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 أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ الاحْمَرِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ سَيْفٍ التَّمَّارِ قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) جَمَاعَةً مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ فِي الْحِجْرِ فَقَالَ عَلَيْنَا عَيْنٌ فَالْتَفَتْنَا يَمْنَةً وَيَسْرَةً فَلَمْ نَرَ أَحَداً فَقُلْنَا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا عَيْنٌ فَقَالَ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ وَرَبِّ الْبَنِيَّةِ ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ لَوْ كُنْتُ بَيْنَ مُوسَى وَالْخَضِرِ لاخْبَرْتُهُمَا أَنِّي أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُمَا وَلانْبَأْتُهُمَا بِمَا لَيْسَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمَا لانَّ مُوسَى وَالْخَضِرَ (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) أُعْطِيَا عِلْمَ مَا كَانَ وَلَمْ يُعْطَيَا عِلْمَ مَا يَكُونُ وَمَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ وَقَدْ وَرِثْنَاهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وِرَاثَةً.

 1. Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn Yahya have narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Ahmar from ‘Abdallah ibn Hammad from Sayf al-Tammar who has said that he with a group of Shi‘a were in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) in Hijr and the Imam (a.s.) said the following. “An eye is watching over us.” We then looked right and left and did not see anyone. We said, “No eye is watching over us.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “I swear by the Lord of the Ka‘ba. I swear by the Lord of the House.” He said so three times. “Had I been with Moses and al-Khidr I would have told them that I had more than they did and would have informed them of what they had no knowledge. This is because Moses and al-Khidr were given the knowledge of what was in the past and they were given the knowledge what will be in future or what will exist up to the Day of Judgment while we have inherited all of them from the Messenger of Allah as heirs.”

 2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ وَعِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا مِنْهُمْ عَبْدُ الاعْلَى وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ وَعَبْدُ الله بْنُ بِشْرٍ الْخَثْعَمِيُّ سَمِعُوا أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنِّي لاعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الارْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا فِي النَّارِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا كَانَ وَمَا يَكُونُ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَكَثَ هُنَيْئَةً فَرَأَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَبُرَ عَلَى مَنْ سَمِعَهُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ عَلِمْتُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ كِتَابِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ فِيهِ تِبْيَانُ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ.

 2. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sinan from Yunus ibn Ya‘qub from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah and a group of our people, among whom were ‘Abd al-A‘la’, abu ‘Ubaydah and ‘Abdallah ibn Bishr al-Khath‘ami, who have said that they heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “I certainly know what is the heavens and what is in the earth. I know what is in paradise and what is the fire. I know what was there and what will be there.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) paused for a while and found that what he had just said was much heavy for the audience then he (a.s.) said, “I learned all of it from the book of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has said, “In it there is the clarification of all things.”

 3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْكَرِيمِ عَنْ جَمَاعَةَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ الْخَثْعَمِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَانَ الْمُفَضَّلُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُفَضَّلُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ يَفْرِضُ الله طَاعَةَ عَبْدٍ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ وَيَحْجُبُ عَنْهُ خَبَرَ السَّمَاءِ قَالَ لا الله أَكْرَمُ وَأَرْحَمُ وَأَرْأَفُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَفْرِضَ طَاعَةَ عَبْدٍ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ ثُمَّ يَحْجُبَ عَنْهُ خَبَرَ السَّمَاءِ صَبَاحاً وَمَسَاءً.

 3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Aabu Nasr from ‘Abd al-Karim from Jama‘a ibn Sa‘d al-Khath‘ami who has said that al-Mufaddal was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.). Al-Mufaddal asked the Imam (a.s.) the following. “May Allah, take my soul in service for your cause, does Allah command (his) servants to obey a servant and hide the news of the heavens from him?” The Imam (a.s.) said, Allah is by far much honorable, kind and caring towards His servants than to command them to obey a servant (of His) and then hide form him the news of the heavens mornings and evenings.”

 4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ ضُرَيْسٍ الْكُنَاسِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ وَعِنْدَهُ أُنَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ عَجِبْتُ مِنْ قَوْمٍ يَتَوَلَّوْنَا وَيَجْعَلُونَا أَئِمَّةً وَيَصِفُونَ أَنَّ طَاعَتَنَا مُفْتَرَضَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ كَطَاعَةِ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) ثُمَّ يَكْسِرُونَ حُجَّتَهُمْ وَيَخْصِمُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِضَعْفِ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَيَنْقُصُونَا حَقَّنَا وَيَعِيبُونَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى مَنْ أَعْطَاهُ الله بُرْهَانَ حَقِّ مَعْرِفَتِنَا وَالتَّسْلِيمَ لامْرِنَا أَ تَرَوْنَ أَنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى افْتَرَضَ طَاعَةَ أَوْلِيَائِهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ ثُمَّ يُخْفِي عَنْهُمْ أَخْبَارَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالارْضِ وَيَقْطَعُ عَنْهُمْ مَوَادَّ الْعِلْمِ فِيمَا يَرِدُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِمَّا فِيهِ قِوَامُ دِينِهِمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ حُمْرَانُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَ رَأَيْتَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِ قِيَامِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَالْحَسَنِ وَالْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَخُرُوجِهِمْ وَقِيَامِهِمْ بِدِينِ الله عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ وَمَا أُصِيبُوا مِنْ قَتْلِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ إِيَّاهُمْ وَالظَّفَرِ بِهِمْ حَتَّى قُتِلُوا وَغُلِبُوا فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا حُمْرَانُ إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى قَدْ كَانَ قَدَّرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَضَاهُ وَأَمْضَاهُ وَحَتَمَهُ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الاخْتِيَارِ ثُمَّ أَجْرَاهُ فَبِتَقَدُّمِ عِلْمٍ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قَامَ عَلِيٌّ وَالْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَبِعِلْمٍ صَمَتَ مَنْ صَمَتَ مِنَّا وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ يَا حُمْرَانُ حَيْثُ نَزَلَ بِهِمْ مَا نَزَلَ مِنْ أَمْرِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِظْهَارِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ عَلَيْهِمْ سَأَلُوا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ عَنْهُمْ ذَلِكَ وَأَلَحُّوا عَلَيْهِ فِي طَلَبِ إِزَالَةِ مُلْكِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ وَذَهَابِ مُلْكِهِمْ إِذاً لاجَابَهُمْ وَدَفَعَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُمْ ثُمَّ كَانَ انْقِضَاءُ مُدَّةِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ وَذَهَابُ مُلْكِهِمْ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ سِلْكٍ مَنْظُومٍ انْقَطَعَ فَتَبَدَّدَ وَمَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ الَّذِي أَصَابَهُمْ يَا حُمْرَانُ لِذَنْبٍ اقْتَرَفُوهُ وَلا لِعُقُوبَةِ مَعْصِيَةٍ خَالَفُوا الله فِيهَا وَلَكِنْ لِمَنَازِلَ وَكَرَامَةٍ مِنَ الله أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْلُغُوهَا فَلا تَذْهَبَنَّ بِكَ الْمَذَاهِبُ فِيهِمْ.

