Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, that Ali (AS) said: The greatest of visitors in reward with God is he who, when he visits his believing brother, sits with him briefly, unless the sick person loves that, and wants it, and asks it of him. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 13)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The visit to the sick that carries the greatest reward with God is the one that is brief, unless the sick person himself wishes and requests a longer stay.
Abu Abd Allah related from his father, who said: Ali (AS) said: Fish and locusts are all of them lawfully slaughtered. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 17)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Every kind of fish and locust is lawful.
From Abu Abd Allah (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever wishes that it be measured out for him with the fullest measure, let him say after every prayer: "Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they describe; and peace be upon the messengers; and praise belongs to God, Lord of the worlds." (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 33)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever wishes the record of his deeds to weigh heavy, let him say after the prayers: "Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they describe; and peace be upon the messengers; and praise belongs to God, Lord of the worlds."
From Abu Abd Allah (AS), who said: Ali (AS) said: On Friday people are of three ranks. A man who comes to the Friday prayer before the imam comes out, and attends it in silence and stillness: that is an expiation from one Friday to the next. A man who attends it in restlessness and idle noise: that is his portion. And a man who comes to it while the imam is delivering the sermon and stands to pray: he has gone against the Sunna, and he is one who asks of God; if He wills He grants him, and if He wills He denies him. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 34)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: On Friday people fall into three groups: those who have come to the prayer before the imam and wait for him in silence and calm — the sins of their whole week are forgiven; those who arrive with difficulty and agitation together with the imam — these too have a share; and those who arrive after the sermons have begun — these have acted contrary to the Sunna and are left to God's generosity, whether He grants their need or deprives them.
From Ja'far, from his father, from Ali (AS), who said: Clean your houses of spiders' webs, for leaving it in the house brings about poverty. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 51)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Do not let a spider's web remain in your house, for it brings about poverty.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Abu Abd Allah, from his father, who said: Ali and Fatima brought their dispute concerning household service before the Messenger of God (PBUH), and he ruled that Fatima should serve within the door and Ali should serve what lay beyond it. He said: Then Fatima said: None but God knows the joy that entered me when the Messenger of God (PBUH) spared me the burden of dealing with men. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 52)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Ali and Fatima sought a judgment from the Messenger of God (PBUH) concerning the responsibility of each of them in their life together. He said: It is for Fatima to do the work of the house, and for Ali to do the work outside. Then Fatima (peace be upon her) said: God knows how glad I was when, with these words, the Messenger of God lifted from my shoulders the burden of dealing with men who are not of my household.
Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) used to reproach his servants over the leavening of the dough, saying: "It makes more bread." (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 70)
The narrator said: If his servants did not let the dough ferment properly and rise, Ali (AS) would reproach them and say: "Risen dough gives bread to a greater number."
From Abu Abd Allah, from his father, who said: Ali (AS) used to stand in the rain — the first rain that fell — until his head, his beard and his clothes were soaked. It was said to him: "O Commander of the Faithful, shelter! Take shelter!" And he would say: "This is water newly come from the Throne." (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 73)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: When rain began to fall, Ali (AS) would go out into it so that the first of the rain would wet his head, his beard and his clothes. They would say: "Take shelter from the rain!" He would say: "No; the water of the first rain is newly come from the Throne of God."
Mas'ada ibn Ziyad said: And Ja'far related to me, from his father, who said: When his mount stumbled with him, Ali (AS) would say: "O God, I seek refuge in You from the passing away of Your blessing, from the turning away of Your well-being, and from the sudden onset of Your retribution." (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 84)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) used to say: Whenever the mount of Ali (AS) grew unruly, he would raise his hands in supplication and say: "O God, refuge in You from the passing away of Your blessing, from the turning away of Your well-being, and from the coming of Your retribution!"
From Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) used to have the Christians and the Jews swear their oaths in their churches and synagogues, and the Magians in their fire-houses, and he would say: "Be strict with them, as a precaution on behalf of the Muslims." (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 86)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) used to say: When Ali (AS) administered oaths to Jews, Christians and Magians in lawsuits, he would have them swear in their own places of worship, and he would say: "This strictness is nearer to prudence, lest they swear falsely and a right of the Muslims be trampled in the lawsuit."
Ja'far, from his father, who said: Ali (AS) said: Feeding the captive and treating him kindly is an obligatory duty, even if you are to kill him on the morrow. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 87)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: Even if you are to execute someone tomorrow, today you must feed him well and treat him kindly.
Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) used to say: Whoever gives something as alms and it is returned to him, it is not permissible for him to eat it, nor is anything permissible for him but to send it on. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 90)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: If alms are returned to you, do not consume them yourselves; rather give them as alms again.
Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) used to say: Whoever eats food and mentions God's name at its beginning and praises God at its end will not be questioned about the bounty of that food, whatever it may be. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 90)
Ali (AS) said repeatedly: Whoever remembers God at the beginning of a meal and praises God at its end has honoured the due of that blessing.
Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) used to say: Choose carefully for suckling as you choose carefully for marriage, for suckling alters natural dispositions. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 93)
Ali (AS) used to say: Be careful in choosing a wet-nurse, just as you are careful in choosing a wife; for milk changes the nature of the child.
Ja'far, from his father (AS): Ali (AS) never ascribed anyone of those who fought against him to polytheism or to hypocrisy; rather he used to say: "They are our brothers who have rebelled against us." (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 94)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Ali (AS) did not accuse those he fought against of polytheism or hypocrisy; rather he would say: "They are our brothers in religion who have wrongfully rebelled against us."
Ja'far, from his father: Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) used to say: Whoever has a thief enter upon him, let him strike first; and whatever sin follows from that, I am his partner in it. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 95)
Ali (AS) said: Strike the thief; if some harm befalls him, it is upon my account.
Ibn Ulwan, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from his grandfather Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), who said: When the people of our wilaya are brought upon the Bridge on the Day of Resurrection, a herald will call out: "O Fire, subside!" And the Fire will say: "Hasten, pass over me, for your light has already extinguished my flame." (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 102)
Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) said: When the people of our wilaya are about to cross the Bridge, a herald calls out: "O Fire, hold your breath!" And the Fire beneath the Bridge cries out: "Hurry and cross quickly, before your light extinguishes my flame."
Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) used to say: Those in debt are to be given from the alms and the zakat the whole of their debt, whatever it amounts to, provided they incurred the debt without extravagance. As for the poor, none of them is to be given more than fifty dirhams, and no one who already possesses fifty dirhams is to be given anything. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 109)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: From alms and zakat the debt of debtors may be paid, however great it is, unless the loan they took was for the sake of extravagance. But a poor person may not be given more than fifty dirhams. Nor may anything of the alms be given to a poor person who already possesses fifty dirhams.
From Ja'far, from his father, from Ali (AS), that he said concerning the Persians: You fought them over its revelation, and the world will not end before they fight you over its interpretation. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 110)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: You fought certain people over the revelation of the Qur'an, and sooner or later a day will come when they will interpret the Qur'an as they please and fight you over it.
Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) was asked about the amulet that is hung upon children, and he said: Hang whatever you wish, so long as it contains the remembrance of God. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 110)
Ali (AS) was asked about the amulet that is customarily hung around children's necks, and he said: If it contains the remembrance of God or the Qur'an, there is no objection to it.
Ja'far, from his father, from his forefathers: The produce of Ali's (AS) property at Yanbu' used to be brought to him, and food would be prepared for him from it: bread would be crumbled for him with olive oil and 'ajwa dates, and a tharid would be made for him from it, which he would eat; while he fed the people bread and meat. Sometimes he too ate meat. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 113)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Ali (AS) used to bring the produce of his farmland from Yanbu' to Medina and live from it. He himself would usually crumble bread together with olive oil and choice dates and eat that, but he would give the people bread and meat. Of course he too ate meat at times.
Ja'far ibn Muhammad (AS), from his father, who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: Whoever finds water and soil and then remains poor, may God cast him far away. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 115)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever finds water and land and still counts himself poor, may God keep him far from His mercy.
