Al-Kafi · Hadith 3

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 3

Original Arabic text

3ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَيْفٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الرُّؤْيَةِ وَمَا تَرْوِيهِ الْعَامَّةُ وَالْخَاصَّةُ وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ يَشْرَحَ لِي ذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ بِخَطِّهِ اتَّفَقَ الْجَمِيعُ لا تَمَانُعَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَنَّ الْمَعْرِفَةَ مِنْ جِهَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ ضَرُورَةٌ فَإِذَا جَازَ أَنْ يُرَى الله بِالْعَيْنِ وَقَعَتِ الْمَعْرِفَةُ ضَرُورَةً ثُمَّ لَمْ تَخْلُ تِلْكَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ مِنْ أَنْ تَكُونَ إِيمَاناً أَوْ لَيْسَتْ بِإِيمَانٍ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ تِلْكَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ مِنْ جِهَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ إِيمَاناً فَالْمَعْرِفَةُ الَّتِي فِي دَارِ الدُّنْيَا مِنْ جِهَةِ الاكْتِسَابِ لَيْسَتْ بِإِيمَانٍ لانَّهَا ضِدُّهُ فَلا يَكُونُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مُؤْمِنٌ لانَّهُمْ لَمْ يَرَوُا الله عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تِلْكَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ الَّتِي مِنْ جِهَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ إِيمَاناً لَمْ تَخْلُ هَذِهِ الْمَعْرِفَةُ الَّتِي مِنْ جِهَةِ الاكْتِسَابِ أَنْ تَزُولَ وَلا تَزُولُ فِي الْمَعَادِ فَهَذَا دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لا يُرَى بِالْعَيْنِ إِذِ الْعَيْنُ تُؤَدِّي إِلَى مَا وَصَفْنَاهُ.

Published English translation

3. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn Sayf from Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayd who has said the following. “I wrote to abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) and asked him about the belief in eye-witnessing Allah’s self. Is it is possible to see Allah’s self with one’s own eyes as is traditionally narrated in the affirmative by the Sunni Muslims (al-’ammah) and the Shi‘ah Muslims (al-khassah) who are contrary. I requested him to explain the matter. The Imam answered in his own handwriting. “All agree and there is no dissension among the people that eye-witnessed knowledge of things is certainly knowledge without doubt. It is the form of knowledge that does not require logical proofs. If it is true that seeing Allah’s self with the eyes is possible then it becomes a necessity to acknowledge that Allah becomes entirely known and defined through eye-witnessed process. Now, can eye-witnessed knowledge of Allah’s self be considered faith or not? If the knowledge of Him as such, i.e. eye-witnessed knowledge (which according to Sunni Muslims will happen on the Day of resurrection) be considered faith, then faith in Allah in this world, which comes through non-eye-witnessed knowledge is not faith. It is contrary to eye-witnessed knowledge and faith (contrary things do not exist at the same time). Thus, there would be no one who would have faith in Allah in this world because no one has seen Him, Majestic is Whose name. If the eye-witnessed knowledge and understanding would not be considered faith then the non-eye-witnessed faith and knowledge formed and acquired must go away in the next life, but, in fact, it will not go away on the Day of resurrection. This is proof that Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, can not be seen because it will lead to (the kind of confusion) what we just mentioned.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مجهول

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/331)

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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