Al Kafi (volume 4)(part 2)

Chapter 53 : the Imams Are Similar To Those Before Them and the Dislikeability of Calling Them Prophets H 702, Ch. 53, H 1

Abu Ali al-Ash'ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Humran ibn A'yan who has said that he asked abu Ja'far (a.s.) the following. "What is the position of the scholars?" The Imam (a.s.) said, " It is like Dhul Qarnayn, (see 18:83 - 99 Holy Quran),the companion of Solomon (see 27:40),and the companion of Moses (a.s.) (See 18:65)"

H 703, Ch. 53, h 2

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu 'Umayrfrom al-Husayn ibn abu al-'Ala' from abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. "To refer to us (as the Divine authorities) is valid only in finding the lawful and unlawful matters. To refer to us as prophethood is not valid."

H 704, Ch. 53, h 3

Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Ash'ari has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Barqi from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya ibn 'Imran al-Halabi from Ayyub ibn al-Hurr who has said that he heard abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. "Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, ended with your prophet the (coming of) the prophets.

Thus, there will never come any prophet after him. With your book He ended sending of (heavenly) books. Thus, there will never come other heavenly books. In it (your book) He has placed clarifications for all things, such as your creation and the creation of the heavens and the earth.

Therein is the news of the beings before you, the laws that help settle your disputes and the news of the beings that come into being after you, the news of the issues of Paradise and Fire and that to which you proceed."

H 705, Ch. 53, h 4

A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa'id from Hammad ibn 'Isa from al-Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah who has said that abu Ja'far (a.s.) has said the following. "Ali (a.s.) was a Muhaddith (a Divine spokesman)."

The narrator has said that he then asked the Imam (a.s.), "What is mmeans, O Imam? Do you say he was a prophet?" The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) rose his hand like this, (meaning thereby, no, I did not say that)." The Imam (a.s.) then said, "Or he is like the companion of Solomon, or the companion of Moses or like Dhul Qarnayn. Have you not heard that he said, "Among you is one similar to him (Dhul Qarnayn)."

H 706, Ch. 53, h 5

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu 'Umayr from ibn 'Udhayna from Burayd ibn Mu'awiya who has said that he asked abu Ja'far and abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) the following. "What is your position? To who of the people of the past do you resemble?" the Imam (a.s.) said, "I resemble the companion of Moses and Dhul Qarnayn who were two scholars but not two prophets."

H 707, Ch. 53, h 6

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Barqi from abu Talib from Sadir who has said that he asked abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) the following. "A certain group of people believe that you are gods. They read to us from the Quran about it. And it is He Who in heaven is God and in earth is God." (43:84).

The Imam (a.s.) said, "O Sadir, my hearing, my sight, my skin, my flesh, my blood and my hair are (all) disdain such people, and Allah also disdains them. They do not follow my religion and the religion of my forefathers. I swear by Allah, Allah will not place me with them on the Day of Resurrection. The only thing from Allah to them will be His anger."

The narrator has said that he said, "Among us there is a group of people who believe that you are messenger and read to from the Holy Quran. "O Messengers, eat of the good things and do righteousness; surely I know the things you do (23:51). The Imam (a.s.) said, "O Sadir, my hearing, my sight, my skin, my flesh, my blood and my hair are (all) disdain such people, and Allah and Hid Messenger also disdains them. They do not follow my religion and the religion of my forefathers.

Allah will not place me with them on the Day of Judgment. The only thing from Allah towards them will be His anger." The narrator has said that he then asked, "What are you then?" the Imam (a.s.) said, "We are the treasuries of the knowledge of Allah. We are the translators of the commands of Allah. We are infallible people.

Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has commanded people to obey us and prohibited them to disobey us. We are the complete Divine authority over all that is below the heavens and above the earth."

H 708, Ch. 53, h 7

A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa'id from 'Abdallah ibn Bahr from ibn Muskan from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn abu 'Abdallah from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said that he heard abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) say the following.

