A Comprehensive Compilation of Reliable Narrations

[Islamic Salvation]

3.162. Mualla b. Khunays

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/mualla-b-khunays

 

Mualla b. Khunays (d. 133 AH) was a Mawla [client] of Imam al-Sadiqعليه السلام  serving him in Madina. He was originally from Kufa and in the clothes trade. He seems to have associated with extremist circles and there is evidence that he believed at one point in time that the Imams were prophets or super-human [before possibly changing his position].

محمد بن الحسن البراني و عثمان، قالا حدثنا محمد بن يزداد، عن محمد بن الحسين، عن الحجال، عن أبي مالك الحضرمي، عن أبي العباس البقباق قال: تدارأ ابن أبي يعفور و معلى بن خنيس، فقال ابن أبي يعفور الأوصياء علماء أبرار أتقياء، و قال ابن خنيس الأوصياء أنبياء، قال: فدخلا على أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: فلما استقر مجلسهما، قال: فبدأهما أبو عبد الله عليه السلام فقال: يا عبد الله ابرأ ممن قال إنا أنبياء

Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Barani and Uthman – Muhammad b. Yazdad – Muhammad b. al-Husayn – al-Hajjal – Abi Malik al-Hadhrami – Abi al-Abbas al-Baqabaaq: Abdallah b. Abi Ya’fur and Mualla b. Khunays disputed with each other. Ibn Abi Ya’fur said: the Awsiya (i.e. Imams) are Ulama (knowledgeable), Abrar (good doers) and Atqiya (God - fearing). Ibn Khunays said: the Awsiya are Anbiya (prophets). They both entered upon Abi Abdillah عليه السلام, so when they had taken their seats, Abu Abdillah عليه السلام began saying (i.e. without being informed of their dispute): O Abdallah (b. Abi Ya’fur) - disassociate from the one who says that we are prophets.

The later Ghulat consider him one of their pillars and claim that he was killed because he exposed the secret which the Imam initiated him into.

أبو علي أحمد بن علي السلولي المعروف بشقران، قال: حدثنا الحسين بن عبيد الله القمي، عن محمد بن أورمة، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن سيف بن عميرة، عن المفضل بن عمر الجعفي قال: دخلت على أبي عبد الله عليه السلام يوم صلب فيه المعلى، فقلت: يا ابن رسول الله ألا ترى هذا الخطب الجليل الذي نزل بالشيعة في هذا اليوم؟ قال: ما هو؟ قال: قلت: قتل المعلى بن خنيس، قال: رحم الله المعلى، قد كنت أتوقع ذلك، لأنه أذاع سرنا، وليس الناصب لنا حربا بأعظم موبقة علينا من المذيع علينا سرنا، فمن أذاع سرنا إلى غير أهله لم يفارق الدنيا حتى يعضه السلاح، أو يموت بخبل

Abu Ali Ahmad b. Ali al-Saluli Shaqran – al-Husayn b. Ubaydallah al-Qummi – Muhammad b. Awrama – Ya’qub b. Yazid – Sayf b. Umayra – al-Mufadhal b. Umar al-Ju’fi: I entered in to see Abi Abdillah عليه السلام on the day in which Mualla was crucified. I said: O the son of the Messenger of Allah - do you not see the grave matter that has befallen the Shia on this day? He said: what is that? I said: Mualla b. Khunays has been killed. He said: May Allah have mercy on Mualla. I expected that to happen because he divulged our secret. The one who fights us because of hating us is not more of a danger to us than the one who divulges our secret. Whoever divulges our secret to the undeserving will not leave this world without being torn by a weapon or dying mad.    

The Ghulat attributed a lot of spurious material to him. Perhaps it was by looking at this that some early Rijal authorities were scathing in their assessment of him.

al-Najashi says of him:

ضعيف جدا، لا يعول عليه

Very weak. Not to be turned to [depended on].

Ibn al-Ghadhairi says:

كان أول أمره مغيريا، ثم دعا إلى محمد بن عبد الله، وفي هذه الظنة أخذه داود ابن علي، فقتله، والغلاة يضيفون إليه كثيرا، ولا أرى الاعتماد على شئ من حديثه

He was at first one of the Mughiriyya, then he called for Muhammad b. Abdallah [Nafs al-Zakiyya]. It is in this context that Dawud b. Ali took him and killed him. The Ghulat attribute quite a lot [of material] to him. I do not see how any of his narrations can be relied upon.

It is al-Tusi who mounts a defense of him. He does this by noting Mualla’s closeness to al-Sadiq and the Imam’s reaction to his killing.

كان من قوام أبي عبد الله عليه السلام، وإنما قتله داود بن علي بسببه، وكان محمودا عنده، ومضى على منهاجه وأمره مشهور، فروى عن أبي بصير، قال: لما قتل داود ابن علي، المعلى بن خنيس فصلبه، عظم ذلك على أبي عبد الله عليه السلام واشتد عليه، وقال له: يا داود، على ما قتلت مولي وقيمي في مالي وعلى عيالي ...

He [Mualla] was one of the servants of Abi Abdillah عليه السلام. Dawud b. Ali killed him for this reason. He [Mualla] had a praise-worthy station in his [the Imam’s] eyes. He passed away on the same path [was steadfast in his faith]. His affair [story] is well-known. It is narrated from Abi Basir who said: When Dawud b. Ali killed al-Mualla b. Khunays and crucified him - Abi Abdillah considered it to be a grave and serious. He [the Imam] said to him: O Dawud, why did you kill my client and my care-taker over my wealth and family …

It is because of this that most modern scholars reject the opinions of al-Najashi and Ibn al-Ghadhairi and consider him Thiqa. They ask: How can the death of a corrupt individual have evinced such an emotional reaction from the Imam! [See a number of authentic narrations below]. The Imam even declares that he is ‘in paradise’ having died a death of martyrdom [See No. 1/261]    

Mualla was killed by the governor of Madina called Dawud b. Ali who instructed al-Sayrafi [the money-changer] the head of his guards [Sahib al-Shurta] to do the deed. al-Sayrafi took him and crucified him in the public square.

A final point which must be made is that some details in the narrations below, which recount Mualla’s killing, the Imam’s conversations with Dawud b. Ali, the fate of al-Sayrafi and Dawud [against whom the Imam supplicated] are contradictory. This cannot be avoided and are a natural consequence of faulty human memory and oral transmission.

 

[1/261] رجال الكشي: حمدويه بن نصير، عن العبيدي، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج، عن إسماعيل بن جابر قال: كنت مع أبي عبد الله عليه السلام مجاورا بمكة، فقال لي: يا إسماعيل اخرج حتى تأتي مرة أو عسفان، فسل هل حدث بالمدينة حدث، قال: فخرجت حتى أتيت مرة فلم ألق أحدا، ثم مضيت حتى أتيت عسفان فلم يلقني أحد، فارتحلت من عسفان فلما خرجت منها لقيني عير تحمل زيتا من عسفان، فقلت لهم: هل حدث بالمدينة حدث؟ قالوا: لا، إلا قتل هذا العراقي الذي يقال له المعلى بن خنيس، قال: فانصرفت إلى أبي عبد الله عليه السلام فلما رءاني قال لي: يا إسماعيل قتل المعلى بن خنيس فقلت: نعم، قال: فقال: أما و الله لقد دخل الجنة

[1/261] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh b. Nusayr from al-Ubaydi from Ibn Abi Umayr from Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj from Ismail b. Jabir who said: I was with Abi Abdillah عليه السلام in the vicinity of Makka when he said to me: O Ismail, proceed until you reach Marra or Usfan [two stations on the road between Makka and Madina] and ask [anyone you encounter on the way] - is there any incident which has occurred in Madina. He [Ismail] said: I went out until I reached Marra but did not encounter anyone. Then I proceeded until I reached Usfan but did not encounter anyone. I decided to turn around. When I began leaving Usfan I encountered a caravan carrying olives from Usfan. I said to them: Is there any incident which has occurred in Madina? They said: No, except the killing of this Iraqi called al-Mualla b. Khunays. He [Ismail] said: I returned to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام so when he saw me he said to me: O Ismail - al-Mualla b. Khunays has been killed? I said: Yes. He said: by Allah he has entered paradise.       

 

[2/262] رجال الكشي: ابن أبي نجران، عن حمّاد الناب، عن المسمعى قال: لما أخذ داود بن علي المعلّى بن خنيس حبسه، وأراد قتله، فقال له معلّى بن خنيس: أخرجني إلى الناس، فإنّ لي ديناً كثيراً ومالاً، حتى أشهد بذلك، فأخرجه إلى السوق فلما اجتمع الناس، قال: ياأيها الناس أنا معلّى بن خنيس فمن عرفني فقد عرفنى، اشهدوا أنّ ما تركت من مال، من عين، أو دين، أو أمة، أو عبد، أو دار، أو قليل، أو كثير، فهو لجعفر بن محمد عليه السلام، قال: فشدّ عليه صاحب شرطة داود فقتله. قال: فلما بلغ ذلك أبا عبد اللّه عليه السلام خرج يجرّ ذيله حتى دخل على داود بن على، وإسماعيل ابنه خلفه، فقال: ياداود قتلت مولاي وأخذت مالى. فقال: ما أنا قتلته ولا أخذت مالك. فقال: واللّه لادعون اللّه على من قتل مولاي وأخذ مالى. قال: ما قتلته ولكن قتله صاحب شرطتى. فقال: بإذنك أو بغير أذنك. قال: بغير إذني. فقال: ياإسماعيل شأنك به. قال: فخرج إسماعيل والسيف معه حتى قتله في مجلسه

حماد، عن المسمعي، عن معتب قال: فلم يزل أبو عبد الله عليه السلام ليلته ساجدا و قائما، قال: فسمعته في آخر الليل و هو ساجد ينادي: اللهم إني أسألك بقوتك القوية و بمحالك الشديد و بعزتك التي خلقك لها ذليل أن تصلي على محمد و آل محمد و أن تأخذه الساعة، قال: فو الله ما رفع رأسه من سجوده حتى سمعنا الصائحة فقالوا: مات داود بن علي فقال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: إني دعوت الله عليه بدعوة بعث الله إليه ملكا فضرب رأسه بمرزبة انشقت منها مثانته 

[2/262] Rijal al-Kashshi: Ibn Abi Najran from Hammad al-Nab from al-Mismai who said: When Dawud b. Ali [the governor of Madina] arrested al-Mualla b. Khunays, imprisoned him, and wanted to kill him - Mualla b. Khunays said to him: take me out to the people first, for I have a lot of debts and wealth which I want to declare, so he took him out to the market. When the people had gathered he [Mualla] said: O people, I am Mualla b. Khunays, whoever knows me has known me. I bear witness that what I leave of wealth, or debt, or slave-girl, or house, or less or more, then it is is for Ja`far b. Muhammad عليه السلام. He [al-Mismai] said: then Dawud’s head of security struck him and killed him. When the news reached Aba Abdillah عليه السلام he came out dragging his cloak [on the ground - in his hurry] until he entered upon Dawud b. Ali with his son Ismail behind him and said: Dawud you killed my Mawla [client] and usurped my property?! He said: I did not kill him nor have I taken your property. He said: By Allah I am going to pray to Allah against the one who killed my Mawla and took my property! He [Dawud] said: I did not kill him - it was the head of my guards. He [the Imam] said: by your permission or without? He [Dawud] said: without my permission. He [al-Sadiq] said: O Ismail have your way with him! he [al-Mismai] said: so Ismail came out with a sword and killed him in his seating place. 

Hammad from al-Mismai from Muattib who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام remained standing in worship and in prostration the whole night. I heard him calling out near the end of the night whilst in prostration: O Allah, I ask you by your irrepressible strength, and your over-powering awe, and by your might in the face of which your creatures are abased, that you bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and that you take him this moment! He [Muattib] said: by Allah he [the Imam] had not raised his head from the prostration when we heard a cry and they said Dawud b. Ali has died.  Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: I supplicated against him to Allah with a supplication due to which Allah sent him an angel who struck his head with a hammer and caused his bladder to split.

 

[3/263] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن إبراهيم بن عبد الحميد، عن الوليد بن صبيح قال: قال داود بن علي لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: ما أنا قتلته يعني معلى قال: فمن قتله؟ قال: السيرافي و كان صاحب شرطته، قال: أقدنا منه قال: قد أقدتك، قال: فلما أخذ السيرافي و قدم ليقتل جعل يقول: يا معشر المسلمين يأمروني بقتل الناس فأقتلهم لهم ثم يقتلوني، فقتل السيرافي

[3/263] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from Muhammad b. Isa from Ibrahim b. Abd al-Hamid from al-Walid b. Sabih who said: Dawud b. Ali said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام: I am not the one who killed him - that is Mualla [b. Khunays]. He [the Imam] said: then who killed him? he said: al-Sayrafi - who was the man in charge of his guards. He [the Imam] said: grant us retaliation. He [Dawud] said: I have. So when al-Sayrafi was taken and was about to be killed he began saying: O masses of the Muslims, they order me to kill people so I kill them for them then they kill me. al-Sayrafi was then executed.  

 

[4/264] رجال الكشي: محمد بن مسعود، عن الفضل، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن إبراهيم بن عبد الحميد، عن إسماعيل بن جابر قال: قدم أبو إسحاق عليه السلام من مكة، فذكر له قتل المعلى بن خنيس قال: فقام مغضبا يجر ثوبه، فقال له إسماعيل ابنه: يا أبة أين تذهب قال: لو كانت نازلة لأقدمت عليها، فجاء حتى دخل على داود بن علي، فقال له: يا داود لقد أتيت ذنبا لا يغفره الله لك، قال: و ما ذاك الذنب؟ قال: قتلت رجلا من أهل الجنة ثم مكث ساعة ثم قال: إن شاء الله، فقال له داود: و أنت قد أتيت ذنبا لا يغفره الله لك قال: و ما ذاك الذنب؟ قال: زوجت ابنتك فلانا الأموي، قال: إن كنت زوجت فلانا الأموي فقد زوج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم عثمان، و لي برسول الله أسوة، قال: ما أنا قتلته، قال: فمن قتله؟ قال: قتله السيرافي، قال: فأقدنا منه قال: فلما كان من الغد غدا إلى السيرافي فأخذه فقتله، فجعل يصيح: يا عباد الله يأمروني أن أقتل لهم الناس و يقتلوني  

[4/264] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Masud from al-Fadhl from Ibn Abi Umayr from Ibrahim b. Abd al-Hamid from Ismail b. Jabir who said: Abu Ishaq [al-Sadiq] عليه السلام arrived from Makkah and the killing of Mualla b. Khunays was mentioned to him. He [Ismail] said: So he stood up in anger - dragging his garment [on the ground i.e. moving in a hurry]. Ismail - his son - said to him: O father - where are you going? He said: even if it were a calamity [that be in front of me] - I would still head out towards it! so he went until he entered upon Dawud b. Ali [i.e. the Abbasid governor of Madina]. He [the Imam] said to him: O Dawud - you have committed a sin for which Allah will never forgive you! He [Dawud] said: and what is that sin? He said: you have killed a man from the people of Jannah - then he paused for a bit - then he added: if Allah wills. Dawud said to him: and you have also committed a sin for which Allah will never forgive you! He [the Imam] said: and what is that sin? He [Dawud] said: you married off your daughter to so and so - the Ummayad. He [the Imam] said: if I have married her off to so and so - the Umayyad - then the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم had given in marriage to Uthman, and I have in the Messenger of Allah an example [to follow]. He [Dawud] said: it is not me who killed him. He [the Imam] said: then who killed him? He [Dawud] said: al-Sayrafi killed him. He [the Imam] said: then retaliate on our behalf over him. So when it was the morrow - he [Dawud] came to him [al-Sayrafi] first thing in the morning - took him and had him killed. He [al-Sayrafi] began to cry out [before his execution]: O slaves of Allah! they order me to kill people for them and then they kill me!

NOTES:

The Imam knew that Dawud was the one ultimately responsible for killing Mualla. When Dawud was confronted by the Imam - he took the easy way out as any tyrant would and got rid of the lackey after using him. Since the Imam knew that there is no way Dawud would admit to his own guilt, he took the second best option which was to demand justice for Mualla by demanding Qisas from the one who actually carried out the killing. May this be a lesson to those who are used and discarded that they are not totally absolved of responsibility and cannot claim that they are just following instructions.

Edited January 13, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

3.163. Ma’mar b. Abdallah

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/mamar-b-abdallah

 

[-/1] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، ومحمد بن إسماعيل، عن الفضل بن شاذان، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن معاوية بن عمار، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: الذي كان على بدن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ناجية بن جندب الخزاعي الاسلمي والذي حلق رأس النبي صلى الله عليه وآله في حجته معمر بن عبدالله بن حراثة بن نصر بن عوف بن عويج بن عدي بن كعب، قال: ولما كان في حجة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وهو يحلقه، قالت قريش أي معمر! اذن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في يدك وفي يدك الموسى، فقال معمر: والله إني لاعده من الله فضلا عظيما علي، قال: وكان معمر هو الذي يرحل لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فقال رسول الله: يا معمر إن الرحل الليلة المسترخى، فقال معمر: بأبي أنت وامي لقد شددته كما كنت أشده ولكن بعض من حسدني مكاني منك يارسول الله أراد أن تستبدل بي، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ما كنت لافعل

[1/-] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from his father and Muhammad b. Ismail from al-Fadhl b. Shadhan all together from Ibn Abi Umayr from Muawiya b. Ammar from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who said: The one looking after the sacrificial animal of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله [while going for the farewell Hajj] was Najiya b. Jundab al-Khuzai al-Aslami. The one who shaved the hair of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله in his Hajj was Ma’mar b. Abdallah b. Haratha b. Nasr b. Awf b. Uwayj b. Adi b. Ka’b. He [the Imam] said: When he [Najiya] was shaving the hair of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله during the Hajj - the Quraysh said: O Ma’mar! the ears [i.e. head] of the Messenger of Allah is between your hands and you have a blade in your hand [i.e. you could do anything to him]! Ma’mar said: by Allah I consider it a great favour of Allah on me [that he trusted me so]. He [the Imam] said: Ma’mar was the one who used to saddle the camel for the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله. One time the Messenger of Allah said to him: O Ma’mar the saddle is slack this night, Ma’mar said: May my father and mother be ransomed for you, I had tightened the reigns [of the saddle] as I always do, but one of those who is jealous of my position with you [and your preference for me] - O Messenger of Allah - wished that you substitute me with another [give this work to someone else], so the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله said: I will never do that.  

NOTES:

Ma’mar b. Abdallah al-Adwi al-Qurashi was an early convert to Islam and was part of the second batch of those who made the Hijra to Abysinnia. He later returned to Makka and spent quite some time there before making the Hijra to Madina. This narration makes clear that he had an estimable standing with the prophet who held him dear. The prophet trusted him to perform some private duties for him because of his simple but strong faith. Not much else is known about his life.

[Islamic Salvation]

3.164. al-Mughira b. Sai’d

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/al-mughira-b-said

 

[1/265] رجال الكشي: محمد بن قولويه و الحسين بن الحسن بن بندار القمي، عن سعد بن عبد الله، عن محمد بن عيسى بن عبيد، عن يونس بن عبد الرحمن - أن بعض أصحابنا سأله و أنا حاضر - فقال له: يا أبا محمد ما أشدك في الحديث و أكثر إنكارك لما يرويه أصحابنا فما الذي يحملك على رد الأحاديث؟ فقال: حدثني هشام بن الحكم أنه سمع أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: لا تقبلوا علينا حديثا إلا ما وافق القرآن و السنة أو تجدون معه شاهدا من أحاديثنا المتقدمة، فإن المغيرة بن سعيد لعنه الله دس في كتب أصحاب أبي أحاديث لم يحدث بها أبي، فاتقوا الله و لا تقبلوا علينا ما خالف قول ربنا تعالى و سنة نبينا صلى الله عليه و آله ...

[1/265] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Qulawayh and al-Husayn b. al-Hasan b. Bundar al-Qummi from Sa’d b. Abdallah from Muhammad b. Isa b. Ubayd from Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman: One of our companions asked him [Yunus] while I [Muhammad b. Isa b. Ubayd] was present saying: O Aba Muhammad - how stringent you are in the matter of Hadith and how great is your repudiation of what is narrated by our companions - so what leads you to reject the narrations? He [Yunus] said: Hisham b. al-Hakam narrated to me that he heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: Do not accept a Hadith on our authority except that which agrees with the Qur’an and the Sunna or you find for it a witness [corroboration] from our past narrations, for al-Mughira b. Said - may Allah curse him - has interpolated into the books of the companions of my father [i.e. al-Baqir عليه السلام] narrations which were not narrated by my father. Therefore fear Allah, and do not accept on our authority that which opposes the words of our Lord the Exalted and the Sunna of our prophet صلى الله عليه و آله …

 

[1/266] رجال الكشي: محمد بن قولويه و الحسين بن الحسن بن بندار القمي، عن سعد بن عبد الله، عن محمد بن عيسى بن عبيد، عن يونس، عن هشام بن الحكم أنه سمع أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: كان المغيرة بن سعيد يتعمد الكذب على أبي، و يأخذ كتب أصحابه و كان أصحابه المستترون بأصحاب أبي يأخذون الكتب من أصحاب أبي فيدفعونها إلى المغيرة فكان يدس فيها الكفر و الزندقة و يسندها إلى أبي ثم يدفعها إلى أصحابه فيأمرهم أن يثبتوها في الشيعة، فكلما كان في كتب أصحاب أبي من الغلو فذاك ما دسه المغيرة بن سعيد في كتبهم

[1/266] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Qulawayh and al-Husayn b. al-Hasan b. Bundar al-Qummi from Sa’d b. Abdallah from Yunus from Hisham b. al-Hakam - that he heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: al-Mughira b. Sa’id used to lie purposely about my father and take the books of his [al-Baqir’s] companions - and his [Mughira’s] companions were under cover [indistinguishable] among the companions of my father - they would take the books from the companions of my father and send them to al-Mughira - so he used to interpolate into them Kufr [disbelief] and Zanadiqa [heresy] and attribute it to my father, then he would send them [the books] back to his companions and order them to establish them among the Shia, so whatever is in the books of the companions of my father - of Ghulu [exaggeration of the status of the ‘Aimma] - then that is what was interpolated by al-Mughira b. Sa’id in their books.

