Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam chapter2

Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

Chapter2

, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! All of your Ahle Bait

(a. s. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “No. Only my successors from amongst them. The first of them is Ali, my brother, my vizier, my heir, my caliph in my Ummah and the master of every believer after me. He is the first of them, followed by my son Hasan, then my son Husain and then the nine descendants of Husain, one after the other till they meet me at the Hauz. They are the witnesses of Allah in His earth, His proofs on His creation and the treasurers of His knowledge and wisdom. Whoever obeys them, has in fact obeyed Allah and whoever disobeys them has defied Allah. ”

{On hearing the testimony of Ali (a. s. ) }, they all said, ‘We bear witness that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said so. ’ Thereafter, they continued asking Ali (a. s. ) questions and he did not leave anything but that he kept asking them for the sake of Allah and informed them till he (a. s. ) came to the last of his virtues. He (a. s. ) said many a thing about what the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) had said about him and for each testimonial, they verified and bore witness that it is the truth.

198. Kitaab Sulaym Ibn Qais [1]: Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) narrates on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) that he (s. a. w. a. ) said concerning the virtues and merits of Ali (a. s. ) (after mentioning a few virtues and merits of Ali (a. s. ) ) , “Know that he is my friend, my vizier, my chosen one, my caliph after me

and the master of every believing man and woman after me.

After he dies, my son will succeed him, followed by my son Husain and the nine successors from Husain’s posterity. They are the guides and the guided (by Allah). They are with the truth and the truth is with them. They will not part from it and it shall not part from them till the Day of Judgment. They are the buttons of the earth to whom the earth is tied. They are the strong rope of Allah (حبل الله المتین) and His powerful cord (عروة الوثقى) , which shall never wither away.

They are the proofs of Allah in His earth, His witnesses upon His creation, the treasurers of His knowledge and the mines of His wisdom. They are like the ark of Nooh (a. s. ) , whoever boards it, will be saved and whoever forsakes it will be drowned. Their likeness is that of the Door of Hittah among the Bani Israel, whoever entered it was a believer and whoever came out of it became an unbeliever. Allah has made their obedience obligatory in the Book (Quran) and ordered for their mastership. Whoever obeys them has obeyed Allah and whoever defies them, disobeys Allah. ”

199. Muqtazab al-Asar [1]: Abdullah Ibn Khabbaab has narrated a tradition from both Shia as well as Sunni sources concerning the successorship of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). Although, there are variations in the terms of the tradition but there is no difference as far as the number

twelve is concerned. In this book, he has brought the tradition from the Sunni sources because that was a necessary condition to establish the mastership of the twelve Imams from Sunni documents. Here, he has mentioned a lengthy tradition in which he has presented some of the proofs of Imamat and established the Imamat of Imam Ali (a. s. ) , Hasan (a. s. ) , Husain (a. s. ) and the nine descendants of Husain (a. s. ).

200. Al-Masaael al-Jaarudiyah [1]: The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) has stated, “Surely, Allah chose me as a Prophet, selected Ali (a. s. ) as my successor and chose Hasan (a. s. ) , Husain (a. s. ) and the nine descendants of Husain (a. s. ) as successors till the Day of Judgement. ”

201. Isbaat al-Hudaat [2]: Ibn Abbas narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) was on his deathbed, he (s. a. w. a. ) advised the children of Abd Al-Muttalib as follows, “Certainly, Islam is built on five things: Mastership (الولایة) , Prayers (الصلاة) , Poor-rate (الزکاة) , Fasting of the month of Ramazaan (الصوم) and Pilgrimage (الحجّ). As for the Mastership, it is for Allah, for His Messenger and for the believers…” Salmaan (r. a. ) asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Is the Mastership for all the believers or some of them in particular? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Nay, it is only and specially for those whom Allah has included alongwith Himself and His Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) in a number of Quranic verses. ”

He implored, ‘Who are they, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “The first of them, the most superior of them and the best of them

is this brother of mine, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) – and he (s. a. w. a. ) placed his hand on the head of Ali (a. s. ). Followed by this son of mine after him – and he (s. a. w. a. ) put his hand on the head of Hasan (a. s. ). This son of mine will succeed Hasan (a. s. ) – and he (s. a. w. a. ) placed his hand on the head of Husain (a. s. ) – and nine descendants from the posterity of Husain (a. s. ) will follow him, one after the other. They are the strong rope of Allah and His powerful cord. They are the proofs of Allah upon His creation and His witnesses in His earth. Whoever obeys them, has indeed obeyed Allah and obeyed me, and whoever disobeys them has defied Allah and defied me.

