KITAB-E-SULAYM IBN QAYS AL HILALI Imam Ja’far Al Sadiq (a.s) said: “If anyone from our Shia and devotees does not have the book of Sulaym ibn Qays al Hilali, then he does not have any of our things, and he does not know any of our matters. This is the first book of Shia and is one of the secrets of Ale-Muhammad (a.s)” Introduction BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHEEM Wa Sallallahu ‘Ala Muhammad Wa Alahit Tayyabin al Muntakhabin And May Allah shower his blessings on the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his holy progeny who are pure and chosen ones. It is believed that Fazile Muhaddith Shaykh Shehr Ashoob Assarawi al Mazindarani, who was one of the greatest Ulamah in 565 A.H. has narrated that he read the hand written book of Sulaym ibn Qays Al Hilali to Raise Afif Abul Baqa Hibatullah ibn Nama ibn Ali ibn Hamdun (RA), in his house, in Hilla-e-Jamein in Jamadi au Awwal, 565 A.H. Raise Afif Abul Baqa Hibatullah said that he read this book in front of Shaykh Amin Alim Abu Abdillah Al-Husayn ibn Ahmed ibn Tahal al- Miqdadi al-Mujawir in Mashhad of Amirul Mumineen (AS) in 520 A.H. He was informed of the book of Sheikh Mufid Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn Muhammad at-Tusi (RA), in Rajab 490 A.H., who had been informed by his father. Readers interested in tracing the chain of narrators leading to Umar ibn Uzayna are requested to refer to the book of Sulaym in Arabic. Umar ibn Uzayna said: “I was called by Aban ibn Ayyash a month before he died and he told me that he saw a dream the night before that he was soon going to die. Then he saw me and he was pleased to see me, and the night after that he saw Sulaym ibn Qays Hilali in his dream. Sulaym said to Abad: “O Aban you are going to die in these days. Fear God as far as my amanat (that which is held in custody for safe keeping) is concerned, and you do not destroy it and what you promised to hide, fulfill it. And only give it to that person who loves Ali (AS) and has Deen and reputation.” Aban then said that when he saw me he was very pleased and remembered the dream that he had about Sulaym ibn Qays. He (Aban) said: “When Hajjaj ibn Yusuf came he asked for Sulaym ibn Qays. Sulaym ran away and he came to my house. I have not seen anyone except Sulaym who had such a concern for his reputation and Sulaym always performed best deeds and feared God very much. He did not like to mingle with everybody, he preferred to remain isolated. He did not like to be famous and found publicity bad. I was 14 years at the time and had completed reciting Quran. I used to question him and he used to tell me about Ahlulbayt. I have heard a lot of ahadith from Sulaym which he narrated from Umar ibn Abi Salmah, who was the son of Janabe Umme Salmah, the lady who was one of the wives of the Holy Prophet (SAW). Sulaym also narrated to me ahadith from Ma’az ibn Jabal (a companion of the Holy Prophet (SAW), and also from Salman Farsi who narrated from Abu Talib (AS), and Abu Dhar, Miqdad, Ammar, Bara ibn Adhib. Then Sulaym requested me to keep these ahadith to myself but he did not take an oath from me in this matter. Then after a few days Sulaym passed away. He called me and, in private, he said to me: “O Aban I have spent a lot of time with you and I did not see anything in you which I did not like. I have some books that I have heard from authentic narrators and I have written them with my own hands. These books contain a lot of ahadith that I do not want you to let people know because they will deny them and will be surprised, although they are all true and that I have heard them from people who are trustworthy. Possess knowledge about Jurisprudence who do not tell lies and who do good deeds only and who have narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and Salman Farsi, Abu Dhar Gaffari, Miqdad ibn Aswad (RA). And when I heard a hadith from one person I also asked another person regarding the same hadith until all of them agreed the same to be true. Then I accepted the hadith. There are certain things that I have not heard from people who never lied, and when I fell ill, I thought I should burn them but fearing that to be a sin, I did not want to burn them. If you promise me and take an oath that you will not show it to anyone except those whom you believe to be as trustworthy as yourself. If you face an incident then you will give it to someone from the Shia of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) whom you trust and who is religious and reputable.”