From Zurara: Ali (AS) wiped over his sandals and did not pass his hand beneath the two straps. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 64)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to wipe over his sandals, and he would not even put his hand beneath their straps.
Abu Abdillah (AS) said: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) wished to relieve himself, he would stop at the door of the privy, then turn right and left toward his two angels and say: Withdraw from me — you have God's pledge from me that I will bring about no new occurrence until I come out to you again. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 351)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) intended to relieve himself, he would stand at the door of the privy, turn his attention to his left and right, and say to his two angels: Withdraw from me for a few moments, and then return.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When one of you strips naked, Satan looks at him and covets him; so cover yourselves. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 373)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When you become naked, Satan sees you and covets you. So cover yourselves.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever follows a funeral procession, four qirats (of reward) are recorded for him: one qirat for following it, one qirat for praying over it, one qirat for waiting until its burial is completed, and one qirat for the condolence. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 455)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The funeral procession carries four separate rewards: one for the procession itself, one for the prayer, one for waiting patiently until the burial is finished, and one for the mourning and condolence.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever renews a grave or fashions an image has gone out of Islam. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 459)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Rebuilding graves and making images have no place in Islam.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) held it reprehensible for a man to ride along with the funeral procession on the way out, except for an excuse, and said: He may ride when he returns. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 464)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: In a funeral procession it is disliked to be riding a mount; but once the deceased has been buried, there is no fault in it on the way back.
Al-Harith ibn Ya'la ibn Murra, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) passed away and was covered with a garment, while Ali (AS) was at the edge of his garment, having laid his cheeks upon his palms, and the people were at the door and in the mosque, sobbing and weeping. Suddenly we heard a voice in the house: Your Prophet is pure and purified; bury him and do not wash him. He said: Then I saw Ali (AS) raise his head in alarm and say: "Be gone, enemy of God! He himself commanded me to wash him, shroud him, and bury him, and that is the sunna." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 468)
The narrator says: The Messenger of God (PBUH) passed away while a garment covered his body. Ali (AS) had laid his head at the edge of that garment, and the people were gathered in the mosque and at the door of the house. At that moment we heard a voice in the house saying: Your Prophet is pure and purified; bury him without washing or shroud! At this, Ali (AS) raised his head and roared: Silence, enemy of God! The Messenger of God himself commanded me to wash him and shroud him. That is his sunna.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Rising at night (for prayer) is health for the body, the good pleasure of the Lord, an adherence to the morals of the prophets, and an exposure to His mercy. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 121)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Rising at night restores the body, and it brings the good pleasure of God, adherence to the morals of the prophets, and exposure to the mercy of God.
From Abu Ja'far (AS), who said: In the book of Ali (AS), the witr is obligatory — it is the witr of the night, and the maghrib is the witr of the day. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 243)
Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: In the school of Ali's (AS) teaching, just as the three rak'as of maghrib are obligatory, so also the two rak'as of shaf' and the one rak'a of witr are obligatory.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I truly dislike to see a man's forehead bare, bearing no mark of prostration. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 313)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I am displeased with a person on whose forehead there is no mark of prostration.
From al-Asbagh ibn Nubata, who said: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) raised his head from prostration, he would sit until he was at rest, and then stand up; and he (AS) said: This is part of the reverence due to the prayer. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 315)
The narrator says: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) rose from prostration, he would first sit calmly for a moment, and concerning this practice he would say: It is part of honoring the prayer.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) led us in the noon prayer but prayed five rak'as; then he finished, and one of the people said to him: O Messenger of God, has something been added to the prayer? He said: "What do you mean?" He said: You prayed five rak'as with us. So he faced the qibla, said the takbir while seated, then performed two prostrations in which there was neither recitation nor bowing, and then gave the salutation; and he used to say: These two are the two prostrations that humble (Satan). (al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 349)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) led us in the noon prayer, but he prayed five rak'as. After the prayer some said to him: O Messenger of God, has something been added to the prayer?! He said: Why do you ask? They said: Because you prayed five rak'as! So the Messenger of God, while still seated, faced the qibla, said the takbir, performed two prostrations, then gave the salutation once more, and said: These two prostrations are by way of compensation.
From Ali (AS), concerning a man who is praying and sees a child crawling toward the fire, or a sheep entering the house to spoil something. He said: Let him break off, secure what he fears for, and build upon his prayer, so long as he has not spoken. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 333)
Concerning someone who is in the midst of prayer while his child is heading toward the fire, or a sheep enters the house and causes damage, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Let him leave the prayer and set things in order; and if he has not spoken, let him return to his prayer and continue from the point he had reached.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When the caliph comes to one of the cities, the people are gathered for him; this belongs to no one other than him. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 3, p. 23)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When the caliph of the Muslims goes to a city, everyone should be gathered to welcome him. But this ruling applies to the caliph alone.
From al-Sadiq (AS): Ali (AS) was in the morning prayer when Ibn al-Kawwa, behind him, recited: "It has certainly been revealed to you and to those before you: if you associate partners with God, your work shall surely come to nothing and you shall surely be among the losers" [Qur'an 39:65]. Ali (AS) fell silent out of reverence for the Qur'an until he had finished the verse, then resumed his recitation. Then Ibn al-Kawwa repeated the verse, and Ali (AS) fell silent again. Then he recited, and Ibn al-Kawwa repeated it, and Ali (AS) fell silent again; then he said: "So be patient; indeed the promise of God is true, and let not those who lack certainty unsettle you" [Qur'an 30:60]. Then he completed the sura and bowed. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 3, p. 35)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Ali (AS) was leading the people in the morning prayer when Ibn al-Kawwa (who later became a ringleader and prayer leader of the Kharijites) recited aloud from behind him: "It has certainly been revealed to you and to those before you: if you associate partners with God, your work shall surely come to nothing and you shall surely be among the losers" [Qur'an 39:65] (his meaning being that Ali was a polytheist). The Commander of the Faithful (AS), out of reverence for the Qur'an, fell silent, and when the man's verse had ended, he continued the recitation of his prayer. Again the man raised his voice and recited the verse; again Ali fell silent. Then, in reply, he recited: "So be patient; indeed the promise of God is true, and let not those who lack certainty unsettle you" [Qur'an 30:60]. Then he completed his sura and brought his prayer to its end.
From al-Sadiq (AS): In the last part of his life, Ali (AS) used to pray a thousand rak'as every day and night. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 3, p. 63)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: In the last years of his life, Ali (AS) prayed about a thousand rak'as in every day and night.
From al-Sadiq (AS): When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) came to Kufa, he ordered al-Hasan ibn Ali (AS) to proclaim among the people: "There is to be no congregational prayer in the mosques in the month of Ramadan." So al-Hasan ibn Ali (AS) proclaimed to the people what the Commander of the Faithful (AS) had commanded him. When the people heard the words of al-Hasan ibn Ali, they cried out: "O Umar! O Umar!" When al-Hasan returned to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), he said to him: "What is this noise?" He said: "O Commander of the Faithful, the people are crying out: O Umar! O Umar!" The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Tell them: pray. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 3, p. 70)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: When Ali entered Kufa and the month of Ramadan came, he commanded his son Hasan to proclaim among the people: In the month of Ramadan, congregational prayer in the mosques (the tarawih, which was one of Umar's innovations) is not to be held. When Imam al-Mujtaba (AS) announced this ruling, the cry of the people rose up: "Wa Umara! Wa Umara!" (meaning: O Umar, come to our rescue, for Ali has introduced an innovation into the religion!). Ali said: What is this outcry? They said: The people have raised such a commotion and are saying these things. He said: Since that is how it is, tell them: let them do whatever they please!
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The sunna has been established that the prayer for rain is performed only in the open country, where the people look toward the sky; it is not performed in the mosques. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 3, p. 150)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: It is the sunna that the rain prayer must be performed in the open plain, with the people's gaze turned toward the sky — not in the mosques.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: God, the Mighty and Majestic, has said: My servant asks Me to choose what is best for him, and when I choose the best for him, he becomes angry. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 3, p. 309)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: God says: My servant seeks from Me what is best, but when I choose for him the thing that is best for him, he becomes angry.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever of the believers revives a land, it belongs to him. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 4, p. 145)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Any Muslim who revives a land becomes its owner.
From al-Sadiq (AS): The Commander of the Faithful (AS) would come in to his family and say: Do you have anything? Otherwise I shall fast. If they had something, they would bring it to him; otherwise he would fast. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 4, p. 188)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) would usually ask his household: Do you have food, or shall I fast? If they had something, they would bring it; otherwise he would fast.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Three things drive away phlegm and increase the memory: the tooth-stick, fasting, and the recitation of the Qur'an. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 4, p. 191)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Three things are the enemies of sluggishness and forgetfulness: brushing the teeth, fasting, and reading the Qur'an.
From Ja'far, from his father: Ali (AS) considered it desirable to break the fast with milk. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 4, p. 199)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) loved to break his fast with milk.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever is fasting and forgets, and eats and drinks, let him not break his fast on account of his having forgotten; it was only a provision with which God provided him. So let him complete his fast. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 4, p. 268)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: A fasting person who does not remember that he is fasting and eats and drinks — his fast is valid, and he should continue it. What he ate was his provision, which God fed to him.
