Question:

How do the people of the house (a) define the term “Irfan”?

Answer:

Abu Hamzah Ath-Thumali reported that Imam Al-Baqir (a.) said: “O Abu Hamzah, he who worships God knows Him. But he who does not know God is as straying as if he were worshipping another besides Him.” I said: “What is the knowledge of God?” He said: “To affirm God and Muhammad (s.) by taking Ali (a.) and the Imams (a.) after him as leaders, following them and dissociating themselves from their enemies (Abu Bakr and Umar) before God. This is exactly the knowledge of God (Irfan).” I said: ” May God protect you, through which thing, that i experience, do i complete the true faith (Iman)?” He said: “Be faithful to the guardians appointed by God and have hostility toward the enemies of God, and be with the truthful just as God has commanded you.” I said: “Who are the guardians of God and His enemies?” He said: “The guardians appointed by God are Muhammad, Ali, Al-Hasan, Al-Husain and his son Ali. Thereupon the authority passed to us and after that it passes to my son Ja’far.” He pointed to Ja’far, who had sat down: “So whoever acknowledges those guardians, acknowledges God as guardian and is with the truthful, just as He has commanded.” I said: ” May God protect you, who are the enemies of God?” He said: “The four idols.” I said: “Who are they?” He said: “The father of the camel’s foal (Abu Bakr), the clumsy one (Umar), the old fool (Uthman) and Mu’awiyah, and the one who imitates their religion. Therefore, he who opposes them is an enemy of the enemies of God.” [Tafsir Al-Ayyashi, Volume 2 Page 116 Hadith 155]

عن أبي حمزة الثمالي قال: قال أبو جعفر عليه السلام: يا با حمزة إنما يعبد الله من عرف الله فاما من لا يعرف الله كأنما يعبد غيره هكذا ضالا قلت: أصلحك الله وما معرفة الله؟ قال: يصدق الله ويصدق محمدا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في موالاة على والايتمام به، و بأئمة الهدى من بعده والبراءة إلى الله من عدوهم (أبي بكر وعمر) وكذلك عرفان الله، قال: قلت: أصلحك الله أي شئ إذا عملته انا استكملت حقيقة الايمان؟ قال: توالي أولياء الله، وتعادى أعداء الله، وتكون مع الصادقين كما أمرك الله، قال: قلت: ومن أولياء الله ومن أعداء الله؟ فقال: أولياء الله محمد رسول الله وعلى والحسن والحسين وعلي بن الحسين، ثم انتهى الامر الينا ثم ابني جعفر، وأومأ إلى جعفر وهو جالس فمن والى هؤلاء فقد والى الله وكان مع الصادقين كما أمره الله، قلت: ومن أعداء الله أصلحك الله؟ قال: الأوثان الأربعة، قال: قلت من هم؟ قال: أبو الفصيل (أبو بكر) ورمع (عمر) ونعثل (عثمان) ومعاوية ومن دان بدينهم فمن عادى هؤلاء فقد عادى أعداء الله

Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes: “The father of the camel’s foal is Abu Bakr, because the foal and the virgin are near in the meaning, the virgin is the title of Umar, and the old fool is Uthman, as it is illustrated in the linguistic works.” [Bihar-al-anwar from Al-Majlisi, volume 27 page 58]

قال محمد باقر المجلسي: وأبو الفصيل أبو بكر لان الفصيل والبكر متقاربان في المعنى، ورمع مقلوب عمر ونعثل هو عثمان كما صرح به في كتب اللغة