Al-Kafi · Hadith 3

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 3

Original Arabic text

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الثِّقَةُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُمْ سَمِعُوا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ فِي خُطْبَةٍ لَهُ اللهمَّ وَإِنِّي لاعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْعِلْمَ لا يَأْرِزُ كُلُّهُ وَلا يَنْقَطِعُ مَوَادُّهُ وَأَنَّكَ لا تُخْلِي أَرْضَكَ مِنْ حُجَّةٍ لَكَ عَلَى خَلْقِكَ ظَاهِرٍ لَيْسَ بِالْمُطَاعِ أَوْ خَائِفٍ مَغْمُورٍ كَيْلا تَبْطُلَ حُجَجُكَ وَلا يَضِلَّ أَوْلِيَاؤُكَ بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَهُمْ بَلْ أَيْنَ هُمْ وَكَمْ أُولَئِكَ الاقَلُّونَ عَدَداً وَالاعْظَمُونَ عِنْدَ الله جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ قَدْراً الْمُتَّبِعُونَ لِقَادَةِ الدِّينِ الائِمَّةِ الْهَادِينَ الَّذِينَ يَتَأَدَّبُونَ بِ‏آدَابِهِمْ وَيَنْهَجُونَ نَهْجَهُمْ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَهْجُمُ بِهِمُ الْعِلْمُ عَلَى حَقِيقَةِ الايمَانِ فَتَسْتَجِيبُ أَرْوَاحُهُمْ لِقَادَةِ الْعِلْمِ وَيَسْتَلِينُونَ مِنْ حَدِيثِهِمْ مَا اسْتَوْعَرَ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ وَيَأْنَسُونَ بِمَا اسْتَوْحَشَ مِنْهُ الْمُكَذِّبُونَ وَأَبَاهُ الْمُسْرِفُونَ أُولَئِكَ أَتْبَاعُ الْعُلَمَاءِ صَحِبُوا أَهْلَ الدُّنْيَا بِطَاعَةِ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى وَأَوْلِيَائِهِ وَدَانُوا بِالتَّقِيَّةِ عَنْ دِينِهِمْ وَالْخَوْفِ مِنْ عَدُوِّهِمْ فَأَرْوَاحُهُمْ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِالْمَحَلِّ الاعْلَى فَعُلَمَاؤُهُمْ وَأَتْبَاعُهُمْ خُرْسٌ صُمْتٌ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْبَاطِلِ مُنْتَظِرُونَ لِدَوْلَةِ الْحَقِّ وَسَيُحِقُّ الله الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَيَمْحَقُ الْبَاطِلَ هَا هَا طُوبَى لَهُمْ عَلَى صَبْرِهِمْ عَلَى دِينِهِمْ فِي حَالِ هُدْنَتِهِمْ وَيَا شَوْقَاهْ إِلَى رُؤْيَتِهِمْ فِي حَالِ ظُهُورِ دَوْلَتِهِمْ وَسَيَجْمَعُنَا الله وَإِيَّاهُمْ فِي جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ وَمَنْ صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ.

Published English translation

3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from abu ’Usamah from Hisham and Muhammad ibn Yahya from AHmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from abu Hamza from abu Ishaq who has said the following. “Trustworthy reliable men of the companions of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) have said that they heard Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) say in one of his sermons as herein below. “Lord, I know that knowledge will not be erased and its sources will not discontinue altogether and You will not leave your earth without a Leader with Your Authority over Your creatures. (A Leadership with Your Divine Authority over your creatures) who lives among the people well known but is disobeyed or is afraid and in obscurity so that proofs of Your authority are not invalidated and your friends would be mislead after You have granted them guidance. Where, in fact, are they (friends of Allah) and how many are they? They are very few in number but are of great respect before Allah, Majestic is Whose mention. They follow the leaders (Imams) of religion. (They follow) the guiding Imams leaders establish in their own selves the discipline of the Imams and practice their way of life. In such conditions knowledge will lead them to the true faith and their souls then accept the call of the leaders of knowledge. The statements of the leaders (The Imam (a.s.) that are difficult to understand for others are soft an easy for them to understand. They feel comfortable with what is frightening to those who reject (truth) and is disregarded by the transgressors. They are the followers of the scholars. They only accompany the worldly people in obedience to Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, and His friends. They maintain secrecy to be part of their religion for fear from their enemies. Thus, their souls are clung to the high position (of the realm of existence). Their scholars and their followers live quite and silently in the rule of the government of falsehood waiting for government of the truth. Allah will soon establish truth with His words and banish falsehood. Ha ha , how fortunate it is for them due to their patience in the matters of their religion in their peace time. How strong is the desire to see them in the time of the dominance of their government. Allah will soon bring us together with them in the gardens Eden along with those of their parents, children and spouse who had been of good deeds.”

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 (25/4)

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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