From Abu Abdillah, from his father (AS): A man who had never performed the hajj came to Ali (AS) and said: I was a man of much wealth, but I neglected the hajj until I grew old in years. He said: Are you able to perform the hajj? He said: No. So Ali (AS) said to him: If you wish, equip a man and send him to perform the hajj on your behalf. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 5, p. 460)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: An old man came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said: Despite having the means, I neglected the hajj, and I have grown so old that I no longer have the strength for it. Ali (AS) said to him: Send someone to perform the hajj in your place.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said to me: O Abu al-Hasan, God has made your grave one of the plots of Paradise, and God has made the hearts of the noble among His creation and the elect among His servants yearn toward you. O Ali, they are the ones singled out for my intercession. Whoever visits your grave comes out of his sins, so that he returns from visiting you as on the day his mother bore him. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 22)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) gave me glad tidings, saying: O Ali, your grave will be a plot of Paradise, and God will incline toward it the hearts of the noble among His creation and the elect among His servants — those who are singled out for my intercession. The visitor to your grave is cleansed of his sins, as though his mother had borne him anew.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: God has prescribed jihad for men and for women. The man's jihad is to devote his wealth and his life until he is killed in the way of God; and the woman's jihad is to bear patiently whatever she encounters of her husband's harm and jealousy. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 126)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Jihad is obligatory upon men and women. The man's jihad is to give his wealth and his life in the way of God, and the woman's jihad is patience with the harm and the jealousy of her husband.
When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) had finished with the people of Nahrawan, he said: None shall fight them after me except one who has a better claim to the truth than they. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 144)
When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was done with the battle of Nahrawan, he said: After me, no one will fight the Kharijites except one to whom they are closer to the truth than he — that is, one who is himself more astray than the Kharijites.
The Haruriyya (Kharijites) were mentioned in the presence of Ali (AS). He said: If they rise against a just imam or against the community, fight them; but if they rise against a tyrannical ruler, do not fight them, for they have a case in that. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 145)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) was asked about the Kharijites. He said: If they revolt against a just imam or against the community of the believers, kill them; but if they rise up against a tyrannical ruler, do not fight them, for in that respect their words carry some justification.
From Ja'far, from his father (AS): Ali (AS) used to allot the horseman three shares — two shares for his horse and one share for himself — and would assign the foot soldier one share. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 147)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Ali (AS) would allot the mounted warrior three shares of the spoils — two shares for his horse and one for himself — and would give the foot soldier one share.
A captive was brought to Ali (AS) on the day of Siffin, and he pledged allegiance to him. So Ali (AS) said: I will not kill you, for "indeed I fear God, the Lord of the worlds." He set him free, and gave him the spoils he had come with. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 153)
At Siffin a captive was brought before the Commander of the Faithful (AS), but the moment he reached him he pledged allegiance. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I will not kill you, for I fear God, the Lord of the worlds. So he released him, and bestowed a gift upon the man who had captured him.
From Abu Hamza al-Thumali, who said: I said to Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS): By what policy did Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) proceed? He said: Abu al-Yaqzan — may God have mercy on him — was a sharp-tempered man. He said: O Commander of the Faithful, how will you deal with these people tomorrow? He said: With magnanimous pardon, as the Messenger of God (PBUH) dealt with the people of Mecca. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 154)
Imam al-Sajjad (AS) said: Abu al-Yaqzan was one of Ali's (AS) companions and a harsh man. He said: O Ali, what will you do with your enemies now that they are defeated? The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I will show them grace by pardoning them — the very thing the Messenger of God (PBUH) did with the people of Mecca.
From Marwan ibn al-Hakam — may God curse him — who said: When Ali (AS) defeated us at Basra, he returned their property to the people: whoever produced proof, he gave it to him, and whoever produced no proof, he made him swear an oath. Someone said to him: O Commander of the Faithful, divide the spoils and the captives among us! When they pressed him hard, he said: "Which of you will take the Mother of the Faithful in his share?" Then they desisted. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 155)
Marwan ibn al-Hakam says: When Ali (AS) defeated us at Basra, he returned our property to us. Whoever had proof received his property back without delay; otherwise he would make him swear an oath and then restore to him the property he claimed. One of his soldiers cried out angrily: O Ali, these are our spoils — divide them among us! Ali (AS) paid no heed, until this talk grew loud. Then he turned to the protesters in his army and said: To which one of you shall I give the Mother of the Faithful — that is, Aisha?! At that they were ashamed and fell silent.
From Abu Hamza al-Thumali, who said: I said to Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS): Ali (AS) dealt with the people of the qibla contrary to the conduct of the Prophet (PBUH) toward the people of polytheism. He grew angry, then sat up and said: "By God, he dealt with them according to the conduct of the Messenger of God (PBUH) on the day of the conquest. Ali (AS) wrote to Malik, who commanded his vanguard on the day of Basra: 'Do not thrust at any but one who comes at you; do not kill one who flees; do not finish off the wounded; and whoever locks his door is safe.' But Malik took the letter and laid it before him on the pommel of his saddle, and before reading it said: 'Kill!' So he killed them until he drove them into the streets of Basra. Then he opened the letter, read it, and ordered a herald, who proclaimed what was in the letter." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 155)
Abu Hamza al-Thumali says: I said to Imam al-Sajjad (AS): Ali's (AS) manner in warring against the people of the qibla was different from the manner of the Messenger of God (PBUH) in warring against the polytheists. The Imam (AS) was displeased; he sat up and said: His way was the very way of the Prophet (PBUH) on the day of the conquest of Mecca. He wrote to Malik al-Ashtar: Draw the sword on none but him who has drawn his sword on you and attacks; do not pursue him who flees; do no harm to the wounded; and whoever has hidden in his house is safe. But Malik placed the letter on the pommel of his horse's saddle and deliberately did not open it, and cried out: Kill! They killed until they entered Basra — that is, until they were assured of victory. Then he opened the letter, read it out to everyone, and acted according to it.
