The fountain head of Knowledge is Ala Muhammad (a.s.)

1. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub who has said that Yahya ibn ‘Abdallah abu al-Hassan the companion of al-Daylam narrated to us and who has said the following. “Once I heard Ja‘far ibn Muhammad (a.s.) say while a group of people of Kufa was present before him, “It is very strange of the people. They have received their knowledge from the Messenger of Allah. They have followed such knowledge and found guidance but they think that his Ahl al-Bayt (members of his family) have not received his knowledge. We are his Ahl al-Bayt (members of his family) and his descendants. In our house Divine inspiration came down and from us knowledge came out to them. Do they think that they have learned and found guidance but we remained ignorant and lost. This, certainly, is not possible.”

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

2. Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah has narrated from Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Ahmar from ‘Abdallah ibn Hammad from Sabbah al-Muzanni from al-Harith ibn Husayra from al-Hakam ibn ‘Utayba who has said the following. “A man met al-Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.) at al-Tha‘laba on his way to Karbala. He came in his presence and offered Islamic greetings to him. Al-Husayn (a.s.) asked, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I am from Kufa.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “By Allah, O brethren from Kufa, if only I had a meeting with you in Madina, I could have shown you the marks of Jibril in and around our house and his coming with Divine message to my grandfather. O brethren from Kufa, how can it be true that we be the ones to make people quench their thirst for knowledge from us but they would learn and we remain ignorant. This can not happen.”

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

2. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from certain individuals of our people from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Rabi’ ibn Muhammad al-Musliy from ’Abd Allah ibn Sulayman al-‘ Amiriy who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘When the Messenger of Allah was taken up (to heavens) he was commanded to perform Salah (prayer) and he returned with ten Rak‘at Salah (prayer) for every day. Each Salah (prayer) consisted of two Rak‘at. When al-Hassan and al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, were born, the Messenger of Allah increased seven more Rak‘at in thanksgiving to Allah and Allah granted him permission to do so. He did not increase anything to the Morning Salah (prayer) due to the short duration of its time in which time the angels of the night and day also attend it. When Allah commanded him to shorten Salah (prayer) while on a journey, he decreased six Rak‘at and did not decrease anything from Maghrib (soon after sunset) Salah (prayer). The rules of how to deal with mistakes in Salah (prayer) apply to the Rak‘at that was increased by the Messenger of Allah. Thus, if one faces doubts during the first and second Rak‘at, he has to redo his Salah (prayer) from the beginning.”

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 Jamil ibn Darraj from al-‘ Ai’dh af-Ahmasiy who has said the following: “Once I visited abu ’Abd Allah, and I wanted to ask him a question about Salah (prayer) during the night and I said, ‘You are a ‘Alayhi al-Salam, O son of the Messenger of Allah.’ The Imam said, ‘Wa ‘Alayka al-Salam, yes, by Allah, we are his sons, not of his other relatives.’ He said it three times. Then without any initiation from me he said, ‘If you come in the presence of Allah with five daily obligatory Salah (prayer), He will not ask you about anything other than these.’”

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

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Isma’if from abu Isma’if af-Sarraj from Harun ibn Kharijah who has said the following: “Once I spoke before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man of our people and I praised him well. The Imam asked, ‘How is his Salah (prayer)?”’

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

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from af-Sayyariy from af-Fadf ibn abu Qurrah in a in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about fifty-one Rak‘at Salah (prayer) daily. He replied, ‘There are twelve hours in the day and twelve in the night. There is one hour between dawn and sunrise. From sunset to disappearing of western brightness is darkness. For every hour there are two Rak‘at and one Rak‘at for darkness.’”

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

6. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated in a marfu‘ manner the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked this question: ‘Why is man told to incline toward the left when facing the direction of Qiblah?’ He replied, ‘Ka’bah has six limits, four on the left and two on the right; for this reason inclination is toward the left.’”

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

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father who has narrated from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that whoever performs five hundred Rak‘at optional Salah (prayer) from one Friday to the next Friday, he can ask Allah whatever he wants except a wish for unlawful matters.”

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

8. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Najran from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that a servant of Allah may rise to perform Qada’ (compensatory prayer for) an optional Salah (prayer) that was missed in its proper time. The Lord then expresses surprise before the angels saying, ‘My angels, look at My servant who makes up for the optional Salah (prayer) missed in time, when I have not even made it obligatory for him.’”

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

9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Ishaq from Sa‘dan ibn Muslim from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that nobility of a man is in his Salah (prayer) during the night and his honor is in his keeping away from unsettling people’s confidentiality.”

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

10. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Harun ibn Kharijah who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that for Salah (prayer) an angel is assigned and he has no other task to perform. When one completes a Salah (prayer), the angel takes it and ascends to heaven. If it is of the kind that is accepted, it then is accepted, but if it is of unacceptable kind, it then is said to him, ‘Return it to My servant.’ He then descends down with that Salah (prayer) and strikes it against his face saying, “Woe is upon you. You continue to have such deeds that make me tired.’””

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

11. Muhammad ibn al-Hassan has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Ash’ariy from al-Qaddah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that a man came to the Holy Prophet asking, ‘O Messenger of Allah, give me a good advice.’ He said, ‘You must not give up Salah (prayer) intentionally; the community of Islam is free from all obligations toward one who gives up Salah (prayer) intentionally.’”

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

12. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Ali ibn Asbat from Muhammad ibn Ali ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from abu al-Hassan (a.s.), who has said the following: “About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘They invented monkish manners, even though We had not made it obligatory on them, except to seek the pleasure of Allah’ (57: 26), the Imam said that it (pleasure of Allah) is a reference to Salah (prayer) during the night.”

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

13. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from certain individuals of Talibiyin, also called R’as al-Madariy who has said the following: “I heard abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), say, ‘The best place for the feet, during Salah (prayer) is one’s shoes (clean Arabic shoes).”’

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

14. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah asked Jibril (Gabriel), “Which places are more beloved to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious?” He replied, “It is Masjids and most beloved to Allah of its people are those who enter them first and leave last.’””

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

15. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn Shammun from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al- Rahman from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that even on cloudy days when the time for noon Salah (prayer) may remain obscure to people, the Imam knows about the sun. (He (the Imam) knows) what is unseen to people, so he always has the proof which town’s people pay attention to the timing of Salah (prayer) and which town’s people ignore it.”

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