Al-Kafi · Hadith 7

The Book about people with Divine Authority · Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu al-Hassan Musa’s (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 71, Hadith 7

Original Arabic text

7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنْ كَانَ كَوْنٌ وَلا أَرَانِي الله ذَلِكَ فَبِمَنْ أَئْتَمُّ قَالَ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَى ابْنِهِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قُلْتُ فَإِنْ حَدَثَ بِمُوسَى حَدَثٌ فَبِمَنْ أَئْتَمُّ قَالَ بِوَلَدِهِ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ حَدَثَ بِوَلَدِهِ حَدَثٌ وَتَرَكَ أَخاً كَبِيراً وَابْناً صَغِيراً فَبِمَنْ أَئْتَمُّ قَالَ بِوَلَدِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَكَذَا أَبَداً قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ أَعْرِفْهُ وَلا أَعْرِفْ مَوْضِعَهُ قَالَ تَقُولُ اللهمَّ إِنِّي أَتَوَلَّى مَنْ بَقِيَ مِنْ حُجَجِكَ مِنْ وُلْدِ الامَامِ الْمَاضِي فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُجْزِيكَ إِنْ شَاءَ الله.

Published English translation

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Najran from ‘Isa ibn ‘Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Umar ibn Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) who has said the following. “I said to abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.). “If something would happen (death of Imam), may Allah will not make me experience it, then who must I follow as my Imam?” The narrator has said that he pointed to his son Musa (a.s.). I then asked, “What if something will happen to Musa (a.s.) then who must I follow as my Imam?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Follow his sons. Then he said, “In this way for ever.” I then asked, “What if I will not know him and will not know his place?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Say, ‘O Lord, I love and take as my guardian whoever is left (on earth) as your authority of the sons of the preceding Imam. This will be enough for you if Allah would so will.”

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 (3/333)

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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