Chapter on Asking the Scholar and Discussing with him

Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 9

Al-Kāfi

Book 2, Chapter 9

Chapter on Asking the Scholar and Discussing with him
9 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 1

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ مَجْدُورٍ أَصَابَتْهُ جَنَابَةٌ فَغَسَّلُوهُ فَمَاتَ قَالَ قَتَلُوهُ أَلا سَأَلُوا فَإِنَّ دَوَاءَ الْعِيِّ السُّؤَالُ

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from one of our people from Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as): He was asked about a man who was in the state of ritual impurity (janaba), so they gave him the formal bath (ghusl) and he died. So he said, "They have killed him. So, ask, for indeed, the remedy for ignorance is asking."

Ḥadīth 2

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ وَبُرَيْدٍ الْعِجْلِيِّ قَالُوا قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لِحُمْرَانَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ سَأَلَهُ إِنَّمَا يَهْلِكُ النَّاسُ لانَّهُمْ لا يَسْأَلُونَ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Hammed ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurra, Muhammad ibn Muslim and Burayd al-‘Ijli who has said the following. “(Imam) abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) said to Humran ibn A'yan regarding a matter he asked about, ‘People are destroyed only because they do not ask (what they do not know).’”

Ḥadīth 3

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الاشْعَرِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ الْقَدَّاحِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ عَلَيْهِ قُفْلٌ وَمِفْتَاحُهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ. عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَهُ.

3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ari from ’Abdallah ibn Maymun al-Qaddah from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “This knowledge (the knowledge of the holy Prophet and Ahlul Bayt(a.s.)) is under a lock and the key to it is asking” Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father from al-Nawfali, from al-Sakuni from Imam abu ‘Abdallah has narrated the same Hadith.

Ḥadīth 4

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الاحْوَلِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَسَعُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَسْأَلُوا وَيَتَفَقَّهُوا وَيَعْرِفُوا إِمَامَهُمْ وَيَسَعُهُمْ أَنْ يَأْخُذُوا بِمَا يَقُولُ وَإِنْ كَانَ تَقِيَّةً.

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Yunus ibn ’Abd al-Rahman from abu Ja’far al-Awwal that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) said, “People can do nothing until they ask, acquire a proper understanding of religion, know their Imam and follow what he says, even if he said it under taqqiyah."

Ḥadīth 5

5ـ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أُفٍّ لِرَجُلٍ لا يُفَرِّغُ نَفْسَهُ فِي كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ لامْرِ دِينِهِ فَيَتَعَاهَدُهُ وَيَسْأَلُ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ.

5. Ali has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from the person who he mentioned from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “The holy Prophet has said, ‘Woe is to a man who does not save a time every Friday for learning about his religion and make a habit to ask about his religion.” In another Hadith it says, “woe is to every such Muslim.”

Ḥadīth 6

6ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ تَذَاكُرُ الْعِلْمِ بَيْنَ عِبَادِي مِمَّا تَحْيَا عَلَيْهِ الْقُلُوبُ الْمَيْتَةُ إِذَا هُمُ انْتَهَوْا فِيهِ إِلَى أَمْرِي.

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Abdallah ibn Sinan from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “The Holy Prophet said, ‘Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious says, ‘The discussions of the scholars among My servants are of the matters that bring the dead hearts to life if they come to and end up to My commandments.’”

Ḥadīth 7

7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْجَارُودِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ رَحِمَ الله عَبْداً أَحْيَا الْعِلْمَ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَمَا إِحْيَاؤُهُ قَالَ أَنْ يُذَاكِرَ بِهِ أَهْلَ الدِّينِ وَأَهْلَ الْوَرَعِ.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from abu al-Jarud from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following. “May Allah grant forgiveness to a man who revives knowledge.” Abu al-Jarud has said, “I asked the Imam, ‘What is reviving knowledge?’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “It is his discussing knowledge among the religious people and the people of piety.”

Ḥadīth 8

8ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَجَّالِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) تَذَاكَرُوا وَتَلاقَوْا وَتَحَدَّثُوا فَإِنَّ الْحَدِيثَ جِلاءٌ لِلْقُلُوبِ إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ لَتَرِينُ كَمَا يَرِينُ السَّيْفُ جِلاؤُهَا الْحَدِيثُ.

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Hajjal from certain persons of our people in a marfu’ manner from the Messenger of Allah who has said the following. He said addressing the people said, “Discuss facts, meet each other and speak to each other because speaking is brightness for the hearts. Hearts become stained just as the swords become stained and speaking cleanses it up.” In some scripts it is ‘Iron’ instead of ‘speaking’ at the end of the sentence.”

Ḥadīth 9

9ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبَانٍ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ الصَّيْقَلِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ تَذَاكُرُ الْعِلْمِ دِرَاسَةٌ وَالدِّرَاسَةُ صَلاةٌ حَسَنَةٌ.

9. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father from Faddala ibn Ayyub from ‘Umar ibn Aban from Mansur al-Sayqal who has said the following. “Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) has said, ‘Discussing knowledge is study and study is a good prayer.’”