Islamic Traditions [IO Islamic 932]

Tradition.

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 932 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 143 here with further notations and hyperlinks].

143.

932. Size 7 in. by 33/4 in.; foll. 302. Twelve lines in a page.

A Collection of Shî’ah Traditions on the universal knowledge, divine right, and spiritual powers of the Holy Imâms, entitled بصائر الدرجات (فی علوم آل محمد و ما خصّهم الله به), 1and ascribed to MUḤAMMAD, B. AL-ḤASAN AL-ṢAFFÂR (Abu Ja’far Ḳummî, d. A. H. 290). See Ṭûsî, p. ٢۸۸. 2

The work is divided into chapters (باب), each headed by a brief sketch of its contents.

The Imâms are always spoken of collectively (الائمة علیهم السلام), and the work vindicates the boldest Shî’ah doctrines regarding them. Its chief authorities are ‘Alî, Abu Ja’far (Muḥammad Bâḳir), and Abu ‘Abd-allah (Ja’far Ṣâdiḳ) themselves. The connexion of the Isnâds with the compiler is generally not expressed. 1

Beginning: الجزؤ الاول من کتاب بصائر الدرجات بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم باب فی العلم انّ طلبه فریضة علی الناس محمد بن الحسن المعروف بمهزلة (sic) عن ابرهیم بن هاشم عن الحسن بن یزید (زید.r) بن علی بن الحسین عن ابیه عن ابی عبدالله علیهم السلام قال قال رسول الله صلی الله علیه و آله طلب العلم فریضة علی کل مسلم.

In four separate parts (جزء). Part II. begins on fol. 94; III. on fol. 186; IV. on fol. 250. Well written, the titles in gold, and the names of the authorities in red. Gold lines round the pages. An ornament at the beginning.

Foll. 64-77 should be placed between foll. 190 and 191, in the following order: 64, 66-77, 65.

Fol. 302 contains extracts from the بحار الانوار, and from the رسالة الرجعة of Muḥammad b. al- Ḥasan al- Ḥurr, in which the present work, and another one with the same title, by Sa’d b. ‘Abdallah, 2 and also an abstract of the latter by Ḥasan b. Sulaimân, are noticed. There probably exists some relation between the two books. To conclude from the evidence of Ṭûsî before mentioned, the present work might be considered an augmented edition of the original work of Sa’d. This would also account for the strange introduction of the Isnâds noticed above.

1 The words in brackets are added in the titles of Parts III. and IV.

2 Ṭûsî, however, in speaking of the works of the author, only mentions a زیادة کتاب بصائر الدرجات of his. See below.

1 i.e. حدثنا and the like are omitted at the beginning of the Isnâds.

2 He died about A. H. 300. His work is also mentioned by Ṭûsî, p. ۱۵۳, I. 9, and described as being divided into four parts. Cf. Fihrist of Ibn al-Nadîm, cd. Flügel, p. ۲۲۳, where the same work is called تصدیر الدرجات.