Sermon 1: Praise is due to Allah whose worth cannot be described...

In this sermon he recalls the creation of Earth and Sky and the creation of Adam and in it he mentions the Hajj

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) يذكر فيها ابتداءَ خلق السماءِ والاَرض، وخلق آدم عليه الصلاة والسلام

(فيها ذكر الحج)

(وتحتوي على حمد الله، وخلق العالم، وخلق الملائكة، واختيار الانبياء، ومبعث النبي، والقرآن، والاحكام الشرعية)

Praise is due to Allah whose worth cannot be described by speakers, whose bounties cannot be counted by calculators and whose claim (to obedience) cannot be satisfied by those who attempt to do so, whom the height of intellectual courage cannot appreciate, and the divings of understanding cannot reach; He for whose description no limit has been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time is ordained and no duration is fixed. He brought forth creation through His Omnipotence, dispersed winds through His Compassion, and made firm the shaking earth with rocks.

الحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذَي لاَ يَبْلُغُ مِدْحَتَهُ القَائِلُونَ، وَلاِ يُحْصِي نَعْمَاءَهُ العَادُّونَ، ولاَ يُؤَدِّي حَقَّهُ الُمجْتَهِدُونَ، الَّذِي لاَ يُدْركُهُ بُعْدُ الهِمَمِ، وَلاَ يَنَالُهُ غَوْصُ الفِطَنِ، الَّذِي لَيْسَ لِصِفَتِهِ حَدٌّ مَحْدُودٌ، وَلاَ نَعْتٌ مَوْجُودٌ، وَلا وَقْتٌ مَعْدُودٌ، وَلا أَجَلٌ مَمْدُودٌ. فَطَرَ الخَلائِقَ بِقُدْرَتِهَ، وَنَشَرَ الرِّيَاحَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ، وَوَتَّدَ بِالصُّخُورِ مَيَدَانَ أَرْضِهِ

The foremost in religion is the acknowledgement of Him, the perfection of acknowledging Him is to testify Him, the perfection of testifying Him is to believe in His Oneness, the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard Him Pure, and the perfection of His purity is to deny Him attributes, because every attribute is a proof that it is different from that to which it is attributed and everything to which something is attributed is different from the attribute.

Thus whoever attaches attributes to Allah recognises His like, and whoever recognises His like regards Him two; and whoever regards Him as two recognises parts for Him; and whoever recognises parts for Him mistook Him; and whoever mistook Him pointed at Him; and whoever pointed at Him admitted limitations for Him; and whoever admitted limitations for Him numbered Him. Whoever said: ‘In what is He?’, held that He is contained; and whoever said: ‘On what is He?’, held He is not on something else.

أَوَّلُ الدِّينِ مَعْرِفَتُهُ، وَكَمَالُ مَعْرِفَتِهِ التَّصْديقُ بِهِ، وَكَمَالُ التَّصْدِيقِ بِهِ تَوْحِيدُهُ، وَكَمَالُ تَوْحِيدِهِ الاخْلاصُ لَهُ، وَكَمَالُ الاخْلاصِ لَهُ نَفْيُ الصِّفَاتِ عَنْهُ، لِشَهَادَةِ كُلِّ صِفَة أَنَّها غَيْرُ المَوْصُوفِ، وَشَهَادَةِ كُلِّ مَوْصُوف أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ الصِّفَةِ، فَمَنْ وَصَفَ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ فَقَدْ قَرَنَهُ، وَمَنْ قَرَنَهُ فَقَدْ ثَنَّاهُ،وَمَنْ ثَنَّاهُ فَقَد جَزَّأَهُ، وَمَنْ جَزَّأَهُ فَقَدْ جَهِلَهُ، وَمَنْ جَهِلَهُ فَقَدْ أشَارَ إِلَيْهِ، وَمَنْ أشَارَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَدْ حَدَّهُ، وَمَنْ حَدَّهُ فَقَدْ عَدَّهُ، وَمَنْ قَالَ: «فِيمَ» فَقَدْ ضَمَّنَهُ، وَمَنْ قَالَ: «عَلاَمَ؟» فَقَدْ أَخْلَى مِنُهُ

He is a Being, but not through phenomenon of coming into being. He exists but not from non-existence. He is with everything but not in physical nearness. He is different from everything but not in physical separation. He acts but without connotation of movements and instruments. He sees even when there is none to be looked at from among His creation. He is only One, such that there is none with whom He may keep company or whom He may miss in his absence.

كائِنٌ لاَ عَنْ حَدَث، مَوْجُودٌ لاَ عَنْ عَدَم، مَعَ كُلِّ شَيْء لاَ بِمُقَارَنَة، وَغَيْرُ كُلِّ شيء لا بِمُزَايَلَة، فَاعِلٌ لا بِمَعْنَى الْحَرَكَاتِ وَالاْلةِ، بَصِيرٌ إذْ لاَ مَنْظُورَ إلَيْهِ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، مُتَوَحِّدٌ إذْ لاَ سَكَنَ يَسْتَأْنِسُ بهِ وَلاَ يَسْتوْحِشُ لِفَقْدِهِ

The Creation of the Universe

خلق العالم

He initiated creation most initially and commenced it originally, without undergoing reflection, without making use of any experiment, without innovating any movement, and without experiencing any aspiration of mind. He allotted all things their times, put together their variations gave them their properties, and determined their features knowing them before creating them, realising fully their limits and confines and appreciating their propensities and intricacies.

أَنْشَأَ الخَلْقَ إنْشَاءً، وَابْتَدَأَهُ ابْتِدَاءً، بِلاَ رَوِيَّة أَجَالَهَا، وَلاَ تَجْرِبَة اسْتَفَادَهَا، وَلاَ حَرَكَة أَحْدَثَهَا، وَلاَ هَمَامَةِ نَفْس اضطَرَبَ فِيهَا. أَحَالَ الاْشياءَ لاِوْقَاتِهَا، وَلاَمَ بَيْنَ مُخْتَلِفَاتِهَا، وَغَرَّزَ غَرائِزَهَا، وَأَلزَمَهَا أشْبَاحَهَا، عَالِماً بِهَا قَبْلَ ابْتِدَائِهَا، مُحِيطاً بِحُدُودِها وَانْتِهَائِهَا، عَارفاً بِقَرَائِنِها وَأَحْنَائِهَا

When Almighty created the openings of atmosphere, expanse of firmament and strata of winds, He flowed into it water whose waves were stormy and whose surges leapt one over the other. He loaded it on dashing wind and breaking typhoons, ordered them to shed it back (as rain), gave the wind control over the vigour of the rain, and acquainted it with its limitations. The wind blew under it while water flowed furiously over it.

ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ ـ سُبْحَانَهُ ـ فَتْقَ الاْجْوَاءِ، وَشَقَّ الاْرْجَاءِ، وَسَكَائِكَ الَهوَاءِ، فأَجازَ فِيهَا مَاءً مُتَلاطِماً تَيَّارُهُ، مُتَراكِماً زَخَّارُهُ، حَمَلَهُ عَلَى مَتْنِ الرِّيحِ الْعَاصِفَةِ، وَالزَّعْزَعِ الْقَاصِفَةِ، فَأَمَرَها بِرَدِّهِ، وَسَلَّطَهَا عَلَى شَدِّهِ، وَقَرنَهَا إِلَى حَدِّهِ، الهَوَاءُ مِنْ تَحْتِها فَتِيقٌ، وَالمَاءُ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا دَفِيقٌ

Then Almighty created forth wind and made its movement sterile, perpetuated its position, intensified its motion and spread it far and wide. Then He ordered the wind to raise up deep waters and to intensify the waves of the oceans. So the wind churned it like the churning of curd and pushed it fiercely into the firmament throwing its front position on the rear and the stationary on the flowing till its level was raised and the surface was full of foam.

Then Almighty raised the foam on to the open wind and vast firmament and made there-from the seven skies and made the lower one as a stationary surge and the upper one as protective ceiling and a high edifice without any pole to support it or nail to hold it together.

Then He decorated them with stars and the light of meteors and hung in it the shining sun and effulgent moon under the revolving sky, moving ceiling and rotating firmament.

ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ سُبْحَانَهُ رِيحاً اعْتَقَمَ مَهَبَّهَا، وَأَدَامَ مُرَبَّهَا، وَأَعْصَفَ مَجْرَاها، وَأَبْعَدَ مَنْشَاهَا، فَأَمَرَها بِتَصْفِيقِ المَاءِ الزَّخَّارِ، وَإِثَارَةِ مَوْجِ البِحَارِ، فَمَخَضَتْهُ مَخْضَ السِّقَاءِ، وَعَصَفَتْ بهِ عَصْفَهَا بِالفَضَاءِ، تَرُدُّ أَوَّلَهُ عَلَى آخِرِهِ، وَسَاجِيَهُ عَلَى مَائِرِهِ، حَتَّى عَبَّ عُبَابُهُ، وَرَمَى بِالزَّبَدِ رُكَامُهُ، فَرَفَعَهُ فِي هَوَاء مُنْفَتِق، وَجَوٍّ مُنْفَهِق، فَسَوَّى مِنْهُ سَبْعَ سَموَات، جَعَلَ سُفْلاَهُنَّ مَوْجاً مَكْفُوفاً، وَعُلْيَاهُنَّ سَقْفاً مَحْفُوظاً، وَسَمْكاً مَرْفُوعاً، بِغَيْر عَمَد يَدْعَمُهَا، وَلا دِسَار يَنْظِمُها

ثُمَّ زَيَّنَهَا بِزينَةِ الكَوَاكِبِ، وَضِياءِ الثَّوَاقِبِ، وَأَجْرَى فِيها سِرَاجاً مُسْتَطِيراً، وَقَمَراً مُنِيراً: في فَلَك دَائِر، وَسَقْف سَائِر، وَرَقِيم مَائِر

The Creation of the Angels

خلق الملائكة

Then He created the openings between high skies and filled them with all classes of His angels. Some of them are in prostration and do not kneel up. Others in kneeling position and do not stand up. Some of them are in array and do not leave their position. Others are extolling Allah and do not get tired. The sleep of the eye or the slip of wit, or languor of the body or the effect of forgetfulness does not effect them.

Among them are those who work as trusted bearers of His message, those who serve as speaking tongues for His prophets and those who carry to and fro His orders and injunctions. Among them are the protectors of His creatures and guards of the doors of the gardens of Paradise.

Among them are those also whose steps are fixed on earth but their necks are protruding into the skies, their limbs are getting out on all sides, their shoulders are in accord with the columns of the Divine Throne, their eyes are downcast before it, they have spread down their wings under it and they have rendered between themselves and all else curtains of honour and screens of power.

They do not think of their Creator through image, do not impute to Him attributes of the created, do not confine Him within abodes and do not point at Him through illustrations.

ثُمَّ فَتَقَ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمواتِ العُلاَ، فَمَلاَهُنَّ أَطْواراً مِنْ مَلائِكَتِهِ :

مِنْهُمْ سُجُودٌ لاَيَرْكَعُونَ، وَرُكُوعٌ لاَ يَنْتَصِبُونَ، وَصَافُّونَ لاَ يَتَزَايَلُونَ، وَمُسَبِّحُونَ لاَ يَسْأَمُونَ، لاَ يَغْشَاهُمْ نَوْمُ العُيُونِ، وَلاَ سَهْوُ العُقُولِ، وَلاَ فَتْرَةُ الاَبْدَانِ، ولاَ غَفْلَةُ النِّسْيَانِ

وَمِنْهُمْ أُمَنَاءُ عَلَى وَحْيِهِ، وأَلسِنَةٌ إِلَى رُسُلِهِ، وَمُخْتَلِفُونَ بِقَضَائِهِ وَأَمْرهِ

وَمِنْهُمُ الحَفَظَةُ لِعِبَادِهِ، وَالسَّدَنَةُ لاِبْوَابِ جِنَانِهِ

وَمِنْهُمُ الثَّابِتَةُ في الاْرَضِينَ السُّفْلَى أَقْدَامُهُمْ، وَالمَارِقَةُ مِنَ السَّماءِ العُلْيَا أَعْنَاقُهُمْ، والخَارجَةُ مِنَ الاْقْطَارِ أَرْكَانُهُمْ، وَالمُنَاسِبَةُ لِقَوَائِمِ العَرْشِ أَكْتَافُهُمْ، نَاكِسَةٌ دُونَهُ أَبْصارُهُمْ، مُتَلَفِّعُونَ تَحْتَهُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهِمْ، مَضْرُوبَةٌ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مِنْ دُونَهُمْ حُجُبُ العِزَّةِ، وَأسْتَارُ القُدْرَةِ، لاَ يَتَوَهَّمُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بالتَّصْوِيرِ، وَلاَ يُجْرُونَ عَلَيْهِ صِفَاتِ المَصْنُوعِينَ، وَلاَ يَحُدُّونَهُ بِالاْماكِنِ، وَلاَ يُشِيرُونَ إِلَيْهِ بِالنَّظَائِرِ

Description of the Creation of Adam

منها: في صفة خلق آدم (عليه السلام)

Allah collected from hard, soft, sweet and sour earth, clay which He dripped in water till it got pure, and kneaded it with moisture till it became gluey. From it He carved an image with curves, joints, limbs and segments. He solidified it till it dried up for a fixed time and a known duration. Then He blew into it out of His Spirit whereupon it took the pattern of a human being with mind that governs him, intelligence which he makes use of, limbs that serve him, organs that change his position, sagacity that differentiates between truth and untruth, tastes and smells, colours and species. He is a mixture of clays of different colours, cohesive materials, divergent contradictories and differing properties like heat, cold, softness and hardness, grief and joy.

