Imam Abu Talib al-Haruni and His Criticism of Imami Reports

Question:

We know that Imam Abu Talib Yahya ibn al-Husayn al-Haruni al-Hasani criticized the narrations of the Imami Shiʿa and accused them of fabrication and lying against their Imams; so why do we not find his brother, Imam al-Muʾayyad bi-Allah Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Haruni (d. 411 AH), criticizing their narrations?

The answer:

Imam al-Muʾayyad bi-Allah Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Haruni al-Hasani—may God’s blessings be upon him—did indeed criticize and weaken the reports of the Imami Shiʿa and did not consider them reliable. Rather, he accused them of laxity in narration, and even of tampering with reports by altering their wording according to their beliefs. Perhaps the most prominent example of this practice—altering the wording of reports attributed to the leading figures among the descendants of al-Husayn (peace be upon them)—was Shaykh Abu Jaʿfar Muhammad ibn ʿAli Ibn Babawayh al-Qummi, known as Shaykh al-Ṣaduq, upon whose reports the Imami Shiʿa heavily depend for the fundamentals of their doctrines, which shape them and shape much of their sectarian intellectual culture. This degree of weakness is itself a grave weakness. Even al-Ṣaduq’s own associates testified against him.

I now return to mention some statements of Imam al-Muʾayyad bi-Allah (peace be upon him) regarding Imami narrations:

– Imam al-Muʾayyad bi-Allah Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Haruni al-Hasani (d. 411 AH), after transmitting a report from the Imami Shiʿa, said:

“As for what the Imami Shiʿa narrate … it is subject to scrutiny, because we regard the reports of the Imami Shiʿa as weak, and we do not consider them acceptable for reasons whose mention is not appropriate here.”
(Sharḥ al-Tajrīd)

– He also said elsewhere, rejecting a narration:

“That is from the narrations of the Imami Shiʿa, which we do not affirm nor act upon, due to what has been established about them regarding laxity in hadith, and transmission based on conjecture and according to belief.”
(Sharḥ al-Tajrīd)

– And he said concerning an Imami narration:

“There is no disagreement that judgment is required in this matter, except for a solitary narration reported by the Imami Shiʿa, which carries no weight due to the weakness of its transmitters.”
(Sharḥ al-Tajrīd)

With this, the answer is complete.

May God grant you success.
O Allah, send prayers and peace upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad.

Translation of Ustadh Kadhim Al Zaydi (May Allah reward him)