Introduction

The Book of Intelligence and Ignorance

Chapter on the necessity to seek knowledge and the recommendations to learn

Chapter on the quality of knowledge its virtue and the virtue of the scholars

Chapter on Kinds of People

Chapter on the reward for the scholars and those who seek knowledge

Chapter on the Qualities of the Scholars

Chapter on the Rights of the scholars

Chapter on the Loss of a Scholar

Chapter on Meeting the Scholars and Associating with Them

Chapter on Asking the Scholar and Discussing with him

Chapter on Giving Knowledge as Charity

Prohibition on Speaking without Knowledge.

Chapter on Those who Act without Knowledge

Chapter on Utilization of Knowledge

Chapter on Those who use their Knowledge to Fill their Stomach and are Boastful for it

Chapter on the Need for the Existence of a Divine Authority in the World and the Seriousness of this Matter

Chapter on Miscellaneous Issues

Chapter on narrating books and Hadith (The virtue of writing and its preservation)

Chapter on Taqlid, following the opinions of someone

Chapter on Innovations, Personal Opinions and Analogies

Chapter on the need to refer to the book and Sunnah

Chapter on the Differences in al-Hadith

Chapter on Following the Sunnah and Evidence of the Book

Chapter on Contingency of the Universe and Proof of the Existence of its Creator

Chapter on Can Allah (God) be Considered a Thing?

Chapter on (the Issue) that only He is proof of His Own Existence

Chapter on the minimum degree of knowledge of the existence of Allah

Chapter on Who is Worshipped

Chapter On Being and Space (al-Kawn WA al-Makan)

Chapter On The relationships (Nisbah) Of Allah

Chapter On Prohibition on Saying How is Allah (al-Kayfiyyah)

Chapter On The Invalidity of the Belief to see God (Ru’yah of Allah)

Chapter On Prohibition on Attributing to Allah What He Himself has not Done so

Chapter On Prohibition on Considering Allah as having Body (JISM) and Form (SURAH)

Chapter On Attribute Of Essence (Sifat al-DhDhat) Of Allah

Another Chapter of The Previous Chapter

Chapter On Will Power (IRADAH) it is of the Attributes of Action (SIFAT al-FI‘L) and the Rest of the Attributes of Action

Chapter On the Coming into the Existence of the Names of Allah

Chapter On The Meanings of the Names of Allah and their Derivatives

Chapter on Another Chapter (Related) to the Previous Chapter

Chapter on the Interpretation of al-Samad, Self-sufficient

Chapter on Motion and Change

Chapter about al-‘Arsh and al-Kursi

Chapter on al-Ruh, the Spirit

Chapter on Comprehensive (Ahadith) about the Oneness of Allah

Chapter on Miscellaneous Ahadith

Chapter on al-Bida’

Chapter on the issue that there is nothing in heavens and earth but that they are in seven

Chapter on Wish and Will

Chapter on Test and Choice

Chapter on Fortunateness and Un-fortunateness

Good and Evil

Predestination, Fate and the Middle Road in Between

The Capabilities

Declaration, Definition and the Need for Solid Proof

Differences in the Justification of Divine Authority among People

Allah’s Authorities and Means of Justification of Accountability in People

Guidance Is From Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High

The necessity of the presence of Divine Authority among the people

The Categories of the Prophets, the Messengers and the Imams (a.s.)

The Difference among he Messengers, the Prophets and the al-Muhaddath

The issue that Allah’s holding people accountable remains unjustified without the Imam

The Issue that the Earth at no time is without a Person with Divine Authority

The Issue that even if only two people would remain on earth one of them would certainly be the Imam, the person with divine authority

Knowing the Imam (a.s.) and Belief in His Divine Authority

The obligation to obey the Imams (a.s.)

The Imams (a.s.) are witness for Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, over His creature

The Imams (a.s.) are the only true guides

The Imam (a.s.) Possess Divine Authority and the Treasure of Divine Knowledge

The Imams (a.s.) are the Deputies of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, on earth and the Gates through which people go nearer to Allah

The Imams (a.s.) are the light of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High

The Imams are the corner stone on earth

The Unique Ahadith that sums up the Virtue and Qualifications of the Imam (a.s.)

The Imams (a.s.) possess Divine authority, they are Envied and Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has spoken of them

The Imams (a.s.) are the Sings of whom Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has spoken in the Holy Quran

The Signs of which Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has spoken in the Holy Quran are The Imams (a.s.)

