Chapter on Who is Worshipped

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Hassan ibn Muhbub from ibn Ri’ab from more than one person from the following form Imam abu ’Abdallah (a.s.). Abu ’Abdallah (a.s.) has said, “Whoever worships Allah with a degree of less than fifty percent knowledge of His existence he has certainly denied His existence. Whoever worships the names without their meaning he certainly has also denied His existence. Whoever worships both the names and the meanings he certainly has become a polytheist. Whoever worships the meaning, with the understanding, that names only convey the attributes, which He Himself has said are His. Thus, they have firmly tied this up to their hearts and have spoken out through their tongues in private and in public these are certainly of the friends of ’Amirul al- Mu’minin (a.s.). According to another Hadith, “They, certainly, are true believers.”

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

1. Ali has narrated from his father from Hammad from Hariz from Abi ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Holy Quran is a covenant of Allah with His creatures. A Muslim must look at his covenant and read fifty verses every day.”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub from abu Waffad af-Hannat from ’Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘If one among you becomes ill, he should allow his brothers in belief to visit him during his illness, so that he may receive reward for it (for giving permission to visitors) and they may also receive reward for their visit.’ He (the Imam) was asked, ‘Their receiving reward for their visit is understandable, but how can he receive reward?’ The Imam then said, ‘He is rewarded because of giving them an opportunity to visit him. For this ten good deeds are written for him, ten degrees promoted and ten of his bad deeds are deleted.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida (a.s.), about the Sacred Area, about its landmarks and why certain ones of its landmarks are closer than others, and others are farther?’ He (the Imam) replied, ’When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, sent Adam down from paradise, he landed on abu Qubays (hill). He complained before his Lord against loneliness and that he does not hear what he used to hear in paradise. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, then sent for him a piece of red ruby. He placed it on the site of the House. Adam walked around it. The light from it fell on certain surrounding sites of the landmarks which are distinguished as such (the landmarks). Allah made them the boundary of the Sacred Area.’”

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

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father all from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu Hamzah from Jabir who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘If you like I can tell you who are of the worst kind of your women. She is the one who is undignified in her family, flattered by her husband, barren, spiteful, who does not abstain from indecency, roams around to show off in the absence of her husband and very reserved when her husband is present. She does not listen to his words and does not obey his orders and in private she refuses to yield to him like recalcitrant animal who refuses to allow riding. She does not accept any of his excuses and does not forgive any of his sins.’”

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

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Aban from Zurarah and ’Isma‘il al-Ju‘fiy who has said the following: “Zurarah and ’Isma’il al-Ju‘fiy had asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the prey which is killed by flareless arrow. He (the Imam) said, ’It is not unlawful if it is what you have shot and it is what you have made for it.’”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Ali ibn Muhammad all from al- Qasim ibn Muhammad from Sulayman ibn Dawud from Hafs ibn Ghiyath from al-Zuhri who has said the following: “I heard Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) saying, ‘Verses of the Holy Quran are treasures, whenever a treasure is opened you should look into it.”’

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 ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Muhtadiy from Yunus who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘If one of you becomes ill he should allow people to visit him; everyone’s prayer has a chance to receive acceptance.’”

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 certain persons of his people from Milhan from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan 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, has said, ‘The wicked ones of your women is one who is barren, filthy, quarrelsome, disobedient, undignified among her people and honored to herself, reserved in the presence of her husband but shows others to be of great carnal appetite.’”

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 said the following: “Once abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the prey that falls because of flareless arrow. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he does not have any other arrow and has mentioned the name of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, he can use it for food. If he has other arrows then he cannot use it for food.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated from Al-Abbas ibn Marouf from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Najran, who said: "I wrote to Abu Ja'far al-Baqir (as) or I told him, 'May God make me your sacrifice, we worship the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, the One, the Unique, the Eternal.' He said, 'Indeed, whoever worships the name without the Named has associated partners (with God), disbelieved, and denied. He has not worshipped anything. Rather, worship God, the One, the Unique, the Eternal, who is named by these names, not by the names themselves. The names are attributes, and He has described Himself with them.'"

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

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, who has narrated from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad, from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah, who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one of you visits his brother in belief during his illness, he should ask him (the patient) to pray for him; a patient’s prayer is like the prayer of the angels.’”

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that of the prayers of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, was this, ‘I seek refuge with You, O Lord, against a woman who makes me become old before my becoming old.’”

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

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu ‘ Ubaydah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you shoot the prey with flareless arrow and if it pierces into the prey you can use it for food; but if it does not pierce into the prey and hits it widthwise, then do not use it for food.”’

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

4. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar and Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from all from Safwan ibn Yahya from ibn Muskan from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a prey that is shot by a man with an arrow and it hits widthwise and kills it. He had mentioned the name of Allah when shooting but no iron has hit the prey. He (the Imam) said, ‘If the arrow that has hit is the one that has caused its death and he has seen it, he can use it for food.’”

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

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from abu al-Mighra’ from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a prey which is hit by an arrow widthwise and no iron part has hit it. He had mentioned the name of Allah when shooting. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can use it for food if it hits and he sees it hitting.’ I asked him (the Imam) about hunting with flareless arrows. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he has no other arrow and he has mentioned the name of Allah when shooting, he can use it for food; but if he had other arrows then he cannot use it for food.’”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Hisham ibn al-Hakam, who asked Abu ’Abdillah (a.s.) about the names of Allah and about the root or derivative forms of those names: “What is the root word for Allah?” He (as) replied, “The word Allah is derived from the word Elah (Lord) which requires Ma’luh (some one whose Lord one has become). Note that names are something other than whatever to which they apply. O Hisham, whoever, worships the name without the fact for which the name stands he has denied the existence of Allah and has not worshipped any thing. Whoever worships the name and the meaning for which the name stands he has worshipped two things. Whoever worships the meaning without the name he is a monotheist. Did you understand it, O Hisham?” Hisham then asked, “Please explain further.” The Imam then said, “Allah has ninety nine names. If names would have been the same thing for which they stand, every one of them would have been a Lord. However, Allah is a meaning for which these names stand and they all are something other than Him. O Hisham, bread is the name for a certain kind of food, water is the name for a certain kind of drink, cloth is the name for a certain kind of garment and fire is the name for a thing that burns. Did you understand, O Hisham, in a form of understanding that would help you to defend our cause against our enemies and those who worship things that are other than Allah?” I said, “Yes, I did receive such understanding.” The Imam then said, “May Allah grant you success in it and keep you steadfast (in your belief). Hisham has said, “I swear by Allah that since then no one has been able to defeat me in an argumentation on the issue of the Oneness of Allah and that has made me reach this position that I hold.”

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