Al-Kafi · Hadith 3

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · Obedience and Piety · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 36, Hadith 3

Original Arabic text

3ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ وَأَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ النَّضْرِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ لِي يَا جَابِرُ أَ يَكْتَفِي مَنِ انْتَحَلَ التَّشَيُّعَ أَنْ يَقُولَ بِحُبِّنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ فَوَ الله مَا شِيعَتُنَا إِلا مَنِ اتَّقَى الله وَأَطَاعَهُ وَمَا كَانُوا يُعْرَفُونَ يَا جَابِرُ إِلا بِالتَّوَاضُعِ وَالتَّخَشُّعِ وَالأمَانَةِ وَكَثْرَةِ ذِكْرِ الله وَالصَّوْمِ وَالصَّلاةِ وَالْبِرِّ بِالْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالتَّعَاهُدِ لِلْجِيرَانِ مِنَ الْفُقَرَاءِ وَأَهْلِ الْمَسْكَنَةِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَالأيْتَامِ وَصِدْقِ الْحَدِيثِ وَتِلاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَكَفِّ الألْسُنِ عَنِ النَّاسِ إِلا مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَكَانُوا أُمَنَاءَ عَشَائِرِهِمْ فِي الأشْيَاءِ قَالَ جَابِرٌ فَقُلْتُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ الله مَا نَعْرِفُ الْيَوْمَ أَحَداً بِهَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ فَقَالَ يَا جَابِرُ لا تَذْهَبَنَّ بِكَ الْمَذَاهِبُ حَسْبُ الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَقُولَ أُحِبُّ عَلِيّاً وَأَتَوَلاهُ ثُمَّ لا يَكُونَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ فَعَّالاً فَلَوْ قَالَ إِنِّي أُحِبُّ رَسُولَ الله فَرَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) خَيْرٌ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) ثُمَّ لا يَتَّبِعُ سِيرَتَهُ وَلا يَعْمَلُ بِسُنَّتِهِ مَا نَفَعَهُ حُبُّهُ إِيَّاهُ شَيْئاً فَاتَّقُوا الله وَاعْمَلُوا لِمَا عِنْدَ الله لَيْسَ بَيْنَ الله وَبَيْنَ أَحَدٍ قَرَابَةٌ أَحَبُّ الْعِبَادِ إِلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَأَكْرَمُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَتْقَاهُمْ وَأَعْمَلُهُمْ بِطَاعَتِهِ يَا جَابِرُ وَالله مَا يُتَقَرَّبُ إِلَى الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِلا بِالطَّاعَةِ وَمَا مَعَنَا بَرَاءَةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلا عَلَى الله لأحَدٍ مِنْ حُجَّةٍ مَنْ كَانَ لله مُطِيعاً فَهُوَ لَنَا وَلِيٌّ وَمَنْ كَانَ لله عَاصِياً فَهُوَ لَنَا عَدُوٌّ وَمَا تُنَالُ وَلايَتُنَا إِلا بِالْعَمَلِ وَالْوَرَعِ.

Published English translation

3. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn Salim and Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father all from Ahmad ibn al-Nadr from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from Jabir from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “O Jabir, do people think just claiming to be our Shi’a and saying they love us ( Ahl al-Bayt) is enough for their salvation? I swear by Allah, of our Shi’a are only those who are pious before Allah and obey Him. No one, O Jabir, would know them except by their humbleness, submissiveness, trustworthiness, their speaking frequently of Allah, fasting, prayer, virtuous deeds toward parents, good relations with neighbors, the needy, the destitute, the heavily indebted, the orphans, by their truthfulness, recitation of the Holy Quran, and restraining of their tongues except for the good of the people and their being trusted among the people of their tribe in all things. I (Jabir) then said, ‘O descendent of the Messenger of Allah, today we do not find anyone with such qualities.’ The Imam said, ‘O Jabir, do not allow (false) religions confuse you. One should not think, since he loves Ali (a.s.) and supports him, thereafter he does not have to be active in anything. If one says he loves the Messenger of Allah who is better than Ali (a.s.) but does not follow his way of life or practice his tradition, his love as such is of no benefit for him. You must be pious before Allah and work to achieve things that exist with Allah. There is no family relation between one and Allah. The most beloved one to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is the most noble before Him, the most pious ones before Him and the most obedient ones to Him. O Jabir, I swear by Allah, nothing helps one to become nearer to Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, except obedience to Him. There is no immunity from hell and no one possesses any authority over Allah. Only those who obey Allah, they are our supporters. Whoever is disobedient to Allah, is our enemy. Our guardianship applies only to those who do good deeds and maintain restraint over their desires for worldly things.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (8/50)

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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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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