Chapter on Contingency of the Universe and Proof of the Existence of its Creator

1. Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub has narrated from Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim from his father, from al-Hassan ibn Ibrahim from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman from Ali ibn Mansur who narrated the following: “Hisham ibn al-Hakam has reported that in Egypt there lived a heretic who had heard about Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) a great deal. He traveled to Medina to debate the Imam but he missed to find the Imam therein. He was told that the Imam has traveled to the city of Makkah. He then left for Makkah and we were with Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) when we came across him during our performing Tawaf (the seven times walking around the Ka‘bah). The man’s name was ‘Abdul Malik, and his kunya was Abu ‘Abdallah. He touched Imam Abu ‘Abdillah’s (as) shoulder with his shoulder as he walked along. Abu ‘Abdillah (as) asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, ”It is ‘Abdul Malik (meaning slave of the King).” He further asked, “What is your kunyah?” He replied, “It is Abu ‘Abdallah (meaning father of slave of Allah).” Abu 'Abdillah (as) then asked, “Who is this king whose slave you are? Is he of the earthly kings or of the heavenly ones? Tell us about your son. Is he a slave of the Lord of the heavens or a slave of the Lord of the earth? Say whatever you may, it will be against you.” Hisham has said that I asked him (the heretic man), “Why do you not answer?” The man seemed to dislike my words. Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) then told him, “Meet us when we finish our Tawaf.” The heretic man came to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s) later and sat in front of the Imam (a.s.) and we were all gathered around him. Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) then asked him, “Do you know that the earth has an underside and an upperside?” The man replied, “Yes, I know it.” The Imam then asked, “Have you gone in the underside of the earth?” The man replied, “No, I have not gone there.” The Imam (a.s.) then asked, “Do you know what is therein?” He said, “I do not know but I guess there is nothing therein.” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “Guessing is weakness. Why do you not acquire certainty?” The Imam (a.s.) then asked, “Have you climbed up into the sky?” The man replied, “No, I have not done so.” The Imam (a.s.) then asked, “Do you know what is up there?” He replied, “No, I do not know.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “It is very strange. Without reaching the East or West, without going under the earth or climbing up the sky and not even have crossed anything to know what is behind you deny what is in them. Does any man of reason deny what he does not know?” The heretic man then said, “No one has ever come up with such statements to me as you have.” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “So you are uncertain about Him. Perhaps He is or may be He does not exist.” The heretic man then said, “Perhaps He is.” The Imam then said, “O man, one who does not know has no authority over the one who knows. O Egyptian brethren, listen carefully. We have no doubts in the existence of Allah. Think about the sun, the moon, the day and the nights follow each other and do not miss their turns or become confused. They each have its place and do not have any choice. If they had any other choice they would not come back again. If they had a choice the day would not end with night and the night would not end in the day. They are forced to continue, O Egyptian brethren, I swear by Allah. The One who has forced them is stronger than them and greater. What people speak of and you guess it is (dahr) motionless time if it was so, then when it would take them away it would not return them and if time have returned them then why it is not taking them away? These things, O Egyptian brethren, are compelled. Why the sky is up high and why the earth is low? Why the sky does not fall down on earth? Why the earth does not flow one layer over the other and the two do not stick to each other and why those on it do not stick to it?” The man then said, “God their Lord has made them to hold together.” Hisham has said, “He professed belief in God in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.).” Humran then said to the Imam, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, if heretics profess belief in Allah before you, it is because the unbelievers converted to faith because of your father.” The man who had just professed belief in Allah requested Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) to allow him to become one of his students. The Imam then asked Hisham to teach him. Hisham taught him well and he became a teacher for the people in Syria and Egypt. His purification was very well and the Imam (a.s.) became happy with him.”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Faddal from those who narrated to him from Sa‘d ibn Tarif who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘People would just drop dead. Ibrahim (Abraham), ‘Alayhi al Salam, in his time pleaded before Allah to create a cause for death so the dying person receives rewards and the grieving people find solace. Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, then sent al-Mum, which is a kind of fever causing hallucination and thereafter He sent medicine.’”

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

1. Narrated to me Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim from his father and Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan all from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, made solemn covenants with His servants, He commanded the Stone. The Stone fed it (the covenant) to itself. For this reason it is said, ‘This is my trust which I return, my covenant that I had undertaken, so you bear witness, in my favor, to my returning it back.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim has narrated from his father from Muhammad Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Love for women is of the moral manners of the prophets.’”

