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

[1/279] رجال الكشي: محمد بن الحسن البراني و عثمان بن حامد، عن محمد بن يزداد، عن محمد بن الحسين، عن الحجال، عن هشام بن سالم قال: كلمت رجلا بالمدينة من بني مخزوم في الإمامة، قال: فقال: فمن الإمام اليوم؟ قال: قلت: جعفر بن محمد قال: فقال: و الله لأقولنها له قال: فغمني بذلك غما شديدا خوفا أن يلعني أبو عبد الله أو يتبرأ مني، قال: فأتاه المخزومي فدخل عليه، فجرى الحديث، قال: فقال له مقالة هشام، قال: فقال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: أفلا نظرت في قوله فنحن لذلك أهل، قال: فبقي الرجل لا يدري أيش يقول و قطع به، قال: فبلغ هشاما قول أبي عبد الله عليه السلام ففرح بذلك و انجلت غمته

1. [1/279] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Barani and Uthman b. Hamid from Muhammad b. Yazdad from Muhammad b. al-Husayn from al-Hajjal from Hisham b. Salim who said: I debated a man in Madina from the tribe of Makhzum about the Imama. He [the man] said to me: so who is the Imam today then? I [Hisham] said: Ja’far b. Muhammad. He [the man] said to me: by Allah - I am going to tell him this! He [Hisham] said: this threat of his grieved me greatly for I was afraid that Abu Abdillah would curse me and disassociate from me [for divulging the secret of the Imama in the heat of the debate]. The Makhzumi went to him, entered in to see him and they began conversing. He [al-Hajjal] says: He [the Makhzumi] relayed to him the words of Hisham. Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: Have you not considered his words - for we are worthy of that [Imama]. The man began crying and did not know what to say and had no words [remained silent]. He [al-Hajjal] said: When the words of Abu Abdillah عليه السلام to that man were reported to Hisham he became happy and his grief abated.

[2/280] ارشاد المفيد: ابن قولويه، عن الكليني، عن محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن أبي يحيى الواسطي، عن هشام بن سالم قال: كنا بالمدينة بعد وفاة أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنا ومحمد بن النعمان صاحب الطاق، والناس مجتمعون عند عبد الله بن جعفر أنه صاحب الامر بعد أبيه، فدخلنا عليه والناس عنده فسألناه عن الزكاة في كم تجب؟ قال: في مائتين درهم خمسة دراهم، فقلنا ففي مائة درهم؟ قال: درهمان ونصف، قلنا: والله ما تقول المرجئة هذا فقال: والله ما أدري ما تقول المرجئة، قال: فخرجنا ضلالا ما ندري إلى أين نتوجه أنا وأبو جعفر الاحول، فقعدنا في بعض أزقة المدينة ناكسين لا ندري أين نتوجه وإلى من نقصد، نقول: إلى المرجئة أم إلى القدرية أم إلى المعتزلة أم إلى الزيدية. فنحن كذلك إذ رأيت رجلا شيخا لا أعرفه يومئ إلي بيده، فخفت أن يكون عينا من عيون أبي جعفر المنصور، وذلك أنه كان له بالمدينة جواسيس على من تجتمع بعد جعفر الناس إليه، فيؤخذ ويضرب عنقه، فخفت أن يكون ذلك منهم فقلت للاحول: تنح فاني خائف على نفسي وعليك، وإنما يريدني ليس يريدك فتنح عني لا تهلك فتعين على نفسك، فتنحى بعيدا، وتبعت الشيخ وذلك أني ظننت أني لا أقدر على التخلص منه فما زلت أتبعه وقد عزمت على الموت، حتى ورد بي على باب أبي الحسن موسى عليه السلام ثم خلاني ومضى، فإذا خادم بالباب قال لي: ادخل رحمك الله، فدخلت فإذا أبو الحسن موسى عليه السلام فقال لي ابتدءا منه: إلي إلي لا إلى المرجئة ولا إلى القدرية ولا إلى المعتزلة ولا إلى الزيدية ولا إلى الخوراج. قلت: جعلت فداك مضى أبوك؟ قال: نعم، قلت: مضى موتا قال: نعم، قلت: فمن لنا من بعده ؟ قال: إن شاء الله تعالى أن يهديك هداك، قلت: جعلت فداك إن عبد الله أخاك يزعم أنه الامام بعد أبيه فقال: عبد الله يريد أن لا يعبد الله، قلت: جعلت فداك فمن لنا بعده ؟ قال: إن شاء الله أن يهديك هداك، قلت: جعلت فداك أنت هو؟ قال: لا أقول ذلك، قال: فقلت في نفسي: لم اصب طريق المسألة، ثم قلت له: جعلت فداك عليك إمام؟ قال: لا فدخلني شئ لا يعلمه إلا الله إعظاما له وهيبة ثم قلت له: جعلت فداك أسألك كما كنت أسأل أباك؟ قال: اسأل تخبر ولا تذع فان أذعت فهو الذبح فسألته، فإذا هو بحر لا ينزف. فقلت: جعلت فداك شيعة أبيك ضلال فالقي إليهم هذا الامر وأدعوهم إليك فقد أخذت علي الكتمان؟ قال: من آنست منهم رشدا فألق إليه وخذ عليه الكتمان فإن أذاع فهو الذبح، وأشار بيده إلى حلقه قال: فخرجت من عنده ولقيت أبا جعفر الاحول فقال لي: ما وراك؟ قلت: الهدى وحدثته بالقصة، ثم لقينا زرارة وأبا بصير فدخلا عليه وسمعا كلامه وسألاه وقطعا عليه، ثم لقينا الناس أفواجا و كل من دخل إليه قطع عليه الا طائفة عمار الساباطي، وبقي عبد الله لا يدخل إليه من الناس إلا قليل

