Venture Beyond Text[776] [777]

That Jafar alSdiq, his father, and the Imams among their descendants rejected the validity of forming legal opinions independently of texts through personal preference or arbitrary decision-making (ray)¹⁸’ and of reasoning by analogy (qiyas), as the two concepts were known and practiced at the time, is well known in the Islamic legal tradition and attested to by numerous reports from them and their close associates.

مسعدة بن صدقة قال: قال لى جعفر بن محشد: من أفى الناس برأيه فقد دان بما

لا يعلم-^[778]

[Mas'ada b. Sadaqa:] Ja'far b. Muhammad said, 'Whoever gives people legal opinions on the basis of his own personal preference has com­mitted himself in matters of religion to that which he does not know.”

عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عن مجالسة أصحاب الرأي فقال: جاسلهم، وإياك وخصلتين تهكل فيهما الرجال: أن نتفتي الناس رأيك أو تدبن بما لا نغلم.^[779]

['Abd al-Rahman b.

محمد بن يثرالأسلس قال: كنت عندأبى عبد الله وورقة يسأله، فقال له أبوعبد لله: أنتم قوم تحملون على اسلئة ونحن قوم سع الاز.^[780]

[Muhammad b. Bishr al-Aslami:] I was with Abu 'Abd Allah when Waraqa was questioning him. Abu 'Abd Allah said to him, “You are a people who impose [your personal opinions] on the Sunna, while we are a people who follow the Sunna.”

And here are some of his statements about qiyas:

أبو شيبة قال: سمعت أبا عبد لله يقول: إن دين لله لا يصاب بالمقاييس.^[781]

[Abu Shayba al-Khurasani:] I heard Abu 'Abd Allah say, “God's religion cannot be attained through analogies.”

أبان ين نعفف عن أى عبد هللا قال: إن اسلئة إذا قيست محق الدس¹⁹

[Aban b.

عبد هللا بن سنان عن أى عبد هللا قال: اسلئة لاننقاس.^{[782] [783]}

['Abd Allah b. Sinan:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, “The Sunna cannot be anal­ogized from.”

اين شبرة قال: ما ذكرت حديئا سمعته من جعفر ين محمد إلاكاد أن يتصدع قلي. قال: حدثي أى عن جدي عن رسول هللا — صلى الله عله وسلم — (قال اين سبرة: وأقسم بالله ما كذب أبوه على جده ولا جده على رسول هللا — صلى هللا عله وسئم): من عمل بالمقاييس فقد هكل وأهكل، ومن أفتى بغير علم. فقد هكل وأهكل.^[784]

[Ibn Shubruma:] I do not remember a hadith I heard from Ja'far b.

الحسن ين رشد قال: قف لأى عبد هللا: الحائض تقعي الصلاة؟ قال: لا! قف: تقعص الصوم؟ قال: نعم! قلت: من أين جاء ذا؟ قال: إن أؤل من قاس إبليس! قف: والصاثم يستنقع ي الماء؟ قال: نعم! قلت: فيبل ثوبا على جسده؟ قال لا! قلت: من أين جاء ذا؟ قال: من ذاك؛^[785]

[Hasan b. Rashid:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah, “Does a menstruating woman have to make up [missed] prayers?” He said, “No!” I said, “Does she have to make up [missed] fasts?” He said, “Yes!” I said, “On what basis?” He said, “The first person who did qiyas was Ibis!”^[786] I said, “Can a fasting person stay in water to cool himself down?” He said, “Yes!” I said, “Can he wet the clothes that he is wearing [for the same purpose]?” He said, “No!” I said, “On what basis?” He said, “On that same basis [that the first to do qiyas was Ibis].”^{[787] [788]}

سماعة ين مهران عن أبي عبد هللا قال: إندا هكل من هكل بالقياس.

[Samaa b. Mihran:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, “Those who were ruined were ruined by qiyds.” I said, “May God put you on the right path! Why is that?” He said, “Because there is nothing that is not addressed by the Book and the Sunna, and your duty is [simply] to quote what is there when a question comes up to you.”

[محشد بن] عبد الرحمن ين أبي يلى قال: حججت في اسلئة اش حج فيها أبوحنيفة إلى مكة، فكنا في الطرق حى أتبنا المدينة، فلقنا رصنا إلى المدينة قال لي أبوحنيفة: أحبة أن أدخل على هذا الرجل فأستم عله - يريد جعفرين محشد ين علي ين الحسين بن على ين أبي طالب رقى اهللا عنه — وأسأله، وأخافى أن لايأذن لي.

بأبي 'أنت وأم! إتماأقول ذكل في ايازل (أوالحادثة) تحدث ليس لها في كتاب هللا خبر ولا في سئة رسول هللا — صل هللا عله وسلم — ولا في إجماع المسلمين ولا في الخبر المثصل حجة، فان كان ذلك نظرنا إلى أشبه الأشياء بها فقسناها عليه« قال: فتبشم ثم، قال: ويحك يا نومان! ما لم كن ل في كتاب هللا ولا في ستة رسول اهللا ولا في إجماع المسلمين ولا في الخبر المتصل حجة فقد زل عنك حكمه ووضع عنك فرضه« فلا تتكلف ما لم تؤمر«^[789] [إئق هللا ولاتعس الس ئيك«]^[790]

[Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Layla:] I went on the hajj in the same year that Abu Hanifa went to Mecca. We were on the road until we reached Medina. When we arrived in Medina Abu Hanifa said to me, “I would like to visit this man to greet him''—he was referring to Ja'far b. Muhammad b. 'Ali b. al-Husayn b. 'Ali b. Abi Talib—“and to question him, but I fear that he may not permit me.” I said to him, “If he knows your situation, it is more likely that he will not permit you. But remain with me, so if he permits me, you can enter with me.” We went to his door and I said to his servant, “Convey greetings to him, and tell him it is [Muhammad b.] 'Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Layla and a man from Kufa.” He [the servant] came back to us with permission, so we entered and he greeted us and ushered us close to himself. When we felt comfortable, he turned to me and said, “Who is this man?” I said, “May my father and mother be made your ransom! This is Abu Hanifa! [He is] the jurist of the people of Kufa.” He turned to him and said, “You are Nu'man b. Thabit?” He said, “Yes! May my father and mother be made your ransom!” He said, “You are the one who analogizes the religion using your personal opinion?” He said, “May my father and mother be made your ransom! I do that in novel cases that occur without there being any mention of it in the Book of God, nor a basis in the Sunna of the Messenger of God (may God's prayer and peace be upon him), the consensus of the Muslims, or a report that goes all the way up [to the Prophet]. If that is the case, we consider the most similar case to the matter and analogize.” He smiled, then said, “Beware, O Nu'man! Whatever is not covered by a firm basis (ihujja) in the Book of God, the Sunna of the Messenger of God, the consensus of the Muslims, or a report that goes all the way [to the Prophet] does not have a ruling for you and the obligation respecting it is canceled for you. Do not assume responsibility for

what you have not been commanded.^[791] Fear God, and do not analo­gize the religion using your personal judgment.”