ثُمَّ جَمَعَ سُبْحَانَهُ مِنْ حَزْنِ الاْرْضِ وَسَهْلِهَا، وَعَذْبِهَا وَسَبَخِهَا، تُرْبَةً سَنَّهَا بالمَاءِ حَتَّى خَلَصَتْ، وَلاَطَهَا بِالبَلَّةِ حَتَّى لَزَبَتْ، فَجَبَلَ مِنْها صُورَةً ذَاتَ أَحْنَاء وَوُصُول، وَأَعْضَاء وَفُصُول: أَجْمَدَهَا حَتَّى اسْتَمْسَكَتْ، وَأَصْلَدَهَا حَتَّى صَلْصَلَتْ، لِوَقْت مَعْدُود، وَأجَل مَعْلُوم، ثُمَّ نَفَخَ فِيها مِنْ رُوحِهِ فَمَثُلَتْ إِنْساناً ذَا أَذْهَان يُجيلُهَا، وَفِكَر يَتَصَرَّفُ بِهَا، وَجَوَارِحَ يَخْتَدِمُهَا، وَأَدَوَات يُقَلِّبُهَا، وَمَعْرِفَة يَفْرُقُ بِهَا بَيْنَ الحَقِّ وَالبَاطِلِ، والاَذْوَاقِ والَمشَامِّ، وَالاْلوَانِ وَالاْجْنَاس، مَعْجُوناً بطِينَةِ الاْلوَانِ الُمخْتَلِفَةِ، وَالاَشْبَاهِ المُؤْتَلِفَةِ، وَالاْضْدَادِ المُتَعَادِيَةِ، والاْخْلاطِ المُتَبَايِنَةِ، مِنَ الحَرِّ والبَرْدِ، وَالبَلَّةِ وَالْجُمُودِ، وَالْمَساءَةِ وَالسُّرُورِ،

Then Allah asked the angels to fulfil His promise with them and to accomplish the pledge of His injunction to them by acknowledging Him through prostration to Him and submission to His honoured position. So Allah said:

“Be prostrate towards Adam and they prostrated except Iblis (Satan).” (Qur’an, 2:34; 7:11; 17:61; 18:50; 20:116)

Self-importance withheld him and vice overcame him. So that he took pride in his own creation with fire and treated contemptuously the creation of clay. So Allah allowed him time in order to let him fully deserve His wrath, and to complete (man’s) test and to fulfil the promise (He had made to Satan). Thus, He said:

“Verily you have been allowed time till the known Day. “ (Qur’an, 15:38; 38:81)

وَاسْتَأْدَى اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ المَلائكَةَ وَدِيعَتَهُ لَدَيْهِمْ، وَعَهْدَ وَصِيَّتِهِ إِلَيْهمْ، في الاْذْعَانِ بالسُّجُودِ لَهُ، وَالخُنُوعِ لِتَكْرِمَتِهِ، فَقَالَ عزَّمِن قائِل: ( اسْجُدُوا لاِدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ)، اعْتَرَتْهُ الحَمِيَّةُ، وَغَلَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشِّقْوَةُ، وَتَعَزَّزُ بِخِلْقَةِ النَّارِ، وَاسْتَوْهَنَ خَلْقَ الصَّلْصَالِ، فَأَعْطَاهُ اللهُ تَعالَى النَّظِرَةَ اسْتِحْقَاقاً لِلسُّخْطَةِ، وَاسْتِتْماماً لِلْبَلِيَّةِ، وَإِنْجَازاً لِلْعِدَةِ، فَقَالَ: (إنَّكَ مِنَ المُنْظَرِينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ)

Thereafter, Allah inhabited Adam (p.b.u.h.) in a house where He made his life pleasant and his stay safe, and He cautioned him of Iblis and his enmity. Then his enemy (Iblis) envied his abiding in Paradise and his contacts with the virtuous. So he changed his conviction into wavering and determination into weakness. He thus converted his happiness into fear and his prestige into shame. Then Allah offered to Adam (p.b.u.h.) the chance to repent, taught him words of His Mercy, promised him return to His Paradise and sent him down to the place of trial and procreation of progeny.

ثُمَّ أَسْكَنَ سُبْحَانَهُ آدَمَ دَاراً أرْغَدَ فِيهَاعَيْشَهُ، وَآمَنَ فِيهَا مَحَلَّتَهُ، وَحَذَّرَهُ إِبْلِيسَ وَعَدَاوَتَهُ، فَاغْتَرَّهُ عَدُوُّهُ نَفَاسَةً عَلَيْهِ بِدَارِ الْمُقَامِ، وَمُرَافَقَةِ الاْبْرَارِ، فَبَاعَ الْيَقِينَ بِشَكِّهِ، وَالعَزِيمَةَ بِوَهْنِهِ، وَاسْتَبْدَلَ بِالْجَذَلِ وَجَلاً، وَبِالاْغْتِرَارِ نَدَماً

ثُمَّ بَسَطَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ لَهُ في تَوْبَتِهِ، وَلَقَّاهُ كَلِمَةَ رَحْمَتِهِ، وَوَعَدَهُ المَرَدَّ إِلَى جَنَّتِهِ، فَأَهْبَطَهُ إِلَى دَارِ الَبَلِيَّةِ، وَتَنَاسُلِ الذُّرِّيَّةِ

Allah chooses His Prophets

اختيار الانبياء

From his (Adam’s) progeny Allah chose prophets and took their pledge for his revelation and for carrying His message as their trust. In course of time many people perverted Allah’s trust with them and ignored His position and took compeers along with Him. Satan turned them away from knowing Him and kept them aloof from His worship. Then Allah sent His Messengers and series of His prophets towards them to get them to fulfil the pledges of His creation, to recall to them His bounties, to exhort them by preaching, to unveil before them the hidden virtues of wisdom and show them the signs of His Omnipotence namely the sky which is raised over them, the earth that is placed beneath them, means of living that sustain them, deaths that make them die, ailments that turn them old and incidents that successively betake them.

وَاصْطَفى سُبْحَانَهُ مِنْ وَلَدَهِ أَنْبيَاءَ أَخَذَ عَلَى الْوَحْيِ مِيثَاقَهُم، وَعَلَى تَبْليغِ الرِّسَالَةِ أَمَانَتَهُمْ، لَمَّا بَدَّلَ أَكْثَرُ خَلْقِهِ عَهْدَ اللهِ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَجَهِلُوا حَقَّهُ، واتَّخَذُوا الاْنْدَادَ مَعَهُ، وَاجْتَالَتْهُمُ الشَّيَاطِينُ عَنْ مَعْرفَتِهِ، وَاقتَطَعَتْهُمْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ، فَبَعَثَ فِيهمْ رُسُلَهُ، وَوَاتَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَنْبِياءَهُ، لِيَسْتَأْدُوهُمْ مِيثَاقَ فِطْرَتِهِ، وَيُذَكِّرُوهُمْ مَنْسِيَّ نِعْمَتِهِ، وَيَحْتَجُّوا عَلَيْهِمْ بَالتَّبْلِيغِ، وَيُثِيرُوا لَهُمْ دَفَائِنَ الْعُقُولِ، وَيُرُوهُمْ آيَاتِ الْمَقْدِرَةِ: مِنْ سَقْف فَوْقَهُمْ مَرْفُوع، وَمِهَاد تَحْتَهُمْ مَوْضُوع، وَمَعَايِشَ تُحْيِيهِمْ، وَآجَال تُفْنِيهمْ، وَأَوْصَاب(5) تُهْرِمُهُمْ، وَأَحْدَاث تَتَابَعُ عَلَيْهِمْ،

Allah never allowed His creation to remain without a Prophet deputised by Him, or a book sent down from Him or a binding argument or a standing plea. These Messengers were such that they did not feel little because of smallness of their number or of largeness of the number of their falsifiers. Among them was either a predecessor who would name the one to follow or the follower who had been introduced by the predecessor.

لَمْ يُخْلِ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ خَلْقَهُ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ مُرْسَل، أَوْ كِتَاب مُنْزَل، أَوْ حُجَّة لاَزِمَة، أَوْ مَحَجَّة قَائِمَة، رُسُلٌ لا تُقَصِّرُ بِهِمْ قِلَّةُ عَدَدِهِمْ، وَلاَ كَثْرَةُ المُكَذِّبِينَ لَهُمْ: مِنْ سَابِق سُمِّيَ لَهُ مَنْ بَعْدَهُ، أَوْ غَابِر عَرَّفَهُ مَنْ قَبْلَهُ

The Prophethood of Muhammad

مبعث النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)

In this way ages passed by and times rolled on, fathers passed away while sons took their places till Allah deputised Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) as His Prophet, in fulfilment of His promise and in completion of His Prophethood. His pledge had been taken from the Prophets, his traits of character were well reputed and his birth was honourable. The people of the earth at this time were divided in different parties, their aims were separate and ways were diverse. They either likened Allah with His creation or twisted His Names or turned to else than Him. Through Muhammad (S) Allah guided them out of wrong and with his efforts took them out of ignorance.

عَلَى ذْلِكَ نَسَلَتِ القُرُونُ، وَمَضَتِ الدُّهُورُ، وَسَلَفَتِ الاْباءُ، وَخَلَفَتِ الاْبْنَاءُ

الَى أَنْ بَعَثَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ مُحَمَّداً(صلى الله عليه وآله) لاِنْجَازِ عِدَتِهِ وَتَمامِ نُبُوَّتِهِ، مَأْخُوذاً عَلَى النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقُهُ، مَشْهُورَةً سِمَاتُهُ، كَرِيماً مِيلادُهُ. وَأهْلُ الاْرْضِ يَوْمَئِذ مِلَلٌ مُتَفَرِّقَةٌ، وَأَهْوَاءٌ مُنْتَشِرَةٌ، وَطَرَائِقُ مُتَشَتِّتَةٌ، بَيْنَ مُشَبِّه للهِ بِخَلْقِهِ، أَوْ مُلْحِد في اسْمِهِ، أَوْ مُشِير إِلَى غَيْرهِ، فَهَدَاهُمْ بهِ مِنَ الضَّلاَلَةِ، وَأَنْقَذَهُمْ بمَكانِهِ مِنَ الجَهَالَةِ

Then Allah chose for Muhammad, peace be upon him and on his progeny, to meet Him, selected him for His own nearness, regarded him too dignified to remain in this world and decided to remove him from this place of trial. So He drew him towards Himself with honour. Allah may shower His blessing on him, and his progeny.

ثُمَّ اخْتَارَ سُبْحَانَهُ لِمحَمَّد صلى الله عليه لِقَاءَهُ، وَرَضِيَ لَهُ مَا عِنْدَهُ، فَأَكْرَمَهُ عَنْ دَارِالدُّنْيَا، وَرَغِبَ بِهَ عَنْ مُقَارَنَةِ البَلْوَى، فَقَبَضَهُ إِلَيْهِ كَرِيماً صَلَّى اللهُ علَيهِ و آلِهِ،

The Holy Qur’an and Sunnah

But the Prophet left among you the same which other Prophets left among their peoples, because Prophets do not leave them untended (in dark) without a clear path and a standing ensign, namely the Book of your Creator clarifying its permission and prohibitions, its obligations and discretion, its repealing injunctions and the repealed ones, its permissible matters and compulsory ones, its particulars and the general ones, its lessons and illustrations, its long and the short ones, its clear and obscure ones, detailing its abbreviations and clarifying its obscurities.

وَخَلَّفَ فِيكُمْ مَا خَلَّفَتِ الاْنْبيَاءُ في أُمَمِها، إذْ لَم يَتْرُكُوهُمْ هَمَلاً، بِغَيْر طَريق واضِح، ولاَعَلَمٍ قَائِم

كِتَابَ رَبِّكُمْ [فِيكُمْ:] مُبَيِّناً حَلاَلَهُ وَحَرامَهُ، وَفَرَائِضَهُ وَفَضَائِلَهُ، وَنَاسِخَهُ وَمَنْسُوخَهُ، وَرُخَصَهُ وَعَزَائِمَهُ، وَخَاصَّهُ وَعَامَّهُ، وَعِبَرَهُ وَأَمْثَالَهُ، وَمُرْسَلَهُ وَمَحْدُودَهُ، وَمُحْكَمَهُ وَمُتَشَابِهَهُ، مُفَسِّراً جُمَلَهُ، وَمُبَيِّناً غَوَامِضَهُ

In it there are some verses whose knowledge1 is obligatory and others whose ignorance by the people is permissible. It also contains what appears to be obligatory according to the Book2 but its repeal is signified by the Prophet’s action (sunnah) or that which appears compulsory according to the Prophet’s action but the Book allows not following it.

Or there are those which are obligatory in a given time but not so after that time. Its prohibitions also differ. Some are major regarding which there exists the threat of fire (Hell), and others are minor for which there are prospects of forgiveness. There are also those of which a small portion is also acceptable (to Allah) but they are capable of being expanded.

بَيْنَ مَأْخُوذ مِيثَاقُ عِلْمِهِ، وَمُوَسَّع عَلَى العِبَادِ في جَهْلِهِ، وَبَيْنَ مُثْبَت في الكِتابِ فَرْضُهُ، وَمَعْلُوم في السُّنَّهِ نَسْخُهُ، وَوَاجب في السُّنَّةِ أَخْذُهُ، وَمُرَخَّص في الكِتابِ تَرْكُهُ، وَبَيْنَ وَاجِب بِوَقْتِهِ، وَزَائِل في مُسْتَقْبَلِهِ، وَمُبَايَنٌ بَيْنَ مَحَارِمِهِ، مِنْ كَبير أَوْعَدَ عَلَيْهِ نِيرَانَهُ، أَوْ صَغِير أَرْصَدَ لَهُ غُفْرَانَهُ، وَبَيْنَ مَقْبُول في أَدْنَاهُ، ومُوَسَّع في أَقْصَاهُ

In this very sermon he spoke about Hajj

و[منها:] في ذكر الحج

Allah has made obligatory upon you the pilgrimage (Hajj) to His sacred House which is the turning point for the people who go to it as beasts or pigeons go towards spring water. Allah the glorified made it a sign of their supplication before His Greatness and their acknowledgement of His Dignity. He selected from among His creation those who on listening to His call responded to it and testified His word.

They stood in the position of His Prophets and resembled His angels who surround the Divine Throne securing all the benefits of performing His worship and hastening towards His promised forgiveness. Allah the glorified made it (His sacred House) an emblem for Islam and an object of respect for those who turn to it. He made obligatory its pilgrimage and laid down its claim for which He held you responsible to discharge it. Thus, Allah, the Glorified, said:

“. . And (purely) for Allah, is incumbent upon mankind, the pilgrimage to the House, for those who can afford to journey thither. And whoever denieth then verily, Allah is Self-sufficiently independent of the worlds” (Qur’an, 3:96).

وَفَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَجَّ بَيْتِهِ الحَرَامِ، الَّذِي جَعَلَهُ قِبْلَةً لِلاْنَامِ، يَرِدُونَهُ وُرُودَ الاَنْعَامِ، وَيأْلَهُونَ إِلَيْهِ وُلُوهَ الحَمَامِ

جَعَلَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ عَلاَمَةً لِتَوَاضُعِهمْ لِعَظَمَتِهِ، وَإِذْعَانِهِمْ لِعِزَّتِهِ، وَاخْتَارَ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ سُمَّاعاً أَجَابُوا إِلَيْهِ دَعْوَتَهُ، وَصَدَّقُوا كَلِمَتِهُ، وَوَقَفُوا مَوَاقِفَ أَنْبِيَائِهِ، وَتَشَبَّهُوا بمَلاَئِكَتِهِ المُطِيفِينَ بِعَرْشِهِ، يُحْرِزُونَ الاْرْبَاحَ فِي مَتْجَرِ عِبَادَتِهِ، وَيَتَبَادَرُونَ عِنْدَهُ مَوْعِدَ مَغْفِرَتِهِ

جَعَلَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ لِلاِسْلامِ عَلَماً، وَلِلْعَائِذِينَ حَرَماً، فَرَضَ حَجَّهُ، وَأَوْجَبَ حَقَّهُ، وَكَتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وِفَادَتَهُ، فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ: (وَللهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ العَالَمينَ).

Alternative Sources for Sermon 1

(1) Al-Harrani, Tuhaf, 57;

(2) al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, I,140 ;

(3) al-Qadi al-Quda`i, Dustur,153 ;

(4) al-Razi, Tafsir, II,164 ;

(5) Ibn Talhah, Matalib;

(6) al-Zamakhshari, Rabi`, I, bab al-sama' wa al-kawakib;

(7) al-Wasiti, `Uyun, see al-Majlisi, Bihar, vol.77,300 ,423 ;

(8) al-Rawandi, Sharh, see Kashif al-Ghita', Madarik, 69;

(9) al-Tabarsi, al-'Ihtijaj, I,150

Notes

1. "The foremost in religion (din) is His knowledge." The literal meaning of din is obedience, and its popular sense is code, whether literal sense is taken or the popular one, in either case, if the mind is devoid of any conception of Divinity, there would be no question of obedience, nor of following any code; because when there is no aim there is no point in advancing towards it; where there is no object in view there is no sense in making efforts to achieve it. Nevertheless, when the nature and guiding faculty of man bring him in contact with a superior Authority and his taste for obedience and impulse of submission subjugates him before a Deity, he finds himself bound by certain limitations as against abject freedom of activity. These very limitations are din (Religion) whose point of commencement is knowledge of Allah and acknowledgement of His Being.

