Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book about people with Divine Authority · The Imams (a.s.) inherited the knowledge of the Holy prophet (s.a.) and all the prophets and their successors before them · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 33, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ الْمُهْتَدِي عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ جُنْدَبٍ أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّداً (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) كَانَ أَمِينَ الله فِي خَلْقِهِ فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) كُنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَرَثَتَهُ فَنَحْنُ أُمَنَاءُ الله فِي أَرْضِهِ عِنْدَنَا عِلْمُ الْبَلايَا وَالْمَنَايَا وَأَنْسَابُ الْعَرَبِ وَمَوْلِدُ الاسْلامِ وَإِنَّا لَنَعْرِفُ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا رَأَيْنَاهُ بِحَقِيقَةِ الايمَانِ وَحَقِيقَةِ النِّفَاقِ وَإِنَّ شِيعَتَنَا لَمَكْتُوبُونَ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ وَأَسْمَاءِ آبَائِهِمْ أَخَذَ الله عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَيْهِمُ الْمِيثَاقَ يَرِدُونَ مَوْرِدَنَا وَيَدْخُلُونَ مَدْخَلَنَا لَيْسَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ الاسْلامِ غَيْرُنَا وَغَيْرُهُمْ نَحْنُ النُّجَبَاءُ النُّجَاةُ وَنَحْنُ أَفْرَاطُ الانْبِيَاءِ وَنَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ الاوْصِيَاءِ وَنَحْنُ الْمَخْصُوصُونَ فِي كِتَابِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَنَحْنُ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِكِتَابِ الله وَنَحْنُ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِرَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَنَحْنُ الَّذِينَ شَرَعَ الله لَنَا دِينَهُ فَقَالَ فِي كِتَابِهِ شَرَعَ لَكُمْ يَا آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ مِنَ الدِّينِ ما وَصَّى بِهِ نُوحاً قَدْ وَصَّانَا بِمَا وَصَّى بِهِ نُوحاً وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنا إِلَيْكَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ وَما وَصَّيْنا بِهِ إِبْراهِيمَ وَمُوسى‏ وَعِيسى‏ فَقَدْ عَلَّمَنَا وَبَلَّغَنَا عِلْمَ مَا عَلِمْنَا وَاسْتَوْدَعَنَا عِلْمَهُمْ نَحْنُ وَرَثَةُ أُولِي الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ يَا آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَلا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِ وَكُونُوا عَلَى جَمَاعَةٍ كَبُرَ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ مَنْ أَشْرَكَ بِوَلايَةِ عَلِيٍّ ما تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَلايَةِ عَلِيٍّ إِنَّ الله يَا مُحَمَّدُ يَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يُنِيبُ مَنْ يُجِيبُكَ إِلَى وَلايَةِ عَلِيٍّ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام)

Published English translation

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Abdul Aziz ibn al-Muhtadi, from Abdullah ibn Jundab, that Imam al-Ridha (as) wrote to him: "As for what follows: Verily, Muhammad (sw) was God’s trustee among His creation. When he passed away, we, the Ahl al-Bayt, inherited him, and thus we are the trustees of God on His earth. With us is the knowledge of calamities and deaths, the genealogies of the Arabs, and the origin of Islam. We recognize a person, upon seeing him, by the true essence of faith and the true essence of hypocrisy. Our followers (Shi'a) are recorded by their names and the names of their fathers. God has taken a covenant from us and from them, they shall return to our source and enter where we enter. None are truly upon the religion of Islam except us and them. We are the chosen ones, the saved, the vanguard of the prophets, the sons of their successors. We are the ones specifically mentioned in the Book of God, the Almighty and Exalted. We are the most worthy of the Book of God and the most worthy of the Messenger of God (sw). God has legislated His religion for us, as He said in His Book: 'He has ordained for you, O family of Muhammad, of the religion what He enjoined upon Noah.' He enjoined upon us what He enjoined upon Noah, and what He revealed to you, O Muhammad, and what He enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. He has taught us and conveyed to us what He taught them, and entrusted us with their knowledge. We are the heirs of the messengers of firm resolve (ulu al-‘azm). 'Establish the religion, O Family of Muhammad, and do not be divided therein. Be united.' It has become heavy upon the polytheists—those who associate others in the guardianship (wilayah) of Ali—what you call them to, of Ali’s wilayah (as). Indeed, God, O Muhammad, guides to it whomever turns to Him, and whoever responds to you regarding the wilayah of Ali (as)."

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 (3/14)

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
source Revision: becbad600b693ce23735d7403c4126ce7c896d34
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