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

1. Narrated to us abu Muhammad Harun ibn Musa al-Tal‘akbariy, who has said that narrated to us abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al- Kulayniy, who has said that narrated to him Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa. All of them have narrated from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman from al-Halabiy who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is in the book of Ali (a.s.), about the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, . . and whatever of the hunting beasts you may train. . . He (the Imam) has said, ‘It is a reference to (hunting) dogs.’”

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 ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn abu Hashim from Ahmad ibn Muhsin al-Maythami who said that I was with abu Mansur al-Mutatbbib who said the following. “One of my friends has said that he was with ibn abu al-‘Awja’ and ‘Abdallah ibn al-Muqaffa‘ in the holy Mosque of Makkah and ibn al-Muqaffa‘ said, “Do you see these creatures, pointing towards the location where people walk seven times around the Kabah‘? Of all these no one deserves to be called a human being accept that Shaikh sitting there, meaning thereby Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.). The rest is garble and beasts.” Upon this ibn abu al-‘Awja’ said, “For what reason do you call him a human being and not the rest?” Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ then replied, “Because I saw with him what I did not see with the others.” Ibn abu al-”Awja’ then said, “We must test your claim.” Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ then said, “I advise you not to do so lest you will lose whatever faith you have. Ibn abu al-‘Awja’ then said, “I do not think that is what you mean. I think you are afraid of failing to substantiate what you have just said about this man.” Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ then said, “If that is what you think then go to him and protect yourself as much as you can. Be strong as much as you can so you are not harnnessed and note all points against and in your favor. Ibn abu al-‘Awja’ then left and ibn al-Muqaffa‘ and I remained there. When ibn abu al-‘Awja’ returned he said, “Woe is you, O ibn al-Muqaffa‘. This is not a human being even though he lives in this world. He is a spiritual being but appears in the form of man whenever he wants the out world and turns into a spiritual being whenever he wants the inner world. That is the way he is.” Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ then asked, “How does that happen?” Ibn abu al-‘Awja’ then said, “I sat near him and when everyone had gone he turned to me and said, “If it is the way they (people walking around the Ka‘bah) say, which is true then they are saved and you are destroyed. If it is the way you say it is, which is not so then you and they are all equal.” I then asked, “May Allah be kind to you. What is it that we say and what is it that they say? We all say the same thing.” He said, “How can what you say be equal to what they say? They say that they will have a return, a day of receiving their rewards and penalties. They believe in a religion which says that in the heavens is the Lord and that they are habitable while you say that they are in ruins and there is nothing in them.”Ibn abu al-‘Awja’ has said, “I then found the opportunity to speak and I asked, “What then keeps this Lord, if it is true the way they say that He exists, from appearing to His creatures and call them to His worship so that no two people would oppose each other? Why is He hiding from them and has only sent messengers? If He would have been in direct contact with them it would have been more helpful to have faith in Him.” He then responded, “Woe is you, how someone who is already shown His power within you is hiding from you? He brought you up. You did not even exist. He made you grow when you were so small. He gave you strength and power when you were so weak and will make you weak again after being strong. He make you sick after being healthy and can give you good health after suffering sickness. He can make you happy after you experience anger and make you angry after being happy. He can make you sad after your joy and give you joy after sadness. He can give love after your experiencing hatred and hatred after enjoying love. He can give you determination after your uncertainty and uncertainty after having determination. He can give you strong desires after your experiencing dislike and dislike after having strong desires. He can give you willingness after experiencing fear and concerns and fear after having strong willingness. He can give you hope after despair and despair after having a great deal of hope. He can give you good remembrance of what you had no idea and remove what you may have had as a belief.” He kept reminding and counting for me the effects of His power within my soul that I could not deny and I begin to have a feeling that all that is between me and him will all appear in the open.” From the same source the following is narrated from a number of our people in a Marfu‘ manner as additional statements to the above discourse of ibn abu al-‘Awja’ with Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.). That abu al-‘Awja’ came the next day to the meeting of the Imam and sat down quietly. The Imam (a.s.) said to him, “Would you like to review the issues