Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban said, "My grandfather Habban had two wives, one from the Hashimites and one from the Ansars. He divorced the Ansariyya while she was nursing, and a year passed and he died and she had still not yet menstruated. She said, 'I inherit from him. I have not menstruated yet.' The wives quarrelled and went to Uthman ibn Affan. He decided that she did inherit, and the Hashimiyya rebuked Uthman. He said, 'This is the practice of the son of your paternal uncle. He pointed this out to us.' He meant Ali ibn Abi Talib."

`Ali said, "I will be the first to kneel before the Beneficent on the Day of Resurrection because of the dispute." Qais said; This Verse: 'These two opponents (believers and disbelievers dispute with each other about their Lord,' (22.19) was revealed in connection with those who came out for the Battle of Badr, i.e. `Ali, Hamza, 'Ubaida, Shaiba bin Rabi`a, `Utba bin Rabi`a and Al-Walid bin `Utba.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Ali ibn Abi Talib said about the two arbiters about whom Allah, the Exalted, said,"If you fear a breach between the two, appoint an arbiter from his people, and an arbiter from her people. If they desire to set things aright, Allah will make peace between them, surely Allah is Knowing, Aware," (Sura 4 ayat 35), that the separation and the joining were overseen by the two of them.

Malik said, "That is the best of what I have heard from the people of knowledge. Whatever the two arbiters say concerning separation or joining is taken into consideration "

Malik related to me that he had heard that Uthman ibn Affan was brought a woman who had given birth after six months and he ordered her to be stoned. Ali ibn Abi Talib said to him, "She does not deserve that. Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, says in His Book, 'Their carrying and weaning is thirty months,' (Sura 46 ayat 15) and he said, 'Mothers suckle their children for two full years for whoever wishes to complete the suckling.' (Sura 2 ayat 233) Pregnancy can then be six months, so she does not deserve to be stoned." Uthman ibn Affan sent for her and found that she had already been stoned.

Malik related to me that he asked Ibn Shihab about someone who committed sodomy. Ibn Shihab said, "He is to be stoned, whether or not he is muhsan."

The Prophet (saws) granted permission to a person who was sexually defiled to eat or drink or sleep after performing ablution.

Abu Dawud said: In the chain of this tradition there is a narrator between Yahya b. Ya'mur and 'Ammar b. Yasir. 'Ali b. Abi Talib, Ibn 'Umar and 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr said: When a person is sexually defiled wants to eat, he should perform ablution.

I memorised (a tradition) from the Messenger of Allah (saws): There is no orphanhood after puberty, and there is no silence for the whole day till the night.

Ibn Abbas said: A lunatic woman passed by Ali ibn AbuTalib. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition to the same effect as Uthman mentioned. This version has: Do you not remember that the Messenger of Allah (saws) has said: There are three whose actions are not recorded: a lunatic whose mind is deranged till he is restored to consciousness, a sleeper till he awakes, and a boy till he reaches puberty?

Jabir said, "The Prophet ordered `Ali to keep the state of Ihram." Jabir added, "Ali bin Abi Talib returned (from Yemen) when he was a governor (of Yemen). The Prophet said to him, 'With what intention have you assumed the state of Ihram?' `Ali said, "I have assumed Ihram with an intention as that of the Prophet." Then the Prophet said (to him), 'Offer a Hadi and keep the state of Ihram in which you are now.' `Ali slaughtered a Hadi on his behalf."

I heard Allah's Apostle who was on the pulpit, saying, "Banu Hisham bin Al-Mughira have requested me to allow them to marry their daughter to `Ali bin Abu Talib, but I don't give permission, and will not give permission unless `Ali bin Abi Talib divorces my daughter in order to marry their daughter, because Fatima is a part of my body, and I hate what she hates to see, and what hurts her, hurts me."

`Imran bin Husain and I offered the prayer behind `Ali bin Abi Talib. When `Ali prostrated, he said the Takbir, when he raised his head, he said the Takbir and when he got up for the third rak`a he said the Takbir. On completion of the prayer `Imran took my hand and said, "This (i.e. `Ali) made me remember the prayer of Muhammad" Or he said, "He led us in a prayer like that of Muhammad."

`Imran and I prayed behind `Ali bin Abi Talib and he said Takbir on prostrating, on rising and on getting up after the two rak`at (i.e. after the second rak`a). When the prayer was finished, `Imran took me by the hand and said, "He (`Ali) has prayed the prayer of Muhammad" (or said, "He made us remember the prayer of Muhammad).

From Qais bin Ubad: `Ali bin Abi Talib said, "I shall be the first man to kneel down before (Allah), the Beneficent to receive His judgment on the day of Resurrection (in my favor)." Qais bin Ubad also said, "The following Verse was revealed in their connection:-- "These two opponents believers and disbelievers) Dispute with each other About their Lord." (22.19) Qais said that they were those who fought on the day of Badr, namely, Hamza, `Ali, 'Ubaida or Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Harith, Shaiba bin Rabi`a, `Utba and Al-Wahd bin `Utba.

One night Allah's Apostle came to me and Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and asked, "Won't you pray (at night)?" I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Our souls are in the hands of Allah and if He wants us to get up He will make us get up." When I said that, he left us without saying anything and I heard that he was hitting his thigh and saying, "But man is more quarrelsome than anything." (18.54)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Qabisa ibn Dhu'ayb that a man asked Uthman ibn Affan whether one could have intercourse with two sisters who one owned. Uthman said, "One ayat makes them halal, and one ayat makes them haram. As for me, I wouldn't like to do it." The man left him and met one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked him about it, and he said, "Had I any authority and I found someone who had done it, I would punish him as an example."

Ibn Shihab added, "I think that it was Ali ibn Abi Talib. "

Ali ibn AbuTalib commanded him to ask the Messenger of Allah (saws) what a man should do when he wants to have intercourse with his wife and the prostatic fluid comes out (at this moment). (He said): I am ashamed of consulting him because of the position of his daughter. Al-Miqdad said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (saws) about it. He said: When any of you finds, he should wash his private part, and perform ablution as he does for prayer.

Fatima came to the Prophet asking for a servant. He said, "May I inform you of something better than that? When you go to bed, recite "Subhan Allah' thirty three times, 'Al hamduli l-lah' thirty three times, and 'Allahu Akbar' thirty four times. `Ali added, 'I have never failed to recite it ever since." Somebody asked, "Even on the night of the battle of Siffin?" He said, "Even on the night of the battle of Siffin."

A time is certainly coming to mankind when people will bite each other and a rich man will hold fast, what he has in his possession (i.e. his property), though he was not commanded for that. Allah, Most High, said: "And do not forget liberality between yourselves." The men who are forced will contract sale while the Prophet (saws) forbade forced contract, one which involves some uncertainty, and the sale of fruit before it is ripe.

Safinah AbuAbdurRahman said that a man prepared food for Ali ibn AbuTalib who was his guest, and Fatimah said: I wish we had invited the Messenger of Allah (saws) and he had eaten with us. They invited him, and when he came he put his hands on the side-ports of the door, but when he saw the figured curtain which had been put at the end of the house, he went away. So Fatimah said to Ali: Follow him and see what turned him back. I (Ali) followed him and asked: What turned you back, Messenger of Allah? He replied: It is not fitting for me or for any Prophet to enter a house which is decorated.