Al-Kafi · Hadith 27

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · A Believer’s Signs and Qualities · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 99, Hadith 27

Original Arabic text

27ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ مِهْزَمٍ وَبَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ الْكَاهِلِيِّ وَأَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْكُوفِيِّ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ عَنْ رَبِيعِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ مِهْزَمٍ الأسَدِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَا مِهْزَمُ شِيعَتُنَا مَنْ لا يَعْدُو صَوْتُهُ سَمْعَهُ وَلا شَحْنَاؤُهُ بَدَنَهُ وَلا يَمْتَدِحُ بِنَا مُعْلِناً وَلا يُجَالِسُ لَنَا عَائِباً وَلا يُخَاصِمُ لَنَا قَالِياً إِنْ لَقِيَ مُؤْمِناً أَكْرَمَهُ وَإِنْ لَقِيَ جَاهِلاً هَجَرَهُ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَكَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ بِهَؤُلاءِ الْمُتَشَيِّعَةِ قَالَ فِيهِمُ التَّمْيِيزُ وَفِيهِمُ التَّبْدِيلُ وَفِيهِمُ التَّمْحِيصُ تَأْتِي عَلَيْهِمْ سِنُونَ تُفْنِيهِمْ وَطَاعُونٌ يَقْتُلُهُمْ وَاخْتِلافٌ يُبَدِّدُهُمْ شِيعَتُنَا مَنْ لا يَهِرُّ هَرِيرَ الْكَلْبِ وَلا يَطْمَعُ طَمَعَ الْغُرَابِ وَلا يَسْأَلُ عَدُوَّنَا وَإِنْ مَاتَ جُوعاً قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَأَيْنَ أَطْلُبُ هَؤُلاءِ قَالَ فِي أَطْرَافِ الأرْضِ أُولَئِكَ الْخَفِيضُ عَيْشُهُمْ الْمُنْتَقِلَةُ دِيَارُهُمْ إِنْ شَهِدُوا لَمْ يُعْرَفُوا وَإِنْ غَابُوا لَمْ يُفْتَقَدُوا وَمِنَ الْمَوْتِ لا يَجْزَعُونَ وَفِي الْقُبُورِ يَتَزَاوَرُونَ وَإِنْ لَجَأَ إِلَيْهِمْ ذُو حَاجَةٍ مِنْهُمْ رَحِمُوهُ لَنْ تَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنِ اخْتَلَفَ بِهِمُ الدَّارُ ثُمَّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) أَنَا الْمَدِينَةُ وَعَلِيٌّ الْبَابُ وَكَذَبَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ يَدْخُلُ الْمَدِينَةَ لا مِنْ قِبَلِ الْبَابِ وَكَذَبَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ يُحِبُّنِي وَيُبْغِضُ عَلِيّاً (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه).

Published English translation

27. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Mihzam and certain individuals of our people from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Kahili and Abu Ali al-Ash’ari from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufi from al- ‘Abbas ibn ‘Amir from Rabi’ ibn Muhammad all from Mehzam al-Asadi who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) once said, ‘O Mehzam, our Shi’a (followers) are those whose voices do not extend farther than their ears and their animosity do not reach beyond their bodies. They do not praise us openly, associate faultfinders with us and do not argue in our defense against our enemies. When they meet the believers they respect and honor them. When they meet the ignorant they distance themselves from him.’ I (the narrator) then asked the Imam, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, how should I deal with these pretending Shi’as?’ The Imam said, ‘With them there are cases of distinguishing, changes and filtrations. Certain years destroy them, plagues kill them, and schisms disintegrate them. Our Shi’a (followers) do not do the barking of a dog or the craving of a crow, do not ask our enemies for help even if he may die of hunger.’ The narrator has said that 1 then asked, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, where can I find them?’ The Imam said, ‘You may find them around the world. The standard of living of our Shi’a (followers) is low and their homes are transient. Although present in a place, they are not noticeable, in their absence they are not missed, of death they are not frightened, on the graves they visit each other and on being asked for help they show kindness. Their hearts do not have differences even if their homes might be different.’ The Imam then said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “I am a city and Ali is the door. One who thinks he can enter the city but not through the door is a liar, so also is one who thinks he loves me but he hates Ali (a.s.).’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مجهول

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (9/266)

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.

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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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