NOTES:

We see how critical this Mughira was in circulating fabricated Hadith by attributing them to al-Baqir and even inserting them into the books of our companions. A lot of these tainted beliefs [which he took from previous religious traditions and repackaged them in a new Islamic language] entered our corpus because of him.

al-Mughira b. Sai’d al-Bajali was a blind Mawla (non-Arab origin) of Khalid al-Qasri the governor of Iraq under the Umayyads. He claimed to be a follower of Imam al-Baqir but perverted the latter’s teachings and drew a personal following around himself. Mughira’s success in this can be explained in part because of his abilities as a sorcerer. He is said to have demonstrated wondrous illusions and tricks.

He rose in revolt in 119 AH with another Ghali called Bayan b. Sam’an against the aforementioned Umayyad governor of Iraq. The rebellion was quickly put down and the leaders as well as some of their followers were crucified. In this way the Imam’s curse against him was answered.

[Islamic Salvation]

3.165. al-Mufadhal b. Umar

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/al-mufadhal-b-umar

 

[1/267] رجال الكشي: حمدويه بن نصير، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن الحكم وحماد بن عثمان، عن إسماعيل بن جابر قال: قال أبو عبد الله: ايت المفضل قل له: يا كافر يا مشرك ما تريد إلى ابني تريد أن تقتله

[1/267] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh b. Nusayr from Ya’qub b. Yazid from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham b. al-Hakam and Hammad b. Uthman from Ismail b. Jabir who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: Go to Mufadhal and say to him - O Kafir, O Mushrik, what do you want for my son Ismail? Do you want to kill him!?

 

[2/268] الكافي: محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن علي بن الحكم، عن يونس بن يعقوب قال: أمرني أبو عبد الله عليه السلام أن آتي المفضل واعزيه باسماعيل وقال: اقرأ المفضل السلام وقل له: إنا قد اصبنا بإسماعيل فصبرنا، فاصبر كما صبرنا، إنا أردنا أمرا وأراد الله عزوجل أمرا، فسلمنا لامر الله عزوجل

[2/268] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from Ali b. al-Hakam from Yunus b. Ya’qub who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام ordered me to go to Mufadhal and condole him for [the death of] Ismail. He [the Imam] said: Convey my greetings of peace to Mufadhal and say to him: We have been tried through Ismail and have remained patient, so be patient the way we have been patient. We wanted something but Allah Mighty and Majestic wanted something else so we have submitted to the command of Allah Mighty and Majestic.   

NOTES:

Abu Abdallah Mufadhal b. Umar al-Ju’fi (d. before 179), a money-changer by profession, was a Kufan companion of the two Imams, al-Sadiq and al-Kadhim. He was charged with performing certain tasks for them.

No. 1/267 above has the Imam using very harsh language with Mufadhal in the context of the latter’s ‘grooming’ of Ismail which al-Sadiq felt was dangerous. No. 2/268 on the other hand is much more warm, with Ismail being the theme once again. The Imam condoles Mufadhal on the occasion of Ismail’s death [the two must have been especially close] and commends him to be patient in emulation of the Imam’s own patience.   How can we explain this difference in tone?

It seems that one way to reconcile between them is to posit that Mufadhal had a period of estrangement from the Imam - because of his involvement with the Khattabis and their intentions for Ismail, however, he later repented from this and broke away with Abu al-Khattab, consequently the relation with the Imam improved.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

3.166. al-Mufadhal b. Qays b. Rumana

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/al-mufadhal-b-qays-b-rumana

 

[1/269] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن مفضل بن قيس بن رمانة قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: إن أصحابنا يختلفون في شيء وأقول: قولي فيها قول جعفر بن محمد عليه السلام فقال: بهذا نزل جبرئيل 

[1/269] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from Muhammad b. Isa from Ibn Abi Umayr from Mufadhal b. Qays b. Rumana who said: I said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام: Our companions may differ about something but I say: my opinion in it is the verdict of Ja’far b. Muhammad, so he [the Imam] said: this is what Jibril came down with [revealed].  

NOTES:

The true religion revealed by Jibril is to submit to the judgments of the Prophet and the ‘Aimma, and not to speak by personal opinion.

Ibn Abi Umayr comments on the status of this Mufadhal when giving the chain saying: وكان خيرا (he was righteous).

Not much is known about him, except this other instance of interaction with al-Sadiq as reproduced below:

علي بن محمد وأحمد بن محمد، عن علي بن الحسن، عن العباس بن عامر، عن محمد بن إبراهيم الصيرفي، عن مفضل بن قيس بن رمانة قال: دخلت على أبي عبدالله عليه السلام فذكرت له بعض حالي، فقال: يا جارية هات ذلك الكيس، هذه أربعمائة دينار وصلني بها أبوجعفر فخذها وتفرج بها قال: فقلت: لا والله جعلت فداك ما هذا دهري ولكن أحببت أن تدعوا الله عزوجل لي، قال: فقال: إني سأفعل ولكن إياك أن تخبر الناس بكل حالك فتهون عليهم

al-Kafi: Ali b. Muhammad and Ahmad b. Muhammad from Ali b.al-Hasan from al-Abbas b. Amir from Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Sayrafi from Mufadhal b. Qays b. Rumana who said: I entered in to see Abi Abdillah عليه السلام and mentioned to him my difficult [material] condition. He [the Imam] said: O servant bring that pouch, [then he said to me:] this is four hundred gold coins given to me by Abu Ja’far [al-Dawaniqi, the Abbasid Caliph] take them and relieve yourself through it. He [Mufadhal] said: I said: No by Allah, may I be made your ransom, this is not my desire [to beg] but I wished that you supplicate to Allah Mighty and Majestic for me. He [the Imam said]: I will do that, but be wary of sharing all that you go through with people for they will look down on you.

Edited January 30, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

3.167. Nasr b. Qabus

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/nasr-b-qabus

 

[1/270] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، عن الحسن بن موسى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر، عن سعيد بن أبي الجهم، عن نصر بن قابوس قال: قلت لأبي الحسن الأول عليه السلام: إني سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن الإمام من بعده فأخبرني أنك أنت هو فلما توفي ذهب الناس عنك يمينا و شمالا و قلت فيك أنا و أصحابي، فأخبرني عن الإمام من ولدك قال: ابني علي عليه السلام

[1/270] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from al-Hasan b. Musa from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Abi Nasr from Sa’id b. Abi al-Jahm from Nasr b. Qabus who said: I said to Abi al-Hasan the first [al-Kadhim] عليه السلام: I had asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام about the identity of the Imam after him and he informed me that it was going to be you, so when he [al-Sadiq] died the people turned away from you and went to the right and to the left [i.e. in confusion] but I and my companions stuck to you, so inform me about the Imam from your children - who is it going to be? He [the Imam] said: my son Ali عليه السلام

NOTES:

al-Kashshi comments:

فدل هذا الحديث على منزلة الرجل من عقله و اهتمامه بأمر دينه إن شاء الله

This narration indicates the high station of the man in terms of his intellect and his scrupulousness in the matter of his religion, if Allah wills.

I say: Without a doubt Nasr must have been a very close companion of al-Sadiq to have been told the identity of the successor. This led him to avoid falling into error when the Fitna of the Fathiyya occurred.

Another narration in al-Kashshi has the same theme:

حدثني حمدويه قال: حدثني الحسين بن موسى، عن سليمان الصيدي، عن نصر بن قابوس قال: كنت عند أبي الحسن عليه السلام في منزله، فأخذ بيدي فوقفني على بيت من الدار، فدفع الباب فإذا علي عليه السلام ابنه، وفي يده كتاب ينظر إليه، فقال لي: يا نصر تعرف هذا؟ قلت: نعم هذا علي عليه السلام ابنك، قال: يا نصر، أتدري ما هذا الكتاب الذي ينظر فيه؟ فقلت: لا، قال: هذا الجفر الذي لا ينظر فيه إلا نبي أو وصي

قال الحسن بن موسى: فلعمري ما شك نصر فيه ولا ارتاب حتى أتاه وفاة أبي الحسن عليه السلام

Hamduwayh – al-Hasan b. Musa – Sulayman al-Saydi – Nasr b. Qabus who said: I was with Abi al-Hasan عليه السلام in his house when he took me by the hand and made me stand outside a room in the house, then he opened the door and there was Ali his son [inside] with a book in his hand which he was perusing. He [al-Kadhim] said to me: O Nasr - do you know this one? I said: Indeed, it is your son Ali. He said: O Nasr - do you know what that book which he is looking into is? I said: No, he said: that is the Jafr which no one can read except a prophet or a successor.

al-Hasan b. Musa [the sub-narrator] comments: By my life! Nasr never doubted concerning him [al-Ridha] nor did he waver until news about the death of Abi al-Hasan [al-Ridha] came to him i.e. he believed in the Imam all his life.

al-Najashi says about this Nasr b. Qabus:

روى عن أبي عبد الله وأبي إبراهيم وأبي الحسن الرضا عليهم السلام وكان ذا منزلة عندهم

He narrated from Abi Abdillah, Abu Ibrahim and Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليهم السلام and had a position of great merit in their eyes

al-Tusi says:

وروى أنه كان وكيلا لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام عشرين سنة ولم يعلم أنه وكيل وكان خيرا فاضلا

It is narrated that he [Nasr] was a Wakil of Abi Abdillah عليه السلام for a period of twenty years without it being known that he was a Wakil. He was both good and meritorious.

Edited February 1, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

3.168. Harun b. Sa’d

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/harun-b-sad

 

[1/271] رجال الكشي: محمد بن مسعود، عن عبد الله بن محمد بن خالد، عن الحسن بن علي الخزاز، عن علي بن عقبة، عن داود بن فرقد قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: عرضت لي إلى ربي تعالى حاجة فهجرت فيها إلى المسجد، و كذلك كنت أفعل إذا عرضت لي الحاجة، فبينا أنا أصلي في الروضة إذا رجل على رأسي، فقلت: ممن الرجل قال: من أهل الكوفة، قال: فقلت: ممن الرجل فقال: من أسلم، قال: فقلت: ممن الرجل قال: من الزيدية، قلت: يا أخا أسلم من تعرف منهم قال: أعرف خيرهم و سيدهم و أفضلهم هارون بن سعد، قال: قلت: يا أخا أسلم رأس العجلية، أما سمعت الله عز و جل يقول: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا الْعِجْلَ سَيَنالُهُمْ غَضَبٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَ ذِلَّةٌ فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا ...

[1/271] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Masud from Abdallah b. Muhammad b. Khalid from al-Hasan b. Ali al-Khazzaz from Ali b. Uqba from Dawud b. Farqad who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: I had a need which I wanted my Lord the Elevated to fulfill, so I set out to the Masjid with that purpose in mind, and this is how I used to do whenever I had a need of something. While I was praying in the Rawdha a man approached and lurked overhead. I said: where is the man from? he said: from the residents of Kufa, I said: where is the man from? He said: from the tribe of Aslam, I said: where is the man from? He said: the Zaydiyya, I said: O brother of Aslam - who do you know among them [the Zaydiyya]? he said: I know the best of them and their leader Harun b. Sa’d. I said: O brother of Aslam that one is the head of the Ijliyya! Have you not heard Allah Mighty and Majestic saying: “those who took the calf (Ijl) (for worship) will only obtain anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world” (7:152) …

 

[2/272] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، قال حدثنا أيوب بن نوح، قال حدثنا صفوان، عن داود بن فرقد، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: ما أحد أجهل منهم يعني العجلية، إن في المرجئة فتيا و علما و في الخوارج فتيا و علما، و ما أحد أجهل منهم

[2/272] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from Ayyub b. Nuh from Safwan from Dawud b. Farqad from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who said: there is no one more ignorant than them - that is the Ijliyya - among the Murjia there is [found] jurisprudence [legal opinions] and knowledge, and among the Khawarij there is jurisprudence and knowledge, but there is no one more ignorant than them [the Ijliyya].

 

[3/273] غيبة الطوسي: الكليني، عن سعد، عن اليقطيني، عن علي بن الحكم وعلي ابن الحسن بن نافع، عن هارون بن خارجة قال: قال لي هارون بن سعد العجلي: قد مات إسماعيل الذي كنتم تمدون إليه أعناقكم وجعفر شيخ كبير يموت غدا أو بعد غد، فتبقون بلا إمام، فلم أدر ما أقول، فأخبرت أبا عبدالله عليه السلام بمقالته فقال: هيهات هيهات أبى الله والله أن ينقطع هذاالامر حتى ينقطع الليل والنهار فاذا رأيته فقل له: هذا موسى بن جعفر يكبر ونزوجه ويولد له فيكون خلفا إنشاء الله

[3/273] Ghayba of al-Tusi: al-Kulayni from Sa’d from al-Yaqtini from Ali b. al-Hakam and Ali b. al-Hasan b. Nafi from Harun b. Kharija who said: Harun b. Sa’d al-Ijli said to me: Ismail [the son of al-Sadiq] towards whom you were stretching out your necks [i.e. expecting to be the next Imam] is dead, furthermore, Ja’far is an old man, he will die tomorrow or the day after, then you will remain without an Imam! I did not know what to say in reply, so I informed Aba Abdillah عليه السلام about what he [al-Ijli] had said. He [the Imam] said: how far, how far [is al-Ijli’s wish] - by Allah - Allah has refused to allow this matter to stop [Imama to discontinue] until the day and night also stop, so if you see him again say to him: this is Musa b. Ja’far - he will grow up, we will marry him off, and he will have a child as his successor - if Allah wills.

 

NOTES:

Harun b. Sa’d al-Ijli was the leader of a Zaydi faction called the Ijliyya [See also section 3.50. - 3.51]. The Ijliyya were very similar to Batri Zaydis. They were known for accepting the legitimacy of Abu Bakr and Umar even whilst claiming to prefer Ali. They would consider any descendant of Ali who unsheathes the sword and confronts the corrupt temporal rulers to be an Imam.

Harun participated in the revolts of Zayd b. Ali and Ibrahim b. al-Hasan against the Umayyad and Abbasid regimes respectively. He must have had quite an influence over his followers. The Imam uses a play on words - comparing his tribal affiliation [Ijli] to the golden calf [Ijl] worshiped by the Israelites [See No. 1/271].

Harun had a low opinion of al-Sadiq and his followers because they were queitist and did not participate in armed struggle. He taunts them by prematurely predicting that there will be no successor to al-Sadiq after the death of the elder favourite Ismail [See No. 3/273]. The preoccupation of the Ijliyya with warfare meant that they had no firm grounding in learning. al-Sadiq declares that even the Murjia and Khawarij have some semblance of knowledge, despite being wrong, when compared to the Ijliyya [See No. 2/272].

Below is part of a poem attributed to Harun as quoted by Ibn Qutayba in his Uyun and Ta’wil Ikhtilaf al-Hadith:

 

ألم تر أن الرافضين تفرقوا      فكلهم في جعفر قال منكرا

فطائفة قالت إمام ومنهم   طوائف سمته النبي المطهرا

فإن كان يرضى ما يقولون جعفر   فإني إلى ربي أفارق جعفرا

ومن عجب لم أقضه جلد جفرهم   برئت إلى الرحمن ممن تجفرا

برئت إلى الرحمن من كل رافض   بصير بباب الكفر في الدين أعورا

Don’t you see that the Rawafid are divided … For everyone of them has believed about Ja’far something abominable

There is a group which says ‘he is an Imam’ … yet other groups consider him a purified prophet

If it is true that Ja’far agrees with what they say … Then I renounce Ja’far before my Lord

What causes my unceasing wonder is this skin-parchment of their so-called ‘Jafr’ … I disassociate to Allah from every one who becomes a follower of Ja’far

I have disassociated myself to the All-Merciful from every Rafidi … who is insightful about the doors of disbelief but blind regarding true religion

 

I include this because some western academics cast doubt about the origins of Tashayyu and its links to al-Sadiq. They reject evidence from heresiographical works which they consider late and biased. In spite of this, most of them admit poetry as one of the most reliable historical testaments for early Islam. This poem is clear that there were some who considered Ja’far as an Imam and also speaks of the ‘Jafr’. More about the famed Jafr and its contents at the appropriate place.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

On 11/23/2016 at 9:23 PM, Ali_Hussain said:

Have you come across a PDF of this book?

 

[Islamic Salvation]

3.169. Hisham b. Ibrahim al-Abbasi

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/hisham-b-ibrahim-al-abbasi

 

An Iranian actor playing the role of Hisham b. Ibrahim in the famous Iranian Serial on Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام called Wilayat-e-Ishq

 

[1/284] قرب الاسناد: الريان بن الصلت قال: قلت للرضا عليه السلام: إن العباسي أخبرني أنك رخصت في سماع الغناء فقال: كذب الزنديق، ما هكذا كان، إنما سألني عن سماع الغناء فأعلمته أن رجلا أتى أبا جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين عليهم السلام فسأله عن سماع الغناء، فقال له: أخبرني إذا جمع الله تبارك وتعالى بين الحق والباطل، مع أيهما يكون الغناء؟ فقال الرجل: مع الباطل، فقال له أبوجعفر عليه السلام: حسبك فقد حكمت على نفسك، فهكذا كان قولي له

[1/284] Qurb al-Isnad: al-Rayyan b. al-Salt reported: I said to al-Ridha عليه السلام: al-Abbasi informs me that you have permitted the listening of music? He [the Imam] said: the Zindiq has lied! This was not how it [i.e. our conversation] was. He asked me about listening to music so I informed him that a man came to Aba Ja’far Muhammad b. Ali b. al-Husayn عليهم السلام and asked him about listening to music, he [al-Baqir] said to him: inform me - when Allah Blessed and Elevated will gather the truth [on one side] and the falsehood [on the other] - on which side will music be? the man said: with the falsehood, then Abu Ja’far عليه السلام said to him: that is sufficient [as an answer] for you, for you have judged for your own self. [al-Ridha said:] This was my conversation with him [i.e. al-Abbasi].

NOTES:

al-Muhsini does not accept Qurb al-Isnad as a source for reliable narrations, however, the same Hadith is also found in al-Saduq’s Uyun and al-Kashshi’s Rijal with suitable chains.

Hisham b. Ibrahim al-Abbasi turned traitor to the Imam. At first he was a loyal servant of the Imam working as his secretary. Later he hankered after the world and accepted to become an informant who spied on the Imam and restricted access to him. This is documented by al-Saduq in his Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha:

الهمداني، عن علي بن إبراهيم، عن الريان بن الصلت قال: أكثر الناس في بيعة الرضا عليه السلام من القواد والعامة ... وكان هشام بن إبراهيم الراشدي الهمداني من أخص الناس عند الرضا عليه السلام من قبل أن يحمل وكان عالما أديبا لبيبا وكانت امور الرضا عليه السلام تجري من عنده وعلى يده، ويصير الاموال من النواحي كلها إليه قبل حمل أبي الحسن عليه السلام فلما حمل أبوالحسن عليه السلام اتصل هشام بن إبراهيم بذي الرئاستين فقربه ذو الرئاستين وأدناه ، فكان ينقل أخبار الرضا عليه السلام إلى ذي الرئاستين والمأمون فحظي بذلك عندهما وكان لا يخفي عليهما من أخباره شيئا فولاه المأمون حجابة الرضا عليه السلام وكان لا يصل إلى الرضا عليه السلام إلا من أحب، وضيق على الرضا عليه السلام فكان من يقصده من مواليه لا يصل إليه، وكان لا يتكلم الرضا عليه السلام في داره بشئ إلا أورده هشام على المأمون وذي الرئاستين وجعل المأمون العباس ابنه في حجر هشام، وقال: أدبه، فسمي هشام العباسي لذلك ...

al-Hamdani – Ali b. Ibrahim – al-Rayyan b. al-Salt who said: The number of people pledging allegiance to al-Ridha عليه السلام both among the commoners and the dignitaries kept on increasing … Hisham b. Ibrahim al-Rashidi al-Hamdani was one of the closest of people to al-Ridha عليه السلام before he [the Imam] was summoned [ordered to leave Madina]. He [Hisham] was an intelligent scholar and a litterateur. All the affairs of al-Ridha عليه السلام used to proceed from him and at his hands. The wealth from the different localities [sent to the Imam] would pass through him. This was all before Abi al-Hasan عليه السلام was summoned. After Abi al-Hasan عليه السلام was called [to Khurasan] this Hisham [who had accompanied him as his secretary] became acquainted with Dhu al-Riasatayn ‘the man of the two commands’ [i.e. Fadhl b. Sahl] who brought him close to himself. He [Hisham] began reporting all the activities of al-Ridha عليه السلام to Fadhl and Ma’mun. He became esteemed in their eyes because of this. He used not to hide any of his [the Imam’s] activities from them. Because of this Ma’mun raised him to the position of chamberlain to al-Ridha عليه السلام. No one could gain access to al-Ridha عليه السلام except one pre-selected by Ma’mun [as controlled by Hisham]. He constrained al-Ridha’s عليه السلام freedom such that those who wished to meet him from among his true followers could not do so. al-Ridha عليه السلام would not speak anything in his house except that Hisham would relay it to Ma’mun and Fadhl. Ma’mun placed his son Abbas in the room of Hisham and said to Hisham: ‘instruct him’. That is why Hisham was called al-Abbasi [because of being a teacher to one of the scions of Banu Abbas called Abbas].   

Hisham continued his intrigue even after the poisoning of al-Ridha.

محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن على بن مهزيار، عن يحيى بن أبي عمران الهمداني قال: كتبت إلى أبي جعفر عليه السلام: جعلت فداك ما تقول في رجل ابتدأ ببسم الله الرحمن الرحيم في صلاته وحده في ام الكتاب فلما صار إلى غير ام الكتاب من السورة تركها، فقال العباسي: ليس بذلك بأس؟ فكتب بخطه يعيدها مرتين على رغم أنفه يعني العباسي

Muhammad b. Yahya – Ahmad b. Muhammad – Ali b. Mahziyar – Yahya b. Abi Ibrahim al-Hamdani who said: I wrote to Abi Ja’far [al-Jawad]: ‘May I be made your ransom, what do you say about a man who begins with clause - In the Name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful - in his prayer before reciting the Mother of the Book [al-Fatiha] but when he comes to the other Sura he does not recite it? for al-Abbasi says: there is no harm in that’. He [the Imam] wrote in his own hand: He repeats the prayer, he repeats the prayer, even if he - meaning al-Abbasi - dislikes it.   

