SAFINEH
Year:2004 | Volume:1 | Issue:2 (SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE HADITH)|Papers Count:9

The narrations of the infallible leaders have an important role in explanation of the verses of Quran. This application and importance is stated in some of verses and narrations. How ever, the author has highlighted 3 Special application of the narrations in this regard.A. Methodological bases and rules of comment of Quran (The important characteristics ofQuran such as guidance, comprehensiveness, internal harmony, multi-facets, its freshness during the centuries, its general and particular meanings, its similar and indisputable verses, rejecting of any allegorical interpretation of the verses, etc;) B. Recognition of the bases of Quranic comment. It explains that a commentator should receive the fundamentals of his (her) religious knowledge framework from the holy Quran and traditions of the infallible leaders, and then begins to comment the holy Quran.C. The role of narrations as a source of interpretation (The occassion of revelation of the verse (s), application of verse in its exact case, removal of superficial contradiction of verse (s), putting extentions to unconditional or general verse (s), explaining the brief verse (s), giving the exact meaning and applicability of the verse (s), interpretation of homolog us verse (s)), terminologic and case interpretation of verses, etc,).

The writer explains about the bases of narrative knowledge of Ayatollah Mirza Mahdi Isfahani (1885- 1944) according to his works, and reveals as follow: A: The Shia history can be divided in to 2 parts. In the first part, the holy Imams were present; and the second part relates to the period of absence of Imam Mahdi (p.b.u.h.).The practice of issue of religious opinions by the scholarshas been performed in both times.B: The practice of issue of jurisprudence law, on the bases of the holy Quran and Islamic traditions, has been performed through 2 methods, which are popular as "Osouli" (rationalists), and "Akhbari" (fundamentalists).C: The high rank leaders of these 2 systems do not have very important conflicts or discrepancies.However, the ignorant and lowinformed people in both systems have insulted to the respected scholars in the counter group.D: During the time of the infallible Imams, and next during the absence ofthe infallible Imam, the narrators of the traditions have been in different levels of faith and knowledge. So, we can say that some of the religious leaders have been more aware and more knowledgeable than the others. Those Islamic scholars, who were more informed, had more power, and were more able to issue religious laws from the original sources. The Shia jurisprudence has been produced and gathered in this manner. The first group of the above scholars have been the fundamentalists (Akhbari), and the latter shcolars are mainly rationalists (Osouli).We believe that some backgrounds and viewponts in both schools are discussable, and could be criticized.The adopted approach of the late Ayatollah Isfahani willbe analyzed in the next part of this essay.

This essay gives a general information about the "bibliography program" of the "Shiite traditions and related knowledge in handwriting manuscripts". This program is being performed by the institution of "Dar ol-Hadith"; and till now1 volume from the total 16 volumes, has been published.In this essay the main targets, stages of prepare and process of information, a general frame for introducing of sources in this common list (from the bibliographic and manuscription views).This work includes a common list of books about the Shiite traditions in 185 libraries, that 93 of them are public places, and the other 92 libraries are private ones.The essay then provides an analytical and statistical survey over the commentary and explanatory books about the Shiite collections of traditions. In this regard, 97 topics of the Shiite commentary book about narrations in 479 handwriting copies are chronically introduced, that the first independent book in this field belongs to about 10 centuries ago. Among these are 19 books, which are handwritings of the authors, and the essay gives their names, and the places where they are available now. Thereafter 67 manuscripts are introduced which have not been published yet, and it will be useful to pay more attention to them. Then it gives an statistical information about the books, which reveals the importance of those subjects in the instructions and discussions of the Islamic scholar. At the end another statistical division of books, according to their languages (Persian and Arabic) is provided.

