Hadith collections / Al-Kafi

Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

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 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ وَزُرَارَةَ جَمِيعاً عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لَمَّا قُتِلَ الْحُسَيْنُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَرْسَلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ إِلَى عَلِيِّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) فَخَلا بِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي قَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) دَفَعَ الْوَصِيَّةَ وَالامَامَةَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) ثُمَّ إِلَى الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) ثُمَّ إِلَى الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَقَدْ قُتِلَ أَبُوكَ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُ وَصَلَّى عَلَى رُوحِهِ وَلَمْ يُوصِ وَأَنَا عَمُّكَ وَصِنْوُ أَبِيكَ وَوِلادَتِي مِنْ علي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي سِنِّي وَقَدِيمِي أَحَقُّ بِهَا مِنْكَ فِي حَدَاثَتِكَ فَلا تُنَازِعْنِي فِي الْوَصِيَّةِ وَالامَامَةِ وَلا تُحَاجَّنِي فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيُّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) يَا عَمِّ اتَّقِ الله وَلا تَدَّعِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِحَقٍّ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ إِنَّ أَبِي يَا عَمِّ صَلَوَاتُ الله عَلَيْهِ أَوْصَى إِلَيَّ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَوَجَّهَ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ وَعَهِدَ إِلَيَّ فِي ذَلِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْتَشْهَدَ بِسَاعَةٍ وَهَذَا سِلاحُ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) عِنْدِي فَلا تَتَعَرَّضْ لِهَذَا فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكَ نَقْصَ الْعُمُرِ وَتَشَتُّتَ الْحَالِ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ جَعَلَ الْوَصِيَّةَ وَالامَامَةَ فِي عَقِبِ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ ذَلِكَ فَانْطَلِقْ بِنَا إِلَى الْحَجَرِ الاسْوَدِ حَتَّى نَتَحَاكَمَ إِلَيْهِ وَنَسْأَلَهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَكَانَ الْكَلامُ بَيْنَهُمَا بِمَكَّةَ فَانْطَلَقَا حَتَّى أَتَيَا الْحَجَرَ الاسْوَدَ فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ لِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ ابْدَأْ أَنْتَ فَابْتَهِلْ إِلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَسَلْهُ أَنْ يُنْطِقَ لَكَ الْحَجَرَ ثُمَّ سَلْ فَابْتَهَلَ مُحَمَّدٌ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَسَأَلَ الله ثُمَّ دَعَا الْحَجَرَ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) يَا عَمِّ لَوْ كُنْتَ وَصِيّاً وَإِمَاماً لاجَابَكَ قَالَ لَهُ مُحَمَّدٌ فَادْعُ الله أَنْتَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي وَسَلْهُ فَدَعَا الله عَلِيُّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) بِمَا أَرَادَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِالَّذِي جَعَلَ فِيكَ مِيثَاقَ الانْبِيَاءِ وَمِيثَاقَ الاوْصِيَاءِ وَمِيثَاقَ النَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ لَمَّا أَخْبَرْتَنَا مَنِ الْوَصِيُّ وَالامَامُ بَعْدَ الْحُسَيْنِ بن علي (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) قَالَ فَتَحَرَّكَ الْحَجَرُ حَتَّى كَادَ أَنْ يَزُولَ عَنْ مَوْضِعِهِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَقَهُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ فَقَالَ اللهمَّ إِنَّ الْوَصِيَّةَ وَالامَامَةَ بَعْدَ الْحُسَيْنِ بن علي (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) إِلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَابْنِ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتِ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قَالَ فَانْصَرَفَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهما السَّلام ) عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَهُ.

Published English translation

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn Ri’ab from abu ‘Ubayda and Zurara from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following. “When al-Husayn (a.s.) was martyred, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiya asked Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) for a private meeting. In the meeting he said, “O son of my brother, you know that the Messenger of Allah (s.a) delivered the task of al-Wasiyya, (the executor-ship of the will) and al-Imamat, (Leadership with Divine Authority) thereafter it was delivered to al-Hassan (a.s.) and then to al-Husayn (a.s.). Your father, may Allah be pleased with him has been murdered, may Allah grant blessing up on his soul, and he did make any will. I am your uncle and equal in status to your father and I am a son of Ali (a.s.). Because of being older in age I am more deserving of the the position of Imamat considering that you are younger than me. Therefore, you should not dispute with me about al-Wasiyya, the will and Imamat, leadership and should argue with me about it.” Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) said, “O uncle, be pious before Allah and do not claim in what you have no right. I advise not to be of the ignorant people. In fact, my father (a.s.), O my uncle, appointed me as the executor of his will before his leaving for Iraq. He made such covenant with me just an hour before his becoming a martyr. This is the Armament of the Messenger of Allah with me. You then should not dislocate them. I am afraid for you of a shorter life and quandary of conditions. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, has placed al-Wasiyya, and Imamat in the descendants of al-Husayn (a.s.). If you would like to know it we can go near the Blackstone and fro judgment and ask it about the issue.” Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said that the issue came up between them in Makka and they went near the Blackstone. Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) said to Muhammad al-Hanafiya, “You begin first and pray to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, and ask Him to make the Blackstone speak to you and then ask your question.” Muhammad then pleaded in his prayer and asked Allah and then ask the Blackstone about the disputed issue but there was no answer. Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) said, “O uncle, had you been the Executor of the will and the Imam it would have answered your question. Muhammad then said, “Now you pray to Allah, O son of my brother and ask your question. Alin ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) prayed to Allah for what he wanted then addressing the Blackstone said, “I ask you for the sake of the One Who placed the covenant of the prophets in you, as well as the covenant of the executors of the will and the covenant of all the peole. You must tell us who the Wasiyy and Imam after al-Husayn (a.s.)?” The narrator has said that the Blackstone began to shake so much that it almost camme out of its place. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, then made it to speak in clear Arabic language and said, “O Lord, al-Wasiyya and Imamat after al-Husayn (a.s.) ibn Ali is for Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali aibn abu Talib and ibn Fatima (a.s.) daughter of the the Messenger of Allah.” The narrator has said that Muhammad Ali (a.s.) returned back and he acknowledged Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) to be his Wali (Leadership with Divine Authority).” Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurara from abu Ja’far (a.s.) the same hadith.

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: صحيح وسنده التي حسن كالصحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/84)

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

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Thaqalayn public library, via ThaqalaynAPI snapshot
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edition
Al-Kafi, volume 1, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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2026-10-18T21:36:12.871Z
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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
5a3c5c997e81e946ed9ce4d4a714d30dd0157f7e493d0a91b66984568115a203
source File Hash
30bc491c96eb3860f3d3dfe97f46353a88858d7cb9e06d662ebdd04252ac5a3e
original Source Url
https://thaqalayn.net/hadith/1/4/81/5
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
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