Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book about people with Divine Authority · Chapter Ninety Seven of the Holy Quran and its interpretation · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 41, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ بَيْنَا أَبِي جَالِسٌ وَعِنْدَهُ نَفَرٌ إِذَا اسْتَضْحَكَ حَتَّى اغْرَوْرَقَتْ عَيْنَاهُ دُمُوعاً ثُمَّ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا أَضْحَكَنِي قَالَ فَقَالُوا لا قَالَ زَعَمَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّهُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا الله ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ الْمَلائِكَةَ يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ تُخْبِرُكَ بِوَلايَتِهَا لَكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاخِرَةِ مَعَ الامْنِ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْحُزْنِ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَقُولُ إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ وَقَدْ دَخَلَ فِي هَذَا جَمِيعُ الامَّةِ فَاسْتَضْحَكْتُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ صَدَقْتَ يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنْشُدُكَ الله هَلْ فِي حُكْمِ الله جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ اخْتِلافٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ لا فَقُلْتُ مَا تَرَى فِي رَجُلٍ ضَرَبَ رَجُلاً أَصَابِعَهُ بِالسَّيْفِ حَتَّى سَقَطَتْ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ وَأَتَى رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَأَطَارَ كَفَّهُ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنْتَ قَاضٍ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ صَانِعٌ قَالَ أَقُولُ لِهَذَا الْقَاطِعِ أَعْطِهِ دِيَةَ كَفِّهِ وَأَقُولُ لِهَذَا الْمَقْطُوعِ صَالِحْهُ عَلَى مَا شِئْتَ وَابْعَثْ بِهِ إِلَى ذَوِي عَدْلٍ قُلْتُ جَاءَ الاخْتِلافُ فِي حُكْمِ الله عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ وَنَقَضْتَ الْقَوْلَ الاوَّلَ أَبَى الله عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ أَنْ يُحْدِثَ فِي خَلْقِهِ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْحُدُودِ وَلَيْسَ تَفْسِيرُهُ فِي الارْضِ اقْطَعْ قَاطِعَ الْكَفِّ أَصْلاً ثُمَّ أَعْطِهِ دِيَةَ الاصَابِعِ هَكَذَا حُكْمُ الله لَيْلَةً يَنْزِلُ فِيهَا أَمْرُهُ إِنْ جَحَدْتَهَا بَعْدَ مَا سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَأَدْخَلَكَ الله النَّارَ كَمَا أَعْمَى بَصَرَكَ يَوْمَ جَحَدْتَهَا عَلَى ابْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ قَالَ فَلِذَلِكَ عَمِيَ بَصَرِي قَالَ وَمَا عِلْمُكَ بِذَلِكَ فَوَ الله إِنْ عَمِيَ بَصَرِي إِلا مِنْ صَفْقَةِ جَنَاحِ الْمَلَكِ قَالَ فَاسْتَضْحَكْتُ ثُمَّ تَرَكْتُهُ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ لِسَخَافَةِ عَقْلِهِ ثُمَّ لَقِيتُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ مَا تَكَلَّمْتَ بِصِدْقٍ مِثْلِ أَمْسِ قَالَ لَكَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ وَإِنَّهُ يَنْزِلُ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ أَمْرُ السَّنَةِ وَإِنَّ لِذَلِكَ الامْرِ وُلاةً بَعْدَ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقُلْتَ مَنْ هُمْ فَقَالَ أَنَا وَأَحَدَ عَشَرَ مِنْ صُلْبِي أَئِمَّةٌ مُحَدَّثُونَ فَقُلْتَ لا أَرَاهَا كَانَتْ إِلا مَعَ رَسُولِ الله فَتَبَدَّى لَكَ الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي يُحَدِّثُهُ فَقَالَ كَذَبْتَ يَا عَبْدَ الله رَأَتْ عَيْنَايَ الَّذِي حَدَّثَكَ بِهِ عَلِيٌّ وَلَمْ تَرَهُ عَيْنَاهُ وَلَكِنْ وَعَى قَلْبُهُ وَوُقِرَ فِي سَمْعِهِ ثُمَّ صَفَقَكَ بِجَنَاحِهِ فَعَمِيتَ قَالَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ مَا اخْتَلَفْنَا فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى الله فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فَهَلْ حَكَمَ الله فِي حُكْمٍ مِنْ حُكْمِهِ بِأَمْرَيْنِ قَالَ لا فَقُلْتُ هَاهُنَا هَلَكْتَ وَأَهْلَكْتَ.

