Response to Chapter 7 Entitled
“The authenticity of Furu al Kafi”

Imam Al-Kulayni is to the Shia what Imam Bukhari is to the Sunni. Imam Al-Kulayni is one of the most respected figures in Shi’ism and he is referred to as “Thiqat al-Islam” which translates to the “Trust of Islam.” His book, Al-Kafi, is referred to as Hujjat of Islam (Proof of Islam).

Al-Islam.org says

The author of al-Kafi was thiqat al-Islam, Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. Ya’qub b. Ishaq al-Kulaini al-Razi.

In this chapter, Answering-Ansar has adopted the tone of the apologist, denying integral parts of their belief in order to seem more presentable. They deny that the book Al-Kafi, written by the venerated Imam Al-Kulayni, is authentic. We see a similar approach used by the so-called “modern” and “liberal” Muslims who deny certain verses of the Quran (such as marrying more than one wife or going to Jihad) in order that they may please the disbelievers and be more effective in argumentation with them. Similarly, the Shia propagandist has attempted to deny the authoratative nature of Al-Kafi; this is in an effort to hide the many embarassing narrations in Al-Kafi that expose the Shia belief.

However, a little investigation into the matter quickly reveals that Al-Kafi is considered absolutely authentic by the Shia. The akhbariyun (traditionists) have declared that Al-Kafi is completely Sahih except two or three narrations in it. This opinion was held by the traditionalist party for so many centuries, and it was only long after–especially during the Safavid Empire–in which the Shia scholars decided that it was time to discard the claim of authenticity due to the fact that there were so many “troublesome” Hadith in Al-Kafi. There has been a recent drive for the Shia to deny that Al-Kafi is the Sahih Bukhari of the Shia, but again, a little research on the matter shows that the historical opinion of the Shia was that Al-Kafi is as Sahih to the Shia as Sahih Bukhari is to the Sunni.

Let us now respond to Answering-Ansar’s apologetic defense which involves the negation of their most sacred book of Hadith:

Answering-Ansar says

Had Imam Mahdi (as) confirmed the 100% authenticity of al Kafi then there would have been no need for Kulayni to state that hadith should be examined against the Qur’an to determine their authenticity. Al Kulayni makes this point crystal clear in his introduction to Usul al Kafi:

“Brother, may God lead you to the right road. You ought to know that it is impossible for anyone to distinguish the truth from the untruth when Muslim scholars disagree upon statements attributed to the Imams. There is only one way to separate the true from the untrue reports, through the standard which was declared by the Imam:

” Test the various reports by the Book of God; whatever agrees with it take it, whatever disagrees with it reject it”.

Why would Kulayni have needed to make such a comment if al Kafi was indeed 100% authentic verified by Imam al Mahdi (as)

Here, Imam Al-Kulayni is stating that the only way to discern the authenticity of the Hadith is by applying the following principle: “Test the various reports by the Book of God; whatever agrees with it take it, whatever disagrees with it reject it.” Imam Al-Kulayni then goes on to explain that this is what he has done when he was compiling the Hadith and that after he went through this process the result is his book Al-Kafi. In fact, Imam Al-Kulayni was asked by another Shia to compile a book with only Sahih Hadith because that particular Shia follower was confused as to which Hadith to follow and which not to. Imam Al-Kulayni declared that he had accomplished this task and says in the Preface of Al-Kafi:

“…You wanted to have a book which would be sufficient (for your religious needs) (kafin), which would include all kinds of knowledge (’ilm) of religion, which would be adequate for the student, and to which the teacher might refer. Thus it could be used by anyone who wanted knowledge of religion and of legal practice (’amal) according to only sound traditions (athar) from the truthful ones (the Imams)…Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Gracious, has made the compilation of the book that you had wished for possible. I hope it will prove to be up to your expectations”

(source: Al-Kulayni in his Preface of Al-Kafi)

Thus, Imam Al-Kulayni had completed the task, and therefore it is no longer upto the Shia follower to question the authenticity of Al-Kafi which is declared Sahih by the scholars. In fact, he has in this same preface strictly forbidden the followers from questioning Al-Kafi’s veracity:

“Follow what is unanimously agreed upon (by the scholars) because there is no harm in what is unanimously agreed upon…refer to the scholar and accept that which is within the limit of his words, ‘Whichever you would follow in submission and obedience is excusable for you.’”