After pointing out the essentials of Divine knowledge Amir al-mu'minin has described its important constituents and conditions. He has held those stages of such knowledge which people generally regard as the point of highest approach to be insufficient. He says that its first stage is that with the natural sense of search for the unknown and the guidance of conscience or on hearing from the followers of religions an image of the Unseen Being known as Allah is formed in the mind. This image in fact is the forerunner of the obligation to thinking and reflection and to seeking His knowledge. But those who love idleness, or are under pressure of environment, do not undertake this search despite creation of such image and the image fails to get testified. In this case they remain deprived of Divine knowledge, and since their inaccess to the stage of testifying after the formation of image is by volition they deserve to be questioned about it.

But one who is moved by the power of this image goes further and considers thinking and reflection necessary. In this way one reaches the next stage in the attainment of Divine knowledge, namely to search for the Creator through diversification of creation and species of creatures, because every picture is a solid and inflexible guide to the existence of its painter and every effect to the action of its cause.

When he casts his glance around himself he does not find a single thing which might have come into existence without the act of a maker so much so that he does not find the sign of a footstep without a walker nor a construction without a builder. How can he comprehend that this blue sky with the sun and the moon in its expanse and the earth with the exuberance of its grass and flowers could have come into existence without the action of a Creator. Therefore, after observing all that exists in the world and the regulated system of the entire creation no one can help concluding that there is a Creator for this world of diversities because existence cannot come out of non-existence, nor can existence sprout forth from nothingness.

The Holy Qur'an has pointed to this reasoning thus:

". . What! about Allah is there any doubt, the Originator of the heavens and the earth ?. ." (14:10).

But this stage would also be insufficient if this testimony in favour of Allah is tarnished by belief in the divinity of some other deity.

The third stage is that His existence should be acknowledged along with belief in Unity and Oneness. Without this the testimony to Allah's existence cannot be complete because if more gods are believed in He would not be One whereas it is necessary that He should be One. The reason is that in case of more than one god the question would arise whether one of them created all this creation or all of them together. If one of them created it there should be some differential to distinguish him otherwise he would be accorded preferential position without reason, which is unacceptable to the mind. If all have created it collectively then the position has only two forms; either he cannot perform his functions without the assistance of others or he is above the need for their assistance.

The first case means his incapability and being in need of others while the other case means that they are several regular performers of a single act and the fallacy of both has already been shown. If we assume that all the gods performed the act of creation by dividing among themselves then, in this case all the creation will, not bear the same relationship towards the creator since each creature will bear relationship only to its own creator whereas every creature should have one and the same relationship to all creators.

This is because all the creation should have one and the same relationship to all the creators as all the created in their capacity to accept effect and all the creators in their capacity to produce effect should be similar. In short there is no way but to acknowledge Him as One because in believing in numerous creators there remains no possibility of the existence of any other thing, and destruction proves implicit for the earth, the sky and everything in creation. Allah the glorified has expressed this argument in the following words:

"Had there been in (the heavens and the earth [other] ) gods except Allah, they both had been in disorder. ." (Qur'an, 21:22).

The fourth stage is that Allah should be regarded free of all defects and deficiencies, and devoid of body, form, illustration, similarity, position of place or time, motion, stillness, incapability and ignorance because there can be no deficiency or defect in the perfect Being nor can anyone be deemed like Him because all these attributes bring down a being from the high position of the Creator to the low position of the created. That is why along with Unity, Allah has held purity from deficiency of equal importance.

"Say: 'He (Allah) is One (alone). Allah, the needless.He begetteth not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him" (Qur'an, 112:1-4).

"Vision perceiveth Him not, and He perceiveth (all) vision; He is the Subtle, the All-aware" (Qur'an, 6:104).

"So coin ye not any similitudes to Allah; verily Allah knoweth (every thing) and ye know not." (Qur'an, 16:74).

". .Nothing whatsoever (is there) like the like of Him; and He (alone) is the All-hearing and the All-seeing." (Qur'an, 42:11)

The fifth stage of completing His Knowledge is that attributes should not be put in Him from outside lest there be duality in His Oneness, and deviating from its proper connotation Unity may fall in the labyrinth of one in three and three in one, because His Being is not a combination of essence and form so that attribute may cling to Him like smell in the flowers or brightness in the stars. Rather, He is the fountain head of all attributes and needs no medium for manifestation of His perfect Attributes.

If He is named Omniscient it is because the signs of his knowledge are manifest. If He is called Omnipotent it is because every particle points to His Omnipotence and Activity, and if to Him is attributed the power to listen or to see it is because the cohesion of the entire creation and its administration cannot be done without hearing or seeing but the existence of these attributes in Him cannot be held to be in the same way as in the creation namely that He should be capable to know only after He acquires knowledge or He should be powerful and strong only after energy runs into His limbs because taking attributes as separate from His Being would connote duality and where there is duality unity disappears.

That is how Amir al-mu'minin has rejected the idea of attributes being addition to His Being, presented Unity in its true significance, and did not allow Unity to be tainted with stains of multiplicity. This does not mean that adjectives cannot at all be attributed to Him, as this would be giving support to those who are groping in the dark abyss of negativism, although every nook and comer in the entire existence is brimming with His attributes and every particle of creation stands witness that He has knowledge, He is powerful, He hears, He sees. He nurtures under His care and allows growth under His mercy. The intention is that for Him nothing can be suggested to serve as an adjunct to Him, because His self includes attributes and His attributes connote His Self. Let us learn this very theme in the words of al-Imam Abu `Abdillah Ja`far ibn Muhammmad as-Sadiq (p.b.u.h.) comparing it with the belief in Unity adopted by other religions and then appreciate who is the exponent of the true concept of Unity.

The Imam says:

"Our Allah the Glorified, the Magnificent has ever had knowledge as His Self even though there was nothing to know, sight as His Self even though there was nothing to know, sight as His Self even though there was nothing to behold, hearing as His Self even though there was nothing to hear, and Potence as His Self even though there was nothing to be under His Potence. When He created the things and the object of knowledge came into existence His knowledge became related to the known, hearing related to the heard, sight related to the seen, and potence related to its object." (at-Tawhid by ash-Shaykh as-Saduq, p.139)

This is the belief over which the Imams of the Prophet's family are unanimous, but the majority group has adopted a different course by creating the idea of differentiation between His Self and Attributes. ash-Shahristani says on page 42 of his book Kitab al-milal wa'n-nihal:

According to Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash`ari, Allah knows through (the attribute of) knowledge, is Powerful through activity, speaks through speech, hears through hearing and sees through sight.

If we regard attributes distinct from Self in this manner there would be two alternatives; either the attributes must have existed in Him from ever or they must have occurred later. In the first case we have to recognise as many eternal objects as the attributes which all will share with Him in being eternal, but "Allah is above what the people deem Him to have equals." In the second case in addition to subjecting Him to the alternations it would also mean that before the acquiring of the attributes He was neither scient, nor powerful, nor hearer nor beholder and this runs counter to the basic tenet of Islam.

". . Allah hath decreed trade lawful and hath forbidden interest. ." (Qur'an, 2:275)

"And when you have finished the prayer remember Allah standing, and sitting, and reacting, and when ye are secure (from danger) establish prayer . ." (Qur'an, 4:103)

"O' ye men! eat of what is in the earth lawful and good and follow not the foot-steps of Satan; for verily he is an open enemy unto you." (Qur'an, 2:168)

"(And) say thou: 'I am only a man like you, it is revealed unto me that your god is but one God, therefore whosoever desireth to meet his Lord, let him do good deeds, and associate not any one in the worship of his Lord'." (Qur'an, 18:110)

"What! enjoin ye upon the people righteousness and ye forget your own selves? Yet ye read the scripture? What: do ye not understand?" (Qur'an, 2:44).

2. About the Qur'an, Amir al-mu'minin says that it contains description of the permitted and the forbidden acts such as "Allah has allowed sale and purchase but prohibited usury." It clarifies obligatory and optional acts such as "when you have finished the prayer (of fear) remember Allah rising, sitting or lying and when you feel safe (from the enemy) then say the prayers (as usual)."

Here prayer is obligatory while other forms of remembering (Allah) are optional. It has repealing and repealed verses such as about the period of seclusion after husband's death "four months and ten days" or the repealed one such as "till one year without going out" which shows that this period of seclusion should be one year. In particular places it permits the forbidden such as "whoever is compelled without being wilfully wrongful or transgressor, commits no sins."

It has positive injunctions such as "One should not add anyone with Allah in worship." It has particular and general injunctions. Particular is the one where the word shows generality but the sense is limited such as "I have made you superior over worlds, O' Bani Isra'il." Here the sense of "Worlds," is confined to that particular time, although the word is general in its literal meaning. The general injunction is one which is extensive in meaning such as "Allah has knowledge of everything." It has lessons and illustrations lessons such as "Allah caught him in the punishment of this world and the next and there is lesson in it."

"So seized him Allah, with the chastisement in the hereafter, and the life before (it)." (Qur'an, 79:25)

"Verily in this there is a lesson unto him who feareth (Allah)." (Qur'an, 79:26)

"A kind word and pardon is better than charity that is followed by injury, and verily Allah is Self-sufficient, the Most forbearing." (Qur'an, 2:263)

"And remember when We made a covenant with you and raised the 'tur' (the Mountain) above you (saying), 'Hold ye fast that which We have bestowed upon you with the strength (of determination) and remember that which is therein so that you may guard (yourself) against evil'." (Qur'an, 2:63)

"So we made it a lesson for (those of) their own times and for those (of their posterity) who came after them and an exhortation unto those who guard (themselves) against evil." (Qur'an, 2:66)

"He it is Who fashioneth you in the wombs (of your mothers) as He liketh; There is no god but He, the All-mighty, the All-wise." (Qur'an, 3:5)

"Obedience and a fair word; but when the affair is determined then if they be true to Allah, it would certainly be better for them." (Qur'an, 47:21)

"O' those who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will; and do not straiten them in order that ye may take a part of what ye have given, unless they are guilty of manifest lewdness; but deal kindly with them, and if ye hate them, it may be that ye hate a thing while Allah hath placed in it abundant good." (Qur'an, 4:19)

"Say thou (unto the people of the Book), 'Dispute ye with us about Allah; whereas He is our Lord and your Lord, and for us are our deeds and for you are your deeds; to Him (alone) we are (exclusively) loyal?" (Qur'an, 2:139)

"There is a lesson in it for him who fears Allah," and illustration as "The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a grain which grows seven ears each one of which bears hundred grains." It has unspecific and specific verses. Unspecific is one which has no limitation on specification such as "Recall when Moses told his people 'Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow.'" Specific is one where denotation is limited such as Allah says that "the cow should be such that it has neither been used for ploughing nor for irrigation fields." There is clear and obscure in it.

Clear is that which has no intricacy such as "Verily Allah has sway over everything," while obscure is that whose meaning has complication such as "the Merciful (Allah) occupies the throne," whose apparent meaning gives the impression as if Allah is bodily sitting on the Throne although the intention is to press His authority and control. In it there are brief injunctions such as "establish prayer" and those of deep meanings such as the verses about which says:

"That the sense is not known except to Allah and those immersed in knowledge." Then Amir al-mu'minin dilates upon this theme in a different style, he says that there are some things in it which are necessary to know, such as "So know that there is no god but Allah" and there are others which are not necessary to know such as "alif lam mim" etc. It has also injunctions which have been repealed by the Prophet's action such as "As for your women who commit adultery get four male witnesses and if four witnesses do appear shut such women in the house till death ends their life."

This punishment was current in early Islam but was later replaced by stoning in the case of married women. In it there are some injunctions which repealed the Prophet's action such as "Turn your face towards Masjid al-haram" by which the injunction for facing Bayt al-maqdis was repealed. It also contains injunctions which are obligatory only at a particular time after which their obligation ends, such as "when the call for prayer is made on Friday then hasten towards remembrance of Allah." It has also indicated grades of prohibitions as the division of sins into light and serious ones - light such as "Tell the believers to lower their eyes" and serious ones such as "whoever kills a Believer wilfully his award is to remain in Hell for ever." It also contains injunctions where a little performance is enough but there is scope for further performance such as "Read the Qur'an as much as you easily can."

"Verily your Lord, certainly is He the All-mighty, the All-merciful." (Qur'an, 26:9)

"Say thou (O' Our Prophet Muhammmad) unto the believer men that they cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; verily Allah is All-aware of what (all) ye do." (Qur'an, 24:30)

"Not equal are those of the believers who sit (holding back) other than those hurt, and those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and their selves (lives). Allah hath raised the strivers with their wealth and selves (lives), in rank above those sitting (holding back); Unto all (in faith) Allah hath promised good; but those who strive, He hath distinguished above those who sit (holding [by]) a great recompense." (Qur'an, 4:95)

"Verily, thy Lord knowest that thou standest up (in the Night Prayer) night two-third of the night, and (sometimes) half of it, and (sometimes) a third of it, and a group of those with thee; and Allah measureth (well) the night and the day; Knoweth He that never can ye take (correct) account of it, so turneth He unto you (mercifully) so recite ye whatever be easy (in the prayers) to be read of the Qur'an; Knoweth He that there may be among you sick, and others travelling in the earth seeking of the grace of Allah, and others fighting in the way of Allah, so recite ye as much as it can easily be done of it, and establish ye the (regular) prayers, and pay ye the (prescribed) poor-rate, and offer ye unto Allah a goodly loan; and whatsoever of good ye send on before hand for yourselves, ye will (surely) find it with Allah, that is the best and the greatest recompense; and seek ye the forgiveness of Allah; Verily, Allah is Oft-forgiving, the Most Merciful." (Qur'an, 73:20)

Chapter One

Bukhari as a Narrator

It has tomentioned right in the beginning that Abu Zar’ah Razi and Abu Hatam Razi have abandoned citing traditions from Bukhari, prohibiting others as well to quote traditions from Bukhari.

Abu Zar’ah and Abu Hatam on Bukhari

In hisal-Tabaqat al-Shafi’ayya al-Kubra , Suki quotes Taqi al-Din bin Daqiq al-‘Aeed as saying: The honor of Muslims is one of the pitfalls of Hell. Two groups of people stand around it: narrators and rulers. Subki goes on saying: In my point of view, the opinion mentioned by some that Abu Zar’ah and Abu Hatam shunned citing Bukhari’s traditions because of Bukhari’s belief in Qur’an as being created is an instance of the above-mentioned word. May Allah help Muslims! Is it permissible for some to abandon Bukhari who is considered as a forerunner in hadith science and an imam of Sunnis?![1]

Shams al-Din al-Dahabi has mentioned the name of Bukhari among the weak and rejected. Regretting this, Manawi says: Bukhari is the ornament of Islamic community, honor of the imams, author of the most authentic book after the Holy Quran and owner of perpetual excellence. Commenting on him, Ibn Khazima says: Bukhari is a divine sign that walks on land.

