٤- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْكَرِيمِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِنَبِيِّهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَحْلَلْنا لَكَ أَزْواجَكَ كَمْ أَحَلَّ لَهُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ قَالَ مَا شَاءَ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ قُلْتُ [قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ] وَامْرَأَةً مُؤْمِنَةً إِنْ وَهَبَتْ نَفْسَها لِلنَّبِيِّ فَقَالَ لا تَحِلُّ الْهِبَةُ إِلا لِرَسُولِ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَأَمَّا لِغَيْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ فَلا يَصْلُحُ نِكَاحٌ إِلا بِمَهْرٍ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ قَوْلَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّساءُ مِنْ بَعْدُ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا عَنَى بِهِ لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاءُ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللهُ فِي هَذِهِ الآيَةِ حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهاتُكُمْ وَبَناتُكُمْ وَأَخَواتُكُمْ وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخالاتُكُمْ إِلَى آخِرِهَا وَلَوْ كَانَ الأمْرُ كَمَا تَقُولُونَ كَانَ قَدْ أَحَلَّ لَكُمْ مَا لَمْ يُحِلَّ لَهُ لأنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَسْتَبْدِلُ كُلَّمَا أَرَادَ وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ الأمْرُ كَمَا يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَحَلَّ لِنَبِيِّهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَنْ يَنْكِحَ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَا أَرَادَ إِلا مَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِ فِي هَذِهِ الآيَةِ فِي سُورَةِ النِّسَاءِ.
4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn abu Najran from ‘Abd al-Karim ibn ‘Amr from abu Bakr al- Hadramiy who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah , about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, to His the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, ‘O prophet, we have made your wives lawful for you.’ (33:50) and that how many wives has He made lawful for him (the Holy Prophet)? He (the Imam) said, ‘As many as he wanted were lawful for him.’ I then asked about His words, ‘. . . and the believing woman who gifts herself for the Holy Prophet,’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Such a gift is not lawful for people, except the Messenger of Allah; people other than the Messenger of Allah cannot marry without mahr (dower); it is not valid.’ I then asked about the meaning of ‘. . . thereafter women are not lawful for you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It refers to the women mentioned in this verse, “Unlawful to you for marriage are your mothers, daughters, sisters . . .” (4:23) Had it been as they say it is, those who are not lawful for him became lawful for you, that one of you could exchange whenever he wanted. It is not as they say. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, made it lawful for His Holy prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, as many as he wanted of women except those unlawful in this verse (4:23). The Messenger of Allah had permission to marry as many as he wanted of women except those unlawful in this verse (4:23).’” 