The Book on Virtue of Knowledge
Chapter on Asking the Scholar and Discussing with him
7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْجَارُودِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ رَحِمَ الله عَبْداً أَحْيَا الْعِلْمَ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَمَا إِحْيَاؤُهُ قَالَ أَنْ يُذَاكِرَ بِهِ أَهْلَ الدِّينِ وَأَهْلَ الْوَرَعِ.
7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from abu al-Jarud from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following. “May Allah grant forgiveness to a man who revives knowledge.” Abu al-Jarud has said, “I asked the Imam, ‘What is reviving knowledge?’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “It is his discussing knowledge among the religious people and the people of piety.”
8ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَجَّالِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) تَذَاكَرُوا وَتَلاقَوْا وَتَحَدَّثُوا فَإِنَّ الْحَدِيثَ جِلاءٌ لِلْقُلُوبِ إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ لَتَرِينُ كَمَا يَرِينُ السَّيْفُ جِلاؤُهَا الْحَدِيثُ.
8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Hajjal from certain persons of our people in a marfu’ manner from the Messenger of Allah who has said the following. He said addressing the people said, “Discuss facts, meet each other and speak to each other because speaking is brightness for the hearts. Hearts become stained just as the swords become stained and speaking cleanses it up.” In some scripts it is ‘Iron’ instead of ‘speaking’ at the end of the sentence.”
9ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبَانٍ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ الصَّيْقَلِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ تَذَاكُرُ الْعِلْمِ دِرَاسَةٌ وَالدِّرَاسَةُ صَلاةٌ حَسَنَةٌ.
9. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father from Faddala ibn Ayyub from ‘Umar ibn Aban from Mansur al-Sayqal who has said the following. “Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) has said, ‘Discussing knowledge is study and study is a good prayer.’”
The Book on Virtue of Knowledge
Chapter on Giving Knowledge as Charity
1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَرَأْتُ فِي كِتَابِ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الله لَمْ يَأْخُذْ عَلَى الْجُهَّالِ عَهْداً بِطَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ حَتَّى أَخَذَ عَلَى الْعُلَمَاءِ عَهْداً بِبَذْلِ الْعِلْمِ لِلْجُهَّالِ لانَّ الْعِلْمَ كَانَ قَبْلَ الْجَهْلِ.
1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il ibn Bazi‘ from Mansur ibn Hazim from Talha ibn Zayd from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “I read in the book of Imam Ali (a.s.) that Allah had no commitment from and covenant with the ignorant people to seek knowledge before having a commitment from and covenant with the scholars to give knowledge as charity to the ignorant ones because knowledge existed before ignorance.”
2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي هَذِهِ الايَةِ وَلا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ قَالَ لِيَكُنِ النَّاسُ عِنْدَكَ فِي الْعِلْمِ سَوَاءً.
2. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Barqi from his father from ‘Abdullah ibn Mughirah and Muhammad ibn Sinan from Talha ibn Zayd from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about this verse. “Do not scornfully turn your face away from people. .” (31:18) ‘so that people would all be equal in matters of knowledge.’”
3ـ وَبِهَذَا الاسْنَادِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ النَّضْرِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ زَكَاةُ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ تُعَلِّمَهُ عِبَادَ الله.
3. Through the same chain of narrators he has narrated from his father from Ahmad ibn Nadr from ‘Amr and ibn Shimr from Jabir from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Zakat, the tax, on knowledge is teaching it to the servants of Allah.”
4 - عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَامَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) خَطِيباً فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَقَالَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لا تُحَدِّثُوا الْجُهَّالَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ فَتَظْلِمُوهَا وَلا تَمْنَعُوهَا أَهْلَهَا فَتَظْلِمُوهُمْ.
4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Yunus ibn ’Abd al-Rahman from the person who he mentioned from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Jesus, son of Mary (a.s.) once stood up to speak to the Israelites saying, ‘O Israelites, do not speak the words of wisdom to the ignorant people because you will be doing injustice to them (words of wisdom). Do not keep them (words of wisdom) from those who deserve lest you will do injustice to them (deserving people).’”
The Book on Virtue of Knowledge
Prohibition on Speaking without Knowledge.
1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ وَعَبْدِ الله ابْنَيْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ مُفَضَّلِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنْهَاكَ عَنْ خَصْلَتَيْنِ فِيهِمَا هَلاكُ الرِّجَالِ أَنْهَاكَ أَنْ تَدِينَ الله بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُفْتِيَ النَّاسَ بِمَا لا تَعْلَمُ.
1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad and ‘Abdallah (both) sons of Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Sayf ibn ‘Umayra from Mufaddal ibn Yazid that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as) said: "I would like to warn you about two forms of behavior that lead a man to destruction. I prohibit you from dealing with Allah on the basis of falsehood and from giving fatwa to people without knowledge.”
2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِيَّاكَ وَخَصْلَتَيْنِ فَفِيهِمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُفْتِيَ النَّاسَ بِرَأْيِكَ أَوْ تَدِينَ بِمَا لا تَعْلَمُ.
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Yunus ibn ’Abd al-Rahman from ’Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has said the following. “Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) has said, ‘Beware of two forms of behavior. It is such behaviors that have lead many people to their destruction. Beware of giving fatwa to people on the basis of your own opinion and to follow a religion without knowledge.’”
3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ أَفْتَى النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلا هُدًى لَعَنَتْهُ مَلائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ وَلَحِقَهُ وِزْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِفُتْيَاهُ.
3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn al-Ri’ab from Abu ‘Ubayda al-Hadhdha’ that Abu Ja’far (al-Baqir) (as) said, “Whoever gives a fatwa (a religious verdict) to people without knowledge and guidance, the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment curse him. The burden of those who act upon his fatwa will fall upon him."
