Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · The Changing Conditions of the Heart · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 186, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ الأحْوَلِ عَنْ سَلامِ بْنِ الْمُسْتَنِيرِ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ حُمْرَانُ بْنُ أَعْيَنَ وَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ فَلَمَّا هَمَّ حُمْرَانُ بِالْقِيَامِ قَالَ لأبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أُخْبِرُكَ أَطَالَ الله بَقَاءَكَ لَنَا وَأَمْتَعَنَا بِكَ أَنَّا نَأْتِيكَ فَمَا نَخْرُجُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ حَتَّى تَرِقَّ قُلُوبُنَا وَتَسْلُوَ أَنْفُسُنَا عَنِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَهُونَ عَلَيْنَا مَا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأمْوَالِ ثُمَّ نَخْرُجُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ فَإِذَا صِرْنَا مَعَ النَّاسِ وَالتُّجَّارِ أَحْبَبْنَا الدُّنْيَا قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) إِنَّمَا هِيَ الْقُلُوبُ مَرَّةً تَصْعُبُ وَمَرَّةً تَسْهُلُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَمَا إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ الله نَخَافُ عَلَيْنَا النِّفَاقَ قَالَ فَقَالَ وَلِمَ تَخَافُونَ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا إِذَا كُنَّا عِنْدَكَ فَذَكَّرْتَنَا وَرَغَّبْتَنَا وَجِلْنَا وَنَسِينَا الدُّنْيَا وَزَهِدْنَا حَتَّى كَأَنَّا نُعَايِنُ الآخِرَةَ وَالْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ وَنَحْنُ عِنْدَكَ فَإِذَا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِكَ وَدَخَلْنَا هَذِهِ الْبُيُوتَ وَشَمِمْنَا الأوْلادَ وَرَأَيْنَا الْعِيَالَ وَالأهْلَ يَكَادُ أَنْ نُحَوَّلَ عَنِ الْحَالِ الَّتِي كُنَّا عَلَيْهَا عِنْدَكَ وَحَتَّى كَأَنَّا لَمْ نَكُنْ عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ أَ فَتَخَافُ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ نِفَاقاً فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) كَلا إِنَّ هَذِهِ خُطُوَاتُ الشَّيْطَانِ فَيُرَغِّبُكُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالله لَوْ تَدُومُونَ عَلَى الْحَالَةِ الَّتِي وَصَفْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِهَا لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ وَمَشَيْتُمْ عَلَى الْمَاءِ وَلَوْ لا أَنَّكُمْ تُذْنِبُونَ فَتَسْتَغْفِرُونَ الله لَخَلَقَ الله خَلْقاً حَتَّى يُذْنِبُوا ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا الله فَيَغْفِرَ الله لَهُمْ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ مُفَتَّنٌ تَوَّابٌ أَ مَا سَمِعْتَ قَوْلَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الله يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ وَقَالَ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ.

Published English translation

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and a number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man al-‘Ahwal from Sallam ibn al-Mustanir who has said the following: “Once I was in the presence of abu Ja’far (a.s.) when Humran ibn ‘A’yan came in and asked him a few things. When Humran wanted to stand up and leave he said to abu Ja’far (a.s.) ‘I like to tell you, may Allah grant you long life for us so we benefit from you more, whenever we come to you and then leave our hearts feel affectionate, we forget ourselves in the world, and what is in the hands of people of belongings seem to us insignificant. When we leave you and meet others and business people we begin to love the world.’ Abu Ja’far (a.s.) said, ‘The hearts sometimes harden and at other times soften.’ “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) then said, ‘The companions of Muhammad (a.s.) had said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we are afraid of hypocrisy.’ The Imam said that the Messenger of Allah then asked, ‘Why are you afraid of it?’ They said, ‘When we are in your presence, you remind us (of our religion), encourage us to good deeds, we feel fear, forget the world and restrain ourselves from it, as if we observe the next life, paradise and fire while we are in your presence. When we leave your presence, go to these houses, sense the smell of the children and see the family and relatives, our condition that we had in your presence changes. It is as if we are on nothing (of belief or religion). Do you fear that is hypocrisy in us?’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Beware; this is among the steps of Satan who encourages you to be interested in the world. By Allah, if you continue in such condition that you described to exist in you, the angels shake hands with you and you can walk over the water. Even if you do not commit any sin and do not need to ask Allah’s forgiveness, Allah will create a creature who will sin then ask Him for forgiveness and He will forgive them. Believing people are under trial and they repent. Have you not heard the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Allah loves those who repent and those who cleanse themselves,’ (2:222) also He has said, ‘Ask your Lord for forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance.’” (11:3)

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مجهول

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (11/261)

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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