Al-Kafi · Hadith 1

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · Humbleness · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 59, Hadith 1

Original Arabic text

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ أَرْسَلَ النَّجَاشِيُّ إِلَى جَعْفَرِ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَأَصْحَابِهِ فَدَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ فِي بَيْتٍ لَهُ جَالِسٌ عَلَى التُّرَابِ وَعَلَيْهِ خُلْقَانُ الثِّيَابِ قَالَ فَقَالَ جَعْفَرٌ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فَأَشْفَقْنَا مِنْهُ حِينَ رَأَيْنَاهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ فَلَمَّا رَأَى مَا بِنَا وَتَغَيُّرَ وُجُوهِنَا قَالَ الْحَمْدُ لله الَّذِي نَصَرَ مُحَمَّداً وَأَقَرَّ عَيْنَهُ أَ لا أُبَشِّرُكُمْ فَقُلْتُ بَلَى أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ جَاءَنِي السَّاعَةَ مِنْ نَحْوِ أَرْضِكُمْ عَيْنٌ مِنْ عُيُونِي هُنَاكَ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ نَصَرَ نَبِيَّهُ مُحَمَّداً (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) وَأَهْلَكَ عَدُوَّهُ وَأُسِرَ فُلانٌ وَفُلانٌ وَفُلانٌ الْتَقَوْا بِوَادٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ بَدْرٌ كَثِيرِ الأرَاكِ لَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ حَيْثُ كُنْتُ أَرْعَى لِسَيِّدِي هُنَاكَ وَهُوَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي ضَمْرَةَ فَقَالَ لَهُ جَعْفَرٌ أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ فَمَا لِي أَرَاكَ جَالِساً عَلَى التُّرَابِ وَعَلَيْكَ هَذِهِ الْخُلْقَانُ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا جَعْفَرُ إِنَّا نَجِدُ فِيمَا أَنْزَلَ الله عَلَى عِيسَى (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَنَّ مِنْ حَقِّ الله عَلَى عِبَادِهِ أَنْ يُحْدِثُوا لَهُ تَوَاضُعاً عِنْدَ مَا يُحْدِثُ لَهُمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ فَلَمَّا أَحْدَثَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِي نِعْمَةً بِمُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) أَحْدَثْتُ لله هَذَا التَّوَاضُعَ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) قَالَ لأصْحَابِهِ إِنَّ الصَّدَقَةَ تَزِيدُ صَاحِبَهَا كَثْرَةً فَتَصَدَّقُوا يَرْحَمْكُمُ الله وَإِنَّ التَّوَاضُعَ يَزِيدُ صَاحِبَهُ رِفْعَةً فَتَوَاضَعُوا يَرْفَعْكُمُ الله وَإِنَّ الْعَفْوَ يَزِيدُ صَاحِبَهُ عِزّاً فَاعْفُوا يُعِزَّكُمُ الله.

Published English translation

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqa from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Once al-Najashi (a king of Abyssinia) called to his presence Ja’far ibn abu Talib and his companions. When they came in, they found the king sitting on the ground wearing two old pieces of cloth.’ The Imam said that Ja’far has said, ‘We felt compassion for him in our hearts when we saw him in that condition. When he noticed our feelings from our faces he said, “All praise is due to Allah for his giving victory to Muhammad and delight to his heart. Should I give you good news?” I said, “Yes, O King.” He then said, “This hour my informant people have come from your land and have informed me that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has granted victory to His prophet, Muhammad (a.s.) and has destroyed his enemies. So and so are taken captive when they met each other in a land called Badr, which has a great many bushes of Arak as if I can see it, because I was a shepherd grazing the herd for my master who was from the tribe of Damrah.” Ja’far then said to him, “O king, why do you sit on the ground wearing two pieces of old cloth?” He then said, “O Ja’far, we find in what Allah had revealed to Jesus that of the rights of Allah on his servants is to show humbleness when He does a favor for them. Since Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has done a favor for me by means of granting victory to Muhammad (a.s.) 1 show humility.’” When this was mentioned to the Holy Prophet he said to his companions, ‘Charity increases the wealth of the donor, therefore, give charity. Humbleness elevates the position of a person, therefore, be humble, Allah will raise your degree in meritorious status. Forgiveness increases the respect of a person, therefore, forgive, Allah will grant you respect.’”

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 (8/243)

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
source Revision: becbad600b693ce23735d7403c4126ce7c896d34
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