Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book on Virtue of Knowledge · Chapter on Those who use their Knowledge to Fill their Stomach and are Boastful for it · Volume 1, book 2, chapter 14, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ أَبِي عَيَّاشٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مَنْهُومَانِ لا يَشْبَعَانِ طَالِبُ دُنْيَا وَطَالِبُ عِلْمٍ فَمَنِ اقْتَصَرَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى مَا أَحَلَّ الله لَهُ سَلِمَ وَمَنْ تَنَاوَلَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ حِلِّهَا هَلَكَ إِلا أَنْ يَتُوبَ أَوْ يُرَاجِعَ وَمَنْ أَخَذَ الْعِلْمَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَعَمِلَ بِعِلْمِهِ نَجَا وَمَنْ أَرَادَ بِهِ الدُّنْيَا فَهِيَ حَظُّهُ.

Published English translation

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa and Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father, both of them from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from ‘Umar ibn ’Udhayna from Aban ibn abu ‘Ayyash from Sulaym ibn Qays who has said the following. “(Imam) Ali (a.s.) narrated from the holy Prophet who said, ‘Two kinds of people with great appetites do not become satisfied. A person of great appetite for the worldly gains and a person with great appetite for knowledge. In the matters of the worldly gains if one would limit himself to what Allah has made lawful form him he is saved and if one would accumulate such gains in unlawful ways he is destroyed unless he repents and changes his ways. In the matters of knowledge if one would acquire it from the people of knowledge and practice accordingly he is saved and if one would use it for the worldly gains then that is what one gets.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف على المشهور معتمد عند ي

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/147)

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.

Source, rights, and attribution

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edition: Al-Kafi, volume 1, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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