The matters that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, and His Messenger (s.a.) have sanctioned as obligatory of the beings with the Imams (a.s.)

The people of Dhikr (memory and knowledge) that Allah has commanded the creatures to ask for their questions are the Imams (a.s.)

Those whom Allah has called people of knowledge they are the Imams (a.s.)

The People Well-grounded in Knowledge are the Imams (a.s.) alone

The Imams are those who have received Knowledge and it is firmly Established in their Hearts

The people whom Allah has Chosen and has Made the Heirs of His Book are the Imams (a.s.)

Two Kinds of Imam are mentioned in the Holy Quran: the Imams (a.s.) who call to Allah and the Imams who call to Fire

The Holy Quran guides people to the Imam (a.s.)

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.)

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

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

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

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

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

The Imams (a.s.) inherited the knowledge of the Holy prophet (s.a.) and all the prophets and their successors before them

The Imams (a.s.) have with all the books that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has revealed and that they know them even the language in them are different

No one collect all of the Holy Quran except the Imams (a.s.) and that they have the knowledge of all of the Holy Quran

The degree of the Great Names of Allah that are given to the Imams (a.s.)

Sacred objects of the Prophets transferred to the Imams (a.s.)

The Armaments and Sacred Items belonging to the Holy Prophet (s.a.) that transferred to the Imam (a.s.)

The case of the Arms of the Messenger of Allah is like the Ark among the Israelites

Statements about al-Jafr al-Jami‘ and the Book of Fatima (a.s.)

Chapter Ninety Seven of the Holy Quran and its interpretation

 1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ وَجَابِرٍ الْعَبْدِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الله جَعَلَنِي إِمَاماً لِخَلْقِهِ فَفَرَضَ عَلَيَّ التَّقْدِيرَ فِي نَفْسِي وَمَطْعَمِي وَمَشْرَبِي وَمَلْبَسِي كَضُعَفَاءِ النَّاسِ كَيْ يَقْتَدِيَ الْفَقِيرُ بِفَقْرِي وَلا يُطْغِيَ الْغَنِيَّ غِنَاهُ.

 1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Mahbub from Hammad from Humayd and Jabir al-‘Abdi who has said the following. “Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah has appointed me the Imam for His creation, Therefore, He made it obligatory for me to discipline myself in the matters of food, drinks and clothes to the level of the very weak ones of the people so that the poor follow my poverty and the rich would not become rebellious because of his riches.’”

 2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ خُنَيْسٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَوْماً جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ ذَكَرْتُ آلَ فُلانٍ وَمَا هُمْ فِيهِ مِنَ النَّعِيمِ فَقُلْتُ لَوْ كَانَ هَذَا إِلَيْكُمْ لَعِشْنَا مَعَكُمْ فَقَالَ هَيْهَاتَ يَا مُعَلَّى أَمَا وَالله أَنْ لَوْ كَانَ ذَاكَ مَا كَانَ إِلا سِيَاسَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَسِيَاحَةَ النَّهَارِ وَلُبْسَ الْخَشِنِ وَأَكْلَ الْجَشِبِ فَزُوِيَ ذَلِكَ عَنَّا فَهَلْ رَأَيْتَ ظُلامَةً قَطُّ صَيَّرَهَا الله تَعَالَى نِعْمَةً إِلا هَذِهِ.

 2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from Mu‘alla ibn Khunays who has said the following. “One day I said to abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), may Allah take my soul in service for your cause, I thought of the descendants of so and so (‘Abbasside) and the wealth they have at their disposal. Then I wished that had such wealth been at your disposal we would have lived with you prosperously.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Never O Mu‘alla, by Allah, had it been as you wished, there would have been nothing but hard labor of protections at nights and strenuous work during the days, coarse garments and tasteless food. Thus, it is kept away from us. Have you ever seen a usurpation that Allah, the Most High, would cause to become a blessing except this?”

