Introduction

The Book of Intelligence and Ignorance

Chapter on the necessity to seek knowledge and the recommendations to learn

Chapter on the quality of knowledge its virtue and the virtue of the scholars

Chapter on Kinds of People

Chapter on the reward for the scholars and those who seek knowledge

Chapter on the Qualities of the Scholars

Chapter on the Rights of the scholars

Chapter on the Loss of a Scholar

Chapter on Meeting the Scholars and Associating with Them

Chapter on Asking the Scholar and Discussing with him

Chapter on Giving Knowledge as Charity

Prohibition on Speaking without Knowledge.

Chapter on Those who Act without Knowledge

Chapter on Utilization of Knowledge

Chapter on Those who use their Knowledge to Fill their Stomach and are Boastful for it

Chapter on the Need for the Existence of a Divine Authority in the World and the Seriousness of this Matter

Chapter on Miscellaneous Issues

Chapter on narrating books and Hadith (The virtue of writing and its preservation)

Chapter on Taqlid, following the opinions of someone

Chapter on Innovations, Personal Opinions and Analogies

Chapter on the need to refer to the book and Sunnah

Chapter on the Differences in al-Hadith

Chapter on Following the Sunnah and Evidence of the Book

Chapter on Contingency of the Universe and Proof of the Existence of its Creator

Chapter on Can Allah (God) be Considered a Thing?

Chapter on (the Issue) that only He is proof of His Own Existence

Chapter on the minimum degree of knowledge of the existence of Allah

Chapter on Who is Worshipped

Chapter On Being and Space (al-Kawn WA al-Makan)

Chapter On The relationships (Nisbah) Of Allah

Chapter On Prohibition on Saying How is Allah (al-Kayfiyyah)

Chapter On The Invalidity of the Belief to see God (Ru’yah of Allah)

Chapter On Prohibition on Attributing to Allah What He Himself has not Done so

Chapter On Prohibition on Considering Allah as having Body (JISM) and Form (SURAH)

Chapter On Attribute Of Essence (Sifat al-DhDhat) Of Allah

Another Chapter of The Previous Chapter

Chapter On Will Power (IRADAH) it is of the Attributes of Action (SIFAT al-FI‘L) and the Rest of the Attributes of Action

Chapter On the Coming into the Existence of the Names of Allah

Chapter On The Meanings of the Names of Allah and their Derivatives

Chapter on Another Chapter (Related) to the Previous Chapter

Chapter on the Interpretation of al-Samad, Self-sufficient

Chapter on Motion and Change

Chapter about al-‘Arsh and al-Kursi

Chapter on al-Ruh, the Spirit

Chapter on Comprehensive (Ahadith) about the Oneness of Allah

Chapter on Miscellaneous Ahadith

Chapter on al-Bida’

Chapter on the issue that there is nothing in heavens and earth but that they are in seven

Chapter on Wish and Will

Chapter on Test and Choice

Chapter on Fortunateness and Un-fortunateness

Good and Evil

Predestination, Fate and the Middle Road in Between

The Capabilities

Declaration, Definition and the Need for Solid Proof

Differences in the Justification of Divine Authority among People

Allah’s Authorities and Means of Justification of Accountability in People

Guidance Is From Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High

The necessity of the presence of Divine Authority among the people

The Categories of the Prophets, the Messengers and the Imams (a.s.)

The Difference among he Messengers, the Prophets and the al-Muhaddath

The issue that Allah’s holding people accountable remains unjustified without the Imam

The Issue that the Earth at no time is without a Person with Divine Authority

The Issue that even if only two people would remain on earth one of them would certainly be the Imam, the person with divine authority

Knowing the Imam (a.s.) and Belief in His Divine Authority

The obligation to obey the Imams (a.s.)

The Imams (a.s.) are witness for Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, over His creature

The Imams (a.s.) are the only true guides

The Imam (a.s.) Possess Divine Authority and the Treasure of Divine Knowledge

The Imams (a.s.) are the Deputies of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, on earth and the Gates through which people go nearer to Allah

The Imams (a.s.) are the light of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High

The Imams are the corner stone on earth

The Unique Ahadith that sums up the Virtue and Qualifications of the Imam (a.s.)

The Imams (a.s.) possess Divine authority, they are Envied and Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has spoken of them

The Imams (a.s.) are the Sings of whom Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has spoken in the Holy Quran

The Signs of which Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has spoken in the Holy Quran are The Imams (a.s.)

The matters that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, and His Messenger (s.a.) have sanctioned as obligatory of the beings with the Imams (a.s.)

The people of Dhikr (memory and knowledge) that Allah has commanded the creatures to ask for their questions are the Imams (a.s.)

