Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book on Virtue of Knowledge · Chapter on Taqlid, following the opinions of someone · Volume 1, book 2, chapter 18, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمَذَانِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ تَقْلِيداً أَمِ الْمُرْجِئَةُ قَالَ قُلْتُ قَلَّدْنَا وَقَلَّدُوا فَقَالَ لَمْ أَسْأَلْكَ عَنْ هَذَا فَلَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدِي جَوَابٌ أَكْثَرُ مِنَ الْجَوَابِ الاوَّلِ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الْمُرْجِئَةَ نَصَبَتْ رَجُلاً لَمْ تَفْرِضْ طَاعَتَهُ وَقَلَّدُوهُ وَأَنْتُمْ نَصَبْتُمْ رَجُلاً وَفَرَضْتُمْ طَاعَتَهُ ثُمَّ لَمْ تُقَلِّدُوهُ فَهُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْكُمْ تَقْلِيداً.

Published English translation

2. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Hamdani from Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayda who has said the following. “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) said, ‘O Muhammad, Do you observe Taqlid more strictly or the group of Murji’a?’ Muhammad ibn ‘ubaydah has said, “I replied, ‘They observe Taqlid and we observe Taqlid.’ The Imam then said, “I did not ask you about this.” I did not have any answer other than the first one. The Imam then said, “The group of Murji’a chose a man whose obedience was not obligatory (in the commands of Allah) but they obeyed and followed him strictly. You chose a man and considered obedience to him necessary (in commands from Allah) and then you did not follow him strictly, therefore, they are more strict in Taqlid, following than you are.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف على المشهور

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/184)

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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