Question No. 3382 2 November 2023 Official answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) verified Content level: Intermediate

Is the Sermon of Bayān Attributed to Imam ʿAlī Authentic?

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Dear questioner, Master Ali Saei

Tracking code: #Q-3382

Peace be upon you. Esteemed teacher, are the reports in the Sermon of Bayān attributed to Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) authentic?

Subject category: Hadith and Traditions Theology and Creed Hadith

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

The authenticity of the Sermon of Bayān, attributed to Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him), is disputed, and it is not cited in the authoritative Shiʿi sources. The text can be verified only through the path indicated by the supplication «اللهم عرفنی نفسک...», which requires attaining stations of divine unity. Without this, extolling the authority of the Imams can be a deadly poison.

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

Teacher and researcher in the intellectual tradition of wisdom and the Ahl al-Bayt | Soroush Bamdadān Cultural Center

Its chain of transmission is a matter of dispute; it is not mentioned in the authoritative Shi‘i sources. As for its content, its authenticity can be assessed only by comparing it with the following supplication:

« اللهم عرفنی نفسک فإنک إن لم تعرفنی نفسک لم أعرف نبیک اللهم عرفنی رسولک فإنک إن لم تعرفنی رسولک لم أعرف حجتک اللهم عرفنی حجتک فإنک إن لم تعرفنی حجتک ضللت عن دینی‏»

In truth, only after attaining the stations of divine oneness can one truly know the station of prophethood and wilayah. For someone who stumbles on the path of tawhid, even a simple account of the virtues of wilayah is a deadly poison.

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Is the Sermon of Bayān Attributed to Imam ʿAlī Authentic?

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

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