Submission of Intellect and its Excellence

Sign of Perfection of Intellect

Merit of Knowledge and the Scholar and the Obligation of Knowledge

Reward of the Scholar and the Seeker of Knowledge

Attributes of the Scholar

Asking the Scholar and Discussing with Him

Prohibition on Speaking without Knowledge and Ruling based on Opinion

Accountability of the Scholar and its Severity

Miscellaneous from the Book of Intellect and Knowledge‎

Transmitting the Narration Non-Verbatim

Prohibition of Blind Following

Regarding Innovation and Analogical Reasoning

Ruling of Everything is in the Book and the Sunna

Prohibition on Debate and Argumentation

Some of the Reasons for Differences in the Narrations

Fitting Response Appropriate to the Understanding of the Questioner and the Addressee

No Excuse for the Ignorant One who Falls Short

Narration that Contradicts the Qur’an

Prohibition of Giving Fatwa without Knowledge and Evidence

Everything has a Ruling in the Book and the Sunna

Permanence of the Halal and the Haram unto the Day of Judgment

What Can be Used to Infer some General Principles

Authoritativeness of the Book and the Sunna

Principle of Precaution

Authoritativeness of the Solitary Report of a Truthful Narrator

Principle of “Whomsoever it reaches …”

Necessity of Comparing the Hadith with the Qur’an

Judging Conflict between Narrations

Reasons for Differences between Narrations

Invalidation of Analogical Reasoning

Primary Doubts

Principle of Continuity

Legal Injunctions are Predicated on Pubescence

Principle of ’No Harm’

Ijtihad

Lapsing of both Injunctive and Declaratory Rulings in Cases of Necessity

Some Rulings which are Time-Bound

Precedence is Given to what has been Established by the Qur’an over the Sunna

One of the Reasons for Differences between Narrations

Principle of Impartiality

What has been Lifted from the Umma

Aban b. Taghlib

Ibrahim b. Abi Mahmud

Ibrahim b. Abda

Ahmad b. Hammad al-Marwazi and his son Muhammad

Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Abi Nasr al-Bazanti

Usama b. Zayd

Ishaq b. Ammar

Ismail b. Ja`far and Abdallah b. Sharik

Bazi`, al-Sarri, Bashshar and Bayan

Bukayr

al-Hakam, Salama, Kathir, Salim and Abu al-Miqdam

Abu Sasan, Ammar, Shatira and Abu Amra

Jabir b. Abdallah al-Ansari and Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju`fi

al-Ash`ath, Jarir and Simak

Ja`far b. Isa, Salih and Abu al-Asad

al-Harith b. al-Mughira

Hariz and Hudhayfa

Hasan al-Muthalath

Abu Ali b. Rashid and Ali b. al-Husayn b. Abd Rabbi

al-Hasan and al-Husayn the two sons of Zurara

al-Husayn b. Qayama

al-Husayn b. Mihran

al-Hakam b. Utayba

Hammad b. Isa

Humran b. A`yan

Hamza b. Bazi`

Hayyan al-Sarraj

Khuzayma b. Thabit

Khayran al-Khadim

Dawud b. Farqad and Harun b. Sa`d

Dharih b. Muhammad al-Muharibi

al-Rayyan b. al-Salt

Zurara b. A`yan

Zakariyya b. Sabur

Ziyad b. Marwan al-Qandi

Ziyad b. al-Mundhir Abu al-Jarud

Zayd b. Ali

Salim b. Mukram

Sukayn al-Nakhai

Simak b. Kharasha

Sahl b. Hunayf

Salih b. Muhammad b. Sahl

Sa`sa`a b. Suhan

Safwan b. Mihran al-Jammal

Safwan b. Yahya

Dhurays b. Abd al-Malik

A`sim b. Umar al-Bajali and Ka`b al-Ahbar

`Amir b. Wathila

`Abbad al-Basri

Abd al-Hamid b. Salim and Muhammad b. Ismail b. Bazi`

Abd al-Khaliq b. Abd Rabbi

Abdallah b. Abi Ya`fur

Abdallah b. al-Imam al-Sadiq

Abdallah b. Jundab

Abdallah b. al-Hasan b. al-Hasan al-Mujtaba

Abdallah b. Saba

Abdallah b. Shubruma

Abdallah b. Ajlan and Muyassir b. Abd al-Aziz

Abdallah b. Umayr al-Laythi

[1/35] الكافي: علي، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس، عن عبدالرحمن بن الحجاج قال: قال لي أبوعبدالله عليه السلام إياك وخصلتين ففيهما هلك من هلك: إياك أن تفتي الناس برأيك أو تدين بما لا تعلم

1. [1/35] al-Kafi: Ali from Muhammad b. Isa b. Ubayd from Yunus from Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said to me: beware of two qualities – due to them have been destroyed those who have been destroyed: beware of giving Fatwa to the people based on your own opinion or to take as part of your Diin that which you you do not know (are not certain of).

[2/36] الكافي: وعن محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن علي ابن رئاب، عن أبي عبيدة الحذاء، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: من أفتى الناس بغير علم ولا هدى لعنته ملائكة الرحمة وملائكة العذاب، ولحقه وزر من عمل بفتياه

2. [2/36] al-Kafi: And from Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from al-Hasan b. Mahbub from Ali b. Riab from Abi Ubayda al-Hadhdha from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام who said: whoever gives Fatwa to the people without knowledge or true guidance the angels of mercy do curse him and so do too the angels of punishment and the burden of the one who acts by his Fatwa attaches itself to him.