Those whom Allah has called people of knowledge they are the Imams (a.s.)

The People Well-grounded in Knowledge are the Imams (a.s.) alone

The Imams are those who have received Knowledge and it is firmly Established in their Hearts

The people whom Allah has Chosen and has Made the Heirs of His Book are the Imams (a.s.)

Two Kinds of Imam are mentioned in the Holy Quran: the Imams (a.s.) who call to Allah and the Imams who call to Fire

The Holy Quran guides people to the Imam (a.s.)

The Bounty and Blessings that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High has mentioned in His book, the Holy Quran are the Imams (a.s.)

The People whom Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has called Mutawassimin (distinguished) in His book are the Imams (a.s.) who are also the straight path

The deeds of the people are presented before the Holy Prophet (s.a.) and the Imams (a.s.)

The Path, Urged to be Maintained Steadfastly is Acknowledgement of the Divine Authority of Imam Ali (a.s.)

The Imams (a.s.) are the Mines of Knowledge, the Tree of Prophet-hood and the Centers wherein angels Interchange

The Imams (a.s.) are the Heirs of Knowledge to Inherit it one from the other

The Imams (a.s.) inherited the knowledge of the Holy prophet (s.a.) and all the prophets and their successors before them

The Imams (a.s.) have with all the books that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has revealed and that they know them even the language in them are different

No one collect all of the Holy Quran except the Imams (a.s.) and that they have the knowledge of all of the Holy Quran

The degree of the Great Names of Allah that are given to the Imams (a.s.)

Sacred objects of the Prophets transferred to the Imams (a.s.)

The Armaments and Sacred Items belonging to the Holy Prophet (s.a.) that transferred to the Imam (a.s.)

The case of the Arms of the Messenger of Allah is like the Ark among the Israelites

Statements about al-Jafr al-Jami‘ and the Book of Fatima (a.s.)

Chapter Ninety Seven of the Holy Quran and its interpretation

 1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عُبَيْدِ الله بْنِ عَبْدِ الله الدِّهْقَانِ عَنْ دُرُسْتَ الْوَاسِطِيِّ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ دَخَلَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا جَمَاعَةٌ قَدْ أَطَافُوا بِرَجُلٍ فَقَالَ مَا هَذَا فَقِيلَ عَلامَةٌ فَقَالَ وَمَا الْعَلامَةُ فَقَالُوا لَهُ أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِأَنْسَابِ الْعَرَبِ وَوَقَائِعِهَا وَأَيَّامِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَالاشْعَارِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) ذَاكَ عِلْمٌ لا يَضُرُّ مَنْ جَهِلَهُ وَلا يَنْفَعُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ ثَلاثَةٌ آيَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ أَوْ فَرِيضَةٌ عَادِلَةٌ أَوْ سُنَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ وَمَا خَلاهُنَّ فَهُوَ فَضْلٌ.

 1. Muhammad b. al-Hasan has narrated from Ali b. Muhammad from Sahl b. Ziyad from Muhammad b. ‘Isa from Ubaydullah al-Dihqan from Durust al-Wasiti from Ibrahim b. Abdul Hamid from Abul Hasan Musa (as) who has said: “Once Rasulullah (sw) entered the Mosque and found a group of people gathered around a man. He asked, 'Who is he?'. It was said that he was a Allamah. He then asked them, 'What is that?'. They replied that he is the most learned man about the genealogy, the chronology, and the history of the pre-Islamic days of darkness and the poetry of Arabs. He (a.s) said, so the Prophet (sw) then stated that ‘such knowledge doesn't harm the one who is ignorant of it or benefit the one who knows it.' Then he (sw) added: ‘Knowledge consists of three kinds: A strong sign, a just obligation or an established sunnah. Anything else is of the extra achievements.”’

 2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الانْبِيَاءِ وَذَاكَ أَنَّ الانْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُورِثُوا دِرْهَماً وَلا دِينَاراً وَإِنَّمَا أَوْرَثُوا أَحَادِيثَ مِنْ أَحَادِيثِهِمْ فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْهَا فَقَدْ أَخَذَ حَظّاً وَافِراً فَانْظُرُوا عِلْمَكُمْ هَذَا عَمَّنْ تَأْخُذُونَهُ فَإِنَّ فِينَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ فِي كُلِّ خَلَفٍ عُدُولاً يَنْفُونَ عَنْهُ تَحْرِيفَ الْغَالِينَ وَانْتِحَالَ الْمُبْطِلِينَ وَتَأْوِيلَ الْجَاهِلِينَ.

