Al-Kafi · Hadith 4

The Book on Oneness of Allah (God) · Chapter on Comprehensive (Ahadith) about the Oneness of Allah · Volume 1, book 3, chapter 22, Hadith 4

Original Arabic text

4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله رَفَعَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ بَيْنَا أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَخْطُبُ عَلَى مِنْبَرِ الْكُوفَةِ إِذْ قَامَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ ذِعْلِبٌ ذُو لِسَانٍ بَلِيغٍ فِي الْخُطَبِ شُجَاعُ الْقَلْبِ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ قَالَ وَيْلَكَ يَا ذِعْلِبُ مَا كُنْتُ أَعْبُدُ رَبّاً لَمْ أَرَهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كَيْفَ رَأَيْتَهُ قَالَ وَيْلَكَ يَا ذِعْلِبُ لَمْ تَرَهُ الْعُيُونُ بِمُشَاهَدَةِ الابْصَارِ وَلَكِنْ رَأَتْهُ الْقُلُوبُ بِحَقَائِقِ الايمَانِ وَيْلَكَ يَا ذِعْلِبُ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفُ اللَّطَافَةِ لا يُوصَفُ بِاللُّطْفِ عَظِيمُ الْعَظَمَةِ لا يُوصَفُ بِالْعِظَمِ كَبِيرُ الْكِبْرِيَاءِ لا يُوصَفُ بِالْكِبَرِ جَلِيلُ الْجَلالَةِ لا يُوصَفُ بِالغِلَظِ قَبْلَ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ لا يُقَالُ شَيْ‏ءٌ قَبْلَهُ وَبَعْدَ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ لا يُقَالُ لَهُ بَعْدٌ شَاءَ الاشْيَاءَ لا بِهِمَّةٍ دَرَّاكٌ لا بِخَدِيعَةٍ فِي الاشْيَاءِ كُلِّهَا غَيْرُ مُتَمَازِجٍ بِهَا وَلا بَائِنٌ مِنْهَا ظَاهِرٌ لا بِتَأْوِيلِ الْمُبَاشَرَةِ مُتَجَلٍّ لا بِاسْتِهْلالِ رُؤْيَةٍ نَاءٍ لا بِمَسَافَةٍ قَرِيبٌ لا بِمُدَانَاةٍ لَطِيفٌ لا بِتَجَسُّمٍ مَوْجُودٌ لا بَعْدَ عَدَمٍ فَاعِلٌ لا بِاضْطِرَارٍ مُقَدِّرٌ لا بِحَرَكَةٍ مُرِيدٌ لا بِهَمَامَةٍ سَمِيعٌ لا بِ‏آلَةٍ بَصِيرٌ لا بِأَدَاةٍ لا تَحْوِيهِ الامَاكِنُ وَلا تَضْمَنُهُ الاوْقَاتُ وَلا تَحُدُّهُ الصِّفَاتُ وَلا تَأْخُذُهُ السِّنَاتُ سَبَقَ الاوْقَاتَ كَوْنُهُ وَالْعَدَمَ وُجُودُهُ وَالابْتِدَاءَ أَزَلُهُ بِتَشْعِيرِهِ الْمَشَاعِرَ عُرِفَ أَنْ لا مَشْعَرَ لَهُ وَبِتَجْهِيرِهِ الْجَوَاهِرَ عُرِفَ أَنْ لا جَوْهَرَ لَهُ وَبِمُضَادَّتِهِ بَيْنَ الاشْيَاءِ عُرِفَ أَنْ لا ضِدَّ لَهُ وَبِمُقَارَنَتِهِ بَيْنَ الاشْيَاءِ عُرِفَ أَنْ لا قَرِينَ لَهُ ضَادَّ النُّورَ بِالظُّلْمَةِ وَالْيُبْسَ بِالْبَلَلِ وَالْخَشِنَ بِاللَّيِّنِ وَالصَّرْدَ بِالْحَرُورِ مُؤَلِّفٌ بَيْنَ مُتَعَادِيَاتِهَا وَمُفَرِّقٌ بَيْنَ مُتَدَانِيَاتِهَا دَالَّةً بِتَفْرِيقِهَا عَلَى مُفَرِّقِهَا وَبِتَأْلِيفِهَا عَلَى مُؤَلِّفِهَا وَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى وَمِنْ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ خَلَقْنا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ فَفَرَّقَ بَيْنَ قَبْلٍ وَبَعْدٍ لِيُعْلَمَ أَنْ لا قَبْلَ لَهُ وَلا بَعْدَ لَهُ شَاهِدَةً بِغَرَائِزِهَا أَنْ لا غَرِيزَةَ لِمُغْرِزِهَا مُخْبِرَةً بِتَوْقِيتِهَا أَنْ لا وَقْتَ لِمُوَقِّتِهَا حَجَبَ بَعْضَهَا عَنْ بَعْضٍ لِيُعْلَمَ أَنْ لا حِجَابَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ كَانَ رَبّاً إِذْ لا مَرْبُوبَ وَإِلَهاً إِذْ لا مَأْلُوهَ وَعَالِماً إِذْ لا مَعْلُومَ وَسَمِيعاً إِذْ لا مَسْمُوعَ.