In hisal-Kashif, Dahabi says: Bukhari was a religious minded, pious person with utmost dignity.

In hisal-Du’afawa al-Matrukin , he, nevertheless, ignoring his being a Sunni, says: ماسلم من الکلام لاجل مسأله اللفظ ترکه لاجلها الرازیان

Because of his belief in the Holy Qur’an as being created, people spoke ill of him and that was why Abu Zar’ah Razi and Abu Hatam Razi refrained from narrating his traditions.

Dahabi goes on saying: I have only quoted his words. I ask Allah to forgive him and to grant us good health. I feel lonely and take refuge to Him.[2]

In hisMizan al-Itidal , Dahabi, commenting on Ali Madini, says: Ali bin Abdullah bin Ja’afar bin Hasan is a memorizer of tradition and an outstanding figure of his time. One of the objections concerning Aqili is that he has mentioned the name of Ali bin Abdullah in hisal-Du’afa , saying: He was a supporter of Ibn Abi Dawood and was a member of Jahmiyya, but, Allah willing, his traditions are (good) unaffected by these objections. Abdullah, son of Ahmad bin Hanbal told me: My father used to narrate us traditions from Ali bin Abdullah, but he would never mention his name, saying: “Somebody told me”. He eventually gave up narrating from him.

It needs however to be said that the traditions of Ali bin Madini are mentioned in Ahmad’sMusnad.

Ibrahim Harbi has also left aside the traditions transmitted by Ali Madini, for he was inclined towards Ahmad bin Abi Dawood, doing favor to him.

It was similarly on account of this that he avoided mentioning his traditions in hisSahih , just as Abu Zar’ah and Abu Hatam avoided mentioning the traditions reported by his disciple, Muhammad (Bukhari), due to his belief that Qur’an was created.

Abd al-Rahman bin Abu Hatam says that Abu Zar’ah did not narrate Bukhari’s traditions because of what happened to Bukhari during the time of ‘tribulation[3] ’.[4]

A glance at the biography of Abu Zar’ah Razi

Abu Zar’ah Razi (d. 264 AH) is a great Sunni imam. Comparing him to Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nisaee and Ibn Maja, Dahabi says: Ubaidullah bin Abd al-Karim (known as) Abu Zar’ah Razi, a memorizer of tradition is a great scholar. He has narrated from Abu Naeem Isfahani, Qa’anabi, Qabisa and other scholars of their category here and there. On the other hand, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nisaee, Ibn Maja, Abu ‘Awana, Muhammad bin Husain, Qatan etc. have narrated traditions from him.

Ibn Rahwaih says: Any tradition that is not recognized by Abu Zar’ah is worth nothing.

Commenting on him Dahabi says that his merits are too many.[5]

Ibn Hajar has also placed the above-mentioned four names beside his name, saying: Ubadullah bin Abd al-Karim bin Yazid bin Farrukh, Abu Zar’ah Razi was an imam, memorizer (hafiz), reliable, well-known and one of the eleven imams.[6]

Commenting on him, Yafiee says: Abu Zar’ah is a memorizer of tradition and a great scholar …

Speaking about him, Abu Hatam says: No doubt, there is no one that can replace him scientifically, jurisprudentially and in matters of preservation and honesty. I know no one in the world, who can reach him (in terms of knowledge and excellence). Ishaq bin Rahwaih says: Any tradition Abu Zar’ah does not know by heart is not credible.[7]

Khatib Baghdadi says: Ubaidullah bin Abd al-Karim bin Yazid bin Farrukh, Abu Zar’ah Razi was a divine imam, an outstanding memorizer of tradition, truthful and a narrator of numerous traditions. Several times he visited Baghdad, held dialogues with Ahmad bin Hanbal and narrated traditions. Among the people of Baghdad, Ibrahim bin Ishaq Harbi, Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanba and Qasim bin Zakariya Mutarraz have narrated traditions from him …[8]

A glance at biography of Abu Hatam Razi

Let’s now have a look at the biography of Abu Hatam Razi who died in the year 227 AH. Commenting on him Dahabi says:

Muhammad bin Idris Abu Hatam Razi was a memorizer of tradition. He heard traditions from Ansari and Ubaidullah bin Musa. His son, Abd al-Rahman bin Abu Hatam, Abu Dawood, Nisaee and Muhamili have narrated his traditions.

Regarding him, Musa bin Ishaq Ansari says: I saw no one who was as good as Abu Hatam in terms of memorizing tradition. He died in Sha’aban 277 AH.[9]

Speaking about him Sam’ani says: Abu Hatam was an imam of his time. The scholars used to refer to him to find a solution to the problems related to tradition. He was full of virtues. He was a memorizer of tradition and a great well-known scholar. He used to travel and visit scholars.[10]

Placing the names of Abu Dawood, Nisaee and Maja beside his name, Ibn Hajar says: Muhammad bin Idris bin Munzir, bin Dawood bin Mehran Hanzali, Abu Hatam Razi was a great memorizer (of tradition) and an imam… In their commentaries on the Holy Qur’an, Abu Dawood, Nisaee and Ibn Maja have narrated his traditions… In hisal-Kuna , Hakim Abu Ahmad says: Abu Hatam bin Idris [is such a great scholar] that Muhammad bin Ismael Ja’afi, his son Abd al-Rahman, his friend Abu Zar’ah etc. have narrated traditions from him.

Abu Bakr Khallal says: Abu Hatam was a leading figure in tradition. He narrated many things from Ahmad, which are available to us in a scattered form and are unusual.

Ibn Kharsh, commenting on him, says: he was trustable and a person of high understanding.

Nisaee, regarding him says: He was a credible person.

Lalkaee, talking about him, says: Abu Hatam was an imam, memorizer of tradition, outstanding and a professional researcher.

Commenting on him, Khatib Baghdadi says: Abu Hatam was a leading figure and a memorizer who was credible. He was known for his knowledge and virtues. He died in 277 in Ray.[11]

Zuhli and his criticism of Bukhari

One of the great Sunni imams who have criticized Bukhari is Muhammad bin Yahya Zuhli. He questioned the reputation and credibility of Bukhari, accusing him of introducing innovation in religion.

Elaborating on his life, Subki quotes Abu Hamid bin Sharqi as saying: I saw Bukhari in the funeral ceremony of Sa’aid bin Marwan. This is while Bukhari used to avoid answering any question by Duhli about his name, surname and weakness.

After one month had hardly passed ever since the occurrence of this event, Duhli said: Those who attend Bukhari’s lectures are not allowed to attend my lectures. This is because it is written to me from Baghdad that Bukhari has talked about the createdness of the Holy Qur’an. Though I told him not to accept this view, he continued to believe in it. So do not approach him!

After relating the words of Abu Hamid Sharqi, Subki says: Based on what he is reported to have said (with which we will deal later), Bukhari is a person who believes that Qur’an is created. This is while Muhammad bin Yahya Duhli says: Anyone who thinks that Qur’an is created is an innovator and thus it is not allowed to associate with or talk to him. Anyone who thinks that Qur’an is created is a disbeliever.

Mentioning the same thing, Ibn Hajar Asqalani quotes Abu Hamid Sharqi as saying: I heard Muhammad Yahya Duhli say: Qur’an is Allah’s words and is not created. Anyone who considers it as created, is an innovator and it is not allowed to associate with or talk to him. From now onward, anyone who visits Muhammad bin IsmaelBukhari, must be accused of having such a belief. This is because those who attend Bukhari’s lectures, advocate his school of thought.[12]

A glance at Duhli’s life

Duhli was one of the professors of Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nisaee and other great scholars of tradition. Ibn Abi Dawood called him ‘commander of the faithful in hadith sciences’.

Commenting on him, Dahabi says: Bukhari, four of the authors of Sihah Sitta, Ibn Khazima, Abu ‘Awana and Abu Ali Maydani narrated traditions from him. This is while Bukhari, due to a dispute he had with him, does not mention his name. Ibn Dawood says: Muhammad bin Yahya narrated us traditions and was an imam in hadith sciences.

Concerning him, Abu Hatam, says: He was an imam of his time. He died at the age of 86 in the year 258 AH.[13]

Speaking about him, Sam’ani says: In his era, Duhli was the imam of the people of Nayshabur, and a leading scholar.[14]

Safdi says: Imam Duhli Naishaburi was the master of narrators and the memorizer of traditions. He listened to the traditions of various narrators and all narrators –except Muslim – have narrated his traditions. Duhli himself says: To obtain knowledge and acquire traditions, I travelled three times, for which I spent as much as one hundred fifty thousand (Dinars).

Regarding him, Nisaee says: Duhli is a credible and reliable person.

Talking about him, Abu Amr Ahmad bin Nasr Khaffaf says: I saw Muhammad bin Yahya in a dream. I asked him as to what Allah had done to him. He said that Allah had forgiven him. “What did He do with your traditions?, I asked. “They wrote my traditions with gold and put them on a lofty place.” He answered.[15]

Bukhari and his deviation from the path of Ahl al-Bayt

Ibn Dihya’s opinion

The great Sunni scholars such as Abu Zar’ah, Abu Hatam, Zuhli and other professors of Bukhari have treated him with contempt, considering him as misled. Their mistreatment of Bukhari was the worldly consequence of his deviation from the path of Ali, the commander of the faithful and the Holy Prophet’s progeny (a.s), his treatment of them with contempt and his concealment of their virtues and merits. In hisSharh Asma al-Nabi , Allama Zu al-Nasabain, Ibn Dihya says: In hisSahih , in a chapter on al-Maghazi, Bukhari relates the following story:

Before Farewell Hajj, Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s) and Khalid bin Walid were dispatched to Yemen. Ahmad bin Uthman narrates from Shuraih bin Muslima, from Ibrahim bin Yusuf bin Ishaq bin Ibu Ishaq, from his father, from AbuIshaq who quotes Barra as saying: The Holy Prophet (s)[16] sent me along with Khalid bin Walid to Yemen. Thereupon he sent Ali (a.s) as Khalid’s successor to Yemen!

The Holy Prophet (s) addressing Ali (a.s) said: Tell Khalid’s companions that they can stay with you or come back to Medina. I was among those who stayed with Ali (a.s). I received several awqiya[17] (a quantity of gold) from war booties.

Muhammad bin Bashar narrated from Rowh bin Ibada, from Ali bin Suaid bin Manjuq, from Abdullah bin Barida who quoted his father as saying: The Holy Prophet (s) dispatched Ali (a.s) (to Yemen) to take khums from Khalid. I deemed Ali an enemy. As he (Ali) (chose himself a female slave from the war booties and) took bath I told Khalid: Do you not see this?

When we came back, I related the story to the Prophet (s).

The Holy Prophet (s) said: یا بریده أتبغض علیا؟

O’ Barida! Do you hate Ali?

I said: Yes.

He said: لا تبغضه فإن له فی الخمس أکثر من ذلک

Do not hate him for his share of khums is more than this.

After quoting these two traditions, Zu al-Nasabain says: As you see Bukhari has narrated this tradition incompletely. To narrate such traditions incompletely is the habit of Bukhari. His deviation from the right course is the outcome of his mismanagement and lack of prudence.

Imam Ahmad Hanbal has related the above-mentioned story fully and correctly. Qazi Adil, the remainder of great scholars of Iraq, Taj al-Din Abu al-Fath Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Mandaee – who heard this tradition in Wasit, a city in Iraq – has narrated this story from Raees Abu al-Qasim bin Hasin, a reliable person, from Waez Abu Ali Husain bin Mazhab, a credible person, from Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Ja’afar bin Hamdan Qati’aee, another reliable person, from Imam Abd al-Rahman Abdullah, from his father Abdullah Ahmad bin Hanbal – a Sunni imam- who said: Yahya bin Saeed quoted Abd al-Jalil as saying: I attended a meeting that was attended by Abu Majliz and Barida’s two sons.

Abdullah bin Barida said: I did not hate anyone as much as I hated Ali. I befriended that person –though I did not like him before – just because he was an enemy of Ali. That person was dispatched along a group of horsemen to Yemen. I accompanied him as well. I accompanied him just because he considered Ali as his enemy.

In this military expedition, we took some people as captives. The person in question, reporting this to the Holy Prophet (s), said: Send someone to determine the khums of the booties.

The Holy Prophet (s) sent us Ali (a.s). Among the captives, there was a slave woman who was the best. Ali specified khums and divided the war booties. Thereupon Ali got out of his tent, with the drops of water dripping from his head.

We said: O Aba al-Hasan, why did you do like this?

He said: Did you not see the slave woman among the captives? While dividing war booties and specifying khums, I allocated her as khums. Thus she was possessed by the Prophet’s progeny and me as a member of the Prophet’s progeny. That is why I made intercourse with her.

Ibn Barida says: The person in question (Khalid) wrote another report to the Holy Prophet (s) and I asked him to send me as confirmer of the courier!

He sent me as a witness. When the letter was read to the Holy Prophet (s) I confirmed it. It was at this moment that the Holy Prophet (s) took my hand saying: أتبغض علیا؟

Do you make enmity towards Ali?

I said: Yes.

He said: فلا تبغضه وان کنت تحبه فازدد له حبا فو الذی نفس محمد بیده لنصیب آل علی فی الخمس افضل من وصیفه

Do not make enmity towards him. If you befriend him improve your friendship. By Allah in whose hand is Muhammad’s life the share of Ali’s discendants is more than a female slave.

Ibn Barida continues: After I heard this from the Holy Prophet (s) I liked no one as much as I like Ali (a.s).

He further said: By Allah who has no associate there was intermediary between me and the Holy Prophet (s) except my father.[18]

Elsewhere in hisSharh Asma al-Nabi , after narrating a tradition from Muslim, he says: I commenced my discussion with a tradition from Muslim, because he has related this story completely. This is while Bukhari has related it incompletely and as you see he has, based on his own methodology, omitted certain parts of it. He has been criticized on account of his relating stories incompletely especially stories related to Ali (a.s).

A glance at Ibn Dihya’s life

It is worth noting that Abu al-Khattab bin Dihya was one of the greatest and most well-known Sunni scholars and memorizers. Elaborating on his life, Ibn Khallakan says:

Abu al-Khattab Umar bin Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Jameel bin Farrukh bin Khalaf bin Qums bin Mazlan bin Malal bin Badr bin Dihya bin Fruh Kalbi, known as Zu al-Nasabain was from Blanes, Spain. He was a memorizer of tradition. That was how he describes himself through his own notes.

Ibn Dihya said: His mother is Amat al-Rahman, daughter of Abdullah bin Abu al-Bassam Musa bin Abdullah bin Husain bin Ja’afar bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’afar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s). That is why he said he had two lineages with one ending to Dihya and the other to Husain (a.s).

Ibn Dihya introduces himself as the grandchild of Abu al-Bassam. He was a great celebrated scholar. He knew very well prophetic traditions and the sciences related to them. He knew about Arabic syntax, etymology and poems. He also knew about Arab wars. In order to acquire traditions, he several times travelled across Spain, meeting scholars and masters. He went to Barr al-‘Adwa in Morocco and met the scholars over there.

He went to Egypt in Africa and then to Syria and Iraq. In Baghdad he listened to the traditions of some of the companions of ibn Hasin whereas inWasit , he gave his ear to the traditions of Abu al-Fath Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Mandaee.

He also travelled to Iraq ‘Ajam (present Iran), Khurasan and Mazindaran. He made all these trips in order to meet tradition scholars and to learn traditions from them. Meanwhile, other narrators would also benefit from him.

