(By SHEIKH SADŪQ) This book is dictated by Sheikh Sadūq, Abū Muhammad son of Ali son of Husain son of Mūsā son of Bāb-e Weyh-e Qummī (known also as IBNE BĀB-E WEYH-E QUMMI)
This book was the result of twice-weekly (Tuesdays & Fridays) dictations of Sheikh-e Sadūq to his students at Mashhad city during the period from 18 Rajab 367 H. to 11 Sha'bān 368 H. The art of Amālī' began to be practiced by learned men of the late third century Hegira, who dictated their material in special gatherings convened for note-taking students. On completion of the lectures, the notes were collected and compiled in form of a book known as Amālī' (i.e. Transcriptions). Amālī' books by Shiite jurisprudents have been valued immensely, and the book Al-Amālī' by Sheikh-e Sadūq is one of them.
Contents of the book include Traditions & Narrations, which are quoted along with their chains of documentations. This book reveals Sheikh-e Sadūq's expertise in collecting and preserving Shiite and Sunnite narrations. He has quoted from seventy-one Shiite and Sunnite Scholars along with the chain of documentations in his book named Khisāl. These scholars belonged to the Islamic world, including those from central Asia to Baghdad. They were known to be in possession of the documents of Traditions. Sheikh-e Sadūq during his painstaking travels had called on them and recorded their Traditions. These are included in the book Amāli'.
Their contents are of ethical and historical significance. In particular, they refer to the merits of the Ahl-ul Bayt (A.S.). The relevant Traditions of ethical significance narrated by non-Shiite scholars are accepted due to sound judgment. To hear virtues of the household of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.) narrated by the opponents is also completely proved, because such narrators did not have any reason for forging the Narrations. Therefore the Sheikh has narrated a great number of such Narrations.
Other topics of this book include: divine rewards for fasting in the months of Dhul-Hajja, Rajab, Sha'bān and Ramadān, value of dreams and sleeping of Mu'minin (the believers), the Maqtal' (story of martyrdom of Hazrat-e Imam Husain A.S.), recommended prayers, the Islamic teachings, and the Shari'a (Islamic prescripts), among similar others.
In some of the Traditions quoted in the book, the contents appear to be rather weak and objectionable. Towards explaining them, it can be safely said that several of them are of an ambiguous nature. Their contents involve something imperceptible, including postulations about what may happen in future, even in terms of the proceedings in the Hereafter.
Following the factual position that there exist in the Holy Qur'an itself some verses which are ambiguous (known as Mutashābih) and others quite clear (known as Muhkam: admitting of no allegorical interpretations), the ambiguous verses are meant to be understood in the detailed context of their purposes, and not literally.
The ruling for the ambiguous Narrations is that we should turn to the sayings of the Infallible Imāms (A.S.) for necessary guidelines.
The ambiguous Traditions have sometimes been meant to test the status of faith of the believers.