Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · The Worship · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 42, Hadith 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ جَمِيلٍ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ خَارِجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْعُبَّادَ ثَلاثَةٌ قَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَوْفاً فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الْعَبِيدِ وَقَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى طَلَبَ الثَّوَابِ فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الأجَرَاءِ وَقَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حُبّاً لَهُ فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الأحْرَارِ وَهِيَ أَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ.

Published English translation

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub from Jamil from Harun ibn Kharijah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘There are three kinds of worship: there are people who worship Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, because of fear. This kind of worship is the worship of slaves. There are people who worship Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, for His rewards. This is the worship of people for hire. There are people who worship Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, for His love. This is the worship of free people and this is the best kind of worship.’”

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 (8/86)

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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edition: Al-Kafi, volume 2, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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