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reason in support of the claim.
The most substantial of the reasons according to the scholars extended by the above two being-
a. The claims of the compliers as to the authenticity of the traditions contained within their works
b. The strictness observed by the earlier scholars in ensuring the authenticity of what they transmitted and recorded through various means and methods
As for the second point (b) we find great evidence in support of it. It was standard practise among the companions of the Imams to exert themselves in the prope retention and recording of the traditions until the time of the three Muhammads4 who in turn compiled them in their four books.
Such care and emphasis normally results in the attainment of surety as to the authenticity of the claim that the traditions are from the Imams.5
As an example we see in the case of the book al-Taklif written by Abu Ja'far Muhammad b 'Ali al-Shalamghani6 being sought for and checked by al-Shaykh Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn b Ruh al-Nawbakhti, the third ambassador of the 12th Imam during the minor occultation. After checking the book he said, "every tradition is reported from the Imams (as) except for two or three which are falsely attributed to them.7
Again in the case of al-Shaykh Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn b Ruh al-Nawbakhti who himself sent his book al-Ta'dib to the scholars of Qum for their opinion regarding the validity of its contents. They verified the book apart from the instance of the zakat al-fitr where he states that it is half sa' whereas the scholars were of the opinion that it is a whole sa' .8
Also the book Yawm Wa Laylah of Yunus b 'Abd Rahman which he gave to the 11th Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari to verify. The Imam after reading the book said, "Allah will give him light in place of every word [he has written] on the day of Resurrection."9
With this standard it would seem unlikely that the three Muhammads would not have taken due care in having the contents of their compilations verified or having knowledge of the verification of the traditions from those they reported from especially Shaykh al-Kulayni who lived during the period of the minor occultation.
However such a presumption at the most according to Baqir Irawani in his book durus tamhidiyyah fi al-qaw'id al-rijaliyyah yields
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