Hadith collections / Al-Kafi

Al-Kafi · Hadith 3

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 3

Original Arabic text

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ الْعِجْلِيِّ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ يَحْيَى الْمَعْرُوفِ بِكُرْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خُدَاهِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْكَرِيمِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْخَثْعَمِيِّ عَنْ حَبَابَةَ الْوَالِبِيَّةِ قَالَتْ رَأَيْتُ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي شُرْطَةِ الْخَمِيسِ وَمَعَهُ دِرَّةٌ لَهَا سَبَابَتَانِ يَضْرِبُ بِهَا بَيَّاعِي الْجِرِّيِّ وَالْمَارْمَاهِي وَالزِّمَّارِ وَيَقُولُ لَهُمْ يَا بَيَّاعِي مُسُوخِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَجُنْدِ بَنِي مَرْوَانَ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ فُرَاتُ بْنُ أَحْنَفَ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَا جُنْدُ بَنِي مَرْوَانَ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَقْوَامٌ حَلَقُوا اللِّحَى وَفَتَلُوا الشَّوَارِبَ فَمُسِخُوا فَلَمْ أَرَ نَاطِقاً أَحْسَنَ نُطْقاً مِنْهُ ثُمَّ اتَّبَعْتُهُ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَقْفُو أَثَرَهُ حَتَّى قَعَدَ فِي رَحَبَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا دَلالَةُ الامَامَةِ يَرْحَمُكَ الله قَالَتْ فَقَالَ ائْتِينِي بِتِلْكِ الْحَصَاةِ وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى حَصَاةٍ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا فَطَبَعَ لِي فِيهَا بِخَاتَمِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي يَا حَبَابَةُ إِذَا ادَّعَى مُدَّعٍ الامَامَةَ فَقَدَرَ أَنْ يَطْبَعَ كَمَا رَأَيْتِ فَاعْلَمِي أَنَّهُ إِمَامٌ مُفْتَرَضُ الطَّاعَةِ وَالامَامُ لا يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ يُرِيدُهُ قَالَتْ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْتُ حَتَّى قُبِضَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَجِئْتُ إِلَى الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَهُوَ فِي مَجْلِسِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَالنَّاسُ يَسْأَلُونَهُ فَقَالَ يَا حَبَابَةُ الْوَالِبِيَّةُ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا مَوْلايَ فَقَالَ هَاتِي مَا مَعَكِ قَالَ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ فَطَبَعَ فِيهَا كَمَا طَبَعَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَتْ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَهُوَ فِي مَسْجِدِ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَرَّبَ وَرَحَّبَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي إِنَّ فِي الدَّلالَةِ دَلِيلاً عَلَى مَا تُرِيدِينَ أَ فَتُرِيدِينَ دَلالَةَ الامَامَةِ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا سَيِّدِي فَقَالَ هَاتِي مَا مَعَكِ فَنَاوَلْتُهُ الْحَصَاةَ فَطَبَعَ لِي فِيهَا قَالَتْ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ عَلِيَّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) وَقَدْ بَلَغَ بِيَ الْكِبَرُ إِلَى أَنْ أُرْعِشْتُ وَأَنَا أَعُدُّ يَوْمَئِذٍ مِائَةً وَثَلاثَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَرَأَيْتُهُ رَاكِعاً وَسَاجِداً وَمَشْغُولاً بِالْعِبَادَةِ فَيَئِسْتُ مِنَ الدَّلالَةِ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيَّ بِالسَّبَّابَةِ فَعَادَ إِلَيَّ شَبَابِي قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي كَمْ مَضَى مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَكَمْ بَقِيَ فَقَالَ أَمَّا مَا مَضَى فَنَعَمْ وَأَمَّا مَا بَقِيَ فَلا قَالَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي هَاتِي مَا مَعَكِ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ الْحَصَاةَ فَطَبَعَ لِي فِيهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَطَبَعَ لِي فِيهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَطَبَعَ لِي فِيهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَطَبَعَ لِي فِيهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَطَبَعَ لِي فِيهَا وَعَاشَتْ حَبَابَةُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ تِسْعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ.

