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A Shi'ite Anthology Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i Part 1
It is in fact rather amazing that despite the extreme importance of
Shi'ite Hadith for the development of Shi'ite law and theology as
well as many fields of the "intellectual sciences" (al-'ulum al-'aqliyyah),
not to speak of its role in piety and the spiritual life, the sayings of
the Imams of Shi'ism have not been rendered into English until now. Nor
have they been studied as a whole and as a distinct body of religious writings
of an inspired nature within the general context of Islam itself. The present
volume represents, therefore, a pioneering effort to present a sample of
this extensive body of writings to the English speaking world. The Shi'ite hadith literature includes all the sayings of the
Prophet of Islam accepted by Shi'ites as well as the traditions of the
twelve Imams from 'Ali ibn Abi talib to the Mahdi. This collection is thus
considered to be, after the Holy Quran, the most important body of religious
texts for Shi'ites. As in Sunni Islam, so in this case: the Hadith
forms along with the Revealed Book the basis of all the religious sciences,
including of course the Shari'ah as well as religious life in both
its intellectual and devotional aspects. No aspect of the life and history
of the Shi'ite community would be comprehensible without a consideration
of this body of inspired writings. What is particular to this collection, however, is that although it
is a part of the foundation of Islam as seen by Shi'ism, its "composition"
stretches over a period of more than two centuries. In Sunni Islam, Hadith
is limited to the sayings of the Blessed Prophet. In fact to use the term
"hadith" in Sunnism is to refer to his sayings and not to anyone
else's. In the case of Shi'ism, however, although a clear distinction is
made between prophetic Hadith (al-hadith al-nabawi) and the
sayings of the Imams (al-hadith al-walawi), the two are included
in a single collection. This means that from a certain point of view the
apostolic age of Islam is seen by Shi'ism to stretch way beyond the relatively
short period usually associated with apostles in various religions. The reason for this perspective lies of course in the Shi'ite conception
of the Imam. [2] The term imam
as used in a technical sense in Shi'ism differs from the general usage
of the term in Arabic, where it means "leader", or in Sunni political theory
where it means the caliph himself. As used technically in Shi'ism the term
refers to the person who contains within himself the "Muhammadan Light"
(al-nur al-mahammadi) which was handed down through Fatimah, the
daughter of the Blessed Prophet, and 'Ali, the first Imam, to the others,
terminating with the Hidden Imam who is to appear again one day as the
Mahdi. [3] As a result of the presence
of this light, the Imam is considered to be "sinless" (ma'sum) and
to possess perfect knowledge of the esoteric as well as the exoteric order. The Imams are like a chain of light issuing forth from the "Sun of Prophecy"
which is their origin, and yet they are never separated from that Sun.
Whatever is said by them emanates from the same inviolable treasury of
inspired wisdom. Since they are an extension of the inner reality of the
Blessed Prophet, their words really go back to him. That is why their sayings
are seen in the Shi'ite perspective as an extension of the prophetic Hadith,
just as the light of their being is seen as a continuation of the prophetic
light. In Shi'ite eyes, the temporal separation of the Imams from the Blessed
Prophet does not at all affect their essential and inner bond with him
or the continuity of the "prophetic light" which is the source of his as
well as their inspired knowledge. This metaphysical conception is the reason that Shi'ites incorporate
traditions stretching over two centuries into a single whole with those
of the Blessed Prophet himself. It also distingiushes the Shi'ite conception
of Hadith from that held in Sunnism. Otherwise, the actual content
of Hadith in Sunni and Shi'ite collections is very close. After
all, both kinds concern the same spiritual reality. Of course the chain
of transmission accepted by the two schools is not the same. But despite
this difference in the authorities who have handed down the prophetic sayings,
the actual hadiths recorded by Sunni and Shi'ite sources have overwhelming
similarities. The major difference is the Shi'ites' consideration of the
extension of an aspect of the being of the Blessed Prophet in the Imams
