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

[338/1] الكافي: محمد بن يحيى، عن محمد بن الحسين، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن سالم، عن محمد بن مسلم، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: كان الله عزوجل ولا شئ غيره ولم يزل عالما بما يكون، فعلمه به قبل كونه كعلمه به بعد كونه

1. [1/338] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Muhammad b. al-Husayn from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham b. Salim from Muhammad b. Muslim from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام. He (Muhammad b. Muslim) said: I heard him (the Imam) saying: Allah Mighty and Majestic was there and there was nothing other than Him. He always knew what was to be. His knowledge of it before it came into being is identical to His knowledge of it after it comes into being.  

[339/2] الكافي: محمد بن يحيى، عن سعد بن عبدالله، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن أيوب بن نوح أنه كتب إلى أبي الحسن عليه السلام يسأله عن الله عزوجل أكان يعلم الاشياء قبل أن خلق الاشياء وكونها أو لم يعلم ذلك حتى خلقها وأراد خلقها وتكوينها فعلم ما خلق عندما خلق وما كون عند ما كون؟ فوقع بخطه: لم يزل الله عالما بالاشياء قبل أن يخلق الاشياء كعلمه بالاشياء بعد ما خلق الاشياء

2. [2/339] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Sa’d b. Abdallah from Muhammad b. Isa from Ayyub b. Nuh that he wrote to Abi al-Hasan عليه السلام asking him about Allah Mighty and Majestic: Did He have knowledge of things before He created the things and brought them into existence or is it that He did not have prior knowledge of them until when He created them and intended their creation and bringing them into existence - so He knew about what He created at the moment of creation and what He brought into existence at the moment of bringing into existence? He wrote in his handwriting: Allah never stopped being knowledgeable about the things before he created the things the same as His knowledge of the things after He had created the things. 

[340/3] التوحيد: أبي، عن سعد، عن ابن هاشم، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن ابن حازم، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: قلت له: أرأيت ما كان وما هو كائن إلى يوم القيامة أليس كان في علم الله تعالى؟ قال: فقال: بلى قبل أن يخلق السماوات والارض

3. [3/340] al-Tawhid: My father from Sa’d from Ibn Hashim from Ibn Abi Umayr from Ibn Hazim from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام. He (Ibn Hazim) said: I said to him (the Imam): Consider all that which was and is to be up to the Day of Judgment - was it not in the knowledge of Allah the Elevated? He said: Yes. Before He created the Heavens and the Earth.  

[341/4] التوحيد: ابن الوليد، عن الصفار، عن اليقطيني، عن يونس قال: قلت لابي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام: روينا أن الله علم لاجهل فيه، حياة لاموت فيه، نور لاظلمة فيه قال: كذلك هو

4. [4/341] al-Tawhid: Ibn al-Walid from al-Saffar from al-Yaqtini from Yunus who said: I said to Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام: We have narrated that Allah is Knowledge with no ignorance in Him. Life with no death in Him. Light with no darkness in Him. He said: That is who He is.

[342/5] التوحيد: ابن المتوكل، عن الحميري، عن ابن عيسى، عن ابن محبوب، عن ابن سنان، عن جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه عليهما السلام قال: إن لله علما خاصا، وعلما عاما فأما العلم الخاص فالعلم الذي لم يطلع عليه ملائكته المقربين وأنبياءه المرسلين، وأما علمه العام فإنه علمه الذي أطلع عليه ملائكته المقربين وأنبياءه المرسلين، وقد وقع إلينا من رسول الله عليه صلى الله عليه واله

5. [5/342] al-Tawhid: Ibn al-Mutawakkil from al-Himyari from Ibn Isa from Ibn Mahbub from Ibn Sinan from Ja’far b. Muhammad from his father عليهما السلام who said: Verily there is for Allah a special knowledge and a general knowledge. As for the special knowledge then it is the knowledge which no one has seen (access to), not His angels brought-near nor His prophets who were sent. As for His general knowledge then it is His knowledge which has been seen (accessed) by His angels brought-near and His prophets who were sent. And this (last) has reached us from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه واله

[343/6] التوحيد: أبي، عن علي، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبى عمير، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قول الله عزوجل: وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فقال: السماوات والارض وما بينهما في الكرسي والعرش هو العلم الذي لا يقدر أحد قدره

6. [6/343] al-Tawhid: My father from Ali from his father from Ibn Abi Umayr from Abdallah b. Sinan from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic: “His Chair extends over the Heavens and the Earth” (2:255) - He said: The Heavens, the Earth and what is between them is within the Chair while the Throne (Arsh) is the Knowledge whom no one can estimate its limit.   

[344/7] الكافي: على بن ابراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس، عن منصور بن حازم قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام هل يكون اليوم شئ لم يكن في علم الله بالامس؟ قال: لا، من قال هذا فأخزاه الله قلت: أرأيت ما كان وما هو كائن إلى يوم القيامة أليس في علم الله؟ قال: بلى قبل أن يخلق الخلق

7. [7/344] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from Muhammad b. Isa from Yunus from Mansur b. Hazim who said: I asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام: Does there happen something today which was not in the Knowledge of Allah yesterday? He said: No. May the one who says that be abased by Allah. I said: Consider whatever has happened and whatever will happen up to the Day of Judgment - is it not in the knowledge of Allah? He said: Yes. Before He created the creation.     

