However he does not know that the “four priests” mentioned...

However he does not know that the “four priests” mentioned by him were the accepted heads of the Shi’a community in their times, and their writings are revered in the Shi’a world until now. He is unable even to write their names correctly; and I’m sure he has never seen their books. He writes: “(l) Abu Jaffar Sani Muhammad bin Ali bin Hussain bin Mussa bin Bayyabah Allama Sadduqh” COMMENT: His kunyah was Abu Ja’far: their is no ‘Sani’ in it.

His great-great­ grand-father was Babuwayh (not Bayyabah), and he is known as ash-Shaykh as-Saduq (not Allamah Sadduqh). “(2) Sharif Murtaza Abdul Qasim Ali bin Hussain bin Hassanain bin Mussa Baghdadi, author of ‘ilmul Huda.” COMMENT: The phrase, “author of ‘ilmul Huda” is most amusing. ‘Alamu’l­ huda (The standard of guidance) was the title of Sharif al-Murtaza. This ignorant man thought it was his book; and even then, he could not pronounce it correctly and turned ‘Alam into ‘ilm.

Then his Kunyat was Abul Qasim (not Abdul Qasim); Sharif al-Murtaza’s father was Abu Ahmad al-Husayn ibn Musa; this ignorant writer has added ‘bin Hassanaain’’ in between. “(3) Shaikh at-Taifa Abu Jaffar Muhammad bin Hussain bin Ali Toousi Mufasir” COMMENT: Shaykhu ‘t-Ta’ifah’s father’s name was al-Hasan (not Hussain).

“(4) Abu Ali Tabrisi Aminuddin Fazal bin Hussain bin Tazal Mashudi, authour of Tafsir Majmah al-Bayan” COMMENT: His as well as his grandfather’s name was “Fazl” (not Fazal or Tazal) and his father was al-Hasan (not Hussain); I could not ascertain which word the ignorant writer has corrupted to “Mashudi”. The name of the Tafsir is Majma’u ‘l-Bayan, not Majmah al-Bayan. These examples are enough to show the level of this man’s “knowledge”.

Also I challenge him to write the name of the Shi’a ‘Ulama of the so-called second phase who had rejected their sayings and findings. However, let us look at the subject in hand. I will just give some quotations from our books about this subject of Tahrif; and then see what the Sunni books say about it.