Kamal al-din wa tamam al-ni'ma (book)

Kamal al-din wa tamam al-ni'ma

Bibliographical Information
Author	Al-Shaykh al-Saduq
Original title	کمال الدين و تمام النعمة
Language	Arabic
Series	2 vol.
Subject	Occultation and the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (a)
Genre	Narrative
Published	Tehran, 1359 Sh/1980-1
Publisher	Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya

Kamāl al-dīn wa tamām al-niʿma (Arabic:کَمالُ الدّين و تَمام النِعمَة) or Ikmāl al-din wa itmām al-niʿma (إِکمالُ الدّين و إِتمامُ النِعمَة), written by the great Shi'a scholar, Muhammad b. Ali b. Babiwayh al-Qummi known as Al-Shaykh al-Saduq (d. 381/991-2), discusses the issue of occultation and the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (a). In this book, al-Shaykh al-Saduq has mentioned many examples of the absences of the prophets (a) and has fully discussed the imamate of Imam al-Mahdi (a), his birth, narrations of the Prophet (s) and Imams (a) about the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (a), those who have met him and the situation after his coming.

Title

The name of the book Kamal al-din wa tamam al-ni'ma is adopted from the Al-Ikmal Verse in Qur'an 5:3 which says:

"Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion."

However, there are different names mentioned for this book such as "Ikmal al-din wa itmam al-ni'ma", "Itmam al-ni'ma fi al-ghayba" and "Ikmal al-din" but according to what is mentioned in the introduction of the book, many have preferred the name "Ikmal al-din wa itmam al-ni'ma".

Reason of Writing

Al-Shaykh al-Saduq mentioned defense of the issue of occultation as the reason for writing this book. In the introduction of this book, he has written that he wrote this book after invitation of al-Shaykh Najm al-Din Abu Sa'id Muhammad b. Hasan b. Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Ali b. Salt al-Qummi and also advice of Imam al-Mahdi (a) to him in the dream.

Significance

The special importance of this book is in quotation from the great Shi'a scholar of the Minor Occultation period, Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Qiba al-Razi. Our knowledge about this Shia scholar is limited to points ibn Nadim and al-Najashi have mentioned about him. Other scholars of rijal have not added many further points to them. According to al-Najashi, Ibn Qiba was first among Mu'tazilites and then became Shi'a.

Another characteristic of this book is mentioning some of the letters issued by Imam (a). Al-Shaykh al-Saduq has narrated some parts of this section from older documents and some others from oral communication with the Four Deputies.

According to author's reason for writing the book and style of the book, it can be classified among the books on theology, but according to the multitude of historical issues mentioned in the book such as the history of prophets (a), history of the Age of Ignorance, the life of the Prophet (s) and history of Shi'a, it can be regarded as a historical book.

This book is the oldest and most authentic Shi'a hadith reference about Imam al-Mahdi (a). In this book, al-Shaykh al-Saduq has mentioned many theological discussions of Shi'a about Imam al-Mahdi (a) and his occultation and answers the questions of its deniers.

Structure

This book contains 621 hadiths in total from 88 narrators in 63 chapters. Some of the topics discussed in these chapters are:

• Creation of the Proof of God (a) has been previous to creation of other human beings.
• Only God has the right to choose His vicegerent on the earth.
• Proving occultation and its philosophy
• Answers of Ibn Qiba al-Razi
• Occultation of the prophets Noah (a), Salih (a), Abraham (a) and Joseph (a)
• Narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (a) about the Occultation
• Those who have met Imam al-Mahdi (a)
• Letters from Imam al-Mahdi (a)
• Signs of Imam's (a) advent
• Rewards for waiting and other issues.

Manuscripts

• The manuscript of the central library of Tehran University written in 1060/1650 in Naskh style and has been corrected and compared.
• The manuscript of another corrector written in 1077/1666-7 and signed by Abu Talib al-Husayni and has carefully been corrected and compared. This version is kept in the library of Ayatullah Mar'ashi Najafi. Writing of this manuscript has finished in 1081/1670-1.
• A manuscript which has been written in 1051/1641-2 and is available in the personal library of Thiqat al-Islam Sayyid Muhammad Ali Sadr al-Huffaz of the holy shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim (a).

Publication and Translation

• Kamal al-din has been published in Arabic by Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya of Qom in 1395/1975-6 in two volumes researched by Ali Akbar Ghaffari.
• This book has been translated to Persian by Muhamamd Baqir Kamarih'i and published in Tehran by Islamiyya of Tehran in two volumes (volume one in 452 pages and the second volume in four hundred pages).
• Another Farsi translation of the book has been published by Mansur Pahlawan by Dar al-haidth publications of Qom.