SALIM’s Book is Reliable

 

What one individual stated (with regards to SALIM’s book) cannot be accepted for the following reasons:

 

FIRST: Merely casting doubt about a book is not sufficient to justify rejecting its contents, without explaining why casting such doubts and providing proofs requiring such doubts, or proving there is some confusion or insinuation in it, or that it is fabricated, or something like that. Otherwise, such doubts should not be taken into consideration, and this is obvious to everyone.

 

SECOND: If we refer to the book of SALIM ibn Qais, we will find nothing in it except what is sound and in agreement with the sect. It does not contain anything which may have exaggerations regarding the Imams (A.S.) despite the claim of one who considers some of their miracles as “exaggerations.” Despite all of that, you can find in Al-Kafi many times as you can find in SALIM’s book which we cannot reject. Imam al-Baqir (A.S.) is quoted, as he was talking to some of his companions, as having said, “The worst of them (Sha`as) in my estimation and the most contemptible is one who hears a tradition attributed to us and is narrated about us and does not comprehend it, so his heart feels disgusted thereby, hence he renounces it and disbelieves in anyone who accepts it. He does not know that the tradition may have come out of us and is referred to us, so he gets himself out of our wilayat.”[1]

He (A.S.) has also said, “Do not disbelieve in a tradition brought to you by someone, for you do not know if it may be the truth, so you thus call Allah a liar even as He stands over his Throne.”[2]

 

THIRD: The statements made by the scholars about SALIM’s book indicate that it is one of the best written books and is very highly regarded. Here are some such statements:

Having quoted many incidents recorded in SALIM’s book, al-Nu`mani has says in Kitab al-Ghayba the following ver batim: “His book is an original of the originals narrated by the people of knowledge and those who bear the weight of reporting the hadith of Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) and the very earliest because all the contents (or origins) of this book are quotations from the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) and from the Commander of the Faithful (A.S.), from al-Miqdad, Salman al-Farisi, Aba Tharr and those who follow their lines from among those who were personally present with the Messenger of Allah and with the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon both of them, and heard their hadith. It is one of the original references to which the Sha`as refer and upon which they rely.”[3]

`Allama Shaikh al-Tehrani says, “It is narrated from the father of `Abdullah, al-Sadiq (A.S.), that he said, `Anyone from among our Sha`as and those who love us who does not have a copy of SALIM’s book does not in fact know much about us, nor does he know anything about our causes. It is the alphabet of the Sha`as and one of the mysteries of the Progeny of Muhammed, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny.”[4] He also said, “In Mukhtasar al-Basa’ir, it is recorded that Aban ibn `Ayyash read some of the contents of SALIM’s book to our master Ali ibn al-Husain (A.S.) who was in the company of some dignitaries from among the Sha`as, including Abul-Tufail. Zaynul-`abidan (A.S.) endorsed those contents then commented saying, `These are our ahadith, and they are authentic.’”[5]

Al-Kashshi has stated that the said hadith was presented before al-Baqir (A.S.) after his father, al-Sajjad (A.S.), and how his eyes were tearful as he said, “Surely SALIM has said the truth; my father (A.S.) came, after my grandfather, al-Husain (A.S.), had been killed, and I was sitting with him, and he narrated this hadith itself to him. My father said that it was authentic. My father, and my uncle, al-Hassan (A.S.), have narrated this hadith from the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him.”[6]

[Imam] Ahmed ibn Hanbal, too, referred to this hadith in his Musnad.[7]

Al-Nadam has said about it the following: “It is the first book that appeared for the Sha`as,”[8] meaning it was the first book to publicize the views of the Sha`as.

