The book of Suleim ibn Qais - Kitabu Suleim ibn Qais al-Hilali is a hadith book compiled by one of the associates of the first Shiite imam Ali ibn Abu Talib .
This is the oldest Shiite book of hadith, the author of which was an eyewitness to all the events of that era and the key battles, which were led by Imam Ali. These hadiths have their own specifics: it reflected not so much Sharia norms as historical events.
Content
Author Identity
Mention of Suleim ibn Qais Abu Sadik is contained in the book of a well-known Shiite specialist in ilm ar-ridgeal Najashi , and this transmitter and associate of Imam Ali is characterized as reliable and truthful. In addition, information about this person is contained in Sheikh Tusi’s book “Fichrist”.
Suleim ibn Qays was born in Kufa between the 7th and 9th centuries of the Hijra / in 629-631. n e. During the reign of Umar ibn al-Khattab, he moved to Medina and became a devoted associate of the five imams of Shiism: Ali ibn Abu Talib , Hassan ibn Ali , Hussein ibn Ali , Ali Zayn al-Abidin and Muhammad al-Bakir . At the time of Imam Ali Suleym, he took a pronounced anti-Meyad’s position. For his devotion, he was glorified by the sixth Shiite imam - Jafar al-Sadik [1] .
In 694 AD e. Suleim went to Persia , where in those days harassed supporters of Ahl al-Beit . There he met with Aban ibn Abi Ayyash , from whom his book of hadiths came to us [2] .
There is some disagreement about the date of the death of Suleim ibn Qays. The following dates are called: 76 year of hijra / 695 g. e., the period from 80 to 90 g. Hijri / 699-708. BC [3] .
Question of Authenticity
The identity of Suleim ibn Qais and the fact of having a book of hadith is mentioned in a significant work on ilm ar-ridge, under the name "Ridzhal al-Qashi". The same source says that Suleim ibn Qays read his book to the fourth Shiite imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin, and he confirmed its authenticity.
However, Shiite Muhaddis consider Aban ibn Abi Ayyash, who recorded these facts, to be an unreliable transmitter. In this regard, some of them have doubts as to whether the book of Suleim ibn Qays is authentic and whether it has survived to our times unchanged.
Some Shiite Muhaddis believe that this source can be accessed as reliable. This opinion was held, for example, by Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Numani (d. 360 hijra) - a student of Muhammad al-Kulaini - who called the book of Suleim ibn Qais “the basis of all foundations”, and the opinion of its authenticity was the Ijm of all Shiite scholars of that time. In addition, in a later era, the author of Vasail al-Shia , Hurr al-Amili, also referred to this book, noting that "there is nothing false in it."
Other Muhaddis are convinced that the book of Suleim ibn Qais was completely invented by Aban ibn Abi Ayyash and has nothing to do with the real Suleim. This point of view was held by Ibn al-Gadairi, the author of one of the important books on ilm ar-ridge .
The third, intermediate opinion is that Aban ibn Abi Ayyash added some parts of himself to the book, really owned by Suleim ibn Qais. This position was shared, in particular, by Sheikh Mufid . He noted that the hadiths contained in the book in question were transmitted by Aban ibn Abi Ayyash, and their meaning is correct, however, the book itself does not inspire confidence due to the doubtfulness of the transmitters, and therefore Shiites are not allowed to act in accordance with most of the hadiths given in it, because fabricated traditions are mixed in it with reliable ones, and it is problematic to separate one from another.
It is important that there is another, alternative chain, not going through Aban ibn Abi Ayyash. In particular, in the already mentioned book “Fichrist” by Sheikh Tusi, it is noted that the book of Suleim ibn Qais came through two chains of transmitters - from Aban ibn Abi Ayyash and from Hamad ibn Isa ibn Ibrahim ibn Umar al-Yamani. Najashi also mentions these two chains.
In the 25th volume of the Bihar al-Anwar book , Allame Majlisi mentions Ijaz given to Khurr al-Amili, which permits the transmission of the book of Suleim ibn Qais along the first chain of transmitters, stretching from Sheikh al-Kuleini. However, weak transmitters are also contained in this chain.
Thus, the question of the authenticity of the book of Suleim ibn Qays is very controversial and causes a lot of controversy and interpretation among Shiite Muhaddis until today. Some of them are trying to compile two chains of transmitters, eventually throwing out unreliable transmitters and receiving a reliable isnad artificially.
Sources
- Ibn Qays, Sulaym. The Book of Sulaym Ibn Qays al-Hilālī. Trans. Muḥammad Bāqir. Al-Anṣārī. Bayrūt: Dār Al-Ḥawrāʼ, 2005.
Links
Notes
- ↑ Ibn Qays, Sulaym. The Book of Sulaym Ibn Qays al-Hilālī. Trans. Muḥammad Bāqir. Al-Anṣārī. Bayrūt: Dār Al-Ḥawrāʼ, 2005.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Sulh al-Hasan