Hadith 1

n incident among incidents, as a test from Allah-azwj the Exalted upon His-azwj servants in fulfilling what He-azwj has Imposed upon them. A group among those who advocate for Ijtihad claims that if it becomes difficult for him from one direction until all directions become equal to him, he should strive and follow his own Ijtihad wherever it leads him. So, according to their claim, this is permissible even if it does not result in the true direction of the Qiblah. They also claimed that if there were a hundred people following this method, none of them is allowed to follow the Ijtihad of another. With these statements, they contradict the fundamental principles of their belief. They further claimed that a blind person or someone with impaired vision can follow any of these diligent individuals, so they can switch from the word (opinion) of one of them to the word of another. Thus, they equated their Ijtihad to be like the one who did not do Ijtihad, so the Ijtihad did not elevate them except to a state of straying and the transferring from a state to a state. So which religion is more innovative and which statement is more atrocious than this discourse, or clearer in its incapacity from someone who thinks himself to be from the people of Islam while he is in such a state? We seek refuge with Allah-azwj from the straying after the guidance, and from following the personal desires, and we seek His-azwj Assistance upon what would drawn one closer to Him-azwj. He-azwj is Hearing, Responding’. I (Majlisi) am saying, ‘I found this ancient correspondence to have begun like this –
It is narrated to us by Ja’far Bin Muhammad Bin Qawlawiya Al-Qummi, may Allah-azwj Mercy him. He said, ‘It is narrated to me by Sa’ad Al-Ashari Al-Qummi Abu Al-Qasim, may Allah-azwj Mercy him, and he is its author. ‘The Praise is for Allah-azwj with the bounties and the Favours, and the Glory, and the Might, and the Greatness; and may Allah-azwj Send Salawaat upon Muhammad-saww Chief of the Prophets-as and upon his-saww Progeny-asws, the righteous, the pious. It is reported by our elders from our companions, from Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘Amir Al-Momineen-asws, may the Salawaat of Allah-azwj be upon him-asws, said: ‘The Quran has been Revealed upon seven ‘Harf’ (aspects). All of these are a healing, sufficient, Command, rebuke, and exhorting, and deterring, and argumentative, and stories, and examples’’. [11]
And he continued the Hadeeth to its end, but by another arrangement, and its difference is upon the chapters, and there is an addition in what is between that with some of the Ahadeeth. ‏
[1] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 1
[2] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 2
[3] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 3
[4] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 4
[5] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 5
[6] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 6
[7] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 7
[8] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 8
[9] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 9
[10] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 10
[11] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 90 – The Book of Quran – Ch 128 / 11
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