The Fundamentals of Islam

بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ وَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ الصَّوْمِ وَ الْحَجِّ وَ الْوَلَايَةِ وَ لَمْ يُنَادَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ كَمَا نُودِيَ بِالْوَلَايَةِ فَأَخَذَ النَّاسُ بِأَرْبَعٍ وَ تَرَكُوا هَذِهِ يَعْنِي الْوَلَايَةَ.

‘Islam is based on five principles. They are: Prayer, al-Zakat (charity) fasting, Hajj and al-Wilayah. The call to none of the other principles has been so emphatic as it has been to al- Wilayah. People accepted the other four but they left aside this [al-Wilayah].’”

قَالَ: أَثَافِيُّ الْإِسْلَامِ‌[3] ثَلَاثَةٌ الصَّلَاةُ وَ الزَّكَاةُ وَ الْوَلَايَةُ لَا تَصِحُّ وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ إِلَّا بِصَاحِبَتَيْهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘The tripod of Islam consists of prayer, al-Zakat (charity) and al-Wilayah. No one of these can be considered correct without the other two.”

بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسَةِ أَشْيَاءَ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ وَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ الْحَجِّ وَ الصَّوْمِ وَ الْوَلَايَةِ قَالَ زُرَارَةُ فَقُلْتُ وَ أَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ الْوَلَايَةُ أَفْضَلُ لِأَنَّهَا مِفْتَاحُهُنَّ وَ الْوَالِي هُوَ الدَّلِيلُ عَلَيْهِنَّ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ الَّذِي‌ يَلِي ذَلِكَ فِي الْفَضْلِ فَقَالَ الصَّلَاةُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ الصَّلَاةُ عَمُودُ دِينِكُمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ ثُم

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Islam is based on five issues. It is based on prayer, alms (al-Zakat), Hajj, Fasting and al-Wilayah.’’ Zurara has said, ‘I then asked the Imam, “Which of these is more important than the others?’” The Imam said, ‘Al-Wilayah is more important. It is the key to the others. The person who pos

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَخْبِرْنِي بِدَعَائِمِ الْإِسْلَامِ الَّتِي لَا يَسَعُ أَحَداً التَّقْصِيرُ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةِ شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنْهَا الَّذِي مَنْ قَصَّرَ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةِ شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنْهَا فَسَدَ دِينُهُ وَ لَمْ يَقْبَلِ [اللَّهُ‌] مِنْهُ عَمَلَهُ وَ مَنْ عَرَفَهَا وَ عَمِلَ بِهَا صَلَحَ لَهُ دِينُهُ وَ قَبِلَ مِنْهُ عَمَلَهُ‌ وَ لَمْ يَضِقْ‌[1] بِهِ مِمَّا هُوَ فِيهِ لِجَهْلِ شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ جَهِلَهُ فَ

“Once I said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘Teach me, please, the basic principles of Islam that are necessary for everyone to know to his limits of understanding, and if he fails to learn them to the necessary levels his religion is destroyed and Allah does not accept his deeds. What is the limit of learning about the deeds

بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ الْوَلَايَةِ وَ الصَّلَاةِ وَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ صَوْمِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ الْحَجِّ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Islam is based on five principles. They are al-Wilayah, (accepting the Divine Authority of ‘ A’immah ), the prayer, al- Zakat (charity), fasting in the month of Ramadan and al-Hajj.’”

بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ الصَّلَاةِ وَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ الصَّوْمِ وَ الْحَجِّ وَ الْوَلَايَةِ وَ لَمْ يُنَادَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مَا نُودِيَ بِالْوَلَايَةِ يَوْمَ الْغَدِيرِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Islam is based on five principles: The prayer, al-Zakat (charity), fasting, al-Hajj and al-Wilayah. The call to no one of the other principles has been so emphatic as it was for al-Wilayah on the day of al-Ghadir (name of a place between Makka and Madina.)”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع حَدِّثْنِي عَمَّا بُنِيَتْ عَلَيْهِ دَعَائِمُ الْإِسْلَامِ إِذَا أَنَا أَخَذْتُ بِهَا زَكَى عَمَلِي وَ لَمْ يَضُرَّنِي جَهْلُ مَا جَهِلْتُ بَعْدَهُ فَقَالَ شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص وَ الْإِقْرَارُ بِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَ حَقٌّ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ الْوَلَايَةُ الَّتِي أَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهَ

