Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · Description of Hypocrisy and Hypocrites · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 168, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ قَالَ وَالنِّفَاقُ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ دَعَائِمَ عَلَى الْهَوَى وَالْهُوَيْنَا وَالْحَفِيظَةِ وَالطَّمَعِ فَالْهَوَى عَلَى أَرْبَعِ شُعَبٍ عَلَى الْبَغْيِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَالشَّهْوَةِ وَالطُّغْيَانِ فَمَنْ بَغَى كَثُرَتْ غَوَائِلُهُ وَتُخُلِّيَ مِنْهُ وَقُصِرَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنِ اعْتَدَى لَمْ يُؤْمَنْ بَوَائِقُهُ وَلَمْ يَسْلَمْ قَلْبُهُ وَلَمْ يَمْلِكْ نَفْسَهُ عَنِ الشَّهَوَاتِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَعْذِلْ نَفْسَهُ فِي الشَّهَوَاتِ خَاضَ فِي الْخَبِيثَاتِ وَمَنْ طَغَى ضَلَّ عَلَى عَمْدٍ بِلا حُجَّةٍ وَالْهُوَيْنَا عَلَى أَرْبَعِ شُعَبٍ عَلَى الْغِرَّةِ وَالأمَلِ وَالْهَيْبَةِ وَالْمُمَاطَلَةِ وَذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ الْهَيْبَةَ تَرُدُّ عَنِ الْحَقِّ وَالْمُمَاطَلَةَ تُفَرِّطُ فِي الْعَمَلِ حَتَّى يَقْدَمَ عَلَيْهِ الأجَلُ وَلَوْ لا الأمَلُ عَلِمَ الإنْسَانُ حَسَبَ مَا هُوَ فِيهِ وَلَوْ عَلِمَ حَسَبَ مَا هُوَ فِيهِ مَاتَ خُفَاتاً مِنَ الْهَوْلِ وَالْوَجَلِ وَالْغِرَّةَ تَقْصُرُ بِالْمَرْءِ عَنِ الْعَمَلِ وَالْحَفِيظَةُ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ شُعَبٍ عَلَى الْكِبْرِ وَالْفَخْرِ وَالْحَمِيَّةِ وَالْعَصَبِيَّةِ فَمَنِ اسْتَكْبَرَ أَدْبَرَ عَنِ الْحَقِّ وَمَنْ فَخَرَ فَجَرَ وَمَنْ حَمِيَ أَصَرَّ عَلَى الذُّنُوبِ وَمَنْ أَخَذَتْهُ الْعَصَبِيَّةُ جَارَ فَبِئْسَ الأمْرُ أَمْرٌ بَيْنَ إِدْبَارٍ وَفُجُورٍ وَإِصْرَارٍ وَجَوْرٍ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ وَالطَّمَعُ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ شُعَبٍ الْفَرَحِ وَالْمَرَحِ وَاللَّجَاجَةِ وَالتَّكَاثُرِ فَالْفَرَحُ مَكْرُوهٌ عِنْدَ الله وَالْمَرَحُ خُيَلاءُ وَاللَّجَاجَةُ بَلاءٌ لِمَنِ اضْطَرَّتْهُ إِلَى حَمْلِ الآثَامِ وَالتَّكَاثُرُ لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَشُغُلٌ وَاسْتِبْدَالُ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَى بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ فَذَلِكَ النِّفَاقُ وَدَعَائِمُهُ وَشُعَبُهُ وَالله قَاهِرٌ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ وَجَلَّ وَجْهُهُ وَأَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَانْبَسَطَتْ يَدَاهُ وَوَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ رَحْمَتُهُ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُهُ وَأَشْرَقَ نُورُهُ وَفَاضَتْ بَرَكَتُهُ وَاسْتَضَاءَتْ حِكْمَتُهُ وَهَيْمَن�� كِتَابُهُ وَفَلَجَتْ حُجَّتُهُ وَخَلَصَ دِينُهُ وَاسْتَظْهَرَ سُلْطَانُهُ وَحَقَّتْ كَلِمَتُهُ وَأَقْسَطَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ وَبَلَّغَتْ رُسُلُهُ فَجَعَلَ السَّيِّئَةَ ذَنْباً وَالذَّنْبَ فِتْنَةً وَالْفِتْنَةَ دَنَساً وَجَعَلَ الْحُسْنَى عُتْبَى وَالْعُتْبَى تَوْبَةً وَالتَّوْبَةَ طَهُوراً فَمَنْ تَابَ اهْتَدَى وَمَنِ افْتُتِنَ غَوَى مَا لَمْ يَتُبْ إِلَى الله وَيَعْتَرِفْ بِذَنْبِهِ وَلا يَهْلِكُ عَلَى الله إِلا هَالِكٌ الله الله فَمَا أَوْسَعَ مَا لَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْبَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ وَالْبُشْرَى وَالْحِلْمِ الْعَظِيمِ وَمَا أَنْكَلَ مَا عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الأنْكَالِ وَالْجَحِيمِ وَالْبَطْشِ الشَّدِيدِ فَمَنْ ظَفِرَ بِطَاعَتِهِ اجْتَلَبَ كَرَامَتَهُ وَمَنْ دَخَلَ فِي مَعْصِيَتِهِ ذَاقَ وَبَالَ نَقِمَتِهِ وَعَمَّا قَلِيلٍ لَيُصْبِحُنَّ نَادِمِينَ.

