Chapter on the Differences in al-Hadith
Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 21
3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا بَالِي أَسْأَلُكَ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَتُجِيبُنِي فِيهَا بِالْجَوَابِ ثُمَّ يَجِيئُكَ غَيْرِي فَتُجِيبُهُ فِيهَا بِجَوَابٍ آخَرَ فَقَالَ إِنَّا نُجِيبُ النَّاسَ عَلَى الزِّيَادَةِ وَالنُّقْصَانِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) صَدَقُوا عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَمْ كَذَبُوا قَالَ بَلْ صَدَقُوا قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَا بَالُهُمُ اخْتَلَفُوا فَقَالَ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ كَانَ يَأْتِي رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَيَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَيُجِيبُهُ فِيهَا بِالْجَوَابِ ثُمَّ يُجِيبُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَا يَنْسَخُ ذَلِكَ الْجَوَابَ فَنَسَخَتِ الاحَادِيثُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضاً.
3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu Najran from ‘Asim ibn Humayd from Mansur ibn Hazim who has said the following. “I said to (Imam) abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام, ‘It is confuses me that when I ask you a question and you give an answer and then other person comes and you give a different answer for the same question.’” The Imam replied, “We answer people in a larger and reduced forms.” I then asked, “Did the Sahabah, companions of the holy Prophet speak the truth or lies when narrating his Hadith?” The Imam replied, “They spoke the truth.” I then said, “Why then they have differences?” Have you not considered the fact that a man would come to the holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and ask a question and would give him an answer and then he would answer that would abrogate the previous answer. Thus, Ahadith abrogated other Ahadith.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/216)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī