Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

The Book of Social Manners · Greeting of Peace and Non-Muslims · Volume 2, book 4, chapter 11, Hadith 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ أَقْبَلَ أَبُو جَهْلِ بْنُ هِشَامٍ وَمَعَهُ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَدَخَلُوا عَلَى أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّ ابْنَ أَخِيكَ قَدْ آذَانَا وَآذَى آلِهَتَنَا فَادْعُهُ وَمُرْهُ فَلْيَكُفَّ عَنْ آلِهَتِنَا وَنَكُفُّ عَنْ إِلَهِهِ قَالَ فَبَعَثَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ إِلَى رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَدَعَاهُ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) لَمْ يَرَ فِي الْبَيْتِ إِلا مُشْرِكاً فَقَالَ السَّلامُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى ثُمَّ جَلَسَ فَخَبَّرَهُ أَبُو طَالِبٍ بِمَا جَاءُوا لَهُ فَقَالَ أَ وَهَلْ لَهُمْ فِي كَلِمَةٍ خَيْرٍ لَهُمْ مِنْ هَذَا يَسُودُونَ بِهَا الْعَرَبَ وَيَطَئُونَ أَعْنَاقَهُمْ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَهْلٍ نَعَمْ وَمَا هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةُ فَقَالَ تَقُولُونَ لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله قَالَ فَوَضَعُوا أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَخَرَجُوا هُرَّاباً وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ ما سَمِعْنا بِهذا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الآخِرَةِ إِنْ هذا إِلا اخْتِلاقٌ فَأَنْزَلَ الله تَعَالَى فِي قَوْلِهِمْ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ إِلا اخْتِلاقٌ.

Published English translation

5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn Salim from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from ‘Amr ibn Shimr from Jabir from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Once abu Jahl along with a people from Quraysh went to abu Talib and said, ‘Your cousin has offended us and has harmed our idols, call him and command him to stop bothering our gods and we will stop bothering his Lord.’ “The Imam said, ‘Abu Talib sent for the Messenger of Allah. He was called and he came. He did not see in the house but pagans and he said, ‘(I offer) greetings of peace to those who follow guidance.’ He sat down and abu Talib informed him of what the people had said. The Messenger of Allah asked, ‘What if I instruct them with a word of goodness that will be better for them than this and with which they can rule the Arabs and subdue their stiff necks?’ Abu Jahl then asked, ‘What is that word?’ The Messenger of Allah advised him to say, ‘No one deserves to be worshipped except Allah.’ They placed their fingers in their ears and fled saying, ‘We have not heard anything like this in other religions. This is only something falsely invented.’ Allah, the Most High, then sent this: ‘Sad. I swear by the Quran, which is full of reminders of Allah (that you are a Messenger) (38:1). In fact, the unbelievers are the ones who are boastful and quarrelsome (38:2). How many ancient generations did We destroy? (On facing Our torment) they cried out for help, but it was too late for them to escape.’ (38:3) ‘It seems strange to the pagans that a man from their own people should come to them as a prophet. The unbelievers have said, ‘He is only a lying magician’ (38:4). They ask, ‘Has he condemned all other gods but One? This is certainly strange.’ (38:5) ‘A group of the pagans walked out of a meeting with the Prophet and told the others, ‘Let us walk away. Be steadfast in the worship of your gods. This man wants to dominate you (38:6). We have heard nothing like this in the latest religion. This is only his own false invention.”” (38:7)

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 (12/547)

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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