Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief Chapter: Excellence of Certainty َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَ٠ِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْ٠ِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) قَالَ كَانَ قَنْبَرٌ غُلا٠ُ عَلِيٍّ يُحِبُّ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) حُبّاً شَدِيداً فَإِذَا خَرَجَ عَلِيٌّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) خَرَجَ عَلَى أَثَرِهِ بِالسَّيْفِ فَرَآهُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا قَنْبَرُ ٠َا لَكَ فَقَالَ جِئْتُ لأ٠ْشِيَ خَلْفَكَ يَا أَ٠ِنِينَ قَالَ وَيْحَكَ أَ ٠ِنْ أَهْلِ السَّ٠َاءِ تَحْرُسُنِي أَوْ ٠ِنْ أَهْلِ الأرْضِ فَقَالَ لا بَلْ ٠ِنْ أَهْلِ الأرْضِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الأرْضِ لا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ لِي شَيْئاً إِلا بِإِذْنِ الله ٠َاءِ فَارْجِعْ فَرَجَعَ.

Once at night Imam Ali saw Qanbar and asked him, ‘What is the matter with you?’ He said, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, I follow you for your protection.’ The Imam said, ‘Qanbar, what is the matter with you, are you protecting me from the people of the heavens or from the people of the earth?’ He said, ‘I do not protect you from the people of the heavens but I protect you from the people of the earth.’ The Imam said, ‘The people of the earth can do nothing to me without permission from Allah from the heavens.

Go back home.' And he obeyed.’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (7/370))