performing Ttikaf in a certain Masjid of Baghdad. He (the Imam) said, ’Without a Masjid in which Salat (prayer) in congregation is held behind a just Imam, Ttikaf is not valid. It is not harmful to do Ttikaf in Masjid of al-Kufah, in al- Basrah, in al-Madinah or Makkah.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not proper to sell with a Sa‘ (a certain measuring device) which is not in use in the city (land).’”

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

2. Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Dawud ibn Sarhan who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Without passing the twentieth day of the month of Ramadan Ttikaf is not valid.’ He (the Imam) then said that Ali ‘Alayhi al-Salam, would say, “I do not see Ttikaf, unless it is in Masjid al-Haram, Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, or a Jami‘ Masjid (central). It is not proper for one performing ’Ttikaf to go out of Masjid except for one’s urgent needs without which one cannot do, but then one must not sit down until one returns. The same rule applies to women.’””

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from certain persons of his people from Aban from Muhammad al- Halabiy who have said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not lawful for one to sell with a Sa‘ which is not in use in a city. A man may hire a camel man and measures with a device of his home which perhaps is smaller than the mud (a certain measurement) of the market- place. If he says it is smaller than the mud of the market he does not accept unless he guarantees and takes responsibility thereof.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘There must be one mud. Taking responsibility also serves this purpose.’”

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 Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about ’Ttikaf. He (the Imam) said, ‘Without Masjid ’Ttikaf is not valid, only in Masjid like Masjid al-Haram, Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, Masjid al-Kufah or Masjid al-Jami‘ and you must fast in the time you are in the state of ’Ttikaf.’”

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

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Barqiy from Sa‘d ibn Sa‘d who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a people who make al-Qufzan (measuring devices) small with which they sell. He (the Imam) said, ‘They are of the people who cause losses in their belongings.’”

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

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Fadalah ibn Ayyub from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘One performing ’Ttikaf in Makkah can perform Salat (prayer) in any of its houses or Masjid; it is all the same.’”

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

5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mansur ibn Hazim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who performs ’Ttikaf in Makkah can perform Salat (prayer) in any of its houses that he chooses, and one performing ’Ttikaf in other places cannot perform Salat (prayer), unless it is the Masjid which he has determined.’”

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