The holy prophet of Allah (p.b.u.h) encouraged all the muslims to obtain education an knowledge. However, it was not abligatory to all muslims.Those who were competent to learn knowledge, were asked to teach other muslims. Those learned men wrote their knowledge in the notebooks, which were called later as "Osoul (Fundamental).400 of these "Qsouls" were distinguished over others.They were handed over from a generation to another, until it was provided to Sheikh Kolaini, who used those books in preparing and completion ofhis book. After centuries the sources which were available to kolaini, were demolis shed, and some of the scholars felt it necessary to repeat the evaluation of the narrations collected in Osoul Al-Kafi.Hence, the scholars of the 7 th century’ (A.H.) put measures and scales for evaluation of the narrations.His excellency Sheikh Agha Bozorg Tehrani, the great shia bibliographer in the 14 A.H.century in this short book, which is published here for the first time; discusses the method and procedure used by H.E. Kolaini in collecting the book "Al-kafi", and evaluation and assessment of thisvalueable book by the scholars in next centuries.

The died Ayatollah Hajj Sheikh Ali Namazi Shahroudi (1333-1405 H, equal to 1914-1984) has provided detail and reasoning discussions in his book, "Al-Alam ol-Hadieh Al-rafieh fi Etebar Kotob el Arbaeh" about the credit and Scientific values of the 4 grand and basic narrative collections (Al-Kafi, Tahzib, Estebsar, and Man la-Yahzarhol Faghih): with special attention to the Kafi book.In this essay the writer has provided the viewpoints of Ayatollah in 7 chapters. In these chapters you receive informations about the 400 narratives books; their authencity, and the necessity to have trust and confidence in those books.Then he reveals that these 4 books are extracted from those 400 basic narrative books; and those 4 authors had studied those 400 books in their libraries. Therefore, even if some of the narrators of the traditions were not henest and credited by 100%, since the authors have had the original books in their hands, they had no problem nor difficulty with the correct and exact form and dictation of the narrations. Then he makes 8 questions about the Al-Kafi, and provides the clearing answers. And lastly, he considers the attitude and kind attention ofAllameh Majlesi to the traditions explained in Al-Kafi, which are deliberately observed in his book, "Merat ol-Oghul "; and makes it clear that his excellency, Allameh Majlesi has also enough trust and confidence in the narrations mentioned in Al-Kafi.

It is clear that the true knowledge about Islam without submitting to the narrations and traditions of the infallible household of the holy Prophet (p.b.u.t) is impossible. Furthermore, we should recive the true traditions from the reliable sources.Al-Kafi is one of the most reliable Shia narrative books, which has been available to the Shia Scholars and students from more than 1100 years ago. However, in spite of its special value and importance, it nees to be discussed and criticized in different respects.This essay is prepared according to the viewpoints and speeches of Ayatollah syed Mousa Shobairi zanjani, from the contemporary Shia Jurists and religious leaders. In this essay, the views and ideas of the grand Shia Scholar (narrator), Mirza Hossain Nouri, about Al-Kafi, in his book, "Khatemeh Mostadrak al-vasayel" is discusses and evaluated.

The importance and crdit of the book "Al-Kafi" compiled by SeghatOl-Islam Mohammad bin yaghoub Al - Kolaini, has encouraged many of the Shia scholarsto prepare and publish investigations and interpretations about it.In this essay 6 of those works are introduces and criticized. Three of these give information about Al-Kafi an its respated author, Four of them are in Arabic language, and 2 others in Persian language.The 2nd book discusses four impootant Subjects of al-Kafi, i, e, ImamMahdi (p.b.u.h.), dissimultion, innovation or change in creation, and Quran.The book four is a bibliography of the narrators of the traditions collected inal- Kafi.

"Nehayat ol-Tahsil fi Sharh-e-Masael OTafsil" is a comprehensive explanatory book over the book of " Vasael O-shia", The known work of sheikh Horr Ameli, who has classified more than 35, 800 narrations under differnet jurisprudence subjects with a very interesting order.The above explanatory book is written by sheikh yousef Bahrani Hovaizi, who was a student of Sheikh Horr Ameli, There is little information about him. In this essay you will get a report and some information about the unique hand - written copy, which has been recognized by now.