Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book about people with Divine Authority · The Imams (a.s.) know when they will die and they die voluntarily · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 47, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بَشَّارٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي شَيْخٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ قَطِيعَةِ الرَّبِيعِ مِنَ الْعَامَّةِ بِبَغْدَادَ مِمَّنْ كَانَ يُنْقَلُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ لِي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ بَعْضَ مَنْ يَقُولُونَ بِفَضْلِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ مِثْلَهُ قَطُّ فِي فَضْلِهِ وَنُسُكِهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ مَنْ وَكَيْفَ رَأَيْتَهُ قَالَ جُمِعْنَا أَيَّامَ السِّنْدِيِّ بْنِ شَاهَكَ ثَمَانِينَ رَجُلاً مِنَ الْوُجُوهِ الْمَنْسُوبِينَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ فَأُدْخِلْنَا عَلَى مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَنَا السِّنْدِيُّ يَا هَؤُلاءِ انْظُرُوا إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ هَلْ حَدَثَ بِهِ حَدَثٌ فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ فُعِلَ بِهِ وَيُكْثِرُونَ فِي ذَلِكَ وَهَذَا مَنْزِلُهُ وَفِرَاشُهُ مُوَسَّعٌ عَلَيْهِ غَيْرُ مُضَيَّقٍ وَلَمْ يُرِدْ بِهِ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سُوءاً وَإِنَّمَا يَنْتَظِرُ بِهِ أَنْ يَقْدَمَ فَيُنَاظِرَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَهَذَا هُوَ صَحِيحٌ مُوَسَّعٌ عَلَيْهِ فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِهِ فَسَلُوهُ قَالَ وَنَحْنُ لَيْسَ لَنَا هَمٌّ إِلا النَّظَرُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ وَإِلَى فَضْلِهِ وَسَمْتِهِ فَقَالَ مُوسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرَ مِنَ التَّوْسِعَةِ وَمَا أَشْبَهَهَا فَهُوَ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرَ غَيْرَ أَنِّي أُخْبِرُكُمْ أَيُّهَا النَّفَرُ أَنِّي قَدْ سُقِيتُ السَّمَّ فِي سَبْعِ تَمَرَاتٍ وَأَنَا غَداً أَخْضَرُّ وَبَعْدَ غَدٍ أَمُوتُ قَالَ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى السِّنْدِيِّ بْنِ شَاهَكَ يَضْطَرِبُ وَيَرْتَعِدُ مِثْلَ السَّعَفَةِ.

Published English translation

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Bashshar has said that a respectable man from Qati‘a al- Rabi‘ (a quarter in the Karkh part of Baghdad) from the general public (non-Shi‘a) of Baghdad, from whom people would narrate hadith has said to me the following. “I have seen (experienced) from the people of this family of whose virtues people speak, things that I have never seen (experienced) no one else to be like him in his virtue and worship.” The narrator has said that he asked the man. “Who is he? And how did you find him?” He then said, “In the days of al-Sindi ibn Shahik (a vazir of Harun al-Rashid) we gathered eighty people of the leading personalities in goodness to meet Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) Al-Sindi asked us, “Gentlemen, please examine this man. Has anything happened to him?” People think that he is tortured and they make a huge noise about it. This is his dwelling place and his bed which, has enough room and he is not constrained. Amir al-Mu’minin (Harun al-Rashid) has not done any bad things to him. He is kept here until the right time comes so he can debate Amir al-Mu’minin (Harun al-Rashid). He is quite well and comfortable from all aspects. You may ask him questions.” The narrator has said, “We had no other intention but to see to the man, to his virtue and his excellent attitude. Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) then said, “Whatever he (al-Sindi) has said about the capacity of the place and other such things are as he has said. However, O people, I let you know that I am being poisoned with seven pieces of dates. Tomorrow my color will turn green and after tomorrow I will die.” The man has said, “I looked at al-Sindi ibn Shahik. He shivered in terror and shook like the leaves of a branch of palm tree.”

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 (3/119)

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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