In fact...

In fact, most of the chapters of I'Iamu 'l‑Wara are summaries of the chapters of Kitabul-Irshad, with important additions which the author found suitable for the subject matter as he treated it. More significant for our purpose, however, is the fact that the author added the two sections which are absent from Kitabul-Irshad. Finally, a translator was found who agreed to undertake the task of rendering these two sections into English.

Here we must refer to an important matter which has been treated at length in our introduction to Kitabul-Irshad ‑ namely that at ‑Tabrisi, like his predecessor al‑Mufid, relies, in many of the discussions of his book, on the works of the historians and hadith transmitters of our Sunni brothers. In our introduction also we discuss in detail the reasons which compelled them, as well as others of our worthy scholars, to do so.

With regard to the book I'lamu 'l-Wara, the author frequently cites his compatriot the famous traditionist and learned Shafi`i jurist Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al‑Husayn al‑Bay­haqi (384‑ 458/ 994 ‑1066) , while dealing with the biogra­phy of the Holy Prophet. This is particularly the case with al‑Bayhaqi's book Dala'ilu 'n‑Nubuwwah. at‑Tabrisi's use of al‑Bayhaqi's work may lead to some misunderstandings of the position of Imami Shi`is on some of the traditions cited from this book in I'lamu 'l-Wara.

An example of this is certain traditions which at‑Tabrisi quotes from al‑Bayhaqi asserting that Abu Talib (the Prophet's uncle) died without believing in the Muhammadan dispensation (see below, p. 81) . Yet all the Imams have agreed on the falsity of this view, and were followed in this by Imami Shi`i, and even the entire Shi'i community.

The authenticity of yet another tradition concerning particular men among the Prophet's companions spending of their wealth in provisioning the army for the Battle of Tabuk (see below, p.188), which at‑Tabrisi also quotes from al‑Bayhaqi, is questioned by non‑Shi'i tradi­tionists. They held a different view of this event, which we omit to mention here in order that we might not be accused of sectarian fanaticism.