One of the dangerous groups present in the Islamic society during the time of the Imams (peace be upon them), which had a profound impact on the culture of that era, were the Jews. A number of Jewish scholars who had apparently converted to Islam, and others who had remained adherents to their original faith, spread throughout the Islamic community and took upon themselves the role of religious authorities over a group of naïve people. The influence the Jews had on Islamic culture manifested itself in the form of fabricated hadiths, known as “Isra’iliyyat,” most of which were about the interpretation and life events of past prophets. One of the Islamic scholars who incorporated these hadiths into his writings was “al-Tabari,” a famous exegete who obtained many of his narrations regarding the interpretation of the Qur’an from Jewish sources, whether directly or indirectly.[1]
The scholarly efforts of the Jews within the Islamic community, especially in its intellectual circles, had a disturbing impact not only in the field of exegesis but also in theological and jurisprudential matters. This issue is so evident in history that there is no room for doubt or suspicion.[2]
The Imams (peace be upon them) considered fighting against Jewish influence and their detrimental ideas in Islamic culture a significant part of their agenda. Denouncing the fabricated hadiths and the teachings invented by the Jews regarding the divine prophets, which tarnished the noble image of the Prophets of God, is evident in the Imams’ responses. They used expressions such as “Do not resemble the Jews” [3] in order to cut off the undesirable cultural influence of the Jews in Islam, which was trying to lead the authentic and rich culture of Islam astray. Meanwhile, other Islamic narrators, who were naïve, accepted these hadiths and included them in various sections of their books, thus corrupting their own culture. However, the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), inspired by them, remained vigilant and were protected from the harm of these deviant and popular ideas.
Among the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) played a significant role in combating Israeli narratives and fabricated hadiths. For example, during his time, some Jews living in the Islamic community, whether those who had apparently converted to Islam or those who remained adherents of Judaism, attempted to convince the Muslims of the superiority of Jerusalem (the Qibla of the Jews) over the Ka’bah. To promote this, they fabricated numerous hadiths and spread them widely among the Muslims.
Zurarah narrates: “I was sitting with Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) while he was facing the Ka’bah and he said: ‘Looking at the House of God is an act of worship.’ At that moment, a man from the tribe of ‘Bajila,’ known as ‘Asim bin Umar,’ came to the Imam (peace be upon him) and said: ‘Ka’b al-Ahbar [4] says that the Ka’bah prostrates towards Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) every morning.’ Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: ‘What is your opinion about what Ka’b al-Ahbar says?’ The man replied: ‘Ka’b’s statement is correct.’ Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: ‘Both of you are lying.’ Then, he became very upset and said: ‘God has not created a more beloved place on earth than the Ka’bah.’” [5]
The tireless efforts of the Imams (peace be upon them), particularly Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him), ensured that the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was preserved independently, through the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), free from the Jewish influence. When Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) was asked about hadiths transmitted without a chain of narration from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), he said: “When I narrate a hadith without mentioning its chain of narration, my chain of transmission in such cases goes from my father, Zayn al-Abidin, from his father, Husayn the Martyr, from his father, Ali ibn Abi Talib, from the Messenger of God, from Gabriel, and from God.” [6]
This great heritage has ensured the preservation and safety of the Shi’a from the distortions that, due to the prohibition on recording hadiths during the time of the caliphs and the Jewish influence, became widespread among other Islamic sects.
(Adapted from the book “Intellectual and Political Life of the Shia Imams,” by Hujjat al-Islam Rasul Jafarian (with some changes))
Footnotes:
[1] Examples of the Israeli narratives found in al-Tabari’s exegesis that contradict the infallibility of the Prophets can be found under: Surah al-Ahzab, verse 37 (al-Tabari, Vol. 22, pp. 10-11), Surah Sad, verses 21-25 (ibid, Vol. 23, pp. 93-96 and 174-179), and Surah Yusuf, verse 24 (ibid, Vol. 12, pp. 108-110 and 239-250).
[2] Buhuth ma’a Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Salafiya, by Sayyid Mahdi Ruhani, pp. 50-51
[3] Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 531
[4] Abu Ishaq, Ka’b ibn Mat’ al-Humayri, known as “Ka’b al-Ahbar,” was a Jewish convert during the time of the second caliph, who is remembered for narrating many reports, most of which are from Israeli sources.
[5] Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 240
[6] Al-A’lam al-Wari, p. 270