.” Aban continued: “I promised Sulaym, so Sulaym gave me everything and also read them all to me and after a few days Sulaym (RA) passed away. After sulaym died I read the ahadith and had confidence in them to be true and found them to be of the highest degree because they contained annihilation of the whole Ummah of the Holy Prophet (SAW), be they from Muhajireen, Ansar or Tabeiin except Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and his Ahlulbaty (AS) and their Shia. Then I came to Basra and the first person that I met was Hasan ibn Abul Hasan Basari, who at the time was hiding from Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. Hasan ibn Abul Hasan Basari used to declare himself as one of the very devoted shia of those times of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and used to show regret that he could not participate and help Ali (AS) in the Battle of Jamal, so I met him alone in the east part of the house of Abu Khalifa Al Hajjaj ibn Abu Itab Ad-Delami and read the ahadith that Sulaym had given me. Hasan cried and siad: “Whatever is in these ahadith is true. I have myself heard them from the trustworth shia of Ali (AS) and also from others.” I went for Hajj in that year and after that I went to see Hadhrat Ali ibnul Husayn (AS). At that time Abu Tufayl Aamil ibn Waasila, a companion of the Holy Prophet (SAW) was with him and Abu Tufayl was amongst the best of companions of Ali (AS). Umar ibn Abi Salmah, the son of Janabe Umme Salmah was also there. I presented these ahadith to him (Umar), Abu Tufayl and Hadhrat Ali Ibnul Husain (AS) for three days and also at night Umar and Abu Tufaul used to come to Hadhrat Ali ibnul Husain’s (AS) house to listen. I read for three days and also at night. So Hadhrat Ali (AS) told me “Sulaym (RA) has said truth. These are all our ahadith which we know.” Abu Tufayl and Umar ibn Abi Salmah said: “We have heard these ahadith from Ali (AS) and also from Salman, Abu Dhar and Miqdad.” I said to Hadhrat Ali ibnul Husain (AS): “May I be sacrificed for you, there are certain matters mentioned in these ahadith that make my chest feel tightened because there is destruction of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (SAW) be they Muhajireen, Ansar or Tabe’iin, except for your Ahlulbayt and your Shia.” Alayhissalam said: “O brother of Abul Qays, do you not know that the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: “The example of my Ahlulbayt in my Ummah is like the example of the boat of Noah (AS) in his community. Those who embarked the boat were saved and those who refused drowned. And it is like the door of Hittah in Bani Israel.” I said: “Yes, I know.” Ali ibn Husain (AS) asked: “Who told you this hadith?” I replied: “I have heard this hadith from more than 100 fuqaha.” Ali ibnul Husain (AS) asked: “From which people?” I replied: “From Hanash ibnil Mo’atamar, who said he had heard it from Abu Dhar when Abu Dhar was in Ka’abah and he was holding the chains of the door of Ka’abah and was loudly saying this hadith that he had heard from the Holy Prophet (SAW).” He asked: “Who else from?” I replied: “From Hasan ibn Abu Hasan Basari who had heard from Abu Dhar, Miqdad and from Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS).” He asked: “And who else from?” I replied: “From Sa’eed ibnul Musayyib and Al-Qamah ibn Qays and Abu Dhabiyan Al-Jambi, and Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Layla, and these were all in Hajj. they informed that they had heard from Abu Dhar.” Abu Tufayl and Umar Abi Salmah said: “By God, we have heard it from Abu Dhar and Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), Salman Farsi and Miqdad.” After that Umar Abi Salmah said: “By God, I have heard it from some one who is better than all these. I have heard it from the Holy Prophet (SAW) himself. My two ears head it and my heart has remembered it.” Aban continued: “Ali ibnul Husain (AS) turned to me and asked: “Does this one hadith not contain all those things that have frightened you, and with all these hadith there is a burden in your heart? O brother, fear God.