Author: Allamah Sayyid Murtadha al-Askari

Table of Contents



 

 

Introduction


Allah the blessed and exalted sent His Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH), with guidance and the religion of truth, saying:

“He is the One Who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom, though they were before in clear misguidance.”[1]

And He said:

“And We have sent down to you the Reminder (the Qur’an) so that you may clarify to the people what has been revealed to them.”[2]

And the Prophet (PBUH)—through his mission—clearly proclaimed [the message], gradually conveying the verses and chapters of the Qur’an to all who came to him, until they firmly grasped, compiled, and memorized them [in their hearts]. He also expounded the Qur’anic sciences revealed to him for the general guidance of all people.

Among them, he singled out his cousin, ‘Alī (AS), imparting to him—through dictation—all that had been revealed to him. ‘Alī (AS) comprehended it, and the Messenger of God (PBUH) instructed him to write it, which he did.

In this regard, we find narrations within the Caliphal school, such as those recorded by al-Nasā’ī and Ibn Mājah in their Sunan collections, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in his Musnad—transmitted from Imam al-Ṣādiq (AS), who narrated from Imam ‘Alī (AS). The wording below is from the first source:

Imam ‘Alī (AS) said:

“I held a status with the Messenger of God (PBUH) that no other creation possessed. Every dawn, I would come to him and say: ‘Al-salāmu ‘alayka yā Nabiyya Allāh (Peace be upon you, O Prophet of God).’ If the Prophet signaled by clearing his throat [to indicate he was occupied], I would return to my family. Otherwise, I would enter his presence.”

In another narration:

“If I found him engaged in prayer, he would clear his throat [as a signal]. But if I found him at leisure [from prayer and worship], he would grant me permission to enter.”[3]

And in Tabaqāt Ibn Sa’d (with its cited chain of transmission), it is narrated that:

“People would ask ‘Alī: How is it that you narrate more ḥadīth from the Prophet than any other Companion? He would reply: When I asked him, he would inform me; and when I remained silent, he would initiate the discourse with me.”

In another narration, he (AS) said:

“I swear to Allah, no verse was revealed except that I knew concerning what matter it was revealed, where it was revealed, and about whom it was revealed. For Allah has granted me an understanding heart and an eloquent tongue.”

And a third narration relates that Imām ‘Alī (AS) declared:

“Ask me about the Book of Allah, for there is no verse except that I know whether it was revealed by night or by day, in the plain or upon a mountain.”[4]

These are some of the narrations recorded in the Islamic scholarly sources of the Caliphal school on this matter. As for the [sources] of the Ahl al-Bayt school – and the Household of the Prophet themselves are most knowledgeable of these matters – the following narrations are documented:

In Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt and Al-Amālī of Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, a narration is reported – which we will summarize concisely – from Imām al-Bāqir (AS), from his forefathers (AS), that the Messenger of Allah (Ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa Ālihi wa Sallam) said to Alī (AS):

“Write what I dictate to you.”

Alī (AS) asked:”O Prophet of Allah! Do you fear I might forget?”

The Prophet (PBUH) replied:”I do not fear forgetfulness for you, for I have prayed to Allah to make you a preserver [of knowledge] and not let forgetfulness overtake you. But write this for your partners.”

Alī (AS) inquired: “Who are my partners, O Prophet of Allah?”

The Prophet (PBUH) said:”The Imams from your descendants…” Then he pointed to Ḥasan (AS) and said: “This is the first of them,” and then pointed to Ḥusayn (AS) and declared: “The Imams will be from his lineage.”[5]

In another narration, Imām ‘Alī (AS) said:

“When I asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) [a question], he would answer me. When my matters were resolved, he would initiate discourse with me. As a result, no verse was revealed to him - neither by night nor by day, neither in heaven nor on earth, neither concerning this world nor the Hereafter, neither about Paradise nor the Fire, neither in the plain nor upon a mountain, neither in light nor darkness - except that he Recited and taught it to me.

