قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِنَّ عَلَى كُلِّ حَقٍّ حَقِيقَةً وَ عَلَى كُلِّ صَوَابٍ نُوراً فَمَا وَافَقَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَخُذُوهُ وَ مَا خَالَفَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَدَعُوهُ.
“The holy Prophet (s.a.), “Over every truth there is a reality and above every valid issue there is light. Whatever agrees with the holy Quran you must follow it and whatever does not agree disregard it.”
وَ حَدَّثَنِي حُسَيْنُ بْنُ أَبِي الْعَلَاءِ[1] أَنَّهُ حَضَرَ ابْنُ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ فِي هَذَا الْمَجْلِسِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ اخْتِلَافِ الْحَدِيثِ يَرْوِيهِ مَنْ نَثِقُ بِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَا نَثِقُ بِهِ قَالَ إِذَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَدِيثٌ فَوَجَدْتُمْ لَهُ شَاهِداً مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ أَوْ مِنْ قَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص[2] وَ إِلَّا فَالَّذِي جَاءَكُمْ بِهِ أَوْلَى بِهِ.
"I asked Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the differences in Hadith which is narrated from people whom we trust and yet from other people we do not trust. The Imam replied, 'If you come across a Hadith and you find evidence in the holy Quran to support it or in the Hadith of the holy Prophet (you may follow it), otherwise, t
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مَرْدُودٌ إِلَى الْكِتَابِ وَ السُّنَّةِ وَ كُلُّ حَدِيثٍ لَا يُوَافِقُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ زُخْرُفٌ[3].
“Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) has said, ‘Everything must be referred back to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah, and any hadith that does not agree with the Book of Allah is a worthless embelishment.’”
مَا لَمْ يُوَافِقْ مِنَ الْحَدِيثِ الْقُرْآنَ فَهُوَ زُخْرُفٌ.
“Of Hadith whatever does not agree with the holy Quran is a useless statement.”
خَطَبَ النَّبِيُّ ص بِمِنًى فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ مَا جَاءَكُمْ عَنِّي يُوَافِقُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَأَنَا قُلْتُهُ وَ مَا جَاءَكُمْ يُخَالِفُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَلَمْ أَقُلْهُ.
“The holy Prophet once addressed the people in Mina (a place in Makkah) saying, “O people, whatever comes to you in the form of my Hadith you must see if it agrees with the holy book of Allah then know that I have said it but whatever comes to you that does not agree with the book of Allah then know that I have not sai
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ مَنْ خَالَفَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَ سُنَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ ص فَقَدْ كَفَرَ.
“Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said, ‘Whoever disagrees with the book of Allah and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.) he has certainly become a unbeliever.’”
قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الْأَعْمَالِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَا عُمِلَ بِالسُّنَّةِ وَ إِنْ قَلَّ.
“The best deed in the sight of Allah is the one that is performed according to the Sunnah, the noble tradition of the holy Prophet (s.a.) even if it would be in small degree.”
فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ إِنَّ الْفُقَهَاءَ لَا يَقُولُونَ هَذَا فَقَالَ يَا وَيْحَكَ[1] وَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ فَقِيهاً قَطُّ إِنَّ الْفَقِيهَ حَقَّ الْفَقِيهِ[2] الزَّاهِدُ فِي الدُّنْيَا الرَّاغِبُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ الْمُتَمَسِّكُ بِسُنَّةِ النَّبِيِّ ص.
“A man asked a question from Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who replied to it and then the man said, “The Fuqaha, scholars of law, do not say this.” The Imam then said, “It is a pity. Have you ever seen a Faqih, a scholar of law? The real Faqih, scholar of law is one who maintains restraint from the worldly matters, who is dee
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص لَا قَوْلَ إِلَّا بِعَمَلٍ وَ لَا قَوْلَ وَ لَا عَمَلَ إِلَّا بِنِيَّةٍ وَ لَا قَوْلَ وَ لَا عَمَلَ وَ لَا نِيَّةَ إِلَّا بِإِصَابَةِ السُّنَّةِ.
“There are no words without action, thee are no words or actions without intention and there are no words, actions and intentions without learning the Sunnah, the noble traditions of the holy Prophet, (s.a.).
قَالَ: مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا وَ لَهُ شِرَّةٌ وَ فَتْرَةٌ[3] فَمَنْ كَانَتْ فَتْرَتُهُ إِلَى سُنَّةٍ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَى وَ مَنْ كَانَتْ فَتْرَتُهُ إِلَى بِدْعَةٍ فَقَدْ غَوَى.
“There is no one without excitement and calmness. Whoever’s calmness would lead him towards the Sunnah, noble traditions of the holy prophet (s.a.), he is rightly guided but if it would lead him towards innovations then he has gone astray.”
كُلُّ مَنْ تَعَدَّى السُّنَّةَ رُدَّ إِلَى السُّنَّةِ[1].
“Whoever may transgress against the Sunnah, noble traditions of the holy Prophet (s.a.), he must return to the Sunnah.”
قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع السُّنَّةُ سُنَّتَانِ سُنَّةٌ فِي فَرِيضَةٍ[2] الْأَخْذُ بِهَا هُدًى وَ تَرْكُهَا ضَلَالَةٌ وَ سُنَّةٌ فِي غَيْرِ فَرِيضَةٍ الْأَخْذُ بِهَا فَضِيلَةٌ وَ تَرْكُهَا إِلَى غَيْرِ خَطِيئَةٍ[3].
12. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from abu ‘Abdallah from his ancestors (the Imams (a.s.) who have said the following. “Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘There are two kinds of Sunnah, (traditions). There is a Sunnah in obligations and following such Sunnah is guidance and its disrega