One of the more interesting documents preserved by al-Kulaynī (d. 329) is the manumission agreement that Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq (d. 148) wrote for one of his slaves whom he was freeing.
The document reads:
“This is what Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad has freed. He has freed his Sindhi slave (named) so-and-so upon the stipulation that he bears witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner; and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. That resurrection is true; Paradise is true; and Hellfire is true. That he adheres to (yuwālī) the friends (awliyāʾ) of Allah and disavows (yatabarrāʾ) the enemies of Allah. That he deems permissible what Allah has permitted and deems forbidden what Allah has forbidden. That he believes in the messengers of Allah, and affirms what has come from Allah.
He has set him free seeking the pleasure of Allah, he expects neither compensation nor thanks.
No one has any claim over him except in goodness.
So-and-so has witnessed it.”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ غُلَامٍ أَعْتَقَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ عليه السلام: هذَا مَا أَعْتَقَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَعْتَقَ غُلَامَهُ السِّنْدِيَّ فُلَاناً عَلى أَنَّهُ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاإِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاشَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَأَنَّ الْبَعْثَ حَقٌّ، وَأَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ، وَأَنَّ النَّارَ حَقٌّ، وَعَلى أَنَّهُ يُوَالِي أَوْلِيَاءَ اللهِ، وَيَتَبَرَّأُ مِنْ أَعْدَاءِ اللهِ، وَيُحِلُّ حَلَالَ اللهِ، وَيُحَرِّمُ حَرَامَ اللهِ، وَيُؤْمِنُ بِرُسُلِ اللهِ، وَيُقِرُّ بِمَا جَاءَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ، أَعْتَقَهُ لِوَجْهِ اللهِ لَايُرِيدُ بِهِ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُوراً، وَلَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ عَلَيْهِ سَبِيلٌ إِلاَّ بِخَيْرٍ؛ شَهِدَ فُلَانٌ
Kulaynī also narrates with his chain to the companion Ibrāhīm b. Abī al-Bilād (d. after 183) who reports:
“I read the manumission (agreement) of Abī ʿAbdillāh and this was its text:
This is what Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad has freed. He has freed so-and-so his slave seeking the pleasure of Allah, he expects neither compensation nor thanks, upon the stipulation that he establishes prayer; gives out zakāt; performs pilgrimage to the house; fasts the month of Ramaḍān; adheres to the friends of Allah and disavows the enemies of Allah.
So-and-so, so-and-so, and so-and-so have witnessed it. Three (witnesses)”
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيى، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَبِي الْبِلَادِ، قَالَ: قَرَأْتُ عِتْقَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عليه السلام، فَإِذَا هُوَ شَرْحُهُ: هذَا مَا أَعْتَقَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَعْتَقَ فُلَاناً غُلَامَهُ لِوَجْهِ اللهِ لَايُرِيدُ بِهِ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُوراً، عَلى أَنْ يُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَيُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَيَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ، وَيَصُومَ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ، وَيَتَوَلّى أَوْلِيَاءَ اللهِ، وَيَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْ أَعْدَاءِ اللهِ؛ شَهِدَ فُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ ثَلَاثَةٌ
These two reports with reliable chains are further evidence that a major component of Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq’s teaching was tawallī/tabarrī, both of which are doctrines that can be sourced back to the Qur’an.
In fact, numerous reports apart from this last indicate that he listed wilāya among the 5 farāʾiḍ (obligations) of the religion together with ṣalāt, zakāt, ḥajj, and ṣawm.
Other reports attributed to him further elaborate on who exactly these awliyāʾ who deserve loyalty and adherence are.
Reference: Al-Kāfī, kitāb al-ʿitq wa-l-tadbīr wa-l-kitāba, bāb kitāb al-ʿitq, ḥadīth 1 & 2.