Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

The Book on Virtue of Knowledge · Chapter on Miscellaneous Issues · Volume 1, book 2, chapter 16, Hadith 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَفَعَهُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ طَلَبَةُ الْعِلْمِ ثَلاثَةٌ فَاعْرِفْهُمْ بِأَعْيَانِهِمْ وَصِفَاتِهِمْ صِنْفٌ يَطْلُبُهُ لِلْجَهْلِ وَالْمِرَاءِ وَصِنْفٌ يَطْلُبُهُ لِلاسْتِطَالَةِ وَالْخَتْلِ وَصِنْفٌ يَطْلُبُهُ لِلْفِقْهِ وَالْعَقْلِ فَصَاحِبُ الْجَهْلِ وَالْمِرَاءِ مُوذٍ مُمَارٍ مُتَعَرِّضٌ لِلْمَقَالِ فِي أَنْدِيَةِ الرِّجَالِ بِتَذَاكُرِ الْعِلْمِ وَصِفَةِ الْحِلْمِ قَدْ تَسَرْبَلَ بِالْخُشُوعِ وَتَخَلَّى مِنَ الْوَرَعِ فَدَقَّ الله مِنْ هَذَا خَيْشُومَهُ وَقَطَعَ مِنْهُ حَيْزُومَهُ وَصَاحِبُ الاسْتِطَالَةِ وَالْخَتْلِ ذُو خِبٍّ وَمَلَقٍ يَسْتَطِيلُ عَلَى مِثْلِهِ مِنْ أَشْبَاهِهِ وَيَتَوَاضَعُ لِلاغْنِيَاءِ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَهُوَ لِحَلْوَائِهِمْ هَاضِمٌ وَلِدِينِهِ حَاطِمٌ فَأَعْمَى الله عَلَى هَذَا خُبْرَهُ وَقَطَعَ مِنْ آثَارِ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَثَرَهُ وَصَاحِبُ الْفِقْهِ وَالْعَقْلِ ذُو كَ‏آبَةٍ وَحَزَنٍ وَسَهَرٍ قَدْ تَحَنَّكَ فِي بُرْنُسِهِ وَقَامَ اللَّيْلَ فِي حِنْدِسِهِ يَعْمَلُ وَيَخْشَى وَجِلاً دَاعِياً مُشْفِقاً مُقْبِلاً عَلَى شَأْنِهِ عَارِفاً بِأَهْلِ زَمَانِهِ مُسْتَوْحِشاً مِنْ أَوْثَقِ إِخْوَانِهِ فَشَدَّ الله مِنْ هَذَا أَرْكَانَهُ وَأَعْطَاهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَمَانَهُ. وَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله الْقَزْوِينِيُّ عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا مِنْهُمْ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّيْقَلِ بِقَزْوِينَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عِيسَى الْعَلَوِيِّ عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ صُهَيْبٍ الْبَصْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام)

Published English translation

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim in a marfu’ manner has narrated from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “The seekers of knowledge are of three kinds. The more noticeable of them in person or character are: (a) the group who seeks knowledge for ignorance and quarrel. (b) The group who seeks knowledge to dominate and cheat others. (c) The group who seeks knowledge for proper understanding, Fiqh, and power of intelligence. The group whose purpose of seeking knowledge is ignorance and quarrel is a harmful and quarrelsome group. This group interrupts conversations in the gatherings of the people to speak about knowledge and the description of forbearance. Such people appear in the garb of the gentle and humble ones but, in fact, are devoid of all the qualities of the pious people. Allah has humiliated and has condemned this group. The group that seeks domination and cheating is a deceitful and flattering group. Such people try to dominate people of their kind and flatter the wealthy ones who know less than they do. Such people consume the sweetmeat of the rich people and destroy their own religion. May Allah banish the news of such people and cut off their traces from the history of the scholars. “The group that seeks knowledge for the sake of Fiqh, proper understanding, and to gain the power of intelligence consists of people who are deeply concerned and stay awake very often. They pull their robe on their heads and standup for prayer in the darkness of nights. They work hard anxiously and fearfully and pray with deep worries. They are very attentive of their affairs, knowledgeable of the people of their time and fearful even of their own trusted brothers. May Allah strengthen the corners of such people and grant them salvation on the Day of Judgment.” Narrated to me the above hadith Muhammad ibn Mahmud abu ‘Abdallah al-Qazwini from a number of our people of whom is Ja‘far in Muhammad al-Sayqal of Qazwin from Ahmad ibn ‘Isa al-‘Alawi from ‘Abbad ibn Suhayb al-Basri from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.).

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مرفوع وسنده الثاني مجهول

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/159)

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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