"The Imams (a.s.) possess the position of the Messenger of Allah except that they are not prophets and the number of wives permissible for the Holy Prophet is not permissible for them. In the aspects other than these they possess the same positions as the Messenger of Allah did."

Chapter 54 : The Imams (a.s.) hear from the angels as Muhaddathun and are of Perfect Understanding H 709, Ch. 54, h 1

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hajjal from al- Qasim ibn Muhammad from 'Ubayd ibn Zurarah who has said the following. "Abu Ja'far (a. s.) sent (message) to Zurara to inform al-Hakam ibn 'Utayba that the executors of the will of Muhammad (s.a.) (are Muhaddathun) hear from the angels." al-Hakam ibn 'Utaybah (al-Kindi al-Kufi [50/670 - 115/ 733], one of the tab'un [those who knew the companions of the Holy Prophet and famous narrators of hadith)

H 710, Ch. 54, h 2

Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Jamil ibn Salih from Ziyad ibn Suqah from al-Hakam ibn 'Utaybah who has said the following. "One day I went to see Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.).

" He said, "O Hakam do you know the verse (of the Holy Quran) from which Ali ibn abu Talib had learned who his assassin was and the extremely great matters of which he would speak to people? " Al-Hakam has said that I said to myself in my mind, " I have now a chance to learn of the knowledge of Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) with which I will learn of those extremely great matters.

" The narrator has said that he replied the Imam (a.s.), "No, O son of the Messenger of Allah, I do not know." He has said that he then said, "Please tell me, O son of the Messenger of Allah, which verse is it?" the Imam (a.s.) said, "It, I swear by Allah, is the words of Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, "We have not sent any messenger or prophet before you (or a Muhahhdath) one who hears from the angels. (22:52) Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) was a Muhaddath.

At this point a man called 'Abdallah ibn Zayd who was a brother of Ali from his mother's side said, "Glory belongs to Allah. A Muhaddath1!" It seemed as if he did not believe it. Abu Ja'far (a.s.) then turned to us and said, "Do not have any doubts, I swear by Allah, that the son of your mother after all did have knowledge of this fact." The narrator has said that when the Imam (a.s.) said so the man kept silent.

The Imam (a.s.) then said, "This is the issue in which abu al-Khattab perished. He never learned what was the explanation of the prophet and a Muhaddath."

H 711, Ch. 54, h 3

Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn Yahya have narrated from Muhammad ibn al- Hassan from Ya'qub ibn Yazid from Muhammad ibn Isma'il who has said that I heard abu alHassan (a.s.) say the following. "The Imams (a.s.) are scholar, truthful people, have perfect understanding and Muhaddathum hear from the angels."

H 712, Ch. 54, h 4

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn 'Isa from Yunus from a man that Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following. "Once Muhaddath was mentioned in the presence of abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) and he said, "He, Muhaddath, hears the voice but does not see the persons of the angels.

" I then said to him, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, how he would come to know that the voice and words are from the angels?" The Imam (a.s.) said, "He is given the serenity and dignity to the level that he learns about its being the speech of the angels."

H 713, Ch. 54, h 5

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa'id from Hammad ibn 'Isa from al-Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah from Humran ibn A'yan who has said that abu Ja'far (a.s.) has said the following. "Ali (a.s.) was a Muhaddath." I then returned to my associates and said, "I have brought you a very strange news." They asked, "What is it?"

I then said that I heard abu Ja'far (a.s.) say that Ali (a.s.) was a Muhaddath. They then said, "What did you do?" Would that you had asked him as to who would speak to him (Ali (a.s.) I then went back to abu Ja'far (a.s.) and said to him, "I went to my associates and told them about what you had told me and they said, "What did you do? Would that you had asked him as to who would speak to him (Ali (a.s.)" The Imam (a.s.) said to me, "The angel would speak to him."

I then asked, "Do you say that he was a prophet?" He has said, "He moved his hand like this. Or like the companion of Solomon, or the companion of Moses or like Dhul Qarnayn. Have not heard that he has said, "Among there one like him." (A hadith of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) says that Ali (a.s.) is the Dhul Qarnay of this Umma).