Published English translation

3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from abu Ali Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il ibn Musa ibn Ja’far from Ahmad ibn al-Qasim al-‘Ijli from Ahmad ibn Yahya, also known as Kurd from Muhammad ibn Khudahi from ‘Abdallah ibn Ayyub from ‘Abdallah ibn Hashim from ‘Abd al-Karim ibn ‘Amr al-Khath‘ami from Hababa al-Walibiyyah who has said the following. “I saw Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) in the (market) place of the Shurtat al-Khamis with a two pronged whip in his had. With it he would scare the sellers of inedible fish such as eel, moray and angler etc., and say, “O sellers of metamorphosed Israelites and the army of the descendants of Marwan, do not sell (inedible fishes).” At this time Furat ibn Ahnaf came to him and said, “O Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), ‘What is the army of the descendants of Marwan?” She has said that Ali (a.s.) said to him, “They groups of people who shaved their beards and crinkle their mustache and then they were metamorphosed.” I had not heard any one speak better than him, I followed him without missing his traces until he sat down at an open space of the Mosque (of kufa). I then asked him, “O Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), what are the signs of Imamate (Leadership with Divine Authority) may Allah grant you blessings? “ She has said that he said, “Bring to me that pebble.” He pointed with his hand. I then got the pebble for him and he set for me his seal on it. He then said to me, ‘O Hababa, if any one would claim to be the Imam (Leader with Divine Authority) and can set his seal as you just saw then acknowledge that he is the Imam that must be obeyed. The Imam does not miss what he would want.” She has said, “I then left him until Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) was taken out of this world. Thereafter I went o al-Hassan (a.s.) who was sitting in the place of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) and people around would ask him questions. He said to me, “O Hababa al-Walibyya.” I said, “Yes, my master.” He then said, “Give to me what is with you.” I then gave it to him. He set on it (his seal) just as Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) had done. She has said, “Afterwards I went to al-Husayn (a.s.). He was in Mosque of the Messenger of Allah. He welcomed warmly and then said to me, “There is no doubt that in the proof ( to support the true Imam) there is already enough proof for what you want. Do you want the proof to know the Imam?” I said, “Yes, my master.” He then said, “Bring to me what have with you.” I gave him the pebble and he printed (his seal) on it. She has said that afterwards I went to Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) but at that time I had become very old and my hands were shaky. I could count one hundred thirteen year of my lifetime. I found him in Ruku’ (kneeling in prayer) and Sujud (prostration) or busy in some form of worship. I became despaired about the proof (of Leadership with Divine Authority). He pointed out with his forefinger and my youth came back. She has said that she asked, “My mater, how much of the world is passed and how much is left?” He said, “Of how much is passed yes (I can tell) but not of how much is to come.” She has that he then said to me, “give to me what is with you.” I then gave him the pebble and he printed on it (his seal) for me. Thereafter I went to Abu Ja’far (a.s.) and he printed on it (his seal) for me. Then I went to Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.). He printed on it (his seal) for me. Then I went to Abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.) and he printed (his seal) for me. Then I went to al-Rida and printed for me.” According to Abu Muhammad Hababa lived thereafter another nine moths.”

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 (4/78)

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.

Source, rights, and attribution

dataset Name
Thaqalayn public library, via ThaqalaynAPI snapshot
source Url
https://thaqalayn.com/hadith/1/4/81/3
license
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
edition
Al-Kafi, volume 1, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
imported At
2026-10-18T21:36:12.871Z
license Url
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
rights Statement Url
https://thaqalayn.com/terms
attribution
Source: Thaqalayn (Stichting Thaqalayn). Compiler: Shaykh Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb al-Kulaynī. Translation: Muhammad Sarwar. Data transport: MohammedArab1/ThaqalaynAPI. No endorsement implied.
translator
Muhammad Sarwar
source Revision
becbad600b693ce23735d7403c4126ce7c896d34
content Hash
3ee5cdf5e76180c3934410cea3e9143186a10af611ff3ffb131f27de1192f878
source File Hash
30bc491c96eb3860f3d3dfe97f46353a88858d7cb9e06d662ebdd04252ac5a3e
original Source Url
https://thaqalayn.net/hadith/1/4/81/3
changes
Arabic and English texts preserved verbatim from pinned snapshot. Compiler introduction excluded where present; references mapped to fields; assessment whitespace trimmed; source-supplied English sanad retained separately. Search normalization is not applied to displayed text.
verification Note
Publisher content rights, translator attribution and structural checks, with independent publisher-page spot checks—not scholarly authentication or printed-edition collation. Historical text and scholarly reference strings may contain source errors; they are not silently corrected. No full commentary prose or inferred narrator identity is added. Muʿjam coverage, where present, is only the supplied excerpt, not the complete work.