Shi'ism and the Transmitted Sciences

The Islamic sciences, which owe their existence to the ulama of Islam
who organized andformulated them, are divided into the two categories
of intellectual ('aqli) and transmitted (naqli). The intellectual
sciences include such sciences as philosophy and mathematics. The
transmitted sciences are those which depend upon transmission from
some source, such as the sciences of language, hadith, or history.
Without doubt the major cause for the appearanceof the transmitted
sciences in Islam is the Holy Qur'an. With the exception of a few
disciplines such as history, genealogy, and prosody the other
transmitted sciences haveall come into being under the influence of
the Holy Book. Guided by religious discussions and research, Muslims
began to cultivate these sciences, of which the most important are
Arabic literature (grammar, rhetoric, and the science of metaphors)
and the sciences pertaining to the external form of religion
(recitation of theQur'an, Qur'anic commentary (tafsir) hadith,
biography of learned men, the chain oftransmission of hadith, and the
principles of jurisprudence).
Shi'ites played an essential role in the foundation and establishment
of these sciences. In fact, the founders and creators of many of these
sciences were Shi'ites. Arabic grammar was put into a systematic form
by Abu'l-Aswad al-Du'ali, one of the companions of the Holy Prophet
and by Ali. Ali dictated an outline forthe organization of the science
of Arabic grammar. One of the founders of the science of eloquence
(rhetoric and the science o metaphors) was Sahib ibn 'Ahbad a Shi'ite,
who was a vizier of the Buyids.
The first Arabic dictionaryis the Kitab al-Ayn composed by the famous
scholar, Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Basre the Shi'ite who founded the science
of prosody. He was also the teacher of the great master of grammar,
Sibuwayh.
The Qur'anic recitation ofAsim goes back to Ali through one
intermediary, and 'Abdallah ibn 'Abbas, whoin hadith was the foremost
among the companions, was a student of Ali. The contributions of the
Household of the Prophetand their associates in hadith and
jurisprudenceare well known. The founders of the four Sunni schools of
law are known to have associated with the fifth and sixth Shi'ite
Imams. In the principles of jurisprudence the remarkable advances
accomplished by the Shi'ite scholar Wahid Bihbahani and followed by
Shaykh Murtada Ansari have never been matched in Sunni jurisprudence
according to existing evidence.

The Method of Shi'ism in Authenticating the Hadith

Shi'ism, in addition to seeking to authenticate the chain of
transmission of hadith, considers the correlation of the text of the
hadith with the Qur'an as a necessary condition for its validity. In
Shi'ite sources there are many hadith of the Prophet and the Imams
with authentic chains of transmission which themselves assert that a
hadith contrary to the Qur'an has no value. Only that hadith can be
considered valid which isin agreement with the Qur'an.
Basing itself on these hadiths, Shi'ism does not act upon those
hadiths which are contrary to thetext of the Qur'an. As for hadiths
whose agreement or disagreement cannot be established according to
instructions received from the Imams they are passed by in silence
without being accepted or rejected.
Needless to say there are also within Shi'ism those who, like a group
amongthe Sunnis act on any hadith whatsoever whichthey happen to find
in different traditional sources.
The Method of Shi'ism in Following the Hadith
A hadith heard directly from the mouth of the Prophet or one of the
Imams is accepted as is the Qur'an. As for hadiths received through
intermediaries, the majority of Shi'ites act upon them if their chain
of transmission is established at every step or if there exists
definite proof concerning their truth, and, if they are concerned with
principles of doctrine which require knowledge and certainty,according
to the text of the Qur'an. Other than these two kinds of hadith, no
other hadith has any validity concerning principles of doctrine, the
invalid hadith being called "tradition with a sincere transmitter"
(khabar wahid). However, in establish in the injunctions of the
Shari'ah, because of reasons that have been given, Shi'ites act also
on a tradition which is generally accepted as reliable. Therefore, it
can be said that for Shi'ism a certain and definitely established
hadith is absolutely binding and must be followed, while a hadith
which is not absolutely established but which is generally considered
as reliable is utilized only in the elaboration of the in junctions of
the Shari'ah.

Biographies, - Hazrat Safiyyah (R.A)

She was the daughter of Hayi, Who was a descendant of Hadhrat Harun
(a.s) the brother ofMoosa (a.s). She was first married to Salam bin
Mishkam and then to Kinallah bin Abi Huqaiq at the time of Khevbar.
Kinallah was killed in the battle and she was captured by the Muslims.
Hadhrat Dahya Kalbi (Radhiyallaho anha) requested for a maid, and the
Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) made her over to him. At this,
the other Sahabah approached the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
and said:
"O, Prophet of Allah! Banu Nazir and Banu Quraizah (the Jewish tribes
of Madinah) will feel offended to see the daughter of a Jewish chief
working as a maid. We therefore suggest that she may be taken as your
own wife."
The Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)paid a reasonable sum of
money to Hadhrat Dahya (r.a) as ransom, and said toSafiyyah: "You are
now free; if you like you can go back to your tribe or can be my
wife."
She said: "I longed to be with you while I was a Jew. How can I leave
you now, when I am a Muslim?�
This is probably a reference to the fact that she once saw in her
dream a portion of the moon falling into her lap.When she mentioned
herdream to Kinanah, he smote her face so severely that she developed
a mark on her eye. He said: "You seem to be desiring to become the
wife of the King of Madinah."
Her father is also reported to have treated her similarly when she
related the same or similar dream to him. Sheagain saw (in her
dream)the sun lying on her breast. When she mentioned this to her
husband, he remarked:
"You seem to be wishing to become the Queen of Madinah."
She says: "I was seventeen when I was married to the Prophet Mohammad
(صلى الله عليه وسلم) . She came to live with the Prophet Mohammad (صلى
الله عليه وسلم) when he was camping at the first stage from Khaiber.
Next morning, he said to the Sahabah: "Let everybody bring whatever he
has got to eat."
They brought their own dates, cheese, butter, etc.A long leather sheet
was spread and all sat round it to share the food among themselves.
This was the Walimah for the marriage.
She died in Ramadan, 50 A. H., when she was about 60.

Biographies, - Hazrat Maimoonah (R.A)

She was the daughter of Harith bin Hazan. Her original name was Barrah
but she was later renamedMaimoonahby the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله
عليه وسلم). She was first married to Abu Rahim bin Abdul Uzza.
According to some reports, she was married twice before she became
Ummul Mominin. She hadbeen widowed lately when the Prophet Mohammad
(صلى الله عليه وسلم) married her at Saraf, a place lyingon his journey
to Mecca for 'Umrah in Zul Qa'dah 7 A.H. He had intended to start
living with her when in Mecca after performing 'Umrah but, as Qureysh
did not allow him to enter Mecca, he called her over to him in the
same place on his return journey. Many years later she died and was
buried exactly at the same place in 51 A. H. (when she was 81).
This is a strange coincidence that at a certain place during one
Journey she is married, atthe same place on the return journey she
starts living with the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and at
the very place during another journey she dies and is buried.
Hadhrat Aishah (R.A) says:"Maimoonahwas the most pious, and the most
mindful of her kith and kin, among the Prophet Mohammad's (صلى
اللهعليه وسلم) wives."
Hadhrat Yazid bin Asam (R.A) says: "She was seen either engaged in
Salaat or in domestic work. When she was doing neither, she was busy
in Miswak." She was the lastwoman to be married by the Prophet
Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Certain Muhaddithin have, however,
mentioned one or two other marriages contracted by the Prophet
Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).