1. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims
  2. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

163 Questions

Are there any hadith or Quranic verses that mention the existence of 12 imams after our Prophet Muhammad (saw)?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Yes. There are Quranic verses as well authentic Hadeeths.

'Quranic verses mentioned the similarity between Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and Prophet Musa (AS) (Verily, We Have Sent to you a Messenger (Muhammad) , who will witness on you, as We sent Musa to Pharaoh as a Messenger) (Sura Al-Muzzammil, verse 15. The successors of Musa were twelve as we read in a Quran (Sura Al-A'raaf, verse 160). These two verses show that as Musa (As) had twelve successors, Muhammad (SAWA) will have twelve successors.

'Authentic Hadeeths narrated in Shia and Sunni books including Bukhari, Muslim , Tirmithi, Musnad Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Mustadrak of Al-Haakim and many others mentioned that the successors after the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) will be twelve .

'Wassalam.
How can someone effectively use books like Al-Kafi for reference? When asked to find a specific reference such as Al-Kafi 1:289, does it imply volume 1 hadith 289?
Amina Inloes

This likely refers to volume 1, page 289.

Frequently, the standard Arabic printing is cited, and so you can find it in that version. If the book was written in Farsi, they may be citing a version in Farsi or with Farsi in it. So you may need to dig to find the exact narration, if they have not given publication information.

Sometimes it is easiest to try to find it by back-translating it and searching online or on library software such as ablibrary.net until you find what you are looking for. This website can also help with seaching: https://hadith.academyofislam.com/

Best wishes!
Why did the Prophet Muhammad (s) and Imams not write their own books of Ahadith?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Imam Ali (AS) did write Hadeeths which he heard from the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). His book is called Al-Jaami'ah الجامعة. or Kitab Ali.

'It remained after him with the Infallible Imams and now it is with Imam Al-Mahdi (AS).

Ahlul Bayt (AS) encouraged their students to write books in Hadeeth and other fields of knowledge. Four hundred main books were complied by the sydents of Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (AS) but the enemies destroyed them. We have now Fiur Hadeeth books ( Al-Kaafi, Al-Tahtheen, Al-Istibsaar and Al-Faqeeh) which contain main narrations which are much more than the narrations in Bukhari and Muslim.

Wassalam.
What Quranic or Hadith evidence is available to support the belief that Imam Ali (as) is superior to all prophets, with the exception of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Quran states in Sura 3, verse 61 that Ali (AS) is like the self of the Prophet وأنفسنا وأنفسكم. Say: (O Muhammad): Come, let us call our sons and your sins, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then we pray and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars. The Prophet brought Ali as himself. This means that Ali's status is the greatest after the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
The Prophet (SAWA) said to Ali (AS): O Ali, you are from me and I am from you.
- Saheeh Al-Bukhari , Volume 5, page 22.
- Musnad Ahmed ibn Hanbal 1; 98.
- Sunan Al-Bayhaqi ,V.8, P.5.
- Al-Mustadrak Ala Al-Saheehain by Al-Haakim Al-Nisbouri, V.3, P.120.
-Al-Khasaa'iss by Al-Nasaa'i, page 19. And many other Sunni books of Hadeeth.
'This prophetic statement is very clear that Ali is from the Prophet and the Prophet is from Ali. No prophet was having such high status from the Proohet Muhammad (SAWA).
Wassalam.