Excellence in Moral Behaviors
Al-Kāfi|Volume 2|Book 1|Chapter 49
10ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ هَلَكَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَأَتَى الْحَفَّارِينَ فَإِذَا بِهِمْ لَمْ يَحْفِرُوا شَيْئاً وَشَكَوْا ذَلِكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ الله مَا يَعْمَلُ حَدِيدُنَا فِي الأرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا نَضْرِبُ بِهِ فِي الصَّفَا فَقَالَ وَلِمَ إِنْ كَانَ صَاحِبُكُمْ لَحَسَنَ الْخُلُقِ ائْتُونِي بِقَدَحٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَتَوْهُ بِهِ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهِ ثُمَّ رَشَّهُ عَلَى الأرْضِ رَشّاً ثُمَّ قَالَ احْفِرُوا قَالَ فَحَفَرَ الْحَفَّارُونَ فَكَأَنَّمَا كَانَ رَمْلاً يَتَهَايَلُ عَلَيْهِمْ.
10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “During the time of the Holy Prophet a man died. The gravediggers could not dig a grave for him. They complained to the Messenger of Allah saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, our picks do not work. It is as if we hit a rock.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Why it would be as such had your man been excellent in moral behavior. Bring to me a bowl of water.’ When water was brought he (the Messenger of Allah) عليه السلام immersed his hand into it and then sprinkled it on the ground. He then told them to dig. They began to dig and it was like sand falling fast upon them.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (8/170)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī