Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book of Social Manners · Correspondence with Non-Muslim Taxpayers · Volume 2, book 4, chapter 12, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْكُوفِيُّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ عَمِّهِ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْحَاجَةُ إِلَى الْمَجُوسِيِّ أَوْ إِلَى الْيَهُودِيِّ أَوْ إِلَى النَّصْرَانِيِّ أَوْ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَامِلاً أَوْ دِهْقَاناً مِنْ عُظَمَاءِ أَهْلِ أَرْضِهِ فَيَكْتُبُ إِلَيْهِ الرَّجُلُ فِي الْحَاجَةِ الْعَظِيمَةِ أَ يَبْدَأُ بِالْعِلْجِ وَيُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَإِنَّمَا يَصْنَعُ ذَلِكَ لِكَيْ تُقْضَى حَاجَتُهُ قَالَ أَمَّا أَنْ تَبْدَأَ بِهِ فَلا وَلَكِنْ تُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ فِي كِتَابِكَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) قَدْ كَانَ يَكْتُبُ إِلَى كِسْرَى وَقَيْصَرَ.

Published English translation

1. Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Kufi has narrated from Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Asbat from his uncle, Ya’qub ibn Salim from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) was asked about the case of a man who needs help from a Majusi (Zoroastrian) or a Jew, a Christian or that he is a farm employee of the influential people of his land and writes to him for an important need, should he begin by offering greetings of peace to the chief in writing, knowing that he does it for help? The Imam said, ‘Do not start with his name, however, you may offer him greetings of peace in your letter. The Messenger of Allah would write to Kisra and Qaysar.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: موثق

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/549)

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. 165

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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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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