Al Kafi (volume 4)(part 1)

Chapter 33 : the Imams (a.s.) Inherited the Knowledge of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) and All the Prophets and Their Successors Before Them H 598, Ch. 33, H 1

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn al-Muhtadi from 'Adallah ibn Jundab to who Imam al-Rida (a.s.) wrote the following. "Thereafter, (thanking Allah) Muhammad (s.a.) was the trustee of Allah for His creatures. When he was taken away from this world we, Ahl al-Bayt inherited him, thus, we are the trustees of Allah over His earth.

With us is the knowledge of the sufferings, the death, the genealogy of the Arabs and the birth of Islam. We know the man when we see him in the truth of faith or hypocrisy. Our followers (Shi'a) are listed (with us) by their names and the names of their fathers. Allah has established a covenant with them and with us.

They land wherever we would do so and enter wherever we would enter. There is no besides us and our followers as living the Islamic culture.

We are the noble saviors and the descendents of the prophets and of the children of the successors of the prophets. We the ones to whom the book of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has come exclusively. We, of all people, have the first priority (closeness) to the book of Allah. We, of all people, have the first priority (closeness) to the Messenger of Allah. For us He formed His religion.

"He has established for you (family of Muhammad) a form of religion which is of the commands to Noah {we are commanded with whatever Noah was commanded}. It is of the mattes that We have revealed to you (Muhammad) and of the commands to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus to follow.

{We have taught and preached the knowledge that was taught to us. We were given the knowledge of these prophets. We are the heirs of the commissioned Messengers}. (He has explained it) so that you (family of Muhammad) would be steadfast and united (all in a united group) in your religion.

What you call the polytheists {polytheists in the acknowledgement of the Divine authority of Imam Ali (a.s.} to{the acknowledgement of the Divine authority of Imam Ali (a.s.}is extremely grave for them. God {O Muhammad} attracts to (the religion) whomever He wants and guides to it whoever turns to Him in repentance." (42:13)

H 599, Ch. 33, h 2

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir from abu Ja'far (a.s.) who has said the following. "The Messenger of Allah has said, 'The first successor and executor of the will on earth was Hibbatullah, the son of Adam.

No prophet has ever left this world without first leaving behind one who would execute his will. The prophets were one hundred twenty thousand persons. Five of them were commissioned Messengers, like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (s.a.) Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) was the Hibbatullah for Muhammad (s.a.).He inherited the knowledge of the executors of the wills of the prophets and the knowledge of those who were before him.

(Is not it true) that Muhammad (s.a.) inherited the knowledge of the prophets and the Messengers who lived before him? It is written on the columns of the throne, "Hamza is the loin of Allah and the loin of His Messenger. He (Hamza) is the master of the martyrs. On top of the throne is Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (a.s.).

This evidence against those who deny our rights and refuse to yield to us our right of inheritance. We are not forbidden to speak. Before us is all certainty. What supporting evidence could be more clear than this."

H 600, Ch. 33, h 3

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salama ibn al-Khattab from 'Adallah ibn Muhammad from 'Adallah ibn al-Qasim from Zur'a ibn Muhammad from al-Mufaddal ibn 'Umar from who has said the following. "Solomon inherited David. Muhammad (s.a.) inherited Solomon and we inherited Muhammad (s.a.).

We have the knowledge of Torah and the Gospel (Injil), the Psalms, (al-Zabur) and the explanation of what the tablets contained." I (the narrator) said, "This certainly is the knowledge." The Imams (a.s.) said, "This is not knowledge. Knowledge is what happens day after day and hour after hour."

H 601, Ch. 33, h 4

Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Shu'ayb al-Haddad from Durays al-Kunasi who has said the following. "I was in the presence of abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) and abu Basir also was there. The Imams (a.s.) said, "David inherited the knowledge of the prophets. Solomon inherited David. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.) inherited Solomon and we inherited Muhammad (s.a.).

With us are the pages of Abraham and the tablets of Moses." Abu Basir then said, "This is the knowledge." The Imams (a.s.) said, "O abu Muhammad, this is not the knowledge. The knowledge is what happens in the nights and in the days, day after day and hour after hour."

H 602, Ch. 33, h 5

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar from Muhammad ibn Isma'il from Ali ibn an-Nu'man from ibn Muskan from abu Basir who has said the following. "Imam abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) said to me, "O abu Muhammad, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has not given anything to the prophets that He has not given to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.).

The Imams (a.s.) further said, "Allah gave to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.) all that He had given to the prophets. With us is the book about which Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, "The books of Abraham and Moses." I then said, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, are they the tablets?" The Imams (a.s.) said, "Yes, they are the tablets."

H 603, Ch. 33, h 6

Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa'id from al- Nadr ibn Suwayd from 'Adallah ibn Sinan who has said that he asked abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) the following about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. "We have written in the psalms which We had revealed after the Torah. . ." (21:105).

What is al-Zabur and what is al-Dhikr?" The Imams (a.s.) said, "Al-Dhikr is with Allah and al-Zabur is what He gave to David." Every book that was revealed is with the people of knowledge and we are the people of knowledge."

