Four major Shia books

In the name of Allah

Four Major Shia Books

By: Zaynab Mccabe

In this essay I will be discussing the four major Shia books. One must keep in mind that all the hadiths within these four books are not all authentic. Therefore finding out the authenticity to these hadiths must be done before making any rulings. A person not educated in the field of deriving laws can not use these hadiths to derive their own rulings (this is known as ray). One must be educated properly to find their authenticity. I will also touch upon the authors who compiled the books and share and interesting stories or  hadiths from each of the books.

The first one I will discuss is the book Al Kafi (that which is sufficient) and was known to have taken twenty years to compile. It was compiled by Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Yaqoub ibn Ishaq al-Kulainy(RA) he was born in 250 AH in Iran. At the age of 79 he died in the year 329 AH. in Bagdad. This year also marked the beginning of ghaibat e kubra (major occultation) of the Imam Zaman (AJ).

These books are then divided into three sections:al usul, al furu and al rawda. In total, Al-Kafi narrates between 15,176-16,199 narrations.The Usul Al Kafi book was divided in 8 different parts which are as followed::

(1) Kitab al-`aql wa al jahl (The Book of Intellect and Ignorance, contains 34 traditions),

(2) Kitab fadl al-ilm (The Book of the Merits of Knowledge, contains 176 traditions),

(3) Kitab al-tawhid (The Book of Divine Unity, contains 212 traditions,

(4) Kitab al-hujjah (The Book of God's Proofs, contains 1015 traditions),

(5) Kitab al- iman wa al-kufr (The Book of Belief and Unbelief, contains 1609 traditions),

(6)Kitab al-du'a' (The Book of Invocation, contains 409 traditions),

(7) Kitab `azamat al-Qur'an (The Book of the Greatness of the Quran, contains 124 traditions), and

(8) Kitab al-mu`asharah (The Book of Social Ethics, contains 464 traditions)

Some Hadiths are as follows:

The Book on Virtue of Knowledge

H 39, Ch. 1, h 5

A number of our people has narrated has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Barqi from Ya’qub ibn Yazid from abu ‘Abdallah, a man of our people narrated in a marfu‘ manner from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) from the Holy Prophet (s.a) who has said the following.

"Seeking knowledge is obligatory."

In another Hadith Imam abu ‘Abdallah has narrated from the holy Prophet who said, "Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim. Let it be known that Allah loves those who seek knowledge.

The Book of Intelligence and Ignorance:

H 1, Ch. 1, h 1

Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ya’qub has narrated from a number of our people of whom one is Muhammad ibn Yahya al-‘Attar who narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Hassan ibn Mahbub from 'Ala' ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu Ja’far (a.s) who has said the following.

" When Allah, God, created Intelligence He made it speak and then He said to it, ‘Come forward’.

It came forward. He then said, "Go back." It went back.

Then Allah said, "I swear by My honor and glory that I have not created any creature more beloved to Me than you. I will not perfect you in anyone except those whom I love. I, however, will command only you to do things and prohibit only you from doing certain things. I will grand blessings (rewards) to you only and will subject only you to punishments."

The Book on Ones of Allah

H 224, Ch. 4, h 1

Muhammad ibn al- Hassan has narrated from ‘Abdallah ibn al-Hassan al-‘Alawi and Ali ibn Ibrahim from al-Mukhtar ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mukhtar al-Hmadini altogether from al- Fath ibn Yazid who has said the following.

"I asked Imam abul Hassan (a.s.), "What is the minimum required degree of knowledge about Allah?" The Imam said, "To acknowledge that there is no other lord besides Him and that nothing is similar to and like Him and that He is eternal, positively existing and not absence and that nothing is like Him."

The Book of People With Divine Authority

H 482, Ch. 10, h 1

A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd and Fudala ibn Ayyub from Musa ibn Bakr from al-Fudayl who has said that he asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah: "For every nation there is a guide." (13:7) The Imam (a.s.) said that every Imam is the guide in his own time."

Second major Shia book is Man la yahduruh al-Faqih'(every man is his own jurist) by Al-Saduq(RA). His birthday is unknown but he did study and live in Qom. A very interesting story about his birth though is that when his father was in Iraq, he met Abul Qasim al-Husain b. Rawh, the third agent of the Hidden Imam(AJ). During their meeting he asked the latter several questions. Later he wrote to al-Husain b. Rawh asking him to take a letter to the Hidden Imam. In this letter he asked for a son. Al-Husain sent back an answer telling him that they (the Hidden Imam and al-Husain) had prayed to God to ask Him to grant the request and he would be rewarded with two sons. Another version of the story says three sons. The elder, or eldest, of these sons was Muhammad, that is al-Shaikh al-Saduq(RA). He died in al-Rayy in 381 A.H. The book covers most of the points concerned with the furu' (practices) of fiqh jurisprudence. It is not arranged in chapters (kutub) but in smaller sections (abwab), with the various categories such as fasting and pilgrimage following closely after each other.

