A Commentary on The Holy Qur'an

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A Commentary on The Holy Qur'an
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A Commentary on The Holy Qur'an

A Commentary on The Holy Qur'an

Author:
Publisher: www.alhassanain.org/english
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

A Commentary on the Holy Qur'an

Author: S.V. Mir Ahmad Ali

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Foreword 4

Introduction 5

The Age of Rapid Change5

Translations of the Holy Qur'an into English 7

Misinterpretation 13

The Originality and Genuineness Of The Holy Qur'an in Its Text and Its Arrangement16

The Qur'an: What Does it Mean?16

The Causes of Doubt22

Traditions on the Collection of the Holy Qur'an 27

Shia Traditions Shia Traditions43

The Various Recitations of the Holy Qur'an 59

WHAT IS ISLAM?59

The Meaning of Deen and Maz'hab 60

SHIAISM: THE ORIGINAL ISLAM 62

The Most Misrepresented and Misunderstood School, the School of the Islam-Original63

The Classification of Religious Knowledge63

Usool-e-Deen 65

(2) ADL: THE DIVINE JUSTICE 65

The Divine Justice is tempered with Mercy 65

(3) RISALAT: THE APOSTLESHIP 66

Why Prophethood ended with the Holy Prophet69

(5) QIAMAT: THE LAST DAY OF THE FINAL JUDGMENT 70

Jannat: Paradise:74

The Faith in the Angels:75

Some Truths Of Islam 76

1 The Whole Humanity is One Family 76

2 The Mystery of the Individual Differences and the Unity of Purpose76

3 From God alone can come Guidance76

4 All Man-made distinctions annihilated 77

9 Good and Evil promised to be Individually 77

Rewarded and Punished 77

10 No Physical Eye can ever see God 78

11 The Word of the Holy Prophet is Final78

12 Speaking ill of the Holy Prophet78

13 The importance of the Choice of a Leader78

14 The Identification of a Genuine Heavenly Guide78

15 Blind Following 79

16 Man charged with Personal Responsibility for being Guided Aright79

17 The Individual Liberty or Freedom of Choice announced 80

18 The Individual and Personal Responsibility of every man and woman 80

19 The Qur'anic Formula for Following the Right80

20 The Decree of the Holy Imam 80

21 Taqleed 81

23 Mere Verbal Profession of the Faith is not Sufficient82

24 The Real Islamic Piety Explained 83

25 Man Should Always be with the Truthful Ones83

26 Taqiah 83

27 Intercession Available83

28 Killing of Even One Believer84

29 The Dead in the Way of the Lord are Alive84

30 Reverence and Respect for the Signs of God 84

31 Mourning for the Martyrs84

32 Breast-Beating for the Martyrs85

33 Reverential Prostrations85

34 Every Muslim is not a Mo'min ie. a Genuine Believer86

35 Respite Given to Disbelievers86

36 Hoarding of Wealth 86

37 A Goodly Loan to God has a Multiple Return 86

38 Self-Defence Prescribed 86

39 A Believer Described 87

40 Sex Segregation or Purdah for Women 87

41 The Veil for the Believing Woman 87

43 Marriage: Man told to Marry 88

44 "Muta": Temporary Marriage88

45 Polygamy and Islam 88

46 Birth Control89

48 Intoxicants and Gambling 48 Intoxicants and Gambling 89

49 Niggardliness89

50 Behaviour Towards Parents89

51 Usury or Charging Interest on any Lending 90

52 Life of This World 90

53 No One Knows where He will Breathe His Last90

54 Khatan: Circumcision 90

55 Following the crowd blindly 90

56 Misappropriating the Property of Orphans91

57 Repel Evil with What is Best91

58 Mischief is Graver than Murder91

59 Merciful Pardon in response to Sincere91

Repentance Promised 91

60 Every One's Actions are Being Watched 91

REVOLUTIONARY CHANGES RESULTING FROM THE Qur'anIC TEACHINGS92

ONE OF THE MYSTERIES 93

The Abbasid Caliphs94

Foreword

by Hojjatol-Islam Maulana Syed Shamin-us- Sibtain Rizvi

This short treatise is a brief introduction, by two eminent scholars, to the Shia interpretation of Islam. The theme running through the book is that the Holy Prophet Muhammad named the Holy Family, the Ahlul Bait (consisting of the Lady Fatema and the Twelve Imams - of whom Ali is the first) as the true guardians of the Book and of the Faith, and identified them closely with the Holy Qur'an.

This book examines and discusses the many traditions about the its present arrangement was completed during the lifetime of the Holy Propht.

The authors provide a very useful guide to the meaning of Islam, placing it in the context of the other world relingions. This is followed by an introduction to the beliefs of Shia Islam and a short account of some of the principal truths of the Faith.

This revision was commissioned by Haj Mirza Mohammad taqui Ansariyan of Ansariyan Publications, Qum, Islamic Republic of Iran. His concern for the propagation of the faith is highly appreciated and honoured.

S.S.S.R.

19 May 1996 1 Muharram 1417 30th Urdi Bahesht 1375

Introduction

The Age of Rapid Change

This is the age of the conquest of time and space. Faster means of communication have brought changes to the movement of men and materials far beyond the imagination of former generations. Such ease of communication has brought revolutionary changes in ideology and mode of living and a new economic interdependence of nations. No nation in the world can remain in isolation if it hopes to advance in its economic and social life. Problems have ceased to be local, and the problems of one nation very soon have an impact upon the international community.

Such rapid change has affected not only the economic structure of the world; it has brought a more vital change in the exchange of thought and religious ideology. Economic and cultural forces always go hand in hand. However, while exchange in goods is a two-way traffic, in the cultural sphere this may not be the case. The conveyance of men and materials is visible, but the exchange in ideology is latent, visible only in its effects.

In this respect, there is no give and take. The groups with the greater political and economic power are bound to wield a stronger' and a more compelling influence upon the weaker and poorer groups, leading to a revolution in the latter's intellectual and social life which is irresistible and which defies all reason. The West, with its economic superiority and its political position, has gained sway over most of the Eastern countries.

Muslim communities have been constantly and strongly influenced by materialist thought and lifestyle, to the extent that some have become not only irreligious, but anti-religious. A knowledge of the English language, which is seen to be necessary for the welfare and improvement of economic and political life, has led many Muslims to neglect to learn their own mother tongue and the languages of the Holy Qur'an, Arabic and Persian.

Such Muslims whose education comes through the medium of English can read and understand material presented in the English language better than in their mother tongue, and even books on the Holy Qur'an and on their faith have an appeal for them only if they are In English. Such people care more for the beauty of the language than for the correctness of the material expressed.

Many Western translators of the Holy Qur'an and most of those who produce literature on Islam In the English language are, in fact, the anti-Muslim elements whose aim is to distort the facts about the faith and cause confusion about Islamic belief These hostile elements continue to blacken the name of the Holy Prophet and of Islam through their intentional mistranslations, misinterpretations, misrepresentations and distortions of the facts.

Such distortions are framed in English of such linguistic excellence and delusive argument that the blind admirers of the English language, being ignorant of the truths of their faith, are easily conditioned to accept what they read, and thus serve the purpose of the hostile producers of these publications.

in so doing, they become agents of the enemy. Had it not been for these writers against Islam and its Holy Founder, God alone knows how many people throughout the world might have embraced the truth. in this way western writers have not only misrepresented Muslim ideology, but have obstructed sincere seekers of the truth from discovering the real Islam.

While these hostile elements continue to distort our religious belief and social traditions, it is our duty to God and His Word, and to the faith of Islam, to present the truth and make it clear to every true seeker and to dispel any doubts created by hostile forces.

Translations of the Holy Qur'an into English

The Holy Qur'an has been translated into the English language by many scholars of repute, and some of these have provided detailed notes of commentary. They include: George Sale, J.N. Rodwell, E.H. Palmer, M. Pickthal, Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar, N.i Dawood and M.H. Shakir.

Translation of the text alone is not sufficient unless each revelation is put into its true context. The most recent translation, by M.H. Shakir, contains some brief and useful notes on selected verses, but these are too few and too brief Had he lived longer, he might have provided a fuller commentary.

Earlier, Badhsa Husain of Lucknow attempted a detailed work which was published in two volumes. But he too died before completing his work However, he used the translation of J.N. Rodwell, not his own, and his notes are based on the sermons of some maulvi and lack any reference to modern-day problems and do not attempt to answer anti-Islamic criticism. This fact the author openly acknowledged in his introduction.

