Al-Kafi · Hadith 7

The Book on Oneness of Allah (God) · Chapter about al-‘Arsh and al-Kursi · Volume 1, book 3, chapter 20, Hadith 7

Original Arabic text

7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ الرَّقِّيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَكانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْماءِ فَقَالَ مَا يَقُولُونَ قُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ الْعَرْشَ كَانَ عَلَى الْمَاءِ وَالرَّبُّ فَوْقَهُ فَقَالَ كَذَبُوا مَنْ زَعَمَ هَذَا فَقَدْ صَيَّرَ الله مَحْمُولاً وَوَصَفَهُ بِصِفَةِ الْمَخْلُوقِ وَلَزِمَهُ أَنَّ الشَّيْ‏ءَ الَّذِي يَحْمِلُهُ أَقْوَى مِنْهُ قُلْتُ بَيِّنْ لِي جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله حَمَّلَ دِينَهُ وَعِلْمَهُ الْمَاءَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَرْضٌ أَوْ سَمَاءٌ أَوْ جِنٌّ أَوْ إِنْسٌ أَوْ شَمْسٌ أَوْ قَمَرٌ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ الله أَنْ يَخْلُقَ الْخَلْقَ نَثَرَهُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ مَنْ رَبُّكُمْ فَأَوَّلُ مَنْ نَطَقَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَأَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَالائِمَّةُ صَلَوَاتُ الله عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالُوا أَنْتَ رَبُّنَا فَحَمَّلَهُمُ الْعِلْمَ وَالدِّينَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ هَؤُلاءِ حَمَلَةُ دِينِي وَعِلْمِي وَأُمَنَائِي فِي خَلْقِي وَهُمُ الْمَسْئُولُونَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِبَنِي آدَمَ أَقِرُّوا لله بِالرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَلِهَؤُلاءِ النَّفَرِ بِالْوَلايَةِ وَالطَّاعَةِ فَقَالُوا نَعَمْ رَبَّنَا أَقْرَرْنَا فَقَالَ الله لِلْمَلائِكَةِ اشْهَدُوا فَقَالَتِ الْمَلائِكَةُ شَهِدْنَا عَلَى أَنْ لا يَقُولُوا غَداً إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هذا غافِلِينَ. أَوْ تَقُولُوا إِنَّما أَشْرَكَ آباؤُنا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ أَ فَتُهْلِكُنا بِما فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ يَا دَاوُدُ وَلايَتُنَا مُؤَكَّدَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي الْمِيثَاقِ.

Published English translation

7. Muhammad ibn al-Hassan has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir from Dawud al-Ruqyy who has said the following. “I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, ‘. . His Throne existed on water . (11:8).’” The Imam asked, “What do they say about it?” I said, “They say that al-‘Arsh (the Throne) was on the water and the Lord was on top of it.” The Imam then said, “They have said a lie. Whoever would think that way he has considered Allah as being carried and has described Him with the qualities of the creatures which involves that the thing that carries Him is stronger than Him.” I then asked, may Allah take my soul for your service, please explain it to me.” The Imam then said, “Allah made water to carry His religion and His knowledge before there were the earth, the heavens, the Jinns, the human beings, the sun and the moon. When Allah willed to create the creatures He spread them before His-self and said to them, “Who is you Lord? The first ones who spoke were the Holy Prophet and Amirul Mu‘minin Ali (a.s.) and the Imams (a.s.). They all said, “You are our Lord.” He then made them to carry the religion and the knowledge. Then He spoke to the angels, “These are the carriers of My religion and knowledge, My trustees in My people and they are responsible (or questions will be asked about them). Then Allah spoke to the children of Adam, “Acknowledge that Allah is the Lord and acknowledge that these people are the authorities (of Allah) among you and that obedience to them is obligatory. They said, “O our Lord, we acknowledge.” Allah then told the angels, “Bear witness to this.” The angels said, “We bear witness so that they, tomorrow will not say, ‘We were not aware of this or say that our forefathers have worshipped idols before us and we were only their offspring. Will You then destroy us just because what the followers of falsehood have done?” O Dawud, our authority over them was strongly stressed up on at the time of the covenant.”

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 (2/81)

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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