we discussed yesterday?” He replied, “I did intend to do so, O son of the messenger of Allah.” The Imam then said, “It is strange that one who does not believe in Allah acknowledges the existence of the messenger of Allah.” He replied, “It is only the habit that made me say so.” The ‘Alim (the Imam) then asked, “What is it that keeps you quite?” He replied, “It is your excellence and awesome spiritual ability that hold my tongue back from speaking. I have seen many scholars and have debated many theologians but I never experienced such an awesome feeling from them as I feel in your presence.” The Imam then said, “ It may happen. I would like to open this session with a question to you. The Imam turned to him and asked, “Are you created or uncreated?” ‘Abdul Karim ibn abu al-‘Awja’ answered, “ I am uncreated.” The ‘Alim then asked him, “Describe for us then, how you might have been if you were created.” ‘Abdal Karim remained quiet and confused and began to scribble scrabble with a piece of wood, saying, long, wide, deep, short, moving and motionless all these are the qualities of His creatures.” The ‘Alim (Imam) then said, “If you do not know anything other than these as the qualities of the creation then consider yourself a creature because that is what you find within yourself that take place and come into existence.” ‘Abdal Karim then said, “You have asked me a question that no one before had ever asked and no one ever would ask afterwards.” Abu ‘Abdallah then said, “It is fine. I noticed that you did not ask any thing in the time past but how would you know that you will not ask any thing in future? Besides, O ‘Abdal Karim, what you said is against your notion that from the beginning all things are equal. How then you made them before and after? The Imam then said, “O ‘Abdal Karim let me explain it for you. Suppose if you had a bag with you full of pearls and someone asked you, “Is there a Dinar in your bag?” You then denied and said, “No, there is no Dinar in my bag.” The person then said, “Alright, then describe for me the qualities of the Dinar but you had no knowledge of the qualities of the Dinar. Could you deny the existence of the Dinar that was from the bag but you did not know about it?” he replied, “No, I would not deny.” The Imam then said, “The world is bigger, taller and wider than a bag. Perhaps in the world there is a creature as such that you do not know in whose case you would not be able to tell the qualities of the created from the non-created.” ‘Abdal Karim remained quiet but some of his people agreed to accept Islam and a few of them remained. He came again to the meeting of the Imam on the third day and said, “I like to reverse the question.” The Imam replied, “Ask whatever you like.” He then asked, “What is the proof that bodies did not exist and then they came into existence?” The Imam then said, “I have not seen anything small or large that on adding to it something of the same size would not make it bigger and in this there is a change and transformation from the first condition. If it, however, would have been eternal, there would have been no changing and transformation. What may cease to exist or change it may come into existence and may get destroyed, thus, with its existence after its none existence is entering into the state of coming into being and as being eternal this will take it into nothingness but the two qualities of being eternal and nothingness and the qualities of a contingent and something without a beginning in one thing do come together.” ‘Abdal Karim then said, “Suppose, I noticed that with a view to the two conditions you mentioned you considered it a proof of their contingency. If, however, things would remain small, despite the addition, then how would you prove their contingency?” The ‘Alim then said, “We speak of this universe that is already there. Were we to take it away and place another universe in its place nothingness would have, certainly, been a stronger proof of its contingency than its removal and its replacing with a different one. I, however, will answer you according to your assumption. If things would still remain small but it would certainly come into one’s thinking that whenever something like it added to another thing it then would be bigger. The fact that it can change is proof of its becoming temporal and in its changing condition is proof of its contingency. There is nothing beyond it for you, O ‘Abdal Karim. ‘Abdal Karim had nothing else to say. Next year he met the Imam (a.s.) in Makkah again and people from his followers said that ‘Abdal Karim has become a Muslim. The Imam told him that ‘Abdal Karim was blind in this matter and would not become a Muslim. When he saw the ‘Alim he said, “My master, my chief!” The ‘Alim then asked him, “What brings you here?” He then replied, “It is the habits of the body and the traditions of the town to see what craziness makes them shave and throw pebbles.” The ‘Alim said, “It seems that you still live in your arrogance and misguidance, O ‘Abdal Karim.” He began to speak but the Imam said, “Disputation during Hajj is not permissible. The Imam freed his gown from the hand of the heretic man and said, “If it is the way you say and it is not true, then we as well as you are all saved. However, if it is the way we say and it is true we are saved but you are destroyed.” ‘Abdal Karim then turned to his people saying, “I feel pain in my heart. Take me back. They took him away and he died.

