Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book about people with Divine Authority · Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali’s (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after the Messenger of Allah · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 65, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ يُونُسَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ الْجَهْمِ الْهِلالِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ وَلايَةُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَكَانَ مِنْ قَوْلِ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) سَلِّمُوا عَلَى عَلِيٍّ بِإِمْرَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَكَانَ مِمَّا أَكَّدَ الله عَلَيْهِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ يَا زَيْدُ قَوْلُ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لَهُمَا قُومَا فَسَلِّمَا عَلَيْهِ بِإِمْرَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالا أَ مِنَ الله أَوْ مِنْ رَسُولِهِ يَا رَسُولَ الله فَقَالَ لَهُمَا رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مِنَ الله وَمِنْ رَسُولِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلا تَنْقُضُوا الايْمانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِها وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ الله عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلاً إِنَّ الله يَعْلَمُ ما تَفْعَلُونَ يَعْنِي بِهِ قَوْلَ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لَهُمَا وَقَوْلَهُمَا أَ مِنَ الله أَوْ مِنْ رَسُولِهِ وَلا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَها مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنْكاثاً تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمانَكُمْ دَخَلاً بَيْنَكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونَ أَئِمَّةٌ هِيَ أَزْكَى مِنْ أَئِمَّتِكُمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَئِمَّةٌ قَالَ إِي وَالله أَئِمَّةٌ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّا نَقْرَأُ أَرْبى‏ فَقَالَ مَا أَرْبَى وَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ فَطَرَحَهَا إِنَّما يَبْلُوكُمُ الله بِهِ يَعْنِي بِعلي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ ما كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ. وَلَوْ شاءَ الله لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً واحِدَةً وَلكِنْ يُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشاءُ وَلَتُسْئَلُنَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَمَّا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ. وَلا تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمانَكُمْ دَخَلاً بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِها يَعْنِي بَعْدَ مَقَالَةِ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فِي علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَتَذُوقُوا السُّوءَ بِما صَدَدْتُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِ الله يَعْنِي بِهِ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَلَكُمْ عَذابٌ عَظِيمٌ.

Published English translation

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Isma’il from Mansur ibn Yunus from Zayd ibn al-Jahm al-Hilali who has said that heard Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “When Wilaya (Divine Authority over the people) of 'Ali ibn Abu Talib has descended and it was in the words of the Messenger of Allah they all greeted and congratulated Ali (a.s.) as the commander of the believers. Of the matters that Allah had stressed up on the two of them on that day, O Zayd was what came through the words of the Messenger of Allah for the two of them. “The two of you stand up and congratulate him ('Ali) as the commander of the believers. The two of them asked, “Is it from Allah or from the Messenger of Allah, O the Messenger of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah then said to the two of them, “It is from Allah and from His Messenger.” Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, then sent the following: “(He commands people) to keep their established covenants with God not to disregard their firm oaths; they have already appointed God as their Guarantor. God certainly knows what you do.” (16:91) The Imam (a.s.) said , “It refers to the words of the Messenger of Allah to the two of them and thier words to the the Messenger of Allah saying, “Is it from Allah or from the Messenger of Allah, O the Messenger of Allah ?” The point to note in this matter in the following words of Allah is Imams. “Do not be like the lady behind the spinning wheel who has broken the yarn by pulling it with unnecessary force. You must not consider your oaths as means of deceit to benefit one party and incur loss upon the other. . .” (16:92), just because they are the Imams who possess highier spiritual standard.” The narrator has said that he then asked the Imam (a.s.), ‘May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, is the word ’A’imma (Imams)? However, we read it Arba’? The Imam (a.s.) then said, “What Arba’ is it that you mention? He made a gesture with his hand as an indication of throwing away something and said, “Allah tests you through him (Ali (a.s.) “. . He will make clear to you who was right and who was wrong on the Day of Judgment. (16:92) Had God wanted, He would have made you one single nation but He guides or causes to go astray whomever He wants. You will certainly be questioned about what you have done. (16:93) Do not consider your oaths as a means of deceit lest you damage the firmness of your faith, (after what you have heard from the Messenger of Allah about Ali (a.s.) ) suffer from evil by creating obstacles in the way that leads to God, (a reference to Ali (a.s.) ) and incur a great torment upon yourselves (16:94).”

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 (3/265)

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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