(source: Al-Kulayni in his Preface of Al-Kafi)

Thus, Answering-Ansar has employed a devious trick (staying true to their faith of Taqiyyah) by taking Imam Al-Kulayni’s words out of context. In his introduction, Imam Al-Kulayni explains what was the process that he underwent in order to verify that the Hadith he compiled were authentic. He is not asking the Shia follower to question any of the reports in Al-Kafi, but rather he is saying that he already has done this by testing all of the Hadith with the Book of God.

How could the Shia possibly say otherwise, when we see that Imam Al-Kulayni has stated emphatically that the narrations in Al-Kafi are authentic, except two or three? When you debate with the Shia, keep asking him why the Shia can say that Al-Kafi is not authentic, when the compiler of Al-Kafi himself says they are authentic. The Shia propagandist will always dodge this point so it is important to hammer it in. It would be like the Sunni denying the authenticity of Sahih Bukhari despite the fact that Imam Bukhari has declared that they are authentic. Surely, the best one to ask if a Hadith is authentic is the one who compiles it!

It is an accepted fact amongst the Shia community that Imam Al-Kulayni said that he only included authentic Hadith in his Al-Kafi. This is admitted by Shaykh Arif Abdulhussain of the Al-Mahdi Institute on their official website, in which he declares that the compilers of the four books of Hadith (which includes Al-Kafi) all declared that the narrations contained therein were completely authentic.

Shaykh Arif Abdulhussain of the Al-Mahdi Institute says

…Mirza Muhammad Amin al-Asterabadi [2] a traditionist who in his work al-Fawaid al-Madaniyah maintains that the traditions contained within the four books should be deemed as authentic …The most substantial of the reasons according to the scholars…[were] the claims of the compliers as to the authenticity of the traditions contained within their works…

…the compilers themselves have asserted that whatever they have recorded in their works is authentic…as stated by al-Sayyid Muhammad Tabataba’i in Mafatih al-Usul that, “the testimony of al-Kulayni as to the authentic nature of what he has recorded in al-Kafi…he has stated this through his knowledge and certainty of the issuance of the traditions from the Imams, in which case it would be permissible to adhere to them based on the authority of the report of a just person…”

source: Al-Mahdi Institute’s official website

It is very deceitful of Answering-Ansar to even insinuate that Imam Al-Kulayni did not claim that the narrations in Al-Kafi are authentic. It is a well-established fact that Imam Al-Kulayni was a prominent Shia scholar of Hadith and he declared that 99% of the Hadith in his book, Al-Kafi, were Sahih.

Actually, it was the position of the Shia scholarship for many centuries, at least the first four centuries after Hijrah, that Al-Kafi (as well as the other three books of Hadith) were Sahih in totality. It was only very recently that the Shia scholars shifted from this policy and questioned the authenticity of Al-Kafi. This is why the Shia propagandists, like Answering-Ansar, avoid discussing how their scholars for so many centuries believed in the totality of Al-Kafi but then they suddenly abandoned it. Why? Shouldn’t the Shia follow the founders of their faith, those who compiled their Hadith and who they supposedly revere?

Who is a more reliable Hadith scholar: Answering-Ansar or Imam Al-Kulayni? Let us see what Al-Shia.com has to say about the greatness of Imam Al-Kulayni and his proficiency as a Hadith scholar. It should be noted that these quotes are from the Preface of Al-Kafi as posted on Al-Shia.com.

Answering-Ansar says

Al-Kulayni was a great scholar, a reliable narrator of hadith and a man of great learning. He was of the outstanding scholars of law and an authority in the science of hadith science. He was a man of great chastity, piety, integrity and holiness.

His book al-Kafi, no doubt, is a treasure of Islamic literature, Shari‘a (law), Divine commandments and prohibitions, in the form of texts of the Sunna, the statements, actions and the approvals of the Holy Prophet and the twelve Imams. It is a text of the basis of the Islamic education and culture.

Al-Kulayni has himself prefaced his book, al-Kafi and has also provided certain explanatory notes in certain chapters which shows his skill and proficiency in writing and in Arabic literature.

He was well versed in categorizing the narrators of hadith and the texts of hadith. He is the author of a book in the science of hadith and an expert in scrutinizing the narrators. He was a great scholar of theology…

Words of Appreciation for his Efforts

Al-Najashi has said, “In our people al-Kulayni was the chief scholar in Ray, Iran. He was the most reliable in the matters of hadith.”

