What is attributed to Sayyidina al Hassan ibn ‘Ali
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What is attributed to Sayyidina al Hassan ibn ‘Ali
The Narration of al Ihtijaj
Abu Mansur al Tabarsi narrated:
وروي عن الشعبي وأبي مخنف ويزيد بن حبيب المصري
It has been reported from al Sha’bi, Abu Mikhnaf, and Yazid ibn Habib al Misri…
and then he mentioned a long narration wherein al Hassan ibn ‘Ali said to al Mughirah ibn Shu’bah:
وأنت الذي ضربت فاطمة بنت رسول الله حتى أدميتها وألقت ما في بطنها استذلالًا منك لرسول الله ومخالفة منك لأمره وانتهاكًا لحرمته
And you are the one who struck Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, until she was injured and lost what was in her womb, out of humiliation towards the Messenger of Allah, in defiance of his command, and in violation of his sanctity.[1]
Study of the Isnad
This narration has appeared in al Ihtijaj by Abu Mansur Ahmed ibn ‘Ali al Tabarsi without a chain of narration. It is well-known among the Imamiyyah that the author of the book is Abu Mansur Ahmed ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib al Tabarsi[2] (who lived in the sixth century), as Ibn Shahrashub, who passed away in 588 AH, mentioned him as his teacher. This implies that Abu Mansur al Tabarsi lived in the sixth century.[3]
This narration cannot be relied upon due to the lack of a chain of narration, as al Ihtijaj is devoid of mentioning any chains. Therefore, a number of scholars from the Imamiyyah have rejected the narrations of the book and criticised them due to the absence of chains.The Marja’ Abu al Qasim al Khu’i stated:
روايات الاحتجاج لا يعتمد عليها من جهة الإرسال
The narrations of al Ihtijaj cannot be relied upon due to their being transmitted without a chain.[4]
He also said:
إن روايات الاحتجاج ضعيفة السند إذ لم يذكر السند فيها
The narrations of al Ihtijaj have weak chains since the chain is not mentioned in them.[5]
Muhammad Hadi Ma’rifah said:
أما الكتاب فلا يعدو مراسيل لا إسناد لها أكثرها تلفيقات من روايات نقلية واحتجاجات عقلية كانت العبرة بذاتها لا بالأسانيد ومن ثم فإن العلماء يرفضون الأخذ بها كروايات متعبد بها وإنما هو كلام عقلاني وإلا فلا اعتبار بكونه منقولًا الأمر الذي يحط من شأن الكتاب باعتبار كونه سندًا لحوادث تاريخية سالفة
As for the book, it does not go beyond being comprised of narrations without a chain; most of them are fabrications from transmitted narrations and rational arguments, with the essence of the argument being what matters, not the chains. Therefore, scholars reject relying on them as credible narrations; rather, they are rational discussions. Otherwise, there is no significance in being transmitted, which undermines the value of the book as a source for historical events.
He further stated:
ويعلل تأليفه لهذا الكتاب ترغيب أبناء الطائفة في سلوك طريق الحجاج والمجادلة بالتي هي أحسن فأتى فيه بأنواع الجدل في مختلف شؤون الدين ناسبا لها إلى عظماء الأمة كلا أو بعضا ترويجا لهذه الطريقة الحسنة
The purpose of composing this book was to encourage the members of the sect to engage in the path of argumentation and debate in the best manner. He included various forms of argumentation in different religious matters, attributing them to the great figures of the Ummah, whether entirely or partly, to promote this commendable approach.
He also noted:
وعليه فهو أشبه بكتاب كلامي من كونه مصدرًا حديثيًا أو تاريخيًا والعمدة هي الاستدلال بطريقة العقل لا مجرد النقل
Consequently, it is more akin to a theological book than a source for Hadith or History; the main focus is on reasoning rather than mere transmission.[6]
In summary, his assertion is that the author of al Ihtijaj fabricated theological and rational arguments in the form of narrations and attributed them to the infallible Imams to instruct the common people on methods of debate and support their views.
