Allamah’s words.

قوله تعالى:«فبما رحمة من الله لنت لهم»إلى آخر الآية، الفظ هو الجافي القاسي، و غلظ القلب كناية عن عدم رقته و رأفته، و الانفضاض التفرق.

و في الآية التفات عن خطابهم إلى خطاب رسول الله(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)، و أصل المعنى: فقد لان لكم رسولنا برحمة منا، و لذلك أمرناه أن يعفو عنكم و يستغفر لكم و يشاوركم في الأمر و أن يتوكل علينا إذا عزم.

و نكتة الالتفات ما تقدم في أول آيات الغزوة أن الكلام فيه شوب عتاب و توبيخ، و لذلك اشتمل على بعض الأعراض في ما يناسبه من الموارد و منها هذا المورد الذي يتعرض فيه لبيان حال من أحوالهم لها مساس بالاعتراض على النبي(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)فإن تحزنهم لقتل من قتل منهم ربما دلهم على المناقشة في فعل النبي(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)، و رميه بأنه أوردهم مورد القتل و الاستيصال، فأعرض الله تعالى عن مخاطبتهم و التفت إلى نبيه(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)فخاطبه بقوله: فبما رحمة من الله لنت لهم.

و الكلام متفرع على كلام آخر يدل عليه السياق، و التقدير: و إذا كان حالهم ما تراه من التشبه بالذين كفروا و التحسر على قتلاهم فبرحمة منا لنت لهم و إلا لانفضوا من حولك.

“His words, exalted: ‘So it is by a mercy from God that you were gentle with them,’ to the end of the verse. Al-fazz is the coarse, hard man; hardness of heart is a figure for the absence of tenderness and kindness in it; and al-infidad is scattering.

And in the verse there is a turn from addressing them to addressing the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family and grant them peace. The root of the meaning is: Our Messenger was gentle with you by a mercy from Us; and for that reason We commanded him to pardon you, to ask forgiveness for you, to consult you in the matter, and to put his trust in Us once he has resolved.

The point of the turn is what was said at the start of the verses on the battle: that the speech carries a tinge of reproach and rebuke, and so it turns away from them at the places that call for it. This is one of them, for it sets out a state of theirs that bears on objecting to the Prophet, God bless him and his family and grant them peace: their grief for those of them who had been killed may well have led them to dispute what the Prophet had done, and to charge him with having led them to slaughter and ruin. So God, exalted, turned away from addressing them, and turned to His Prophet, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, and addressed him with His words: ‘So it is by a mercy from God that you were gentle with them.’

And the speech branches from another that the context points to. Its sense is: since their state is what you see — likening themselves to those who disbelieved, and grieving for their dead — it is by a mercy from Us that you were gentle with them; and were it not so, they would have scattered from around you.”

— Allamah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i, al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, on Surah Aal Imran #3, Verses 156 to 164; my translation

The three passages of the lesson, in order.

خب، اگر كسي خُلُق عظيم نمي‌داشت در برابر اين صحنه چه برخوردي مي‌كرد؟ كسي نقل نكرد كه ذات مقدس رسول خدا(صلّي الله عليه و آله و سلّم) برآشفته بشود، اعتراض بكند، تحقير بكند، سرزنش بكند. اينها يك سلسله مَلكات عادي نيست كه مثلاً حالا انسان، در سخت‌ترين شرايط تنها بماند و بعد هم چيزي اعتراض نكند يا براي ارزان خريدن بعضي از كالاها نمازجمعه را ترك بكند، خطبه‌ها را ترك بكنند خطيب را در حال ايستاده رها بكنند بعد هم پيغمبر چيزي نگويد، اين ﴿إِنَّكَ لَعَلَي خُلُقٍ عَظِيم﴾[8] وقتي ذات اقدس الهي روي عظمت اخلاقي پيغمبر صِحه گذاشت، معلوم مي‌شود خيلي مسئله مهم است.

“Well — had someone not had a tremendous character, how would he have met such a scene? No one has reported that the holy person of the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, flared up, or objected, or belittled anyone, or reproached anyone. These are not some set of ordinary dispositions — that a man should be left alone in the hardest of conditions and then object to nothing; or that, to buy some goods more cheaply, people should abandon the Friday prayer, abandon the sermons and leave the preacher standing, and the Prophet then say nothing. This is ‘indeed you possess a tremendous character’ [8]. When the most holy Divine Essence set His seal on the Prophet’s greatness of character, it is clear that the matter is a very great one.”

خُلق عظيم آن است كه انسان ﴿أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَي الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ﴾[19] باشد، لذا همين رسول خدا(صلّي الله عليه و آله و سلّم) كه داراي خُلق عظيم است و نسبت به مؤمنين، رئوفِ رحيم است كه در سورهٴ «توبه» آمده و ﴿بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَؤُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ آيه 128 سورهٴ «توبه» اين بود كه ﴿لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَاعَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَؤُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ همين وجود مبارك كه داراي خُلق عظيم است و ﴿بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَؤُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ است و ﴿فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ﴾ است، نسبت به كساني كه حجت خدا بر اينها بالغ شد و اينها اهل ايمان نبودند و اهل فرار و شِقاق و نفاق بودند، نسبت به اينها مي‌فرمايد: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾[20]؛ فرمود تو نسبت به مؤمنين غليظ‌القلب نيستي ولي نسبت به كافران و منافقان، غليظ باش: ﴿وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾[21] قهراً مسئلهٴ لَيّن بودن، نرم بودن با سهل‌انگار بودن و بي‌تفاوت بودن فرق مي‌كند، زيرا ذات اقدس الهي به رسولش فرمود نسبت به مؤمنين، رئوف و رحيم باش، نسبت به كافر و منافق اهل گذشت نباش.

“A tremendous character is that a person be ‘hard against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves’ [19]. So this same Messenger of God, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, who possesses a tremendous character and is ‘to the believers gentle and merciful’, as Surah al-Tawbah says — verse 128 of Surah al-Tawbah is: ‘There has certainly come to you a messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is your distress; he is eager for your good; to the believers he is gentle and merciful’ — this same blessed person, who has a tremendous character, who is ‘to the believers gentle and merciful’, and of whom it is said ‘it is by a mercy from God that you were gentle with them’: of those against whom God’s proof had been made complete, who were not people of faith but people of flight, of schism and of hypocrisy, He says: ‘O Prophet, wage jihad against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be severe with them’ [20]. He said: you are not hard of heart towards the believers; but towards the disbelievers and the hypocrites, be severe — ‘and be severe with them’ [21]. Necessarily, then, being gentle and being soft differ from being lax and being indifferent: for the most holy Divine Essence told His Messenger to be gentle and merciful towards the believers, and not to let things pass with the disbeliever and the hypocrite.”

آيه 215 و 216 سورهٴ «شعراء» اين است كه ﴿وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٭ فَإِنْ عَصَوْكَ فَقُلْ إِنِّي بَرِي‏ءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾؛ اگر كسي معصيت كرد، مبادا با سهل‌انگاري معصيت او را امضا كني، علناً اعلان تبرّي كن بگو من از اين كار بيزارم. در جريان خالد كه دست به آن گناه، دراز كرد وقتي جريان به وجود مبارك رسول خدا(صلّي الله عليه و آله و سلّم) رسيد، در حضور مردم آمد، دست به طرف آسمان برداشت، طوري كه زير دو بغل حضرت را مردم ديدند، دست را كاملاً به طرف آسمان برداشت عرض كرد: «اللهم إنّي أبرأ إليك مما فعل خالد»[24] چون خدا فرمود اگر كسي معصيت كرد، صريحاً اعلان تبرّي كن ﴿فَإِنْ عَصَوْكَ فَقُلْ إِنِّي بَرِي‏ءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾ آن‌گاه وجود مبارك حضرت امير(صلوات الله و سلامه عليه) را خواست، بعد فرمود مي‌روي در آن قبيلهٴ ستمديده، همه غرامتهاي آنها را بررسي مي‌كني و از بيت‌المال مي‌پردازي «حتي أنّه ليدي ميلغة الكلب»[25] ‌«ميلغه‌‌» آن ظرفي كه سگ در او ولوغ مي‌كند، آب مي‌خورد.

“Verses 215 and 216 of Surah al-Shu’ara are: ‘And lower your wing to the faithful who follow you; but if they disobey you, say: I am absolved of what you do.’ If someone disobeys, beware of signing off on his disobedience by being easy-going: declare your disavowal openly, and say: I am clear of this deed. In the affair of Khalid, who stretched out his hand to that sin — when the matter reached the blessed presence of the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, he came before the people and raised his hand towards the sky, so that the people saw beneath both his arms; he raised his hands fully towards the sky and said: ‘O God, I declare myself clear to You of what Khalid has done’ [24]. For God had said: if anyone disobeys, declare your disavowal plainly — ‘but if they disobey you, say: I am absolved of what you do.’ Then he called for the blessed presence of Amir al-Mu’minin, God’s blessings and peace be upon him, and said: go to that wronged tribe, look into all their losses, and pay them from the public treasury — ‘so that he even paid for the dog’s drinking-bowl’ [25]. Milagha is the vessel a dog laps from, the one it drinks water from.”

— Ayatullah Abdullah Jawadi Amoli, Tasnim, his commentary on Surah Aal Imran, session 264, 26 March 1990 (tasnim.esra.ir); my translation

The numbers in square brackets are the website's own note marks, referring to footnotes that I have brought into the translation.

The commander was Khalid ibn al-Walid, and the tribe the Banu Jadhimah.

The passage. It comes from the middle of the Imam’s long account of the times when God’s proofs were hidden from their people; it opens on John the Baptist, peace and blessings be upon him, who has just risen among his people to preach. The story is sometimes told with Zechariah knocking at her door; that detail is not in the reports we hold.

بأيام الله، وأخبرهم أنّ محن الصالحين إنّما كانت لذنوب بني إسرائيل وأنّ العاقبة للمتقين ووعدهم الفرج بقيام المسيح بعد نيّف وعشرين سنة من هذا القول، فلمّا ولد المسيح أخفى الله عزّ وجلّ ولادته وغيّب شخصه، لأنّ مريم لمّا حملته انتبذت به مكاناً قصيّاً، ثمّ إنّ زكريّاً وخالتها أقبلاً يقصّان أثرها حتّى هجماً عليها وقد وضعت ما في بطنها وهي تقول: ﴿يَا لِيَتْنِي مَّتْ قَبْلَ هَذَا وَكُنْتَ نَسِيَّاً مِنْسِيًّا﴾ فأطلق الله تعالى ذكره لسانه بعذرها وإظهار حجّتها، فلمّا ظهرت اشتدّت البلوى والطلب على بني إسرائيل وأكبّ الجبارة والطواغيت عليهم حتّى كان من أمر المسيح ما قد أخبر الله عزّ وجلّ به واستنر شمعون بن حمون والشيعة حتّى أفضى بهم الاستنار إلى جزيرة من جزائر البحر فأقاموا بها ففجّر الله لهم العيون العذبة وأخرج لهم من كلّ الثمرات، وجعل لهم فيها الماشية وبعث إليهم سمكة تدعى القمد لا لحم لها ولا عظم وإنّما هي جلد ودم فخرجت من البحر فأوحي الله عزّ وجلّ إلى النحل أن تركبها، فركبتها فأتت النحل إلى تلك الجزيرة ونهض النحل وتعلّق بالشجر فعرش وبني وكثر العسل ولم يكونوا يفقدون شيئاً من أخبار المسيح .

“[He reminded them] of the days of God, and told them that the trials of the righteous had come only because of the sins of the Children of Israel, and that the outcome belongs to the God-wary; and he promised them relief with the rising of the Messiah [peace be upon him], some twenty-odd years after these words. When the Messiah [peace be upon him] was born, God, mighty and majestic, concealed his birth and hid his person; for Mary [peace be upon her], when she had conceived him, withdrew with him to a distant place. Then Zechariah and her maternal aunt came following her tracks until they came upon her — and she had delivered what was in her womb, and she was saying: ‘Would that I had died before this and been a thing forgotten, utterly forgotten.’ So God, exalted be His mention, loosed his tongue to plead her excuse and make her proof plain. When it became manifest, the trial and the hunting of the Children of Israel grew hard, and the tyrants and the idols of power fell upon them, until there came to pass with the Messiah what God, mighty and majestic, has told of. And Simon son of Hammun and the Shi’a went into hiding, until their hiding brought them to an island in the sea, where they settled. And God caused sweet springs to gush out for them, and brought out for them every kind of fruit, and gave them livestock there; and He sent them a fish called al-Qamad, which has no flesh and no bone, only skin and blood. It came out of the sea, and God, mighty and majestic, inspired the bees to ride upon it; they rode it, and the bees came to that island, and rose and clung to the trees, and made their hives and built, and the honey increased. And they lost nothing of the news of the Messiah [peace be upon him].”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Muhammad ibn Umarah; Shaykh al-Saduq, Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah, chapter 7, report 1 (the edition of Ghaffari, volume 1, page 191); my translation

Where this edition prints an honorific as a symbol, its text shows a space; the translation gives the honorific in brackets.

The report.

٣٨ - وفي رواية حريز عن أحدهما قال نذرت ما في بطنها للكنيسة أن تخدم العباد ، وليس الذكر كالأنثى في الخدمة قال : فشبت فكانت تخدمهم وتناولهم حتى بلغت فأمر زكريا أن يتخذ لها حجاباً دون العباد فكان يدخل عليها فترى عندها ثمرة الشتاء في الصيف وثمرة الصيف في الشتاء ، فهنالك دعا وسأل ربه أن يهب له ذكراً فوهب له يحيى (٢) .

“38 — And in the report of Hariz, from one of the two [Imams], who said: She vowed what was in her womb to the house of worship, to serve the worshippers — and the male is not like the female [in that service]. He said: So she grew up, and she would serve them and hand them what they needed, until she came of age. Then Zechariah was commanded to put up a screen for her, apart from the worshippers; and he would go in to her, and see with her the fruit of winter in summer and the fruit of summer in winter. And there and then he prayed, and asked his Lord to grant him a son; and He granted him John.”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir or Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon them, through Hariz; al-’Ayyashi, Tafsir al-’Ayyashi, volume 1, on Surah Aal Imran, report 38; my translation

The lesson’s own words, with the two questions from the class that sit inside it.

اما چطور شد كه براي بار اول و بار دوّم اين سؤالها را نكرد چون ظاهر آيه اين است كه ﴿كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمَحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقاً﴾ بعداً سؤال كرد كه ﴿يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّي لَكِ هذَا﴾ براي اوّلين بار كه يك روزي غيبي را يافت, سؤال نكرد چه كسي به تو داد. اين از آن باب است كه اين روزيها را كه مشاهده مي‌كرد احتمال مي‌داد مردم خيّري كه براي انجام عبادت به معبد مي‌آيند آنها آورده باشند تا اينكه ديد همه راهها بسته است و همواره ايشان روزيِ جديد دارد بعد سؤال كرد يا علل ديگري در كار بود. به هر حال اگر انسان راه را ببندد مع ذلك رزق را نزد اين كودك ببيند براي اولين بار هم كه شد بايد سؤال بكند كه چه كسي آورد ولي ظاهر آيه اين است كه بعد از اينكه چندين بار اين رزق غيبي را ديد سؤال كرد از كجا آمد ﴿كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمَحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقاً﴾ آن‌گاه ﴿قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّي لَكِ هذَا﴾ اين نشانهٴ آن است كه شايد صبر مي‌كرد ببيند بر اينكه راهي براي كشف اين روزي است يا نه اين راهها را بسته است و مكرر هم آزمود, ديد كه با راههاي بسته روزي نزد مريم است, اينجا زمينه سؤال فراهم مي‌شود كه سؤال بكند و جواب بشنود وگرنه اين سؤال هست كه چرا دومين بار اين سؤال نكرد.

پرسش:...

پاسخ: ما در تعبيرات فارسي اگر بگوييم چه برداشتي از آن مي‌شود, هر وقتي كه وارد مي‌شد روزي جديد مي‌ديد گفت، نه مي‌گفت. اگر مي‌گفت بود از آن استفاده مي‌شد كه هر وقت مي‌ديد مي‌گفت; اما اگر ما در تعبيرات فارسي اين‌چنين بگوييم هر وقت وارد مي‌شد ‌يافته بود, گفت اين پيداست كه بعد از استمرار گفت. شايد سرّش اين باشد كه بار اول بار دوم بار دهم بار صدم هر وقت كه وارد مي‌شد مي‌يافت, تحقيق كرد خودش حراست كرد خودش حفاظت كرد راهها را بست افرادي گماشت كه چه كسي مي‌آورد چه كسي مي‌برد از سؤال كرد, ديد تمام راهها بسته است.

پرسش:...

پاسخ: معبد بود ديگر, در محراب راه نداشتند يعني در آن مقصوره‌اي كه براي اين مريم(عليها السّلام) فراهم شده بود آنجا راه نداشتند; اما معبد بود ديگر مي‌آمدند مرتب عبادت مي‌كردند مي‌رفتند. سرانجام ديد كه تمام راهها بسته است, آمد از خودش سؤال كرد ﴿يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّي لَكِ هذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ﴾ و تمام شد و قانع شد و راضي شد ﴿إِنَّ اللّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ﴾ البته اين ﴿إِنَّ اللّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ﴾ دو تا احتمال در آن است هم كلام مريم(عليها السّلام) باشد; هم كلام الله هر دو باشد حق است.

“But how was it that he did not ask these questions the first time and the second? For the apparent sense of the verse is that ‘whenever Zechariah entered upon her in the sanctuary, he found provision with her’, and afterwards he asked, ‘O Mary, from where does this come to you?’ The first time he found a provision from the Unseen, he did not ask who had given it to her. That was because, seeing these provisions, he thought it possible that good people who came to the temple to worship had brought them — until he saw that every way in was closed and that she always had fresh provision; then he asked. Or there were other causes at work. In any case, if a man closes off the way and still sees provision with this child, he ought to ask who brought it, even the first time. But the apparent sense of the verse is that he asked where it came from after he had seen this provision from the Unseen several times: ‘whenever Zechariah entered upon her in the sanctuary, he found provision with her’, and then ‘he said: O Mary, from where does this come to you?’ This is a sign that perhaps he was waiting, to see whether there was a way of discovering the source of this provision or not. He closed those ways, and tested it again and again, and saw that, with the ways closed, the provision was with Mary. That is where the ground is laid for him to ask and to hear the answer; otherwise there remains the question: why did he not ask this the second time?

Question: …

Answer: If we put it in our own Persian expressions, what would be understood? ‘Whenever he entered he saw fresh provision, he said’ — no: ‘he would say.’ If it were ‘he would say’, it would be understood that whenever he saw it he said it. But if, in our Persian expressions, we say ‘whenever he entered he had found it, he said’, it is plain that he said it after it had gone on for some time. Perhaps the secret of it is this: the first time, the second time, the tenth time, the hundredth time — whenever he entered, he found it. He investigated; he kept guard himself; he kept watch himself; he closed the ways; he set men to see who was bringing and who was taking; he made enquiries — and he saw that every way was closed.

Question: …

Answer: It was a temple, after all. They had no way into the sanctuary — that is, into the private chamber that had been prepared for this Mary, peace be upon her, they had no way in; but it was a temple, after all: people came, worshipped regularly, and left. In the end he saw that every way was closed, and he came and asked her herself: ‘O Mary, from where does this come to you? She said: It is from God.’ And it was finished, and he was convinced, and he was content. ‘God provides for whomever He wishes without reckoning’ — there are, of course, two possibilities in this ‘God provides for whomever He wishes without reckoning’: it may be the words of Mary, peace be upon her, or the words of God. Both are true.”

— Ayatullah Abdullah Jawadi Amoli, Tasnim, his commentary on Surah Aal Imran, session 107, 19 August 1989 (tasnim.esra.ir); my translation

The website prints each question from the class only as “Question: …”, so the questions themselves are not recorded.

The report. It runs across a page of the edition; the two parts are joined here.

٤١ - عن سيف عن نجم عن أبي جعفر (عليه السلام) قال : إن فاطمة عليها السلام ضمنت لعلي (عليه السلام) عمل البيت والعجين والخبز وقم البيت (٥) وضمن لها علي ما كان خلف الباب من نقل الحطب وأن يجيء بالطعام ، فقال لها يوماً : يا فاطمة هل عندك شيء ؟ قالت : لا والذي عظم حقك ما كان عندنا منذ ثلاثة أيام شيء نقريك به قال أفلا أخبرتني ؟ قالت : كان رسول الله نهاني أن أسألك شيئاً فقال : لا تسألي ابن عمِّك شيئاً إن جاءك بشيء عفو وإلا فلا تسأليه ، قال : فخرج الإمام فلقي رجلاً فاستقرض منه ديناراً ، ثم أقبل به وقد أمسى فلقي مقداد بن الأسود ، فقال للمقداد : ما أخرجك في هذه الساعة ؟ قال : الجوع والذي عظم حقك يا أمير المؤمنين قال : قلت لأبي جعفر : ورسول الله حيّ ؟ قال : ورسول الله حيّ قال : فهو أخرجني وقد استقرضت ديناراً وسأوثرك به ؛ فدفعه إليه فأقبل فوجد رسول الله جالساً وفاطمة تصَلِّي وبينهما شيء مغطى ، فلما فرغت أحضرت ذلك الشيء فإذا جفنة من خبز ولحم ، قال : يا فاطمة أنّى لك هذا ؟ قالت : هو من عند الله إنَّ الله يرزق من يشاء بغير حساب ، فقال رسول الله : ألا أحدثك بمثلك ومثلها ؟ قال : بلى قال : مثل زكريا إذا دخل على مريم المحراب فوجد عندها رزقاً ، قال : يا مريم أنّى لك هذا ؟ قالت : هو من عند الله إنَّ الله يرزق من يشاء بغير حساب ، فأكلوا منها شهراً وهي الجفنة التي ي أكل منها القائم وهي عندنا(١) .

“41 — From Sayf, from Najm, from Abu Ja’far [Imam al-Baqir], peace be upon him, who said: Fatimah, peace be upon her, took on for Ali, peace be upon him, the work of the house — the kneading, the bread and the sweeping of the house — and Ali [peace be upon him] took on for her what lay beyond the door: carrying the firewood, and bringing the food. One day he said to her: O Fatimah, do you have anything? She said: No, by the One who made your right great; for three days we have had nothing to set before you. He said: Then why did you not tell me? She said: The Messenger of God [God bless him and his family] forbade me to ask you for anything. He said: Do not ask your cousin for anything; if he brings you something of his own accord, [take it,] and otherwise do not ask him. He said: So the Imam [peace be upon him] went out and met a man, and borrowed a dinar from him. Then he came back with it, and evening had fallen, and he met Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, and said to al-Miqdad: What has brought you out at this hour? He said: Hunger — by the One who made your right great, O Commander of the Faithful. [The narrator] said: I said to Abu Ja’far: And the Messenger of God [God bless him and his family] was alive? He said: And the Messenger of God [God bless him and his family] was alive. He said: Then it is what brought me out; and I have borrowed a dinar, and I will give it to you before myself. So he gave it to him. Then he came [home], and found the Messenger of God [God bless him and his family] sitting, and Fatimah praying, and between them something covered. When she had finished, she brought that thing — and it was a bowl of bread and meat. He said: O Fatimah, from where does this come to you? She said: It is from God; God provides for whomever He wishes without reckoning. Then the Messenger of God [God bless him and his family] said: Shall I not tell you of your likeness and hers? He said: Yes. He said: The likeness of Zechariah, when he entered upon Mary in the sanctuary and found provision with her; he said: O Mary, from where does this come to you? She said: It is from God; God provides for whomever He wishes without reckoning. So they ate from it for a month; and it is the bowl from which the Qa’im [peace be upon him] will eat, and it is with us.”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, peace and blessings be upon him, through Najm; al-’Ayyashi, Tafsir al-’Ayyashi, volume 1, on Surah Aal Imran, report 41; my translation

The Qa'im is the Imam of our Age, may our souls be his ransom and may God hasten his return. In this edition the numbers in brackets in the Arabic are its footnote marks, and where it prints an honorific as a symbol, its text shows a space; the translation gives those honorifics in brackets. Qutb al-Din al-Rawandi tells the same story in al-Khara'ij wa al-Jara'ih (volume 2, page 532), and in his telling it is the Prophet himself who asks her the question.

That counsel, one of the many in God’s address to Jesus that this report records.

يَا عِيسَى زَكَرِيَّا بِمَنْزِلَةِ أَبِيكَ وَ كَفِيلُ أُمِّكَ إِذْ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا الْمِحْرَابَ فَيَجِدُ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقاً وَ نَظِيرُكَ يَحْيَى مِنْ خَلْقِي وَهَبْتُهُ لِأُمِّهِ بَعْدَ الْكِبَرِ مِنْ غَيْرِ قُوَّةٍ بِهَا أَرَدْتُ بِذَلِكَ أَنْ يَظْهَرَ لَهَا سُلْطَانِي وَ يَظْهَرَ فِيكَ قُدْرَتِي أَحَبُّكُمْ إِلَيَّ أَطْوَعُكُمْ لِي وَ أَشَدُّكُمْ خَوْفاً مِنِّي

“O Jesus, Zechariah is in the place of your father and is the guardian of your mother, when he enters upon her in the sanctuary and finds provision with her. And your counterpart among My creation is John: I gave him to his mother after old age, when she had no strength for it, because I willed that My authority should appear to her, and that My power should appear in you. The most beloved of you to Me is the one most obedient to Me, and the one most in awe of Me.”

— from the Imams, peace and blessings be upon them, through Ali ibn Asbat; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 8 (al-Rawda), hadith 105; my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

2ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْجَهْمِ عَنْ أَبِي الْيَقْظَانِ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ الضَّحَّاكِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا سَرَّاجٍ وَكَانَ خَادِماً لأبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ بَعَثَنِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فِي حَاجَةٍ وَهُوَ بِالْحِيرَةِ أَنَا وَجَمَاعَةً مِنْ مَوَالِيهِ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقْنَا فِيهَا ثُمَّ رَجَعْنَا مُغْتَمِّينَ قَالَ وَكَانَ فِرَاشِي فِي الْحَائِرِ الَّذِي كُنَّا فِيهِ نُزُولاً فَجِئْتُ وَأَنَا بِحَالٍ فَرَمَيْتُ بِنَفْسِي فَبَيْنَا أَنَا كَذَلِكَ إِذَا أَنَا بِأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَدْ أَقْبَلَ قَالَ فَقَالَ قَدْ أَتَيْنَاكَ أَوْ قَالَ جِئْنَاكَ فَاسْتَوَيْتُ جَالِساً وَجَلَسَ عَلَى صَدْرِ فِرَاشِي فَسَأَلَنِي عَمَّا بَعَثَنِي لَهُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَحَمِدَ الله ثُمَّ جَرَى ذِكْرُ قَوْمٍ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّا نَبْرَأُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ لا يَقُولُونَ مَا نَقُولُ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَا وَلا يَقُولُونَ مَا تَقُولُونَ تَبْرَءُونَ مِنْهُمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَهُوَ ذَا عِنْدَنَا مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَكُمْ فَيَنْبَغِي لَنَا أَنْ نَبْرَأَ مِنْكُمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ لا جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ وَهُوَ ذَا عِنْدَ الله مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَنَا أَ فَتَرَاهُ اطَّرَحَنَا قَالَ قُلْتُ لا وَالله جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا نَفْعَلُ قَالَ فَتَوَلَّوْهُمْ وَلا تَبَرَّءُوا مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَنْ لَهُ سَهْمٌ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَهُ سَهْمَانِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَهُ ثَلاثَةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَهُ خَمْسَةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَهُ سِتَّةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَهُ سَبْعَةُ أَسْهُمٍ فَلَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُحْمَلَ صَاحِبُ السَّهْمِ عَلَى مَا عَلَيْهِ صَاحِبُ السَّهْمَيْنِ وَلا صَاحِبُ السَّهْمَيْنِ عَلَى مَا عَلَيْهِ صَاحِبُ الثَّلاثَةِ وَلا صَاحِبُ الثَّلاثَةِ عَلَى مَا عَلَيْهِ صَاحِبُ الأرْبَعَةِ وَلا صَاحِبُ الأرْبَعَةِ عَلَى مَا عَلَيْهِ صَاحِبُ الْخَمْسَةِ وَلا صَاحِبُ الْخَمْسَةِ عَلَى مَا عَلَيْهِ صَاحِبُ السِّتَّةِ وَلا صَاحِبُ السِّتَّةِ عَلَى مَا عَلَيْهِ صَاحِبُ السَّبْعَةِ وَسَأَضْرِبُ لَكَ مَثَلاً إِنَّ رَجُلاً كَانَ لَهُ جَارٌ وَكَانَ نَصْرَانِيّاً فَدَعَاهُ إِلَى الإسْلامِ وَزَيَّنَهُ لَهُ فَأَجَابَهُ فَأَتَاهُ سُحَيْراً فَقَرَعَ عَلَيْهِ الْبَابَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ أَنَا فُلانٌ قَالَ وَمَا حَاجَتُكَ فَقَالَ تَوَضَّأْ وَالْبَسْ ثَوْبَيْكَ وَمُرَّ بِنَا إِلَى الصَّلاةِ قَالَ فَتَوَضَّأَ وَلَبِسَ ثَوْبَيْهِ وَخَرَجَ مَعَهُ قَالَ فَصَلَّيَا مَا شَاءَ الله ثُمَّ صَلَّيَا الْفَجْرَ ثُمَّ مَكَثَا حَتَّى أَصْبَحَا فَقَامَ الَّذِي كَانَ نَصْرَانِيّاً يُرِيدُ مَنْزِلَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ النَّهَارُ قَصِيرٌ وَالَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ قَلِيلٌ قَالَ فَجَلَسَ مَعَهُ إِلَى أَنْ صَلَّى الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَمَا بَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ قَلِيلٌ فَاحْتَبَسَهُ حَتَّى صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَامَ وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَنْصَرِفَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ هَذَا آخِرُ النَّهَارِ وَأَقَلُّ مِنْ أَوَّلِهِ فَاحْتَبَسَهُ حَتَّى صَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ ثُمَّ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَنْصَرِفَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّمَا بَقِيَتْ صَلاةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ قَالَ فَمَكَثَ حَتَّى صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ الآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ تَفَرَّقَا فَلَمَّا كَانَ سُحَيْرٌ غَدَا عَلَيْهِ فَضَرَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْبَابَ فَقَالَ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ أَنَا فُلانٌ قَالَ وَمَا حَاجَتُكَ قَالَ تَوَضَّأْ وَالْبَسْ ثَوْبَيْكَ وَاخْرُجْ بِنَا فَصَلِّ قَالَ اطْلُبْ لِهَذَا الدِّينِ مَنْ هُوَ أَفْرَغُ مِنِّي وَأَنَا إِنْسَانٌ مِسْكِينٌ وَعَلَيَّ عِيَالٌ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَدْخَلَهُ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ أَخْرَجَهُ مِنْهُ أَوْ قَالَ أَدْخَلَهُ مِنْ مِثْلِ ذِهْ وَأَخْرَجَهُ مِنْ مِثْلِ هَذَا.

“2 – Abu Ali al-Ash’ari, from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Jabbar; and Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa; all of them from Ibn Faddal, from al-Hasan ibn al-Jahm, from Abu al-Yaqzan, from Ya’qub ibn al-Dahhak, from a man of our companions, a saddler, who was a servant of Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, sent me on an errand while he was at al-Hira — me and a group of his clients. He said: So we went off on it, and then came back downcast. He said: My bedding was in the enclosure where we were lodging; I came in, in a bad way, and threw myself down. And while I was like that, there was Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, coming towards me. He said: And he said, ‘We have come to you’ — or he said, ‘We have come your way.’ I sat up straight, and he sat at the head of my bedding, and asked me about what he had sent me for; I told him, and he praised God. Then some people came to be mentioned, and I said: ‘May I be made your ransom — we disown them; they do not say what we say.’ He said: And he said, ‘They are loyal to us, and they do not say what you say — and you disown them?’ He said: I said, ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Then here it is: we have what you do not have. Ought we, then, to disown you?’ He said: I said, ‘No, may I be made your ransom.’ He said: ‘And here it is: God has what we do not have. Do you think, then, that He has cast us aside?’ He said: I said, ‘No, by God, may I be made your ransom — we will not do it.’ He said: ‘Then be loyal to them, and do not disown them. Among the Muslims there is one who has one share, and among them one who has two shares, and among them one who has three shares, and among them one who has four shares, and among them one who has five shares, and among them one who has six shares, and among them one who has seven shares. So it is not right that the one with the one share be made to carry what the one with the two shares carries; nor the one with the two shares what the one with the three carries; nor the one with the three what the one with the four carries; nor the one with the four what the one with the five carries; nor the one with the five what the one with the six carries; nor the one with the six what the one with the seven carries. And I will give you an example. There was a man who had a neighbour, and he was a Christian; and he invited him to Islam and made it beautiful to him, and he answered him. Then he came to him a little before dawn and knocked at his door. He said to him: “Who is this?” He said: “I am so-and-so.” He said: “And what do you need?” And he said: “Make your ablution, put on your two garments, and come along with us to the prayer.” He said: So he made his ablution, put on his two garments, and went out with him. He said: And they prayed as much as God willed; then they prayed the dawn prayer; then they stayed on until it was morning. And the one who had been a Christian got up, wanting his home; and the man said to him: “Where are you going? The day is short, and what lies between you and the noon prayer is little.” He said: So he sat with him until he had prayed the noon prayer. Then he said: “And what lies between the noon and the afternoon prayer is little,” and he held him back until he had prayed the afternoon prayer. He said: Then he got up and wanted to go off home, and he said to him: “This is the end of the day, and it is less than its beginning,” and he held him back until he had prayed the sunset prayer. Then he wanted to go off home, and he said to him: “Only one prayer is left.” He said: So he stayed until he had prayed the last evening prayer, and then they parted. And when it was a little before dawn, he came to him early and knocked at his door. He said: “Who is this?” He said: “I am so-and-so.” He said: “And what do you need?” He said: “Make your ablution, put on your two garments, and come out with us, and pray.” He said: “Look for someone for this religion who has more time to spare than I do. I am a poor man, and I have a family to provide for.”’ And Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, said: ‘He brought him into a thing, and brought him out of it.’ Or he said: ‘He brought him in by the like of this, and brought him out by the like of this.’”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through a saddler who served him; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 2, hadith 82 (thaqalayn), the whole report, with its chain; my translation

4 Καὶ οἱ πατέρες, μὴ παροργίζετε τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, ἀλλ ὰ ἐκτρέφετε αὐτὰ ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ κυρίου.

