و كتاب الغارات مؤلفه من مشاهير المحدثين و ذكره النجاشي و الشيخ و عدا من كتبه كتاب الغارات و مدحاه و قالا إنه كان زيديا ثم صار إماميا و روى السيد ابن طاوس أحاديث كثيرة من كتبه و أخبرنا بعض أفاضل المحدثين أنه وجد منه نسخة صحيحة معربة قديمة كتبت قريبا من زمان المصنف و عليها خط جماعة من الفضلاء و أنه استكتبه منها فأخذنا منه نسخة و هو موافق لما أخرج منه ابن أبي الحديد و غيره.

As for the Book of al-Gharat, its author is among the well-known traditionists. Al-Najashi and al-Shaykh mentioned him, counted the Book of al-Gharat among his books and praised him, saying that he was a Zaydi and then became an Imami. Al-Sayyid b. Tawus transmitted many traditions from his books. One of the eminent traditionists informed us that he had found a sound, vowelled and old copy of it, written close to the time of the compiler and bearing the hands of a number of eminent scholars, and that he had it copied from that; so we took a copy from him. It agrees with what Ibn Abi al-Hadid and others extracted from it.

و كتاب المقتضب ذكره الشيخ و النجاشي في فهرستهما و عدا هذا الكتاب من كتبه و مدحاه بكثرة الرواية لكن نسبا إليه أنه خلط في آخر عمره و ذكره ابن شهرآشوب و عد مؤلفاته و لم يقدح فيه بشي ء و بالجملة كتابه من الأصول المعتبرة عند الشيعة كما يظهر من التتبع.

As for the Book of al-Muqtadab, al-Shaykh and al-Najashi mentioned it in their catalogues, counted this book among his books and praised him for the abundance of his transmission — yet they ascribed to him that he became confused at the end of his life. Ibn Shahrashub mentioned him and listed his compositions without impugning him in anything. In sum, his book is among the primary works reliable in the eyes of the Shi'a, as appears upon investigation.

و اشتهار الشهيد الثاني و المحقق أغنانا عن التعرض لحال كتبهما نور اللّٰه ضريحهما.

The fame of al-Shahid al-Thani and of al-Muhaqqiq spares us any need to treat of the condition of their books; God illumine their tombs.

و المحقق البحراني من أجلة العلماء و مشاهيرهم و كتاباه في نهاية الاشتهار.

Al-Muhaqqiq al-Bahrani is among the most eminent and best known of scholars, and his two books are of the utmost fame.

و تفسير فرات و إن لم يتعرض الأصحاب لمؤلفه بمدح و لا قدح لكن كون أخباره موافقة لما وصل إلينا من الأحاديث المعتبرة و حسن الضبط في نقلها مما يعطى الوثوق بمؤلفه و حسن الظن به و قد روى الصدوق رحمه اللّٰه عنه أخبارا بتوسط الحسن بن محمد بن سعيد الهاشمي و روى عنه الحاكم أبو القاسم الحسكاني في شواهد التنزيل و غيره.

As for the commentary of Furat: although our companions have treated its author with neither praise nor censure, the fact that its reports agree with the reliable traditions that have reached us, and the good precision of his transmission of them, is what yields confidence in its author and a good opinion of him. Al-Saduq, God have mercy on him, transmitted reports from him through the intermediacy of al-Hasan b. Muhammad b. Sa'id al-Hashimi; and al-Hakim Abu al-Qasim al-Haskani transmitted from him in Shawahid al-Tanzil and elsewhere.

و الكتب الأربعة لجعفر بن أحمد بعضها في المناقب و بعضها في الأخلاق و الآداب و الأحكام فيها نادرة و مؤلفها غير مذكور في كتب الرجال لكنه من القدماء قريبا من عصر المفيد أو في عصره يروي عن الصفواني راوي الكليني بواسطة و يروي عن الصدوق أيضا كما سيأتي في إسناد تفسير الإمام عليه السلام و فيها أخبار طريفة غريبة و عندنا منه نسخ مصححة قديمة و السيد بن طاوس يروي عن كتبه في كتاب الإقبال و غيره و هذا مما يؤيد الوثوق عليها و روى عن بعض كتبه الشهيد الثاني رحمه اللّٰه في

As for the four books of Ja'far b. Ahmad, some are on the merits and some on character, etiquette and rulings; the legal rulings in them are rare. Their author is not mentioned in the books of rijal, but he is among the early scholars, close to the age of al-Mufid or in his age. He transmits from al-Safwani, the transmitter of al-Kulayni, through an intermediary, and also transmits from al-Saduq, as will come in the chain of the commentary of the Imam, peace be upon him. In them are fine and rare reports, and we have old corrected copies of them. Al-Sayyid b. Tawus transmits from his books in the Book of al-Iqbal and elsewhere, which supports reliance upon them. Al-Shahid al-Thani, God have mercy on him, transmitted from some of his books in