Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

The Book of Prayer · Performing Salah (prayer) behind one Who Is not Qualified to Lead Others · Volume 3, book 4, chapter 50, Hadith 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنْ أَبِي عَلِيِّ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) إِنَّ مَوَالِيَكَ قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَأُصَلِّي خَلْفَهُمْ جَمِيعاً فَقَالَ لاَ تُصَلِّ إِلاَّ خَلْفَ مَنْ تَثِقُ بِدِينِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَلِي مَوَالٍ فَقُلْتُ أَصْحَابٌ فَقَالَ مُبَادِراً قَبْلَ أَنْ أَسْتَتِمَّ ذِكْرَهُمْ لاَ يَأْمُرُكَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَدِيدٍ بِهَذَا أَوْ هَذَا مِمَّا يَأْمُرُكَ بِهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَدِيدٍ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ.

Published English translation

5. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Mahziyar from Ali ibn Rashid who has said the following: “I said to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘You have different friends, thus, I perform Salah (prayer) behind every one of them.’ The Imam said, ‘Do not perform Salah (prayer) behind anyone whom you cannot trust in matters of his religion.’ He then said, ‘I have many friends.’ I said, ‘You have many companions.’ He then immediately, before I could mention their names, said, ‘No, (do not mention their names). Ali ibn Hadid requires you to do this. Is this what Ali ibn Hadid commands you to do?’ I replied, ‘Yes, that is correct.’”

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 (15/256)

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 3, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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