A key problem with analogical reasoning was that it ignored some essen­tial details that would render the legal disposition of particular cases differ­ent, even if they were similar in some respects. A conversation between the Imam and one of his learned disciples explains the point well:

عبد الرجن بن الحجاج قال: سألى أبوعبد الله هل يختلن ابن أبي لل واين شيرمة؟ ففلت: بلغي أنه مات مولى لعيسى بن موس وزك عله ديتا كثيرا ورك مماليك بحيط دينه بأثمانهم، فأعتفهم عند الموت« فسألهما عيس ين موس عن ذلك٠ ففال اين شيرمة: أرى أن شتسعيهم في قيمتهم فتدفعها إلى الغرماء فإنه قد أعتفهم عند موته، وقال اين أبي يلى: أرى أن يبيعهم وتدفع أثمانهم إلي الغرماء فإنه ليس ل أن يعتقهم عند موته وعله دين بحيط بهم« وهذا أهل الحجاز ايوم، يعتق الرجل عبده وعله ديرة كثير فلا يجيزون عتقه إذا كان عليه دين كثير. فرفع اين شيرمة يده إلى اسلماء وقال: سبحان الله! بتا اين أبي يلى! مي ئت بهذا الغول؟ والله ما قلئه إلا طلب خلافي. ففال أبوعبد الله: فعن رأي أيهما صدر؟ قال: قتى: بلغي أنه أخذ رأي ابن أبي يلى، وكان ل في ذلك هوى، فباعهم وقفى دينه. قال: فمع أيهما من قتبلكم؟ قته ل: مع اين شرمة، وقد رجع اين أبي يلى إلى رأي اين شرمة بعد. ذلك. ففال: أما والله إن الحق لغى الذي قال ابن أبي يلى وإن كان قد رجع عنه. ففلى ل: هذا ينكس عندهم في الغباس. ففال: هات قادمي! ففتن: أنا أقايسك؟! ففال: يفولن بأشد ما يدخل فيه من اكباس!

ففتن ل: رجل مات وترك عبدا، لم يبرك مالاغيره، وقيمة العبد سثمائة درهم وديه خمسمائة درهم فأعتفه عند الموت. كيف صنع؟ قال: يباع العبد فبأخذ

الغرماء خمسمائة درهم ويأخذ الورثة مائة درهم. فقلت: أليس قد بي من قيمة العبد مائة درهم عن ذينه؟ فقال: بلى! قلت: أليس للرجل ثلثه يصنع به ما يشاء؟ قال: بلى! قلت: أليس قد أوص للبد بالثلت من المائة حين أعتقه؟ فقال: إن العبد لا وصؤبة ل، إثما مال لمواليه. فقدت ل: فإذاكانت قيمة العبد سئمائة درهم ودينه أربعمائة درهم؟ قال: كذلك. يباع العبد فيأخذ الغرماء أربعمائة درهم ويأخذ الورثة مايتين، فلا كون للبد شيء. قلت ل: فإن قيمة العبد سئمائة درهم ودينه ثلاثمائة درهم؟ فضحك وقال: من ههنا أوق أصحابك. جعلوا الأشياء شيئا واحدا ولم يعلموا اسلئة. إذا استوى مال الغرماء ومال الورثة، أوكان مال الورثة أكش من مال الغرماء، لم يتهم الرجل على وصيته وأجيزبت وصيته على وجهها. فالآن يوقف هذا البد فبكون نصقه للخرماء ويكون ثلثه للورثة ويكون ل اسلدس.4ه²

['Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj:] Abu 'Abd Allah asked me whether Ibn Abi Layla and Ibn Shubruma disagree [on any legal issue]. I said, “I was informed that a client of 'Isa b. Musa^{[792] [793] passed away, leaving behind a lot of debt as well as slaves, whose combined value equaled his debt, but he manumitted them upon his death. 'Isa b. Musa asked the two of them about the case. Ibn Shubruma said, ‘I think you should allow them to work up to their market price and pay their income to the creditors [to settle the debt], because he [the client] manumit­ted them upon his death.' Ibn Abi Layla said, ‘I think you should sell them and pay their value to the creditors, because he [the client] could not manumit them upon his death while carrying a debt that covered them [that is, their market value]. These people of the Hijaz today do not allow a person to manumit his slave if he owes a large debt.' Then Ibn Shubruma raised his hand to the sky and said, ‘Praise be to God! O Ibn Abi Layla! When was it that you picked up this opinion? I swear you did not say it except to disagree with me.'” Abu 'Abd Allah said, 'Which of the two opinions did he ['Isa] adopt?” I said, “I heard that he adopted the opinion of Ibn Abi Layla. He had a personal interest in the case, so he sold them and repaid the debt.” Abu 'Abd Allah said, 'With whose opinion do those in your region [that is, the jurists of Kufa] align?” I said to him, 'With Ibn Shubruma, and [even] Ibn Abi Layla finally went back to the opinion of Ibn Shubruma.” He said, “By God, the truth is with what Ibn Abi Layla said, even if he went back on it.” I said to him, “For them [the jurists], that [opinion] fails through analogy.” He said, “Come, challenge me with analogy!” I said, “Me, chal­lenge you with analogy?” He said, “Challenge me with the hardest of analogies that can be presented here!”}

