Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book on Oneness of Allah (God) · Chapter On The Invalidity of the Belief to see God (Ru’yah of Allah) · Volume 1, book 3, chapter 9, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى قَالَ سَأَلَنِي أَبُو قُرَّةَ الْمُحَدِّثُ أَنْ أُدْخِلَهُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَأَذِنَ لِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْحَلالَ وَالْحَرَامِ وَالاحْكَامِ حَتَّى بَلَغَ سُؤَالُهُ إِلَى التَّوْحِيدِ فَقَالَ أَبُو قُرَّةَ إِنَّا رُوِّينَا أَنَّ الله قَسَمَ الرُّؤْيَةَ وَالْكَلامَ بَيْنَ نَبِيَّيْنِ فَقَسَمَ الْكَلامَ لِمُوسَى وَلِمُحَمَّدٍ الرُّؤْيَةَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَمَنِ الْمُبَلِّغُ عَنِ الله إِلَى الثَّقَلَيْنِ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالانْسِ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَلا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً وَلَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ أَ لَيْسَ مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ كَيْفَ يَجِي‏ءُ رَجُلٌ إِلَى الْخَلْقِ جَمِيعاً فَيُخْبِرُهُمْ أَنَّهُ جَاءَ مِنْ عِنْدِ الله وَأَنَّهُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الله بِأَمْرِ الله فَيَقُولُ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَلا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً وَلَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَنَا رَأَيْتُهُ بِعَيْنِي وَأَحَطْتُ بِهِ عِلْماً وَهُوَ عَلَى صُورَةِ الْبَشَرِ أَ مَا تَسْتَحُونَ مَا قَدَرَتِ الزَّنَادِقَةُ أَنْ تَرْمِيَهُ بِهَذَا أَنْ يَكُونَ يَأْتِي مِنْ عِنْدِ الله بِشَيْ‏ءٍ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي بِخِلافِهِ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ قَالَ أَبُو قُرَّةَ فَإِنَّهُ يَقُولُ وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرى‏ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ بَعْدَ هَذِهِ الايَةِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا رَأَى حَيْثُ قَالَ ما كَذَبَ الْفُؤادُ ما رَأى‏ يَقُولُ مَا كَذَبَ فُؤَادُ مُحَمَّدٍ مَا رَأَتْ عَيْنَاهُ ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَ بِمَا رَأَى فَقَالَ لَقَدْ رَأى‏ مِنْ آياتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرى‏ فَ‏آيَاتُ الله غَيْرُ الله وَقَدْ قَالَ الله وَلا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً فَإِذَا رَأَتْهُ الابْصَارُ فَقَدْ أَحَاطَتْ بِهِ الْعِلْمُ وَوَقَعَتِ الْمَعْرِفَةُ فَقَالَ أَبُو قُرَّةَ فَتُكَذِّبُ بِالرِّوَايَاتِ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِذَا كَانَتِ الرِّوَايَاتُ مُخَالِفَةً لِلْقُرْآنِ كَذَّبْتُهَا وَمَا أَجْمَعَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا يُحَاطُ بِهِ عِلْماً وَلا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَلَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ.

Published English translation

2. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abdal Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya who has said that abu Qurrah (Musa ibn Tariq al-Yamani al-Zabudi, d. 203/818), a narrator of Hadith, asked me to take him to abul Hassan al-Rida (a.s.). I sought permission from the Imam (a.s.) and an audience was granted. He asked the Imam about what is lawful and unlawful and the rules in Islamic laws. His questions came to Oneness of Allah (God). Abu Qurrah said, “We (the narrators of Hadith) narrate that Allah, the Almighty has divided His being seen al-Ru’yah and His al-kalam, speech between the two prophets. He gave Musa (Moses) the opportunity to hear His speech, and Muhammad (s.a.) the opportunity to see Him.” Imam abu al-Hassan (a.s.) said, “Who conveyed the message from Allah to the two heavy communities; mankind and the Jinn that says: ‘The eyes can not comprehend Him.’ (6:103) “They can not limit Him through their knowledge.” (20:110) ‘There is nothing similar to Him.’ (42:11) “Was it not Muhammad (s.a.)?’” Asked the Imam (a.s.). Abu Qurrah then replied, “Yes, He was Prophet Muhammad (s.a.). “ The Imam said, “How can a person who brought such messages to all creatures and told them that he has brought such messages from Allah and called them to Allah by His commands and said, “The eyes can not comprehend Him.” (6:103) “They can not limit Him through their knowledge.” (20:110) “There is nothing similar to Him.” (42:11), then he would say, “I saw Him with my own eyes? I did limit Him in my knowledge and that He is similar to a man? Should you not be ashamed of yourselves? Even the atheist have not said that the Prophet first brought one thing from Allah and then announced from Him other things contrary to the first.” Abu Qurrah then said, “Does Allah Himself not say, ‘And indeed he (the Prophet) saw him in another descent.?” (53: 13) Imam abu al-Hassan (a.s.) said, “The other verses point out what the Prophet actually saw. Allah has said, “His heart did not lie about what he saw” (53: 11) It means that the heart of Muhammad did not belie what his eyes saw. Therefore, Allah in the subsequent verse has said, “Indeed he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.” (53:18) The signs of Allah are different from Allah Himself. Allah has also said, “They can not limit Him in their knowledge.” (20:110) If the eyes could see Him, then people might limit Him in their knowledge and He could be fully defined.” Abu Qurrah asked, “Do you disregard Hadith?” Imam abu al-Hassan (a.s.) replied, “If Ahadith are contrary to Quran, I disregard them. Besides, all Muslims believe that Allah cannot be limited by knowledge, that eyes can not see Him and that nothing is similar to Him.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: صحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/328)

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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