Murtada al ‘Askari commented on one of the narrations from al Ihtijaj:
هذا مما تفرد به صاحب الاحتجاج نقلًا مرسلًا على عادته في إيراد المراسيل ومن ثم فإن كتابه غير صالح للاعتماد
This is something that the author of al Ihtijaj singularly transmitted in an unsubstantiated manner, as was his habit in presenting unverified narrations. Therefore, his book is not suitable for reliance.[7]
He also stated elsewhere:
مر بنا في روايات لا أصل لها أن رواياته أقوال بلا سند
We have encountered narrations that lack a foundation and his narrations are statements without a chain.[8]
The Marja’ Muhammad al Yaqubi declared a narration from this book to be weak, stating:
ضعف سند روايات الاحتجاج
The chain of the narrations of al Ihtijaj is weak.[9]
Some may argue that the author of al Ihtijaj mentioned in the introduction to his book:
ولا نأتي في أكثر ما نورده من الأخبار بإسناده إما لوجود الإجماع عليه أو موافقته لما دلت العقول إليه أو لاشتهاره في السير والكتب بين المخالف والمؤالف
We do not present chains for most of the narrations we cite, either due to consensus on them, or because they align with what reason indicates, or due to their well-known status in histories and books among both opponents and supporters.[10]
The response to this is that this statement has not been acknowledged by the majority of Imami scholars. None of them have asserted the validity of everything in al Ihtijaj. Rather, they considered the absence of chains for the narrations as a reason for rejecting them. Thus, ‘Ali Akbar al Saifi commented on one of the narrations from al Ihtijaj:
وأما سندًا فهي ضعيفة بالإرسال وإن شهد الطبرسي في مقدمة الاحتجاج باشتهار أكثر الروايات المحذوفة إسنادها
As for the chain, it is weak due to being transmitted without a chain, even though al Tabarsi stated in the introduction to al Ihtijaj the famousness of most of the narrations which do not have chains.[11]
Fath Allah Najjar stated:
رغم أن المؤلف ألزم نفسه بأنه لا يذكر في احتجاجه إلا الروايات المعتبرة ولكنه كما قلنا بحذفه الإسناد سقط كتابه الاحتجاج في مقام الاحتجاج والاستدلال وهو غير قابل للاعتماد في البحث العلمي
Although the author committed himself to mention only credible narrations in his arguments, as we said, by omitting the chain, his book al Ihtijaj falls short in the realm of argumentation and reasoning and it is not suitable for reliance in academic research.[12]
Consequently, scholars of the Imamiyyah have consistently rejected the narrations of al Ihtijaj due to the lack of chains, as previously noted from a number of them. Thus, al Ihtijaj is not suitable to use as proof, and therefore, this narration found in it has no significance.
NEXT⇒ What is attributed to Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al Baqir
[1] Al Ihtijaj, vol. 2, pg. 40.
[2] He is not Abu ‘Ali al Fadl ibn al Hassan al Tabarsi (d. 548 AH), the author of Majma’ al Bayan in Qur’anic exegesis, Jawami’ al Jami’, and other books. Some of the Shia scholars mistakenly attributed the book al Ihtijaj to Abu ‘Ali al Tabarsi. This was clarified by Muhammad Bahr al ‘Ulum in his introduction to al Ihtijaj, vol. 1, pg. 7-8.
[3] Ma’alim al ‘Ulama’, vol.1, pg. 249, entry no. 126.
[4] Mawsu’at al Khu’i, Sharh al ‘Urwah al Wuthqa – al Salah, vol. 12, pg. 359.
[5] Misbah al Faqahah, vol. 3, pg. 501.
[6] Siyanat al Qur’an min al Tahrif, pg. 232.
[7] Al Qur’an al Karim wa Riwayat al Madrasatayn, vol. 3, pg. 70.
[8] Al Qur’an al Karim wa Riwayat al Madrasatayn, vol. 3, pg. 415.
[9] Fiqh al Khilaf, vol. 6, pg. 202.
[10] Al Ihtijaj, vol. 1, pg. 4.
[11] Bada’i’ al Buhuth fi ‘Ilm al Usul, vol. 6, pg. 188.
