Al-Kāfi - Volume 8


Book 1, Chapter 158

Words of Salayman ibn Khalid to Abu ‘abd Allah, 'Alayhim al-Salam
1 Ḥadīth

جَعْفَرُ بْنُ بَشِيرٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي شِبْلٍ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (عليه السلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ إِنَّ الزَّيْدِيَّةَ قَوْمٌ قَدْ عُرِفُوا وَ جُرِّبُوا وَ شَهَرَهُمُ النَّاسُ وَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُحَمَّدِيٌّ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْكَ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ أَنْ تُدْنِيَهُمْ وَ تُقَرِّبَهُمْ مِنْكَ فَافْعَلْ فَقَالَ يَا سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ إِنْ كَانَ هَؤُلَاءِ السُّفَهَاءُ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَصُدُّونَا عَنْ عِلْمِنَا إِلَى جَهْلِهِمْ فَلَا مَرْحَباً بِهِمْ وَ لَا أَهْلًا وَ إِنْ كَانُوا يَسْمَعُونَ قَوْلَنَا وَ يَنْتَظِرُونَ أَمْرَنَا فَلَا بَأْسَ.


158. Ja’far Bin Basheer, from Amro Bin Usmaan, from Abu Shibal who said: ‘I and Suleyman Bin Khalid came up to Abu Abdullah (a.s). Suleyman Bin Khalid said to him (a.s), ‘The Zaydiites (a sect) are a people who are well known, and tried, and famous among the people, and there is none in the earth who is more praised and more beloved to them than you (a.s) are. So I see that if you (a.s) can be closer to them and bring them closer to you (a.s), then you (a.s) should do so (lead them as an Imam (a.s))’. So he (a.s) said: ‘O Suleyman Bin Khalid! If those fools are intending that they would prevent us (a.s) from our (a.s) Knowledge, to go to their ignorance, then they are not welcome. However, if they had heeded our (a.s) words, and would have waited for our (a.s) Command, then there would be nothing wrong with it’.