The Authority to Govern Rests with the Imam Only

Al-Kāfi|Volume 7|Book 6|Chapter 1

Al-Kāfi

Volume 7, Book 6, Chapter 1

The Authority to Govern Rests with the Imam Only
3 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 1

1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ اتَّقُوا الْحُكُومَةَ فَإِنَّ الْحُكُومَةَ إِنَّمَا هِيَ لِلإمَامِ الْعَالِمِ بِالْقَضَاءِ الْعَادِلِ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَوْ وَصِيِّ نَبِيٍّ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from abu ‘Abd Allah al-Mu’min from ibn Muskan from Sulayman ibn Khalid who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Stay away from governing, it is only for the Imam who has the knowledge of adjudication with justice among the Muslims. It is for a Prophet or Executor of the will of a Prophet.’”

Ḥadīth 2

2- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ جَبَلَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لِشُرَيْحٍ يَا شُرَيْحُ قَدْ جَلَسْتَ مَجْلِساً لا يَجْلِسُهُ إِلا نَبِيٌّ أَوْ وَصِيُّ نَبِيٍّ أَوْ شَقِيٌّ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ya’qub ibn Yazid from Yahya ibn al-Mubarak from ‘Abd Allah ibn Jabalah from abu Jamilah from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said ’ Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.), once said to Shurayh, ‘You have sat in a place where no one can sit except a Prophet or an Executor of the will of a Prophet, or a wicked one.’”

Ḥadīth 3

3- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لَمَّا وَلَّى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) شُرَيْحاً الْقَضَاءَ اشْتَرَطَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ لا يُنْفِذَ الْقَضَاءَ حَتَّى يَعْرِضَهُ عَلَيْهِ.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’ Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.), appointed Shurayh as a judge with the condition that his judgments will take effect only after they are shown to him (Imam Ali (a.s.)).”