As was by his students like Abu'l-Hƒmusayn Ahmad ibn Ahmad al-K.

As was by his students like Abu'l-Hƒmusayn Ahmad ibn Ahmad al-K.fi al-Katib,60 who was in his turn referred to and quoted by a group of renowned Shiite scholars; Abu `Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn `Abdillah asƒw-Sƒlafwani who was a .contemporary of al-Kulayni61 and Abu `Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ibrah.m ibn Ja،¥far an Nu،¥mani, Ibn Abi Zaynab who was also a contemporary of the author.62 The first and the foremost narrators who quoted him (al-Kulayni), directly or indirectly, on whom the chain of further narrations ends, are:- Abu'l-Qasim Ja،¥far ibn Muhammad ibn Qulawayh al-Qummi (d.

368/978/979);63 Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Sulayman ash-Shaybani, Abu Ghalib az-Zurari (285/872 ،X 368/978/ 979);64 Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn al-Hƒmusayn ibn Babawayh as-Saduq (305/917 ،X 381/991);65 Abu Muhammad Harun ibn M.sa ash-Shayban.

at-Talla-،¥ukbari (d.385/995);66 Abu `Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn an-Nu،¥man al-Baghdadi, ash-Shaykh al-Muf.d (336/947/948 ،X 413/ 1022);67 Abu'l-Qasim `Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Musawi, ash-Shar.f al-Murtadƒua (355/966 ،X 436/1044);" Abu'l-`Abbas Ahmad ibn `Ali an-Najashi (373/982 ،X 450/ 1058);69 Abu Ja،¥far Muhammad ibn al-Hƒmasan at-T.si, Shaykh at-Ta'ifah (385/995 ،X 460/1067);70 Distinctive Features The following are the numerous features of al-Kafi on the basis of which it has been accorded a place of great honour: The first and the foremost feature is that the compiler of this book (al-Kulayni) was a contemporary of the four successive representatives of Imam al-Mahdi (p.b.u.h.).

As as-Sayyid ibn Tawus has pointed out, "All the works and the collections (of the traditions) of ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya،¥qub (al-Kulayni) had been completed' during the life time of the said representatives (of Imam al-Mahdi).

Therefore, there is a ground for us to believe the veracity about his collections and narrations.71 Secondly, the compiler of this book has made it compulsory for himself except in the case of a few traditions, to give the whole chain of references through which the tradition has passed between him and the infallible Imam ،X the real source; although the compiler deletes the first reference of the traditions.

This is probably because he himself has already got the original book of the first reference in his possession.72 3.