The Sufficiency
‘Farḍ kifāyah’ is a man-made term, however, the word ‘kifāyah’ is found in the Ahadith
مِنْ بَعْضِ كُتُبِ الْمَنَاقِبِ الْقَدِيمَةِ، رُوِيَ أَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ وَ هُوَ عَامِلُهُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ أَنْ يَخْطُبَ عَلَى يَزِيدَ بِنْتَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَى حُكْمِ أَبِيهَا فِي الصَّدَاقِ وَ قَضَاءِ دَيْنِهِ بَالِغاً مَا بَلَغَ وَ عَلَى صُلْحِ الْحَيَّيْنِ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ
From one of the ancient books of virtues:
It is reported that Muawiya wrote to Marwan, and he was his governor upon Al-Medina, ‘Propose for Yazeed-la for the daughter of Abdullah son of Ja’ar-asws, upon the decision of her father regarding the dower, and pay off his debts in full whatever it may reach and based upon the reconciliation of the two tribes – the clan of Hashim-as and the clan of Umayya’.
فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ يَخْطُبُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَمْرَ نِسَائِنَا إِلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع فَاخْطُبْ إِلَيْهِ فَأَتَى مَرْوَانُ الْحَسَنَ خَاطِباً فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ-اجْمَعْ مَنْ أَرَدْتَ فَأَرْسَلَ مَرْوَانُ فَجَمَعَ الْحَيَّيْنِ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ
Marwan sent a message to Abdullah son of Ja’far-asws, proposing to him (on behalf of Yazeed-la for his daughter). Abdullah said, ‘The matter of our women is up to Al-Hassan-asws Bin Ali-asws, so take the proposal to him-asws’. So, Marwan came to Al-Hassan-asws with the proposal. Al-Hassan-asws said: ‘Gather the ones you want to’. Marwan sent messaged and gathered the two tribes, from the clan of Hashim-as and clan of Umayya.
فَتَكَلَّمَ مَرْوَانُ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَ أَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَخْطُبَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَى يَزِيدَ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَلَى حُكْمِ أَبِيهَا فِي الصَّدَاقِ وَ قَضَاءِ دَيْنِهِ بَالِغاً مَا بَلَغَ وَ عَلَى صُلْحِ الْحَيَّيْنِ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَ أُمَيَّةَ وَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ كُفْوُ مَنْ لَا كُفْوَ لَهُ وَ لَعَمْرِي لَمَنْ يَغْبِطُكُمْ بِيَزِيدَ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّنْ يَغْبِطُ يَزِيدَ بِكُمْ وَ يَزِيدُ مِمَّنْ يُسْتَسْقَى الْغَمَامُ بِوَجْهِهِ
Marwan spoke. He praised Allah-azwj and extolled upon Him-azwj, then said, ‘As for after, the commander of the faithful Muawiya has ordered me to propose for Zainab Bint Abdullah, son of Ja’far-asws, on behalf of Yazeed Bin Muawiya-la, upon a decision of her father regarding the dower and paying off his debts, reaching whatever it reaches, and upon a reconciliation of the two tribes of the clans of Hashim-as and Umayya, and Yazeed Bin Muawiya-la is a match for the one there is no match for him. And by my life! The ones being joyful with Yazeed-la are much more than the ones Yazeed-la is being joyful with you, and Yazeed-la is from the ones the cloud water his-la face’.
ثُمَّ سَكَتَ فَتَكَلَّمَ الْحَسَنُ ع فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَ أَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ مِنْ حُكْمِ أَبِيهَا فِي الصَّدَاقِ فَإِنَّا لَمْ نَكُنْ لِنَرْغَبَ عَنْ سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فِي أَهْلِهِ وَ بَنَاتِهِ
Then he was silent, so Al-Hassan-asws spoke. He-asws praised Allah-azwj and extolled upon Him-azwj, then said: ‘As for what you have mentioned of the decision of her father regarding the dower, we will not be turning away from the Sunnah of Rasool-Allah-saww regarding his-saww wife and his-saww daughter-asws.
وَ أَمَّا قَضَاءُ دَيْنِ أَبِيهَا فَمَتَى قَضَتْ نِسَاؤُنَا دُيُونَ آبَائِهِنَّ
‘And as for paying off the debts of her father, so since when have our daughter paid off the debts of their fathers?
وَ أَمَّا صُلْحُ الْحَيَّيْنِ فَإِنَّا عَادَيْنَاكُمْ لِلَّهِ وَ فِي اللَّهِ فَلَا نُصَالِحُكُمْ لِلدُّنْيَا
‘And as for the reconciliation between the two tribes, so we are being inimical to you all for the Sake of Allah-azwj and regarding Allah-azwj, so we cannot reconcile with you all for the sake of the world.
وَ أَمَّا قَوْلُكَ مَنْ يَغْبِطُنَا بِيَزِيدَ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّنْ يَغْبِطُهُ بِنَا فَإِنْ كَانَتِ الْخِلَافَةُ فَاقَتِ النُّبُوَّةَ فَنَحْنُ الْمَغْبُوطُونَ بِهِ وَ إِنْ كَانَتِ النُّبُوَّةُ فَاقَتِ الْخِلَافَةَ فَهُوَ الْمَغْبُوطُ بِنَا
‘And as for your words that the ones to be joyful with us due to Yazeed-la are more than the ones to be joyful with him-la due to us, so if the caliphate was outweighing the Prophet-hood, then we would be joyful with him-la, and if the Prophet-hood is outweighing the caliphate, the he-la should be joyful with us.
وَ أَمَّا قَوْلُكَ إِنَّ الْغَمَامَ يُسْتَسْقَى بِوَجْهِ يَزِيدَ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ إِلَّا لِآلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ قَدْ رَأَيْنَا أَنْ نُزَوِّجَهَا مِنِ ابْنِ عَمِّهَا- الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ وَ قَدْ زَوَّجْتُهَا مِنْهُ وَ جَعَلْتُ مَهْرَهَا ضَيْعَتِيَ الَّتِي لِي بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَ كَانَ مُعَاوِيَةُ أَعْطَانِي بِهَا عَشَرَةَ آلَافِ دِينَارٍ وَ لَهَا فِيهَا غِنًى وَ كِفَايَةٌ
And as for your words that the clouds are watering the face of Yazeed-la, for that cannot happen except for the Progeny-asws of the Rasool-saww, and we have viewed that if we were to get her married to Al-Qasim Bin Muhammad son of Ja’far-asws, the son of her paternal uncle, and in fact I-asws hereby marry her to him, and make her dower to be my-asws estate which is for me-asws at Al-Medina, and Muawiya had given (offered) me ten thousand Dinars for it, and for her therein are riches and ‘كِفَايَةٌ’ sufficiency’.
Also, below are the words in a Hadith; a believer supplicates to Allah-asws:
مَا عُذْرِي يَا إِلَهِي إِذَا حُرِمْتُ فِي حُسْنِ الْكِفَايَةِ نَائِلَكَ وَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي لَا يُخَيَّبُ آمِلُكَ وَ لَا يُرَدُّ سَائِلُكَ
What is my excuse, O my God-azwj, when I am deprived from the excellent of ‘الْكِفَايَةِ’ the sufficiency of Your-azwj awards, and You-azwj are the One Who do not disappoint the one who hopes for Your-azwj (Mercy) nor do You-azwj return Your-azwj beggar (an extract).[1]
[1] بحار الأنوار (ط – بيروت)، ج92، ص: 380