Edited February 7, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

3.170. Hisham b. al-Hakam

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/hisham-b-al-hakam

 

Introduction

Hisham b. al-Hakam (d. 179) was a very close companion of al-Sadiq and al-Kadhim [See No. 1/278 for a demonstration of his intimacy with the latter]. He was an unmatched polemicist and an expert in theology. This he learnt from the Imams [See No. 4/- for an example of how he was personally instructed]. He spent his life defending Imami theology being one of the few companions of the Imams who were allowed to debate [See No. 5/278]. He was so effective at this that he even raised the ire of the political authorities [See No. 2/276 where the Imam asked him to abstain from talking for it was putting his life in danger].

 

 [1/275] رجال الكشي: حمدويه بن نصير، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسن بن علي بن يقطين قال: كان أبو الحسن عليه السلام إذا أراد شيئا من الحوائج لنفسه أو مما يعني به من أموره كتب إلى أبي يعني عليا اشتر لي كذا و كذا و اتخذ لي كذا و كذا و ليتول ذلك لك هشام بن الحكم، فإذا كان غير ذلك من أموره كتب إليه اشتر لي كذا و كذا، و لم يذكر هشاما إلا فيما يعني به من أمره، و ذكر أنه بلغ من عنايته به و حاله عنده أنه سرح إليه خمسة عشر ألف درهم، و قال له: اعمل بها و كل أرباحها و رد إلينا رأس المال، ففعل ذلك هشام رحمه الله، و صلى الله على أبي الحسن

[1/275] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh b. Nusayr from Muhammad b. Isa from al-Hasan b. Ali b. Yaqtin who said: Whenever Abu al-Hasan [al-Kadhim] عليه‌ السلام wanted some necessities for himself, or something of a personal nature, he would write to my father Ali: ‘purchase for me this and that or acquire for me such and such and let Hisham b. al-Hakam be the one to undertake that’. But if it had to do with his [the Imam’s] more general responsibilities he would just write: ‘purchase for me this and that’ and not mention Hisham unless it was personal.

It is also said that his [the Imam’s] favour towards him [Hisham] and his [Hisham’s] status in his [the Imam’s] estimation reached such a level that he [the Imam] sent him [Hisham] fifteen thousand gold coins and said to him: ‘do business with them and keep the profits thereof returning to us only the capital’. Hisham did as instructed. May Allah bless Abi al-Hasan.

 

[2/276] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس قال: قلت لهشام: أصحابك يحكون أن أبا الحسن عليه السلام سرح إليك مع عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج أن أمسك عن الكلام و إلى هشام بن سالم قال: أتاني عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج و قال لي: يقول لك أبو الحسن عليه السلام: أمسك عن الكلام هذه الأيام، و كان المهدي قد صنف له مقالات الناس و فيه مقالة الجواليقية هشام بن سالم، و قرأ ذلك الكتاب في الشرقية و لم يذكر كلام هشام، و زعم يونس أن هشام بن الحكم قال له: فأمسكت عن الكلام أصلا حتى مات المهدي، و إنما قال لي هذه الأيام فأمسك حتى مات المهدي

[2/276] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from Muhammad b. Isa from Yunus who said: I said to Hisham: Your companions relate that Aba al-Hasan عليه السلام sent a message to you and Hisham b. Salim via Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj saying: ‘abstain from speaking [making theological disputations]’.

He [Hisham] said: Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj came to me and said: Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام says to you: ‘abstain from speaking in these days’ - because it had been authored for al-Mahdi [the Caliph] [a treatise containing] the theological positions of the people. In it were the theological positions of the Jawaliqiyya [followers] of Hisham b. Salim. This treatise was publicly read in Sharqiyya [a district in Baghdad] but the position of Hisham [b. al-Hakam] was not mentioned.

Yunus claims that Hisham b. al-Hakam said to him: I abstained from speaking totally until al-Mahdi died, for he [the Imam] had said ‘in these days’ - so he stopped until al-Mahdi died.

NOTES:

Hisham b. al-Hakam has been accused of having a part in the arrest and murder of al-Kadhim because he did not stop from speaking [debating] in Baghdad, in the theological debate circle of the Abbasid vizier Yahya b. Khalid al-Barmaki, until he let out the secret of the Imama and the extent of the authority of this Imam [who was other than the temporal Caliph]. This is the import of the narration No. 3/277 below.

Hisham defends himself from this accusation in the narration under discussion. A more detailed variant of this narration is provided below:

 و حدثني محمد بن مسعود العياشي، قال حدثنا جبريل بن أحمد الفاريابي، قال حدثني محمد بن عيسى العبيدي، عن يونس، قال: قلت لهشام: إنهم يزعمون أن أبا الحسن عليه السلام بعث إليك عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج يأمرك أن تسكت و لا تتكلم فأبيت أن تقبل رسالته، فأخبرني كيف كان سبب هذا؟ و هل أرسل إليك ينهاك عن الكلام أو لا؟ و هل تكلمت بعد نهيه إياك؟ فقال هشام: إنه لما كان أيام المهدي شدد على أصحاب الأهواء، و كتب له ابن المقعد صنوف الفرق صنفا صنفا، ثم قرأ الكتاب على الناس، فقال يونس: قد سمعت هذا الكتاب يقرأ على الناس على باب الذهب بالمدينة و مرة أخرى بمدينة الوضاح، فقال: إن ابن المقعد صنف لهم صنوف الفرق فرقة فرقة، حتى قال في كتابه: و فرقة منهم يقال لهم الزرارية و فرقة منهم يقال لهم العمارية أصحاب عمار الساباطي و فرقة يقال لها اليعفورية و منهم فرقة أصحاب سليمان الأقطع و فرقة يقال لها الجواليقية، قال يونس: و لم يذكر يومئذ هشام بن الحكم و لا أصحابه فزعم هشام ليونس أن أبا الحسن عليه السلام بعث إليه فقال له: كف هذه الأيام عن الكلام فإن الأمر شديد قال هشام: فكففت عن الكلام حتى مات المهدي و سكن الأمر فهذا الذي كان من أمره و انتهائي إلى قوله

Muhammad b. Masud al-Ayyashi – Jibril b. Ahmad al-Fariyabi – Muhammad b. Isa al-Ubaydi – Yunus who said: I said to Hisham: They claim that Aba al-Hasan عليه السلام sent Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj to you ordering you to keep silent and not to speak [in defense of the Madhhab] but you refused to accept his message to you. Inform me what was the reason for this? and did he really send to you prohibiting you from speaking or not? and did you speak after his prohibition?

Hisham said: back in the days of al-Mahdi - he [the Caliph] severely restricted those considered heterodox. Ibn al-Maq’ad wrote for him a treatise outlining all the different sects one after the other, this treatise was then read to the people.

Yunus said: I heard this treatise being read to the people at the Golden Gate of the city [Baghdad] and also another time in the town of Wadhah.

He continued: Ibn al-Maq’ad authored for them [the authorities] the classification of all sects one after the other, such that he even said in his treatise: ‘a sect among them called Zurariyya, and a sect among them called Ammariyya the companions of Ammar al-Sabati, and a sect called Ya’furiyya, a sect consisting of the companions of Sulayman al-Aqta, and a sect called the Jawaliqiyya’.

Yunus said: He did not name Hisham b. al-Hakam or his companions at that time.

Hisham asserted to Yunus that Aba al-Hasan عليه السلام had sent to him a message saying ‘abstain from speaking in these days for the matter is serious’.

Hisham said: I stopped speaking until al-Mahdi died and the matter became settled, this then is what he had ordered me to do and my abiding with his command.  

This confirms that the order was temporal and not for all time. Furthermore, the immediate cause which lead to al-Kadhim’s detention was his nephew Muhammad b. Ismail b. Ja’far [see No. 3.132]

 

[3/277] رجال الكشي: محمد بن نصير، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: أما كان لكم في أبي الحسن عليه السلام عظة؟! ما ترى حال هشام بن الحكم فهو الذي صنع بأبي الحسن ما صنع و قال لهم و أخبرهم أترى الله يغفر له ما ركب منا!

[3/277] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Nusayr from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from al-Husayn b. Sai’d from Ahmad b. Muhammad [b. Abi Nasr] from Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام who said: Is there not for you in [the case of] Abi al-Hasan [al-Kadhim] عليه السلام a warning! What do you think is the state of Hisham b. al-Hakam? For he is the one who did to Abi al-Hasan what he did, and he informed them and divulged to them [the secrets of the Madhhab]. Do you think Allah will forgive him what he has perpetrated on us!

 

[-/4] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن النضر بن سويد، عن هشام بن الحكم أنه سأل أبا عبدالله عليه السلام عن أسماء الله واشتقاقها: الله مما هو مشتق؟ قال: فقال لي: يا هشام الله مشتق من إله والاله يقتضي مألوها والاسم غير المسمى، فمن عبد الاسم دون المعنى فقد كفر ولم يعبد شيئا، ومن عبد الاسم والمعنى فقد كفر وعبد اثنين، ومن عبد المعنى دون الاسم فذاك التوحيد أفهمت يا هشام؟ قال: فقلت: زدني قال: إن لله تسعة وتسعين اسما فلو كان الاسم هو المسمى لكان كل اسم منها إلها ولكن الله معنى يدل عليه بهذه الاسماء وكلها غيره، يا هشام الخبز اسم للمأكول والماء اسم للمشروب والثوب اسم للملبوس والنار اسم للمحرق أفهمت يا هشام فهما تدفع به وتناضل به أعداءنا والمتخذين مع الله عزوجل غيره؟ قلت: نعم، قال: فقال: نفعك الله به وثبتك يا هشام، قال هشام فوالله ما قهرني أحد في التوحيد حتى قمت مقامي هذا

[4/-] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from al-Nadhr b. Suwayd from Hisham b. al-Hakam - that he asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام about the Names of Allah and their derivation saying: What is Allah derived from? He [Hisham] said: so he [the Imam] said to me: O Hisham, ‘Allah’ is derived from ‘ilah’ and ‘al-ilah’ connotes ‘the one who is worshipped’. 

The name is other than the named. Whoever worships the name without the meaning then he has disbelieved and has not worshipped anything. Whoever worships the name and the meaning then he has disbelieved and worshipped two [distinct things]. Whoever worships the meaning without the name then that is true monotheism. Have you understood O Hisham? 

He [Hisham] said: I said: increase for me. He said: Allah has ninety nine names, if the name was identical to what is named then every name among these [ninety-nine] would be a god, rather Allah is a meaning to which these names point to, and each one of them is other than him. 

O Hisham, ‘bread’ is a name for what is eaten, ‘water’ is a name for what is drunk, ‘clothes’ is a name for what is worn, ‘fire’ is a name for what burns, have you understood Hisham? an understanding through which you can repel and defeat our enemies and those who betake others apart from Allah Mighty and Majestic [alone]. 

I said: Yes. He said: May Allah benefit you by it and make you firm O Hisham.

Hisham said: by Allah no one has defeated me on the subject of Tawhid to this day when I stand in the position I do.   

NOTES:

This narration proves that the name ‘Allah’ (الله) is derived from ‘al-Ilah’ (الاله) which was contracted because of frequent usage.

‘al-Ilah’ is a verbal-noun from the verb ‘alaha’ (اله) - ‘he worshipped’

It works on the paradigm of al-fi’al (الفعال) with meaning of al-maf’ul (المفعول)

Thus ‘al-Ilah’ (الاله) has the meaning of the object-noun ‘al-Ma’luh’ (المألوه) i.e. ‘worshipped one’

 

[5/278] ارشاد المفيد: جعفر بن محمد بن قولويه، عن محمد بن يعقوب الكليني، عن علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن جماعة من رجاله، عن يونس بن يعقوب قال: كنت عند أبي عبد الله عليه السلام فورد عليه رجل من أهل الشام ... ثم قال: يا هشام لا تكاد تقع تلوي رجليك إذا هممت بالأرض طرت، مثلك فليكلم الناس، فاتق الزلة والشفاعة من ورائها إن شاء الله

[5/278] Irshad al-Mufid: Ja’far b. Muhammad b. Qulawayh from Muhammad b. Ya’qub al-Kulayni from Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from a number of his men from Yunus b. Ya’qub who said: I was at Abi Abdillah’s عليه السلام when a man from the people of Sham came … then he [the Imam] said: O Hisham, you never fall flat [settle on the ground], every time it seems that you are about to come to ground [i.e. be defeated] you just bend your legs [to able to leap] and off you fly away again. The likes of you should debate the people. Therefore be wary of slipping and you will find that succor is around the corner if Allah wills.

Edited February 19, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[MustafaMc]

Is the translation into English available for purchase in hard copy book form?

[Hameedeh]

4 hours ago, MustafaMc said:

Is the translation into English available for purchase in hard copy book form?

The Brother @Islamic Salvation is translating the ahadith himself from Arabic to English, because there is no English translation yet. May Allah bless him. 

[Islamic Salvation]

3.171. Hisham b. Salim

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/hisham-b-salim

 

Introduction

Hisham b. Salim was one of the closest companions of al-Sadiq and al-Kadhim. One only needs to look at the extant narrations under his name (they reach 663 in number) to get a sense of his prolific nature. He was a first rate theologian in the same caliber as Hisham b. al-Hakam, Zurara b. A’yan and Muhammad b. Ali b. al-Nu’man Mu’min al-Taq. His importance can be gleamed by noting that his theological positions are recorded in several proto-Sunni heresiographical works.

al-Najashi had this to say about him:

مولى بشر بن مروان، أبو الحكم، كان من سبي الجوزجان، روى عن أبي عبد الله وأبي الحسن عليهما السلام. ثقة ثقة، له كتاب يرويه جماعة

A client of Bishr b. Marwan. Abu al-Hakam. He was one of the captives from Jurjan [who were enslaved and then freed]. He narrated from Abi Abdillah and Abi al-Hasan عليهما السلام. Thiqa Thiqa. He has a book which is transmitted by a number.

Other titles attributed to him include:

كتابه الحج، وكتابه التفسير، وكتابه المعراج

A book on Hajj, a book of Tafsir and a book on the Mi’raj (heavenly journey).

له أصل، الجعفي، مولاهم، كوفي، أبو محمد

al-Tusi identifies him as an author of a jurisprudential Asl (primary notebook), gives his residence as Kufa, makes him out to be a client of the Shi’i-oriented tribe Ju’fi and declares his agnomen to be Abu Muhammad.

al-Barqi gives his profession when he says:

يقال له الجواليقي، ثم صار علافا

He is called al-Jawaliqi (the maker of sacks) then he became an Allaf (merchant in fodder).

 

[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

[1/279] 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.

NOTES:

Taqiyya meant that one could not talk about the identity of the Imam and indeed the whole affair of Wilaya to any average person on the street. The moral responsibility for this lifting of general guidance falls on the Umma as a whole who had turned their backs on the Wasiyya of their prophet and sidelined the Aimma from positions of authority. They had to withdraw and safeguard Islam by educating an elite who could preserve the original version of the religion. 

 

[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

[2/280] 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.  

NOTES:

There are a number of issues which call into question this narration’s authenticity despite the reliability of its chain.

- How are we to understand the claim that these great companions of al-Sadiq who were his foremost students did not have a clue about the identity of  the successor? And if this is the case with them then what hope for other ordinary lay people?

- What sense does it make for two great companions - Muhammad b. Ali b. al-Nu’man Mu’min al-Taq and Hisham b. Salim - to be considering converting to another sect merely because they have had one failed attempt to identify the successor? These were great theologians who had deep knowledge of all the different sects and had debated with other scholars to prove the superiority of the true Madhhab and expose the falsity of others.

What if al-Kadhim had remained in Taqiyya for longer - would this mean that they would have left the true Madhhab? Where is the duty of Intidhar (waiting for the Faraj)?

Perhaps this can be seen as a narrative device (embellishments to the story) to describe the magnitude of their feelings of hopelessness and despair.

- The narration describes Zurara entering in to meet al-Kadhim before accepting him as the Imam. This is a clear contradiction with several reliable narrations about Zurara being bed-ridden in Kufa at this time and having to send his son Ubayd to ascertain the situation in Madina [See Nos. 7/163, 8/164, and 9/165 in this collection]

Edited February 24, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

3.172. Yahya b. (Abi) al-Qasim Abu Basir

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/yahya-b-abi-al-qasim-abu-basir

 

[1/281] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن شعيب العقرقوفي قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: ربما احتجنا أن نسأل عن الشي‏ء فمن نسأل؟ قال: عليك بالأسدي، يعني أبا بصير

[1/281] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from Ya’qub b. Yazid from Ibn Abi Umayr from Shuayb al-Aqraqufi who said: I said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام: It may happen that we require to ask about something - so whom should we ask? He said: upon you is al-Asadi - meaning by it - Aba Basir.

NOTES:

This Abu Basir (d. 150) was a companion of the fifth and sixth Imams and was blind from birth.

Allamah Hilli quotes in his Khulasat al-Aqwal from the now lost Kitab al-Rijal of Sayyid Ali b. Ahmad al-Uqayqi as follows:

وقال علي بن أحمد العقيقي: يحيى بن القاسم الأسدي، مولاهم، ولد مكفوفا، رأى الدنيا مرتين، مسح أبو عبد الله عليه السلام على عينيه، وقال: انظر ما ترى؟ قال: أرى كوة في البيت وقد أرانيها أبوك من قبلك

Yahya b. al-Qasim al-Asadi, their client [of Bani Asad]. He was born blind. He saw the world twice. Abu Abdillah عليه السلام wiped his hands over his eyes and said: look - what do you see? He [Abu Basir] said: I see a window in the room. Your father had shown it to me before you.

That al-Baqir عليه السلام had already done a miracle of this nature once before has come in al-Kafi as below: 

عن عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن علي بن الحكم، عن مثنى الحناط، عن أبي بصير قال: دخلت على أبي جعفر عليه السلام فقلت له: أنتم ورثة رسول الله ص؟ قال: نعم، فقلت رسول الله ص وارث الأنبياء علم كل ما علموا؟ قال لي: نعم، قلت: فأنتم تقدرون على أن تحيوا الموتى وتبرءوا الأكمه والأبرص؟ قال: نعم بإذن الله، ثم قال لي: ادن مني يا أبا محمد، فدنوت منه فمسح على وجهي وعلى عيني فأبصرت الشمس والسماء والأرض والبيوت، وكل شيء في البلد، ثم قال لي: أتحب أن تكون هكذا، ولك ما للناس، وعليك ما عليهم يوم القيامة، أو تعود كما كنت ولك الجنة خالصا؟ قلت: أعود كماكنت، فمسح على عيني فعدت كما كنت، قال: فحدثت ابن أبي عمير بهذا، فقال: أشهد أن هذا حق، كما أن النهار حق

A numer of our companions – Ahmad b. Muhammad – Ali b. al-Hakam – Muthanna al-Hannat – Abi Basir who said: I entered in to see Abi Ja’far عليه السلام and said to him: Are you the successors of the Messenger of Allah? He said: Yes. I said: The Messenger of Allah is the inheritor of all the prophets – he knows all that which they knew? He said: Yes. I said: So you are capable of giving life to the dead and curing the blind and the leper? He said: Yes, with the permission of Allah. Then he [the Imam] said to me: Come closer to me O Aba Muhammad. I approached near him and he wiped over my face and my eyes so I could see the sun, and the sky, and the ground and the houses, and everything in the town. Then he said to me: Do you wish to remain like this, and for you is what is for the people [you enjoy the same rights], and on you is what is on them [of responsibility] on the day of judgment or do you wish to revert back to how you were and for you be paradise? I said: I revert back to how I was. He wiped over my eyes and I returned back to my former state.

I [Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa] narrated this to Ibn Abi Umayr so he said: I bear witness that this is true just as the day is true.

This blindness did not act as an obstacle in his way and Abu Basir became one of the greatest narrators and scholars of Shi’i Islam.

[Islamic Salvation]

3.173. Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/yunus-b-abd-al-rahman

 

Biographical Synopsis

The fact that Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman (d. 208) was a Mawla (non-Arab) has naturally led to speculation about his origins. His lineage is unknown beyond his first and last names. Both of these - Yunus (Jonah) the son of Abd al-Rahman (Servant of the All-Merciful)  - are generic and typical of new converts to Islam. Beyond this nothing can be said.

Indeed there was early speculation as to him being a foundling (orphaned boy with missing parents) who was adopted by the family of Yaqtin.

 علي بن محمد القتيبي قال سالت الفضل بن شاذان عن الحديث الذي روي في يونس انه لقيط آل يقطين قال كذب، ولد يونس في آخر زمان هشام بن عبد الملك ويقطين لم  يكن في ذلك الزمان انما كان في زمن ولد العباس

Ali b. Muhammad al-Qutaybi asked al-Fadhl b. Shadhan concerning what is reported about Yunus that he was a foundling of the family of Yaqtin. He (Fadhl) said: It is lies! Yunus was born towards the end of the reign of Hisham b. Abd al-Malik and Yaqtin was not there in those days, he was in the age of the descendants of Abbas.

While Fadhl denies the patronage of Yaqtin over Yunus from the earliest times, he does not dispute the basic fact of Yunus being a foundling. The fact that such a question could be asked shows how obscure his ancestry was.

It is only the egalitarian nature of Islam that allowed someone without any pedigree whatsoever to rise to the peak of society based on his intellectual abilities and devotion to the religion.      

This is what we find in al-Najashi’s entry on him:

يونس بن عبد الرحمن، مولى علي بن يقطين بن موسى، مولى بني أسد، أبو محمد: كان وجها في أصحابنا متقدما، عظيم المنزلة، ولد في أيام هشام بن عبد الملك، ورأى جعفر بن محمد عليه السلام بين الصفا والمروة ولم يرو عنه، وروى عن أبي الحسن موسى عليه السلام، والرضا عليه السلام، وكان الرضا عليه السلام يشير إليه في العلم والفتيا، وكان ممن بذل له على الوقف مال جزيل، فامتنع من أخذه وثبت على الحق ...

Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman. A Client of Ali b. Yaqtin b. Musa - himself a Client of the Bani Asad. Abu Muhammad. He was notable among our companions and possessed seniority. He had a great status. He was born in the reign of Hisham b. Abd al-Malik (reigned 105-125). He saw Ja’far b. Muhammad عليه السلام (d.148) between Safa and Marwa (from a distance) but did not narrate from him. He narrated from Abi al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام and al-Ridha عليه السلام. al-Ridha عليه السلام used to direct people to him as an authority in knowledge and jurisprudential reponsa. He was one of those who was sent a considerable amount to support Waqf (stopping at al-Kadhim and rejecting al-Ridha) but he refused to take it and remained firm upon the truth …         

و مدائح يونس كثيرة ليس هنا موضعها، وإنما ذكرنا هذا حتى لا نخليه من بعض حقوقه رحمه الله

The narrations in praise of Yunus are many but this not the place to enumerate them all. We have included this so that we do not fall short in fulfilling some of what is due to him. May Allah have mercy on him.       

Al-Tusi says:

له أكثر من ثلاثين كتابا

He authored more than thirty books. 

He occurs in the chains of at least 263 narrations accessible to us.

 

[1/282] مصابيح النور للمفيد: أبو القاسم جعفر بن محمد بن قولويه، عن علي بن الحسين بن بابويه، عن عبد الله بن جعفر الحميري، عن ابي هاشم داود بن القاسم الجعفري قال: عرضت على أبي محمد صاحب العسكر عليه السلام كتاب يوم وليلة ليونس، فقال لي: تصنيف من هذا؟ فقلت: تصنيف يونس مولى آل يقطين، فقال: أعطاه الله بكل حرف نورا يوم القيامة

[1/282] Masabih al-Nur of al-Mufid: Abu al-Qasim Ja’far b. Muhammad b. Qulawayh from Ali b. al-Husayn b. Babawayh from Abdallah b. Ja’far al-Himyari from Abi Hashim Dawud b. al-Qasim al-Ja’fari who said: I presented the book “Yawm wa Layla” of Yunus to Abi Muhammad al-Askari عليه السلام. He [the Imam] said to me: Who authored this? I said: It has been authored by Yunus the client of the family of Yaqtin. He said: May Allah give him for every letter a light on the day of judgment.

 

[2/283] رجال الكشي: إبراهيم بن المختار بن محمد بن العباس، عن علي بن الحسن بن فضال، عن أبيه، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام (في حق كتاب يونس): هذا ديني و دين آبائي و هو الحق كله

[2/283] Rijal al-Kashshi: Ibrahim b. al-Mukhtar b. Muhammad b. al-Abbas from Ali b. al-Hasan b. Fadhal from his father from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام (who said about the book of Yunus): This is my religion and the religion of my forefathers and it is the whole truth.

 

[3/284] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، عن اليقطيني، عن يونس قال: العبد الصالح عليه السلام: يا يونس ارفق بهم، فإن كلامك يدق عليهم قال: قلت: إنهم يقولون لي: زنديق، قال لي: ما يضرك أن تكون في يديك لؤلؤة فيقول لك الناس: هي حصاة، وما كان ينفعك إذا كان في يدك حصاة فيقول الناس: هي لؤلؤة

[3/284] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from al-Yaqtini from Yunus who said: The Righteous Servant [al-Kadhim] عليه السلام said: O Yunus - be more lenient towards them for your words are hard-hitting on them. I said: but they call me Zindiq! He said to me: What will it harm you if you have in your hands a pearl but the people say to you ‘it is a stone’, and what will it benefit you if you have in your hand a stone but the people say ‘it is a pearl’.

 

[4/285] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن أبو هاشم داود بن القاسم الجعفري، عن أبي جعفر بن الرضا عليهما السلام قال: سألته عن يونس، فقال: مولى آل يقطين؟ قلت: نعم، فقال لي: رحمه الله كان عبدا صالحا

[4/285] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from Muhammad b. Isa from Abu Hashim Dawud b. al-Qasim al-Ja’fari from Abi Ja’far b. al-Ridha عليهما السلام. He [Dawud] said: I asked him about Yunus so he said: the client of the family of Yaqtin? I said: Yes. He said to me: May Allah have mercy on Him, he was a righteous servant.

 

[5/286] رجال الكشي: محمد بن مسعود، عن محمد بن نصير، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن عبد العزيز ابن المهتدي قال: قلت لأبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام: جعلت فداك لا أكاد أصل إليك لأسألك عن كل ما أحتاج إليه من معالم ديني، أفيونس بن عبد الرحمن ثقة آخذ عنه ما أحتاج إليه من معالم ديني فقال: نعم

[5/286] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Masud from Muhammad b. Nusayr from Muhammad b. Isa from Abd al-Aziz b. al-Muhtadi who said: I said to Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام: May I be made your ransom - I cannot always reach you to ask you all that which I need from the teachings of my religion, is Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman Thiqa (trustworthy) and can I take from him what I need from the teachings of my religion? He said: Yes.   

 

[6/287] رجال الكشي: حمدويه و إبراهيم ابنا نصير، عن العبيدي، عن هشام بن إبراهيم الختلي و هو المشرقي قال: قال لي أبو الحسن الخراساني عليه السلام: كيف تقولون في الاستطاعة بعد يونس؟ فذهب فيها  مذهب زرارة و مذهب زرارة هو الخطاء! ...

[6/287] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh and Ibrahim the sons of Nusayr from al-Ubaydi from Hisham b. Ibrahim al-Khatli [al-Mashriqi] who said: Abu al-Hasan al-Khurasani عليه السلام said to me: What do you say regarding Istita’a (Human capacity to act) after Yunus? For he (Yunus) has subscribed to the opinion of Zurara while the opinion of Zurara is wrong! ... 

 

[7/288] رجال الكشي: حمدويه و إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن هشام المشرقي إنه دخل على أبي الحسن الخراساني عليه السلام فقال: إن أهل البصرة سألوا عن الكلام، فقالوا: إن يونس يقول إن الكلام ليس بمخلوق فقلت لهم: صدق يونس إن الكلام ليس بمخلوق، أما بلغكم قول أبي جعفر عليه السلام حين سئل عن القرآن أخالق هو أو مخلوق؟ فقال لهم ليس بخالق و لا مخلوق إنما هو كلام الخالق، فقويت أمر يونس، و قالوا: إن يونس يقول إن من السنة أن يصلي الإنسان ركعتين و هو جالس بعد العتمة؟ فقلت: صدق يونس

[7/288] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh and Ibrahim from Muhammad b. Isa from Hisham al-Mashriqi - that he entered in to see Abi al-Hasan al-Khurasani عليه السلام who said: The people of Basra asked about ‘the divine speech’ and said: Yunus says that ‘the divine speech’ is not created. I said to them: Yunus has spoken the truth - ‘the divine speech’ is not created. Has the statement of Abi Ja’far عليه السلام not reached you when he was asked about the Qur’an ‘is it creator or created?’ He said to them: It is not creator nor created, rather it is the speech of the creator. In this way the position of Yunus was strengthened. They also said: Yunus says that it is from the Sunna for a man to pray two units while seated after the final Isha prayer? I said: Yunus has spoken the truth.  

 

[8/289] رجال الكشي: محمد بن مسعود، عن محمد بن نصير، عن محمد بن عيسى قال: أخبرني يونس أن أبا الحسن عليه السلام ضمن لي الجنة من النار

[8/289] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Masud from Muhammad b. Nusayr from Muhammad b. Isa who said: Yunus informed me that Aba al-Hasan عليه السلام had guaranteed protection from the fire for him.

 

[9/290] امالي الصدوق: محمد بن الحسن بن الوليد، عن محمد بن الحسن الصفار، عن العباس بن معروف، عن علي بن مهزيار قال: كتبت إلى أبي جعفر الثاني عليهما السلام: جعلت فداك اصلي خلف من يقول بالجسم ومن يقول بقول يونس، يعني ابن عبد الرحمن؟ فكتب عليه السلام: لا تصلوا خلفهم، ولا تعطوهم من الزكاة، وابرؤوا منهم، برئ الله منهم

[290/9] Amali of al-Saduq: Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. al-Walid from Muhammad b. al-Hassan al-Saffar from al-Abbas b. Ma’ruf from Ali b. Mahziyar who said: I wrote to Abi Ja’far the Second عليه السلام: May I be made your ransom - should I pray behind the one who believes in ‘a corporeal body (for God)’ and the one who follows the position of Yunus, that is the son of Abd al-Rahman? He عليه السلام wrote: Do not pray behind them nor give them anything of the Zakat. Disassociate from them - Allah has disassociated from them.

NOTES:

Yunus was a controversial figure because he was one of the few Shi’i practitioners of Kalam (associated with the school of Hisham).

ضعفه القميون، وهو ثقة

al-Tusi notes that the Qummis had weakened him while he (and later consensus) considers him Thiqa.

What lies at the root of this controversy was the differential attitude of the Imams towards engagement in Kalam (speculative theology). The early Shīʿī mutakallimūn were constantly challenged by the overwhelming majority of their co-religionists who defined their role as unquestioningly receiving and transmitting what they had learned from the Imams alone and thus refraining from engaging in theological debates. These traditionists blamed the mutakallimūn for challenging the authority of the Imams when expressing independent views.

Sometimes the way in which the mutakallimūn expressed certain ideas was not understood by the majority [See No. 3/284] which led to suspicion towards them.

It is important to note however that the prominent Shīʿī mutakallimūn were at the same time disciples of the Imams and their faithful transmitters. They derived their doctrinal notions by and large from the teachings of the Imams, whom they considered as the ultimate source of knowledge.  They relegated reason to the role of a means in dialectic. Doctrinally, the mutakallimūn were thus in basic agreement with their opponents among the traditionists as to the authority of the Imam and the need to submit to them when corrected.

As to the particular accusation against the school of Hisham and Yunus regarding their positions on Tawhid and whether the ‘Aimma excommunicated them as this Hadith suggests then it needs a separate monograph which is forthcoming God willing.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

3.174. Yunus b. Dhabayn

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/yunus-b-dhabyan

 

[1/291] رجال الكشي: محمد بن قولويه القمي، عن سعد بن عبد الله، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس قال: سمعت رجلا من الطيارة يحدث أبا الحسن الرضا عليه السلام عن يونس بن ظبيان أنه قال: كنت في بعض الليالي و أنا في الطواف فإذا نداء من فوق رأسي يا يونس إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَ أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ لِذِكْرِي فرفعت رأسي فأذا ج فغضب أبو الحسن عليه السلام غضبا لم يملك نفسه ثم قال للرجل: اخرج عني لعنك الله و لعن من حدثك و لعن يونس بن ظبيان ألف لعنة يتبعها ألف لعنة كل لعنة منها تبلغك قعر جهنم اشهد ما ناداه إلا شيطان أما إن يونس مع أبي الخطاب في أشد العذاب مقرونان و أصحابهما إلى ذلك الشيطان مع فرعون و آل فرعون في أشد العذاب سمعت ذلك من أبي عليه السلام قال يونس: فقام الرجل من عنده فما بلغ الباب إلا عشر خطا حتى صرع مغشيا عليه و قد قاء رجيعه و حمل ميتا، فقال أبو الحسن عليه السلام: أتاه ملك بيده عمود فضرب على هامته ضربة قلب فيها مثانته حتى قاء رجيعه و عجل الله بروحه إلى الهاوية و ألحقه بصاحبه الذي حدثه، بيونس بن ظبيان، و رأى الشيطان الذي كان يتراءى له

[1/291] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Qulawayh al-Qummi from Sa’d b. Abdallah from Muhammad b. Isa from Yunus who said: I heard a man from the Tayyara recounting for Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام that Yunus b. Dhabyan had said: I was making the Tawaf in one of the nights when I heard a call coming from above my head saying: ‘O Yunus - it is I who am Allah there is no god except Me - so worship Me and establish the prayer for my remembrance’ (20:14). I raised my head to look up and lo and behold it was “J” (alluding to Jibril). 

Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام became furious at hearing this, a fury such that he could barely control himself and said to the man: Get away from me may Allah curse you, may He curse the one who reported this to you, and may He curse Yunus b. Dhabyan a thousand curses followed by another thousand curses, each curse sufficient to expel you to a pit of Hell. I bear witness that no one called out to him except a Shaytan. Verily Yunus is together with Abi al-Khattab in the severest of punishments, bound together with their followers unto that Shaytan, together with Firaun and the people of Firaun in the severest of punishments. I heard this from my father عليه السلام 

Yunus [b. Abd al-Rahman] said: The man stood up to depart, he had not reached the door and made but ten steps when he fell unconscious, vomited out his excrement and was carried away dead. Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: An angel bearing a column came to him and struck him on the head such a blow that his bladder reversed [upside down] and he vomited excretion. Allah hastened his soul to the Hawiya and joined him with his fellow who informed him of this, with Yunus b. Dhabyan, and he saw the Shaytan who used to appear to him.  

NOTES:

Look at the report below to get a sense of the perversity of this Yunus.

و عن أحمد بن عليّ، عن الآدمي، عن أبي القاسم عبد الرحمن بن حمّاد، عن ابن فضّال، عن غالب بن عثمان، عن عمّار بن أبي عتيبة قال: هلكت بنت لأبي الخطّاب، فلمّا دفنها أطلع يونس بن ظبيان في قبرها، فقال: السلام عليك يا بنت رسول اللّه

Ahmad b. Ali – al-Adami – Abi al-Qasim Abd al-Rahman b. Hammad  - Ibn Fadhal – Ghalib b. Uthman – Ammar b. Abi Utayba who said: A daughter of Abi al-Khattab died. When she had been buried Yunus b. Dhabyan looked at the grave and said: Peace be upon you O daughter of the Messenger of Allah!

This indicates that he considered Abu al-Khattab to be a prophet.

This is how Yunus b. Dhabyan is described in the works of the early Rijal scholars.

ذكر الفضل في بعض كتبه: من الكذّابين المشهورين: أبو الخطّاب و يونس بن ظبيان

al-Fadhl [b. Shadhan] mentioned in one of his books: Among the infamous liars are Abu al-Khattab and Yunus b. Dhabyan.

كوفي غال وضّاع للحديث، روى عن أبي عبد اللّه عليه السّلام لا يلتفت إلى حديثه

Ibn al-Ghadhairi: Kufan. Ghali. Fabricator of narrations. He narrated from Abi Abdillah عليه السّلام. No consideration is given to his narrations.

مولى ضعيف جدّا، لا يلتفت إلى ما رواه، كلّ كتبه تخليط

al-Najashi: Client. Very weak. No consideration is given to what he transmitted. All his books are full of corrupt material.

al-Muhsini says: Despite this, the same Yunus b. Dhabyan appears in the chains of the narrations found in Kamil al-Ziyarat and Tafsir al-Qummi. What is baffling is that the teacher Sayyid al-Khoei believes in the Wathaqa of all those who occur in the chains of these two books except the one who has explicit Jarh. He believes that the two authors do not narrate in their respective books except from those they consider Thiqa. 

By my life! Isn’t the presence of such an individual in the chains of the two books a strong enough evidence to disprove what the teacher had postulated. I had previously written to him from Islamabad the capital of Pakistan that ‘your book Mu’jam Rijal al-Hadith is a useful and insightful book which has no parallel but if only it did not contain these Tawthiqat which are based on the occurrence of narrators in the chains of Kamil al-Ziyarat and Tafsir al-Qummi!’

He did in the end retract his opinion with regards Tawthiqat from Kamil al-Ziyarat. 

[Aquib Rizvi]

On 3/18/2018 at 12:19 AM, Islamic Salvation said:

He did in the end retract his opinion with regards Tawthiqat from Kamil al-Ziyarat. 

Assalaamualeykum,

Did Sayyed al-Khoei retracted from Tafsir al-Qummi opinion, I read somewhere in this forum that he did.

Wa aleykumsalaam

[Islamic Salvation]

On 3/19/2018 at 9:05 AM, Aquib Rizvi said:

Assalaamualeykum,

Did Sayyed al-Khoei retracted from Tafsir al-Qummi opinion, I read somewhere in this forum that he did.

Wa aleykumsalaam

Wa Alaykum Salaam

Look at this q/a from Shaykh al-Radhy

هل رجع الخوئي عن القول بوثاقة رجال تفسير القمي؟

الإجابة

سيدنا الأستاذ السيد الخوئي ( قدس سره ) رجع في رأيه عن القول بوثاقة كل رواة كامل الزيارات واقتصر على مشايخ ابن قولويه المباشرين – كما هو الصحيح - أما ما جاء في تفسير القمي فلم يتغير رأيه ونحن نختلف معه في هذه الحيثية

Did al-Khoei return from his belief about the Wathaqa of all the narrators found in Tafsir al-Qummi?

Answer:

The Sayyid our teacher al-Khoei [qs] returned from his opinion about all the narrators of Kamil az-Ziyarat being Thiqah, and he limited this to the direct Mashayikh of Ibn Qulawayh - and this is correct (i.e. that only the direct Mashayikh are Thiqat according to al-Radhy ) - as for Tafsir al-Qummi, then he did not change his opinion, and we differ with him on this.

[Islamic Salvation]

3.175. Yunus b. Ya’qub

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/yunus-b-yaqub

 

[1/292] رجال الكشي: علي بن الحسن بن علي بن فضال، عن محمد بن الوليد، عن يونس بن يعقوب قال: دخلت على أبي الحسن موسى عليه السلام قال: فقلت له: جعلت فداك إن أباك كان يرق علي و يرحمني، فإن رأيت أن تنزلني بتلك المنزلة فعلت قال: فقال لي: يا يونس إني دخلت على أبي و بين يديه حيس أو هريسة، فقال: ادن يا بني فكل من هذا هذا بعث به إلينا يونس أنه من شيعتنا القدماء، فنحن لك حافظون

[1/292] Rijal al-Kashshi: Ali b. al-Hasan b. Ali b. Fadhal from Muhammad b. al-Walid from Yunus b. Ya’qub who said: I entered in to see Abi al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام and said to him: May I be made your ransom, your father used to act kindly towards me and treat me with compassion, if you deem it proper to hold me in the same regard then you could do so. He [the Imam] said to me: O Yunus, I once entered in to see my father and there was in front of him a sweet dish [made of dates, butter and barley]. He said to me ‘Come near O son and eat from this, this was sent to us by Yunus, he is one of our oldest followers’. Therefore we will protect you.   

قال أبو النضر: سمعت علي بن الحسن يقول: مات يونس بن يعقوب بالمدينة، فبعث إليه أبو الحسن الرضا عليه السلام بحنوطه و كفنه و جميع ما يحتاج إليه، و أمر مواليه و موالي أبيه و جده أن يحصروا جنازته، و قال لهم هذا مولى لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام كان يسكن العراق، و قال لهم احفروا له في البقيع، فإن قال لكم أهل المدينة إنه عراقي و لا ندفنه في البقيع فقولوا لهم هذا مولى لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام و كان يسكن العراق، فإن منعتمونا أن ندفنه بالبقيع منعناكم أن تدفنوا مواليكم في البقيع، و وجه أبو الحسن علي بن موسى عليه السلام إلى زميلة محمد بن الحباب و كان رجلا من أهل الكوفة صل عليه أنت

Abu al-Nadhr said: I heard Ali b. al-Hasan saying: Yunus b. Ya’qub died in Madina so Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام sent the Hunut [camphor], shroud and all that which would be required [for the dead body]. He also ordered his Mawali and the Mawali of his father and grandfather to accompany his body [in the procession] and said to them ‘this is a Mawla of Abi Abillah who used to reside in Iraq’. He told them ‘dig his grave in al-Baqi, if one of the people of Madina were to say to you that he is an Iraqi and we will not allow him to be buried in al-Baqi then say to them - this is a Mawla of Abi Abdillah who used to reside in Iraq, if you prevent us burying him in al-Baqi then we will prevent you from burying your Mawali in al-Baqi’. Abu al-Hasan Ali b. Musa عليه السلام sent an instruction to his [Yunus’s] associate Muhammad b. al-Habbab who was a man from the people of Kufa ‘lead his funeral prayer’.

علي بن الحسن قال: حدثني محمد بن الوليد قال: رءاني صاحب المقبرة و أنا عند القبر بعد ذلك، فقال لي: من هذا الرجل صاحب القبر فإن أبا الحسن علي بن موسى عليه السلام أوصاني به، و أمرني أن أرش قبره أربعين شهرا أو أربعين يوما في كل يوم، قال أبو الحسن: الشك مني، قال: و قال لي صاحب المقبرة: إن السرير عندي يعني سرير النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، فإذا مات رجل من بني هاشم صر السرير، فأقول أيهم مات حتى أعلم بالغداة، فصر السرير في الليلة التي مات فيها هذا الرجل، فقلت لا أعرف أحدا منهم مريضا فمن الذي مات فلما كان من الغد جاءوا فأخذوا مني السرير، و قالوا لي: مولى لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام كان يسكن العراق

Ali b. al-Hasan from Muhammad b. al-Walid who said: The caretaker of the graveyard [al-Baqi] saw me near the grave after this. He said to me: Who is the man buried in this grave? For Abu al-Hasan Ali b. Musa عليه السلام exhorted me about him and ordered me to sprinkle water on his grave every day for a period of fourty months or days [Abu al-Hasan Ibn Fadhal said: this doubt originates from me]. He [Muhammad b. al-Walid] said: The caretaker of the graveyard also said: I have in my possession the bier that was used to carry the body of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. Whenever a man from the Bani Hashim dies the bier cries out [makes a sound] and I would say [to myself] ‘which one of them has died?’ coming to know the next day. The bier cried out on the night that this man died, I said [to myself] ‘I do not know of any one of them [the Bani Hashim] being sick - so who could have died?’ when it was the morrow they came and took from me the bier and said to me: [It is] a Mawla of Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who used to live in Iraq [who has died].    

 

[2/293] رجال الكشي: علي بن الحسن، عن محمد بن الوليد، عن صفوان بن يحيى قال: قلت لأبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام: جعلت فداك سرني ما فعلت بيونس قال: فقال لي: أليس مما صنع الله ليونس أن نقله من العراق إلى جوار نبيه صلى الله عليه و آله

[2/293] Rijal al-Kashshi: Ali b. al-Hasan from Muhammad b. al-Walid from Safwan b. Yahya who said: I said to Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام: May I be made your ransom, what you did for Yunus [b. Ya’qub] has greatly pleased me [the Imam supervised his burial rites]. He [the Imam] said to me: Is it not part of what Allah did for Yunus [favoured him] that He transferred him from Iraq to the vicinity of His prophet صلى الله عليه و آله [before his death]

NOTES:

Yunus was a resident of Kufa but happened to travel to Madina and expired there. There was a divine hand behind this according to the Imam for there is great merit in being buried in the City of the Prophet.

