Al-Kāfi - Volume 2 > Doubt
Hadith #1

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أُخْبِرُهُ أَنِّي شَاكٌّ وَقَدْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِ الْمَوْتى‏ وَأَنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ تُرِيَنِي شَيْئاً فَكَتَبَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ مُؤْمِناً وَأَحَبَّ أَنْ يَزْدَادَ إِيمَاناً وَأَنْتَ شَاكٌّ وَالشَّاكُّ لا خَيْرَ فِيهِ وَكَتَبَ إِنَّمَا الشَّكُّ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ الْيَقِينُ فَإِذَا جَاءَ الْيَقِينُ لَمْ يَجُزِ الشَّكُّ وَكَتَبَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ وَما وَجَدْنا لأكْثَرِهِمْ مِنْ عَهْدٍ وَإِنْ وَجَدْنا أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفاسِقِينَ قَالَ نَزَلَتْ فِي الشَّاكِّ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from al- Husayn ibn Hakam who has said the following: “Once I wrote to the virtuous servant (of Allah) saying that I had doubt and Ibrahim, peace be upon him, had said, ‘Lord, show me how you will bring the dead to life?’ (2: 260) and I would love that you show me something. The Imam wrote back to me, ‘Ibrahim was a believer. He wanted to increase his belief. You, however, have doubt and there is nothing good in doubt.’ The Imam further wrote, ‘Doubt comes when there is no certainty when certainty, comes then doubting is not permissible.’ He wrote further, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, “We did not find many among them keeping their promises. However, We did find many evil-doers among them.” (7:102) The Imam said, ‘It was revealed about people who doubt.’”



Hadith #2

2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ الْخُرَاسَانِيِّ قَالَ كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ لا تَرْتَابُوا فَتَشُكُّوا وَلا تَشُكُّوا فَتَكْفُرُوا.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Asbat from abu Ishaq al-Khurasani who has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) would say in his sermons, ‘Do not suspect; you will doubt and do not doubt; you will become unbelievers.’”



Hadith #3

3ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ خَلَفِ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) جَالِساً عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَزُرَارَةُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الله مَا تَقُولُ فِيمَنْ شَكَّ فِي الله فَقَالَ كَافِرٌ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ فَشَكَّ فِي رَسُولِ الله فَقَالَ كَافِرٌ قَالَ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَى زُرَارَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا يَكْفُرُ إِذَا جَحَدَ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father from Khalaf ibn Hammad from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Once I was in the presence of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) sitting to his left side and Zurara was sitting to his right side. Abu Basil’ came in and he asked, ‘What do you say if one doubts in Allah?’ The Imam said, ‘He is an unbeliever, O abu Muhammad.’ Abu Basir then asked, ‘What if one has doubts in the Messenger of Allah?’ The Imam said, ‘He is an unbeliever.’ The narrator has said that the Imam then turned to Zurara and said, ‘He (such a person) is an unbeliever only if he rejects.’”



Hadith #4

4ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ خَارِجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ قَالَ بِشَكٍّ.

4. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from his father from al- Nadr ibn Suwayd from Yahya ibn ‘Imran al-Halabi from Harun ibn Kharijah from abu Basir who has said the following: “Once I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Those who have accepted the faith and have kept it pure from injustice have achieved security and guidance.’ (6:82) The Imam said, ‘(It means one) who has kept it (belief) pure from doubt.’”



Hadith #5

5ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الشَّكَّ وَالْمَعْصِيَةَ فِي النَّارِ لَيْسَا مِنَّا وَلا إِلَيْنَا.

5. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn Ishaq from Bakr ibn Muhammad from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Doubts and disobedience are in the fire. It (doubt or people having doubts) is not from us nor is it directed to us.’”



Hadith #6

6ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ شَكَّ فِي الله بَعْدَ مَوْلِدِهِ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ لَمْ يَفِئْ إِلَى خَيْرٍ أَبَداً.

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from a man from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘One who doubts in Allah after being born from Muslim parents, forever, will not end up to anything good.’”