In Isfahan, he listened to the traditions of Abu Ja’afar Saidalani whereas in Nashabur he gave his ear to the traditions of Mansur bin Abd al-Mun’aeem Farawi.[19]

Commenting on Ibn Dihya, Jala al-Din Suyuti, in his Bughya al-W’at says:Abu al-Khattab, Umar bin Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Jameel bin Farrukh bin Dihya Kalbi Andulusi was a memorizer of tradition and a reputed man of knowledge and virtue. He knew the science of tradition and the issues related to it. He knew Arabic syntax, etymology and poems. He was aware of the history of Arab wars. He travelled and listened to traditions. Malik Kamil, the king of his time, founded Kamiliyya Dar al-Hadith for in Cairo. He appointed him as the Sheikh of this establishment.

Ibn Salah and others narrated traditions from him. He died on Rabi’a al-Awal the fourteenth in the year 633 AH.[20]

In hisHusn al-Muhazira as well, Suyuti deals with his life, saying: Abu al-Khattab Ibn Dihya, Umar bin Hasan Andulusi was an imam, scholar, great memorizer. He was in possession of profound knowledge of tradition. He also knew about Arabic etymology and language. He wrote many books and chose Egypt as his settlement.

He took upon himself to train Malik Kamil, the king of his time. He taught in Kamilia Dar al-Hadith. He died in on Rabi’a al-Awal the fourteenth in the year 633 AH.[21]

Bukhari and Ghadir tradition

It is on account of his extreme prejudice (towards Shiism) that he criticizes the successively narrated Ghadir tradition. Ghadir tradition is narrated by more than one hundred companions of the Holy Prophet (s). The standard of Ghadir tradition is far above the standards of a successively reported tradition. Great Sunni scholars who know traditions admit that Ghadir tradition is a successively reported tradition. This is what the books compiled by Sunni scholars tell us. For example, in order to find it, one can refer to Jala al-Din Suyuti’s al-Azhar al-Mutanathira fi al-Akhbar al-Mutawatira wa al-Fawaeed al-Mutakathira fi al-Akhbar al-Mutawatira , Noor al-Din Azizi’sSharh al-Jamee’a al-Saghir , Manawi’sSharh al-Jamee’a al-Saghir , Ali Qari’sal-Mirqat , Jamal al-Din Muhaddith Shirazi’sal-Arbaeenfi Manaqib Amir al-Mu’amineen ,al-Sayf al-Maslul by Shah Waliullah’s student, father of the author ofTuhfaIthna’ashariyya , Ibn Jawzi’sAsna al-Matalib etc.

Commenting on Ghadir tradition, Ibn Taymiyya says: It is said that the Holy Prophet (s) said: Of whomsoever I am a master, Ali is his master.

This tradition is not in sihah, but scholars have narrated it and people have differed on it. It is said that Bukhari, Ibrahim Harbi and a group of scholars have criticized it.[22]

It has to be noted that Bukhari criticized some of the chains of this tradition but Ibn Taymiyya attributed the criticism to the tradition itself.

Major Sunni scholars and Ghadir tradition

If Bukhari criticizes Ghadir tradition itself then in response it can be said that a number of major Sunni scholars have explicitly rejected the views of those who are skeptic about Ghadir tradition no matter who they are. Badakhshi, for example, says:

هذا حدیث مشهور و لم تکلم فی صحته الا متعصب جاحد لا اعتبار بقوله فلن الحدیث کثیر الطرق جدا و قد استوعبها ابن عقده فی کتاب مفرد و قد نص الذهبی علی کثیر من طرقه بالصحه ورواه من الصحابه عدد کثیر[23]

This is an authentic and famous tradition. Those who cast doubt about itsauthenticity, are prejudiced and deny the truth. Their words are not reliable, because this tradition is narrated via numerous ways. In hisal-Mufrad , Ibn Uqda has assessed it utterly. Dahabi has also mentioned that many of its chains are authentic. A Great number of the Holy Prophet’s companions have reported it.

Ibn JAzer and Ghadir tradition

Hafiz bin JAzeri has also accused those who deny Ghadir tradition of being ignorant and prejudiced.[24]

Let’s now have a cursory look at Ibn JAzeri’s life. Ibn JAzeri Shaf’aee is a famous memorizer of tradition. He has written many books. Scholars have praised him and his works.

Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani has dealt with Ibn JAzeri’s life, calling him as ‘memorizer’ and ‘imam’. He says: He was a master of the science of recitation all over the Islamic world. He was the first one who wrote a comprehensive book on supplication titledal-Hisn al-Hasin min Kalam Sayyid al-Mursalin. He was well-known in Yemen and was praised a lot …

He gave importance to recitation. That is why he wrote an invaluable appendix to Dahabi’sal-Tabaqat al-Qurra and composed an ode on three recitations. He also wroteal-Nashr bi al-Qira’at al-‘Ashr … He was called a great imam and … On the whole, he was a unique and well-known person. People benefited from his writings. He was like a sun shining in the sky.[25]

Another scholar who has treated his life in detail is Sakhawi. Enumerating his professors in different sciences, he said that he had many licenses for giving fatwa, teaching, and recitation. He presided over the board of reciters at ‘Adiliyya Madrasa in Damascus.

Sakhawi has also dealt with his trips to different countries and his interesting accounts. He has shed light on his works and described all of them as useful. Among his worksis Asna al-Matalib fi Manaqib Ali bin Abi Talib .

He says: Commenting on JAzeri, Tawoosi says: He was unique in narrating and memorizing traditions, jarh and ta’adeel (the science of praising and criticizing) and knowing early and later narrators.

Thereupon Sakhawi the words of Ibn Hajar concerning him…[26] Ibn JAzeri died in the year 833 AH.

Bukhari and his skepticism about Imam Sadiq’s traditions

It is one of the signs of Bukhari’s animositytowards the Holy Prophet’s progeny and his deviation from their conduct, that he did not mention Imam Sadiq’s traditions in his book and above all he cast doubts on some of his traditions!!

With all insolence, commenting on Imam Sadiq, Bukhari says: No one from among the four imams has taken juristic rules from Ja’afar [Sadiq (a.s)], but they have narrated his tradition along with the traditions of others, with the difference that the traditions of others are much more in number than those of his. The traditions by Zahri cannot be thus compared to those of J’afar [Sadiq (a.s)] in terms of strength and number.

When some of his traditions were narrated to him by Yahya bin Sa’ee Qattan, he objected to them and cast doubt about them. It was because of this that he refrained from narrating his traditions. The ability of Ja’afar [Sadiq (a.s)] in memorizing traditions is far less than the memorization abilities of those referred to by Bukhari!![27]

Sunni scholars and issue of loving Prophet’s progeny

Look! How this arch enemy of the Prophet’s progeny has cast doubt on this Holy Imam on the basis of Qattan’s words.

This is while great Sunni scholars – whether in the part or in the present – have said that it is necessary to love, respect and follow the Holy Prophet’s progeny (a.s) to the extent that they distance Sunnis from making enmity towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny and acquit those who objected the Prophet’s progeny, put their credibility to question or tuned away from them. They consider the attribution of such matters to Sunnis as something that originates from Shiite prejudices. Kabuli consider the following as the nineteenth prejudices of Shiites (against Sunnis), saying: Sunnis have gone to extremes in making enmity towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny. Ibn Shar Ashub and most Shiite scholars, mentioning such topic, have regarded Sunnis as the enemies of the Holy Prophet’s progeny. But this is a big lie! This is because it is one of the undisputed conditions of faith that one should love the Holy Prophet’s progeny more than one loves oneself. One of the traditions that one can mention here is the tradition narrated by Bayaqi, Abu al-Sheikh and Daylami. The Holy Prophet (s) says:

لایومن احد حتی اکون احب اله من نفسه و یکون عتی احب الیه من نفسه

No one is a believer unless he loves me and my progeny more than himself.

Tirmidhi and Hakim have also narrated from Ibn Abas that he has quoted the Holy Prophet (s) as saying:

احبوا اهل بیتی بحبی

Love my progeny on account of loving me.

Sunni scholars are of the view that anyone who does not love the Holy Prophet’s progeny betrays him, whereas the Holy Qur’an says:

لاتخونوا الله و الرسول[28]

Do not betray Allah and the Apostle.

Likewise, anyone who makes enmity towards the Hoy Prophet’sprogeny, makes enmity, in fact, towards the Apostle of Allah. A poet has beautifully described this, composing:

فلا تعدل باهل البیت خلقا ـــــــــــ فأهل البیت هم آهل السعاده

فبغضهم من الإنسان خسر ــــــــــ حقیقی و حبهم عباده

Do not consider anyone as equal to Prophet’s progeny

This is because it is only the Prophet’s progeny who attain happiness

Making enmity towards them is a real loss and loving them is worship

Sunni scholars deem it necessary to say salawat (peace be upon the Holy Prophet’s progeny) in prayers. Sheik Farid al-Din Ahmad bin Muhammad Nayshabur says: Anyone who believes in Muhammad (s) and does not believe in his progeny is not a believer.All scholars and mysticsare of the same opinion on this issue with no one denying it. [29]

Are they truthful in making this claim?

As a matter of fact, Sunni scholars claim that “anyone who believes in Muhammad (s) and does not believe in his progeny is not a believer”. On the other hand, all scholars and mystics are unanimous on this issue with no one denying it.

Let’s now ask them this question: if you are truthful in making this claim, what do you say Qattan, Bukhari, Ibn Taymiyya and their likes?

Commenting on Safina tradition (my progeny is Noah’s ship. Anyone whogets on it will be saved and anyone who leaves it will be drowned) he says: This tradition shows that salvation and guidance is the result of loving and following the Holy Prophet’s progeny. Any deviation from this path will bring about one’s perdition.

As the discussion proceeds, Shah Abd al-Aziz Dehlavi considers affection towards and obedience to the Prophet’s progeny as a peculiarity of Sunnis!![30]

If Shah Abd al-Aziz is truthful in his claim he must comment on those who put to question the reputation of Imam Sadiq (a.s).

One must not think that Qattan, Bukhari and their advocates criticized Imam Sadiq (a.s) not because of their animosity towards him but because of scientific studies and religious precautions. Such a view is wrong. This is because if Ibn Taymiyya’s words (concerning Imam Sadiq) are not deviation and animosity, then what are they? Can we find any other example for deviation and animosity? If Ibn Taymiyya is not an enemy of the Prophet’s progeny then who is their enemy who is deviated and prejudiced? Was it the intensity of religious precaution and piety that caused Bukhari to leave aside the traditions of Imam Sadiq (a.s) and other imams and to give space in hisSahih to traditions by misled and corrupt individuals like Akrama who had deep hatred towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny? How can thus one excuse Bukhari and justify his deed?

Buhkari and Duhli have questioned the credibility of one another in a manner that tells us they were lewd. Bukhari avoids mentioning Zuhli’s name explicitly. Despite all this animosity, he relates Zuhli’s tradition but refrains from mentioning Imam Sadiq’s traditions!!

Qattan and his criticism of Imam Sadiq (a.s)

Qattan has also put to question the reputation and credibility of Imam Sadiq (a.s). This has appeared in Sunnis’ rijal books. In two sentences he criticizes Imam Sadiq (a.s). He says: “I do not accept him” and “I like Mujalid more than him”.

Elaborating on Imam Sadiq’s life, Dahabi says: Abu Abdullah Ja’afar bin Muhammad Sadiq’s mother is Umm e Farwa, daughter of Qasim bin Muhammad. His maternal grandmother is Asma, daughter of Abd al-Rahman bin Abu Bakr. Ja’afar Sadiq said: Abu Bakr has brought me to this world twice.

He listened to the traditions of Qasim, ‘Ata and his father (Muhammad Baqir (a.s)), Shu’aba and Qattan have narrated his traditions. Qattan says: I do not accept him….[31]

Elsewhere Dahabimentions: Ja’afar bin Muhammad bin Ali is a reliable person, though Bukhari has not mentioned his traditions. Yahya bin Mu’aeen and Ibn Udai consider his traditions as credible, though Qattan says that he likes Mujalid more than him.[32]

Who is Mujalid bin Sa’eed?

Given the preceding discussion, most Sunni scholars have questioned the credibility and reputation of Mujalid bin Sa’eed. Commenting on him,Dahabi says: Mujalid bin Sa’eed Bin Umair Hamadani is a popular figure with traditions though weak. He narrated traditions from Qabas bin Abu Hazim and Sha’abi. Yahaya Qattan, Abu Usama and others have narrated traditions from him.

Speaking about him Ibn Mu’aeen and others says: One cannot rely on Mujalid’s traditions.

Talking about him, Ahmad says: No one has reported as many marfu’a (chainless) traditions as Mujalid has done. One must not pay attention to his traditions.

Nisaee says that Mujalid is not strong in terms of transmitting traditions.Ashaj says that Mujalid is a Shiite.n Dar Qutni says that Mujalid is weak in terms of narrating traditions. Bukhari says: Yahya bin Sa’eed has always criticized Mujalid whereas Ibn Mahdi has refrained from narrating his traditions.

Falas says: I heard Yaya bin Sa’eed say: If I asked Mujalid to begin all his traditions with the phrase “from Sha’bi, from Masruq, from Abdullah” he would do it.

When Takhan, Mujalid’s maternal uncle was asked as to why he did not record Mujalid’s traditions when he was in Kufa he said: because Mujalid keeps long beard.

In my point of view, some scholars have rejected Mujalid’s tradition that “If I willed, Allah would give me mountains of gold and silver” as false. Mujalid has narrated this tradition in marfu’a format from Sha’abi, from Masruq, from ‘Aisha.[33]

This is a part of the views of biographers concerning Mujalid bin Sa’eed whom Qattan preferred to Imam Sadiq (a.s). You can now judge yourself about the characters of Qattan, Bukhari and their co-thinkers on the basis of justice and religious standards.

Dahabi and Imam Sadiq (a.s)

Albeit Dahabi has considered Imam Sadiq (a.s) as reliable, he has made no objection to Qattan and Bukhari’s prejudice against Imam Sadiq (a.s). On the contrary, in hisal-Mizan , he has mentioned the criticism made by Qattan and Bukhari against Imam Sadiq (a.s), saying:

Ja’afar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Husain Hashimi, Abu Abdullah is among great, benevolent and truthful imams. Bukhari has refrained from narrating from him. Yahya bin Sa’aeed says that he likes Mujalid more than him.

Mus’ab bin Abdullah quotes Darawardi as saying: Malik refrained from narrating from Ja’afar (Imam Sadiq (a.s)) before the dominance of Bani Abbas. If he narrated anything from him he would add the name of another narrator to his name.

Ahmad bin Sa’eed bin Abu Maryam quotes Yahya as saying: I did not ask Yahya bin Sa’aeed anything about the traditions of Ja’afar (Imam Sadiq (a.s). It was because of this that he asked: Why do you not ask him about the traditions’ of Ja’afar.

I said: I do not like his traditions.

Yahya bin Sa’eed said: If Ja’afar is a memorizer he can narrate authentic traditions from his father.[34]

In his preface to this book, Dahabi, on the other hand, points out that he does not intend to mention the names of those great scholars of jurisprudence whom Bukhari and Ibn Udai have criticized.[35]

Is the position of Imam Sadiq (a.s) is lower than that of some of the lewd companions (of the Holy Prophet (s)) such as 'Amr bin ‘As, Busr bin Arta’a and their likes? Were Shafi’aee and others better off than Imam Sadiq (a.s)?

