Salam alaikum, in one from our previous posts, we have already talked about Fadak in details.

In their attempt to make any base for their position, shias trying to find a proof in the verses of Quran.

And usually, they are bringing this one.

“And Sulaiman inherited Dawood…” Naml 27 : 16(Part)

First of all we should see these verses in context.

Taala said:

[27:15] And certainly We gave knowledge to Dawood and Sulaiman, and they both said: Praise be to Allah, Who has made us to excel many of His believing servants. [27:16] And Sulaiman was Dawood’s heir, and he said: O men! we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given all things; most surely this is manifest grace.

(Quoted from ahlal-bayt):

In this verse, Allah is clearly talking about Sulaiman (عليه السلام) inheriting the knowledge of Dawud (عليه السلام). It has absolutely nothing to do with material possessions! Before and after the part about Prophet Sulaiman (عليه السلام) being Prophet Dawud’s heir (عليه السلام), we see that the Quran is talking about the special knowledge of the Prophets, especially the specific gift these Prophets were given in regards to understanding the speech of animals. The same can be said of the verses that the Shia propagandists use in regards to Prophet Zakariyyah (عليه السلام) who asked Allah in the Quran to grant him a son to become his successor.

It is obvious to all that these Quranic verses refer to the inheritance of the title of Prophethood, and has nothing to do with materal possessions. Allah uses the word “al-irth” in the Quran which does not refer to material possessions in the verses cited by the Shia. It is used to denote knowledge, Prophethood, or sovereignity. Examples of such usage are found in Surah Fatir in the Quran, in which Allah says:

“Therefore We gave the Book as inheritance (awrathna) to such of Our servants as We have chosen” (Quran, Surah Fatir)

As well as in Surah al-Mu’minoon, Allah says:

“Those are the Inheritors (al-warithun) who will inherit Paradise.” (Quran, Surah al-Mu’minoon)

Is Allah really talking about material possessions when he talks about these people? Truly this would be a ludicrous assumption.

It would not be fitting for a pious man such as Prophet Zakariyyah (عليه السلام) to be asking Allah to grant him an heir who will inherit material possessions. This would be superficial. Instead, the reality is that Prophet Zakariyyah (عليه السلام) asked for a son who would bear aloft the standard of Prophethood after him, and in whom the legacy of the progeny of Prophet Yaqoob (عليه السلام) would continue.

Indeed, it is well-known that Prophet Zakariyyah (عليه السلام) was a poor man who earned his living as a carpenter. What wealth could he possibly have had that would prompt him to request an heir from Allah? In fact, it was a general rule with the Prophets that they did not hoard anything beyond their need, and they spent any surplus in charity.

As for the case of Prophet Dawud (عليه السلام), it is well-known that he had 100 wives and 300 concubines. He had numerous children from these wives and concubines. If this verse is assumed to speak of the inheritance of material possessions, then why is Prophet Sulaiman (عليه السلام) mentioned as the soleinheritor? This proves that the Quran is not talking about material possessions but rather knowledge. Otherwise, Prophet Dawud (عليه السلام) denied inheritance to his other children, and this would violate the Shia rhetoric which state that people cannot deny inheritance to the children of Prophets.

If these Quranic verses are assumed to speak of material inheritance, it does not make much sense that it is being mentioned in the Quran, since it is then reduced to an ordinary and trivial matter (end of quote).

What kind of counterargument usually using shias? I heard: Knowledge isn’t something to be inherited.

But that’s not true, and in addition to our words, I’d like to give few quotes from their most reliable book of ahadeth, that knowledge indeed could be inherited.

In his book “Kafi” Kulayni entitled chapter in this way:

(أن الائمة (عليهم السلام) ورثة العلم، يرث بعضهم بعضا العلم)

The Imams (a.s.) are the Heirs of Knowledge to Inherit it one from the other

Just few ahadeth from this chapter:

1) “Kafi” vol 1, pp 221-222, Majlisi said it’s saheeh:

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَانَ عَالِماً وَالْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ وَلَنْ يَهْلِكَ عَالِمٌ إِلا بَقِيَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ عِلْمَهُ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

From Abu ‘Abdallah (alaihi salam) who has said the following. “Ali (alaihi salam) was a man of knowledge and knowledge is inherited. Whenever a man of knowledge dies he leave another man of knowledge behind who possess his knowledge or whatever Allah wants.”

2) “Kafi” vol 1, p 222, Majlisi said it’s hasan:

عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ مَعَ آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يُرْفَعْ وَالْعِلْمُ يُتَوَارَثُ وَكَانَ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَالِمَ هَذِهِ الامَّةِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَهْلِكْ مِنَّا عَالِمٌ قَطُّ إِلا خَلَفَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ مَنْ عَلِمَ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

From Abu Ja‘far (alaihi salam) who has said the following. “The knowledge that came with Adam was not taken away. Knowledge is inherited. Ali (alaihi salam) was the knowledgeable person of this nation (Muslims). No one from us have ever left this world without leaving behind one like him in knowledge or what Allah wanted.”

