That this was the intention of both the author and the...

That this was the intention of both the author and the learned member of Ahl al-bait is emphasized by the author when he says that Sharif al-Din had asked him for this work despite the fact that he had copied or heard from him the traditions of 145 books.(12) Another element in the work that stresses that it was conceived as a reference book to help ordinary Shi’ites in the practice of the legal requirements of Islam is the general absence of the isnads for traditions.

The isnads – or the chain of authorities by which the tradition had been received from the Prophet or one of the Imams – was, and is, an all-important feature of the science of traditions. Therefore this book was not meant to be a work for scholars, who would want to check the authorities. Scholars could check the isnads in the numerous individual studies compiled by al-Shaikh al-Saduq. This book was a summary of the study…