Abu Abdillah (AS) said: The conduct of Ali (AS) toward the people of Basra was better for his Shia than anything the sun has risen upon. He knew that this people would come to power, and had he taken them captive, his Shia would have been taken captive in turn. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 155)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The conduct of Ali (AS) toward the people of Basra was the best thing that could have been done for the future of his Shia. Ali (AS) knew that in the end the Banu Marwan would attain power; so had he dealt harshly with them, they would have dealt harshly with his Shia.
From Adi ibn Hatim, who was with Ali (AS) on his campaign: On the day he and Mu'awiya — may God curse him — met at Siffin, Ali (AS) raised his voice so that his companions could hear: "By God, I shall surely kill Mu'awiya and his companions!" Then at the end of his words he said, "God willing," lowering his voice. I was near him, so I said: O Commander of the Faithful, you swore to what you said and then made the exception; what did you intend by that? He said: "War is deception, and in the eyes of the believers I am no liar. I wished to rouse my companions against them so that they would not falter and so that they would aspire to overcome them. Understand this, for you will benefit by it after this day, God willing. And know that God, the Mighty and Majestic, said to Moses (AS) when He sent him to Pharaoh: 'Go, both of you, to him and speak to him gently; perhaps he may take heed or fear' [Qur'an 20:43-44] — while He knew that he would neither take heed nor fear — but only so that this might make Moses (AS) the more eager to go." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 163)
Adi ibn Hatim al-Ta'i, who was with the Commander of the Faithful (AS) at Siffin, says: One day Ali (AS) cried out, in such a way that many would hear: By God, I shall kill Mu'awiya and his companions! Then softly, so that only we who were around him could hear, he added: God willing. I said: O Commander of the Faithful, why did you do this? He said: War is deception, yet before my companions I am truthful. I wished in this way to spur them on, lest they grow faint. Understand this! In the future, God willing, you will profit from this saying. Then he said: God — although He knew that Pharaoh would neither take heed nor humble himself — nonetheless said to Moses (AS): Go to Pharaoh and speak gently with him; perhaps he may take heed or fear. God wished to encourage Moses to go.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) was asked about single combat between the two battle lines without the imam's permission. He said: There is no harm in it, but it is not to be sought except with the imam's permission. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 169)
Concerning the challenge to single combat between the two lines on the field of battle, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: There is no fault in answering the enemy's challenge, but issuing a challenge should not be done without the imam's permission.
From Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: Ali (AS) would not fight until the sun had passed its zenith, and he would say: "The gates of heaven are opened, mercy draws near, and victory descends." And he would say: "It is nearer to nightfall, and more apt that the killing be less, that the pursuer turn back, and that the defeated escape." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 173)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) would say: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) used to postpone the start of battle until the legal noon, and he would say: It is at this time that the gates of heaven are opened, mercy draws near, and victory descends. And he would say: This time is nearer to the night, so the number of those killed in battle becomes fewer; he who has attained his aim turns back, and the defeated finds the chance to escape.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever is entrusted by a man with his life and then betrays him — I am quit of the killer, even if the one killed be destined for the Fire. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 175)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever trusted someone with the safety of his life but met with treachery and was killed — I am quit of such a killer, even if the one killed be bound for Hell.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever abandons the rejection of evil with his heart, his hand, and his tongue is a dead man among the living. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 181)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever abandons the condemnation of evil — not only with his hand and his tongue, but even in his heart — is nothing more than a dead man.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Umar ibn al-Khattab: "There are three things: if you keep them and act upon them, they will suffice you in place of all else; and if you abandon them, nothing besides them will benefit you." He said: And what are they, O Abu al-Hasan? He said: "Carrying out the prescribed punishments upon the near and the far alike; judging by the Book of God in contentment and in anger; and dividing with justice between the red and the black." Umar said to him: "By my life, you have been brief and eloquent." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 227)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) counseled Umar ibn al-Khattab: In ruling, there are three things which, if you observe them, will suffice you, and which, if left neglected, have no substitute. He asked: What are they, O Abu al-Hasan? He said: Applying God's punishments equally to everyone; judging in every circumstance according to the Book of God; and observing justice among all. Umar said: By God, you have spoken both concisely and completely!
