Al-Kafi · Hadith 3

The Book about people with Divine Authority · Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu al-Hassan’s, al-Thalith (the third) (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 74, Hadith 3

Original Arabic text

3ـ وَفِي نُسْخَةِ الصَّفْوَانِيِّ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْكُوفِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الْوَاسِطِيِّ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ أَبِي خَالِدٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ يَحْكِي أَنَّهُ أَشْهَدَهُ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْوَصِيَّةِ الْمَنْسُوخَةِ شَهِدَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ أَنَّ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَشْهَدَهُ أَنَّهُ أَوْصَى إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ابْنِهِ بِنَفْسِهِ وَأَخَوَاتِهِ وَجَعَلَ أَمْرَ مُوسَى إِذَا بَلَغَ إِلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ عَبْدَ الله بْنَ الْمُسَاوِرِ قَائِماً عَلَى تَرِكَتِهِ مِنَ الضِّيَاعِ وَالامْوَالِ وَالنَّفَقَاتِ وَالرَّقِيقِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَنْ يَبْلُغَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَيَّرَ عَبْدُ الله بْنُ الْمُسَاوِرِ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ إِلَيْهِ يَقُومُ بِأَمْرِ نَفْسِهِ وَأَخَوَاتِهِ وَيُصَيِّرُ أَمْرَ مُوسَى إِلَيْهِ يَقُومُ لِنَفْسِهِ بَعْدَهُمَا عَلَى شَرْطِ أَبِيهِمَا فِي صَدَقَاتِهِ الَّتِي تَصَدَّقَ بِهَا وَذَلِكَ يَوْمُ الاحَدِ لِثَلاثِ لَيَالٍ خَلَوْنَ مِنْ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ سَنَةَ عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ وَكَتَبَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ شَهَادَتَهُ بِخَطِّهِ وَشَهِدَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَهُوَ الْجَوَّانِيُّ عَلَى مِثْلِ شَهَادَةِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ فِي صَدْرِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ وَكَتَبَ شَهَادَتَهُ بِيَدِهِ وَشَهِدَ نَصْرٌ الْخَادِمُ وَكَتَبَ شَهَادَتَهُ بِيَدِهِ.

Published English translation

3. Muhammad ibn Ja‘far al-Kufi has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Wasiti who has said the following “I heard Ahmad ibn abu Khalid, stating that he (The Imam (a.s.) had appointed him as witness to bear testimony to this documented will in the following words. “Ahmad ibn abu Khalid, the slave of abu Ja‘far, bears testimony that abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja‘far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) is asked to bear testimony. Testimony to the fact that he has appointed his son, Ali, the executor of his directive wills about himself and bout his sisters. He has placed the affairs of Musa in his charge when he would attain maturity. He has appointed ‘Abdallah ibn al-Musawir as the over seer to his legacy, his estate, property, expenditures and slaves etc., until Ali ibn Muhammad will reach the age of maturity. At such time ‘Abdallah ibn al-Musawir will transfer the overseeing position to him (Ali ibn Muhammad (a.s.)). He thereafter will take charge of his own affairs and sister. The management of the affairs of Musa will also be left to him. Musa will take charge of his own affairs after the two (overseers) according to the conditions set forth by the father of the two of them in the matters his charitable charities. This has been documented on Sunday 3rd dhu al-Hijja, in the year two hundred twenty. Ahmad ibn abu Khalid has transcribed his own testimony with his own hand writing. He has asked al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah ibn al-Hassan ibn ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.). He is also known as al-Jawani has a testimony just like the testimony of Ahmad ibn abu Khalid at the beginning of this document. He als has written his testimony with his own hand and the witness to bear testimony in the document is Nasr, the servant and he has written his bearing testimony with his own hand.”

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 (3/385)

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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