Al-Kāfi - Volume 4

The Beginning of the House and Tawaf (Walking Seven Times Around the House)

1ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبَّادٍ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ بَيْنَا أَبِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) وَأَنَا فِي الطَّوَافِ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ شَرْجَبٌ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا الشَّرْجَبُ أَصْلَحَكَ الله قَالَ الطَّوِيلُ فَقَالَ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَدْخَلَ رَأْسَهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَبِي قَالَ فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ أَبِي وَأَنَا فَرَدَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَسْأَلُكَ رَحِمَكَ الله فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبِي نَقْضِي طَوَافَنَا ثُمَّ تَسْأَلُنِي فَلَمَّا قَضَى أَبِيَ الطَّوَافَ دَخَلْنَا الْحِجْرَ فَصَلَّيْنَا الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ فَقَالَ أَيْنَ الرَّجُلُ يَا بُنَيَّ فَإِذَا هُوَ وَرَاءَهُ قَدْ صَلَّى فَقَالَ مِمَّنِ الرَّجُلُ قَالَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ فَقَالَ وَمِنْ أَيِّ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ فَقَالَ مِمَّنْ يَسْكُنُ بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ فَقَالَ قَرَأْتَ الْكِتَابَيْنِ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ سَلْ عَمَّا بَدَا لَكَ فَقَالَ أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ بَدْءِ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ وَعَنْ قَوْلِهِ ن وَالْقَلَمِ وَما يَسْطُرُونَ وَعَنْ قَوْلِهِ وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ فَقَالَ يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ الشَّامِ اسْمَعْ حَدِيثَنَا وَلا تَكْذِبْ عَلَيْنَا فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيْنَا فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله (صلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله (صلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَدْ كَذَبَ عَلَى الله وَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَى الله عَذَّبَهُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَمَّا بَدْءُ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ فَإِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى قَالَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً فَرَدَّتِ الْمَلائِكَةُ عَلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَقَالَتْ أَ تَجْعَلُ فِيها مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيها وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّماءَ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا فَرَأَتْ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ فَلاذَتْ بِعَرْشِهِ فَأَمَرَ الله مَلَكاً مِنَ الْمَلائِكَةِ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لَهُ بَيْتاً فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ يُسَمَّى الضُّرَاحَ بِإِزَاءِ عَرْشِهِ فَصَيَّرَهُ لأَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ يَطُوفُ بِهِ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ مَلَكٍ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ لا يَعُودُونَ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ فَلَمَّا أَنْ هَبَطَ آدَمُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا أَمَرَهُ بِمَرَمَّةِ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ وَهُوَ بِإِزَاءِ ذَلِكَ فَصَيَّرَهُ لآِدَمَ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ كَمَا صَيَّرَ ذَلِكَ لأَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ قَالَ صَدَقْتَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ الله.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from abu ‘Abbad, ‘Imran ibn ‘Atiyah who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once when my father and I were performing Tawaf, a man, Sharjab, among men came forward. I asked, ’May Allah keep you well, what is al-Sharjab?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘It means ‘taller’ than others.’ The man said, ‘Al-Salamu ‘Alaykum’ and he brought his head between my father and me. He (the Imam) said that my father then turned to him and so did I, and responded to his greeting of peace. He said, ‘I have a question, may Allah grant you blessings.’ My father said to him, ‘Allow us to complete our Tawaf, then you can ask your question.’ When my father completed Tawaf we entered al-Hijr and said two Rak‘at salat (prayer). He (my father) turned around and asked, ‘Where is the man, son?’ He was just behind him and had completed his salat (prayer). My father asked, ‘Where from is the gentleman?’ He replied, ‘I am from al-Sham.’ He then asked, ‘From which people of al-Sham are you?’ He replied, ‘I am from the people of Bayt al- Maqdis.’ He (my father) asked, ‘Have you read the two books?’ He (the man) replied, ‘Yes, I have read them.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Ask your question.’ He said, ‘I like to ask about the beginning of this House, and about His words, “Nun, and by the pen with which you write” (68:1) and about His words, “...those in whose properties there is a certain share for the needy and deprived.’” (75:25-26) He (the Imam) then said, ‘O brother from al-Sham, listen to our Hadith and do not call it false. Those who call our Hadith false have called the words of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, as false, and those who do so have called the words of Allah as false. Those who call the words of Allah as false, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, subjects them to punishment. The beginning of the House was when Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, said to the angels, “I have decided to appoint a deputy on earth. . . .” (2:29) The angels responded to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, saying, “Do You want to appoint one who causes destruction and bloodshed therein?” He did not pay attention to them and they realized that it was due to His anger. They sought refuge with His Throne and Allah commanded an angel from among them to establish a house for Him in the sixth heaven, which was called al-Durrah parallel to His Throne. It was designed for the inhabitants of the heaven for Tawaf by seventy thousand angels every day, of whom no one had to return for Tawaf again. They ask forgiveness. When Adam descended to the heaven of the world, He commanded him to build this House. This is parallel to that house. This is designated for Adam and his offspring just as that is designated for those in the heaven.’ The man then said, ‘You have spoken the truth, O child of the Messenger of Allah.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 4

Book 3, Chapter #2