Al-Kafi · Hadith 7

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · Contentment · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 63, Hadith 7

Original Arabic text

7ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الأسَدِيِّ عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ مُكْرَمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ اشْتَدَّتْ حَالُ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَقَالَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ لَوْ أَتَيْتَ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَسَأَلْتَهُ فَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَلَمَّا رَآهُ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) قَالَ مَنْ سَأَلَنَا أَعْطَيْنَاهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَغْنَى أَغْنَاهُ الله فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ مَا يَعْنِي غَيْرِي فَرَجَعَ إِلَى امْرَأَتِهِ فَأَعْلَمَهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) بَشَرٌ فَأَعْلِمْهُ فَأَتَاهُ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) قَالَ مَنْ سَأَلَنَا أَعْطَيْنَاهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَغْنَى أَغْنَاهُ الله حَتَّى فَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ ذَلِكَ ثَلاثاً ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ الرَّجُلُ فَاسْتَعَارَ مِعْوَلاً ثُمَّ أَتَى الْجَبَلَ فَصَعِدَهُ فَقَطَعَ حَطَباً ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِهِ فَبَاعَهُ بِنِصْفِ مُدٍّ مِنْ دَقِيقٍ فَرَجَعَ بِهِ فَأَكَلَهُ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ مِنَ الْغَدِ فَجَاءَ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَبَاعَهُ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يَعْمَلُ وَيَجْمَعُ حَتَّى اشْتَرَى مِعْوَلاً ثُمَّ جَمَعَ حَتَّى اشْتَرَى بَكْرَيْنِ وَغُلاماً ثُمَّ أَثْرَى حَتَّى أَيْسَرَ فَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَأَعْلَمَهُ كَيْفَ جَاءَ يَسْأَلُهُ وَكَيْفَ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) قُلْتُ لَكَ مَنْ سَأَلَنَا أَعْطَيْنَاهُ وَمَنِ اسْتَغْنَى أَغْنَاهُ الله.

Published English translation

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Asadi from Salim ibn Mukram from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “At one time, among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, the financial conditions of one man became very difficult and his wife suggested that he see the Messenger of Allah about it. He went to the Holy Prophet and, when the Holy Prophet saw him, he said, ‘Whoever asks us for help, we help, but whoever appears to be rich when, in fact, he is not so, Allah will make him rich. ’ The man thought the Holy Prophet had addressed him only. He returned to his wife and told her the story. She said, ‘The Messenger of Allah is only a man. Let him know what you need.’ He went back and, when the Messenger of Allah saw him, he said, ‘Whoever asks us for help we help but whoever appears to be rich when, in fact, he is not so, Allah will make him rich. ’ This was repeated with that man three times. Thereafter, he borrowed a pick and went to the mountains, climbed it and cut down a certain amount of firewood. He climbed down and sold the firewood for half a mud (a certain measure) of flour, came home and used it for food. The next day he did the same thing and saved a little on the side until he was able to buy a pick of his own and sometime later he bought two young camels and a slave and then he became rich until he became very affluent. One day he went to see the Holy Prophet. He informed him of his whole story. The Holy Prophet said, ‘I told you, whoever asks us for help we help, but whoever appears to be rich when, in fact, he is not so, Allah will make him rich.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف على المشهور

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (8/325)

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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