3) “Kafi” vol 1, p 222, Majlisi said it’s saheeh:

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ يُتَوَارَثُ وَلا يَمُوتُ عَالِمٌ إِلا وَتَرَكَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ الله.

From Abu Ja‘far (alaihi salam) who has said the following. “Knowledge is inherited. No man of knowledge dies without leaving behind one who is as knowledgeable as his predecessor or what Allah wants.”

And there is another chapter in “Kafi”:

(ان الائمة ورثوا علم النبي وجميع الانبياء والاوصياء)

The Imams (alaihuma salam) inherited the knowledge of the Holy prophet (sallahu alaihi wa ali) and all the prophets and their successors before them.

1) “Kafi” vol 1, p 224:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) إِنَّ أَوَّلَ وَصِيٍّ كَانَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الارْضِ هِبَةُ الله بْنُ آدَمَ وَمَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ مَضَى إِلا وَلَهُ وَصِيٌّ وَكَانَ جَمِيعُ الانْبِيَاءِ مِائَةَ أَلْفِ نَبِيٍّ وَعِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ نَبِيٍّ مِنْهُمْ خَمْسَةٌ أُولُو الْعَزْمِ نُوحٌ وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَمُحَمَّدٌ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) وَإِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ كَانَ هِبَةَ الله لِمُحَمَّدٍ وَوَرِثَ عِلْمَ الاوْصِيَاءِ وَعِلْمَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُ أَمَا إِنَّ مُحَمَّداً وَرِثَ عِلْمَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُ مِنَ الانْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ عَلَى قَائِمَةِ الْعَرْشِ مَكْتُوبٌ حَمْزَةُ أَسَدُ الله وَأَسَدُ رَسُولِهِ وَسَيِّدُ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَفِي ذُؤَابَةِ الْعَرْشِ عَلِيٌّ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَهَذِهِ حُجَّتُنَا عَلَى مَنْ أَنْكَرَ حَقَّنَا وَجَحَدَ مِيرَاثَنَا وَمَا مَنَعَنَا مِنَ الْكَلامِ وَأَمَامَنَا الْيَقِينُ فَأَيُّ حُجَّةٍ تَكُونُ أَبْلَغَ مِنْ هَذَا.

From Abu Ja‘far (alaihi salam) who has said the following. “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The first successor and executor of the will on earth was Hibbatullah, the son of Adam. No prophet has ever left this world without first leaving behind one who would execute his will. The prophets were one hundred twenty thousand persons. Five of them were commissioned Messengers, like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa ali) Ali ibn abu Talib (alaihi salam) was the Hibbatullah for Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa ali). He inherited the knowledge of the executors of the wills of the prophets and the knowledge of those who were before him. (Is not it true) that Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa ali) inherited the knowledge of the prophets and the Messengers who lived before him? It is written on the columns of the throne, “Hamza is the loin of Allah and the loin of His Messenger. He (Hamza) is the master of the martyrs. On top of the throne is Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.). This evidence against those who deny our rights and refuse to yield to us our right of inheritance. We are not forbidden to speak. Before us is all certainty. What supporting evidence could be more clear than this.”

2) “Kafi” vol 1, p 224-225:

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ وَرِثَ دَاوُدَ وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّداً وَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّا وَرِثْنَا مُحَمَّداً وَإِنَّ عِنْدَنَا عِلْمَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالانْجِيلِ وَالزَّبُورِ وَتِبْيَانَ مَا فِي الالْوَاحِ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْعِلْمُ قَالَ لَيْسَ هَذَا هُوَ الْعِلْمَ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي يَحْدُثُ يَوْماً بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ وَسَاعَةً بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ

Abu Abdullah (alaihi salam) said: “Solomon inherited David. Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa ali) inherited Solomon and we inherited Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa ali). We have the knowledge of Torah and the Gospel (Injil), the Psalms, (al-Zabur) and the explanation of what the tablets contained.” I (the narrator) said, “This certainly is the knowledge.”

So I want to ask shias who arguing to this verse about Sulaiman and Dawud (alaihuma salam), that it’s about inheritance of worldly possessions, did prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa ala alihi wa sallam) inherited those alleged worldly possessions from Dawud (alaihi salam)? Of course no, so talk here could be only about inheritance of knowledge, wisdom, and etc.

And there is other hadith in very same “Kafi” with a clear proof from imam, that in verse 16 of surah Naml, talk is about inheritance of knowledge.

3) “Kafi” vol 1, p 225, Majlisi said it’s saheeh ala dhaher:

فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ دَاوُدَ وَرِثَ عِلْمَ الانْبِيَاءِ وَإِنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ وَرِثَ دَاوُدَ وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّداً (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّا وَرِثْنَا مُحَمَّداً صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه

Abu Abdullah (alaihi salam) said: “David inherited the knowledge of the prophets. Solomon inherited David. Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa ali) inherited Solomon and we inherited Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa ali).

Walhamdulillahi rabil alamin.