Shi'ite Books On Tradition From Eleventh To Fourteenth Century.

1. Al-Wafi.

It was compiled by Shaikh Muhammad bin Murtada who was usally called as Mulla Muhsin Al-Kashi. He collected all the Traditions which are found in the Four books and are related to Usul or Furu'. He further arranged them into different chapters, explained the difficult points wherever it was necessary and clarified the reasons for putting together some of the Traditions which appeared to be contradictory. He wrote about two hundred books. He died in 1091 A.H.

2. Wasa'il-ush-Shi'ah Ila Ahadith-ush-Shari'ah.

It was compiled by Shaikh Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin al-Hurr al-'Aamili. He collected the contents of the Four Books from the eighty books owned by him and seventy others. He edited these Traditions which related to the Furu'a only, divided them into different chapters, explaining some of the important points. This book became the most popular book as a source of reference with the teachers as well as students. Al-Wafi did not meet such success in becoming popular as was written in store for Al-Wasa'il. This was because of the fact that the arrangement of these Traditions in Al-Wasa'il was better than Al-Wafi although the explanation given Al-Wafi are more convincing and more acceptable, but the success achieved by Al-Wasa'il was much more than the former and the remaining four books are also based upon it. The author of Al-Wasa'il died in 1104 A.H.

3. Bihar-ul-Anwar Fi Ahadith-in-Nabiy Wal A'immatil Athar.

It was compiled by Shaikh Muhammad Baqir ibn Shaikh Muhammad Taqi, known as Al-Majlisi, in 100 volumes. One needs a life time just to copy it, not to speak of collecting the data on different branches of knowledge dealt with herein, including the biographies of the Prophet, Sayyidah Fatimah Az-Zahra' and Twelve Imams, their virtues, merits, ideas and opinions. The author collected all this material without exercising any choice. Most of it is not found in the Four Books. It was through the efforts of first mentioned three persons named Muhammad (Al-Kulaini, As-Sudduq and At-Tusi) and the last mentioned three scholars named Muhammad (Muhsin Kashi, Muhammad al-'Aamili and Majlisi) that the information and sayings of Ahlul Bait(A.S.) were saved. They collected such information, edited it and arranged in book forms. All three persons mentioned first and the two of those mentioned last exercised their choice according to their authorities.

4. Al-'Awalim Fil Hadith.

It was compiled by the great Traditionist Mawla Abdullah bin Nurullah al-Bahrani in 100 volumes. It did not meet with such a success as did Bihar. The author died in the earlier twelfth century.

5. Ash-Shifa Fi Hadith-i-Aal-i-Mustafa.

It is a voluminous book, containing many volume on the Traditions. It was completed by Shaikh Muhammad Reza bin al-Faqih Ash-Shaikh Abdullah Tabrizi who died in 1158 A.H.

6. Jami'ul Ahkam.

It was compiled by Sayyid Abdullah Shabari in 25 big volumes, probably the biggest ever. The author died in 1242 A.H.

7. Mustadrakat-ul-Wasa'il.

It was compiled by Mirza Husain Nuri. He collected all those Traditions which the author of Al-Wasa'il had missed out and arranged them into chapters. But he has included Al-Fiqh-ur-Razavi in this book.There are many such instances in this book. It is not really supplementation of Al-Wasa'il to add such things which were not reliable and certain in the opinion of the author of Al-Wasa'il. He has given biographical data in the latter part of the book which is not found anywhere else. Most of this data is obviously based upon Jami'ur Ruwat by Haji Muhammad al-Ardbili who was a contemporaray of Majlisi. Mirza Husain Nuri, the author of the book, died in 1320 A.H.

8. Al-Bahr-uz-Zakhkhar Fi Sharh-i-Ahadith-il-A'immatil-Athar.

It was started by Sayyid Muhsin Al-Amin and three volumes could be completed that he died.


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Ref: Hasan al-Amin,Shorter Shi'ite Encyclopaedia
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