They are with the Book and the Book is with them. Neither will it part company with them nor will they part company with it till they meet me at the Hauz. O children of Abd Al-Muttalib! Soon you will face oppression of Quraish from their ignorants and their devils as a revolt, calamity, their rallying against you, intending to degrade you and destroy you due to their jealousy and sedition against you. So, be patient till you meet me. (The tradition continues till he (s. a. w. a. ) said) And from my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) are twelve guided Imams (a. s. ) , each one of them calling towards Paradise. (They are) Ali (a. s. ) , Hasan (a. s. ) , Husain (a. s. ) and nine descendants of Husain (a. s. ) , one after the

other. Their Imam and their father is Ali (a. s. ) and I am the Imam of Ali (a. s. ) and their Imam. ”

202. Kitaab Sulaym Ibn Qais [1]: Ameer al-Momineen (a. s. ) said, “O Sulaym! Certainly my successors are eleven of the descendants, all of them are Imams, the spoken ones (محدّثون). ” I asked, ‘O Ameer al-Momineen (a. s. )! Who are they? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “My son Hasan (a. s. ) , followed by my son Husain (a. s. ). ” Then, he (a. s. ) took the hand of his grandson Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) who was then a suckling child and said, “He will succeed Husain (a. s. ) and eight of his descendants will follow him, one after the other. They are the ones on whom Allah has sworn

,ووالد وما ولد

Therefore, ‘the father’ in this verse implies the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and ‘whatever he gives birth’ refers to me. That is, these are the eleven successors. ” I inquired, ‘O Ameer al-Momineen (a. s. )! Can two Imams exist at one time? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “Yes but one of them will be silent and will not speak till the first one expires. ”

203. Al-Arbaeen [2]: The author has narrated a tradition from the book of ‘Tanaaqozaat al-Bukhaari’ by Emaad al-Deen Ibn Safrawah al-Hanafi which goes as follows, ‘Certainly, the Imams are twelve, Ali (a. s. ) , Hasan (a. s. ) , Husain (a. s. ) and the nine descendants of Husain (a. s. ).

204. Manaaqeb Ahle Bait (a. s. ) [3]: The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “Surely, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) is my successor. He (a. s. ) is the chief of the Muslims, the leader of the

pious ones and his children after him. Nine Imams will follow him from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) , guides, guided, till the Day of Judgement. ”

205. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Abdullah Ibn Abbas cites on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) who said, “Surely, Allah, Blessed and High be He, glanced at the earth, chose me from it and appointed me as a Prophet. Then He glanced for the second time, selected Ali (a. s. ) and made him an Imam. Thereafter, He ordered me that I take Ali (a. s. ) as a brother, friend, successor, caliph and vizier.

So, Ali (a. s. ) is from me and I am from Ali (a. s. ). He is the husband of my daughter and the father of my two grandsons, Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ). Know that surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, has appointed me and them as proofs upon His servants. From the offspring of Husain (a. s. ) , He has designated Imams who will stand by my affair and will protect my will. The ninth of them will be the Qaem (a. s. ) of my Ahle Bait (a. s. ).

He will be the Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ) of this nation and the most similar to me in traits, words and deeds. He will appear after a prolonged occultation and a deviating confusion. After that, he will announce the command of Allah and manifest the religion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He. The assistance of Allah and His angels will help him. He will fill the earth with justice and equity

as it would be replete with injustice and tyranny. ”

206. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood narrates from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , “The Imams after me are twelve. Nine are from the offspring of Husain (a. s. ) and the ninth of them is their Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ). ”

207. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say to Husain (a. s. ) , “You are the Imam, son of Imam and brother of Imam. Nine from your offspring will be Imams, good doers. The ninth of them is their Qaem. ”

208. Kefaayah al-Asar [3]: Abu Saeed al-Khudri recounts that he heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “The Imams after me are twelve. Nine will be from the descendants of Husain (a. s. ) and the ninth of them is their Qaem. Then congratulations to the one who loves them and woe unto him who bears malice against them. ”

209. Kefaayah al-Asar [4]: Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say to Husain (a. s. ) , “O Husain! You are an Imam, the son of an Imam. Nine from your descendants are Imams and righteous. The ninth of them is their Qaem (a. t. f. s. ). ” He (s. a. w. a. ) was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams are there after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Twelve, nine of them will be from the offspring of Husain (a. s. ). ”

210. Kefaayah al-Asar [5]: Abu Saeed al-Khudri recollects that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “The Imams after me are twelve. Nine will be from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and the

ninth is their Qaem (a. t. f. s. ). ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “None will bear malice against us but a hypocrite. ”

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[1]: Kitaab-o-Sulaym, pg. 171 (recent edn. )

[1]: Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 18, Tr. No. 13; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 25, pg. 185, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 6.

