Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book about people with Divine Authority · If Secrets would be kept the Imams (a.s.) can tell everyone what is for and against them · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 51, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ وَبِهَذَا الاسْنَادِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُسْكَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَصِيرٍ يَقُولُ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِنْ أَيْنَ أَصَابَ أَصْحَابَ عَلِيٍّ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ مَعَ عِلْمِهِمْ بِمَنَايَاهُمْ وَبَلايَاهُمْ قَالَ فَأَجَابَنِي شِبْهَ الْمُغْضَبِ مِمَّنْ ذَلِكَ إِلا مِنْهُمْ فَقُلْتُ مَا يَمْنَعُكَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ بَابٌ أُغْلِقَ إِلا أَنَّ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ صَلَوَاتٌ عَلَيْهِمَا فَتَحَ مِنْهُ شَيْئاً يَسِيراً ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّ أُولَئِكَ كَانَتْ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ أَوْكِيَةٌ.

Published English translation

2. Through the same chain of narrators it is narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Sinan from ‘Abdallah ibn Muskan who has said that he heard abu Basir say that he said to abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) the following. “What made the supporters of Ali (a.s.) suffer the troubles despite the fact that they knew about their deaths and (causes of their) suffering?” the Imam (a.s.) replied me in a way as if he seemed angry, “from who could it come except from their own selves.?” I then asked, “What prevents you, may Allah take my soul in service for your cause, from telling it all (to your friends). The Imam (a.s.) said, “It is a door that is closed door except that al-Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.) opened it to a small degree (told a few things about future to his supporters just before their martyrdom).” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “O abu Muhammad, those people had a tie (zip) over their mouths.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/139)

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.

Source, rights, and attribution

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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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