and therefore their addition of the sayings of the Imams to the strictly
"prophetic" Hadith. The sayings of the Imams are in many ways not only a continuation but
also a kind of commentary and elucidation of the prophetic Hadith,
often with the aim of bringing out the esoteric teachings of Islam. Many
of these hadiths deal, like those of the Blessed Prophet, with the
practical aspects of life and the Shari'ah. Others deal with pure
metaphysics, as do certain prophetic hadiths, especially the "sacred
hadiths" (hadith qudsi). Still other sayings of the
Imams deal with the devotional aspects of life and contain some of the
most famous prayers which have been recited over the ages by both Sunnis
and Shi'ites. Finally some of the sayings deal with the various esoteric
sciences. They thus cover a vast spectrum ranging from the "mundane" problems
of daily life to the question of the meaning of truth itself. Because of
their innate nature and also the fact that like Sufism they issue from
the esoteric dimension of Islam, they have intermingled over the ages with
certain types of Sufi writings. [4]
They have also been considered as sources of Islamic esotericism by the
Sufis, because the Imams of Shi'ism are seen in the Sufi perspective as
the spiritual poles of their age. They appear in the spiritual chain (silsilah)
of various Sufi orders, even those which have spread almost exclusively
among Sunnis. [5] Because of the nature of their contents, these sayings have influenced
nearly every branch of Shi'ite learning as well as the daily life of the
community. Shi'ite jurisprudence (fiqh) bases itself directly upon
this corpus in addition to the Holy Quran. Shi'ite theology (kalam)
would be incomprehensible without a knowledge of these sayings. Shi'ite
Quranic commentaries draw heavily upon them. Even sciences of nature such
as natural history or alchemy were developed with reference to them. And
finally these sayings have surfaced as sources for meditation of the most
sublime metaphysical themes over the centuries, and some of the most elaborate
metaphysical and philosophical schools of Islam have issued to a large
extent from them. Later Islamic philosophy as associated with the name
of Sadr al-Din Shirazi, would in fact be inconceivable without recourse
to the Shi'ite hadith collection. [6]
One of Sadr al-Din's greatest metaphysical works is his unfinished commentary
upon a portion of the most important of the four basic Shi'ite collections
of Hadith, the al-Kafi of al-Kulayni. [7] Within the collection of Shi'ite hadiths are certain works which
need to be mentioned separately. There is first of all the celebrated Nahj
al-balaghah (The Path of Eloquence) of 'Ali ibn Abi talib assembled
and systematized by the fourth/tenth century Shi'ite scholar Sayyid Sharif
al-Radi. Considering the enormous importance of this work in Shi'ite Islam
as well as for all lovers of the Arabic language, it is remarkable how
little attention has been paid to it in European languages. [8]
After all, many of the leading writers of Arabic such as Taha Husayn and
Kurd 'Ali claim in their autobiographies to have perfected their style
of writing Arabic through the study of the Nahj al-balaghah, while
generation after generation of Shi'ite thinkers have meditated and commented
upon its meaning. Moreover, the shorter prayers and proverbs of this work
have spread very widely among the populace and have entered both the classical
and folk literature of not only Arabic but also Persian, and through the
influence of Persian, several other languages of the Islamic peoples, such
as Urdu. The Nahj al-balaghah contains, besides spiritual advice, moral
maxims and political directives, several remarkable discourses on metaphysics,
especially concerning the question of Unity (al tawhid). It possesses
both its own method of exposition and a very distinct technical vocabulary
which distinguish it from the various Islamic schools which have dealt
with metaphysics. Western scholars refused for a long time to accept the authenticity
of the authorship of this work and attributed it to Sayyid Sharif al-Radi,
although the style of al-Radi's own works is very different from that of
the Nahj al-balaghah. In any case as far as the traditional Shi'ite
perspective is concerned, the position of the Nahj al-balaghah and
its authorship can best be explained by repeating a conversation which
took place some eighteen or nineteen years ago between 'Allamah Tabatabai,
the celebrated contemporary Shi'ite scholar who is responsible for the