 

[-/3] رجال الكشي: علي بن الحسن، عن عباس بن عامر، عن يونس بن يعقوب قال: كتبت إلى أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أسأله أن يدعو الله لي أن يجعلني ممن ينتصر به لدينه فلم يجبني، فاغتممت لذلك، قال يونس: فأخبرني بعض أصحابنا أنه كتب إليه بمثل ما كتبت فأجابه و كتب في أسفل كتابه: يرحمك الله إنما ينتصر الله لدينه بشر خلقه

[3/-] Rijal al-Kashshi: Ali b. al-Hasan from Abbas b. A’mir from Yunus b. Ya’qub who said: I wrote to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام asking him to supplicate to Allah that He makes me among those through whom he gives victory to His religion - but he did not answer me. I became saddened because of that. Yunus said: One of our companions later informed me that he had written to him with a similar request and was answered by him [the Imam] who wrote at the bottom of the letter ‘May Allah have mercy on you, verily Allah gives victory to His religion via the worst of his creatures’

NOTES:

Many a greedy tyrant acts short-sightedly leading to the opposite effect of strengthening the religion. God also uses the tyrants to terrorize his enemies as a punishment for their complicity.     

 

Who was Yunus b. Ya’qub?

al-Najashi says:

يونس بن يعقوب بن قيس أبو علي الجلاب البجلي الدهني: أمه منية بنت عمار بن أبي معاوية الدهني، أخت معاوية بن عمار، اختص بأبي عبد الله عليه السلام، وأبي الحسن عليه السلام، وكان يتوكل لأبي الحسن عليه السلام، ومات بالمدينة في أيام الرضا عليه السلام، فتولى أمره وكان حظيا عندهم موثقا، وكان قد قال بعبد الله، ورجع، له كتاب الحج

Yunus b. Ya’qub b. Qays, Abu Ali al-Jallab, al-Bajali al-Duhni. His mother was Munya the daughter of Ammar the father of Muawiya al-Duhni, the sister of Muawiya b. Ammar [the famous companion of al-Sadiq]. He became very close to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام and Abi al-Hasan [al-Kadhim] عليه السلام. He acted as a Wakil for Abi al-Hasan [al-Kadhim] عليه السلام. He died in Madina in the time of al-Ridha عليه السلام and the latter [the Imam] supervised his affair [burial rites]. He was very estimable in their eyes and trust-worthy. He had accepted Abdallah [al-Aftah] as the Imam [after al-Sadiq] for a time, and then returned [to the truth]. He has a book on Hajj. 

His status can be gleamed from the report below:

علي بن محمد، قال حدثني محمد بن أحمد، عن محمد بن عبد الحميد، عن يونس بن يعقوب قال: كتبت إلى أبي الحسن عليه السلام في شي‏ء كتبت إليه فيه يا سيدي فقال للرسول قل له إنك أخي

Ali b. Muhammad from Muhammad b. Ahmad from Muhammad b. Abd al-Hamid from Yunus b. Ya’qub who said: I wrote to Abi al-Hasan عليه السلام about something and addressed him in it as ‘O my master’ so he [the Imam] said to the messenger [who had delivered my letter] ‘say to him - you are my brother’

His prolific nature can be observed by noting that he has appeared in the chains of 314 narrations.

Edited March 28, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

3.176. Abu Sai’d al-Khudri

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/abu-said-al-khudri

 

[1/294] رجال الكشي: حمدويه، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن الحسين بن عثمان، عن ذريح قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: كان علي بن الحسين عليهما السلام يقول: إني أكره للرجل أن يعافى في الدنيا و لا يصيبه شي‏ء من المصائب، ثم ذكر أن أبا سعيد الخدري كان مستقيما نزع ثلاثة أيام فغسله أهله ثم حمل إلى مصلاه فمات فيه

[1/294] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh from Ya’qub b. Yazid from Ibn Abi Umayr from al-Husayn b. Uthman from Dharih who said: I heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: Ali b. al-Husayn عليهما السلام used to say: I dislike it for a man to be given good-health all his life in the Dunya and remain untouched by trials. 

Then he mentioned that Aba Sai’d al-Khudri was upright [on the true path]. He [Abu Sai’d] fell ill for three whole days so his family bathed him and carried him to his prayer-niche wherein he died.

NOTES:

Abu Sai’d al-Khudri was a famous companion of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله

[Islamic Salvation]

3.177. Abu Musa al-Banna

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/abu-musa-al-banna

 

[1/295] رجال الكشي: حمدويه وابراهيم ابنا نصير، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن الحكم قال: دخل أبو موسى البناء على أبي عبد الله عليه‌ السلام مع نفر من أصحابه، فقال لهم أبو عبد الله عليه‌ السلام: احتفظوا بهذا الشيخ! قال: فذهب على وجهه في طريق مكة، فذهب من قزح فلم ير بعد ذلك

[1/295] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh and Ibrahim the sons of Nusayr from Muhammad b. Isa from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham b. al-Hakam who said: Abu Musa al-Banna entered in to see Abi Abdillah عليه السلام accompanied by a number of his companions. Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said to them [i.e. the companions]: Take care of this old man [i.e. Abu Musa]! 

He [Hisham] said: Thereafter Abu Musa set off on the road to Makka to attend to his affairs. He departed from Quzah and was never seen again [was lost in the desert].

NOTES:

Thus the meaning of the Imam’s words to the companions of Abu Musa were understood i.e. the old man was in danger of getting lost! 

Quzah is a geographical location, specifically, a mountain in Muzdalifa.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Follower of Ahlulbayt]

8 hours ago, Islamic Salvation said:

3.177. Abu Musa al-Banna

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/abu-musa-al-banna

 

[1/295] رجال الكشي: حمدويه وابراهيم ابنا نصير، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن الحكم قال: دخل أبو موسى البناء على أبي عبد الله عليه‌ السلام مع نفر من أصحابه، فقال لهم أبو عبد الله عليه‌ السلام: احتفظوا بهذا الشيخ! قال: فذهب على وجهه في طريق مكة، فذهب من قزح فلم ير بعد ذلك

[1/295] Rijal al-Kashshi: Hamduwayh and Ibrahim the sons of Nusayr from Muhammad b. Isa from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham b. al-Hakam who said: Abu Musa al-Banna entered in to see Abi Abdillah عليه السلام accompanied by a number of his companions. Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said to them [i.e. the companions]: Take care of this old man [i.e. Abu Musa]! 

He [Hisham] said: Thereafter Abu Musa set off on the road to Makka to attend to his affairs. He departed from Quzah and was never seen again [was lost in the desert].

NOTES:

Thus the meaning of the Imam’s words to the companions of Abu Musa were understood i.e. the old man was in danger of getting lost! 

Quzah is a geographical location, specifically, a mountain in Muzdalifa.

salam brother. Do you know how on the site - https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators we can see the notes. Here after you mention the hadith, the notes are given but i can't see notes on the site

[Islamic Salvation]

16 hours ago, Follower of Ahlulbayt said:

salam brother. Do you know how on the site - https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators we can see the notes. Here after you mention the hadith, the notes are given but i can't see notes on the site

W. Salam akhi.

I did not upload the notes on the google site.

However you can see them here: http://corpus.purifiedhousehold.com/muʿjam-al-aḥadith-al-muʿtabara/

[Islamic Salvation]

3.178. - 3.182. Asma bt. Umays, Salma, Maymuna, Umm al-Fadhl, al-Ghumaysa, Hamida, and Azza

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-narrators/asma-bt-umays-salma-maymuna-umm-al-fadhl-al-ghumaysa-hamida-and-azza

 

[-/1] رجال الكشي: محمد بن قولويه و الحسين بن الحسن بن بندار القميان، عن سعد بن عبد الله بن أبي خلف القمي، عن الحسن بن موسى الخشاب و محمد بن عيسى بن عبيد، عن علي بن أسباط، عن عبد الله بن سنان قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: ... محمد بن أبي بكر رحمة الله عليه أتته النجابة من قبل أمه أسماء بنت عميس ...

[1/-] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Qulawayh al-Qummi and al-Husayn b. al-Hasan b. Bundar al-Qummi from Sa’d b. Abdallah b. Abi Khalaf al-Qummi from al-Hasan b. Musa al-Khashshab and Muhammad b. Isa b. Ubayd from Ali b. Asbat from Abdallah b. Sinan who said: I heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: … Muhammad b. Abi Bakr - May Allah’s mercy be upon him - his noble descent was from his mother Asma bt. Umays [not his father] ... 

 

[2/296] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن حماد، عن حريز، عن زرارة، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام أن أسماء بنت عميس نفست بمحمد بن أبي بكر فأمرها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله حين أرادت الاحرام من ذي الحليفة أن تحتشي بالكرسف والخرق وتهل بالحج ...

[2/296] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from Hammad from Hariz from Zurara from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام who said: Asma bt. Umays had the Nifas [post-natal bleeding] of Muhammad b. Abi Bakr [after delivering him] and wanted to assume Ihram at Dhi al-Hulayfa so the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله ordered her to stuff pieces of cotton and rags [to stop the blood flow] and enter into Ihram [proclaim Talbiyya] for Hajj ... 

 

[3/297] الخصال: أبي، عن سعد بن عبد الله، عن أحمد بن محمد ابن عيسى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر البزنطي، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: رحم الله الاخوات من أهل الجنة فسماهن: أسماء بنت عميس الخثعمية وكانت تحت جعفر بن أبي طالب عليه السلام، وسلمى بنت عميس الخثعمية وكانت تحت حمزة، وخمس من بني هلال: ميمونة بنت الحارث كانت تحت النبي صلى الله عليه واله، وام الفضل عند العباس اسمها هند، والغميصاء ام خالد بن الوليد، وعزة كانت في ثقيف عند الحجاج بن غلاظ، وحميدة ولم يكن لها عقب 

[3/297] al-Khisal: My father from Sa’d b. Abdallah from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Abi Nasr al-Bazanti from A’sim b. Humayd from Abi Basir from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام. He [Abi Basir] said: I heard him [the Imam] saying: May Allah have mercy on the sisters among the inhabitants of paradise and he named them: Asma bt. Umays al-Khath’amiyya who was married to Ja’far b. Abi Talib عليه السلام and Salma bt. Umays al-Khath’amiyya who was married to Hamza.

Also on five [women] from the Bani Hilal: Maymuna bt. al-Harith who was married to the Prophet صلى الله عليه واله. Umm al-Fadhl who was married to al-Abbas [b. Abd al-Muttalib] and her name was Hind. al-Ghumaysa the mother of Khalid b. al-Walid. Azza who was with the [tribe of] Thaqif and married to al-Hajjaj b. Ghiladh. Finally Hamida who had no children.  

[Islamic Salvation]

3.183. Umm Salama

There will come in the chapter about the wives of the prophet narrations pertaining to Umm Salama, the mother of the believers. It is said that she was the best of his wives after Khadija. It is sufficient honour for her that al-Husayn deposited with her the testament and the books before heading out to Iraq, saying to her: ‘when the eldest of my sons comes to you then hand over what I gave you to him’. When al-Husayn was martyred, Ali b. al-Husayn came to Umm Salama and she handed over to him all that which al-Husayn had given her [as will come in its relevant section].

Know also that the one who studies this encyclopedia may come across the names of a number of narrators [and narrations which concern their status either directly or indirectly] which have not been included in this ‘book of narrators’, thus we do not claim to have been totally comprehensive - and it is only Allah who facilitates and to Him is the return.

It will also come about Umm Ayman that she is from the inhabitants of Janna.     

[Islamic Salvation]

That is the end of كتاب الرجال (Book of Narrators) --- Next is كتاب التوحيد (Book of Divine Unity) 

       - The blessed night of the Wilada of the Wasi - 13th Rajab 1439 AH 

[Abu Nur]

3 hours ago, Islamic Salvation said:

That is the end of كتاب الرجال (Book of Narrators) --- Next is كتاب التوحيد (Book of Divine Unity) 

       - The blessed night of the Wilada of the Wasi - 13th Rajab 1439 AH 

JazakAllah Khayran Brother, May Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى bless you and give you mercy. You are in my prayers.

[Islamic Salvation]

كتاب التوحيد

The Book of Divine Unity

 

4.1. Divine Unity and Negation of any Partnership in Essence, Creation, Worship and Regulation of the Universe

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-divine-unity/divine-unity-and-negation-of-any-partnership-in-essence-creation-worship-and-regulation-of-the-universe

 

[1/298] التوحيد: ابن إدريس، عن أبيه، عن ابن هاشم، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن سالم قال: سئل أبو عبد الله عليه السلام فقيل له: بم عرفت ربك؟ قال: بفسخ العزم ونقض الهم، عزمت ففسخ عزمي، وهممت فنقض همي

[1/298] al-Tawhid: Ibn Idris from his father from Ibn Hashim from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham b. Salim who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام was asked: By what (thing) did you know your Lord? He said: By the dissolution of resolutions and the invalidation of plans. I resolved but He dissolved my resolution and I planned but He invalidated my plan. 

 

[2/299] التوحيد ومعاني الاخبار: أبي، عن محمد العطار، عن ابن عيسى، عن أبي هاشم الجعفري قال: سألت أبا جعفر الثاني عليه السلام ما معنى الواحد؟ قال: المجتمع عليه بجميع الالسن بالوحدانية

[2/299] al-Tawhid and Ma’ani al-Akhbar: My father from Muhammad al-Attar from Ibn Isa from Abi Hashim al-Ja’fari who said: I asked Aba Ja’far the Second عليه السلام - what is the meaning of ‘the One’? He said: Whose Oneness is united upon in all tongues (languages).

NOTES:

Any human who is upon the undistorted Fitra (primordial nature) when asked a fundamental questions like - who created you - will always return to the ‘One being’. As the verse says: 

وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ

And if you were to ask them about who created them - they will say Allah (43:87)

 

[3/300] العلل: أبي، عن سعد، عن ابن عيسى، عن محمد البرقي، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن حريز، عن جعفر بن محمد عليهما السلام في قول الله عزوجل: وَقَالُوا لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا ، قال: كانوا يعبدون الله عزوجل فماتوا فضج قومهم وشق ذلك عليهم، فجاءهم إبليس لعنه الله فقال لهم: أتخذ لكم أصناما على صورهم فتنظرون إليهم وتأنسون بهم وتعبدون الله، فأعد لهم أصناما على مثالهم فكانوا يعبدون الله عزوجل، وينظرون إلى تلك الاصنام، فلما جاءهم الشتاء والامطار أدخلوا الاصنام البيوت فلم يزالوا يعبدون الله عزوجل حتى هلك ذلك القرن ونشأ أولادهم، فقالوا: إن آباءنا كانوا يعبدون هؤلاء، فعبدوهم من دون الله عزوجل، فذلك قول الله تبارك و تعالى: وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُوَاعًا

[3/300] al-Ilal: My father from Sa’d from Ibn Isa from Muhammad al-Barqi from Hammad b. Isa from Hariz from Ja’far b. Muhammad عليهما السلام about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic: “They said: do not abandon your gods. Do not abandon Wadd, Suwa’, Yaghuth, Ya’uq and Nasr” (71:23) - He said: They (the people named in the verse) used to worship Allah Mighty and Majestic then they died. Their people cried out (because of that) and it weighed heavily on them. Iblis - curse of Allah be upon him - came to them and said: ‘I will make idols for you in their image, you will look at them and obtain comfort while continuing to worship Allah’. He made for them idols in their likeness. They used to worship Allah Mighty and Majestic and look upon those idols. When winter and the rains came they transferred the idols inside their houses. They continued worshipping Allah Mighty and Majestic until that generation died out and their sons grew up. They (the second generation) said: ‘Our fathers used to worship these (idols)’ so they began worshipping them instead of Allah Mighty and Majestic. This then is the interpretation of the words of Allah Blessed and Elevated: “Do not abandon Wadd nor Suwa’a …”        

 

[4/301] التوحيد: أبي، عن سعد، عن ابن عيسى، عن ابن فضال، عن الحلبي وزرارة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن الله تبارك وتعالى أحد صمد، ليس له جوف، وإنما الروح خلق من خلقه نصر وتأييد وقوة يجعله الله في قلوب الرسل والمؤمنين

[4/301] al-Tawhid: My father from Sa’d from Ibn Isa from Ibn Fadhal from al-Halabi and Zurara from Abi Abdillahعليه السلام  who said: Allah Blessed and Elevated is One, Compact, He does not have any hollowness, while the spirit (al-Ruh) is a creation from among His creations and is an aid, support and power which Allah places in the hearts of the messengers and believers.

 

[5/302] التوحيد: أبي، عن سعد، عن إبراهيم بن هاشم، ويعقوب بن يزيد، عن ابن فضال، عن ابن بكير، عن زرارة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سمعته وهو يقول في قوله عزوجل: وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا قال: هو توحيدهم لله عزوجل

[5/302] al-Tawhid: My father from Sa’d from Ibrahim b. Hashim from Ya’qub b. Yazid from Ibn Fadhal from Ibn Bukayr from Zurara from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام. He (Zurara) said: I heard him (the Imam) saying about His words Mighty and Majestic: “and to Him have submitted whomsoever is in the heavens and the earth whether willingly or unwillingly” (3:83) - this is their acknowledgment of Oneness to Allah Mighty and Majestic. 

 

[6/303] الكافي: أحمد بن إدريس، عن محمد بن عبدالجبار، عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن أبي أيوب، عن محمد بن مسلم، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: إن اليهود سألوا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فقالوا: انسب لنا ربك فلبث ثلاثا لا يجيبهم ثم نزل قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ إلى آخرها

[6/303] al-Kafi: Ahmad b. Idris from Muhammad b. Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan b. Yahya from Abi Ayyub from Muhammad b. Muslim from Abi Abdillahعليه السلام  who said: The Jews asked the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله saying: Relate for us the genealogy of your Lord. He (the prophet) remained three days not answering them then it was revealed “Say: He is Allah the One” to its end (112:1-4).

 

[7/304] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى بن عبيد، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن ابن رئاب وعن غير واحد، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: من عبدالله بالتوهم فقد كفر ومن عبد الاسم دون المعنى فقد كفر، ومن عبد الاسم والمعنى فقد أشرك، ومن عبد المعنى بإيقاع الاسماء عليه بصفاته التي وصف بها نفسه فعقد عليه قلبه ونطق به لسانه في سرائره وعلانيته فأولئك أصحاب أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام حقا. وفي حديث آخر: اولئك هم المؤمنون حقا

[7/304] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from Muhammad b. Isa b. Ubayd from al-Hasan b. Mahbub from Ibn Riab and more than one from Abi Abdillahعليه السلام  who said: Whoever worships Allah by imagining him then he has disbelieved. Whoever worships the name and not the meaning (essence behind the name) then he has disbelieved. Whoever worships both the name and the meaning then he has associated (God with another). Whoever worships the meaning (only) while applying the names to Him, which are His attributes which He described Himself by, setting his heart upon that, expressing it by his tongue, both in public and secret, then such are the true companions of the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام. And in another report: those are the true believers.  

NOTES:

This narration and others with a similar theme (see below) indicate that one of the philosophical controversies at the time of the Imams was whether a Name is identical with that which is Named. This controversy erupted within the context of the attempts to reconcile the plurality of the attributes of God with His singular being. 

 

[8/305] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن العباس بن معروف، عن عبدالرحمن بن أبي نجران قال: كتبت إلى أبي جعفر عليه السلام أو قلت له: جعلني الله فداك نعبد الرحمن الرحيم الواحد الاحد الصمد؟ قال: فقال: إن من عبد الاسم دون المسمى بالاسماء أشرك وكفر و جحد ولم يعبد شيئا بل اعبدالله الواحد الاحد الصمد المسمى بهذه الاسماء دون الاسماء إن الاسماء صفات وصف بها نفسه

[8/305] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from al-Abbas b. Ma’ruf from Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Najran who said: I wrote to Abi Ja’far عليه السلام or I said to him: May Allah make me your ransom - Do we worship The Beneficent, The Merciful, The Unique, The One, The Eternal? He said: Whoever worships the name and not the one named has polythesized, disbelieved, denied and has not worshipped anything. Rather worship Allah the Unique, The One, The Eternal who is called by these names and not the names (themselves). The names are attributes which He has described Himself by.       

 

[9/306] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس، عن عبدالله بن مسكان عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام في قول الله عزوجل: حَنِيفًا مُسْلِمًا قال: خالصا مخلصا ليس فيه شئ من عبادة الاوثان

[9/306] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from Muhammad b. Isa from Yunus from Abdallah b. Muskan from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic: “(Ibrahim was) a Hanif, a Muslim” (3:67). He said: sincere and devoted, not having in it (his faith) anything whatsoever of the worship of idols.

 

[10/307] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن النضر بن سويد، عن هشام بن الحكم أنه سأل أبا عبدالله عليه السلام عن أسماء الله واشتقاقها: الله مما هو مشتق؟ قال: فقال لي: يا هشام الله مشتق من إله والاله يقتضي مألوها والاسم غير المسمى، فمن عبد الاسم دون المعنى فقد كفر ولم يعبد شيئا، ومن عبد الاسم والمعنى فقد كفر وعبد اثنين، ومن عبد المعنى دون الاسم فذاك التوحيد أفهمت يا هشام؟ قال: فقلت: زدني قال: إن لله تسعة وتسعين اسما فلو كان الاسم هو المسمى لكان كل اسم منها إلها ولكن الله معنى يدل عليه بهذه الاسماء وكلها غيره، يا هشام الخبز اسم للمأكول والماء اسم للمشروب والثوب اسم للملبوس والنار اسم للمحرق أفهمت يا هشام فهما تدفع به وتناضل به أعداء نا والمتخذين مع الله عزوجل غيره؟ قلت: نعم، قال: فقال: نفعك الله به وثبتك يا هشام، قال هشام فوالله ما قهرني أحد في التوحيد حتى قمت مقامي هذا
 

[10/307] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from al-Nadhr b. Suwayd from Hisham b. al-Hakam - that he asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام about the Names of Allah and their derivation saying: What is Allah derived from? He (Hisham) said: so he (the Imam) said to me: O Hisham, ‘Allah’ is derived from ‘ilah’ and ‘al-ilah’ connotes the one who is worshipped. The name is other than the named. Whoever worships the name without the meaning then he has disbelieved and has not worshipped anything. Whoever worships the name and the meaning then he has disbelieved and worshipped two (distinct things). Whoever worships the meaning without the name then that is true monotheism. Have you understood O Hisham? He (Hisham) said: I said: increase for me. He said: Allah has ninety nine names, if the name was identical to what is named then every name among these (ninety-nine) would be a god, rather Allah is a meaning to which these names point to, and each one of them is other than him. O Hisham, ‘bread’ is a name for what is eaten, ‘water’ is a name for what is drunk, ‘clothes’ is a name for what is worn, ‘fire’ is a name for what burns, have you understood Hisham? an understanding through which you can repel and defeat our enemies and those who betake others apart from Allah Mighty and Majestic. I said: Yes. He said: May Allah benefit you by it and make you firm O Hisham. Hisham said: by Allah no one has defeated me on the subject of Tawhid to this day when I stand in the position I do.    

