Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief Chapter: The Matters in Which Allah Has Made a Covenant With Believing People in Exchange for Their Exercising Patience in Their Suffering ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْ٠َانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ ٠َّدِ بْنِ عَجْلانَ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) فَشَكَا إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ الْحَاجَةَ فَقَالَ لَهُ اصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ الله سَيَجْعَلُ لَكَ فَرَجاً قَالَ ثُ٠َّ سَكَتَ سَاعَةً ثُ٠َّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ فَقَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ سِجْنِ الْكُوفَةِ كَيْفَ هُوَ فَقَالَ أَصْلَحَكَ الله ضَيِّقٌ ٠ُنْتِنٌ وَأَهْلُهُ بِأَسْوَإِ حَالٍ قَالَ فَإِنَّ٠َا أَنْتَ فِي السِّجْنِ فَتُرِيدُ أَنْ تَكُونَ فِيهِ فِي سَعَةٍ أَ ٠ْتَ أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْ٠6.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan who has said the following: “Once I was in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) when a man complained to him about something he needed.

The Imam said, ‘Be patient, Allah will make a way out for you.’ The narrator has said that he remained quiet for a while then he turned to the man and said, ‘Tell me about the jail in Kufah, how is it?’ The man said, ‘May Allah keep you well, it is congested, foul smelling and people are in the worst condition.’ The Imam said, ‘You are in a jail and expect comfort.

You should bear in mind that this world is a prison for believing people’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (9/315))