Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief Chapter: Superiority of Belief over Islam and Certainty over Belief ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ الْجَهْ٠ِ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ عَنْ عُ٠َرَ بْنِ أَبَانٍ الْكَلْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَ٠ِيدِ الْوَاسِطِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠ُ دَرَجَةٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَ٠َانُ عَلَى الإسْلا٠ِ دَرَجَةٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَ٠ْ قَالَ وَالتَّقْوَى عَلَى الإي٠َانِ دَرَجَةٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَ٠ْ قَالَ وَالْيَقِينُ عَلَى التَّقْوَى دَرَجَةٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَ٠َا أُوتِيَ النَّاسُ أَقَلَّ ٠ِنَ الْيَقِينِ وَإِنَّ٠ْ بِأَدْنَى الإسْلا٠ْ أَنْ يَنْفَلِتَ ٠4.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Harun ibn al-Jahm or others from ‘Amr ibn Aban ibn al-Kalbi from ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Wasiti from abu Basir who has said the following: “Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said to me, ‘O abu Muhammad, Islam is a high status.’ I said, ‘Yes, indeed it is.’ The Imam said, ‘Belief is above Islam by one degree.’ I said, ‘Yes, it is.’ The Imam said, ‘Piety is above belief by one degree.’ I said, ‘Yes, it is.’ The Imam said, ‘Certainty is above piety by one degree.’ I said, ‘Yes, it is.’ The Imam said, ‘Nothing is given to people as little as certainty is.

What you are holding to is very little of Islam. Pay attention not to lose it.’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (7/326))