The Bounty and Blessings that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High has mentioned in His book, the Holy Quran are the Imams (a.s.)

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Bistam ibn Murrah from Ishaq ibn Hassa’n from al-Haytham ibn Waqid from Ali ibn al-Husayn al-‘Abdi from Sa‘d al-’Iskaf from al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah from Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) who has said the following. “What is wrong with people who changed the Sunnah (traditions) of the Messenger of Allah and deviated from his will? Do they not fear that severe suffering may befall them? He then recited the following verse of the Holy Quran. “Have you not seen (considered) those who changed the blessings (Word) of God through disbelief and led their people to destruction? (14:28). They will suffer in Hell. What a terrible place to stay! (14:29). He then said, “We are the blessings of Allah which He has granted to people. Through us will succeed those will be successful on the Day of Judgment.”

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

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Sahl ibn Ziyad all from ibn Mahbub from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “To maintain contact with friends in the town is by visiting, on a journey and out of town by correspondence.”

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 Muhammad ibn Khalid and al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Qasim ibn ‘Urwah from abu al-‘Abbas al-Fadl ibn “Abd al-Malik who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You must not perform Sujud (prostration) on anything except earth or on what grows from earth except cotton and linen.’”

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

2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad, in a mafu‘ manner, (rafa’ahu) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “(Jinn and mankind) - which of the favors of your Lord do you deny?” (55:13) Will you deny and refuse the Holy Prophet or his successor.” (This verse has come down in Ch 55 al-Rahman.)

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

2. Ibn Mahbub has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “It is necessary to reply a letter just as it is necessary to answer a greeting of peace. The initiator of a greeting of peace is closer to Allah and His messenger.”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from and Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan all from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Zurarah who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘Can I perform Sajdah (prostration) on asphalt? He (the Imam) said, ‘No, also not on cotton, wool, anything from animals, food, fruits of earth and not on anything of clothing.’”

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

3. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from ‘Adallah ibn ’Abd al-Rahman from al-Haytham ibn Waqid from abu Yusuf al-Bazzaz who has said that abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) recited the following verse, “Keep in mind the bounties of Allah. .” (7:69) The Imams (a.s.) said, “Do you know what the bounties of Allah are?” I said, “No, I do not know.” He said, “It is the greatest of the bounties of Allah. It is to acknowledge the Divine authority that we possess.”

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 Mahbub who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about lime which is fired with feces (dung) and bones of dead animals, then is used in the construction of Masjid. Is performing Sajdah (prostration) permissible on it?’ He (the Imam) wrote with his own hand writing, ‘Water and fire have cleansed it.’”

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

4. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Uwarma from Ali ibn Hassa’n from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the following verse. “Have you not seen (considered) those who changed the blessings (Word) of God through disbelief and led their people to destruction?” (14:28) The Imam (a.s.) said it is a reference to all of Quraysh who exercised animosity towards the Holy Prophet (s.a.), created wars against him and rejected his will about his successor.”

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 Sinan from ibn Muskan from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Once my father asked for a prayer mat but I was not fast enough, so he took a handful of pebbles, placed them on the furnishing and performed Sajdah (prostration) on them.’”

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ’Udhaynah from Fudayl ibn Yasar and Burayd ibn Mu‘awiyah who has said the following: “One of the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘It is not harmful to stand on a prayer mat made of hairs and wool if one performs Sajdah (prostration) on earth, but if it is of the plants of earth, it is not harmful to stand on it and perform Sajdah (prostration) on it.’”

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

6. Ahmad ibn Idris and others have narrated Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn ’Isma‘il from Muhammad ibn ‘Umar ibn Sa‘id who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘You must not perform Sajdah (prostration) on graves and on a mix of lime and construction compound.’”

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

7. Ali ibn Muhammad and others have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Rayyan who has said the following: “Certain ones of our people once wrote to him (the Imam) through Ibrahim ibn ‘Uqbah, asking abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about performing Salah (prayer) on prayer mats made in al-Madinah. He (the Imam) wrote in answer, ‘You can perform Salah (prayer) on what is made with threads but not on that which is made with leather stripes.’ Our people were not clear about the meaning of ‘thread’ and ‘stripe’, so I presented a line of poem by Taabbata Sharran (name of a person) that said, ‘As if they are threads of Mariy which are twisted and attached.’ Mariy was a weaving man who worked with ropes and twines.

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

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated through the chain of narrators has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Performing Sujud (prostration) on earth is obligatory and on a prayer mat is a tradition.”

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

9. Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Walid from Yunus from Ya’qub who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You must not perform Sajdah (prostration) on gold or on silver.’”

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

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim who has said the following: “Ja’far (a.s.), has narrated from his father from Ali (a.s.), who have said, ‘One must not perform Sajdah (prostration) on an item on which none of the parts of his body rests.’” (According to Arabic footnote this Hadith is because of Taqiyah)

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

11. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Sa’id from Fadalah from Aban from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Humran from who has said the following: “One of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ’My father would perform Sajdah (prostration) on a prayer mat. He would place it on Tanfash (carpet) and perform Sajdah (prostration) on it. If there was no prayer mat, he placed pebbles on Tanfash and performed Sajdah (prostration) on it.’”

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

12. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Fadalah from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), disliked performing Sajdah (prostration) on a piece of paper with writing on it.’”

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

13. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from al-‘Amrakiy al-Naysaburiy from Ali ibn Ja’far from his brother Musa ibn Ja‘far, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said the following: “I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who performs Sajdah (prostration) on wet growing items. He (the Imam) said, ‘If your forehead touches the ground it is not harmful.’ I asked about stationary grass on the ground and dry leaves while he touches the ground. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

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

14. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn who has said the following: “Certain ones of our people wrote to abu al-Hassan, the previous one (a.s.), asking about Salah (prayer) on glass. He has said that when my letter finished I thought and said to myself that it is something that grows from earth, so I do not need to write and ask him (the Imam). He (the Imam) wrote to me, ‘You must not perform Salah (prayer) on glass even though your soul has spoken to you that it is of what earth grows. However, it is from salt and sand and they both are metamorphosed.’”

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