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 Faddal from ‘Asim ibn Humayd from Sa‘d ibn Tarif who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘People would just drop dead. Ibrahim (Abraham), ‘Alayhi al Salam, pleaded before Allah, ‘Would that You had created a cause for death to be recognized thereby and for grieving people to receive condolence.’ Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, then sent al-Mum, which is a kind of fever causing hallucination and thereafter He sent medicine.”

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

2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from ‘Abd Allah ibn Bukayr from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Why should one touch (kiss) the Stone?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, made a covenant with the children of Adam, He called the Stone from paradise and gave it a command. It swallowed up (fed it to itself) the covenant and it will testify in favor of those who comply with safe return of the trust.’”

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya al-‘ Attar has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Umar ibn Yazid who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I do not think a man can increase anything good in his belief except that he increases his love for women.’”

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 ‘Umar ibn ‘Udhaynah from Muhammad ibn Muslim and from more than one person who has said the following: “About the case of a man who sends a hunting dog with the mention of the name of Allah, the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have stated this Hadith. ‘If the dog catches the prey and you arrive to slaughter it properly, then you must do so; but if you arrive when it has already killed the prey and has eaten thereof you can also eat what is left, however, you must not apply to other hunting animals what you apply to hunting dogs.’”

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

3. Muhammad ibn Ja‘far al-Asadi has narrated from Muhammad ibn Esma‘il al-Barmaki al-Razi from al-Husayn ibn al-Hassan ibn Bard al-Daynuri from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah al-Khurasani the an employee of Imam al-Rida (a.s.) who has said the following. “An atheist man came to Imam abu al-Hassan (a.s.) while group of people was present there. The Imam (a.s.) said to him, “Consider, if what you say would be true which is not true, in such case, we all will be equal. Our fasting, prayers, giving charity and belief will not harm us.” The man remained quite. The Imam then said, “If what we say would be true, which, in fact, is true then you will be the one facing your destruction and we will be saved.” The man then said, “Please help me learn where is He and how is He?” The Imam then said, “What is the matter with you? What you say is not right. He is the ‘where’ of ‘where’ but without ‘where’. He is the ‘how’ of ‘how’ without ‘how’. He can not be defined with ‘how’ and ‘where’ and can not be comprehended with the senses or compared with anything.” The man then asked, “Tell me then when was He?” The Imam replied, “You tell me, when He was not there so that I would tell when He was there?” The man then asked, “What is the proof for His existence?” The Imam said, “When I look at my body I find that I can not do any addition or alteration to it such as width and breadth or remove its sufferings and attract all its interests. I then come to understand that for this establishment there must be a founder and then I acknowledge His existence. Besides, I see all the orbiting planets and stars, the creation of the clouds and driving of the winds, the paths of the sun, the moon, the stars and other things of the marvelous clear signs I come to believe that there is One who has designed and created all such wonderful things”

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

3. Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Isma’il from Sa‘dan ibn Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: ‘Alayhi al-Salam, saying: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say that fever is the harbinger of death; it is the prison of Allah on earth and the share of a believing person from the fire.”

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

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Mu’ammar ibn Khallad who has said the following: “I once heard al-Rida’ (a.s.), saying, ‘Three things are of the traditions of the Messengers (of Allah): use of perfume, trimming hairs and ampleness of (relation in) marriage.’”

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

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from ibn Faddal from ‘Abd Allah ibn Bukayr from Salim al-Ashal who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a dog which catches the prey, holds it in place and has eaten a part thereof. He (the Imam) said, ‘Dog’s eating is not harmful and it is lawful for you to use it for food.’”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Khaffaf or from his father from Muhammad ibn Ishaq who has said the following. “‘Abdallah al-Daysani asked Hisham ibn al-Hakam, ‘Do you have a God?’” He replied, “Yes, I have a God.” He then asked, “Is He powerful?” Hisham then replied, “Yes, He is powerful and the most powerful One.” The man then asked, “Can He fit the whole world inside an egg without any change in the size of either one?” Hisham then said, “Give me a little time.” The man said, “I give you one whole year and he left.” Hisham then went to see Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) for an Answer. After asking permission that he was granted Hisham explained, “Al-Daysani asked me a question today and I see no one except Allah and yourself to answer it.” The Imam then asked, “What is the question?” Hisham restated the question that al-Daysani had asked. The Imam then said, “O Hisham, how many are your senses?” He replied, “They are five.” The Imam then asked, “Which one is the smallest?” He replied, “The seeing sense.” The Imam then asked, “How big is its size?” He replied, “It is about the size of the pupil or smaller.” The Imam then said, “O Hisham, look in front of you and above you and then tell me what you have seen.” Hisham then replied, “I can see the sky, the earth, the houses, the buildings, the land, the mountains and the water canals.” The Imam then said, “The One who has been able to fit all that you can see in a pupil or even a smaller thing is also able to fit the whole world in side an egg without any change in the size of any one of them. Hisham bowed down and kissed the feet, the hands and the head of the Imam (a.s.) saying, “This is enough for me O descendant of the holy Prophet and then left for his home. The next day al-Daysani met him and said, “I have come just to say greetings to you and not for an answer to my question” Hisham then said, “Even if you may have come for an answer it is ready.” Al-Daysani then left to meet Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) and after asking permission for a meeting which was granted he sat down and said, “O Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, “Guide me to my Lord.” The Imam then asked, “What is your name?” He then left without answering the Imam and his people asked him, “Why did you not answer the Imam?” He replied, “Were I to tell him that it is ‘Abdallah he would then ask that who is this Lord whose slave are you?” They then said, “Return to him and ask him to guide you to your Lord without asking your name.” He then returned back to the Imam and asked, “O Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, “Guide me to my Lord but do not ask my name.” The Imam asked him to sit down. A young boy, son of the Imam was there playing with an egg in his hand and the Imam asked, “Fetch me the egg O young man. The boy gave the egg to the Imam who said, “O Daysani, this is a secure castle. It has a thicker outer shell and inside of it there is much finer shell inside of which there is liquid gold and flowing silver. The liquid gold does not mix with the flowing silver nor does the flowing silver mix the liquid gold. Such is its condition no expert comes out therefrom to find out what is beneficial to it to report back all about it nor any corrupting agent enters therein so that its problems would be reported. No one knows if it is created for a male or a female. It will burst out with colors of a peacock. Do you think there is someone to design and manage it? Al-Daysani thought quietly and said, “I testify that there is no god but Allah Who is the only Lord and has no partner. I testify that Muhammad (s.a) is His servant and messenger and that you are the Imam and an authority from Allah over his creatures and I repent because of previous beliefs.”