The Prophet (PBUH) prayed to Allah to grant me understanding and memorization. Thus, I never forgot any verse of Allah’s Book after he dictated it to me.”[6]

In another briefly narrated tradition:

“When the Imam would be absent, the duration of his absence would be recorded. Then when we met again, the Messenger of God (pbuh) would say: ‘O Ali! On such-and-such day, such-and-such verse was revealed, and on such-and-such day, such-and-such verse was revealed.’ The Prophet would recount all those verses up to that day.”[7]

In this way, the Messenger (PBUH) conveyed the entire Quran exactly as God had revealed it to all who came to him. He also explained to all present whatever interpretation of the verses they needed regarding beliefs, laws, and other Islamic sciences. Among his explanations were his sayings (hadith) along with his practical example [and way of life] in which he embodied Islam. From all of this, the Sunnah of the Prophet was established.

And Islam is entirely found in the Book (Qur’an) and the Sunnah, and there is nothing of Islam in the other books written by human beings. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has guaranteed the preservation of the Qur’an, saying:

“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder (the Qur’an), and indeed, We will be its guardian.”[8]

And the entire Qur’an has remained preserved as it was revealed, accessible to all people for eternity. However, we cannot implement the rulings of Islam without referring to the Prophet’s (PBUH) explanation. We cannot perform even a single unit of prayer (rak’ah) without referring to the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). So, what has been the case with the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH)?

If we carefully consider the previous narrations about Imam Ali’s (AS) written record—what the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) dictated to him—we realize that the Prophet (PBUH) had dictated to him his Sunnah along with the interpretation of the Quranic verses. Therefore, the complete Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) was written down and preserved by Imam Ali (AS). Naturally, after Imam Ali (AS), his descendants inherited it.

However, Imam Ali (AS) and his descendants (AS) were not the only ones in need of the Prophet’s (PBUH) Sunnah—rather, all Muslims, including the Imams from the Prophet’s (PBUH) household (Ahl al-Bayt), required it.

From this, we understand the wisdom behind the Prophet’s (PBUH) statement to the Ummah in his famous saying:

“I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate. So whoever seeks knowledge, let him approach the gate.”

And his declaration—“He is my successor after me”—raised his hand (Imam Ali’s) before over seventy thousand pilgrims at Ghadir Khumm: “For whomsoever I am his master (mawlā), Ali is now his master (mawlā).” This is among the many narrations we cited at the end of the first volume of M‘ālim al-Madrasatayn (Allamah askari’ book).

Furthermore, he (PBUH) designated the point of reference after Imam Ali (AS) with his words:

“I am leaving among you al-thaqalayn (the two weighty): the Book of Allah and my progeny, my Ahl al-Bayt. If you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray after me. And the Most Kind, the All-Aware has informed me that they will never separate until they meet me at the Hawd (Pool of Kawthar).”

And He specified their number in the hadith about the appointment of the Twelve who would come after him, after whom the end of the world would occur.

As for the meaning of holding firmly to the Ahl al-Bayt alongside the Quran—it is to take Islam from the Quran and the Sunnah through the bearers of the Sunnah.

So, how was the dissemination of the Book and the Sunnah after the Prophet (PBUH)?

 

The Method of Disseminating the Book and the Sunnah After the Prophet (PBUH)


After the Prophet (PBUH), Muslims adopted two approaches regarding the dissemination of the Book and the Sunnah:

  1.  Disseminating and transcribing the Book of Allah while prohibiting the transcription of the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH).

  2.  Disseminating and transcribing both together.


The first approach was that of the Caliphs’ school, while the second

was that of the Ahl al-Bayt’s (AS) school, as will be elaborated.

 

The School of the Caliphs


The scholarly reasoning of the Caliphs’ school—since the era of the second Caliph—led to the prohibition of recording the hadith of the Prophet (PBUH). They narrated reports attributed to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that supported this policy, such as the narrations found in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Sunan al-Dārimī, and Musnad Aḥmad.

The wording from Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim states:

“The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Do not write down anything from me, and whoever has written anything from me other than the Quran, let him erase it.”

Another narration states:

“Do not write down anything from me, and whoever has written anything from me other than the Quran, let him erase it.”

A report from the Companion Abū Hurayrah states:

“When the Prophet (PBUH) saw them writing, he said: ‘A book alongside the Book of Allah?! Purify the Book of Allah alone! A book other than the Book of Allah?!”

Abū Hurayrah said: So we gathered what we had written in one place and burned it with fire.”

This is how they prohibited the writing of the Prophet’s (PBUH) hadith, and this prohibition remained in effect until the era of the Umayyad Caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, who lifted the ban. He wrote to the people of Medina: “Look for the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and write it down, for I fear the loss of knowledge and the disappearance of its scholars,” and he sent similar orders to other regions. However, his rule did not last long enough for his command to take full effect, as the Umayyads poisoned him just over two years after he assumed power. Consequently, the matter of the Prophet’s (PBUH) Sunnah reverted to its previous state.

