Chapter on Innovations, Personal Opinions and Analogies

خَطَبَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع النَّاسَ فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا بَدْءُ وُقُوعِ الْفِتَنِ أَهْوَاءٌ تُتَّبَعُ وَ أَحْكَامٌ تُبْتَدَعُ يُخَالَفُ فِيهَا كِتَابُ اللَّهِ يَتَوَلَّى فِيهَا رِجَالٌ رِجَالًا فَلَوْ أَنَّ الْبَاطِلَ خَلَصَ لَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَى ذِي حِجًى وَ لَوْ أَنَّ الْحَقَّ خَلَصَ لَمْ يَكُنِ اخْتِلَافٌ وَ لَكِنْ يُؤْخَذُ مِنْ هَذَا ضِغْثٌ‌[1] وَ مِنْ هَذَا ضِغْثٌ فَيُمْزَجَانِ فَيَجِيئَانِ مَعاً

“Imam Ali said in one of his sermons to people, ‘O people, mischief begins with following certain desires and obeying certain invented rules that are different from the rules and laws of the book of Allah. In such case people yield to other people as high authority if falsehood would have been clear they would have no

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِذَا ظَهَرَتِ الْبِدَعُ فِي أُمَّتِي فَلْيُظْهِرِ الْعَالِمُ عِلْمَهُ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ.

“When innovations emerge it will be obligatory for the scholars to make their knowledge public, otherwise, Allah will condemn them.”

مَنْ أَتَى ذَا بِدْعَةٍ فَعَظَّمَهُ فَإِنَّمَا يَسْعَى فِي هَدْمِ الْإِسْلَامِ.

“If one would meet an innovator and considers him great such person has, in fact, the destruction of Islam.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ أَبَى اللَّهُ لِصَاحِبِ الْبِدْعَةِ بِالتَّوْبَةِ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَ كَيْفَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أُشْرِبَ قَلْبُهُ حُبَّهَا.

“Allah has rejected repentance of an innovator (in religion).” People asked the holy Prophet as to why is this. The holy Prophet replied, “He (Allah) has quenched his heart with the love of his innovation.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ عِنْدَ كُلِّ بِدْعَةٍ تَكُونُ مِنْ بَعْدِي يُكَادُ بِهَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلِيّاً مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي مُوَكَّلًا بِهِ يَذُبُّ عَنْهُ يَنْطِقُ بِإِلْهَامٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ يُعْلِنُ الْحَقَّ وَ يُنَوِّرُهُ وَ يَرُدُّ كَيْدَ الْكَائِدِينَ يُعَبِّرُ عَنِ الضُّعَفَاءِ فَاعْتَبِرُوا يَا أُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ وَ تَوَكَّلُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ.

“Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) said that the holy Prophet has said, ‘It is certain that against every innovation with plots to destroy faith there will be an (religious) authority from my family as guardian of faith and as its defender. (Such) authority will speak on inspiration from Allah to declare the truth and bring it to l

إِنَّ مِنْ أَبْغَضِ الْخَلْقِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَرَجُلَيْنِ رَجُلٌ وَكَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ فَهُوَ جَائِرٌ عَنْ قَصْدِ السَّبِيلِ مَشْعُوفٌ‌[1] بِكَلَامِ بِدْعَةٍ قَدْ لَهِجَ بِالصَّوْمِ وَ الصَّلَاةِ فَهُوَ فِتْنَةٌ لِمَنِ افْتَتَنَ بِهِ ضَالٌّ عَنْ هَدْيِ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُ‌[2] مُضِلٌّ لِمَنِ اقْتَدَى بِهِ فِي حَيَاتِهِ وَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ حَمَّالٌ خَطَايَا غَيْرِهِ رَهْنٌ بِخَطِيئَتِهِ وَ رَجُلٌ

“Of the most intensely disliked men before Allah, the Majestic, the Most Glorious, are two kinds of people: A man whom Allah has left all to his own soul and he deviates from the path of justice and is intensely attracted towards the words innovation. He seems a master in performing prayer and fasting but is a mischief

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْمَقَايِيسِ طَلَبُوا الْعِلْمَ بِالْمَقَايِيسِ فَلَمْ تَزِدْهُمُ الْمَقَايِيسُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ إِلَّا بُعْداً وَ إِنَّ دِينَ اللَّهِ لَا يُصَابُ بِالْمَقَايِيسِ.

The people of analogy have sought knowledge through analogy and it has increased to their knowledge nothing but further remoteness. The religion of Allah is beyond the reach of analogy.’”