I said, 'A man dies and leaves behind a slave with no other wealth. The value of the slave is six hundred dirhams, and the debt he owes is five hundred dirhams, and he manumitted the slave upon his death. What should be done?” He said, “The slave is to be sold and the credi­tors are to take five hundred dirhams and the heirs one hundred dir­hams.” I said, “Is there not one hundred dirhams left over of the slave's price after paying the debt?” He said, “Yes!” I said, “Can the man not do what he wishes with one-third of his inheritance?” He said, 'Yes!” I said, “Did he not [virtually] bequeath one-third of the one hundred [dir­hams] when he manumitted him?” He said, “Bequests cannot be made to a slave. His [the slave's] money belongs to his masters.” I said to him, “What if the value of the slave is six hundred dirhams and the debt is four hundred dirhams?” He said, “Likewise. The slave is sold, the credi­tors take four hundred dirhams, the heirs take two hundred, and noth­ing remains for the slave.” I said to him, “What if the value of the slave is six hundred dirhams and the debt is three hundred dirhams?” Then he laughed and said, “This is the point that led your companions into their mistake. They treated [different] things alike and did not know the Sunna. If the shares owed to the creditors and the heirs are equal, or the share of the heirs is more than the share owed to the creditors, the [deceased] man is not under suspicion [of having intended to harm the creditors] for his bequest. His bequest is permissible on its face. Thus, the slave is set apart; half of him goes to the creditors, one-third goes to the heirs, and he gets one-sixth [manumitted].”

Another example:

أبوالمغرا عن أبي عبد الله في الرجل يستأجرالأرض بميؤاجرها بأكش مغتا استأجرها؟ قال: ليس به بأس. [إن الأرض ليست بمهزة اليت والأجير, إن فضل ابيت حرام وفضل الأجيرحرام.]^[794]

[Abu al-Maghra:] Abu 'Abd Allah said with regard to a man who leases land and then subleases it for a higher price than he leased it for, “There is nothing wrong with that. Land is not the same as a home or a hired laborer. The profit earned through the sublet of a house

is unlawful, and the profit earned through the sub-hiring of a hired laborer is unlawful.”²⁰⁷

However, when the operative cause of a law is explicitly mentioned in the Qur'an or the Sunna, or the text is applicable to the case at hand a fortiori, or two or more cases share a common denominator that determines their shared legal status, the law is extended from a case regarding which the law is already defined by the text to another case that remains undefined.²⁰⁸ The following examples illustrate this process:

الحلى قال: سألت أبا عبد هللا عن رجل أهل بالحخ والعمرة جميئا تم قدم مكة والناس بعرفات فخشنى إن هو طاف وسى بين الصفا والمروة أن يغوته الموقف. فقال: ببع العمرة فإذا أتم حجه صنع كما صنعت عائثة ولاقدى عله.²⁰⁹

[Ubayd Allah al-Halabi:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about a man who said the talbiya for the hajj and the ‘umra together [that is, for hajj tamattu‘], then arrived in Mecca while the people were at 'Arafat, so

For similar ideas in the Sunni tradition, see for instance, 'Abd al-Razzaq, Musannaf 8:222-23. The procedure is known in Muslim jurisprudence as ilgha¹ khususiyyat al-mawrid, at times expressed also as al-mawrid laysa bi-mukhassis, both denoting disregard of specific details and conditions that are not essential to the law. Similarity per se cannot serve as the basis for extending a law from one case to another. It can only serve as a pedagogical method to make the argument more understandable to a student. In a conversation between Ja'far alsdiq and one of his disciples in Ibn Babawayh, Faqih, 2:168-69, and Ibn Babawayh, ‘Ilalal-sharaY, 2:139 (with variants in Tusi, Tahdhib, 5:360, and with a different ascription in Kulayni, Kafi, 4:234), the Imam mentions a similar case to support his argument, and the disciple says, “People call this qiyas!” (هذا القياس عند الناس). The Imam said, “I likened one thing to another so that you could understand it” (إنما شبهت كل شيئا نيء إئعرفه). His response recalls the title of Chapter 12 of Book 96 of Bukhari's Sahih (containing hadiths 7314-15):

باب من شايه أصل معلوما بأصلي مبين قد بؤن هللا حكتهما للفهم السائل.

The chapter on the one who likens a known subject to a subject whose ruling has been made clear by God, to help the questioner understand it.

A commentator on Bukhari (Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Hadi al-Sindi, al-Hashiya ‘ala al-Bukhari, 4:227) explained this sense of comparison:

المطلوب تثبيه المجهول على المخاطب بالمعلوم عنده، مع أن كل منهما معلوم عند المتكلم بدون هذا التشبيه، وإنما يثبه لتفهيم السائل المخاطب والتوضيح عنده لا لاشات الحم كا يقول به آهل القياس.

The objective is to liken that which the addressee does not know to what he does know; meanwhile, both are known to the one who does the comparison, without his needing to liken them to each other. He likens them to one another in order to help the questioner who is being addressed understand and to illustrate it to him, but not in order to derive a rule, as is the view of the people of analogy.

Muhammad al-Baqir, too, occasionally used the same method in explaining his positions to his disciples. See for instance, Tusi, 2:133.

Tusi, Tahdhib, 5:174.

207

208

209

he feared that if he circumambulated and performed the sa'y between Safa and Marwa [so as to perform his 'umra first, as one is supposed to do in hajj tamattu'], he would miss the standing at 'Arafat [for his hajj]. The Imam said, “He should forgo the 'umra, and when he com­pletes his hajj he should do what Aisha did,^[795] and he does not owe a sacrificial animal.”

Here, the case of the man was very different from the case of 'A'isha, but the two shared a clear common denominator, the time constraint, which was obviously the reason behind the permissibility of Aisha's postponing some of the hajj rituals. This approach, rooted in an essential shared ele­ment, is also apparent in the following examples:

زررة عن أبي عبد هللا: أيا زجل كان ل مال وحال عليه الحول فائه يركسه« قلت ل: فإن هو وهبه قبل حله بشهر أو بيوم؟ قال: ليس عبئه شيء إذن. وقال [ي من يهبه بعد الحول]: إقا هذا بمهزل رجل أفطري شهررمضان يوهتا ي إقامته، بم خرج ي آخر النهاري سفر، أرد بسفر ذلك إبطال الكثارة انتى وجبت عله. إئه حين رأى الهلال

٢ ه ٠٠ ه*

الثاني عشروجبت عله الرداة ولكئله لوكان يوهبها قبل ذلك لحازولم كن عله سيء، بمهزلة من خرج بم أفطر. إتما لايمنع ما حال عيه [الحول]، وأما ما لم يحل فهل منعه. قته ل: إن أباك قال لي: من فربه من الرداة فعيه أن يؤذيها. قال: صدق أني! عله أن يؤذي ما وجب عيه، وما لم يجب عيه فلا شيء عيه قبته. أرأيت لو أن رجلا أغض عيه يومتا بم مات وقد مات قبل أن يؤذيها، أعيه شيء؟ قته: لا! إلا أن كون أفاق من يومه. بم قال: لو أن رجلا مرض ي شهر رمضان بم مات فيه أكان يصام عنه؟ قته: لا! قال: فكذلك الرجل، لايؤذي عن مال إلاما حال عيه الحول.^[796]