It is reported, traced back to the Commander of the Faithful (AS): An old, blind man passed by, begging. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: "What is this?" They said: O Commander of the Faithful, he is a Christian. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: "You employed him until, when he grew old and incapable, you withheld from him. Provide for him from the public treasury." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 292)
News reached the Commander of the Faithful (AS) that a blind old man was begging in Kufa. He said: What is this? They said: He is a Christian! He said: So he is a Christian — you worked him until he grew old and incapable, and then you cast him aside? Assign him a stipend from the public treasury.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: If I judged a case between two men, and the following year they returned to me, I would not go beyond my first ruling, for the truth does not change. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 296)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: If I give judgment between two people in a case, and then the next year they come to me again and seek judgment, I remain upon that same first judgment of mine. The truth, after all, does not change.
From Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) would attend to the beginning of a speech rather than its end. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 310)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) paid close attention to the beginning of what was said, not to its end. (That is, the essence of a speech lies at its beginning, and from the beginning of a speech its end is already evident.)
From Abu Abdillah (AS): The Commander of the Faithful (AS) freed a thousand slaves from the toil of his own hands. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 325)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Over the course of his life, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) freed a thousand slaves with the earnings of his own hands.
(A woman relates:) The Commander of the Faithful (AS) passed by me and said: What are you doing, O Umm al-Hasan? I said: I am spinning. She said: Then he said: Truly, it is the most lawful of earnings. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 382)
The narrator says: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) was passing by when he asked me: What is your occupation, O Umm al-Hasan? I said: Weaving. He said: It is the most lawful of earnings.
From Ja'far, from his father, from Ali (AS): he disliked the sale of a note for silver before it is taken into possession. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 386)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) regarded the buying and selling of promissory notes as reprehensible, and said that the note must first be cashed, and then the goods themselves bought and sold.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said, concerning an animal whose owners have turned it loose, or are unable to provide its fodder or its upkeep: it belongs to the one who keeps it alive. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 393)
Concerning an animal whose owner has abandoned it out of inability to care for it, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: It belongs to whoever is able to keep it.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The market of the Muslims is like their mosque: whoever comes first to a place has the better right to it until night. And he would take no rent for the stalls of the market. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 7, p. 9)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The market of the Muslims is like their mosque. Whoever arrives earlier in the morning and spreads out his wares in a spot, that place is his until nightfall. Likewise, Ali (AS) took no rent for the public stalls of the market.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever trades in food, mercy is stripped from him. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 7, p. 162)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever buys ready-made food, the mercy of God is distanced from him. (That is, buying wheat is better than buying flour, and buying flour is better than buying bread. Likewise, it is better to buy a sheep than to buy meat, or to buy cooked food, which is known as "market food" — as many narrations explicitly state.)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The best of intercessions is to intercede between two people in a marriage, until God unites them. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 7, p. 405)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The best intercession is to act as intermediary between two people so that they marry.
Ali (AS) gave judgment concerning a man who married a woman and stipulated to her that if he took another wife over her, or deserted her, or took a concubine over her, she would be divorced. He ruled in this matter: "God's stipulation comes before your stipulation. If he wishes, he may keep the stipulation made to her; and if he wishes, he may keep her, take a concubine over her, and marry over her." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 8, p. 51)
Concerning a man who at the time of marriage had stipulated with his wife that if he took another wife or a concubine over her, or forsook her for a long time, she would stand divorced, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: God's stipulation — that divorce lies in the hand of the man — takes precedence over their stipulation. Therefore, if the man wishes, he may honor his stipulation; and if he wishes, he may keep the woman and take another wife over her.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When a boy has a calm gaze, he is one whose good may be hoped for and whose evil one is safe from. And he said: When a boy has a sharp, piercing gaze, he is one whose good is not to be hoped for and whose evil one is not safe from. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 8, p. 114)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: When a child has a gentle gaze, be hopeful that he will become a good person; but if he has harsh, sharp looks, there is no hope of good in him, and do not feel safe from his evil.
I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (AS) and asked him about a man who frees a young slave boy, or a very old man, or one afflicted with chronic infirmity who has no means to support himself. He replied: "Whoever frees a slave who has no means to support himself is obliged to provide for him until he becomes self-sufficient. Such was the practice of Ali (AS) whenever he freed the young and those who had no means." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 8, p. 218)
I wrote to Imam al-Rida (AS) about freeing a slave who is a child or decrepit with age and unable to manage his own affairs. He replied: Their maintenance falls upon the very person who freed them, until they become self-sufficient. And he said: This was the practice of Ali (AS).
From Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: "The Commander of the Faithful (AS) forbade eating the flesh of a camel slaughtered at the time of its rut." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 9, p. 47)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) warned against the flesh of a camel that had been slaughtered while in the frenzy of its rut.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) and I came upon a man of the Ansar whose horse was in its death throes. The Messenger of God (PBUH) said to him, "Slaughter it, and your reward will be doubled: one reward for slaughtering it and one for bearing your loss in expectation of God's recompense." He said, "O Messenger of God, may I have some of it?" He said, "Yes—eat, and feed me as well." He said: "So he presented a thigh of it to the Prophet (PBUH), and he ate from it and fed me." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 9, p. 48)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) and I were walking when we came upon one of the Ansar whose horse was dying. The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: Slaughter it, for you will have two rewards—the reward of the slaughter and the reward of patience over the death of your horse. He asked: May I myself eat of its flesh? He said: Yes, and feed others with the rest. So he slaughtered it and sent a thigh to the Prophet, and we both ate from it.
