سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) وَ سُئِلَ عَنِ الْكُفْرِ وَ الشِّرْكِ أَيُّهُمَا أَقْدَمُ فَقَالَ الْكُفْرُ أَقْدَمُ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ كَفَرَ وَ كَانَ كُفْرُهُ غَيْرَ شِرْكٍ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَدْعُ إِلَى عِبَادَةِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ وَ إِنَّمَا دَعَا إِلَى ذَلِكَ بَعْدُ فَأَشْرَكَ .
Translation
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Haroun Bin Muslim, from Mas’ada Bin Sadaqa who said, ‘I heard Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup> and he<sup>asws</sup> had been asked about the disbelief (<span class="iTxt">Kufr</span>) and the association (<span class="iTxt">Shirk</span>), ‘Which of the two occurred earlier?’ So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘(It was) the disbelief (<span class="iTxt">Kufr</span>), and that is because Iblees<sup>la</sup> was the first one who disbelieved and his<sup>la</sup> disbelief was other than <span class="iTxt">Shirk</span>, because he<sup>la</sup> did not (initially) submit to the worship of other than Allah<sup>azwj</sup>, and rather he<sup>la</sup> called towards that afterwards, so he<sup>la</sup> associated (committed <span class="iTxt">Shirk</span>)’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.