Third and fourth major book is by Shaykh Al-Tusi(RA) who was born in 995 and died in the year 1064.  Shaykh al Tusi(RA) grew up in Tus and began his studies there. In 408 A.H. he left Tus to study in Baghdad.  He founded the Howza in Najaf. Sheikh Al Tusi(RA) was taught by the greatest scholars of his time who included Sheikh al-Mufid(RA) and Sayyid al-Sahreef al-Murtada(RA).

Interesting political story on the author is that Shaykh Tusi(RA) is the Caliph of Banu Abbas had gifted him with an ornate chair. This created envy in the minds of the scholars of the other school at the court and they started fearing that the Shias of Ahl al Bayt (a.s) might thus dominate Baghdad and one day come into the power. The first step they took was to start a whispering campaign to turn the caliph against Shaykh Tusi(RA). They told him that the person who was enjoying his favor was against the companions of the Prophet (SAWA) and that he spoke ill of them. He once asked them to give a proof of the Sheik’s(RA) actions. Therefore they presented to him a book written by Shaykh Tusi(RA) titled, “Al Misbah”. This book contains prayers and supplications for the entire year. They opened the page on which the “Ziyarat Ashura” was written. This Ziyarat has reached us through the Sixth Imam (AS) and is recited on the10th of Muharram to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS). In the Ziarat it is said:

“Allahumma khus anta awwal zaalim btl-laan minni wa abdan behi awwalansumma al-Taani summa al-Taalit war Rabeh”

“O Allah! My curse on the First, on the Second, on the Third and on the Fourth”

When the caliph saw the content of the Ziyarat in Al Misbah, he called Shaykh Tusi(RA) to his presence. He reached the court. The caliph of the time, Al Qaim Billah, pointed towards the first lines of the ziyarat and asked him who were the four persons being cursed therein. Shaykh Tusi(RA) asked him who had created a misapprehension in his mind? He further added that he had mentioned the truth through the writing of the Imam (AS) that his curse on the First, the Second, the Third and the Fourth. He elaborated saying that the First cruel one was Qaabeel who killed his own brother Haabeel. The Second cruel one was the person who severed the rein of the she camel of Hazrat Saleh (AS) and earned the wrath of Allah. The Third cruel one was the assassin of Hazrat Yahya bin Zakariya(AS), who just to please a dancing girl, severed the head of Hazrat Yahya (AS) and placed in a tray to present it to her. The Fourth cruel person was Abd ar Rehman ibne Muljim who was the assassin of Hazrat Amir al Momineen (AS). The caliph was convinced with the argument of Shaykh Tusi(RA). He angrily asked the persons who brought the book to his presence. He ordered severe punishment for them. With his prudence and presence of mind, Shaykh Tusi(RA) was able to ward off a calamity for himself and for his friends. His adversaries now started a propaganda campaign with the populace in Baghdad against Shaykh Tusi(RA).

The third book Tahdhib al-ahkam fi sharh al-muqni by Al-Tusi(RA) “The Refinement of the Laws (as Discussed) in Terms of the Explanation of the Sufficiency” he makes it clear in his introduction that his work would only concern the furu' of Islamic law. The work is divided into chapters (kutub) and the chapters into sections (abwab) with appendices following when appropriate. The work is a very comprehensive study of Shi'ite traditions and consists of the following chapters:

1) al-Tahara

Ritual Purity

2) al-Salat

Formal Prayer

3) al-Zakat

Alms Tax

4) al-Siyam

Fasting

5)al-Hajj

Pilgrimage

6) al-Jihad

Sacred War

7) al-Qadaya wa-'l-ahkam

Judgements and Legal Requirements

8) al-Makasib

Acquisitions

9) al-Tijarat

Trading

10) al-Nikah

Marriage

11) al-Talaq

Divorce

12) al-'itq wa-'l-tadbir wa-'l-mukatba

Manumission of Slaves (according to the various methods)

13) al-Ayman wa-'l nudhur wa-'1-kaffarat

Oaths, Vows and Atonements

14) al-Said wa-'l-dhaba'ih

Hunting and Ritual Slaughter

15) al-Wuquf wa-'l-sadaqat

Endowments and Alms

16) al- Wasaya

Bequests

17) al-Fara'id wa-'l-mawarith

Formal Rules of Inheritance

18) al-Hudud

Punishment prescribed by Revelation

19) al-Diyat

Indemnities for Bodily Injury

The fourth book was named Al-Istibsar by Shaykh Al-Tusi(RA). It covers the same field as Tahdhib al-ahkam but is considerably smaller. It is seen from Shaykh Al Tusi's(RA) own introduction, al-Istibsar is essentially a summary of Tahdhib al-ahkam. In this one though he gives full isnads for the traditions quoted. However it is possible to say that Al-Kafi and Tahdhib al-ahkam represent comprehensive collections of traditions, while Man la yahduruh al-faqih and al-Istibsar are books intended to be used as ready reference works for students and scholars.

In conclusion I would like to say that through my research on the shaykh’s that compiled these books I noticed the characteristics of them being of good moral and very humble. As stated in the beginning people who are not educated should be cautious when reading these books so they don’t derive their own rules.  These four books have been very useful and have helped our scholars in many ways. I pray that I described these books and their authors in the best of ways. May Allah SWT help guide us through these narrations to learn and follow the truth. ameen.