Al Kafi (volume One)

A Word in His Aprreciation

an-Najashi says: "Amongst our associates, al-Kulayni was the chief and the most prominent in Ray (Iran). He was the most reliable,30 ac-credited and the weightiest in hƒmad.th (tradition).

al `Allamah al-Hƒmilli31 has confirmed this and Ibn Dawud32 also did the same with a very minor change.

atƒz-Tƒlusi ،X the great scholar has regarded him as the most depend-able and an expert in hƒmad.th (tradition).33 He has also described him as the man of highest esteem and a scholar in hƒmad.th.34 as-Sayyid Radƒui ad-Din ibn Tƒlawus said, "Muhammad ibn Ya،¥qub al-Kulayni is universally accepted for his leadership and reliability."35 He has also said:

"Muhammad ibn Ya،¥qub (al-Kulayni) is the most eloquent and the most truthful in the knowledge of hƒmad.th.،¨36 Ibn al-Ath.r has regarded him "Amongst the outstanding leaders of the Sh.،¥ah and their great scholar."37

He has also described him as "A reformer of the Sh.،¦ahs at the end of the third century, as their leader and as a renowned scholar among them.،¨38 at-Tƒlayyibi counted him as the reviver of the ummah ،X the whole Muslim community at the end of that century . . . He was among the most learned in Islamic Jurisprudence."

Ibn Hƒmajar said, "He was one among the Sh.،¥ah Jurists and an author of their school."40

He has also added, "Abu Ja،¥far Muhammad ibn Ya،¥qub al-Kulayni was among the chief scholars of the Sh.،¥ah world in the days of al-Mugtadir."41 Says ash-Shaykh Hƒmusayn ibn `Abd asƒw-Sƒlamad al-Hƒmarithi al-Hƒmamdani, "Muhammad ibn Ya،¥qub al-Kulayni was the religious chief of his time and an outstanding, noble minded and high born scholar. He was the most reliable person in the field of tradition, their best critic and the most conversant in it."42

al-Qadƒui Nurullah ash-Shushtari puts him at the top of the traditionist and regards him as the Chief and their guardian.49 Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi ،X the great scholar says about him, "The truth is that he is unparalleled amongst all the scholars we have seen. Everyone who ponders over the traditions he has compiled and also the manner of his editing and compiling them, will soon recognise him as the one especially endowed by God Almighty.

"May Allah bestow upon him the highest rewards reserved for the doers of the good for his services to Islam and the Muslim Com-munity."44 He also regarded him as "The Shaykh (the chief) asƒw-Sƒlad.q (the most truthful) and Thiqatu'l-Islam (the most trustworthy in respect of all about Islam), as one accepted by the people of all classes. He has been praised both in general and in particular."45 Mirza. `Abdullah al-Afandi has said :

"The person generally meant by the title Thiqatu'l-Islam' (the trustworthy in Islam) is Muhammad ibn Ya،¥qub ibn Ishƒuaq al-Kulayni ar-Razi, the compiler of the book al-Kafi. He is the oldest religious chief of the Muslim world by the masses and by the elite alike and the Mufti ،X the Chief judge for both the groups ،X the Sh.،¦ahs and the Sunnis."46

HIS COMPILATIONS

  1. Kitab tafsir ar-ru'ya;47
  2. Kitab ar-rijal;48
  3. Kitab ar-radd ،¥ala al-Qaramitƒzah;49
  4. Kitab ar-rasa'i150 ،X Rasa'il al-a'immah (`alayhimu's-salam); 51
  5. Kitab al-Kafi;52
  6. Kitab ma q.la f. al-a'immah ('alayhimu's-salam)- mina'l-shi،¥r.53

A L ،K A F l

This book is known after the name of the compiler al-Kulayni54 and also by the name of al-Kafi.55 While replying to one of his associates, al-Kulayni himself explained why he compiled this book "al-Kafi."

He wrote:

"You wanted a book to be handy, to be comprehensive and to be inclusive of all knowledge about your religion (Islam) ،X a book on which a student of religion could safely rely, to which the seeker of light and guidance should turn and from which a student seeking the knowledge of religion should derive full benefit and act on the traditions of the truthful Imams (p.b.u.t.)." 56

The task of compiling this invaluable work has taken twenty years to complete.57 It is evident from this quotation that a group of the Sh.،¥ah community, living in distant cities, requested him to compile a book which would be sufficient to benefit them for purposes of perusal reference and recollection of reliable knowledge of the tradition.58

The intellectual stalwarts of his time took down the traditions from his book verbatim and then used to read aloud to him to get them verified. They then used to quote the traditions on the basis of its being duly read and verified by al-Kulayni and also on the basis of his written permission59 to quote him.

