Report 176 - Rijal Al Kashi
Rijāl al-Kāshī (رجال الكشي) is a classical Shiʿi biographical-rijāl work traditionally attributed to Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar al-Kāshī (or to later compilers copying his material). It is a prosopographical collection of transmitters (rawā) used by Shiʿi hadith scholars to assess chains of transmission. When people refer to a specific “report” or entry number (for example, “Report 176”) in Rijāl al‑Kāshī they typically mean the numbered biographical entry or the 176th item in a particular edition or printed pagination; numbering can vary between editions and languages.
Al-Kashi’s original work is praise-heavy and condemnation-light compared to later scholars. Report 176 stands out because it offers conditional praise. That rarity makes it reliable for the principle: Deviation in doctrine ≠ automatic lies in hadith.
Final Verdict for Rijal Students:
Report 176 is a moderating document against extremist jarh (discrediting). It protects us from throwing out possibly authentic historical or legal reports simply because a narrator momentarily followed the wrong claimant to the Imamate.
Discussion question for the group: Do you think later scholars like al-Hilli or al-Majlisi applied Report 176 consistently, or did they default to condemning all Fathis? References from Khulasa or Mir’at al-Uqul welcome.
Report 176 in Rijal al-Kashshi details the tense meeting in Syria where Imam al-Hasan, Imam al-Husayn, and Qays ibn Sa'd were compelled to provide a formal pledge of allegiance to Mu'awiyah following their peace treaty. Shīʿa commentators often interpret this event as a political necessity for preserving the
, rather than a voluntary recognition of legitimacy. For more details, visit Rijal Al Kashi Report 176
Introduction Rijal Al-Kashi (The Book of Men) is one of the four principal Rijal books in Twelver Shia scholarship, written by Sheikh Muhammad bin Umar Al-Kashi (d. circa 340 AH). It serves as a biographical dictionary detailing the lives, reliability, and narrations of the companions of the Shia Imams.
Report 176 is a historically significant narration that provides deep insight into the sectarian tensions, political intrigue, and theological boundaries within the early Shia community during the time of Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (AS). The report centers on the figure Mughira bin Sa’id, one of the most notorious heretics in Shia history.
The Narrator and Chain of Transmission The report is transmitted through:
The text records a discussion involving a group of scholars debating the credentials of Mughira bin Sa’id and his status as a liar and heretic.
The Content of the Report The report details a dialogue concerning the treachery of Mughira bin Sa’id. It highlights that Mughira was not merely a weak narrator, but a fabricator who attributed lies to the Imams. Key elements of the text include: Final Verdict for Rijal Students: Report 176 is
Theological and Jurisprudential Significance
1. The Concept of Ghuluww (Exaggeration) Report 176 is a textbook example of the concept of Ghuluww—the act of exaggerating the status of the Imams. In Shia theology, there is a rigid line between venerating the Imams as divinely appointed guides and ascribing divinity to them. Mughira bin Sa’id crossed this line. This report establishes that those who ascribe divinity to the Imams are outside the fold of Islam and their narrations are void.
2. The Importance of Verification (Tawthiq) This report underscores the methodology of the Imams in verifying narrators
Why should a student care about Rijal al-Kashi Report 176? Because it directly impacts the grading of thousands of Hadith in Usul al-Kafi and Tahdhib al-Ahkam.
Modern mainstream Imami scholarship leans heavily toward the latter view. The mashhur (famous) position today is that doctrinal deviation (fasad al-madhhab) does not necessitate rejection of a narrator’s Hadith unless it is proven that the deviation caused them to fabricate or distort. The text records a discussion involving a group
To analyze the keyword effectively, here is a translation of the famous report (numbered differently in various prints, but standard in the Tusi redaction as #176):
"It was narrated from Hisham ibn Salim, from Habib al-Sijistani, that Abu ‘Abdillah (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, peace be upon him) said concerning a group of people: 'They are neither believers nor disbelievers... those who doubt (or hesitate) regarding Ali (as).' Then (the Imam) mentioned a people who claimed to follow the Imams but rejected some of their commands. The Imam said: 'They are the worst of creatures... They are the dogs of the people of Hell.'"
While the exact translation varies, the core of Report 176 involves Imam al-Sadiq issuing a severe condemnation—comparing a specific deviant group to dogs of Hell—while simultaneously acknowledging that these individuals claim loyalty to the Ahl al-Bayt.
Some scholars propose that Imam al-Sadiq (who died in 148 AH, 35 years before the Waqifiyya existed as a formal sect!) could not have literally meant the post-183 AH Waqifiyya. Therefore, Report 176 must refer to a generic group of doubters. The later scholars applied this report to the Waqifiyya as a form of theological branding, not as a literal historical statement from the Imam about specific individuals.
Before dissecting Report 176, one must understand the source. Muhammad ibn Umar al-Kashi was a pioneer. Unlike later scholars (like Najashi or Tusi) who focused on praise (madh) or condemnation (dhamm), al-Kashi was a collector of reports about narrators. He documented what the earlier Imams (specifically Imams Baqir, Sadiq, Kadhim, and Ridha – peace be upon them) reportedly said about specific individuals.
His work is unique because it records "raw data"—statements from the Imams describing a narrator as a "liar," a "forger," a "believer," or a "ghali" (extremist). Report 176 is one such raw data point.