Al-Kafi · Hadith 7

The Book about people with Divine Authority · The Mutual Rights between the Imam and his Followers · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 104, Hadith 7

Original Arabic text

7ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ صَبَّاحِ بْنِ سَيَابَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ أَوْ مُسْلِمٍ مَاتَ وَتَرَكَ دَيْناً لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي فَسَادٍ وَلا إِسْرَافٍ فَعَلَى الامَامِ أَنْ يَقْضِيَهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْضِهِ فَعَلَيْهِ إِثْمُ ذَلِكَ إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَقُولُ إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقاتُ لِلْفُقَراءِ وَالْمَساكِينِ الايَةَ فَهُوَ مِنَ الْغَارِمِينَ وَلَهُ سَهْمٌ عِنْدَ الامَامِ فَإِنْ حَبَسَهُ فَإِثْمُهُ عَلَيْهِ.

Published English translation

7. A number of our companions have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Aban ibn 'Uthman, from Sabbah ibn Sayyaba, from Abu 'Abdallah (a.s), who said the following: "The Messenger of Allah (sw) said: 'Any believer or Muslim who dies while leaving behind a debt not incurred for unlawful or extravagant reasons, it will be the responsibility of the Imam to pay it off. Otherwise, its sin is upon him. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, says: 'Welfare funds (zakat) are only for the poor, the destitute' (9:60). Such a person is bankrupt, and there is a share for him with the Imam. If he withholds it, then its sin is upon him.'"

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مجهول

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/343)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: Catalogue non-inclusion note (not an authenticity grade)

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī

Source records non-inclusion in this scholar's selection; this is not itself a weak or authentic grade.

Source, rights, and attribution

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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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