[47] Appendix II...
[47] Appendix II: Additional Hadith on ‘Alim’: مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ بَلَغَنَا شَكْوَاكَ وَ أَشْفَقْنَا فَلَوْ أَعْلَمْتَنَا أَوْ عَلَّمْتَنَا مَنْ قَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيّاً ع كَانَ عَالِماً وَ الْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ فَلَا يَهْلِكُ عَالِمٌ إِلَّا بَقِيَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ قُلْتُ أَ فَيَسَعُ النَّاسَ إِذَا مَاتَ الْعَالِمُ أَلَّا يَعْرِفُوا الَّذِي بَعْدَهُ فَقَالَ أَمَّا أَهْلُ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ فَلَا يَعْنِي الْمَدِينَةَ وَ أَمَّا غَيْرُهَا مِنَ الْبُلْدَانِ فَبِقَدْرِ مَسِيرِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ وَ ما كانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنْفِرُوا كَافَّةً فَلَوْ لا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَ لِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ مَنْ مَاتَ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مَنْ خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِراً إِلَى اللَّهِ وَ رَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكُهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِذَا قَدِمُوا بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ يَعْرِفُونَ صَاحِبَهُمْ قَالَ يُعْطَى السَّكِينَةَ وَ الْوَقَارَ وَ الْهَيْبَةَ Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Khalid from Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from Burayd ibn Mu’awiya who from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: ‘Once I said to Abu Abdullah -asws ‘May Allah -azwj grant you good health, we heard that you -asws were not feeling well and it caused us great anxiety.
Would that you -asws had informed or taught us about who would be the succeeding Imam -asws . ‘The Imam -asws said, ‘Ali -asws was ‘عَالِماً وَ الْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ’ the scholar and his -asws knowledge is inherited.
No scholar -asws dies except that he -asws leaves behind a scholar -asws whose knowledge is of the same level or whatever Allah Wills.’ I then asked, ‘Will people be excused for not recognising the succeeding Imam -asws after the death of the preceding Imam -asws ?’ The Imam -asws then said, ‘The people of this area (Madina) will not be excused. People of other areas will be dealt with according to their abilities. Allah -azwj has Said: And the believers should not all go out to fight.
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