No doubt, they were not. Thus it is prejudice against and animosity towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny that make one to commits such a grieve sin. One must take refuge to Allah from such sins.

Who is Qattan?

Let’s now see how Sunni scholars have exaggerated in praising Qattan while elaborating on his life. Sam’ani says: Qattan is a person who sells cotton. Qattan was called Qattan for he was as seller of cotton. His full name is Abu Sa’eed, Yahya bin Sa’eed bin Farrukh Ahwal Qattan. He was among the slaves of Bani Tamim and the imams of Basra.

He narrated traditions from Yahya bin Sa’eed Ansari and Hisham bin Urwa and the people of narrated his traditions.

Qattan died on Sunday in the year 198 AH. When a person asked Allah to cure his illness when he was ill, he would say: I like that which Allah likes.

He was among the top figures of his time in memorizing traditions, piety, reason, understanding, virtue, religion and knowledge. It was he who taught Iraqis how to record traditions.

He spent most of his time in learning about reliable narrators and leaving weak narrators. Ahmad bin Hanbal, Yahya bin Mu’aeen and Ali bin Madini have learnt the science of hadith from him.

Talking about him, Amr bin Ali Falas says: Yahya bin Sa’eed Qattan used to recite the entire Qur’an in every twenty four hours. He used to pray for as many as one thousand people. In the final hours of afternoon, he would go out of his house in order to relate traditions for people.

He narrated traditions from Yahya bin Sa’eed Ansari, his homonym, Hisham bin Urwa, ‘Amash bin Jarih, Thawri, Shu’aba, Malik etc. He said that he had accompanied Shu’aba for twenty years during which time he had learnt as many as three to ten traditions from him.

Yahya bin Mu’aeen says: He used to recite the entire Quran every night for twenty consecutive years. He used to offer his noon prayers in mosque for forty year in succession, though he was never seen in congregational prayer.[36]

Speaking about Qattan, he says: His full name is Yahya bin Saeed Qattan, Abu Saeed bin Farrukh Tamimi. He was the imam of Basran narrators and was among the followers of the followers. He listened to the traditions of Yahya bin Saeed Ansari, Hanzala bin Abu Sufyan, bin ‘Ajlan, Sayf bin Sulaiman, Hisham bin Hassan, bin Jarih, Saeed bin ‘Aruba, bin Abu Zaeb, Noori, bin ‘Aenae, Malik, Mush’aeer, Shu’aba and others.

Noori, Ibn ‘Aeena, Shu’ab, Ibn Mahdi, ‘Affan, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Yahya bin Mu’een, Ali bin Madini, Ishaq bin Rahwiyya, Abu Abdi Qasim bin Salam, Abu Khtima, Abu Bakr bin Abu Shayba, Musaddid, Ubaydullah bin Umar Qawariri, Amr, bin Ali, Ibn Muthana, Ibn Bashar etc. have narrated traditions from him.

All scholars have admitted his imamate, greatness, memorization and his immense knowledge.

Commenting on him, Dahabi says: Yahya bin Sa’eed bin Farrukh, Abu Sa’eed Tamimi, Qattan, a great memorizer was the imam of Basran narrators. He narrated traditions from Urwa, Hamid and Amash. Ahmad, Ali and Yahya narrated traditions from him.

Ahmad says: Qattan is a unique personality. Bandar says: Yahya Qattan was the imam of his time. I was in touch with him for twenty years. I think he did not commit even a single sin!

Qattan was top in terms of knowledge and good deeds. He was born in 120 AH and died in Safar 198 AH.[37]

Speaking about Qattan, Yafi’aee said: Imam Abu Sa’eed Yahya bin Sa’eed Qattan was from Basra. He was memorizer of tradition and a great scholar. Bandar says: I was in touch with him for twenty years. I think he did not commit even a single sin!

Ahmad bin Hanbal said: Qattan was a unique personality. Ibn Mu’aeen said: He used to recite the entire Quran every night for twenty consecutive years and pray in mosque for forty years without any cessation.[38]

Incredible claims

The above-mentioned scholars were aware of Qattan’s words concerning Imam Sadiq (a.s), but despite that they praised him. Theses praises determine Sunnis’ attitude towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny (a.s).

Thus we cannot agree with some Sunni scholars who say that Sunnis respect the Holy Prophet’s progeny and appealed to them. It cannot be accepted that someone loves the Holy Prophet’s progeny and praises their enemies!

The story of Ibn Madini’s al-Ilal

One of the objections that target Bukhari’s piety and credibility is his way of approachingal-Illal written by Ibn Madini, his teacher.

In hisal-T’arikh , Muslima bin Qasim (based on what is narrated)[39] , says:Bukhari wrote his Sahih in order to compete Ali bin Madini who had writtenal -Ilal and wan not willing to publish it.

Considering his book as very great and useful, he did not narrate its traditions to anyone. One day Ali bin Madini went somewhere to do something. [Utilizing the opportunity], Bukhari visited one his children. He proposed to him to lend himal-Ilal to study for three days in return for one hundred Dinars.

Being attracted by the charms of Dinars, Ibn Madini’s family lent it to him and asked him to return it after three days.

Bukhari got the book that was consisting of one hundred volumes and distributed it among one hundred writers asking each one to transcribe and edit his portion within twenty four hours.

As expected, the writers in question completed its transcription and editing within twenty four hours.

After accomplishing the task, Bukhari returnedal-Ilal back to Ali bin Madini’s son, saying that he could study only parts of it.

Not knowing about what had happened, Ali bin Madini arrived home. Bukhari now studied the book and memorized its content. He had good relations with Ibn Madini. Ibn Madini used to devote one day to the people of tradition, elaborating on the weakness and chains of traditions.

After some times, Bukhari visited Ibn Madini. “Where are you? I have not seen you for a long time?”, Ibn Madini said. “I was busy doing something”, replied Bukhari.

Thereupon Ali bin Madini narrated some traditions and asked the people of traditions to comment on their weaknesses.

Bukhari replied, while mentioning the exact words of Ibn Madini in hisal-Ilal . Ibn Madini was surprised by Bukhari’s comment and thus he, addressing him, said: How did you know the answer to this question? I have written it in my book. Presently no one except me knows about such issues.

Saddened and made sorrowful, Ibn Madini came back home. At his home, he learnt that Bukhari had taken the book from his family after giving them some money. His sorrow continued to increase until he died a short while later.

Now that Bukhari hadal-Ilal at his disposal he did not need to attend Madini’s lectures anymore. That is why he left for Khurasan where he became a jurist making use ofal-Ilal .

He wrote hisSahih and history books and became popular. He was the first scholar who wroteSahih in the world of Islam and other scholars followed in his footsteps and wrote their sahih books.

The afore-mentioned story shows that Bukhari was the main factor behind the death of his teacher, Ali bin Madini, for it was Bukhari who borrowed Ibn Madini’sal-Ilal from his family through trick and deceit and introduced changes in it.

Chapter One

Bukhari as a Narrator

It has tomentioned right in the beginning that Abu Zar’ah Razi and Abu Hatam Razi have abandoned citing traditions from Bukhari, prohibiting others as well to quote traditions from Bukhari.

Abu Zar’ah and Abu Hatam on Bukhari

In hisal-Tabaqat al-Shafi’ayya al-Kubra , Suki quotes Taqi al-Din bin Daqiq al-‘Aeed as saying: The honor of Muslims is one of the pitfalls of Hell. Two groups of people stand around it: narrators and rulers. Subki goes on saying: In my point of view, the opinion mentioned by some that Abu Zar’ah and Abu Hatam shunned citing Bukhari’s traditions because of Bukhari’s belief in Qur’an as being created is an instance of the above-mentioned word. May Allah help Muslims! Is it permissible for some to abandon Bukhari who is considered as a forerunner in hadith science and an imam of Sunnis?![1]

Shams al-Din al-Dahabi has mentioned the name of Bukhari among the weak and rejected. Regretting this, Manawi says: Bukhari is the ornament of Islamic community, honor of the imams, author of the most authentic book after the Holy Quran and owner of perpetual excellence. Commenting on him, Ibn Khazima says: Bukhari is a divine sign that walks on land.

In hisal-Kashif, Dahabi says: Bukhari was a religious minded, pious person with utmost dignity.

In hisal-Du’afawa al-Matrukin , he, nevertheless, ignoring his being a Sunni, says: ماسلم من الکلام لاجل مسأله اللفظ ترکه لاجلها الرازیان

Because of his belief in the Holy Qur’an as being created, people spoke ill of him and that was why Abu Zar’ah Razi and Abu Hatam Razi refrained from narrating his traditions.

Dahabi goes on saying: I have only quoted his words. I ask Allah to forgive him and to grant us good health. I feel lonely and take refuge to Him.[2]

In hisMizan al-Itidal , Dahabi, commenting on Ali Madini, says: Ali bin Abdullah bin Ja’afar bin Hasan is a memorizer of tradition and an outstanding figure of his time. One of the objections concerning Aqili is that he has mentioned the name of Ali bin Abdullah in hisal-Du’afa , saying: He was a supporter of Ibn Abi Dawood and was a member of Jahmiyya, but, Allah willing, his traditions are (good) unaffected by these objections. Abdullah, son of Ahmad bin Hanbal told me: My father used to narrate us traditions from Ali bin Abdullah, but he would never mention his name, saying: “Somebody told me”. He eventually gave up narrating from him.

It needs however to be said that the traditions of Ali bin Madini are mentioned in Ahmad’sMusnad.

Ibrahim Harbi has also left aside the traditions transmitted by Ali Madini, for he was inclined towards Ahmad bin Abi Dawood, doing favor to him.

It was similarly on account of this that he avoided mentioning his traditions in hisSahih , just as Abu Zar’ah and Abu Hatam avoided mentioning the traditions reported by his disciple, Muhammad (Bukhari), due to his belief that Qur’an was created.

Abd al-Rahman bin Abu Hatam says that Abu Zar’ah did not narrate Bukhari’s traditions because of what happened to Bukhari during the time of ‘tribulation[3] ’.[4]

A glance at the biography of Abu Zar’ah Razi

Abu Zar’ah Razi (d. 264 AH) is a great Sunni imam. Comparing him to Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nisaee and Ibn Maja, Dahabi says: Ubaidullah bin Abd al-Karim (known as) Abu Zar’ah Razi, a memorizer of tradition is a great scholar. He has narrated from Abu Naeem Isfahani, Qa’anabi, Qabisa and other scholars of their category here and there. On the other hand, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nisaee, Ibn Maja, Abu ‘Awana, Muhammad bin Husain, Qatan etc. have narrated traditions from him.

Ibn Rahwaih says: Any tradition that is not recognized by Abu Zar’ah is worth nothing.

Commenting on him Dahabi says that his merits are too many.[5]

Ibn Hajar has also placed the above-mentioned four names beside his name, saying: Ubadullah bin Abd al-Karim bin Yazid bin Farrukh, Abu Zar’ah Razi was an imam, memorizer (hafiz), reliable, well-known and one of the eleven imams.[6]

Commenting on him, Yafiee says: Abu Zar’ah is a memorizer of tradition and a great scholar …

Speaking about him, Abu Hatam says: No doubt, there is no one that can replace him scientifically, jurisprudentially and in matters of preservation and honesty. I know no one in the world, who can reach him (in terms of knowledge and excellence). Ishaq bin Rahwaih says: Any tradition Abu Zar’ah does not know by heart is not credible.[7]

Khatib Baghdadi says: Ubaidullah bin Abd al-Karim bin Yazid bin Farrukh, Abu Zar’ah Razi was a divine imam, an outstanding memorizer of tradition, truthful and a narrator of numerous traditions. Several times he visited Baghdad, held dialogues with Ahmad bin Hanbal and narrated traditions. Among the people of Baghdad, Ibrahim bin Ishaq Harbi, Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanba and Qasim bin Zakariya Mutarraz have narrated traditions from him …[8]

A glance at biography of Abu Hatam Razi

Let’s now have a look at the biography of Abu Hatam Razi who died in the year 227 AH. Commenting on him Dahabi says:

Muhammad bin Idris Abu Hatam Razi was a memorizer of tradition. He heard traditions from Ansari and Ubaidullah bin Musa. His son, Abd al-Rahman bin Abu Hatam, Abu Dawood, Nisaee and Muhamili have narrated his traditions.

Regarding him, Musa bin Ishaq Ansari says: I saw no one who was as good as Abu Hatam in terms of memorizing tradition. He died in Sha’aban 277 AH.[9]

Speaking about him Sam’ani says: Abu Hatam was an imam of his time. The scholars used to refer to him to find a solution to the problems related to tradition. He was full of virtues. He was a memorizer of tradition and a great well-known scholar. He used to travel and visit scholars.[10]

Placing the names of Abu Dawood, Nisaee and Maja beside his name, Ibn Hajar says: Muhammad bin Idris bin Munzir, bin Dawood bin Mehran Hanzali, Abu Hatam Razi was a great memorizer (of tradition) and an imam… In their commentaries on the Holy Qur’an, Abu Dawood, Nisaee and Ibn Maja have narrated his traditions… In hisal-Kuna , Hakim Abu Ahmad says: Abu Hatam bin Idris [is such a great scholar] that Muhammad bin Ismael Ja’afi, his son Abd al-Rahman, his friend Abu Zar’ah etc. have narrated traditions from him.

Abu Bakr Khallal says: Abu Hatam was a leading figure in tradition. He narrated many things from Ahmad, which are available to us in a scattered form and are unusual.

Ibn Kharsh, commenting on him, says: he was trustable and a person of high understanding.

Nisaee, regarding him says: He was a credible person.

Lalkaee, talking about him, says: Abu Hatam was an imam, memorizer of tradition, outstanding and a professional researcher.

Commenting on him, Khatib Baghdadi says: Abu Hatam was a leading figure and a memorizer who was credible. He was known for his knowledge and virtues. He died in 277 in Ray.[11]

Zuhli and his criticism of Bukhari

One of the great Sunni imams who have criticized Bukhari is Muhammad bin Yahya Zuhli. He questioned the reputation and credibility of Bukhari, accusing him of introducing innovation in religion.

Elaborating on his life, Subki quotes Abu Hamid bin Sharqi as saying: I saw Bukhari in the funeral ceremony of Sa’aid bin Marwan. This is while Bukhari used to avoid answering any question by Duhli about his name, surname and weakness.

After one month had hardly passed ever since the occurrence of this event, Duhli said: Those who attend Bukhari’s lectures are not allowed to attend my lectures. This is because it is written to me from Baghdad that Bukhari has talked about the createdness of the Holy Qur’an. Though I told him not to accept this view, he continued to believe in it. So do not approach him!

After relating the words of Abu Hamid Sharqi, Subki says: Based on what he is reported to have said (with which we will deal later), Bukhari is a person who believes that Qur’an is created. This is while Muhammad bin Yahya Duhli says: Anyone who thinks that Qur’an is created is an innovator and thus it is not allowed to associate with or talk to him. Anyone who thinks that Qur’an is created is a disbeliever.

