Aspects of the Knowledge of the Imams (a.s.)

Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 4|Chapter 50

Al-Kāfi

Book 4, Chapter 50

Aspects of the Knowledge of the Imams (a.s)
3 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 1

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ عَمِّهِ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ السَّائِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الاوَّلِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ مَبْلَغُ عِلْمِنَا عَلَى ثَلاثَةِ وُجُوهٍ مَاضٍ وَغَابِرٍ وَحَادِثٍ فَأَمَّا الْمَاضِي فَمُفَسَّرٌ وَأَمَّا الْغَابِرُ فَمَزْبُورٌ وَأَمَّا الْحَادِثُ فَقَذْفٌ فِي الْقُلُوبِ وَنَقْرٌ فِي الاسْمَاعِ وَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ عِلْمِنَا وَلا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّنَا.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Ismail from his uncle Hamza ibn Bazi' from Ali al-Sa'i from Abu al-Hasan al-Awwal, Musa Ibn Ja'far (as), who said: "The extent of our knowledge is based on three categories: past, present, and future. As for the past, it is explained; as for the present, it is recorded; and as for the future, it is a whisper in the hearts and a knocking in the ears, and this is the best of our knowledge. There is no prophet after our prophet."

Ḥadīth 2

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي زَاهِرٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ عِلْمِ عَالِمِكُمْ قَالَ وِرَاثَةٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَمِنْ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّا نَتَحَدَّثُ أَنَّهُ يُقْذَفُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَيُنْكَتُ فِي آذَانِكُمْ قَالَ أَوْ ذَاكَ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated Ahmad ibn abu Zahir from Ali ibn Musa from Safwan ibn Yahya from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) the following. “Tell me about the knowledge of your scholar.” He said, “It is inherited from the Messenger of Allah and from Ali (a.s.).” The narrator has said that he asked him, “We narrate that it is thrown into your hearts and is dotted in your ears.” He then said, “Is that so?”

Ḥadīth 3

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَمَّنْ حَدَّثَهُ عَنِ الْمُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) رُوِّينَا عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ عِلْمَنَا غَابِرٌ وَمَزْبُورٌ وَنَكْتٌ فِي الْقُلُوبِ وَنَقْرٌ فِي الاسْمَاعِ فَقَالَ أَمَّا الْغَابِرُ فَمَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ عِلْمِنَا وَأَمَّا الْمَزْبُورُ فَمَا يَأْتِينَا وَأَمَّا النَّكْتُ فِي الْقُلُوبِ فَإِلْهَامٌ وَأَمَّا النَّقْرُ فِي الاسْمَاعِ فَأَمْرُ الْمَلَكِ.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from the person who narrated (it) to him from al-Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar who has said that he said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.) the following. “We narrate from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) that he has said, ‘Our knowledge consists (of the knowledge of the things) of past, of the written nature, that which is dotted in the hearts and that which is struck against the ears. He then said, “As for that about the matters of the past is that which is passed our knowledge. That which is written is the kind that will come in future. That which is dotted into the hearts is the inspired kind and that which is struck against the ears is the order of the angel.”