Al-Kafi · Hadith 3

The Book about people with Divine Authority · The Unique Ahadith about the hidden facts · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 45, Hadith 3

Original Arabic text

3ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ سَدِيرٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو بَصِيرٍ وَيَحْيَى الْبَزَّازُ وَدَاوُدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ فِي مَجْلِسِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِذْ خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا وَهُوَ مُغْضَبٌ فَلَمَّا أَخَذَ مَجْلِسَهُ قَالَ يَا عَجَباً لاقْوَامٍ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّا نَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ مَا يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ إِلا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ بِضَرْبِ جَارِيَتِي فُلانَةَ فَهَرَبَتْ مِنِّي فَمَا عَلِمْتُ فِي أَيِّ بُيُوتِ الدَّارِ هِيَ قَالَ سَدِيرٌ فَلَمَّا أَنْ قَامَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ وَصَارَ فِي مَنْزِلِهِ دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو بَصِيرٍ وَمُيَسِّرٌ وَقُلْنَا لَهُ جُعِلْنَا فِدَاكَ سَمِعْنَاكَ وَأَنْتَ تَقُولُ كَذَا وَكَذَا فِي أَمْرِ جَارِيَتِكَ وَنَحْنُ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ عِلْماً كَثِيراً وَلا نَنْسُبُكَ إِلَى عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا سَدِيرُ أَ لَمْ تَقْرَأِ الْقُرْآنَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ فَهَلْ وَجَدْتَ فِيمَا قَرَأْتَ مِنْ كِتَابِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَدْ قَرَأْتُهُ قَالَ فَهَلْ عَرَفْتَ الرَّجُلَ وَهَلْ عَلِمْتَ مَا كَانَ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ عِلْمِ الْكِتَابِ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي بِهِ قَالَ قَدْرُ قَطْرَةٍ مِنَ الْمَاءِ فِي الْبَحْرِ الاخْضَرِ فَمَا يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمِ الْكِتَابِ قَالَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا أَقَلَّ هَذَا فَقَالَ يَا سَدِيرُ مَا أَكْثَرَ هَذَا أَنْ يَنْسِبَهُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَى الْعِلْمِ الَّذِي أُخْبِرُكَ بِهِ يَا سَدِيرُ فَهَلْ وَجَدْتَ فِيمَا قَرَأْتَ مِنْ كِتَابِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَيْضاً قُلْ كَفى‏ بِالله شَهِيداً بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتابِ قَالَ قُلْتُ قَدْ قَرَأْتُهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ أَ فَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ كُلُّهُ أَفْهَمُ أَمْ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ بَعْضُهُ قُلْتُ لا بَلْ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ كُلُّهُ قَالَ فَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ وَقَالَ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ وَالله كُلُّهُ عِنْدَنَا عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ وَالله كُلُّهُ عِنْدَنَا.

Published English translation

3. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from ‘Abbad ibn Sulayman from Muhammad ibn Sulayman from his father from Sadir who has said that he, abu Basir, Yahya al-Bazzaz and Dawud ibn Kathir were in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.). The Imam (a.s.) came to us while he was angry. When he settled in his seat he then said, “How strange is it that certain people think we know the hidden facts. No one knows the hidden things except Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. I thought to discipline our house maid, so and so, and could not find in which quarter she was.” Sadir has said, “When the meeting was over and the Imam (a.s.) went home, I, abu Basir and Muyassir went to his house. We said to him, “May Allah take our souls in service for your cause, we heard you say so and so about the matter of your house maid but we know that you have a great deal of knowledge. We do not say that you possess the knowledge of (al-Ghayb) hidden facts.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) said, “O Sadir, Do you not read the Holy Quran?” I said, “Yes, I do read the Holy Quran.” The Imam (a.s.) then asked, “In your reading have you found the following words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High? “The one who had knowledge from the Book said, “I can bring it to you before you even blink your eye. . .” (27:40) The narrator has said that he said that he has read those words. The Imam (a.s.) asked, “Do you know who the man is? Do you know how much knowledge of the Book he had?” The narrator has said that he asked the Imams (a.s.) “Please tell me about his knowledge.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “His knowledge of the Book was like one drop compared to the green ocean (Atlantic). The narrator has said that he said, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, that is very little..” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “O Sadir, say, “What a great knowledge is that when Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, would ascribe to a knowledge that I am about to speak of to you. Have you found in the book of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, the following. “Say, “God and those who have the knowledge of the Book are sufficient witness (to my prophethood).” (13:43) The narrator has said that he said to the Imams (a.s.), “Yes. “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, I have read it.” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “Is the knowledge of one who possesses the knowledge of the whole book greater or that of the one who possesses some knowledge of the Book?” I said, “The knowledge of one who possesses the knolwedge of the whole book is greater.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) pointing to his chest said, “The knowledge of the whole Book, I swear by Allah, is with us. The knowledge of the whole Book, I swear by Allah, is with us.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مجهول

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/112)

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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