Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book about people with Divine Authority · Precious Ahadith on Conditions of Disappearance from Public Sight of (the Twelfth Imam (a.s.) · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 79, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الاشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مِرْدَاسٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى وَالْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ عَمَّارٍ السَّابَاطِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَيُّمَا أَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةُ فِي السِّرِّ مَعَ الامَامِ مِنْكُمُ الْمُسْتَتِرِ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْبَاطِلِ أَوِ الْعِبَادَةُ فِي ظُهُورِ الْحَقِّ وَدَوْلَتِهِ مَعَ الامَامِ مِنْكُمُ الظَّاهِرِ فَقَالَ يَا عَمَّارُ الصَّدَقَةُ فِي السِّرِّ وَالله أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ فِي الْعَلانِيَةِ وَكَذَلِكَ وَالله عِبَادَتُكُمْ فِي السِّرِّ مَعَ إِمَامِكُمُ الْمُسْتَتِرِ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْبَاطِلِ وَتَخَوُّفُكُمْ مِنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْبَاطِلِ وَحَالِ الْهُدْنَةِ أَفْضَلُ مِمَّنْ يَعْبُدُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ فِي ظُهُورِ الْحَقِّ مَعَ إِمَامِ الْحَقِّ الظَّاهِرِ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْحَقِّ وَلَيْسَتِ الْعِبَادَةُ مَعَ الْخَوْفِ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْبَاطِلِ مِثْلَ الْعِبَادَةِ وَالامْنِ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْحَقِّ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ مَنْ صَلَّى مِنْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ صَلاةً فَرِيضَةً فِي جَمَاعَةٍ مُسْتَتِرٍ بِهَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فِي وَقْتِهَا فَأَتَمَّهَا كَتَبَ الله لَهُ خَمْسِينَ صَلاةً فَرِيضَةً فِي جَمَاعَةٍ وَمَنْ صَلَّى مِنْكُمْ صَلاةً فَرِيضَةً وَحْدَهُ مُسْتَتِراً بِهَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فِي وَقْتِهَا فَأَتَمَّهَا كَتَبَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِهَا لَهُ خَمْساً وَعِشْرِينَ صَلاةً فَرِيضَةً وَحْدَانِيَّةً وَمَنْ صَلَّى مِنْكُمْ صَلاةً نَافِلَةً لِوَقْتِهَا فَأَتَمَّهَا كَتَبَ الله لَهُ بِهَا عَشْرَ صَلَوَاتٍ نَوَافِلَ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْكُمْ حَسَنَةً كَتَبَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ بِهَا عِشْرِينَ حَسَنَةً وَيُضَاعِفُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَسَنَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْكُمْ إِذَا أَحْسَنَ أَعْمَالَهُ وَدَانَ بِالتَّقِيَّةِ عَلَى دِينِهِ وَإِمَامِهِ وَنَفْسِهِ وَأَمْسَكَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ أَضْعَافاً مُضَاعَفَةً إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ كَرِيمٌ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَدْ وَالله رَغَّبْتَنِي فِي الْعَمَلِ وَحَثَثْتَنِي عَلَيْهِ وَلَكِنْ أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَعْلَمَ كَيْفَ صِرْنَا نَحْنُ الْيَوْمَ أَفْضَلَ أَعْمَالاً مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الامَامِ الظَّاهِرِ مِنْكُمْ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْحَقِّ وَنَحْنُ عَلَى دِينٍ وَاحِدٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ سَبَقْتُمُوهُمْ إِلَى الدُّخُولِ فِي دِينِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِلَى الصَّلاةِ وَالصَّوْمِ وَالْحَجِّ وَإِلَى كُلِّ خَيْرٍ وَفِقْهٍ وَإِلَى عِبَادَةِ الله عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ سِرّاً مِنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ مَعَ إِمَامِكُمُ الْمُسْتَتِرِ مُطِيعِينَ لَهُ صَابِرِينَ مَعَهُ مُنْتَظِرِينَ لِدَوْلَةِ الْحَقِّ خَائِفِينَ عَلَى إِمَامِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنَ الْمُلُوكِ الظَّلَمَةِ تَنْتَظِرُونَ إِلَى حَقِّ إِمَامِكُمْ وَحُقُوقِكُمْ فِي أَيْدِي الظَّلَمَةِ قَدْ مَنَعُوكُمْ ذَلِكَ وَاضْطَرُّوكُمْ إِلَى حَرْثِ الدُّنْيَا وَطَلَبِ الْمَعَاشِ مَعَ الصَّبْرِ عَلَى دِينِكُمْ وَعِبَادَتِكُمْ وَطَاعَةِ إِمَامِكُمْ وَالْخَوْفِ مَعَ عَدُوِّكُمْ فَبِذَلِكَ ضَاعَفَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَكُمُ الاعْمَالَ فَهَنِيئاً لَكُمْ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَمَا تَرَى إِذاً أَنْ نَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقَائِمِ وَيَظْهَرَ الْحَقُّ وَنَحْنُ الْيَوْمَ فِي إِمَامَتِكَ وَطَاعَتِكَ أَفْضَلُ أَعْمَالاً مِنْ أَصْحَابِ دَوْلَةِ الْحَقِّ وَالْعَدْلِ فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ الله أَ مَا تُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى الْحَقَّ وَالْعَدْلَ فِي الْبِلادِ وَيَجْمَعَ الله الْكَلِمَةَ وَيُؤَلِّفَ الله بَيْنَ قُلُوبٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ وَلا يَعْصُونَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي أَرْضِهِ وَتُقَامَ حُدُودُهُ فِي خَلْقِهِ وَيَرُدَّ الله الْحَقَّ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَيَظْهَرَ حَتَّى لا يُسْتَخْفَى بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْحَقِّ مَخَافَةَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ أَمَا وَالله يَا عَمَّارُ لا يَمُوتُ مِنْكُمْ مَيِّتٌ عَلَى الْحَالِ الَّتِي أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهَا إِلا كَانَ أَفْضَلَ عِنْدَ الله مِنْ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ شُهَدَاءِ بَدْرٍ وَأُحُدٍ فَأَبْشِرُوا.

