Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · People of al- A’raf · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 174, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مَا تَقُولُ فِي أَصْحَابِ الأعْرَافِ فَقُلْتُ مَا هُمْ إِلا مُؤْمِنُونَ أَوْ كَافِرُونَ إِنْ دَخَلُوا الْجَنَّةَ فَهُمْ مُؤْمِنُونَ وَإِنْ دَخَلُوا النَّارَ فَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ فَقَالَ وَالله مَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلا كَافِرِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ دَخَلُوا الْجَنَّةَ كَمَا دَخَلَهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ لَدَخَلُوا النَّارَ كَمَا دَخَلَهَا الْكَافِرُونَ وَلَكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ اسْتَوَتْ حَسَنَاتُهُمْ وَسَيِّئَاتُهُمْ فَقَصُرَتْ بِهِمُ الأعْمَالُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَمَا قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَقُلْتُ أَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ أَوْ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَقَالَ اتْرُكْهُمْ حَيْثُ تَرَكَهُمُ الله قُلْتُ أَ فَتُرْجِئُهُمْ قَالَ نَعَمْ أُرْجِئُهُمْ كَمَا أَرْجَأَهُمُ الله إِنْ شَاءَ أَدْخَلَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَاقَهُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَلَمْ يَظْلِمْهُمْ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ كَافِرٌ قَالَ لا قُلْتُ هَلْ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ إِلا كَافِرٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ لا إِلا أَنْ يَشَاءَ الله يَا زُرَارَةُ إِنَّنِي أَقُولُ مَا شَاءَ الله وَأَنْتَ لا تَقُولُ مَا شَاءَ الله أَمَا إِنَّكَ إِنْ كَبِرْتَ رَجَعْتَ وَتَحَلَّلَتْ عَنْكَ عُقَدُكَ.

Published English translation

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from ibn Bukayr and Ali ibn Ibrahim from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from a man all from Zurara who has said the following: “Once, abu Ja’far (a.s.) asked me, ‘What do you say about the people of al-‘A’raf?’ I said, ‘They are either believing people or unbelievers. If they will enter paradise they will be believing people, and if they go in fire they will be unbelievers.’ The Imam then said, ‘By Allah, they are not believing people nor are they unbelievers. Had they been of the believers they would have entered paradise like the believers. Were they unbelievers they would have gone in fire like the unbelievers. They, however, are a people whose good and bad deeds are equal. Their deeds fall short and they are as Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said they are.’ I asked, ‘Are they among the people of paradise or of the people of fire?’ The Imam said, ‘Leave them as Allah has done.’ I said, ‘Do you leave them in postponement?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, just as Allah has done. If He will wish. He will send them in paradise through His favor, and if He will wish He will drive them to fire for their sins; He will not be doing injustice to them.’ I asked, ‘Will unbelievers enter paradise?’ The Imam said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Will anyone besides unbelievers go to fire?’ The Imam said, ‘No, unless Allah will wish. O Zurara, I say, ‘As Allah wills and you do not say, ‘As Allah wills.’ When you will grow up you will turn back and your knots ease up (on your opponent).”’

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: موثق كالصحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (11/216)

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: صحيح

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 124

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

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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