[Zurara:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, 'Whoever possesses wealth for the duration of a year must pay zakat on it.” I said to him, 'What if he gifts it one month, or one day, before a year has lapsed?” He said, “Then he owes nothing.” And he said [regarding a person who makes such a gift after a year has lapsed], “He is like a man who breaks his fast for a day during the month of Ramadan while he is at his residence, then leaves at the end of the day on a journey, thinking that by traveling, he will negate the expiation that has become obligatory for him. Actually, as soon as the man [in the original case] sees the twelfth crescent [of the year], the zakat becomes due for him. But if he gifts it before that, that is permissible and he owes nothing. He is like someone who traveled and then broke his fast. He cannot avoid [paying zakat] on that which he has possessed for a year, but on that which has not been in his pos­session for a year he can avoid it.” I said to him, “Your father said to me, ‘Whoever avoids the zakat [by granting a gift] must fulfill it.'” He said, “My father spoke the truth. The man must fulfill what is obligatory for him, and he owes nothing for what is not obligatory for him.” Then he said, “What do you think about a man who falls unconscious one day and then dies, not having paid zakat—did he have the responsibility to do it?” I said, “No! Unless he recovers the same day.” Then he said, “If a man falls ill during the month of Ramadan and then dies during it, is the fast [for the day of his death] to be made up on his behalf?” I said, “No!” He said, “It is the same for this man; he owes nothing on his wealth except on that which has been a year in his possession.”

محتد ين عذافرقال: قلص لأى عبد هللا [رجل] كون فى وقت فريضة لاتمكنه الأرض من القيام علها ولا السجود علها من كرة الثلج والماء والمطر والوحل، أيجوز ل أن بيحلى في المحل؟ قال: نعم! هوبمهزلة السفينة. إن أمكنه قائئا وإلاقاعدا.^[797]

[Muhammad b. ‘Udhafir:] I said to Abu ‘Abd Allah, “A man finds himself in the time for an obligatory prayer, but the ground does not permit him to stand or prostrate upon it because of an abundance of snow, water, rain, or mud. Is it permissible for him to pray in the carriage?” He said, 'Yes! It is like being on a ship. [He should pray] standing, if he can, or else seated.”^[798]

محمد ين مسلم عن أبي عبد الله قال: سألته عن رحل أجنب في المسفر ولم نيد إلا الثلج أو ماء جامدا، فقال: هو بمهزلة الغرورة« يتيمم ولا أرى [ل] أن يعود إلى هذه الأرض اتق توبق دينه.^[799]

[Muhammad b. Muslim:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about a man who becomes ritually impure with a major impurity but can find nothing [with which to perform the ritual full-body ablution] other than ice or frozen water. He said, “[His situation] is like one of necessity. He should perform the dry ablution with earth, and I do not believe that he should ever return to that land that endangers his religion.”

أبوولاد عن أبي عبد الله قال: لابأس بأجرالسمسار. إبما يشقى للناس يوتا بعد يوم بشيء مسش. إبما هو بمهزلة الأجرء.^[800]

[Abu Wallad:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, “There is nothing wrong with pay­ing a middleman. He buys things for people day after day for a speci­fied payment. He is like a hired laborer.”

معاوية ين عمار عن أبي عبد لله في رجل توفي وأوص أن يحج عنه. قال: إن كان صرورة فمن جميع المال. إكه بمهزلة ادين الواجب. وإن كان قد حج فمن ثلثه. ومن مات ولم يحج حجة الإسلام ولم يزك إلا قدر نفقة الحمول ول ورثة، فهم أحق بما نزك. فإن شاؤوا أكاوا وإن شاؤوا حجوا عنه.^[801]

[Mu'awiya b. 'Ammar:] Regarding a man who dies and stipulates in his will that a hajj be performed on his behalf, Abu 'Abd Allah said, “If he has never performed the hajj, then [the expenses for] the hajj will be charged to the entirety of his estate. It is like an obligatory debt.^[802] If he had performed hajj before, then [the hajj is paid for] from a third [of his estate]. Whoever dies and has never performed the Islamic hajj and leaves behind only enough for transportation [for performing the hajj] but has heirs, they are more entitled to what he leaves behind. If they wish they can use it [for themselves] and if they wish they can perform the hajj [with it] on his behalf.”

عبد الرجن بن الحجاج قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عن رجل رى صيدا في الحق وهودؤم الحرم في ما بعلي الصيد والمسجد، فأصابه في الحل فمعض برميته حى دخل الحرم فمات من رميته، هل عله جزاء؟ فقال: ليس عله جزاء. إعا مثل ذلك مثل من نصب شمدا في الحل إلى جانب الحرم فوقع فيه صيد فاضطرب حى دخل الحرم فمات [فيه] فليس عله جزائه، لأئه نصب حين نصب وهو ل حلال ورى حيث رى وهو ل حلال، فليس عله في ما كان بعد ذلك شيء.^[803]

['Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about a man who shot at game while he was outside the sacred precinct [of Mecca] on the way toward it, somewhere between the milestone of the precinct and the mosque. He shot at it outside of the precinct but [the game] continued with the arrow in it until it entered the sacred precinct and died from the arrow. Does he owe a penalty? He said, “He owes no penalty. He is like someone who sets a trap outside the sacred precinct next to it, and game falls into it and is bewildered and then enters the sacred precinct and dies. There is no penalty because he [the second man] set up [the trap] where he did and it was permissible for him, and [likewise] he [the first man] shot where he shot and it was per­missible for him, so he is not liable for what happened after that.”

على ين أبي حمزة قال: ساتن أبا عبد لله عن رجل بدآبالمروة قبل الصفا؟ قال: يعيد.

علي ٠* ه ٠ *عي ج ' ٠"

ألانمي أله لو بدأ بشمال قبل يمينه في الوضوء [يعيد الوضوء].^[804]

['All b. Abi Hamza:] Abu 'Abd Allah was asked about a [pilgrim] man who began [his sa'y] with Marwa rather than Safa [with which he is supposed to begin it]. He said, “He must repeat it. Do you not see that if he began with his left side before his right when performing the ablution, he would have to repeat the ablution?”