Published English translation

2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ari has narrated from from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Mirdas from Safwan ibn Yahya and al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from ‘Ammar al-Sabati who has said the following. “Once I asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), ‘Is the worship in secrecy with an Imam from you under the government of falsehood more virtuous or the worship during the dominance and government of the truth with an Imam from you in public sight more virtuous?’” The Imam (a.s.) said, “O ‘Ammar, charity in secrecy, by Allah, is more virtuous than the charity given in public sight. The same is true when you worship in secrecy with your Imam out of public sight under the government of falsehood. (Worship) with your fear from your enemies under the government of falsehood in peace time is more virtuous than worshipping Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, during the dominance of the truth distinctly under the government of the truth. Worship with fear under the government of falsehood is not like the worship in peace under the government of the truth. You must know that if one of you would perform his obligatory prayer in congregation maintaining secrecy from the enemy, in time and complete it, Allah will record it as equal to fifty obligatory prayers performed in congregation. If one of you would perform an obligatory prayer individually maintaining secrecy from the enemy, in time and complete it Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, will record it as equal in virtue to twenty five obligatory prayers performed individually. If one of you would perform an optional prayer in time and complete it, Allah will record it as equal to ten optional prayers. If one of you would do one good deed, Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, will record it as equal to twenty good deeds. Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, will grant multiple rewards for the good deeds of a believer among you when he would make his deeds good. Allah will grant him good reward in multiples for maintaining secrecy in his religion, about his Imam (a.s.) and his own life and would control his tongue. Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, is generous. “I then said, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, you have certainly given me courage to do good deeds and have given me much exhortation. However, I love to know how would we today be of more virtuous deeds than the followers of the Imam (a.s.) from you who would be among them in public sight under the government of the truth while we all have the same religion?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “You have become the winner in this in accepting the religion of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, in prayer, in fasting, in performing Hajj in every good deed, in understanding and in the worship of Allah, Majestic is Whose mention, in secrecy. (You have maintained) secrecy from your enemies when your Imam does not live in public sight, but you obey him in patience on his side, waiting and expecting the establishment of the government of truth while you are afraid for your Imam and your own lives from the unjust kings. You wait for and expect to receive your rights and the right of your Imam that are usurped by unjust ones. They have denied your rights and have forced you towards the worldly gains and means of living with patience in performing your religious duties, your worship, your obedience to your Imam and fear from your enemies. For this reason Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, will grant you the reward for your good deeds in multiples. May it be handsome and graceful for you. “I then said, ‘May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, what would your holiness say in the following cases? Would our deeds as the companions of the al-Qa’im (the one to establish the kingdom of Allah), when the truth would become dominant, be more virtuous or now that we are your followers and obeying you? Would our deeds be more virtuous now or those during the dominance of the government of the truth and justice?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Glory belongs to Allah. Do you not love to to see Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, grant dominance to the truth and justice in all lands, unit ideologies, bring together the differing hearts so no one would disobey Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, on His earth? (Do you not love to see) His laws are practiced among His creatures and Allah would make the rights to return where they belong and over come so nothing of the truth would be kept secret for fear of any of the creatures? By Allah, O ‘Ammar, no one of you will die in the condition that you live now but that is more virtuous than the conditions of the martyrs of Badr and ’Uhud. It is a glad news for you all.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف على المشهور

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (20/4)

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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