Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book on Oneness of Allah (God) · Chapter about al-‘Arsh and al-Kursi · Volume 1, book 3, chapter 20, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ سَأَلَ الْجَاثَلِيقُ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَحْمِلُ الْعَرْشَ أَمِ الْعَرْشُ يَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَامِلُ الْعَرْشِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ وَالارْضِ وَمَا فِيهِمَا وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الله يُمْسِكُ السَّماواتِ وَالارْضَ أَنْ تَزُولا وَلَئِنْ زالَتا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُما مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ إِنَّهُ كانَ حَلِيماً غَفُوراً قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِهِ وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثَمانِيَةٌ فَكَيْفَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ وَقُلْتَ إِنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ الْعَرْشَ وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ وَالارْضَ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الْعَرْشَ خَلَقَهُ الله تَعَالَى مِنْ أَنْوَارٍ أَرْبَعَةٍ نُورٍ أَحْمَرَ مِنْهُ احْمَرَّتِ الْحُمْرَةُ وَنُورٍ أَخْضَرَ مِنْهُ اخْضَرَّتِ الْخُضْرَةُ وَنُورٍ أَصْفَرَ مِنْهُ اصْفَرَّتِ الصُّفْرَةُ وَنُورٍ أَبْيَضَ مِنْهُ ابْيَضَّ الْبَيَاضُ وَهُوَ الْعِلْمُ الَّذِي حَمَّلَهُ الله الْحَمَلَةَ وَذَلِكَ نُورٌ مِنْ عَظَمَتِهِ فَبِعَظَمَتِهِ وَنُورِهِ أَبْصَرَ قُلُوبُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَبِعَظَمَتِهِ وَنُورِهِ عَادَاهُ الْجَاهِلُونَ وَبِعَظَمَتِهِ وَنُورِهِ ابْتَغَى مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالارْضِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ خَلائِقِهِ إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ بِالاعْمَالِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ وَالادْيَانِ الْمُشْتَبِهَةِ فَكُلُّ مَحْمُولٍ يَحْمِلُهُ الله بِنُورِهِ وَعَظَمَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ لا يَسْتَطِيعُ لِنَفْسِهِ ضَرّاً وَلا نَفْعاً وَلا مَوْتاً وَلا حَيَاةً وَلا نُشُوراً فَكُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ مَحْمُولٌ وَالله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى الْمُمْسِكُ لَهُمَا أَنْ تَزُولا وَالْمُحِيطُ بِهِمَا مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ وَهُوَ حَيَاةُ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ وَنُورُ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ عُلُوّاً كَبِيراً قَالَ لَهُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَيْنَ هُوَ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هُوَ هَاهُنَا وَهَاهُنَا وَفَوْقُ وَتَحْتُ وَمُحِيطٌ بِنَا وَمَعَنَا وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ ما يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوى‏ ثَلاثَةٍ إِلا هُوَ رابِعُهُمْ وَلا خَمْسَةٍ إِلا هُوَ سادِسُهُمْ وَلا أَدْنى‏ مِنْ ذلِكَ وَلا أَكْثَرَ إِلا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ ما كانُوا فَالْكُرْسِيُّ مُحِيطٌ بِالسَّمَاوَاتِ وَالارْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى وَإِنْ تَجْهَرْ بِالْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى وَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّماواتِ وَالارْضَ وَلا يَؤُدُهُ حِفْظُهُما وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ فَالَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ هُمُ الْعُلَمَاءُ الَّذِينَ حَمَّلَهُمُ الله عِلْمَهُ وَلَيْسَ يَخْرُجُ عَنْ هَذِهِ الارْبَعَةِ شَيْ‏ءٌ خَلَقَ الله فِي مَلَكُوتِهِ الَّذِي أَرَاهُ الله أَصْفِيَاءَهُ وَأَرَاهُ خَلِيلَهُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ وَكَذلِكَ نُرِي إِبْراهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّماواتِ وَالارْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ وَكَيْفَ يَحْمِلُ حَمَلَةُ الْعَرْشِ الله وَبِحَيَاتِهِ حَيِيَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَبِنُورِهِ اهْتَدَوْا إِلَى مَعْرِفَتِهِ.

Published English translation

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahamad ibn Muhammad al-Barqi, in a marfu‘ manner, who has said the following. “Jathaliq, a christian scholar, asked Imam Ali (a.s.) saying, ‘Tell me about Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. Does He carry the ‘Arsh or ‘Arsh carries Him?” Imam Ali (a.s.) replied, “Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, is the One Who carries and has lifted the ‘Arsh, the heavens and earth and all that is between them from banishment. ‘Allah (God) prevents the heavens and the earth from falling apart. If they do fall apart, then, no one besides Him can restore them. He is All-forbearing and All-forgiving. (35:41)’ He then asked, “Tell me about His words, ‘The angels will be around the heavens and on that day eight of them will carry the Throne of your Lord above all the creatures (69:17).’ “How has He said it. You just said that He carries the heavens, earth and all that is between them.” Asked the man. Amirul Mu’minin then said, “Allah, the Most High, created al-‘Arsh (the Throne) from four lights. From a red wherefrom the redness became red, a green light from which the greenness became green, a yellow light whereby the yellowness became yellow. He created it from a white light wherefrom is white and it is knowledge which Allah has made the carriers to carry and that is the light of His greatness. With His greatness and His light He has given sight to the hearts of believers. Because of His greatness and light the ignorant ones have become His enemies. Through His greatness and light all those in heavens and on earth, all His creatures seek to reach Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, by means of their various deeds and mixed religions. All that is carried Allah carries them with the light of His greatness and power. They are not able to do any benefit, or harm, death or life or resurrection. All things are carried. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, preserves them from banishment and has control over both of them (heavens and earth). He is the life of all things, the light of all things. Glorious is He, the Most High, far above what they say about Him. He is far high above them with Greatness.” He then said tell me about Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, where is He? Amirul Mu’minin said, “He is here. He is there, above, below, encompassing us and with us as He has said. ‘There is not a single place wherein any secret counsel can take place between any three people without God being the fourth, nor five people without His being the sixth nor any gathering of more or less people, wherever it may be, without His being with them . .’ (58:7). The al-Kursi contains the heavens and the earth and all that is between them and below the soil. If you would say anything loud, He knows the secrets and hidden as mentioned in His words, “The heavens and the earth are under His dominion (contained in His al-Kursi). He does not experience fatigue in preserving them both. He is the High, and the Greatest.’ (2:255) Thus, those who carry al-‘Arsh (the throne) are the scholars whom Allah has made to carry His knowledge. There is nothing that Allah has created in the heavens and the earth that is out of these four that He has shown to those whom he chosen. He showed them to His friend Ibrahim (s.a.). “Also, We showed (Abraham) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth to strengthen his faith.” (6:75) How would the carriers of al-‘Arsh (the Throne) carry Allah when with life from Him their hearts receive life and with His light they found guidance to know Him.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مرفوع

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/72)

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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