Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book of Intelligence and Ignorance · The Book of Intelligence and Ignorance · Volume 1, book 1, chapter 0, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُفَضَّلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ طَرِيفٍ عَنِ الاصْبَغِ بْنِ نُبَاتَةَ عَنْ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ هَبَطَ جَبْرَئِيلُ عَلَى آدَمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ يَا آدَمُ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُخَيِّرَكَ وَاحِدَةً مِنْ ثَلاثٍ فَاخْتَرْهَا وَدَعِ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ لَهُ آدَمُ يَا جَبْرَئِيلُ وَمَا الثَّلاثُ فَقَالَ الْعَقْلُ وَالْحَيَاءُ وَالدِّينُ فَقَالَ آدَمُ إِنِّي قَدِ اخْتَرْتُ الْعَقْلَ فَقَالَ جَبْرَئِيلُ لِلْحَيَاءِ وَالدِّينِ انْصَرِفَا وَدَعَاهُ فَقَالا يَا جَبْرَئِيلُ إِنَّا أُمِرْنَا أَنْ نَكُونَ مَعَ الْعَقْلِ حَيْثُ كَانَ قَالَ فَشَأْنَكُمَا وَعَرَجَ.

Published English translation

2. Ali bin Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from ’Amr ibn ‘Uthman, from Mufaddal ibn Salih from Sa‘d ibn Tarif from al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah that Ali (as) said: “Once Jibril came to Adam (as) and said, ‘I am ordered to offer you three choices. You may choose one and leave the other two. Adam then asked, “What are those three things?” Jibril replied, ‘They are intelligence, modesty and religion.’ Adam then said, “I choose Intelligence.” Jibril then asked modesty and religion to return and leave Intelligence with Adam. They said to Jibril, ‘O Jibril, we are commanded to be with Intelligence wherever it may exist. Jibril then said, “It then is up to you.” He then ascended to the heavens.

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/32)

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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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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