NOTES:

This narration proves that the name ‘Allah’ (الله) is derived from ‘al-Ilah’ (الاله) which was contracted because of frequent usage. ‘Ilah’ is a verbal-noun from the verb ‘alaha’ (اله) - ‘he worshipped’. It works on paradigm of al-fi’al (الفعال) with meaning of al-maf’ul (المفعول). Thus ‘al-Ilah’ (الاله) has the meaning of the object-noun ‘al-Ma’luh’(المألوه)  i.e. ‘worshipped one’ just as ‘al-Imam’(الامام)  has the meaning of the object-noun ‘al-Mu’tam’ (به المؤتم) i.e. ‘followed one’.

 

[11/308] التوحيد: ابن الوليد، عن الصفار، عن ابن عيسى، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن الحكم قال: قلت لابي عبد الله عليه السلام ما الدليل على أن الله واحد؟ قال: اتصال التدبير وتمام الصنع، كما قال عزوجل: لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آَلِهَةٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا
 

[11/308] al-Tawhid: Ibn al-Walid from al-Saffar from Ibn Isa from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham b. al-Hakam who said: I said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام: What is the proof that Allah is one? He said: the continuing regulation (of the universe) and the perfection in creation, as the Mighty and Majestic said: “if there were in them other gods apart from Allah then they (the heavens and the earth) would have fallen apart” (21:22)

 

[12/309] قصص الانبياء: بالاسناد عن الصدوق رحمه الله، عن ابن المتوكل، عن الحميري، عن ابن عيسى، عن ابن محبوب، عن الاحول، عن بريد بن معاوية قال: سمعت أبا جعفر عليه السلام يقول في مسجد النبي صلى الله عليه وآله: إن إبليس اللعين هو أول من صور صورة على مثال آدم عليه السلام ليفتن به الناس، ويضلهم من عبادة الله تعالى، وكان ود في ولد قابيل وكان خليفة قابيل على ولده وعلى من بحضرتهم في سفح الجبل يعظمونه ويسودونه، فلما أن مات ود جزع عليه إخوته وخلف عليهم إبنا يقال له: " سواع " فلم يغن غناء أبيه منهم فأتاهم ابليس في صورة شيخ فقال: قد بلغني ما أصبتم به من موت ود عظيمكم، فهل لكم في أن اصور لكم على مثال ود صورة تستريحون إليها وتأنسون بها ؟ قالوا: افعل. فعمد الخبيث إلى الآنك فأذابه حتى صار مثل الماء، ثم صور لهم صورة مثال ود في بيته فتدافعوا على الصورة يلثمونها ويضعون خدودهم عليها ويسجدون لها، وأحب سواع أن يكون التعظيم والسجود له، فوثب على صورة ود فحكها حتى لم يدع منها شيئا، وهموا بقتل سواع، فوعظهم وقال: أنا أقوم لكم بما كان يقوم به ود، وأنا ابنه، فإن قتلتموني لم يكن لكم رئيس، فمالوا إلى سواع بالطاعة والتعظيم فلم يلبث سواع أن مات، وخلف إبنا يقال له: " يغوث " فجزعوا على سواع فأتاهم إبليس وقال: أنا الذي صورت لكم صورة ود، فهل لكم أن أجعل لكم مثال سواع على وجه لا يستطيع أحد أن يغيره؟ قالوا: فافعل، فعمد إلى عود فنجره ونصبه لهم في منزل سواع، وإنا سمي ذلك العود خلافا، لان إبليس عمل صورة سواع على خلاف صورة ود، قال: فسجدوا له وعظموه، وقالوا ليغوث: ما نأمنك على هذا الصنم أن تكيده كما كاد أبوك مثال ود، فوضعوا على البيت حراسا وحجابا، ثم كانوا يأتون الصنم في يوم واحد، ويعظمونه أشد ما كانوا يعظمون سواعا، فلما رأي ذلك يغوث قتل الحرسة والحجاب ليلا، وجعل الصنم رميما، فلما بلغهم ذلك أقبلوا ليقتلوه فتوارى منهم إلى أن طلبوه ورأسوه وعظموه ثم مات وخلف إبنا يقال له: يعوق فأتاهم إبليس فقال: قد بلغني موت يغوث، وأنا جاعل لكم مثاله في شئ لا يقدر أحد أن يغيره قالوا: فافعل، فعمد الخبيث إلى حجر أبيض فنقره بالحديد حتى صور لهم مثال يغوث فعظموه أشد مما مضى، وبنوا عليه بيتا من حجر، وتبايعوا أن لا يفتحوا باب ذلك البيت إلا في رأس كل سنة، وسميت البيعة يومئذ لانهم تبايعوا وتعاقدوا عليه، فاشتد ذلك على يعوق فعمد إلى ريطة وخلق فألقاها في الحائر، ثم رماها بالنار ليلا فأصبح القوم وقد احترق البيت والصنم والحرس وأرفض الصنم ملقى فجزعوا وهموا بقتل يعوق فقال لهم: إن قتلتم رئيسكم فسدت اموركم، فكفوا فلم يلبث أن مات يعوق وخلف إبنا يقال له: نسر، فأتاهم إبليس فقال: بلغني موت عظيمكم فأنا جاعل لكم مثال يعوق في شئ لا يبلى فقالوا: افعل فعمد إلى الذهب وأوقد عليه النار حتى صار كالماء، وعمل مثالا من الطين على صورة يعوق ثم أفرغ الذهب فيه، ثم نصبه لهم في ديرهم واشتد ذلك على نسر، ولم يقدر على دخول تلك الدير فانحاز عنهم في فرقة قليلة من إخوته يعبدون نسرا، والآخرون يعبدون الصنم حتى مات نسر، وظهرت نبوة إدريس فبلغه حال القوم وأنهم يعبدون جسما على مثال يعوق، وأن نسرا كان يعبد من دون الله، فسار إليهم بمن معه حتى نزل مدينة نسروهم فيها فهزمهم، وقتل من قتل، وهرب من هرب فتفرقوا في البلاد، وأمر بالصنم فحمل وألقى في البحر، فاتخذت كل فرقة منهم صنما، وسموها بأسمائها فلم يزالوا بعد ذلك قرنا بعد قرن لا يعرفون إلا تلك الاسماء ثم ظهرت نبوة نوح عليه السلام فدعاهم إلى عبادة الله وحده، وترك ما كانوا يعبدون من الاصنام، فقال بعضهم: لا تذرن آلهتكم ولا تذرن ودا ولا سواعا ولا يغوث ويعوق ونسرا

[12/309] Qasas al-Anbiya: Via his chain to al-Saduq from Ibn al-Mutawakkil from al-Himyari from Ibn Isa from Ibn Mahbub from al-Ahwal from Burayd b. Muawiya who said: I heard Aba Ja’far عليه السلام saying in the Masjid of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله: Iblis the accursed was the first to fashion an image in the likeness of Adam so that he could tempt the humans and divert them from the worship of Allah the Elevated. 

Wadd was one of the sons of Qabil and his (Qabil’s) successor over the rest of his siblings and all those living nearby at the foot of the mountain. They would all revere and follow him. When Wadd died his brothers mourned him greatly. He had placed over them a son called Suwa’ as his successor. But he (Suwa’) could not reach the stature of his father in their estimation. Iblis came to them in the form of an old man and said: ‘I have come to know of your suffering because of the death of Wadd your great one. What would you say if I were to fashion an image in the likeness of Wadd from which you could seek comfort and ease?’ They said: ‘Do it’. 

The Repulsive One directed himself to lead and melted it until it became liquid. Then he fashioned for them an image in the likeness of Wadd in his house. They turned to the image and began kissing it, and placing their cheeks upon it, and prostrating to it. However, Suwa’ wished that the veneration and prostration be for him, so he sprang upon the image and started scraping it until he had left nothing of it. They (the people) were driven to kill Suwa’ but he admonished them saying: ‘I take the place that was taken by Wadd, I am his son, if you kill me then you will have no chief!’ They inclined to Suwa’ in obeying and showing reverence to him.  Suwa’ did not stay long and died. He left behind a son called Yaghuth. They grieved over Suwa’ and Iblis came to them and said: ‘I am the one who fashioned for you an image of Wadd. What do you say to me making for you (an image) in the likeness of Suwa’ in a way that no one will be able to change it?’ They said: ‘Do it’.         

He directed himself to wood and hewed it then fixed it in the house of Suwa’. That wood was called Khilaf (‘opposite’) because Iblis fashioned the image in an opposite way to (how he had done with) the image of Wadd. He (the Imam) said: they prostrated to him and venerated him. They said to Yaghuth: ‘We do not trust you over this idol, you might scheme against it the way your father schemed against the likeness of Wadd!’. They decided to appoint guards and attendants (to protect the idol). They used to come to the idol on a single day, venerating it more excessively than they used to venerate Suwa’. When Yaghuth saw that he came and killed the guards and attendants one night and crushed the idol to pulp. When news reached them they attempted to kill him but he concealed himself from them until they searched for him and eventually made him their leader and venerated him. Then he died and left behind a son called Ya’uq.         

Iblis came to them and said: ‘I have come to know of the death of Yaghuth. I am going to make an image of his using something that no one will be able to distort’. They said: ‘Do it’. The Reviled One turned to white stone and hammered it using iron until he had fashioned for them an image of Yaghuth. They venerated it more excessively than all the previous ones. They built for it a room made of stone. They made an oath among themselves that they would not open the door of that room except at the beginning of every new year. What they did was called ‘Bay’a’ on that day (for the first time) for they made a pledge (‘Tabaya’u’) and a pact upon that. This became unbearable for Ya’uq so he took soft sheets and other shabby clothes set them on fire and threw them one night (into that house). The people woke up to find the house, the idol, the guards all burnt down and the remains of the idol discarded. They grieved because of that and desired to kill Ya’uq but he said to them: ‘if you kill your leader then your affairs will disintegrate’ so they decided to hold back. It was not long before Ya’uq died and left a son called Nasr as his successor.

Iblis came to them and said: ‘I have come to know of the death of your great one. I will make for you (an image) in the likeness of Ya’uq using something which can never perish’. They said: ‘Do it’. He directed himself towards gold and heated it by fire until it became liquid. Then he sculpted a statue in the likeness of Ya’uq using clay and poured the molten gold into it. He set it up for them in their houses. This became unbearable for Nasr but he could not enter into those houses. He decided to separate himself from them together with a small group of his brothers who worshipped him (Nasr), and the rest kept worshipping the idol (Ya’uq). 

Then Nasr died and the prophethood of Idris began. He came to know the state of the people. That some worship a body in the likeness of Ya’uq and that Nasr was worshipped by others instead of Allah. He marched to them with those who were with him and decamped in a town whose people supported them (Idris and his followers). They defeated them (the idol-worshippers).  Some were killed while others ran away. They (the idol-worshippers) became scattered in the lands. He (Idris) ordered that the idol be brought and it was cast into the sea. Every group (of the scattered remaining idol-worshippers) took for itself an idol and gave them names. They remained like that generation after generation not knowing anything except those names. Then came the prophethood of Nuh. He called them to the worship of Allah alone and abandoning what they used to worship of idols, whereupon some of them said: “do not abandon your gods, do not abandon Wadd, nor Suwa’ nor Yaghuth, nor Ya’uq nor Nasr”.  

NOTES:

The narration details the origins of idol-worship. It is relevant to the study of the evolution of this practice in human history. It is probable that the different materials used to make up the idols in each subsequent generation (wood, stone, iron) has a deeper metaphorical meaning apart from attesting to straightforward technological advancement.

It might seem that this narration is contradictory with [3/300] above, but the latter can be taken to be a summarization where the different phases are squeezed into one passage. It must also be noted that the ancestors like Wadd, Suwa’ etc. are presented as worshippers of Allah therein, while this narration portrays them as active participants in promoting idol-worship. A way to reconcile the two should be found. 

There is a debate about the chains of the Shaykh Hibatallah Rawandi (d. 573), the author of Qasas al-Anbiya, to al-Saduq (d. 380), from whom he quotes a lot in the aforementioned book. Refer to Discussion No. 34 in Buhuth fi Ilm al-Rijal for detail.

An indicator (Qarina) that strengthens the reliability of this particular narration is that al-Saduq himself included it in truncated form in his Ilal al-Sharai as follows:

أبى رحمه الله قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبدالله بن، عن أحمد بن محمد ابن عيسى عن الحسن بن محبوب عن النعمان عن بريد بن معاوية العجلي قال: قال أبوجغفر عليه السلام: انما سمى العود خلاف، لان ابليس عمل صورة سواع من العود على خلاف صورة ود فسمى العود خلافا

وهذا في حديث طويل اخذنا منه موضع الحاجة

My father – Sa’d b. Abdallah – Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa – al-Hasan b. Mahbub – al-Nu’man (sic. Muhammad b. Ali b. al-Nu’man al-Ahwal) – Burayd b. Muawiya al-Ijli who said: Abu Ja’farعليه السلام  said: The wood was called Khilaf (opposite) because Iblis fashioned the image of Suwa’ using wood in an opposite way to the image of Wadd, so the wood was called Khilaf.

al-Saduq comments: This is part of a long narration, we have only taken the relevant part.    

This indicates that al-Rawandi was faithful in his attribution to al-Saduq and did indeed possess authentic material from him.

 

[13/310] الكافي: محمد بن إسماعيل، عن الفضل بن شاذان، عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن منصور ابن حازم قال: قلت لابي عبدالله عليه السلام: إني ناظرت قوما فقلت لهم: إن الله جل جلاله أجل وأعز وأكرم من أن يعرف بخلقه بل العباد يعرفون بالله، فقال: رحمك الله

[13/310] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Ismail from al-Fadhl b. Shadhan from Safwan b. Yahya from Mansur b. Hazm who said: I said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام: I debated a group and said to them: Verily Allah Majestic is His Majesty is more Majestic, Strong and Gracious that He be known through His creatures, rather the slaves are known through Allah. He said: May Allah have mercy on you.    

 

[14/311] الكافي: محمد بن يحيى، عن محمد بن الحسين عن الحسن بن علي بن يوسف بن بقاح عن سيف بن عميرة، عن إبراهيم بن عمر قال: سمعت أبا عبدالله عليه السلام يقول: إن أمر الله كله عجيب الا انه قد احتج عليكم بما قد عرفكم من نفسه

[14/311] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Muhammad b. al-Husayn from Ali b. Yusuf b. Baqah from Sayf b. Umayra from Ibrahim b. Umar who said: I heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: The affair of Allah is totally strange (unknowable), however, He only holds you to account over that part which He has given you knowledge of about Himself.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Islamic Salvation

[Islamic Salvation]

4.2. God’s Timelesness and Spacelessness

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-divine-unity/gods-timelessness-and-spacelessness

 

Introduction

The narrations below demonstrate the ‘Aimma pre-empting the advanced reasoning about the Essence and Attributes of God which only came to maturation much later among Islamic theologians. This is not surprising since we believe that they took from the fount of divine inspiration.

We find here an expression of some of what became the immutable first-principles of Islamic Kalam (theology) such as -  ‘God cannot be spoken of in terms of Space because He is the one who created it and existed prior to it’, ‘God being contained in Space would make Him limited’ etc.

Al-Muhsini notes that most of the narrations have to do with negating that He is in Space but not as much the fact that He is unaffected by the passage of Time. He attributes this to the state of knowledge in the early years of Islam which did not conceptualize Time in physical terms (as it did Space). In fact he bemoans the fact that even most contemporary scholars of religion do not keep up with the latest advances in theoretical physics which can shed light in understanding some of the more obscure narrations about God and the creation.

Nevertheless, he notes that by negating Space for Him the ‘Aimma would also be indirectly doing the same for Time seeing as though we now speak of a single consruct called space-time (as the fabric of the universe). This is called زمكان (Zamkan) in Arabic. A combination of مكان (space) and زمان (time).

 

[1/312] الكافي: عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر قال: جاء رجل إلى أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام من وراء نهر بلخ فقال: إني أسألك عن مسألة فإن أجبتني فيها بما عندي قلت بإمامتك، فقال أبوالحسن عليه السلام: سل عما شئت فقال: أخبرني عن ربك متى كان؟ وكيف كان؟ وعلى أي شئ كان اعتماده؟ فقال أبوالحسن عليه السلام: إن الله تبارك وتعالى أين الاين بلا أين وكيف الكيف بلا كيف وكان اعتماده على قدرته، فقام إليه الرجل فقبل رأسه وقال: أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله وأن عليا وصي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله والقيم بعده بما قام به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وأنكم الائمة الصادقون وأنك الخلف من بعدهم

[1/312] al-Kafi: A number of our companions from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Abi Nasr who said: A man came to Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام from behind the Balkh river and said: I will ask you a question - if you answer it in accordance to what I have (consider correct) then I will believe in your Imama. Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: Ask whatever you like. He said: Inform me about your Lord - when was He? How was He? Upon what thing was His reliance? 

Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: Allah Blessed and Elevated defined the ‘where’ when there was no ‘where’ and defined the ‘how’ when there was no ‘how’ and His reliance was on his Power. The man stood up, kissed his forehead and said: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that Ali is the vicegerent of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله and the one who took charge of what the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله was taking charge of after him, that you all are the truthful leaders and that you are the successor after them.       

NOTES:                

The Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام who was the Imam of the Monotheists had previously alluded to this same point:

حين قيل له: أين الله؟ فقال: إن الذي أين الأين لا يقال له أين. فقيل له: كيف الله؟ فقال: إن الذي كيف الكيف لا يقال له كيف

When he was asked ‘where is Allah?’ - He said: The one who defined the ‘where’ it cannot be said about him ‘where?’. It was said to him: ‘how is Allah?’ -  He said: The one who defined the ‘how’ it cannot be said about him ‘how?’ 

He is also quoted as saying:

إن الذي أين الأين لا أين له وإن الذي كيف الكيف لا كيف له

The one who defined the ‘where’ does not have a ‘where’ and the one who defined the ‘how’ does not have a ‘how’

In another narration Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام says to a Zindiq:

ويلك إن الذي ذهبت إليه غلط هو أين الاين بلا أين وكيف الكيف بلا كيف فلا يعرف بالكيفوفية ولا باينونية ولا يدرك بحاسة ولا يقاس بشئ

Woe be upon you! You have made an error. He is the one who defined a ‘where’ when there was no ‘where’ and defined a ‘how’ when there was no ‘how’ - so He cannot be known by asking the questions ‘how’ and ‘why’. He cannot be comprehended by the senses nor can He be compared to something. 

 

[-/2] علل الشرائع: الهمداني والمكتب والوراق جميعا، عن علي، عن أبيه، عن الفضل بن يونس قال: كان ابن أبي العوجاء من تلامذة الحسن البصري فانحرف عن التوحيد فقيل له: تركت مذهب صاحبك ودخلت فيما لا أصل له ولا حقيقة، قال: إن صاحبي كان مخلطا يقول طورا بالقدر وطورا بالجبر فما أعلمه اعتقد مذهبا دام عليه، فقدم مكة تمردا وإنكارا على من يحج، وكان يكره العلماء مجالسته ومساءلته لخبث لسانه وفساد ضميره، فأتى أبا عبد الله عليه السلام فجلس إليه في جماعة من نظرائه فقال: يا أبا عبد الله إن المجالس بالامانات، ولابد لكل من به سعال أن يسعل أفتأذن لي في الكلام؟ فقال الصادق عليه السلام: تكلم بما شئت ... فقال ابن أبي العوجاء: ذكرت الله فأحلت على غائب. فقال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: ويلك كيف يكون غائبا من هو مع خلقه شاهد، وإليه أقرب من حبل الوريد، يسمع كلامهم ويرى أشخاصهم، ويعلم أسرارهم. فقال ابن أبي العوجاء: فهو في كل مكان أليس إذا كان في السماء كيف يكون في الارض؟ وإذا كان في الارض كيف يكون في السماء؟ فقال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: إنما وصفت المخلوق الذي إذا انتقل من مكان اشتغل به مكان وخلا منه مكان، فلا يدري في المكان الذي صار إليه ما حدث في المكان الذي كان فيه، فأما الله العظيم الشأن الملك الديان فلا يخلو منه مكان ولا يشتغل به مكان ولا يكون إلى مكان أقرب منه إلى مكان

[2/-] Ilal al-Sharai: al-Hamdani, al-Mukatib and al-Warraq all together from Ali from his father from al-Fadhl b. Yunus who said: Ibn Abil Awja was among the students of al-Hasan al-Basri but then deviated from Tawhid. It was said to him: You have left the Madhhab of your fellow (Hasan al-Basri) and entered into that (belief) which has no authentic origin nor any reality. He said: My fellow was confused. Sometimes he would assert belief in free-will and sometimes predestination. I have not known him to hold on to a position and stick to it. 

He traveled to Makka and began showing arrogance and opposition to those making the pilgrimage. The scholars would dislike sitting and debating with him because of the vulgarity of his tongue and his corrupt heart (intentions). He came to Aba Abdillah عليه السلام and sat in his presence (circle) together with a number of his peers. He said: O Aba Abdillah, discussions are conducted with guarantee of protection (against persecution for what is said) and it is incumbent for every one who has a question to ask. Do you allow me to speak? Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: Speak whatever you wish (freely) … 

Ibn Abil Awja said: You spoke of Allah and thus settled upon (referred to) one who is Hidden. 

Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: Woe be upon you! How can He be hidden one who is witnessed (evident) through His creatures, and is closer to him (his creature) than the jugular vein. He hears their speech, observes their forms and knows their secrets. 

Ibn Abil Awja said: That would mean He is everywhere. Is it not the case that if He were in heaven how can He also be on earth? And if He is on earth how can He be in heaven (at the same time)? 

Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: You have described a created thing which if it departs from a place then one place is occupied by him and another place becomes empty of him, and he cannot know what is happening in the place he used to be in from the place he has moved to. As for Allah The Great in Stature, the King and Judge, then no space is empty of Him, nor does He occupy space, nor is He closer to one point with respect to another.                

NOTES:

‘No space is empty of Him’ in terms of His knowledge of it and power over it, not that He is everywhere by His essence (See the narrations below which clarify this). Indeed the Imam clarifies this possible misconception by immediately declaring ‘nor does He occupy space’. 

 

[3/313] التوحيد: أبي، عن سعد بن عبد الله، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن أبي حمزة الثمالي قال: سأل نافع بن الأزرق أبا جعفر عليه السلام فقال: أخبرني عن الله متى كان؟ فقال له: ويلك، أخبرني أنت متى لم يكن حتى أخبرك متى كان، سبحان من لم يزل ولا يزال فردا صمدا لم يتخذ صاحبة ولا ولدا

[3/313] al-Tawhid: My father from Sa’d b. Abdallah from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from al-Hasan b. Mahbub from Abi Hamza al-Thumali who said: Na’fi b. al-Azraq asked Aba Ja’far عليه السلام saying: Inform me about Allah - when was He? He (the Imam) said to Him: Woe be upon you! You inform me when wasn’t He then I will inform you when He was. Glory be to the One who is and has always been Singular, Eternal, not betaking to Himself partner nor off-spring.  

 

[4/314] التوحيد: أبي، عن سعد، عن محمد بن الحسين، عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن عبد الرحمن ابن الحجاج قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله عزوجل: الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىٰ فقال: استوى من كل شئ فليس شئ أقرب إليه من شئ، لم يبعد منه بعيد ولم يقرب منه قريب، استوى من كل شئ

[4/314] al-Tawhid: My father from Sa’d from Muhammad b. al-Husayn from Safwan b. Yahya from Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj who said: I asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic “The Beneficent Istawa over the throne” (20:5). He said: He has transcended over all things. Thus, nothing is closer to Him than another thing. The distant is not far from Him and the near is not close to Him. He has transcended over all things. 

NOTES:

The key issue is how to understandاستواء  (Istiwa) in the verse seeing as though it carries multiple meanings. Some scholars interpret is as ‘rose’ above the Throne while others as ‘settled’ Himself on the Throne. Both of which imply a location for Him.

The novel interpretation given by  the Imam is المساواة في النسبة (al-Musawa fi al-Nisba). That is to say, all things are equal with each other in relation to Him. The Imam explains this in terms of things being equi-distant to God. Since this is not possible in the physical universe (things in different locations cannot be equi-distant to God if He was at a fixed point in the universe), it necessarily implies that He is beyond space and time. I have used the word ‘transcend’ to describe this concept.

There is an indication here that Arsh (Throne) denotes all created things because the Imam interprets ‘Istiwa over the Throne’ as ‘transcending over all things’. This is consonant with the biblical symbolism ‘the heavens and the earth are His footstool’.    

 

[5/315] التوحيد: العطار، عن سعد، عن ابن يزيد، عن الحسن بن علي الخزاز، عن مثنى الحناط، عن أبي جعفر أظنه محمد بن النعمان قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله عزوجل: وَهُوَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ قال: كذلك هو في كل مكان. قلت: بذاته؟ قال: ويحك إن الاماكن أقدار، فإذا قلت: في مكان بذاته لزمك أن تقول في أقدار وغير ذلك، ولكن هو بائن من خلقه، محيط بما خلق علما وقدرة وإحاطة وسلطانا، وليس علمه بما في الارض باقل مما في السماء، لا يبعد منه شئ، والاشياء له سواء علما وقدرة وسلطانا وملكا وإحاطة

[5/315] al-Tawhid: al-Attar from Sa’d from Ibn Yazid from al-Hasan b. Ali al-Khazzaz from Muthanna al-Hannat from Abi Ja’far - I think him to be Muhammad b. al-Nu’man (al-Ahwal) - who said: I asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic: “and He is Allah in the heavens and in the earth” (6:3). He said: That is how He is - everywhere. I said: by His essence? He said: Woe be upon you! Physical spaces have limits, so if you were to believe that He is ‘in a place by His essence’ then it would be necessary for you to also assert that He has limits and other such (deficiencies). Rather He is distinct from his creation. Fully encompassing what He created in terms of (His) knowledge, power, awareness and authority. His knowledge of what is in the earth is not less than that of which is in heaven. Nothing can become distant from Him. All things are equal to Him in terms of (His) knowledge, power, authority, ownership and awareness (over them).      

NOTES:

Is Allah everwhere? The Imam answers in the affirmative, but then clarifies that this is by His knowledge, power, authority and awareness which extend and cover every particle, not that he Himself in His person (by His essence) can be found everywhere. Because if He (by His essence) was contained in space that would mean that He is limited with the same limits that are inherent in space.

 

[6/316] التوحيد: أبي، عن علي، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن الحكم قال: قال أبو شاكر الديصاني: إن في القرآن آية هي قوة لنا. قلت: وما هي ؟ فقال: وَهُوَ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ إِلَٰهٌ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَٰهٌ فلم أدر بما اجيبه، فحججت فخبرت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام فقال: هذا كلام زنديق خبيث، إذا رجعت إليه فقل له: ما اسمك بالكوفة؟ فإنه يقول: فلان، فقل: ما اسمك بالبصرة؟ فانه يقول: فلان، فقل كذلك الله ربنا في السماء إله وفي الارض إله، وفي البحار إله، وفي كل مكان إله. قال: فقدمت فأتيت أبا شاكر فأخبرته فقال: هذه نقلت من الحجاز

[6/316] al-Tawhid: My father from Ali from his father from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham b. al-Hakam who said: Abu Shakir al-Daysani said: There is a verse in the Qur’an which supports us (the Dualists who believe in two gods). I said: Which one is it? He said: “and He is the One who is god in Heaven and on Earth god” (43:84). I did not know how to answer him. I made the pilgrimage and informed Aba Abdillah عليه السلام (about this). He said: These are the words of a wretched heretic. When you go back say to him: ‘What is your name in Kufa?’ he will say ‘so and so’, then say: ‘What do they call you in Basra?’ he will say ‘so and so’ (the same name). Then say: In the same way is Allah our Lord – (He is Called) God in Heaven and God on Earth, and in the oceans God, and God in every place. He (Hisham) said: I returned and proceeded to Aba Shakir and informed him of this. He said: This has been relayed from the Hijaz (i.e. the Imam in Madina).

 

[7/317] الكافي: عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد البرقي، عن أبيه، عن النضر بن سويد، عن يحيى الحلبي، عن ابن مسكان، عن زرارة بن أعين قال: سمعت أبا عبدالله عليه السلام يقول: إن الله خلو من خلقه وخلقه خلو منه، وكل ما وقع عليه اسم شيء فهو مخلوق ما خلا الله والله خالق كل شئ، تبارك الذي ليس كمثله شئ وهو السميع البصير

[7/317] al-Kafi: A number of our companions from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid al-Barqi from his father from al-Nadhr b. Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from Ibn Muskan from Zurara b. A’yan who said: I heard Aba Abdillah عليه السلام saying: Allah is empty of His creations and His creations are empty of Him. Whatever can referred to by the name ‘thing’ apart from Allah then it is a creation, and Allah is the creator of all things. Blessed is the one whom there is nothing like Him and He is the All-Hearing the All-Seeing.

 

[8/318] الكافي: محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن النضر بن سويد، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: من زعم أن الله من شئ أو في شئ أو على شئ فقد كفر، قلت: فسر لي؟ قال: أعني بالحواية من الشئ له أو بامساك له أو من شئ سبقه

[8/318] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from al-Husayn b. Sa’id from al-Nadhr b. Suwayd from A’sim b. Humayd from Abi Basir from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who said: Whoever asserts that Allah is from something, or in something, or on something, then he has disbelieved. I said: Explain this for me. He said: I mean (to assert) that He is contained by something (which encloses him), or that He is held up (resting on something), or He is (derived) from something which preceded Him.    

NOTES:

وفي رواية اخرى: من زعم ان الله من شئ فقد جعله محدثا، ومن زعم أنه في شئ فقد جعله محصورا، ومن زعم أنه على شئ فقد جعله محمولا

In another transmission: Whoever asserts that Allah is from something has made Him generated. Whoever asserts that He is in something has made Him constrained. Whoever asserts that He is on something has made Him carried.

 

[9/319] 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

[9/319] 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 except He is the fourth of them, nor of five except 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 said: He is One. Unique in Essence. Distinct from His creation. That is how He described Himself. He encompasses everything in terms of supervision, awareness and power. Nothing escapes Him even the weight of a particle in the Heavens and in the earth nor smaller than that or bigger - in terms of awareness and knowledge not by (His) essence, for locations are bounded, delimited by the four bounds (height, width, depth), so if it was by essence then that would necessarily imply containment. 

[Islamic Salvation]

4.3. Negation of any Possibility of Seeing or Imagining Him

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-divine-unity/negation-of-any-possibility-of-seeing-or-imagining-him

 

[1/320] الكافي: عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر قال: جاء رجل إلى أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام من وراء نهر بلخ فقال: إني أسألك عن مسألة فإن أجبتني فيها بما عندي قلت بإمامتك، فقال أبوالحسن عليه السلام: سل عما شئت فقال: أخبرني عن ربك متى كان؟ وكيف كان؟ وعلى أي شئ كان اعتماده؟ فقال أبوالحسن عليه السلام: إن الله تبارك وتعالى أين الاين بلا أين وكيف الكيف بلا كيف وكان اعتماده على قدرته، فقام إليه الرجل فقبل رأسه وقال: أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله وأن عليا وصي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله والقيم بعده بما قام به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وأنكم الائمة الصادقون وأنك الخلف من بعدهم

[1/320] al-Kafi: Ahmad b. Idris from Muhammad b. Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan b. Yahya who said: Abu Qurra the Hadith scholar asked me to seek permission for him to enter upon Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام. I sought permission and he (the Imam) granted it to me. He (Abu Qurra) entered and asked him about the Halal, Haram and the rulings until he reached the topic of Tawhid. 

Abu Qurra said: We have narrated that Allah divided vision and speech between two prophets. He gave speech to Musa and vision to Muhammad. 

Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: Then who was it who conveyed on the authority of Allah to the Two Weighty ones from the Jinn and humans (the following): “sights do not reach him” (6:103), “they do not encompass Him in (their) knowledge” (20:110) and “there is nothing like Him” (42:11) - is it not Muhammad? He (Abu Qurra) said: Yes (it was). 

(The Imam said:) How can a man come to all creation and inform them that he has come from Allah and that he is calling them to Allah by the command of Allah and say: “sights do not reach him”, “they do not encompass Him in (their) knowledge”, “there is nothing like Him” and then say: I have seen Him by my eye and have encompassed Him in knowledge - he is in the form of a man?!

Do you not feel ashamed?! Even the heretics did not dare accuse him of this - that he (the prophet) would come with something from Allah and then later come with something contradicting that! 

Abu Qurra said: He (Allah) says: “and he (Muhammad) surely saw Him in another descent” (53:13). Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: there is after this verse an indication of what he saw when He said: “the heart did not lie about what it saw” (53:11). He is saying: Muhammad’s heart did not lie about what his eyes saw - then He specifies what he saw when He said: “he saw of the great signs of his Lord” (53:18) - the signs of Allah are not Allah. 

Allah said: “they do not encompass Him in (their) knowledge” - if eyes could see Him then knowledge has encompassed Him and realization (of Allah) has been attained.

Abu Qurra said: So you reject the narrations? Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: If the narrations are opposed to the Qur’an then I reject them. Furthermore, what the Muslims are united upon is that He is not encompassed in knowledge, sights do not reach Him, and there is nothing like Him. 

NOTES:

al-Muhsini: The Imams words: “… if eyes could see Him then knowledge has encompassed Him and and realization (of Allah) has been attained …” alludes to a very intricate argument that the Mu’tazili and Imami theologians have overlooked when arguing against the beatific vision. 

God’s essence is simple (not complex), and if one could look at Him it would imply knowing His reality and this is the ‘encompassing’ whose possibility has been denied in the Qur’an. 
The report also indicates that narrations which go against the Qur’an and the consensus of Muslims do not possess Hujiyya (probative force). This would suggest that the consensus of Muslims possesses probative force.

 

[2/231] الكافي: وعنه، عن أحمد بن إسحاق قال: كتبت إلى أبي الحسن الثالث عليه السلام أسأله عن الرؤية وما اختلف فيه الناس فكتب: لا تجوز الرؤية ما لم يكن بين الرائي والمرئي هواء ينفذه البصر فإذا انقطع الهواء عن الرائي والمرئي لم تصح الرؤية، وكان في ذلك الاشتباه، لان الرائي متى ساوى المرئي في السبب الموجب بينهما في الرؤية وجب الاشتباه وكان ذلك التشبيه لان الاسباب لابد من اتصالها بالمسببات
 

[2/231] al-Kafi: From him (Ahmad b. Idris) from Ahmad b. Ishaq who said: I wrote to Abi al-Hasan the Third عليه السلام asking him about the vision (of God) and the differences of people about that - he wrote: Vision is impossible when there is no air between the viewer and the viewed. Air which the eye can penetrate through. If there is no air between the viewer and the viewed - vision cannot take place. And this (needing air in between) would entail likening (Allah to His creatures). Because whenever the viewer becomes equivalent with the viewed in terms of sharing the condition necessary for vision between them (to occur) then they would necessarily be alike (in some manner) and that would be anthropomorphism. For causes are necessarily linked to effects.  

NOTES:

In variant of the same report in al-Faqih:

لا تجوز الرؤية ما لم يكن بين الرائي والمرئي هواء ينفذه البصر فإذا انقطع الهواء وعدم الضياء عن الرائي والمرئي لم تصح الرؤية ...

Vision is not possible so long as there is no air between the viewer and the viewed which the eye can pierce through. So when air is lacking and when there is no light between the viewer and the viewed - vision cannot occur …

As for the physics in question, it is possible that the Imam meant by ‘air’ a medium in which light propagates (although light does not need a medium), or he meant ‘space’ like when things are zero distance from each other and light cannot propagate between them.

The phrase ‘eye can penetrate through’ was used by some to support one of the pre-modern theories of light propagation i.e. vision occurs because of light emitted from the eye (it was not the only theory). However, even pre-modern commentators have noted that this could just be a metaphor for ‘sighting with the eye’. 

The Imam makes the argument that being able to see an object necessarily means sharing something in common with it. At the very least you share the conditions necessary for vision to occur (both object and the on-looker are similar in so-far as they share the condition of a presence of air between them or light to travel in between them), and this if true for God would mean that He is being likened to the one who can see Him.

Anthropomorphism follows from this because both God and the one looking at Him would need to be in different locations on the same plane with a medium between them, and once God is localized like this then it means limiting him in space and attributing a corporeal body or form to him. 

“Causes are necessarily linked to effects” - that is, the effect of ascribing possibility of vision of God is anthropomorphism, one cannot be logically claimed without following through with the other.

 

[3/322] الكافي: أحمد بن إدريس، عن محمد بن عبدالجبار، عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن عاصم ابن حميد، عن ابي عبدالله عليه السلام قال: ذاكرت أبا عبدالله عليه السلام فيما يروون من الرؤية فقال: الشمس جزء من سبعين جزءا من نور الكرسي والكرسي جزء من سبعين جزءا من نور العرش والعرش جزء من سبعين جزءا من نور الحجاب والحجاب جزء من سبعين جزءا من نور الستر فإن كانوا صادقين فليملاوا أعينهم من الشمس ليس دونها سحاب

[3/322] al-Kafi: Ahmad b. Idris from Muhammad b. Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan b. Yahya from A’sim b. Humayd from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام. He said: I talked to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام about what they (proto-Sunnis) narrate concerning the vision (of God). He said: The sun is one-seventieth parts of the light of the Chair. The Chair is one-seventieth parts of the light of the Throne. The Throne is one-seventieth parts of the light of the Veil. The Veil is one-seventieth part of the light of the Covering. If they are truthful then let them stare with their eyes at the sun on a cloudless day.    

NOTES:

This should not be taken to mean that Allah is Light in a physical sense as was done by many early theologians. Rather, the Imam is making the point that even if He was Light, for argument’s sake, then the fact that the human eye cannot withstand the sun means that it would never be able to withstand Allah. This is because Allah would necessarily be brighter than the sun seeing as though Allah is greater than the sun.

 

[4/323] الكافي: محمد بن يحيى وغيره، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن ابن أبي نصر، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: لما اسري بي إلى السماء بلغ بي جبرئيل مكانا لم يطأه قط جبرئيل فكشف له فأراه الله من نور عظمته ما أحب
 

[4/323] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya and other than him from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from Ibn Abi Nasr from Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام who said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله said:  When I was made to ascend to Heaven - Jibril led me to a place where Jibril had never tread on. (The Imam says:) It was then unveiled for him (the prophet) and Allah showed him of His Light of Grandeur what He wished. 

NOTES:

The Light of Allah is not Allah Himself.

 

[5/324] الكافي: محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجران، عن عبدالله بن سنان، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام في قوله: لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ قال: إحاطة الوهم ألا ترى إلى قوله: قَدْ جَاءَكُم بَصَائِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ليس يعني بصر العيون فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ ليس يعني من البصر بعينه وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا ليس يعني عمى العيون إنما عنى إحاطة الوهم كما يقال: فلان بصير بالشعر، وفلان بصير بالفقه، وفلان بصير بالدراهم، وفلان بصير بالثياب، الله أعظم من أن يرى بالعين

[5/324] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from Ibn Abi Najran from Abdallah b. Sinan from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام about His words: “sights (Absar) do not reach Him” (6:103) - he (the Imam) said: (It means) comprehension by the imagination (is impossible for Him).

Do you not see His words: “There have come to you insights (Basair) from your Lord” (6:104) - He does not mean sighting of the eyes. “Whosoever will see (Absara) then it will be for his own self” (6:104) - He does not mean by (the word) ‘see’ through his eye. “and whoever is blind is against it” (6:104) - He does not mean the blindness of the eyes.

He means comprehension by the imagination - as is said: So-and-so is insightful (Basir) in poetry, So-and-so is insightful in jurisprudence, So-and-so is insightful in coins (telling forgeries from the real thing), So-and-so is insightful in clothes. Allah is greater than to be seen by the eye.

NOTES:

‘Comprehension by the imagination’ means to understand Him fully through thought.

 

[6/325] الكافي: محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن أبي هاشم الجعفري، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: سألته عن الله هل يوصف؟ فقال: أما تقرء القرآن؟ قلت: بلى قال: أما تقرء قوله تعالى: لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ؟ قلت: بلى، قال: فتعرفون الابصار؟ قلت: بلى، قال: ماهي؟ قلت: أبصار العيون، فقال: إن أوهام القلوب أكبر من أبصار العيون فهو لا تدركه الاوهام وهو يدرك الاوهام

[6/325] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad from Abi Hashim al-Ja’fari from Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام. He (Abi Hashim) said: I asked him about Allah - can He be described? He said: Don’t you read the Qur’an? I said: Yes (I do). He said: Don’t you read His words the Elevated: “sights do not reach Him but He reaches the sights” (6:103)? I said: Yes (I do). He said: Do you know the sights (meant)? I said: Yes. He said: What are they? I said: The sighting of the eyes. He said: The imaginings of the heart are greater than the sighting of the eyes - thus He is such that imaginations do not reach Him while He reaches the imaginations.   

NOTES:

While the literal meaning of “sights do not reach Him” would be sighting by the eyes - the Imam takes this one level higher by giving it a figurative meaning of comprehension by the imagination (understanding Allah through thought).

The narrations [5/324] and [6/325] do this in different ways. [5/324] uses the dichotomy Basar (eyesight) and Basira (insight) which are closely related in linguistic terms and cites other verses where the figurative meaning is meant to extend it to the verse in question.

[6/325] uses the concept of maximal interpretation. If the Qur’an uses ‘sight’ in relation to God then all its implications including the more loftier ones are also included within it in keeping with the perfectness of God. Since ‘imaginings of the heart’ (conceptual) is greater than ‘sighting of the eyes’ (physical) then Allah cannot also be conquered by the latter.   

 

[7/326] التوحيد: الهمداني، عن علي، عن أبيه، عن الهروي قال: قلت لعلي بن موسى الرضا عليه السلام: يا ابن رسول الله ما تقول في الحديث الذي يرويه أهل الحديث: إن المؤمنين يزورون ربهم من منازلهم في الجنة؟ فقال عليه السلام: يا أبا الصلت إن الله تبارك وتعالى فضل نبيه محمدا صلى الله عليه واله على جميع خلقه من النبيين والملائكة، وجعل طاعته طاعته، و مبايعته مبايعته، وزيارته في الدنيا والآخرة زيارته، فقال عز وجل: مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ وقال: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ اللَّهَ يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وقال النبي صلى الله عليه واله: من زارني في حياتي أو بعد موتي فقد زار الله. ودرجة النبي صلى الله عليه واله في الجنة أرفع الدرجات، فمن زاره إلي درجته في الجنة من منزلته فقد زار الله تبارك وتعالى قال: فقلت له: يا ابن رسول الله فما معنى الخبر الذي رووه أن ثواب لا إله إلا الله النظر إلى وجه الله؟ فقال عليه السلام: يا أبا الصلت من وصف الله بوجه كالوجوه فقد كفر، ولكن وجه الله أنبياؤه ورسله وحججه صلوات الله عليهم، هم الذين بهم يتوجه إلي الله عزوجل، وإلى دينه ومعرفته، وقال الله عزوجل: كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ وقال عز وجل كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ فالنظر إلى أنبياء الله ورسله وحججه عليهم السلام في درجاتهم ثواب عظيم للمؤمنين يوم القيامة، وقد قال النبي صلى الله عليه واله: من أبغض أهل بيتي وعترتي لم يرني ولم أره يوم القيامة، وقال صلى الله عليه واله: إن فيكم من لا يراني بعد أن يفارقني، يا أبا الصلت إن الله تبارك وتعالى لا يوصف بمكان ولا يدرك بالابصار والاوهام. قال: فقلت له: يا ابن رسول الله فأخبرني عن الجنة والنار أهما اليوم مخلوقتان؟ فقال: نعم، وإن رسول الله صلى الله عليه واله قد دخل الجنة ورأى النار لما عرج به إلى السماء. قال: فقلت له: إن قوما يقولون إنهما اليوم مقدرتان غير مخلوقتين. فقال عليه السلام: ما اولئك منا ولا نحن منهم، من أنكر خلق الجنة والنار فقد كذب النبي صلى الله عليه واله وكذبنا، وليس من ولايتنا على شئ ويخلد في نار جهنم، قال الله عزوجل: هَذِهِ جَهَنَّمُ الَّتِي يُكَذِّبُ بِهَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ يَطُوفُونَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ حَمِيمٍ آَنٍ وقال النبي صلى الله عليه واله: لما عرج بي إلي السماء أخذ بيدي جبرئيل فأدخلني الجنة فناولني من رطبها فأكلته فتحول ذلك نطفة في صلبي، فلما هبطت إلى الارض واقعت خديجة فحملت بفاطمة، ففاطمة حوراء إنسية فكلما اشتقت إلى رائحة الجنة شممت رائحة ابنتي فاطمة

[7/326] al-Tawhid: al-Hamdani from Ali from his father from al-Harawi who said: I said to Ali b. Musa al-Ridha عليه السلام: O the son of the Messenger of Allah - what do you say about the report narrated by the Ahl al-Hadith that “the believers will visit their Lord from their homes in Paradise”?