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

21 οἱ πατέρες, μὴ ἐρεθίζετε τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, ἵνα μὴ ἀθυμῶσιν.

“Fathers, provoke not your children {to anger}, lest they be discouraged.”

6 Ὃς δʼ ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ, συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς ⸀εἰς τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ καταποντισθῇ ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσης.

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and {that} he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

— Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21 and Matthew 18:6: the Greek, the SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT; Fihrist — Ephesians, record 8; Colossians, record 5; Matthew, record 37); the English, the King James Version

The braces in the King James text mark words its translators supplied. In the Greek, the small corner before one word of Matthew is the SBL edition’s sign for a variant reading, and the gap inside the word for “but” in Ephesians belongs to our copy’s text, not to the edition.

The book's own setting is public and political — the ummah, the nation, and a movement of misguidance coming at it from a hundred directions. The majlis takes the principle and says it about the home.

The two passages in his Persian, in the order he spoke them.

افشاننده‌ی بذر ایمان در دلها؛ مادرها هستند که فرزند را مؤمن بار می‌آورند. «ایمان» درس نیست که آدم به یکی درس بدهد یاد بگیرد؛ ایمان یک رویش است، یک رشد معنوی است که بذرافشانی لازم دارد؛ این بذرافشانی به وسیله‌ی مادر انجام میگیرد و مادر این کار را میکند. اخلاق را همین ‌طور. بنابراین نقش [او] فوق‌العاده است.

“Scatterer of the seed of faith in hearts: it is mothers who raise the child to be a believer. ‘Faith’ is not a lesson, that a person teaches someone and he learns it; faith is a growth, a spiritual development, which needs the sowing of seed. This sowing is done by the mother; it is the mother who does this work. Morals, the same. So [her] role is extraordinary.”

چند مطلب دیگر هم هست که متأسّفانه دیگر نمیتوانم به تفصیل صحبت کنم؛ یکی مسئله‌ی حجاب است. حجاب یک ضرورت شریعتی است؛ شریعت است؛ ضرورت شرعی است؛ یعنی هیچ تردیدی در وجوب حجاب وجود ندارد؛ این را همه باید بدانند. این که حالا خدشه کنند، شبهه کنند که آیا حجاب هست، لازم است، ضروری است، نه، جای خدشه و شبهه ندارد؛ یک واجب شرعی است که باید رعایت بشود، منتها آن کسانی که حجاب را به طور کامل رعایت نمیکنند، اینها را نباید متّهم کرد به بی‌دینی و ضدّانقلابی؛ نه. من قبلاً هم گفته‌ام؛ یک وقتی در سفری از سفرهای استانی که میرفتم، در جمع علما گفتم این را؛(۱۸) علمای آنجا جمع بودند؛ گفتم چرا گاهی بعضی از شما این خانمی را که حالا فرض کنید یک مقداری موهایش بیرون است یا به تعبیر رایج بدحجاب است ــ که حالا باید گفت ضعیف‌الحجاب؛ حجابش ضعیف است ــ متّهم میکنید؟ بنده وارد این شهر شدم، جمعیّت آمدند استقبال؛ شاید اقلّاً یک‌سوّم جمعیّت این جور خانمها هستند، دارند اشک میریزند؛ این را نمیشود گفت ضدّانقلاب است؛ این چطور ضدّانقلابی است که این جور با شوق و با حرارت و با انگیزه می‌آید و مثلاً فرض کنید در فلان مراسم دینی یا فلان مراسم انقلابی شرکت میکند؟ اینها بچّه‌های خودمانند، دخترهای خودمانند. من چند بار تا حالا در خطبه‌ی نماز عید فطر این را تکرار کرده‌ام که در مراسم ماه رمضان، در شبهای اَحیاء ــ عکس‌هایش را برای من می‌آورند، حالا من که آنجاها را نمیتوانم [بروم] امّا تصویرش را برای من می‌آورند ــ زنها با ریختهای مختلف، قواره‌های مختلف اشک میریزند؛ من حسرت میخورم به آن جور اشک ریختن! میگویم ای کاش من هم میتوانستم این جور مثل این دختر، مثل این زن جوان اشک بریزم؛ این را چطور میشود متّهم کرد؟ بله، کار درستی نیست، بدحجابی یا ضعف حجاب درست نیست امّا این موجب نمیشود که ما این [افراد] را از حوزه‌ی دین و انقلاب و مانند اینها خارج بکنیم و خارج بدانیم؛ چرا؟ البتّه همه‌ی ماها یک نقصهایی داریم، باید نقصها را برطرف کنیم؛ هر چه بتوانیم برطرف کنیم، بهتر است.

“There are a few other matters too, which, unfortunately, I can no longer speak about in detail. One is the question of hijab. Hijab is a necessity of the sharia; it is sharia; it is a legal necessity — that is, there is no doubt whatever that hijab is obligatory; everyone must know this. That people should now pick at it and raise doubts — is there hijab, is it required, is it necessary — no: there is no room for picking at it or for doubt. It is a legal obligation that must be observed. But those who do not observe hijab completely — these must not be accused of irreligion and of being counter-revolutionary. No. I have said this before. Once, on one of the provincial trips I was making, I said this in a gathering of the scholars [18] — the scholars of that place were gathered — I said: why do some of you sometimes accuse this lady who, let us suppose, has some of her hair showing, or is, in the common expression, ‘bad-hijab’ — though now one ought to say ‘weak-hijab’: her hijab is weak? I came into this city, and the crowds came out to welcome me; perhaps at least a third of the crowd were ladies like this, and they were shedding tears. You cannot say of this one that she is counter-revolutionary. How is this one counter-revolutionary, who comes like this, with longing, with warmth, with eagerness, and takes part — let us say — in such-and-such a religious ceremony or such-and-such a revolutionary ceremony? These are our own children; these are our own daughters. I have repeated this several times now in the sermon of the Eid al-Fitr prayer: that in the ceremonies of the month of Ramadan, on the nights of vigil — they bring me the pictures of it; I cannot [go] to those places now, but they bring me the image of it — women of every look, of every appearance, are shedding tears. I envy that kind of weeping! I say: if only I too could weep like this, like this girl, like this young woman. How can such a person be accused? Yes — it is not right; bad-hijab, or weakness of hijab, is not right. But this is no reason for us to put these [people] outside the domain of religion and the revolution and the like, and to count them outside. Why should we? Of course, all of us have some shortcomings; we must remove the shortcomings — whatever we can remove, the better.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, to women, 4 January 2023 (1401/10/14; farsi.khamenei.ir), paragraph 47, and paragraph 57, sentences 1 to 10; my translation; the [18] is the website’s own note mark, and the words in square brackets are the website’s

The report in full; Shaykh al-Saduq gives it without a chain.

4743 - قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ : “دَعِ اِبْنَكَ يَلْعَبْ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ وَ يُؤَدَّبْ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ وَ أَلْزِمْهُ نَفْسَكَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ فَإِنْ أَفْلَحَ وَ إِلاَّ فَإِنَّهُ مِمَّنْ لاَ خَيْرَ فِيهِ”.

“4743 – Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: ‘Let your son play for seven years, be taught adab for seven years, and keep him with you for seven years; then if he succeeds, [well and good]; and if not, he is one in whom there is no good.’”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him; Shaykh al-Saduq, Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Volume 3, hadith 1528 (thaqalayn; 4743 is the edition’s own number); my translation

Last year's English renders the Persian freely. The two Persian sentences say: “Love is the basis of happiness … love is the mortar that keeps them for one another.” The ellipsis is last year's own.

The two sentences of the report that tell of the prostration. They stand inside a long answer the Imam gave to Muhammad ibn Harb al-Hilali, the governor of Medina, who had come to ask why the Prophet lifted Imam Ali onto his shoulders to bring the idols down from the Ka’bah; the rest of that answer is not set here.

وإنه عليه السلام كان يصلى بأصحابه فأطال سجدة من سجداته، فلما سلم قيل له: يا رسول الله لقد أطلت هذه السجدة. فقال صلى الله عليه وآله: نعم، إن ابني ارتحلني فكرهت أن أعجله حتى ينزل وإنما أراد عليه السلام بذلك رفعهم وتشريفهم، فالنبي صلى الله عليه وآله رسول بني آدم وعلي عليه السلام إمام ليس بنبي ولا رسول فهو غير مطيق لحمل أثقال النبوة.

“And he, peace be upon him, was praying with his companions, and he made one of his prostrations long; and when he had given the salam, it was said to him: O Messenger of God, you made this prostration long. And he, God bless him and his family, said: Yes — my son rode on me, and I disliked to hurry him until he came down. And by that, peace be upon him, he meant only to raise them up and to honour them; for the Prophet, God bless him and his family, is the Messenger to the children of Adam, while Ali, peace be upon him, is an Imam, neither a prophet nor a messenger, and so he could not bear the weights of prophethood.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, to Muhammad ibn Harb al-Hilali; Shaykh al-Saduq, Ma’ani al-Akhbar, hadith 692 (thaqalayn), its tenth and eleventh sentences; my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ شَرِيفِ بْنِ سَابِقٍ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ أَبِي قُرَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) مَنْ قَبَّلَ وَلَدَهُ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ حَسَنَةً وَ مَنْ فَرَّحَهُ فَرَّحَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ مَنْ عَلَّمَهُ الْقُرْآنَ دُعِيَ بِالْأَبَوَيْنِ فَيُكْسَيَانِ حُلَّتَيْنِ يُضِي‏ءُ مِنْ نُورِهِمَا وُجُوهُ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ .

“A number of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, from Sharif ibn Sabiq, from al-Fadl ibn Abi Qurra, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: Whoever kisses his child, God, mighty and majestic, writes a good deed for him; and whoever makes him glad, God will make him glad on the Day of Resurrection; and whoever teaches him the Qur’an, the two parents will be called, and clothed in two robes from whose light the faces of the people of Paradise shine.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through al-Fadl ibn Abi Qurra; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 202 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَجَلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) أَحِبُّوا الصِّبْيَانَ وَ ارْحَمُوهُمْ وَ إِذَا وَعَدْتُمُوهُمْ شَيْئاً فَفُوا لَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يَدْرُونَ إِلَّا أَنَّكُمْ تَرْزُقُونَهُمْ .

“Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn Faddal, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Bajali, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: Love children and be merciful to them; and when you promise them something, keep it for them — for they know nothing except that it is you who provide for them.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Bajali; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 204 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بُنْدَارَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يُوسُفَ الْأَزْدِيِّ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) فَقَالَ مَا قَبَّلْتُ صَبِيّاً قَطُّ فَلَمَّا وَلَّى قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ هَذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدِي أَنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ .

“Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bundar, from Ahmad ibn Abi Abdillah, from a number of our companions, from al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Yusuf al-Azdi, from a man, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: A man came to the Prophet, God bless him and his family, and said: I have never kissed a child. And when he had turned away, the Messenger of God said: This is a man who, to my mind, is of the people of the Fire.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 208 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

1-74 حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هـاشم، عن أبيـه،عن ابن أبي عمير، عن محمد بن حمران، عن سعيد بن يسار قال: قال لي أبوعبد الله عليه السلام: هل الدين إلا الحب؟ إن الله عز وجل يقول: قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“1-74 – My father, may God be pleased with him, narrated to us; he said: Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim narrated to us, from his father, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Muhammad ibn Humran, from Sa’id ibn Yasar, who said: Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, said to me: Is religion anything but love? God, mighty and majestic, says: ‘Say, if you love God, then follow me; God will love you and forgive you your sins, and God is forgiving, merciful.’”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, to Sa’id ibn Yasar; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Khisal, hadith 75 (thaqalayn; 1-74 is the edition’s own number); my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

عَنْهُمْ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ وَ ثَعْلَبَةَ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ وَ غَالِبِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ وَ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) فِي فُسْطَاطٍ لَهُ بِمِنًى فَنَظَرَ إِلَى زِيَادٍ الْأَسْوَدِ مُنْقَلِعَ الرِّجْلِ فَرَثَى لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا لِرِجْلَيْكَ هَكَذَا قَالَ جِئْتُ عَلَى بَكْرٍ لِي نِضْوٍ فَكُنْتُ أَمْشِي عَنْهُ عَامَّةَ الطَّرِيقِ فَرَثَى لَهُ وَ قَالَ لَهُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ زِيَادٌ إِنِّي أُلِمُّ بِالذُّنُوبِ حَتَّى إِذَا ظَنَنْتُ أَنِّي قَدْ هَلَكْتُ ذَكَرْتُ حُبَّكُمْ فَرَجَوْتُ النَّجَاةَ وَ تَجَلَّى عَنِّي فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) وَ هَلِ الدِّينُ إِلَّا الْحُبُّ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمانَ وَ زَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَ قَالَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَ قَالَ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُحِبُّ الْمُصَلِّينَ وَ لَا أُصَلِّي وَ أُحِبُّ الصَّوَّامِينَ وَ لَا أَصُومُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَ لَكَ مَا اكْتَسَبْتَ وَ قَالَ مَا تَبْغُونَ وَ مَا تُرِيدُونَ أَمَا إِنَّهَا لَوْ كَانَ فَزْعَةٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَزِعَ كُلُّ قَوْمٍ إِلَى مَأْمَنِهِمْ وَ فَزِعْنَا إِلَى نَبِيِّنَا وَ فَزِعْتُمْ إِلَيْنَا .

“From them, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Faddal, from Ali ibn Uqba, Tha’laba ibn Maymun, Ghalib ibn Uthman and Harun ibn Muslim, from Burayd ibn Mu’awiya, who said: I was with Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, in a tent of his at Mina, and he looked at Ziyad al-Aswad, whose feet were cracked and torn, and he felt for him, and said to him: What has happened to your feet, that they are like this? He said: I came on a young camel of mine that was worn thin, and I walked to spare it for most of the way. And he felt for him. And at that, Ziyad said to him: I fall into sins, until, when I think that I am ruined, I remember my love for you, and I hope for salvation, and it lifts from me. And Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, said: And is religion anything but love? God, exalted, has said: ‘He has endeared faith to you and adorned it in your hearts’; and He has said: ‘If you love God, then follow me; God will love you’; and He has said: ‘They love those who emigrate to them.’ A man came to the Prophet, God bless him and his family, and said: O Messenger of God, I love those who pray, and I do not pray; and I love those who fast, and I do not fast. And the Messenger of God said to him: You are with the one you love, and yours is what you have earned. And he said: What is it you seek, and what is it you want? Truly, if there were a terror from the heavens, every people would flee to their place of safety — and we would flee to our Prophet, and you would flee to us.”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, peace and blessings be upon him, through Burayd ibn Mu’awiya; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 8, hadith 37 (thaqalayn); my translation; the verses are Surah al-Hujurat #49, Verse 7, Surah Aal Imran #3, Verse 31, and Surah al-Hashr #59, Verse 9

An English rendering of this report that circulates online has “the feet of Ziyad, which had turned black” and “a week's ride”. But al-Aswad is Ziyad's name, and what he rode was a young camel.

Allamah’s analysis, and the report as he gives it.

و ثالثها: أن الشريعة الإلهية ممثلة للإخلاص لله و الإخلاص له ممثل لحب الله سبحانه، و بعبارة أخرى الدين الذي هو مجموع المعارف الإلهية و الأمور الخلقية و الأحكام العملية على ما فيها من العرض العريض لا ينتهي بحسب التحليل إلا إلى الإخلاص فقط، و هو وضع الإنسان ذاته و صفات ذاته و هي الأخلاق و أعمال ذاته و أفعاله على أساس أنها لله الواحد القهار، و الإخلاص المذكور لا يحلل إلا إلى الحب، هذا من جهة التحليل.

و من جهة التركيب ينتهي الحب إلى الإخلاص، و الإخلاص إلى مجموع الشريعة، كما أن الدين بنظر آخر ينحل إلى التسليم و التسليم إلى التوحيد.

“And the third: that the divine sharia is the embodiment of sincerity to God, and sincerity to Him is the embodiment of the love of God, glory be to Him. In other words: religion — which is the sum of the divine teachings, the moral matters and the practical rulings, with all the breadth they have — does not, on analysis, come down to anything but sincerity alone: that is, a person’s setting his very self, the qualities of his self (which are its morals), and the works and deeds of his self, on the foundation that they are for God, the One, the All-Subduing. And this sincerity does not analyse into anything but love. That is from the side of analysis.

And from the side of composition, love leads to sincerity, and sincerity to the whole of the sharia — just as religion, from another view, resolves into submission, and submission into tawhid.”

و في معاني الأخبار، عن سعيد بن يسار قال: قال لي أبو عبد الله: هل الدين إلا الحب؟ إن الله عز و جل يقول: قل إن كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله. أقول: و رواه في الكافي، عن الباقر(عليه السلام)و كذا القمي و العياشي في تفسيريهما، عن الحذاء عنه(عليه السلام): و كذا العياشي في تفسيره، عن بريد عنه(عليه السلام)، و عن ربعي عن الصادق(عليه السلام)، و الرواية تؤيد ما أوضحناه في البيان المتقدم.

“And in Ma’ani al-Akhbar, from Sa’id ibn Yasar, who said: Abu Abdillah said to me: Is religion anything but love? God, mighty and majestic, says: ‘Say, if you love God, then follow me; God will love you.’ I say: And it is narrated in al-Kafi from al-Baqir, peace be upon him; and so too al-Qummi and al-’Ayyashi in their two commentaries, from al-Hadhdha’, from him, peace be upon him; and so too al-’Ayyashi in his commentary, from Burayd, from him, peace be upon him, and from Rib’i, from al-Sadiq, peace be upon him. And the report supports what we made clear in the exposition above.”

— Allamah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i, al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, on Surah Aal Imran #3, Verses 28 to 32; my translation

His own words.

در حکمت ۳۰۴ ـ که معلوم است در آنجا نظر به عبادت است که عبادت را هم نباید بر روح تحمیل کرد بلکه باید آن را با نرمش بر روح وارد نمود، یعنی از میل و حالش باید استفاده کرد ـ می‌فرماید: اِنَّ لِلْقُلُوبِ اِقبالاً وَ اِدْباراً، فَاِذا اَقْبَلَتْ فَاحْمِلوها عَلَى النَّوافِلِ وقتی که دیدید دل نشاط دارد، حال دارد، اقبال دارد، آن وقت وادارش کنید نافله را هم بخواند، چون حالش را دارد، وَ اِذا اَدْبَرَتْ فَاقْتَصِروا بِها عَلَى الْفَرَائِضِ وقتی می‌بینید که میل ندارد، به همان فرایض اکتفا کنید، عبادت را هم به او تحمیل نکنید. اینها همه نشان می‌دهد که حالت روح را باید خیلی ملاحظه کرد، حتی در عبادت. عبادت هم اگر بر روح انسان جنبهٔ زور و تحمیل داشته باشد علاوه بر اینکه اثر نیک نمی‌بخشد، اثر سوء نیز می‌بخشد.

“In Hikmat 304 — where it is clear that the concern is worship: that worship too must not be imposed on the soul, but must be brought to the soul gently, that is, one must make use of its inclination and its mood — he says: ‘Hearts have an advancing and a retreating; so when they advance, carry them to the supererogatory prayers’ — when you see that the heart has energy, has the mood, is advancing, then get it to say the supererogatory prayer as well, because it is in the mood for it — ‘and when they retreat, confine them to the obligatory’ — when you see that it has no inclination, be content with the obligatory alone; do not impose worship on it either. All of this shows that the state of the soul must be very much taken into account, even in worship. Worship too, if it bears the aspect of force and imposition upon the human soul, not only gives no good effect — it gives a bad effect as well.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, page 45; my translation; his Hikmat 304 is Saying 312 in the numbering used here

His own words.

به مناسبت میلاد حضرت صدیقه سلام الله علیها و در راستای سنت چهارشنبه ها، نکته ای را بیان می کنیم.

نقش محبت در تربیت چقدر است؟ محبت چه مقدار در تربیت موثر است؟ وکیفیت تاثیر آن چگونه است؟

“On the occasion of the birth of Hazrat Siddiqah, peace be upon her, and in keeping with our custom on Wednesdays, we will set out a point. What is the role of love in upbringing? How far is love effective in upbringing? And what is the manner of its effect?”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Hasan Mirahmadi, a class on the jurisprudence of the family (the rulings on children), 10 December 2025 (1404/09/19; eshia.ir), paragraphs 11 and 13; my translation

His own words.

مثلاً مادر و پدری به فرزند خودشان محبت دارند، خیر و سعادت او را می‌خواهند. این خواستن خیر و سعادت فرزند، دوجور ممکن است تجلی داشته باشد: پدر و مادرهای نادان که بچه‌شان را دوست دارند و می‌خواهند به او محبت کنند، مقیاس محبت کردنشان این است که این بچه چه را می‌خواهد، همان را به او بدهیم؛ یعنی محبتشان به این شکل ظهور می‌کند که این بچه چه را دوست دارد، هرچه را که او دوست دارد همان را به او بدهیم و هرچه را که این بچه دوست ندارد و دشمن دارد آن را به او ندهیم. فلان غذا را بچه دوست دارد، من هم بچه‌ام را دوست دارم و نمی‌توانم او چیزی را دوست داشته باشد و به او ندهم. اما یک دوایی را، یک آمپولی را که این بچه اساساً دشمن دارد و نمی‌خواهد، من هم چون بچه‌ام را دوست دارم بگوییم چون بچه‌ام نمی‌خواهد من هرگز او را ناراحت نمی‌کنم.

این یک گونه محبت کردن است. و گونهٔ دیگر، محبت مقرون به منطق است، یعنی محبت موافق با مصلحت که شامل زمان حال و زمان استقبال هر دو می‌شود. آن محبتی که واقعاً احسان و محبت است، ممکن است مطابق خوشایند این بچه باشد و ممکن است مطابق خوشایند او نباشد.

“For example, a mother and father love their child, and want his good and his happiness. This wanting of the child’s good and happiness may show itself in two ways. Ignorant parents, who love their child and want to show him love — the measure of their love is: whatever this child wants, let us give him that. That is, their love takes this form: whatever this child likes, let us give him that; and whatever this child does not like and is averse to, let us not give it to him. The child likes such-and-such a food; and I love my child, and I cannot have him like something and not give it to him. But a medicine, an injection, which this child is utterly averse to and does not want — I too, because I love my child, should say: since my child does not want it, I will never upset him.

This is one kind of loving. And the other kind is love joined to reason — that is, love in keeping with his real good, which takes in both the present and the future. The love that is truly kindness and love may agree with what pleases this child, and it may not agree with what pleases him.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, PDF page 237, lines 3 and 5; my translation

1 Samuel 2:29 and 3:13: the Hebrew, the Westminster Leningrad Codex, as Sefaria publishes it (“Tanach with Nikkud”, from tanach.us; public domain); the English, the King James Version

The old priest is Eli, the priest at Shiloh, and the boy he raised is Samuel — the son of Hannah's vow, which Night 1 told. The story is told in 1 Samuel, chapters 1 to 4; the majlis names him by his office.

The report in full, with its chain.

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ الْقَرَاطِيسِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَا عَبْدَ الْعَزِيزِ إِنَّ الإيمَانَ عَشْرُ دَرَجَاتٍ بِمَنْزِلَةِ السُّلَّمِ يُصْعَدُ مِنْهُ مِرْقَاةً بَعْدَ مِرْقَاةٍ فَلا يَقُولَنَّ صَاحِبُ الإثْنَيْنِ لِصَاحِبِ الْوَاحِدِ لَسْتَ عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ حَتَّى يَنْتَهِيَ إِلَى الْعَاشِرِ فَلا تُسْقِطْ مَنْ هُوَ دُونَكَ فَيُسْقِطَكَ مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكَ وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ مَنْ هُوَ أَسْفَلُ مِنْكَ بِدَرَجَةٍ فَارْفَعْهُ إِلَيْكَ بِرِفْقٍ وَلا تَحْمِلَنَّ عَلَيْهِ مَا لا يُطِيقُ فَتَكْسِرَهُ فَإِنَّ مَنْ كَسَرَ مُؤْمِناً فَعَلَيْهِ جَبْرُهُ.

“2 – Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Muhammad ibn Ahmad, from one of his companions, from al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Uthman, from Muhammad ibn Uthman, from Muhammad ibn Hammad al-Khazzaz, from Abd al-Aziz al-Qaratisi, who said: Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, said to me: O Abd al-Aziz, faith is ten degrees, like a ladder, climbed rung after rung. So let the one with two never say to the one with one: you are on nothing — and so on, up to the tenth. So do not throw down the one who is below you, lest the one above you throw you down. And when you see someone a degree below you, raise him up to you gently; and do not load him with what he cannot bear, so that you break him — for whoever breaks a believer, it is on him to set the break.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, to Abd al-Aziz al-Qaratisi; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 2, hadith 84 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full, with its chain, and the second chain the book gives for it.

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْجَارُودِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) إِنَّ هَذَا الدِّينَ مَتِينٌ فَأَوْغِلُوا فِيهِ بِرِفْقٍ وَلا تُكَرِّهُوا عِبَادَةَ الله إِلَى عِبَادِ الله فَتَكُونُوا كَالرَّاكِبِ الْمُنْبَتِّ الَّذِي لا سَفَراً قَطَعَ وَلا ظَهْراً أَبْقَى. مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ عَنْ مُقَرِّنٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُوقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَهُ.

“1 – Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Abu al-Jarud, from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, who said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: This religion is firm; so go deep into it gently, and do not make the worship of God hateful to the servants of God — lest you be like the rider whose mount has given out, who has neither covered the distance nor kept a back to ride. Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Muqarrin, from Muhammad ibn Suqa, from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him: the like of it.”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, peace and blessings be upon him, through Abu al-Jarud; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 2, hadith 233 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ الْبَخْتَرِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ اجْتَهَدْتُ فِي الْعِبَادَةِ وَأَنَا شَابٌّ فَقَالَ لِي أَبِي (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَا بُنَيَّ دُونَ مَا أَرَاكَ تَصْنَعُ فَإِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِذَا أَحَبَّ عَبْداً رَضِيَ عَنْهُ بِالْيَسِيرِ.

“5 – Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hafs ibn al-Bakhtari and others, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: I strove hard in worship when I was young, and my father, peace be upon him, said to me: My son, less than what I see you doing; for God, mighty and majestic, when He loves a servant, is pleased with little from him.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Hafs ibn al-Bakhtari; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 2, hadith 237 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

1ـ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَبِيهِ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّا نَأْمُرُ صِبْيَانَنَا بِالصَّلاَةِ إِذَا كَانُوا بَنِي خَمْسِ سِنِينَ فَمُرُوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ إِذَا كَانُوا بَنِي سَبْعِ سِنِينَ وَنَحْنُ نَأْمُرُ صِبْيَانَنَا بِالصَّوْمِ إِذَا كَانُوا بَنِي سَبْعِ سِنِينَ بِمَا أَطَاقُوا مِنْ صِيَامِ الْيَوْمِ إِنْ كَانَ إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَوْ أَقَلَّ فَإِذَا غَلَبَهُمُ الْعَطَشُ وَالْغَرَثُ أَفْطَرُوا حَتَّى يَتَعَوَّدُوا الصَّوْمَ وَيُطِيقُوهُ فَمُرُوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ إِذَا كَانُوا بَنِي تِسْعِ سِنِينَ بِالصَّوْمِ مَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ صِيَامِ الْيَوْمِ فَإِذَا غَلَبَهُمُ الْعَطَشُ أَفْطَرُوا.

“1 – Ali, from his father, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hammad, from al-Halabi, from Abu Abdillah, from his father, peace be upon him, who said: We order our children to pray when they are five years old; so order your children to pray when they are seven years old. And we order our children to fast when they are seven years old, with as much of the day’s fast as they can bear — whether it is to midday, or more than that, or less; and when thirst and hunger overcome them, they break the fast — so that they grow used to fasting and become able for it. So order your children, when they are nine years old, to fast as much of the day as they can; and when thirst overcomes them, let them break the fast.”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, peace and blessings be upon him, through his son Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and al-Halabi; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 3, hadith 1604 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full.

863 - وَ رَوَى عَبْدُ اَللَّهِ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ وَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: «إِذَا بَلَغَ اَلْغُلاَمُ ثَلاَثَ سِنِينَ يُقَالُ لَهُ قُلْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اَللَّهُ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ ثَلاَثُ سِنِينَ وَ سَبْعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَ عِشْرُونَ يَوْماً فَيُقَالَ لَهُ قُلْ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ وَ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ أَرْبَعُ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يُقَالَ لَهُ قُلْ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ: صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ - ثُمَّ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ خَمْسُ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يُقَالَ لَهُ أَيُّهُمَا يَمِينُكَ وَ أَيُّهُمَا شِمَالُكَ فَإِذَا عَرَفَ ذَلِكَ حُوِّلَ وَجْهُهُ إِلَى اَلْقِبْلَةِ وَ يُقَالُ لَهُ اُسْجُدْ ثُمَّ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ سَبْعُ سِنِينَ فَإِذَا تَمَّ لَهُ سَبْعُ سِنِينَ قِيلَ لَهُ اِغْسِلْ وَجْهَكَ وَ كَفَّيْكَ فَإِذَا غَسَلَهُمَا قِيلَ لَهُ صَلِّ ثُمَّ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ تِسْعُ سِنِينَ فَإِذَا تَمَّتْ لَهُ عُلِّمَ اَلْوُضُوءَ وَ ضُرِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَ أُمِرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَ ضُرِبَ عَلَيْهَا فَإِذَا تَعَلَّمَ اَلْوُضُوءَ وَ اَلصَّلاَةَ غَفَرَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ وَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اَللَّهُ.

“863 – And Abdullah ibn Fadala narrated from Abu Abdillah and Abu Ja’far, peace be upon them both; he said: I heard him say: When the boy reaches three years, he is told: Say, There is no god but God, seven times. Then he is left until he completes three years, seven months and twenty days; then he is told: Say, Muhammad is the Messenger of God, seven times; and he is left until he completes four years; then he is told: Say seven times, God bless Muhammad and his family. Then he is left until he completes five years; then he is asked: Which is your right hand, and which is your left? And when he knows that, his face is turned towards the qibla, and he is told: Prostrate. Then he is left until he completes seven years; and when he has completed seven years, he is told: Wash your face and your hands; and when he has washed them, he is told: Pray. Then he is left until he completes nine years; and when he has completed them, he is taught the wudu, and struck for it, and ordered to pray, and struck for it. And when he has learnt the wudu and the prayer, God, mighty and majestic, forgives him and his parents, God willing.”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir or Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon them, through Abdullah ibn Fadala; Shaykh al-Saduq, Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Volume 1, hadith 862 (thaqalayn; 863 is the edition’s own number); my translation

The opening of each session, in his own words.

موضوع: فقه الاسره/احکام الصبیان /بررسی مساله ضرب الصبیان

مسائل سه گانه ضرب صبیان به پایان رسید و تکمیل شد. اصل جواز ضرب، کیفیت و کمیت ضرب و دیه و قصاص در صورت آسیب جدی را بررسی کردیم و به پایان رسید.

“Subject: the jurisprudence of the family / the rulings on children / examining the question of striking children.

The three questions of striking children have come to an end and been completed. We examined the principle of the permissibility of striking, the manner and the amount of striking, and diya and retaliation in the case of serious harm; and it has come to an end.”

موضوع: فقه الاسره/احکام الصبیان /مساله وجوب اطاعت والدین

بیان مساله جدید / وجوب طاعه الوالدین :

پس از تکمیل مساله ضرب صبیان در امتداد همین مساله و در راستای مساله ولایت والد، به مساله وجوب اطاعت والدین می رسیم.

“Subject: the jurisprudence of the family / the rulings on children / the question of the obligation to obey parents.