[8/345] التوحيد: ابن إدريس، عن أبيه، عن الاشعري، عن علي بن إسماعيل، وابن هاشم معا، عن صفوان، عن ابن حازم قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام هل يكون اليوم شئ لم يكن في علم الله عزوجل؟ قالا: لا بل كان في علمه قبل أن ينشئ السماوات والارض

8. [8/345] al-Tawhid: Ibn Idris from his father from al-Ash’ari from Ali b. Ismail and Ibn Hashim from Safwan from Ibn Hazim who said: I asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام - Does there happen something today which was not in the knowledge of Allah Mighty and Majestic? He said: No. Rather it was in His knowledge before He generated the Heavens and the Earth. 

[-/9] بصائر الدرجات: عبد الله بن جعفر، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن ربعي، عن الفضيل، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن لله علما يعلمه ملائكته وأنبياؤه ورسله ألا ونحن نعلمه، ولله علم لا يعلمه ملائكته وأنبياؤه ورسله

9. [9/-] Basair al-Darajat: Abdallah b. Ja’far from Muhammad b. Isa from Ibn Abi Umayr from Rib’i from al-Fudhayl from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who said: Allah has a knowledge which is known by His angels, prophets and messengers. Behold! We too do know it. Allah also has a knowledge which His angels, prophets and messengers do not know about. 

[346/10] التوحيد: أبي، عن سعد، عن البرقي، عن ابن يزيد، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن ربعي ابن عبد الله، عن الفضيل بن يسار قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: إن الله عزوجل لا يوصف. قال: وقال زرارة: قال أبو جعفر عليه السلام: إن الله عزوجل لا يوصف بعجز وكيف يوصف وقد قال في كتابه: وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ؟ فلا يوصف بقدرة إلا كان أعظم من ذلك

10. [10/346] al-Tawhid: My father from Sa’d from al-Barqi from Ibn Yazid from Hammad b. Isa from Rib’i b. Abdallah from al-Fudhayl b. Yasar who said: I heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: Allah Mighty and Majestic cannot be described (as He really is). He (Fudhayl) said: Zurara said: Abu Ja’far عليه السلام said: Allah Mighty and Majestic cannot be described with (having) any Incapacity.How can He be described (as He really is) when He says in His book: “they have not estimated Allah His true estimate” (39:67)? Thus He is not described with (a level of) power except that He is greater than that. 

[347/11] التوحيد: ابن مسرور، عن ابن عامر، عن عمه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن أبان بن عثمان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: جاء رجل إلى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فقال: أيقدر الله أن يدخل الارض في بيضة ولا تصغر الارض ولا تكبر البيضة؟ فقال له: ويلك إن الله لا يوصف بالعجز ومن أقدر ممن يلطف الارض ويعظم البيضة؟

11. [11/347] al-Tawhid: Ibn Masrur from Ibn A’mir from his uncle from Ibn Abi Umayr from Aban b. Uthman from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who said: A man came to the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام and said: Is Allah capable of inserting the Earth into an egg without the Earth becoming smaller or the egg becoming larger? He said: Woe upon you - Incapacity cannot be attributed to Allah. Who is more capable (of doing that) than the One who diminishes the Earth and enlarges the egg?!  

[384/12] التوحيد: أبي، عن سعد، عن ابن أبي الخطاب، عن البزنطي قال: جاء قوم من وراء النهر إلى أبي الحسن عليه السلام فقالوا له: جئناك نسألك عن ثلاث مسائل، فإن أجبتنا فيها علمنا أنك عالم، فقال: سلوا. فقالوا: أخبرنا عن الله أين كان، وكيف كان، وعلى أي شئ كان اعتماده؟ فقال: إن الله عزوجل كيف الكيف فهو بلا كيف، وأين الاين فهو بلا أين، وكان اعتماده على قدرته فقالوا: نشهد أنك عالم 

12. [12/384] al-Tawhid: My father from Sa’d from Ibn Abi al-Khattab from al-Bazanti who said: A group came from Beyond the River to Abi al-Hasan عليه السلام and said to him: We have come to ask you three questions. If you answer us in them we will know that you are the Scholar. He said: Ask. They said: Inform us about Allah - Where was He? How was He? Upon what thing was His reliance? He said: Allah Mighty and Majestic howed the how so he is without ‘how’ and whered the where so He is without ‘where’ and His reliance was on His Power. They said: We bear witness that you are the Scholar.   

[349/13] التوحيد: حمزة العلوي، عن علي، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن ابن اذينة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قوله عزوجل مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَىٰ ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَا أَدْنَىٰ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا فقال: هو واحد أحدي الذات، بائن من خلقه، وبذاك وصف نفسه، وهو بكل شئ محيط بالاشراف والاحاطة والقدرة، لا يعزب عنه مثقال ذرة في السماوات ولا في الارض ولا أصغر من ذلك ولا أكبر بالاحاطة والعلم لا بالذات لان الاماكن محدودة تحويها حدود أربعة فإذا كان بالذات لزمه الحواية

13. [13/349] al-Tawhid: Hamza al-Alawi from Ali from his father from Ibn Abi Umayr from Ibn Udhayna from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام about His words Mighty and Majestic: “there is no private conversation of three but He is the fourth of them, nor of five but He is the sixth of them - and no less than that and no more except that He is with them wherever they are” (58:7). He (the Imam) said: He is One. Unique in Essence. Distinct from His creation. That is how He described Himself. He encompasses everything in terms of (His) supervision, awareness and power (over them). Nothing escapes Him even the weight of a particle in the Heavens and in the Earth nor smaller than that or larger - in terms of awareness and knowledge not by (His) essence, for locations (space) are bounded, delimited by the four bounds (left-side, right-side, in-front, behind), so if it was (that He was encompassing) by essence than that would necessarily imply containment (which is impossible for Him).         

Muʿjam al-Aḥādīth al-Muʿtabara

Book 4, Chapter 5