Al-‘Allama al-Hilli has confirmed this and ibn Dawud also has expressed similar words about him.

Al-Tusi, the great scholar has called him the most dependable expert in hadith, the man of highest esteem and a scholar in hadith.

Al-Sayyid Radi al-Din ibn Tawus has said, “Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Kulayni is universally accepted for his leadership and reliability.”

He has also said, “Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub, al-Kulayni is the most eloquent and the most truthful in the knowledge of hadith.”

Ibn al-Athir has called him to be of the outstanding leaders of the Shi‘a and their great scholar.”

He has also described him as “A reformer of the Shi‘a at the end of the third century, as their leader and as a renown scholar among them.”

Al-Tayyibi has called him the reviver of the ’Ummah, the whole Muslim community at the end of that century . . . He was among the most learned in Islamic jurisprudence.39

Ibn Hajar has said, “He was one among the Shi‘a scholars of law and an author of their school.” 40

He has also said, “Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni was among the chief scholars of the Shi ‘a world in the days of al-Muqtadir.” 41

Al-Shaykh Husayn ibn ‘Abd al-Samad al-Harithi al-Hamdani has said, “Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni was the religious chief of his time and an outstanding, noble minded and highly learned scholar. He was the most reliable person in hadith, the best critic and the most conversant in it.” 42

Al-Qadi Nur Allah al-Shushtari placed him at the top of the scholars of hadith and the chief guardian thereof. 49

Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi, the great scholar has said,

“He is unparalleled among all the scholars we have seen. The study of his compiling hadith, his manner of editing them, proves him to be a Divinely gifted scholar.

“May Allah grant him the highest rewards reserved for the doers of the good for his services to Islam and the Muslim community.” 44

He also has called him “The shaykh (the chief) al-Sadiq (the most truthful) and Thiqatu al-Islam (the most trustworthy in Islamic learning), as one acceptable to people of all classes. Both Shi‘a and non- Shi‘a have praised him.” 46

Mirza ‘Abd Allah al-Afandi has said, “The person generally referred to with the title Thiqatu al-Islam (the trustworthy in Islamic issues) is Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub ibn Ishaq al-Kulayni al-Razi, the compiler of the book al-Kafi. He is the earliest religious chief of the Muslim world in the sight of the masses and the elite alike and the Mufti, scholar of law…” 46

source: Preface of Al-Kafi

Based on the above, we see that there is a very long list of classical Shia heavy-weights that deemed Imam Al-Kulayni to be the authority when it comes to Hadith. If they believed him to be the authority, then shouldn’t we believe Imam Al-Kulayni when he says that Al-Kafi contains authentic Hadith and the book is Sahih? His word should certainly be taken above that of Answering-Ansar’s! Just take a gander at the classical Shia Maraje’ (top scholars) who endorsed Imam Al-Kulayni.

Indeed, the dominant view amongst the classical Shia was that Al-Kafi was indeed authentic in its entirity. We read the following statements by the leading classical Shia scholars:

Al-Tabrassi said:

“Al-Kafi among the four Shia books (Al-Kafi, Al-Tahzeeb, Al-Istibsar, Al-Faqih) is like the sun among the stars, and who looked fairly would not need to notice the position of the men in the chain of hadiths in this Book, and if you looked fairly you would feel satisfied and sure that the hadiths are firm and accurate.” (Mustadrak Al-Wasa’el, vol.3, p.532)

Al-Hur Al’amily said:

“The authors of the four Books of the Shia (Al-Kafi, Al-Tahzeeb, Al-Istibsar, Al-Faqih) have testified that the Hadiths of their books are accurate (Sahih), firm and well conducted from the roots that all Shia agreed on, and if you consider those scholars (the authors of the four books) are reliable then you must accept their sayings and their narrations.” (Al-Wasa’el, vol.20, p.104)

Sharaf Al Din Musawi said:

“Al-Kafi, Al-Tahzeeb, Al-Istibsar, and Mun La Yahdu-Ruhu Al-Faqih are Mutawatirah (100% accurate) and agreed on the accuracy of its contents (the Hadiths), and Al-Kafi is the oldest, greatest, best and the most accurate one of them.” (The book of Al-Muraja’aat, Muraj’ah number 110)

Muhammad Sadiq Al-Sadr said:

“The Shia are unanimous as to the four books (Al-Kafi, Al-Tahzeeb, Al-Istibsar, Al-Faqih) being accepted and all the narrations in them are accurate.” (”Kitab Al-Shia”, The Book of Shia, p.127)

It is very interesting that the great classical scholars of the Shia are of the opinion that Al-Kafi is Sahih and that it is only recently that the contemporary Shia scholars claim otherwise. But the fact is that the Shia religion is based upon the sayings of people like Imam Al-Kulayni, who himself was in contact with the Hidden Imam via his representative during the Minor Occultation.