Statement of a new question / the obligation of obedience to parents:

After completing the question of striking children, in continuation of this same question and in line with the question of the parent’s guardianship, we come to the question of the obligation to obey parents.”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Hasan Mirahmadi, a class on the jurisprudence of the family (the rulings on children), 10 January 2026 (1404/10/20) and 13 January 2026 (1404/10/23) (eshia.ir); my translation

Ayatullah Sistani's rulings are given on his office's website, sistani.org — the questions and answers on raising children (qa/0380, question 2) and on striking (qa/0584, questions 5, 7, 9 and 11), and A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West (book 46, ruling 2056); they were checked there on 29 September 2026.

The text he teaches from, and his own summary of it.

(و في إحمرار الوجه بالجنایة) من لطمة و شبهها (دینار و نصف و في إخضراره ثلاثة دنانیر وفي إسوداده ستّة) لروایة إسحاق بن عمّار (و) المشهور أنّ هذه الجنایات الثلاث (في البدن علی النصف) و الروایة خالیة عنه.

در صورت اوّل اگر جنایت باعث سرخ شدن پوست صورت شود، یک و نیم دینار یعنی یک و نیم هزارم دیه کامل ثابت می‌گردد. اگر باعث کبود شدن پوست صورت شود، سه دینار یعنی سه هزارم دیه کامل ثابت خواهد شد و اگر باعث سیاه شدن پوست صورت شود، شش دینار یعنی شش هزارم دیه کامل ثابت می‌شود.

“(And for the reddening of the face by an injury) — from a slap and the like — (one and a half dinars; and for its turning green, three dinars; and for its blackening, six), on account of the report of Ishaq ibn Ammar; (and) the well-known view is that these three injuries (on the body are at half) — and the report is silent on it.”

“In the first case, if the injury causes the skin of the face to redden, one and a half dinars — that is, one and a half thousandths of the full diya — is due. If it causes the skin of the face to bruise, three dinars — that is, three thousandths of the full diya — will be due; and if it causes the skin of the face to blacken, six dinars — that is, six thousandths of the full diya — is due.”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Sadiq Alovestani, a class on the Book of Diyas, 26 April 2026 (1405/02/06; eshia.ir), paragraphs 3 and 17; the first is the text he is teaching, in Arabic, and the second his own Persian; my translation

The passage in his own words.

ثم أكد على مسألة توقير الكبير ورحمة الصغير، فقال (ص): “وقّروا كباركم وارحموا صغاركم”، أن نوقّر الكبار الذين سبقونا في الإسلام، وعلينا أن نحترم شيبتهم وسنّهم ونقدّم لهم الاحترام، وإذا احتاجوا إلى الرعاية فعلينا أن نقدمها لهم، لأن الإنسان إذا ردّ إلى أرذل العمر يتحوّل إلى ما يشبه الطفل الذي هو بحاجة إلى رعاية واحتضان يعينه على استكمال حياته، وكما أن الله أرادنا بالنسبة إلى والدينا أن لا ننهرهما وأن نقول لهما قولاً كريماً، أرادنا من خلال هذه اللفتة أن نتحمّل من كبارنا حتى لو لم يكونوا من ولدنا، فأراد لنا أن لا ننهرهم ولا نتعسف بهم، وأن نقول لهم قولاً كريما، وقد ورد عن النبي (ص) أنه قال: “من إجلال الله إجلال شيبة المسلم”، وفي حديث آخر عن الإمام الصادق (ع): “ليس منا من لم يوقّر كبيرنا ويرحم صغيرنا”، وعن الإمام الصادق (ع): “عظّموا كباركم، وصلوا أرحامكم، وليس تصلونهم بشيء أفضل من كفِّ الأذى عنهم”.

أما رحمة الصغار، فهي أن نفهمهم بحسب حجم عقولهم ومشاعرهم وأحاسيسهم، فلا نثقل على هذه المشاعر الطفولية بالعنف، ولا نحاسبهم محاسبتنا للكبار، لأن علينا أن نعطي كل مرحلة من العمر حجمها، فللصغير تفكير محدود، وعلينا أن نعامله بحسب محدودية تفكيره، وعلينا أن نتجاوز عن أخطائه ونرفق به عندما نريد تنبيهه إلى هذه الأخطاء، فلا نتعامل مع أطفالنا بالعنف والضرب، لأن الله تعالى لم يسلّط أباً ولا أخاً ولا أماً ولا معلّماً على الأطفال، بحيث يبررون ضربهم، لأن الإنسان إذا ضرب طفلاً ـ حتى لو كان ابنه ـ فاحمرّت يده فهناك دية لا بد أن يدفعها له.

نعم، هناك حالات تأديبية قد يحتاج معها الطفل إلى شيء من العنف، ولكن يجب أن يكون العنف مدروساً، كمثل دراستك للدواء الذي هو بحاجة إليه، فعلى الآباء والأمهات أن ينتبهوا إلى نقطة، وهي أن الكثير من الآباء والأمهات أو المعلّمين والمربين، قد يعيش أزمة نفسية معينة نتيجة خلاف عائلي أو خلاف في عمله، فيحاول التنفيس عن غيظه بضرب الطفل، هذا ظلم يعاقبه الله عليه، لأن “ظلم الضعيف من أفحش الظلم”.

“Then he stressed the matter of honouring the old and showing mercy to the young, and he, God bless him and his family, said: ‘Honour your elders and be merciful to your young’ — that we honour the elders who went before us in Islam, and that we respect their grey hair and their years and offer them respect; and if they need care, we must give it to them, because a person, when he is returned to the most feeble age, becomes something like a child who needs care and an embrace to help him complete his life. And just as God wanted us, regarding our parents, not to rebuke them and to speak to them a noble word, He wanted us, through this gesture, to bear with our elders even if they are not our parents: He wanted us not to rebuke them nor treat them harshly, and to speak to them a noble word. And it is reported from the Prophet, God bless him and his family, that he said: ‘Part of exalting God is honouring the grey hair of the Muslim’; and in another hadith, from Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: ‘He is not of us who does not honour our elder and show mercy to our young’; and from Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: ‘Honour your elders, and keep the ties of your kin; and you keep no tie with them by anything better than holding back harm from them.’

As for mercy to the young: it is that we understand them according to the size of their minds, their feelings and their sensations; that we do not weigh on these childish feelings with violence; and that we do not call them to account as we call adults to account — for we must give every stage of life its measure. The young one’s thinking is limited, and we must treat him according to the limits of his thinking; we must overlook his mistakes, and be gentle with him when we want to alert him to these mistakes. So let us not deal with our children by violence and beating — for God, exalted, has not given a father, nor a brother, nor a mother, nor a teacher, authority over children such that they may justify beating them; for if a person strikes a child — even if he is his son — and his hand reddens, there is a diya he must pay him.

Yes, there are disciplinary situations in which a child may need something of harshness; but the harshness must be measured, like your measuring of the medicine he needs. So fathers and mothers must pay attention to a point: that many fathers and mothers, or teachers and educators, may be living through a certain psychological crisis as a result of a family dispute or a dispute at work, and try to vent their rage by beating the child. This is an oppression for which God punishes him, because ‘the oppression of the weak is among the most obscene of oppressions.’”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Fadhlullah, Friday sermon, 1 November 2002 (bayynat.org.lb, 2002 archive, article 1638); my translation

The two headings, and the passage under the second, in his own words.

العنف حرام

الدين هو العدل

“Violence is haram.”

“Religion is justice.”

البعض يقول لك: الدين شيء والمعاملة شيء آخر؟؟ نحن نقول: إن الدين هو هذا الدين، الدين هو العدل، من لا عدل له لا دين له، سواء العدل مع الزوجة أو مع الطفل أو الجار وما إلى ذلك. افهموا الدين فهماً إنسانياً اجتماعياً ولا تفهموه مجرد طقوس وصلاة وإقامة في المسجد من الصباح حتى المساء، بحيث يكون الإنسان من أكثر المحافظين على الطقوس الدينية بينما أهله من أشقى الناس به، وهناك كلمة للنبي (ص) يقول فيها: “خيركم خيركم لأهله، وأنا خيركم لأهلي”.

“Some say to you: religion is one thing and dealing with people is another?? We say: religion is this religion; religion is justice; whoever has no justice has no religion — whether justice with the wife, or with the child, or the neighbour, and so on. Understand religion with a human, social understanding, and do not understand it as mere rites, and prayer, and staying in the mosque from morning until evening — such that a person is among the most scrupulous in keeping the religious rites, while his family are the most wretched of people because of him. And there is a word of the Prophet, God bless him and his family, in which he says: ‘The best of you is the best of you to his family, and I am the best of you to my family.’”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Fadhlullah, Friday sermon, 24 January 2003 (bayynat.org.lb, 2003 archive, article 1520), two of its headings (lines 14 and 32) and the passage under the second (line 34); my translation

The two passages in his own words.

إنّ العنف قد يتحوّل إلى حالة من الوحشية تجعل الإنسان أقسى من الوحش، لأن الوحش لا يفعل ذلك.. لقد نقلت إلينا الأخبار قبل أيام أن أباً ينزعج من بكاء طفلته لأنه يريد أن ينام، ولم يحاول أن يدرس الوسائل التي يستطيع فيها أن يهدهد هذه الطفلة ذات الخمسة أشهر وأن يدللها، وأن يأتي إليها ببعض الأدوية التي تهدئ من بكائها، فانطلق كمثل الوحش ليضرب رأسها بجدار هنا وبأرض هناك، أو بأية وسيلة تحت يده، حتى نزفت هذه الطفلة وماتت تحت تأثير هذه الضربات، وبناء على أقوال والدتها، فإنه منعها من أخذها إلى المستشفى، وعندما قدمت شكوى لمخفر من مخافر الشرطة، قال لها إن من حق الأب أن يضرب ابنته.

إننا نتساءل: أيّ وحش هو هذا الوحش؟ هل ترون وحشاً يمكن أن يسيء إلى وليده، بل المسألة بالعكس، فإننا نلاحظ من خلال بعض الأفلام الوثائقية، أن الحيوانات هي في منتهى الرفق في مسألة العناية بأطفالهم. وهذه الحادثة قد نجد أمثالها بشكل آخر، فقد نجد بعض الآباء والأمهات يعنفون مع أطفالهم إذا بكوا أو تمردوا على أيّ أمر بالضرب المبرح، باعتبار أن هذه هي الوسيلة “النافعة” في إسكات الطفل، لأن الأب لا يريد أن يصبر على طفله، بل يريد أن يختصر المسافة من أجل أن يريح نفسه، فيلجأ إلى ضربه، وإذا فرضنا أننا انتقلنا إلى المدارس، فإننا نجد أن هذا الأسلوب يستعمله الكثير من المربين والمربيات، والمعلّمين والمعلمات، حيث يختصرون مسألة تأديب الطفل بالضرب أو ببعض أساليب العنف التي قد تكون أخطر من الضرب في تأثيرها النفسي المدمّر..

“Violence may turn into a state of savagery that makes a human being harder than a beast — because a beast does not do that. The news reached us a few days ago that a father was disturbed by his little daughter’s crying because he wanted to sleep; and he did not try to study the means by which he could lull this five-month-old girl and pet her, and bring her some medicine to calm her crying; so he set off like a beast to strike her head against a wall here and a floor there, or with whatever means was under his hand, until this child bled and died under the effect of these blows. And according to her mother’s statements, he prevented her from taking her to the hospital; and when she filed a complaint at a police station, he said to her: it is the father’s right to strike his daughter.”

“We ask: what beast is this beast? Do you see a beast that could harm its own young? Rather, the matter is the reverse: we observe, through some documentary films, that animals are at the utmost of gentleness in the care of their young. And this incident — we may find its like in another form: we may find some fathers and mothers who are violent with their children when they cry or rebel against anything, with severe beating, on the view that this is the ‘effective’ way to silence the child — because the father does not want to be patient with his child, but wants to shorten the distance so as to give himself rest; so he resorts to beating him. And if we turn to the schools, we find this method used by many educators and teachers, men and women, who cut short the disciplining of the child with beating, or with some methods of violence that may be more dangerous than beating in their destructive psychological effect.”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Fadhlullah, Friday sermon, 24 January 2003 (bayynat.org.lb, 2003 archive, article 1520); my translation

His own words.

برای مثال برای کسانی که دوره ابتدایی هستند کتاب‌هایی را معرفی کنیم و برای کسانی که در دوره دبیرستان یا بالاتر هستند به همین سبک؛ و در کنار این برنامه هم با مهربانی، با ادب و با منطق با فرزندان خود برخورد کنیم، نه با تحکم و گفتن این تعابیر که مبادا چنین کنی! اگر چنین کنی دیگر هر چه دیدی از چشم خودت دیدی! اگر چنین کنی دیگر فرزند من نیستی و عاقت می‌کنم! این‌ها فایده ندارد و گاه ضررش بیشتر از نفعش است. باید با مهربانی و با صمیمیت اعتماد جوان‌ را جلب کنیم تا بفهمد ما خیرخواهش هستیم.

اما به یاد داشته باشیم که راه حفظ و تربیت فرزندان‌مان سخت‌گیری نیست، بلکه باید فرزندان را با محبت، با زبان خوش، با تشویق و با استدلالِ متناسبِ با مرتبه فهم و معلومات‌شان به تدریج با مسائل اعتقادی آشنا ساخت.

“For example, for those in the primary years, we should recommend books, and for those in secondary school or above, in the same way; and alongside this programme, let us deal with our children with kindness, with courtesy and with reason — not with domineering, and with saying such things as: Don’t you dare do that! If you do that, whatever happens to you is on your own head! If you do that, you are no longer my child, and I disown you! These are of no use, and sometimes their harm is greater than their benefit. We must win the young person’s trust with kindness and warmth, so that he understands that we wish him well.”

“But let us remember that the way to protect and raise our children is not strictness; rather, children must be made familiar with the matters of belief gradually — with love, with a kind tongue, with encouragement, and with reasoning suited to the level of their understanding and their knowledge.”

— Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi, a talk of 24 September 2014 (2 Mehr 1393; mesbahyazdi.ir), paragraph 75, sentences 8 to 12, and paragraph 89, its last sentence; my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رِبَاطٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ رِبَاطٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) رَحِمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ أَعَانَ وَلَدَهُ عَلَى بِرِّهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ يُعِينُهُ عَلَى بِرِّهِ قَالَ يَقْبَلُ مَيْسُورَهُ وَ يَتَجَاوَزُ عَنْ مَعْسُورِهِ وَ لَا يُرْهِقُهُ وَ لَا يَخْرَقُ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ أَنْ يَصِيرَ فِي حَدٍّ مِنْ حُدُودِ الْكُفْرِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِي عُقُوقٍ أَوْ قَطِيعَةِ رَحِمٍثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) الْجَنَّةُ طَيِّبَةٌ طَيَّبَهَا اللَّهُ وَ طَيَّبَ رِيحَهَا يُوجَدُ رِيحُهَا مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ أَلْفَيْ عَامٍ وَ لَا يَجِدُ رِيحَ الْجَنَّةِ عَاقٌّ وَ لَا قَاطِعُ رَحِمٍ وَ لَا مُرْخِي الْإِزَارِ خُيَلَاءَ .

“A number of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, from Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Ribat, from Yunus ibn Ribat, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: May God have mercy on one who helps his child to be good to him. He said: I said: How does he help him to be good to him? He said: He accepts what he can manage, and passes over what is hard for him, and does not overburden him, and is not harsh with him. For there is nothing between him and coming within one of the bounds of disbelief except that he enter into undutifulness [to his parents], or the cutting of kinship. Then the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: Paradise is fragrant — God has made it fragrant, and made its scent fragrant; its scent is found from a journey of two thousand years; and the scent of Paradise is not found by one undutiful [to his parents], nor by one who cuts his kin, nor by one who trails his garment in vanity.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Yunus ibn Ribat; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 207 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُذَافِرٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الأعْلَى مَوْلَى آلِ سَامٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ ناراً جَلَسَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَبْكِي وَقَالَ أَنَا عَجَزْتُ عَنْ نَفْسِي كُلِّفْتُ أَهْلِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) حَسْبُكَ أَنْ تَأْمُرَهُمْ بِمَا تَأْمُرُ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ وَتَنْهَاهُمْ عَمَّا تَنْهَى عَنْهُ نَفْسَكَ.

“1 – A number of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Isma’il, from Muhammad ibn Udhafir, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Abd al-A’la, the client of the family of Sam, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: When this verse came down — ‘O you who have faith, save yourselves and your families from a Fire’ — a man of the Muslims sat down weeping, and said: I have failed with my own self, and I am charged with my family! And the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: It is enough for you that you command them with what you command yourself, and forbid them what you forbid yourself.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Abd al-A’la; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 5, hadith 139 (thaqalayn); my translation

چون با مفاهیم اسلامی درست آشنا نیستند و اخلاقیات مرتبط با روابط زن و مرد را در اسلام درست نمیدانند، تدینشان موجب نمیشود که از غلظتشان کم شود، از تحکم و زورگوییشان بکاهد؛ نه، هم متدینند، هم آن تحکمها و زورگوییها را دارند؛ این هم باید اصلاح شود. اخلاق اسلامی در روابط زن و مرد - به خصوص در داخل خانواده - باید مورد توجّه قرار بگیرد.۱

وجه مشترک زوجین در زندگی باید عبارت باشد از توجّه به خدا و اطاعت دستورات الهی و عمل به فرامین خدا. زن و شوهر باید همدیگر را در این جهت حفظ کنند. اگر زن میبیند که شوهر او بی‌اعتنا به مسائل دینی است، او را با حکمت و اخلاق خوش و ظرافت و زیرکی زنانه، وادار به آمدن در راه خدا کند. مرد هم اگر میبیند زنش بی‌اعتناست، او هم باید همین تکلیف را انجام دهد. این از کارهای اساسی در زندگی است.۲

“— because they are not properly acquainted with Islamic concepts, and do not properly know the morals that Islam sets for the relations of man and woman, their religiosity does not lessen their harshness, or reduce their domineering and their bullying. No — they are both religious, and given to that domineering and bullying. This too must be put right. The morals of Islam in the relations of man and woman — especially inside the family — must be attended to.[1]”

“The common ground of husband and wife in life must be attention to God, obedience to the divine commands, and acting on God’s orders. Husband and wife must keep each other in this direction. If the wife sees that her husband is careless of religious matters, she should bring him onto God’s path with wisdom, good manners, and a woman’s delicacy and shrewdness. And if the man sees that his wife is careless, he too must carry out the same duty. This is among the fundamental tasks of life.[2]”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, Zan va Khanevadeh (Woman and Family), PDF page 105; my translation; the passage begins mid-sentence, and the numerals are the book’s note marks

His own words.

بریزم، به شما چه کار؟! مخصوصاً حیثیت و آبروی مذهبی. اساساً هر مسلمانی یک سرمایه است برای اسلام. اگر آقای زید یک مسلمان واقعی است، بگذار جامعه بفهمد و او را بشناسد، البته محضاً لله نه برای ریا. محضاً لله تظاهر کند به مسلمانی خودش؛ یعنی به آنچه که واقعاً معتقد است و عمل می‌کند، متظاهر هم باشد تا جامعه بفهمد که چنین فردی از خودش دارد. این معنی ندارد که مسلمانها مسلمان باشند ولی جامعه نشناسد که اینها مسلمانند و به عنوان یک مسلمان به آنها ارادت نداشته باشد. بعد بچه‌ها که می‌آیند، چشمشان را باز می‌کنند و به ظاهر قضاوت می‌کنند، می‌گویند آقا این حرفها دروغ است، مسلمانی وجود ندارد. نه، مَحْبُوبَةً فِی اَرْضِکَ وَ سَمَائِکَ. خدایا کاری بکن که در زمین (یعنی پیش خلق تو) و در آسمان محبوب باشم، هر دو جا (اگر انسان در زمین محبوب باشد و در آسمان ملعون که دیگر خیلی بد می‌شود، می‌شود یک آدم ریاکار و متظاهر)، با حقیقت باشم که تو مرا دوست داشته باشی، و حقیقت داشتن من را مردم هم بشناسند که مردم نیز مرا دوست داشته باشند.

“[My honour is mine to] spill — what business is it of yours?! Especially religious standing and reputation. Basically, every Muslim is a capital for Islam. If Mr Zayd is a true Muslim, let society know it and recognise him — purely for God’s sake, of course, not for show. Purely for God’s sake let him make his Muslimness visible: that is, let him show what he truly believes and practises, so that society knows it has such a person among its own. It makes no sense that Muslims should be Muslims and society not recognise that they are Muslims, and not hold them dear as Muslims. Then the children come along, open their eyes, judge by appearances, and say: sir, these words are lies — there is no such thing as being a Muslim. No — ‘beloved in Your earth and Your heaven’: O God, make me beloved on earth (that is, among Your creatures) and in heaven, in both places (if a person is beloved on earth and accursed in heaven, that is very bad — he becomes a hypocrite and a show-off); let me be true, so that You love me, and let people too recognise my truth, so that they also love me.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, PDF page 266; my translation; the passage begins mid-sentence

His own words.

بحث هفتم این بود که آیا عناوینی که مثل اهانت است شامل غیر بالغ هم می‌شود یا نه. شامل غیر عاقل هم می‌شود یا نه. و احیاناً شامل غیر حی و میت هم می‌شود یا نه. عرض شد این سؤال گرچه در اهانت طرح می‌شود ولی در سایر عناوین چه ایجابی و چه سلبی هم قابل‌بحث است. شبیه آنچه مرحوم شیخ در شرایط عاقدین مطرح کرده ولی در کل عقود است. دو سه مطلب در محل نزاع بیان کردیم و نهایتاً رسیدیم به اینکه در اینجا حداقل سه احتمال را می‌توان مطرح کرد.

1. کسی بگوید مطلقاً صبی و غیر بالغ چه ممیز و چه غیر ممیز از شمول این احکام خارج است. حرمت یا کراهت اهانت سوءظن یا سوء خلق یا بغض و این احکام سلبی شامل صبی چه ممیز چه غیر ممیز نمی‌شود. به دلیل آنکه در ادله می‌گوید عمده خطأ. این احتمال ضعیف است.

2. تفصیل بین ممیز و غیر ممیز. در ممیز اطلاقات شمول دارد و غیر ممیز را در برنمی‌گیرد. به این بیان که ادله عامه در اهانت و عناوین دیگر حکم عقل و ظلم و احبب لنفسک ما تحب لغیرک حتی ادله خاصه که مسلم و مؤمن را ذکر می‌کرد می‌توانست شامل ممیز شود. چون درک و شناخت دارد. وجهی هم برای تخصیص نداریم. چون ادله مربوط به صبی مربوط به خود صبی است نه احکام متعلق به صبی. اما به غیر ممیز صدق نمی‌کند مگر اینکه به پدر و مادر برگردد.

3. اطلاقات شامل صبی به نحو مطلق می‌شود چه ممیز چه غیر ممیز. با این بیان که غیرممیز چون کرامتی دارد دیگران برداشت اهانت می‌کنند و لازم نیست خود شخص برداشت اهانت کند بلکه چون دیگران برداشت اهانت می‌کنند برای صدق اهانت کافی است.

“The seventh discussion was whether titles such as insult include the one who has not reached maturity, or not; whether they include the one without reason, or not; and possibly whether they include the one not living, the dead, or not. It was said that this question, though raised regarding insult, is open to discussion in the other titles too, positive and negative — like what the late Shaykh raised in the conditions of the contracting parties, though it holds across all contracts. We set out two or three points on the matter in dispute, and finally came to this: that here at least three possibilities can be raised.

1. Someone may say that the child and the one not yet mature, whether discerning or not, is absolutely outside the scope of these rulings: the forbiddenness or disapproval of insult, of suspicion, of ill manners or of hatred — these prohibitive rulings do not include the child, discerning or not — because the proofs say that his deliberate act counts as error. This possibility is weak.

2. A distinction between the discerning and the non-discerning: the unrestricted proofs include the discerning child and do not take in the non-discerning. On this account, the general proofs on insult and the other titles — the judgement of reason, injustice, and ‘love for yourself what you love for others’, and even the particular proofs that name the Muslim and the believer — could include the discerning child, because he has understanding and recognition; and we have no ground for restricting them, because the proofs concerning the child concern the child himself, not the rulings that attach to the child. But it does not hold of the non-discerning child, unless it comes back to the father and mother.

3. The unrestricted proofs include the child absolutely, discerning or not — on this account: the non-discerning child, because he has a dignity, is taken by others to have been insulted; and it is not necessary that the person himself take it as an insult — rather, that others take it as an insult is enough for it to be an insult.”

— Ayatullah Alireza A’rafi, a class on the jurisprudence of social relations (honouring and humiliating), 1 December 2021 (1400/09/10; eshia.ir), paragraphs 5 to 11; my translation

The position, and his critique of it, in his own words.

خلاصه راه حل اول این بود که با وجود قدرت ولایت ولی در خانه که به عنوان پدر و شوهر مطرح است، برای همسر و فرزندان چیزی به عنوان حریم خصوصی نخواهیم داشت فلذا در این جا قدرت ولایت ولی یکه تاز میدان است و به انگیزه الهی و عرشی از فضای مجازی همسر و فرزندان حراست می کند.

ما این احتمال را نقد کردیم زیرا ریشه این بیان و دیدگاه به این مساله برمی گردد که اصلا حریم خصوصی را قبول ندارند و مورد امضای شارع نمی دانند و معتقدند در شرع مقدس حقوق توقیفی هستند کما اینکه مثال آن نیز بیان شد. اما حقوق مستحدثه که در عصر و زماننا هذا متشرعین مد کرده اند، از نظر ایشان حجیت ندارد.

“The summary of the first solution was this: that, given the power of the guardian’s authority in the house — he being cast as father and husband — there will be nothing for the wife and the children that counts as a private sphere; and so here the power of the guardian’s authority rides the field alone, and from a divine, heavenly motive guards the online world of the wife and the children.”

“We criticised this possibility, because the root of this account and view goes back to this: that they do not accept a private sphere at all, and do not consider it endorsed by the Lawgiver, and believe that in the holy law rights are fixed by revelation alone — as its example was also given. But the newly arisen rights which the observant have made current in our own age have, in their view, no authority.”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Hasan Mirahmadi, a class on the jurisprudence of the family (the rulings on children), 1 December 2025 (1404/09/10; eshia.ir), paragraphs 25 and 33; my translation

The sentence in his own words.

ولذا يقول الإمام عليّ (ع): “لا تؤدّبوا أولادكم بأخلاقكم، لأنَّهم خُلقوا لزمان غير زمانكم‏”.

“And so Imam Ali, peace be upon him, says: ‘Do not bring up your children on your own manners, for they were created for a time other than your time.’”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Fadhlullah, Friday sermon, 1 March 1996 (bayynat.org.lb, 1996 archive, article 56933); my translation

His own words.

هذا ما يريده الإسلام؛ أن يعين الآباء والأمَّهات أولادهم على أن يفكّروا، لا أن نقول للولد إنَّه ليس مِنْ حقّك أن تفكّر، بل أن نقول له فكّر، وعندما يأتي لنا بفكرته، فقد نقول له إنَّ فكرتك خطأ إذا وجدناها خطأً، أن نعوّد أولادنا على أن يفكّروا، لأنّهم إذا تعوَّدوا أن يقولوا لآبائهم وأمَّهاتهم دوماً سمعاً وطاعةً من دون قناعة، فسيقولون ذلك أيضاً للطَّاغية، فنكون بذلك نربّيهم تربية الشَّخصيَّة المستسلمة، وليس الشَّخصيَّة المفكّرة، ولا الشَّخصيَّة الَّتي تتحمَّل مسؤوليَّة نفسها.

“This is what Islam wants: that fathers and mothers help their children to think — not that we say to the child, you have no right to think, but that we say to him, think; and when he brings us his idea, we may tell him your idea is wrong, if we find it wrong. That we accustom our children to think — because if they grow used to saying to their fathers and mothers, always, ‘we hear and obey’, without conviction, they will say it to the tyrant too; and so we would be raising them with the upbringing of the surrendering personality, not the thinking personality, nor the personality that bears responsibility for itself.”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Fadhlullah, Friday sermon, 2 February 1996 (bayynat.org.lb, 1996 archive, article 57143); my translation

The story in his own words.

یکی از همسایگان نزدیک ما، روزی مرا دید و از پدرم ذکر خیری کرد و جریانی را تعریف کرد؛ ایشان گفت:

من و تعدادی از بچه‌های همسایه به اقتضای سن نوجوانی، شرارت‌هایی می‌کردیم؛ از جمله اینکه دوست داشتیم با تیرکمان لامپ‌های خیابان را هدف قرار دهیم و آنها را بترکانیم، یکی از هدف‌های همیشگی ما، لامپ روی درب خانهٔ شما بود، هرگاه فرصتی دست می‌داد برای بازی لامپ درب خانهٔ شما را با تیرکمان هدف می‌گرفتیم و می‌ترکاندیم. پدر شما هم از این کار آزرده می‌شد و به تدریج دانسته بود کار کیست، ولی به روی خود نمی‌آورد و همچنان هرگاه ما را می‌دید به ما محبت می‌کرد، تا روزی پدرم - پدر این همسایه - از کار من مطلع شد و دانست که شکستن لامپ درب خانهٔ شما کار من است. دست مرا گرفت و نزد پدر شما آورد تا در برابر پدر شما مرا تنبیه کند و بدین ترتیب هم مرا ادب کرده باشد و هم از خجالت پدر شما درآمده باشد. پدرت تا مرا دید نه تنها پدرم را از هرگونه آزردن من به شدت منع کرد؛ بلکه به طور عجیب وغیرقابل انتظاری به من محبت نمود و با چهره‌ای خندان و گشاده مبلغ صد فلس - که در آن روزگار پول کمی نبود - به من داد و به پدرم گفت: کاری با ایشان نداشته باشید، کاری نکرده و برای من دعا کرد. این رفتار پدر شما آن چنان در من اثر گذاشت که نه تنها از کاری که کرده بودم به شدت پشیمان شدم، بلکه از این پس از لامپ درب خانه شما و لامپ‌های دیگر خانه‌ها نگهبانی می‌کردم و اجازه نمی‌دادم بچه‌های دیگر به لامپ‌ها آسیبی برسانند.

این داستان آموزنده ما را به یاد آیه کریمه قرآن می‌اندازد که فرمود:

﴿وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ﴾۱؛

نیکی و بدی یکسان نیستند بدی را با نیکوترین شیوه دفع کن، ناگهان بینی آن را که با تو دشمنی دارد همانند دوستی صمیمی است.

“One of our close neighbours saw me one day, spoke well of my father, and told me of an incident. He said:

I and a number of the neighbourhood boys, as boys of that age will, used to get up to mischief. Among other things, we liked to take aim at the street lamps with slingshots and burst them, and one of our constant targets was the lamp over the door of your house: whenever the chance came, for fun, we would take aim at the lamp over your door with our slingshots and burst it. Your father was hurt by this, and gradually came to know whose doing it was; but he did not let on, and still, whenever he saw us, he showed us affection — until one day my father — this neighbour’s father — learnt what I had done, and knew that breaking the lamp over your door was my doing. He took me by the hand and brought me to your father, to punish me in front of your father, and so both to discipline me and to make amends to your father for the shame. As soon as your father saw me, not only did he strictly forbid my father from hurting me in any way; but, strangely and unexpectedly, he showed me affection, and with a smiling and open face gave me a sum of a hundred fils — which in those days was not a small sum — and said to my father: have nothing to do with him; he has done nothing — and he prayed for me. This conduct of your father had such an effect on me that not only was I deeply sorry for what I had done, but from then on I guarded the lamp over your door and the lamps of the other houses, and would not let the other children harm the lamps.

This instructive story reminds us of the noble verse of the Qur’an which says:

‘Good and evil are not equal. Repel [evil] with what is best; and then he between whom and you there is enmity is as though he were a close friend.’[1]

Good and evil are not alike; repel evil in the finest way, and suddenly you see the one who bears you enmity like a close friend.”

— Ayatullah Shaykh Mohsen Araki, Dar Maktab-e Pedar (In My Father’s School), PDF pages 48 and 49; my translation; the last paragraph is his own Persian rendering of the verse, and the [1] is his note mark for Surah Fussilat, verse 34

The sermon’s opening lines.

يقول الله تعالى في كتابه المجيد: {ولا تستوي الحسنة ولا السيئة إدفع بالتي هي أحسن فإذا الذي بينك وبينه عداوة كأنه وليّ حميم}، ويروى عن النبي (ص) أنه قال: “إن الرفق لم يوضع على شيء إلا زانه، ولا نُزع عن شيء إلا شانه، وإن الله رفيق يحب الرفق ويعطي على الرفق ما لا يعطي على العنف”.

“God, exalted, says in His glorious Book: {Good and evil are not equal; repel with what is best; and then he between whom and you there is enmity is as though he were a close friend}; and it is narrated from the Prophet, God bless him and his family, that he said: ‘Gentleness is never placed on anything but it adorns it, nor taken from anything but it disfigures it; and God is gentle, He loves gentleness, and He gives for gentleness what He does not give for harshness.’”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Fadhlullah, Friday sermon, 24 January 2003 (bayynat.org.lb, 2003 archive, article 1520), paragraph 6; my translation

The passage in his own words.

