Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book about people with Divine Authority · The Criterion to Discern the Truthful and False Claims of Entitlement to Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 81, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَأَبُو عَلِيٍّ الاشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَسَّانَ جَمِيعاً عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ نَصْرِ بْنِ مُزَاحِمٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ جَرَّاحِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ صَلَوَاتُ الله عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ النَّهْرَوَانِ فَبَيْنَا علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) جَالِسٌ إِذْ جَاءَ فَارِسٌ فَقَالَ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا عَلِيُّ فَقَالَ لَهُ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَعَلَيْكَ السَّلامُ مَا لَكَ ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ لَمْ تُسَلِّمْ عَلَيَّ بِإِمْرَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ بَلَى سَأُخْبِرُكَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ كُنْتُ إِذْ كُنْتَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ بِصِفِّينَ فَلَمَّا حَكَّمْتَ الْحَكَمَيْنِ بَرِئْتُ مِنْكَ وَسَمَّيْتُكَ مُشْرِكاً فَأَصْبَحْتُ لا أَدْرِي إِلَى أَيْنَ أَصْرِفُ وَلايَتِي وَالله لانْ أَعْرِفَ هُدَاكَ مِنْ ضَلالَتِكَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ قِفْ مِنِّي قَرِيباً أُرِيكَ عَلامَاتِ الْهُدَى مِنْ عَلامَاتِ الضَّلالَةِ فَوَقَفَ الرَّجُلُ قَرِيباً مِنْهُ فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ فَارِسٌ يَرْكُضُ حَتَّى أَتَى عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَبْشِرْ بِالْفَتْحِ أَقَرَّ الله عَيْنَكَ قَدْ وَالله قُتِلَ الْقَوْمُ أَجْمَعُونَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِنْ دُونِ النَّهَرِ أَوْ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ قَالَ بَلْ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَقَالَ كَذَبْتَ وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ لا يَعْبُرُونَ أَبَداً حَتَّى يُقْتَلُوا فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ فَازْدَدْتُ فِيهِ بَصِيرَةً فَجَاءَ آخَرُ يَرْكُضُ عَلَى فَرَسٍ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَ الَّذِي رَدَّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ الشَّاكُّ وَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَحْمِلَ عَلَى علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَأَفْلَقَ هَامَتَهُ بِالسَّيْفِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَارِسَانِ يَرْكُضَانِ قَدْ أَعْرَقَا فَرَسَيْهِمَا فَقَالا أَقَرَّ الله عَيْنَكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَبْشِرْ بِالْفَتْحِ قَدْ وَالله قُتِلَ الْقَوْمُ أَجْمَعُونَ فَقَالَ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَ مِنْ خَلْفِ النَّهَرِ أَوْ مِنْ دُونِهِ قَالا لا بَلْ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَمَّا اقْتَحَمُوا خَيْلَهُمُ النَّهْرَوَانَ وَضَرَبَ الْمَاءُ لَبَّاتِ خُيُولِهِمْ رَجَعُوا فَأُصِيبُوا فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) صَدَقْتُمَا فَنَزَلَ الرَّجُلُ عَنْ فَرَسِهِ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَبِرِجْلِهِ فَقَبَّلَهُمَا فَقَالَ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هَذِهِ لَكَ آيَةٌ.

Published English translation

2. Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and abu Ali al-Ash‘ari from Muhammad ibn Hassa’n, all of them from Muhammad ibn Ali, Nasr ibn Muzahim from ‘Amr ibn Sa‘id from Jarrah ibn ‘Abdallah from Rafi‘ ibn Salama who has said the following. “ On the day of al-Nahrawan I was in the presence of Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.). As we were sitting with the Imam (a.s.) a horse man approached and said, “al-salamu ‘Alayka ya Ali (peace be with you O Ali).” Ali (a.s.) said, “’Alayka al-salam (with you also be peace). May your mother weep over your dead body, why did you not addressed me as the Commander of the Faithful?” He said, “Yes, I like to inform you about it. I was present in al-Siffin when the truth was on your side. However, when approved the arbitrator to settle the warring parties I disregarded you and I called a polytheist. Ever since I do not know where should I turn to pledge allegiance to the Leadership with Divine Authority. If I can find a way to know whether you are on the right side or on wrong side it will be better for me than the world and all that is therein.” Ali (a.s.) said to him, “May your mother weep on your dead body. Come and stand up near me I will show the signs of the right and the signs of the wrong side. As the man stood near him, a horse man approached running until he came to Ali (a.s.) and said, “O Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), I have the glad news of victory. May Allah make it brightness to your eyes (out of joy). It is certain, by Allah, that all men of the enemy are killed.” Ali (a.s.) asked him, “Did it happen before or after their crossing the river?” He said, “Before or after crossing.” Ali (a.s.) said, “You have lied. I swear by the One Who makes the seed to germinate and causes the fetuses to develop, that they (enemy) will never cross the river until they are all killed.” The man has said that it added to my understanding.” Another horse man came running and said just as what the one before had said and Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) refused to accept his words as those of the one before. The man who had doubts about Ali (a.s.) has said that he wanted to attack Ali (a.s.) with his sword and chop his head with the sword. Two other men came running on horses soaked in sweet. They said, “May Allah brighten your eyes with the joy of victory O Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.). We have the glad news of victory for you. It is certain, by Allah, thatall of the people are killed.” Ali (a.s.) then asked, “Did it happen before or after their crossing the river?” They said, “It happened before their crossing the river. When they tried to cross it and water reached up to the mane of their horses they turned back and there they all were killed.” Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) said, “You have spoken the truth.” The man then climbed down his horse and held Amir al-Mu’minin’s (a.s.) hand and feet and kissed them.” Ali (a.s.) said, “This is the sign (my being on the right side for you) for you.”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/74)

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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