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

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from abu al-Jarud who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘I will be the first to arrive before the Majestic, the Almighty on the Day of Judgment, His book and my family, then my followers whom I will ask about what they have done to the book of Allah and my family.’”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Faddal, from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Yazid who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Prophet David died suddenly on a Saturday and birds provided shadow over his body. Moses died in the wilderness where he had lost his way. A voice cried from the sky, “Moses has died! Who is he that does not die?””’

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

4. Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from and Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father all from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid who has narrated the following: “Sukayn al-Nakha‘iy worshipped and had given up women, perfume and food. He wrote to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked him (the Imam) about it. He (the Imam) wrote to him in answer, ‘About your words concerning women, take notice about the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, how many women he (the Messenger of Allah) had, and about food you must take notice that the Messenger of Allah ate meat with honey.’”

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

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from [Salim] and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu ‘Ubaydah al- Hadhdha who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who sends his trained dog to catch a prey and mentions the name of Allah. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can use for food what the dog has caught and he must slaughter it properly, if he arrives at the site before the dog kills the prey. He must not use the catch for food if he finds a non-hunting dog with it.’ I asked about Cheetah. He (the Imam) said, ‘If you arrive in time to slaughter it properly then you can use it for food, otherwise, you cannot use it for food.’ I then asked, ‘Is not Cheetah like dog?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No other animals are called Mukallab (dogged, trained dogs) except dogs.’”

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim reported from his father, from Abbas ibn Amr al-Fuqaymi, from Hisham ibn al-Hakam, regarding the narration of the heretic who came to Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq (as). Among the statements of the Imam was: "Your claim (of polytheism) does not exclude the possibility that the two (Gods) are either both eternal and powerful or limited, or that one of them is powerful while the other is limited. If they are both powerful, then why doesn’t one of them repel the other and take sole control? And if you claim that one of them is powerful and the other is limited, it is established that there is only one, as we would say the manifest incapacity in the second. If you say that there are two, they cannot be devoid of being either in complete agreement or completely divergent in every aspect. When we observe that creation is organized, the celestial bodies are in motion, and the management is unified, as well as the alternation of night and day, the sun and the moon, it indicates the correctness of the matter and the unity of management. You must admit that if you claim there are two, there must be a gap between them until they become two, and thus the gap becomes a third entity alongside them. This implies that you are asserting three. If you claim three, then what you said about the two must apply until there is a gap between them, making them five. Then the count will continue indefinitely into what has no limit in multiplicity." Hisham said: "Then the heretic asked, 'What is the proof of this?' Abu Abdullah (as) said: 'The existence of actions indicates that there is a Creator who made them. Do you not see that when you look at a constructed building, you know it has a builder, even if you have not seen the builder or witnessed him?' The heretic then asked, 'What is it?' Abu Abdullah (as) replied: 'It is something contrary to other things; refer my statement to the affirmation of a meaning, and that it is something in the reality of existence, but it is neither a body nor a form, nor is it tangible or measurable. It cannot be perceived by the five senses; it cannot be grasped by imagination, nor can it be diminished by time, nor altered by the ages.'"

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

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya from Talhah ibn Zayd from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “In this Quran is the lighthouse of guidance and torches for dankness. One must brighten his eyes and open them in such light; thinking is life for the seeing eyes just as light helps one walking in the dark.”