This continued until the reign of Abu Ja’far al-Mansur. When his authority was firmly established, he turned to addressing the ummah’s need for books of knowledge and encouraged scholars to compile works. In this regard, al-Dhahabi mentioned under the events of the year 143 AH:

“During this period, the scholars of Islam began compiling hadith, jurisprudence, and tafsir. Ibn Jurayj authored works in Mecca; Sa’id ibn Abi Arubah, Hammad ibn Salamah, and others wrote in Basra; al-Awza’i in Syria; Malik compiled the Muwatta in Medina; Ibn Ishaq compiled the Maghazi; Ma’mar in Yemen; Abu Hanifah and others on jurisprudence and opinion in Kufa; Sufyan al-Thawri authored al-Jami’; shortly after, Hushaym wrote his books; al-Layth in Egypt, Ibn Lahi’ah, then Ibn al-Mubarak, Abu Yusuf, and Ibn Wahb. The compilation and organization of knowledge became widespread, and books on Arabic grammar, language, history, and the days of the people were recorded. Before this era, most scholars would speak from memory or narrate knowledge from unorganized but accurate scrolls. Thus, by the grace of Allah, the acquisition of knowledge became easier, while memorization began to decline—and to Allah belongs all command.”[9]

The most famous work compiled on the Prophetic Sunnah at that time was Al-Muwatta by Malik bin Anas al-Asbahi al-Madani (d. 179 AH), the Imam of the Maliki school. He gathered in it what had reached him of the hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) and the fatwas of the Companions and the Followers according to their scholarly reasoning. Among those who studied under him was Muhammad bin Idris al-Shafi’i - the Imam of the Shafi’i school (d. 204 AH). Al-Dhahabi said: “He memorized Al-Muwatta and recited it to Malik.”[10]

Al-Shafi’i added to the transmission of hadith by establishing the science of usul al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence). The Imam of the Hanbalis, Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 240 AH), learned hadith from Al-Shafi’i.[11]

He expanded upon what he learned from him and authored the Musnad, excelling in it, thus becoming one of the most renowned scholars of hadith.

In contrast to the two schools of hadith and jurisprudence, Abu Hanifa al-Nu’man ibn Thabit (d. 150 AH) established the school of opinion (ra’y) in Islamic jurisprudence, introducing principles for ijtihad such as qiyas (analogical reasoning), istihsan (juristic preference), and masalih mursala (consideration of public interest). It is evident that Abu Hanifa also followed the Companions in practicing ijtihad, but he established his own well-known principles. Thus, the Caliphate school became divided regarding the derivation of rulings from the Book and Sunnah into: the school of hadith, the school of usul al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence) based on hadith, and the school of opinion which relies on both opinion and Sunnah in deriving rulings.

Thus, the transmission of theProphet’s (PBUH) hadith reached the Islamic schools (both jurisprudential and non-jurisprudential) after 133 years of oral transmission - passed from mouth to ear through memorization. At times, it was transmitted by meaning, causing variations in wording among narrators and resulting in ambiguity and confusion in meaning. This was not the case with the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (AS), as will be explained.

 

The Prophetic Sunnah in the School of Ahl al-Bayt (AS) in the First Hijri Century


We have previously mentioned that the Prophet (PBUH) dictated to his cousin Ali (AS) the divine knowledge revealed to him, which Ali (AS) recorded. In our scholarly study of the Prophetic Sunnah in the school of Ahl al-Bayt (AS), we must refer to their sources of Sunnah. When we examine the narrations in Al-Kafi and other sources, we find that when Imam Ali (AS) departed for Iraq, he entrusted part of the books of knowledge to Umm al-Mu’minin Umm Salama. Upon Imam Husayn’s (AS) return from Iraq to Medina, she delivered those books to him.

Likewise, the report has also been narrated concerning the will of Imam Ali (AS) when he bequeathed to his son Al-Hasan (AS). He made Al-Husayn, Muhammad, all his children, the leaders of his Shia, and his household witness to his will. Then he handed over the book and the weapon to him and said to his son Al-Hasan (AS):

“O my son! The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded me to bequeath to you and to hand over my books and my weapon, just as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) bequeathed to me and handed over his books and weapon to me. He ordered me to instruct you, when death approaches you, to deliver them to your brother Al-Husayn.”

