Al-Kafi and Qum’s Hadith Discourse

Al-Kafi is considered as the most prominent of Shia hadith book during different periods and long centuries. This book is the result of the efforts of Kulayni and his use of the most important hadith seminaries of that age. Ray, Qom, Baghdad and Kufa were the main Shia hadith seminaries of the age of Kulayni during which he took advantage of their hadith books. Some Orientalists have considered the book as influenced by rationalist Mutazilites of Baghdad and believe that Kulayni has presented a fade picture of text - oriented view of Qom in contrast to Baghdad’s rationalistic view. The presupposition of this theory is the compilation of al-Kafi in hadith school of Baghdad. This study shows that, in spite of Orientalist views, al-Kafi was not written in Baghdad. It is the scientific symbol of Qom seminary where there was no text – orientedness without reason; on the contrary, transmission and reason go hand in hand.