Imam Al-Kulayni was alive during the time of the Minor Occultation of Imam Mehdi. The Shia believe that during the Minor Occultation, there were four representatives who were able to contact Imam Mehdi personally and get religious advice from him. Imam Al-Kulayni was a companion of all four of these men, and thus, he had access to the Hidden Imam through them. The authoratative Shia website, Al-Shia.com, quotes the preface of Al-Kafi:

Al-Shia.com says

Al-Kulayni, of all other compilers of hadith, alone was a contemporary of all the four successive special representatives and ambassadors of Imam al-Mahdi, the twelfth Imam. He had the chance to collect hadith from the proper sources. Al-Kafi, the book is a unique collection of hadith. Al-Kulayni compiled this book on request from a prominent Shi ‘a scholar (as mentioned in his introduction to al-Kafi).

…The compiler of al-Kafi, al-Kulayni was a contemporary of the four successive special representatives of Imam al-Mahdi. As al-Sayyid ibn Tawus has pointed out, “All the works and the collections (of hadith) of al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Kulayni had been completed during the life time of the special representatives of Imam al-Mahdi. It is a ground to believe the veracity of his collection of hadith.

source: Preface of Al-Kafi

Thus, as stated on Al-Shia.com, Al-Kafi was compiled in Baghdad during the Minor Occultation of the Hidden Imam (also refer to Aqa Buzurg Tehrani in “adh-Dhari‘ah”, vol.17, p.245) at a time when the representative of the Imam resided in that city, which afforded the opportunity for its contents to be scrutinized and ratified by the Hidden Imam himself (as stated by Ibn Tawus in his book “Kashf al-Mahajjah”, p.159) This is in itself proof of the authenticity of the narrations contained in the book (says al-Hurr al-‘Amili in “Wasa’il ash-Shi‘ah”, vol.20, p.71). Al-Kafi actually bears the seal of approval of the Hidden Imam himself, and he was the one who named it “Al-Kafi” (meaning “sufficient”) by saying, as reported by al-Khwansari in “Rawdat al-Jannat” (vol.6, p.116): “hadha kafin li-shi‘atina” (This is sufficient for our Shia). Now let us examine the flimsy response by Answering-Ansar.

Answering-Ansar says

“We read in books, that some Ulema have held a view that he (Kulayni) presented this to Imam Mahdi (as) who replied “This is sufficient for our Shi’ah”.

Answering-Ansar has manipulated the Arabic here to make it sound as if some of the Ulema claimed one thing and some Ulema of the time claimed another thing. This is a narration in the Preface of Al-Kafi which is reported on the authority of some Ulema. Obviously, the Isnad would not be from all of the scholars of the world, but rather a group amongst them. This is true for all narrations. The truth is that there is not a single classical Shia scholar of that time who did not believe that Imam Al-Kulayni presented this book to Imam Mehdi.

Answering-Ansar says

“Some Ulema” is far too vague to be deemed authentic, as we are unable to ascertain, who these Ulema are, to rely on the opinions of un-named individuals does not constitute proof in the Shi’a madhab.

Says who? Certainly not the Shia Maraje’ (top scholars) of that time. It seems that Answering-Ansar is inventing its own Madhab. And why is Answering-Ansar claiming that they are unable to ascertain which of Ulema held this opinion? The names of the Shia scholars who upheld Imam Al-Kulayni’s position are mentioned in the Preface of Al-Kafi and this is available on Al-Shia.com (as we have stated above). Thus, these are not un-named individuals, but rather these are the Shia heavy-weights, including: Al-Najashi, Al-‘Allama al-Hilli, ibn Dawud, Al-Tusi, Al-Sayyid Radi al-Din ibn Tawus, Al-Tayyibi, Al-Shaykh Husayn ibn ‘Abd al-Samad al-Harithi al-Hamdani, Al-Qadi Nur Allah al-Shushtari, Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi, Mirza ‘Abd Allah al-Afandi …amongst others.

