Question:

Did An-Nuri classify the traditions of Al-Kafi as authentic (Sahih)?

Answer:

Al-Mirza An-Nuri At-Tabarsi writes: “Al-Kulaini, may God have mercy on him, was the head of the community and its centre and its reference as it was clearly expressed in the city where the representatives (of the Imam) took their positions and his intention in compiling (of Al-Kafi) was so that everything would be followed concerning the religious matters on the basis of their requests and questions to him. This is exactly what his statement at the beginning of the book makes clear: “You desire to have a book which is sufficient and which completely unites the knowledge of faith, (a book) which satisfies those who want to acquire knowledge, (a book) which those who seek guidance resort to, (a book) which those who seek knowledge about the faith take as well as for the obedience of that which has been narrated through the traditions of the truthful (a.), which are authentic (Sahih) and the upright traditions to which the obedience is obligated and (a book) with which the obligations of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet (s.) are followed. You said that if this were to happen, you hoped that it would be a cause for God, through his knowledge and success, to show our brothers and our believing community the straight path and to guide them to their right way.” So it is obvious, may God have mercy on him, that his goal in this was not like the goal of the sum of the works of narrations like Thawab-ul-A’mal or Khisal-ul-Khair Wa Ash-Sharr or Ilal-ush-Shara’i and others, but rather in taking and holding on to it and in the religious practice and obeying of what is contained in it, and he stayed in Baghdad, where one asked about the proof of God (a.) through the mediation of one of the representatives and about the correctness of some reports and the permissibility of their obedience and in the letters of Muhammad Ibn Abdillah Ibn Ja’far Al-Himyari to the Imam (a.) a large sum of it can be found and also in others besides these.So it is a very absurd thought that Al-Kulaini, may God have mercy on him, during the long period of compilation of the book, which lasted twenty years, neither informed them about it nor showed it to them, living together and in one society as usual. My intention, however, is not to declare the famous report as authentic (Sahih) that this book (Al-Kafi) was shown to the proof of God (a.), whereupon he said: “This is sufficient for our followers.” For this has neither a basis nor any narration in the works of our companions. Rather, even the scholar of the tradition, Al-Istarabadi, clearly expressed its invalidity, although he intended to declare all the traditions in it (in Al-Kafi) to be protected, because of the connected contents that don’t progress, and yet he made it clear that it has no basis. Rather, the correctness of its interpretation, or that which is close to it according to the narrated introductions, belongs to those who reflect on it and are just.” [Khatimat-ul-Mustadrak, Volume 3 Pages 469 – 470]

قال الميرزا النوري الطبرسي رحمه الله: فإنه (الكليني) رحمه الله كان وجه الطائفة وعينهم ومرجعهم كما صرحوا به في بلد إقامة النواب، وكان غرضه من التأليف (الكافي) العمل به في جميع ما يتعلق بأمور الدين، لاستدعائهم وسؤالهم عنه، ذلك كما صرح به في أول الكتاب، خصوصا قوله: وقلت إنك تحب أن يكون عندك كتاب كاف، يجمع من جميع فنون الدين ما يكتفي به المتعلم، ويرجع إليه المسترشد، ويأخذ منه من يريد علم الدين، والعمل به بالآثار الصحيحة عن الصادقين عليهم السلام والسنن القائمة التي عليها العمل، وبها يؤدى فرض الله عز وجل، وسنة نبيه صلى الله عليه وآله وقلت: لو كان ذلك رجوت أن يكون ذلك سببا يتدارك الله بمعرفته وتوفيقه إخواننا وأهل ملتنا ويقل بهم إلى مراشدهم انتهى فظهر أن غرضه رحمه الله فيه لم يكن كالغرض من جملة المؤلفات كجمع ما ورد في ثواب الأعمال، أو خصال الخير والشر، أو علل الشرائع، وغيرها، بل للاخذ والتمسك به، والتدين والعمل بما فيه، وكان بمحضره في بغداد يسألون عن الحجة عليه السلام بتوسط أحد من النواب، عن صحة بعض الأخبار وجواز العمل به، وفي مكاتيب محمد بن عبد الله بن جعفر الحميري إليه عليه السلام من ذلك جملة وافرة، وغيرها، فمن البعيد غاية البعد أنه رحمه الله في طول مدة تأليفه وهي عشرون سنة لم يعلمهم بذلك ولم يعرضه عليهم، مع ما كان فيما بينهم من المخالطة والمعاشرة بحسب العادة. وليس غرضي من ذلك تصحيح الخبر الشائع من أن هذا الكتاب (الكافي) عرض على الحجة عليه السلام فقال: إن هذا كاف لشيعتنا فإنه لا أصل له، ولا أثر له في مؤلفات أصحابنا، بل صرح بعدمه المحدث الاسترآبادي الذي رام أن يجعل تمام أحاديثه قطعية، لما عنده من القرائن التي لا تنهض لذلك، ومع ذلك صرح بأنه لا أصل له، بل تصحيح معناه أوما يقرب منه بهذه المقدمات المورثة للاطمئنان للمنصف المتدبر فيها