Al-Kafi · Hadith 26

The Book on Dying People · The Rare Ahadith · Volume 3, book 3, chapter 95, Hadith 26

Original Arabic text

26ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُفَضَّلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَخْبَرَنِي جَبْرَئِيلُ (عَلَيْهِم الْسَّلام) أَنَّ مَلَكاً مِنْ مَلاَئِكَةِ الله كَانَتْ لَهُ عِنْدَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَنْزِلَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ فَتُعُتِّبَ عَلَيْهِ فَأُهْبِطَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأرْضِ فَأَتَى إِدْرِيسَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) فَقَالَ إِنَّ لَكَ مِنَ الله مَنْزِلَةً فَاشْفَعْ لِي عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ فَصَلَّى ثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ لاَ يَفْتُرُ وَصَامَ أَيَّامَهَا لاَ يُفْطِرُ ثُمَّ طَلَبَ إِلَى الله تَعَالَى فِي السَّحَرِ فِي الْمَلَكِ فَقَالَ الْمَلَكُ إِنَّكَ قَدْ أُعْطِيتَ سُؤْلَكَ وَقَدْ أُطْلِقَ لِي جَنَاحِي وَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أُكَافِيَكَ فَاطْلُبْ إِلَيَّ حَاجَةً فَقَالَ تُرِينِي مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ لَعَلِّي آنَسُ بِهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ يَهْنِئُنِي مَعَ ذِكْرِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ فَبَسَطَ جَنَاحَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ارْكَبْ فَصَعِدَ بِهِ يَطْلُبُ مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ فِي السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَقِيلَ لَهُ اصْعَدْ فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ فَقَالَ الْمَلَكُ يَا مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ مَا لِي أَرَاكَ قَاطِباً قَالَ الْعَجَبُ إِنِّي تَحْتَ ظِلِّ الْعَرْشِ حَيْثُ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَقْبِضَ رُوحَ آدَمِيٍّ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ الرَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ فَسَمِعَ إِدْرِيسُ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) فَامْتَعَضَ فَخَرَّ مِنْ جَنَاحِ الْمَلَكِ فَقُبِضَ رُوحُهُ مَكَانَهُ وَقَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَرَفَعْناهُ مَكاناً عَلِيًّا.

Published English translation

26. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman from Mufaddal ibn Salih from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Jibril (Gabriel) has informed me that an angel of the angels of Allah had a great position before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, but then this angel was to be disciplined. He was made to descend down to earth. He went to prophet Idris and requested him saying, “You have a great position before Allah, please intercede for me before your Lord.” He prayed for three nights without lapse, fasted three days without break and then pleaded before Allah, the Most High in an early morning about the angel and the angel said, “You have been granted your request and my wing is freed. I would like to compensate you for this favor. You may ask me for help if you need.” He said, “If you can show me the angel of death, you may do so, so that I try to get comfortable with him because, on remembering him nothing seems enjoyable to me.” The angel spread his wing and said, “Climb on” and he ascended up in search for the angel of death in heaven above the world. He was told to ascend higher. They met him between the fourth and the fifth heavens, and the angel asked, “Why is it that I see you, O angel of death, frowning?” He replied, “It is strange. I, while under the shadow of the Throne, am commanded to remove the soul of a man between the fourth and the fifth heavens.” Idris heard it, he found it very difficult and fell off the wing of the angel. His soul was removed from his body at the spot. About this Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has said, “We raised him to a high (exalted) place (19:65).’””

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/255)

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
source Revision: becbad600b693ce23735d7403c4126ce7c896d34
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