From Abu Abdillah (AS): The Commander of the Faithful (AS) would not slaughter a sheep in front of another sheep, nor a camel in front of another camel, while it was watching. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 9, p. 56)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) forbade slaughtering a sheep before the eyes of another sheep, or a camel before the eyes of another camel.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said concerning one who kills a hunting dog: "He must pay compensation for it; and likewise for the falcon, and likewise for the sheepdog, and likewise for the watchdog of the orchard." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 9, p. 80)
Concerning one who kills a hunting dog, a sheepdog, a watchdog, or a hunting falcon, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: He is liable for compensation.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Strike your servant for disobedience to God, the Mighty and Majestic, but pardon him in what concerns yourself. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 27)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: If your servant disobeys God, discipline him; but when he has merely defied your own command, forgive him.
From al-Baqir (AS): Whenever the Commander of the Faithful (AS) banished anyone from among the people of Islam, he would exile him to the land of the polytheists nearest to Islam. He considered the matter, and Daylam was then the nearest of the lands of polytheism to Islam. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 36)
Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) exiled someone, he would send him by way of the frontiers of Islam to the nearest territory in the realm of the polytheists. At that time, Daylam held such a position.
Ibrahim, from Ja'far, from his father, from Ali (AS), who said: I do not carry out a legal punishment on a man while he is in enemy territory, until he has left it, for fear that zealous indignation might carry him off and he would join the enemy. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 40)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) would say: Never carry out the Islamic legal punishments on someone while he is in a situation where there is a risk that he might flee and join the enemy.
From Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) gave judgment concerning a man who called another "son of a madman," whereupon the other retorted, "You are the son of a madman." He ordered the first to lash his companion twenty lashes, and said to him, "Know that you will receive the same twenty in return." When he had lashed him, they handed the whip to the one who had been lashed, and he lashed him in turn—an exemplary punishment inflicted upon them both. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 81)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: In the time of Ali (AS), two men insulted each other, each calling the other "son of a madman." So he ordered the first to give the second twenty lashes, and said: Mind you—after you, he too will give you twenty lashes. (That is: take heed, for if you strike hard, you will be struck hard.)
Abu Ja'far (AS) said: Ubaydullah ibn Umar was brought forth, having drunk wine, and Umar ordered that he be flogged; but no one would step forward to flog him, until Ali (AS) rose with a doubled leather strap and struck him forty lashes with it. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 90)
Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: Umar wished to carry out the punishment for wine-drinking on his son Ubaydullah, but no one was willing to execute the punishment on him. Then Ali (AS) rose and, with a doubled lash, gave him forty strokes as the prescribed punishment.
From Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) would not amputate the hand of a thief in days of famine. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 112)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: In days when the people suffered hunger, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) held the punishment for theft to be suspended and did not carry it out.
A man who had snatched a pearl earring from the ear of a slave girl was brought before the Commander of the Faithful (AS). He said, "This is open banditry," and he flogged him and imprisoned him. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 115)
Concerning a thief who had snatched an earring from someone's ear, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: This act is plunder, and the punishment for theft—namely amputation of the hand—does not apply to it, because it was done openly. So he flogged the thief and imprisoned him.
Abu Ja'far (AS) said: A boy who had stolen was brought before the Commander of the Faithful (AS). He squeezed the tips of his fingers hard and then said: "If you do it again, I will surely cut them off." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 119)
Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: A child who had committed theft was brought before Ali (AS). He pressed his fingers firmly and said: Next time, I will cut off the hand.
From Ja'far, who said: One of my family related to me that a young man came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and confessed theft before him. He (AS) said to him, "I see you are a young man, and there is nothing objectionable in your appearance. Can you recite anything of the Qur'an?" He said, "Yes—Surat al-Baqara." He said, "Then I grant you your hand for the sake of Surat al-Baqara." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 127)
The narrator says: A youth not yet of age was brought forward, alleged to have committed theft. Ali (AS) said to him: Youth and immaturity show plainly in your face; do you know anything of the Qur'an? He answered: Yes, Surat al-Baqara. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I grant you your hand for the sake of Surat al-Baqara.
From Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: A band of thieves was brought before the Commander of the Faithful (AS); the evidence had been established against them and they had confessed. He cut off their hands, then said, "O Qanbar, take them into your charge, treat their wounds, and care for them well; when they have healed, inform me." When they had healed, he came to him and said, "O Commander of the Faithful, the men on whom you carried out the punishments—their wounds have healed." He said, "Go, clothe each man of them in two garments, and bring them back to me." So he clothed each of them in two garments and brought them in the finest appearance, cloaked and wrapped as though they were pilgrims in ihram. They stood before him, and he bent toward the ground, tapping it with his finger for a long while; then he raised his head to them and said, "Uncover your hands." Then he said, "Raise them to the sky and say: O God, Ali cut off our hands." They did so. Then he said, "O God, [I did it] according to Your Book and the practice of Your Prophet." Then he said to them, "O you men, if you repent, you will have kept your remaining hands; but if you do not repent, you will be made to join them." Then he said, "O Qanbar, set them free, and give each of them what will suffice him to reach his own town." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 127)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: A band of professional thieves was brought before Ali (AS); the evidence had been established against them and they had confessed. So he cut off the fingers of their right hands, and then said to Qanbar: Take them away and treat them, and when they are well, bring them into my presence. Qanbar did so, and after some time reported that their wounds had healed. Ali (AS) said: Clothe each of them in two garments like the garments of ihram, and bring them all to me. When they were brought before Ali (AS), he first lowered his head and kept silent for a while; then he raised his head and said to them: Uncover your hands. They all brought out their severed hands. Then he said to them: With these very hands, raise your arms to the sky and say: O God, this is what Ali did to us! They did so. Then Ali (AS) said: O God, I did this according to Your Book and the practice of Your Prophet! Then he said: If you have given up thieving, you still have your other hands; but if you return to theft, I will make you join your severed hands! Then he said to Qanbar: Send them on their way, and give each of them enough to reach his own town.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: No amputation may be imposed on anyone who was made to fear beating, shackles, prison, or rough treatment. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 128)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: A legal punishment cannot be carried out against anyone on the basis of a confession extracted through fear of beating, torture, prison, or interrogation.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever learns anything of sorcery has made it his final parting from his Lord, and his punishment is death—unless he repents. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 147)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: To pursue sorcery is in itself to break the covenant of servitude to God; and the punishment of the sorcerer is death, unless he repents.
From Abu Ja'far (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) ordered Qanbar to administer a legal punishment to a man. Qanbar erred and gave him three lashes too many, so Ali (AS) had Qanbar receive three lashes in retaliation. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 148)
Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) ordered Qanbar to carry out a legal punishment on someone. Qanbar was overzealous and struck three lashes too many. So Ali (AS) handed the whip to that very man, so that he might exact retaliation from Qanbar to the measure of those same three strokes.
From Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) saw a storyteller in the mosque, so he struck him with his whip and drove him out. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 149)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) saw that someone had set up a spectacle in the mosque and was telling tales to the people. So he ordered that he be expelled.
From al-Ya'qubi, from his father, who said: While the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was in Basra, a man was brought to him on whom a legal punishment was to be carried out. A crowd of people came forward, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said, "O Qanbar, see what this crowd is." He said, "A man is to receive a legal punishment." When they drew near and he looked into their faces, he said, "No welcome to faces that are seen only at every evil! These are the meddlers among men. Drive them away from me, O Qanbar." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 150)
In Basra, a man was brought before the Commander of the Faithful (AS) for a legal punishment to be carried out. Meanwhile, a crowd gathered to watch. Ali (AS) said to Qanbar: See what this crowd wants. Qanbar said: They have come to watch. The Imam (AS) looked closely into their faces, then said: Woe to those who are seen only at scenes of evil. These are the meddlers among men. Qanbar, disperse them.
From Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, from Ali ibn Abi Rafi', who said: I was in charge of the treasury of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and was his scribe. In his treasury there was a pearl necklace that had been obtained on the day of Basra. The daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) sent to me, saying, "I have heard that in the treasury of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) there is a pearl necklace, and that it is in your keeping. I would like you to lend it to me so that I may adorn myself with it during the days of Eid al-Adha." I sent word to her: "As a guaranteed loan, to be returned, O daughter of the Commander of the Faithful?" She said, "Yes, a guaranteed loan, to be returned after three days." So I handed it over to her. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) saw it on her and recognized it, and said to her, "How did this necklace come into your possession?" She said, "I borrowed it from Ali ibn Abi Rafi', keeper of the treasury of the Commander of the Faithful, to adorn myself with it at the Eid, and then return it." The Commander of the Faithful (AS) sent for me, and I came to him. He said to me, "Do you betray the Muslims, O son of Abu Rafi'?" I said to him, "God forbid that I should betray the Muslims!" He said, "How then did you lend the daughter of the Commander of the Faithful the necklace that is in the treasury of the Muslims, without my permission and without their consent?" I said, "O Commander of the Faithful, she is your daughter; she asked me to lend it to her to adorn herself with, so I lent it to her as a guaranteed loan, to be returned. I stood surety for it with my own wealth, and it is upon me to return it safely to its place." He said, "Return it this very day, and beware of doing the like of this again, lest my punishment befall you." Then he said, "Woe to my daughter! Had she taken the necklace other than as a guaranteed loan to be returned, she would then have been the first woman of Hashim to have her hand cut off for theft." His words reached his daughter, and she said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, I am your daughter and a part of you—who has more right to wear it than I?" The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to her, "O daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib, do not let your soul carry you away from the truth. Do all the women of the Muhajirin adorn themselves at this Eid with the like of this?" He said: So I took it back from her and returned it to its place. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 151)
Ibn Abi Rafi' says: I was the keeper of the treasury of Ali (AS) in Kufa. In the treasury there was a pearl necklace that had been obtained in the battle of Basra. The daughter of Ali came to me and said: I have heard that such a pearl necklace is in the treasury. I said: Yes. She said: Lend it to me for three days, that I may wear it during the days of Eid and then return it. And she said: I guarantee to return it intact. I did as she asked. On the day of Eid, Ali (AS) saw the pearls on his daughter's neck and recognized them. He asked her: How did this necklace come into your hands? The daughter recounted the matter. Ali (AS) summoned me and said: Do you betray the Muslims? I said: O Commander of the Faithful, what betrayal? He said: By whose permission did you lend the treasury of the Muslims to my daughter? I said: She guaranteed to return it. He said: Return the necklace to the treasury this very moment, and never do such a thing again. Then he said: Had my daughter not taken the necklace on loan, I would have cut off her hand for theft! The daughter was hurt and said: I am your daughter and a piece of your own flesh! Who is more worthy of this necklace than I? The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: O daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib, let not the desire of your soul turn you away from the truth! Do the other women of the Muhajirin have such an adornment at this Eid, that you should have one?!
