What is attributed to Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al Baqir

The Narration from Tafsir al ‘Ayyashi

Al ‘Ayyashi narrated:

عن بعض أصحابنا عن أحدهما قال فلما قبض نبي الله كان الذي كان لما قد قضى من الاختلاف وعمد عمر فبايع أبا بكر ولم يدفن رسول الله بعد فلما رأى ذلك علي عليه السلام ورأى الناس قد بايعوا أبا بكر خشي أن يفتتن الناس ففرغ إلى كتاب الله وأخذ يجمعه في مصحف فأرسل أبو بكر إليه أ ن تعال فبايع فقال علي لا أخرج حتى أجمع القرآن فأرسل إليه مرة أخرى فقال لا أخرج حتى أفرغ فأرسل إليه الثالثة ابن عم له يقال قنفذ فقامت فاطمة بنت رسول الله عليها تول بينه وبين علي عليه السلام فضربها فانطلق قنفذ وليس معه علي عليه السلام فخشي أن يجمع علي الناس فأمر بحطب فجعل حوالي بيته ثم انطلق عمر بنار فأراد أن يحرق على علي بيته وفاطمة والحسن والحسين صلوات الله عليهم فلما رأى علي ذلك خرج فبايع كارهًا غير طائع

From some of our companions, from one of the two who said: … When the Messenger of Allah passed away, what happened occurred due to the disagreement. ‘Umar took the initiative and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr, while the Messenger of Allah had not yet been buried. When ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib saw that the people had pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr, he feared that the people would be led astray, so he turned to the Book of Allah and began to compile it into a Mushaf. Abu Bakr sent to him saying, “Come and pledge allegiance.” ‘Ali replied, “I will not come out until I have completed the Qur’an.” He sent to him a second time, and ‘Ali said, “I will not come out until I finish.” He sent to him a third time with a cousin named Qunfudh. Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, stood between him and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, and he struck her. Then Qunfudh left without ‘Ali being with him, and he feared that ‘Ali would gather the people, so he ordered firewood to be placed around his house, and then ‘Umar came with fire and intended to burn ‘Ali’s house with Fatimah and al Hassan and al Hussain—may Allah’s salutations be upon them. When ‘Ali saw that, he came out and pledged allegiance, begrudgingly and unwillingly.^[1]

Study of the Isnad

This narration is found without a chain of narration in the book of Tafsir attributed to al ‘Ayyashi.

Several Imami scholars have criticised this book:

Muhammad Hadi Ma’rifah stated:

تفسير أبي النضر محمد بن مسعود العياشي توفي سنة 320 الذي كان من أجمع التفاسير المأثورة قد أصبح مقطوع الإسناد حذف أسانيده بعض الناسخين لعذر غير وجيه و بذلك أسقط مثل هذا التفسير الثمين عن الحجية والاعتبار

The Tafsir of Abu al Nadr Muhammad ibn Mas’ud al ‘Ayyashi (who passed away in 320 AH), which was one of the most comprehensive of the transmitted Tafsirs, has become severed from its chains, as some copyists omitted its chains for an unreasonable excuse, thereby nullifying such a valuable Tafsir from being authoritative and credible.^[2]

The Marja’ Abu al Qasim al Khu’i described a narration found in Tafsir al ‘Ayyashi as having a weak chain due to the lack of established credibility for Tafsir al ‘Ayyashi.^[3]

Abu Talib al Tajlil al Tabrīzi noted:

أحاديث تفسير العياشي كلها مرسلات والحديث المرسل ليس حجة عند الإمامية

All narrations in Tafsir al ‘Ayyashi are mursal; and the mursal narration is not a proof according to the Imamiyyah.^[4]

The Marja’ Jafar al Subhani mentioned regarding Tafsir al ‘Ayyashi:

غير أن ناسخ الكتاب في القرون السابقة جنى على الكتاب جناية علمية لا تغتفر حيث أسقط الأسانيد وأتى بالمتون وبذلك سد على المحققين باب التحقيق

Besides, the copyist of the book in previous centuries committed an unforgivable academic crime by omitting the chains and presenting only the texts, this has made it difficult for the researchers to engage in proper investigation.^[5]

Murtada al ‘Askari remarked about Tafsir al ‘Ayyashi:

كيف يستدل على روايات لا يعلم من رواها وهل رواها راو غال ضال كذاب

How can one verify narrations when the narrator is unknown, and how can it be determined if the narrator is an extremist, misguided, and a liar?^[6]

If we overlook that, the chain remains ambiguous, as al ‘Ayyashi narrates the report from some of the companions without specifying who they are. This further weakens the narration, even if it had a chain, so how can it be trusted when it lacks a connected chain? Therefore, the narration is dismissed.

The Opinion of Imamiyyah Scholars on the Isnad

Asif Muhsini ruled the narration to be untrustworthy in his book Mashra’at Bihar al Anwar.^[7]

NEXT⇒ What is Attributed to Jafar al Sadiq

^[1] Tafsir al ‘Ayyashi, vol. 3, pg. 69-70.

^[2] Al Tafsir wa al Mufassirun fi Thawbihi al Qashib, vol. 1, pg. 444-445.

^[3] Misbah al Faqahah, vol. 5, pg. 290.

^[4] Tanzih al Shia al Ithna ‘Ashariyyah ‘an al Shubuhat al Wahiyah, vol. 2, pg. 47.

^[5] Al Manahij al Tafsiriyyah fi ‘Ulum al Qur’an, pg. 154.

^[6] Al Qur’an al Karim wa Riwayat al Madrasatayn, vol. 3, pg. 64.

^[7] Mashra’at Bihar al Anwar, vol. 2, pg. 24.