Journal of Hadith Studies
Year:2012 | Volume:3 | Issue:6|Papers Count:10

Considering the inseparable connection of the people of the household of the Prophet and the Quran and their role in attaining Quranic knowledge, understanding the Quranic discourses of the Imams is of utmost importance.We have 275 Quranic traditions narrated by Imam Musa al-Kadhim and this article is an attempt to discuss the types of these traditions. The Quranic traditions by Imam al-Kadhim may be divided into the following types: 1. Interpretative Traditions, 2. Explanatory Traditions, 3. Comparative tradition, 4. Evidential traditions, and 5. Traditions related to Quranic sciences.The highest Quranic traditions of the Imam are interpretative traditions which are 112 in number and explain the exoteric meaning of the verses. The time of Imam al-Kadhim coincides with the presence of different jurisprudential and theological schools. Therefore, bringing evidence from the texts and implications of the verses of the Quran constitutes a major part of the Quranic speeches of Imam al-Kadhim with 81 traditions. On the other hand, the explanatory traditions with 39 traditions explain the esoteric meaning, and the comparative traditions with 26 traditions explain the implications of the verses. The shortest part of the Quranic discourses of the Imam are traditions related to Quranic sciences which are 17 in number.

One of the Commentaries on Nahj al-Balagheh is the Commentary of Ibn Abi al-Hadid al-Mutazili. In this work, in his explanation of the speeches of the commander of the faithful he has employed certain constituents in order to make the explanation of the speeches of the Imam interesting. His interpretation of Nahj al-Balagheh is precise and is founded on certain principles. The present article is an attempt to show that in his commentary he has been an imitator and mainly a narrator, nevertheless has explained the speeches of the commander of the faithful according to his own judgment. In this paper besides exploring the important constituents of the commentary of Ibn Abi al-Hadid, such as locating the common important elements in the commentary like the internal and external atmosphere of the narration, the researchers have discussed his hadith methodology, explaining that he has benefitted in his commentary of the traditions and also hadith of the Prophet, the companions and followers to show their similarity with the speeches of the Imam, and also he has referred to narrations to explain the words, terms, the inflections, etc. Moreover, he has also used the traditions related from the Immaculate Imams in his commentary. It is important to note that he in regard of the traditions concerned with moral issues he shows no much scholarship, but he shows himself no less than a profound critic and scholar in the respect of historical or theological traditions.

One of the important issues in understanding hadith is to consider the defective traditions and distinguishing them from sounds traditions. Knowing defective traditions needs exact information and necessary expertise in the knowledge of hadith, and only the specialists in the science of hadith and scholars who are completely familiar with the documents and texts of traditions can distinguish the defective traditions. In this article the different kinds of the causes of hadith and the way of knowing them have been discussed, and some examples of defective traditions are given. The following issues are among the signs of defect in hadith:1. It is narrated only by one person.2. The tradition apparently has a linked chain of transmitters, but during the study it becomes clear some of the transmitters have been omitted.3. The tradition is apparently has connected chain of transmitters, but in fact it is unconnected and connected only in form.4. The text of the hadith is mixed with the text of another tradition or the document of one hadith comes within the document of another tradition.5. The narrator while relating the hadith errs and corrupts the hadith, for example he adds a word or a sentence to the tradition.6. Dividing the tradition in cases where the omitted part and the mentioned part share the same meaning.

This article is an attempt to support the theory of "the verbal and spiritual revelation of the holy Quran" simultaneously by Allah the Exalted on the basis of the traditions narrated in Shiite sources. Moreover, on the basis of the stress traditions put on the revelation of the holy Quran in a special language and explaining the two terms "verse and meaning" in regard of the revelation of the Quran, the existence of the clear and ambiguous verses, and also attributing the revelation of the Quran to the Exalted Allah it is argued that the holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his household, had no verbal or spiritual intervention with the revelation of the verses or their announcement to people.