عبيد لله ن على الحلى عن أبي عبد لله ^[في^] رجل فجر بامرة ثم بدا ل أن يززوجها علي ** ٠ ٠٠٠ ض ٠٠ ٠ مخه ٠ ؤبم

[قال:] أول سفاح وآخره نكاح. مثله مثل الدخلة أصاب الرجل من ثمرها حراما ثم

اشهاها بد فكات ل حلالا.^[805]

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[Ubayd Allah al-Halabi:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, regarding a man who fornicated with a woman and then wanted to marry her, “It started as fornication but ended as marriage. This is like a palm tree whose dates a man acquires unlawfully, but which he later purchases, so they become lawful for him.”

Ja'far followed the same approach in cases in which the law applied to a second case a fortiori:

حفص بن غياث قال: سألت أبا عبد الله: أخبرني عن النساء كيف سقطت الجزية عنهن ورفعت عنهن؟ فقال: لأن رسول لله — صلى لله عله وآل وسلم — نه عن قتل النساء والولدان ى دار الحرب إلاأن يقاتلن. فلقنا نه عن قتلهن ى دار الحرب كان ذلك ى دارالإسلام أولى.^[806]

[Hafs b. Ghiyath:] I said to Abu 'Abd Allah, “Tell me how the jizya was dropped and removed from women.” He said, “[It was] because the Messenger of God (may God's prayer and peace be upon him and his Family) forbade killing women and children in the abode of war, unless they fight. Since it is forbidden to fight them in the abode of war, that applies a fortiori in the abode of Islam.”

Likewise, common sense, public interest, and blocking what might lead to unlawful acts (sadd al-dharFa, as it is known in Sunni jurisprudence) were essential elements of his legal thought.^[807] Here are a few examples for each:

داود ين فرقد عن أبي عبد لله قال: سألى داود ن على عن رجل كان يأني بيت رجل فنهاه أن يأني يته فأني أن يفعل، فذهب إلى السلطان فقال السلطان: إن فعل فاقتله، فقئله، فما تزي فيه؟ فقلت: أرى [أنه قد أقر. يقتل رجل مسلم فاقتله].^[808] إئه إن استقام هذا بم شاء أن يقول كل انشان لعدؤه دخل بيتي فقتلثه [لفعل].^[809]

[Dawud b. Farqad:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, "Dawud b. 'All [governor of Medina] asked me about a man who used to go to another man's house. The [latter] man forbade him to go to his house, but he did not stop doing so. He [the owner of the house] went to the govern­ment and the government said to him, ‘If he does that, kill him.' So he killed him—‘What is your position on this?' I said to him, ‘I believe you should kill him because he confessed that he killed a Muslim man [with no legal excuse].^[810] If this becomes an acceptable norm and everyone who wants to say that his enemy entered his house so he killed him will do so.'”

سماعة قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عن مسلم قتل ذميا، فقال: هذا شيء شديد لايحتمله الناس. فليعط أهل [الذي دبية المسلم بم يقتل به المسلم] ، حتي يكل عن قتل أهل اسلواد وعن قتل الذي. بم قال: لو أن مسلمنا غضب عل ذي فارد أن يقتله ويأخذ أرضه ويؤدي إلى أهله ثمانمائة درهم، إذا كرالقتل ي الذمئن، ومن قتل ذميا١ ظلئا فإكه يحرم عل المسلم أن يقتل ذميا١ حرما.^[811]

[Sama'a] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about a Muslim who kills a dhimmi. He said, "This is something sensitive that the people cannot tolerate.

The family of the dhimmi should pay the blood-money of a Muslim,^[812] and then the Muslim should be killed in retaliation for his killing of the dhimmf^[813] This is so to prevent people from killing the people of the Sawad (Mesopotamia) and from killing dhimmis." Then he said, "If a Muslim becomes angry with a dhimmi and wanted to kill him, take his land, and give to his family eight hundred dirhams, then the killing of dhimmis would proliferate. Whoever kills a dhimmi unjustly, [he com­mits a murder as] it is unlawful for a Muslim to kill a dhimmi unjustly."

زرارة قال: قلت لأبي عبد هللا: رجل دفع إلى رجل مالأ قرنتا، على من زكاته؟ على الئقرض أوعلى المقهر؟ قال: زاته إن كان موضوعا عنده حولأعلى المقهر. قلت: فليس على المقرض زكاة؟ قال: لأيرق المال من وجهين ي عام واحد، وليس على الدافع شيء لأنه ليس ي يده. إننا المال ي يد الآخذ. فمن كان المال ي يده راه. قلت: أفيرك غيره من مال؟ قال: إنه مال مادام ي يده وليس ذلك المال لأحد غيره. بم قال: بتا زررة! أرأيت وضيعة ذلك المال وربحه لمن هو وعلى من؟ قلت: للمقرض. قال: فهل الفضل وعله النقصان. أل أن ينكح ويلبس منه ويأكل منه، ولأينبي ل أن يربيه؟.'^[814]

[Zurara:] I said to Abu 'Abd Allah, "A man gave a cash loan to another person; who owes the zakat on it? The creditor or the debtor?" He said, "The zakat is owed by the debtor if it [the money] has been with him for one year." I asked, "The creditor does not owe zakat on it?" He said, "The zakat is not paid twice in one year, and the lender does not owe anything because it was not in his possession. The money was in the possession of the recipient. Whoever has possession of the money pays zakat on it." I said, “Does one pay zakat on someone else's money from his own money?" He said, “It is his money as long as it is in his possession, and that money does not belong to anyone else." Then he said, “O Zurara! Who do you think is liable for a loss of value on that money and who gets its profit?" I said, “The debtor." He said, “He gets the excess and suffers the loss. Could he marry, dress, and eat from it, but not pay zakat on it?"

إسحاق ين عمار عن أبي عبد هللا في رجل مات وتزلئ أبويه وإخوة لأم، قال: هللا سبحانه أكرم من أن يزيدها في العيال وينقصها من المماث الثلث.^[815]

[Ishaq b. 'Ammar:] Abu 'Abd Allah said about a man who died and left behind his parents and maternal siblings, “God, praised be He, is too gra­cious to add to her burden while reducing her share of inheritance.”^[816]

إسماعيل ين عبد الخالق قال: سألت أبا عبد اهللا عن النوم في المسجد الحرم، فقال: هل للناس بد من أن يناموا في المسجد الحرم؟ لابأس به.^[817]

[Ismal b. 'Abd al-Khaliq:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about sleeping in the Sacred Mosque [in Mecca]. He said, “Do the people have another option but to sleep in the Sacred Mosque? There is nothing wrong with it.”

