The Spreading, Furniture

دَخَلَ قَوْمٌ عَلَى الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع فَقَالُوا يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ نَرَى فِي مَنْزِلِكَ أَشْيَاءَ نَكْرَهُهَا وَ إِذَا فِي مَنْزِلِهِ بُسُطٌ وَ نَمَارِقُ فَقَالَ ع إِنَّا نَتَزَوَّجُ النِّسَاءَ فَنُعْطِيهِنَّ مُهُورَهُنَّ فَيَشْتَرِينَ مَا شِئْنَ لَيْسَ لَنَا مِنْهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

In his home there were pleasing spreading and cushions. He (the Imam) (a.s.), said, ‘We marry women and give them their mahr (dower). They buy whatever they want and we do not have anything to say about it.’”

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَرَأَيْتُ فِي مَنْزِلِهِ بُسُطاً وَ وَسَائِدَ وَ أَنْمَاطاً وَ مَرَافِقَ‌[1] فَقُلْتُ مَا هَذَا فَقَالَ مَتَاعُ الْمَرْأَةِ.

“I once visited abu Ja‘far (a.s.), and in his house I saw spreading, cushions, furnishings and pillows and I asked, ‘What are these?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘These are the belongings of the woman (wife the Imam).’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌ يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ‌ ما يَشاءُ مِنْ مَحارِيبَ‌ وَ تَماثِيلَ‌ وَ جِفانٍ كَالْجَوابِ‌[1] قَالَ مَا هِيَ تَمَاثِيلَ الرِّجَالِ وَ النِّسَاءِ وَ لَكِنَّهَا تَمَاثِيلُ الشَّجَرِ وَ شِبْهِهِ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘They made for him whatever he wanted, such as Salat (prayer) niche, statues, basins like wells. . . .’ (34:13) He (the Imam) said, ‘They were not statues of men and women but they were the figures of trees and simil

كَانَتْ لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ ع وَسَائِدُ وَ أَنْمَاطٌ فِيهَا تَمَاثِيلُ يَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, (in his house) had pillows and floor furnishings which had pictures (of sceneries) on which he (the Imam) sat.’”

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي بَيْتٍ مُنَجَّدٍ ثُمَّ عُدْتُ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْغَدِ وَ هُوَ فِي بَيْتٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ إِلَّا حَصِيرٌ وَ عَلَيْهِ قَمِيصٌ غَلِيظٌ فَقَالَ الْبَيْتُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتَهُ لَيْسَ بَيْتِي إِنَّمَا هُوَ بَيْتُ الْمَرْأَةِ وَ كَانَ أَمْسِ يَوْمُهَا.

“I once visited abu Ja‘far (a.s.), in a well-furnished house; and the next day I visited him in a house where there was nothing except a mat. He (the Imam) wore a thick and rough-textured shirt. He (the Imam) said, ‘The house that you saw was not my house. It was the house of the woman and yesterday was her day.’”

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ عَلَى مَتَاعٍ فَجَعَلْتُ أَلْمِسُ الْمَتَاعَ بِيَدِي فَقَالَ هَذَا الَّذِي تَلْمِسُهُ بِيَدِكَ أَرْمَنِيٌّ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ وَ مَا أَنْتَ وَ الْأَرْمَنِيَّ فَقَالَ هَذَا مَتَاعٌ جَاءَتْ بِهِ- أُمُّ عَلِيٍّ امْرَأَةٌ لَهُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنْ قَابِلٍ دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَعَلْتُ أَلْمِسُ مَا تَحْتِي فَقَالَ كَأَنَّكَ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ مَا تَحْتَكَ فَقُلْتُ لَا وَ لَكِنَّ

“I once visited abu Ja‘far (a.s.). He was sitting on a certain furnishing. I kept touching it with my hand. He (the Imam) said, ‘What you are touching is from Armenia.’ I then asked, ‘What do you have to do with Armenia?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘This is what mother of Ali (wife of the Imam) has brought.’ I then visited hi

سَمِعْتُ الرِّضَا ع يَقُولُ‌ قَالَ قَائِلٌ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع يَجْلِسُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى بِسَاطٍ فِيهِ تَمَاثِيلُ فَقَالَ الْأَعَاجِمُ تُعَظِّمُهُ وَ إِنَّا لَنَمْتَهِنُهُ‌[2].

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Once a man asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), if a man can sit on a furnishing which has pictures of things on it. He (the Imam) said, ‘Al-’A‘ajim (non- Arab) respect it, but we do not consider it important.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ص عَنِ الْفِرَاشِ الْحَرِيرِ وَ مِثْلِهِ مِنَ الدِّيبَاجِ وَ الْمُصَلَّى الْحَرِيرِ وَ مِثْلِهِ مِنَ الدِّيبَاجِ- هَلْ يَصْلُحُ لِلرَّجُلِ النَّوْمُ عَلَيْهِ وَ التُّكَأَةُ وَ الصَّلَاةُ فَقَالَ يَفْرُشُهُ وَ يَقُومُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا يَسْجُدُ عَلَيْهِ‌[1].

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about silk furnishings and similarly about brocaded items, prayer rugs of silk and of brocaded ones; if it is proper for a man to sleep on it, perform Salat (prayer) or lean against it. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can spread it and stand on it but he cannot perform Sajdah (prostration) o