Then he turned to his son Al-Husayn and said to him: “And the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded you to deliver them to your son this one”—then he took the hand of Ali ibn Al-Husayn and said to Ali ibn Al-Husayn: “And the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded you to deliver them to your son Muhammad ibn Ali, and convey to him the greetings of peace from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and from me.”

These books remained with Imam Hasan (AS), and after his passing by poisoning, they were passed to Imam Husayn (AS).

When Imam Husayn (AS) departed for Iraq, he entrusted the will, the books, and other items to Umm Salama—the wife of the Prophet (PBUH)—and said to her:

“When my eldest son comes to you, give him what I have entrusted to you.”

After Imam Husayn (AS) was martyred and Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS) returned to Medina in the year 61 AH, Umm Salama handed over to him everything Imam Husayn (AS) had given her.

When Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad (AS) neared death in the year 95 AH, with his children gathered around him, he turned to his son Muhammad ibn Ali (AS) and said:

“O Muhammad, take this chest to your home.”

It was carried by four men. Then he added:

“Know that it contains neither gold nor silver, but is filled with knowledge.”

After his passing, his brothers came claiming a share of the chest, saying:

“Give us our portion from the chest.”

He replied:

“By Allah, you have no right to it… The chest contains the weapon of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and his books.”

Through this act, the existence of the books of knowledge inherited from the Prophet (PBUH) with Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS) was declared.

During his time, the Umayyad state grew weak and aged, and the Abbasid call emerged. This provided Imam al-Baqir (AS) the opportunity to reveal to his companions some of the inherited books of knowledge.

As narrated in al-Kafi from Zurarah, who said:

I asked Abu Ja‘far—Muhammad al-Baqir (AS)—about the grandfather’s inheritance, for I found no one who spoke about it except based on personal opinion—except Amir al-Mu’minin (AS)! He said: “Come to me tomorrow so I may recite to you from a book.”

The next day, I came, and he told his son Ja‘far: “Recite to Zurarah the scroll of inheritance laws.” Then he went to rest. Ja‘far and I remained in the house. He brought out a scroll as thick as a camel’s thigh—made of leather and folded—and said: “I will not recite it to you until you swear by Allah that you will not narrate anything we read from it to anyone until I permit you.”

I said: “You have my oath.” He then handed me the edge of the scroll, and I found in it rulings contrary to what people held.

It appears that this caution was exercised before the collapse of the Umayyad state. After its decline, Imam al-Baqir and al-Sadiq (AS) revealed some of the books they had inherited from Imam Ali (AS). Among these accounts is what Abu Basir narrated, saying: “Abu Ja’far (Imam al-Baqir) showed me a scroll containing the rulings of halal and haram, as well as inheritance shares. I asked, ‘What is this?’ He replied, ‘This is the dictation of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the handwriting of Ali (AS). It is al-Jami’a (the Comprehensive) or part of al-Jami’a.’”

And we mentioned in the second volume of Ma‘ālim al-Madrasatayn (pp. 339-342) other accounts from their companions, where they showed them some of the books of knowledge inherited from Imam Ali (AS).

The responsibility for these books of knowledge was then taken up by Imam al-Sadiq (AS) after the passing of his father, Imam al-Baqir (AS), in the year 114 AH. During the final years of the Umayyad state and the early Abbasid era, he had more opportunity than other Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) to revive the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) from these books, as we will discuss further in the upcoming research.

 

First – His Report on the Inherited Books of Knowledge:


In al-Kafi and other sources, there are narrations summarizing that Imam al-Sadiq (AS), in response to questions from narrators like Ali ibn Ri’ab and others about al-Jami’a, said:

“It is a scroll seventy cubits long, as wide as a tanned leather, like the thigh of a stallion. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) dictated it from his own mouth, and Ali (AS) wrote it with his own right hand. It contains every halal and haram, and everything needed—even the compensation for a scratch.”

Then he extended his hand to the narrator and asked, “Do you permit me? “The narrator replied, “May I be sacrificed for you! I am yours—do as you wish.” The Imam pressed his hand as if displeased and said, “Even the compensation for this.”