H 604, Ch. 33, h 7

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu Zahir or another man from Muhammad ibn Hammad from his brother Ahmad ibn Hammad from Ibrahim from his father who has said the following. "I said to abu al-Hassan al-Thani (a.s.), ""May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, "Would you tell me about the Prophet who inherited all the prophets." The Imams (a.s.) said, "Yes, I may do so.

I asked, "Did he inherit from Adam up to his-self?" The Imams (a.s.) said, "Of prophet that Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (s.a.) was more knowledgeable." I then said, "Jesus son of Mary would bring the dead to life by the permission of Allah." The Imams (a.s.) said, "You spoke the truth. Solomon son of David could understand the language of the birds.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.) was also capable of doing such things." The narrator has said that The Imams (a.s.) then said, "Solomon son of David said to the (Hoopoe) Hud Hud when he found him missing and had doubts about the bird. "(Solomon) inspected the birds and said, "How is it that I cannot see the hoopoe {when he did not find him present and became angry}.

Is he absent? (27:20). I shall certainly punish him severely or slaughter him unless he has a good reason for his absence." (27:21) He became angry because the bird would show him how to find water. This is only a bird but is given something that is not given to Solomon.

The wind, ants, man, Jinn, devils and the rebbles obey him in submission but he did not know about the water in the space but the bird knew it as Allah says iin His book.

"Even if the Quran would make mountains move, cut the earth into pieces and make the dead able to speak,. . ." (13:31) We have inherited this Quran which contains such things that can make the mountains move, cross the lands and make the dead to come to life. We know there is water in space. In the book of Aallah there are verses that are indecative of certain issues only if Allah would give permission.

This is along with fact that Allah sometime grants permission to make use of the things that people of the past had written. Allah has set them for us in the origin of the book as Allah says, "All the secrets in heavens and earth are recorded in the illustrious Book.

(27:75) Then Allah has said, "We gave the Book as an inheritance to Our chosen servants,. . ." (35:32) We are the ones whom Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has chosen and has given this which contain the explanation of all things."

Chapter 34 : The Imams (a.s.) have with all the books that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has revealed and that they know them even the language in them are different H 605, Ch. 34, h 1

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Hassan ibn Ibrahim from Yunus from Hisham ibn al-Hakam about the narration of Burayh with whom he came to abu 'Abdallah (a. s.) but they met abu al-Hassan Musa ibn Ja'far (a.s.).

Hisham explained to the Imams (a.s.) about Burayh. When he finished abu al-Hassan (a.s.) asked, "O Burayh, how is your knowledge of your book?" He rplied, "I know it." The Imam (a.s.) then asked, "What is the degree of your confidence in its interpretation?" He said, "Not so much."??? The narrator has said, "Abu al-Hassan then begun to read (from) the Gospel.

Burayh then said, "It is you whom I was searching for fifty years or someone like you." He has said that Burayh accepted the faith and also the lady who was with him." Burayh and Hisham and the lady then came to abu 'Abdallah (a.s.). Hisham informed the Imam (a.s.) about what had happene between Burayh and abu al-Hassan (a.s.).

Abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) then said, "The generations that are from each other and Allah hears and knows best." Burayh then asked, "How have possessed the Torah and the Gospel and the books if the prophets?" The Imam (a.s.) said, " We receive them as in the form of inheritance from them.

We read them as they would read them and speak about them as the prophets would do. Allah does grant Divine authority on His earth to those who if questioned would be able to give the right answer and say I do not know."

H 606, Ch. 34, h 2

Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Bakr ibn Salih from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Mufaddal ibn 'Umar who has said the following. "We went to abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) and wanted permission. We heard him speaking in a none Arabic language and we thought it was Suryani (0r Syrian) language.

The Imams (a. s.) then wept and we did so because of his weeping. A boy then came out to give us permission for a meeting. In the meeting I asked him, "May Allah keep you well, we came to ask permission for a meeting and we heard you speak in a none Arabic language and we thought it was Suryani language.

Then we heard you weeping and because of that we also wept." The Imams (a.s.) said, "Yes, I remembered prophet Ilyas, one of the Israelite prophets and devoted in worship. I then said what he used to say in his prostration.

He then went into it in Suryani language. Swearing to Allah, we had not seen any monk or minister as eloquent in it as he in it. He then explained it to us in Arabic, "Ilyas would say in his prostration, 'O Lord, will I find you punish me although you know of thirst in the heat of the midday? Will I find you punish me although you know that I rub my face on earth to worship you?

Will I find you punish me although you know that I give up sins for you? Will I find you punish me although you know that I stay awake all night just for you?" The Imams (a.s.) then said, "Allah then told him through inspiration, "Rise your head from the earth. I will not punish you."

The Imams (a.s.) then said that he said to Allah, "What if say, "I will not punish you but then you punished me? Am I not your slave and you are my Lord." The Imams (a.s.) said, "Allah then spoke to him through inspiration, "Rise your head. I will not punish you because when I promise I then keep My promise."