در تاب‌آوری در سختی‌ها و مصیبت‌ها؛ چه کسی است که بتواند تاب بیاورد و طاقت بیاورد مصائب حضرت زهرا (سلام الله علیها) را؟ در این زمینه هم ایشان یک انسان آسمانی است، یک انسان عرشی است. در دفاع شجاعانه از حقّ مظلوم؛ در تبیین حقایق و روشنگری؛ در فهم و عمل سیاسی. ببینید، اینها همه خصوصیّات فاطمه‌ی زهرا (سلام الله علیها) است. به عنوان یک زن و دارای جنسیّت زنانه، در خانه‌داری، در شوهرداری، در فرزندپروری؛ کسی مثل زینب را پرورش میدهد و به وجود می‌آورد، کسی مثل امام حسین و امام حسن را در آغوش خودش تربیت میکند. حضور در جایگاه‌های غیر قابل فراموشی در تاریخ؛ حضور در شِعب ابی‌طالب، حضور در هجرت به مدینه، حضور فعّال در برخی از غزوات پیغمبر، حضور در ماجرای مباهله. اینها یک فهرستهایی است که تمامی ندارد؛ فاطمه‌ی زهرا (سلام الله علیها) به این خصوصیّات آراسته است و تمامی ندارد. به طور خلاصه اگر بخواهیم بگوییم، همان که خود پیغمبر فرمود: سَیِّدَةُ نِساءِ العالَمین‌؛ سَرور زنان جهان. طبق روایت، از پیغمبر اکرم پرسیدند که این جمله درباره‌ی حضرت مریم آمده که «سَیِّدَةُ نِساءِ العالَمین»؛ فرمود: مَریَمَ‌ کانَت‌ سَیِّدَةَ نِساءِ عالَمِها؛(۲) او سرور زنان زمان خودش بود ــ زنان عالم [خودش] ــ امّا فاطمه سرور زنان همه‌ی عالم است در همه‌ی دورانهای تاریخ. این فاطمه‌ی زهرا است. شما درستان را از چنین شخصیّتی میگیرید، خودتان را به سمت چنین شخصیّتی حرکت میدهید، هدف را از چنین شخصیّتی میگیرید و دنبال میکنید؛ اینها آن نقاطی است که زنان جامعه‌ی ما، زنان کشور ما بحمدالله به آن توجّه دارند و باید داشته باشند. این راجع به حضرت زهرا (سلام الله علیها).

“— in endurance through hardships and calamities: who is there who could bear and endure the calamities of Hazrat Zahra, peace be upon her? In this field too she is a heavenly human being, a human being of the Throne. In the courageous defence of the right of the oppressed; in clarifying the truth and bringing light; in political understanding and action. See — all of these are the qualities of Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her. As a woman, and in her womanhood: in keeping a home, in caring for her husband, in raising children — she raises one like Zaynab and brings her into being; she brings up the likes of Imam Husayn and Imam Hasan in her own embrace. Her presence in places in history that cannot be forgotten: her presence in the Valley of Abu Talib, her presence in the emigration to Medina, her active presence in some of the Prophet’s campaigns, her presence at the Mubahala. These are lists that have no end; Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her, is adorned with these qualities, and they have no end. In short, if we want to say it, it is what the Prophet himself said: the mistress of the women of the worlds. According to a narration, the noble Prophet was asked: this phrase, ‘the mistress of the women of the worlds’, was said about Hazrat Mary; he said: Mary was the mistress of the women of her own world [2] — she was the mistress of the women of her own time, the women of [her own] world — but Fatimah is the mistress of the women of the whole world, in every era of history. This is Fatimah al-Zahra. You take your lesson from such a personality; you move yourselves towards such a personality; you take your goal from such a personality and pursue it. These are the points that the women of our society, the women of our country, thank God, attend to and must attend to. This, concerning Hazrat Zahra, peace be upon her.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, to women and girls, 3 December 2025 (1404/09/12; farsi.khamenei.ir), paragraph 11; my translation; the passage begins mid-sentence, the [2] is the website’s own note mark, and the word in square brackets is the website’s

The report in full, with its chain.

عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) وَ أَنَا مَغْمُومٌ مَكْرُوبٌ فَقَالَ لِي يَا سَكُونِيُّ مِمَّا غَمُّكَ قُلْتُ وُلِدَتْ لِي ابْنَةٌ فَقَالَ يَا سَكُونِيُّ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ ثِقْلُهَا وَ عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا تَعِيشُ فِي غَيْرِ أَجَلِكَ وَ تَأْكُلُ مِنْ غَيْرِ رِزْقِكَ فَسَرَّى وَ اللَّهِ عَنِّيفَقَالَ لِي مَا سَمَّيْتَهَا قُلْتُ فَاطِمَةَ قَالَ آهِ آهِ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى جَبْهَتِهِ فَقَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) حَقُّ الْوَلَدِ عَلَى وَالِدِهِ إِذَا كَانَ ذَكَراً أَنْ يَسْتَفْرِهَ أُمَّهُ وَ يَسْتَحْسِنَ اسْمَهُ وَ يُعَلِّمَهُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَ يُطَهِّرَهُ وَ يُعَلِّمَهُ السِّبَاحَةَ وَ إِذَا كَانَتْ أُنْثَى أَنْ يَسْتَفْرِهَ أُمَّهَا وَ يَسْتَحْسِنَ اسْمَهَا وَ يُعَلِّمَهَا سُورَةَ النُّورِ وَ لَا يُعَلِّمَهَا سُورَةَ يُوسُفَ وَ لَا يُنْزِلَهَا الْغُرَفَ وَ يُعَجِّلَ سَرَاحَهَا إِلَى بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا أَمَّا إِذَا سَمَّيْتَهَا فَاطِمَةَ فَلَا تَسُبَّهَا وَ لَا تَلْعَنْهَا وَ لَا تَضْرِبْهَا .

“Ali ibn Muhammad, from Ibn Jumhur, from his father, from Fadala ibn Ayyub, from al-Sakuni, who said: I went in to Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, grieved and distressed. He said to me: O Sakuni, what is grieving you? I said: A daughter has been born to me. He said: O Sakuni, her weight is on the earth and her provision is on God; she will live out a term that is not yours, and eat from a provision that is not yours. And by God, it lifted from me. Then he said to me: What have you named her? I said: Fatimah. He said: Ah, ah! Then he put his hand on his forehead, and said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: The right of the child over its father, if it is a boy, is that he choose a fine mother for him, give him a good name, teach him the Book of God, purify him, and teach him to swim; and if it is a girl, that he choose a fine mother for her, give her a good name, teach her Surah al-Nur and not teach her Surah Yusuf, not lodge her in the upper rooms, and hasten her going to her husband’s house. But since you have named her Fatimah, do not revile her, and do not curse her, and do not strike her.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through al-Sakuni, who is the father in the report; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 201 (thaqalayn); my translation

The report in full, with its chain.

18 - حدثنا أحمد بن زياد بن جعفر الهمداني (رحمه الله)، قال: حدثنا علي ابن إبراهيم بن هاشم، قال: حدثنا جعفر بن سلمة الاهوازي، قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن محمد الثقفي، عن إبراهيم بن موسى ابن اخت الواقدي، قال: حدثنا أبو قتادة الحراني، عن عبد الرحمن بن العلاء الحضرمي، عن سعيد بن المسيب، عن ابن عباس، قال: إن رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) كان جالسا ذات يوم وعنده علي وفاطمة والحسن والحسين (عليهم السلام)، فقال: اللهم إنك تعلم أن هؤلاء أهل بيتي وأكرم الناس علي فأحبب من أحبهم، وأبغض من أبغضهم، ووال من والاهم، وعاد من عاداهم، وأعن من أعانهم، واجعلهم مطهرين من كل رجس، معصومين من كل ذنب، وأيدهم بروح القدس. ثم قال (صلى الله عليه وآله): يا علي، أنت إمام امتي، وخليفتي عليها بعدي، وأنت قائد المؤمنين إلى الجنة، وكأني أنظر إلى ابنتي فاطمة قد أقبلت يوم القيامة على نجيب من نور، عن يمينها سبعون ألف ملك، وعن يسارها سبعون ألف ملك، وبين يديها سبعون ألف ملك، وخلفها سبعون ألف ملك، تقود مؤمنات أمتي إلى الجنة، فأيما امرأة صلت في اليوم والليلة خمس صلوات، وصامت شهر رمضان، وحجت بيت الله الحرام، وزكت مالها، وأطاعت زوجها، ووالت عليا بعدي، دخلت الجنة بشفاعة ابنتي فاطمة، وإنها لسيدة نساء العالمين. فقيل له: يا رسول الله، أهي سيدة نساء عالمها؟ فقال النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): ذاك لمريم بنت عمران، فأما ابنتي فاطمة فهي سيدة نساء العالمين من الاولين والآخرين، وإنها لتقوم في محرابها فيسلم عليها سبعون ألف ملك من الملائكة المقربين، وينادونها بما نادت به الملائكة مريم فيقولون: يا فاطمة (إن الله اصطفاك وطهرك واصطفاك على نساء العالمين) (1). ثم التفت إلى علي (عليه السلام)، فقال: يا علي، إن فاطمة بضعة مني، وهي نور عيني، وثمرة فؤادي، يسوءني ما ساءها، ويسرني ما سرها، وإنها أول من يلحقني من أهل بيتي فأحسن إليها بعدي، وأما الحسن والحسين فهما ابناي وريحانتاي، وهما سيدا شباب أهل الجنة، فليكرما عليك كسمعك وبصرك. ثم رفع (صلى الله عليه وآله) يده إلى السماء، فقال: اللهم إني أشهدك أني محب لمن أحبهم، ومبغض لمن أبغضهم، وسلم لمن سالمهم، وحرب لمن حاربهم، وعدو لمن عاداهم، وولي لمن والاهم (2).

“18 – Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja’far al-Hamadani, may God have mercy on him, narrated to us; he said: Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim narrated to us; he said: Ja’far ibn Salama al-Ahwazi narrated to us; he said: Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi narrated to us, from Ibrahim ibn Musa, the son of al-Waqidi’s sister; he said: Abu Qatada al-Harrani narrated to us, from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Ala’ al-Hadrami, from Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib, from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, was sitting one day, and with him were Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be upon them; and he said: O God, You know that these are the people of my house, and the dearest of people to me; so love whoever loves them, and hate whoever hates them; befriend whoever befriends them, and be the enemy of whoever is their enemy; help whoever helps them; make them purified of every uncleanness, protected from every sin, and support them with the Holy Spirit. Then he, God bless him and his family, said: O Ali, you are the Imam of my community, and my successor over it after me, and you are the leader of the believers to Paradise. And it is as if I am looking at my daughter Fatimah, coming forward on the Day of Resurrection on a noble mount of light, with seventy thousand angels on her right, seventy thousand angels on her left, seventy thousand angels before her and seventy thousand angels behind her, leading the believing women of my community to Paradise. So any woman who prays five prayers in the day and the night, fasts the month of Ramadan, makes the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of God, pays the alms on her wealth, obeys her husband, and holds to Ali as her guardian after me, will enter Paradise through the intercession of my daughter Fatimah. And she is the mistress of the women of the worlds. It was said to him: O Messenger of God, is she the mistress of the women of her own world? And the Prophet, God bless him and his family, said: That is for Mary, daughter of Imran. As for my daughter Fatimah, she is the mistress of the women of the worlds, of the first and the last. And she stands in her mihrab, and seventy thousand of the angels brought near greet her, and call to her with what the angels called to Mary, and say: O Fatimah, ‘God has chosen you and purified you, and chosen you above the women of the worlds.’ (1) Then he turned to Ali, peace be upon him, and said: O Ali, Fatimah is a part of me; she is the light of my eye and the fruit of my heart. What grieves her grieves me, and what gladdens her gladdens me. And she is the first of my household to join me — so be good to her after me. And as for al-Hasan and al-Husayn, they are my two sons and my two sweet basils, and they are the two masters of the youth of the people of Paradise; so let them be as dear to you as your hearing and your sight. Then he, God bless him and his family, raised his hand to the heavens and said: O God, I call You to witness that I love whoever loves them, and hate whoever hates them; I am at peace with whoever is at peace with them, and at war with whoever wars with them; I am the enemy of whoever is their enemy, and the friend of whoever befriends them. (2)”

— the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his righteous companions, through Ibn Abbas; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, hadith 781 (thaqalayn); my translation; the (1) and (2) are the edition’s note marks

What is said of both mothers here is told, with its sources, in the maqtal, Two Mothers.

The report, and the second chain the book gives beside it.

وروى ان محمد بن الفضيل الدروقي عن أبي حمزة الثمالى ، قال : سمعت علي بن الحسين وع، يقول : إن فاطمة بنت أسد رضى الله عنها ضربها الطلق ، وهى في الطواف فدخلت الكعبة فولدت أمير المؤمنين وع، فيها .

قال عمر بن عثمان : ذكرت هذا الحديث لسلمة بن الفضل فقال : حدثني محمد بن اسحاق عن عمه وموسى بن بشار ؛ ان علي بن أبي طالب وع، ولد في الكعبة ، وفي ذلك يقول السيد الحميري في شعر له :

“And it is narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl al-Daruqi [narrated] from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, who said: I heard Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, say: Fatimah bint Asad, may God be pleased with her, was seized by the pains of labour while she was in the tawaf; so she entered the Ka’bah, and gave birth to Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, inside it.

Umar ibn Uthman said: I mentioned this hadith to Salama ibn al-Fadl, and he said: Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated to me, from his uncle and from Musa ibn Bashshar, that Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, was born in the Ka’bah; and of that al-Sayyed al-Himyari says, in a poem of his:”

— Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad, peace and blessings be upon him, through Abu Hamza al-Thumali; al-Fattal al-Nisaburi, Rawdat al-Wa’izin, record 101 in our copy; my translation; the poem that follows is not set here

The salutations of this part of the ziyarah, in the Arabic and in the English of our text; the one said in the majlis is the last of them.

السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَصِيَّ الْأَوْصِيَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا عِمَادَ الْأَتْقِيَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَلِيَّ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا سَيِّدَ الشُّهَدَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا آيَةَ اللَّهِ الْعُظْمَى السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا خَامِسَ أَهْلِ الْعَبَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا قَائِدَ الْغُرِّ الْمُحَجَّلِينَ الْأَتْقِيَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا عِصْمَةَ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا زَيْنَ الْمُوَحِّدِينَ النُّجَبَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا خَالِصَ الْأَخِلّاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَالِدَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْأُمَنَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا صَاحِبَ الْحَوْضِ وَ حَامِلَ اللِّوَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا قَسِيمَ الْجَنَّةِ وَ لَظَى السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا مَنْ شُرِّفَتْ بِهِ مَكَّةُ وَ مِنًى السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا بَحْرَ الْعُلُومِ وَ كَنَفَ [كَهْفَ ] الْفُقَرَاءِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا مَنْ وُلِدَ فِي الْكَعْبَةِ وَ زُوِّجَ فِي السَّمَاءِ بِسَيِّدَةِ النِّسَاءِ،

“Peace be upon you, O successor of the successors. Peace be upon you, O pillar of the people of piety. Peace be upon you, O guardian of the saints. Peace be upon you, O master of the martyrs. Peace be upon you, O great sign of Allah. Peace be upon you, O fifth of the People of the Cloak. Peace be upon you, O leader of the radiant-faced and pious. Peace be upon you, O refuge of the saints. Peace be upon you, O adornment of the chosen monotheists. Peace be upon you, O most sincere of the devoted friends. Peace be upon you, O father of the trustworthy Imams. Peace be upon you, O master of the Pool and bearer of the Banner. Peace be upon you, O distributor of Paradise and Hellfire. Peace be upon you, O one through whom Mecca and Mina were ennobled. Peace be upon you, O ocean of knowledge and refuge of the destitute. Peace be upon you, O one who was born in the Ka’bah and was wedded in the heavens to the chief of all women.”

— Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi, Mafatih al-Jinan, the Ziyarah of Amir al-Mu’minin on the Birthday of the Prophet — the English of our text; the last salutation runs on in the ziyarah, and is cut here

The whole supplication, in its Arabic and in the English of our text of the Sahifa. The English headings between its passages are the file’s own, not the Imam’s.

دُعَاؤُه لاِبَويْهِ(عليهما السلام)

His Supplication for his Parents (a)

Titular Introduction to the Supplication for Parents

وَكَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لِأَبَوَيْهِ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ

Among his supplications (peace be upon him) for his parents (peace be upon them).

Invoking Blessings Upon the Prophet and His Pure Household

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ، وَأَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ، وَاخْصُصْهُمْ بِأَفْضَلِ صَلَوَاتِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ وَبَرَكَاتِكَ وَسَلَامِكَ

O God, bless Muhammad, Your slave and Your messenger, and his Household, the pure, and single them out for the best of Your blessings, Your mercy, Your benedictions, and Your peace!

Petitioning Divine Honour for Parents from the Most Merciful

وَاخْصُصِ اللَّهُمَّ وَالِدَيَّ بِالْكَرَامَةِ لَدَيْكَ، وَالصَّلَاةِ مِنْكَ، يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

And single out my parents, O God, for honour with You and blessings from You, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

Seeking Inspired Knowledge of All Duties Owed to Parents

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَأَلْهِمْنِي عِلْمَ مَا يَجِبُ لَهُمَا عَلَيَّ إِلْهَاماً، وَاجْمَعْ لِي عِلْمَ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ تَمَاماً، ثُمَّ اسْتَعْمِلْنِي بِمَا تُلْهِمُنِي مِنْهُ، وَوَفِّقْنِي لِلنُّفُوذِ فِيمَا تُبَصِّرُنِي مِنْ عِلْمِهِ حَتَّى لَا يَفُوتَنِي اسْتِعْمَالُ شَيْءٍ عَلَّمْتَنِيهِ، وَلَا تَثْقُلَ أَرْكَانِي عَنِ الْحَفُوفِ فِيمَا أَلْهَمْتَنِيهِ

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, teach me through inspiration knowledge of everything incumbent upon me toward them, and gather within me knowledge of all that completely! Then make me act in accordance with what You have inspired me and give me the success to put into practice the knowledge You have shown to me, lest I fail to act according to something You have taught me or my limbs feel too heavy to perform that with which You have inspired me!

Blessing the Prophet as Source of Ennobling and Sacred Obligations

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ كَمَا شَرَّفْتَنَا بِهِ، وَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، كَمَا أَوْجَبْتَ لَنَا الْحَقَّ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ بِسَبَبِهِ

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, as You have ennobled us through him, and bless Muhammad and his Household, as You have made incumbent upon us rights toward the creatures because of him!

Petitioning Filial Awe, Devoted Obedience, and Selfless Reverence

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي أَهَابُهُمَا هَيْبَةَ السُّلْطَانِ الْعَسُوفِ، وَأَبَرُّهُمَا بِرَّ الْأُمِّ الرَّءُوفِ، وَاجْعَلْ طَاعَتِي لِوَالِدَيَّ وَبِرِّي بِهِمَا أَقَرَّ لِعَيْنِي مِنْ رَقْدَةِ الْوَسْنَانِ، وَأَثْلَجَ لِصَدْرِي مِنْ شَرْبَةِ الظَّمْآنِ حَتَّى أُوثِرَ عَلَى هَوَايَ هَوَاهُمَا، وَأُقَدِّمَ عَلَى رِضَايَ رِضَاهُمَا وَأَسْتَكْثِرَ بِرَّهُمَا بِي وَإِنْ قَلَّ، وَأَسْتَقِلَّ بِرِّي بِهِمَا وَإِنْ كَثُرَ

O God, fill me with awe of my parents, the awe one has toward a tyrannical sovereign, and let me be devoted to them, with the devotion of a compassionate mother! Make my obedience and devotion to them more gladdening to my eyes than sleep to the drowsy and more refreshing to my breast than drink to the thirsty, so that I may prefer their inclination to my inclination, set their satisfaction before my satisfaction, make much of their devotion to me though it be little, and make little of my devotion to them though it be great.

Asking God to Soften Voice, Words, Temper, and Heart Toward Parents

اللَّهُمَّ خَفِّضْ لَهُمَا صَوْتِي، وَأَطِبْ لَهُمَا كَلَامِي، وَأَلِنْ لَهُمَا عَرِيكَتِي، وَاعْطِفْ عَلَيْهِمَا قَلْبِي، وَصَيِّرْنِي بِهِمَا رَفِيقاً، وَعَلَيْهِمَا شَفِيقاً

God, lower before them my voice, make agreeable to them my words, make mild before them my temper, make tender toward them my heart, and turn me into their kind companion, their loving friend!

Entreating God to Recompense Parents for Their Nurturing and Care

اللَّهُمَّ اشْكُرْ لَهُمَا تَرْبِيَتِي، وَأَثِبْهُمَا عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِي، وَاحْفَظْ لَهُمَا مَا حَفِظَاهُ مِنِّي فِي صِغَرِي

O God, thank them for my upbringing, reward them for honouring me, and guard them as they guarded me in my infancy!

Offering One’s Own Failings as Atonement to Elevate Parents’ Standing

اللَّهُمَّ وَمَا مَسَّهُمَا مِنِّي مِنْ أَذًى، أَوْ خَلَصَ إِلَيْهِمَا عَنِّي مِنْ مَكْرُوهٍ، أَوْ ضَاعَ قِبَلِي لَهُمَا مِنْ حَقٍّ فَاجْعَلْهُ حِطَّةً لِذُنُوبِهِمَا، وَعُلُوّاً فِي دَرَجَاتِهِمَا، وَزِيَادَةً فِي حَسَنَاتِهِمَا، يَا مُبَدِّلَ السَّيِّئَاتِ بِأَضْعَافِهَا مِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ

O God, and whatever harm has touched them from me, detested thing has reached them from me, or right of theirs which has been neglected by me, allow it to alleviate their sins, raise them in their degrees, and add to their good deeds! O He who changes evil deeds into manifold good deeds!

Granting Pardon to Parents for Any Transgressions Against the Supplicant

اللَّهُمَّ وَمَا تَعَدَّيَا عَلَيَّ فِيهِ مِنْ قَوْلٍ، أَوْ أَسْرَفَا عَلَيَّ فِيهِ مِنْ فِعْلٍ، أَوْ ضَيَّعَاهُ لِي مِنْ حَقٍّ، أَوْ قَصَّرَا بِي عَنْهُ مِنْ وَاجِبٍ فَقَدْ وَهَبْتُهُ لَهُمَا، وَجُدْتُ بِهِ عَلَيْهِمَا وَرَغِبْتُ إِلَيْكَ فِي وَضْعِ تَبِعَتِهِ عَنْهُمَا، فَإِنِّي لَا أَتَّهِمُهُمَا عَلَى نَفْسِي، وَلَا أَسْتَبْطِئُهُمَا فِي بِرِّي، وَلَا أَكْرَهُ مَا تَوَلَّيَاهُ مِنْ أَمْرِي يَا رَبِّ

O God, whatever word through which they have transgressed against me, act through which they have been immoderate with me, right of mine which they have left neglected, or obligation toward me in which they have fallen short, I grant it to them and bestow it upon them, and I beseech You to remove from them its ill consequence, for I do not accuse them concerning myself, find them slow in their devotion toward me, or dislike the way they have attended to my affairs, my Lord!

Acknowledging the Immeasurable and Unpayable Debt Owed to Parents

فَهُمَا أَوْجَبُ حَقّاً عَلَيَّ، وَأَقْدَمُ إِحْسَاناً إِلَيَّ، وَأَعْظَمُ مِنَّةً لَدَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُقَاصَّهُمَا بِعَدْلٍ، أَوْ أُجَازِيَهُمَا عَلَى مِثْلٍ، أَيْنَ إِذاً يَا إِلَهِي طُولُ شُغْلِهِمَا بِتَرْبِيَتِي وَأَيْنَ شِدَّةُ تَعَبِهِمَا فِي حِرَاسَتِي وَأَيْنَ إِقْتَارُهُمَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمَا لِلتَّوْسِعَةِ عَلَيَّ

They have rights against me which are more incumbent, precedence in beneficence toward me that is greater, and kindness toward me that is mightier than that I should settle accounts with justice or repay them with equivalents. Where then, my God, would be their long occupation with bringing me up? Where the hardship of their toil in taking care of me? Where the stinting of themselves to provide me with plenty?

Confessing Inability to Repay Parents and Seeking Refuge from Filial Ingratitude

هَيْهَاتَ مَا يَسْتَوْفِيَانِ مِنِّي حَقَّهُمَا، وَلَا أُدْرِكُ مَا يَجِبُ عَلَيَّ لَهُمَا، وَلَا أَنَا بِقَاضٍ وَظِيفَةَ خِدْمَتِهِمَا، فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَأَعِنِّي يَا خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتُعِينَ بِهِ، وَوَفِّقْنِي يَا أَهْدَى مَنْ رُغِبَ إِلَيْهِ، وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِي فِي أَهْلِ الْعُقُوقِ لِلْآبَاءِ وَالْأُمَّهَاتِ يَوْمَ تُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

What an idea! I can never discharge their right against me, fulfil my obligations toward them, or accomplish the duty of serving them So bless Muhammad and his Household and help me, O Best of those whose help we seek! Give me success, O Most Guiding of those whom we beseech! Place me not among the people of disrespect to fathers and mothers on the day when every soul will be repaid for what it has earned, they shall not be wronged.

Petitioning the Best Divine Favour for Parents Among All Faithful Forebears

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ، وَاخْصُصْ أَبَوَيَّ بِأَفْضَلِ مَا خَصَصْتَ بِهِ آبَاءَ عِبَادِكَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأُمَّهَاتِهِمْ، يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

O God, bless Muhammad, his Household, and his progeny and single out my parents for the best which You have singled out for the fathers and mothers of Your faithful servants, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

Asking God to Preserve Remembrance of Parents in Prayer and Daily Hours

اللَّهُمَّ لَا تُنْسِنِي ذِكْرَهُمَا فِي أَدْبَارِ صَلَوَاتِي، وَفِي إِنًى مِنْ آنَاءِ لَيْلِي، وَفِي كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ مِنْ سَاعَاتِ نَهَارِي

O God, let me not forget to remember them after my ritual prayers, at every time throughout my night, and in each of the hours of my day!

Seeking Mutual Forgiveness, Divine Pleasure, and Eternal Abode for Parents

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَاغْفِرْ لِي بِدُعَائِي لَهُمَا، وَاغْفِرْ لَهُمَا بِبِرِّهِمَا بِي مَغْفِرَةً حَتْماً، وَارْضَ عَنْهُمَا بِشَفَاعَتِي لَهُمَا رِضًى عَزْماً، وَبَلِّغْهُمَا بِالْكَرَامَةِ مَوَاطِنَ السَّلَامَةِ

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, forgive me through my supplication for my parents, forgive them through their devotion toward me with unfailing forgiveness, be well pleased with them through my intercession for them with resolute good pleasure, and make them reach through Your generosity the abodes of safety!

Petition for Mutual Intercession and Reunion in the Abode of Divine Mercy

اللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْ سَبَقَتْ مَغْفِرَتُكَ لَهُمَا فَشَفِّعْهُمَا فِيَّ، وَإِنْ سَبَقَتْ مَغْفِرَتُكَ لِي فَشَفِّعْنِي فِيهِمَا حَتَّى نَجْتَمِعَ بِرَأْفَتِكَ فِي دَارِ كَرَامَتِكَ وَمَحَلِّ مَغْفِرَتِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ، إِنَّكَ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ، وَالْمَنِّ الْقَدِيمِ، وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

O God, if Your forgiveness reaches them first, make them my intercessors, and if Your forgiveness reaches me first, make me their intercessors, so that we may gather together through Your gentleness in the house of Your generosity and the place of Your forgiveness and mercy! Verily You are Possessor of abounding bounty and ancient kindness, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful!

— Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad, peace and blessings be upon him; al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, Supplication 24, his supplication for his parents, whole — the English of our text of the Sahifa

The same lines in Sayed Ali Raza’s published English.

“Certainly, the heart of a young man is like uncultivated land. It accepts whatever is strewn on it. So, I hastened to mould you properly before your heart hardened up and your mind became occupied, so that you might be ready to accept through your intelligence the results of the experience of others and be saved from going through these experiences yourself.”

— Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 31, in Sayed Ali Raza’s English (thaqalayn, Nahj al-Balagha, Volume 1, hadith 1336); for the reader only

The English said in the majlis is mine. The letter’s word is al-hadath — the young, sons and daughters alike — not only “a young man”; and its bi-l-adab is “with adab”, formation, rather than “to mould”.

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الله تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى عِمْرَانَ أَنِّي وَاهِبٌ لَكَ ذَكَراً سَوِيّاً مُبَارَكاً يُبْرِئُ الاكْمَهَ وَالابْرَصَ وَيُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ الله وَجَاعِلُهُ رَسُولاً إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَحَدَّثَ عِمْرَانُ امْرَأَتَهُ حَنَّةَ بِذَلِكَ وَهِيَ أُمُّ مَرْيَمَ فَلَمَّا حَمَلَتْ كَانَ حَمْلُهَا بِهَا عِنْدَ نَفْسِهَا غُلامٌ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْها قالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُها أُنْثى‏... وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالانْثى‏ أَيْ لا يَكُونُ الْبِنْتُ رَسُولاً يَقُولُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالله أَعْلَمُ بِما وَضَعَتْ فَلَمَّا وَهَبَ الله تَعَالَى لِمَرْيَمَ عِيسَى كَانَ هُوَ الَّذِي بَشَّرَ بِهِ عِمْرَانَ وَوَعَدَهُ إِيَّاهُ فَإِذَا قُلْنَا فِي الرَّجُلِ مِنَّا شَيْئاً وَكَانَ فِي وَلَدِهِ أَوْ وَلَدِ وَلَدِهِ فَلا تُنْكِرُوا ذَلِكَ.

“1 – Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad; and Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father; all of them from Ibn Mahbub, from Ibn Ri’ab, from Abu Basir, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: God, exalted, revealed to Imran: I am giving you a son, sound and blessed, who will heal the blind and the leper and bring the dead to life by God’s leave, and I am making him a messenger to the Children of Israel. Imran told his wife Hanna of this; she was the mother of Mary. When she conceived, she thought to herself that what she carried was a boy. ‘When she bore her she said, My Lord, I have borne a female ... and the male is not like the female’ — that is, a girl would not be a messenger. God, mighty and majestic, says: ‘And God knew better what she had borne.’ When God, exalted, gave Mary Jesus, he was the one whose good news He had given Imran and whom He had promised him. So when we say something about a man among us and it turns out to be in his son or his son’s son, do not deny it.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Abu Basir; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 1408 (thaqalayn); my translation

The “...” inside the verse is the report’s own — it quotes 3:36 in part. The report reads “the male is not like the female” as the mother’s words — “that is, a girl would not be a messenger” — where Allamah Tabataba’i, below, and Qarai’s English take them as God’s; the majlis hears Allamah’s reading. The report’s last line is about the Imams themselves, and is not said in the majlis.

On the names. Prophets and others who appear in the Bible are called here by the names an English Bible gives them: Mary (in the Qur’an’s Arabic, Maryam), Jesus (Isa), Zechariah (Zakariyya), John the Baptist (Yahya), Moses (Musa) and Abraham (Ibrahim). Mary’s parents are not named in the Bible. The Qur’an calls her the daughter of Imran (66:12), and her mother the wife of Imran (3:35); the report above names her mother Hanna; Christian tradition knows them as Joachim and Anna — the names a second-century text, the Protoevangelium of James, gives them, and the names Shaykh Rizwan Arastu uses in God’s Emissaries, quoted below. Anna is the same name as Hanna.

قوله تعالى: فلما وضعتها قالت رب إني وضعتها أنثى، في وضع الضمير المؤنث موضع ما في بطنها إيجاز لطيف، و المعنى فلما وضعت ما في بطنها و تبينت أنه أنثى قالت: رب إني وضعتها أنثى، و هو خبر أريد به التحسر و التحزن دون الإخبار و هو ظاهر.

قوله تعالى: و الله أعلم بما وضعت و ليس الذكر كالأنثى، جملتان معترضتان و هما جميعا مقولتان له تعالى لا لامرأة عمران، و لا أن الثانية مقولة لها و الأولى مقولة لله.

أما الأولى فهي ظاهرة لكن لما كانت قولها رب إني وضعتها أنثى، مسوقا لإظهار التحسر كان ظاهر قوله: و الله أعلم بما وضعت، أنه مسوق لبيان أنا نعلم أنها أنثى لكنا أردنا بذلك إنجاز ما كانت تتمناه بأحسن وجه و أرضى طريق، و لو كانت تعلم ما أردناه من جعل ما في بطنها أنثى لم تتحسر و لم تحزن ذاك التحسر و التحزن و الحال أن الذكر الذي كانت ترجوه لم يكن ممكنا أن يصير مثل هذا الأنثى التي وهبناها لها، و يترتب عليه ما يترتب على خلق هذه الأنثى فإن غاية أمره أن يصير مثل عيسى نبيا مبرئا للأكمه و الأبرص و محييا للموتى لكن هذه الأنثى ستتم به كلمة الله و تلد ولدا بغير أب، و تجعل هي و ابنها آية للعالمين، و يكلم الناس في المهد، و يكون روحا و كلمة من الله، مثله عند الله كمثل آدم إلى غير ذلك من الآيات الباهرات في خلق هذه الأنثى الطاهرة المباركة و خلق ابنها عيسى(عليه السلام).

