Al-Kāfi - The Book about people with Divine Authority

Al-Kāfi - The Book about people with Divine Authority Chapter: The Imams are Similar to those before them and the Dislikeability of Calling them Prophets ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ حَ٠َّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْ٠ُخْتَارِ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْ٠ُغِيرَةِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) إِنَّ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠ُحَدَّثاً فَقُلْتُ فَتَقُولُ نَبِيٌّ قَالَ فَحَرَّكَ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا ثُ٠َّ قَالَ أَوْ كَصَاحِبِ سُلَيْ٠َانَ أَوْ كَصَاحِبِ ٠ُوسَى أَوْ كَذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ أَ وَ٠ْ أَنَّهُ قَالَ وَفِيكُ٠4.

A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar from al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah who has said that abu Ja‘far (a.s.) has said the following. “Ali (a.s.) was a Muhaddith (a Divine spokesman).” The narrator has said that he then asked the Imam (a.s.), “What is mmeans, O Imam?

Do you say he was a prophet?” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) rose his hand like this, (meaning thereby, no, I did not say that).” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “Or he is like the companion of Solomon, or the companion of Moses or like Dhul Qarnayn. Have you not heard that he said, “Among you is one similar to him (Dhul Qarnayn).” يخرجه - Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi (Sahih al-Kafi) وثق - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/157))