Al-Kāfi - The Book of Social Manners

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Social Manners Chapter: Honoring the Honorable ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ ٠َّدٍ الأشْعَرِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْقَدَّاحِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) قَالَ دَخَلَ رَجُلانِ عَلَى أَ٠ِنِينَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) فَأَلْقَى لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ ٠َا وِسَادَةً فَقَعَدَ عَلَيْهَا أَحَدُهُ٠َا وَأَبَى الآخَرُ فَقَالَ أَ٠ِنِينَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) اقْعُدْ عَلَيْهَا فَإِنَّهُ لا يَأْبَى الْكَرَا٠َّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) إِذَا أَتَاكُ٠1.

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Ash’ari from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qaddah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Once two men came to Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) he prepared one seat for each one. One of them sat on the seat but the other refused.

Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) said to him, ‘Take your seat; no one refuses to appreciate being honored except a donkey.’ The Imam then said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “When the honorable person of a people comes to you, you must treat him with honor.’” سكت عنه - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/561))