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 مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِذَا مَاتَ الامَامُ بِمَ يُعْرَفُ الَّذِي بَعْدَهُ فَقَالَ لِلامَامِ عَلامَاتٌ مِنْهَا أَنْ يَكُونَ أَكْبَرَ وُلْدِ أَبِيهِ وَيَكُونَ فِيهِ الْفَضْلُ وَالْوَصِيَّةُ وَيَقْدَمَ الرَّكْبُ فَيَقُولَ إِلَى مَنْ أَوْصَى فُلانٌ فَيُقَالَ إِلَى فُلانٍ وَالسِّلاحُ فِينَا بِمَنْزِلَةِ التَّابُوتِ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ تَكُونُ الامَامَةُ مَعَ السِّلاحِ حَيْثُمَا كَانَ.

 1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr who has said that he asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) the following. “When the Imam dies through what means one would know the succeeding Imam (a.s.)?” He said, “For the Imam there are certain signs. Of such sign one is that he must be the eldest son of his father. The will and excellence must be found in him and when people come to ask who is appointed the executor of the will in answer it can be said that so and so is appointed the executor of the will. The Armament with us is like the Ark in the Israelites. Imamat (leadership with Divine authority) is always with the Armament wherever it may go.”

 2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ شَعِرٍ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ حَمْزَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الاعْلَى قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) الْمُتَوَثِّبُ عَلَى هَذَا الامْرِ الْمُدَّعِي لَهُ مَا الْحُجَّةُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ يُسْأَلُ عَنِ الْحَلالِ وَالْحَرَامِ قَالَ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ فَقَالَ ثَلاثَةٌ مِنَ الْحُجَّةِ لَمْ تَجْتَمِعْ فِي أَحَدٍ إِلا كَانَ صَاحِبَ هَذَا الامْرِ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُ وَيَكُونَ عِنْدَهُ السِّلاحُ وَيَكُونَ صَاحِبَ الْوَصِيَّةِ الظَّاهِرَةِ الَّتِي إِذَا قَدِمْتَ الْمَدِينَةَ سَأَلْتَ عَنْهَا الْعَامَّةَ وَالصِّبْيَانَ إِلَى مَنْ أَوْصَى فُلانٌ فَيَقُولُونَ إِلَى فُلانِ بْنِ فُلانٍ.

 2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Yazid. Sha‘ar from Harun ibn Hamza from ‘Abd al-A‘la who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) the following. “In the case of those who rush to hold control of this matter (leadership) and who claim to be for it, how would one verify their possessing Divine authority?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “They are asked about the rules of lawful and unlawful matters.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) then turned to me and said, “There are three evidence that are not found in one person except the rightful owner of this status. He must be the closest person to the preceding Imam that the Armament must be with him and he would be the appointed executor of the will in a public manner. So much so that if one would come to the town and ask the common people even the children as to who the executor of the will of so and so is? They would say so and so is the executor of the will of so and so.”

 3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ وَحَفْصِ بْنِ الْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قِيلَ لَهُ بِأَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ يُعْرَفُ الامَامُ قَالَ بِالْوَصِيَّةِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَبِالْفَضْلِ إِنَّ الامَامَ لا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَطْعُنَ عَلَيْهِ فِي فَمٍ وَلا بَطْنٍ وَلا فَرْجٍ فَيُقَالَ كَذَّابٌ وَيَأْكُلُ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ وَمَا أَشْبَهَ هَذَا.

 3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim and Hafs ibn al-Bakhtari who has said the following. “ Once a certain person asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), “By what thing the Imam is recognized?” He said, “He is recognized through a publicly established will, through excellence in perfection. In the case of Imam no one must be able to raise objections in matters words, of his consumption and sexual matters so that people would say, “He is a liar, usurping other’s properties and such similar things.”

 4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ وَهْبٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا عَلامَةُ الامَامِ الَّذِي بَعْدَ الامَامِ فَقَالَ طَهَارَةُ الْوِلادَةِ وَحُسْنُ الْمَنْشَإِ وَلا يَلْهُو وَلا يَلْعَبُ.