The translations by Christian scholars such as Rodwell, Sale and Palmer, etc. are clearly prejudiced. Any Islamic scholar can easily see that these translators betray either a faulty knowledge of Arabic or an intention to distort the truths of the Holy Qur'an to serve their own purposes. Their purpose seems, clearly, to prejudice the reader against the Qur'an rather than help him to understand it. To expose these translations, particularly those by Christian scholars, would require more time and space than this work can provide.

The following quotations offer the opinions of some who were impartial in their attitude to the Holy Qur'an. The great Christian scholar, Sir E. Dennison Ross, in referring to the translation by Mr Sale, shows the full extent of the ingenuity and the lies that those prejudiced against Islam have resorted to.

It must, however be borne in mind that the Koran plays a far greater role among the Muhammadans than does the Bible in Christianity, in that it provides not only the canon of their faith, but also the text-book of their ritual and the principles of their civil law.

For many centuries the acquaintance which the majority of Europeans possessed of Muhammadanism was based almost entirely on distorted reports of fanatical Christians which led to the dissemination of a multitude of gross calumnies. what was good in Muhammadanism was entirely ignored, and what was not good, in the eyes of Europe, was exaggerated or misinterpreted.

It must not, however, be forgotten that the central doctrine preached by Muhammad to his contemporaries in Arabia, who worshipped the star; to the Persians, who acknowledged Ormuz and Ahriman; to the Indians who worshipped idols; and to the Turks, who had no particular worship, was the unity of God, and that the simplicity of his creed was probably a more potent factor in the spread of Islam than the sword of the Ghazis.

It is difficult to decide to what extent Mr sale's citations in the notes represent first-hand use of Arabic commentators, but I fear that the result of a close inquiry only points to very little original research on his part. His refutations, which swell the work to a large volume, are of little (use) or none at all, being often unsatisfactory, and sometimes impertinent.

I do not wish to imply that Sale did not know Arabic, but I do maintain that his work as it stands gives a misleading estimate of his original researches, and that his tribute to Marracci falls far short of his actual indebtedness.

(from Introduction to Sale's Qur'an,by E. Dennison Ross, Frederick Warne,London)

The translation of tile Holy Qur'an by Mr sale is claimed by its publishers to be the best and the most accurate. Such a claim is regarded as false by another great Christian scholar, E.H. Palmer:

From the large amount of exegetical matter which has been incorporated in his (Sale's) text, and from the style of language employed, which differs widely from the nervous energy and the rugged simplicity of the original. his (Sale's) work can scarcely by regarded as a fair representation of the Qur'an.

In spite of his endeavour to distort the meaning of the Holy Qur'an in order to help the missionaries and to divert the attention of the world from the Holy Book, George Sale could not help confessing its glorious and miraculous nature:

The Koran is universally allowed to be written with utmost elegance and purity of language. It is confessedly the standard of the Arabic tongue, inimitable by any human pen and therefore insisted on as a permanent miracle.

(George sale, in the preliminary discourse to his translation) Every seeker of the truth will want to hear what the great Western scholar Goethe says of the Holy Qur'an: However often we turn to the Qur'an, it soon attracts, astounds and In the end reinforces reverence. Thus this Book will go on exercising through all ages its most potent Influence.

Sarojini Naidu a great scholar and famous poetess in India, aid in her lecture on The Ideals of Islam in Madras in 1918's As I read the Qur'an, I find those dynamic principles of life not mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to the whole world Dr A. Bertherand declared to the intellectuals of the world: To seek knowledge is the duty of every Muslim man and woman.

Seek knowledge even though it be in China The Savants are the heirs of the Prophet These profound words of the Great Reformer are indisputable contradiction to those who seek and exert themselves In putting the responsibility of the intellectual degradation of Muslims upon the spirit of the Qur'an.

Let them read and meditate upon this great Book and they will find it, at every passage, a constant attack upon idolatry and materialism; they will read that the Prophet incessantly called the attention and the meditation of his people to the splendid marvels, to the mysterious phenomenon of creation.

The incredulous, sceptical and unbelieving may convince themselves that the importance of this Book and its doctrine was not to throw back, eventually, the intellectual and moral faculties of a whole people. On the contrary, those who have followed its counsels have been, as we have described in the course of this study, the creators of a civilisation which is abounding unto this day.

The claim that Islam was spread by the sword is a distortion of the truth. What aggression could the lonely one, the Holy Prophet, commit? What sword was in the hand of one who was himself persecuted and whose followers were tortured and killed? This vicious fabrication has been exposed by many great scholars Of the West One of these, De Lacy O'Leary, writes:

History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastic and absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.

(De Lacy O'Leary: Islam at the Crossroads, 1923) About the perfection of Islamic law, the great British politician, Edmund Burke, wrote: The Muhammadan law, which is binding on all from the crowned head to the meanest subject, is a law interwoven with a system of the wises4 the most learned and the most enlightened jurisprudence that ever existed in the world.

(Edmund Burke in his "Impeachment of Warren Hastings")

The Muslim scholars Maulvi Muhammad Ali of the Ahmedia school and Allama Yousuf Ah have shown clear bias towards their own school in their translations and commentaries.

Both have consistently avoided reference to the source of the Ahlul-Bait, and even seem to object to making reference to the holy ones when they are the direct concern of the revelations. Also, when one compares Muhammad Ali's work with the great commentary Majma'ul Byan of the Shia authority Shaikh-e- Tabarsi, it is obvious that there has been a great deal of borrowing without acknowledgement. Besides this, basic Shia sources have been deliberately avoided.

Yousuf Ali's work, likewise, omits reference to the Ahlul- Bait. This suggests that, either, this scholar has wilfully avoided using this most accredited and authentic source of Qur'anic knowledge, or was totally ignorant of the holy ones and their position in Islam. The Holy Prophet openly declared that the Qur'an is with the Ahlul-Bait and that, in order to avoid going astray, Muslims should attach themselves to these two (See the Hadeethuth Thaqualain).

The interpretations offered by these scholars clearly suit the bias of their own respective schools and, intentionally or unintentionally, provide a faulty view of the Qur'an and of the holy ones. The sources they have used reveal a bias against the Holy Ahlul-Bait.

One conspicuous feature of the writings of the Ahmadi scholar is the practical denial of the miraculous, by presenting the miracles of the Apostles of God as non-spiritual events and thus denying the special spiritual powers with which the Holy Apostles were endowed.Translations of the Holy Qur'an into English The Holy Qur'an has been translated into the English language by many scholars of repute, and some of these have provided detailed notes of commentary. They include: George Sale, J.N. Rodwell, E.H. Palmer, M. Pickthal, Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar, N.i Dawood and M.H. Shakir.

Translation of the text alone is not sufficient unless each revelation is put into its true context. The most recent translation, by M.H. Shakir, contains some brief and useful notes on selected verses, but these are too few and too brief Had he lived longer, he might have provided a fuller commentary.

Earlier, Badhsa Husain of Lucknow attempted a detailed work which was published in two volumes. But he too died before completing his work However, he used the translation of J.N. Rodwell, not his own, and his notes are based on the sermons of some maulvi and lack any reference to modern-day problems and do not attempt to answer anti-Islamic criticism. This fact the author openly acknowledged in his introduction The translations by Christian scholars such as Rodwell, Sale and Palmer, etc. are clearly prejudiced. Any Islamic scholar can easily see that these translators betray either a faulty knowledge of Arabic or an intention to distort the truths of the Holy Qur'an to serve their own purposes. Their purpose seems,

clearly, to prejudice the reader against the Qur'an rather than help him to understand it. To expose these translations, particularly those by Christian scholars, would require more time and space than this work can provide. The following quotations offer the opinions of some who were impartial in their attitude to the Holy Qur'an. The great Christian scholar, Sir E. Dennison Ross, in referring to the translation by Mr Sale, shows the full extent of the ingenuity and the lies that those prejudiced against Islam have resorted to.

It must, however be borne in mind that the Koran plays a far greater role among the Muhammadans than does the Bible in Christianity, in that it provides not only the canon of their faith, but also the text-book of their ritual and the principles of their civil law.

For many centuries the acquaintance which the majority of Europeans possessed of Muhammadanism was based almost entirely on distorted reports of fanatical Christians which led to the dissemination of a multitude of gross calumnies. what was good in Muhammadanism was entirely ignored, and what was not good, in the eyes of Europe, was exaggerated or misinterpreted.

It must not, however, be forgotten that the central doctrine preached by Muhammad to his contemporaries in Arabia, who worshipped the star; to the Persians, who acknowledged Ormuz and Ahriman; to the Indians who worshipped idols; and to the Turks, who had no particular worship, was the unity of God, and that the simplicity of his creed was probably a more potent factor in the spread of Islam than the sword of the Ghazis.

