Summary Article: Research Methodology in Kamal Al-Deen Wa Tamam Al-Nima by Sheikh Al-Sadooq
Written by: Parviz Azadi
Ibn Babewah was known as Al-Sadooq (the most truthful), considered among the best Shia scholars. He was nicknamed as such, first, for his truthfulness in narrating the Hadiths of Ahlulbait (P.B.U.H), and second, for his massive and valuable writings that nullified the ideologies of the opposing schools.
As a Shia theologian, Ibn Babewah Al-Qomi (Al-Sadooq) has left behind him a rich heritage for the coming generations, chief among which is Kamal Al-Deen Wa Tamam Al-Nima, explaining Mahdism from a twelver point of view, defying the theory of interval (the halt in the chain of Imamate).
Moreover, the name of the book is borrowed from the Quranic verse: “Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and completed My favor upon you” (٣:٥) because the perfection of the religion, according to the verse, lies in Imamte, realized in the existence of the twelfth Imam, Imam Al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H).
After a perusal of this book, I have found out that most of the narrated Hadiths are narrated by five out of eighty eight individuals. In other words, more than half of the Hadiths of this book are narrated by the following five men:
Ali bin Babewah (May God have mercy on him)
Muhammad bin Al-Waleed Al-Qomi (May God have mercy on him)
Al-Mudafar Al-Alawi Al-Omari Al-Samarqandi (May God have mercy on him)
Muahmmad bin Al-Mutawakil (May God have mercy on him)
Abul Abas Ibn Ishaq Al-Taleqani (May God have mercy on him)
In both the third and fourth centuries (A. H.) many questions and skeptical viewpoints have been cast at Mahdism, leading to an intellectual rise among Shia scholars to defy those skeptical attitudes. There is a group of books starring in this field, chief among which are Al-Gaiba by Al-Nomani, Kamal Al-Deen Wa Tamam Al-Nima by Sheikh Al-Sadooq, and Al-Gaiba by Sheikh Al-Toosi. In fact, the book of Sheikh Al-Sadooq is distinguished because of some intellectual features, including the signed letters of Imam Al-Mahdi, an investigation of those who lived for a long time, theological discussions, studying the trustworthiness of some narrators and sources.
This book, for centuries, remained the primary source of Mahdism Hadiths and answering the questions of the opposing ideologies. Mahdism researchers’ need for this book reveals the importance and superiority of this source.
