Al-Kāfi
Hadith 67عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ السِّنْدِيِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ خُثَيْمٍ عَنْ مَعْمَرِ بْنِ خُثَيْمٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) مَا تُكَنَّى قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا اكْتَنَيْتُ بَعْدُ وَ مَا لِي مِنْ وَلَدٍ وَ لَا امْرَأَةٍ وَ لَا جَارِيَةٍ قَالَ فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ حَدِيثٌ بَلَغَنَا عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ وَ مَا هُوَ قُلْتُ بَلَغَنَا عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ( عليه السلام ) أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَنِ اكْتَنَى وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ أَهْلٌ فَهُوَ أَبُو جَعْرٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) شَوْهٌ لَيْسَ هَذَا مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَلِيٍّ ( عليه السلام ) إِنَّا لَنُكَنِّي أَوْلَادَنَا فِي صِغَرِهِمْ مَخَافَةَ النَّبَزِ أَنْ يَلْحَقَ بِهِمْ .
11. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Salih al-Sindiy from Ja‘far ibn Bashir from Sa‘id ibn Khuthaym from Mu’ammar ibn Khuthaym who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), once asked me, ‘What is your Kunyah (father of so and so or son of so and so)?’ I replied, ‘I have no Kunyah yet; I have no son or wife or daughter.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What keeps you from having one?’ I replied, ‘It is a Hadith which is narrated from Ali (a.s.). ’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What is it?’ I replied, ‘Ali (a.s.), has said, “If one adopts a Kunyah and he does not have a wife he then is father of al-Ja‘r (dried up dung).”’ Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), then said that it is forged and it is not of Hadith of Ali (a.s.). We give Kunyah to our children in their childhood for fear of bad names being ascribed to them.’”