It is difficult to decide to what extent Mr sale's citations in the notes represent first-hand use of Arabic commentators, but I fear that the result of a close inquiry only points to very little original research on his part. His refutations, which swell the work to a large volume, are of little (use) or none at all, being often unsatisfactory, and sometimes impertinent I do not wish to imply that Sale did not know Arabic, but I do maintain that his work as it stands gives a misleading estimate of his original researches, and that his tribute to Marracci falls far short of his actual indebtedness.

(from Introduction to Sale's Qur'an,by E. Dennison Ross, Frederick Warne,London)

The translation of tile Holy Qur'an by Mr sale is claimed by its publishers to be the best and the most accurate. Such a claim is regarded as false by another great Christian scholar, E.H. Palmer:

From the large amount of exegetical matter which has been incorporated in his (Sale's) text, and from the style of language employed, which differs widely from the nervous energy and the rugged simplicity of the original. his (Sale's) work can scarcely by regarded as a fair representation of the Qur'an.

In spite of his endeavour to distort the meaning of the Holy Qur'an in order to help the missionaries and to divert the attention of the world from the Holy Book, George Sale could not help confessing its glorious and miraculous nature:

The Koran is universally allowed to be written with utmost elegance and purity of language. It is confessedly the standard of the Arabic tongue, inimitable by any human pen and therefore insisted on as a permanent miracle.

(George sale, in the preliminary discourse to his translation) Every seeker of the truth will want to hear what the great Western scholar Goethe says of the Holy Qur'an: However often we turn to the Qur'an, it soon attracts, astounds and In the end reinforces reverence. Thus this Book will go on exercising through all ages its most potent Influence.

Sarojini Naidu a great scholar and famous poetess in India, aid in her lecture on The Ideals of Islam in Madras in 1918's As I read the Qur'an, I find those dynamic principles of life not mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to the whole world Dr A. Bertherand declared to the intellectuals of the world: To seek knowledge is the duty of every Muslim man and woman.

Seek knowledge even though it be in China The Savants are the heirs of the Prophet These profound words of the Great Reformer are indisputable contradiction to those who seek and exert themselves In putting the responsibility of the intellectual degradation of Muslims upon the spirit of the Qur'an. Let them read and meditate upon this great Book and they will find it, at every passage,

a constant attack upon idolatry and materialism; they will read that the Prophet incessantly called the attention and the meditation of his people to the splendid marvels, to the mysterious phenomenon of creation. The incredulous, sceptical and unbelieving may convince themselves that the importance of this Book and its doctrine was not to throw back, eventually, the intellectual and moral faculties of a whole people. On the contrary, those who have followed its counsels have been, as we have described in the course of this study, the creators of a civilisation which is abounding unto this day.

The claim that Islam was spread by the sword is a distortion of the truth. What aggression could the lonely one, the Holy Prophet, commit? What sword was in the hand of one who was himself persecuted and whose followers were tortured and killed? This vicious fabrication has been exposed by many great scholars Of the West One of these, De Lacy O'Leary, writes:

History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastic and absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.

(De Lacy O'Leary: Islam at the Crossroads, 1923) About the perfection of Islamic law, the great British politician, Edmund Burke, wrote: The Muhammadan law, which is binding on all from the crowned head to the meanest subject, is a law interwoven with a system of the wises4 the most learned and the most enlightened jurisprudence that ever existed in the world.

(Edmund Burke in his "Impeachment of Warren Hastings") The Muslim scholars Maulvi Muhammad Ali of the Ahmedia school and Allama Yousuf Ah have shown clear bias towards their own school in their translations and commentaries.

Both have consistently avoided reference to the source of the Ahlul-Bait, and even seem to object to making reference to the holy ones when they are the direct concern of the revelations. Also, when one compares Muhammad Ali's work with the great commentary Majma'ul Byan of the Shia authority Shaikh-e- Tabarsi, it is obvious that there has been a great deal of borrowing without acknowledgement. Besides this, basic Shia sources have been deliberately avoided.

Yousuf Ali's work, likewise, omits reference to the Ahlul- Bait. This suggests that, either, this scholar has wilfully avoided using this most accredited and authentic source of Qur'anic knowledge, or was totally ignorant of the holy ones and their position in Islam. The Holy Prophet openly declared that the Qur'an is with the Ahlul-Bait and that, in order to avoid going astray, Muslims should attach themselves to these two (See the Hadeethuth Thaqualain).

The interpretations offered by these scholars clearly suit the bias of their own respective schools and, intentionally or unintentionally, provide a faulty view of the Qur'an and of the holy ones. The sources they have used reveal a bias against the Holy Ahlul-Bait.

One conspicuous feature of the writings of the Ahmadi scholar is the practical denial of the miraculous, by presenting the miracles of the Apostles of God as non-spiritual events and thus denying the special spiritual powers with which the Holy Apostles were endowed.

Misinterpretation

The question is: from whence comes the venom which is used against Islam and its Holy Founder? How is it that some non- Muslim scholars misunderstand Islam, while others understand and appreciate it? This is the question for which we must find an answer. This misunderstandiug exists not only in the minds of the anti-Islam element, but also in the minds of some Muslims whose only available source of knowledge is literature in the Engstsh language which provides faulty information about Islam and its Founder. However sincere these Muslims are in seeliing to know the tr'ith of Islam, the literature available to them makes them doubt the claims of Islam to be God's revealed religion and its Holy Founder the Apostle of God.

Consider, for insance, the following:

1 The labricated story of the Holy Prophet being frightened by the heavenly Messenger, being comforted by Lady Khadija, and being advised of the apostleship conferred on him by Waraqa bin Nawfil.

2 The fiLise stories of sexual lust indulged in by the Holy Prophet.

3 Descriptions of the defensive resistance which Islam was forced to exercise, such as wielding the sword for territorial ambition.

4 The fabricated story of the Holy Prophet seating one of his wives on his shoulders to show her the slave dance.

5 The denial of the miracles of the apostles of God and the Holy Prophet.

6 The false story of the Virgin Mary having contact with Joseph in the Sanctuary, assigning a huruan father to the Holy Prophet Jesus and thus denying his miraculous birth.

7 Creating doubts upon the bodily Ascension (Me'raj) of the Holy Prophet.

8 Aligning the sinful ones with those purified by God Himself.

9 Misinterpreting the Qur'anic laws of heritage relating to the Apostles of God.

10 Inventing false traditions in the name of the Holy Prophet.

11 Hiding the defects, drawbacks and the natural deficiencies of some pet heroes, and praising them in spite of their known errors, and presenting even tyrants as leaders of the faith.

12 Lowering the position of the holy ones in favour of those who can never be their equal.

13 Misinterpreting verses of the Holy Qur'an to suit a particular theory.

14 Misinterpreting the significance of the most important historic event of Ghadeer-e-Khum.

15 Denying that the Holy Prophet appointed his succor, claiming that he left this world without doing so.

16 Presenting as legal and warranted the acts of some political leaders after the departure of the Holy Prophet, and presenting them as heroic deeds for the faith Such falsehoods and misrepresentations appear in the translations and works of many non-Muslim writers. And those who take guidance from the Holy Ahlul-Bait have a responsibility to present the truth to the world and correct the lies against Islam which are misleading many men and women who are searching for the truth. Besides the above falsehoods,

there is also mischievous propaganda against the genuineness of the Holy Qur'an, which throws doubt about the completeness of the Holy Book and the arrangement of the material in it In reply to this hostile material which is misleading its readers, the only source of correct information about the faith and its truths is the verdict of the Ahlul-Bait, the authorities divinely set up by the Lord through the Holy Prophet. The pity is that this panacea for all evils has not been made available by us for the information and guidance of seekers of the truth and as an answer to the hostile forces.

Therefore, instead of attempting to answer each mischievous publication and each mischief-maker who may appear on the scene each day in a different garb, the foremost concern of the advocates of Islam and its Holy Founder is to put a stop to these poisonous publications and bring Out an authentic version of the Holy Qur'an in the English language so that there will be no misunderstandings of the Qur'anic truth either by uninformed friends or misinformed foes. With such an authentic source,

we can quell all antagonistic movements against the teachings of Islam and the Holy Prophet by making available to the misguided ones an authentic source of the faith. Until this is done, errors and misunderstandings will continue to occur. And to do the task, the responsibility rests with whose who call themselves the devotees of the Ahlul-Bait, the Shias.

