Content Analysis of Razavi's Narration on Imamate Characteristics and Attributes from the Book of Al-hojah Al-Kāfī

Al-Kāfī Twelver Shīʿī ḥadīth collection by Muhammad ibn Ya‘qūb al-Kulaynī is one of the most important ḥadīth collections of Shi'ites. Some orientalists have studied the differences between this book and other Shi'ite hadith collections, Basâ'ir al-darajât, and concluded that although the book of Al-Kāfī is similar to 'Basāer al-Dārājat in content, representing the dominant atmosphere of the city of Qom, but because it has addressed the rationalist Shi'a of Baghdad, it has chosen the modest way in the choice of hadiths and their arrangement; and unlike the book of Basâ'ir al-darajât, things that have extraordinary content, such as infinite knowledge of the Imams, the abnormal sources of these sciences, and the ability to revive the dead, are not mentioned in this book. In this study, a comparison was made between the two books of Al-hojah Al-Kāfī and Basâ'ir al-darajât, and common and uncommon Hadiths and sections of the two books were extracted in order to answer the question whether the book of Al-hojah Al-Kāfī and Basâ'ir al-darajât differentiate between the characteristics of Imamate and the virtues of the Imams (P.B.U.T.), which has been raised in Basâ'ir al-darajât, is really neglected by al-Kulaynī. Finally, one of the sections which was only stated in Al-Kāfī (Special and comprehensive section in the virtues and traits of the Imam) was analyzed by the method of content analysis and it became clear that, contrary to the claims, this detailed narration of Imam Reza (P.B.U.H.) speaks of Divine Appointment, Infallibility and Unlearned Science as the characteristics of the Imam and attributes of Imamate.