 4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Mu‘wiya ibn Wahab who has said that asked the following from abu Ja‘far (a.s.), “What is the sign of being A number of our people has narrated from Imam after the preceding Imam (a.s.)?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “ Being of pure birth, good up bringing and that he would not trifle or engage in amusement.”

 5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الدَّلالَةِ عَلَى صَاحِبِ هَذَا الامْرِ فَقَالَ الدَّلالَةُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِبَرُ وَالْفَضْلُ وَالْوَصِيَّةُ إِذَا قَدِمَ الرَّكْبُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَقَالُوا إِلَى مَنْ أَوْصَى فُلانٌ قِيلَ إِلَى فُلانِ بْنِ فُلانٍ وَدُورُوا مَعَ السِّلاحِ حَيْثُمَا دَارَ فَأَمَّا الْمَسَائِلُ فَلَيْسَ فِيهَا حُجَّةٌ.

 5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Ahmad ibn ‘Umar who has said that he asked the following from abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), “What is the proof that establishes one’s possessing Divine authority or the his ownership of leadership?” Such proofs are being the elder, possession of superior moral achievements and one being appointed as the executor of the will. So much so that people would come to the town and ask who is appointed as the executor of the will of so and so it would be said to them so and so son of so and so and these go along wherever the Armament would go. Asking questions does not establish any authority.”

 6ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي يَحْيَى الْوَاسِطِيِّ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الامْرَ فِي الْكَبِيرِ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِ عَاهَةٌ.

 6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from abu Yahya al-Wasiti from Hisham ibn Salim from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “The leadership is with being the elder as long as he is free of defects.”

 7ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ بِمَ يُعْرَفُ الامَامُ قَالَ فَقَالَ بِخِصَالٍ أَمَّا أَوَّلُهَا فَإِنَّهُ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ قَدْ تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ أَبِيهِ فِيهِ بِإِشَارَةٍ إِلَيْهِ لِتَكُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ حُجَّةً وَيُسْأَلُ فَيُجِيبُ وَإِنْ سُكِتَ عَنْهُ ابْتَدَأَ وَيُخْبِرُ بِمَا فِي غَدٍ وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ بِكُلِّ لِسَانٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ أُعْطِيكَ عَلامَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ فَلَمْ أَلْبَثْ أَنْ دَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ خُرَاسَانَ فَكَلَّمَهُ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ فَأَجَابَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِالْفَارِسِيَّةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ وَالله جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أُكَلِّمَكَ بِالْخُرَاسَانِيَّةِ غَيْرُ أَنِّي ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّكَ لا تُحْسِنُهَا فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ الله إِذَا كُنْتُ لا أُحْسِنُ أُجِيبُكَ فَمَا فَضْلِي عَلَيْكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّ الامَامَ لا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ كَلامُ أَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلا طَيْرٍ وَلا بَهِيمَةٍ وَلا شَيْ‏ءٍ فِيهِ الرُّوحُ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ هَذِهِ الْخِصَالُ فِيهِ فَلَيْسَ هُوَ بِإِمَامٍ.

 7. Ahmad ibn Mihran has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from abu Basir who has said that he asked the following from abu al-Hassan (a.s.) , “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, what is the proof to know the Imam (a.s.) ?” He said, “Through several qualities. The first thing is that his father must have said to this effect about him so that it could be considered a proof up on him. And that when asked he would answer and if one remain silent he would begin to speak on the issue and inform of the things that would happen the next day that can speak to people in everyone’s own language.” Then he said to me, “O abu Muhammad, allow me to give you a sign before you stand up to go. Not very long after this a man from Khurasan came in. The man from Khurasan spoke to the Imam in Arabic but abu al-Hassan (a.s.) answered him in Persian. The man from Khurasan said, “I swear by Allah, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, the only thing that stopped from speaking to you in Persian was I thought you might not know Persian.” He then said, “Glory belongs to Allah, If would not b e able to answer you (in Persian) than how would have any excellence over you?” He said to me, “O abu Muhammad, “No one’s language is unknown to the Imam (a.s.) nor the language of birds, animals and any living things. Whoever would not have these qualities he is not A number of our people has narrated from Imam.”

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1

Book 4, Chapter 62