Al-Kafi · Hadith 7

The Book on Virtue of Knowledge · Chapter on Utilization of Knowledge · Volume 1, book 2, chapter 13, Hadith 7

Original Arabic text

7ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الْعِلْمَ فَاسْتَعْمِلُوهُ وَلْتَتَّسِعْ قُلُوبُكُمْ فَإِنَّ الْعِلْمَ إِذَا كَثُرَ فِي قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ لا يَحْتَمِلُهُ قَدَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا خَاصَمَكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَأَقْبِلُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمَا تَعْرِفُونَ فَإِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفاً فَقُلْتُ وَمَا الَّذِي نَعْرِفُهُ قَالَ خَاصِمُوهُ بِمَا ظَهَرَ لَكُمْ مِنْ قُدْرَةِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.

Published English translation

7. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father from the one mentioned from Muhammad ibn ’Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Layla from his father who has said the following. “Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) has said, ‘When you hear knowledge you must utilize it and your hearts must become more open. When knowledge increases in one’s heart it becomes harder to bear and Satan may over power him. If Satan would dispute with you move on him with whatever you know. The plots of Satan are weak.” I asked the Imam (a.s.) “What is it that we know?’” The Imam replied, “Fight him with whatever of the power of Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, has come to light before you.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/146)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: Catalogue non-inclusion note (not an authenticity grade)

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī

Source records non-inclusion in this scholar's selection; this is not itself a weak or authentic grade.

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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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