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

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr and al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Jamilah from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘A sudden death compensates (for the short comings) of a believing person but it is a regrettable grip for an unbeliever.’”

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Salih al-Sindiy from Ja’far ibn Bashir from Aban from ‘Umar ibn Yazid who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I do not think anyone increases goodness in this issue (belief in the Divine Authority of ‘A’immah) without his increasing love for women.’”

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Najran from ‘Asem ibn Hamid from Muhammad ibn Qays who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘What is killed by dogs trained for hunting and the name of Allah is mentioned, you can use it for food, and what is killed by dogs not trained before and before you arrive to slaughter properly, then do not use it for food.’”

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

6. Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub has said that a number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Barqi from his father, from Ali ibn al-Ni‘man, from ibn Maskan, from Dawud ibn Farqad from abu Sa‘id al-Zuhri from Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who said the following. “For the people of understanding as proof of the existence of the Allah it is enough that He has created all things and has kept them full under His control. It is enough proof that He is the Most powerful king. It is enough proof that His Majesty is manifest everywhere. That His light is the Most bright that His testimony is the Most truthful. There is enough proof of His existence in what the people speak and what the messengers have brought and what he has revealed to people as proof of His Own existence.”

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

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from abu Jamilah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘It is in the will of Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) to his companions, “You must know that the Holy Quran is guidance during the day and light in the dark night against the existing hardships and poverty.”’

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

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad or someone other than him from Ali ibn Hadid from who has said the following: “Al-Rida (a.s.), has said that most of our followers die from widespread stomach (internal) illness.”

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 Hafs ibn al-Bakhtariy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah (saww) has said, ‘I do not love anything from your world except women and perfume.’”

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

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Jamil ibn Darraj al-Marwah has said that narrated to me Hakam ibn Hakim al-Sayrafiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the hunting dog which hunts and kills the prey. He (the Imam) said, ’It is not unlawful and you can use it for food.’ I then said, ’They say that if the dog kills the prey it has caught it for itself, thus, you must not use it for food.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use it for food. Do they not all agree with you that its kill is proper slaughtering?’ I replied, ‘Yes, it is true.’ He (the Imam) then asked, ‘What do they say about a sheep slaughtered by a man? Is his slaughtering proper?’ I replied, ‘Yes, he has done so.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If a beast comes and after his slaughtering eats something from the slaughtered sheep can the rest be used for food?’ I replied, ‘Yes, it can be used for food.’ He (the Imam) said that if they answer you in this way ask them this question. ‘How is it that even though what is slaughtered properly (the catch of the trained hunting dog) and the dog ate thereof, you do not use the rest for food, but you use for food the sheep slaughtered by a man and a beast eats thereof?”’

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

7. Ali has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Once a man complained to the Holy Prophet for having pain in his chest and he (a.s.) said, ‘Seek a cure from the Holy Quran; Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, says, “It is a cure for that which is in the chest (the heart).”’

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

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Musa ibn al-FIassan from al-Haytham ibn al-Masruq from a shaykh of our people called abu ‘Abd Allah from a man who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Fever is a harbinger of death and a prison of Allah on earth. Its heat is from hell and that is the share of a believing person (instead) of hellfire.’”

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

7. Muhammad Ibn Abi ‘Umayr has narrated from Bakkar ibn Kardam from more than one person who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah (saww) , has said, ‘The delight for my eyes is placed in Salat (prayer) and my pleasure in women.’”

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

7. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhsin ibn Ahmad from Yunus ibn Ya’qub who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who sends his dog and he arrives at the site when the dog has killed the prey. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use it for food even if the dog has eaten thereof.’”

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

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Safwan from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar from Najiyah who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ’A believing person may die by any form of death and suffer from any form of suffering; however, he does not kill himself.”’

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

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salmah ibn al-Khattab from Ali ibn Hassa’n from certain persons of our people who has said the following: “We once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ’What is the most enjoyable thing? 5 We said other things. He (the Imam) said, ’The most enjoyable of things is sexual intercourse with women.”’

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

8. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad, Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father, and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who sends his dog to catch a prey which the dog catches; but he does not have a knife to slaughter it and about if he can leave it alone for the dog to kill and eat thereof. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful because Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has said, ‘Eat what they catch for you’, but it is not proper to eat what a cheetah has killed.’”

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

9. Hamid has narrated from al-Hassan ibn m h from Wuhayb ibn Hafs from abu Basir who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘The Holy Quran forbids and commands, it commands (people to go) to paradise and prohibits (people from going) to the fire.’”