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) to teach me the principles of Islam in such a way that on holding to them my deeds can take pure and correct form and thereafter the ignorance of whatever I am ignorant of cannot harm me. The Imam said, ‘Of the principles of Islam are to testify and acknowledge that no one deserves to

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ هَلْ تَعْرِفُ مَوَدَّتِي لَكُمْ وَ انْقِطَاعِي إِلَيْكُمْ وَ مُوَالاتِي إِيَّاكُمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ- فَقُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مَسْأَلَةً تُجِيبُنِي فِيهَا فَإِنِّي مَكْفُوفُ الْبَصَرِ قَلِيلُ الْمَشْيِ وَ لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ زِيَارَتَكُمْ كُلَّ حِينٍ قَالَ هَاتِ حَاجَتَكَ قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي بِدِينِكَ الَّذِي تَدِينُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ أَنْتَ وَ أَ

10. It is narrated from him (Ali ibn Ibrahim) from abu al-Jarud who has said the following: “Once I asked abu Ja’far (a.s.) ‘Do you know, O child of the Messenger of Allah that I love you ( Ahl al-Bayt). that 1 have disassociated myself from other people to associate with you only and that I support you ( Ahl al-Bayt )

سَمِعْتُهُ يَسْأَلُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الدِّينِ الَّذِي افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا لَا يَسَعُهُمْ جَهْلُهُ وَ لَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُمْ غَيْرُهُ مَا هُوَ فَقَالَ أَعِدْ عَلَيَّ فَأَعَادَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص وَ إِقَامُ الصَّلَاةِ وَ إِيتَاءُ الزَّكَاةِ وَ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ

“Once I heard abu Basir asking Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, teach me the religion that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has made obligatory for people to follow. Teach me the religion of which they must not remain ignorant and besides which no other religion is accepte

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَرَضَ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ خَمْساً فَرَخَّصَ فِي أَرْبَعٍ وَ لَمْ يُرَخِّصْ فِي وَاحِدَةٍ.

12. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’ alia ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Fadalah ibn Ayyub from abu Zayd al-Hallal from ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn abu al-‘Ala’ al-Azdi who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has made five things obligato

دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع وَ مَعَهُ صَحِيفَةٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع هَذِهِ صَحِيفَةُ مُخَاصِمٍ يَسْأَلُ‌[1] عَنِ الدِّينِ الَّذِي يُقْبَلُ فِيهِ الْعَمَلُ فَقَالَ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ هَذَا الَّذِي أُرِيدُ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً ص عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ وَ تُقِرَّ بِمَا جَاءَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَ الْوَلَايَةُ لَنَ

13. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Mu’alla ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha’ from Aban from Isma’il al-Ja’fi who has said the following: “Once a man came to abu Ja’far, recipient of divine supreme covenant. He had a book with him. Abu Ja’far said, ‘This is the book of a polemicist who wants to

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ هُوَ فِي مَنْزِلِ أَخِيهِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا حَوَّلَكَ إِلَى هَذَا الْمَنْزِلِ قَالَ طَلَبُ النُّزْهَةِ[2] فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَ لَا أَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ دِينِي فَقَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ أَدِينُ اللَّهَ بِشَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ‌ وَ أَنَّ السَّاعَةَ

“Once I went to see Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) and he was in the house of his brother, ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad, and I said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, what has brought you to this house?’ ‘Seeking privacy,’ said the Imam. I said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, can I state before yo

أَ لَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِالْإِسْلَامِ أَصْلِهِ وَ فَرْعِهِ- وَ ذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ‌[1] قُلْتُ بَلَى جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ أَمَّا أَصْلُهُ فَالصَّلَاةُ وَ فَرْعُهُ الزَّكَاةُ وَ ذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ[2] ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَخْبَرْتُكَ بِأَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ وَ الصَّدَقَةُ تَذْهَبُ بِالْخَطِيئَةِ وَ قِيَامُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ بِذِكْ

“Do you want me to teach you the root of Islam, its branch and its peak? I said, ‘Yes, may Allah take my soul in service for your cause.’ The Imam said, ‘Its root is prayer, its branch is al-Zakat (charity) and its peak is Jihad (the hard work in defense and preaching of the belief).’ The Imam then said, ‘If you want 1