16
his predecessors, the Rāfidī shaykhs, such as Ibn al-Nu‘mān al-Mufīd(1), and his followers, such as al-Karājikī(2), Abū al-Qāsim al-Mūsawī(3), al-Tūsī(4), and others like them. For the Rāfidah are fundamentally not people of learning or expertise in methods of rational inquiry and debate, in understanding proofs, or in the objections and counterarguments that may be raised against them. Likewise, they are among the most ignorant of people regarding transmitted reports, hadiths, and traditions, and in distinguishing the authentic from the weak. Their chief basis for transmitted material is historical works with disconnected chains of transmission, many of which were fabricated by figures known for mendacity and, indeed(5), for heresy. Their scholars rely on reports from the likes of Abū Mikhnaf
(1) Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu‘mān ibn Abd al-Salām al-Baghdādī, known as al-Shaykh al-Mufīd. Al-Khwānsārī states (*Rawdāt al-jannāt*, p. [0–9]36): “He was among the most eminent shaykhs of the Shia, as well as their leader and teacher. Everyone who came after him benefited from him.” He died in 413 AH. See his biography in *Rawdāt al-jannāt*, pp. [0–9]36–543; *Tanqīh al-maqāl*, 3/180–181; and *Shadharāt al-dhahab*, 3/199–200.
(2) Muhammad ibn Alī al-Karājikī, Shaykh Abū al-Fath, died in 449 AH and was a student of al-Mufīd. See his biography in *Tanqīh al-maqāl*, 3/159; *Rawdāt al-jannāt*, pp. [0–9]52–553; and *Lisān al-mīzān*, 5/300.
(3) Alī ibn al-Husayn ibn Mūsā ibn Muhammad, Abū al-Qāsim, known as al-Sayyid al-Murtadā, *Alam al-Hudā* (“Standard of Guidance”). Al-Khwānsārī states that he studied under al-Shaykh al-Mufīd. He died in 436 AH. See his biography in *Rawdāt al-jannāt*, pp. [0–9]74–379; *Rijāl al-Najāshī*, pp. [0–9]06–207; *Lisān al-mīzān*, 4/223–225; and the introduction to *Amālī al-Murtadā*, edited by Professor Abū al-Fadl Ibrāhīm (Cairo, 1954).
(4) Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Alī al-Tūsī, Abū Ja‘far, the leading shaykh of the Imāmiyya (Twelver Shia) and head of the sect, was a student of al-Shaykh al-Mufīd. He died in 460 AH. See his biography in *Tanqīh al-maqāl*, 3/104–105; *Rawdāt al-jannāt*, p. [0–9]53; *Rijāl al-Najāshī*, p. [0–9]16; and *Lisān al-mīzān*, 5/135.
(5) The word “indeed” is an addition found only in N.
سَلَفِهِ شُيُوخِ الرَّافِضَةِ كَابْنِ النُّعْمَانِ الْمُفِيدِ
(١)
،
وَمُتَّبِعِيهِ:
كَالْكَرَاجِكِيِّ
(٢)
، وَأَبِي الْقَاسِمِ الْمُوسَوِيِّ
(٣)
، وَالطُّوسِيِّ
(٤)
، وَأَمْثَالِهِمْ، فَإِنَّ الرَّافِضَةَ فِي الْأَصْلِ لَيْسُوا أَهْلَ عِلْمٍ، وَخِبْرَةٍ بِطَرِيقِ النَّظَرِ، وَالْمُنَاظَرَةِ، وَمَعْرِفَةِ الْأَدِلَّةِ، وَمَا يَدْخُلُ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمَنْعِ، وَالْمُعَارَضَةِ، كَمَا أَنَّهُمْ مِنْ أَجْهَلِ النَّاسِ بِمَعْرِفَةِ الْمَنْقُولَاتِ، وَالْأَحَادِيثِ، وَالْآثَارِ، وَالتَّمْيِيزِ بَيْنَ صَحِيحِهَا وَضَعِيفِهَا، وَإِنَّمَا عُمْدَتُهُمْ فِي الْمَنْقُولَاتِ عَلَى تَوَارِيخَ مُنْقَطِعَةِ الْإِسْنَادِ، وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهَا مِنْ وَضْعِ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ بِالْكَذِبِ، بَلْ
(٥)
وَبِالْإِلْحَادِ، وَعُلَمَاؤُهُمْ يَعْتَمِدُونَ عَلَى نَقْلِ مِثْلِ أَبِي مِخْنَفٍ
(١) مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ عَبْدِ السَّلَامِ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ الْمُلَقَّبُ بِالشَّيْخِ الْمُفِيدِ. قَالَ الْخَوَانْسَارِيُّ (رَوْضَاتِ الْجَنَّاتِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٣٦) : كَانَ مِنْ أَجَلِّ مَشَايِخِ الشِّيعَةِ وَرَئِيسَهُمْ وَأُسْتَاذَهُمْ، وَكُلُّ مَنْ تَأَخَّرَ عَنْهُ اسْتَفَادَ مِنْهُ، تُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ٤١٣. وَانْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ فِي رَوْضَاتِ الْجَنَّاتِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٣٦ - ٥٤٣؛ تَنْقِيحَ الْمَقَالِ ٣/١٨٠ - ١٨١؛ شَذَرَاتِ الذَّهَبِ ٣/١٩٩ - ٢٠٠.
(٢) مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْكَرَاجِكِيُّ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو الْفَتْحِ الْمُتَوَفَّى سَنَةَ ٤٤٩، وَهُوَ مِنْ تَلَامِذَةِ الْمُفِيدِ. تَرْجَمَتُهُ فِي تَنْقِيحِ الْمَقَالِ ٣/١٥٩؛ رَوْضَاتُ الْجَنَّاتِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٥٢ - ٥٥٣؛ لِسَانُ الْمِيزَانِ ٥/٣٠٠.
(٣) عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ مُوسَى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ وَيُعْرَفُ بِالسَّيِّدِ الْمُرْتَضَى عَلَمِ الْهُدَى. ذَكَرَ الْخَوَانْسَارِيُّ أَنَّهُ قَرَأَ عَلَى الشَّيْخِ الْمُفِيدِ، وَقَدْ تُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ٤٣٦. تَرْجَمَتُهُ فِي رَوْضَاتِ الْجَنَّاتِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٧٤ - ٣٧٩؛ الرِّجَالُ لِلنَّجَاشِيِّ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٠٦ - ٢٠٧؛ لِسَانُ الْمِيزَانِ ٤/٢٢٣ - ٢٢٥؛ مُقَدِّمَةُ " أَمَالِي الْمُرْتَضَى " تَحْقِيقُ الْأُسْتَاذِ أَبِي الْفَضْلِ إِبْرَاهِيم، الْقَاهِرَةَ، ١٩٥٤.
(٤) مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الطُّوسِيُّ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ شَيْخُ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ وَرَئِيسُ الطَّائِفَةِ، كَانَ تِلْمِيذًا لِلشَّيْخِ الْمُفِيدِ وَتُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ٤٦٠. تَرْجَمَتُهُ فِي تَنْقِيحِ الْمَقَالِ ٣/١٠٤ - ١٠٥؛ رَوْضَاتُ الْجَنَّاتِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٥٣؛ الرِّجَالُ لِلنَّجَاشِيِّ، ص [٠ - ٩] ١٦؛ لِسَانُ الْمِيزَانِ ٥/١٣٥.
(٥) بَلْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) فَقَطْ.