I considered it my first concern to clarify the actual position of the Holy Qur'an, which is the greatest and ever-current miracle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the last Apostle of God until the Day of Final Judgement. Because of the importance of this subject and its direct concern with the faith, I have taken detailed notes from Hujjatul Islam Ayatullah A1haj Allama Agha Mirza Mahdi Pooya Yazdi, one of the well-known authorities on the Holy Qur'an and Islam. These notes were prepared with special care and effort, using authentic sources, and are presented with maximum brevity.

There is clear evidence of the following:

1. The Qur'an, as a whole and complete Book, was revealed to the Holy Prophet on the Night of Qadr (2:185,44:3,97:1). 2. In the course of its Tanzeel, or gradual revelation, as and when the verses were revealed, the Holy Prophet put them in their respective places as he was divinely directed to do. 3. The Holy Qur'an was recorded in writing at least by the following:

(a) Ameerul Momineen Ali ibne Abi Taleb, whose collection contained not only the text, but also the notes - both ordinary and special - from the Holy Prophet. (b) Abdullah ibne Mas'ood (c) Ma'aaz ibne Jabal (d) Obai ibne Kaab 4. The Holy Prophet, before his departure from the world, made the well-known historic announcement, universally acknowledged by the Muslim world, that he was leaving behind for the people (not one particular person, for the words are clear, Feekom, "among you") the Saqalain (or Thaqalain),

the two weighty or important things, the Kitaaballah, the Book of God and the Ahlul-Bait. This shows that by that time the Qur'an had been collected and formed a complete Book. 5. If the Qur'anic verses had not been collected into a complete Book, what was the Book to which Omar referred when he said in reply to the demand of the Holy Prophet for pen and paper, Hasbona Kitaaballah, "Sufficient for us is the Book of God."

With all this unchallenged evidence of history, any one who suggests that the verses of the Qur'an were collected by some one else, or who suggests its Tahreef is either betraying a determination not to know the truth, or an inability to understand it Readers may refer to the notes by Ayatullah Pooya Yazdi on Tahreef where they will find the truth about the compilation of the Qur'an and the genuineness of the version in our possession.

In addition to the detailed notes from Ayatullah Pooya Yazdi, I wrote to the great scholar-divines, the Mujtahids in Iran and Iraq, and have obtained their respective verdicts on Tahreef in the Qur'an, providing a decisive verdict for the Shia world. (See the Fatwas).

Thus, any talk denying the genuineness, completeness, originality and correctness in the arrangement of the material in the Qur'an is anti-Shia and anti-Islamic.

With regard to the other doctrines of Islam, about which many slanderous allegations have been made aimed at poisoning the mind of the general public, I have given short explanatory notes under each topic, and have quoted one or two of the many verses of the Qur'an on which the doctrine and its practice are based. This has been offered to the seekers of the truth, and that the general public may know what is meant by the original Islam which, in order to distinguish it from other sects, is termed Shiaism.

Chapter 27

The Bounty and Blessings that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High has mentioned in His book, the Holy Quran are the Imams (a.s.)

1ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بِسْطَامَ بْنِ مُرَّةَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنِ الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الْعَبْدِيِّ عَنْ سَعْدٍ الاسْكَافِ عَنِ الاصْبَغِ بْنِ نُبَاتَةَ قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ غَيَّرُوا سُنَّةَ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَعَدَلُوا عَنْ وَصِيِّهِ لا يَتَخَوَّفُونَ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِهِمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ تَلا هَذِهِ الايَةَ أَ لَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ الله كُفْراً وَأَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دارَ الْبَوارِ جَهَنَّمَ ثُمَّ قَالَ نَحْنُ النِّعْمَةُ الَّتِي أَنْعَمَ الله بِهَا عَلَى عِبَادِهِ وَبِنَا يَفُوزُ مَنْ فَازَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Bistam ibn Murrah from Ishaq ibn Hassa’n from al-Haytham ibn Waqid from Ali ibn al-Husayn al-‘Abdi from Sa‘d al-’Iskaf from al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah from Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) who has said the following. “What isd wrong with people who changed the Sunnah (traditions) of the Messenger of Allah and deviated from his will? Do they not fear that sever suffering may befall them? He then recited the following verse of the Holy Quran. “Have you not seen (considered) those who changed the blessings (Word) of God through disbelief and led their people to destruction? (14:28). They will suffer in Hell. What a terrible place to stay! (14:29). He then said, “We are the blessings of Allah which He has granted to people. Through us will succede those will be successful on the Day of Judgment.”

2ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ رَفَعَهُ فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَبِأَيِّ آلاءِ رَبِّكُما تُكَذِّبانِ أَ بِالنَّبِيِّ أَمْ بِالْوَصِيِّ تُكَذِّبَانِ نَزَلَتْ فِي الرَّحْمَنِ.

2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad, in a mafu‘ manner, (rafa'ahu) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “(Jinn and mankind) - which of the favors of your Lord do you deny?” (55:13) Will you deny and refuse the Holy Prophet or his successor.” (This verse has come down in Ch 55 al-Rahman.)

3ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنِ الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ الْبَزَّازِ قَالَ تَلا أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هَذِهِ الايَةَ فَاذْكُرُوا آلاءَ الله قَالَ أَ تَدْرِي مَا آلاءُ الله قُلْتُ لا قَالَ هِيَ أَعْظَمُ نِعَمِ الله عَلَى خَلْقِهِ وَهِيَ وَلايَتُنَا.

3. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from ‘Adallah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman from al-Haytham ibn Waqid from abu Yusuf al-Bazzaz who has said that abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) recited the following verse, “Keep in mind the bounties of Allah. .” (7:69) The Imams (a.s.) said, “Do you know what the bounties of Allah are?” I said, “No, I do not know.” He said, “It is the greatest of the bounties of Allah. It is to acknowledge the Divine authority that we possess.”

4ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أُورَمَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَ لَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ الله كُفْراً الايَةَ قَالَ عَنَى بِهَا قُرَيْشاً قَاطِبَةً الَّذِينَ عَادَوْا رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَنَصَبُوا لَهُ الْحَرْبَ وَجَحَدُوا وَصِيَّةَ وَصِيِّهِ.

4. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Uwarma from Ali ibn Hassa’n from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the following verse. “Have you not seen (considered) those who changed the blessings (Word) of God through disbelief and led their people to destruction?” (14:28) The Imam (a.s.) said it is a reference to all of Quraysh who exercised animosity towards the Holy Prophet (s.a.), created wars against him and rejected his will about his successor.”

Chapter 28

The People whom Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has called Mutawassimin (distinguished) in His book are the Imams (a.s.) who are also the straight path

1ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله الْحَسَنِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَسْبَاطٌ بَيَّاعُ الزُّطِّيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَسَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ وَإِنَّها لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ نَحْنُ الْمُتَوَسِّمُونَ وَالسَّبِيلُ فِينَا مُقِيمٌ.

1. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from ‘Abd al-‘Azim ibn ‘Abdallah al-Hasani from ibn abu‘Umayr who has said the following.

“Asbat Bayya‘ al-Zattiyy has said that once he was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) when a man asked him about the meaning of the following words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones. (15:75)

That town lies on a road which still exists (15:76) The Imam (a.s.) said, “We are the distiguished people and the (right) path is with us.”

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَسْبَاطُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ هِيتٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَصْلَحَكَ الله مَا تَقُولُ فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ قَالَ نَحْنُ الْمُتَوَسِّمُونَ وَالسَّبِيلُ فِينَا مُقِيمٌ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salamah ibn al-Khattab that Yahya ibn Ibrahim who has said the following. “Asbat ibn Salim has said that once he was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) when a man from the people of Hiyt came and said, ‘May grant yopu well-being, what is the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.”? (15:75)

The Imam (a.s.) said, “We are the distiguished people and the (right) path is with us.”

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ قَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) اتَّقُوا فِرَاسَةَ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ بِنُورِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي قَوْلِ الله تَعَالَى إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ.

3. Muhammad ibn Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Hammad ibn 'Isa from Rib’i ibn ‘Abdallah from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.” (15:75)

“The Imam (a.s.) said, “The distinguished people are the Imams (a.s.) the Holy Prophet has said, “Be on your guard from the intelligence of the believers. He lookss through the light of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High as mentioned in, “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.” (15:75)

4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْكُوفِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْسِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ فَقَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) وَإِنَّها لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ قَالَ لا يَخْرُجُ مِنَّا أَبَداً.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Kufi from ‘Ubays ibn Hisham from ‘Adallah ibn Sulayman from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.” (15:75)

The Imams (a.s.) said, “These people are the Imams (a.s.) and the evidence will never depart us.”