Those who verified Imam Al-Kulayni’s Al-Kafi as 100% authentic that are not mentioned on Al-Shia.com include: Sharaf Al Din Musawi, Ali ibn Akbar al Ghifari, Faydh al Kashani, Shaikh Muhammad Sadiq Sadr, Al Tabrisi, and Shaikh Abbas al Qummi, and many others.

In fact, even in the preface of Al-Kafi, we read that the book can be considered an interview with Imam Qaem himself:

Answering-Ansar says

This volume of al-Kafi, which is about seven hundred pages, can be considered a text of an interview with a person who possesses Divine authority. It is an established fact that the words of Ahl al-Bayt are in complete harmony. An interview with any one of them would serve as an interview with all and every one of them. To have an interview of that many words as those in this volume provides one a very good chance to know the personality of the person interviewed.

source: Preface of Al-Kafi

Does it not seem odd that we find a narration in the Preface of Al-Kafi stating that the contents of Al-Kafi have been verified by the Imam Mehdi himself, and yet the Shia still doubt the veracity of Al-Kafi? Does it not seem strange that all of the classical Shia scholars of the time verified the absolute authenticity of Al-Kafi, and yet we find that suddenly the contemporary Shia scholars switched this position? It is a mystery as to why the modern day scholars of the Shia do not give a lucid explanation as to why the classical scholars believed Al-Kafi to be Sahih and why the contemporary scholars disagree with them.

Actually the monumental shift in viewing Al-Kafi’s authenticity was taken by latter day Shia scholars who realized that Al-Kafi contained many contradictory and upsetting narrations that exposed the faith of Shi’ism. It was thus imperative to strip Imam Al-Kulayni’s book of its authenticity in order to defend against Sunni polemical attacks. The Ahlus Sunnah had for such a long time a very detailed Science of Hadith, but the Shia did not; the Shia would get in a lot of heat for this since many of their Hadith contradicted each other, and all were considered Sahih by the classical Shia scholarship. So it was that Allamah al-Hilli decided to borrow the Sunni system of Hadith scrutinization. He incorporated the Sunni grading system of authentic (sahih), trustworthy (muwathaq), meritorious (hasan) and weak (da’if). He suddenly claimed that 60% of Al-Kafi was false.

Allamah al-Hilli lived 400 years after Imam Al-Kulayni, so it can be seen for those four hundred years the Shia scholarship accepted Al-Kafi as Sahih. How reliable can a religion be when its ancestors and progenitors had a view that was 100% at variance with what the modern day Shia holds to be true.

It should be noted, however, that the Shia Maraje’ (top scholars) of today generally hold Al-Kafi to be Sahih. They may use Taqiyyah in their responses to obscure and obfuscate this position, refusing to give definitive answers on the issue; nonetheless, there is much proof to show that despite this, the Maraje’ have never passed definitive and clear-cut declaration that most of Al-Kafi is false. It is only the Shia propaganda sites which utilize Taqiyyah (deceit) and say that it is not authentic, and they utilize the opinions of lesser scholars, none that are on par with the classical scholars of Shi’ism.

Sayyid Mahdi Modaressi is the son of Ayatollah al Udhma Modaressi who he studied under; he is also related to Grand Ayatollah Modaressi. According to the Shia website, www.al-hewar.com, we read that Sayyid Mahdi Modaressi is the official representative of some Maraje’.

Al-Hewar.com says

Sayyed Almodarresi also represents a number of prominent Supreme religious jurists (Maraje’a) who have appointed him as their representative

Sayyid Mahdi Modaressi’s official website can be seen here: http://66.221.74.102/english/index.htm I encourage the reader to actually visit this site so that he feels assured of his authority to the Shia.

Sayyid Modaressi was invited to Shia Chat to answer questions. He said:

Sayyid Mahdi Modaressi says

About the authenticity of these traditions, I would have to say that we must give them the benefit of the doubt and consider them authentic until proven otherwise if they are narrated in one of the major Shia texts such as the Four Books, Al Kafi, Al Wasa’el, Al Mustadrak, and Bihar Al Anwar along with its sources.

source: Shia Chat

The above is a bit implicit, but what we have below is stated explicitly.

Sayyid Mahdi Modaressi says

Q. Assalamon alaikom, it is normally said that the hadiths from the four famous books are not always accepted….?

A. That is not necessarily the case. There are many high ranking scholars who believe in the authenticity of all the traditions narrated by the Four Books.