In another narration, Ibn Shubruma (d. 144 AH) mentioned in his legal opinion:

“The knowledge of Ibn Shubruma is lost compared to al-Jami’a—the dictation of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the handwriting of Ali (AS). Al-Jami’a leaves no room for anyone’s opinion. It contains the knowledge of halal and haram. Verily, the proponents of analogy sought knowledge through analogy but only strayed further. The religion of Allah cannot be attained through analogy.”

And ibn Shubruma served as a judge for Abu Ja’far al-Mansur in the Sawad of Kufa.

In another narration: Sixty of his companions were present when one of them informed him about the belittling remarks made by some of his cousins—the Banu al-Hasan—regarding the books they had inherited from Imam Ali (AS). They had said, “What they inherited is nothing more than a leather pouch.”

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) responded:

“No, by Allah! They are indeed two leather pouches with their wool still on them. One contains pressed books, and the other holds the weapon of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).”

 

Secondly – Imam al-Sadiq’s (AS) Reference to Them:


In al-Kafi and other sources, it is narrated from Abu Basir: I was with Abu Abdillah (AS) when he called for al-Jami’a and looked into it. In it was written:

“A woman died, leaving only her husband as her heir: the entire wealth belongs to him.”

And from the narrator Ibn Bukayr, who said: Zurara asked Abu Abdillah (AS) about praying in the fur of foxes, fennec foxes, squirrels, and other furs. He brought out a book, claiming it was the dictation of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and in it was written:

“Prayer in the fur of any animal whose flesh is forbidden to eat—whether its fur, hair, skin, urine, or droppings—is invalid. Your prayer will not be accepted until you pray in something other than it, from what Allah has permitted to eat.”

Then he said: “O Zurara! This is from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), so preserve it well…”

From the narrator Mu’attab, who said:

Abu Abdillah (AS) showed us an ancient scroll from the scrolls of Ali (AS), and in it was what we say when we sit for tashahhud (in prayer).

From the narrator Muhammad ibn Muslim, who said:

Abu Abdillah—al-Sadiq (AS)—unfolded the “Scroll of Inheritance Laws.” The first ruling I encountered in it was: “If a nephew and a grandfather [are heirs], the wealth is divided equally between them.” I said: “May I be sacrificed for you! The judges among us do not grant the nephew anything when the grandfather is present.” He replied:

“This book is in Ali’s handwriting and the dictation of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).”

These were examples from many instances where Imam al-Sadiq (AS) derived rulings from the Book of Ali or al-Jami’a. At times, he would transmit directly from the Book of Ali (AS).

 

 

Thirdly – Imam al-Sadiq’s (AS) Transmission from the Book of Ali (AS) or al-Jami’a:


In our book Ma’alim al-Madrasatayn, we presented dozens of examples where Imam al-Sadiq (AS) derived rulings from the Book of Ali (AS), such as his statement:

“In the Book of Ali it is written: ‘The cat is a predator, so there is no issue with its leftovers (the leftovers are pure and its okay to use).”

Sometimes he would attribute what he narrated from Ali’s books to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), saying: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said…” At other times when asked about a matter, he would answer without attributing it to the Book of Ali (AS) or the Prophet (PBUH), but in all cases he was narrating from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and did not give religious verdicts (fatwa based on ijtihad) based on his own reasoning or opinion, as he explicitly stated in the following instances:

In al-Kafi: A man asked Abu Abdullah - Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (AS) - about an issue and he answered him. The man said: “What if it were such and such, what would be the ruling?” He replied:

“Enough! Whatever I answered you about is from the Messenger of Allah. We have nothing to do with hypotheticals.”

In another wording: “We do not say anything based on our own opinion.”

In a second narration, he said:

“If we were to issue fatwas to people based on our personal opinions and desires, we would surely be among the doomed. Rather, these are traces (of knowledge) from the Messenger of Allah—fundamental principles of knowledge that we inherit generation after generation. We preserve them just as people preserve their gold and silver.”

In a third narration, he said:

“By Allah! We do not speak according to our desires, nor do we speak based on our personal opinions, nor do we say anything except what our Lord has said. We possess fundamental principles that we preserve just as others preserve their gold and silver.”

In a fourth narration, he said:

“…A clear proof from our Lord, which He made clear to His Prophet (PBUH), and the Prophet made it clear to us. Were it not for this, we would be like these people.”

