Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · Silence and Restraint against Publicity · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 98, Hadith 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الأعْلَى قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنِ احْتِمَالِ أَمْرِنَا التَّصْدِيقُ لَهُ وَالْقَبُولُ فَقَطْ مِنِ احْتِمَالِ أَمْرِنَا سَتْرُهُ وَصِيَانَتُهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ فَأَقْرِئْهُمُ السَّلامَ وَقُلْ لَهُمْ رَحِمَ الله عَبْداً اجْتَرَّ مَوَدَّةَ النَّاسِ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ حَدِّثُوهُمْ بِمَا يَعْرِفُونَ وَاسْتُرُوا عَنْهُمْ مَا يُنْكِرُونَ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَالله مَا النَّاصِبُ لَنَا حَرْباً بِأَشَدَّ عَلَيْنَا مَئُونَةً مِنَ النَّاطِقِ عَلَيْنَا بِمَا نَكْرَهُ فَإِذَا عَرَفْتُمْ مِنْ عَبْدٍ إِذَاعَةً فَامْشُوا إِلَيْهِ وَرُدُّوهُ عَنْهَا فَإِنْ قَبِلَ مِنْكُمْ وَإِلا فَتَحَمَّلُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمَنْ يُثَقِّلُ عَلَيْهِ وَيَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ مِنْكُمْ يَطْلُبُ الْحَاجَةَ فَيَلْطُفُ فِيهَا حَتَّى تُقْضَى لَهُ فَالْطُفُوا فِي حَاجَتِي كَمَا تَلْطُفُونَ فِي حَوَائِجِكُمْ فَإِنْ هُوَ قَبِلَ مِنْكُمْ وَإِلا فَادْفِنُوا كَلامَهُ تَحْتَ أَقْدَامِكُمْ وَلا تَقُولُوا إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ وَيَقُولُ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُحْمَلُ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَيْكُمْ أَمَا وَالله لَوْ كُنْتُمْ تَقُولُونَ مَا أَقُولُ لأقْرَرْتُ أَنَّكُمْ أَصْحَابِي هَذَا أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ لَهُ أَصْحَابٌ وَهَذَا الْحَسَنُ الْبَصْرِيُّ لَهُ أَصْحَابٌ وَأَنَا امْرُؤٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ قَدْ وَلَدَنِي رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) وَعَلِمْتُ كِتَابَ الله وَفِيهِ تِبْيَانُ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ بَدْءِ الْخَلْقِ وَأَمْرِ السَّمَاءِ وَأَمْرِ الأرْضِ وَأَمْرِ الأوَّلِينَ وَأَمْرِ الآخِرِينَ وَأَمْرِ مَا كَانَ وَأَمْرِ مَا يَكُونُ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ نُصْبَ عَيْنِي.

Published English translation

5. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ‘Abd al-‘Ala’ who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Just to affirm our cause is not enough to carry it. To bear our cause is to keep it concealed and protect it from those who do not support it. Convey the greeting of peace to them and tell them, “May Allah grant blessings to those who attract people’s love to himself, speak to them (common people) about what they know and conceal from them what they deny.’” The Imam then said, ‘By Allah, our bitter enemy, is not more of a problem bigger for us than those who speak of us things that we dislike. If you hear a servant (of Allah) publicizing (our cause) then walk to him and turn him away from it. If he did not accept your advice then leave him to one who might prove to be heavier for him and he would listen to him. There are those of you who on request meet the needs of a person with kindness. Be kind to me in my needs as you are kind to each other in your needs. If he accepts from you, that is fine, otherwise, bury his words under your feet and do not say, ‘He says so and so.’ This will make it difficult for you and for me. By Allah, were you to say what I say, I could confirm that you are of my companions. This is abu Hanifah and he has companions. This is al-Hassan al-Basri and he has his companions. I am a man from Quraysh of the descendents of the Messenger of Allah. I knew the book of Allah in which there is explanation for everything, the beginning of creation, the matters of heavens, the issues of earth, the matters of those in the past, the issues of the later generations, and issues of things that existed and the matters of the things that will come into existence. To me these all are as if I see them before my eyes.’”

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 (9/188)

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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