Q. However the author (of Al Murajat) says that all narrations in the 4 books are accepted. is this not against the general belief of the shia???

A. No it does not. In fact, we have traditions that prohibit us from rejecting any Hadeeth especially if they are narrated by the Four Books which are our most reliable sources of Hadeeth. I have not seen anyone who categorically rejects traditions and is able to prove that the Hadeeth did not originate from the mouth of the infallibles.

source: Al-Hewar.com

As we see from the above, the representative of the Maraje’ declares “there are many high ranking scholars who believe in the authenticity of all the traditions narrated by the Four Books” which includes Al-Kafi.

Al-Kafi was presented to the legendary Imam Qaem who liked it and said: “It suffices our Shia” (al-Tharee’ah ela Tasaneef al-Shi’a: Agha Buzurg al-Tahraani; vol.17, p.245) He gave it his seal of approval, and it was on this basis that Imam Al-Kulayni declared that it was Sahih.

Ironically, we find Mullah Baqir Majlisi stating in his commentary on Al-Kafi, named Mir’at al-’Uqul, that 9,485 out of the 16,121 narrations in Al-Kafi are unreliable! There are now two possibilities: either Imam Qaem made a mistake to authenticate a book of which 60% of its contents would later be discovered to be unreliable, or Mullah Baqir Majlisi did not know what he was talking about.

The Shia propagandists say that Al-Kafi contains 60% false narrations, even though historically we know that the classical Shia scholars considered it completely authentic. This change in policy of the Shia–while it has saved them some face from having to defend their book–has left the Shia with absolutely no reliable book of Hadith. Instead, the Shia adopted the practise of accepting any Hadith which conformed to their beliefs, and rejected all others.

You will notice that the Shia will jump to the Matn’ (content) of a Hadith and ignore the Isnad (chain of transmission). It is thus that the Shia accept so many Sunni Hadiths, because these narrations agree with the Shia version of history (i.e. the Sunni Hadith which praise Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Hussain). In fact, they have used Sunni Hadith as a basis for many events in history, such as the Incident of the Pen and Paper. But it should be noted that not every Hadith with a good Matn’ can be declared Sahih. Awhile back I got an email that quoted a “Hadith” about the 500 punishments for missing prayer. It was a really motivating email, but it was soon discovered that it was just some teenager who had invented that Hadith in order to have a successful email forward. Should the true believer actually believe everything just because it sounds good, or should they also verify that it comes from a legitimate source? In fact, if you circulate an imaginary narration that you made up yourself and tried to pass it off as a Hadith, a Shia would accept it if it elevated the status of Ali and denigrated the status of Abu Bakr. To the Shia, Isnad means nothing. A Hadith narrated on the authority of Mickey Mouse would be accepted so long as it praises Ali!

The Shia scholars could not possibly accept all of the Hadith in their books with a Sahih Isnad, since that would involve accepting contradictory Hadith that would topple the faith of Shi’ism and expose it to the Sunnis. Not only that, but it would expose how the roots of the Ithna Ashari are actually Akhbari in nature, and not Usooli. In Al-Kafi, for instance, there are far too many troubling narrations in it and after sorting them out, the Shia was left with only 40% of it left and they would have to reject some of the beliefs their ancestors had from whom they got the faith. Indeed, if the Shia were to actually accept all of Al-Kafi, their beliefs would be Akhbari.

The Shia say that they are allowed to reject the Hadiths that do not agree with the Quran. But why would Imam Al-Kulayni compile Hadiths that are wrong (obviously wrong since they contradict the Quran)? Is it because he held those beliefs? If that is the case, then the Shia should reject Imam Al-Kulayni’s works altogether since he had views repugnant to the Quran. In fact, this would mean that the Shia would have to reject all of their classical scholars, and these are the same scholars that they base all their beliefs in and whose books they use. So it is really a self-destructive process.

I would like to close this chapter by quoting the Preface of Al-Kafi as quoted on Al-Shia.com:

Al-Shia.com says

What is in al-Kafi?
The contents of al-Kafi are precious gifts from Ahl al-Bayt (the fourteen infallible family members of Prophet Muhammad), to their followers.

Each piece is as valuable as the wealth of the whole world. In this volume (vol.1) there are about fourteen hundred pieces of such costly items but in the form of Hadith. Based on the above, one can imagine the value of this precious gift from Ahl al-Bayt to their followers.