Published English translation

4. Muhaamd ibn abu ‘Abdallah in marfu‘ manner has narrated from Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Once Imam Amirul Mu’minin addressed the people in the Mosque of Kufa from the pulpit and a man called dhi‘lab a very good orator and brave in heart said, “O Amirul Mu’minin, have you seen your Lord?” The Imam replied, “Fie upon you O Dhi‘lab, how would I worship a Lord whom I would not see?” The man said, “O Amirul Mu’minin how have you seen Him?” The Imam said, “Fie up on you O Dhi‘lab, the eyes are not able to see Him physically but it is the hearts that see Him through the truth of the faith. O Dhi‘lab, my Lord is subtle in subtleties but can not be described by means of subtle matters. My Lord is great but can not be described by means of greatness. His greatness surpasses all greatness but he can not be described by means of such greatness. He is Glorious in His Glory but He can not be described in terms of thickness. He is before everything and it can not be said that something was before Him. He will be after all things but it can not be said that there is something after Him. He willed the existence of things but not by means of first thinking about it. He comprehends things but not with a great deal of efforts. Things are not mixed with Him and nor is He indifferent about them. He is clearly manifest but not with contacts and changes. He shines but not in the form of being found out with eye sight. He is far but not in the form of distance. He is near but not in the form of nearness. He is very fine but not in the form of physical fineness. He exists but not after nothingness. He acts but not because of being forced. He measures things but not by means of movement. He wills but not by means of thinking. He hears but not with tools. He sees but not with instruments. He is not contained in place and held up in times. Attributes do not limit Him and slumber does not seize Him. His Being was before the time and His existence was before nothingness. He was before eternity. His giving the sense awareness prove that He does not have the tools for sensing. His giving substance to the substances is proof that Himself is not a substance. The existence of a contrary to everything is proof that there is nothing contrary to Him. His giving nearness to things is proof that there is nothing similar to Him. He has made the light contrary to the darkness, the wetness to the dryness, the harshness to the softness, the coldness to the heat. He combines their transgressing and separates their closeness. The separation among things is evidence of the existence of the One Who causes separation in them and their combinations is evidence of the existence of the One Who combines them. It is jus as Allah has said, “We have created everything in pairs so that perhaps you may take heed (51:49).” He has made a distinction between the before and after to show that there is no before and after for Him. The instincts show that the One who created the instincts Himself has no instinct. The time is evidence that there is no timing for the One Who made the time. Things are hidden from each other are evidence that nothing hides them from their Creator. He was the Lord when there was nothing to enjoy His Lordship. He was to be worshipped when there was no worshipper. He had the knowledge when there was nothing to know. He was hearing when there was nothing to hear.”

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 (2/94)

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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