Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · The Clay from which the Believers and Unbelievers are made (additional) · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 3, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ دَاوُدَ الْعِجْلِيِّ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ حُمْرَانَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى حَيْثُ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ خَلَقَ مَاءً عَذْباً وَمَاءً مَالِحاً أُجَاجاً فَامْتَزَجَ الْمَاءَانِ فَأَخَذَ طِيناً مِنْ أَدِيمِ الأرْضِ فَعَرَكَهُ عَرْكاً شَدِيداً فَقَالَ لأصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ وَهُمْ كَالذَّرِّ يَدِبُّونَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ بِسَلامٍ وَقَالَ لأصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ إِلَى النَّارِ وَلا أُبَالِي ثُمَّ قَالَ أَ لَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قالُوا بَلى‏ شَهِدْنا أَنْ تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هذا غافِلِينَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ الْمِيثَاقَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّينَ فَقَالَ أَ لَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ وَأَنَّ هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولِي وَأَنَّ هَذَا عَلِيٌّ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالُوا بَلَى فَثَبَتَتْ لَهُمُ النُّبُوَّةُ وَأَخَذَ الْمِيثَاقَ عَلَى أُولِي الْعَزْمِ أَنَّنِي رَبُّكُمْ وَمُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولِي وَعَلِيٌّ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَوْصِيَاؤُهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وُلاةُ أَمْرِي وَخُزَّانُ عِلْمِي (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) وَأَنَّ الْمَهْدِيَّ أَنْتَصِرُ بِهِ لِدِينِي وَأُظْهِرُ بِهِ دَوْلَتِي وَأَنْتَقِمُ بِهِ مِنْ أَعْدَائِي وَأُعْبَدُ بِهِ طَوْعاً وَكَرْهاً قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا يَا رَبِّ وَشَهِدْنَا وَلَمْ يَجْحَدْ آدَمُ وَلَمْ يُقِرَّ فَثَبَتَتِ الْعَزِيمَةُ لِهَؤُلاءِ الْخَمْسَةِ فِي الْمَهْدِيِّ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لآِدَمَ عَزْمٌ عَلَى الإقْرَارِ بِهِ وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنا إِلى‏ آدَمَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْماً قَالَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ فَتَرَكَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ نَاراً فَأُجِّجَتْ فَقَالَ لأصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ ادْخُلُوهَا فَهَابُوهَا وَقَالَ لأصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ ادْخُلُوهَا فَدَخَلُوهَا فَكَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ بَرْداً وَسَلاماً فَقَالَ أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ يَا رَبِّ أَقِلْنَا فَقَالَ قَدْ أَقَلْتُكُمُ اذْهَبُوا فَادْخُلُوا فَهَابُوهَا فَثَمَّ ثَبَتَتِ الطَّاعَةُ وَالْوَلايَةُ وَالْمَعْصِيَةُ.

Published English translation

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Dawud al-’Ijli from Zurara from Humran from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘As Allah, the Most Holy the Most High, created the creation. He created sweet water and a very salty water and then mixed the two together. Then He took a (kind of) clay from the surface of the earth and kneaded it intensely. He then said to the people of the right, as they crawled about like particles, “To paradise (you go) in peace.” He then said to the people of the left hand, “To the fire (you go) and I am not concerned.” Then He asked, “Am I not your Lord?” They all said, “Yes, You are our Lord we testify.” Allah said, “I make you to witness this) so that on the Day of Judgment you will not say, ‘We were unaware of this.’” (7:172) ‘Then He made the prophets to form the covenant. He asked them, “Am 1 not your Lord and is not this Muhammad, My messenger and is not this Ali, the commander of the believers?” They said, “Yes, it is just as You said.” This established their prophethood. He then made the ‘Ulu al-’Azm messengers to testify and acknowledge this fact: “I am your Lord, Muhammad is My messenger, Ali is the commander of the believers and his successors, recipients of divine supreme covenant, after him are people who possess My Authority and are the reservoir of My knowledge. That al-Mahdi (a.s.) is one whom I will make to lend support to My religion. Through him I will establish My kingdom on earth and make My enemies to face justice for their crimes. Through him I will make them to worship Me willingly or otherwise.” The prophets altogether said, “Yes, Lord we testify to these facts and bear witness.” Adam did not refuse and did not affirm (verbally) the fact about al-Mahdi (a.s.) so he was not included in the group of five ‘Ulu al-’Azm messengers of Allah. Adam did not have the resolve to affirm the facts about al-Mahdi (a.s.). Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, has said in the Holy Quran, “We had made a covenant with Adam before but he forgot all about it and we did not find in him a firm resolve.” (20:115) He said that it was so but he ignored it. He then created a fire that blazed and told the people of the left hand to enter in the fire. They were afraid thereby. He said to the people of the right hand, “Enter in the fire.” They entered in the fire and it was cool and peaceful to them. The people of the left hand then said, “Lord, forgive us and reduce our sins.” The Lord said, “I have forgiven you but you must go in the fire.” They were afraid. Thus, with this the obedience, authority and disobedience came to take place.’”

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 (7/22)

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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edition: Al-Kafi, volume 2, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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