He عليه السلام said: O Aba Salt - Allah Blessed and Elevated favoured his prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه واله over all his creations including the (other) prophets and the angels. He made obedience to him (the prophet) equal to His obedience, pledging allegiance to him (the prophet) equal to pledging allegiance to Him and visiting him (the prophet) in the world and the hereafter equal to visiting Him. This is when He Mighty and Majestic said: “Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah” (4:80) and also: “Those who pledge allegiance to you are in fact pledging allegiance to Allah, the hand of Allah is over their hands” (48:10). The prophet said: “Whoever visits me in my lifetime or after my death has visited Allah”. The station of the prophetصلى الله عليه واله in paradise is the highest station, so whoever visits him in this station of his in paradise (setting out) from his home then he will have visited Allah Blessed and Elevated.

He (Abu Salt) said: I said: O the son of the Messenger of Allah - what is the meaning of the report which they narrate that “the reward of ‘there is no god but Allah’ is looking at the face of Allah”? He said:  O Aba Salt - Whoever describes Allah as having a face like the typical faces has disbelieved. Rather, the face of Allah is His prophets, messengers and proofs صلوات الله عليهم. They are the ones through whom (one) turns (lit. his face) towards Allah Mighty and Majestic, His religion and recognition of Him. Allah Mighty and Majestic said: “Whoever is on it will perish and will remain the face of your Lord” (55:26-27) and He Mighty and Majestic also said: “Everything is to be destroyed except His face” (28:88), thus, looking at the prophets of Allah, His messengers and proofs عليهم السلام in their stations is a great reward for the believers on the day of judgment. The prophet صلى الله عليه واله said: “Whoever hates the people of my Household and my descendants will never see me nor will I see him on the day of judgment” and he صلى الله عليه واله also said: “There is among you one who will never see me (again) after separating from me (in this world)”. O Aba Salt - Allah Blessed and Elevated is not described as being in space and neither sights nor imaginations can reach Him.

He (Abu Salt) said: I said to him: O the son of the Messenger of Allah - inform me about Paradise and the Fire - are they already created at this moment? He said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه واله entered Paradise and saw the Fire when he was made to ascend to Heaven. He (Abu Salt) said: I said to him: There is a group which says that ‘they (Paradise and Hell) are only destined to be at this moment but not yet created’. He said: Such (people) are not from us nor are we from them. Whoever denies the creation of Paradise and the Fire has belied the prophet and has belied us. Such a one has nothing to do with our Wilaya and will abide forever in the Fire of Hell. Allah Mighty and Majestic says: “this is Hell which the criminals deny. They will go around between it and scalding water” (55:43-44) and the prophet صلى الله عليه واله said: “When I was made to ascend to Heaven, Jibril took me by the hand and made me to enter Paradise. He handed me one of its fruits. I ate it and it formed seed in my loin. When I returned to the earth I met with Khadija and she became pregnant with Fatima - a human Houri. Whenever I desire to smell the scent of paradise I smell the scent of my daughter Fatima”.   

NOTES:

al-Muhsini raises three doubts about the contents of this narration:

The interpretation of Wajh (face) as the prophets, messengers and Imams has to contend with the Qur’anic context of the verse in question from Surat al-Rahman which seems to indicate that it is God’s essence which is meant when it ends by characterizing the face as ‘full of majesty, bestowing honour’ (55:27)

“this is Hell which the criminals deny. They will go around between it and scalding water” (55:53-54). These words are seemingly what will be said on the Day of judgment itself, using them as proof for the present existence of Hell seems questionable.

Rejecting Paradise and Hell-fire outright would indeed be Kufr (disbelief) seeing as though it would be rejecting the truth of the ressurrection which is one of the essentials of faith. However, the question of whether the two are already existing or will be created on the day of judgment is a secondary derivative which allows the possibility of disagreement. It is hard therefore to see why the Imam would be proclaiming Takfir on such a one.                  

In light of this, al-Muhsini claims the possibility that these reflect the personal understanding of al-Harawi (the primary narrator) which have been mistakenly attributed to the Imam. This is a problem of Riwaya bil Ma’na where the exact words of the Imam are not preserved verbatim.

 

[8/327] التوحيد: ابن الوليد، عن الصفار، عن اليقطيني، عن ابن أبي نجران قال: سألت أبا جعفر الثاني عليه السلام عن التوحيد فقلت: أتوهم شيئا؟ فقال: نعم غير معقول ولا محدود، فما وقع وهمك عليه من شئ فهو خلافه، لا يشبهه شئ ولا تدركه الاوهام، كيف تدركه الاوهام وهو خلاف ما يعقل وخلاف ما يتصور في الاوهام؟ إنما يتوهم شئ غير معقول ولا محدود

[8/327] al-Tawhid: Ibn al-Walid from al-Saffar from al-Yaqtini from Ibn Abi Najran who said: I asked Aba Ja’far the Second عليه السلام about Tawhid saying: Should I imagine a thing (when conceiving of God)? He said: Yes, (something) neither cognisable nor delimited. Whatever your imagination falls upon is different than He. Nothing is like Him and imaginations do not reach Him. How can imaginations reach Him when He is other than what can be cognised and other than what is represented (image formed) in the imaginations? It is imagined something neither cognisable nor delimited.   

NOTES:

This is the basic doctrine of المخالفة - the ‘otherness’ of God. Whatever you imagine is by definition other than Him. This is because He cannot be processed by the mental faculty and is not bounded. Whatever we think of is limited and cannot be Him.

 

[9/328] التوحيد: ابن الوليد، عن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن مرازم، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه واله ربه عزوجل - يعني بقلبه

[9/328] al-Tawhid: Ibn al-Walid from Ibrahim b. Hashim from Ibn Abi Umayr from Murazim from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام. He (Murazim) said: I heard him (the Imam) saying: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه واله saw his Lord Mighty and Majestic - that is - by his heart.

NOTES:

The meaning of ‘see’ in the narrations of the ‘Aimma is ‘knowing Him’. That is why the organ involved is the heart

[Mzwakhe]

3 hours ago, Islamic Salvation said:

the organ involved is the heart

alhamdulillah, i was looking for you, kept forgetting, alhamdulillah still

[Islamic Salvation]

4.4. Negation of Corporeality or Likeness for God

https://sites.google.com/site/mujamalahadith/vol1/book-of-divine-unity/negation-of-corporeality-or-likeness-for-god

 

[1/329] امالي الصدوق: ابن الوليد، عن الصفار، عن ابن معروف، عن علي بن مهزيار قال: كتبت إلى أبي جعفر الثاني عليه السلام: جعلت فداك اصلي خلف من يقول بالجسم، ومن يقول بقول يونس - يعني ابن عبد الرحمن؟ فكتب عليه السلام لا تصلوا خلفهم ولا تعطوهم من الزكاة وابرؤوا منهم، برأ الله منهم

[1/329] Amali of al-Saduq: Ibn al-Walid from al-Saffar from Ibn Ma’ruf from Ali b. Mahziyar who said: I wrote to Abi Ja’far the Second عليه السلام: May I be made your ransom - should I pray behind the one who asserts (the doctrine of) ‘the body’ (God is corporeal) or the one who subscribes to the doctrine of Yunus - that is the son of Abd al-Rahman? He عليه السلام wrote: Do not pray behind them nor not give them anything of the Zakat. Disassociate from them. Allah has disassociated from them.

 

[2/330] امالي الصدوق: ابن الوليد، عن الصفار، عن البرقي، عن أبي هاشم الجعفري قال: سمعت علي بن موسى الرضا عليه السلام يقول: إلهي بدت قدرتك ولم تبد هيئتك فجهلوك و به قدروك والتقدير على غير ما وصفوك، وإني برئ يا إلهي من الذين بالتشبيه طلبوك، ليس كمثلك شئ، إلهي ولن يدركوك، وظاهر ما بهم من نعمك دليلهم عليك لو عرفوك، وفي خلقك يا إلهي مندوحة أن يتناولوك، بل سووك بخلقك فمن ثم لم يعرفوك، واتخذوا بعض آياتك ربا فبذلك وصفوك، تعاليت ربي عما به المشبهون نعتوك

[2/330] Amali of al-Saduq: Ibn al-Walid from al-Saffar from al-Barqi from Abi Hashim al-Ja’fari who said: I heard Ali b. Musa al-Ridha عليه السلام saying: My God, your power is manifest but your form is not. Because of this they became ignorant of you and with that (ignorance) estimated you. While the (true) estimation is other than how they described you. O My God, I am disassociated from those who seek you by likening you (to your creatures). There is nothing like you. My God, they will never reach you. What is apparent of your blessings around them is an indicator towards you. If only they recognized you. And in your creation - O my God - there is ample to understand you. However, they equated you to your creation and because of that did not attain recognition of you. They took some of your signs as Lord (instead of you) and with that (imperfect attributes) described you. Elevated are you My Lord from that which the Likeners impute to you.             

NOTES:

In a variant of the same supplication as found in al-Irshad of al-Mufid:

إلهي بدت قدرتك ولم تبد هيئته فجهلوك وقدروك بالتقدير على غير ما به أنت شبهوك ...

My God, your power is manifest but its form is not. Thus they became ignorant of you and measured you with an estimation. On the basis of what you are not did they compare you …

 

[3/331] التوحيد: ابن المتوكل، عن الحميري، عن ابن عيسى، عن ابن محبوب، عن حماد، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: كذب من زعم أن الله عز وجل من شئ، أو في شئ، أو علي شئ

[3/331] al-Tawhid: Ibn al-Mutawakkil from al-Himyari from Ibn Isa from Ibn Mahbub from Hammad from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام who said: He has lied the one who claims that Allah Mighty and Majestic is from a thing, or in a thing, or upon a thing.

 

[4/332] الكافي: عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر، عن صفوان الجمال، عن أبي عبدالله عليه السلام في قول الله عزوجل: كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ قال: من أتى الله بما امر به من طاعة محمد صلى الله عليه وآله فهو الوجه الذي لا يهلك و كذلك قال: مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ

[4/332] al-Kafi: A number of our companions from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Abi Nasr from Safwan al-Jammal from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام  about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic: “Everything is to perish except His face” (28:88). He said: Whoever comes to Allah with what he had been ordered (to do) in terms of obeying Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله then he is the ‘face’ who will not perish. In a similar vein Did He say: “whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah” (4:80).   

NOTES:

Any one who obeys Allah and His Messenger and turns (directs himself) towards Allah then he will remain eternally in the Gardens. He becomes the Wajh (‘face’) of Allah among His creation and the means through whom Allah turns to ‘face’ His servants (this is why He attributes the face as belonging to Him) and also the means through whom His servants turn to ‘face’ Allah. 

Obviously, the first to be implied in this verse are the ‘Aimma who are the most perfect obeyers of Allah and His Messenger, and the means to such obedience, thus they qualify to be ‘Wajh of Allah’ primarily before this term can be applied to the other believers secondarily. 

 

[5/333] التوحيد والعيون: أبي، عن سعد، عن ابن عيسى، عن الحسن بن علي الخزاز، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه واله يوم القيامة آخذ بحجزة الله، ونحن آخذون بحجزة نبينا، وشيعتنا آخذون بحجزتنا. ثم قال: الحجزة: النور

[5/333] al-Tawhid and al-Uyun: My father from Sa’d from Ibn Isa from al-Hasan b. Ali al-Khazzaz from Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام who said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه واله will hold on to the waist-knot of Allah on the Day of Judgment, we will hold on to the waist-knot of our prophet, and our Shia (followers) will hold on to our waist-knot. Then he said: waist-knot means light.

NOTES:

al-Jazari says in his al-Nihaya fi Gharib al-Hadith wa al-Athar:

أصل الحُجْزَة: موضع شدّ الإزار، ثمّ قيل للإزار: حُجْزَة للمُجاوَرة. واحْتَجَزَ الرجُل بالإزار: إذا شَدّه على وسَطه، فاسْتَعاره للاعْتِصام، والالْتجاء، والتمسُّك بالشّيء، والتَعلُّق به

The Origin of Hujza (الحُجْزَة) is the location where the wrapper (loin cloth) is fastened. Then the loin cloth itself was called Hujza because of close association. Then it was used figuratively to mean holding onto, seeking refuge in, resorting to, attaching oneself with something or someone.

That the figurative is meant in the above report is further clarified in another narration as follows:

  عن محمّد بن الحنفيّة عن أميرالمؤمنين عليه السّلام: إنّ رسول الله صلّى الله عليه و آله يوم القيامة آخذ بحُجْزَة الله، ونحن آخذون بِحُجْزَة نبيّنا، وشيعتنا آخذون بحُجْزَتنا. قلت: يا أميرالمؤمنين! وما الحُجْزة؟ قال: الله أعظم من أن يوصف بحُجْزة أو غير ذلك، ولكن رسول الله صلّى الله عليه و آله آخذ بأمر الله، ونحن آلَ محمّد آخذون بأمر نبيّنا، وشيعتنا آخذون بأمرنا

Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya – The Commander of the Faithful عليه السّلام who said: The Messenger of Allah صلّى الله عليه و آله will hold on to the waist-knot of Allah on the Day of Judgment. We will hold on to the waist-knot of our Prophet. Our Shia will hold on to our waist-knot. I said: O Commander of the Faithful! What is the “waist-knot”? He said: Allah is greater than to be described as having a waist-knot or something like that, rather the Messenger of Allah صلّى الله عليه و آله will hold on to the Order of Allah, and we the Family of Muhammad will hold on to the Order of our Prophet and our Shia will hold on to our Order. 

 

[6/334] التوحيد والعيون والامالي: ابن المتوكل، عن علي، عن أبيه، عن الريان عن الرضا عن آبائه، عن أمير المؤمنين عليهم السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه واله قال الله جل جلاله: ما آمن بي من فسر برأيه كلامي، وما عرفني من شبهني بخلقي، وما على ديني من استعمل القياس في ديني

[6/334] al-Tawhid, al-Uyun and al-Amali: Ibn al-Mutawakkil from Ali from his father from al-Rayyan from al-Ridha from his forefathers from The Commander of the Faithful عليهم السلام who said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه واله said: Allah Majestic is His Majesty said: He has not believed in Me the one who interprets My words by his opinion. He has not known Me the one who likens Me to My creatures. He is not upon My religion the one who uses analogy in My religion. 

 

[7/335] الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى بن عبيد، عن يونس، عن هشام ابن الحكم قال: سألت أبا عبدالله عليه السلام عن سبحان الله فقال: أنفة لله

[7/335] al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from Muhammad b. Isa b. Ubayd from Yunus from Hisham b. al-Hakam who said: I asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام about ‘Subhanallah’. He said: (It means) Exaltation (belongs) to Allah.

NOTES:

The Imam defines Subhanallah by the verbal noun أنفة لله Anafata lillah. This goes back to the verb انف Anifa.

The verb refers to being free (purified/absolved) from something (تنزه عنه), usually a defect or imperfection. Thus it also connotes a distancing in an upward direction (elevation) from a thing (ترفع عنه). There is also an element of disdain/scorn in rejection/negation of the defect or imperfection, a deeming of oneself as esteemed/having dignity over it, because the defect or imperfection is beneath you. This adds an element of haughtiness/pride to the usage (استنكف عنه وكرهه وشرف نفسه عنه)

It is difficult to find a single word English equivalent that conveys all the above, however, the general meaning is that Allah is exalted i.e. far removed and high above - being free in His unique essence from all that which is not worthy of Him such as defects or imperfection.

In another similar narration:

علي، عن أبيه، عن عبدالله بن المغيرة، عن هشام بن الحكم قال: قال أبوعبدالله عليه السلام: ما من كلمة أخف على اللسان منها ولا أبلغ من سبحان الله ... قال: قلت: الحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله قد عرفناهما فما تفسير سبحان الله؟ قال: أنفة لله، أما ترى الرجل إذا عجب من الشئ قال: سبحان الله

Ali – his father – Abdallah b. Mughira – Hisham b. al-Hakam who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: There is no word lighter on the tongues but more far-reaching than ‘Subhanallah’ … He (Hisham) said: We know ‘Alhamdulillah’ and ‘La Ilaha illa-llah’ but what is the meaning of ‘Subhanallah’? He said: Exaltation is due to Allah. Don’t you see that when a man marvels at a thing (becomes astonished by it) says: Subhanallah. 

It is because of Allah’s perfect nature that marvel arises when and if an unbefitting characteristic is ascribed to Him, or when one has a jarring encounter with a shocking experience, subsequently any imperfection inherent in other than Him is distanced and negated from Him by re-affirming his Exaltedness.

 

[8/336] التوحيد: ابن المتوكل، عن الحميري، عن ابن عيسى، عن ابن محبوب، عن يعقوب السراج قال: قلت لابي عبد الله عليه السلام: إن بعض أصحابنا يزعم أن لله صورة مثل الانسان وقال آخر إنه في صورة أمرد جعد قطط! فخر أبو عبد الله عليه السلام ساجدا ثم رفع رأسه فقال: سبحان الله الذي ليس كمثله شئ، ولا تدركه الابصار، ولا يحيط به علم، لم يلد لان الولد يشبه أباه، ولم يولد فيشبه من كان قبله، ولم يكن له من خلقه كفوا أحد، تعالى عن صفة من سواه علوا كبيرا

[8/336] al-Tawhid: Ibn al-Mutawakkil from al-Himyari from Ibn Isa from Ibn Mahbub from Ya’qub al-Sarraj who said: I said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام: One of our companions claims that Allah has a form like that of a human and another says that He is in the form of a beardless youth with very curly hair!

Abu Abdillah عليه السلام fell down in prostration then he raised his head and said: Glory be to Allah whom there is nothing like Him. Vision cannot reach Him. Knowledge cannot encompass Him. He does not give birth for an off-spring resembles his parent. He was not born so that He could resemble one who came before Him. He will never have among His creatures any rival. Elevated is He from the description of the one who equates Him - a great elevation.    

 

[-/9] امالي الصدوق: محمد بن محمد بن عصام، عن الكليني، عن علان، عن محمد بن الفرج الرخجي قال: كتبت إلى أبي الحسن علي بن محمد عليهما السلام أسأله عما قال هشام بن الحكم في الجسم، وهشام بن سالم في الصورة. فكتب عليه السلام: دع عنك حيرة الحيران واستعذ بالله من الشيطان، ليس القول ما قال الهشامان

[9/-] Amali of al-Saduq: Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Assam from al-Kulayni from Allan from Muhammad b. al-Faraj al-Rukhaji who said: I wrote to Abi al-Hasan Ali b. Muhammad عليهما السلام asking him about the position of Hisham b. al-Hakam regarding ‘the body’ and the position of Hisham b. Salim regarding ‘the human form’. He wrote: Leave the confusion of the confused, seek refuge in Allah from the Shaytan, the (true) position is not what was said by the two Hishams.

NOTES:

Al-Muhsini does not consider the chain reliable because the same narration is found in al-Kafi which has:

علي بن محمد رفعه عن محمد بن الفرج الرخجي قال: كتبت إلى أبي الحسن عليه السلام ...

Ali b. Muhammad (i.e. Allan) raising it to Muhammad b. al-Faraj al-Rukhaji who said: I wrote to Abi al-Hasan عليه السلام …

This points to the presence of un-named intermediaries making the chain disconnected.

 

[10/337] التوحيد ومعاني الاخبار: ابن عصام، عن الكليني، عن العلان، عن اليقطيني قال: سألت أبا الحسن علي بن محمد العسكري عليهما السلام عن قول الله عزوجل: وَالْأَرْضُ جَمِيعاً قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالسَّماوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ فقال: ذلك تعيير الله تبارك وتعالى لمن شبهه بخلقه، ألا ترى أنه قال:  وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ومعناه إذ قالوا: إن الارض جميعا قبضته يوم القيامة والسماوات مطويات بيمينه، كما قال عزوجل: وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إذ قالوا: مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى بَشَرٍ مِنْ شَيْءٍ، ثم نزه عزوجل نفسه عن القبضة واليمين فقال: سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

[10/337] al-Tawhid and Ma’ani al-Akhbar: Ibn Assam from al-Kulayni from al-Allan from al-Yaqtini who said: I asked Aba al-Hasan Ali b. Muhammad al-Askari عليهما السلام about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic: “the entire earth will be His grip on the Day of Resurrection and the Heavens will be folded in His right hand” (39:67).

He said: That is a rebuke of Allah Blessed and Elevated against the one who likens Him to his creation. Don’t you see that He said (in the same verse): “they have not estimated Allah His true estimate” (39:67). The meaning of this is (a reply to) when they said: ‘the entire earth will be His grip on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens will be folded in His right hand’.

This is just as He Mighty and Majestic said: “they have not estimated Allah His true estimate” (6:91) when they said: “Allah has not sent down anything to a human” (6:91). Then He Mighty and Majestic declared Himself free of (possessing attributes such as) ‘gripping’ and ‘right hand’ by saying: “Glorified is He and Elevated above what they associate (with Him)” (39:67).