Al-Kafi · Hadith 9

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · The Fundamentals of Islam · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 13, Hadith 9

Original Arabic text

9ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ السَّرِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) حَدِّثْنِي عَمَّا بُنِيَتْ عَلَيْهِ دَعَائِمُ الإسْلامِ إِذَا أَنَا أَخَذْتُ بِهَا زَكَى عَمَلِي وَلَمْ يَضُرَّنِي جَهْلُ مَا جَهِلْتُ بَعْدَهُ فَقَالَ شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) وَالإقْرَارُ بِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ الله وَحَقٌّ فِي الأمْوَالِ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْوَلايَةُ الَّتِي أَمَرَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِهَا وَلايَةُ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) قَالَ مَنْ مَاتَ وَلأ؛ّّ يَعْرِفُ إِمَامَهُ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَطِيعُوا الله وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الأمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَكَانَ عَلِيٌّ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) ثُمَّ صَارَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ الْحَسَنُ ثُمَّ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ الْحُسَيْنُ ثُمَّ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ثُمَّ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ ثُمَّ هَكَذَا يَكُونُ الأمْرُ إِنَّ الأرْضَ لا تَصْلُحُ إِلا بِإِمَامٍ وَمَنْ مَاتَ لا يَعْرِفُ إِمَامَهُ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً وَأَحْوَجُ مَا يَكُونُ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى مَعْرِفَتِهِ إِذَا بَلَغَتْ نَفْسُهُ هَاهُنَا قَالَ وَأَهْوَى بِيَدِهِ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ يَقُولُ حِينَئِذٍ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ حَسَنٍ.

Published English translation

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Isa al-Sariyy who has said the following: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) to teach me the principles of Islam in such a way that on holding to them my deeds can take pure and correct form and thereafter the ignorance of whatever I am ignorant of cannot harm me. The Imam said, ‘Of the principles of Islam are to testify and acknowledge that no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muhammad (a.s.) is the Messenger of Allah. Of such principles is to affirm and acknowledge that whatever he has brought is from Allah, to pay al-Zakat (charity) is a right and that al-Wilayah which Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has commanded to accept and acknowledge is al-Wilayah (Divine Authority) of Ahl al-Bayt of Muhammad (a.s.). The Messenger of Allah has said, “Whoever dies while he does not know who his Imam is, he is considered as one who has died in the darkness of ignorance.” Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, “Obey Allah, obey the Messenger of Allah and the persons among you who possess Divine Authority.” (4:59). Imam Ali was there (possessed Divine Authority) and after him were Imam Hassan, Imam Husayn and Ali ibn al-Husayn and after them was Muhammad ibn Ali, recipients of divine supreme covenant, successively and thus it will continue. The land will not take an ideal shape without an Imam. Whoever dies while he does not know who his Imam is, he is considered as one who has died in the darkness of ignorance. What everyone of you will need very urgently when his soul will reach here (pointing to his chest) is to know him (the Imam) so that he can say it is certain that I have been holding to a genuinely good matter.”’

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: صحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (7/113)

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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