Virtue and Excellence of Serving in the Army

Jihad of Man and Woman

Kinds of Jihad (struggle)

To Whom Does the Obligation of Jihad Apply, and to Whom it Does not Apply

Mobilization Along with People when there is Fear for al-Islam

Under Whose Command Obligatory Jihad Takes Place?

‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd and al-Mu’taziliy Groups’ Visiting abu ‘Abd Allah ‘Alayhi al-Salam

The Recommendations of the Messenger of Allah and Amir al-Mu’minin, about Smaller Armed Expeditions

Chapter 9(a) - Granting Immunity

Chapter 9(b)

Chapter 9(c)

Challenging the Enemy for a Fight

Kindness to the Prisoners and Providing Him Food

Calling to al-Islam before Fighting

Chapter 13(a) - Matters about which Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s), Recommended at the Time of War

Chapter 13(b)

It is not Lawful for a Muslim to Reside in a War Zone

Chapter 15(a) - Distribution of the Properties Captured from the Enemy

Chapter 15(b)

Chapter 15(c)

The Slogan

The Virtue of Maintaining Horses, Racing and Sharp Shooting Contests

Man’s Defending Himself Against the Thief

The Case of one Murdered over His Stolen Property

Chapter 20(a) - The Excellence of Martyrdom

Chapter 20(b)

Chapter 20(c)

Commanding others what is Obligatory and to Prohibit them from doing Evil

Chapter 22(a) - Rejecting Evil in one’s Heart

Chapter 22(b)

The Case of those who Displease the Creator to Please the Creatures

It is Detestable to Expose One’s Self to What He Cannot Endure

Al-Sufiy People’s Visiting Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam

The Meaning of Zuhd (Asceticism)

Using the Worldly Resources as Means for Success in the Hereafter

The Degree Of Efforts Which One Must Make In Search For One’s Sustenance To Follow In the Footsteps of ‘A’immah ‘Alayhim al-Salam

Promoting The Quest For Sustenance And Work To Make A Living

Al^Ibla’ (Trying) in the Work for Living

Meticulous Effort to Make a Living

Receiving Sustenance from Unexpected Sources

The Detestability of Sleeping and Passing Time without Work

Detestability of Laziness

One’s Working in His House

Amending one’s Properties and Planning for one’s Living

Hard Work for the Family

Earning Lawful kind of Sustenance

Saving for One’s Living Expenses

Detestability of Offering Oneself for Hire

Performing Personally one’s Business Tasks

Buying and Selling Real Estate

Debts and Borrowing

Payment of Debts

To Retaliate and Offset for Debts

When a Man Dies Payment of his Debts becomes Due

The Case of One Who Borrows But Does Not Intend To Pay Back

Sell off Debts in Exchange for Debts

Etiquette of Asking for Payment

The Case of Delaying Due Payment

Lodging With a Borrower When Demanding Payment

Chapter 28(a) - The Case of Gift to a Creditor

Chapter 28(b) - Bail out and Assignment or Referral

Working for al-Sultan and his Rewards

The Conditions to Work for al-Sultan

Selling Arms to al- Sultan

The Crafts (Technologies)

The Legal Status of Income from Cupping Operation

Income from Eulogizing Someone to Make People Mourn

The Legal Status of Income from Hairdressing and Circumcising

The Legal Status of the Income of Female Singer from Singing and Selling Singers (Slave-girls)

The Legal Status of Income from Teaching

The legal Status of Income from Selling Copies of the Holy Quran

Gambling and Looting

Earning in Unlawful ways

Unlawful Earnings in the form of al-Suht such as Buying and Selling of Intoxicating Liquors . . .