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

9. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad from Wuhayb ibn Hafs from abu Basir who has said the following: “Once I asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about the death of a believing person. The Imam said, ‘A believing person may die by any form of death, such as by drowning, or collapse of a house, by beasts or thunderous lightening but not when speaking of Allah.’”

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

9. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla’ ibn Muhammad from af-Hassan ibn Afi from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Umar ibn Yazid who has said the foflowing: “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, ‘The delight of my eyes is placed in Salat (prayer), my enjoyment of the world in women and my comfort and relief with al-Hassan and al-Husayn (a.s.).”’

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

9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from abu Bakr al- Hadramiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the hunting of Falcons, hawks, dogs and leopards. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not use for food what is hunted by any of these unless you slaughter it properly, except dogs trained for hunting.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if the dog kills it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use it for food; Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says, “. . . and what you train of dogs for hunting, eat of what they catch for you and mention the name of Allah on it.” (5:4)’”

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

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Salih ibn al-Sindy from Ja’far from his father ibn Bashir from Sa’d al-‘Iskaf who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The longer chapters of the Holy Quran were given to me as alternative to Torah, the chapters of one hundred verses in place of Injil, al-Mathani (Chapter 1) in place of al-Zabbur, in addition I was favored with sixty eight detailed chapters. It is dominant over other books, Torah was for Moses, Injil for Jesus and al-Zabur for David.’”

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

10. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ‘Uthman al-Nawwa’ from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, places a believing person under any kind of test and trial and causes him or her to die by any form of death but He does not cause him or her to suffer the loss of reason. Consider the case of prophet Ayyub, how Satan controlled his property, children and family and all things that were his, but not his reason. It remained with him so he could worship thereby and maintain his belief in Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious.”

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

10. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah al-Barqiy from al-Hassan ibn abu Qatadah from a man from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The most enjoyable thing people experience in this world and in the hereafter is enjoyment with women and it is in the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘The love and enjoyment for women and children is made attractive for people.’ (3:13) He (the Imam) then said, ‘People of paradise will not enjoy from anything else as much as they will with marriage, but not from food or drink.’”

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

10. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from Aban ibn Taghlib from Sa‘id ibn Musayyib who has said the following: “I heard Salman saying, ‘You can use for food the prey that dogs catch for you even if the dog has eaten two-thirds of it.’”

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

11. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn Salim from Ahmad ibn al- Nadr from ‘Amr ibn Shimr from Jabir from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “On the Day of Judgment the Holy Quran will come in the best shape and form. He will pass by the Muslims who will say, ‘This man is from us.’ He will pass toward the prophets who will say that he is of us, then he will pass toward the special angels who will say that he is one of us until he is before the Lord of Majesty, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and will say, ‘O Lord, so and so son of so and so suffered from thirst, spent the night in vigil in the world so and so son of so and so did not suffer thirst and did not spend his night in vigil (for worship).’ Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, will say, ‘Admit them in paradise.’ He will stand up and they will also rise and follow him. The believing people will be told, ‘Read and climb.’ The Imam said that the believing people will read and climb until they will reach their position that is for them and occupy their places.’”

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

11. 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, ‘The dogs of al-Kurdiyah (Kurdish people), when you train them, are like the dogs of al-Saluqiyyah (name of town in Yemen).”’

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

12. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and A number of our people have narrated have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Sahl ibn Ziyad all from ibn Mahbub from Malik ibn ‘Atiyyah from Yunus ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘On the Day of Judgment there will be three books of records: the book of the record of the good deeds, the book of the record of the bounties and the book of the record of the evil deeds. The records of the good deeds and the bounties will be compared and (in a particular case) the record of the bounties overwhelm all the good deeds and the record of the evil deeds will remain for the son of Adam’s accountability, however, the Holy Quran will come forward in the best form and say, “O Lord, this believing servant would tire himself in reciting me and spend long hours during the night reading from me. During his Tahajjud (special prayer at night) his eyes would flood with tears, O Lord, make him happy as he would make me happy.” The Imam said that the Most Majestic, the Almighty, will say, ‘My servant, open your right hand. He fills it up with contentment of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Almighty, his left hand with the favor of Allah and then it will be said to him, ‘This is paradise and it is permissible for you. Read (from the Holy Quran) and climb up.’ On reading a verse he will climb one degree (in happiness).”’

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

12. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from Mansur ibn Hazim from Salim al-Ashal who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about dog trained for hunting which has eaten of the prey. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use it (the prey) for food.”’