زررة ين أعين قال: سئل أبوعبد هللا عن الرجل يتزوج المرأة بغيرشهود، فقال: لابأس بهزوج ابئة فيما ينه وبنز هللا. إننا جعل الشهود ي تزوج البكة من أجل الول. لولا ذكل لم كن به بأس.^[818]

[Zurara b. Ayan:] Abu 'Abd Allah was asked about a man who mar­ries a woman without witnesses. He said, “There is nothing wrong with that in principle in a stable, permanent marriage as far as what is between himself and God is concerned. Witnesses were, however, added to the requirement for a stable, permanent marriage for the sake of the child. Were it not for that, there would be nothing wrong with this case.”

يعقوب ين شعيب عن أبي عبد هللا قال: سأبه عن الرجل يبيع للقوم بالأجر[وأعليه ضمان مالهم، فقال: إذا طابت نفسه بذلك. إننا أخاف أن يفرموه أكير مما يصيب منهم.^[819] فإذا طابئن نفسه فلابأس.^[820]

[Ya'qub b. Shu'ayb:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about [the legality of] a man's selling on behalf of others on commission, on the condition that he be responsible for their property. He said, “Only if he is happy with that. I fear that they may fine him more than he makes from them. But if he is happy with that, there is nothing wrong with it.”

عبد الله بن محرزقال: سألت أبا عبد الله عن رجل أوحص إل وهلك ونزك اينة، فقال: أعط الاينة النصف وانزك للموالى النصف. فرجعت. فقال أصحايا: لا وهللا' ما للموالى شيء [وإننا ائقاك]. فرجعت إبه من قابل وقلمت ل: إن أصحايا قالوا: ليس للموالى شيء وإننا ائقاك. فقال: لا والله.' ما ائقيئك، ولكى خفت علك أن توخذ بالنصف. فإن كتت لاتخاف فادفع النصف الآخرإلى الاينة.^[821]

['Abd Allah b. Muhriz:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about a man who entrusted me with the execution of his will and then died and left behind a daughter. He said, “Give the daughter half, and leave half for the paternal relatives.” I went back, and our companions said, “No, by God! The paternal relatives do not get anything. He safeguarded himself against you [that is, he gave you that answer out of precaution­ary secrecy].” I went back to him the next year and said, “Our compan­ions say, ‘The paternal relatives do not get anything. He safeguarded himself against you [and gave you that answer out of precautionary secrecy].'” He said, “No, by God! I did not safeguard myself against you. Rather, I feared that you be held responsible for the other half. If you have no fear, then give the other half to the daughter [too].”^[822]

يعقوب بن شعيب قال: سألت أبا عبد هللا عن الخلى أبرك؟ قال: إذا لا سفلى منه شء.^[823]

[Ya'qub b. Shuayb:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah whether zakat is payable on jewelry. He said, “If it were, nothing of it would remain.”

عيص بن اكاسم عن أبي عبد الله في الكاة قال: ما أخذ منكم بنوأمية فاحتسبوا به. فإن المال لايبلى على هذا إن تق مؤنين.^[824]

['Is b. al-Qasim:] Abu 'Abd Allah said in regard to zakat [collected by an unjust government], “[In calculating your remaining zakat liabil­ity,] consider whatever the Umayyads collected from you as already paid, for wealth will not remain if zakat is paid twice on it.”

يونس ين يعقوب قال: كنت عند أبي عبد الله فدخل عله رحل من القماطين فقال: جعلت فداك.' لتقع ي أبتديتا الأرباح والأموال وتجارت نعرف أن حقك فيها ثابت وإنا عن ذلك مققلرون. فقال أبوعبد لله: ما أنصفناكم إن كأغناكم ايوم.^[825]

[Yunus b. Ya'qub:] I was with Abu 'Abd Allah when one of the swaddle-makers came to him and said, “May I be made your ransom! We receive profits, money, and businesses to which we know you to have an established right,^[826] but we are negligent of it.” Abu 'Abd Allah said, 'We would not be fair to you if we held you responsible today.”

بععض أصحا بنا عن أبي عبد الله قال: قلت ل: الرجل يمرعل قرح الزرع، أيأخذ منه اسلنبهل؟ قال: لا! قدت: أي شيء اسلنبهل؟ قال: لوكان كل من يمربه يأخذ سنبهل كان لا شيء.'^[827]

I said to Abu 'Abd Allah, “A man comes across ears of grain. May he take a spike of grain?” He said, “No!” I said, 'What [significance] is a spike of grain?” He said, “If everyone who came across it took a spike of grain, nothing of it would remain!”

Ja'far's legal positions took into account changes in social circumstances that required amending earlier laws:^[828]

عن أبي عبد لله قال: لا يتبني أن يهزؤج الرجل احلر المملوكة ايوم. إيما كان ذلك حيث قال لله عز وجل: ٠ن تم يئثطع منكم طولا [أن يكح انمخصثات الموتات فمن ما مكت أئمناككم من فشا خكم! الموئات]^. والطول المهر، ومهر احلرة البوم مهرالأمة أوأقل.^[829]

Abu 'Abd Allah said, “A free man should not marry a slave woman today. That was permitted when God, the Mighty and Majestic, said, And whosoever among you has not the means to marry free, believing

women, then [let him marry] the believing maidens among those whom your right hands possess.'^[830] The means [mentioned in the Quanic passage] is the dower, and the dower of a free woman today is the same as or less than that for a slave woman.”

جميل ين دراج قال: سألت أبا عبد هللا عن حبس لحوم الأضاح فوق ثلاثة [أيام] بيى« قال: لا بأس بذلك الوم. إن رسول هللا — صلى هللا عله وآل وسلم — إقا [نه عن] ذلك لأناً الناس كانوا يومئذ مجهودين،^[831] فأما اليوم فلابأس.^[832]

[Jamil b. Darraj:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about detaining the meat of sacrificial animals in Mina for more than three days. He said, “There is nothing wrong with that today. The Messenger of God (may God's prayer and peace be upon him and his Family) forbade it because the people were poor at the time [and needed it]. But today, there is noth­ing wrong with that.”

