Al-Kafi · Hadith 8

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · Love of and Greed for Worldly Things · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 126, Hadith 8

Original Arabic text

8ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَعَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ الْمِنْقَرِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ بْنِ هَمَّامٍ عَنْ مَعْمَرِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ الله قَالَ سُئِلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) أَيُّ الأعْمَالِ أَفْضَلُ عِنْدَ الله قَالَ مَا مِنْ عَمَلٍ بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَةِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَعْرِفَةِ رَسُولِهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) أَفْضَلَ مِنْ بُغْضِ الدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّ لِذَلِكَ لَشُعَباً كَثِيرَةً وَلِلْمَعَاصِي شُعَبٌ فَأَوَّلُ مَا عُصِيَ الله بِهِ الْكِبْرُ مَعْصِيَةُ إِبْلِيسَ حِينَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ ثُمَّ الْحِرْصُ وَهِيَ مَعْصِيَةُ آدَمَ وَحَوَّاءَ (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) حِينَ قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُمَا فَكُلا مِنْ حَيْثُ شِئْتُما وَلا تَقْرَبا هذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ فَأَخَذَا مَا لا حَاجَةَ بِهِمَا إِلَيْهِ فَدَخَلَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَ مَا يَطْلُبُ ابْنُ آدَمَ مَا لا حَاجَةَ بِهِ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ الْحَسَدُ وَهِيَ مَعْصِيَةُ ابْنِ آدَمَ حَيْثُ حَسَدَ أَخَاهُ فَقَتَلَهُ فَتَشَعَّبَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ حُبُّ النِّسَاءِ وَحُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَحُبُّ الرِّئَاسَةِ وَحُبُّ الرَّاحَةِ وَحُبُّ الْكَلامِ وَحُبُّ الْعُلُوِّ وَالثَّرْوَةِ فَصِرْنَ سَبْعَ خِصَالٍ فَاجْتَمَعْنَ كُلُّهُنَّ فِي حُبِّ الدُّنْيَا فَقَالَ الأنْبِيَاءُ وَالْعُلَمَاءُ بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَةِ ذَلِكَ حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا رَأْسُ كُلِّ خَطِيئَةٍ وَالدُّنْيَا دُنْيَاءَانِ دُنْيَا بَلاغٍ وَدُنْيَا مَلْعُونَةٍ.

Published English translation

8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Ali ibn Muhammad all from al- Qasim ibn Muhammad from Sulayman al-Minqari from ‘Abd al-Razzaq ibn Hammam from Mu’ammar ibn Rashid from al-Zuhri Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn ‘Ubayd Allah who has said the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) was asked, ‘Which deed is more excellent before Allah?’ The Imam said, ‘No deed, after knowing Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and knowing the Messenger of Allah, is more excellent than hating the world. It has many branches, and the sins have branches also. The first sin committed was Arrogance, the sin of Satan, when he refused to obey (Allah), assumed arrogance and became an unbeliever. Thereafter it is Greed, the sin of Adam and Eve. When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, told them, ‘Enjoy the foods therein, but do not go near a certain tree lest you become of the transgressors.’ (2:35) They took what they did not need and it remained in their descendents to the Day of Judgment. For this reason most of the things that the children of Adam want do not need them. Thereafter is Envy. It is the sin of the son of Adam who envied his brother and killed him. From this branches love for women, love for the world, love to become the leader, the love to be comfortable, the love to speak, the love to be superior and rich. They total seven characteristics and all are found in the love for the world. The prophets and the scholars after knowing this have said, ‘Love for the world is the head of all sins.’ The world is of two kinds: The world of bare necessities and the condemned one.’”

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 (10/233)

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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