 3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ أَبِي حَمَّادٍ وَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَغَيْرُهُمَا بِأَسَانِيدَ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ فِي احْتِجَاجِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَلَى عَاصِمِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ حِينَ لَبِسَ الْعَبَاءَ وَتَرَكَ الْمُلاءَ وَشَكَاهُ أَخُوهُ الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُ قَدْ غَمَّ أَهْلَهُ وَأَحْزَنَ وُلْدَهُ بِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَلَيَّ بِعَاصِمِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ فَجِي‏ءَ بِهِ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ عَبَسَ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ مَا اسْتَحْيَيْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ أَ مَا رَحِمْتَ وُلْدَكَ أَ تَرَى الله أَحَلَّ لَكَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَهُوَ يَكْرَهُ أَخْذَكَ مِنْهَا أَنْتَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَى الله مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَ وَلَيْسَ الله يَقُولُ وَالارْضَ وَضَعَها لِلانامِ. فِيها فاكِهَةٌ وَالنَّخْلُ ذاتُ الاكْمامِ أَ وَلَيْسَ الله يَقُولُ مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيانِ. بَيْنَهُما بَرْزَخٌ لا يَبْغِيانِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجانُ فَبِالله لابْتِذَالُ نِعَمِ الله بِالْفَعَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنِ ابْتِذَالِهَا بِالْمَقَالِ وَقَدْ قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ فَقَالَ عَاصِمٌ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَعَلَى مَا اقْتَصَرْتَ فِي مَطْعَمِكَ عَلَى الْجُشُوبَةِ وَفِي مَلْبَسِكَ عَلَى الْخُشُونَةِ فَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَرَضَ عَلَى أَئِمَّةِ الْعَدْلِ أَنْ يُقَدِّرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِضَعَفَةِ النَّاسِ كَيْلا يَتَبَيَّغَ بِالْفَقِيرِ فَقْرُهُ فَأَلْقَى عَاصِمُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ الْعَبَاءَ وَلَبِسَ الْمُلاءَ.

 3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Salih ibn abu Hammad and A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and others through different chains of narrators. The Hadith is about the protest of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) against ‘Asim ibn Ziyad who had confined himself in a gown away from the people. His brother, al-Rabi‘ ibn Ziyad complained before Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) complained that his ‘Asim’s family had become depressed and his sons had been sadden because of his behavior. Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) had summoned ‘Asim ibn Ziyad and was brought before him. When Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) saw him he frowned at him and said, “Why did you not feel ashamed before your wife? Why did you not show kindness to your sons? Do you think Allah had made good things lawful to and then He would dislike if you would use them? You are less significant to Allah than such a thing. Is it not Allah Who has said, “He spread out the earth for the people (55:10). There exists all kinds of fruits, palm-trees with sheathed blossoms, (55:11) grain with its husk and aromatic herbs (55:12). Is it not Allah Who has said, “He has made the two oceans meet each other, (55:19) but has created a barrier between them so that they will not merge totally (55:20). (Jinn and mankind) - which of the favors of your Lord do you then deny? (55:21). From the two oceans comes pearls and coral.” (55:22) I swear by Allah, the use of the bounties of Allah in deeds is more preferred to Him than then using in words. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, has said, “. and proclaim the bounties of your Lord.” (93:11) ‘Asim said, “O Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), “Why have you confined yourself to tasteless food and harsh garments?” He said, “How inconsiderate of you! Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, has made obligatory for the Imams of justice to measure themselves with the people of lowest standard of living so that the poors’ poverty would plunge him in despair.” ‘Asim then abandoned the gown and begun to live an normal life.”

 4ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ حَضَرْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ أَصْلَحَكَ الله ذَكَرْتَ أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَانَ يَلْبَسُ الْخَشِنَ يَلْبَسُ الْقَمِيصَ بِأَرْبَعَةِ دَرَاهِمَ وَمَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ وَنَرَى عَلَيْكَ اللِّبَاسَ الْجَدِيدَ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَانَ يَلْبَسُ ذَلِكَ فِي زَمَانٍ لا يُنْكَرُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَوْ لَبِسَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ شُهِرَ بِهِ فَخَيْرُ لِبَاسِ كُلِّ زَمَانٍ لِبَاسُ أَهْلِهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ قَائِمَنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) إِذَا قَامَ لَبِسَ ثِيَابَ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَسَارَ بِسِيرَةِ عَلِيٍّ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام )

 4. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Barqi from his fatherfm Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Khazzaz from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman who has said the following. “I was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) that a man said to him, “May Allah grant you well being, you have mentioned that Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) would wear harsh garments. He would buy a shirt worth four Dirhams only and so on. However, we see that you have new garments.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) would do so at a time when people would dislike it. Wearing such garments to day would have defamed him. The best garment for a given time is the garment that people of that time would use. However, when our Al-Qa’im will rise with Divine Authority, he will wear the kind of garment that Ali (a.s.) did and he will live just as Ali (a.s.) lived.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1

Book 4, Chapter 106