2. [2/280] Irshad al-Mufid: Ibn Qulawayh from al-Kulayni from Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from Abi Yahya al-Wasiti from Hisham b. Salim who said: Muhammad b. al-Nu’man Sahib al-Taq and I were in Madina after the death of Abi Abdillah عليه السلام and the people had gathered around Abdallah b. Ja’far - considering him to be the Master of the Affair after his father. We entered in to meet him while the people were with him. We asked him about the Zakat - at what amount is it to be levied? He said: five silver coins for every two hundred. We said: what about in a hundred silver coins? He said: two and a half silver coins. We said: by Allah this is what the Murjia say! he said: by Allah I do not even know what the Murjia say! He [Hisham] said: So I and Abu Ja’far al-Ahwal came out feeling lost not knowing where to go. We sat down in one of the streets of Madina, with our heads lowered, not knowing where to head or whom to seek. We kept saying to ourselves: Should we join the Murjia, or the Qadariyya, or the Mu’tazila or the Zaydiyya? We were still mulling over this when I saw an old man whom I did not recognize gesturing at me with his hand [to follow him]. I feared that he would turn out to be one of the spies of Abi  Ja’far al-Mansur, for he [the Abbasid Caliph] had spies in Madina ready to inform him the identity of the one around whom the people unite after Ja’far so that he [the successor] can be taken and killed. I feared that this was one such spy. I therefore said to al-Ahwal: Depart [from this place] for I fear for both of us, but he only wants me not you, so get away from me to save your life and escape death. He [al-Ahwal] withdrew far away while I followed the old man. I did this because I felt that I could not escape him. I kept following him having readied myself to meet death. He led me until we reached the door of Abi al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام whereupon he left me and departed.  Suddenly a servant appeared at the door and said to me: Enter may Allah have mercy on you. I entered and found Abu al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام who said to me without being prompted: To me! To me! Not to the Murjia, nor the Qadariyya, nor the Mu’tazila, nor the Zaydiyya or the Khawarij. I said: May I be made your ransom - has your father passed on? He said: Yes. I said: passed away in death? He said: Yes. I said: Who do we have after him? He said: If Allah the Elevated wishes to guide you He will. I said: May I be made your ransom - your brother Abdallah claims to be the Imam after his father. He said: Abdallah wishes that Allah not be worshipped. I said: May I be made your ransom - who is for us after him [your father]? He said: If Allah wishes to guide you He will. I said: May I be your ransom - is it you? He said: I do not say that. He [Hisham] said: I said to myself [in my heart]: I am not putting the question appropriately. Then I said to him: May I be made your ransom - is there an Imam over you? He said: No. There entered me a feeling of  awe and reverence towards him which no one knows about except Allah.                Then I said to him: May I be made your ransom - can I ask you the way I used to ask your father? He said: Ask and you will be informed but do not publicize it for if you do that then it will be slaughter. [Hisham says:] I asked him and found him to be an ocean [of knowledge] which does not dry up [is not exhausted]. I said: May I be made your ransom - the Shia of your father are lost should I avail them of this matter and call them to accept you [as the Imam] for you have binded me to secrecy? He said: The one in whom you detect signs of receptivity to guidance then inform him of this and bind him to secrecy for if he publicizes it then it will be slaughter - and he pointed with his hand to his throat. He [Hisham] said: I left his presence and met Aba Ja’far al-Ahwal. He said to me: What is behind you? I said: Guidance! and relayed to him the whole story. Then we encountered Zurara and Aba Basir who both entered in to see him [al-Kadim] and heard his talk and asked him and believed in him. Then we met the people in droves, whoever enters in to meet him [al-Kadhim] believes in him, except for the group led by Ammar al-Sabati [who were Fathis], and the people abandoned Abdallah and no one entered in to see him except very few.

Muʿjam al-Aḥādīth al-Muʿtabara

Book 3, Chapter 114