5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) الْمُتَوَسِّمَ وَأَنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَالائِمَّةُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي الْمُتَوَسِّمُونَ.

وَفِي نُسْخَةٍ أُخْرَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ مِثْلَهُ.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Aslam from Ibrahim ibn Ayyub from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from Jabir from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) has the following about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. ““In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.” (15:75) The Holy Prophet (s.a.) was the distinguieshed one and I was as such after him and the Imams from my children are the distinguieshed ones.”

In a different copy it is narrated from Ahmad ibn Mahran from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn Aslam from Ibrahim ibn Ayyub through the chain of his nnarrators a similar Hadith.

Chapter 29

The deeds of the people are presented before the Holy Prophet (s.a.) and the Imams (a.s.)

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ تُعْرَضُ الاعْمَالُ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَعْمَالُ الْعِبَادِ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ أَبْرَارُهَا وَفُجَّارُهَا فَاحْذَرُوهَا وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الله تَعَالَى اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى الله عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَسَكَتَ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn abu Hamza from abu Basir from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “All deeds are presented before the Messenger of Allah (s.a.). It is the deeds of the all the virtuous and the evil doing servants (of Allah) that are presented every morning and evenings (before the Messenger of Allah). So pay proper attention to it and be very careful. The following verse of the Holy Quran is a reference to this. “(Muhammad), tell them, “Act as you wish. God will see your deeds and so will do His Messenger. . .” (9:106) The Imams (a.s.) paused at this point and did not read any further.”

2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الطَّائِيِّ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى الله عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ.

2. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Ta’i from Ya‘qub ibn Shu‘ayb. He has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “Act as you wish. God will see your deeds and so will do His Messenger and the believers. . .” (9:106) The Imams (a.s.) said, “They (believers) are the Imams (a.s.)”

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ مَا لَكُمْ تَسُوءُونَ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ كَيْفَ نَسُوؤُهُ فَقَالَ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ أَعْمَالَكُمْ تُعْرَضُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا رَأَى فِيهَا مَعْصِيَةً سَاءَهُ ذَلِكَ فَلا تَسُوءُوا رَسُولَ الله وَسُرُّوهُ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Uthman ibn 'Isa from Suma‘ who has said that he heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “What is wrong with you? Why do you disappoint the Messenger of Allah?” A man asked, “How do we disappoint him?” The Imams (a.s.) said, “Do you not know that your deeds are presented before him? When he find sins in them it disappoints him. Do not disappoint the Messenger of Allah. Do things that will make him happy.”

4ـ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الزَّيَّاتِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ أَبَانٍ الزَّيَّاتِ وَكَانَ مَكِيناً عِنْدَ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) ادْعُ الله لِي وَلاهْلِ بَيْتِي فَقَالَ أَ وَلَسْتُ أَفْعَلُ وَالله إِنَّ أَعْمَالَكُمْ لَتُعْرَضُ عَلَيَّ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ قَالَ فَاسْتَعْظَمْتُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لِي أَ مَا تَقْرَأُ كِتَابَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى الله عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ هُوَ وَالله عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام )

4. Ali from has narrated from his father from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from al-Zayyat from ‘Abdallah ibn Aban al-Zayyat who was well placed in the eyes of al-Rida (a.s.). He has said that he asked al-Rida (a.s.) to pray for him and for his family. Am I not praying for them? I swear by Allah that your deeds are presented before me every day and night.” He has said that it seemed extremely great to me. The Imams (a.s.) said to me, “Do you not read in the Holy Quran, ‘Act as you wish. God will see your deeds and so will do His Messenger and the believers. . .’” (9:106) The Imams (a.s.) then said, “I swear by Allah that he (the believer) is Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.).”

5ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله الصَّامِتِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ مُسَاوِرٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ هَذِهِ الايَةَ فَسَيَرَى الله عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ هُوَ وَالله عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام )

5. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from abu ‘Abdallah al-Samit from Yahya ibn Musawwir who has said the following. He mentioned this verse to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), “Act as you wish. God will see your deeds and so will do His Messenger and the believers. . .” (9:106) The Imams (a.s.) then said, “I swear by Allah that he (the believer) is Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.).”

6ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ الاعْمَالَ تُعْرَضُ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَبْرَارَهَا وَفُجَّارَهَا.

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha' who has said the following. “I heard Imam al-Rida saying, ‘All the deeds: good and bad ones are presented before the Messenger of Allah.’”

Chapter 30

The Path, Urged to be Maintained Steadfastly is Acknowledgement of the Divine Authority of Imam Ali (a.s.)

1ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله الْحَسَنِيِّ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَأَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لاسْقَيْناهُمْ ماءً غَدَقاً قَالَ يَعْنِي لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى وَلايَةِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالاوْصِيَاءِ مِنْ وُلْدِهِ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) وَقَبِلُوا طَاعَتَهُمْ فِي أَمْرِهِمْ وَنَهْيِهِمْ لاسْقَيْنَاهُمْ مَاءً غَدَقاً يَقُولُ لاشْرَبْنَا قُلُوبَهُمُ الايمَانَ وَالطَّرِيقَةُ هِيَ الايمَانُ بِوَلايَةِ عَلِيٍّ وَالاوْصِيَاءِ.

1. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from ‘Abd al-‘Azim ibn ‘Abdallah al-Hassani from Musa ibn Muhammad from Yunus ibn Ya‘qub from the person whom he mentioned, from abu Ja‘far (a.s.). The Imam (a.s.) said the following about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “Had they (jinn and mankind) remained steadfast in their path (religion, Islam), We would certainly have given them abundant water to drink.” (72:16) It means, “Had people maintained steadfastness in respecting the Divine authority of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.), and the Divine authority of his successors from his children and agreed to obey their orders and prohibitions He would have given them abundant water. He says, We would drench their hearts with faith. The path (al-Triqa) means to have faith in the Divine authority of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) and his successors from his children.”

2ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِينَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا الله ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الائِمَّةِ وَاحِدٍ بَعْدَ وَاحِدٍ تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ أَلا تَخافُوا وَلا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ.

2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Fudala ibn Ayyub from al-Husayn ibn ‘Uthman from abu Ayyub from Muhammad ibn Muslim. He has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the following words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “To those who have said, ‘God is our Lord,’ and who have remained steadfast to their belief. .” The Imams (a.s.) said, “Those who remain steadfast in respecting the Divine authority of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) and his successors, the Imams (a.s.) one after the other then, ‘ the angels will descend saying, “Do not be afraid or grieved. Receive the glad news of the Paradise which was promised to you.’” (41:30)

Chapter 31

The Imams (a.s.) are the Mines of Knowledge, the Tree of Prophet-hood and the Centers wherein angels Interchange

1ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَبِي الْجَارُودِ قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيُّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) مَا يَنْقِمُ النَّاسُ مِنَّا فَنَحْنُ وَالله شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَبَيْتُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَعْدِنُ الْعِلْمِ وَمُخْتَلَفُ الْمَلائِكَةِ.

1. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from several people from Hammad ibn 'Isa from Rib‘i ibn ‘Abdallah (a.s.) from ibn Jarud who has said that Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) has said the following. “What is it obscures us to people? (People do not maintain hostility towards us.) We, I swear by Allah, are the tree of the prophet-hood, the house of blessings, the mine of knowledge and the center wherein angels interchange.”

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَمَوْضِعُ الرِّسَالَةِ وَمُخْتَلَفُ الْمَلائِكَةِ وَبَيْتُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَعْدِنُ الْعِلْمِ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Adallah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Isa from his father from ‘Adallah ibn al-Mughirah from Isma‘il ibn abu Ziyad from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad (a.s.) from his father (a.s.) from Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) who has said the following. “We, the Ahl al-Bayt (family of the Holy Prophet), are the tree of the prophet-hood, the station of the Messenger-ship of (Allah), the center wherein the angels interchange, the house of blessings and the mine of knowledge.”

3ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْخَشَّابِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا خَيْثَمَةُ نَحْنُ شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَبَيْتُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَفَاتِيحُ الْحِكْمَةِ وَمَعْدِنُ الْعِلْمِ وَمَوْضِعُ الرِّسَالَةِ وَمُخْتَلَفُ الْمَلائِكَةِ وَمَوْضِعُ سِرِّ الله وَنَحْنُ وَدِيعَةُ الله فِي عِبَادِهِ وَنَحْنُ حَرَمُ الله الاكْبَرُ وَنَحْنُ ذِمَّةُ الله وَنَحْنُ عَهْدُ الله فَمَنْ وَفَى بِعَهْدِنَا فَقَدْ وَفَى بِعَهْدِ الله وَمَنْ خَفَرَهَا فَقَدْ خَفَرَ ذِمَّةَ الله وَعَهْدَهُ.