معاوية بن عمار عن أبي عبد الله قال: كنا نقول لا بد أن ؤستفتح بالحجر ويحتم به، وأقا اليوم فقدكلأالناس^[833] [فلا].^[834]

[Mu'awiya b. 'Ammar:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, 'We used to say that one must begin and end [circumambulation around the Ka'ba] with [touching of] the Black Stone, but not any longer as there is such a big crowd now.”

عماربن مودى عن أبي عبد الله قال: إقا كره قطع السدربالا۵ية لأله بها قلل، وأقا ههنا فلا بأس.^[835]

['Ammar b. Musa:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, “Cutting lote trees in the des­ert is disliked^[836] because they are rare there, but here there is nothing wrong with that.”

كربن محتد عن أبي عبد اهللا قال: سأل رجل وأنا حاضرفقال: كون لي غلام. أريد عتقه فهل عتقه أحبل إليك أوأيعه وأتصدق بثمنه؟ فقال: إن العتق في بعض الزمان أفضل وفي بض الزمان الصدقة أفضل. إذاكان الناس حسنة حالهم فالعتق أفضل وإذاكانوا شديدة حالهم فالصدقة أفضل.^[837]

[Bakr b. Muhammad:] A man said to Abu 'Abd Allah while I was pres­ent, “I have a male slave whom I want to manumit. Is it better to manu­mit him or to sell him and donate the proceeds?” He said, “Sometimes manumission is preferable, sometimes donation is preferable. If the people are in a good condition, manumission is preferred, but if they are in a poor condition, donation is preferred.”

This approach follows 'All's precedent, as in the following example:

سئل علي — عله السلام — عن قول الني — صل اهللا عله وآل وسلم:,(غبروا الشيب ولاتتشبهوا بايهود« فقال : إندا قال — صل هللا عله وآل وسلم — ذلك والس قل، فأما الآن وقد شع نطاقه وضرب نهرانه فامرؤوما اختار.^[838]

'All was asked about the saying of the Prophet (may God's prayer and peace be upon him and his Family): “Change your gray hair and do not resemble the Jews.”^[839] He said, “He [the Prophet] (may God's prayer and peace be upon him and his family) said that when the religion [of Islam] was in the minority. Now it has become widespread and estab­lished. So one goes with one's preference.”

Culture and social realities were also important factors in Ja'far al-Sadiq's legal methodology:

عبد الرجن ين الحجاج عن أبي عبد هللا: لولاأن خروج النساء شهرة لأمرت الصرورة منهن أن تخرج [إلى الميقات ليحرم متها بالحخ].^[840]

['Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, 'Were women's going out not considered bad by society, I would order those among them who were performing the hajj for the first time to go to the miqat [that is, the hajj station] to assume the state of pilgrim sanctity for the hajj there.”

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أبان ين تغل قال: سأل أبا عبد الله أخ وأنا حاضرعن الثوب تمكون مصبوعا بالعصفر ?ناًيفسل، ألبسه وأنا محرم؟ قال: نعم! ليس العصفرمن الطيب. ولكن أكره أن تلبس ما ببشهرك بين الناس.^[841]

[Aban b. Taghlib:] Abu 'Abd Allah was asked by my brother in my presence about a garment that was dyed with safflower and then washed—can I wear it while I am in a state of pilgrim sanctity? He said, "Yes! Safflower is not perfume. However, I do not like you to wear what makes you stand out among people.”

معلي ين خنيس عن أبي عبد هللا قال: كان علي عندكم فأق البرازين^[842] واشهى ثلاثة أثواب بدينار: القميص إلى فوق الكعب، والإزرإلى فوق المعاق، والرداء من بهن يديه إلى ثديه ومن خلفه إلى إلثتيه. ? رفع يده إلى اسلماء فلم يزل يحمد هللا علي ماكساه حى دخل مهزله. بم قال: هذا القاس الذي ينبي للمسلمين أن يلبسوه. قال أبوعبد اهللا: ولكن لايقدرون أن يلبسوه هذا ايوم، ولوفعلناه لقالوا: محنون! ولقالوا: مراء.^[843]

[Mu'alla b. Khunays:] Abu 'Abd Allah said [speaking to a group of Kufan visitors], "'All was with you when he went to clothes-sellers and bought three garments for one dinar: a shirt that stopped above the ankles, an izar that stopped at the shin, and a rida’ that covered the front of his body to his chest and from his back to his rear. He then lifted his hand to the sky, continuously praising God for what He had dressed him in until he entered his home. Then he said, ‘These are the clothes that Muslims should wear.'” Abu 'Abd Allah said, "However, today they cannot wear that. If we did so, they would say ‘He is crazy!' and ‘He is ostentatious!'”

داود ين رسحان قال: مات أبو عبيدة الحذاء وأنا بالمدينة فأرسل إل أبو عبد الله بدينار وقال: اشار بهذا حنوطا. واعلم أن الحنوط هو الكافور، ولكن إصنع كما صنع الناس.^[844]

[Dawud b. Sarhan:] Abu 'Ubayda alHadhdha'^[845] passed away when I was in Medina, so Abu 'Abd Allah sent me a dinar and said, “Buy hanut with this [to apply to the corpse before burial]. Know that hanut is camphor, but do as the people do.”

عبد الله بن يحتى الكاهل قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عن قوم مسلمين حغمهم رجل مجوسى، أيدعونه إلى طعامهم. قال: أقنا أنا فلاأؤاكل المجوسي، وأكره أن أحرم علكم شيئا تصنعونه ي بلادكم.^[846]

['Abd Allah b. Yahya al-Kahili:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about a group of Muslims to whom a Magian man has come. Should they invite him to their meals? He said, “For my part, I do not eat with Magians, but I would hate to forbid you to do something which you do in your lands.”

سيف ين عميرة عن أبي عبد لله قال: لا تدخل القبر وعلك نعل ولا قلنسوة ولا عمامة. قلسى: فالحفتا؟ قال: لابأس بالحفا فان ي خيع الحفتا شناعة.^[847]

[Sayf b. 'Amira:] Abu 'Abd Allah said, “Do not enter a grave wearing sandals, head caps, or turbans.” I said, 'What about boots?” He said, “There is nothing wrong with boots, for there is a distastefulness to removing one's boots.”