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

13. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qasani all have narrated from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Sulayman ibn Dawud from Sufyan ibn ‘Uyayna from al-Zuhri who has said the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) has said, ‘Having the Holy Quran with me I will have no fear or anxiety, even if everyone between the East and West may all die.’ On reading verse four of Chapter 1, “The owner (of the kingdom) on the Day of Judgment,” repeatedly he seemed as if he were about to die.’”

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

13. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Abd al- Rahman ibn abu ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who sends his dog, it catches a prey and eats thereof: if one can use the remaining for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use for food what a dog has killed when you mention the name of Allah on it. If you forget to do so you still can use it for food as well as the remaining of what the dog has eaten.’”

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

14. Ali b. Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ibrahim b. Abd al-Hamid from Ishaq b. Ghalib who said: Abu Abdillah (as) has said: "When Allah (azwj) will gather together [the people of] the first and last [generation], they will be in the presence of a person whom they have never seen a more beautiful form than him. When the believers look at him, and he is the Quran, they will say, 'This is from us; this is the most beautiful thing we have ever seen.' When he reaches them, he will pass by them and then the martyrs will look at him [and this continues] until he passes by the last of them. They will say, ‘This is the Quran', and he will pass all of them towards the Messengers [of Allah] who will say, ‘This is the Quran,’ and he will pass them towards the angels who will say, ‘This is the Quran,’ and he will pass them until he will approach the right side of the Throne and stand up at that point. Al-Jabbar (a name of God; The Compeller): will say, ‘[I swear] by My Majesty, Glory and My High status, this day I will honor those who had honored you (the Quran) and humiliate those who have humiliated you.'"

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

14. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Musa ibn Bakr from Zurarah who has said the following: “About the case of a man’s sending a hunting dog, with the mention of the name of Allah, to catch a prey, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has stated this Hadith. ‘He can use it (the catch) for food even if the dog kills it and has eaten thereof. If the dog is not trained already for hunting, but is trained at that hour, then is sent to catch and it did and ate thereof, the dog is still a trained dog. On the other hand different from hunting dogs is what leopards, hawks and similar animals hunt. You must not use it for food unless you arrive in time to slaughter it properly; Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says, ‘Mukallabin’ (dogged, trained dogs), thus, what is different from dogs its hunting is not edible unless you arrive in time to slaughter it.’”

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

15. 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 the hunting of falcons and dogs that kill the prey and eat thereof; if the remaining can be used for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not use for food what birds like falcons kill, unless you slaughter it properly; but if it is killed by dog when you have mentioned the name of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, you can use it for food even if the dog has eaten thereof.’”

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

16. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from al-Qasim ibn Sulayman who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a dog that slips away without his owner’s sending to hunt but it hunts and the owner arrives when it has killed the prey; if he can use it for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not lawful for food.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If it hunts and the name of Allah is mentioned he can use it for food but if the name of Allah is not mentioned he must not use it for food and that is the meaning of ‘. . .and what you train of dogs for hunting.’”

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

17. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Mu‘awiyah ibn Hakim from abu Malik al-Hadramiy from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about my sending a dog to hunt and after mentioning the name of Allah, when I have nothing with me to slaughter the prey. He (the Imam) said, ‘Allow the dog to kill the prey, then you can use it for food.’”

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

18. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Musa ibn Bakr from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a man sends a dog but forgets to mention the name of Allah, it then is like slaughtering and forgetting to mention the name of Allah and so also is the case of shooting the prey with an arrow and forgetting to mention the name of Allah.’”

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

19. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from certain persons of our people from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Ali ibn abu Hamzah from his father from abu Basir who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a people who send their trained dogs to hunt and who mention the name of Allah. When the dogs go, a stray dog joins them and the dogs jointly hunt. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not use it for food because you do not know if the trained ones have hunted it or the one without training.’”

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

20. 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 ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘What a very black colored dog hunts is not edible because the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, commanded to kill it.’”

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

8. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from certain individuals of his people from al- Khashshab in a marfu’ manner from the Imam (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘I swear by Allah, Khilafat (leadership after the Holy Prophet) will never return to the family of abu Bakr and ‘Umar. It will never return to descendents of ‘Umayyah, and never to the children of Talhah and al-Zubayr. It is because they abandoned the Holy Quran, cancelled the noble traditions, and suspended the laws. The Messenger of Allah has said, “The Holy Quran is guidance against straying, clarification against blindness, stability against wavering, light against darkness, brightness in incidents, protection against destruction, intelligence against temptation, clear statement against mischief, and completion (of aim) in the world to the hereafter. In it there is your perfect religion. Whoever deviates from the Holy Quran is headed to the fire.’”

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