 2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Khalid from abu al-Bakhtari from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “The scholars are the heirs of the prophets because the prophets did not leave any Dirham or Dinar, (units of money) as their legacy. What they left was certain pieces of their statements. Those who acquired anything of these pieces of their statements they have certainly gained a large share. You must be very careful, when acquiring such knowledge, to see from what kinds of people you receive them. Among us (the Ahlul Bayt, family of the holy Prophet s.a.) after every one there comes a just person who removes (and exposes) the forgeries of the exaggerators from it (knowledge), the infiltrated materials of the fallacious ones and the interpretations of the ignorant ones.”

 3ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا أَرَادَ الله بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً فَقَّهَهُ فِي الدِّينِ.

 3. Al-Hassan ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) said: 'If Allah (swt) wants goodness for a servant, he will teach him the jurisprudence (fiqh) of religion.'

 4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ الْكَمَالُ كُلُّ الْكَمَالِ التَّفَقُّهُ فِي الدِّينِ وَالصَّبْرُ عَلَى النَّائِبَةِ وَتَقْدِيرُ الْمَعِيشَةِ.

 4. Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from Fadl ibn Shadhan from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Rab‘i ibn ‘Abdallah from a man that Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir) (as) said: 'The most perfect of all perfection is a good understanding of religion, exercising patience during affliction and setting up of means of living.'

 5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ الْعُلَمَاءُ أُمَنَاءُ وَالاتْقِيَاءُ حُصُونٌ وَالاوْصِيَاءُ سَادَةٌ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى الْعُلَمَاءُ مَنَارٌ وَالاتْقِيَاءُ حُصُونٌ وَالاوْصِيَاءُ سَادَةٌ.

 5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ’Isma‘il ibn Jabir that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) said: 'The scholars are the trustees [of religion], the pious ones are the strongholds [of religion] and the successors (of the Prophet) are the masters [of religion].' 

In an another hadith it is said, 'The scholars are the light houses [of the religion], the pious ones are the strongholds [of the religion] and the successors are the masters [of the religion].'

 6ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنْ إِدْرِيسَ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ الْكِنْدِيِّ عَنْ بَشِيرٍ الدَّهَّانِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لا خَيْرَ فِيمَنْ لا يَتَفَقَّهُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا يَا بَشِيرُ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ إِذَا لَمْ يَسْتَغْنِ بِفِقْهِهِ احْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَإِذَا احْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَدْخَلُوهُ فِي بَابِ ضَلالَتِهِمْ وَهُوَ لا يَعْلَمُ.

 6. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Muhammad ibn Hassa’n from Idris ibn al-Hassan from abu Ishaq al-Kindi from Bashir al-Dahhan that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) said: 'There is no goodness in our people who do not learn fiqh (jurisprudence), oh Bashir. Indeed, when a man from them does not suffice himself with [knowledge] of fiqh, he becomes dependent on them (i.e. the non-shias). And when he becomes dependent on them, they lead him into the door of their misguidance, and he does not know.'


 7ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ آبَائِهِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لا خَيْرَ فِي الْعَيْشِ إِلا لِرَجُلَيْنِ عَالِمٍ مُطَاعٍ أَوْ مُسْتَمِعٍ وَاعٍ.

 7. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) narrated from his forefathers that Rasulullah (sw) said: 'There is no goodness in life except for two kinds of people, a scholar who is obeyed or an audience who listen carefully.'

 8ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ عَالِمٌ يُنْتَفَعُ بِعِلْمِهِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ عَابِدٍ.

 8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr and Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Sayf ibn ‘Umayra from Abu Hamza that Abu Ja‘far (as) said: "A scholar who benefits from his knowledge is better than 70,000 worshippers."

 9ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) رَجُلٌ رَاوِيَةٌ لِحَدِيثِكُمْ يَبُثُّ ذَلِكَ فِي النَّاسِ وَيُشَدِّدُهُ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَقُلُوبِ شِيعَتِكُمْ وَلَعَلَّ عَابِداً مِنْ شِيعَتِكُمْ لَيْسَتْ لَهُ هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةُ أَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ قَالَ الرَّاوِيَةُ لِحَدِيثِنَا يَشُدُّ بِهِ قُلُوبَ شِيعَتِنَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ عَابِدٍ.

 9. Al-Hassan ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Ishaq from Sa‘dan ibn Muslim that Mu‘awiya ibn ‘Ammar said: "I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as), 'There is a man who narrates your hadiths, spreads them among people and ties it to their hearts and the hearts of your Shi'a. Also, there is perhaps a worshipper among your Shi'a who does not have your narrations. Which of the two are better?'. He said, 'The one who narrates our hadiths and ties them up to the hearts of our Shi'a is better than 70,000 worshippers.'"

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1

Book 2, Chapter 2