As was by his students like Abu'l-Hƒmusayn Ahmad ibn Ahmad al-K.fi al-Katib,60 who was in his turn referred to and quoted by a group of renowned Shiite scholars; Abu `Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn `Abdillah asƒw-Sƒlafwani who was a .contemporary of al-Kulayni61 and Abu `Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ibrah.m ibn Ja،¥far an Nu،¥mani, Ibn Abi Zaynab who was also a contemporary of the author.62

The first and the foremost narrators who quoted him (al-Kulayni), directly or indirectly, on whom the chain of further narrations ends, are:-

  1. Abu'l-Qasim Ja،¥far ibn Muhammad ibn Qulawayh al-Qummi (d. 368/978/979);63
  2. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Sulayman ash-Shaybani, Abu Ghalib az-Zurari (285/872 ،X 368/978/ 979);64
  3. Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn al-Hƒmusayn ibn Babawayh as-Saduq (305/917 ،X 381/991);65
  4. Abu Muhammad Harun ibn M.sa ash-Shayban. at-Talla-،¥ukbari (d.385/995);66
  5. Abu `Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn an-Nu،¥man al-Baghdadi, ash-Shaykh al-Muf.d (336/947/948 ،X 413/ 1022);67
  6. Abu'l-Qasim `Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Musawi, ash-Shar.f al-Murtadƒua (355/966 ،X 436/1044);"
  7. Abu'l-`Abbas Ahmad ibn `Ali an-Najashi (373/982 ،X 450/ 1058);69
  8. Abu Ja،¥far Muhammad ibn al-Hƒmasan at-T.si, Shaykh at-Ta'ifah (385/995 ،X 460/1067);70

Distinctive Features

The following are the numerous features of al-Kafi on the basis of which it has been accorded a place of great honour:

  1. The first and the foremost feature is that the compiler of this book (al-Kulayni) was a contemporary of the four successive representatives of Imam al-Mahdi (p.b.u.h.). As as-Sayyid ibn Tawus has pointed out, "All the works and the collections (of the traditions) of ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya،¥qub (al-Kulayni) had been completed' during the life time of the said representatives (of Imam al-Mahdi). Therefore, there is a ground for us to believe the veracity about his collections and narrations.71

  2. Secondly, the compiler of this book has made it compulsory for himself except in the case of a few traditions, to give the whole chain of references through which the tradition has passed between him and the infallible Imam ،X the real source; although the compiler deletes the first reference of the traditions.

This is probably because he himself has already got the original book of the first reference in his possession.72 3. The third distinctive feature of the compiler, as mentioned by some of our great research scholars, is that his method of collecting and grading the traditions in a chapter is according to

The order of the authenticity and the clarity of their meaning. It is therefore the last traditions of every chapter that are always very general, brief and cryptic.73

  1. The fourth feature of the book is that the compiler generally drops those traditions which, in any way are contradictory, and con-fines himself only to the traditions which come under the heading of that chapter. Perhaps, it indicates his giving the traditions he has mentioned a preference to the traditions he has dropped and has not mentioned.74

SUB-DIVISIONS OF AL-KAFI

al-Kulayni has sub-divided his book into three parts:-

PART I ،V A L ،V U Sƒl U L

It consists of the traditions on the principles of faith, and the explanation concerning the belief. This part is called by the scholars "Usƒw.l al-Kafi " (basic traditions).