[12] Salamat al Qur’an min al Tahrif, pg. 442.
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What is attributed to Sayyidina al Hassan ibn ‘Ali
The Narration of al Ihtijaj
Abu Mansur al Tabarsi narrated:
وروي عن الشعبي وأبي مخنف ويزيد بن حبيب المصري
It has been reported from al Sha’bi, Abu Mikhnaf, and Yazid ibn Habib al Misri…
and then he mentioned a long narration wherein al Hassan ibn ‘Ali said to al Mughirah ibn Shu’bah:
وأنت الذي ضربت فاطمة بنت رسول الله حتى أدميتها وألقت ما في بطنها استذلالًا منك لرسول الله ومخالفة منك لأمره وانتهاكًا لحرمته
And you are the one who struck Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, until she was injured and lost what was in her womb, out of humiliation towards the Messenger of Allah, in defiance of his command, and in violation of his sanctity.[1]
Study of the Isnad
This narration has appeared in al Ihtijaj by Abu Mansur Ahmed ibn ‘Ali al Tabarsi without a chain of narration. It is well-known among the Imamiyyah that the author of the book is Abu Mansur Ahmed ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib al Tabarsi[2] (who lived in the sixth century), as Ibn Shahrashub, who passed away in 588 AH, mentioned him as his teacher. This implies that Abu Mansur al Tabarsi lived in the sixth century.[3]
This narration cannot be relied upon due to the lack of a chain of narration, as al Ihtijaj is devoid of mentioning any chains. Therefore, a number of scholars from the Imamiyyah have rejected the narrations of the book and criticised them due to the absence of chains.The Marja’ Abu al Qasim al Khu’i stated:
روايات الاحتجاج لا يعتمد عليها من جهة الإرسال
The narrations of al Ihtijaj cannot be relied upon due to their being transmitted without a chain.[4]
He also said:
إن روايات الاحتجاج ضعيفة السند إذ لم يذكر السند فيها
The narrations of al Ihtijaj have weak chains since the chain is not mentioned in them.[5]
Muhammad Hadi Ma’rifah said:
أما الكتاب فلا يعدو مراسيل لا إسناد لها أكثرها تلفيقات من روايات نقلية واحتجاجات عقلية كانت العبرة بذاتها لا بالأسانيد ومن ثم فإن العلماء يرفضون الأخذ بها كروايات متعبد بها وإنما هو كلام عقلاني وإلا فلا اعتبار بكونه منقولًا الأمر الذي يحط من شأن الكتاب باعتبار كونه سندًا لحوادث تاريخية سالفة
As for the book, it does not go beyond being comprised of narrations without a chain; most of them are fabrications from transmitted narrations and rational arguments, with the essence of the argument being what matters, not the chains. Therefore, scholars reject relying on them as credible narrations; rather, they are rational discussions. Otherwise, there is no significance in being transmitted, which undermines the value of the book as a source for historical events.
He further stated:
ويعلل تأليفه لهذا الكتاب ترغيب أبناء الطائفة في سلوك طريق الحجاج والمجادلة بالتي هي أحسن فأتى فيه بأنواع الجدل في مختلف شؤون الدين ناسبا لها إلى عظماء الأمة كلا أو بعضا ترويجا لهذه الطريقة الحسنة
The purpose of composing this book was to encourage the members of the sect to engage in the path of argumentation and debate in the best manner. He included various forms of argumentation in different religious matters, attributing them to the great figures of the Ummah, whether entirely or partly, to promote this commendable approach.
He also noted:
وعليه فهو أشبه بكتاب كلامي من كونه مصدرًا حديثيًا أو تاريخيًا والعمدة هي الاستدلال بطريقة العقل لا مجرد النقل
Consequently, it is more akin to a theological book than a source for Hadith or History; the main focus is on reasoning rather than mere transmission.[6]
In summary, his assertion is that the author of al Ihtijaj fabricated theological and rational arguments in the form of narrations and attributed them to the infallible Imams to instruct the common people on methods of debate and support their views.