The followers and supporters of Ahl al-Bayt would not dispute that such Ahadith are generous gifts to them…How would an individual accept that these items are really worth so much?

As a translator, for what I know of therein, I would only ask, “Have you opened the gift yet?”

If the answer would be negative one would ask, “How would you know the contents of the package and the value of the items therein? ”

The above statements are facts. They are not mere assumptions. The value of the gift is real and the way to find such value is also realistic and logical. Simply open up your gift and check it out thoroughly. You will never agree to sell it for less than the stated value.

…[Al Kafi] provides beautiful details of the above matters as they are mentioned in various passages and verses of the Holy Quran…

This volume of al-Kafi, which is about seven hundred pages, can be considered a text of an interview with a person who possesses Divine authority. It is an established fact that the words of Ahl al-Bayt are in complete harmony. An interview with any one of them would serve as an interview with all and every one of them. To have an interview of that many words as those in this volume provides one a very good chance to know the personality of the person interviewed. Thus, it could serve as the answer to the prayer at the end of hadith quoted above, ” . . . O Lord make me know the one who possesses Your authority over the creatures for if You will not make me know him I will stray away from my religion . . .”(H 869, Ch. .80, h 5)

You may be better off to open your gift and yourself examine. Keep in mind that the gift is very large. Knowing Allah and those who possess Divine authority is much more valuable than all the worldly things…

Al-Kulayni, of all other compilers of hadith, alone was a contemporary of all the four successive special representatives and ambassadors of Imam al-Mahdi, the twelfth Imam. He had the chance to collect hadith from the proper sources. Al-Kafi, the book is a unique collection of hadith. Al-Kulayni compiled this book on request from a prominent Shi ‘a scholar (as mentioned in his introduction to al-Kafi).

Prominent scholars of Islamic studies in search of knowledge would meet him at his place to discuss, exchange notes and to confer with him for better understanding of the issues.

Al-Kulayni was a great scholar, a reliable narrator of hadith and a man of great learning. He was of the outstanding scholars of law and an authority in the science of hadith science. He was a man of great chastity, piety, integrity and holiness.

His book al-Kafi, no doubt, is a treasure of Islamic literature, Shari‘a (law), Divine commandments and prohibitions, in the form of texts of the Sunna, the statements, actions and the approvals of the Holy Prophet and the twelve Imams. It is a text of the basis of the Islamic education and culture.

Al-Kulayni has himself prefaced his book, al-Kafi and has also provided certain explanatory notes in certain chapters which shows his skill and proficiency in writing and in Arabic literature.

He was well versed in categorizing the narrators of hadith and the texts of hadith. He is the author of a book in the science of hadith and an expert in scrutinizing the narrators. He was a great scholar of theology and he has written a book refuting al-Qaramitah (one of the several names applied to the sect of Isma‘ilies who were once very active in politics).

…The compiler, except in the case of a few hadith, has named the whole chain of narrators up to the infallible Imam…

source: Preface of Al-Kafi

Al-Islam.org says

The importance of al-Kafi as a work of tradition is considerable. It is regarded as one of the four major works of Shi’i traditions…The great value of al-Kafi to Shi’i Muslims is emphasized by the number of outstanding scholars of their community who have considered it worthwhile to write commentaries on the work. Al-Kafi represents a decisive moment in the collection of traditions from the Prophet and the Imams and their systematic presentation.

This is the importance of Al-Kafi as stated by the Shia themselves. So how can Answering-Ansar cast doubt on it? Not only this, but the official classical opinion of the Shia was that it was entirely Sahih. This opinion was held by the traditionists of the Shia faith, and all the great scholars in the first four centuries after Hijrah. One point that cannot be stressed enough is the fact that Imam Al-Kulayni lived in the time of the Minor Occultation and that he had direct access to the Four Representatives of the Hidden Imam. Thus, it would not make logical sense that Al-Kulayni would not have first confirmed the book’s authenticity from Imam Mehdi before he published it. And if Imam Mehdi checked the book, then surely he would not allow false Hadith to be propagated. This is why the Traditionists vehemently argue that the sayings in Al-Kafi are Sahih, contrary to what Answering-Ansar tries to insinuate.