selection of the present anthology, and Henry Corbin, the foremost Western
student of Shi'ism. Corbin, who himself was as far removed from "historicism"
as possible, once said to 'Allamah Tabataba'i during the regular discussions
they had together in Tehran (in which the present writer usually acted
as translator), "Western scholars claim that 'Ali is not the author of
the Nahj al-balaghah. What is your view and whom do you consider
to be the author of this work ?" 'Allamah Tabataba'i raised his head and
answered in his usual gentle and calm manner, "For us whoever wrote the
Nahj al-balaghah is 'Ali, even if he lived a century ago." The second notable work in the Shi'ite collection of Hadith is
the al-Sahifat al-sajjadiyyah (The Scroll of al-Sajjad of the fourth
Imam Zayn al-'Abidin), also called al-Sajjad. A witness to the tragedy
of Karbala-which must have left an indelible impression upon his soul-the
fourth Imam poured forth his inner life in a symphony of beautiful prayers
which have caused the Sahifah to be called the "Psalms of the Family
of the Holy Prophet". These prayers form a part of the daily religious
life of not only Shi'ites but also Sunnis, who find them in many of the
prayer manuals most popular in the Sunni world. [9] Also notable in the Shi'ite collection of Hadith are the sayings
of the fifth, sixth and seventh Imams, from whom the largest number of
traditions have been recorded. These Imams lived at the end of the Umayyad
and beginning of the Abbasid dynasties when, as a result of the changes
in the caliphate, central authority had weakened and the Imams were able
to speak more openly and also train more students. The number of students,
both Shi'ite and Sunni, trained by the sixth Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq has been
estimated at four thousand. He left behind a vast body of sayings which
range from the field of law to the esoteric sciences. The sayings of the Holy Prophet and the Imams have been of course a
constant source of meditation and discussion by Shi'ite men of learning
throughout the ages. But it is especially in the later period of Shi'ite
history beginning with Sayyid Haydar Amuli, leading to the great masters
of the Safavid period such as Mir Damad and Mulla Sadra and continuing
to the present day that these sayings have served as a distinct source
for metaphysics and philosophy as well as the juridical and Quranic sciences.
The commentaries of Mulla Sadra, Qadi Sa'id al-Qummi and many others on
these collections of Shi'ite Hadith are among the great masterpieces
of Islamic thought. [10] Later
Islamic philosophy and theosophy in fact could not be understood without
them. [11] The present volume represents the second in a series of three which
was planned many years ago with the help and support of Professor Kenneth
Morgan, then of Colgate University, with the aim of presenting Shi'ism
to the Western world from the point of view of Shi'ism itself. The first
volume in the series appeared in English as Shi'ite Islam by 'Allamah
Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai edited and translated by the author of
these lines. [12] The second
volume, called The Quran in Islam (Qur'an dar islam), was
also written by 'Allamah Tabataba'i and its Persian version printed in
Tehrarn. Most of it was also translated by us into English, but the translation
was not completed. The events of the last year in Iran have made the manuscript
of what we have already translated inaccessible to us so that there is
no possibility at the present moment to produce the English translation
as planned. The present volume is the third and final one in the series. After a
long period of study and deliberation, 'Allamah Tabataba'i made the present
selection from the vast collection of Hadith, a task which would
have been bewildering for anyone not possessing his knowledge of this inspired
literature. Once this selection was made, Dr. William Chittick, who was
then residing in Tehran and working with us on various scholarly projects,
undertook the arduous task of translating the very compact and difficult
Arabic texts into English. Because of the lack of precedence for rendering
these writings into European languages and the nature of the texts themselves,
Dr. Chittick was faced with a formidable task. It was only his intimate
knowledge of Arabic, Persian and the subject matter combined with great
patience and meticulous scholarship that made it possible for him to succeed
in such a laborious and exacting undertaking. He should be congratulated