قَالا كُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَ كُلُّ ضَلَالَةٍ سَبِيلُهَا إِلَى النَّارِ

“All innovations are misguidance and all misguidance leads to Hell.”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فُقِّهْنَا فِي الدِّينِ وَ أَغْنَانَا اللَّهُ بِكُمْ عَنِ النَّاسِ حَتَّى إِنَّ الْجَمَاعَةَ مِنَّا لَتَكُونُ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ مَا يَسْأَلُ رَجُلٌ صَاحِبَهُ تَحْضُرُهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ وَ يَحْضُرُهُ جَوَابُهَا فِيمَا مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا بِكُمْ فَرُبَّمَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْنَا الشَّيْ‌ءُ لَمْ يَأْتِنَا فِيهِ عَنْكَ وَ لَا عَنْ آبَائِكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ فَنَظَرْنَا إِلَى أَحْسَنِ مَ

I said to Abu al-Hasan Musa (as), "May I be your ransom! We have been given understanding in religion, and Allah has made us self-sufficient through you from the people, to the extent that a group of us may be in a gathering where no one asks his companion [about a religious issue], for when a question arises, its answ

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلِ ع بِمَا أُوَحِّدُ اللَّهَ فَقَالَ يَا يُونُسُ لَا تَكُونَنَّ مُبْتَدِعاً مَنْ نَظَرَ بِرَأْيِهِ هَلَكَ وَ مَنْ تَرَكَ أَهْلَ بَيْتِ نَبِيِّهِ ص ضَلَّ وَ مَنْ تَرَكَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَ قَوْلَ نَبِيِّهِ كَفَرَ.

“I asked (Imam) abu al-Hassan the First, ‘How would I prove that Allah is one?’” The Imam replied, “O Yunus, do not be an innovator. One who depends on his personal opinion he is destroyed. One who abandons the members of the family of his prophet, goes stray. Whoever abandons the book of Allah and the words of His pro

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع تَرِدُ عَلَيْنَا أَشْيَاءُ لَيْسَ نَعْرِفُهَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَ لَا سُنَّةٍ فَنَنْظُرُ فِيهَا فَقَالَ لَا أَمَا إِنَّكَ إِنْ أَصَبْتَ لَمْ تُؤْجَرْ وَ إِنْ أَخْطَأْتَ كَذَبْتَ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

“I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), 'There come to us matters which we do not find in the Book of Allah or in the Sunnah, so we consider them (using our opinion).' He (as) said, 'No, indeed, if you are correct, you will not be rewarded, and if you are wrong, you will have lied against Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.'"”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ كُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَ كُلُّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ.

“The Holy Prophet said, ‘All innovations are misguidance and all misguidance is Hell.’”

قُلْتُ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ إِنَّا نَجْتَمِعُ فَنَتَذَاكَرُ مَا عِنْدَنَا فَلَا يَرِدُ عَلَيْنَا شَيْ‌ءٌ إِلَّا وَ عِنْدَنَا فِيهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ مُسَطَّرٌ[1] وَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا بِكُمْ ثُمَّ يَرِدُ عَلَيْنَا الشَّيْ‌ءُ الصَّغِيرُ لَيْسَ عِنْدَنَا فِيهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ فَيَنْظُرُ بَعْضُنَا إِلَى بَعْضٍ وَ عِنْدَنَا مَا يُشْبِهُهُ فَنَقِيسُ عَلَى أَحْسَنِهِ فَقَالَ وَ مَا لَكُمْ وَ لِلْقِيَاسِ إِنَّمَا هَل

“I said to abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.), ‘May Allah keep you well, in our meetings we discuss the issues and find out that for almost every thing there is something in writing with us, and that is all because of the blessings of your existence among us. We only find few small things for which we do not find any thing in w

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ ضَلَّ عِلْمُ ابْنِ شُبْرُمَةَ عِنْدَ الْجَامِعَةِ[2] إِمْلَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ خَطِّ عَلِيٍّ ع بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ الْجَامِعَةَ لَمْ تَدَعْ لِأَحَدٍ كَلَاماً فِيهَا عِلْمُ الْحَلَالِ وَ الْحَرَامِ إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْقِيَاسِ طَلَبُوا الْعِلْمَ بِالْقِيَاسِ فَلَمْ يَزْدَادُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ إِلَّا بُعْداً إِنَّ دِينَ اللَّهِ لَا يُصَابُ بِالْقِيَاسِ.

“I heard (Imam) abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) saying, ‘Ibn Shabrama’s knowledge is lost and void before al-Jami‘ah. It is a large book that was dictated by the holy Prophet to Imam Ali (a.s.), who wrote it with his own hands. Al-Jami‘ah has left nothing for any one to say. In it is the knowledge of all lawful and unlawful matte

إِنَّ السُّنَّةَ لَا تُقَاسُ أَ لَا تَرَى أَنَّ امْرَأَةً تَقْضِي صَوْمَهَا وَ لَا تَقْضِي صَلَاتَهَا يَا أَبَانُ إِنَّ السُّنَّةَ إِذَا قِيسَتْ مُحِقَ الدِّينُ.

