The Difference among he Messengers, the Prophets and the al-Muhaddath

1. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from Tha‘laba ibn Maymun from Zurara who has said the following “I asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, ‘He was a messenger, a prophet’. What is a messenger and what is a prophet?’” The Imam said, “A prophet is one who sees things in his dream and hears the voice but does not see the angel. The messenger is one who hears the voice, in his dreams and sees the angel.” I then said, “What is the position of the Imam?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He hears the voice but does not see and observe the angel” Then he recited the following verse of the Holy Quran. ‘Satan would try to tamper with the desires of every prophet or messenger or muhaddath whom We sent...’” (22:52)

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 Husayn ibn al-Hassan from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ‘Ammar ibn Musa from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘It is not against you to associate with a person of reason even though you may not appreciate his generosity but you can benefit from his reason. However, you must avoid his immoral manners. Do not ignore the association of a magnanimous person, even though you may not benefit from his reason but you can benefit from his magnanimity by the help of your own reason. Flee, very far away from a power- hungry, irrational person.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa and Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from af-Fadl ibn Shadhan all Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurarah who said: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about how much of Salah (prayer) Allah, the most Majestic and Glorious, has made obligatory. He (the Imam) said, ‘During one day and night five prayers are made obligatory.’ I then asked, ‘Has He named and explained them in His book?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Allah, the most High, has said to His Holy Prophet (sw), “Perform prayer after the sun declines to the west, on midday until the darkness of the night.” (17: 78). The sun declines on midday. There are four prayers between midday and the darkness of the night. Allah has named, explained and timed them. Darkness of night is in midnight. He, most Blessed, most High has then said, “...and the recitation (performing prayer) at dawn and recitation at dawn was witnessed (attended by the angels of the day and those of the nights).” These are five prayers. Allah, the most High, said about this issue, “Perform prayer on both ends of the day, [which is sunset and morning], and in a part of the night.” (11:114) This is al-Isha’ prayer. He, the most High has said, “Preserve prayer especially the middle prayer.” (2:239) Middle prayer is al-Dhuhr prayer which is the first prayer the Messenger of Allah (sw) performed. It is in the middle of two prayers during the day, the morning and al-‘Asr prayer. In some of the recitations it is said, “Preserve Salawat (prayers) and the middle prayer.” Middle prayer is al-‘Asr prayer.’ About the words of Allah, “Stand up praying before Allah,” he (the Imam) said, ‘This verse was revealed on Friday when the Messenger of Allah (sw) was on a journey. The Messenger of Allah (sw) prayed before Allah on Friday and left it in that condition during a journey or when at home. For those at home he added two Rak‘ats. He reduced two Rak‘at which the Holy Prophet (sw) had added on Friday for people when at home, because of the two sermons which a prayer leader delivers. Those who perform Friday prayer without congregation, they perform it four Rak‘at like al-Dhuhr prayer in other days.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Mu‘awiyah ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’For al-Nahr the cut must be made in the upper part of the chest and in slaughtering the throat must be cut.’”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Isma‘il ibn Marrar who has said the following “Al-Hassan ibn al-‘Abbass al-Ma‘rufi wrote to Imam al-Rida (a.s.). “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, explain to me the difference between the messengers, the prophets and the Imams.” The Imam said or wrote, “ The difference between the messengers, the prophets and the Imams is that a messenger is one to whom Jibril (Gabriel) comes. He sees Jibril and hears his speech and Jibril (the angel) brings him (Divine) revelation and sometimes he may see in his dream like the dream of Abraham (a.s.). A prophet is one who may hear the speech and may see the person or may not hear. The Imam is the one who hears the speech but does not see the person.”

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

2. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Najran from Muhammad ibn al-Salt from Aban from abu al-’Udays who has said the following: “O Salih, follow the one who makes you cry while providing good advice and do not follow the one who makes you laugh but is cheating. You will all return to Allah and will find out.”