و من هنا يظهر: أن قوله: و ليس الذكر كالأنثى، مقول له تعالى لا لامرأة عمران، و لو كان مقولا لها لكان حق الكلام أن يقال: و ليس الأنثى كالذكر لا بالعكس و هو ظاهر فإن من كان يرجو شيئا شريفا أو مقاما عاليا ثم رزق ما هو أخس منه و أردأ إنما يقول عند التحسر: ليس هذا الذي وجدته هو الذي كنت أطلبه و أبتغيه، أو ليس ما رزقته كالذي كنت أرجوه، و لا يقول: ليس ما كنت أرجوه كهذا الذي رزقته البتة، و ظهر من ذلك أن اللام في الذكر و الأنثى معا أو في الأنثى فقط للعهد.

“His words, exalted: ‘When she bore her, she said: My Lord, I have borne a female.’ Putting the feminine pronoun in place of ‘what is in her belly’ is a fine concision; the meaning is: when she had borne what was in her belly and saw that it was a female, she said: My Lord, I have borne a female. It is a statement meant as regret and sorrow, not as news; and that is plain.

His words, exalted: ‘And God knew better what she had borne, and the male is not like the female’ — two interjected sentences, both of them said by Him, exalted, not by the wife of Imran; nor is the second hers and the first God’s.

As for the first, it is plain; but since her words ‘My Lord, I have borne a female’ were said to voice her sorrow, the plain sense of His words ‘and God knew better what she had borne’ is that they are said to show: We know she is a female, but by that We meant to fulfil what she was longing for in the best way and by the most pleasing path; and had she known what We meant by making what was in her belly a female, she would not have felt that sorrow and that grief — when the male she was hoping for could not possibly have become like this female whom We gave her, nor would there follow from him what follows from the creation of this female. For the utmost of his affair would be to become, like Jesus, a prophet who heals the blind and the leper and brings the dead to life; but through this female the word of God will be completed: she will bear a child without a father; she and her son will be made a sign for the worlds; he will speak to people in the cradle, and be a spirit and a word from God, his likeness with God as the likeness of Adam — and other dazzling signs in the creation of this pure and blessed female and the creation of her son Jesus, peace be upon him.

From here it is clear that His words ‘and the male is not like the female’ are said by Him, exalted, not by the wife of Imran. Had they been hers, the right way to say it would have been ‘and the female is not like the male’, not the reverse; and that is plain, for one who was hoping for something noble, or a high station, and was given what is lower and poorer than it, says in his sorrow: ‘this that I found is not what I was seeking and wanting’, or ‘what I was given is not like what I was hoping for’; he never says ‘what I was hoping for is not like this that I was given’. And it is clear from this that the article in ‘the male’ and ‘the female’ together, or in ‘the female’ alone, points to the ones already in view.”

و الكلام في قولها: و ذريتها، من حيث إنه قول مطلق من شرط و قيد لا يصح انتفوه به في حضرة التخاطب ممن لا علم له به مع أن مستقبل حال الإنسان من الغيب الذي لا يعلمه إلا الله سبحانه، نظير الكلام في قولها رب إني نذرت لك ما في بطني محررا، على ما تقدم بيانه فليس إلا أنها كانت تعلم أن سترزق من عمران ولدا ذكرا صالحا ثم لما حملت و توفي عمران لم تشك أن ما في بطنها هو ذلك الولد الموعود، ثم لما وضعتها و بان لها خطأ حدسها أيقنت أنها سترزق ذلك الولد من نسل هذه البنت المولودة فحولت نذرها من الابن إلى البنت، و سمتها مريم العابدة، الخادمة و أعاذتها و ذريتها بالله من الشيطان الرجيم هذا ما يعطيه التدبر في كلامه تعالى.

“And what is to be said of her words ‘and her offspring’ — said absolutely, with no condition or qualification, which no one could rightly utter in the presence of the One addressed without knowing it, when the future of a human being is of the unseen that none knows but God, glory be to Him — is like what was said of her words ‘My Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my belly, dedicated’, as explained before. It can only be that she knew she would be given from Imran a righteous male child; then, when she conceived and Imran died, she did not doubt that what was in her belly was that promised child; then, when she bore her and the error of her guess became clear to her, she became certain that she would be given that child from the line of this newborn daughter, and so she turned her vow from the son to the daughter, named her Mary — the worshipper, the servant — and sought refuge for her and her offspring with God from Satan the outcast. This is what reflection on His words gives.”

— Allamah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i, al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, on Surah Aal Imran (the Chapter of the Family of Imran) #3, Verses 35 to 41 — the commentary on “and the male is not like the female”, and on “her offspring”; my translation

“When she bore a girl, she was perplexed. In utter incredulousness she told God, “My Lord, I have borne a female child!”12 It was not that she was misogynistic, as is common in many primitive societies. On the contrary, Anna was perplexed by the birth of a girl in light of Joachim’s prophecy. She had submitted so wholly to her husband’s prophecy that she was certain her child would be its fulfillment. Indeed, he had explicitly promised her this. But now she had borne a girl, and, for a moment, she was both disappointed that she had somehow failed to play her part and bewildered that the prophecy was left unfulfilled.13 Little did she know that the boy she had expected was nothing like this girl she had been given.14”

— Shaykh Rizwan Arastu, God’s Emissaries: Adam to Jesus, page 539 (Fihrist, PDF page 540); his telling calls Mary’s parents Joachim and Anna, and the numbers 12, 13 and 14 in the paragraph are the book’s note marks

“14. Qurʾān 3:36. The vast majority of commentators believe the phrase “wa laysa al-dhakaru ka al-unthā” to be a continuation of what Anna said to God. ʿAllāmah al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī and al-Marāghī believe it is God who says this as an aside to us, and that if Anna had said it, she would have said it the other way around, “This female I have borne is not like the male I had hoped for.” God’s statement, “The boy she had expected was nothing like this girl she had been given,” is not meant to debase Jesus in any way or to say that Jesus’ status was less than his mother’s. Anna had expected her child to be a messenger and a worker of miracles as per Joachim’s prophecy. However, she had not expected him to be one of the Messengers of Great Resolve and one of God’s greatest messengers. Thus, the comparison is between the prophet she expected and Mary, not Jesus and Mary.”

— Shaykh Rizwan Arastu, God’s Emissaries: Adam to Jesus, note 14, pages 539 to 540 (Fihrist, PDF pages 540 to 541);

The two verses in the Hebrew, with the King James Version.

אֶל־הַנַּ֥עַר הַזֶּ֖ה הִתְפַּלָּ֑לְתִּי וַיִּתֵּ֨ן יְהֹוָ֥ה לִי֙ אֶת־שְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁאַ֖לְתִּי מֵעִמּֽוֹ׃

וְגַ֣ם אָנֹכִ֗י הִשְׁאִלְתִּ֙הוּ֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה כׇּל־הַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֔ה ה֥וּא שָׁא֖וּל לַיהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ שָׁ֖ם לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃ {ס}

“For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.”

— 1 Samuel 1:27-28: the Hebrew as our library holds it (from Sefaria; the letter in braces after verse 28 is the text’s own paragraph mark, the setumah); the English, the King James Version

و المراد بإنباتها نباتا حسنا إعطاء الرشد و الزكاة لها و لذريتها، و إفاضة الحيوة لها و لمن ينمو منها من الذرية حيوة لا يمسها نفث الشيطان و رجس تسويله و وسوسته، و هو الطهارة.

و هذان أعني القبول الحسن الراجع إلى الاصطفاء، و النبات الحسن الراجع إلى التطهير هما اللذان يشير إليهما قوله تعالى في ذيل هذه الآية: و إذ قالت الملائكة يا مريم إن الله اصطفاك و طهرك الآية و سنوضحه بيانا إن شاء الله العزيز.

“What is meant by His making her grow a goodly growth is His granting right guidance (rushd) and purity (zakat) to her and to her offspring, and pouring life upon her and upon the offspring that grows from her — a life that Satan’s breath, and the filth of his insinuation and whispering, do not touch; and that is purity (tahara).

These two — the goodly acceptance, which comes back to selection (istifa’), and the goodly growth, which comes back to purification (tathir) — are what His words at the end of this passage point to: ‘And when the angels said, O Mary, God has chosen you and purified you’ (3:42). We shall explain it, God willing.”

— Allamah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i, al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, on Surah Aal Imran (the Chapter of the Family of Imran) #3, Verses 35 to 41; my translation; for the reader only

من فرزند صالح و پاك را از رحم به دامن آوردم و به تو تحويل دادم بقيه‌اش به عهده شماست شما او را حفظ بكن. اينكه در جمله‌هاي بعد آمده است ﴿وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ﴾ يعني همان‌طوري كه من محرر تحويل داده‌ام شما هم محرر او را تربيت كنيد و ذات اقدس الهي سه مسئله را اينجا بازگو كرد; هم به آن سؤال اول پاسخ داد هم به سؤال دوم پاسخ داد و هم راه انجام اين سؤال دوم را هم ارائه داد يعني مريم(عليها السّلام) را خدا قبول كرد, چون مادرش گفت: ﴿فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي﴾ خدا هم فرمود: ﴿فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ﴾ عرض كرد: ﴿إِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ﴾ خدا هم فرمود: ﴿وَأَنْبَتَهَا نَبَاتاً حَسَناً﴾ يعني خوب تربيت كرد; اما حالا چگونه تربيت كرد و چگونه خدايا تو او را تربيت بكن, اين در كلمات امرائه عمران و مادر مريم نيست اين را خدا نشان داد. فرمود براي اينكه يك فرزند صالح به بار بيايد يك معلمي ‌چون زكريا لازم است; گرچه خدا مي‌تواند افراد صالح را در پليدترين دستگاهها بپروراند ـ چون كه موسيٰ را در بيت فرعون تربيت كرد ـ اما اين يك راه غيرعادي است ولي راه عادي‌اش آن است كه انسان يك مربي خوبي داشته باشد; منتها رسيدن آن مربي به آدم يك توفيقهاي غيرعادي را طلب مي‌كند.

“[Her mother is saying:] I have brought a righteous, pure child from the womb to the lap and handed her over to You; the rest is Yours — You keep her. When the next words say, ‘and I commend her and her offspring to You against Satan the outcast’, it means: just as I have handed her over consecrated, You too raise her consecrated. And the Holy Essence of God set out three things here: He answered the first request, He answered the second, and He showed the way the second would be carried out. That is, God accepted Mary, peace be upon her: her mother said ‘so accept from me’, and God said ‘so her Lord accepted her with a goodly acceptance’; she said ‘I commend her and her offspring to You against Satan the outcast’, and God said ‘and He made her grow a goodly growth’ — that is, He raised her well. But how He raised her, and how one says ‘O God, raise her’ — that is not in the words of Imran’s wife, Mary’s mother; God showed it. He said: for a righteous child to come to fruit, a teacher like Zechariah is needed. Although God can raise righteous people in the foulest of systems — as He raised Moses in Pharaoh’s house — that is an extraordinary way; the ordinary way is that a person has a good educator (morabbi); and for that educator to reach a person needs extraordinary help from God.”

— Ayatullah Abdullah Jawadi Amoli, Tasnim, commentary on Surah Aal Imran, session 105, 15 August 1989 (tasnim.esra.ir); my translation

في ذكرى الزهراء (ع) نرتفع ونسمو ونحصل على الصفاء والنقاء لأنها كانت سيدة نساء العالمين، كانت المعصومة في عقلها وقلبها وفي كل حياتها، كانت النموذج الأمثل، وإذا كان الله تعالى قد أنبت مريم نباتاً حسناً وكفّلها زكريا، فإنه تعالى أنبت فاطمة نباتاً حسناً وكفّلها محمداً، وأين زكريا (ع) من محمد (ص)؟! لقد نبتت نباتاً حسناً؛ نبت عقلها من خلال غراس رسول الله (ص)، ونبت قلبها من خلال تربية رسول الله(ص)، ونبتت حياتها من خلال رعاية رسول الله (ص)..

“In the remembrance of al-Zahra, peace be upon her, we rise, we are lifted, and we attain clarity and purity, for she was the Mistress of the Women of the Worlds, protected from error in her mind, her heart and all her life, the most perfect model. And if God, exalted, made Mary grow a goodly growth and placed her in Zechariah’s care, He, exalted, made Fatimah grow a goodly growth and placed her in Muhammad’s care — and where is Zechariah, peace be upon him, beside Muhammad, God bless him and his family?! She grew a goodly growth: her mind grew from what the Messenger of God planted, her heart grew through the upbringing of the Messenger of God, and her life grew through the care of the Messenger of God.”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Fadhlullah, Friday sermon of 17 September 1999 (bayynat.org.lb); my translation

The remark is a parenthesis inside the tale the Mathnawi tells of a maktab teacher and his pupils. The passage, from the start of the tale to the children’s plan:

داستانی که مثنوی نقل کرده معروف است که یک آخوند مکتبی بود که بچه‌های زیادی را درس می‌داد. (در قدیم بچه‌ها را خیلی اذیت می‌کردند). بچه‌ها دلخوشی‌شان این بود که روزی از چنگ این آخوند خلاص و آزاد بشوند. بچه‌های زرنگ با خود گفتند که ما چکار کنیم که آخوند ما را رها کند؟ نقشه‌ای کشیدند.

“The story the Mathnawi tells is well known: there was a maktab teacher — an akhund — who taught a great many children. (In the old days they used to torment children a great deal.) The children’s one comfort was the hope that some day they would be rid of this akhund’s clutches, and free. The clever ones said to themselves: what shall we do, so that the akhund lets us go? They drew up a plan.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, page 38, lines 25 to 28, to the children’s plan (the tale runs on to page 39); my translation

The whole passage, in his Persian, with my translation.

خانواده‌ی خوب؛ یعنی زن و شوهری که با هم مهربان باشند، باوفا و صمیمی باشند و به یکدیگر محبّت و عشق بورزند، رعایت همدیگر را بکنند، مصالح همدیگر را گرامی و مهم بدارند، این در درجه‌ی اوّل. بعد، اولادی که در آن خانواده به وجود می‌آید، نسبت به او احساس مسؤولیّت کنند، بخواهند او را از لحاظ مادّی و معنوی سالم بزرگ کنند. بخواهند از لحاظ مادّی و معنوی او را به سلامت برسانند، چیزهایی به او یاد بدهند؛ به چیزهایی او را وادار کنند، از چیزهایی او را باز دارند و صفات خوبی را در او تزریق کنند. یک چنین خانواده‌ای اساس همه‌ی اصلاحات واقعی در یک کشور است؛ چون انسانها در چنین خانواده‌ای خوب تربیت می‌شوند، با صفات خوب بزرگ می‌شوند. با شجاعت، با استقلال عقل، با فکر، با احساس مسؤولیّت، با احساس محبّت، با جرأت، جرأت تصمیمگیری، با خیرخواهی – نه بدخواهی – با نجابت، خب وقتی مردم جامعه‌ای این خصوصیات را داشته باشند، یعنی خیرخواه و نجیب و شجاع و عاقل و متفکّر باشند، این جامعه دیگر روی بدبختی را نخواهد دید.۱

“A good family: that is, a wife and husband who are kind to each other, faithful and sincere, who show each other love and affection, who look out for each other, and who hold each other’s good dear and important — this first of all. Then, towards the child born in that family, they feel responsible; they want to raise him sound, materially and spiritually. They want to bring him through safely, materially and spiritually: to teach him things, to set him to some things and hold him back from others, and to instil good qualities in him. Such a family is the basis of all real reforms in a country, because in such a family people are raised well; they grow up with good qualities — with courage, with independence of mind, with thought, with a sense of responsibility, with a sense of love, with daring, the daring to decide, with goodwill — not ill will — with nobility. Well, when the people of a society have these qualities — that is, when they are well-wishing, noble, brave, wise and thoughtful — that society will never again see the face of misfortune.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, Zan va Khanevadeh (Woman and Family), pages 88 to 89; my translation

The digit at the end of the Persian is the book's own note mark.

Where The Compassionate Family says “the source of all true reforms”, the Persian says “the basis”

We have strived to understand:

That the threads of Mawaddah and Rahmah must be actively nurtured, not just felt.

That spouses are Libas (garments) for one another, a sacred trust to protect and conceal faults, but never to conceal or enable dhulm (abuse).

That the Divine Pattern holds honour for both:
the husband as a just qawwam (protector),
and the wife as the cherished rayhanah,
and honoured modir (manager) of the home’s tranquility.

That accommodation (sazegari) is the key to enduring conflict,
but that this virtue must never be manipulated to demand patience in the face of abuse,
which is a haram violation of the covenant.

And that the ultimate fruit of the tapestry is tarbiyyah,
the sacred duty of raising righteous servants of God—
a jihad for mothers and a duty for fathers.

— from this majlis, last year: Wilayah in the Home, session 2, “The Unfolding Tapestry”, 23 November 2025, from its supplication (reflections313.com)

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حُنَفاءَ لله غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِ قَالَ الْحَنِيفِيَّةُ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ الله النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ الله قَالَ فَطَرَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ بِهِ قَالَ زُرَارَةُ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلى‏ أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَ لَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قالُوا بَلى‏ الآيَةَ قَالَ أَخْرَجَ مِنْ ظَهْرِ آدَمَ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَخَرَجُوا كَالذَّرِّ فَعَرَّفَهُمْ وَأَرَاهُمْ نَفْسَهُ وَلَوْ لا ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَعْرِفْ أَحَدٌ رَبَّهُ وَقَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ يَعْنِي الْمَعْرِفَةَ بِأَنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَالِقُهُ كَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّماواتِ وَالأرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ الله.

“4 – Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Ibn Udhayna, from Zurara, from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him. He [Zurara] said: I asked him about the words of God, mighty and majestic, ‘Hunafa’ for God, not associating anything with Him’ (22:31). He said: Hanifiyya is of the fitrah upon which God originated people — ‘there is no altering God’s creation’ (30:30). He said: He originated them upon knowing Him. Zurara said: And I asked him about the words of God, mighty and majestic, ‘And when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins, their offspring, and made them bear witness over themselves: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes indeed’ — and the rest of the verse (7:172). He said: He brought out from Adam’s loins his offspring until the Day of Resurrection, and they came out like tiny particles; He made Himself known to them and showed them Himself; were it not for that, no one would know his Lord. And he said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: Every newborn is born upon the fitrah — meaning, knowing that God, mighty and majestic, is his Creator; and so His words: ‘And if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say: God’ (31:25).”

— Zurara, from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, peace and blessings be upon him; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 2, hadith 21 (thaqalayn), the first report, with its chain; my translation

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِطْرَتَ الله الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْها قَالَ فَطَرَهُمْ عَلَى التَّوْحِيدِ.

“Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Faddal, from Ibn Abi Jamila, from Muhammad al-Halabi, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, on the words of God, mighty and majestic, ‘the fitrah of God, upon which He originated people’ (30:30): He said: He originated them upon tawhid.”

— Muhammad al-Halabi, from Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 2, hadith 21 (thaqalayn), the second report, with its chain; my translation

The four reports of al-Tawhid, each with its chain, and Ayatullah Muhsini’s entry.

4 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الصفار، عن إبراهيم بن هاشم، ويعقوب بن يزيد، عن ابن فضال، عن بكير عن زرارة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قوله عز وجل: (فطرة الله التي فطر الناس عليها) قال: فطرهم على التوحيد.

“4 – Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid, may God have mercy on him, narrated to us: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar narrated to us, from Ibrahim ibn Hashim and Ya’qub ibn Yazid, from Ibn Faddal, from Bukayr, from Zurara, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, on His words, mighty and majestic, ‘the fitrah of God, upon which He originated people’: He said: He originated them upon tawhid.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Zurara; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Tawhid, hadith 373 (thaqalayn); my translation

5 - أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن ابن فضال، عن أبي جميلة، عن محمد الحلبي، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قول الله عز وجل (فطرة الله التي فطر الناس عليها) قال: فطرهم على التوحيد.

“5 – My father, may God have mercy on him, said: Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim narrated to us, from his father, from Ibn Faddal, from Abu Jamila, from Muhammad al-Halabi, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, on the words of God, mighty and majestic, ‘the fitrah of God, upon which He originated people’: He said: He originated them upon tawhid.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Muhammad al-Halabi; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Tawhid, hadith 374 (thaqalayn) — the same report as al-Kafi’s second, above; my translation

8 - أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن أبيه، عن عبد الله بن المغيرة، عن ابن مسكان، عن زرارة قال: قلت لأبي جعفر عليه السلام: أصلحك الله، قول الله عز وجل في كتابه: (فطرة الله التي فطر الناس عليها)؟ قال: فطرهم على التوحيد عند الميثاق على معرفته أنه ربهم، قلت: وخاطبوه؟ قال: فطأطأ رأسه، ثم قال: لولا ذلك لم يعلموا من ربهم ولا من رازقهم (٢).

“8 – My father, may God have mercy on him, said: Sa’d ibn Abdillah narrated to us, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Abdullah ibn al-Mughira, from Ibn Muskan, from Zurara, who said: I said to Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him: May God set you right — the words of God, mighty and majestic, in His Book: ‘the fitrah of God, upon which He originated people’? He said: He originated them upon tawhid, at the covenant, upon knowing Him — that He is their Lord. I said: And they spoke to Him? He [Zurara] said: He lowered his head; then he said: Were it not for that, they would not know who their Lord is, nor who provides for them. (2)”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, peace and blessings be upon him, through Zurara; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Tawhid, hadith 377 (thaqalayn); my translation; the (2) is the edition’s note mark

9 - أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن إبراهيم بن هاشم ومحمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب ويعقوب بن يزيد جميعا، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن ابن أذينة، عن زرارة، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: سألته عن قول الله عز وجل: ﴿حنفاء لله غير مشركين به﴾ وعن الحنيفية، فقال: هي الفطرة التي فطر الله الناس عليها لا تبديل لخلق الله، وقال: فطرهم الله على المعرفة، قال زرارة: وسألته عن قول الله عز وجل: (وإذا أخذ ربك من بني آدم من ظهورهم - الآية) قال: أخرج من ظهر آدم ذريته إلى يوم القيامة فخرجوا كالذر، فعرفهم وأراهم صنعه، ولولا ذلك لم يعرف أحد ربه، وقال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: كل مولود يولد على الفطرة. يعني على المعرفة بأن الله عز وجل خالقه، فذلك قوله: ﴿ولئن سألتهم من خلق السماوات والأرض ليقولن الله﴾ .

“9 – My father, may God have mercy on him, said: Sa’d ibn Abdillah narrated to us, from Ibrahim ibn Hashim, Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abi al-Khattab and Ya’qub ibn Yazid, all of them, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Ibn Udhayna, from Zurara, from Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him. He [Zurara] said: I asked him about the words of God, mighty and majestic, ‘Hunafa’ for God, not associating anything with Him’, and about the hanifiyya. He said: It is the fitrah upon which God originated people — there is no altering God’s creation. And he said: God originated them upon knowing [Him]. Zurara said: And I asked him about the words of God, mighty and majestic, ‘And when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins —’ and the rest of the verse. He said: He brought out from Adam’s loins his offspring until the Day of Resurrection, and they came out like tiny particles; He made Himself known to them, and showed them His handiwork; were it not for that, no one would know his Lord. And he said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: Every newborn is born upon the fitrah — meaning, upon knowing that God, mighty and majestic, is his Creator; and that is His saying: ‘And if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say: God.’”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, peace and blessings be upon him, through Zurara; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Tawhid, hadith 378 (thaqalayn) — the same report as al-Kafi’s first, above; my translation

[385/8] التوحيد: أبي، عن سعد، عن ابن هاشم وابن أبي الخطاب وابن يزيد جميعا، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن ابن اذينة، عن زرارة، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: سألته عن قول الله عزوجل حُنَفَاءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِ وعن الحنيفية فقال: هي الفطرة التي فطر الناس عليها، لا تبديل لخلق الله، قال: فطرهم الله على المعرفة. قال زرارة: وسألته عن قول الله وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ الآية قال: أخرج من ظهر آدم ذريته إلى يوم القيامة فخرجوا كالذر فعرفهم وأراهم صنعه و لولا ذلك لم يعرف أحد ربه. وقال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: كل مولود يولد على الفطرة، يعني على المعرفة بأن الله عزوجل خالقه، فذلك قوله وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ

“8. [8/385] al-Tawhid: My father from Sa’d from Ibn Hashim, Ibn Abi al-Khattab and Ibn Yazid from Ibn Abi Umayr from Ibn Udhayna from Zurara from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام. He (Zurara) said: I asked him about the words of GodMighty and Majestic: “Hunafa for God, not associating with Him (anything)” (22:31) and about the Hanifiyya (what is it)? He said: It is the Fitra which He created the people upon, there is no change in the creation of God. He (also) said: God created them upon the Ma’rifa (Recognition). Zurara said: and I asked him about the words of God: “and when your Lord took from the children of Adam from their backs …” (7:172). He said: He removed from the back of Adam his descendants up to the Day of Judgment, they came out like particles, then he made known to them and showed them His creation, and if it were not for that then no one would recognise (know) his Lord. He (the Imam) also said: The Messenger of God صلى الله عليه وآله said: “Every new born is born upon the Fitra”, that is, with the Ma’rifa (Recognition) that God Mighty and Majestic is his Creator. This then is His (God’s) words: “and if you were to ask them - who created the heavens and the earth - they will say God” (39:38)”

— Ayatullah Muhammad Asif Muhsini, Mu’jam al-Ahadith al-Mu’tabara, Volume 1, hadith 504 (thaqalayn): his entry for al-Tawhid’s report, hadith 378 above, with the English of our text of the Mu’jam

وَإِنَّمَا قَلْبُ الْحَدَثِ كَالْأَرْضِ الْخَالِيَةِ مَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَبِلَتْهُ، فَبَادَرْتُكَ بِالْأَدَبِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْسُوَ قَلْبُكَ، وَيَشْتَغِلَ لُبُّكَ، لِتَسْتَقْبِلَ بِجِدِّ رَأْيِكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ مَا قَدْ كَفَاكَ أَهْلُ التَّجَارِبِ بُغْيَتَهُ وَتَجْرِبَتَهُ، فَتَكُونَ قَدْ كُفِيتَ مَؤُونَةَ الطَّلَبِ، وَعُوفِيتَ مِنْ عِلاَجِ التَّجْرِبَةِ، فَأَتَاكَ مِنْ ذلِكَ مَا قَدْ كُنَّا نَأْتِيهِ، وَاسْتَبَانَ لَكَ مَا رُبَّمَا أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْهُ.

“The heart of the young is like empty land: whatever is cast into it, it accepts. So I hastened to give you adab before your heart could harden and your mind be taken up, so that you would meet with the full earnestness of your judgement a matter whose seeking and testing the people of experience have spared you — spared the burden of the search and relieved of the toil of trial — so that what we used to come to has come to you, and what was perhaps dark to us has become clear to you.”

— Amir al-Mu’minin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace and blessings be upon him; Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 31 — my translation

به عبارت دیگر، هر چیزی از نظر ماهیت که چیست و از نظر کیفیت که چگونه باشد، «بالفعل» آفریده شده، اما انسان از این نظر «بالقوّه» آفریده شده است؛ یعنی بذر انسانیت در او به صورت امور بالقوّه موجود است که اگر به آفتی برخورد نکند آن بذرها تدریجاً از زمینهٔ وجود انسان سر بر می‌آورد و همینها فطریات انسان‌اند و بعدها «وجدان» فطری و انسانی او را می‌سازند.

“In other words, every thing was created ‘in act’ (bil-fi’l) as to its quiddity — what it is — and as to its quality — how it is to be; but the human being, in this respect, was created ‘in potential’ (bil-quwwa). That is, the seed of humanity is in him as things in potential, which, if they meet no blight, sprout little by little from the ground of the human being’s existence; these are the human being’s innate traits (fitriyyat), and later they build his innate and human ‘conscience’ (vijdan).”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Moqaddame-i bar Jahan-bini-ye Eslami, Volume 4 (Ensan dar Qur’an), page 66, the main text; my translation

The footnote in his own words.

در اینجا همین قدر می‌خواهیم مطلب روشن شود که نظریهٔ فطرت، در مفهوم اسلامی آن، برخلاف مفهوم دکارتی و کانتی و غیره به معنی این نیست که انسان از بدو تولد، پاره‌ای از ادراکات یا گرایشها و خواستها را بالفعل دارد و به تعبیر فلاسفه با عقل و ارادهٔ بالفعل متولد می‌شود، همچنان که دربارهٔ انسان نظریهٔ منکران فطرت از قبیل مارکسیستها و اگزیستانسیالیستها را نمی‌پذیریم که انسان در آغاز تولد پذیرا و منفعل محض است و هر نقشی به او داده شود بی‌تفاوت است نظیر یک صفحهٔ سفید که نسبتش با هر نقشی که روی آن ثبت شود متساوی است؛ بلکه انسان در آغاز تولد، بالقوّه و به نحو امکان استعدادی خواهان و متحرک به سوی یک سلسله دریافتها و گرایشهاست و یک نیروی درونی او را به آن سو سوق می‌دهد (با کمک شرایط بیرونی) و اگر به آنچه بالقوّه دارد برسد، به فعلیتی که شایستهٔ اوست و «انسانیت» نامیده می‌شود رسیده است و اگر فعلیتی غیر آن فعلیت در اثر قَسر و جبر عوامل بیرونی بر او تحمیل شود، یک موجود «مسخ شده» خواهد بود.

“[Note 1:] Here we want only this much to be clear: that the theory of the fitrah, in its Islamic sense — unlike the Cartesian, the Kantian and other senses — does not mean that a human being has, from the moment of birth, certain perceptions or inclinations and wants in act, and, as the philosophers put it, is born with reason and will in act; just as, about the human being, we do not accept the theory of those who deny the fitrah, such as the Marxists and the existentialists, that the human being at birth is purely receptive and passive, and indifferent to whatever imprint is given him, like a white page, which stands equal to whatever imprint is recorded on it. Rather, the human being at birth is, in potential and by way of capacity, seeking and moving towards a series of perceptions and inclinations, and an inner force drives him that way (with the help of outward conditions); if he reaches what he has in potential, he has reached the actuality that befits him, which is called ‘humanity’; and if an actuality other than that one is imposed on him by the coercion and compulsion of outward factors, he will be a ‘disfigured’ (maskh-shode) being.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Moqaddame-i bar Jahan-bini-ye Eslami, Volume 4 (Ensan dar Qur’an), page 66, note 1, its third sentence; my translation

از اين آيات تلاوت شده چند نكته استفاده مي‌شود: يكي اينكه نذر به همين معناي معهود است گذشته در حالت جنيني هم منعقد مي‌شود. يك وقت نذر به لحاظ مقام امتثال مقدور است [و] يك وقت به لحاظ اصل ايقاء ظرف ايقاء اين نذر كه نسبت به ما في‌البطن است معلوم مي‌شود كه مادر كه قيّم باشد مثلاً, ولايت دارد بر كودك ولو در قبل از مرحلهٴ زايمان و اين را مي‌تواند نذر بكند; لازم نيست كودك به دنيا بيايد تا تحت ولايت پدر يا مادر باشد, اين نذر به عمل آمد و مقبول شد اينكه عرض كرد: ﴿فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ﴾ خدايا!

“Several points are drawn from these verses. One is that a vow (nadhr), in its familiar sense, is valid even in the embryonic stage. A vow may be possible in respect of fulfilling it, or in respect of the very making of it; the setting of this vow, over what is in the womb, shows that the mother — as guardian, say — has wilayah over the child even before birth, and can make this vow; the child need not have come into the world to be under the wilayah of father or mother. This vow was made and accepted, as she said: ‘So accept from me; indeed You are the All-hearing, the All-knowing’ — O God!”

— Ayatullah Abdullah Jawadi Amoli, Tasnim, commentary on Surah Aal Imran, session 106, 16 August 1989 (tasnim.esra.ir); my translation

The passage in The Compassionate Family’s English.

[The section’s heading:] Positive Upbringing of Children

“Another important issue to consider is children. The first place in which a person’s soul, emotions, and thoughts can be kindled is within the family. In fact, it begins before the person is born and is influenced by a number of different factors. There are, undoubtedly, external forces as well-a person’s school, neighbourhood, friends, teachers, books, etc.-which can influence children in their youth and adolescence. All of these can certainly change a child’s way of thinking and can sometimes override the influence of the family. Nevertheless, what ultimately sets the stage is the family ambience. It is within the family that a child can be nurtured to be decent, inquisitive, helpful, affectionate, and considerate, or they could be raised to be the opposite.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, The Compassionate Family, page 49 (Fihrist, PDF page 61), with the heading of its section

نقش مادر از دوران حمل و بارداری شروع میشود و تا آخر زندگی انسان ادامه دارد. مردی که به دوران جوانی رسیده یا از دوران جوانی هم عبور کرده، باز تحت تأثیر عطوفت و محبت و شیوه‌های خاص مادرانه‌ی مادر است. اگر زنان ما از لحاظ رتبه‌ی معرفتی و بینش و معلومات، سطح خود را ارتقاء دهند، این نقش با هیچ نقش دیگری، با هیچ مؤثر دیگری از مؤثرات فرهنگی و اخلاقی تا آخر قابل مقایسه نیست. یک وقت مادری از لحاظ معرفت سطح‌اش پایین است؛ البته این نمیتواند در دوران بزرگی اثرگذاری کند؛ این گناهِ کم بودن معلومات یک انسان است؛ این نقصِ تأثیر مادری نیست. مادر است که فرهنگ و معرفت و تمدن و ویژگیهای اخلاقىِ یک قوم و جامعه را با جسم خود، با روح خود، با خُلق خود و با رفتارِ خود، دانسته و ندانسته به فرزند منتقل میکند.