Al-Husayn ibn Ulwan, from Ja'far, from his father, who said: Ali (AS) said: No house was ever filled with joy but that it was soon to be filled with tears; and no house was ever filled with tears but that it is soon to be filled with joy. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 121)
Concerning the ceaseless changing of this world, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The house that is drowned in joy today will tomorrow see the dust of grief, and the house that is a house of sorrow today will one day see the face of joy.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), that he said: There is no harm in looking at the heads of the women of the protected non-Muslim communities. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 131)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: There is no objection to looking at the hair of the women of the People of the Book.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Ali (AS), who said: Whoever turns back from the Muslims the onrush of water, or the onrush of fire, or the onrush of an enemy overbearing toward the Muslims, God will forgive him his sin. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 132)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever wards off from the Muslims the harm of a flood, or of fire, or of a usurping enemy, God forgives his sins.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Ali (AS), that he said: War is deception. When I relate to you a hadith from the Messenger of God (PBUH), then by God, that I should fall from the sky or that the birds should snatch me away is dearer to me than that I should lie about the Messenger of God (PBUH). But when I speak to you from myself, then war is only deception. For it reached the Messenger of God (PBUH) that the Banu Qurayza had sent word to Abu Sufyan: "When you and Muhammad meet, we will reinforce you and aid you." So the Prophet (PBUH) rose and addressed us and said: "The Banu Qurayza have sent word to us that when we and Abu Sufyan meet, they will reinforce us and aid us." That reached Abu Sufyan, and he said: "The Jews have betrayed us," and he departed from them. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 133)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: War is deception through and through. Now I shall relate to you a memory of the Messenger of God (PBUH), and know that it would be easier for me to die than to attribute a lie to him. In the Battle of the Confederates news reached the Messenger of God (PBUH) that the Banu Qurayza had sent a message to Abu Sufyan saying: "We are with you and against the Muslims." The Messenger of God (PBUH) mounted the pulpit, delivered a sermon and announced: "The Banu Qurayza have sent word that in the war they are with us and against Abu Sufyan!" When Abu Sufyan heard this he said: "The Jews have betrayed us again," and he abandoned the siege of Medina and returned to Mecca.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Ali (AS), who said: There is to be no harshness toward a Muslim in anything. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 134)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Harshness toward the Muslims is not permitted in any matter.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) used to forbid hoarding in the cities, and he said: Hoarding applies only to wheat, barley, dates, raisins and clarified butter. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 135)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Ali (AS) used to forbid hoarding in the cities, but he held hoarding to apply only to wheat, barley, dates, raisins and cooking fat.
Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father: Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) used to say: The prescribed penalty for sodomy is like the prescribed penalty for fornication: if the man is married, he is stoned; and if he is unmarried, he is given a hundred lashes. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 136)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: The prescribed penalty for sodomy is like that for fornication. If the man was married and committed sodomy, he is stoned; otherwise he receives a hundred lashes.
Ja'far, from his father, from Ali (AS), that he said: It is not lawful to withhold salt and fire. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 137)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: It is not permissible to withhold fire and salt from others.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far, from his father, from Ali (AS), who said: There is no harm in praying in a synagogue or a church — whether the obligatory prayer or the supererogatory — though the mosque is better. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 150)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Prayer — whether obligatory or recommended — in a church or a synagogue is unobjectionable, although the mosque is better.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from his father, from Ali (AS), who said: Turning aside during the prayer is a snatching away by Satan, so beware of turning aside during the prayer. For God, blessed and exalted, turns toward the servant when he stands in prayer; and when he turns aside, God, blessed and exalted, says: "O son of Adam, from whom are you turning away?" — three times. And when he turns aside a fourth time, God turns away from him. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 150)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Turning aside (the wandering of attention) during prayer is a raid on the part of Satan. So beware of attending to other than God in prayer. For whenever a servant stands to pray, God turns toward him; and when the servant turns his attention this way and that, God says: "O son of Adam! From whom are you turning away?" — up to three times. And when for the fourth time the servant attends to other than God, God too turns away from him.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far, from his father, from Ali (AS), that he said: Whoever takes on more bondwomen than he can have marital relations with, the sin is upon him if they go astray. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 151)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever gathers more bondwomen than his sexual capacity allows is responsible and sinful for their going astray out of sexual need.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) wore nothing but white for the most part of what he wore, and he would say: In it the dead are shrouded. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 152)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) usually wore nothing but white garments, and he recommended that the dead too be shrouded in white.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far, from his father: Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) said: Whoever learns anything of sorcery — little or much — has disbelieved, and that is the end of his covenant with his Lord; and his prescribed penalty is to be put to death, unless he repents.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Learning sorcery — however much of it — is disbelief and a breaking of the covenant of servanthood. The prescribed penalty for the sorcerer is death, unless he repents.
Abu al-Bakhtari, from Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) said: Washing the wool of a dead animal is its purification. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 153)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Washing the wool of an animal that has died is like ritual slaughter and renders it pure.
Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) used to say: Count toward your zakat whatever the tax collector takes from you, and hide it from him as much as you can. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 153)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to say: Whatever the tax collector takes from you by force, count it as part of your zakat; and whatever you can, keep hidden from him.
From Abu Abd Allah (AS), who said: Ali (AS) had set aside a room in his house, neither large nor small; and when he wished to pray in the last part of the night, he would take with him a child before whom he felt no reserve, and go with him to that room and pray. (Qurb al-Isnad, vol. 1, p. 161)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Ali (AS) had a separate room in his house for worship, neither small nor large. At night he would go to that room to pray, and the only person permitted to be in that room was a child who, because of his tender age, did not comprehend the states of Ali (AS) during prayer. The child would sleep and Ali (AS) would pray.