What is the knowledge?"

The following Hadith, in addition to other valuable information therein, also makes it possible
for one to learn about the source and emergence of Hadith.

• This Hadith is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic) and is found also in Biharal-Anwaar

"A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hajjal, 
from Ahmad ibn ‘Umar al-Halabi, from abu Basir who has said the following:
‘Once I went to see abu ‘Abd Allah (as) and said to him, "May Allah take my 
soul in service for your cause, I would like to ask you a question. Is there anyone else in this house 
who may hear my words?’" 



The Imam (as) then folded the curtain between his room and the next room
and looked into it. Then the Imam (as) said, "O abu Muhammad, ask whatever 
you wish."


I said, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, your followers say that the Messenger of 
Allah taught Ali (as) a thousand chapters of knowledge and from each chapter 
there opened a thousand chapters. I then said, "This, I swear by Allah, is knowledge." He would mark
the ground with his staff (perhaps a sign of thinking) for a while. He then said, "That is knowledge 
but it is not that." The narrator has said that the Imam (as) said, "O abu 
Muhammad, with us there is al-Jami‘a. Do they know what al-Jami‘a is?"


I asked, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause. What is al-Jami‘a?"

The Imam (as) said, "It is a parchment seventy yards long by the yards of the 
Messenger of Allah. It contains his dictations from his very own mouth that are recorded onto it in the 
handwriting of Ali (as). It contains all the lawful and unlawful, and all matters 
that people need. Even the law of compensation for a scratch caused to a person." He then extended
his hand towards me and asked, "May I, O abu Muhammad?" I replied, "May Allah take my soul in 
service for your cause, I am entirely at your disposal." He pinched me with his hand and said, "The 
law of compensation, even for this much, is included therein." He seemed angry. I said, "This, I swear by Allah is knowledge."


The Imam (as) said, "It certainly is knowledge but not that one." The Imam
(as) remained silent for a while and then said, "With us there is al-Jafr. Do 
they know what al-Jafr is?"
I asked, "What is al-Jafr?"
The Imam (as) said, "It is a container made of skin that contains the 
knowledge of the prophets and the executors of their wills. It is the knowledge of the scholars in the past from the Israelites."
I said, "This certainly, is the knowledge."


The Imam (as) said, "It certainly is knowledge but not that knowledge." The
Imam (as) remained silent for a while and then said, "With us there is the book 
(Mushaf) of Fatima, (as). Do they know what Mushaf of Fatima is?" The
Imam (as) said, "Mushaf of Fatima is three times bigger than your Quran. 
There is not even a single letter therein from your Quran."


I then said, "This, I swear by Allah, is the knowledge."

The Imam (as) said, "This certainly is knowledge, but it is not that." The Imam
(as) remained silent for a while and then said, "With us there is the knowledge
of whatever has been, and the knowledge of everything that will come into being to the Day of Judgment."
I said, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause. This, I swear by Allah, certainly, is the
knowledge."
The Imam (as) said, "It certainly is knowledge but not that knowledge."
I asked, "May Allah take my soul in service for your cause. What is the knowledge?"
The Imam (as) said, "It is whatever takes place during the night and during the day, one matter after the other matter, and one thing after the other to the Day of Judgment."

• (Al-Kafi Vol. 1, H 614, Ch. 40, h1)