Consuming the Properties of Orphans

The Amount a Supervisor of the Properties of Orphans Can Lawfully Use

Using the Properties of Orphans in Business and Lending

Safe Return of Trust

A Father and Son’s Using Each Others Properties

A Husband and Wife’s Using Each Other’s Properties

Found and Lost Properties

Gifts and Presents

Rule about Unlawful Interest

Unlawful Interest Does Not Apply Between a Father and Son

The Excellence of Doing Business and Giving It Proper Attention

Etiquettes of Doing Business

Excellence of Keeping Accounts and Books

Entering the Market Before Others

Speaking of Allah, Most High, in the Market

Words to Say When Buying for Resale Purposes

People With Whom Doing Business Is Not Recommended

Using Proper and Improper Measurements in Business

Cheating in Business

Swearing at the Time of Buying and Selling

The Case of Prices of Goods

The Case of Monopolization (Hoarding) Goods in Public Demand

Another Chapter

Excellence of Buying Wheat and Food

Detestability of Estimating and Preferability of Using Measurements

Continuing Profitable Businesses

1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي الْحُرِّ يَتَزَوَّجُ الأمَةَ قَالَ لا بَأْسَ إِذَا اضْطُرَّ إِلَيْهَا.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah from abu Basir who has said the following: “About the case of a free man who marries a slave-girl, abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’It is not unlawful if it is an emergency.’” 

2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ تَزَوَّجِ الْحُرَّةَ عَلَى الأمَةِ وَلا تَزَوَّجِ الأمَةَ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ وَمَنْ تَزَوَّجَ أَمَةً عَلَى حُرَّةٍ فَنِكَاحُهُ بَاطِلٌ.

2. 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, ‘A free woman can become a second wife, the first wife being a slave-girl; but a slave-girl cannot become a second wife, the first wife being a free woman. If one marries a slave-girl as a second wife, the first being a free woman, such marriage is invalid.’” 

3- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ نِكَاحِ الأمَةِ قَالَ يَتَزَوَّجُ الْحُرَّةَ عَلَى الأمَةِ وَلا تُتَزَوَّجُ الأمَةُ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ وَنِكَاحُ الأمَةِ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ بَاطِلٌ وَإِنِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عِنْدَكَ حُرَّةٌ وَأَمَةٌ فَلِلْحُرَّةِ يَوْمَانِ وَلِلأمَةِ يَوْمٌ لا يَصْلُحُ نِكَاحُ الأمَةِ إِلا بِإِذْنِ مَوَالِيهَا.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn abu Hamzah from abu Basir who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the marriage with a slave-girl. He (the Imam) said, ‘One can marry a free woman as a second wife, the first being a slave- girl, but he cannot marry a slave-girl as a second wife, the first being a free woman, and the marriage contract of slave-girl as a second wife, the first being a free woman, is invalid. If you have a free and a slave-girl wife, for the free wife are two days and for the slave-girl one day and it is not proper to marry a slave-girl without the permission of the master.’” 

4- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى اللَّحَّامِ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً حُرَّةً وَلَهُ امْرَأَةٌ أَمَةٌ وَلَمْ تَعْلَمِ الْحُرَّةُ أَنَّ لَهُ امْرَأَةً أَمَةً قَالَ إِنْ شَاءَتِ الْحُرَّةُ أَنْ تُقِيمَ مَعَ الأمَةِ أَقَامَتْ وَإِنْ شَاءَتْ ذَهَبَتْ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَرْضَ بِذَلِكَ وَذَهَبَتْ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا أَفَلَهُ عَلَيْهَا سَبِيلٌ إِذَا لَمْ تَرْضَ بِالْمَقَامِ قَالَ لا سَبِيلَ لَهُ عَلَيْهَا إِذَا لَمْ تَرْضَ حِينَ تَعْلَمُ قُلْتُ فَذَهَابُهَا إِلَى أَهْلِهَا هُوَ طَلاقُهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا خَرَجَتْ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ اعْتَدَّتْ ثَلاثَةَ أَشْهُرٍ أَوْ ثَلاثَةَ قُرُوءٍ ثُمَّ تَزَوَّجُ إِنْ شَاءَتْ.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Mahbub from Yahya al-Lahham from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “About the case of a man who marries a free woman and he has a wife who is a slave-girl and the free woman does not know that he has a slave-girl wife, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If the free woman wants to live with his slave-girl wife, she can do so and if she wants she can go to her family.’ I then asked, ‘If she did not like to live with his slave-girl wife and went to her family, is there a way for him to bring her back?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He has no way to bring her back if she does not agree when she finds out.’ I then asked, ‘Is her going to her family her divorce?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, when she goes out of his house, she commences her waiting period for three months or three cycles of menses then she can marry if she so chooses.’” 

5- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هَلْ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ النَّصْرَانِيَّةَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمَةِ وَالأمَةَ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ فَقَالَ لا تُتَزَوَّجُ وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهُمَا عَلَى الْمُسْلِمَةِ وَتُتَزَوَّجُ الْمُسْلِمَةُ عَلَى الأمَةِ وَالنَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَلِلْمُسْلِمَةِ الثُّلُثَانِ وَلِلأمَةِ وَالنَّصْرَانِيَّةِ الثُّلُثُ.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Abd al- Rahman ibn abu ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if a man can marry a Christian woman as a second wife, the first being a Muslim woman or a slave-girl as a second wife, the first being a free woman. He (the Imam) said, ‘He cannot marry anyone of them as a second wife, the first being a Muslim woman. One can marry a Muslim woman as a second wife, the first being a slave-girl or a Christian woman. The Muslim woman will have two-thirds of the time, the slave-girl and the Christian woman one-third of the time.’” 

6- أَبَانٌ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَتَزَوَّجُ الأمَةَ قَالَ لا إِلا أَنْ يُضْطَرَّ إِلَى ذَلِكَ.

6. Aban has narrated from Zurarah ibn ‘A‘yan who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the marriage of a slave-girl. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, unless it is an emergency.’” 

7- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الرَّجُلُ الْحُرُّ الْمَمْلُوكَةَ الْيَوْمَ إِنَّمَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ حَيْثُ قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنْكُمْ طَوْلا وَالطَّوْلُ الْمَهْرُ وَمَهْرُ الْحُرَّةِ الْيَوْمَ مَهْرُ الأمَةِ أَوْ أَقَلُّ.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from ibn Bukayr from certain persons of our people who have said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not proper today for a free man to marry a slave- girl. It was permissible as Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has said, ‘If one cannot find resources. . . .’ (4:25) Resources is a reference to mahr (dower). Today mahr (dower) is like the mahr (dower) of slave-girls or less.’” 

8- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مَرَّارٍ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْهُمْ (عَلَيْهِم السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُسْلِمِ الْمُوسِرِ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الأمَةَ إِلا أَنْ لا يَجِدَ حُرَّةً فَكَذَلِكَ لا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلا فِي حَالِ الضَّرُورَةِ حَيْثُ لا يَجِدُ مُسْلِمَةً حُرَّةً وَلا أَمَةً.

8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Isma’il ibn Marrar and others from Yunus from ‘A’immah who has said the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not proper for an affluent Muslim man to marry a slave-girl unless he cannot find a free woman. So also, it is not proper for him to marry a woman from the people of the book unless it is an emergency when he cannot find a free Muslim woman or a slave- girl.’” 

9- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مَرَّارٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَنْبَغِي لِلْحُرِّ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الأمَةَ وَهُوَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ وَلا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الأمَةَ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ وَلا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الْحُرَّةَ عَلَى الأمَةِ فَإِنْ تَزَوَّجَ الْحُرَّةَ عَلَى الأمَةِ فَلِلْحُرَّةِ يَوْمَانِ وَلِلأمَةِ يَوْمٌ. 

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Isma’il ibn Marrar from Yunus from ibn Muskan from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not proper for a free man to marry a slave-girl when he is able to marry a free woman, and it is not proper for him to marry a slave-girl as a second wife, the first being a free woman but it is not unlawful to marry a free woman as a second wife, the first being a slave-girl; and if he did so, two days of time is for the free woman and one day for the slave-girl.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 5

Book 3, Chapter 34