Al-Kāfi, vol. 1, no. 923

6. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from al-Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Ali who has said that Sama‘a ibn Mihran narrated to me that al-Kalbi al-Nassaba narrated to him the following. “ I went to Madina and I had no knowledge of this matter (Leadership with Divine Authority, Imamat ). I went to the Mosque where I found a group of people of Quraysh. I asked them, “Can you give me information about the scholar of this family?” They said, “‘Abdallah ibn Hassan is the one.” I went to his house and asked permission to see him. A man came out of the house that I thought was his slave. I said to him, “Ask your master to grant me permission to see him.” He went inside and then came out saying come in.” I entered the house and found an old man devoted to worship and hard work. I greeted him and then he asked, “Who are you?”I then said, “I am a Kalbi (from the tribe of Kalb) and a genealogist.” He then asked, “What is it that you need?” I said, “I have come to ask certain questions.” He then asked, “Have you visited my son Muhammad?” I said, “I have began with you.” Then he said, “you may ask your questions.” I then said, “Explain to me the case of a man who says to his wife, “You are divorced as many times as the number of stars in heavens.” He said, “It becomes irrevokeable at the beginning of the month of Jawza’ (the third moth of a particular calendar). The rest are sins and penalties for him.” I said to myself, “This is one.” Then I said, “What does the honorable Shaykh say about rubbing over the shoe for Wuzu’ (a formal washing before prayer)?” He said, “A virtuous group would wipe over the shoe but we, Ahl al-Bayt do not wipe.” I then said to myself, “ This is the second.” I then asked, “What do you say about consuming eel for food, is it edible or not edible?” He said, “It is lawful, but we, Ahl al-Bayt leave it alone.” I then said to myself, “This is the third.” Then I said, “What do you say about drinking al-Nabidh, a certain kind of wine?” He said, “It is lawful but we, Ahl al-Bayt do not drink it.” I then left him saying to myself, “This group of people lie about this Ahl al-Bayt (family).” I then entered the Mosque and I looked at the group of people of Quraysh (a particular tribe) and other people. I greeted them and said to them, “ Who knows this Ahl al-Bayt (family)?” They said, “‘Abdallah ibn al-Hassan knows.” I then said, “I just visited him and did not find anything with him.” One person from the people raised his head and said, “Go to Ja’far ibn Muhammad (a.s.). He is the most knowledgeable one in this Ahl al-Bayt (family).” Certain individuals blamed that person for what he said. I then said, “People out of jealousy did not tell me about him when first I asked them.” I then said, “What is the matter with you! He is the one I want.” I then walked until I reached his house. I knocked the door and his slave came out and asked me, “Come in O brother from the tribe of Kalb.” He, by Allah, amazed me. I went inside but I was shaken. Up on looking I found a gentleman on the prayer rug with no pillow or blankets. He began to talk after I saluted him, “Who are you?” I then said to myself, “Glory to Allah, “His slave at the door said to me, “O brother from the tribe of Kalb, come in and his master asks me, “Who are you?” I then said, “I am a Kalbi, a genealogist.” He then tapped his forehead and said, “The devious people lie about Allah and they go stray faraway and suffer a great loss. O brother from Kalb, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, says, “To each of the tribes of ‘Ad, Tham7 d, the settlers around the well and many generations in between,” (25:38) Can you tell their genealogical relations?” I said, “No, May Allah take my soul in service for your cause.” Then he said, “Can you tell your own genealogical relations?” I said, “Yes, I so and so son of so and so and I went on and on.” He said, “Hold it there. It is not the way you say. What is the matter with you! Do you know who so and so son of so and so is?” I said, “Yes, so and so son of so and so.” He said, “ so and so son of so and so was a Kurdish shepherd. So and so Kurdish shepherd was on the mountain of the people of so and so. He went to so and so the wife of so and so that lived on the mountain on which he grazed his sheep. He feed her something and overwhelmed her. She gave birth to so and so and so and so son of so and so. And so and so daughter of so and so and so and so. Then he said, “Do you know these names?” I said, “No, May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, if you would not mind allow us to disregard this.” He then said, “It is because you said, then I said.” I then said, “I will not repeat.” He said, “Therefore, we will not repeat. Ask of what you have come for.” I then said, “Explain to me the case of the man who has said to his wife, “You are divorced as many times as the number of the stars of the heavens.” He said, “What is the matter with you! Have you not read the chapter, Al-Talaq (divorce)?” I said, “Yes, I have read it.” He then said, “Read it.” I then read, “. .divorce them at a time after which they can start their waiting period. Let them keep an account of the number of the days in the waiting period. . .”(65:1) He then said, “Do you find any of the stars of the heavens there?” I said, “No, I do not find.” Then I asked, “A man has said to his wife, “Your are divorced three times.” He said, “You must refer it to the book of Allah and the sunna of His Prophet (s.a).” Then he said, “ Divorce is only valid in a menses free period of time in which no carnal relation may have taken place between the wife and husband and there must be two acceptable witnesses present.” I then said to myself, “This is one.” Then he said, “Ask.” I then said, “What do you say about rubbing over the shoe for Wuzu’?” He smiled and said, “On the Day of Judgment when Allah will return everything to its thing and returned the skin to the sheep then you will see the rubbing people where their Wuzu’ will go.” I then said to myself, “This is the second.” He then turned to me and said, “Ask.” I then said, “Tell me about eel, is it lawful to consume it for food?” He said, “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, caused certain group of Israelites to metamorphose. Whatever from them was taken by the ocean turned into eel, such as hagfish, moray and anglefish etc., and whatever from them was left on land they turned into swine, and wild cats and lizards etc.,” I then said to myself, “This is the third.” He then turned to me and said, “Ask.” I said, “What do you say about al-Nabidh, (extracts from dates)?.” He said, “It is lawful’. I said, “We mix with it al-‘Akr (residue) and other things and drink.” He said, “ Shu, shu, that is foul smelling wine.” I then said, May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, what kind of Nabidh do you mean?” He then said, “Once the people of Madina complained to the Messenger of Allah about a change in their water and their feeling ill. He ordered them to make Nabidh. Thus, a man would ask his servant to throw a handful or so of dates in their water-sack. They would then drink from it and use for cleansing.” I then said, “How many pieces of date would come in a handful?” He said, “As much as a handful could be.” I then said, “One handful or two?” He said, “ Perhaps one or perhaps two handfuls.” I then said, “How big would have been the sack?” He said, “Big enough for a forty to eighty or more.” I then said, “Is it Artal (a certain measurement)?” He said, “Yes, Artal (about three hundred gram each) according to measurement of Iraq.” Al-Kalbi has said that he (a.s.) left and I also came out and I would tap my one hand with the other and say to myself, “If there is anything he it is.” Ever since al-Kalbi would follow the religion of Allah with the love of Ahl al-Bayt until he died.”