The subject matter dealt in this part are under the following titles:-

  1. The Book of Reason and Ignorance (Kitab al-'aql wa'l-jahl);
  2. The Book of Excellence of Knowledge (Kitab fadƒulu'l-،¥ ilm);
  3. The Book of Divine Unity (Kitab at-tawhƒu.d );
  4. The Book of Proof (Kitab al-hƒuujjah);
  5. The Book of Belief and Unbelief (Kitab al-iman wa'l-kufr);
  6. The Book of Invocation (Kitab ad-du،¥ a');
  7. The Book of Excellence of Qur'an (Kitab fadƒulu'l-Quran);
  8. The Book of Social Relations (Kitab al-،¥ ishrah);

Editions of this part:-

  1. Shiraz edition 1278/1861;
  2. Tabriz edition 1281/1864 in 494 pages;
  3. Tehran edition 1311/1893 in 627 pages;
  4. Tehran edition 1311/1893 in 467 pages;
  5. Lucknow edition 1302/1885;

The above-mentioned editions were printed by lithography. PART II ،V A L ،V F U R . ،¥ :

In this part al-Kulayni has quoted traditions on Islamic jurisprudence, and explained the order and commandments about the acts of worship (،¥ibadat), transactions (mu،¥amalat), judgment (qadƒua،¦), etc.

This part is called "Fur.،¥. al-kaf." or Branches of Islamic Law, which consists of the following:-

  1. The Book of Cleanliness (Kitab atƒz-tƒzaharah);
  2. The Book of Menstruation (Kitab al-hƒuaydƒu);
  3. The Book of Death Ceremonies (Kitab al-jana'iz);
  4. The Book of Prayer (Kitab asƒw-sƒwalat);
  5. The Book of Alms Tax (Kitab az-zakat);
  6. The Book of Fasting (Kitab asƒw-iyam);
  7. The Book of Pilgrimage (Kitab al-Hƒmajj);
  8. The Book of holy War (Kitab al-jihad);
  9. The Book of Livelihood (Kitab al-ma،¥ishah);
  10. The Book of Marriage (Kitab an-nikahƒu);
  11. The Book of Acts of Children (Kitab al ،¥aqiqah);
  12. The Book of Divorce (Kitab atƒz-tƒzalaq);
  13. The Book of Regulations on the Emancipation of Slaves (Kitab al-،¥itq wa't-tadbir wa 'l-mukatabah) ;
  14. The Book of Hunting (Kitab asƒw-sƒwayd);
  15. The Book of Animal Slaughtering (Kitab adh-dhaba'ihƒu);
  16. The Book of Foods (Kitab al-atƒz،¥imah);
  17. The Book of Beverages (Kitab al-ashribah);
  18. The Book of Dresses, Beautifying and the ideal of Manhood (Kitab az-zay wa 't-tajammul wa'l-mur.،¦ah);
  19. The Book of Tame Animals (Kitab ad-dawajin);
  20. The Book of Wills (Kitab al-wasƒwaya);
  21. The Book of Inheritances (Kitab al-mawar.th);
  22. The Book of (Islamic) Punishments (Kitab al-hƒuud.d);
  23. The Book of Indemnity for Bodily Injuries (Kitab ad-diyat);
  24. The Book of Evidences (Kitab ash-shahadat);
  25. The Book of Judgment and Decisions (Kitab al-qadƒua' wa'l-ahƒukam);
  26. The Book of Oathes, Vows and Expiations (Kitab al-ayman wa'n-nudh.r wa 'l-kaffarat) ; This part was printed by lithographic process in Tehran in 1315; 1897 in two volumes, and in Lucknow (India) in 1302/1885.

PART III ،X AR-RAWDƒmAH:

With regard to this part, the author has not exhaustively scrutinized the arrangement of the subject matter or names. Although he has quoted many traditions (ahƒmad.th), the chapters are not arranged in alphabetic manner in terms of narration or narrators of the traditions.

This part in itself is like an encyclopaedia but not properly arranged where the traditions of the Islamic principles (usƒw.l) and branches of Islamic Laws (fur.،¥) such as acts of worship, transactions, Islamic history and the life sketch of Divine Leaders, e.g. the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.a.h.p.) and Imams (p.b.u.t.) as well as the short history of the enemies of Islam are being dealt without any proper arrangements. This part is called "ar-Rawdƒuah" (the Garden [of al-Kafi] ), printed in Tehran in 1303/1886 combined with other books in one volume, but thereafter, this part was printed separately in Lucknow (India) in 1302/1885.

In 1374/1955 ،X 1377/1958 the book of al-Kafi was reprinted in Tehran by typographic process in the following arrangements :،XThe first part in two volumes; The second part in five volumes; and The third part in one volume.

Hereafter, the book was reprinted repeatedly, and the English translation of the same is based on this revised edition.