Mentioning the same thing, Ibn Hajar Asqalani quotes Abu Hamid Sharqi as saying: I heard Muhammad Yahya Duhli say: Qur’an is Allah’s words and is not created. Anyone who considers it as created, is an innovator and it is not allowed to associate with or talk to him. From now onward, anyone who visits Muhammad bin IsmaelBukhari, must be accused of having such a belief. This is because those who attend Bukhari’s lectures, advocate his school of thought.[12]

A glance at Duhli’s life

Duhli was one of the professors of Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nisaee and other great scholars of tradition. Ibn Abi Dawood called him ‘commander of the faithful in hadith sciences’.

Commenting on him, Dahabi says: Bukhari, four of the authors of Sihah Sitta, Ibn Khazima, Abu ‘Awana and Abu Ali Maydani narrated traditions from him. This is while Bukhari, due to a dispute he had with him, does not mention his name. Ibn Dawood says: Muhammad bin Yahya narrated us traditions and was an imam in hadith sciences.

Concerning him, Abu Hatam, says: He was an imam of his time. He died at the age of 86 in the year 258 AH.[13]

Speaking about him, Sam’ani says: In his era, Duhli was the imam of the people of Nayshabur, and a leading scholar.[14]

Safdi says: Imam Duhli Naishaburi was the master of narrators and the memorizer of traditions. He listened to the traditions of various narrators and all narrators –except Muslim – have narrated his traditions. Duhli himself says: To obtain knowledge and acquire traditions, I travelled three times, for which I spent as much as one hundred fifty thousand (Dinars).

Regarding him, Nisaee says: Duhli is a credible and reliable person.

Talking about him, Abu Amr Ahmad bin Nasr Khaffaf says: I saw Muhammad bin Yahya in a dream. I asked him as to what Allah had done to him. He said that Allah had forgiven him. “What did He do with your traditions?, I asked. “They wrote my traditions with gold and put them on a lofty place.” He answered.[15]

Bukhari and his deviation from the path of Ahl al-Bayt

Ibn Dihya’s opinion

The great Sunni scholars such as Abu Zar’ah, Abu Hatam, Zuhli and other professors of Bukhari have treated him with contempt, considering him as misled. Their mistreatment of Bukhari was the worldly consequence of his deviation from the path of Ali, the commander of the faithful and the Holy Prophet’s progeny (a.s), his treatment of them with contempt and his concealment of their virtues and merits. In hisSharh Asma al-Nabi , Allama Zu al-Nasabain, Ibn Dihya says: In hisSahih , in a chapter on al-Maghazi, Bukhari relates the following story:

Before Farewell Hajj, Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s) and Khalid bin Walid were dispatched to Yemen. Ahmad bin Uthman narrates from Shuraih bin Muslima, from Ibrahim bin Yusuf bin Ishaq bin Ibu Ishaq, from his father, from AbuIshaq who quotes Barra as saying: The Holy Prophet (s)[16] sent me along with Khalid bin Walid to Yemen. Thereupon he sent Ali (a.s) as Khalid’s successor to Yemen!

The Holy Prophet (s) addressing Ali (a.s) said: Tell Khalid’s companions that they can stay with you or come back to Medina. I was among those who stayed with Ali (a.s). I received several awqiya[17] (a quantity of gold) from war booties.

Muhammad bin Bashar narrated from Rowh bin Ibada, from Ali bin Suaid bin Manjuq, from Abdullah bin Barida who quoted his father as saying: The Holy Prophet (s) dispatched Ali (a.s) (to Yemen) to take khums from Khalid. I deemed Ali an enemy. As he (Ali) (chose himself a female slave from the war booties and) took bath I told Khalid: Do you not see this?

When we came back, I related the story to the Prophet (s).

The Holy Prophet (s) said: یا بریده أتبغض علیا؟

O’ Barida! Do you hate Ali?

I said: Yes.

He said: لا تبغضه فإن له فی الخمس أکثر من ذلک

Do not hate him for his share of khums is more than this.

After quoting these two traditions, Zu al-Nasabain says: As you see Bukhari has narrated this tradition incompletely. To narrate such traditions incompletely is the habit of Bukhari. His deviation from the right course is the outcome of his mismanagement and lack of prudence.

Imam Ahmad Hanbal has related the above-mentioned story fully and correctly. Qazi Adil, the remainder of great scholars of Iraq, Taj al-Din Abu al-Fath Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Mandaee – who heard this tradition in Wasit, a city in Iraq – has narrated this story from Raees Abu al-Qasim bin Hasin, a reliable person, from Waez Abu Ali Husain bin Mazhab, a credible person, from Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Ja’afar bin Hamdan Qati’aee, another reliable person, from Imam Abd al-Rahman Abdullah, from his father Abdullah Ahmad bin Hanbal – a Sunni imam- who said: Yahya bin Saeed quoted Abd al-Jalil as saying: I attended a meeting that was attended by Abu Majliz and Barida’s two sons.

Abdullah bin Barida said: I did not hate anyone as much as I hated Ali. I befriended that person –though I did not like him before – just because he was an enemy of Ali. That person was dispatched along a group of horsemen to Yemen. I accompanied him as well. I accompanied him just because he considered Ali as his enemy.

In this military expedition, we took some people as captives. The person in question, reporting this to the Holy Prophet (s), said: Send someone to determine the khums of the booties.

The Holy Prophet (s) sent us Ali (a.s). Among the captives, there was a slave woman who was the best. Ali specified khums and divided the war booties. Thereupon Ali got out of his tent, with the drops of water dripping from his head.

We said: O Aba al-Hasan, why did you do like this?

He said: Did you not see the slave woman among the captives? While dividing war booties and specifying khums, I allocated her as khums. Thus she was possessed by the Prophet’s progeny and me as a member of the Prophet’s progeny. That is why I made intercourse with her.

Ibn Barida says: The person in question (Khalid) wrote another report to the Holy Prophet (s) and I asked him to send me as confirmer of the courier!

He sent me as a witness. When the letter was read to the Holy Prophet (s) I confirmed it. It was at this moment that the Holy Prophet (s) took my hand saying: أتبغض علیا؟

Do you make enmity towards Ali?

I said: Yes.

He said: فلا تبغضه وان کنت تحبه فازدد له حبا فو الذی نفس محمد بیده لنصیب آل علی فی الخمس افضل من وصیفه

Do not make enmity towards him. If you befriend him improve your friendship. By Allah in whose hand is Muhammad’s life the share of Ali’s discendants is more than a female slave.

Ibn Barida continues: After I heard this from the Holy Prophet (s) I liked no one as much as I like Ali (a.s).

He further said: By Allah who has no associate there was intermediary between me and the Holy Prophet (s) except my father.[18]

Elsewhere in hisSharh Asma al-Nabi , after narrating a tradition from Muslim, he says: I commenced my discussion with a tradition from Muslim, because he has related this story completely. This is while Bukhari has related it incompletely and as you see he has, based on his own methodology, omitted certain parts of it. He has been criticized on account of his relating stories incompletely especially stories related to Ali (a.s).

A glance at Ibn Dihya’s life

It is worth noting that Abu al-Khattab bin Dihya was one of the greatest and most well-known Sunni scholars and memorizers. Elaborating on his life, Ibn Khallakan says:

Abu al-Khattab Umar bin Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Jameel bin Farrukh bin Khalaf bin Qums bin Mazlan bin Malal bin Badr bin Dihya bin Fruh Kalbi, known as Zu al-Nasabain was from Blanes, Spain. He was a memorizer of tradition. That was how he describes himself through his own notes.

Ibn Dihya said: His mother is Amat al-Rahman, daughter of Abdullah bin Abu al-Bassam Musa bin Abdullah bin Husain bin Ja’afar bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’afar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s). That is why he said he had two lineages with one ending to Dihya and the other to Husain (a.s).

Ibn Dihya introduces himself as the grandchild of Abu al-Bassam. He was a great celebrated scholar. He knew very well prophetic traditions and the sciences related to them. He knew about Arabic syntax, etymology and poems. He also knew about Arab wars. In order to acquire traditions, he several times travelled across Spain, meeting scholars and masters. He went to Barr al-‘Adwa in Morocco and met the scholars over there.

He went to Egypt in Africa and then to Syria and Iraq. In Baghdad he listened to the traditions of some of the companions of ibn Hasin whereas inWasit , he gave his ear to the traditions of Abu al-Fath Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Mandaee.

He also travelled to Iraq ‘Ajam (present Iran), Khurasan and Mazindaran. He made all these trips in order to meet tradition scholars and to learn traditions from them. Meanwhile, other narrators would also benefit from him.

In Isfahan, he listened to the traditions of Abu Ja’afar Saidalani whereas in Nashabur he gave his ear to the traditions of Mansur bin Abd al-Mun’aeem Farawi.[19]

Commenting on Ibn Dihya, Jala al-Din Suyuti, in his Bughya al-W’at says:Abu al-Khattab, Umar bin Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Jameel bin Farrukh bin Dihya Kalbi Andulusi was a memorizer of tradition and a reputed man of knowledge and virtue. He knew the science of tradition and the issues related to it. He knew Arabic syntax, etymology and poems. He was aware of the history of Arab wars. He travelled and listened to traditions. Malik Kamil, the king of his time, founded Kamiliyya Dar al-Hadith for in Cairo. He appointed him as the Sheikh of this establishment.

Ibn Salah and others narrated traditions from him. He died on Rabi’a al-Awal the fourteenth in the year 633 AH.[20]

In hisHusn al-Muhazira as well, Suyuti deals with his life, saying: Abu al-Khattab Ibn Dihya, Umar bin Hasan Andulusi was an imam, scholar, great memorizer. He was in possession of profound knowledge of tradition. He also knew about Arabic etymology and language. He wrote many books and chose Egypt as his settlement.

He took upon himself to train Malik Kamil, the king of his time. He taught in Kamilia Dar al-Hadith. He died in on Rabi’a al-Awal the fourteenth in the year 633 AH.[21]

Bukhari and Ghadir tradition

It is on account of his extreme prejudice (towards Shiism) that he criticizes the successively narrated Ghadir tradition. Ghadir tradition is narrated by more than one hundred companions of the Holy Prophet (s). The standard of Ghadir tradition is far above the standards of a successively reported tradition. Great Sunni scholars who know traditions admit that Ghadir tradition is a successively reported tradition. This is what the books compiled by Sunni scholars tell us. For example, in order to find it, one can refer to Jala al-Din Suyuti’s al-Azhar al-Mutanathira fi al-Akhbar al-Mutawatira wa al-Fawaeed al-Mutakathira fi al-Akhbar al-Mutawatira , Noor al-Din Azizi’sSharh al-Jamee’a al-Saghir , Manawi’sSharh al-Jamee’a al-Saghir , Ali Qari’sal-Mirqat , Jamal al-Din Muhaddith Shirazi’sal-Arbaeenfi Manaqib Amir al-Mu’amineen ,al-Sayf al-Maslul by Shah Waliullah’s student, father of the author ofTuhfaIthna’ashariyya , Ibn Jawzi’sAsna al-Matalib etc.

Commenting on Ghadir tradition, Ibn Taymiyya says: It is said that the Holy Prophet (s) said: Of whomsoever I am a master, Ali is his master.

This tradition is not in sihah, but scholars have narrated it and people have differed on it. It is said that Bukhari, Ibrahim Harbi and a group of scholars have criticized it.[22]

It has to be noted that Bukhari criticized some of the chains of this tradition but Ibn Taymiyya attributed the criticism to the tradition itself.

Major Sunni scholars and Ghadir tradition

If Bukhari criticizes Ghadir tradition itself then in response it can be said that a number of major Sunni scholars have explicitly rejected the views of those who are skeptic about Ghadir tradition no matter who they are. Badakhshi, for example, says:

هذا حدیث مشهور و لم تکلم فی صحته الا متعصب جاحد لا اعتبار بقوله فلن الحدیث کثیر الطرق جدا و قد استوعبها ابن عقده فی کتاب مفرد و قد نص الذهبی علی کثیر من طرقه بالصحه ورواه من الصحابه عدد کثیر[23]

This is an authentic and famous tradition. Those who cast doubt about itsauthenticity, are prejudiced and deny the truth. Their words are not reliable, because this tradition is narrated via numerous ways. In hisal-Mufrad , Ibn Uqda has assessed it utterly. Dahabi has also mentioned that many of its chains are authentic. A Great number of the Holy Prophet’s companions have reported it.

Ibn JAzer and Ghadir tradition

Hafiz bin JAzeri has also accused those who deny Ghadir tradition of being ignorant and prejudiced.[24]

Let’s now have a cursory look at Ibn JAzeri’s life. Ibn JAzeri Shaf’aee is a famous memorizer of tradition. He has written many books. Scholars have praised him and his works.

Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani has dealt with Ibn JAzeri’s life, calling him as ‘memorizer’ and ‘imam’. He says: He was a master of the science of recitation all over the Islamic world. He was the first one who wrote a comprehensive book on supplication titledal-Hisn al-Hasin min Kalam Sayyid al-Mursalin. He was well-known in Yemen and was praised a lot …

He gave importance to recitation. That is why he wrote an invaluable appendix to Dahabi’sal-Tabaqat al-Qurra and composed an ode on three recitations. He also wroteal-Nashr bi al-Qira’at al-‘Ashr … He was called a great imam and … On the whole, he was a unique and well-known person. People benefited from his writings. He was like a sun shining in the sky.[25]

Another scholar who has treated his life in detail is Sakhawi. Enumerating his professors in different sciences, he said that he had many licenses for giving fatwa, teaching, and recitation. He presided over the board of reciters at ‘Adiliyya Madrasa in Damascus.

Sakhawi has also dealt with his trips to different countries and his interesting accounts. He has shed light on his works and described all of them as useful. Among his worksis Asna al-Matalib fi Manaqib Ali bin Abi Talib .

He says: Commenting on JAzeri, Tawoosi says: He was unique in narrating and memorizing traditions, jarh and ta’adeel (the science of praising and criticizing) and knowing early and later narrators.

Thereupon Sakhawi the words of Ibn Hajar concerning him…[26] Ibn JAzeri died in the year 833 AH.

Bukhari and his skepticism about Imam Sadiq’s traditions

It is one of the signs of Bukhari’s animositytowards the Holy Prophet’s progeny and his deviation from their conduct, that he did not mention Imam Sadiq’s traditions in his book and above all he cast doubts on some of his traditions!!

With all insolence, commenting on Imam Sadiq, Bukhari says: No one from among the four imams has taken juristic rules from Ja’afar [Sadiq (a.s)], but they have narrated his tradition along with the traditions of others, with the difference that the traditions of others are much more in number than those of his. The traditions by Zahri cannot be thus compared to those of J’afar [Sadiq (a.s)] in terms of strength and number.

When some of his traditions were narrated to him by Yahya bin Sa’ee Qattan, he objected to them and cast doubt about them. It was because of this that he refrained from narrating his traditions. The ability of Ja’afar [Sadiq (a.s)] in memorizing traditions is far less than the memorization abilities of those referred to by Bukhari!![27]

Sunni scholars and issue of loving Prophet’s progeny

Look! How this arch enemy of the Prophet’s progeny has cast doubt on this Holy Imam on the basis of Qattan’s words.