“The mother’s role begins in the period of carrying and pregnancy and continues to the end of a person’s life. A man who has reached youth, or passed beyond it, is still under the influence of his mother’s tenderness, love and particular motherly ways. If our women raise their level of knowledge, insight and learning, this role cannot be compared, to the very end, with any other role or any other cultural and moral influence. Sometimes a mother’s level of knowledge is low, and then of course it cannot have its influence in the later years; that is the fault of a person’s little learning, not a deficiency in a mother’s influence. It is the mother who passes on to the child — with her body, her spirit, her character and her conduct, knowingly and unknowingly — the culture, knowledge, civilisation and moral traits of a people and a society.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, speech of 27 July 2005 (1384/05/05), on the birthday of Sayyedah Fatimah al-Zahra (farsi.khamenei.ir); my translation

این تدسیس مبالغه همان دسیسه است، دسیسه این است که انسان این خاک‌ها را کنار می‌برد، چیزی را در آن دفن کند بعد روی آن را خاک می‌ریزد، می‌گویند: ﴿یَدُسُّهُ فِی التُّرَابِ﴾،[8] فرمود شما این فطرت را تدسیس کردید، یک خاک اغراض ریختید، یک خاک غرائز ریختید، یک خاک شهوت ریختید، یک خاک غضب ریختید، یک خاک وهم ریختید، یک خاک خیال ریختید، این بیچاره را زنده به گور کردید، صدای آن به گوش شما نمی‌رسد؛ ولی این هست، از بین نمی‌رود، این فطرت این منصوب به اغراء است؛ یعنی «خُذُوا فِطرَتکُم»، این را زنده به گور نکنید و اگر قدری خاک روی آن ریختید، این خاک‌ها را بردارید. ما به شما چنین چیزی را دادیم و کسی هم نمی‌تواند عوض کند.

“This tadsis, the intensive form, is the same as dasisa: dasisa is when a person pushes the soil aside, buries something in it, then pours soil over it — they say ‘yadussuhu fi al-turab’ (he buries it in the dust). He said: you have buried this fitrah; you poured on it a soil of aims, a soil of instincts, a soil of lust, a soil of anger, a soil of fancy, a soil of imagination; you buried the poor thing alive, and its voice does not reach your ears. But it is there; it does not perish. This ‘fitrah’ is in the accusative of exhortation — that is, ‘take hold of your fitrah’: do not bury it alive, and if you have poured some soil on it, take that soil away. We gave you such a thing, and no one can change it.”

— Ayatullah Abdullah Jawadi Amoli, Tasnim, commentary on Surah al-Ma’arij, session 6, 16 January 2019 (tasnim.esra.ir); my translation

His own phrase is “buried alive”. On a night about daughters, with the Qur’an’s girl buried alive in the background, the majlis hears only “buried”. The verses are these.

وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِٱلۡأُنثَىٰ ظَلَّ وَجۡهُهُۥ مُسۡوَدّٗا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٞ

“When one of them is brought the news of a female [newborn], his face becomes darkened, and he chokes with suppressed agony.”

يَتَوَٰرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ مِن سُوٓءِ مَا بُشِّرَ بِهِۦٓۚ أَيُمۡسِكُهُۥ عَلَىٰ هُونٍ أَمۡ يَدُسُّهُۥ فِي ٱلتُّرَابِۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ

“He hides from the people out of distress at the news he has been brought: shall he retain it in humiliation, or bury it in the ground! Behold! Evil is the judgement that they make.”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Nahl (the Chapter of the Bee) #16, Verses 58 and 59;

تربیت به طور کلی با صنعت یک فرق دارد که از همین فرق، انسان می‌تواند جهت تربیت را بشناسد. صنعت عبارت است از «ساختن» به معنی اینکه شیء یا اشیائی را تحت یک نوع پیراستنها و آراستنها قرار می‌دهند، میان اشیاء و میان قوای اشیاء ارتباط برقرار می‌کنند، قطع و وصل‌هایی در جهت مطلوب انسان صورت می‌گیرد و آنگاه این شیء می‌شود مصنوعی از مصنوعهای انسان. فرض کنید که از طلا یک حلقهٔ انگشتر یا یک زیور دیگری می‌سازیم، آن را شکل می‌دهیم یا به قول معروف پرداخت می‌کنیم، وضع مخصوصی به آن می‌دهیم و می‌شود یک مصنوع برای ما.

ولی تربیت عبارت است از پرورش دادن، یعنی استعدادهای درونی‌ای را که بالقوه در یک شیء موجود است به فعلیّت درآوردن و پروردن. و لهذا تربیت فقط در مورد جاندارها یعنی گیاه و حیوان و انسان صادق است و اگر این کلمه را در مورد غیرجاندار به کار ببریم مجازاً به کار برده‌ایم، نه اینکه به مفهوم واقعی، آن شیء را پرورش داده‌ایم؛ یعنی یک سنگ و یا یک فلز را نمی‌شود پرورش داد آن‌طور که یک گیاه یا یک حیوان و یا یک انسان را پرورش می‌دهند. این پرورش دادن‌ها به معنی شکوفا کردن استعدادهای درونی آن موجودها است که فقط در مورد موجودهای زنده صادق است. و از همین جا معلوم می‌شود که تربیت باید تابع و پیرو فطرت، یعنی تابع و پیرو طبیعت و سرشت شیء باشد.

و باز از همین‌جا معلوم می‌شود که ترس و ارعاب و تهدید، در انسان‌ها عامل تربیت نیست (تربیت به همان معنی پرورش)؛ یعنی استعدادهای هیچ انسانی را از راه ترساندن، زدن، ارعاب و تهدید نمی‌شود پرورش داد، همان‌طور که یک غنچه گل را نمی‌شود به زور به صورت گل درآورد، مثلاً غنچه را بکشیم تا گل بشود یا نهالی را که به زمین کرده‌ایم و می‌خواهد رشد بکند، با دست خودمان بگیریم به زور بکشیم تا رشد بکند. رشد آن به کشیدن نیست. اعمال زور آنجا مفید نیست. فقط از راه طبیعی که احتیاج دارد به قوّهٔ زمینی و خاک، آب، هوا، نور و حرارت [رشد می‌کند.] همان‌هایی را که احتیاج دارد باید به او بدهیم، خیلی هم با لطافت و نرمش و ملایمت - یعنی از راه خودش - تا رشد بکند. ولی اگر بخواهیم به زور گیاهی را رشد بدهیم [نتیجه نمی‌گیریم.] اصلاً اینجا عامل زور حکمفرما نیست. از نظر تربیت انسان‌ها هم ترس و ارعاب عامل پرورش نیست.

“Upbringing (tarbiyat), in general, differs from making (san’at), and from that very difference one can see which way upbringing faces. Making is ‘building’: a thing, or things, are put through a kind of trimming and adorning, links are made between things and between their powers, cuts and joins are made in the direction a person wants, and then the thing becomes one of man’s made things. Suppose we make a ring, or some other ornament, out of gold: we shape it, or as they say we finish it, we give it a particular form, and it becomes a thing made, for us.

But upbringing is raising (parvaresh): bringing into actuality, and nurturing, the inner capacities that exist in a thing in potential. That is why upbringing is true only of living things — plant, animal and human — and if we use the word of something lifeless we use it figuratively, not in its real sense: a stone or a metal cannot be raised the way a plant, an animal or a human being is raised. This raising means bringing the inner capacities of those beings to bloom, which is true only of living beings. And from this it is clear that upbringing must follow the fitrah — that is, follow the nature and make of the thing.

[Page 44:] And from this too it is clear that fear, intimidation and threat are not a factor of upbringing in human beings (upbringing in the sense of raising): the capacities of no human being can be raised by frightening, hitting, intimidating and threatening — just as a flower bud cannot be forced into a flower, by pulling the bud, say, so that it becomes a flower; or a sapling we have planted in the ground, which wants to grow, by taking hold of it with our own hands and pulling it so that it grows. Its growth is not by pulling. Force is of no use there. Only by the natural way, for it needs the power of the soil — earth, water, air, light and warmth — [does it grow.] We must give it the very things it needs, and with great gentleness, softness and mildness — that is, by its own way — so that it grows. But if we want to make a plant grow by force [we get nothing.] Force has no rule here at all. In the upbringing of human beings too, fear and intimidation are not a factor of raising.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, page 43 and page 44 (the words in square brackets are the editor’s, as printed); my translation

فرق تربیت و صنعت

فرق بین تربیت و صنعت چیست؟ تربیت یعنی پرورش دادن استعدادهای درونی. مربی بیش از صدی پنجاه تابع موضوع تربیت است؛ یعنی مربی باید استعدادهای موضوع تربیت را بشناسد، در جهت استعدادهای اوکارکند و او را رشد بدهد. مثل یک گلکار است. یک گلکار نمی‌تواند طبیعت گل شمعدانی یا گل یاس را عوض کند، از شمعدانی یاس بسازد و از یاس شمعدانی، بلکه کوشش می‌کند با تجربیات خود، طبیعت آن گل را بشناسد که این را از چه راه وارد بشویم بهتر می‌توانیم شکوفا کنیم و آن را از چه راه وارد بشویم بهتر، و در مورد هر کدام، از استعدادهای و فطریات خودش استفاده می‌کند. این، کار تربیت است.

ولی کار صنعت مثل کاری است که نجار روی چوب می‌کند. درست است که کاری که نجار روی چوب می‌کند روی آهن نمی‌تواند بکند، ولی این به معنای آن نیست که استعدادهای چوب را پرورش می‌دهد؛ یعنی اگر از این چوب «در» می‌سازد، این جور نیست که این چوب خودش به سوی «در» شدن در حرکت است، او کوشش می‌کند قانون «در» شدن آن را بشناسد و آن را در راه خودش کمک کند؛ بلکه صورتی را که دل خودش می‌خواهد بر این چوب تحمیل می‌کند. صنعتگر همیشه فکر خودش را بر موضوع صنعتش تحمیل می‌کند. فرق موضوعات این است که بعضی موضوعات، فکر صنعتگر بهتر بر آنها تحمیل می‌شود و بعضی کمتر. مثلاً از آلومینیم یا پروفیل می‌خواهند «در» بسازند، این بهتر قابل تحمیل است و آن کمتر، ولی هیچ کدام اینها «شدن» نیست و این طور نیست که این می‌خواهد آن بشود. در باب «جامعه و فرد» هم عیناً همین طور است. یک وقت ما می‌گوییم «فرد» پیکره‌ای است که هر لباسی را که ما از خارج به تنش بپوشانیم می‌پذیرد؛ بستگی دارد ما چه لباسی به او بدهیم، این لباس را یا آن لباس را. و یک وقت می‌گوییم خیر، این جور نیست، این «تن» نیست که بخواهی به آن لباس بپوشانی، این گندم است که باید پرورشش بدهی. چون گندم را باید پرورش بدهی تو باید صدی پنجاه تابع آن باشی، یعنی باید ببینی استعداد چه چیزی را دارد. این استعداد گندم شدن را دارد، تو نمی‌توانی از آن برنج بسازی، جو هم نمی‌توانی بسازی.

“The difference between upbringing and manufacture.

What is the difference between upbringing (tarbiyat) and manufacture (san’at)? Upbringing means raising the inner capacities. The one who raises is more than fifty per cent subject to the one he raises: that is, he must know the capacities of the one he raises, work in the direction of those capacities, and make him grow. He is like a gardener (golkar). A gardener cannot change the nature of a geranium or a jasmine — make a jasmine of a geranium, or a geranium of a jasmine; rather, by his experience he tries to know the nature of that flower: by what way to approach this one to bring it best to bloom, and by what way that one; and with each he makes use of its own capacities and innate traits. This is the work of upbringing.

But the work of manufacture is like the work a carpenter does on wood. True, what the carpenter does on wood he cannot do on iron; but that does not mean he raises the capacities of the wood. That is, if he makes a ‘door’ of this wood, it is not that this wood is itself moving towards becoming a door, and he tries to know the law of its becoming a door and to help it on its own way; rather, he imposes on this wood the form his own heart wants. The maker always imposes his own idea on the thing he makes. The difference between materials is that on some the maker’s idea is imposed more easily, and on some less. Say they want to make a ‘door’ of aluminium or of profile (metal section): this one takes the imposition better, that one less; but none of these is ‘becoming’, and it is not that this one wants to become that. It is exactly the same in the matter of ‘society and the individual’. At one time we say the ‘individual’ is a figure that accepts whatever garment we put on its body from outside: it depends on what garment we give it — this garment or that. And at another time we say: no, it is not like that; this is not a ‘body’ you want to dress in a garment; this is wheat, which you must raise. Because you must raise wheat, you must be fifty per cent subject to it: that is, you must see what it has the capacity for. This has the capacity to become wheat; you cannot make rice of it, nor can you make barley.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Falsafe-ye Tarikh, Volume 1, page 143: the heading, the paragraph under it, and the first ten sentences of the next; my translation

اگر این گوسفند به حال طبیعی باشد، آن تحریکات جنسی دائماً او را به این طرف و آن طرف می‌کشاند و این‌جور نیست که سرش پایین باشد و علف بخورد تا چاق شود. می‌آید گوسفند را اخته می‌کند. وقتی که اخته شد، این حیوان دیگر سرش را پایین می‌اندازد و فقط به علف خوردن مشغول می‌شود و شروع می‌کند با خیال راحت و بدون حواس‌پرتی از علفهای صحرا استفاده کردن. بعد چاق می‌شود و انسان از گوشت او استفاده می‌کند. از نظر یک انسان، اخته کردن گوسفند کامل کردن اوست، ولی از نظر خود گوسفند چطور؟ آیا از نظر خود گوسفند تکمیلش کرده‌اند یا نقصی در او به وجود آورده‌اند؟ از نظر گوسفند مسلّم نقصی در او به وجود آورده‌اند.

اما یک وقت هست که مکتب در خدمت انسان است، یعنی منظوری بیرون از انسان ندارد، هدف او به سعادت رساندن و تکمیل انسان است نه اینکه منظور دیگری داشته باشد و انسان را برای آن منظور بخواهد بسازد. به اصطلاح، مکتبی می‌شود انسانی. مکتب تربیتی انسانی، مکتبی است که هدف آن بیرون از خود انسان نیست، یعنی براساس به کمال رساندن انسان است.

“If this sheep is in its natural state, its sexual urges keep pulling it this way and that; it is not the kind to keep its head down and graze until it is fat. He comes and castrates the sheep. Once it is castrated, the animal keeps its head down, busies itself only with grazing, and begins to feed on the grass of the plain at ease and without distraction. Then it grows fat, and man makes use of its meat. From a man’s point of view, castrating the sheep is perfecting it; but from the sheep’s own point of view? Have they perfected it, from its own point of view, or made a defect in it? From the sheep’s point of view they have certainly made a defect in it.

[Further down the same page:] But sometimes the school is in the service of the human being: it has no aim outside the human being; its goal is to bring him to happiness and to perfect him, not to have some other aim and want to build the human being for that aim. It becomes, as they say, a humane school. A humane school of upbringing is a school whose goal is not outside the human being himself; that is, it rests on bringing the human being to his perfection.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, PDF page 180, line 1, sentences 2 to 8, and line 9, sentences 1 to 3; my translation

از نظر تعلیم، متعلّم فقط فراگیرنده است و مغز او به منزله انباری است که یک سلسله معلومات در آن ریخته می‌شود. ولی در آموزش، کافی نیست که هدف این باشد. امروز هم این را نقص می‌شمارند که هدف آموزگار فقط این باشد که یک سلسله معلومات، اطلاعات و فرمول در مغز متعلّم بریزد، آنجا انبار بکند و ذهن او بشود مثل حوضی که مقداری آب در آن جمع شده است. هدف معلم باید بالاتر باشد و آن این است که نیروی فکری متعلّم را پرورش و استقلال بدهد و قوّه ابتکار او را زنده کند، یعنی کار معلم در واقع آتشگیره دادن است.

“From the point of view of teaching (ta’lim), the learner is only a receiver, and his brain is like a storehouse into which a series of facts is poured. But in education it is not enough for that to be the aim. Today too they count it a defect if the teacher’s aim is only to pour a series of facts, information and formulas into the learner’s brain and store them there, so that his mind becomes like a pool in which some water has collected. The teacher’s aim must be higher: to raise the learner’s power of thought and give it independence, and to bring his power of initiative to life; that is, the teacher’s work is in truth to give kindling.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, page 16, line 9, sentences 3 to 6; my translation

وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْعِلْمُ عِلْمَانِ: مَطْبُوعٌ وَمَسْمُوعٌ وَلَا يَنْفَعُ الْمَسْمُوعُ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنِ الْمَطْبُوعُ.

“And he, peace be upon him, said: Knowledge is two — the natural (matbu’) and the heard (masmu’); and the heard does not profit when the natural is not there.”

— Amir al-Mu’minin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace and blessings be upon him; Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 338 (numbered Hikmat 331 in the edition Shaheed Mutahhari cites); my translation

علم مطبوع یعنی آن علمی که از طبیعت و سرشت انسان سرچشمه می‌گیرد، علمی که انسان از دیگری یاد نگرفته و معلوم است که همان قوّه ابتکار شخص است. بعد می‌فرماید: و علم مسموع اگر علم مطبوع نباشد فایده ندارد، و واقعاً هم همین‌جور است. این را در تجربه‌ها درک کرده‌اید؛ افرادی هستند که اصلاً علم مطبوع ندارند. منشأ آن هم اغلب سوء تعلیم و سوء تربیت است، نه اینکه استعدادش را نداشته‌اند. تربیت و تعلیم جوری نبوده که آن نیروی مطبوع او را به حرکت درآورد و پرورش بدهد.

“[On Imam Ali’s ‘knowledge is two’:] Natural knowledge is the knowledge that springs from a person’s nature and make, knowledge he has not learned from another; clearly, it is the person’s own power of initiative. Then he says: and heard knowledge is of no use if there is no natural knowledge — and truly it is so. You have seen it in experience: there are people who have no natural knowledge at all. Its source, mostly, is bad teaching and bad upbringing, not that they lacked the capacity. The upbringing and teaching were not such as to set that natural power of theirs moving and raise it.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, page 17, line 7, sentences 1 to 5; my translation

The sentence that begins at the foot of page 18, the passage on the stomach, and the page’s footnote.

این مسئله که باید در افراد و در جامعه رشد شخصیت فکری و عقلانی پیدا بشود یعنی قوّهٔ تجزیه و تحلیل در مسائل پیدا بشود¹، یک مطلب اساسی است؛ یعنی در همین آموزشها و تعلیم و تربیت‌ها در مدرسه‌ها وظیفهٔ معلم بالاتر از اینکه به بچه یاد می‌دهد این است که کاری بکند که قوّهٔ تجزیه و تحلیل او قدرت بگیرد نه اینکه فقط در مغز وی معلومات بریزد، که اگر معلومات خیلی فشار بیاورد ذهن بچه راکد می‌شود.

مغز انسان، درست حالت معدّهٔ انسان را دارد. معدّهٔ انسان باید غذا را از بیرون به اندازه بگیرد و با ترشحاتی که خودش روی غذا می‌کند آن را بسازد. و باید معده اینقدر آزادی و جای خالی داشته باشد که به آسانی بتواند غذا را زیر و رو کند، اسیدها و شیره‌هایی را که باید، ترشح نماید و بسازد. ولی معده‌ای که مرتب بر آن غذا تحمیل می‌کنند و تا آنجا که جا دارد به آن غذا می‌دهند، دیگر فراغت، فرصت و امکان برایش پیدا نمی‌شود که این غذا را درست حرکت بدهد و بسازد. آنوقت می‌بینید اعمال گوارشی اختلال پیدا می‌کند و عمل جذب هم در روده‌ها درست انجام نمی‌گیرد.

مغز انسان هم قطعاً همین‌جور است. در تعلیم و تربیت باید مجال فکر کردن به دانش‌آموز داده بشود و او به فکر کردن ترغیب گردد.

۱. حالا کار نداریم که اسلام گفته یا نگفته. ما استنباطمان این است که آنچه که اسلام راجع به عقل می‌گوید همین مطلب است.

“[Page 18:] This matter — that in individuals and in society the growth of a thinking and rational character must come about — [page 19:] that is, that a power of analysis should come about in matters¹ — is a basic point: in these very lessons, teaching and upbringing in the schools, the teacher’s duty, higher than teaching the child, is to act so that the child’s power of analysis grows strong — not only to pour facts into his brain; for if the facts press too hard, the child’s mind goes stagnant.

The human brain is exactly like the human stomach. The stomach must take food from outside in measure and make it its own with the juices it pours on it; and it must have so much freedom and empty space that it can easily turn the food over and secrete and make the acids and juices it must. But a stomach on which food is forced constantly, and which is fed as far as it has room, finds no leisure, chance or possibility to move the food properly and make it its own. Then you see the digestion disturbed, and absorption in the intestines not done properly.

The human brain is certainly the same. In teaching and upbringing the learner must be given room to think, and be encouraged to think.

[The page’s footnote:] 1. Here we are not concerned with whether Islam has said it or not; our inference is that what Islam says about reason is this very point.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, the last line of page 18, and page 19, lines 1, 7 and 9, with the page’s footnote; my translation

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٖ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنٗا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّاۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيۡهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزۡقٗاۖ قَالَ يَٰمَرۡيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَاۖ قَالَتۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ

“Thereupon her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, and made her grow up in a worthy fashion, and He charged Zechariah with her care. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he would find provisions with her. He said, ‘O Mary, from where does this come for you?’ She said, ‘It comes from God. God provides whomever He wishes without any reckoning.’”

— Qur’an, Surah Aal Imran (the Chapter of the Family of Imran) #3, Verse 37

نه، نقش ترس این نیست که عامل رشددهنده باشد. ولی یک بحث دیگر این است که آیا عامل ترس جزء عواملی است که باید برای تربیت کودک یا تربیت اجتماع از آن استفاده کرد یا نه؟ جواب این است: بله، ولی نه برای رشد دادن و پرورش استعدادها بلکه برای بازداشتن روح کودک یا روح بزرگسال در اجتماع از برخی طغیانها. یعنی عامل ترس عامل فرونشاندن است؛ عامل رشد دادن و پرورش دادن استعدادهای عالی نیست ولی عامل جلوگیری [از رشد] استعدادهای پست و پایین و عامل جلوگیری از طغیانها هست.

در عین اینکه ما عامل ترس را عاملی رشددهنده و پرورش‌دهنده نمی‌دانیم ولی عامل لازمی می‌دانیم، اما مخصوصاً در مورد کودک این نکته باید مورد توجه باشد ـ و نکتهٔ خوبی است که امروز بیشتر توجه دارند ـ که کودک کاملاً باید آگاه باشد که تشویق یا تهدیدی که می‌شود برای چیست. اگر کودک نفهمد که برای چه تشویق می‌شود و بالخصوص اگر نفهمد که برای چه تهدید می‌شود روحش بکلی مشوّش می‌گردد، و امروز به این نکته پی برده‌اند که بسیاری از بیماریهای روانی در اثر ترساندنها یا کتک‌زدن‌ها و ارعابهای بیجا در کودکی پیدا می‌شود.

“No; the role of fear is not to make grow. But another question is whether fear is among the factors that should be used in raising a child, or a society. The answer is: yes — not to make grow and to raise capacities, but to hold back the spirit of a child, or of an adult in society, from certain rebellions. That is, fear is a factor that subdues: it is not a factor that grows and raises the high capacities, but it is a factor that holds back [the growth of] the low and base capacities, and holds back rebellions.

While we do not count fear a factor that grows and raises, we count it a necessary one; but, especially with a child, this point must be heeded — and it is a good point, which people heed more today — that the child must be fully aware what the encouragement or the threat is for. If a child does not understand what he is encouraged for, and above all if he does not understand what he is threatened for, his spirit is thrown into complete confusion; and today it has been understood that many mental illnesses come from frightening, beating and misplaced intimidation in childhood.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, page 46, line 1, sentences 4 to 7, and line 5, sentences 2 to 3; my translation

بالاخره بعضی از بچه‌ها یک رفتارهایی دارند، بالاخره آن مرتبه رشد عقلانی بزرگ‌ترها را ندارند، یک کاری انجام می‌دهند، شلوغ می‌کنند یا درسشان را خوب یاد نمی‌گیرند، آدم اوقاتش تلخ می‌شود؛ اما اگر ببیند که این یک دسته گلی است که خدا به او سپرده تا این را رشد بدهد، همیشه با چشم محبت به او نگاه می‌کند؛ یک کاری می‌کند که اگر یک عیبی دارد، عیبش را برطرف کند، نه اینکه او را مؤاخذه و تحقیر کند بلکه سعی می‌کند یک کاری کند که بیشتر رشد کند.

“After all, some children have certain ways of behaving; after all, they do not have the level of rational growth that adults have; they do something, they make a noise, or they do not learn their lessons well, and a person grows bitter. But if he sees that this is a bouquet of flowers that God has entrusted to him so that he may make it grow, he will always look at him with the eye of love; he will act so that, if he has a fault, the fault is put right — not take him to task and humiliate him, but try to do what will make him grow more.”

— Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi, a talk of 22 May 2017 (1 Khordad 1396; mesbahyazdi.ir), the second sentence of a passage about the children in a class; my translation

[The editor’s heading:] The lap of the mother: the greatest place for rearing the child

“The lap of the mother is the greatest school for the rearing of the child. That which the child hears from the mother is other than what it hears from the teacher. The child can hear from the mother better than from the teacher.”

— Imam Khomeini, may God sanctify his soul, Sahifeh-ye Imam (the English edition), Volume 9, page 267 (Fihrist, PDF page 297), with the editor’s heading

[The editor’s heading:] The foremost classroom of children

“You women have the honor of motherhood, and in this respect you are ahead of men; you have the responsibility of rearing a child in your bosom. The foremost classroom that a child has is the bosom of the mother. A good mother rears a good offspring and if the mother is a deviant one the child comes out deviant right from inside her bosom. Because the children have such an attachment to the mother that they have to no one else, and are reared in the bosom of the mother totally … and the aspirations that they have are manifested in the mother, and they see everything in their mothers; the words of the mother, the behavior of the mother, and the actions of the mother, all have an effect on the children. For this reason, a child reared in the bosom of his mother which is the first classroom, if this bosom is a clean and pure and refined one, then right from the beginning he grows with that correct behavior and with that refined soul and with that good deed. When the child is in the bosom of its mother it watches the good behavior of the mother, her correct deeds, and her agreeable words, so that this child right from that place, imitates the mothers actions and words which is in fact, the highest form of imitation; the child is trained with the inputs of the mother which is the most effective of all inputs.”

— Imam Khomeini, may God sanctify his soul, Sahifeh-ye Imam (the English edition), Volume 7, page 264 (Fihrist, PDF page 296), with the editor’s heading; the ellipsis is the edition’s

شما خانم‌ها به طوری که حالا خودتان می‌گوئید معلم هستید، دو شغل شریف دارید، شما خانم‌ها دو تا شغل بسیار شریف دارید. یکی شغل تربیت فرزند که این از همه شغل‌ها بالاتر است. یک فرزند خوب، شما اگر به جامعه تحویل بدهید برای شما بهتر است از همه عالم. اگر یک انسان شما تربیت کنید، برای شما به قدری شرافت دارد که من نمی‌توانم بیان کنم. پس شما یک شغلتان این است که بچه‌های خوب تربیت کنید. دامن مادرها، دامنی است که انسان از آن باید درست بشود یعنی اول مرتبه تربیت، تربیت بچه است در دامن مادر برای اینکه علاقه بچه به مادر بیشتر از همه علائق‌هاست و هیچ علاقه‌ای بالاتر از علاقه مادری و فرزندی نیست، بچه‌ها از مادر بهتر چیز اخذ می‌کنند. آنقدری که تحت تأثیر مادر هستند، تحت تأثیر پدر نیستند، تحت تأثیر معلم نیستند، تحت تأثیر استاد نیستند. از این جهت بچه‌هایتان را در دامنتان تربیت اسلامی، تربیت انسانی بکنید تا وقتی تحویل می‌دهید شما این بچه را به دبستان، یک بچه صحیح، اخلاق خوب، آداب خوب، آنطور تحویل بدهید.

“You ladies — who, as you say yourselves, are teachers — have two noble occupations; you ladies have two very noble occupations. One is the occupation of raising children, which is higher than every other occupation. A good child, if you hand it over to society, is better for you than the whole world. If you raise one human being, it is an honour for you that I cannot put into words. So one of your occupations is to raise good children. The lap of mothers is the lap from which a human being must come out right: that is, the first stage of upbringing is the child’s upbringing in the mother’s lap, because the child’s attachment to its mother is greater than every other attachment, and no attachment is higher than that of mother and child — children take things best from their mother. They are not under the influence of the father, or the teacher, or the master, as much as they are under the mother’s. For this reason, give your children an Islamic upbringing, a human upbringing, in your laps, so that when you hand this child over to primary school, you hand over a sound child, with good character and good manners.”

— Imam Khomeini, may God sanctify his soul, to a group of women of Dezful, 21 Khordad 1358 (11 June 1979), under the editor’s heading “the grave and noble responsibility of mothers and teachers: raising human beings”; Sahifeh-ye Noor, Volume 7, page 76, line 11, sentences 1 to 8; my translation

The home is the first school (madrasa) and the first fortress where the believer’s soul is nurtured.

— from this majlis: The Art of Supplication, session 20, “The Hearth, The Hub, and The Horizon”, 25 October 2025 (reflections313.com)

The family, in the Islamic worldview, is the first, most essential, and most powerful school (madrasa) for humanity.

— from this majlis: Wilayah in the Home, session 2, “The Unfolding Tapestry”, 23 November 2025 (reflections313.com)

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ دَعِ ابْنَكَ يَلْعَبُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ وَ أَلْزِمْهُ نَفْسَكَ سَبْعاً فَإِنْ أَفْلَحَ وَ إِلَّا فَإِنَّهُ مِمَّنْ لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ .

“Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Ubayd, from Yunus, from a man, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: Let your son play for seven years, and keep him with you for seven; if he succeeds, [well and good]; otherwise he is one in whom there is no good.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Yunus and a narrator he does not name; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 188 (thaqalayn); my translation

أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَاصِمِيُّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ عَمِّهِ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ الْغُلَامُ يَلْعَبُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ وَ يَتَعَلَّمُ الْكِتَابَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ وَ يَتَعَلَّمُ الْحَلَالَ وَ الْحَرَامَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ .

“Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Asimi, from Ali ibn al-Hasan, from Ali ibn Asbat, from his uncle Ya’qub ibn Salim, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: The boy plays for seven years, learns the Book for seven years, and learns the lawful and the unlawful for seven years.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Ya’qub ibn Salim; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 190 (thaqalayn); my translation

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ أَمْهِلْ صَبِيَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ لَهُ سِتُّ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ ضُمَّهُ إِلَيْكَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ فَأَدِّبْهُ بِأَدَبِكَ فَإِنْ قَبِلَ وَ صَلَحَ وَ إِلَّا فَخَلِّ عَنْهُ .

“A number of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, from a number of our companions, from Ali ibn Asbat, from Yunus ibn Ya’qub, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, who said: Give your boy time until he is six years old; then take him to yourself for seven years, and form him with your own adab. If he accepts it and comes right, [well and good]; if not, let him go.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through Yunus ibn Ya’qub; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 189 (thaqalayn); my translation

عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بُنْدَارَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْهَمَذَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الشَّامِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي صَالِحُ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْعَبْدَ الصَّالِحَ ( عليه السلام ) يَقُولُ تُسْتَحَبُّ عَرَامَةُ الصَّبِيِّ فِي صِغَرِهِ لِيَكُونَ حَلِيماً فِي كِبَرِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ إِلَّا هَكَذَا .

“Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bundar, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hamadhani, from Abu Sa’id al-Shami, who said: Salih ibn Uqba told me: I heard the Righteous Servant, peace be upon him, say: A child’s boisterousness when he is small is to be wished for, so that he is forbearing when he is grown. Then he said: It ought not to be otherwise.”

— Imam Musa al-Kazim, peace and blessings be upon him, through Salih ibn Uqba; Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, Volume 6, hadith 213 (thaqalayn); my translation

Its words for boisterousness and forbearing are ‘arama and halim

مثالی می‌زنم: شما اگر بچه‌ای را ببینید که همواره بازی می‌کند، یعنی وقت کارهای دیگر را هم به بازی می‌گذراند، یقیناً خیلی ناراحت می‌شوید، ولی این معنایش این نیست که شما با بازی کردن طفل مطلقاً مخالف هستید. اگر همان بچه یک روز بازی نکند او را پیش طبیب می‌برید.

“I give an example: if you see a child who plays all the time — who spends the time for other things on play as well — you will surely be very upset; but that does not mean you are against a child’s playing altogether. If that same child does not play for one day, you take him to the doctor.”

