Al-Mufid about Kitab Sulaim

Question:

What was the opinion of the scholar Al-Mufid about the work “Kitab Sulaim”?

Answer:

Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Nu’man Al-Mufid writes:

وأما ما تعلق به أبو جعفر رحمه الله من حديث سليم الذي رجع فيه إلى الكتاب المضاف إليه برواية أبان بن أبي عياش فالمعنى صحيح غير أن هذا الكتاب غير موثوق به ولا يجوز العمل على أكثره وقد حصل فيه تخليط وتدليس فينبغي للمتدين أن يجتنب العمل بكل ما فيه ولا يعول على جملته والتقليد لرواته وليفزع إلى العلماء فيما تضمنه من الأحاديث ليوقفوه على الصحيح منها والفاسدة والله الموفق للصواب

“As for what Abu Ja’far (As-Saduq) adhered to from the saying of Sulaim, for which he returned to the Book, attributed to him by the narration of Aban Ibn Abi Ayyash, the meaning is correct (Sahih), although this book is not trustworthy (Mawthuq) and the following of most of it is not permitted. It has been mixed up and falsified, so a religious person should avoid following everything in it and not rely on it in general or on the imitation of its narrators, and should seek refuge with the knowledgeable, for the traditions contained in it, so that they may teach him about the authentic (Sahih) and the unauthentic, and God helps the right one to succeed.” [Tashih-ul-I’tiqadat, pages 149 – 150]

Comment:

We take refuge with Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq [Read here]