Shaykh Arif Abdulhussain of the Al-Mahdi Institute says

the traditionists (akhbariyun)…[believe in] the authenticity and validity of the traditions contained within the four books of tradition and their issuance from the Imams (as) and hence the needlessness of scrutinising the worth of the traditions through subjecting every link of the chain of the reporters to in depth biographical studies (rijali)…the shi’ite traditions are derived from these four books whose compilers in turn derive them from the authentic traditions recorded by the companions of the Imams popularly known as usul arba’ah miah (the four hundred principles).

…Mirza Muhammad Amin al-Asterabadi [2] a traditionist who in his work al-Fawaid al-Madaniyah maintains that the traditions contained within the four books should be deemed as authentic and the existence of permissibility of adhering to them due to the fact that the traditions are continuous (mutawatir) in their transmission from the authors to their compilers. He goes on to mention twelve reasons in support of his claim. Astarabadi’s views were supported by a group of scholars most of them traditionists like himself but in particular he was supported by Hur al-Amili the author of wasa’il al-Shi’ah who has stated twenty-two reason in support of the claim.

The most substantial of the reasons according to the scholars extended by the above two being-

a. The claims of the compilers as to the authenticity of the traditions contained within their works
b. The strictness observed by the earlier scholars in ensuring the authenticity of what they transmitted and recorded through various means and methods

As for the second point (b) we find great evidence in support of it. It was standard practise among the companions of the Imams to exert themselves in the prope[r] retention and recording of the traditions until the time of the three Muhammads who in turn compiled them in their four books.
Such care and emphasis normally results in the attainment of surety as to the authenticity of the claim that the traditions are from the Imams. [5]

…every tradition is reported from the Imams (as) except for two or three which are falsely attributed to them…

With this standard it would seem unlikely that the three Muhammads [including Muhammad al-Kulayni] would not have taken due care in having the contents of their compilations verified or having knowledge of the verification of the traditions from those they reported from especially Shaykh al-Kulayni who lived during the period of the minor occultation.

[2] He is the most renowned and the foremost of the traditionists to mount criticism upon the legists [those who denied the authenticity of the books of Hadith]. He died in Mecca in the year 1030/1033 ah

[5] Durus Tamhidiyah Fi al-Qawa’id al-Rijaliyah by Baqir Irawani

source: Al Mahdi Institute

In conclusion, it should be established that Al-Kafi was considered 100% Sahih (authentic) by the one who compiled it, namely Imam Al-Kulayni–who was referred to as “Thiqatul Islam” (the Trust of Islam). He lived in the time of the so-called Minor Occultation and his work was overseen by Imam Mehdi himself, who gave Al-Kafi the seal of approval as well as its name “Al-Kafi” which translates to “the Sufficient”–meaning that Al-Kafi was sufficient for the Shia. The view that Al-Kafi was Sahih was held for over four centuries after Hijrah; as such, the classical Shia scholars–those who founded the religion’s basic principles and theologies–were all of this belief. However, due to the effect of the Mutazzalites (rationalists), the Shia scholars eventually realized that by accepting that Al-Kafi was accurate, they opened themselves up to much criticism by their Sunni rivals. They thereby abandoned the view of Imam Al-Kulayni and declared that only a small segment of the narrations were accurate.

How this relates to the debate on Umm Kulthoom’s marriage is two-fold: firstly, the Hadiths which document the marriage of Umm Kulthoom are contained in that portion of Al-Kafi which was abandoned by the latter scholars, and this too based not upon Isnad (chain of transmission) but upon Matn’ (content). Secondly, we see an over-arching theme in Shia history, namely that the contemporary Shia scholars hold beliefs that run contrary to their ancestors and some of the same people that they claim to follow. More importantly, the traditionists and classical scholars that the Shia now reject are the same ones who were the direct link to the so-called Infallible Imams, including those who had direct contact with the Hidden Imam during the Minor Occultation! When a religious faith has different views than the ones they claim to originate from, then this is a good sign that it is a faith which has been horribly corrupted over the centuries and therefore should not be followed.

So whereas the Shia scholars of today can haphazardly weaken any Hadith which runs contrary to what they believe (such as those mentioned in the Ansar article), the reality is that the ancient scholars of the Shia–whom are revered with such titles as “Thiqatul Islam” and who had a direct link to the so-called Infallible Imams–did in fact believe in the marriage of Umm Kulthoom to Umar. Answering-Ansar can never explain this phenomenon, and this is why you will notice that their article completely and conveniently side-steps the issue.

Written By: Ibn al-Hashimi, www.ahlelbayt.com