['Aalim Network QR] Kifayatul Athar by Al-Khazzaz

[Ummulbanin <workshop@dircon.co.uk>]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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Assalamu 'Alaykum
The following question was kindly answered by Br. Shaun Astarabadi.

Salaams
Ummulbanin Merali - Moderator - 'Aalim Network
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Question:

I believe in one of the answers on ABDG-A, Kifayatul Athar was said to be a
Sunni source. I think the author is Al-Khazzaz.

My question is: If this is correct, could you tell us more about Al-Khazzaz,
viz when he lived, what are some his books, etc?


Answer:

Information on the book Kifayatul Athar by al-Khazzaz.

The complete book title is: "Kifayatul Athar fi al-Nusoos ala al-Aemmatil
Ithnai 'Ashar (as)", by Abi al-Qasim Ali bin Mohammad bin Ali al-Khazzaz
al-Razi al-Qummi. 

The title means: The sufficient traces in the clear-statements on the
Twelve Imams (as). 

al-Khazzaz lived in the end of the fourth century, was a contemporary of
Shaikh al-Sadouq (306-381 AH). 

1. al-Shaikh Abbas al-Qummi in his "Safinatul Bihar" indicates the
references to Kifayatul Athar by the symbol Noon-Ssad. He precedes the
author's name by "al-Shaikh, the trusted, his excellency Abil Qasim...; he
narrates from al-Shaikh al-Sadouq and Ibn 'Ayyash." 

2. al-Majlisi in "Biharul Anwa~r" uses the title as a standard reference
indicated by Noon-Ssad. In identifying the author he says: "a trusted one
from our companions - Imami". (V zero, p 150) 

3. al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Ameen in "A'yan al-Shi'a", v8, p330;
He says: "A jurist (faqeeh) he has the following books and more:"
        - Kifayatul (Athar fi) al-Nusoos ala al-Aemma al-Ithna
         'Ashar"
        - al-Ithah fil Kalam (Clearification in Talk)
        - al-Amali

4. There is a reference to Muhammad bin Ali al-Khazzaz from Kifayatul
Athar in "al-Tahtheeb" by Shaikh al-Tousi (one of the four hadeeth books),
v4, p205, hadeeth #623. Also, in "Mustadrak al-Wasael", by al-Noori, v16,
p201. 

We can gather from the above references that it appears that person 
is the father of the author of Kifayatul Athar.  However, al-Sayyid al-Khoei 
(qs) says that narrator's name is in error in the hadeeth book, and that 
it should have been Muhammad bin Yahya al-Khazzaz. (Mu'jam Rijal al-Hadeeth, 
Sayyid al-Koei, v17, p46.) 

Wassalam,

Shaun Astarabadi