Al-Kafi · Hadith 3

The Book about people with Divine Authority · The Imams (a.s.) possess Divine authority, they are Envied and Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has spoken of them · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 16, Hadith 3

Original Arabic text

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ الاحْوَلِ عَنْ حُمْرَانَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَوْلُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَقَدْ آتَيْنا آلَ إِبْراهِيمَ الْكِتابَ فَقَالَ النُّبُوَّةَ قُلْتُ الْحِكْمَةَ قَالَ الْفَهْمَ وَالْقَضَاءَ قُلْتُ وَآتَيْناهُمْ مُلْكاً عَظِيماً فَقَالَ الطَّاعَةَ.

Published English translation

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabi from Muhammad al-Ahwal from Humran ibn A‘yan who has said that when he asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah that say, “We have given to the family of Abraham the Book, Wisdom, and a great Kingdom.” (4:54) The Imams (a.s.) said, “It means Prophet-hood.” I then asked about the meaning of ‘wisdom’. The Imams (a.s.) said, “It means understanding and judgment.” I then asked about the meaning of ‘great kingdom.’ The Imams (a.s.) said, “It means obedience.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: حسن

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/411)

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: صحيح

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, pp. 28, 29

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Source, rights, and attribution

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edition: Al-Kafi, volume 1, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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