Al Kafi (volume 4)(part 3)

Chapter 99 : When the Imams Will Rise With Divine Authority They Will Judge Among People As David and His People Had Done That They Will Not Ask Any Witness To Testify (may the Peace and Blessings of Allah Be Up On Them) H 1034, Ch. 99, H 1

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu'Umayr from Mansur from al-Fadl al-A 'al-A 'war from abu 'ubayda al-Hadhdha' who has said the following. "We lived during the times of abu Ja'far (a.s.). When he passed away we were left like sheep without shepherd. We met Salim ibn abu Hafs and he said to me, "O abu 'Ubayda, who is your Imam?" I said, "My Imams are A'l (family) of Muhammad (s.a)."

He said, "Did not I and you hear abu Ja'far (a.s.) say, "Whoever would die without an Imam above him he has died as the death of the age ignorance." I said, "Yes, that is very true. I can swear by my own life." It was only about three days before my meeting with abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) in which meeting Allah granted to me the blessing of recognizing him as my Imam. I said to abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) that Salim said to me so and so."

The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) said, "O abu 'Ubayda, no one of us passes away before appointing a successor that would act and behave just as the preceding Imam and call people to what the Imam before him did. O abu 'Ubayda what was given to David did not bar Sulayman from receiving (Allah's blessings)."

Then he said, "O abu 'Ubayda, when Al-Qa'im (the one who will rise with Divine Authority) will rise he will judge among people the way David and Sulayman had been judging among people. He will call any witness to testify in a case."

H 1035, Ch. 99, h 2

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Aban from abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. "The world will not end before the rise of a man from us who would judge among people the way the family of David had been judging them. He will not ask any witness to testify. He will make every soul's rights available to it."

H 1036, Ch. 99, h 3

Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Hisahm ibn Salim from 'Ammar al-Sabati who has said the following. "Once I asked abu 'Abdallah (a.s.), "By what means do you judge when you would judge?" He said, "We judge by the laws of Allah and in the manner of David. If an issue would come before us for which there is nothing with us the Holy Spirit provides us inspiration."

H 1037, Ch. 99, h 4

Muhammad ibn Ahmad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Khalid from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from 'Imran ibn A'yan from Ju'ayd al-Hamadani who has said the following. "Once I asked Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), "By what mean do you issue judgments?" The Imam (a.s.) said, "We judge by the laws of Allah and the judgment of the family of David. If a case would frustrate us the Holy Spirit inspires us with its laws."

H 1038, Ch. 99, h 5

Ahmad ibn Mihran, may Allah grant him blessings, has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from 'Ammar al-Sabati who has said the following. "Once I said to abu 'Abdallah, "What is the degree of the excellence of the Imams?" He said, "It is like that of Dhul Qarnayn and like that of Yusha' and like that of Asaf, the companion of Sulayman." He asked, "With what do you issue judgments." The Imam (a.s.) said, " We issue judgments according to the laws of Allah the judgments of the family of David. The Holy Spirit inspires us with it."

Chapter 100 : The fountain head of Knowledge is Ala Muhammad (a.s.) H 1039, Ch. 100, h 1

A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub who has said that Yahya ibn 'Abdallah abu al-Hassan the companion of al-Daylam narrated to us and who has said the following. "Once I heard Ja'far ibn Muhammad (a.s.) say while a group of people of Kufa was present before him, "It is very strange of the people.

They have received their knowledge from the Messenger of Allah. They have followed such knowledge and found guidance but they think that his Ahl al-Bayt (members of his family) have not received his knowledge. We are his Ahl al-Bayt (members of his family) and his descendants.

In our house Divine inspiration came down and from us knowledge came out to them. Do they think that they have learned and found guidance but we remained ignorant and lost. This, certainly, is not possible."

2 Ali ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abdallah has narrated from Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Ahmar from 'Abdallah ibn Hammad from Sabbah al-Muzanni from al-Harith ibn Husayra from al-Hakam ibn 'Utayba who has said the following. "A man met al-Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.) at al-Tha'laba on his way to Karbala.

He came in his presence and offered Islamic greetings to him. Al- Husayn (a.s.) asked, "Where are you from?" He replied, "I am from Kufa." The Imam (a.s.) said, "By Allah, O brethren from Kufa, if only I had a meeting with you in Madina, I could have shown you the marks of Jibril in and around our house and his coming with Divine message to my grandfather.

O brethren from Kufa, how can it be true that we be the ones to make people quench their thirst for knowledge from us but they would learn and we remain ignorant. This can not happen."