Murtada al ‘Askari commented on one of the narrations from al Ihtijaj:
هذا مما تفرد به صاحب الاحتجاج نقلًا مرسلًا على عادته في إيراد المراسيل ومن ثم فإن كتابه غير صالح للاعتماد
This is something that the author of al Ihtijaj singularly transmitted in an unsubstantiated manner, as was his habit in presenting unverified narrations. Therefore, his book is not suitable for reliance.[7]
He also stated elsewhere:
مر بنا في روايات لا أصل لها أن رواياته أقوال بلا سند
We have encountered narrations that lack a foundation and his narrations are statements without a chain.[8]
The Marja’ Muhammad al Yaqubi declared a narration from this book to be weak, stating:
ضعف سند روايات الاحتجاج
The chain of the narrations of al Ihtijaj is weak.[9]
Some may argue that the author of al Ihtijaj mentioned in the introduction to his book:
ولا نأتي في أكثر ما نورده من الأخبار بإسناده إما لوجود الإجماع عليه أو موافقته لما دلت العقول إليه أو لاشتهاره في السير والكتب بين المخالف والمؤالف
We do not present chains for most of the narrations we cite, either due to consensus on them, or because they align with what reason indicates, or due to their well-known status in histories and books among both opponents and supporters.[10]
The response to this is that this statement has not been acknowledged by the majority of Imami scholars. None of them have asserted the validity of everything in al Ihtijaj. Rather, they considered the absence of chains for the narrations as a reason for rejecting them. Thus, ‘Ali Akbar al Saifi commented on one of the narrations from al Ihtijaj:
وأما سندًا فهي ضعيفة بالإرسال وإن شهد الطبرسي في مقدمة الاحتجاج باشتهار أكثر الروايات المحذوفة إسنادها
As for the chain, it is weak due to being transmitted without a chain, even though al Tabarsi stated in the introduction to al Ihtijaj the famousness of most of the narrations which do not have chains.[11]
Fath Allah Najjar stated:
رغم أن المؤلف ألزم نفسه بأنه لا يذكر في احتجاجه إلا الروايات المعتبرة ولكنه كما قلنا بحذفه الإسناد سقط كتابه الاحتجاج في مقام الاحتجاج والاستدلال وهو غير قابل للاعتماد في البحث العلمي
Although the author committed himself to mention only credible narrations in his arguments, as we said, by omitting the chain, his book al Ihtijaj falls short in the realm of argumentation and reasoning and it is not suitable for reliance in academic research.[12]
Consequently, scholars of the Imamiyyah have consistently rejected the narrations of al Ihtijaj due to the lack of chains, as previously noted from a number of them. Thus, al Ihtijaj is not suitable to use as proof, and therefore, this narration found in it has no significance.
NEXT⇒ What is attributed to Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al Baqir
[1] Al Ihtijaj, vol. 2, pg. 40.
[2] He is not Abu ‘Ali al Fadl ibn al Hassan al Tabarsi (d. 548 AH), the author of Majma’ al Bayan in Qur’anic exegesis, Jawami’ al Jami’, and other books. Some of the Shia scholars mistakenly attributed the book al Ihtijaj to Abu ‘Ali al Tabarsi. This was clarified by Muhammad Bahr al ‘Ulum in his introduction to al Ihtijaj, vol. 1, pg. 7-8.
[3] Ma’alim al ‘Ulama’, vol.1, pg. 249, entry no. 126.
[4] Mawsu’at al Khu’i, Sharh al ‘Urwah al Wuthqa – al Salah, vol. 12, pg. 359.
[5] Misbah al Faqahah, vol. 3, pg. 501.
[6] Siyanat al Qur’an min al Tahrif, pg. 232.
[7] Al Qur’an al Karim wa Riwayat al Madrasatayn, vol. 3, pg. 70.
[8] Al Qur’an al Karim wa Riwayat al Madrasatayn, vol. 3, pg. 415.
[9] Fiqh al Khilaf, vol. 6, pg. 202.
[10] Al Ihtijaj, vol. 1, pg. 4.
[11] Bada’i’ al Buhuth fi ‘Ilm al Usul, vol. 6, pg. 188.
[12] Salamat al Qur’an min al Tahrif, pg. 442.