Al-Kafi · Hadith 4

The Book on Dying People · The Children · Volume 3, book 3, chapter 94, Hadith 4

Original Arabic text

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) مَا تَقُولُ فِي الأطْفَالِ الَّذِينَ مَاتُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَبْلُغُوا فَقَالَ سُئِلَ عَنْهُمْ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالَ الله أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ فَقَالَ يَا زُرَارَةُ هَلْ تَدْرِي مَا عَنَى بِذَلِكَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قَالَ قُلْتُ لاَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا عَنَى كُفُّوا عَنْهُمْ وَلاَ تَقُولُوا فِيهِمْ شَيْئاً وَرُدُّوا عِلْمَهُمْ إِلَى الله.

Published English translation

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ’Udhaynah from Zurarah who has said the following: “I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about children who die before maturity and he replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah was asked about them and he said, “Allah knows best about what they may do.’” Then he turned to me and said, ‘O Zurarah, do you know what the Messenger of Allah meant thereby?’ I said, ‘No, I do not know.’ He said, ‘He meant to say, “You must not say anything about them but leave their affairs to Allah (to deal with).’””

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: حسن

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (14/234)

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: صحيح

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 251

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

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
source Revision: becbad600b693ce23735d7403c4126ce7c896d34
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original Source Url: https://thaqalayn.net/hadith/1/3/94/4
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