“The Sunnah can not be analogized (with qiyas). Don't you see that a woman has to make up for her fast (missed due to menses) but she does not have to make up for the prayers (missed due to the same)? O Aban, if the Sunnah was analogized, the religion would have been destroyed.”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع عَنِ الْقِيَاسِ فَقَالَ مَا لَكُمْ وَ الْقِيَاسَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُسْأَلُ كَيْفَ أَحَلَّ وَ كَيْفَ حَرَّمَ.

“I asked (Imam) Abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.) about the use of analogy and the Imam said, ‘What do you have to do with analogy? Allah is not asked about how he made things lawful or unlawful.’”

مَنْ نَصَبَ نَفْسَهُ لِلْقِيَاسِ لَمْ يَزَلْ دَهْرَهُ فِي الْتِبَاسٍ وَ مَنْ دَانَ اللَّهَ بِالرَّأْيِ لَمْ يَزَلْ دَهْرَهُ فِي ارْتِمَاسٍ- قَالَ وَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع مَنْ أَفْتَى النَّاسَ بِرَأْيِهِ فَقَدْ دَانَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ وَ مَنْ دَانَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فَقَدْ ضَادَّ اللَّهَ حَيْثُ أَحَلَّ وَ حَرَّمَ فِيمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ.

‘Whoever sets out for analogy his whole life will get in confusion. Whoever would practice the religion of Allah by means of analogy his whole life will pass in a drowning condition.’” Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) then said, “Whoever gives Fatwa on the basis of his personal opinion he has practiced the religion of Allah by m

إِنَّ إِبْلِيسَ قَاسَ نَفْسَهُ بِآدَمَ فَقَالَ خَلَقْتَنِي مِنْ نَارٍ وَ خَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ طِينٍ وَ لَوْ قَاسَ الْجَوْهَرَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ آدَمَ بِالنَّارِ كَانَ ذَلِكَ أَكْثَرَ نُوراً وَ ضِيَاءً مِنَ النَّارِ.

“Satan analogized himself with Adam saying, “Lord, You have created me from fire and created him from clay. In an analogical explanation if the substance from which Adam was made would be compared with fire it would come to light that it has more light and value than fire.”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الْحَلَالِ وَ الْحَرَامِ فَقَالَ حَلَالُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَلَالٌ أَبَداً إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ حَرَامُهُ حَرَامٌ أَبَداً إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا يَكُونُ غَيْرُهُ وَ لَا يَجِي‌ءُ غَيْرُهُ وَ قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ ع مَا أَحَدٌ ابْتَدَعَ بِدْعَةً إِلَّا تَرَكَ بِهَا سُنَّةً.

“Whatever Muhammad (sw) has made lawful will remain lawful forever up to the Day of Judgment, and whatever he has made unlawful will remain unlawful forever up to the Day of Judgment. There will be no one other than him and there will come no one other than him. He said that Ali (as) has said, ‘No one has established a

دَخَلَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَقِيسُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ لَا تَقِسْ فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَنْ قَاسَ إِبْلِيسُ حِينَ قَالَ‌ خَلَقْتَنِي مِنْ نارٍ وَ خَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ طِينٍ* فَقَاسَ مَا بَيْنَ النَّارِ وَ الطِّينِ وَ لَوْ قَاسَ نُورِيَّةَ آدَمَ بِنُورِيَّةِ النَّارِ عَرَفَ فَضْلَ مَا بَيْنَ النُّورَيْنِ وَ صَفَاءَ أَحَدِهِمَا عَلَى الْآخَرِ.

“Once abu Hanifah came to see Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who said to abu Hanifah, “O abu Hanifah, do you practice analogy as I hear you do?” Abu Hanifah replied, “Yes, I do practice analogy.” The Imam then said to him, “Do not practice it because the first person who used analogy was Satan when he said, “Lord, you have

سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ فَأَجَابَهُ فِيهَا فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا مَا يَكُونُ‌[2] الْقَوْلُ فِيهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ مَهْ مَا أَجَبْتُكَ فِيهِ مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَهُوَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص لَسْنَا مِنْ أَ رَأَيْتَ‌[3] فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ.

“A man asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about an issue and the Imam replied him. The man then said, “Have you considered if it had been so and so it would have been the word in it.” The Imam then said, “Wait, whatever I said in answer was from the holy Prophet (s.a.). We are not of the people, “Have you considered” in a

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيجَةً[1] فَلَا تَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ سَبَبٍ وَ نَسَبٍ وَ قَرَابَةٍ وَ وَلِيجَةٍ وَ بِدْعَةٍ وَ شُبْهَةٍ مُنْقَطِعٌ إِلَّا مَا أَثْبَتَهُ الْقُرْآنُ.

22. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father in mursal manner (Mursalan) from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Do not take anyone closely and intimately between your selves and Allah lest you will not be believers. Every means, ancestral and relative relations