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ‘Adallah ibn Muhammad from al-Kashshab. He has said that a number of our people have narrated from al-Khaythama who has said that abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) said to him the following. “O Khaythama, we are the tree of prophet-hood, the house of blessings, the keys to wisdom, the mine of knowledge, the station of the Messenger-ship of (Allah), the center wherein the angels interchange and the place for the secrets of Allah. We are the trust of Allah among the people and we are the great Sanctuary of Allah. We are the promised responsibility of Allah and we are His covenant. Whoever remains true to our covenant he has remained true to the covenant of Allah. Whoever disregards his covenant with us he has disregarded his covenant and responsibility towards Allah.”

Chapter 32

The Imams (a.s.) are the Heirs of Knowledge to Inherit it one from the other

1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَانَ عَالِماً وَالْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ وَلَنْ يَهْلِكَ عَالِمٌ إِلا بَقِيَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ عِلْمَهُ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

1. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from Burayd ibn Mu‘awiya from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Ali (a.s.) was a man of knowledge and knowledge is inherited. Whenever a man of knowledge dies he leave another man of knowledge behind who possess his knowledge or whatever Allah wants.”

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَالْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَالْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ وَكَانَ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَالِمَ هَذِهِ الامَّةِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَهْلِكْ مِنَّا عَالِمٌ قَطُّ إِلا خَلَفَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ مَنْ عَلِمَ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn 'Isa from Hariz from Zurarah and al-Fudayl from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. Knowledge is inherited. Ali (a.s.) was the knowledgeable person of this nation (Muslims). No one from us have ever left this world without leaving behind one like him in knowledge or what Allah wanted.”

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الطَّائِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ يُتَوَارَثُ وَلا يَمُوتُ عَالِمٌ إِلا وَتَرَكَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Barqi from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Ta’i from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Knowledge is inherited. No man of knowledge dies without leaving behind one who is as knowledgeable as his predecessor or what Allah wants.”

4ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الاشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ فِي علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سُنَّةَ أَلْفِ نَبِيٍّ مِنَ الانْبِيَاءِ وَإِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَمَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ فَذَهَبَ عِلْمُهُ وَالْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ.

4. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from Musa ibn Bakr from al-Fudayl ibn Yasar who has said that he heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “In Imam Ali (a.s.) there was the Sunnah (traditions) of a thousand prophet. The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge ever died along with knowledge. Knowledge is inherited.”

5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبَانٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَمَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ فَذَهَبَ عِلْمُهُ.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Fudalah ibn Ayyub from ‘Umar ibn Aban who has said that he heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.) say the following. “The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge has ever died along with his knowledge.”

6ـ مُحَمَّدٌ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَمُصُّونَ الثِّمَادَ وَيَدَعُونَ النَّهَرَ الْعَظِيمَ قِيلَ لَهُ وَمَا النَّهَرُ الْعَظِيمُ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَالْعِلْمُ الَّذِي أَعْطَاهُ الله إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ جَمَعَ لِمُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) سُنَنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ آدَمَ وَهَلُمَّ جَرّاً إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قِيلَ لَهُ وَمَا تِلْكَ السُّنَنُ قَالَ عِلْمُ النَّبِيِّينَ بِأَسْرِهِ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) صَيَّرَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ عِنْدَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ الله فَأَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعْلَمُ أَمْ بَعْضُ النَّبِيِّينَ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اسْمَعُوا مَا يَقُولُ إِنَّ الله يَفْتَحُ مَسَامِعَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِنِّي حَدَّثْتُهُ أَنَّ الله جَمَعَ لِمُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) عِلْمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَأَنَّهُ جَمَعَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ عِنْدَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَهُوَ يَسْأَلُنِي أَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ أَمْ بَعْضُ النَّبِيِّينَ.

6. Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad from Ali ibn Nu‘man, in a marfu’ manner (rafa'ahu) from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “They try to absorb the little moisture but ignore the huge river.” Someone asked him, “What is (this) huge river?” The Imams (a.s.)said, “It is the Messenger of Allah (s.a.) and the Knowledge that Allah gave to him. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, combined in Muhammad (s.a.) the Sunnah (traditions) of the all the prophets from Adam onwards to Muhammad (s.a.).” Someone asked him, “What are those sunnah (traditions)?” The Imams (a.s.) said, “They are all the knowledge of the prophets (s.a.). The Messenger of Allah transferred all of them to Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.).” The man then said, “O son of the Messenger of Allah, is Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) more knowledgeable or some of the prophets?” Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) replied, “Listen, everyone to what he just said. Allah opens the ears of whoever He wants. I said to him that Allah combined for Muhammad (s.a.) the knowledge of the prophets and he combined all of it with Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.). He now asks me, “Was he (Ali (a.s.) more knowledgeable or some of the prophets?”

7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الطَّائِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ يُتَوَارَثُ فَلا يَمُوتُ عَالِمٌ إِلا تَرَكَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Barqi from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from ‘Abd al-Hamid at.-Ta’i from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Knowledge is inherited. No man of knowledge ever leaves this world without leaving behind one who would have as much knowledge as he had or what Allah wants.”

8ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَمَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ إِلا وَقَدْ وَرَّثَ عِلْمَهُ إِنَّ الارْضَ لا تَبْقَى بِغَيْرِ عَالِمٍ.

8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn 'Isa from Yunus from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “The Knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge has ever died without his knowledge being inherited. The earth does not remain without a man of knowledge.”

Chapter 27

The Bounty and Blessings that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High has mentioned in His book, the Holy Quran are the Imams (a.s.)

1ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بِسْطَامَ بْنِ مُرَّةَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنِ الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الْعَبْدِيِّ عَنْ سَعْدٍ الاسْكَافِ عَنِ الاصْبَغِ بْنِ نُبَاتَةَ قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ غَيَّرُوا سُنَّةَ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَعَدَلُوا عَنْ وَصِيِّهِ لا يَتَخَوَّفُونَ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِهِمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ تَلا هَذِهِ الايَةَ أَ لَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ الله كُفْراً وَأَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دارَ الْبَوارِ جَهَنَّمَ ثُمَّ قَالَ نَحْنُ النِّعْمَةُ الَّتِي أَنْعَمَ الله بِهَا عَلَى عِبَادِهِ وَبِنَا يَفُوزُ مَنْ فَازَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Bistam ibn Murrah from Ishaq ibn Hassa’n from al-Haytham ibn Waqid from Ali ibn al-Husayn al-‘Abdi from Sa‘d al-’Iskaf from al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah from Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) who has said the following. “What isd wrong with people who changed the Sunnah (traditions) of the Messenger of Allah and deviated from his will? Do they not fear that sever suffering may befall them? He then recited the following verse of the Holy Quran. “Have you not seen (considered) those who changed the blessings (Word) of God through disbelief and led their people to destruction? (14:28). They will suffer in Hell. What a terrible place to stay! (14:29). He then said, “We are the blessings of Allah which He has granted to people. Through us will succede those will be successful on the Day of Judgment.”

2ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ رَفَعَهُ فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَبِأَيِّ آلاءِ رَبِّكُما تُكَذِّبانِ أَ بِالنَّبِيِّ أَمْ بِالْوَصِيِّ تُكَذِّبَانِ نَزَلَتْ فِي الرَّحْمَنِ.

2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad, in a mafu‘ manner, (rafa'ahu) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “(Jinn and mankind) - which of the favors of your Lord do you deny?” (55:13) Will you deny and refuse the Holy Prophet or his successor.” (This verse has come down in Ch 55 al-Rahman.)

3ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنِ الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ الْبَزَّازِ قَالَ تَلا أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هَذِهِ الايَةَ فَاذْكُرُوا آلاءَ الله قَالَ أَ تَدْرِي مَا آلاءُ الله قُلْتُ لا قَالَ هِيَ أَعْظَمُ نِعَمِ الله عَلَى خَلْقِهِ وَهِيَ وَلايَتُنَا.

3. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from ‘Adallah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman from al-Haytham ibn Waqid from abu Yusuf al-Bazzaz who has said that abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) recited the following verse, “Keep in mind the bounties of Allah. .” (7:69) The Imams (a.s.) said, “Do you know what the bounties of Allah are?” I said, “No, I do not know.” He said, “It is the greatest of the bounties of Allah. It is to acknowledge the Divine authority that we possess.”

4ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أُورَمَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَ لَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ الله كُفْراً الايَةَ قَالَ عَنَى بِهَا قُرَيْشاً قَاطِبَةً الَّذِينَ عَادَوْا رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَنَصَبُوا لَهُ الْحَرْبَ وَجَحَدُوا وَصِيَّةَ وَصِيِّهِ.

4. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Uwarma from Ali ibn Hassa’n from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the following verse. “Have you not seen (considered) those who changed the blessings (Word) of God through disbelief and led their people to destruction?” (14:28) The Imam (a.s.) said it is a reference to all of Quraysh who exercised animosity towards the Holy Prophet (s.a.), created wars against him and rejected his will about his successor.”

Chapter 28

The People whom Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has called Mutawassimin (distinguished) in His book are the Imams (a.s.) who are also the straight path

1ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله الْحَسَنِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَسْبَاطٌ بَيَّاعُ الزُّطِّيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَسَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ وَإِنَّها لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ نَحْنُ الْمُتَوَسِّمُونَ وَالسَّبِيلُ فِينَا مُقِيمٌ.

1. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from ‘Abd al-‘Azim ibn ‘Abdallah al-Hasani from ibn abu‘Umayr who has said the following.

“Asbat Bayya‘ al-Zattiyy has said that once he was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) when a man asked him about the meaning of the following words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones. (15:75)

That town lies on a road which still exists (15:76) The Imam (a.s.) said, “We are the distiguished people and the (right) path is with us.”

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَسْبَاطُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ هِيتٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَصْلَحَكَ الله مَا تَقُولُ فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ قَالَ نَحْنُ الْمُتَوَسِّمُونَ وَالسَّبِيلُ فِينَا مُقِيمٌ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salamah ibn al-Khattab that Yahya ibn Ibrahim who has said the following. “Asbat ibn Salim has said that once he was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) when a man from the people of Hiyt came and said, ‘May grant yopu well-being, what is the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.”? (15:75)

The Imam (a.s.) said, “We are the distiguished people and the (right) path is with us.”

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ قَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) اتَّقُوا فِرَاسَةَ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ بِنُورِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي قَوْلِ الله تَعَالَى إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ.

3. Muhammad ibn Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Hammad ibn 'Isa from Rib’i ibn ‘Abdallah from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.” (15:75)

“The Imam (a.s.) said, “The distinguished people are the Imams (a.s.) the Holy Prophet has said, “Be on your guard from the intelligence of the believers. He lookss through the light of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High as mentioned in, “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.” (15:75)

4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْكُوفِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْسِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ فَقَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) وَإِنَّها لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ قَالَ لا يَخْرُجُ مِنَّا أَبَداً.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Kufi from ‘Ubays ibn Hisham from ‘Adallah ibn Sulayman from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.” (15:75)

The Imams (a.s.) said, “These people are the Imams (a.s.) and the evidence will never depart us.”

5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) الْمُتَوَسِّمَ وَأَنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَالائِمَّةُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي الْمُتَوَسِّمُونَ.

وَفِي نُسْخَةٍ أُخْرَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ مِثْلَهُ.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Aslam from Ibrahim ibn Ayyub from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from Jabir from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) has the following about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. ““In this there is evidence (of the Truth) for the distinguished ones.” (15:75) The Holy Prophet (s.a.) was the distinguieshed one and I was as such after him and the Imams from my children are the distinguieshed ones.”

In a different copy it is narrated from Ahmad ibn Mahran from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn Aslam from Ibrahim ibn Ayyub through the chain of his nnarrators a similar Hadith.

Chapter 29

The deeds of the people are presented before the Holy Prophet (s.a.) and the Imams (a.s.)

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ تُعْرَضُ الاعْمَالُ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَعْمَالُ الْعِبَادِ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ أَبْرَارُهَا وَفُجَّارُهَا فَاحْذَرُوهَا وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الله تَعَالَى اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى الله عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَسَكَتَ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn abu Hamza from abu Basir from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “All deeds are presented before the Messenger of Allah (s.a.). It is the deeds of the all the virtuous and the evil doing servants (of Allah) that are presented every morning and evenings (before the Messenger of Allah). So pay proper attention to it and be very careful. The following verse of the Holy Quran is a reference to this. “(Muhammad), tell them, “Act as you wish. God will see your deeds and so will do His Messenger. . .” (9:106) The Imams (a.s.) paused at this point and did not read any further.”

2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الطَّائِيِّ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى الله عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ.

2. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Ta’i from Ya‘qub ibn Shu‘ayb. He has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “Act as you wish. God will see your deeds and so will do His Messenger and the believers. . .” (9:106) The Imams (a.s.) said, “They (believers) are the Imams (a.s.)”

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ مَا لَكُمْ تَسُوءُونَ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ كَيْفَ نَسُوؤُهُ فَقَالَ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ أَعْمَالَكُمْ تُعْرَضُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا رَأَى فِيهَا مَعْصِيَةً سَاءَهُ ذَلِكَ فَلا تَسُوءُوا رَسُولَ الله وَسُرُّوهُ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Uthman ibn 'Isa from Suma‘ who has said that he heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “What is wrong with you? Why do you disappoint the Messenger of Allah?” A man asked, “How do we disappoint him?” The Imams (a.s.) said, “Do you not know that your deeds are presented before him? When he find sins in them it disappoints him. Do not disappoint the Messenger of Allah. Do things that will make him happy.”

4ـ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الزَّيَّاتِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ أَبَانٍ الزَّيَّاتِ وَكَانَ مَكِيناً عِنْدَ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) ادْعُ الله لِي وَلاهْلِ بَيْتِي فَقَالَ أَ وَلَسْتُ أَفْعَلُ وَالله إِنَّ أَعْمَالَكُمْ لَتُعْرَضُ عَلَيَّ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ قَالَ فَاسْتَعْظَمْتُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لِي أَ مَا تَقْرَأُ كِتَابَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى الله عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ هُوَ وَالله عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام )

4. Ali from has narrated from his father from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from al-Zayyat from ‘Abdallah ibn Aban al-Zayyat who was well placed in the eyes of al-Rida (a.s.). He has said that he asked al-Rida (a.s.) to pray for him and for his family. Am I not praying for them? I swear by Allah that your deeds are presented before me every day and night.” He has said that it seemed extremely great to me. The Imams (a.s.) said to me, “Do you not read in the Holy Quran, ‘Act as you wish. God will see your deeds and so will do His Messenger and the believers. . .’” (9:106) The Imams (a.s.) then said, “I swear by Allah that he (the believer) is Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.).”

5ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله الصَّامِتِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ مُسَاوِرٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ هَذِهِ الايَةَ فَسَيَرَى الله عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ قَالَ هُوَ وَالله عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام )

5. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from abu ‘Abdallah al-Samit from Yahya ibn Musawwir who has said the following. He mentioned this verse to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), “Act as you wish. God will see your deeds and so will do His Messenger and the believers. . .” (9:106) The Imams (a.s.) then said, “I swear by Allah that he (the believer) is Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.).”

6ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ الاعْمَالَ تُعْرَضُ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَبْرَارَهَا وَفُجَّارَهَا.

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha' who has said the following. “I heard Imam al-Rida saying, ‘All the deeds: good and bad ones are presented before the Messenger of Allah.’”

Chapter 30

The Path, Urged to be Maintained Steadfastly is Acknowledgement of the Divine Authority of Imam Ali (a.s.)

1ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله الْحَسَنِيِّ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَأَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لاسْقَيْناهُمْ ماءً غَدَقاً قَالَ يَعْنِي لَوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى وَلايَةِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالاوْصِيَاءِ مِنْ وُلْدِهِ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) وَقَبِلُوا طَاعَتَهُمْ فِي أَمْرِهِمْ وَنَهْيِهِمْ لاسْقَيْنَاهُمْ مَاءً غَدَقاً يَقُولُ لاشْرَبْنَا قُلُوبَهُمُ الايمَانَ وَالطَّرِيقَةُ هِيَ الايمَانُ بِوَلايَةِ عَلِيٍّ وَالاوْصِيَاءِ.

1. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from ‘Abd al-‘Azim ibn ‘Abdallah al-Hassani from Musa ibn Muhammad from Yunus ibn Ya‘qub from the person whom he mentioned, from abu Ja‘far (a.s.). The Imam (a.s.) said the following about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “Had they (jinn and mankind) remained steadfast in their path (religion, Islam), We would certainly have given them abundant water to drink.” (72:16) It means, “Had people maintained steadfastness in respecting the Divine authority of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.), and the Divine authority of his successors from his children and agreed to obey their orders and prohibitions He would have given them abundant water. He says, We would drench their hearts with faith. The path (al-Triqa) means to have faith in the Divine authority of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) and his successors from his children.”

2ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِينَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا الله ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الائِمَّةِ وَاحِدٍ بَعْدَ وَاحِدٍ تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ أَلا تَخافُوا وَلا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ.

2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Fudala ibn Ayyub from al-Husayn ibn ‘Uthman from abu Ayyub from Muhammad ibn Muslim. He has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the following words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “To those who have said, ‘God is our Lord,’ and who have remained steadfast to their belief. .” The Imams (a.s.) said, “Those who remain steadfast in respecting the Divine authority of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) and his successors, the Imams (a.s.) one after the other then, ‘ the angels will descend saying, “Do not be afraid or grieved. Receive the glad news of the Paradise which was promised to you.’” (41:30)

Chapter 31

The Imams (a.s.) are the Mines of Knowledge, the Tree of Prophet-hood and the Centers wherein angels Interchange

1ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَبِي الْجَارُودِ قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيُّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) مَا يَنْقِمُ النَّاسُ مِنَّا فَنَحْنُ وَالله شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَبَيْتُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَعْدِنُ الْعِلْمِ وَمُخْتَلَفُ الْمَلائِكَةِ.

1. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from several people from Hammad ibn 'Isa from Rib‘i ibn ‘Abdallah (a.s.) from ibn Jarud who has said that Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) has said the following. “What is it obscures us to people? (People do not maintain hostility towards us.) We, I swear by Allah, are the tree of the prophet-hood, the house of blessings, the mine of knowledge and the center wherein angels interchange.”

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَمَوْضِعُ الرِّسَالَةِ وَمُخْتَلَفُ الْمَلائِكَةِ وَبَيْتُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَعْدِنُ الْعِلْمِ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from ‘Adallah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Isa from his father from ‘Adallah ibn al-Mughirah from Isma‘il ibn abu Ziyad from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad (a.s.) from his father (a.s.) from Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) who has said the following. “We, the Ahl al-Bayt (family of the Holy Prophet), are the tree of the prophet-hood, the station of the Messenger-ship of (Allah), the center wherein the angels interchange, the house of blessings and the mine of knowledge.”

3ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْخَشَّابِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا خَيْثَمَةُ نَحْنُ شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَبَيْتُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَفَاتِيحُ الْحِكْمَةِ وَمَعْدِنُ الْعِلْمِ وَمَوْضِعُ الرِّسَالَةِ وَمُخْتَلَفُ الْمَلائِكَةِ وَمَوْضِعُ سِرِّ الله وَنَحْنُ وَدِيعَةُ الله فِي عِبَادِهِ وَنَحْنُ حَرَمُ الله الاكْبَرُ وَنَحْنُ ذِمَّةُ الله وَنَحْنُ عَهْدُ الله فَمَنْ وَفَى بِعَهْدِنَا فَقَدْ وَفَى بِعَهْدِ الله وَمَنْ خَفَرَهَا فَقَدْ خَفَرَ ذِمَّةَ الله وَعَهْدَهُ.

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ‘Adallah ibn Muhammad from al-Kashshab. He has said that a number of our people have narrated from al-Khaythama who has said that abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) said to him the following. “O Khaythama, we are the tree of prophet-hood, the house of blessings, the keys to wisdom, the mine of knowledge, the station of the Messenger-ship of (Allah), the center wherein the angels interchange and the place for the secrets of Allah. We are the trust of Allah among the people and we are the great Sanctuary of Allah. We are the promised responsibility of Allah and we are His covenant. Whoever remains true to our covenant he has remained true to the covenant of Allah. Whoever disregards his covenant with us he has disregarded his covenant and responsibility towards Allah.”

Chapter 32

The Imams (a.s.) are the Heirs of Knowledge to Inherit it one from the other

1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَانَ عَالِماً وَالْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ وَلَنْ يَهْلِكَ عَالِمٌ إِلا بَقِيَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ عِلْمَهُ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

1. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from Burayd ibn Mu‘awiya from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Ali (a.s.) was a man of knowledge and knowledge is inherited. Whenever a man of knowledge dies he leave another man of knowledge behind who possess his knowledge or whatever Allah wants.”

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَالْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَالْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ وَكَانَ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَالِمَ هَذِهِ الامَّةِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَهْلِكْ مِنَّا عَالِمٌ قَطُّ إِلا خَلَفَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ مَنْ عَلِمَ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn 'Isa from Hariz from Zurarah and al-Fudayl from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. Knowledge is inherited. Ali (a.s.) was the knowledgeable person of this nation (Muslims). No one from us have ever left this world without leaving behind one like him in knowledge or what Allah wanted.”

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الطَّائِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ يُتَوَارَثُ وَلا يَمُوتُ عَالِمٌ إِلا وَتَرَكَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Barqi from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Ta’i from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Knowledge is inherited. No man of knowledge dies without leaving behind one who is as knowledgeable as his predecessor or what Allah wants.”

4ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الاشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ فِي علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سُنَّةَ أَلْفِ نَبِيٍّ مِنَ الانْبِيَاءِ وَإِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَمَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ فَذَهَبَ عِلْمُهُ وَالْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ.

4. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from Musa ibn Bakr from al-Fudayl ibn Yasar who has said that he heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “In Imam Ali (a.s.) there was the Sunnah (traditions) of a thousand prophet. The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge ever died along with knowledge. Knowledge is inherited.”

5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبَانٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَمَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ فَذَهَبَ عِلْمُهُ.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Fudalah ibn Ayyub from ‘Umar ibn Aban who has said that he heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.) say the following. “The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge has ever died along with his knowledge.”

6ـ مُحَمَّدٌ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَمُصُّونَ الثِّمَادَ وَيَدَعُونَ النَّهَرَ الْعَظِيمَ قِيلَ لَهُ وَمَا النَّهَرُ الْعَظِيمُ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَالْعِلْمُ الَّذِي أَعْطَاهُ الله إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ جَمَعَ لِمُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) سُنَنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ آدَمَ وَهَلُمَّ جَرّاً إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قِيلَ لَهُ وَمَا تِلْكَ السُّنَنُ قَالَ عِلْمُ النَّبِيِّينَ بِأَسْرِهِ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) صَيَّرَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ عِنْدَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ الله فَأَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعْلَمُ أَمْ بَعْضُ النَّبِيِّينَ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اسْمَعُوا مَا يَقُولُ إِنَّ الله يَفْتَحُ مَسَامِعَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِنِّي حَدَّثْتُهُ أَنَّ الله جَمَعَ لِمُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) عِلْمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَأَنَّهُ جَمَعَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ عِنْدَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَهُوَ يَسْأَلُنِي أَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ أَمْ بَعْضُ النَّبِيِّينَ.

6. Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad from Ali ibn Nu‘man, in a marfu’ manner (rafa'ahu) from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “They try to absorb the little moisture but ignore the huge river.” Someone asked him, “What is (this) huge river?” The Imams (a.s.)said, “It is the Messenger of Allah (s.a.) and the Knowledge that Allah gave to him. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, combined in Muhammad (s.a.) the Sunnah (traditions) of the all the prophets from Adam onwards to Muhammad (s.a.).” Someone asked him, “What are those sunnah (traditions)?” The Imams (a.s.) said, “They are all the knowledge of the prophets (s.a.). The Messenger of Allah transferred all of them to Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.).” The man then said, “O son of the Messenger of Allah, is Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) more knowledgeable or some of the prophets?” Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) replied, “Listen, everyone to what he just said. Allah opens the ears of whoever He wants. I said to him that Allah combined for Muhammad (s.a.) the knowledge of the prophets and he combined all of it with Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.). He now asks me, “Was he (Ali (a.s.) more knowledgeable or some of the prophets?”

7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الطَّائِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ يُتَوَارَثُ فَلا يَمُوتُ عَالِمٌ إِلا تَرَكَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Barqi from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from ‘Abd al-Hamid at.-Ta’i from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Knowledge is inherited. No man of knowledge ever leaves this world without leaving behind one who would have as much knowledge as he had or what Allah wants.”

8ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَمَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ إِلا وَقَدْ وَرَّثَ عِلْمَهُ إِنَّ الارْضَ لا تَبْقَى بِغَيْرِ عَالِمٍ.

8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn 'Isa from Yunus from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “The Knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge has ever died without his knowledge being inherited. The earth does not remain without a man of knowledge.”


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