This is while great Sunni scholars – whether in the part or in the present – have said that it is necessary to love, respect and follow the Holy Prophet’s progeny (a.s) to the extent that they distance Sunnis from making enmity towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny and acquit those who objected the Prophet’s progeny, put their credibility to question or tuned away from them. They consider the attribution of such matters to Sunnis as something that originates from Shiite prejudices. Kabuli consider the following as the nineteenth prejudices of Shiites (against Sunnis), saying: Sunnis have gone to extremes in making enmity towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny. Ibn Shar Ashub and most Shiite scholars, mentioning such topic, have regarded Sunnis as the enemies of the Holy Prophet’s progeny. But this is a big lie! This is because it is one of the undisputed conditions of faith that one should love the Holy Prophet’s progeny more than one loves oneself. One of the traditions that one can mention here is the tradition narrated by Bayaqi, Abu al-Sheikh and Daylami. The Holy Prophet (s) says:

لایومن احد حتی اکون احب اله من نفسه و یکون عتی احب الیه من نفسه

No one is a believer unless he loves me and my progeny more than himself.

Tirmidhi and Hakim have also narrated from Ibn Abas that he has quoted the Holy Prophet (s) as saying:

احبوا اهل بیتی بحبی

Love my progeny on account of loving me.

Sunni scholars are of the view that anyone who does not love the Holy Prophet’s progeny betrays him, whereas the Holy Qur’an says:

لاتخونوا الله و الرسول[28]

Do not betray Allah and the Apostle.

Likewise, anyone who makes enmity towards the Hoy Prophet’sprogeny, makes enmity, in fact, towards the Apostle of Allah. A poet has beautifully described this, composing:

فلا تعدل باهل البیت خلقا ـــــــــــ فأهل البیت هم آهل السعاده

فبغضهم من الإنسان خسر ــــــــــ حقیقی و حبهم عباده

Do not consider anyone as equal to Prophet’s progeny

This is because it is only the Prophet’s progeny who attain happiness

Making enmity towards them is a real loss and loving them is worship

Sunni scholars deem it necessary to say salawat (peace be upon the Holy Prophet’s progeny) in prayers. Sheik Farid al-Din Ahmad bin Muhammad Nayshabur says: Anyone who believes in Muhammad (s) and does not believe in his progeny is not a believer.All scholars and mysticsare of the same opinion on this issue with no one denying it. [29]

Are they truthful in making this claim?

As a matter of fact, Sunni scholars claim that “anyone who believes in Muhammad (s) and does not believe in his progeny is not a believer”. On the other hand, all scholars and mystics are unanimous on this issue with no one denying it.

Let’s now ask them this question: if you are truthful in making this claim, what do you say Qattan, Bukhari, Ibn Taymiyya and their likes?

Commenting on Safina tradition (my progeny is Noah’s ship. Anyone whogets on it will be saved and anyone who leaves it will be drowned) he says: This tradition shows that salvation and guidance is the result of loving and following the Holy Prophet’s progeny. Any deviation from this path will bring about one’s perdition.

As the discussion proceeds, Shah Abd al-Aziz Dehlavi considers affection towards and obedience to the Prophet’s progeny as a peculiarity of Sunnis!![30]

If Shah Abd al-Aziz is truthful in his claim he must comment on those who put to question the reputation of Imam Sadiq (a.s).

One must not think that Qattan, Bukhari and their advocates criticized Imam Sadiq (a.s) not because of their animosity towards him but because of scientific studies and religious precautions. Such a view is wrong. This is because if Ibn Taymiyya’s words (concerning Imam Sadiq) are not deviation and animosity, then what are they? Can we find any other example for deviation and animosity? If Ibn Taymiyya is not an enemy of the Prophet’s progeny then who is their enemy who is deviated and prejudiced? Was it the intensity of religious precaution and piety that caused Bukhari to leave aside the traditions of Imam Sadiq (a.s) and other imams and to give space in hisSahih to traditions by misled and corrupt individuals like Akrama who had deep hatred towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny? How can thus one excuse Bukhari and justify his deed?

Buhkari and Duhli have questioned the credibility of one another in a manner that tells us they were lewd. Bukhari avoids mentioning Zuhli’s name explicitly. Despite all this animosity, he relates Zuhli’s tradition but refrains from mentioning Imam Sadiq’s traditions!!

Qattan and his criticism of Imam Sadiq (a.s)

Qattan has also put to question the reputation and credibility of Imam Sadiq (a.s). This has appeared in Sunnis’ rijal books. In two sentences he criticizes Imam Sadiq (a.s). He says: “I do not accept him” and “I like Mujalid more than him”.

Elaborating on Imam Sadiq’s life, Dahabi says: Abu Abdullah Ja’afar bin Muhammad Sadiq’s mother is Umm e Farwa, daughter of Qasim bin Muhammad. His maternal grandmother is Asma, daughter of Abd al-Rahman bin Abu Bakr. Ja’afar Sadiq said: Abu Bakr has brought me to this world twice.

He listened to the traditions of Qasim, ‘Ata and his father (Muhammad Baqir (a.s)), Shu’aba and Qattan have narrated his traditions. Qattan says: I do not accept him….[31]

Elsewhere Dahabimentions: Ja’afar bin Muhammad bin Ali is a reliable person, though Bukhari has not mentioned his traditions. Yahya bin Mu’aeen and Ibn Udai consider his traditions as credible, though Qattan says that he likes Mujalid more than him.[32]

Who is Mujalid bin Sa’eed?

Given the preceding discussion, most Sunni scholars have questioned the credibility and reputation of Mujalid bin Sa’eed. Commenting on him,Dahabi says: Mujalid bin Sa’eed Bin Umair Hamadani is a popular figure with traditions though weak. He narrated traditions from Qabas bin Abu Hazim and Sha’abi. Yahaya Qattan, Abu Usama and others have narrated traditions from him.

Speaking about him Ibn Mu’aeen and others says: One cannot rely on Mujalid’s traditions.

Talking about him, Ahmad says: No one has reported as many marfu’a (chainless) traditions as Mujalid has done. One must not pay attention to his traditions.

Nisaee says that Mujalid is not strong in terms of transmitting traditions.Ashaj says that Mujalid is a Shiite.n Dar Qutni says that Mujalid is weak in terms of narrating traditions. Bukhari says: Yahya bin Sa’eed has always criticized Mujalid whereas Ibn Mahdi has refrained from narrating his traditions.

Falas says: I heard Yaya bin Sa’eed say: If I asked Mujalid to begin all his traditions with the phrase “from Sha’bi, from Masruq, from Abdullah” he would do it.

When Takhan, Mujalid’s maternal uncle was asked as to why he did not record Mujalid’s traditions when he was in Kufa he said: because Mujalid keeps long beard.

In my point of view, some scholars have rejected Mujalid’s tradition that “If I willed, Allah would give me mountains of gold and silver” as false. Mujalid has narrated this tradition in marfu’a format from Sha’abi, from Masruq, from ‘Aisha.[33]

This is a part of the views of biographers concerning Mujalid bin Sa’eed whom Qattan preferred to Imam Sadiq (a.s). You can now judge yourself about the characters of Qattan, Bukhari and their co-thinkers on the basis of justice and religious standards.

Dahabi and Imam Sadiq (a.s)

Albeit Dahabi has considered Imam Sadiq (a.s) as reliable, he has made no objection to Qattan and Bukhari’s prejudice against Imam Sadiq (a.s). On the contrary, in hisal-Mizan , he has mentioned the criticism made by Qattan and Bukhari against Imam Sadiq (a.s), saying:

Ja’afar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Husain Hashimi, Abu Abdullah is among great, benevolent and truthful imams. Bukhari has refrained from narrating from him. Yahya bin Sa’aeed says that he likes Mujalid more than him.

Mus’ab bin Abdullah quotes Darawardi as saying: Malik refrained from narrating from Ja’afar (Imam Sadiq (a.s)) before the dominance of Bani Abbas. If he narrated anything from him he would add the name of another narrator to his name.

Ahmad bin Sa’eed bin Abu Maryam quotes Yahya as saying: I did not ask Yahya bin Sa’aeed anything about the traditions of Ja’afar (Imam Sadiq (a.s). It was because of this that he asked: Why do you not ask him about the traditions’ of Ja’afar.

I said: I do not like his traditions.

Yahya bin Sa’eed said: If Ja’afar is a memorizer he can narrate authentic traditions from his father.[34]

In his preface to this book, Dahabi, on the other hand, points out that he does not intend to mention the names of those great scholars of jurisprudence whom Bukhari and Ibn Udai have criticized.[35]

Is the position of Imam Sadiq (a.s) is lower than that of some of the lewd companions (of the Holy Prophet (s)) such as 'Amr bin ‘As, Busr bin Arta’a and their likes? Were Shafi’aee and others better off than Imam Sadiq (a.s)?

No doubt, they were not. Thus it is prejudice against and animosity towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny that make one to commits such a grieve sin. One must take refuge to Allah from such sins.

Who is Qattan?

Let’s now see how Sunni scholars have exaggerated in praising Qattan while elaborating on his life. Sam’ani says: Qattan is a person who sells cotton. Qattan was called Qattan for he was as seller of cotton. His full name is Abu Sa’eed, Yahya bin Sa’eed bin Farrukh Ahwal Qattan. He was among the slaves of Bani Tamim and the imams of Basra.

He narrated traditions from Yahya bin Sa’eed Ansari and Hisham bin Urwa and the people of narrated his traditions.

Qattan died on Sunday in the year 198 AH. When a person asked Allah to cure his illness when he was ill, he would say: I like that which Allah likes.

He was among the top figures of his time in memorizing traditions, piety, reason, understanding, virtue, religion and knowledge. It was he who taught Iraqis how to record traditions.

He spent most of his time in learning about reliable narrators and leaving weak narrators. Ahmad bin Hanbal, Yahya bin Mu’aeen and Ali bin Madini have learnt the science of hadith from him.

Talking about him, Amr bin Ali Falas says: Yahya bin Sa’eed Qattan used to recite the entire Qur’an in every twenty four hours. He used to pray for as many as one thousand people. In the final hours of afternoon, he would go out of his house in order to relate traditions for people.

He narrated traditions from Yahya bin Sa’eed Ansari, his homonym, Hisham bin Urwa, ‘Amash bin Jarih, Thawri, Shu’aba, Malik etc. He said that he had accompanied Shu’aba for twenty years during which time he had learnt as many as three to ten traditions from him.

Yahya bin Mu’aeen says: He used to recite the entire Quran every night for twenty consecutive years. He used to offer his noon prayers in mosque for forty year in succession, though he was never seen in congregational prayer.[36]

Speaking about Qattan, he says: His full name is Yahya bin Saeed Qattan, Abu Saeed bin Farrukh Tamimi. He was the imam of Basran narrators and was among the followers of the followers. He listened to the traditions of Yahya bin Saeed Ansari, Hanzala bin Abu Sufyan, bin ‘Ajlan, Sayf bin Sulaiman, Hisham bin Hassan, bin Jarih, Saeed bin ‘Aruba, bin Abu Zaeb, Noori, bin ‘Aenae, Malik, Mush’aeer, Shu’aba and others.

Noori, Ibn ‘Aeena, Shu’ab, Ibn Mahdi, ‘Affan, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Yahya bin Mu’een, Ali bin Madini, Ishaq bin Rahwiyya, Abu Abdi Qasim bin Salam, Abu Khtima, Abu Bakr bin Abu Shayba, Musaddid, Ubaydullah bin Umar Qawariri, Amr, bin Ali, Ibn Muthana, Ibn Bashar etc. have narrated traditions from him.

All scholars have admitted his imamate, greatness, memorization and his immense knowledge.

Commenting on him, Dahabi says: Yahya bin Sa’eed bin Farrukh, Abu Sa’eed Tamimi, Qattan, a great memorizer was the imam of Basran narrators. He narrated traditions from Urwa, Hamid and Amash. Ahmad, Ali and Yahya narrated traditions from him.

Ahmad says: Qattan is a unique personality. Bandar says: Yahya Qattan was the imam of his time. I was in touch with him for twenty years. I think he did not commit even a single sin!

Qattan was top in terms of knowledge and good deeds. He was born in 120 AH and died in Safar 198 AH.[37]

Speaking about Qattan, Yafi’aee said: Imam Abu Sa’eed Yahya bin Sa’eed Qattan was from Basra. He was memorizer of tradition and a great scholar. Bandar says: I was in touch with him for twenty years. I think he did not commit even a single sin!

Ahmad bin Hanbal said: Qattan was a unique personality. Ibn Mu’aeen said: He used to recite the entire Quran every night for twenty consecutive years and pray in mosque for forty years without any cessation.[38]

Incredible claims

The above-mentioned scholars were aware of Qattan’s words concerning Imam Sadiq (a.s), but despite that they praised him. Theses praises determine Sunnis’ attitude towards the Holy Prophet’s progeny (a.s).

Thus we cannot agree with some Sunni scholars who say that Sunnis respect the Holy Prophet’s progeny and appealed to them. It cannot be accepted that someone loves the Holy Prophet’s progeny and praises their enemies!

The story of Ibn Madini’s al-Ilal

One of the objections that target Bukhari’s piety and credibility is his way of approachingal-Illal written by Ibn Madini, his teacher.

In hisal-T’arikh , Muslima bin Qasim (based on what is narrated)[39] , says:Bukhari wrote his Sahih in order to compete Ali bin Madini who had writtenal -Ilal and wan not willing to publish it.

Considering his book as very great and useful, he did not narrate its traditions to anyone. One day Ali bin Madini went somewhere to do something. [Utilizing the opportunity], Bukhari visited one his children. He proposed to him to lend himal-Ilal to study for three days in return for one hundred Dinars.

Being attracted by the charms of Dinars, Ibn Madini’s family lent it to him and asked him to return it after three days.

Bukhari got the book that was consisting of one hundred volumes and distributed it among one hundred writers asking each one to transcribe and edit his portion within twenty four hours.

As expected, the writers in question completed its transcription and editing within twenty four hours.

After accomplishing the task, Bukhari returnedal-Ilal back to Ali bin Madini’s son, saying that he could study only parts of it.

Not knowing about what had happened, Ali bin Madini arrived home. Bukhari now studied the book and memorized its content. He had good relations with Ibn Madini. Ibn Madini used to devote one day to the people of tradition, elaborating on the weakness and chains of traditions.

After some times, Bukhari visited Ibn Madini. “Where are you? I have not seen you for a long time?”, Ibn Madini said. “I was busy doing something”, replied Bukhari.

Thereupon Ali bin Madini narrated some traditions and asked the people of traditions to comment on their weaknesses.

Bukhari replied, while mentioning the exact words of Ibn Madini in hisal-Ilal . Ibn Madini was surprised by Bukhari’s comment and thus he, addressing him, said: How did you know the answer to this question? I have written it in my book. Presently no one except me knows about such issues.

Saddened and made sorrowful, Ibn Madini came back home. At his home, he learnt that Bukhari had taken the book from his family after giving them some money. His sorrow continued to increase until he died a short while later.

Now that Bukhari hadal-Ilal at his disposal he did not need to attend Madini’s lectures anymore. That is why he left for Khurasan where he became a jurist making use ofal-Ilal .

He wrote hisSahih and history books and became popular. He was the first scholar who wroteSahih in the world of Islam and other scholars followed in his footsteps and wrote their sahih books.

The afore-mentioned story shows that Bukhari was the main factor behind the death of his teacher, Ali bin Madini, for it was Bukhari who borrowed Ibn Madini’sal-Ilal from his family through trick and deceit and introduced changes in it.