Hadith #7

7ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ رَفَعَهُ إِلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَنْفَعُ مَعَ الشَّكِّ وَالْجُحُودِ عَمَلٌ.

7. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from his father in a marfu’ manner from abu la’ far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘No deed with doubt and denial will be of any benefit.’”



Hadith #8

8ـ وَفِي وَصِيَّةِ الْمُفَضَّلِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ مَنْ شَكَّ أَوْ ظَنَّ وَأَقَامَ عَلَى أَحَدِهِمَا أَحْبَطَ الله عَمَلَهُ إِنَّ حُجَّةَ الله هِيَ الْحُجَّةُ الْوَاضِحَةُ.

8. It is in the advice to al-Mufaddal who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) saying, ‘One who has doubt or Zann (better than doubt and less than certainty) and lives with one of them (such conditions), Allah turns his deeds fruitless. The authority and proof for (existence of) Allah is clear authority and proof.’”



Hadith #9

9ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّا لَنَرَى الرَّجُلَ لَهُ عِبَادَةٌ وَاجْتِهَادٌ وَخُشُوعٌ وَلا يَقُولُ بِالْحَقِّ فَهَلْ يَنْفَعُهُ ذَلِكَ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ مَثَلُ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ كَانُوا فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَ لا يَجْتَهِدُ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً إِلا دَعَا فَأُجِيبَ وَإِنَّ رَجُلاً مِنْهُمُ اجْتَهَدَ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ دَعَا فَلَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لَهُ فَأَتَى عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) يَشْكُوا إِلَيْهِ مَا هُوَ فِيهِ وَيَسْأَلُهُ الدُّعَاءَ قَالَ فَتَطَهَّرَ عِيسَى وَصَلَّى ثُمَّ دَعَا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَأَوْحَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَا عِيسَى إِنَّ عَبْدِي أَتَانِي مِنْ غَيْرِ الْبَابِ الَّذِي أُوتَى مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ دَعَانِي وَفِي قَلْبِهِ شَكٌّ مِنْكَ فَلَوْ دَعَانِي حَتَّى يَنْقَطِعَ عُنُقُهُ وَتَنْتَثِرَ أَنَامِلُهُ مَا اسْتَجَبْتُ لَهُ قَالَ فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ عِيسَى (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ تَدْعُو رَبَّكَ وَأَنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِنْ نَبِيِّهِ فَقَالَ يَا رُوحَ الله وَكَلِمَتَهُ قَدْ كَانَ وَالله مَا قُلْتَ فَادْعُ الله لِي أَنْ يَذْهَبَ بِهِ عَنِّي قَالَ فَدَعَا لَهُ عِيسَى (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) فَتَابَ الله عَلَيْهِ وَقَبِلَ مِنْهُ وَصَارَ فِي حَدِّ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ.

9. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn Asbat from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Once I said to one of (two Imam) (a.s.) ‘We find a man who worships, and strives with humility but does not believe in the truth (Shi’a belief). Will it be of any benefit for him?’ The Imam said, ‘O abu Muhammad, the case of AM al-Bayt (of Muhammad) is like that AM al-Bayt in the family of Israel. An individual of that family would strive for forty nights and pray, his prayers received the answer. Only one man of that family strived for forty nights and prayed but his prayer did not receive any answer. When Jesus, son of Mary came, he complained to him about his case and asked him for prayer. The Imam said that Jesus then cleansed himself, said the prayer, prayed to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, and Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent revelations to Jesus that said, ‘O Jesus, My servant came to Me from a door that is other than the door from which one must come to Me. He prayed and there was doubt in his heart about you. Were he to pray to Me until his neck would be cut off (disintegrate) and his fingers turn into dust, I would not answer his prayer.’ The Imam said, ‘Jesus then turned to the man and asked, ‘Do you ask your Lord for help while you have doubt in His prophet?’ The man said, ‘O Spirit of Allah and His word, it has been just as you said. Pray to Allah for me to remove doubt from me. ’ The Imam said that Jesus than prayed for him and Allah accepted his repentance and he became like all the other ones of that family.’”