At the beginning of the Abbasid caliphate—during the reign of their first caliph, al-Saffah—Imam al-Sadiq (AS) took al-Hirah[12] as his residence.

Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ma’ruf al-Hilali narrated and said:

“I went to al-Hirah to meet Abu Abdullah Ja’far bin Muhammad (AS) during the time of al-Saffah. I found people crowding around him for three consecutive days, and I couldn’t reach him due to the large number of people pressing around him. On the fourth day, when the crowd had thinned, he noticed me, called me closer, and then proceeded to the grave of Amir al-Mu’mineen (AS). I followed him…”[13]

He also used the Mosque of Kufa as an institute for teaching the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), where bearers of hadith would gather to learn hadith from him. Additionally, pilgrims would take hadith from him in Medina, Mecca, and Mina during the days of Hajj.

Hasan ibn Ali al-Washsha al-Kufi, one of the leading narrators of hadith, said:

“I met in this mosque—the Mosque of Kufa—nine hundred shaykhs, each saying: ‘Ja’far ibn Muhammad narrated to me…”[14]

His statement does not mean that the number of narrators from Imam al-Sadiq (AS) in the Mosque of Kufa was limited to this count. Rather, it indicates that al-Washsha himself learned from this many who narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (AS). Ibn ‘Uqda (d. 333 AH) authored the book Asma’ al-Rijal al-Ladhina Rawu ‘an al-Imam al-Sadiq (AS) (The Names of the Men Who Narrated from Imam al-Sadiq), in which he documented four thousand shaykhs who transmitted hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (AS), citing one narration from each of them.[15]

However, Ibn ‘Uqda also did not intend to restrict the number of narrators from Imam al-Sadiq (AS) to this figure, nor did he mean that only one narration was taken from each. Rather, he compiled in this book the names of the shaykhs from whom he received hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (AS), mentioning one narration transmitted through each.

This is supported by the statement of the great scholar of the Caliphs’ school, al-Khazraji (d. 600 AH), in his biographical work Tadhhib al-Kamal, in the entry on Imam al-Sadiq (AS):

“An innumerable multitude narrated from him.”[16]

Due to the vast number of hadiths narrated by scholars in Islamic jurisprudence from Imam al-Sadiq (AS), some scholars named the jurisprudence of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) school “al-Fiqh al-Ja’fari” (Ja’fari Jurisprudence), which became popularly known as the Ja’fari school.

However, I do not understand how it is correct to attribute this jurisprudence to Imam al-Sadiq (AS) when he himself traced it back to his grandfather, the Prophet (PBUH), through the book of his father, Ali (AS). It is not like the jurisprudence of Abu Hanifa, who relied on personal opinion (ra’y) in deriving some rulings—making it accurate to describe his school as “Hanafi Jurisprudence.”

The more accurate designation should be:

“Muhammadi Jurisprudence” or “Islamic Jurisprudence.”

Another common misconception among some scholars is that Abu Hanifa studied under Imam al-Sadiq (AS).

How can this be valid when Abu Hanifa relied on personal opinion (ra’y) in deriving Islamic rulings, while Imam al-Sadiq (AS) rejected this approach, stating:

“If we were to issue fatwas to people based on our opinion, we would be among the doomed,”

and in another narration:

“We would be like these people.”

Abu Hanifa’s meetings with Imam al-Sadiq (AS) were not for learning from him, but for debate. At times, these debates were ordered by Caliph al-Mansur—under the pretext (as they claimed) of “silencing and defeating” Imam al-Sadiq (AS). Al-Mansur summoned Imam al-Sadiq (AS)—who was in al-Hirah—and sent for Abu Hanifa, instructing him:

“The people are infatuated with Ja’far ibn Muhammad. Prepare your most difficult questions for him.”

Abu Hanifa prepared forty questions. He later recounted:

“I entered, and Ja’far (al-Sadiq) was seated to al-Mansur’s right. When I saw him, I felt an awe for Ja’far that I did not feel for Abu Ja’far (al-Mansur). I greeted him, and he gestured for me to sit. Al-Mansur turned to him and said: ‘O Abu Abdullah, this is Abu Hanifa.’ He replied: ‘Yes, I know him.’ Then al-Mansur said to Abu Hanifa: ‘Present your questions to Abu Abdullah.