From Abu Ja'far (AS), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) ruled, concerning a woman who had committed fornication and run wild, that the Imam of the Muslims should bind her with a husband, just as a runaway camel is bound with a hobble. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 154)
Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: Concerning an unmarried woman who had committed fornication and grown unruly, Ali (AS) ruled that she should be given a husband, by compulsion if need be—like an unruly camel that is restrained with a hobble.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever practices medicine or veterinary medicine should obtain a release from the patient's guardian; otherwise, he is liable for any harm. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 234)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Whoever practices medicine or is engaged in veterinary medicine should obtain a release of liability from those who come to him; otherwise, he is liable for any harm.
From Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: There was a woman in Medina who was visited by men. Word of it reached Umar, so he sent for her and frightened her, ordering that she be brought to him. The woman was terrified; labor pains seized her, and she fled to one of the houses and gave birth to a boy. The infant cried out, then died. There entered upon Umar, on account of the woman's terror and the death of the child, such distress as grieved him. One of those sitting with him said, "O Commander of the Faithful, nothing is upon you for this," while another said, "And what is this?" He said, "Ask Abu al-Hasan." So Abu al-Hasan (AS) said to them, "If you exerted yourselves in judgment, you missed the mark; and if you spoke from your own opinion, you have erred." Then he said: "Upon you is the blood money for the child." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 312)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: In Medina there was a woman notorious for fornication. Word was brought to Umar. He sent for her, and the woman took fright. Umar ordered that she be seized and brought to him. Out of terror the woman went into labor, fled, took refuge in a ruin, and there gave birth to her infant; but the child, born premature, died after the delivery. Umar was grieved at the news that the woman's terror and flight had caused the death of her infant. Some said: No blame lies upon you, O Commander of the Faithful; and others said: What kind of deed was this you have done? Umar said: Let us ask Abu al-Hasan—that is, Ali (AS). Ali (AS) said: If you acted upon proper investigation, there is no fault; but if you acted upon your own conjecture and suspicion, you have erred! Then he said to Umar: The blood money of the infant is upon your neck.
From Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab: Mu'awiya—may God curse him—wrote to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari: "Ibn Abi al-Jahsarayn found a man with his wife and killed him, and the judgment of the case has perplexed me; ask Ali about this matter for me." Abu Musa said: So I met Ali, and Ali said, "By God, this did not happen in these lands"—meaning Kufa—"nor in my presence. From where has this come to you?" I said, "Mu'awiya—may God curse him—wrote to me that Ibn Abi al-Jasrayn found a man with his wife and killed him, and the judgment of it has perplexed him; what is your view on this?" He said, "I am Abu al-Hasan: if he brings four witnesses who testify to what he witnessed, well and good; otherwise, he shall be handed over entirely [for retaliation]." (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 314)
The narrator says: Mu'awiya wrote to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari: One of the notables of Syria saw his wife committing adultery with another man and killed them both on the spot! We are at a loss in judging the case. Ask Ali what the ruling on this question is. When Abu Musa met Ali (AS), he put the question forward as though on his own behalf. Ali (AS) said: By God, no such thing has happened in these lands! Abu Musa said: True—Mu'awiya asked me to inquire of you discreetly. Ali (AS) said: I am Abu al-Hasan; if that man produces four witnesses, so be it; otherwise, I shall have him put to retaliation.
From al-Sadiq (AS): Two camels belonging to a man ran off. Another man caught them and tied them together with a rope, and one of them was strangled and died. The matter was brought before Ali (AS), and he did not hold him liable, saying: He only intended to set things right. (al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 315)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: A man's two camels ran away. Someone found them and tied them both with a rope, meaning to return them to their owner, but one of them was strangled and died. The dispute was brought before Ali (AS). He did not hold the man liable, and said: For he intended to help.