[i.e. For Those Who Do Not Have Access to a Faqih (Islamic Jurisprudent)]
This book has been compiled by Sheikh Sadooq, Abu Ja'far Mohammad son of Ali son of Hussein son of Babevaih Qomi, a distinguished scholar of Shiah sect in the 4th century Hegira.
This book is a collection of Narrations and Hadiths [sayings] of the Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) [the Infallible Household of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.)] on Fiqh [Islamic precepts, decrees, and laws].
In this book, Sheikh Sadooq has collected all those narrations that were considered valid and authentic from his point of view.
This book is accounted as one of the most valuable Shiah sources of Narrations and Hadiths. It is one of the four authentic reference books of Shiah [popularly known as Kutube Arba'eh]. Thus, every Mujtahid [Shiite Jurisprudent] has to consider the Narrations quoted in this book in order to infer religious precepts, or issue due religious decrees.
Since its date of compilation up until the present time, "Man-La-Yahzarahul-Faqih" has been welcomed by Shiite knowledgeable figures and received the best attention of Shiite scholars and researchers inasmuch as they have frequently referred to that book in all their concise or extensive collections of narrations, and quoted authentic narrations out of it.
Motivation of Writing the Book
Sheikh Sadooq has written this book upon the request of one of the distinguished Sadats [i.e. descendants of the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.)] in the city of Balkh named as Sharifuddin Abu Abdullah Muhammad son of Hussein, popularly known as Ne'mat.
He had asked Skeikh Sadooq to write a book on the subject of "Fiqh" [Islamic Jurisprudence] similar to the book entitled "Man-la-Yahzarahul-Tabib" [i.e. Those who have not access to a physician] written by Muhammad Zechariah Al-Razi on medicine.
Ne'mat had further explained that such a book would be much beneficial to those who have not access to the Grand Ayatollahs and Ulema (Islamic Scholars), and could thereby learn their religious duties according to the Islamic laws and decrees.
Accepting the request, Sheikh Sadooq underlined that he would do the job although he had no intention to include all that is narrated, but to select only those Islamic narrations/Hadiths that were decisively valid and authentic, on which any of the Ulema could fully trust to issue religious decrees. He was of the opinion that such valid Narrations would be a firm proof between himself and his Creator.
Mashikheh [Index of the Narrators of Hadiths/Narrations in the Book]
Within the main text of the book, Sheikh Sadooq has only mentioned the name of "the immediate narrator" who had directly narrated from an Infallible Imam (a.s.).
However, at the closing part of the book, called as Mashikheh, the Sheikh has specified the complete chain of narrators lest his quoted Narrations/Hadiths be invalidated as "Mursal" [undocumented Hadiths]. Thus, by authenticating the quoted Narrations as "Musnad" [well-documented] ones, the late Sheikh facilitated the process of utilizing his references for the Islamic Scholars and researchers to come.
In the early Islamic centuries, the Shiites scholars and Jurisprudents confined themselves only and only with quoting the exact sayings and narratives relating to the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.) and the Infallible Imams (a.s.).
They did not think of any right for themselves to utter any single word besides the words of the Holy Prophet or the Holy Imams (a.s.), because they believed that those great personalities were connected to the Source of Revelation and the Headspring of Wisdom. Even if they wanted to author any book out of this range, they tried to utilize the wordings used in the Islamic Hadiths/Narrations in order to avoid any word except the pure words of the Infallible Household of the Holy Prophet (s.a.).
Sheikh Sadooq was among the last generation of that era. The whole works compiled by that great sage include either books of the Ahlul-Bayt's Narrations/Hadiths or topics extracted from those Narrations, inasmuch as some of the Shiite Scholars declare that if one could not find any Narration or Hadith on a specific matter, he might refer to the "wordings of Sheikh Sadooq" as the authentic evidence, because all his wordings are the reflection of authentic Narrations of the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.).
Gradually, from the time of his pupil "Sheikh Mofid" afterwards, the aforesaid style changed. The change was due to the changing needs of the time: the emergence of dubieties and skeptical ideas, protests and complaints of the opponents and enemies of Islam, and incursion of western philosophy and wrong thoughts and beliefs into the Islamic world. To respond to such wrong ideas, Islamic Scholars were forced to solve those problems and remove doubts; therefore, a new style appeared in the compilations and writings of Shiite Scholars.
