An Evaluation of the View of Sheikh Hurr Amili in the Validation of Ali ibn Ja'far's Book Entitled “Masā’il” in “Wasā’il al-Shi’ah”

Wasā’il al-Shi’ah by Sheikh Hurr Amili is one of the late Shiite hadith collections that has been written using a jurisprudential approach. The author of this book, which is one of the most important sources of Shiite jurisprudence, has selected reliable and credible sources from among various narration sources considering certain criteria. One of these sources is Ali ibn Ja'far's “Masā’il”, which is considered as one of the reliable sources of Shiite narrations. The early, late and contemporary scholars have different approaches towards this book. While the earlier ones have validated it by referring to the correct ways of this book in their writings, the later ones have got access to only a copy of this book which is said not to be valid enough. The approach of contemporaries to this book has been different. Some of them have accepted it, but some others have questioned the validity and authenticity of the current version. An enquiry into the views of the scholars of different periods on the validity of the current version of this book indicates that this book does not conform to the criteria of reliable books even from the viewpoint of Sheikh Hurr Amili, and this shows the author of Wasā’il al-Shi’ah has been indulgent in choosing this hadith source.