The Imams (a.s.) are the Heirs of Knowledge to Inherit it one from the other

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يَا خَيْثَمَةُ نَحْنُ شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَ بَيْتُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَ مَفَاتِيحُ الْحِكْمَةِ وَ مَعْدِنُ الْعِلْمِ وَ مَوْضِعُ الرِّسَالَةِ وَ مُخْتَلَفُ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَ مَوْضِعُ سِرِّ اللَّهِ وَ نَحْنُ وَدِيعَةُ اللَّهِ فِي عِبَادِهِ وَ نَحْنُ حَرَمُ اللَّهِ الْأَكْبَرُ وَ نَحْنُ ذِمَّةُ اللَّهِ وَ نَحْنُ عَهْدُ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ وَفَى بِعَهْدِنَا فَقَدْ وَفَى بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَ مَنْ

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ‘Adallah ibn Muhammad from al-Kashshab. He has said that a number of our people have narrated from al-Khaythama who has said that abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) said to him the following. “O Khaythama, we are the tree of prophet-hood, the house of blessings, the

إِنَّ عَلِيّاً ع كَانَ عَالِماً وَ الْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ وَ لَنْ يَهْلِكَ عَالِمٌ إِلَّا بَقِيَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ عِلْمَهُ- أَوْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ‌[1].

“Ali (a.s.) was a man of knowledge and knowledge is inherited. Whenever a man of knowledge dies he leave another man of knowledge behind who possess his knowledge or whatever Allah wants.”

إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ ع لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَ الْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ وَ كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ع عَالِمَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ وَ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَهْلِكْ مِنَّا عَالِمٌ قَطُّ إِلَّا خَلَفَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ مَنْ عَلِمَ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ.

“The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. Knowledge is inherited. Ali (a.s.) was the knowledgeable person of this nation (Muslims). No one from us have ever left this world without leaving behind one like him in knowledge or what Allah wanted.”

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ يُتَوَارَثُ وَ لَا يَمُوتُ عَالِمٌ إِلَّا وَ تَرَكَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ.

“Knowledge is inherited. No man of knowledge dies without leaving behind one who is as knowledgeable as his predecessor or what Allah wants.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ فِي عَلِيٍّ ع سُنَّةَ أَلْفِ نَبِيٍّ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ ع لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَ مَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ فَذَهَبَ عِلْمُهُ وَ الْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ.

“In Imam Ali (a.s.) there was the Sunnah (traditions) of a thousand prophets. The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge ever died along with knowledge. Knowledge is inherited.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ ع لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَ مَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ فَذَهَبَ عِلْمُهُ.

“The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge has ever died along with his knowledge.”

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ يَمُصُّونَ الثِّمَادَ[2]- وَ يَدَعُونَ النَّهَرَ الْعَظِيمَ قِيلَ لَهُ وَ مَا النَّهَرُ الْعَظِيمُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص وَ الْعِلْمُ الَّذِي أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ جَمَعَ لِمُحَمَّدٍ ص سُنَنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ آدَمَ وَ هَلُمَّ جَرّاً إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ ص قِيلَ لَهُ وَ مَا تِلْكَ السُّنَنُ قَالَ عِلْمُ النَّبِيِّينَ بِأَسْرِهِ وَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص صَيَّرَ ذَلِكَ ك

“They try to absorb the little moisture but ignore the huge river.” Someone asked him, “What is (this) huge river?” The Imams (a.s.)said, “It is the Messenger of Allah (s.a.) and the Knowledge that Allah gave to him. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, combined in Muhammad (s.a.) the Sunnah (traditions) of the all the

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ يُتَوَارَثُ فَلَا يَمُوتُ عَالِمٌ إِلَّا تَرَكَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ.

“Knowledge is inherited. No man of knowledge ever leaves this world without leaving behind one who would have as much knowledge as he had or what Allah wants.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ ع لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَ مَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ إِلَّا وَ قَدْ وَرَّثَ عِلْمَهُ إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَبْقَى بِغَيْرِ عَالِمٍ.

“The Knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. No man of knowledge has ever died without his knowledge being inherited. The earth does not remain without a man of knowledge.”

أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ الرِّضَا ع أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّداً ص كَانَ أَمِينَ اللَّهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ ص كُنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَرَثَتَهُ فَنَحْنُ أُمَنَاءُ اللَّهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ‌[1] عِنْدَنَا عِلْمُ الْبَلَايَا وَ الْمَنَايَا وَ أَنْسَابُ الْعَرَبِ‌[2] وَ مَوْلِدُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَ إِنَّا لَنَعْرِفُ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا رَأَيْنَاهُ بِحَقِيقَةِ الْإِيمَانِ وَ حَقِيقَةِ النِّفَاقِ وَ إِنَّ شِيعَتَنَا لَمَك

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn al-Muhtadi from ‘Adallah ibn Jundab to who Imam al-Rida (a.s.) wrote the following. “Thereafter, (thanking Allah) Muhammad (s.a.) was the trustee of Allah for His creatures. When he was taken away from this world we, Ahl al-Bayt inherited him, thus,