in every way for having successfully concluded this colossal task. It remained for the Muhammadi Trust to bring the project to fruition
and to make its publication possible. The credit for this volume and its
effect in making Shi'ism better known must be given to a large extent to
the Trust. As one who was responsible for this volume from its inception,
I want to thank the Trust especially Wg. Cdr. (ret'd.) Q. Husayn, its very
able secretary who with great love and devotion to the true cause of Islam,
enabled us to complete this project. Dr. Chittick, also, has earned the
gratitude of all students of Islam for his fine scholarship and devotion
to the completion of a very difficult project. This volume is particularly pertinent at the present moment, when volcanic
eruptions and powerful waves of a political nature associated with the
name of Islam in general and Shi'ism in particular have made an authentic
knowledge of things Islamic imperative, lest ignorance destroy the very
foundations of human society and the relations which make the discourse
between various nations and religious communities possible. At the dawn of this fifteenth century of the terrestrial existence of
Islam, may this volume be an aid in bringing about an understanding of
one of the fundamental sources of inspiration and knowledge for not only
Shi'ism but Islam as such. Wa'Llahu a'lam Seyyed Hossein Nasr Notes: [1] There are six canonical collections
in Sunni Islam which have been accepted by the whole community since they
were first compiled in the second and the third Islamic centuries. These
collections, referred to al-Sihah al-sittah, the Six Correct
Collections, are associated with the names of great scholars of Hadith
such as Bukhari, Muslim, etc. Of these, the most famous is that of Bukhari,
which has been translated into English (Sahih al-Bukhari: Arabic-English,
by Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Islamic University, Madina; second revised edition,
Ankara, 1976). The vast concordance of Hadith by Wensinck, Mensing
et al. (Leiden, 1936-69) is based on these six collections. [2] See 'Allamah Tabatabai, Shi'ite
Islam, London-Albany, 1975, pp. 173ff. [3] As far as the continuity of the
chain is concerned the Isma'ili conception is of course different, since
for the Isma'ilis the chain of Imams continues un-interrupted to this day. [4] On the relation between Shi'ism
and Sufism See S. H. Nasr, Sufi Essays, London, 1972, pp. 104-20 [5] A most interesting example of
such interpenetration is to be seen in part of the famous prayer of the
third Shi'ite Imam Husayn, also found in Shadhili prayers manuals. See
W. Chittick, "A Shadhili Presence on Shi'ite Islam", Sophia Perennis,
vol. I, 1975, pp. 97-100 [6] On this corpus as a source for
the doctrines of Sadr al Din Shirazi see S. H. Nasr, Sadr al Din Shirazi
and His Transcendent Theosophy, London-Boulder, 1978, chapter 4. [7] This monumental work was translated
into French by H. Corbin, who taught it for many years in Paris, but it
has never been published. See Corbin, En Islam iranien, Paris, 1971. [8] This work has been translated
several times in part or wholly in the Indo-Pakistani sub-continent and
in Iran, but none of these translations is completely adequate. A new translation
as been prepared by S. H. Jafri which is supposed to be published soon
and which, we hope, will fulfill the very difficult condition of doing
justice to both the meaning and the literary beauty of the text. [9] Some of these prayers have been
translated by C. Padwick in her Muslim Devotions, London, 1961 [10] See H. Corbin, En islam
iranien. [11] Not only Mulla Sadra, but
also his students were deeply influenced by this collection. One of Mulla
Sadra's most famous students, Mulla Muhsin Fayd Kashani, who was at once
theologian, gnostic and philosopher, was also an outstanding authority
on Shi'ite Hadith. His al-Wafi is one of the most studied
works on hadiths of the Shi'ite Imams and their lines of transmission. [12] In our introduction to that
work we have dealt with the conditions under which these works were conceived
as well as a biography of 'Allammah Tabatabai. Shi'ite Islam, was
published by both Allen & Unwin in London and the State University
of New York Press in Albany. The work has also just appeared in paperback
in America. It is of interest to note that the original Persian version
of this work, written specifically for this project and with a Persian
Introduction by S. H. Nasr, has become one of the most widely read works
on Shi'ism in Iran itself and has been reprinted many times. |
