Kitab Al-Kafi
Translated By
Muhammad Sarwar
Part 2
The Book on Virtue of Knowledge
Chapter 11
Prohibition on Speaking without Knowledge
.Prohibition on Speaking without Knowledge
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H 95, Ch. 11, h 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 who has said the following.
“(Imam) abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) 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.’”
H 96, Ch. 11, h 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.’”
H 97, Ch. 11, h 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’ from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following.
“The angels of mercy and the angels of wickedness condemn those who give to people
fatwas without knowledge and guidance. Such people will be held responsible for the sins
of all those who have followed such fatwas.”
H 98, Ch. 11, h 4
A number of our people has narrated has narrated from Ahmad ibn
Muhammad ibn Khalid from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washshi’ from Aban al-Ahmar from Ziyad
ibn abu Raja’ from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following.
“What you know you may speak it up but what you do not know say, ‘Allah knows
best’. A man refers to a verse in the holy Quran and gives it a meaning that is
farther from the truth than the heavens are from earth.”
H 99, Ch. 11, h 5
Muhammad ibn ‘Isma’il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan
from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Ri’ab‘i ibn ‘Abdallah from Muhammad ibn
Muslim from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following.
“It is very proper for a scholar to say, ‘Allah knows best’ if he does not
know. This is not for a none scholar.”
H 100, Ch. 11, h 6
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from
Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz ibn ‘Abdallah from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu
‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following.
“If one of you would be asked of what he does not know he must say, ‘I have no
knowledge and he must not say, “Allah knows best” because it may create doubts
in the hearts of his audience. If the person questioned would say, “I do not know his
audience will not accuse him of anything.”
H 101, Ch. 11, h 7
Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from
Ali ibn Asbat from Ja’far ibn Sama‘a from several persons, from aban, from
Zurara ibn A‘yan who has said the following.
“I asked Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) this, ‘What are the rights of Allah on
people?’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “They must say what they know and
abstain from saying anything that they have no knowledge of.’”
H 102, Ch. 11, h 8
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr
from Yunus (ibn 'Abd al-Rahman) from abu Ya’qub Ishaq ibn ‘Abdallah from abu
‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following.
“Allah has addressed His servants in two verses of the holy Quran very particularly:
Did they not make a covenant (with God) in the Book not to speak any
thing other than the Truth about God and to study its contents well?
They call a lie something that is beyond the limit of their knowledge
and whose interpretation has not yet been revealed . . .” (10:39)
H 103, Ch. 11, h 9
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus
from Dawad ibn Farqad from one he narrated from ibn Shubruma (a judge in al-Kufa during
the rule of al-Mansur) who has said the following.
“I never heard any thing like a statement I heard from Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.)
and it is almost as he said, ‘Pierced my heart.’” The Imam (a.s.) said, “My father narrated from my great-great-great-great grandfather, the holy Prophet
(s.a.) who said, ‘Those who act on the basis of analogy will face their destruction
and lead others to their destruction. Those who give fatwas without the knowledge of the
abrogating and the abrogated, the clear text and that which requires interpretation, they
will face destruction and lead others to their destruction.”