[3/37] الكافي: وعن العدة، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، عن الحسن بن علي الوشاء، عن أبان الاحمر، عن زياد بن أبي رجاء، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: ما علمتم فقولوا، و ما لم تعلموا فقولوا: الله أعلم، إن الرجل لينتزع الآية من القرآن يخر فيها أبعد ما بين السماء والارض

3. [3/37] al-Kafi: And from a number from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid from al-Hasan b. Ali al-Washsha from Aban al-Ahmar from Ziyad b. Abi Raja from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام who said: say what you know and if you do not know then say: “Allāh is more knowing”, a man selectively picks out a verse from the Qur’an and falls in it (misinterpreting it) a farther distance than what is between the earth and the sky.

[4/38] الكافي: محمد بن إسماعيل، عن الفضل بن شاذان، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن ربعي بن عبدالله، عن محمد بن مسلم، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: للعالم إذا سئل عن شئ وهو لا يعلمه أن يقول: الله أعلم، وليس لغير العالم أن يقول ذلك

4. [4/38] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Ismail from al-Fadhl b. Shadhan from Hammad b. Isa from Rib’i b. Abdallah from Muhammad b. Muslim from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who said: it is for the scholar – if he is asked something of which he does not know – to say: “Allāh is more knowing” and it is not for other than the scholar to say that.

[5/39] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن حريز بن عبدالله، عن محمد بن مسلم، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: إذا سئل الرجل منكم عما لا يعلم فليقل: لا أدري ولا يقل: الله أعلم، فيوقع في قلب صاحبه شكا و إذا قال المسؤول: لا أدري فلا يتهمه السائل

5. [5/39] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid from Hammad b. Isa from Hariz b. Abdallah from Muhammad b. Muslim from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who said: if a man from among you is asked about that which he does not know – he should say: “I do not know” and should not say: “Allāh is more knowing”, because that will cast doubt in the heart of the questioner, and if the questioned says: “I do not know” then the questioner should not blame him.

[6/40] الكافي: علي بن ابراهيم، عن ابيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن سالم قال: قلت لابي عبدالله عليه السلام: ما حق الله على خلقه؟ فقال: أن يقولوا ما يعلمون، ويكفوا عما لا يعلمون، فإذا فعلوا ذلك فقد أدوا إلى الله حقه

6. [6/40] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham b. Salim who said: I said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام: what is the right of Allāh over his creation? he said: that they should only say that which they know and should remain silent over that which they do not know – so if they were to do that then they have fulfilled the right of Allāh.

[7/41] الكافي: علي، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن عبدالرحمن بن الحجاج قال: كان أبوعبدالله عليه السلام قاعدا في حلقة ربيعة الرأي، فجاء أعرابي فسأل ربيعة الرأي عن مسألة فأجابه فلما سكت قال له الاعرابي: أهو في عنقك؟ فسكت عنه ربيعة ولم يرد عليه شيئا فأعاد عليه المسألة فأجابه بمثل ذلك، فقال له الاعرابي: أهو في عنقك؟ فسكت ربيعة فقال له أبوعبدالله عليه السلام: هو في عنقه، قال أو لم يقل، وكل مفت ضامن

7. [7/41] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abi Umayr from Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام was seated in a study-circle of Rabia al-Rayy when a bedouin came and asked Rabia al-Rayy about a matter and he (Rabia) proceeded to answer him, so when he was done (answering) the bedouin asked: is it upon your neck (do you accept responsibility for me following your answer)? Rabia remained silent and did not say anything, so he (the bedouin) repeated the question again and he (Rabia) answered in the same way, so the bedouin said to him again: is it upon your neck? but Rabia remained silent, then Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said to him: it is upon his neck whether he declares it to be so or not, and every giver of Fatwa is liable.

[8/42] رجال الكشي: محمد بن مسعود، غن علي بن الحسن بن فضال، عن العباس بن عامر و جعفر بن محمد بن حكيم، عن أبان بن عثمان، عن أبي بصير قال : سألت أبا جعفر عليه السلام عن شهادة ولد الزنا أ تجوز؟ قال: لا، فقلت: إن الحكم بن عتيبة يزعم أنها تجوز، فقال: اللهم لا تغفر ذنبه، ما قال الله للحكم إِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَ لِقَوْمِكَ، فليذهب الحكم يمينا و شمالا فوالله لا يوجد العلم إلا في أهل بيت نزل عليهم جبريل عليه السلام

8. [8/42] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Masud from Ali b. al-Hasan b. Fadhal from al-Abbas b. A’mir and Ja’far b. Muhammad b. Hukaym from Aban b. Uthman from Abi Basir who said: I asked Aba Ja’far عليه السلام about the Shahada (giving witness) of a Walad Zina (child born out of Nikah) – is it permissible? he عليه السلام said: No. I said: al-Hakam bin Utayba holds it to be permissible, so he عليه السلام said: O Allāh – do not forgive his sin! Allāh was not addressing al-Hakam when He said: “it is a reminder unto you and your Qawm (relations)” (43:44) – let al-Hakam go to the right and to the left for by Allāh he will not find true knowledge except with the Ahl al-Bayt upon whom Jibrail عليه السلام descended.

[9/43] العيون: بالاسانيد الثلاثة عن الرضا، عن ابائه، عن اميرالمؤمنين عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: من افتى الناس بغير علم لعنته ملائكة السموات و الارض

9. [9/43] al-Uyun: Via the three chains from al-Ridha from his forefathers from the commander of the faithful عليه السلام who said: the messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وآله said: whoever gives Fatwa to the people without knowledge the angels of the heavens and the earth do curse him.

Muʿjam al-Aḥādīth al-Muʿtabara

Book 1, Chapter 7