Al-Kafi · Hadith 8

The Book about people with Divine Authority · The people of Dhikr (memory and knowledge) that Allah has commanded the creatures to ask for their questions are the Imams (a.s.) · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 20, Hadith 8

Original Arabic text

8ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ قَالَ عَلِيُّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) عَلَى الائِمَّةِ مِنَ الْفَرْضِ مَا لَيْسَ عَلَى شِيعَتِهِمْ وَعَلَى شِيعَتِنَا مَا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا أَمَرَهُمُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يَسْأَلُونَا قَالَ فَسْئَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ فَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَسْأَلُونَا وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا الْجَوَابُ إِنْ شِئْنَا أَجَبْنَا وَإِنْ شِئْنَا أَمْسَكْنَا.

Published English translation

8. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha’ who has said that he heard Imam al-Rida say the following. “Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn has said that there are certain obligation for the Imams that are not obligatory for their followers and certain obligation of our followers are not obligatory for us. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High has commanded them to ask us their questions saying, “Ask the people of Dhikr if you do not know,’ Thus, Allah has commanded them to ask us their questions but it is not obligatory for us to answer them. We may answer them or may not answer them if we may so decide.” the is not said:

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: صحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/431)

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, p. 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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