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

 وُلِدَ الْحَسَنُ بن علي (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فِي سَنَةِ بَدْرٍ سَنَةِ اثْنَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْهِجْرَةِ وَرُوِيَ أَنَّهُ وُلِدَ فِي سَنَةِ ثَلاثٍ وَمَضَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي شَهْرِ صَفَرٍ فِي آخِرِهِ مِنْ سَنَةِ تِسْعٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ وَمَضَى وَهُوَ ابْنُ سَبْعٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً وَأَشْهُرٍ وَأُمُّهُ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه )

 Al-Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.) was born in the month of Ramadan in the year that the battle of Badr took place, the second year after Hijra (AH) (migration of the Holy Prophet (s.w) from Mecca to Medina). It is also narrated that he was born in the third year. He passed away in the end of the month of Safar in the year forty nine AH. He lived for forty seven years and a few months. His mother was Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (s.w).

 1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَمَّنْ سَمِعَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ لَمَّا حَضَرَتِ الْحَسَنَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) الْوَفَاةُ بَكَى فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ الله تَبْكِي وَمَكَانُكَ مِنْ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) الَّذِي أَنْتَ بِهِ وَقَدْ قَالَ فِيكَ مَا قَالَ وَقَدْ حَجَجْتَ عِشْرِينَ حَجَّةً مَاشِياً وَقَدْ قَاسَمْتَ مَالَكَ ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ حَتَّى النَّعْلَ بِالنَّعْلِ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا أَبْكِي لِخَصْلَتَيْنِ لِهَوْلِ الْمُطَّلَعِ وَفِرَاقِ الاحِبَّةِ.

 1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Ishaq from Ali ibn Mahziyar from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from ‘Abdallah ibn Sinan from the one who heard from Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who said, "When al-Hassan was about to die he wept. He was asked, 'O son of the Messenger of Allah, why would you weep, when you have such a position with the Messenger of Allah such as you have? And all the (good things) said about you. You have performed Hajj twenty times on foot and distributed all of your belongings among the needy three times exactly.' He replied, 'I weep for two reasons, It is the fear of resurrection and separation from the loved ones.'”

 2ـ سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الله وَعَبْدُ الله بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنْ أَخِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُبِضَ الْحَسَنُ بن علي (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) وَهُوَ ابْنُ سَبْعٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فِي عَامِ خَمْسِينَ عَاشَ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً.

 2. Sa‘d ibn ‘Abdallah and ‘Abdallah ibn Ja‘far have narrated from Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar from his brother. Ali (ibn Mahziyar) from al-Hassan ibn Sa‘id from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ibn Muskan from Abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Al-Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.) passed away at the age of forty seven in the year fifty (AH). He lived forty years after the death of the Holy Prophet (s.w).”

 3ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ قَالَ إِنَّ جَعْدَةَ بِنْتَ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْكِنْدِيِّ سَمَّتِ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ وَسَمَّتْ مَوْلاةً لَهُ فَأَمَّا مَوْلاتُهُ فَقَاءَتِ السَّمَّ وَأَمَّا الْحَسَنُ فَاسْتَمْسَكَ فِي بَطْنِهِ ثُمَّ انْتَفَطَ بِهِ فَمَاتَ.

 3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Nu‘man from Sayf ibn ‘Amira from Abu Bakr al-Hadrami who has said the following: "Ja'da bint al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays al-Kindi poisoned al-Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.) and a female servant of the Imam (a.s.). The female servant, however, vomited the poison, but in the case of al-Hassan (a.s.) the poison remained in his digestive system and caused swelling that killed him.”

 4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ النَّهْدِيِّ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ عَنِ الْكُنَاسِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ خَرَجَ الْحَسَنُ بن علي (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) فِي بَعْضِ عُمَرِهِ وَمَعَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ وُلْدِ الزُّبَيْرِ كَانَ يَقُولُ بِإِمَامَتِهِ فَنَزَلُوا فِي مَنْهَلٍ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْمَنَاهِلِ تَحْتَ نَخْلٍ يَابِسٍ قَدْ يَبِسَ مِنَ الْعَطَشِ فَفُرِشَ لِلْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) تَحْتَ نَخْلَةٍ وَفُرِشَ لِلزُّبَيْرِيِّ بِحِذَاهُ تَحْتَ نَخْلَةٍ أُخْرَى قَالَ فَقَالَ الزُّبَيْرِيُّ وَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ لَوْ كَانَ فِي هَذَا النَّخْلِ رُطَبٌ لاكَلْنَا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْحَسَنُ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَشْتَهِي الرُّطَبَ فَقَالَ الزُّبَيْرِيُّ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَدَعَا بِكَلامٍ لَمْ أَفْهَمْهُ فَاخْضَرَّتِ النَّخْلَةُ ثُمَّ صَارَتْ إِلَى حَالِهَا فَأَوْرَقَتْ وَحَمَلَتْ رُطَباً فَقَالَ الْجَمَّالُ الَّذِي اكْتَرَوْا مِنْهُ سِحْرٌ وَالله قَالَ فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَيْلَكَ لَيْسَ بِسِحْرٍ وَلَكِنْ دَعْوَةُ ابْنِ نَبِيٍّ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ قَالَ فَصَعِدُوا إِلَى النَّخْلَةِ فَصَرَمُوا مَا كَانَ فِيهِ فَكَفَاهُمْ.

