Al-Kāfi - Volume 2 > Gentleness in Dealings
Hadith #1

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) ثَلاثٌ مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنَّ فِيهِ لَمْ يَتِمَّ لَهُ عَمَلٌ وَرَعٌ يَحْجُزُهُ عَنْ مَعَاصِي الله وَخُلُقٌ يُدَارِي بِهِ النَّاسَ وَحِلْمٌ يَرُدُّ بِهِ جَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘There are three things for the absence of which none of one’s deeds is complete: restraint from the worldly things to keep him from disobeying Allah, moral behavior with which one can gently deal with people and forbearance with which one can repel the ignorance of ignorant people.’”



Hadith #2

2ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَراً (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ جَاءَ جَبْرَئِيلُ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) إِلَى النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ رَبُّكَ يُقْرِئُكَ السَّلامَ وَيَقُولُ لَكَ دَارِ خَلْقِي.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-Husayn ibn al-Hassan who has said the following: “I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) say, ‘Jibril (the Archangel) once came to the Holy Prophet and said, “O Muhammad, your Lord sends you greetings of peace and says to you, ‘Be gentle and kind to My creatures.’””



Hadith #3

3ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ حَبِيبٍ السِّجِسْتَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ مَكْتُوبٌ فِيمَا نَاجَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِهِ مُوسَى بْنَ عِمْرَانَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَا مُوسَى اكْتُمْ مَكْتُومَ سِرِّي فِي سَرِيرَتِكَ وَأَظْهِرْ فِي عَلانِيَتِكَ الْمُدَارَاةَ عَنِّي لِعَدُوِّي وَعَدُوِّكَ مِنْ خَلْقِي وَلا تَسْتَسِبَّ لِي عِنْدَهُمْ بِإِظْهَارِ مَكْتُومِ سِرِّي فَتُشْرِكَ عَدُوَّكَ وَعَدُوِّي فِي سَبِّي.

3. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from Habib al- Sajistani from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “In the Torah it is of the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, to Moses ibn ‘Imran, ‘O Moses, keep My secret as secret in your secrecy. Demonstrate gentleness from Me in your public life toward your enemy and My enemy among My creatures. Do not express My secret (condemnation of the enemy) for Me before them and in public that, consequently, your enemy and My enemy join to abuse Me.’”



Hadith #4

4ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) أَمَرَنِي رَبِّي بِمُدَارَاةِ النَّاسِ كَمَا أَمَرَنِي بِأَدَاءِ الْفَرَائِضِ.

4. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Muhammad ibn Isma’il from ibn Bazi’ from Hamza ibn Bazi’ from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘My Lord (Allah) has commanded me to be gentle to people just as He has commanded me to fulfill my obligations.’”



Hadith #5

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) مُدَارَاةُ النَّاسِ نِصْفُ الإيمَانِ وَالرِّفْقُ بِهِمْ نِصْفُ الْعَيْشِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) خَالِطُوا الأبْرَارَ سِرّاً وَخَالِطُوا الْفُجَّارَ جِهَاراً وَلا تَمِيلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَظْلِمُوكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَأْتِي عَلَيْكُمْ زَمَانٌ لا يَنْجُو فِيهِ مِنْ ذَوِي الدِّينِ إِلا مَنْ ظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ أَبْلَهُ وَصَبَّرَ نَفْسَهُ عَلَى أَنْ يُقَالَ [ لَهُ ] إِنَّهُ أَبْلَهُ لا عَقْلَ لَهُ.

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqa from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Dealing kindly with people is half of belief and leniency to them is half of livelihood.’ The Imam then said, ‘Meet the virtuous people privately. Meet the criminals in public and do not be attracted to them; they will do injustice to you. There will come a time when, from the religious people, only those will be safe who are thought of as fools. They exercise patience so much so that they will be called silly.’”



Hadith #6

6ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ قَوْماً مِنَ النَّاسِ قَلَّتْ مُدَارَاتُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ فَأُنِفُوا مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ وَايْمُ الله مَا كَانَ بِأَحْسَابِهِمْ بَأْسٌ وَإِنَّ قَوْماً مِنْ غَيْرِ قُرَيْشٍ حَسُنَتْ مُدَارَاتُهُمْ فَأُلْحِقُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الرَّفِيعِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ كَفَّ يَدَهُ عَنِ النَّاسِ فَإِنَّمَا يَكُفُّ عَنْهُمْ يَداً وَاحِدَةً وَيَكُفُّونَ عَنْهُ أَيْدِيَ كَثِيرَةً.

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from certain individuals of his people whom he has mentioned (in his book) from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Hudhayfa ibn Mansur who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) say, ‘Certain people lacked gentle dealings with others, they were expelled from the tribe of Quraysh. I swear by Allah, there was nothing wrong with their birth. On the other hand, certain people who were not from the tribe of Quraysh dealt with people gently and they were joined in the family of superior status.’ The Imam then said, ‘One who holds his hand back from people he only holds back one hand but they (people) hold back from him many hands.’”