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

2. Through the chain of his narrators Hammad has narrated from Hariz from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Of Salah (prayer) Allah has made ten Rak‘at obligatory on His servants. In such Salah (prayer) there are the recitations; thus, conjectures, mistakes in such Salah (prayer) are not acceptable. The Messenger of Allah added seven Rak‘ats in which conjectures, mistakes are dealt with according to certain rules, but there are no recitations in them.’”

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

2. Ali has narrated from his father from Safwan who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about slaughtering of cows in the upper part of the chest. He (the Imam) said, ‘Cows are slaughtered by cutting the throat; and if it is Nahr (a cut in the upper part of the chest) in the case of cows, it is not lawfully slaughtered.’”

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 from al-Ahwal who said: “I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.) about the Messenger, the Prophet, and the Muhaddath. He said, 'The Messenger is the one to whom Jibril comes face to face, so he sees him and speaks to him. This is the Messenger. As for the Prophet, he is the one who sees in his dream, like the vision of Abraham and like what the Messenger of Allah (sw) saw from the causes of prophethood before the revelation until Jibril (as) came to him from Allah with the message. And Muhammad (sw), when prophethood was gathered for him and the message came to him from Allah, Jibril would come to him with it and speak to him face to face. And among the Prophets are those to whom prophethood was gathered, and they see in their dreams, and the Spirit comes to them, speaks to them, and converses with them without seeing in wakefulness. As for the Muhaddath, he is the one who is spoken to, hears, but does not see (directly) nor see in his dream.'"

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

3. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Muhammad ibn Ali from Musa ibn Yasar al-Qattan from al-Mas’udi from Dawud from Thabit ibn abu Sakhrah from abu al-Za’Li who has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Consider who you talk to (make friendship). Everyone after death will find the forms of his associates in the presence of Allah; these forms follow the worldly origins. A good form is from a good origin and an evil form is from an evil origin. At the time of his death everyone observes me in my person.’”

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 Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from and Ali ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Yunus ibn Ya’qub who has said the following: “I once said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), that people of Makkah in the case of cows do Nahr (make a cut in the upper part of the chest); so what do you say about using it for food? He (the Imam) said, ‘They slaughtered it but they almost failed to do so thus, you must not eat unless it is slaughtered and it is not killed by means of Nahr.’”

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

4. Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn Yahya have narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Ali ibn Hassan from Faddal from Ali ibn Ya’qub al-Hashimi from Marwan ibn Muslim from Burayd who has said the following. “I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, “Satan would try to tamper with the desires of every Prophet or Messenger or Muhaddith (Muhaddith is a commentary of Imam (a.s.), whom We sent . .’” (22:52). I said, ““May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, the word Muhaddith does not exist in our reading. What then is the meaning of The Messenger, Prophet and Muhaddith?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “A messenger is one to whom the angel comes openly and speaks to him. A prophet is one who sees in his dream. Sometimes prophethood and messengership may exist in one person. Al-Muhaddith is one who hears the voice but does not see the person (of the angel).” I then asked, may Allah keep you well, “How would one know that what one sees in his dream is true and that it is from the angel?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He receives help for success to know the angel. Allah has your book the last book and your Prophet the last of prophets.”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from certain individuals from al-Halab from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muskan from a man from people of al-Jabal whose name is not mentioned and who has said the following: “You should maintain good relations with your old associates and friends, be cautious about a new one who does not have any protection, responsibility, or commitment and always avoid (caution) the one whom you trust the most.”

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

4. Hammad has narrated from Hariz from Zurarah from who has said the following: “About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘Salah (prayer) in Mawqut (with certain timing) form was written on believers’ abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘it means obligatory.’”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from abu Hashim al-Ja’fariy from his father from Humran ibn ’ A‘yan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When you slaughter an animal, do not tie down all the legs, do not push the knife under the throat and veins then turn it to cut upward. You must allow the bird to remain loose especially, but if it falls in a well or a hole, then do not use it for food or feed; you do not know if the fall has killed it or slaughtering. If it is a sheep, then hold it by its fur or wool and do not hold its legs. In the case of cows tie down the front legs and leave the tail. In the case of camels tie down its hoofs to its armpit and leave its legs. If a bird turns loose when you want to slaughter it and escapes and flies away, you can shoot it down with your arrow, if it falls down it then is like hunting.’”