 4. Muhammad ibn Yahya and Ahmad ibn Muhammad have narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from al-Qasim al-Nahdi from Isma‘il ibn Mihran from al-Kunasi from Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Once al-Hassan (a.s.) went outside the town with a man from the children of al-Zubayr who believed al-Hassan to be the Imam. They stopped for rest on one of the oasis under a palm tree that had dried up due to lack of water. A furnishing was spread for Imam al-Hassan (a.s.) under that tree and for al-Zubayri the furnishings were arranged under a tree just next to it. The narrator has said that al-Zubayri looked up the tree and said, 'I wish the tree had fruits so we could eat from them.' Al-Hassan (a.s.) asked, 'Do you wish to have dates?' He said, 'Yes, I do wish to have dates.' He (al-Hassan (a.s.) raised his hands to the sky and spoke certain words that I did not understand. The tree turned green, then it returned to its normal condition, and its leaves grew and it became loaded with dates. The man from they had hired camels begun to say, 'It, by Allah, is magic!' Al-Hassan (a.s.) said, 'Woe is you. It is not magic but it is a prayer of the son of a prophet that is answered.' They climbed the tree and picked the dates that were there and it provided enough for their needs.”

 5ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ رِجَالِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ لله مَدِينَتَيْنِ إِحْدَاهُمَا بِالْمَشْرِقِ وَالاخْرَى بِالْمَغْرِبِ عَلَيْهِمَا سُورٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ وَعَلَى كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا أَلْفُ أَلْفِ مِصْرَاعٍ وَفِيهَا سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ لُغَةٍ يَتَكَلَّمُ كُلُّ لُغَةٍ بِخِلافِ لُغَةِ صَاحِبِهَا وَأَنَا أَعْرِفُ جَمِيعَ اللُّغَاتِ وَمَا فِيهِمَا وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا عَلَيْهِمَا حُجَّةٌ غَيْرِي وَغَيْرُ الْحُسَيْنِ أَخِي.

 5. Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn Yahya have narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from Ya‘qub ibn Yazid from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from his people from Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Al-Hassan (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah has two cities. One is in the east and the other is in the west. They have a boundary around them that is made of iron and each one has a million doors. Seven thousand different languages exist therein and I know all those languages and all that is in and between them, and there is no one Hujjah (Leader with Divine Authority) except me and al-Husayn (a.s.) my brother.'"

 6ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ صَنْدَلٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ خَرَجَ الْحَسَنُ بن علي (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) إِلَى مَكَّةَ سَنَةً مَاشِياً فَوَرِمَتْ قَدَمَاهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ بَعْضُ مَوَالِيهِ لَوْ رَكِبْتَ لَسَكَنَ عَنْكَ هَذَا الْوَرَمُ فَقَالَ كَلا إِذَا أَتَيْنَا هَذَا الْمَنْزِلَ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْتَقْبِلُكَ أَسْوَدُ وَمَعَهُ دُهْنٌ فَاشْتَرِ مِنْهُ وَلا تُمَاكِسْهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَوْلاهُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي مَا قَدِمْنَا مَنْزِلاً فِيهِ أَحَدٌ يَبِيعُ هَذَا الدَّوَاءَ فَقَالَ لَهُ بَلَى إِنَّهُ أَمَامَكَ دُونَ الْمَنْزِلِ فَسَارَا مِيلاً فَإِذَا هُوَ بِالاسْوَدِ فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لِمَوْلاهُ دُونَكَ الرَّجُلَ فَخُذْ مِنْهُ الدُّهْنَ وَأَعْطِهِ الثَّمَنَ فَقَالَ الاسْوَدُ يَا غُلامُ لِمَنْ أَرَدْتَ هَذَا الدُّهْنَ فَقَالَ لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ انْطَلِقْ بِي إِلَيْهِ فَانْطَلَقَ فَأَدْخَلَهُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي لَمْ أَعْلَمْ أَنَّكَ تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى هَذَا أَ وَتَرَى ذَلِكَ وَلَسْتُ آخُذُ لَهُ ثَمَناً إِنَّمَا أَنَا مَوْلاكَ وَلَكِنِ ادْعُ الله أَنْ يَرْزُقَنِي ذَكَراً سَوِيّاً يُحِبُّكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ فَإِنِّي خَلَّفْتُ أَهْلِي تَمْخَضُ فَقَالَ انْطَلِقْ إِلَى مَنْزِلِكَ فَقَدْ وَهَبَ الله لَكَ ذَكَراً سَوِيّاً وَهُوَ مِنْ شِيعَتِنَا.

 6. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Nu'man from Sandal from Abu Usama from Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following: “One year al-Hassan ibn Ali left for Mecca on foot. On the journey his feet swelled and his servants said, 'If you would ride the swelling will go away.' He said, 'Nay, if we reach this place of rest you will a black person who has oil with him, buy from oil without trying to reduce the price.' The servant said, 'May my parents be your ransom, we have never been to a place of rest where anyone would sell such medicine.' The Imam (a.s.) said to him, 'Yes, there are such people right in front of you before reaching the place for rest.' They walked for a mile and they met the black person. Al-Hassan (a.s.) said to his servant, 'There is the man. Take the oil from him and pay him.' The black man asked the servant, 'For whom do you want this oil?' He replied, 'I want it for al-Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.).' He said, 'Take me to him.' They came to al-Hassan (a.s.) and the man said, 'May my parents be your ransom! I did not know that you need this. If you would like to have it you have it free of charge. I am only one your servants. Just pray to Allah for me that i may be granted a healthy son who would love you, Ahl al-Bayt. When I left, my wife was about to give birth.' The Imam (a.s.) said, 'Go to your home. Allah has gifted you with a healthy son who is of our Shi‘a (followers).'"

Al-Kāfi - Volume 1

Book 4, Chapter 115