Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · About the Words of Allah, the Most High, Certain people worship Allah with deviance · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 178, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ وَزُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ الله عَلى‏ حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انْقَلَبَ عَلى‏ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيا وَالآخِرَةَ قَالَ زُرَارَةُ سَأَلْتُ عَنْهَا أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ هَؤُلاءِ قَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا الله وَخَلَعُوا عِبَادَةَ مَنْ يُعْبَدُ مِنْ دُونِ الله وَشَكُّوا فِي مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) وَمَا جَاءَ بِهِ فَتَكَلَّمُوا بِالإسْلامِ وَشَهِدُوا أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ الله وَأَقَرُّوا بِالْقُرْآنِ وَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ شَاكُّونَ فِي مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) وَمَا جَاءَ بِهِ وَلَيْسُوا شُكَّاكاً فِي الله قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ الله عَلى‏ حَرْفٍ يَعْنِي عَلَى شَكٍّ فِي مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) وَمَا جَاءَ بِهِ فَإِنْ أَصابَهُ خَيْرٌ يَعْنِي عَافِيَةً فِي نَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ وَوُلْدِهِ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَرَضِيَ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ يَعْنِي بَلاءً فِي جَسَدِهِ أَوْ مَالِهِ تَطَيَّرَ وَكَرِهَ الْمُقَامَ عَلَى الإقْرَارِ بِالنَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَرَجَعَ إِلَى الْوُقُوفِ وَالشَّكِّ فَنَصَبَ الْعَدَاوَةَ لله وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَالْجُحُودَ بِالنَّبِيِّ وَمَا جَاءَ بِهِ.

Published English translation

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ‘Udhaynah from al-Fudayl and Zurara who has said the following: “Once I (Zurara) asked abu Ja’far (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Certain people worship Allah to achieve worldly gains. They are confident when they are prosperous, but when they face hardships they turn away from (worship). They are lost in this life and will be lost in the life to come. Such loss is indeed destructive.’ (22:11) “The Imam said, ‘These were people who worshipped Allah and gave up the worship of things worshipped besides Allah. They, however, had doubt in Muhammad (a.s.) and what he had brought from Allah. They spoke of Islam and testified that no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah, that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and affirmed the Holy Quran. Despite this they would doubt Muhammad (a.s.) and what he had brought from Allah. They did not have doubt in Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy. ‘Certain people worship Allah with deviation,’ (22:11) refers to their doubt in Muhammad (a.s.) and what he had brought from Allah. ‘When they are prosperous,’ refers to well being in their health, properties and children. ‘He is confident’, he is happy, ‘When afflictions befall him,’ refers to misfortune in his body or property that he considers as an unfortunate omen and dislikes keeping up with his testimony about the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet; thus, he returns to hesitation and doubt. He becomes hostile toward Allah and the Messenger of Allah, rejects the Holy Prophet and whatever he has brought from Allah.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: حسن كالصحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (11/228)

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, pp. 126, 127

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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