Badr ad-Din al-Sabki has said, “The first book which was written for the Sha`as is SALIM’s book.”[9]

Many early scholars from among our folks have quoted SALIM’s book. Among them are: Thiqatul-Islam (al-Kulayni) in his book titled Al-Kafi, the chief of narrators, namely Shaikh al-Saduq in his book titled Al-Khisal, Furat in his Tafsir, Man La Yahdurhu al-Faqih, `Uyan al-Mu`jizat, Al-Ihtijaj, Ithbat al-Raj`a, Al-Ikhtisas, Basa’ir al-Darajat, Tafsir Ibn Mahyar, and Al-Durr al-Nazam fa Manaqib al-A’imma al-Lahamam. All these references have quoted him through numerous chains of narrators ending with Aban ibn `Ayyash to whom SALIM gave his book by hand and who also narrates from SALIM.[10]

Al-Najjashi has counted him among the foremost from our good ancestors[11] to put a book together, and the sect’s mentor, namely al-Tusi[12], may Allah have mercy on his soul, refers to him, and so does Ibn Shahr ashab al-Mazandarani[13].

As regarding al-Mas`adi, he said, “The definite number of the Imams, that is to say, the Twelve Imams, are the ones counted by SALIM ibn Qais al-Hilali in his book.”[14]

`Allama Ibn Tawas has said the following: “The book contains testimonies for its being appreciated and its writing is accurate.”[15]

Our master, Muhammed Taqi al-Majlisi, has said, “Both great Shaikhs have judged his book as authentic although the text of the book by itself bears testimony to its own authenticity.”[16] He also said, “Suffices it the endorsement of both Saduqs, al-Kulayni and Ibn Babawayh, and I have the original with me, and its contents testify to its authenticity.”[17]

The in-depth researcher, Shaikh al-Hurr, has considered it among the reliable references the authors of which have received the endorsement of many other authors, whose contents are supported by proofs, and the authenticity of authorship has been verified.”[18]

Refer to what is transmitted by the contemporary Shaikh Muhammed Baqir al-Ansari al-Zanjani al-Ho’eeni in the Introduction to the book of SALIM ibn Qais, Vol. 1, pp. 109, 113 from `allama Sayyid Mustafa al-Tafrashi, `allama Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani, the critic al-Sheerwani, the in-depth researcher Meer Hamid Husain, author of `Abaqat al-Anwar, and others.

Also, `allama Sayyid Muhsin al-Aman, may Allah have mercy on his soul, has endorsed it and quoted it in his book titled Al-Majalis al-Saniyya at the conclusion of which he says, “And he wrote it from the reliable references and the famous works”[19] He actually wrote this book, namely Al-Majalis al-Saniyya, as a reform work wherein he aspired to distance their biographies, peace be upon them, from anything insinuated, inserted or untrue.[20]

 

[1]Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 2, p. 186, tradition 12. Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 223, hadath 7.

[2]Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 2, p. 186. Refer also to pp. 187-88. Refer to Al-Mahasin, pp. 230-31.

[3]Al-Majlsi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 30, pp. 133, 135.

[4]Al-Thara`a, Vol. 2, pp. 154-55.

[5]Ibid., Vol. 2, p. 153.

[6]Al-Thara`a, Vol. 2, p. 152.

[7]Ahmed, Musnad, Vol. 2, p. 332.

[8]Al-Fahrast, p. 275. Al-Thara`a, Vol. 2, p. 153.

[9]Ibid., quoting Mahasin al-Wasa’il fa Ma`rift al-Awa’il.

[10]Refer to Al-Thara`a, Vol. 2, p. 153.

[11]Rijal al-Najjashi, p. 6.

[12]Al-Fahrast, p. 162.

[13]Ma`alim al-`Ulama’, p. 58.

[14]Ibn Tawas, Al-Tahrar, Vol. 14, p. 372.

[15]Ibn Tawas, Al-Tahrar, p. 136.

[16]Rawdat al-Muttaqaan, Vol. 14, p. 372.

[17]Tanqah al-Maqal, Vol. 2, p. 53.

[18]Refer to Wasa’il al-Sha`a, Vol. 20, pp. 36, 42.

[19]Al-Majalis al-Saniyya, Vol. 5, p. 762.

[20]A`yan al-Sha`a, Vol. 10, p. 173.