 4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from Durays al-Kunasi who has said that he heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.) the following to an audience of his companions: “What an strange case is the case with a group of followers! They acknowledge us as the Divine authority over themselves, accept us as their Imam and say that obedience to us is obligatory just as is the case with the Messenger of Allah (sw). They then destroy the veracity of their belief as such and dispute against their own selves due to weakness of their hearts. They then diminish our right and blame those whom Allah has granted evidence to know us as it should be and the (abulity) to submit themselves to our Divine authority. Do you not consider that how would Allah, the Most Holy and Most High, make it obligatory to obey those who possess Divine authority over his servants and then hide from them (people who possess Divine authority) the new of the heaves and the earth? How would He cut them off of the sources of knowledge that might come to them to maintain their religion?” <br>Humran then said to the Imam (a.s.), “May Allah, take my soul in service for your cause, how would you explain the case of the uprising of Ali ibn abu Talib, al-Hassan and al-Husayn (a.s.)? They came out and rose up for the cause of Allah, Whose mention is so Majestic. How much they suffered and how mercilessly were they murdered at the hands of the rebels? They were defeated, murdered and over powered.” Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) then said, “O Humran, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, had determined it on them. He had decreed, approved and made it unavoidable though the voluntary manner. He then allowed to take place. It, thus, happened with a pre-existing knowledge that had come to them from the Messenger of Allah. Ali, al-Hassan and al-Husayn (a.s.) rose up for the cause of Allah with full knowledge of the consequences and remained silent from us those who remained silent. Had they, O Humran, when facing what Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, made them to face and suffer defeat at the hands of the rebels, asked Allah, the Most Holy and Most High, to remove their suffering and would implore Him to destroy the government and kingdom of the rebels, He would have answered their prayers and would grant them relief. In such case the destruction of the governments of the rebels and the ending of their time would take place quicker than the dispersal under a great pressure, of beads threaded together. The suffering, O Humran, that befell them, was not due to sins they committed, nor was it a punishment for a disobedience in which they defied Allah. It was because of the high marvelous position that Allah had prepared and wanted them to reach. Do not let people’s opinions take you away from the right path.”

 5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَد عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِمِنًى عَنْ خَمْسِمِائَةِ حَرْفٍ مِنَ الْكَلامِ فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَقُولُ يَقُولُونَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ فَيَقُولُ قُلْ كَذَا وَكَذَا قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا الْحَلالُ وَهَذَا الْحَرَامُ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ صَاحِبُهُ وَأَنَّكَ أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِهِ وَهَذَا هُوَ الْكَلامُ فَقَالَ لِي وَيْكَ يَا هِشَامُ لا يَحْتَجُّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى عَلَى خَلْقِهِ بِحُجَّةٍ لا يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ كُلُّ مَا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ.

 5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ali ibn Ma‘bad from Hisham ibn al-Hakam who has said the following. “I asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) at Mina five hundred letters from al-Kalam (theology). I asked the Imam (a.s.), “They say that he has said so and so.” Then he says, “You say so and so.” I then said to the Imam (a.s.), “May Allah, take my soul in service for your cause, “This is lawful and that is not lawful. I know that you are the authority in this and you are the most knowledgeable person in it and this is al-Kalam.” The Imam (a.s.) said to me, “O poor, Hisham, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, does not require any duty from His creatures without first availing them all that they need to comply with the command.”

 6ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ لا وَالله لا يَكُونُ عَالِمٌ جَاهِلاً أَبَداً عَالِماً بِشَيْ‏ءٍ جَاهِلاً بِشَيْ‏ءٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ الله أَجَلُّ وَأَعَزُّ وَأَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يَفْرِضَ طَاعَةَ عَبْدٍ يَحْجُبُ عَنْهُ عِلْمَ سَمَائِهِ وَأَرْضِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لا يَحْجُبُ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُ.

 6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl from abu Hamzah who has that he heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.) say the following. “No, I swear by Allah, the scholar (who possesses Divine authority) is never ignorant or knowledgeable in something and ignorant of other things. The Imam (a.s.) then said, “Allah, the Most Holy, Most High and Most Gracious, is far exalted and above imposing the obedience of a servant (of His) on the others and then hide the knowledge of things in the heavens and on earth from him and then say, “Do not hide that from him.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1

Book 4, Chapter 48