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 الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ أَبَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَذَكَرُوا الاوْصِيَاءَ وَذَكَرْتُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ فَقَالَ لا وَالله يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ مَا ذَاكَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا هُوَ إِلا إِلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُنْزِلُ وَاحِداً بَعْدَ وَاحِدٍ.

 1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’who has said that ‘Umar ibn Aban has narrated to me from abu Basir who has said the following. “Once I was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.). People mentioned the executors of the will and I mentioned Isma‘il. The Imam (a.s.) said, “No, I swear by Allah. O abu Muhammad, it is not up to us. It is up to no one except Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. He makes them descend one after the other.”

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الاشْعَثِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ أَ تَرَوْنَ الْمُوصِيَ مِنَّا يُوصِي إِلَى مَنْ يُرِيدُ لا وَالله وَلَكِنْ عَهْدٌ مِنَ الله وَرَسُولِهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لِرَجُلٍ فَرَجُلٍ حَتَّى يَنْتَهِيَ الامْرُ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ.
 الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مِنْهَالٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الاشْعَثِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَهُ.

 2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Amr ibn al-Ash‘ath who said: I heard Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following: “Do you think that a testator of us chooses whoever he wants as the executor of his will? No, I swear by Allah, it is not so. It is a covenant from Allah and His Messenger to a man and then to the next man until the matter is delivered to its rightful owner.” Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Minhal from ‘Amr ibn al-Ash‘ath from Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) a similar hadith.

3ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَيْثَمِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الامَامَةَ عَهْدٌ مِنَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَعْهُودٌ لِرِجَالٍ مُسَمَّيْنَ لَيْسَ لِلامَامِ أَنْ يَزْوِيَهَا عَنِ الَّذِي يَكُونُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى دَاوُدَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنِ اتَّخِذْ وَصِيّاً مِنْ أَهْلِكَ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ سَبَقَ فِي عِلْمِي أَنْ لا أَبْعَثَ نَبِيّاً إِلا وَلَهُ وَصِيٌّ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَكَانَ لِدَاوُدَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَوْلادٌ عِدَّةٌ وَفِيهِمْ غُلامٌ كَانَتْ أُمُّهُ عِنْدَ دَاوُدَ وَكَانَ لَهَا مُحِبّاً فَدَخَلَ دَاوُدُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَلَيْهَا حِينَ أَتَاهُ الْوَحْيُ فَقَالَ لَهَا إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَوْحَى إِلَيَّ يَأْمُرُنِي أَنِ أَتَّخِذَ وَصِيّاً مِنْ أَهْلِي فَقَالَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ فَلْيَكُنِ ابْنِي قَالَ ذَلِكَ أُرِيدُ وَكَانَ السَّابِقُ فِي عِلْمِ الله الْمَحْتُومِ عِنْدَهُ أَنَّهُ سُلَيْمَانُ فَأَوْحَى الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى دَاوُدَ أَنْ لا تَعْجَلْ دُونَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكَ أَمْرِي فَلَمْ يَلْبَثْ دَاوُدُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنْ وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلانِ يَخْتَصِمَانِ فِي الْغَنَمِ وَالْكَرْمِ فَأَوْحَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَى دَاوُدَ أَنِ اجْمَعْ وُلْدَكَ فَمَنْ قَضَى بِهَذِهِ الْقَضِيَّةِ فَأَصَابَ فَهُوَ وَصِيُّكَ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَجَمَعَ دَاوُدُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وُلْدَهُ فَلَمَّا أَنْ قَصَّ الْخَصْمَانِ قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا صَاحِبَ الْكَرْمِ مَتَى دَخَلَتْ غَنَمُ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ كَرْمَكَ قَالَ دَخَلَتْهُ لَيْلاً قَالَ قَضَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ يَا صَاحِبَ الْغَنَمِ بِأَوْلادِ غَنَمِكَ وَأَصْوَافِهَا فِي عَامِكَ هَذَا ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ دَاوُدُ فَكَيْفَ لَمْ تَقْضِ بِرِقَابِ الْغَنَمِ وَقَدْ قَوَّمَ ذَلِكَ عُلَمَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَانَ ثَمَنُ الْكَرْمِ قِيمَةَ الْغَنَمِ فَقَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ إِنَّ الْكَرْمَ لَمْ يُجْتَثَّ مِنْ أَصْلِهِ وَإِنَّمَا أُكِلَ حِمْلُهُ وَهُوَ عَائِدٌ فِي قَابِلٍ فَأَوْحَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَى دَاوُدَ إِنَّ الْقَضَاءَ فِي هَذِهِ الْقَضِيَّةِ مَا قَضَى سُلَيْمَانُ بِهِ يَا دَاوُدُ أَرَدْتَ أَمْراً وَأَرَدْنَا أَمْراً غَيْرَهُ فَدَخَلَ دَاوُدُ عَلَى امْرَأَتِهِ فَقَالَ أَرَدْنَا أَمْراً وَأَرَادَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَمْراً غَيْرَهُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ إِلا مَا أَرَادَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَقَدْ رَضِينَا بِأَمْرِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَسَلَّمْنَا وَكَذَلِكَ الاوْصِيَاءُ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) لَيْسَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَتَعَدَّوْا بِهَذَا الامْرِ فَيُجَاوِزُونَ صَاحِبَهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ.
قَالَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ مَعْنَى الْحَدِيثِ الاوَّلِ أَنَّ الْغَنَمَ لَوْ دَخَلَتِ الْكَرْمَ نَهَاراً لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى صَاحِبِ الْغَنَمِ شَيْ‏ءٌ لانَّ لِصَاحِبِ الْغَنَمِ أَنْ يُسَرِّحَ غَنَمَهُ بِالنَّهَارِ تَرْعَى وَعَلَى صَاحِبِ الْكَرْمِ حِفْظُهُ وَعَلَى صَاحِبِ الْغَنَمِ أَنْ يَرْبِطَ غَنَمَهُ لَيْلاً وَلِصَاحِبِ الْكَرْمِ أَنْ يَنَامَ فِي بَيْتِهِ.

3. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Muhammad from Bakr ibn Salih from Muhammad ibn Sulayman from ‘Aytham ibn Aslam from Mu‘awiya ibn ‘Ammar from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Imamat (leadership with Divine authority) is a covenant from Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, pledged to particularly known man. The Imam does not have the right to divert it from the succeeding Imam. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, sent inspiration to David to appoint the executor of his will from among your family. It is has occurred in My knowledge that shall not sent any prophet except that he will have the executor of his will from among the members of his family. David had several children. Among the members of the family members of David there was a son whose mother lived with David and he loved her very muCh David came to her when the Divine inspiration came to him and he said to her, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has sent me inspirations and He wants me to appoint the executor of my will from among the members of my family. His wife asked him to appoint her son for this task. He said, “I also want what you said. “ In the foregone knowledge of Allah it was already decisively existed that executor of the will of David is Solomon. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, sent inspiration to David commanding him not to made hasty decisions before the coming of His order. It was not long after that two man came to David to settle a dispute over the sheep and grapes among them. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, sent inspiration to David to gather all of his sons together and let them judge the case. Whoever of your sons then would judge the case rightly he will be the executor of your will. David gathered all his sons. When the case was stated Solomon said, “O owner of grapes, when did the sheep of this man enter your vinyard?” He replied, “They entered at night.” Solomon said, “O owner of sheep, I have judged against you. You must give the young and the wool of your sheep to him this year.” David then said, “Why did you not judge giving away of the very sheep as the because the Israelite scholars have already evaluated them and the price of sheep is the value of grapes?” Solomon answered, “The vines are not consumed from their roots but only the fruit is consumed that will come back in future.” Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, sent inspiration to David that the judgment in this case is the judgment of Solomon. O David, “You wanted one thing and We had wanted other than that. David came to his wife and said, “We wanted one thing but Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, wanted a thing other than that. Nothing happened other than what Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, had wanted. We accept the command of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, and submit (to His will).” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “And so are the executors of the wills. They have no right to go beyond the limit to avail it to the other people.”

Al-Kulayni has said, “The meaning of the first hadith is that had the sheep have entered the vineyard during the day the owner of the sheep did not have to pay anything. The sheep owner must let them graze during the day and vineyard owner must guard his vineyard. The owner of sheep must guard his sheep at night and the owner of vineyard can rest at home.”

 4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ وَجَمِيلٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُصْعَبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ أَ تَرَوْنَ أَنَّ الْمُوصِيَ مِنَّا يُوصِي إِلَى مَنْ يُرِيدُ لا وَالله وَلَكِنَّهُ عَهْدٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) إِلَى رَجُلٍ فَرَجُلٍ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى نَفْسِهِ.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ibn Bukayr and Jamil from ‘Amr ibn Mu‘ab who has said that I heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “Do you think that a testator of us chooses whoever he wants as the executor of his will? No, I swear by Allah, it is not so. It is a covenant from the Messenger of Allah to a man and then to next man. Until the Imam (abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) ended up to his self.” The Imam (a.s.) six times said, “To the next man.” 1. The case with David and Solomon (a.s.) is referred to in the Holy Quran (21:78 – 79) .

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1

Book 4, Chapter 60