This book includes many subjects of Fiqh, such as:
1. Precepts and rules of various kinds of waters; as well as discussions on the topic of Taharat [purity or cleanliness] and Nijasat [contamination]
2. Obligations of Salat [prayers] and its preliminary conditions and arrangements such as: Wozou' [minor ablution], Ghosl [legal bathing or major ablution], and Tayammum [dry ablution or ablution with sand]
3. Rules and precepts of the deceased.
4. Rules and precepts of Salat [prayers].
5. Rules and precepts of Islamic judgment.
6. Rules and precepts of earnings and professions.
7. Rules and precepts of marriage.
8. Rules and precepts of inheritance, among many other various religious subjects.
Sources of the Book
1. The book of Hariz son of Abdullah Sajestani
2. The book of Obaidullah son of Ali Halabi.
3. The books of Ali son of Mahziar Ahvazi
4. The books of Hussein son of Saeed
5. "Navader" written by Ahmad son of Mohammad son of Eesa,
among many other authentic sources. "
Totally there are around 6,000 Narrations/Hadiths quoted by the Late Sheikh Sadooq in Man-La-Yahzarahul-Faqih, which are generally on Fiqh topics and religious precepts and decrees.
Mashikheh is one of the significant chapters of Man-La-Yahzarahul-Faqih at the closing section of the book. As mentioned earlier, at this part, Sheikh Sadooq refers to the chain of narrators up to the origins of the Narrations in order to authenticate his quoted Narratives. This chapter is actually a rich source for the Islamic branch of science known as "Rijal", and for the same reason it has received the most attention of Shiite Scholars, to the extent that many commentaries have been written on it so far:
1. Commentary by Sheikh Hasan son of Skeikh Zaynuddin, popularly known as Shahid Thani [the author of book entitled "Ma'alem" (d. 1011 A.H.)].
2. Commentary by Sayyed Haaj Mirza Muhammad Hussein, known as Sheikh Agha Qazi Tabrizi.
3. Commentary by Sheikh Mohammad Taqi Majlesi, the esteemed father of the Late Allameh Majlesi.
4. Commentary by Allameh Sayyed Hasan son of Sayyed Abdul-Hadi son of Sayyed Musa Musawi Aal-e Khorasan Najafi (birth: 1326 A.H.)
5. Commentary entitled "Khayr-ul-Rijal" compiled by Sheikh Bahauddin Mohammad son of Sheikh Mullah Ali Sharif Lahiji, one of the Islamic Scholars in the 11th Century A.H.
1. A commentary on Man-La-Yahzarahul-Faqih entitled "Rawzatul-Muttaqin" [The Garden of the Virtuous People] compiled by Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Majlesi, the distinguished father of Allameh Majlesi. He finished this book in 1063 A.H.
2. "Commentary on Man-La-Yahzarahul-Faqih" compiled by the prominent scholar: Amir Muhammad Saleh son of Amir Abdul-Waase', Allameh Majlesi's son-in-law. (d. 1116 A.H.)
3. "Commentary on Man-La-Yahzarahul-Faqih" compiled by Sheikh-ul-Islam wal-Muslimeen, Muhammad son of Hussein son of Abdul-Samad Harethi Hamedani, known as Sheikh Bahaee (d. 1030 A.H.). [Sheikh Horr Ameli has quoted some excerpts from this book].
4. A commentary on Man-La-Yahzarahul-Faqih entitled "Ma'ahed-ul-Tanbih" compiled by Sheikh Abu Ja'far Muhammad son of Hasan son of Zaynuddin [Shahid Thani] (d. 1030 A.H.)
5. "Commantary on Man-La-Yahzarahul-Faqih" compiled by Mowla Hesamuddin Muhammad Saleh son of Mowla Ahmad Sarvi Mazandarani (d.1081 A.H.)
1. There is a precious and valuable manuscript available in the library of great Islamic sage "Mirza Abul-Hasan Sha'rani". The transcriber of this copy has been "Abdullah son of Muhammad Sharif Abdul-Rabb Semnani". At the end of this manuscript, a document of authorization by Sheikh Horr Ameli in his own handwriting is available. There are also marginal notes by "Sheikh Muhammad, the grandson of Shahid", "Sultan-ul-Ulema Husseini Amoli", "Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Majlesi", and "Mohaqqeq Damad" on this copy.
2. Another manuscript, written by Mirza Muhammad Rekavandi (date of writing: 1074 A.H.), is available at the library of Seyyed Muhammad Baqer Sabzevari, the distinguished professor of Faculty of Theology at Tehran University.
3. A valuable, priceless copy is available in the library of Ayatollah Sayyed Musa Zanjani. This copy has been read and corrected in the presence of Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Majlesi. The date of writing is 1057 A.H.