٣٨ - حَدَّثَنا أَبي‏ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا عَلِىِّ بْنِ إِبراهِيمِ بْنِ هاشِم، عَن أَبيهِ، عَن أَبي حيون مَوْلى‏ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قالَ: مَنْ رَدَّ مُتَشَابِهَ الْقُرْآنِ إِلَى مُحْكَمِهِ هُدِيَ إِلى‏ صِراطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إِنَّ فِي أَخْبَارِنَا مُتَشَابِهاً كَمُتَشَابِهِ الْقُرْآنِ وَمُحْكَماً كَمُحْكَمِ الْقُرْآنِ فَرُدُّوا مُتَشَابِهَهَا إِلَى مُحْكَمِهَا وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا مُتَشَابِهَهَا دُونَ مُحْكَمِهَا فَتَضِلُّوا.
28-38 (The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abi Hayyoon - a servant of Al-Ridha (s) - that Al-Ridha (s) said, “Whoever refers to the doubtless (muhkam) in the Quran regarding the doubtful things (mutashabih) in it will be guided towards the straight path.” He (s) then added, “There are also some doubtful things among our traditions like the doubtful things in the Quran and there are doubtless things among our traditions like the doubtless things in the Quran. You should thus check the doubtful things against the doubtless things, and not just follow the doubtful things lest you may be misguided.”