Al-Kafi · Hadith 9

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · Doubt · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 170, Hadith 9

Original Arabic text

9ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّا لَنَرَى الرَّجُلَ لَهُ عِبَادَةٌ وَاجْتِهَادٌ وَخُشُوعٌ وَلا يَقُولُ بِالْحَقِّ فَهَلْ يَنْفَعُهُ ذَلِكَ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ مَثَلُ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ كَانُوا فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَ لا يَجْتَهِدُ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً إِلا دَعَا فَأُجِيبَ وَإِنَّ رَجُلاً مِنْهُمُ اجْتَهَدَ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ دَعَا فَلَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لَهُ فَأَتَى عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) يَشْكُوا إِلَيْهِ مَا هُوَ فِيهِ وَيَسْأَلُهُ الدُّعَاءَ قَالَ فَتَطَهَّرَ عِيسَى وَصَلَّى ثُمَّ دَعَا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَأَوْحَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَا عِيسَى إِنَّ عَبْدِي أَتَانِي مِنْ غَيْرِ الْبَابِ الَّذِي أُوتَى مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ دَعَانِي وَفِي قَلْبِهِ شَكٌّ مِنْكَ فَلَوْ دَعَانِي حَتَّى يَنْقَطِعَ عُنُقُهُ وَتَنْتَثِرَ أَنَامِلُهُ مَا اسْتَجَبْتُ لَهُ قَالَ فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ عِيسَى (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ تَدْعُو رَبَّكَ وَأَنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِنْ نَبِيِّهِ فَقَالَ يَا رُوحَ الله وَكَلِمَتَهُ قَدْ كَانَ وَالله مَا قُلْتَ فَادْعُ الله لِي أَنْ يَذْهَبَ بِهِ عَنِّي قَالَ فَدَعَا لَهُ عِيسَى (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فَتَابَ الله عَلَيْهِ وَقَبِلَ مِنْهُ وَصَارَ فِي حَدِّ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ.

Published English translation

9. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn Asbat from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Once I said to one of (two Imam) (a.s.) ‘We find a man who worships, and strives with humility but does not believe in the truth (Shi’a belief). Will it be of any benefit for him?’ The Imam said, ‘O abu Muhammad, the case of AM al-Bayt (of Muhammad) is like that AM al-Bayt in the family of Israel. An individual of that family would strive for forty nights and pray, his prayers received the answer. Only one man of that family strived for forty nights and prayed but his prayer did not receive any answer. When Jesus, son of Mary came, he complained to him about his case and asked him for prayer. The Imam said that Jesus then cleansed himself, said the prayer, prayed to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent revelations to Jesus that said, ‘O Jesus, My servant came to Me from a door that is other than the door from which one must come to Me. He prayed and there was doubt in his heart about you. Were he to pray to Me until his neck would be cut off (disintegrate) and his fingers turn into dust, I would not answer his prayer.’ The Imam said, ‘Jesus then turned to the man and asked, ‘Do you ask your Lord for help while you have doubt in His prophet?’ The man said, ‘O Spirit of Allah and His word, it has been just as you said. Pray to Allah for me to remove doubt from me. ’ The Imam said that Jesus than prayed for him and Allah accepted his repentance and he became like all the other ones of that family.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: موثق

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (11/186)

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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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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