ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith A General Word: As soon as becoming aware of all these facts and other than them stated in my book, and uncovering the truth of the Muhammadan hadith in a clear-cut pure shape like a polished mirror, I became well-acquainted with all the traditions ascribed to the Messenger, taking whatever I take with consent and discarding that which I discard with confidence, fearing no blame or guilt in this or that.

It is not to be fancied that I be a heretic in this respect, as the Ummah scholars 11 have never approved of every hadith reported in the Sunnah books, so let them have capacity for whatever I encompassed, after it was demonstrated to them.

This verily being a common fact known for men of discernment with no disagreement between even two scholars, except for the Hashwiyyah who believe in all the traditions narrated to them whether being correct or incorrect, as long as their chain (sanad) be established in their viewpoint. Ibn Abi Layla said: “Any man can never comprehend the hadith till he takes some and rejects some”.

Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi said too: “No one can be a leader (imam) in hadith, when following up the eccentric and odd traditions, or telling of whatever he hearing, or reporting from whosoever (with no verification)”. Many examples proving this can be found in their proper places of this book.

No one has paid due attention to this subject – as previously stated – in the past, while studying it was extremely necessary before going into the books of hadith, tafsir (exegesis), fiqh, usul, history and grammar (nahw), with alike topics relevant to religion of Islam.

It was supposed that a separate book be authored about it a thousand years ago, when the well-known hadith books came to scene after spread of fiqhi schools of thought among Muslims, so as these books occupy their proper places of religion, and truth of the traditions reported in them be revealed for people so as to be well-acquainted with them.

Had I come across, throughout the expansive Arabic Library, only one book covering this weighty and sensitive subject – of which every Muslim should be aware – I would have been relieved of this heavy burden, 12 which I shouldered for the sake of research and exploration into hundreds of books and asanid to which I referred, and from which I quoted and reported.