Khomeini And His Academic Sources

Chapter Two – Preface
May 12, 2020
Khomeini and the Qur’an
May 12, 2020

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Khomeini And His Academic Sources

 

The Shia sources that Khomeini cites as evidence is no different to that of any other Shia. He cites the following sources in his books:

  1. Nahj al Balagah: According to them, a book that is irrefutable proof.
  2. Al Kafi: This is to them how al Bukhari is to us. In this book there is much disbelief and falsehood, such as the narrations that speak of the interpolation of the Qur’an.
  3. Khomeini also cites other Shia books such as, Man La Yahdurhu al Faqih, Ma’ani al Akhbar, al Majalis and others. There is evidently no need to discuss the falsities prevalent throughout these books, our point though remains; Khomeini just like all the other Shia refers to them and cites them in his works.
  4. Khomeini cites the book Mustadrak al Wasa’il in his works and sends prayers of mercy on its author saying, “It has been narrated by al Marhum (Blessed) al Nuri in Mustadrak al Wasa’il.” This al Nuri is the author of the book Fasl al Khitab fi Ithbat Tahrif Kitab Rabb al Arbab (The definitive conclusion in proving the distortion of the Book of the absolute Lord of the lords).
  5. He also cites from a source titled Hikayat al Riqa’. The Shia believe that when their Twelfth Imam went into occultation in the year 260 A.H, he went into a minor occultation at first. During this early period, he had contact with some of the Shia. People would send their questions to this supposed Imam by placing it in a hole within a tree at night. The agents of the hidden Imam would take messages and questions from the Shia to the Hidden Imam and would return with answers. These are the aforementioned Hikayat al Riqa’. They are what are known as the Tawqi’at (letters) from the Hidden Imam al Mahdi. Nevertheless, Khomeini has referenced a hadith in his book, al Hukumah al Islamiyyah (pg. 76), from this obscure, supposed, and fabricated source
  6. Khomeini references a narration in his book al Hukumah al Islamiyyah to a work entitled, Da’a’im al Islam which is a most highly regarded book of the extremist Batiniyyah sect; the Ismailiyyah. The author of this book is al Qadi al Nu’man ibn Muhammad ibn Mansur (d. 363 A.H). Based on this, we can say that there is a strong association that connects Khomeini and his ilk to the extremist Ismailiyyah. The Rafidi Muhammad Jawad Maghniyah, head of the Lebanese Jafari court, has attested to this association. He states:

 

ان الاثني عشرية والاسماعيلية وان اختلفوا من جهات فانهم يلتقون في هذه الشعائر وخاصة في تدریس علوم آل البيت وللثقة فيها وحمل الناس عليه

Though the Twelver Shia and the Ismailiyyah differ in certain aspects, they share the same ritualistic practices as well as methodology in reviewing aspects pertaining to the Ahlul Bayt. They assume credibility of their stance and attempt to bring others onto the same platform.[1]

 

  1. Khomeini avoids citing the hadith books of the Ahlus Sunnah. This is a hallmark of the Shia creed. One of their contemporary scholars states:

 

ان الشيعة لا تعول على تلك الأسانيد . أي اسانید أهل السنة . بل لا تعتبرها ولا تعرج في مقام الاستدلال عليها ثم قال : أن لدى الشيعة أحاديث أخرجوها من طرقهم المعتبرة عندهم ودونوها في كتب مخصوصة وهي كافية وافية لفروع الدين وأصوله عليها مدار علمهم وعملهم وهي لا سواها الحجة عندهم

The Shia do not pay any attention to those asanid, (chains of transmission)—the asanid of the Ahlus Sunnah—in fact they do not consider them and do not cite them as proof. The Shia have their own narrations by way of chains of transmissions that they consider reliable. They have collated these narrations in specific books, they are suffiecent and comprehensive for the principle and secondary aspects of their faith. Their knowledge and practices are centred around these narrations and they are their only truths.[2]

 

Regarding al Bukhari and his Sahih he comments:

 

وقد أخرج من الغرائب والعجائب والمناكير ما يليق بعقول مخرفي البربر وعجائز السودان

He has included in his book obscurities, marvels, and denounced narrations fitting for the mind of a senile Berber or a withered old black person.[3]

 

The Shia have maintained this stance with regard to the source material of the Ahlus Sunnah based on two fundamental Shia doctrines:

  • Besides three or seven, the rest of the Sahabah turned apostate after demise of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.[4]
  • The Sahabah only had knowledge of a restricted portion of the shari’ah.

 

NEXT⇒ Khomeini and the Qur’an


[1] Al Shia fi al Mizan.

[2] ‘Abdullah al Subayti: Taht Rayah al Haqq, pg. 146. Murtada Al Yasin al Kazimi has written a foreword to and it was published in Tehran.

[3] Ibid, pg. 96.

[4] See, Al Kafi, pg. 115; Rijal al Kashshi, pg. 13.