Published English translation

2. (Through the same chain of narrators) it has been narrated from Abi ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Once, in a meeting in the presence of my father with a group of people also present my father smiled and (the feeling was quite intense it caused) tears flooded his eyes. He then asked, “Do you know what made me laugh?” The narrator has said that they said, “No, we do not know the reason.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Ibn ‘Abbas thinks he is of the people mention in the following verse of the Holy Quran. “To those who have said, “God is our Lord, “ and who have remained steadfast to their belief, the angels will descend saying, “Do not be afraid or grieved. Receive the glad news of the Paradise which was promised to you.” (41:30). I asked him, “Have you seen the angels, O Ibn ‘Abbas, telling you of the fact that they guard and protect you in this and the next world and provide you complete protection and security from fear and sadness?” The Imam (a.s.) then said that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Believers are each other’s brothers. . .” (49:10) the whole community is included in this verse.” I then laughed.” Then I said, “O Ibn ‘Abbas, you (perhaps) are right. However, I ask you to swear to Allah and answer me truthfully. Is there any disharmony in the judgment of Allah, Majestic is Whose mention?” He said, “No, there is no disharmony in His judgment.” “I then asked him, “How would you judge the case in which a man strikes the fingers of another man with a sword until they fall. Then another man comes and cuts off his palm. He is brought to you and you are the judge. How would you then judge?” He said, “I will order the one who cut off the palm to pay compensation for the whole hand. I will ask the affected party to reach a settlement with the defendant and for this purpose I send them to the people of justice (arbitrator).” I said, “(In your judgment) disharmony has come in the laws of Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, thus, you invalidated what you said before (that there is no disharmony in the laws and judgment of Allah). Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, disdains to let a judicial case remain on earth without a clarified rule. You must order, as a judge, to cut the palm of the defendant totally and pay compensation for the fingers. Thus, is the judgment of Allah at the night wherein His orders descend. If you would reject after hearing from the Messenger of Allah then Allah will send you to fire just as He blinded you on the day you hid the (truth) in favor of Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.).” Ibn ‘Abbas then said, “Is that why my eyes have become blind?” He further said, “How would you know that? I swear by Allah that my eyes turned blind only because of the flapping of the wing of the angel.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “That made me laugh. I left him that day because of the silliness (dark and dullness) in his intellect and reason. I then met him latter and said to him, “O Ibn ‘Abbas, you have not spoken as true as you did yesterday. Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) told you that the Night of Determination comes every year. On that night the command for the whole year comes down. For that matter and command is the people with Divine authority after the Messenger of Allah. You then asked, “Who are these people?” He (Ali (a.s.) said, “I myself and the eleven men from my descendents will be the Imams (leaders with divine authority) and the (people to whom angels speak) Muhaddathun.” You then said, “I do not see it (Night of Determination) except with the Messenger of Allah. Then the angel appeared to you; the angels that was speaking to him and said, “O ‘Abdallah, you have lied. My eyes see it (the Night of Determination).of which Ali (a.s.) spoke to you. His (Ali’s ) eyes did not see him (the angel) but his heart understood (the presence of the angel) and he impacted his ears. Then he (angel) flapped you with his wing and you turned blind.” Ibn ‘Abbas then said, “In the matters that we dispute it is up to Allah to judge.” I then said to him, “Has Allah judged one case with two judgments?” He replied, “No, Allah has not done so.” I then said, “Here you perish and cause others to perish.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: سنده كما تقدم

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/74)

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
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