Al-Kāfi

1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ مَكْتُوبٌ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ تَفَرَّغْ لِعِبَادَتِي أَمْلأ قَلْبَكَ غِنًى وَلا أَكِلْكَ إِلَى طَلَبِكَ وَعَلَيَّ أَنْ أَسُدَّ فَاقَتَكَ وَأَمْلأ قَلْبَكَ خَوْفاً مِنِّي وَإِنْ لا تَفَرَّغْ لِعِبَادَتِي أَمْلأ قَلْبَكَ شُغُلاً بِالدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ لا أَسُدَّ فَاقَتَكَ وَأَكِلْكَ إِلَى طَلَبِكَ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from ‘Umar ibn Yazid from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘It is written in the Torah, “O son of Adam, devote yourself to my worship and I will fill your heart with riches and will not leave you to your own quest. It is upon Me to meet your needs and fill your heart with fear from Me. If you do not devote yourself to My worship I will fill your heart with preoccupation in worldly matters, and then I will not meet your needs and will leave you up to your own pursuit.’””

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَا عِبَادِيَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ تَنَعَّمُوا بِعِبَادَتِي فِي الدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّكُمْ تَتَنَعَّمُونَ بِهَا فِي الآخِرَةِ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from abu Jamilah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, has said, “O My truthful servants, enjoy the blessings of worshipping Me in this world; you will enjoy its benefits in the next life.’””

3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ جُمَيْعٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) أَفْضَلُ النَّاسِ مَنْ عَشِقَ الْعِبَادَةَ فَعَانَقَهَا وَأَحَبَّهَا بِقَلْبِهِ وَبَاشَرَهَا بِجَسَدِهِ وَتَفَرَّغَ لَهَا فَهُوَ لا يُبَالِي عَلَى مَا أَصْبَحَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى عُسْرٍ أَمْ عَلَى يُسْرٍ.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from ‘Amr ibn Jami’ from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The best of the people are those who love worship (of Allah) intensely. They hold to it, love it in their hearts, accompany it with their body and are devoted in it. Such people are concerned no more about the world, whether it gives them comfort or difficulties.’”

4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ شَاذَانَ بْنِ الْخَلِيلِ قَالَ وَكَتَبْتُ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ بِإِسْنَادٍ لَهُ يَرْفَعُهُ إِلَى عِيسَى بْنِ عَبْدِ الله قَالَ قَالَ عِيسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الله لأبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا الْعِبَادَةُ قَالَ حُسْنُ النِّيَّةِ بِالطَّاعَةِ مِنَ الْوُجُوهِ الَّتِي يُطَاعُ الله مِنْهَا أَمَا إِنَّكَ يَا عِيسَى لا تَكُونُ مُؤْمِناً حَتَّى تَعْرِفَ النَّاسِخَ مِنَ الْمَنْسُوخِ قَالَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَمَا مَعْرِفَةُ النَّاسِخِ مِنَ الْمَنْسُوخِ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَ لَيْسَ تَكُونُ مَعَ الإمَامِ مُوَطِّناً نَفْسَكَ عَلَى حُسْنِ النِّيَّةِ فِي طَاعَتِهِ فَيَمْضِي ذَلِكَ الإمَامُ وَيَأْتِي إِمَامٌ آخَرُ فَتُوَطِّنُ نَفْسَكَ عَلَى حُسْنِ النِّيَّةِ فِي طَاعَتِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ هَذَا مَعْرِفَةُ النَّاسِخِ مِنَ الْمَنْسُوخِ.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Shadhan ibn al-Khalil. The narrator has said that he wrote down from his book through the chain of his narrators who narrated in a marfu’ manner from ‘Isa ibn ‘Abd Allah saying: ‘“Isa ibn ‘Abd Allah once said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, what is worship?’ The Imam said, ‘It is good intention in obedience to Allah concerning the aspects through which He is obeyed. As for you, O ‘Isa, you will not be a believer until you can distinguish the abrogating from the abrogated.’ I then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, what is distinguishing the abrogating from the abrogated?’ The Imam said, ‘Is it not true that you obey an Imam with good intention and in good faith, and when that Imam passes away and another Imam comes, you settle your soul on obedience to him with good intention and in good faith?’ I said, ‘Yes, I do so.’ The Imam said, ‘This is distinguishing the abrogating from the abrogated.’”

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ جَمِيلٍ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ خَارِجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْعُبَّادَ ثَلاثَةٌ قَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَوْفاً فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الْعَبِيدِ وَقَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى طَلَبَ الثَّوَابِ فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الأجَرَاءِ وَقَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حُبّاً لَهُ فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الأحْرَارِ وَهِيَ أَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ.

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub from Jamil from Harun ibn Kharijah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘There are three kinds of worship: there are people who worship Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, because of fear. This kind of worship is the worship of slaves. There are people who worship Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, for His rewards. This is the worship of people for hire. There are people who worship Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, for His love. This is the worship of free people and this is the best kind of worship.’”

6ـ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) مَا أَقْبَحَ الْفَقْرَ بَعْدَ الْغِنَى وَأَقْبَحَ الْخَطِيئَةَ بَعْدَ الْمَسْكَنَةِ وَأَقْبَحُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْعَابِدُ لله ثُمَّ يَدَعُ عِبَادَتَهُ.

6. Ali has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘How ugly is poverty after riches, sin in destitution and worst of all worshipping Allah and then giving up His worship.’”

7ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيهِما السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِمَا افْتَرَضَ الله عَلَيْهِ فَهُوَ مِنْ أَعْبَدِ النَّاسِ.

7. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’ alia ibn Muhammad from al- Washsha’ from ‘Asim ibn Humayd from abu Hamza from Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) who has said the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) has said, ‘One who fulfills what Allah has made obligatory upon him, he, among the people, is the one who worships the most.’”