Published English translation

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar al-Yamani from ‘Umar ibn ‘Udhaynah from Aban ibn abu ‘Ayyash from Sulaym ibn Qays al-Hilali from Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) who has said the following:“‘Hypocrisy has four pillars: Desire, Neglect, Resentment and Greed. “Desire is of four branches: disproportionate behavior, transgression, lust and insubordination. Whoever behaves disproportionately faces great risks, remains lonely and without supporters. Whoever transgresses does not remain immune to harmful consequences, his heart is not in peace and he does not control his soul against lustful matters. Whoever has not balanced his soul in lustful matters he indulges in filthy activities. Whoever acts insubordinately purposely and without evidence strays in falsehood. “Neglect is of four branches: dishonesty, yearning, fear and procrastination. Fear and apprehension turns one away from the truth and procrastination leads to extremely reduced activities until the deadline approaches. If one does not have any yearnings he knows his true condition and measures. If he knows the true measure of his condition in which he is, he would die suddenly due to fear and apprehension. Dishonesty cuts short one’s deeds. “Resentment is of four branches: arrogance, boastfulness, egoistic, and racism. Whoever is arrogant turns his back to the truth. Whoever is boastful indulges in sins. Whoever is egoistic persists in sins. Whoever comes in the clench of racism commits injustice. “Thus, evil is the affair that swings in deterioration, indecency, persistence and injustice on the path. “Greed is of four branches: exhilaration, pleasure seeking, worrying and superfluity. Exhilaration is detestable before Allah. Pleasure seeking is feeblemindedness. Worrisome is a misfortune for one who is forced to carry sins. Seeking superfluity is useless, a childish manner, a vastful preoccupation and an effort to change what is of a lower quality to a better one. “This is how hypocrisy its pillars and branches are. Allah is dominant over his servants. Speaking of Him is exalted and glory is His. He has created all things in good fashion. His hands are free, His favor is universal. His command is manifest, His light shines, His blessing overflows. His wisdom is the source of light. His book is overriding. His evidence is overwhelming. His religion is pure. His kingdom is powerful. His word is the truth, His measures are just and His messengers have already preached. Thus, He has made evil a sin, sin a misfortune and misfortune a filth. “He has made virtuous deeds a threshold. The threshold is repentance and repentance is purification. One who repents finds guidance. One who plots goes astray, as long as he does not repent before Allah and confess to his sins. No one dares to act, to his own destruction, against Allah, except those who are doomed. “Allah! Allah! How vast is what He has for repentance, favors, joy and great forbearance. How severe is what is before Him of retribution, hell, and a hard grip! Whoever succeeds in obedience to Him attracts His generosity. Whoever indulges in disobedience to Him he will test the results of His disapproval and very shortly he will become regretful.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مختلف فيه

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (11/155)

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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