So I posed my questions, and he answered each one, saying: ‘You (the Hanafis) say such-and-such, the people of Medina say such-and-such, and we say such-and-such.’ Sometimes he agreed with us, sometimes with them, and sometimes he disagreed with both…”[17]

 

Conclusion


The Messenger (PBUH) conveyed the entire Quran to all who were present, and he conveyed the interpretation of what people needed from the Quran as part of conveying his Sunnah to all who were present. He dictated both to his cousin Ali (AS), who recorded them in writing. Allah preserved the Quran in human society for eternity from any alteration or distortion, and He similarly preserved the Sunnah of His Prophet with the Ahl al-Bayt (AS).

After the era of the Prophet (PBUH), the school of the Caliphs limited itself to recording the Quran and prohibited the recording of the Prophet’s Sunnah. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz ordered its compilation, but he passed away before his command could be carried out. Hadith transmitters continued to convey the Sunnah orally, from mouth to ear, until the year 143 AH, when scholars—encouraged by Caliph Abu Ja’far al-Mansur—recorded all Islamic sciences in writing.

In the school of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), the Imams passed down the books of knowledge that Imam Ali (AS) had recorded from the dictation of the Prophet (PBUH). They transmitted the Prophet’s Sunnah to the people from these books. The restrictions on the Muslims eased toward the end of Imam al-Baqir’s (AS) era, allowing him to disseminate some of the Prophet’s Sunnah. The constraints were further lifted during the final years of the Umayyads and the reign of al-Saffah of the Abbasids, prompting scholars and narrators to flock to Imam al-Sadiq (AS). Countless people narrated the Prophet’s Sunnah from him.

Through all this, Imam al-Sadiq (AS) was able to revive the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) after some of its wording had changed and been distorted on the tongues of narrators who had received it orally and transmitted it as such. Some of its rulings had also changed due to reliance on personal opinion (ra’y) and independent reasoning (ijtihad). Thus, Imam al-Sadiq (AS) revived the Prophetic Sunnah—he did not establish a jurisprudential school in opposition to other schools. The same was true of all the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) before and after Imam al-Sadiq (AS) in transmitting the Prophetic Sunnah from the books of Imam Ali (AS), which he had copied from what he heard directly from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). And how beautifully the poet said:

 

“So be loyal to a people whose speech and traditions

Our grandfather narrated from Jibril, from the Almighty.”

Wa al-salamu alaykum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh. (Peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.)

 

Sayyid Murtada al-Askari

 

[1] Qur’an Surah Al-Jumu’ah verse 2

[2] Qur’an Surah An-Nahl verse 44

[3] Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Vol. 1, p. 178, Chapter: “Clearing the Throat During Prayer.” - Two narrations in Musnad Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Vol. 1, pp. 80, 85, and 107.- The second ḥadīth is also recorded in Sunan Ibn Mājah, Ḥadīth No. 3707.

[4] Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt (Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt is a foundational Twelver Shi’ī ḥadīth compilation by Abū Ja’far Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Ṣaffār al-Qummī)

[5] Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt by Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Ṣaffār (d. 290 AH), Iran edition, 1385 AH, p. 167.

Al-Amālī of Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, Najaf edition, 1384 AH, Vol. 2, p. 56

[6] Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt, p. 198

[7] Baṣā’ir al-Darajāt, p. 197

[8] Al-Hijr: 9

[9] Tārīkh al-Islām by al-Dhahabī (6:6), and refer to the biography of Abū Ja‘far al-Manṣūr in Tārīkh al-Khulafā’ by al-Suyūṭī

[10] Refer to Tadhkirat al-Huffaz by al-Dhahabi (1:362)

[11] Refer to Tadhkirat al-Huffaz by al-Dhahabi (p. 451), and the biography of Ahmad ibn Hanbal in Tabaqat al-Shafi’iyya by al-Subki (d. 771 AH), biography no. 7 (2:29-30)

[12] A city that was located where Najaf is today. See the entry for (Al-Hirah) in Mu’jam al-Buldan.

[13] Bihar al-Anwar (47:93-94).

[14] The biography of al-Washsha is in Rijal al-Najashi (p 30-31), and his biography is also in Al-Kuni wa al-Alqab by al-Qummi

[15] The biography of Ibn ‘Uqda is in Al-Kuni wa al-Alqab and Bihar al-Anwar (47:27)

[16] Tadhhib al-Kamal, 1st ed., 1322 AH, p. 54.

[17] Bihar al-Anwar (47:217)