Taqleed & Ijtihad
Commentary by Imam Hasan al-Askari (as)
Whether it is a treasure of Commentaries or a collection of Traditions; whether it is organized by the earlier intellectuals or collected by later authors; all such researches cannot be declared totally clean. So even in those books of Islamic Knowledge that are generally depended on by all Muslims some people are able to find faults, such as, “this anecdote looks similar to Israeli stories; the narrators of this tradition do not come up to the mark; that tradition does not have solid proofs; there is some doubt in this tradition; and so on”.
However, in spite of all such faults no presentation has totally been discarded because if people start rejecting books for minor defects, there will be no such thing left as a book. This is why the scholars do not outrightly throw away someone’s hard work when they find some deficiency, rather they try to explain it.
What is surprising is that some people show such disdain towards the Commentary associated with Imam Hasan Askari (as) as if they will lose Islam by just looking at it or they will be left faith-less; even though what is mentioned in this book is also there in other collections.
There can only be one explanation - people belonging to a certain group have been clamoring for a long time that taqleed is not mentioned in the literature related to Shia belief system, whereas the Commentary under discussion clearly and emphatically recounts the issue of taqleed and Ijtihad in the sacred words of the virtuous Imam. With this background in mind, it will not be unreasonable to say that the taqleed-denying folks intentionally or un-intentionally have not done justice to the under-discussion commentary.
At this point we have 42 critiques of this book. Twelve of them have negative opinion on it and thirty favor it. The books with negative opinion are the following:
Kitabuz Zuafa by Ibnul Ghazairi
Khulasatul Aqwal by Allama Hilli
Naqdur Rijal by Al-Tafrashi
Shara Un-Nijat by Researcher Damad
Minhaj Ul-Miqal by Speaker Ustarabadi
Jama Ur-Riwat by Urdbaili
Majma Ur-Rijal by Qahbani
Aala Ur-Rahman by Muhammad Jawad Balaghi
Kitabul Akhbar by Researcher Tastari
Hashia Majma Ul-Bayan by Mirza Abul Hasan Sha’rani
Majam Rijal Ul-Hadith by Ayatullah Sayed Abul Qasim Khooi
Fiqhatur Ridha’ by Sayed Muhammad Hashim Khwansari
The list of scholarly works with positive attitude is as follows:
Man La Yahzaratul Faqiah by Sheikh Saduk Muhammad Ibn Babuya Qumi
At-Tawhid by same author
Al-Uyun by same author
Al-Kamal by same author
Al-Aamali by same author
Al-Alal by same author
Maanil Akhbar by same author
Al-Ihtijaj by Abu Mansu Tibrisi
Al-Kharaij by Qutub Ravandi
Maalim Ul-Ulama by Ibn Shehr Ashob
Maniatul Murid by Shaheed Sani
Rauzatul Muttaqeen by Majlisi First Muhammad Taqi
Bihar Ul-Anwar, vol 1 by Majlisi Second Muhammad Baqir
Wasayl ush-Shia by Sheikh Hurr al-Amili
Isbat Ul-Hidat by same author
Tafsir Safi by Faiz Kashani
Tafsir Burhan by Sayed Hashim Bohrani
Tafseer Noor Us-Saqalain by Sheikh Abd Ali Havezi
Aklail Ur-Rijal by Muhammad Ja’far Khurasani
Al-Fawahidul Najafia by Sheikh Sulaiman Bohrani
Muntahil Miqal by Abu Ali
Al Taaliqatu Ali Minhajul Miqal by Wahid Bahihani
Tafsir Miraatul Anwar by Sheikh Abul Hasan Al Sharif
Itqanul Miqal by Sheikh Muhammad Taha
Tasliatul Fawad by Sayed Abdullah Shabbar
Nakhbitul Miqal by Sayed Hussain Barojardi
Sahifatul Abrar by Hujjat Ul Islam Tabrezi
Awalimul Ulum by Sheikh Abdullah Bohrani
Faraidul Usul by Sheikh Ansari
Tanqihul Miqal by Sheikh Abdullah Mamiqani
Jami Ahadith Ush-Shia by Ayatullah Barojardi
Alzaria vol 4 p 283 by Allama Tehrani
The well-known authors of the books in this list have written at length about this commentary. They have scrutinized it from every angle and have praised it a great deal. As an example, Majlisi First Muhammad Taqi (RA) has written in the Farsi commentary of Rauzatul Muttaqeen and Faqih:
“The truth of the matter is that this commentary is one of the treasures of Allah (SWT).” [^1]
And Majlisi Second Muhammad Baqir writes on p 28, vol 1 of Bihar Ul-Anwar, “This commentary referenced to Imam Hasan al-Askari (as) is a well-known book and the well-known personality, Sheikh Saduq, has expressed confidence in it.”
In addition, the author of Wasayl ush-Shia, Sheikh Hurr al-Amili has counted it as a source for his creation, Fiqhi Dairatul Maarif Wasail. Similarly, the famous researcher, Sayed Abdullah Shabbar, also labels this commentary as the foundation for his own scholarly works. And Ayatullah Burujardi says, “I am one of the beneficiaries of this commentary by Imam al-Askari (as).”
[^1]: Commentary on Faqih, vol 5, p 142 – 213