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

5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad in a marfu’ manner from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “To me, the most beloved of my brethren (friends) is the one who most points out my defects to me.”

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

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about slaughtering. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must turn the animal to be slaughtered toward al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah) and do not cut its spinal cord before it dies. You must not use for food what is not properly slaughtered from the proper place.’”

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

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from ‘Ubayd Allah al-Dehqan from Ahmad ibn ‘A’idh from ‘Ubayd Allah al-Halabi from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “There can be no friendship without its rules. You may call one a friend only when he follows such rules and those who do not follow such rules cannot be called a friend. First of all a friend must be the same inside and outside. Secondly, he must consider your beauty his own beauty and your flaw as his flaw. Thirdly that he does not change because of high position and wealth. Fourth, that he does not hold back from you what is within his capabilities. Fifth, with the above, he does not leave you out in unfortunate circumstances.”

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

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Salah (prayer) has four thousand limits (rules).”’ “In another Hadith it is said that in Salah (prayer) there are four thousand doors (chapters).”

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

6. Abu Ali af-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd af-Jabbar from Safwan from ibn Muskan from Muhammad af-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Do not cut off the spinal cord of the animal you slaughter before it dies; and when it dies, then you can cut off its spinal cord.’”

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

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ’Udhaynah from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘There are ten Rak‘at in Salah (prayer). There are two for al- Dhuhr, two for al-‘Asr, two Rak‘at of Morning, two Rak‘at of al-Maghrib and two Rak‘at of al-‘Isha’ al-Akhirah. In these many of Salah (prayer) conjectures (mistakes) are not acceptable. If one faces conjectures in such Salah (prayer), he performs it again. They are Salah (prayer) which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, made obligatory on believers in al-Quran. He (Allah) delegated Muhammad (a.s.), and he (the Holy prophet) increased seven Rak‘at. They are of Sunnah and have no recitations. They have Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects), Tahlil, (no one deserves worship except Allah) Takbir (Allah is great beyond description), and prayer. Conjectures in these Rak‘at are (dealt with according to certain rules). The Messenger of Allah increased two Rak‘at for those at home in al- Dhuhr, al-‘Asr, al-‘Isha’, al-Akhirah and one Rak‘at to al-Maghrib for those at home as well as for those on a journey.’”

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

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘Do not slaughter a sheep near another sheep or a camel near another camel when it is looking to the one being slaughtered.’ ”

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

8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Acts of Salah (prayer) fall in three categories; They are Tahur (cleansing), Ruku‘ (bowing down on one’s knees), and Sujud (prostration).”’

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

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from in a marfu‘ manner the following: “Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said, ‘When you slaughter a sheep and remove its skin or a certain part of its skin before it dies, it then is not lawful to use it for food.’”

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

3. Through the chain of his narrators Hammad has narrated from Hariz from Zurarah who has said the following: “‘Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Allah has made Salah (prayer) obligatory. The Messenger of Allah has established ten kinds of traditions in Salah (prayer): Salah (prayer) at home and during a journey. Salah (prayer) due to fear is of three kinds. There is Salah (prayer) because of sun eclipse and moon eclipse. There is Salah (prayer) of the two ‘Id. There is Salah (prayer) for rain and (lastly) Salah (prayer) for a deceased.’”

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

5. Hammad has narrated from Hariz from Zurarah from who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about what is obligatory in Salah (prayer). He (the Imam) said, ‘Time, al-Tahur (cleansing), facing al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah), paying attention, al-Ruku‘, al-Sujud and praying. The rest are optional in an obligatory duty.’”

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