Nahj al-Balagheh which is the mirror of the thought of the speaking Quran and the speaker of the Quran, namely Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, is a great and invaluable book, whose beautiful form and deep thoughts have distinguished it from other works. Since the conception and emergence of this work a special interest has been shown in editing it and extracting its knowledge. Chronologically the textual editions of Nahj al-Balagheh (text only) and its annotated editions (text along with commentary) can be divided into three groups: 1. Early editions, 2. Recent editions, and 3. Contemporary editions.Evidently the base in the study of the rate and credibility of the sources is the early textual and annotated editions, since recent and contemporary editions of Nahj al-Balagheh are based on earlier editions. But it is important to note that remarkable differences exist among contemporary editions, namely those of Abdu and Subhi Salih, and early and even recent editions. More importantly, it seems the text of most translations of Nahj al-Balagheh is based on the editions of Abdu and Subhi Salih and are influenced by them. This issue has caused some problems and errors in the text, translation and explanation of Nahj al-Balagheh among the contemporaries and there is evidence that there are certain expressions in the editions of Abdu and Subhi Salih which in consequence are found in many other editions and Persian translations which in earlier and even recent editions are either not mentioned or mentioned differently. This article explores and analyses the mentioned cases and some evidence of that which is mentioned.

The God-like creation of man for the first time was mentioned in the teachings of Torah. According to Genesis God has created man on His image, which is also mentioned in Christian special texts. The important question in the view of both Testaments is that there is a direct relationship between the creation of man on the image of God and man's dominance and sway over all other creatures of the world. This teaching is also mentioned in Islamic texts, by both Sunni and Shiite, and so often that traditions such as "Allah has created man on his image" are remarkable in number. The main question here is whether this teaching in Islamic texts is taken from Judo-Christian texts and has entered texts of hadith or it is rooted in the wide zone of Islamic thoughts and teachings. This article first has a glance at what is mentioned in this regard in Judo-Christian texts and then discusses the status of the documents and evidence of this hadith from the viewpoint of Muslim Scholars. Finally tracing the thoughts of the Muslim mystics who have used this hadith to explain one of their most important theories, namely the theory of the Perfect Man, the researchers come to this conclusion that merely the existence of some common teachings in different religions does not prove that particular teaching to be taken from one of them. The creation of man on the image of God is one of the deepest teachings which have been introduced in Ibrahimic religions without indicating the indebtedness of later religions to earlier religions in this regard.

The study and investigation of the credibility of reliable tradition due its many instances in the sources of Shiite hadith has a remarkable importance. In a general view the Shiite scholars can be divided into two groups. First, a group that admits the credibility of reliable hadith, which is divided further into those who give absolute credit to reliable tradition and those who acknowledge only those reliable traditions which are treated as widely known and acknowledged. The second group acts differently from the first group, that is, because they cannot be certain that the non-Shiite narrators can meet the requirements of belief and justice they cannot give credit to reliable hadith.In this article besides referring to different views and the attitudes of their followers, the reasons of those who give no credit to reliable tradition have been discussed and at the end it is mentioned that religious difference cannot be an absolute reason for rejecting the credibility of reliable tradition.

Whether understanding and interpreting the holy Quran by the other than the immaculate Imams is valid or it is restricted to the immaculate is one of the subjects of disagreement among the Shiite theologians and traditionists. Those who believe in the validity of the understanding and interpretation of the holy Quran by other than the immaculate Imams as evidence refer to some traditions. In this article the researchers discuss the meaning of some of these traditions, traditions which order people to stick to the Quran, discuss the position of the Quran in judgment, show that the essential requirement of all conditions is their agreement with the holy Quran, explain that the Immaculate Imams turn to the Quran in reproaching a person, stress the necessity of judging the traditions according to the holy Quran, teach the way of understanding the Quran and inferring the religious terms from the verses, teach how to discern the best meaning of the Quran for people other than the immaculate Imams, and indicate the authority of the interpretation of the Imams of the holy Quran.

One of the major concerns of the scholars of hadith is the important question of fabricating and inventing hadith. Of the reasons and motives behind fabricating hadith different views have been expressed. "Freethinking" as one of the destructive and influential movements in Islam has been the centre of attraction for the students of hadith. Nevertheless, the terms free thinking and free thinkers show that these two terms in Islamic texts have been used to reflect different meanings. In some cases it is used mainly for the followers of Iranian religions, such as Manicheans, in some other cases it is used in a general sense for the followers of the intellectual, philosophical, theological, sectarian, political and cultural schools, and in others for those who oppose Islam. In this article, besides explaining the intention of the scholars of hadith of the terms free thinking and free thinkers, the most important aims of the free thinkers in inventing and fabricating hadith are discussed.