Al-Kafi · Hadith 4

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · To Agree With the Decision (of Allah) · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 31, Hadith 4

Original Arabic text

4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ الرَّقِّيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عِبَاداً لا يَصْلُحُ لَهُمْ أَمْرُ دِينِهِمْ إِلا بِالْغِنَى وَالسَّعَةِ وَالصِّحَّةِ فِي الْبَدَنِ فَأَبْلُوهُمْ بِالْغِنَى وَالسَّعَةِ وَصِحَّةِ الْبَدَنِ فَيُصْلِحُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَمْرَ دِينِهِمْ وَإِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَعِبَاداً لا يَصْلُحُ لَهُمْ أَمْرُ دِينِهِمْ إِلا بِالْفَاقَةِ وَالْمَسْكَنَةِ وَالسُّقْمِ فِي أَبْدَانِهِمْ فَأَبْلُوهُمْ بِالْفَاقَةِ وَالْمَسْكَنَةِ وَالسُّقْمِ فَيُصْلِحُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَمْرَ دِينِهِمْ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصْلُحُ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُ دِينِ عِبَادِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَمَنْ يَجْتَهِدُ فِي عِبَادَتِي فَيَقُومُ مِنْ رُقَادِهِ وَلَذِيذِ وِسَادِهِ فَيَتَهَجَّدُ لِيَ اللَّيَالِيَ فَيُتْعِبُ نَفْسَهُ فِي عِبَادَتِي فَأَضْرِبُهُ بِالنُّعَاسِ اللَّيْلَةَ وَاللَّيْلَتَيْنِ نَظَراً مِنِّي لَهُ وَإِبْقَاءً عَلَيْهِ فَيَنَامُ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ فَيَقُومُ وَهُوَ مَاقِتٌ لِنَفْسِهِ زَارِئٌ عَلَيْهَا وَلَوْ أُخَلِّي بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ مَا يُرِيدُ مِنْ عِبَادَتِي لَدَخَلَهُ الْعُجْبُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَيُصَيِّرُهُ الْعُجْبُ إِلَى الْفِتْنَةِ بِأَعْمَالِهِ فَيَأْتِيهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا فِيهِ هَلاكُهُ لِعُجْبِهِ بِأَعْمَالِهِ وَرِضَاهُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى يَظُنَّ أَنَّهُ قَدْ فَاقَ الْعَابِدِينَ وَجَازَ فِي عِبَادَتِهِ حَدَّ التَّقْصِيرِ فَيَتَبَاعَدُ مِنِّي عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ وَهُوَ يَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ فَلا يَتَّكِلِ الْعَامِلُونَ عَلَى أَعْمَالِهِمُ الَّتِي يَعْمَلُونَهَا لِثَوَابِي فَإِنَّهُمْ لَوِ اجْتَهَدُوا وَأَتْعَبُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَفْنَوْا أَعْمَارَهُمْ فِي عِبَادَتِي كَانُوا مُقَصِّرِينَ غَيْرَ بَالِغِينَ فِي عِبَادَتِهِمْ كُنْهَ عِبَادَتِي فِيمَا يَطْلُبُونَ عِنْدِي مِنْ كَرَامَتِي وَالنَّعِيمِ فِي جَنَّاتِي وَرَفِيعِ دَرَجَاتِيَ الْعُلَى فِي جِوَارِي وَلَكِنْ فَبِرَحْمَتِي فَلْيَثِقُوا وَبِفَضْلِي فَلْيَفْرَحُوا وَإِلَى حُسْنِ الظَّنِّ بِي فَلْيَطْمَئِنُّوا فَإِنَّ رَحْمَتِي عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ تَدَارَكُهُمْ وَمَنِّي يُبَلِّغُهُمْ رِضْوَانِي وَمَغْفِرَتِي تُلْبِسُهُمْ عَفْوِي فَإِنِّي أَنَا الله الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ وَبِذَلِكَ تَسَمَّيْتُ.

Published English translation

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Mahbub from Dawud al-Riqqiy from ‘Ubayda al-Hadhdha’ from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘Among My believing servants there are those whose religious lives can only be at their best with wealth, comfort and good health. I try them by means of wealth, comfort and good health and this makes their religious affairs to be in the best condition. Also among My believing servants there are those whose religious lives are only at their best with poverty, destitution and ailing health. I try them by means of poverty, destitution and ailing health and this helps their religious lives to be in the best condition. I know what is good for the religious matters of my believing servants. Among My believing servants there are those who strive to worship Me. They wake up from sleep leaving their comfortable pillow for Tahajjud (special prayer at night). They experiences fatigue and I allow slumber overcome them on one or two nights, a trial from Me to see if he continues, he goes to sleep and wakes up upset and angry over his own self. If I allow him to do the way he wants to worship, he may develop a sense of conceit (unwanted pride) that can lead him to mischief in his deeds. This may bring about his destruction. It can so happen due to his happiness with whatever his soul desires. He may begin to feel as if he has excelled all worshippers and has surpassed the limits of defective worship. In so doing he moves away from Me even though he thinks that he is getting closer to Me. Therefore, they must not rely on their good deeds that they do to receive rewards from Me. Even if they strive hard, tire themselves and finish their lives worshipping Me they fall short, in worshipping Me truly, in their quest for My generous rewards, My bounties in paradise and high positions near Me. They must only trust in My mercy, be happy with My generosity and always be hopeful about Me. In such cases My mercy will reach them as well as my approval and forgiveness and my pardon will provide them cover; I am Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, and thus I have taken such names.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مختلف فيه صحيح على الظاهر

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (8/3)

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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edition: Al-Kafi, volume 2, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
source Revision: becbad600b693ce23735d7403c4126ce7c896d34
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