نشریه رهیافت هایی در علوم قرآن و حدیث
سال چهل و نهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 98، بهار و تابستان 1396)

In his compilation of Al-Kāfī, Kulayn has employed various written hadith sources, whose study can be useful in more and more accurately identifying his method in compilation of his book. Interestingly enough, the authors of some of his sources are introduced as liars and even counterfeiters in rijālī books. Among them are Isḥāq b. Muhammad Aḥmar, about whom no independent research has yet been done as per the traditions narrated from him in Al-Kāfī and Kulaynī’s source. Najāshī has introduced the two volumes, Kitāb Akhbār al-Sayyid and Kitāb Majālis-i Hishām from among his works. From among Nuṣayrīs’ Heritage, five other books of his have been introduced: Kitāb al-Ṣirāṭ, Kitāb al-Tanbīh, Kitāb Bāṭin al-Tanbīh, and Kitāb al-Shawāhid. Taking a look at Isḥāq’s personality and the scholars’ viewpoints about him, this paper addresses Kulaynī’s narration from Isḥāq and tries to clarify Kulaynī’s sources in this regard. According to some evidences, it seems that Kitāb Akhbār al-Sayyid from among these written works of Isḥāq – which has been completed before his deviation – has been Kulaynī’s source in writing Al-Kāfī.

New developments in hadith sciences in the present era can be considered as outcomes of various natural and situational causes, including expansion of human knowledge and the necessity of giving accurate answers to some the existing controversies and ocntradictions among traditions. These causes along with the expansion of this knowledge over fifteen centuries and its blending with some research necessities has made us encounter new phenomena in the area of hadith studies. Formation of new research methods for doing research on better understanding the hadiths are among these phenomena. What today seems to be guiding to understanding many of the narrations and religious texts is their analyzing with the use of accurate scientific methods.
Among these methods is “content analysis” method. The researches carried out on the basis of this method have indicated that so far this method enjoys good capacities for understanding and critiquing hadiths and thus the researchers of religious sciences are suggested to employ this method in their researches for optimal use of their knowledge and its optimal presentation to various groups of society. The present research is intended to introduce this inter-disciplinary research method while stating some of the qualitative functions of using this method in hadith comprehension. The examples provided in this article are the researches that the authors have carried out by employing this method.

The Holy Prophet’s (S.A.W.) knowledge, particularly the expanse of his knowledge of the Unseen, is among the issues that have always been of concern to researchers and set forth some questions to them. With a study of the content of the verse ‘ālim al-ghayb (the knower of the Unseen) and with the rational and mystical approach, it is proved in this paper that Divine vicegerency and enjoying the position of the chosen (iṣṭifā’) require mastery of knowledge over all the facts of the world of being. Furthermore, being the most noble of all the creatures in the world of existence demands to possess attributes of the Almighty Allah, including His knowledge.

Muhammad b. al-‘Abbās b. Ali b. Marwān, renowned as Ibn Māhyār is among the prolific hadith scholars contemporary to Kulaynī. He has various works, including a book called Al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr. Comprising of four sections: Ta’wīl mā nuzila fī al-Nabī’ (ṣ), Ta’wīl mā nuzila min al-Qur’an fī Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), Ta’wīl mā nuzia fī Shī‘atihim, Ta’wīl mā nuzila fī a‘dā’ihim, and containing 563 traditions, this books is a well-known source and important reference for the interpreters after the fourth century AH. Making frequent references to Ibn Māhyār’s Tafsīr by the Shī‘a interpreters and hadith experts of the fourth century onward denotes the originality of this work in the history of Imāmiya interpretation and numerous rijālī, tradition heritage, and historical evidences confirm this originality. The original content of this book has been ideologico-theological and its traditions have been focused on Imamate and wilāya of the Imams (A.S.) and their merits. The results yielded by the typology of the traditions of Ibn Māhyār’s Tafsīr al-Qur’an, shows the maximum frequency for the traditions of applicability and comparison (jary’ wa taṭbīq) and the minimum for semantic traditions.

In addition to the general spirit of all human beings, a specific spirit called rūḥ al-īmān (sprit of faith) is ascribed to the faithful in the Qur’an and Ahl al-bayt’s (A.S.) traditions. The interpreters and commentators of hadith have each expressed various viewpoints about it based on different arguments. The present article has been written with the aim of examining these viewpoints and representing the thaqalayn’s viewpoint about the quiddity of rūḥ al-īmān and its outcomes. It has concluded that rūḥ al-īmān is one of human spiritual ranks that is the origin of a new life with trans-material domains and outcomes such as a goodly pure life, devotedness, God-wariness, and the insight for distinguishing falsehood from truth; and the outcomes resulting from a faith proportionate to it achieves extensive and higher domains in terms of knowledge and power due to the completion of levels of faith.

One of the most eminent mystical manifestations of Tafsīr-i Tasnīm is its frequent reference to the Divine hadith of qurb-i nawāfil (proximity in supererogation). Very popular among the mystics and people of spirit, this hadith is based on the concept that man is loved by God as a result of performing supererogatory acts and thereby the Exalted God undertakes his perceptive and motive channels. Through study of the most important instances of the interpreter’s reference to the above-mentioned hadith and comparing it with another kind of the reference of the interpretations, especially the mystical interpretations, this research is intended to show its sublime status in Tasnīm as one of its most significant narrational and mystical manifestations; a manifestation in which the Islamic mystical principles presented on the basis of sound tradition. Accurate explanation of the verses’ intentions, solution to the exegetical complexities, and response to some of the misconceptions concerning the infallibility of the Prophets and Imams (peace be upon them) by invoking the hadith of qurb-i nawāfil are among the instances of the application of this hadith in Tafsīr-i Tasnīm.

Arranging a pattern for evaluation and optimizing the present status of knowledge is a way to fulfill the requirements and complexities of human society and the present problems of the country; and since any classification has a theoretical basis and philosophical foundation, it is therefore formed on the theoretical basis of a certain school. Thus, the necessity of drawing an outline based on religious thinking turns to be an indisputable issue; because the Westerners’ classification does not provide for the ultimate goals of religious civilization and reliance on old patterns do not solve any problems, they follow the scholars’ intellectual methods more than anything else and reflect their typical attitudes and worldviews, and sometimes they follow the historical conditions of knowledge, social and cultural incidents, etc. Therefore, we intend to present an overview on a classification based on religious traditions. In this respect, one tradition is of special importance and considerable popularity among the two sects, about which various interpretations have been presented. Despite the fact that the majority of scholars – regardless of their profound disagreement in the interpretation of this hadith – consider it to be intended to delimit the Islamic knowledge, Imam Khomeini generalized it to non-religious knowledge, as well. This article is briefly touching upon his approach to this hadith.