Volume 6 of 8

In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful

Part One

The Book of ‘Aqiqah (Offering Animal Sacrifice for a Newborn Child)

Chapter 1

Excellence of Son

H 10241, Ch. 1, h 1

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from af-Nawfafiy from af-Sakuniy who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘A virtuous son is a sweet smelling flower from Allah which Allah distributes among His servants. My sweet smelling flowers in this world are al-Hassan and al-Husayn whom I have named after the names of two grandsons in banu Israel, called Shabbar and Shabiyr.’”

H 10242, Ch. 1, h 2

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from ibn Muskan from certain persons of our people who has said the following:

“Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘It is of prosperity and good fortune of a man to have sons who help and support him.’”

H 10243, Ch. 1, h 3

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You (my followers) should bring up more children because I will claim to have the majority with you among the nations tomorrow (on the Day of Judgment).”’

H 10244, Ch. 1, h 4

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘When Yusuf ‘Alayhi al-Salam, met his brother, he asked him, ‘How could you marry women after me?’ He replied, ‘My father commanded me and said, ‘If you like to have such a number of children who can make the earth heavy with Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) you must do so.’”

H 10245, Ch. 1, h 5

Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that so and so -whose name he (the Imam) mentioned- once said, ‘I was not interested in children until I stood in al-‘Arafat and there was a young man next to me who prayed and wept, saying, “O Lord, my parents, (grant blessings to) my parents.” Hearing this made me interested in children.’”

H 10246, Ch. 1, h 6

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from his father in a mursal manner has said, the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Of good fortune and prosperity of a man is his having the virtuous son.’”

H 10247, Ch. 1, h 7

It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Bakr ibn Salih who has said the following:

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, saying, ‘I have avoided praying for a son for five years because my wife dislikes it and says that bringing up a child is very difficult because of lack of resources.’ He (the Imam), ‘Alayhi al-Salam, wrote to me, ‘Ask for them (children): Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, will grant them sustenance.’”

H 10248, Ch. 1, h 8

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Talhah ibn Zayd who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Children of believing people are named before Allah, as intercessors with accepted intercession. When they become twelve years old they can have good deeds and when they mature then sins are written against them.’”

H 10249, Ch. 1, h 9

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that ‘Amir al-Mu’minin would read, ‘… I am afraid for my dependents after me,’ (19:6) meaning that he had no heirs until Allah granted him (an heir) after his becoming very old.’”

H 10250, Ch. 1, h 10

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘A virtuous son is a sweet smelling flower from the flowers of paradise.’”

H 10251, Ch. 1, h 11

Through the same chain of narrators as that of the previous Hadith, the following is narrated:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘It is of the prosperity and good fortune of a man to have the virtuous son.’”

H 10252, Ch. 1, h 12

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from Sharif ibn Sabiq from al-Fadl ibn abu al- Qurrah who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said the following: ‘Jesus, son of Marry, once passed by a grave wherein its dweller suffered a great suffering. He passed by the same grave afterward but found the dweller was not suffering. He asked, “O Lord, I passed by this grave a year ago when he was suffering a great suffering and this year I passed by his grave but he did not suffer.” Allah then revealed to him that his virtuous son became mature who repaired a road and gave shelter to an orphan, so I forgave him because of what his son has done.’ The Messenger of Allah then said, ‘It is of the inheritance of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, for His believing servant in the form of a virtuous son who worships Him after the death of his father’ and he (the Imam) then read the verse of the Quran about Zakariya, ‘… O Lord, grant me from You an heir who will inherit me and the people of Ya‘qub. O Lord, make him to please You.’”

Chapter 2

Resemblance of a Child

H 10253, Ch. 2, h 1

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from af-Nawfafiy from af-Sakuniy who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘It is of the bounties of Allah for a man to have a son who resembles him.’”

H 10254, Ch. 2, h 2

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn al-Muthanna’ from Sadir who has said the following:

“Abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘It is of good fortune of a man to have a son who resembles his father, physically, morally and in his nature.”’

H 10255, Ch. 2, h 3

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salmah ibn al-Khattab from al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Yaqtin from Yunus ibn Ya’qub from a man who has said the following:

“I once heard abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, saying, ‘Fortunate is the man who does not die before seeing a successor of his own self.’”

Chapter 3

Excellence of Daughters

H 10256, Ch. 3, h 1

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn ‘Isma‘il ibn Bazi‘ from Ibrahim ibn Mehzam from Ibrahim al-Karkhiy from a trustworthy man who narrated from certain persons of our people who have said the following:

“I married in al-Madinah and abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, asked me, ‘How is your married life?’ I replied, ‘Every good thing that a man can see in a woman I found with her but she betrayed me.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘How did she do so?’ I replied, ‘She gave birth to a girl.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You may have disliked her but Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says, ‘Regardless of how you feel about your parents or children, you do not know which of them is more beneficial to you. Allah is All-knowing and All-wise. (4:11)’”