Al-Kafi · Hadith 16

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · Condemnation of Worldly Matters and Abstaining Thereby · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 61, Hadith 16

Original Arabic text

16ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله الْمُؤْمِنِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ يَا جَابِرُ وَالله إِنِّي لَمَحْزُونٌ وَإِنِّي لَمَشْغُولُ الْقَلْبِ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَمَا شُغُلُكَ وَمَا حُزْنُ قَلْبِكَ فَقَالَ يَا جَابِرُ إِنَّهُ مَنْ دَخَلَ قَلْبَهُ صَافِي خَالِصِ دِينِ الله شَغَلَ قَلْبَهُ عَمَّا سِوَاهُ يَا جَابِرُ مَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عَسَى أَنْ تَكُونَ الدُّنْيَا هَلْ هِيَ إِلا طَعَامٌ أَكَلْتَهُ أَوْ ثَوْبٌ لَبِسْتَهُ أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ أَصَبْتَهَا يَا جَابِرُ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَمْ يَطْمَئِنُّوا إِلَى الدُّنْيَا بِبَقَائِهِمْ فِيهَا وَلَمْ يَأْمَنُوا قُدُومَهُمُ الآخِرَةَ يَا جَابِرُ الآخِرَةُ دَارُ قَرَارٍ وَالدُّنْيَا دَارُ فَنَاءٍ وَزَوَالٍ وَلَكِنْ أَهْلُ الدُّنْيَا أَهْلُ غَفْلَةٍ وَكَأَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ هُمُ الْفُقَهَاءُ أَهْلُ فِكْرَةٍ وَعِبْرَةٍ لَمْ يُصِمَّهُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ الله جَلَّ اسْمُهُ مَا سَمِعُوا بِ‏آذَانِهِمْ وَلَمْ يُعْمِهِمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ الله مَا رَأَوْا مِنَ الزِّينَةِ بِأَعْيُنِهِمْ فَفَازُوا بِثَوَابِ الآخِرَةِ كَمَا فَازُوا بِذَلِكَ الْعِلْمِ وَاعْلَمْ يَا جَابِرُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ التَّقْوَى أَيْسَرُ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا مَئُونَةً وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لَكَ مَعُونَةً تَذْكُرُ فَيُعِينُونَكَ وَإِنْ نَسِيتَ ذَكَّرُوكَ قَوَّالُونَ بِأَمْرِ الله قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى أَمْرِ الله قَطَعُوا مَحَبَّتَهُمْ بِمَحَبَّةِ رَبِّهِمْ وَوَحَشُوا الدُّنْيَا لِطَاعَةِ مَلِيكِهِمْ وَنَظَرُوا إِلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِلَى مَحَبَّتِهِ بِقُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلِمُوا أَنَّ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْمَنْظُورُ إِلَيْهِ لِعَظِيمِ شَأْنِهِ فَأَنْزِلِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَنْزِلٍ نَزَلْتَهُ ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلْتَ عَنْهُ أَوْ كَمَالٍ وَجَدْتَهُ فِي مَنَامِكَ فَاسْتَيْقَظْتَ وَلَيْسَ مَعَكَ مِنْهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ إِنِّي [ إِنَّمَا ] ضَرَبْتُ لَكَ هَذَا مَثَلاً لأنَّهَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ اللُّبِّ وَالْعِلْمِ بِالله كَفَيْ‏ءِ الظِّلالِ يَا جَابِرُ فَاحْفَظْ مَا اسْتَرْعَاكَ الله جَلَّ وَعَزَّ مِنْ دِينِهِ وَحِكْمَتِهِ وَلا تَسْأَلَنَّ عَمَّا لَكَ عِنْدَهُ إِلا مَا لَهُ عِنْدَ نَفْسِكَ فَإِنْ تَكُنِ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا وَصَفْتُ لَكَ فَتَحَوَّلْ إِلَى دَارِ الْمُسْتَعْتَبِ فَلَعَمْرِي لَرُبَّ حَرِيصٍ عَلَى أَمْرٍ قَدْ شَقِيَ بِهِ حِينَ أَتَاهُ وَلَرُبَّ كَارِهٍ لأمْرٍ قَدْ سَعِدَ بِهِ حِينَ أَتَاهُ وَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ الله الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَمْحَقَ الْكافِرِينَ.

Published English translation

16. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn al-Hakam from abu ‘Abd Allah al-Mu’min from Jabir who has said the following: “Once I went to visit abu la’ far (a.s.) and he said, ‘O Jabir, I swear by Allah, I am very sad and my heart is pre-occupied.’ I then asked, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, what has pre-occupied your heart and what is the reason for your sadness?’ The Imam said, ‘O Jabir, if the religion of Allah in its pure form may enter one’s heart it preoccupies the heart above everything else. O Jabir, what is the world and what can one think it can be? Is it more than food to eat, clothes to wear and a woman whom you may find?’ “O Jabir, the believers are not satisfied with remaining in it (world) and they do not feel safe from the coming of the next life. O Jabir, the next life is the permanent house and this world is finishing and passing but the people of this world are neglectful. The believers are of deep understanding, people of thinking, of learning lessons and their speaking of Allah, Most Glorious is Whose name, is not silenced by means of what their ears hear. Their eyes are not blinded in speaking of Allah due to what they see of the worldly attractions (around). They have suceeded in gaining the rewards of the next life just as they have succeeded in gaining that knowledge. “O Jabir, you must know that people of piety are of smallest expenses and the most helpful to others. If you speak of them they will assist you and if you forget them they will speak of you. They are the most outspoken for the commands of Allah and steadfast in obeying the orders of Allah. They have discontinued their love (for others) with love for their Lord and they have cut themselves off from the world to obey their owner and king. They look to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and to His love with their hearts, and have learned that this is what they must look at due to its great position. Thus they have considered the world a temporary place to stay and then leave forever, or like a property that one finds in his dream and upon waking finds no trace of it. I give you this example because to people of reason and knowledge of Allah it is like fast-passing shadow. O Jabir, protect what Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, expects you to protect of His religion and wisdom. Never ask of things that are for you with Him but ask of His things that are with your soul. If the world is other than what I described for you, then consider it a house (a correctional facility) where you can seek to reform yourself. I swear by my life that many are those who are greedy for a certain matter but it makes them miserable when they achieve it and many are those who dislike a certain matter but it makes them fortunate when they find it. This is mentioned in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘So that Allah would test the faith of the believers, and deprive the unbelievers of (His) blessings.’” (3:141) Note: “House (correctional facility) and reform” is a reference to verse, 24, 84, 57, 35 and 24 of Chapters, 41, 16, 30, 45 and 41, respectively.

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 (8/291)

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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