Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

The Book about people with Divine Authority · The Imams (a.s.) are the light of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 13, Hadith 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ شَمُّونٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الاصَمِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله تَعَالَى الله نُورُ السَّماواتِ وَالارْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكاةٍ فَاطِمَةُ (عليها السلام) فِيها مِصْباحٌ الْحَسَنُ الْمِصْباحُ فِي زُجاجَةٍ الْحُسَيْنُ الزُّجاجَةُ كَأَنَّها كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ فَاطِمَةُ كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ بَيْنَ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا يُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبارَكَةٍ إِبْرَاهِيمُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) زَيْتُونَةٍ لا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلا غَرْبِيَّةٍ لا يَهُودِيَّةٍ وَلا نَصْرَانِيَّةٍ يَكادُ زَيْتُها يُضِي‏ءُ يَكَادُ الْعِلْمُ يَنْفَجِرُ بِهَا وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نارٌ نُورٌ عَلى‏ نُورٍ إِمَامٌ مِنْهَا بَعْدَ إِمَامٍ يَهْدِي الله لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشاءُ يَهْدِي الله لِلائِمَّةِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَضْرِبُ الله الامْثالَ لِلنَّاسِ قُلْتُ أَوْ كَظُلُماتٍ قَالَ الاوَّلُ وَصَاحِبُهُ يَغْشاهُ مَوْجٌ الثَّالِثُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ ظُلُمَاتٌ الثَّانِي بَعْضُها فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ مُعَاوِيَةُ وَفِتَنُ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ إِذا أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ الْمُؤْمِنُ فِي ظُلْمَةِ فِتْنَتِهِمْ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَراها وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ الله لَهُ نُوراً إِمَاماً مِنْ وُلْدِ فَاطِمَةَ (عليها السلام) فَما لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ إِمَامٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَقَالَ فِي قَوْلِهِ يَسْعى‏ نُورُهُمْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمانِهِمْ أَئِمَّةُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَسْعَى بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِمْ حَتَّى يُنْزِلُوهُمْ مَنَازِلَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ. عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ الْبَجَلِيِّ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْعَمْرَكِيِّ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ جَمِيعاً عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَهُ.

Published English translation

5. Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn sham?? From ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmanal-Asamm from ‘Abdallah ibn al-Qasim from salih ibn Sahl al-Hamadani who has said that abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) has said the following about the verse of the Holy Quran below. “God is the light of the heavens and the earth. A metaphor for His light is a lantern in which there is a lamp placed in a glass. The glass is like a shining star which is lit from a blessed olive tree that is neither eastern nor western. Its oil almost lights up even though it has not been touched by the fire. It is light upon light. God guides to His light whomever He wants. God uses various metaphors. He has the knowledge of all things.” (24:35) The Imam (a.s.) said that the lantern metaphorically stands for the Holy lady, Fatima (a.s.), the lamp stands for Imam al-Hassan (a.s.) and the glass stands for Imam al-Husayn (a.s.). The shining star stands for the Holy lady Fatima (a.s.) who shines among the ladies of the world. The blessed olive tree stands for Prophet Abraham. Neither eastern nor western means not Jewish nor Christian. ‘Its oil almost lights up’ means that it almost bursts up with knowledge. ‘Light up on light’ means that there will one Imam after the other Imam (a.s.) ‘God guides to His light who ever He wants’ means that Allah guides through the Imams whomever He wants.” About ‘God uses various metaphors’ I said, “Or it (the deeds of the unbelievers) are like the darkness of a deep, stormy sea with layers of giant waves, covered by dark clouds. It is darkness upon darkness whereby even if one stretches out his hands he can not see them. One can have no light unless God gives him light. (24:40) The Imam (a.s.) said, “ ‘darkness’ refers to the first and his friend, ‘with layers of giant waves’ refers to the third, ‘covered with darkness’ refers to the second. ‘it is darkness up on darkness’ refers to Mu‘awiya and the disasters caused by the Amavides. ‘even if one stretches out his hands’ means that even if a true believer would stretch his hands in such disastrous condition ‘he can not see them’. ‘One can have no light unless God gives him light, means the light from the children of the Holy Lady, Fatima (a.s.) ‘Can have no light’ means an Imam on the Day of Judgment.” The Imam (a.s.) said that, “On the Day of Judgment you will see the believers with their light shining in front of them and to their right. They will be told, “Paradise wherein streams flow is the glad news for you today. You will live therein forever. This is the greatest triumph.” (57:12), the shining light in front . .’ is a reference to the Imams (a.s.) whom would walk in front and on the right of the true believers until they all enter paradise.” Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Musa ibn al-Qasim al-Bajali and Muhammad ibn yahya from al-‘Amrakiy ibn Ali altogether from Ali ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) from his brother a similar Hadith.

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

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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