حَدِيثٍ لَهُ قَالَ: كُلُّ مَنْ تَعَدَّى السُّنَّةَ رُدَّ إِلَى السُّنَّةِ.

that he said: Whoever goes beyond the Sunna is brought back to it.

«42»- وَ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عليه السلام مَنْ جَهِلَ السُّنَّةَ رُدَّ إِلَى السُّنَّةِ.

It is related from Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, that he said: Whoever is ignorant of the Sunna is brought back to the Sunna.

«43»- سن، المحاسن عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَ حَدَّثَنِي الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ أَبِي الْعَلَاءِ أَنَّهُ حَضَرَ ابْنُ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ فِي هَذَا الْمَجْلِسِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام عَنِ اخْتِلَافِ الْحَدِيثِ يَرْوِيهِ مَنْ يَثِقُ بِهِ ١ فَقَالَ إِذَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَدِيثٌ فَوَجَدْتُمُوهُ لَهُ شَاهِدٌ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ أَوْ مِنْ قَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله وَ إِلَّا فَالَّذِي جَاءَكُمْ بِهِ أَوْلَى.

Al-Mahasin: Ibn Abi Ya'fur related from Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: I asked him: Trustworthy persons relate hadiths, but the hadiths do not agree with one another — what are we to do? He said: If the hadith has a witness from the Book of God and from the Prophet's word, accept it; otherwise the very one who relates it has the better right to bring that hadith.

«44»- سن، المحاسن النَّوْفَلِيُّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ عليه السلام قَالَ: إِنَّ عَلَى كُلِّ حَقٍّ حَقِيقَةً وَ عَلَی كُلِّ صَوَابٍ نُوراً فَمَا وَافَقَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَخُذُوا بِهِ وَ مَا خَالَفَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَدَعُوهُ.

Al-Mahasin: Al-Sakuni from Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: 'Ali, peace be upon him, said: Every truth has a reality and every rightness has a light; take what accords with the Book and leave what differs from it.

شی، تفسير العياشي عن السكوني مثله.

Tafsir al-'Ayyashi: Al-Sakuni related the like of it.

«45»- سن، المحاسن أَبِي عَنْ خَلَفِ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عليه السلام كَيْفَ اخْتَلَفَ أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله فِي الْمَسْحِ عَلَى الْخُفَّيْنِ فَقَالَ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله الْحَدِيثَ فَيَغِيبُ عَنِ النَّاسِخِ وَ لَا يَعْرِفُهُ فَإِذَا أَنْكَرَ مَا خَالَفَ مَا فِي يَدَيْهِ كَبُرَ عَلَيْهِ تَرْكُهُ وَ قَدْ كَانَ الشَّيْ ءُ يُنْزَلُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله فَعَمِلَ بِهِ زَمَاناً ثُمَّ يُؤْمَرُ بِغَيْرِهِ فَيَأْمُرُ بِهِ أَصْحَابَهُ وَ أُمَّتَهُ حَتَّى قَالَ أُنَاسٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ تَأْمُرُنَا بِالشَّیْ ءِ حَتَّى إِذَا اعْتَدْنَاهُ وَ جَرَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ أَمَرْتَنَا بِغَيْرِهِ فَسَكَتَ النَّبِيُّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله عَنْهُمْ فَأُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ قُلْ ما كُنْتُ بِدْعاً مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ... إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا ما يُوحى إِلَیَّ وَ ما أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ.

Al-Mahasin: Jabir from Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him: I said to the Imam: How did the Prophet's companions come to disagree about wiping over the footwear? He said: A man heard a hadith from the Prophet but had no knowledge of the abrogator, so abandoning the abrogated was hard for him. Something would be sent down upon the Prophet and after a while something other than it would be commanded, and the Prophet would convey it. Some of the companions would say: We had grown used to what you had commanded, and now you give another command! The Prophet was silent until the verse was sent down: "Say: I am not a novelty among the messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you. I follow only what is revealed to me; and I am only a clear warner."

«46»- سن، المحاسن عَلِيُّ بْنُ النُّعْمَانِ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى قَالَ: سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَنْظَلَةَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ وَ أَنَا حَاضِرٌ فَأَجَابَهُ فِيهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ فَإِنْ كَانَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا فَأَجَابَهُ بِوَجْهٍ آخَرَ حَتَّى أَجَابَهُ بِأَرْبَعَةِ أَوْجُهٍ فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَنْظَلَةَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ هَذَا بَابٌ قَدْ أَحْكَمْنَاهُ فَسَمِعَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام فَقَالَ لَهُ لَا تَقُلْ هَكَذَا يَا أَبَا الْحَسَنِ فَإِنَّكَ رَجُلٌ وَرِعٌ إِنَّ مِنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ أَشْيَاءَ مُضَيَّقَةً لَيْسَ تَجْرِي إِلَّا عَلَى وَجْهٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهَا وَقْتُ الْجُمُعَةِ لَيْسَ لِوَقْتِهَا إِلَّا حَدٌّ وَاحِدٌ حِينَ تَزُولُ الشَّمْسُ وَ مِنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ مُوَسَّعَةً تَجْرِي عَلَى وُجُوهٍ كَثِيرَةٍ وَ هَذَا مِنْهَا وَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدِي لَسَبْعِينَ وَجْهاً ٢.

Al-Mahasin: 'Abd al-A'la from Imam al-Sadiq: 'Ali b. Hamza asked Imam al-Sadiq a question and I was present too. The Imam gave an answer, but he asked: And if the question were thus, what is the answer? The Imam answered in another way, until in all he gave four kinds of answer. He said — by way of objection — We have made this door a ruler! The Imam heard it and said: Do not say so! You are a God-fearing man. Some matters have no more than one answer, such as the time of the Friday prayer, which is at the sun's decline; and others have latitude, and several kinds of answer may be given — and this question is of that very kind. By God, I could give seventy different answers [to it].