The Book of Social Manners
Private Conversations
1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ الْقَوْمُ ثَلاثَةً فَلا يَتَنَاجَى مِنْهُمُ اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا فَإِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ مَا يَحْزُنُهُ وَيُؤْذِيهِ.
1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Malik ibn ‘Atiyyah from abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Out of three people, two of them should not hold a private conversation because it saddens and hurts the feelings of the third.”
2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الأوَّلِ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ ثَلاثَةٌ فِي بَيْتٍ فَلا يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا يَغُمُّهُ.
2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Muhammad ibn Ali from Yunus ibn Ya’qub from abu al-Hassan, the first (a.s.) who has said the following: “Out of three people in one house, two of them should not hold a private conversation because it saddens the third.”
3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) مَنْ عَرَضَ لأخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ الْمُتَكَلِّمِ فِي حَدِيثِهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَدَشَ وَجْهَهُ.
3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘To one who disturbs the conversation of his Muslim brother it is like scratching his face.”
The Book of Social Manners
Manner of Sitting
1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْعَلَوِيِّ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) يَجْلِسُ ثَلاثاً الْقُرْفُصَا وَهُوَ أَنْ يُقِيمَ سَاقَيْهِ وَيَسْتَقْبِلَهُمَا بِيَدَيْهِ وَيَشُدَّ يَدَهُ فِي ذِرَاعِهِ وَكَانَ يَجْثُو عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَكَانَ يَثْنِي رِجْلاً وَاحِدَةً وَيَبْسُطُ عَلَيْهَا الأخْرَى وَلَمْ يُرَ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) مُتَرَبِّعاً قَطُّ.
1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from al-Nawfali from ‘Abd al-‘Azim ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan al-‘Alawi in a marfu’ manner from the Imam who has said the following: “The Holy Prophet would sit with three postures: al-Qurfusa . In this posture both knees are up and one holds them with both arms and hands around them, folding both legs backwards so one can sit on them and one leg folded and the other spread over the folded one. He was never seen sitting with legs squared.”
2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ الثُّمَالِيِّ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) قَاعِداً وَاضِعاً إِحْدَى رِجْلَيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَكْرَهُونَ هَذِهِ الْجِلْسَةَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهَا جِلْسَةُ الرَّبِّ فَقَالَ إِنِّي إِنَّمَا جَلَسْتُ هَذِهِ الْجِلْسَةَ لِلْمَلالَةِ وَالرَّبُّ لا يَمَلُّ وَلا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلا نَوْمٌ.
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) from abu Hamza al-Thumali who has said the following: “I saw Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) when sitting place one foot over his thigh. I said, ‘People dislike this sitting posture and say, “It is the sitting posture of the Lord.’” The Imam said, ‘I sit this way to relieve myself of tiredness. The Lord does not tire and slumber or sleep cannot overcome Him.’”
3ـ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُرَازِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ الزَّاهِدِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ رَضِيَ بِدُونِ التَّشَرُّفِ مِنَ الْمَجْلِسِ لَمْ يَزَلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَلائِكَتُهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَقُومَ.
3. Ali has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Muhammad ibn Murazim from abu Sulayman al-Zahid from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Whoever feels content with a seat without formalities in a gathering, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and His angels continue doing and asking favors for him until he leaves the gathering.”
4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) أَكْثَرَ مَا يَجْلِسُ تُجَاهَ الْقِبْلَةِ.
4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from certain individuals of his people from Talhah ibn Zayd from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah most of the time would sit facing the direction of Qiblah (Ka’bah).”
5ـ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ جَلَسَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مُتَوَرِّكاً رِجْلُهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذِهِ جِلْسَةٌ مَكْرُوهَةٌ فَقَالَ لا إِنَّمَا هُوَ شَيْءٌ قَالَتْهُ الْيَهُودُ لَمَّا أَنْ فَرَغَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ وَاسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ جَلَسَ هَذِهِ الْجِلْسَةَ لِيَسْتَرِيحَ فَأَنْزَلَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الله لا إِلهَ إِلا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلا نَوْمٌ وَبَقِيَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مُتَوَرِّكاً كَمَا هُوَ.
5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Mu’ Alla ibn Muhammad from al- Washsha’ from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman who has said the following: “Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) was sitting with his right foot on his left thigh. A man said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, this sitting posture is not desirable.’ The Imam said, ‘It is not so. That is a thing the Jews say that when Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, finished creating the heavens and earth and took His place on the Throne, He sat in this posture to rest and relax. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, revealed 255 of Chapter 2 of the Holy Quran, “Allah exists. No one deserves to be worshipped except Allah, the Everlasting and the Guardian of life. Drowsiness or sleep does not seize him. . . .’” (2:255) Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) continued to remain in that sitting posture.’”
6ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) إِذَا دَخَلَ مَنْزِلاً قَعَدَ فِي أَدْنَى الْمَجْلِسِ إِلَيْهِ حِينَ يَدْخُلُ.
6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “When the Messenger of Allah was to enter a house he would sit at the nearest place to the entrance.”
7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) سُوقُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَمَسْجِدِهِمْ فَمَنْ سَبَقَ إِلَى مَكَانٍ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهِ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ قَالَ وَكَانَ لا يَأْخُذُ عَلَى بُيُوتِ السُّوقِ كِرَاءً.
7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Talhah ibn Zayd from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) would say, ‘The market place of the Muslims is like their Mosque, the one who first takes a place stays there until night. ’ The narrator has said that he (the Imam) would not charge any rent for the shops.’”