— Shaheed Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, Ta’lim va Tarbiyat dar Islam, page 50, line 3, sentences 3 to 4; my translation

863 - وَ رَوَى عَبْدُ اَللَّهِ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ وَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: «إِذَا بَلَغَ اَلْغُلاَمُ ثَلاَثَ سِنِينَ يُقَالُ لَهُ قُلْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اَللَّهُ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ ثَلاَثُ سِنِينَ وَ سَبْعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَ عِشْرُونَ يَوْماً فَيُقَالَ لَهُ قُلْ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ وَ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ أَرْبَعُ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يُقَالَ لَهُ قُلْ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ: صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ - ثُمَّ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ خَمْسُ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يُقَالَ لَهُ أَيُّهُمَا يَمِينُكَ وَ أَيُّهُمَا شِمَالُكَ فَإِذَا عَرَفَ ذَلِكَ حُوِّلَ وَجْهُهُ إِلَى اَلْقِبْلَةِ وَ يُقَالُ لَهُ اُسْجُدْ ثُمَّ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ سَبْعُ سِنِينَ فَإِذَا تَمَّ لَهُ سَبْعُ سِنِينَ قِيلَ لَهُ اِغْسِلْ وَجْهَكَ وَ كَفَّيْكَ فَإِذَا غَسَلَهُمَا قِيلَ لَهُ صَلِّ ثُمَّ يُتْرَكُ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لَهُ تِسْعُ سِنِينَ فَإِذَا تَمَّتْ لَهُ عُلِّمَ اَلْوُضُوءَ وَ ضُرِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَ أُمِرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَ ضُرِبَ عَلَيْهَا فَإِذَا تَعَلَّمَ اَلْوُضُوءَ وَ اَلصَّلاَةَ غَفَرَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ وَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اَللَّهُ.

“863 – And Abdullah ibn Fadala narrated from Abu Abdillah and Abu Ja’far, peace be upon them both. He said: I heard him say: When the boy reaches three years, he is told: Say, There is no god but God — seven times. Then he is left until he completes three years, seven months and twenty days, and he is told: Say, Muhammad is the Messenger of God — seven times. And he is left until he completes four years; then he is told: Say seven times, God bless Muhammad and his family. Then he is left until he completes five years; then he is asked: Which is your right hand, and which is your left? And when he knows that, his face is turned towards the qibla, and he is told: Prostrate. Then he is left until he completes seven years; and when he has completed seven years, he is told: Wash your face and your hands; and when he has washed them, he is told: Pray. Then he is left until he completes nine years; and when he has completed them, he is taught the ablution and struck for it, and commanded to pray and struck for it. And when he has learned the ablution and the prayer, God, mighty and majestic, forgives him and his parents, if God wills.”

— Imam Muhammad al-Baqir or Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon them, through Abdullah ibn Fadala; Shaykh al-Saduq, Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Volume 1, hadith 862 (thaqalayn; numbered 863 in its text); my translation

The majlis takes the report to the seventh year; its ninth year, and the striking it mentions, are next week's subject, with the rulings on discipline.

The account is Ibn Abi al-Hadid's, in his life of al-Sharif al-Radi at the start of his Sharh Nahj al-Balagha; the second passage — footnote 45 — gives his Arabic for the next morning.

فَلَمَّا تَعَالَى النَّهَارُ فِي صَبِيحَةِ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ الَّتِي رَأَى فِيهَا الرُّؤْيَا، دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْمَسْجِدَ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ النَّاصِرِ، وَحَوْلَهَا جَوَارِيهَا، وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا ابْنَاهَا مُحَمَّدٌ الرَّضِيُّ وَعَلِيٌّ الْمُرْتَضَى صَغِيرَيْنِ، فَقَامَ إِلَيْهَا وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهَا، فَقَالَتْ لَهُ: أَيُّهَا الشَّيْخُ، هَذَانِ وَلَدَايَ قَدْ أَحْضَرْتُهُمَا لِتُعَلِّمَهُمَا الْفِقْهَ، فَبَكَى أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهَا الْمَنَامَ، وَتَوَلَّى تَعْلِيمَهُمَا.

“The next morning, after the night in which he had seen the dream, Fatima bint al-Nasir entered the mosque to see him, surrounded by her servants, and with her two young sons, Muhammad al-Radhi and Ali al-Murtadha, walking before her. He rose and greeted her. She said to him: O Shaykh, these are my two sons, whom I have brought to you so that you may teach them jurisprudence. Abu Abdillah wept, and recounted to her the dream, and undertook their education.”

— Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, Volume 1, on the compiler’s biography; cited by Allamah Majlisi in Bihar al-Anwar

— from this majlis: The Lantern of the Path, session 64, 15 April 2026 (reflections313.com)

وَإِنَّمَا قَلْبُ الْحَدَثِ كَالْأَرْضِ الْخَالِيَةِ مَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَبِلَتْهُ، فَبَادَرْتُكَ بِالْأَدَبِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْسُوَ قَلْبُكَ، وَيَشْتَغِلَ لُبُّكَ، لِتَسْتَقْبِلَ بِجِدِّ رَأْيِكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ مَا قَدْ كَفَاكَ أَهْلُ التَّجَارِبِ بُغْيَتَهُ وَتَجْرِبَتَهُ، فَتَكُونَ قَدْ كُفِيتَ مَؤُونَةَ الطَّلَبِ، وَعُوفِيتَ مِنْ عِلاَجِ التَّجْرِبَةِ، فَأَتَاكَ مِنْ ذلِكَ مَا قَدْ كُنَّا نَأْتِيهِ، وَاسْتَبَانَ لَكَ مَا رُبَّمَا أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْهُ.

“The heart of the young is like empty land: whatever is cast into it, it accepts. So I hastened to give you adab before your heart could harden and your mind be taken up, so that you would meet with the full earnestness of your judgement a matter whose seeking and testing the people of experience have spared you — spared the burden of the search and relieved of the toil of trial — so that what we used to come to has come to you, and what was perhaps dark to us has become clear to you.”

— Amir al-Mu’minin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace and blessings be upon him; Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 31 — my translation

Chittick's English of the right of the mother ends, in the file, with the file's own footnote mark, which is not reproduced; his “(husn al-adab)” in the right of the child is his own.

مادر است که فرهنگ و معرفت و تمدن و ویژگیهای اخلاقىِ یک قوم و جامعه را با جسم خود، با روح خود، با خُلق خود و با رفتارِ خود، دانسته و ندانسته به فرزند منتقل میکند.

“It is the mother who passes on to the child — with her body, her spirit, her character and her conduct, knowingly and unknowingly — the culture, knowledge, civilisation and moral traits of a people and a society.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, speech of 27 July 2005 (1384/05/05; farsi.khamenei.ir), paragraph 5, sentence 14 — the last sentence of the passage set under It Begins Before Birth; my translation

کسانی که فرزند را، تربیت فرزند را، شیر دادن به بچّه را، تربیت کردن و در آغوش مهر و عطوفت خود بزرگ کردن فرزند را رها میکنند ــ برای کارهایی که خیلی هم متوقّف به وجود آنها نیست ــ اشتباه میکنند. بهترین روش تربیت انسان و فرزند انسان این است که در آغوش مادر و با استفاده از مهر و محبّت مادر پرورش پیدا کند؛ زنهایی که فرزند خود را محروم میکنند از یک ‌چنین موهبت الهی و طبیعی، اشتباه میکنند؛ هم به ضرر فرزندشان، هم به ضرر خودشان، هم به ضرر جامعه اقدام کرده‌اند؛ و اسلام این را اجازه نمیدهد.

علّت اینکه اسلام این‌قدر به نقش زن در داخل خانواده اهمّیّت میدهد، همین است که زن اگر به خانواده پایبند شد، به خانواده علاقه نشان داد، به تربیت فرزند اهمّیّت داد، به بچّه‌های خود رسید، آنها را شیر داد، آنها را در آغوش بزرگ کرد، از آذوقه‌های فرهنگی ــ قصص، احکام، حکایات قرآنی، ماجراهای آموزنده ــ در هر فرصتی به فرزندان خود مثل غذای جسمانی چشانید، نسلها در آن جامعه بالنده و رشید خواهند شد. این، هنر زن است؛ منافاتی هم با درس خواندن و درس گفتن و کار کردن و ورود در سیاست و مانند اینها ندارد. زنِ صدر اسلام گاهی در میدان جنگ هم شرکت میکرد؛ حتّی در میدان جنگ علاوه‌ی بر بستن زخم مجروحان ــ که این کار بیشتر بر عهده‌ی زنها بود در زمان صدر اسلام ــ حتّی گاهی با نقاب، در میدان جنگ شمشیر هم میزد، با آن رزمهای دشوار آن روز! در عین‌ حال در داخل خانه، فرزندان خود را هم در آغوش میگرفت، تربیت اسلامی میکرد، حجاب خود را هم حفظ میکرد. منافاتی ندارد؛ اگر کسی درست توجّه بکند، خواهد دید منافاتی ندارد. بعضی افراط میکنند، بعضی تفریط میکنند؛ بعضی میگویند چون فعّالیّت اجتماعی اجازه نمیدهد به خانه و شوهر و فرزند برسیم، پس فعّالیّت اجتماعی نباید بکنیم، بعضی میگویند چون خانه و شوهر و فرزند اجازه نمیدهد فعّالیّت اجتماعی بکنیم، پس شوهر و فرزند را باید رها کنیم به ‌خاطر فعّالیّت اجتماعی؛ هر دو غلط است؛ نه این را به خاطر آن و نه آن را به ‌خاطر این نباید از دست داد.

“Those who abandon the child — the child’s upbringing, nursing the infant, raising and bringing up the child in the embrace of their own love and tenderness — for work that does not greatly depend on them are making a mistake. The best way of raising a human being, a human child, is that it be nurtured in the mother’s embrace, with the benefit of the mother’s love and affection; women who deprive their child of such a divine and natural gift are making a mistake: they act against the good of their child, of themselves and of society; and Islam does not permit this.

The reason Islam gives such importance to the woman’s role within the family is precisely this: if the woman is committed to the family, shows love for it, gives importance to raising the children, attends to her children, nurses them, raises them in her embrace, and at every opportunity gives her children a taste of the provisions of culture — stories, rulings, the narratives of the Qur’an, instructive episodes — like bodily food, then the generations in that society will grow up flourishing and mature. This is the woman’s art; and it does not conflict with studying, teaching, working, entering politics and the like. The woman of early Islam would sometimes take part even on the battlefield; there, besides dressing the wounds of the injured — which in early Islam was mostly the women’s work — she would sometimes even fight with a sword, veiled, in the hard battles of that day! And at the same time, inside the home, she held her children in her embrace, gave them an Islamic upbringing, and kept her hijab. There is no conflict; if one looks properly, one will see there is no conflict. Some go to excess and some fall short: some say, because social activity does not let us attend to home, husband and children, we must not engage in social activity; others say, because home, husband and children do not let us engage in social activity, we must leave husband and children for the sake of social activity. Both are wrong: neither this should be given up for that, nor that for this.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, to women of Khuzestan, 10 March 1997 (1375/12/20; farsi.khamenei.ir), paragraph 39, sentences 3 to 4, and paragraph 43, sentences 4 to 9; my translation

The speech, in his own Persian, and the verse he recites.

فرزند‌آوری، فرزندداری و دامانِ پرورشِ فرزند، کار زن است؛ از مرد این کار برنمی‌آید، و خدای متعال او را برای این کار خلق نکرده؛ او برای یک کار دیگر است؛‌ کار بیرون خانه، کار [رفع] مشکلات خانه. امّا در حقوق خانوادگی یکسانند: وَ لَهُنَّ مِثلُ الَّذی عَلَیهِنَّ بِالمَعروف؛(۱۶) یعنی همان قدر که مرد در خانواده حق دارد، زن همان اندازه در خانواده حق دارد؛ این آیه‌ی قرآن است. پس در حقوق خانوادگی یکسان، امّا در وظایف خانوادگی نه.

“Bearing children, keeping children and the lap of their upbringing are the woman’s work; this work does not come from the man, and God the Exalted did not create him for this work; he is for another work — work outside the home, the work of [removing] the home’s problems. But in family rights they are equal: ‘and they have the like of what is upon them, in accordance with what is honourable’ (16) — that is, as much right as the man has in the family, the woman has the same in the family; this is a verse of the Qur’an. So: equal in family rights, but not in family duties.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, to women, 27 December 2023 (1402/10/06; farsi.khamenei.ir), paragraph 37, sentences 8 to 10; my translation

وَٱلۡمُطَلَّقَٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصۡنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلَٰثَةَ قُرُوٓءٖۚ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُنَّ أَن يَكۡتُمۡنَ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ فِيٓ أَرۡحَامِهِنَّ إِن كُنَّ يُؤۡمِنَّ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِۚ وَبُعُولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ إِنۡ أَرَادُوٓاْ إِصۡلَٰحٗاۚ وَلَهُنَّ مِثۡلُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَيۡهِنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيۡهِنَّ دَرَجَةٞۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

“Divorced women shall wait by themselves for three periods of purity [after menses], and it is not lawful for them to conceal what God has created in their wombs if they believe in God and the Last Day; and their husbands have a greater right to restore them during this [duration], if they desire reconcilement. The wives have rights similar to the obligations upon them, in accordance with honourable norms; and men have a degree above them, and God is all-mighty and all-wise.”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow) #2, Verse 228

The “(16)” in the speech is the site’s footnote mark, giving the verse as Qur’an 2:228; the square brackets are the site’s.

Zan va Khanevadeh, page 82, in full.

انسان برای تربیت است؛ انسان برای هدایت و تعالی و کمال است. این نمیشود مگر در یک محیط امن؛ محیطی که در آن عقده به وجود نیاید، انسان اشباع بشود، در آن تعلیمات هر نسلی به نسل بعد منعکس بشود و از کودکی یک انسان تحت تعلیم صحیح، روان، طبیعی و فطری دو معلم که نسبت به او از همه‌ی انسانهای عالم مهربانترند؛ یعنی پدر و مادر قرار بگیرد.

“The human being is for upbringing; the human being is for guidance, ascent and perfection. This cannot be except in a safe environment: an environment in which no complex (oqde) forms and a person is fulfilled; in which the teachings of each generation are passed on to the next; and in which, from childhood, a human being is placed under the right, smooth, natural and innate teaching of two teachers who are kinder to him than all the people of the world — that is, the father and the mother.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, Zan va Khanevadeh, page 82 (from his marriage sermon of 1376/05/20, as the book’s note 3 gives it); my translation

“The family is a source of tranquillity for a human being, and no one can truly enjoy the sweetness of life without a tranquil family environment. Each family is a centre for the growth and nourishment of several souls. If you break up the family unit and have the children raised by friends and associates, as opposed to being raised within the family unit, they will not grow well. If you take them and place them in an institution or a day care like an incubator for chicks, where a [foreign] person is tasked with nurturing them, they will not be raised as human beings. This is simply the nature of a human being. God created human beings in a way that is very different from other creatures. There are some species of animals in which the newborn never sees its parents; some parents die after releasing their eggs and this is their nature. And whether these animals meet their parents or not, they will still grow up to be just like them. But humans are not like this. God created man as a learner; he must learn many things. Moreover, if he is brought up in the company of his parents-with their love, their friendship, and their attention-then he will not be devoid of anything from a spiritual point of view. However, if from a young age, he is taken from his small [personal] environment and placed in a large [impersonal] one, he will not blossom as this flower is meant to blossom.”

— Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, may God rest his pure soul, The Compassionate Family, page 31 (Fihrist, PDF page 43); the words in square brackets are the book’s

وكانت علاقتها برسول الله علاقة مميَّزة، بحيث إنَّها تتجاوز العلاقة العاديَّة بين كلّ أب وابنته، وبين كلّ ابنة وأبيها، وهي الَّتي خسرت أمَّها وكانت في طفولتها الأولى، فكان رسول الله أمَّها وأباها، فيما أعطاها من روحه وعاطفته، كما كانت هي في عاطفتها الطَّاهرة الواعية، تراقبُ رسول الله (ص) في كلّ أحزانه وآلامه، وهي طفلة تدرج، فكانت إذا رأت المشركين يضعون القذارات على ظهره وهو ساجد، تأتي وتدفع ذلك عنه، فكانت (ع) تعيش عقليَّة الشَّباب وهي طفلة، وتبكي حزناً على أبيها الَّذي يعاني في رسالته.

والسيدة الزهراء(ع)، هي الإنسان التي انطبعت بطابع رسول الله(ص)، فكان عقله يربي عقلها، فعقلها من عقل رسول الله (ص)، وكان قلبه يخاطب قلبها، فكان قلبها يتسع لكل الناس كما اتّسع قلب رسول الله لكل الناس، وكان علمها من علم رسول الله، فكانت وهي في السنّ التي لم تتجاوز فيه بدايات الشباب، العالمة التي عاشت العلم مع عليّ (ع) في مدرسة رسول الله، وكانت تعلّم الناس، وتهتم بالعلم اهتماماً كبيراً.

“Her relationship with the Messenger of God was a distinctive one, going beyond the ordinary relationship between every father and his daughter and every daughter and her father. She lost her mother when she was in her early childhood, and so the Messenger of God was her mother and her father, in what he gave her of his spirit and his tenderness; just as she, in her pure and aware tenderness, watched over the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, in all his sorrows and pains while she was a toddling child: when she saw the idolaters put filth on his back while he was prostrating, she would come and push it off him. She, peace be upon her, lived with the mind of a grown youth while still a child, and wept in grief for her father, who was suffering in his mission.

And Sayyedah al-Zahra, peace be upon her, is the human being who was stamped with the stamp of the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family: his mind raised her mind, so her mind is from the mind of the Messenger of God; his heart spoke to her heart, so her heart grew wide enough for all people, as the heart of the Messenger of God was wide enough for all people; and her knowledge was from the knowledge of the Messenger of God — so that, at an age that had not passed the first years of youth, she was the learned one who lived knowledge with Ali, peace be upon him, in the school of the Messenger of God; she taught people, and gave great attention to knowledge.”

— Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Fadhlullah, Friday sermons of 4 September 1998 and 7 September 2001 (bayynat.org.lb); my translation

The Vow.

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٖ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنٗا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّاۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيۡهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزۡقٗاۖ قَالَ يَٰمَرۡيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَاۖ قَالَتۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ

“Thereupon her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, and made her grow up in a worthy fashion, and He charged Zechariah with her care. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he would find provisions with her. He said, ‘O Mary, from where does this come for you?’ She said, ‘It comes from God. God provides whomever He wishes without any reckoning.’”

— Qur’an, Surah Aal Imran (the Chapter of the Family of Imran) #3, Verse 37

Shaykh al-Saduq records that when Sayyedah Khadija’s time came, she sent for the women of Quraysh and of Banu Hashim to come to her, and they would not come; and that four women came in to her.

فلم تزل خديجة (عليها السلام) على ذلك إلى أن حضرت ولادتها، فوجهت إلى نساء قريش وبني هاشم: أن تعالين لتلين مني ما تلي النساء من النساء، فأرسلن إليها: أنت عصيتنا، ولم تقبلي قولنا، وتزوجت محمدا يتيم أبي طالب فقيرا لا مال له، فلسنا نجئ ولا نلي من أمرك شيئا. فاغتمت خديجة (عليها السلام) لذلك، فبينا هي كذلك، إذ دخل عليها أربع نسوة سمر طوال، كأنهن من نساء بني هاشم، ففزعت منهن لما رأتهن، فقالت إحداهن: لا تحزني يا خديجة فإنا رسل ربك إليك، ونحن أخواتك، أنا سارة، وهذه آسية بنت مزاحم، وهي رفيقتك في الجنة، وهذه مريم بنت عمران، وهذه كلثوم (2) اخت موسى بن عمران، بعثنا الله إليك لنلي منك ما تلي النساء من النساء، فجلست واحدة عن يمينها، واخرى عن يسارها، والثالثة بين يديها، والرابعة من خلفها، فوضعت فاطمة (عليها السلام) طاهرة مطهرة، فلما سقطت إلى الارض أشرق منها النور حتى دخل بيوتات مكة، ولم يبق في شرق الارض ولا غربها موضع إلا أشرق فيه ذلك النور.

“And Khadija, peace be upon her, remained so until the time of her delivery came. Then she sent to the women of Quraysh and of Banu Hashim: ‘Come, and attend to me as women attend to women.’ And they sent back to her: ‘You disobeyed us, and did not accept our word, and married Muhammad, the orphan of Abu Talib, a poor man with no wealth; so we will not come, nor attend to anything of yours.’ Khadija, peace be upon her, was grieved at that. And while she was so, four tall women, dark of complexion, came in to her, as if they were women of Banu Hashim; and she was alarmed at them when she saw them. And one of them said: ‘Do not grieve, O Khadija, for we are the messengers of your Lord to you, and we are your sisters: I am Sarah; and this is Asiya, daughter of Muzahim, and she is your companion in Paradise; and this is Maryam, daughter of Imran; and this is Kulthum, sister of Musa son of Imran. God has sent us to you, to attend to you as women attend to women.’ And one sat at her right, and another at her left, and the third before her, and the fourth behind her; and she gave birth to Fatimah, peace be upon her, pure and purified. And when she came down to the earth, a light shone from her until it entered the houses of Mecca, and there remained no place in the east of the earth or in its west but that light shone in it.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, Assembly 87, hadith 1

— from this majlis: The Lantern of the Path, session 77, “Her Mother’s House”, 7 October 2026 (reflections313.com); its “(2)” is the printed edition’s note mark

The report of her birth in full, with its chain.

1 - حدثنا الشيخ الجليل أبو جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن موسى ابن بابويه القمي (رضي الله عنه)، قال: حدثنا الحسين بن علي بن أحمد الصائغ، قال: حدثنا أبو عبد الله أحمد بن محمد الخليلي، عن محمد بن علي بن أبي بكر الفقيه، عن أحمد ابن محمد النوفلي، عن إسحاق بن يزيد، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن زرعة بن محمد، عن المفضل بن عمر، قال: قلت لابي عبد الله الصادق (عليه السلام): كيف كان ولادة فاطمة (عليها السلام)؟ فقال: نعم، إن خديجة (عليها السلام) لما تزوج بها رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) هجرتها نسوة مكة، فكن لا يدخلن عليها، ولا يسلمن عليها، ولا يتركن امرأة تدخل عليها، فاستوحشت خديجة (عليها السلام) لذلك، وكان جزعا وغمها حذرا عليه (صلى الله عليه وآله). فلما حملت بفاطمة كانت (عليها السلام) تحدثها من بطنها وتصبرها، وكانت تكتم ذلك من رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)، فدخل رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) يوما فسمع خديجة تحدث فاطمة (عليها السلام)، فقال لها: يا خديجة، من تحدثين؟ قالت: الجنين الذي في بطني يحدثني ويؤنسني. قال: يا خديجة، هذا جبرئيل يخبرني (1) أنها أنثى، وأنها النسلة الطاهرة الميمونة، وإن الله تبارك وتعالى سيجعل نسلي منها، وسيجعل من نسلها أئمة، ويجعلهم خلفاءه في أرضه بعد انقضاء وحيه. فلم تزل خديجة (عليها السلام) على ذلك إلى أن حضرت ولادتها، فوجهت إلى نساء قريش وبني هاشم: أن تعالين لتلين مني ما تلي النساء من النساء، فأرسلن إليها: أنت عصيتنا، ولم تقبلي قولنا، وتزوجت محمدا يتيم أبي طالب فقيرا لا مال له، فلسنا نجئ ولا نلي من أمرك شيئا. فاغتمت خديجة (عليها السلام) لذلك، فبينا هي كذلك، إذ دخل عليها أربع نسوة سمر طوال، كأنهن من نساء بني هاشم، ففزعت منهن لما رأتهن، فقالت إحداهن: لا تحزني يا خديجة فإنا رسل ربك إليك، ونحن أخواتك، أنا سارة، وهذه آسية بنت مزاحم، وهي رفيقتك في الجنة، وهذه مريم بنت عمران، وهذه كلثوم (2) اخت موسى بن عمران، بعثنا الله إليك لنلي منك ما تلي النساء من النساء، فجلست واحدة عن يمينها، واخرى عن يسارها، والثالثة بين يديها، والرابعة من خلفها، فوضعت فاطمة (عليها السلام) طاهرة مطهرة، فلما سقطت إلى الارض أشرق منها النور حتى دخل بيوتات مكة، ولم يبق في شرق الارض ولا غربها موضع إلا أشرق فيه ذلك النور. ودخل عشر من الحور العين كل واحدة منهن معها طست من الجنة، وإبريق من الجنة، وفي الابريق ماء من الكوثر، فتناولتها المرأة ألتي كانت بين يديها، فغسلتها بماء الكوثر، وأخرجت خرقتين بيضاوين أشد بياضا من اللبن وأطيب ريحا من المسك والعنبر، فلفتها بواحدة، وقنعتها بالثانية، ثم استنطقتها فنطقت فاطمة (عليها السلام) بالشهادتين، وقالت: أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وأن أبي رسول الله سيد الانبياء، وأن بعلي سيد الاوصياء، وولدي سادة الاسباط، ثم سلمت عليهن، وسمت كل واحدة منهن باسمها، وأقبلن يضحكن إليها، وتباشرت الحور العين، وبشر أهل السماء بعضهم بعضا بولادة فاطمة (عليها السلام)، وحدث في السماء نور زاهر لم تره الملائكة قبل ذلك، وقالت النسوة: خذيها يا خديجة طاهرة مطهرة زكية ميمونة، بورك فيها وفي نسلها، فتناولتها فرحة مستبشرة، وألقمتها ثديها، فدر عليها، فكانت فاطمة (عليها السلام) تنمي في اليوم كما ينمي الصبي في الشهر، وتنمي في الشهر كما ينمي الصبي في السنة (1).

“1 – The eminent Shaykh Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Musa ibn Babawayh al-Qummi, may God be pleased with him, narrated to us: al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Ahmad al-Sa’igh narrated to us: Abu Abdillah Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Khalili narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abi Bakr al-Faqih, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Nawfali, from Ishaq ibn Yazid, from Hammad ibn Isa, from Zur’a ibn Muhammad, from al-Mufaddal ibn Umar, who said: I said to Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: How was the birth of Fatimah, peace be upon her? He said: Yes. When the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, married Khadija, peace be upon her, the women of Mecca shunned her: they would not visit her or greet her, and would let no woman visit her. Khadija, peace be upon her, was lonely because of it, and her distress and grief were for him, fearing for him, God bless him and his family. When she carried Fatimah, Fatimah, peace be upon her, would speak to her from her womb and give her patience, and she kept this from the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family. One day the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, came in and heard Khadija talking to Fatimah, peace be upon her, and said: Khadija, who are you talking to? She said: The child in my womb talks to me and keeps me company. He said: Khadija, this is Gabriel telling me (1) that she is a girl, that she is the pure and blessed offspring, that God, blessed and exalted, will make my progeny from her, will make Imams from her progeny, and will make them His successors on His earth after His revelation has ended. Khadija, peace be upon her, remained so until her delivery came. She sent to the women of Quraysh and Banu Hashim: Come, and do for me what women do for women. They sent back: You disobeyed us, did not accept our word, and married Muhammad, the orphan of Abu Talib, a poor man with no wealth; we will not come, nor do anything for you. Khadija, peace be upon her, grieved at that. While she was so, four tall, dark-skinned women came in to her, as if they were women of Banu Hashim, and she was alarmed when she saw them. One of them said: Do not grieve, Khadija; we are your Lord’s messengers to you, and we are your sisters. I am Sarah; this is Asiya, daughter of Muzahim, who is your companion in Paradise; this is Mary, daughter of Imran; and this is Kulthum (2), sister of Moses son of Imran. God has sent us to you to do for you what women do for women. One sat at her right, another at her left, the third before her and the fourth behind her, and she gave birth to Fatimah, peace be upon her, pure and purified. When she came down to the earth, a light shone from her until it entered the houses of Mecca, and there remained no place in the east of the earth or its west but that light shone in it.

And ten of the houris came in, each with a basin from Paradise and a ewer from Paradise, and in the ewer water of al-Kawthar. The woman who was before her took her and washed her with the water of al-Kawthar, and brought out two white cloths, whiter than milk and more fragrant than musk and ambergris; she wrapped her in one and veiled her with the other. Then she bade her speak, and Fatimah, peace be upon her, spoke the two testimonies: I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that my father is the Messenger of God, master of the prophets, and that my husband is master of the successors, and my sons the masters of the grandsons. Then she greeted them, and called each one of them by her name, and they came towards her laughing. The houris gave one another the glad news; the people of heaven gave one another the glad news of the birth of Fatimah, peace be upon her; and there appeared in heaven a radiant light such as the angels had not seen before. And the women said: Take her, Khadija, pure, purified, chaste and blessed; blessed is she, and blessed her offspring. She took her, joyful and glad, and gave her the breast, and the milk flowed for her. And Fatimah, peace be upon her, grew in a day as a child grows in a month, and in a month as a child grows in a year. (1)”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through al-Mufaddal ibn Umar; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, hadith 940 (thaqalayn), the whole report, with its chain; my translation; the numbers in brackets are the edition’s note marks

On the names.

Kulthum is the name this report gives Moses's sister.

The Bible does not name her in the story of the river (Exodus 2:4-8), but elsewhere names Moses's sister Miriam (Numbers 26:59; at Exodus 15:20 she is “the sister of Aaron”).

And the Imran named here, the father of Moses, is the man the Bible calls Amram (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59).

قَالُوٓاْ أَتَعۡجَبِينَ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ ٱللَّهِۖ رَحۡمَتُ ٱللَّهِ وَبَرَكَٰتُهُۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَهۡلَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِۚ إِنَّهُۥ حَمِيدٞ مَّجِيدٞ

“They said, ‘Are you amazed at God’s dispensation? [That is] God’s mercy and His blessings upon you, members of the household. Indeed He is all-laudable, all-glorious.’”

— Qur’an, Surah Hud (the Chapter of the Prophet Hud) #11, Verse 73

وَقَالَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ قُرَّتُ عَيۡنٖ لِّي وَلَكَۖ لَا تَقۡتُلُوهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوۡ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدٗا وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ

“Pharaoh’s wife said [to him], ‘[This infant will be] a [source of] comfort to me and to you. Do not kill him. Maybe he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son.’ But they were not aware.”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Qasas (the Chapter of the Narrations) #28, Verse 9

وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلٗا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱمۡرَأَتَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِذۡ قَالَتۡ رَبِّ ٱبۡنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيۡتٗا فِي ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِن فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِي مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

“God cites an example of the faithful: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, ‘My Lord! Build me a home near You in paradise, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his conduct, and deliver me from the wrongdoing lot.’”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Tahrim (the Chapter of the Prohibition) #66, Verse 11;

وَإِذۡ قَالَتِ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرۡيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصۡطَفَىٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصۡطَفَىٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

“And when the angels said, ‘O Mary, God has chosen you and purified you, and He has chosen you above the world’s women.”

— Qur’an, Surah Aal Imran (the Chapter of the Family of Imran) #3, Verse 42

وَمَرۡيَمَ ٱبۡنَتَ عِمۡرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَحۡصَنَتۡ فَرۡجَهَا فَنَفَخۡنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتۡ بِكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتۡ مِنَ ٱلۡقَٰنِتِينَ

“And Mary, daughter of Imran, who guarded the chastity of her womb, so We breathed into it of Our spirit. She confirmed the words of her Lord and His Books, and she was one of the obedient.”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Tahrim (the Chapter of the Prohibition) #66, Verse 12

وَقَالَتۡ لِأُخۡتِهِۦ قُصِّيهِۖ فَبَصُرَتۡ بِهِۦ عَن جُنُبٖ وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ

“She said to his sister, ‘Follow him.’ So she watched him from a distance, while they were not aware.”

۞وَحَرَّمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡمَرَاضِعَ مِن قَبۡلُ فَقَالَتۡ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِ بَيۡتٖ يَكۡفُلُونَهُۥ لَكُمۡ وَهُمۡ لَهُۥ نَٰصِحُونَ

“Since before We had forbidden him to be suckled by any nurse. So she said, ‘Shall I show you a household that will take care of him for you and they will be his well-wishers?’”

فَرَدَدۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّهِۦ كَيۡ تَقَرَّ عَيۡنُهَا وَلَا تَحۡزَنَ وَلِتَعۡلَمَ أَنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

“That is how We restored him to his mother so that she might be comforted and not grieve, and that she might know that God’s promise is true, but most of them do not know.”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Qasas (the Chapter of the Narrations) #28, Verses 11 to 13

PENDING: this version of the report, which names Safra', daughter of Shu'ayb, is to be set here. Bihar al-Anwar is held in our library, but its page is not yet promoted, so it cannot yet be quoted.

The report given above is Shaykh al-Saduq's, which names Kulthum.

فَجَآءَتۡهُ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا تَمۡشِي عَلَى ٱسۡتِحۡيَآءٖ قَالَتۡ إِنَّ أَبِي يَدۡعُوكَ لِيَجۡزِيَكَ أَجۡرَ مَا سَقَيۡتَ لَنَاۚ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُۥ وَقَصَّ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفۡۖ نَجَوۡتَ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

“Then one of the two women approached him, walking bashfully. She said, ‘Indeed my father invites you to pay you the wages for watering [our flock] for us.’ So when he came to him and recounted the story to him, he said, ‘Do not be afraid. You have been delivered from the wrongdoing lot.’”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Qasas (the Chapter of the Narrations) #28, Verse 25

قَالَ إِنِّيٓ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أُنكِحَكَ إِحۡدَى ٱبۡنَتَيَّ هَٰتَيۡنِ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَأۡجُرَنِي ثَمَٰنِيَ حِجَجٖۖ فَإِنۡ أَتۡمَمۡتَ عَشۡرٗا فَمِنۡ عِندِكَۖ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أَشُقَّ عَلَيۡكَۚ سَتَجِدُنِيٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

“He said, ‘Indeed I desire to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine, on condition that you hire yourself to me for eight years. And if you complete ten, that will be up to you, and I do not want to be hard on you. God willing, you will find me to a righteous person.’”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Qasas (the Chapter of the Narrations) #28, Verse 27

On the names. Safura — this version of the report has Safra' — is the Arabic form of the name the Bible gives Moses's wife, Zipporah (Exodus 2:21).

