Chapter on the Differences in al-Hadith

قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ يَرْوُونَ عَنْ فُلَانٍ وَ فُلَانٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص لَا يُتَّهَمُونَ بِالْكَذِبِ فَيَجِي‌ءُ مِنْكُمْ خِلَافُهُ قَالَ إِنَ‌ الْحَدِيثَ يُنْسَخُ كَمَا يُنْسَخُ الْقُرْآنُ.

“I explained to Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) saying ‘What is the matter with people who narrate from so and so from the holy Prophet (s.w) whom they do not accuse of telling lies and thing and from you facts against it comes to light? The Imam (a.s.) said, “Hadith becomes abrogated just as it happens with the holy Quran.’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا بَالِي أَسْأَلُكَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَتُجِيبُنِي فِيهَا بِالْجَوَابِ ثُمَّ يَجِيئُكَ غَيْرِي فَتُجِيبُهُ فِيهَا بِجَوَابٍ آخَرَ فَقَالَ إِنَّا نُجِيبُ النَّاسَ عَلَى الزِّيَادَةِ وَ النُّقْصَانِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص صَدَقُوا عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ ص أَمْ كَذَبُوا قَالَ بَلْ صَدَقُوا قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَا بَالُهُمُ اخْتَلَفُوا فَقَالَ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُ أَ

“I said to (Imam) abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), ‘It is confuses me that when I ask you a question and you give an answer and then other person comes and you give a different answer for the same question.’” The Imam replied, “We answer people in a larger and reduced forms.” I then asked, “Did the Sahabah, companions of the holy

قَالَ لِي يَا زِيَادُ مَا تَقُولُ لَوْ أَفْتَيْنَا رَجُلًا مِمَّنْ يَتَوَلَّانَا بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ التَّقِيَّةِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ إِنْ أَخَذَ بِهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ وَ أَعْظَمُ أَجْراً- وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى إِنْ أَخَذَ بِهِ أُوجِرَ وَ إِنْ تَرَكَهُ وَ اللَّهِ أَثِمَ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) has said, ‘O Ziyad, What would you say if we give a Fatwa to one of our followers under pressure (and concealed the truth)?” I said, “You know better, may Allah take my soul in your service.’” The Imam said, “If would follow such Fatwa it would be better for him and of a greater rewarding.” In anothe

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ فَأَجَابَنِي ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْهَا فَأَجَابَهُ بِخِلَافِ مَا أَجَابَنِي ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَأَجَابَهُ بِخِلَافِ مَا أَجَابَنِي وَ أَجَابَ صَاحِبِي فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ الرَّجُلَانِ قُلْتُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ مِنْ شِيعَتِكُمْ قَدِمَا يَسْأَلَانِ فَأَجَبْتَ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا بِغَيْرِ مَا أَجَبْتَ بِهِ صَاحِبَهُ فَقَالَ يَا زُرَا

“I asked Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) a question and he answered me. Then an other man came and asked the same question but the Imam gave a different answer. Then a third man came and asked the same question but the Imam gave him an answer that was different from both of the previous answers. When the other two men left I as

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ عَرَفَ أَنَّا لَا نَقُولُ إِلَّا حَقّاً فَلْيَكْتَفِ بِمَا يَعْلَمُ مِنَّا فَإِنْ سَمِعَ مِنَّا خِلَافَ مَا يَعْلَمُ فَلْيَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ دِفَاعٌ مِنَّا عَنْهُ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) has said, ‘Those who know that we say nothing but the truth what they know from us should consider it sufficient. If they would hear from us what is different from what they already know from us they should note that it is our way of defending them.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اخْتَلَفَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ أَهْلِ دِينِهِ فِي أَمْرٍ كِلَاهُمَا يَرْوِيهِ أَحَدُهُمَا يَأْمُرُ بِأَخْذِهِ وَ الْآخَرُ يَنْهَاهُ عَنْهُ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ فَقَالَ يُرْجِئُهُ‌[2] حَتَّى يَلْقَى مَنْ يُخْبِرُهُ فَهُوَ فِي سَعَةٍ حَتَّى يَلْقَاهُ وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى بِأَيِّهِمَا أَخَذْتَ مِنْ بَابِ التَّسْلِيمِ وَسِعَكَ‌[3].

“I asked (Imam) abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about a man who was opposed by two people of his own faith in an issue that they both narrated. One of them said it to be obligatory and the other said it was prohibited. How it can be solved?” The Imam replied, “He must wait until he finds one who would inform him and until then he

أَ رَأَيْتَكَ لَوْ حَدَّثْتُكَ بِحَدِيثٍ الْعَامَ ثُمَّ جِئْتَنِي مِنْ قَابِلٍ فَحَدَّثْتُكَ بِخِلَافِهِ بِأَيِّهِمَا كُنْتَ تَأْخُذُ قَالَ قُلْتُ كُنْتُ آخُذُ بِالْأَخِيرِ فَقَالَ لِي رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ.

“If you would come to me for an answer to a question and I give you an answer of a general nature and then you come again and I give you an opposite answer which one would you follow?” I replied, “I would follow the later.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “May Allah grant you blessings.”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذَا جَاءَ حَدِيثٌ عَنْ أَوَّلِكُمْ وَ حَدِيثٌ عَنْ آخِرِكُمْ بِأَيِّهِمَا نَأْخُذُ فَقَالَ خُذُوا بِهِ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَكُمْ عَنِ الْحَيِّ فَإِنْ بَلَغَكُمْ عَنِ الْحَيِّ فَخُذُوا بِقَوْلِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّا وَ اللَّهِ لَا نُدْخِلُكُمْ إِلَّا فِيمَا يَسَعُكُمْ وَ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ خُذُوا بِالْأَحْدَثِ.

“I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), ‘If we receive a Hadith from first of you and from the members of your later generation which one should we follow?” The Imam replied, “Follow it until you receive it from the living Imam. When it comes from a living Imam follow his words.” The Imam than said, “We by Allah, like you

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا بَيْنَهُمَا مُنَازَعَةٌ فِي دَيْنٍ أَوْ مِيرَاثٍ فَتَحَاكَمَا إِلَى السُّلْطَانِ وَ إِلَى الْقُضَاةِ أَ يَحِلُّ ذَلِكَ قَالَ مَنْ تَحَاكَمَ إِلَيْهِمْ فِي حَقٍّ أَوْ بَاطِلٍ فَإِنَّمَا تَحَاكَمَ إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَ مَا يَحْكُمُ لَهُ فَإِنَّمَا يَأْخُذُ سُحْتاً وَ إِنْ كَانَ حَقّاً ثَابِتاً لِأَنَّهُ أَخَذَهُ بِحُكْمِ الطَّاغُوتِ وَ قَدْ أَمَرَ اللَّه

“I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the two people with a dispute between them on the issue of debts or inheritance and they go to the king or the judges for a decision is it permissible to seek such decisions?” The Imam replied, “Whoever would go to them for a judgement in a right or wrongful matter it is like se