مجمد ين رسخ قال: سأت أبا عبد لله عن رساء الأرض من أرض الحراج فكرهه وقال: إتما أرض الحراج للمسلمين. فقالوا ل: فإنله يششها الرجل وعله خراجها. فقال: لا بأس. إلا أن يستحى من عيب ذلك.^[848]

[Muhammad b. Shurayh:] I asked Abu 'Abd Allah about the purchase of a piece of kharaj land. He disliked it and said, "Kharaj land belongs to all Muslims.” [Other people in attendance] told him that the buyer would [continue to] pay kharaj on the land. He said, “Then, there is no problem [with the purchase], unless he feels embarrassed by the contempt attached to it.”^[849]

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ملة وعبد الته ين هلال عن أبي عبد الته في الرحل يأزؤج ول الزنا، قال: لا باس♦ إنما,بمره ذلك مخافة العار♦^[850] [إن لم فف العيب على وله فلا بأس]♦^[851]

[Thalaba b. Maymun and 'Abd Allah b. Hilal:] Regarding a man who marries a woman of illegitimate birth, Abu 'Abd Allah said, “There is no problem [with the marriage]. It is disliked because of a possible contempt attached to it. If he does not think that his children [from the woman] may fall victim to such contempt, there is nothing [legally] wrong [with the marriage].”^[852]

حنان ين سدير قال: دخلنا على أبي عبد الله ومعنا فرقد الحجام، فقال ل: جعلت فداك.١ إفي أعمل عملا وقد سالمت عنه غيرواحد فزعموا أده عمل مكروه، وأنا أحب أن أسالك عنه فإن كان مكروها انتهيت عنه وعملمت غيره من الأعمال، وإفي منته في ذلك إلى قولك♦ قال: وما هو؟ قال: حجام♦ قال: كل من كسبك بتا اين أخ.١ وتصدق وحخ منه وتزوج، فإن البي - صلى الله عكه وآل وسلم — قد احتم وأعش الأجر، ولوكان حراما ما أعطاه‘ قال: جعلي هللا فداك! إن لي تيستا أكريه فما تقول ي كسبه؟ فقال: [إن العرب لتعاض به ولابأس.]⁸ه2

[Hanan b. Sad:] We went to Abu 'Abd Allah with Farqad the cupper accompanying us. He [Farqad] said to him [Ja'far al-Sadiq], “May I be made your ransom! I work in an occupation about which I asked more than one person and they said that it is disapproved. I would like to ask you about it. If it is disapproved, I will quit and find other work. I will act in this matter according to your opinion.” He said, 'What is it?” He said, “[I am] a cupper.” He said, “Eat from what you earn, O son of a brother! Donate, perform the hajj, and marry with it. The Prophet (may God's prayer and peace be upon him and his Family) was cupped and paid for the service. If it were forbidden, he would not have paid.” He said, “May God make me your ransom! I have a stallion that I lend for breeding—what do you say about profiting from it?”^{[853] [854] He said, “The Arabs look upon [the practice] with contempt, but there is noth­ing [legally] wrong with it.”}

Ja'far was keenly attuned to social sensitivities, as can be seen in the fol­lowing story. It so happened that a black slave of his, together with some­one else, killed a person. The victim's family asked the governor of Medina, Muhammad b. Khalid al-Qasi, to kill the perpetrators in retaliation. The governor asked Ja'far al-Sadiq for his permission as the owner of the slave, but he kept silent, because his legal position was that two people could not be put to death for the killing of one person. The governor refrained from taking action out of respect for Ja'far. The people of Medina told the family that the only way they could convince the governor was to pursue Ja'far and put pressure on him. They did so. Ja'far withdrew his protection and allowed the governor to act according to their request.^[855]

There are many similar instructions from Ja'far's father, whose empha­sis on giving priority to the best interests of the Muslim community set an example for his son. Here is an example:

زررة قال: حفر أبو جعفر جنانة رجل من قريش وأنا معه وكان فيها عطاء فعرخت صارخة، فقال عطاء: لتسكئ أو لزجعن. فلم شكت فرجع عطاء. قال: فقلت لأبي جعفر: إن عطاء قد رجع! قال: ول٠م؟ قلت: صزخت هذه الصارخة فقال لها: لتسكأئ أولهرجعن، فلم شكت فرجع. فقال: إمض يال فلوأكا إذا رأبنا شيئا من اباطل مع الحق ترانا ل الحق، لم نقض حق مسلم.^[856]

[Zurara:] Abu Ja'far attended the funeral of a man from the Quraysh and I accompanied him. 'Ata'^[857] [too] attended the funeral. A wailer wailed, so 'Ata' said, “She must be quiet or we will go back.” She did not quiet down, so 'Ata' went back. I said to Abu Ja'far, “'Ata' went back!” He said, 'Why?” I said, “A wailer wailed, and he said ‘she must be quiet or we will go back,' but she did not quiet down, so he went back.” He said, “Let us carry on! If every time we saw something false alongside something right we left the right because of the false, we would never fulfill our duty toward the Muslims.”

And, at times, he acted to protect the standing of the Family of the Prophet in the community:

زرارة قال: رأيت ابئا لأبي عبد الله في حياة أبي جعفر، يقال ل عبد الله، فطيم قد درج. فأخرج في سفط إلى البقيع، فخرج أبو جعفر. فلقنا اته إلى البقيع تقدم أو جعفرفصل عله وكبر عله أربئا، بم أمربه فذفن. ?ناًأخذ يدي فتتطفى بي بم قال: إته لم نمكن بصل على الأطفال. إتما كان أمير المؤمتين — عله السلام - يأمر بهم فبدفنون من ورء، ولابصل علهم، وأتما صلت عله من أجل أهل المدينة، كراهبتة أن يقولوا [إن بى هاشم]^[858] لابصلون على أطفالهم.^[859]

[Zurara:] I saw a son of Abu 'Abd Allah's during the lifetime of Abu Ja'- far who was named 'Abd Allah and who was weaned but died. He was taken in a casket to [the cemetery of] Baqi'. Abu Ja'far went out and when he reached Baqi', went forth, prayed over him, said four takbirs, and then ordered him to be buried. He then took my hand and took me aside and said, “It used to be that children were not prayed over. The Commander of the Faithful ['All] would order that they be taken into the cemetery from the back door to be buried and not be prayed over. But I prayed over him for the sake of the people of Medina, as I would hate for them to say that the Banu Hashim do not pray over their children.”

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