Her father, the old man of Midian, is Reuel in the Bible (Exodus 2:18) and Jethro (Exodus 3:1); this version of the report calls him Shu'ayb.

وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنۡ أَرۡضِعِيهِۖ فَإِذَا خِفۡتِ عَلَيۡهِ فَأَلۡقِيهِ فِي ٱلۡيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحۡزَنِيٓۖ إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيۡكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ

“We revealed to Moses’ mother, [saying], ‘Nurse him; then, when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and do not fear or grieve, for We will restore him to you and make him one of the apostles.’”

— Qur’an, Surah al-Qasas (the Chapter of the Narrations) #28, Verse 7

فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحۡتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحۡزَنِي قَدۡ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحۡتَكِ سَرِيّٗا

“Thereupon he called her from below her [saying,] ‘Do not grieve! Your Lord has made a spring to flow at your feet.”

— Qur’an, Surah Maryam (the Chapter of the Blessed Saint Mary) #19, Verse 2

ودخل عشر من الحور العين كل واحدة منهن معها طست من الجنة، وإبريق من الجنة، وفي الابريق ماء من الكوثر، فتناولتها المرأة ألتي كانت بين يديها، فغسلتها بماء الكوثر، وأخرجت خرقتين بيضاوين أشد بياضا من اللبن وأطيب ريحا من المسك والعنبر، فلفتها بواحدة، وقنعتها بالثانية، ثم استنطقتها فنطقت فاطمة (عليها السلام) بالشهادتين، وقالت: أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وأن أبي رسول الله سيد الانبياء، وأن بعلي سيد الاوصياء، وولدي سادة الاسباط، ثم سلمت عليهن، وسمت كل واحدة منهن باسمها، وأقبلن يضحكن إليها، وتباشرت الحور العين، وبشر أهل السماء بعضهم بعضا بولادة فاطمة (عليها السلام)، وحدث في السماء نور زاهر لم تره الملائكة قبل ذلك، وقالت النسوة: خذيها يا خديجة طاهرة مطهرة زكية ميمونة، بورك فيها وفي نسلها، فتناولتها فرحة مستبشرة، وألقمتها ثديها، فدر عليها، فكانت فاطمة (عليها السلام) تنمي في اليوم كما ينمي الصبي في الشهر، وتنمي في الشهر كما ينمي الصبي في السنة (1).

“And ten of the houris came in, each with a basin from Paradise and a ewer from Paradise, and in the ewer water of al-Kawthar. The woman who was before her took her and washed her with the water of al-Kawthar, and brought out two white cloths, whiter than milk and more fragrant than musk and ambergris; she wrapped her in one and veiled her with the other. Then she bade her speak, and Fatimah, peace be upon her, spoke the two testimonies: I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that my father is the Messenger of God, master of the prophets, and that my husband is master of the successors, and my sons the masters of the grandsons. Then she greeted them, and called each one of them by her name, and they came towards her laughing. The houris gave one another the glad news; the people of heaven gave one another the glad news of the birth of Fatimah, peace be upon her; and there appeared in heaven a radiant light such as the angels had not seen before. And the women said: Take her, Khadija, pure, purified, chaste and blessed; blessed is she, and blessed her offspring. She took her, joyful and glad, and gave her the breast, and the milk flowed for her. And Fatimah, peace be upon her, grew in a day as a child grows in a month, and in a month as a child grows in a year. (1)”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through al-Mufaddal ibn Umar; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, hadith 940 (thaqalayn), the report’s last part; my translation; the (1) is the edition’s note mark

4-22 أخبرني محمد بن علي بن إسماعيل قال: أخبرنا أبوالعباس ابن منيع قال: حدثنا شيبان بن فروخ قال: حدثنا داود بن أبي الفرات قال: حدثنا علباء بن أحمـرقال: حدثنا عكرمة، عن ابن عباس قال: خط رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أربع خطط في الارض وقال: أتدرون ما هذا: قلنا الله ورسوله أعلم فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: أفضل نساء [أهل] الجنة أربع: خديجة بنت خويلد، وفاطمة بنت محمد، ومريم بنت عمران، وآسية بنت مزاحم امرأة فرعون

“4-22 – Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Isma’il informed me: Abu al-Abbas ibn Mani’ informed us: Shayban ibn Farrukh narrated to us: Dawud ibn Abi al-Furat narrated to us: Ilba’ ibn Ahmar narrated to us: Ikrima narrated to us, from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, drew four lines on the ground and said: Do you know what this is? We said: God and His Messenger know best. Then the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, said: The best of the women of [the people of] Paradise are four: Khadija daughter of Khuwaylid, Fatimah daughter of Muhammad, Mary daughter of Imran, and Asiya daughter of Muzahim, the wife of Pharaoh.”

— the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his righteous companions, through Ibn Abbas; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Khisal, hadith 536 (thaqalayn); my translation; the square brackets are the edition’s

the two reports in full, each with its chain.

حدثنا أحمد بن زياد بن جعفر الهمداني - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن سنان، عن المفضل بن عمر قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: أخبرني عن قول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في فاطمة: “ أنها سيدة نساء العالمين “ أهي سيدة نساء عالمها؟ فقال: ذاك لمريم كانت سيدة نساء عالمها، وفاطمة سيدة نساء العالمين من الأولين والآخرين.

“Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja’far al-Hamadani — may God have mercy on him — narrated to us: Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim narrated to us, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from al-Mufaddal ibn Umar, who said: I said to Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him: Tell me about the words of the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, about Fatimah, ‘She is the mistress of the women of the worlds’ — is she the mistress of the women of her own world? He said: That is for Mary: she was the mistress of the women of her world; and Fatimah is the mistress of the women of the worlds, from the first to the last.”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through al-Mufaddal ibn Umar; Shaykh al-Saduq, Ma’ani al-Akhbar, hadith 134 (thaqalayn); my translation

7 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد (رحمه الله)، قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الصفار، عن العباس بن معروف، عن أبي إسحاق، عن الحسن بن زياد العطار، قال: قلت لابي عبد الله (عليه السلام): قول رسول الله: فاطمة سيدة نساء أهل الجنة، أسيدة نساء عالمها؟ قال: ذاك مريم، وفاطمة سيدة نساء أهل الجنة من الاولين والآخرين. فقلت: فقول رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله): الحسن والحسين سيدا شباب أهل الجنة؟ قال: هما والله سيدا شباب أهل الجنة من الاولين والآخرين (3).

“7 – Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid, may God have mercy on him, narrated to us: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar narrated to us, from al-Abbas ibn Ma’ruf, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Hasan ibn Ziyad al-Attar, who said: I said to Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him: The words of the Messenger of God, ‘Fatimah is the mistress of the women of the people of Paradise’ — is she the mistress of the women of her world? He said: That is Mary; and Fatimah is the mistress of the women of the people of Paradise, from the first to the last. I said: And the words of the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, ‘al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the two masters of the youth of the people of Paradise’? He said: They are, by God, the two masters of the youth of the people of Paradise, from the first to the last. (3)”

— Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace and blessings be upon him, through al-Hasan ibn Ziyad al-Attar; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, hadith 216 (thaqalayn); my translation; the (3) is the edition’s note mark

18 - حدثنا أحمد بن زياد بن جعفر الهمداني (رحمه الله)، قال: حدثنا علي ابن إبراهيم بن هاشم، قال: حدثنا جعفر بن سلمة الاهوازي، قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن محمد الثقفي، عن إبراهيم بن موسى ابن اخت الواقدي، قال: حدثنا أبو قتادة الحراني، عن عبد الرحمن بن العلاء الحضرمي، عن سعيد بن المسيب، عن ابن عباس، قال: إن رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) كان جالسا ذات يوم وعنده علي وفاطمة والحسن والحسين (عليهم السلام)، فقال: اللهم إنك تعلم أن هؤلاء أهل بيتي وأكرم الناس علي فأحبب من أحبهم، وأبغض من أبغضهم، ووال من والاهم، وعاد من عاداهم، وأعن من أعانهم، واجعلهم مطهرين من كل رجس، معصومين من كل ذنب، وأيدهم بروح القدس. ثم قال (صلى الله عليه وآله): يا علي، أنت إمام امتي، وخليفتي عليها بعدي، وأنت قائد المؤمنين إلى الجنة، وكأني أنظر إلى ابنتي فاطمة قد أقبلت يوم القيامة على نجيب من نور، عن يمينها سبعون ألف ملك، وعن يسارها سبعون ألف ملك، وبين يديها سبعون ألف ملك، وخلفها سبعون ألف ملك، تقود مؤمنات أمتي إلى الجنة، فأيما امرأة صلت في اليوم والليلة خمس صلوات، وصامت شهر رمضان، وحجت بيت الله الحرام، وزكت مالها، وأطاعت زوجها، ووالت عليا بعدي، دخلت الجنة بشفاعة ابنتي فاطمة، وإنها لسيدة نساء العالمين. فقيل له: يا رسول الله، أهي سيدة نساء عالمها؟ فقال النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): ذاك لمريم بنت عمران، فأما ابنتي فاطمة فهي سيدة نساء العالمين من الاولين والآخرين، وإنها لتقوم في محرابها فيسلم عليها سبعون ألف ملك من الملائكة المقربين، وينادونها بما نادت به الملائكة مريم فيقولون: يا فاطمة (إن الله اصطفاك وطهرك واصطفاك على نساء العالمين) (1). ثم التفت إلى علي (عليه السلام)، فقال: يا علي، إن فاطمة بضعة مني، وهي نور عيني، وثمرة فؤادي، يسوءني ما ساءها، ويسرني ما سرها، وإنها أول من يلحقني من أهل بيتي فأحسن إليها بعدي، وأما الحسن والحسين فهما ابناي وريحانتاي، وهما سيدا شباب أهل الجنة، فليكرما عليك كسمعك وبصرك. ثم رفع (صلى الله عليه وآله) يده إلى السماء، فقال: اللهم إني أشهدك أني محب لمن أحبهم، ومبغض لمن أبغضهم، وسلم لمن سالمهم، وحرب لمن حاربهم، وعدو لمن عاداهم، وولي لمن والاهم (2).

“18 – Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja’far al-Hamadani, may God have mercy on him, narrated to us: Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim narrated to us: Ja’far ibn Salama al-Ahwazi narrated to us: Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi narrated to us, from Ibrahim ibn Musa, the son of al-Waqidi’s sister, who said: Abu Qatada al-Harrani narrated to us, from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Ala’ al-Hadrami, from Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib, from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, was sitting one day, and with him were Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be upon them, and he said: O God, You know that these are the people of my house, and the most honoured of people to me; so love whoever loves them, and hate whoever hates them; befriend whoever befriends them, and be the enemy of whoever is their enemy; help whoever helps them; make them purified of every filth, protected from every sin; and support them with the Holy Spirit. Then he, God bless him and his family, said: O Ali, you are the Imam of my community and my successor over it after me, and you are the leader of the believers to Paradise. And it is as if I see my daughter Fatimah coming on the Day of Resurrection on a noble mount of light, seventy thousand angels on her right, seventy thousand on her left, seventy thousand before her and seventy thousand behind her, leading the believing women of my community to Paradise. So any woman who prays the five prayers in the day and the night, fasts the month of Ramadan, makes the pilgrimage to God’s Sacred House, gives the alms of her wealth, obeys her husband and takes Ali as her guardian after me, will enter Paradise by the intercession of my daughter Fatimah. And she is the mistress of the women of the worlds. Someone said to him: O Messenger of God, is she the mistress of the women of her world? The Prophet, God bless him and his family, said: That is for Mary daughter of Imran. As for my daughter Fatimah, she is the mistress of the women of the worlds, from the first to the last; and she stands in her prayer-niche (mihrab), and seventy thousand of the angels brought near greet her, and call to her with what the angels called to Mary, saying: O Fatimah, ‘God has chosen you and purified you, and chosen you above the women of the worlds’ (3:42). (1) Then he turned to Ali, peace be upon him, and said: O Ali, Fatimah is a part of me; she is the light of my eye and the fruit of my heart; what grieves her grieves me, and what gladdens her gladdens me; and she is the first of my household to join me — so be good to her after me. As for al-Hasan and al-Husayn, they are my two sons and my two sweet basils, and they are the two masters of the youth of the people of Paradise; so let them be as dear to you as your hearing and your sight. Then he, God bless him and his family, raised his hand to the sky and said: O God, I call You to witness that I love whoever loves them, and hate whoever hates them; I am at peace with whoever is at peace with them, and at war with whoever wars against them; the enemy of whoever is their enemy, and the friend of whoever befriends them. (2)”

— the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his righteous companions, through Ibn Abbas; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, hadith 781 (thaqalayn), the whole report; my translation; the (1) and (2) are the edition’s note marks

Allamah’s words in full; and the verse he cites, whose quotation his “...” closes.

أقول: و الروايات فيما يقرب من هذا المضمون من طرق الفريقين كثيرة، و كون هؤلاء سيدات النساء لا ينافي وجود التفاضل بينهن أنفسهن كما يظهر من الخبر السادس المنقول من الدر المنثور و أخبار أخرى، و قد مر نظير هذا البحث في تفسير قوله تعالى:«إن الله اصطفى آدم و نوحا»الآية: آل عمران - 33.

و مما ينبغي أن يتنبه له أن الواقع في الآية هو الاصطفاء، و قد مر أنه الاختيار، و الذي وقع في الأخبار هو السيادة، و بينهما فرق بحسب المعنى فالثاني من مراتب كمال الأول.

“I say: The reports close to this meaning, by the paths of both schools, are many. That these women are the mistresses of women does not rule out degrees of excellence among them, as the sixth report quoted from al-Durr al-Manthur and other reports show; a discussion like this has already passed at His words, ‘God chose Adam and Noah...’ (3:33).

And it should be noticed that what is in the verse is choosing (istifa’), which we have said is selection, while what is in the reports is mastery (siyada); and between them there is a difference in meaning: the second is one of the ranks of the perfection of the first.”

— Allamah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i, al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, on Surah Aal Imran (the Chapter of the Family of Imran) #3, Verses 42 to 60, from his section of reports; my translation

۞إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصۡطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحٗا وَءَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمۡرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

“Indeed God chose Adam and Noah, and the progeny of Abraham and the progeny of Imran above all the nations;”

— Qur’an, Surah Aal Imran (the Chapter of the Family of Imran) #3, Verse 33

وَأۡمُرۡ أَهۡلَكَ بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ عَلَيۡهَاۖ لَا نَسۡـَٔلُكَ رِزۡقٗاۖ نَّحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُكَۗ وَٱلۡعَٰقِبَةُ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰ

“And bid your family to prayer and be steadfast in maintaining it. We do not ask any provision of you: it is We who provide for you, and to Godwariness belongs the ultimate outcome [in the Hereafter].”

— Qur’an, Surah Ta-Ha (the Chapter of Ta-Ha) #20, Verse 132

The report’s chain, and its twelfth distinction in full. Between them runs the whole of Imam al-Rida’s account, at Marv, of the distinctions of the Pure Family — many pages, not set here.

حدثنا الشيخ الجليل أبو جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن موسى ابن بابويه القمي (رحمه الله)، قال: حدثنا علي بن الحسين بن شاذويه المؤدب وجعفر بن محمد بن مسرور (رضي الله عنهما)، قالا: حدثنا محمد بن عبد الله بن جعفر الحميري، عن أبيه، عن الريان بن الصلت، قال:

“The eminent Shaykh Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Musa ibn Babawayh al-Qummi, may God have mercy on him, narrated to us: Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Shadhawayh al-Mu’addib and Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Masrur, may God be pleased with them both, narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Abdillah ibn Ja’far al-Himyari narrated to us, from his father, from al-Rayyan ibn al-Salt, who said: …”

وأما الثانية عشرة: فقول الله عز وجل: (وأمر أهلك بالصلاة واصطبر عليها) (1) فخصنا الله بهذه الخصوصية، أن أمرنا مع الامة بإقامة الصلاة، ثم خصنا من دون الامة، فكان رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) يجيئ إلى باب علي وفاطمة بعد نزول هذه الآية تسعة أشهر كل يوم عند حضور كل صلاة خمس مرات، فيقول: الصلاة رحمكم الله.

“As for the twelfth: the words of God, mighty and majestic, ‘And bid your family to prayer, and be steadfast in it.’ God singled us out with this distinction: He commanded us, with the community, to establish the prayer, then singled us out apart from the community. After this verse came down, the Messenger of God, God bless him and his family, would come to the door of Ali and Fatimah for nine months, every day at the time of every prayer, five times, and say: The prayer — may God have mercy on you.”

— Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, peace and blessings be upon him, through al-Rayyan ibn al-Salt; Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, hadith 836 (thaqalayn): its chain, and the twelfth distinction; my translation; the (1) in the Arabic is the edition’s note mark

The same coming, in two other books. In Shaykh al-Mufid’s Amali it is every morning, in Amir al-Mu’minin’s own words — with no door named, and Sayyedah Fatimah not named.

4 - قال: حدثنا أبو بكر محمد بن عمر الجعابي رحمه الله قال: حدثني أحمد بن عيسى بن أبي موسى بالكوفة قال: حدثنا عبدوس بن محمد الحضرمي قال: حدثنا محمد بن فرات، عن أبي إسحاق، عن الحارث، عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يأتينا كل غداة فيقول: الصلاة رحمكم الله الصلاة “ إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيرا “.

“4 – He said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ji’abi, may God have mercy on him, narrated to us: Ahmad ibn Isa ibn Abi Musa narrated to me, in Kufa: Abdus ibn Muhammad al-Hadrami narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Furat narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Harith, from Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, who said: The Messenger of God, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, used to come to us every morning and say: The prayer — may God have mercy on you — the prayer: ‘God only desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you thoroughly’ (33:33).”

— Amir al-Mu’minin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace and blessings be upon him, through al-Harith; Shaykh al-Mufid, al-Amali, hadith 350 (thaqalayn); my translation

And Allamah Tabataba’i, on the verse, gives eight months at the door of Ali from al-Durr al-Manthur, then nine from Majma’ al-Bayan — and says the number is only what the narrator saw:

و فيه، أخرج ابن مردويه و ابن عساكر و ابن النجار عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال: لما نزلت«و أمر أهلك بالصلاة»كان النبي(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)يجيء إلى باب علي ثمانية أشهر يقول: الصلاة رحمكم الله إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت و يطهركم تطهيرا.

أقول: و رواه في مجمع البيان، عن الخدري و فيه تسعة أشهر مكان ثمانية أشهر، و روى هذا المعنى في العيون، في مجلس الرضا مع المأمون عنه،(عليه السلام)و رواه القمي أيضا في تفسيره، مرفوعا، و التقييد بتسعة أشهر مبني على ما شاهده الراوي لا على تحديد أصل إتيانه(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)و الشاهد عليه ما رواه الشيخ في الأمالي، بإسناده عن أبي الحميراء قال: شهدت النبي(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)أربعين صباحا يجيء إلى باب علي و فاطمة فيأخذ بعضادتي الباب ثم يقول: السلام عليكم أهل البيت و رحمة الله و بركاته الصلاة يرحمكم الله إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت و يطهركم تطهيرا.

و ظاهر الرواية كون الآية مدنية و لم يذكر ذلك أحد فيما أذكر و لعل المراد بيان إتيانه(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)الباب في المدينة عملا بالآية و لو كانت نازلة بمكة و إن كان بعيدا من اللفظ و في رواية القمي التي أومأنا إليها ما يؤيد هذا المعنى ففيها: فلم يزل يفعل ذلك كل يوم إذا شهد المدينة حتى فارق الدنيا، و حديث أمره أهل بيته بالصلاة مروي بطرق أخرى أيضا غير ما مرت الإشارة إليه.

“And in it [al-Durr al-Manthur]: Ibn Mardawayh, Ibn Asakir and Ibn al-Najjar have narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, who said: When ‘And bid your family to prayer’ came down, the Prophet, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, would come to the door of Ali for eight months, saying: The prayer — may God have mercy on you: ‘God only desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you thoroughly.’

I say: Majma’ al-Bayan narrates it from al-Khudri, and there it has nine months in place of eight; al-’Uyun narrates the same meaning, from al-Rida, peace be upon him, in his session with al-Ma’mun; and al-Qummi too narrates it in his Tafsir, without its full chain. The limit of nine months rests on what the narrator witnessed, not on fixing how long he, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, kept coming. The witness to this is what the Shaykh [al-Tusi] narrates in al-Amali, with his chain, from Abu al-Humayra’, who said: I witnessed the Prophet, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, for forty mornings coming to the door of Ali and Fatimah, taking hold of the two posts of the door, and saying: Peace be upon you, People of the Household, and the mercy of God and His blessings. The prayer — may God have mercy on you: ‘God only desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you thoroughly.’

The plain sense of the report is that the verse is Medinan, and no one has said so, as far as I recall. Perhaps what is meant is his coming, God bless him and his family and grant them peace, to the door in Medina, acting on the verse, even if it came down in Mecca — though that is far from the wording. And in al-Qummi’s report, to which we pointed, there is what supports this meaning: in it, ‘he did not cease doing that every day, whenever he was in Medina, until he left the world.’ And the report of his bidding his household to prayer is narrated by other paths too, besides those we have pointed to.”

— Allamah Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i, al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, on Surah Ta-Ha (the Chapter of Ta-Ha) #20, Verses 127 to 135, from his section of reports; my translation

The whole supplication, in its Arabic and in the English of our text of the Sahifa.

The English headings between its passages are the file’s own, not the Imam’s.

دُعَاؤُهُ لِوُلدِهِ (عليه السلام)

His Supplication for his Children

Petition for Divine Kindness Through Children’s Flourishing

اللَّهُمَّ وَمُنَّ عَلَيَّ بِبَقَاءِ وُلْدِي وَبِإِصْلَاحِهِمْ لِي و بِإِمْتَاعِي بِهِمْ

O God, be kind to me through the survival of my children, setting them right for me, and allowing me to enjoy them!

Comprehensive Supplication for Children’s Longevity, Health, and Provision

إِلَهِي امْدُدْ لِي فِي أَعْمَارِهِمْ، وَزِدْ لِي فِي آجَالِهِمْ، وَرَبِّ لِي صَغِيرَهُمْ، وَقَوِّ لِي ضَعِيفَهُمْ، وَأَصِحَّ لِي أَبْدَانَهُمْ وَأَدْيَانَهُمْ وَأَخْلَاقَهُمْ، وَعَافِهِمْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَفِي جَوَارِحِهِمْ وَفِي كُلِّ مَا عُنِيتُ بِهِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ، وَأَدْرِرْ لِي وَعَلَى يَدِي أَرْزَاقَهُمْ

My God, make long their lives for me, increase their terms, bring up the smallest for me, strengthen the weakest for me, rectify for me their bodies, their religious dedication, and their moral traits, make them well in their souls, their limbs, and everything that concerns me of their affair, and pour out for me and upon my hand their provisions!

Prayer for Children’s Piety, Fear of God, and Enmity Toward Evil

وَاجْعَلْهُمْ أَبْرَاراً أَتْقِيَاءَ بُصَرَاءَ سَامِعِينَ مُطِيعِينَ لَكَ، وَلِأَوْلِيَائِكَ مُحِبِّينَ مُنَاصِحِينَ، وَلِجَمِيعِ أَعْدَائِكَ مُعَانِدِينَ وَمُبْغِضِينَ، آمِينَ

Make them pious, fearing, insightful, hearing, and obedient toward You, loving and well-disposed toward Your friends, and stubbornly resistant and full of hate toward all Your enemies! Amen!

Petition for Children as Source of Strength, Honour, and Filial Devotion

اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ بِهِمْ عَضُدِي، وَأَقِمْ بِهِمْ أَوَدِي، وَكَثِّرْ بِهِمْ عَدَدِي، وَزَيِّنْ بِهِمْ مَحْضَرِي، وَأَحْيِ بِهِمْ ذِكْرِي، وَاكْفِنِي بِهِمْ فِي غَيْبَتِي، وَأَعِنِّي بِهِمْ عَلَى حَاجَتِي، وَاجْعَلْهُمْ لِي مُحِبِّينَ، وَعَلَيَّ حَدِبِينَ مُقْبِلِينَ مُسْتَقِيمِينَ لِي، مُطِيعِينَ، غَيْرَ عَاصِينَ وَلَا عَاقِّينَ وَلَا مُخَالِفِينَ وَلَا خَاطِئِينَ

O God, through them strengthen my arm, straighten my burdened back, multiply my number, adorn my presence, keep alive my mention, suffice me when I am away, help me in my needs, and make them loving toward me, affectionate, approaching, upright, obedient, never disobedient, disrespectful, opposed, or offenders!

Seeking Divine Aid in Upbringing and the Gift of Righteous Male Offspring

وَأَعِنِّي عَلَى تَرْبِيَتِهِمْ وَتَأْدِيبِهِمْ، وَبِرِّهِمْ، وَهَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ مَعَهُمْ أَوْلَاداً ذُكُوراً، وَاجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ خَيْراً لِي، وَاجْعَلْهُمْ لِي عَوْناً عَلَى مَا سَأَلْتُكَ

Help me in their upbringing, their education, and my devotion toward them, give me among them from Yourself male children, make that a good for me, and make them a help for me in that which I ask from You!

Plea for Refuge from Satan’s Indwelling Authority and Ceaseless Scheming

وَأَعِذْنِي وَذُرِّيَّتِي مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ خَلَقْتَنَا وَأَمَرْتَنَا وَنَهَيْتَنَا وَرَغَّبْتَنَا فِي ثَوَابِ مَا أَمَرْتَنَا وَرَهَّبْتَنَا عِقَابَهُ، وَجَعَلْتَ لَنَا عَدُوّاً يَكِيدُنَا، سَلَّطْتَهُ مِنَّا عَلَى مَا لَمْ تُسَلِّطْنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُ، أَسْكَنْتَهُ صُدُورَنَا، وَأَجْرَيْتَهُ مَجَارِيَ دِمَائِنَا، لَا يَغْفُلُ إِنْ غَفَلْنَا، وَلَا يَنْسَى إِنْ نَسِينَا، يُؤْمِنُنَا عِقَابَكَ، وَيُخَوِّفُنَا بِغَيْرِكَ

Give me and my progeny refuge from the accursed Satan, for You have created us, commanded us, and prohibited us, and made us desire the reward of what You have commanded, and fear its punishment! You assigned to us an enemy who schemes against us, gave him an authority over us in a way that You did not give us authority over him, allowed him to dwell in our breasts and let him run in our blood vessels; he is not heedless, though we be heedless, he does not forget, though we forget; he makes us feel secure from Your punishment and fills us with fear toward other than You.

Satan’s Emboldening of Sin and Obstruction of Righteous Deeds Described

إِنْ هَمَمْنَا بِفَاحِشَةٍ شَجَّعَنَا عَلَيْهَا، وَإِنْ هَمَمْنَا بِعَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ ثَبَّطَنَا عَنْهُ، يَتَعَرَّضُ لَنَا بِالشَّهَوَاتِ، وَيَنْصِبُ لَنَا بِالشُّبُهَاتِ، إِنْ وَعَدَنَا كَذَبَنَا، وَإِنْ مَنَّانَا أَخْلَفَنَا، وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنَّا كَيْدَهُ يُضِلَّنَا، وَإِلَّا تَقِنَا خَبَالَهُ يَسْتَزِلَّنَا

If we are about to commit an indecency, he gives us courage to do so, and if we are about to perform a righteous work, he holds us back from it. He opposes us through passions, and sets up for us doubts. If he promises us, he lies, and if he raises our hopes, he fails to fulfil them If You do not turn his trickery away from us, he will misguide us, and if You do not protect us from his corruption, he will cause us to slip

Petition That God’s Authority Defeat Satan’s Power Through Frequent Supplication

اللَّهُمَّ فَاقْهَرْ سُلْطَانَهُ عَنَّا بِسُلْطَانِكَ حَتَّى تَحْبِسَهُ عَنَّا بِكَثْرَةِ الدُّعَاءِ لَكَ فَنُصْبِحَ مِنْ كَيْدِهِ فِي الْمَعْصُومِينَ بِكَ

O God, so defeat his authority over us through Your authority, such that You hold him back from us through the frequency of our supplication to You and we leave his trickery and rise up among those preserved by You from sin!

Comprehensive Plea for All Requests, Needs, and Divine Responsiveness

اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِنِي كُلَّ سُؤْلِي، وَاقْضِ لِي حَوَائِجِي، وَلَا تَمْنَعْنِي الْإِجَابَةَ وَقَدْ ضَمِنْتَهَا لِي، وَلَا تَحْجُبْ دُعَائِي عَنْكَ وَقَدْ أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ، وَامْنُنْ عَلَيَّ بِكُلِّ مَا يُصْلِحُنِي فِي دُنْيَايَ وَآخِرَتِي مَا ذَكَرْتُ مِنْهُ وَمَا نَسِيتُ، أَوْ أَظْهَرْتُ أَوْ أَخْفَيْتُ أَوْ أَعْلَنْتُ أَوْ أَسْرَرْتُ

O God, grant me my every request, accomplish for me my needs, withhold not from me Your response when You have made Yourself accountable for it to me, veil not my supplication from Yourself, when You have commanded me to make it, and be kind to me through everything that will set me right in this world and the next, in everything that I remember or forget, display or conceal, make public or keep secret!

Prayer to Be Numbered Among Those Whose Trust in God Is Answered

وَاجْعَلْنِي فِي جَمِيعِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ بِسُؤَالِي إِيَّاكَ، الْمُنْجِحِينَ بِالطَّلَبِ إِلَيْكَ غَيْرِ الْمَمْنُوعِينَ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ عَلَيْكَ

In all of this, place me through my asking You among those who set things right, those who are answered favourably when they request from You and from whom is not withheld when they put their trust in You,

Enumeration of the Blessed States Sought Through Divine Mercy and Justice

الْمُعَوَّدِينَ بِالتَّعَوُّذِ بِكَ، الرَّابِحِينَ فِي التِّجَارَةِ عَلَيْكَ، الْمُجَارِينَ بِعِزِّكَ، الْمُوَسَّعِ عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّزْقُ الْحَلَالُ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ، الْوَاسِعِ بِجُودِكَ وَكَرَمِكَ، الْمُعَزِّينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ بِكَ، وَالْمُجَارِينَ مِنَ الظُّلْمِ بِعَدْلِكَ، وَالْمُعَافَيْنَ مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ بِرَحْمَتِكَ، وَالْمُغْنَيْنَ مِنَ الْفَقْرِ بِغِنَاكَ، وَالْمَعْصُومِينَ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ وَالزَّلَلِ وَالْخَطَاءِ بِتَقْوَاكَ، وَالْمُوَفَّقِينَ لِلْخَيْرِ وَالرُّشْدِ وَالصَّوَابِ بِطَاعَتِكَ، وَالْمُحَالِ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الذُّنُوبِ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، التَّارِكِينَ لِكُلِّ مَعْصِيَتِكَ، السَّاكِنِينَ فِي جِوَارِكَ

those accustomed to seek refuge in You, those who profit through commerce with You, those granted sanctuary through Your might, those given lawful provision in plenty from Your boundless bounty through Your munificence and generosity, those who reach exaltation after abasement through You, those granted sanctuary from wrong through Your justice, those released from affliction through Your mercy, those delivered from need after poverty through Your riches, those preserved from sins, slips, and offenses through reverential fear toward You, those successful in goodness, right conduct, and propriety through obeying You, those walled off from sins through Your power, the refrainers from every act of disobedience toward You, the dwellers in Your neighbourhood!

Universal Supplication Extended to All Muslims Invoking Seven Divine Names

اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِنَا جَمِيعَ ذَلِكَ بِتَوْفِيقِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ، وَأَعِذْنَا مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ، وَأَعْطِ جَمِيعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ مِثْلَ الَّذِي سَأَلْتُكَ لِنَفْسِي وَلِوُلْدِي فِي عَاجِلِ الدُّنْيَا وَآجِلِ الْآخِرَةِ، إِنَّكَ قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ عَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ

O God, give me all of that through Your bestowal of success and Your mercy, grant us refuge from the chastisement of the burning, and give to all the Muslims, male and female, and all the faithful, male and female, the like of what I have asked for myself and my children, in the immediate of this world and the deferred of the next! Verily You are the Near, the Responder, the All-hearing, the All-knowing, the Pardoner, the Forgiving, the Clement, the Merciful!

Quranic Petition for Worldly Good, Eschatological Good, and Protection from Hellfire

وَآتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً، وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

And give to us in this world good, and in the next world good, and protect us from the chastisement of the Fire!

— Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad, peace and blessings be upon him; al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, Supplication 25, his supplication for his children, whole — the English of our text of the Sahifa; for the reader only