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 حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ الْقُمِّيُّ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْكُوفِيِّ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ سَعْدَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي يَحْيَى الصَّنْعَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا يَحْيَى إِنَّ لَنَا فِي لَيَالِي الْجُمُعَةِ لَشَأْناً مِنَ الشَّأْنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَمَا ذَاكَ الشَّأْنُ قَالَ يُؤْذَنُ لارْوَاحِ الانْبِيَاءِ الْمَوْتَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَأَرْوَاحِ الاوْصِيَاءِ الْمَوْتَى وَرُوحِ الْوَصِيِّ الَّذِي بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْكُمْ يُعْرَجُ بِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى تُوَافِيَ عَرْشَ رَبِّهَا فَتَطُوفَ بِهِ أُسْبُوعاً وَتُصَلِّيَ عِنْدَ كُلِّ قَائِمَةٍ مِنْ قَوَائِمِ الْعَرْشِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّ إِلَى الابْدَانِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ فِيهَا فَتُصْبِحُ الانْبِيَاءُ وَالاوْصِيَاءُ قَدْ مُلِئُوا سُرُوراً وَيُصْبِحُ الْوَصِيُّ الَّذِي بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْكُمْ وَقَدْ زِيدَ فِي عِلْمِهِ مِثْلُ جَمِّ الْغَفِيرِ.

 1. Ahmad ibn Idris al-Qummi and Muhammad ibn Yahya have narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufi from Musa ibn Sa‘dan from ‘Abdallah ibn Ayyub from abu Yahya al-San‘ani from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “O abu Yahya, on every Friday night there is a special task for us to pursue.” The narrator has said that he asked the Imams (a.s.), “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, of what nature is this special task?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “The spirits of the deceased prophets and the spirits of the deceased executors of the will of the prophets and the spirit of the executor of the will of the Holy Prophet living with you now are all taken to heavens until they arrive to the throne of their Lord and then walk around it seven times. They perform prayers near every column of the columns of the throne, in a two Rak‘at form after which they are returned to their bodies in which they were before. The prophets and the executors of the will of the prophets become full of joy and the executor of the will of the Holy Prophet living with you receives a huge increase in his knowledge.”

 2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي زَاهِرٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْكُوفِيِّ عَنْ يُوسُفَ الابْزَارِيِّ عَنِ الْمُفَضَّلِ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَكَانَ لا يُكَنِّينِي قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الله قَالَ قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ قَالَ إِنَّ لَنَا فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ سُرُوراً قُلْتُ زَادَكَ الله وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ لَيْلَةُ الْجُمُعَةِ وَافَى رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) الْعَرْشَ وَوَافَى الائِمَّةُ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) مَعَهُ وَوَافَيْنَا مَعَهُمْ فَلا تُرَدُّ أَرْوَاحُنَا إِلَى أَبْدَانِنَا إِلا بِعِلْمٍ مُسْتَفَادٍ وَلَوْ لا ذَلِكَ لانْفَدْنَا.

 2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu Zahir from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Kufi from Yusuf al-Abzari from al-Mufaddal who has said the following. “One day abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) addressed me with a surname, “O abu ‘Abdallah, –he would address me this way before- and I responded, “Yes, O Imam, here I am.” He said, “Every Friday night it’s a time of happiness for us.” I said, “May Allah increase such a happiness for you. Of what nature is this happiness?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “When Friday night comes the Messenger of Allah arrives to the throne of Allah and the Imams (the leaders who has said the following. possess Divine authority) also arrive there with him and we also arrive with them. Our souls are returned back to our bodies only after receiving very new useful knowledge without which we would already be left without of knowledge.”

 3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ الْمِنْقَرِيِّ عَنْ يُونُسَ أَوِ الْمُفَضَّلِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَا مِنْ لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ إِلا وَلاوْلِيَاءِ الله فِيهَا سُرُورٌ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ ذَلِكَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ لَيْلَةُ الْجُمُعَةِ وَافَى رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) الْعَرْشَ وَوَافَى الائِمَّةُ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) وَوَافَيْتُ مَعَهُمْ فَمَا أَرْجِعُ إِلا بِعِلْمٍ مُسْتَفَادٍ وَلَوْ لا ذَلِكَ لَنَفِدَ مَا عِنْدِي.

 3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salama ibn al-Khattab from ‘Abdallah ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Minqari from Yunus or al-Mufaddal from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “There is no Friday night in which except that in it there is joy and happiness for those who possess Divine authority.” I asked, “How is it, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “When Frinday night comes the Messenger of Allah arrives to the throne with the Imams (a.s.) and I also arrive there with them. I do not return before receiving new knowledge without which I would have already be left without out of knowledge.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1

Book 4, Chapter 42