[1]: Al-Masaael al-Jaarudiyah, pg. 7.

[2]: Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 658, Chap. 9, Sec. 71, Tr. No. 844; Kitaab Sulaym Ibn Qais (recent edn. ) , pg. 186.

[1]: Kitaab Sulaym Ibn Qais, (recent edn. ) , pg. 227; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 659, Chap. 9, Sec. 71, Tr. No. 846.

[2]: Isbaat al-Hudaat narrating from Al-Arbaeen by Muhammad Taahir Al-Qummi, vol. 1, pg. 728, Chap. 9, Sec. 34, Tr. No. 234.

[3]: Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 730, Chap. 9, Sec. 36, Tr. No. 251.

[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 257, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 2; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 110, Chap. 10, Tr. No. 1; Irshaad al-Quloob, vol. 2, pg. 272; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 282, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 105; Al-Insaaf, pg. 155, Tr. No. 155; Munaar al-Huda, pg. 368.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 23, Chap. 2, Tr. No. 1; Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 295, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 282, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 104; Al-Insaaf, pg. 153, Tr. No. 151.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 28, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 1; Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 295, Tr. No. 3; Al-Insaaf, pg. 231, Tr. No. 222; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 290, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 113.

[3]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 30, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 291, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 115; Al-Insaaf, pg. 230, Tr. No. 223.

[4]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 30, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 291, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 116; Al-Insaaf, pg. 230, Tr. No. 224.

[5]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 31, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 5; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 292, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 117; Al-Insaaf, pg. 158, Tr. No. 161.

211. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “The Imams after me are twelve. Nine of them are from the posterity of Husain (a. s. ) and the ninth of them is their Qaem. ”

212. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Abu Saeed al-Khudri recounts that he heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “The Caliphs after me are twelve, nine of them are from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ). The ninth of them is their Qaem and their Mahdi. Congratulations to their lovers and woe unto those who bear malice against them. ”

213. Kefaayah al-Asar [3]: Abu Zarr al-Ghaffaari narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “The Imams after me are twelve, nine will be from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and the ninth will be their Qaem. Know that their example is that of the ark of Nooh (a. s. ) , whoever boards it, will be saved and whoever turns away from it will be drowned. Their likeness is also like that of the Door of Hittah of the Bani Israel. ”

214. Kefaayah al-Asar [4]: Salmaan al-Farsi (a. r. ) narrates that I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) while Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) were with him and were dining. The Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) was putting one morsel in the mouth of Hasan (a. s. ) and the next one in the mouth of Husain (a. s. ). When they finished eating, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) put Hasan (a. s. )

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on his shoulder and Husain (a. s. ) on his lap and asked, “O Salmaan! Do you love them? ” I replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How can I not love them while their status is like your status? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) informed me, “O Salmaan! Whoever loves them has indeed loved me and whoever loves me has loved Allah. ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) put his hand on the shoulder of Husain (a. s. ) and said, “He is an Imam, the son of an Imam. Nine of his descendants are Imams, righteous, trustworthy, infallible and the ninth of them is their Qaem. ”

215. Maqtal al-Husain by Khwaarazmi [1]: Salmaan al-Muhammadi (r. a. ) narrates that he went to the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) , while Husain (a. s. ) was sitting on his thigh and he (s. a. w. a. ) was kissing his eyes and lips, saying, “Certainly, you are a Chief (sayyad) , the son of a chief and the father of chiefs. Surely, you are an Imam, the son of an Imam and the father of Imams. Indeed, you are a proof, the son of a proof and the father of nine proofs from your posterity, the ninth of them is their Qaem. ”

216. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Salmaan al-Faarsi narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) stated, “The Imams after me are equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel and they were twelve. ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) put his hand on the back of Husain (a. s. ) and said, “Nine will be from his posterity. The ninth of them will be their Mahdi, who will fill the

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earth with justice and equity as it would be filled with injustice and oppression. Then woe unto those who bear malice against them! ”

217. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Jaaber Ibn Abdullah al-Ansaari (r. a. ) recounts, ‘I was with the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) in the house of Umm Salmah (r. a. ) when the verse descended, ‘Surely Allah has kept away from you all uncleanness, O people of the House, and purified you, a thorough purification. ’ [2] The Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) called out to Hasan (a. s. ) , Husain (a. s. ) and Fatemah (s. a. ) and made them sit before him. Thereafter, he called out to Ali (a. s. ) and making him sit behind him (s. a. w. a. ) , he (s. a. w. a. ) prayed, “O Allah! These are my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). So, dispel all uncleanness from them and purify them, a thorough purification. ” Umm Salmah inquired, ‘Am I with them, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) retorted, “You are on goodness. ”

I (Jaaber) said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Indeed Allah has honored this pure progeny and blessed offspring by dispelling uncleanness from them. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “O Jaaber! They are my progeny, from my flesh and my blood. My brother is the chief of the successors, my two sons are the best of grandsons, my daughter is the leader of all women and from us is the Mahdi. ”

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! And who is the Mahdi? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) clarified, “Nine of the Husain’s (a. s. ) descendants are righteous Imams. The ninth of them is their Qaem, who will fill the earth with justice and

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equity, as it would be replete with tyranny and injustice. He will fight for the exegesis (of the Holy Quran) as I had struggled for its descent. ”

218. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Zaid Ibn Saabit chronicles that Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) became ill. The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) paid a visit to them. He took them, kissed them, raised his hands towards the sky and prayed, “O Allah! Lord of the seven heavens and whatever they shadow! Lord of the winds and whatever they pollinate! O Allah! Lord of everything! You are the First, so there is nothing prior to You. You are the Hidden, so there is nothing hidden from You. Lord of Jibraeel (a. s. ) , Mikaaeel (a. s. ) and Israafeel (a. s. )! God of Ibraheem (a. s. ) , Ishaaq (a. s. ) and Yaqoob (a. s. )! I ask You that you oblige both of them through Your relief. Place them beneath Your shelter and Your protection. For the sake of Your mercy, do away all kinds of evils and harms from them. ”

Then he (s. a. w. a. ) placed his hand on the shoulder of Hasan (a. s. ) and said, “You are Imam, the son of Allah’s friend. ” Then, he (s. a. w. a. ) put his hand on the back of Husain (a. s. ) and remarked, “You are Imam, the father of nine Imams. From your offspring are nine righteous Imams. The ninth of them is their Qaem. Whoever fastens unto them and the Imams from your progeny will be with us on the Day of Judgment. He will be with us in paradise at our

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levels. ” Jaaber (a. r. ) narrates that due to the supplications of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , both of them were cured of their illnesses.

219. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Zaid Ibn Saabit recounts that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) sermonized, “O people! Shall I guide you to the grandfather and the grandmother of the best of people? ” We replied, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) commenced, “Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) , I am their grandfather, while their grandmother is Khadijah, the lady of the women of paradise. Shall I guide you the mother and father of the best of people? ” We replied, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) , their father is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) and their mother Fatemah, the chief of the women of the universe. Shall I guide you the paternal uncle and paternal aunt of the best of people? ” We exclaimed, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) , their uncle is Ja’far al-Tayyaar (the son of Abu Taalib) and their aunt is Umm Haani, the sister of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (and the daughter of Abu Taalib). O people! Shall I guide you the maternal uncle and maternal aunt of the best of the people? ” We said, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “Their maternal uncle is Qasem, the son of Allah’s Messenger, and their maternal aunt is Zainab, his daughter. ” At this juncture, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) started

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crying and invoked, “The curse of Allah, His angels and all the people be on the killers of these two (Hasan and Husain-a. s. ).

Surely, from the offspring of Husain (a. s. ) shall emerge Imams, righteous, trustworthy, infallible and just. And from us is the Mahdi of this Ummah, behind whom Eesa (a. s. ) , the son of Maryam, will pray. ” We asked, ‘Who is he, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “He is the ninth from the offspring of Husain (a. s. ). There will be nine righteous Imams from the offspring of Husain (a. s. ) and the ninth of them will be their Mahdi. He will fill the earth with justice and equity, as it would be replete with injustice and tyranny. ”

220. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) informs that an Arab (Bedouin) came to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) with the intention of accepting Islam. He had a lizard with him in his bag, which he had captured in the desert. The Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) began presenting Islam to him.

He argued, ‘I will not believe in you, O Muhammad, till this lizard believes in you’ and taking the lizard out of his bag, he flung it on the ground. It started running out of the mosque.

The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) demanded, “O lizard! Who am I? ”

It answered, ‘You are Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abd al-Muttalib Ibn Haashim Ibn Abd Munaaf. ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) asked, “O lizard! Whom do you worship? ”

It rejoined, ‘I worship the Allah, Who split the grain, created the breeze, took Ibraheem (a. s. )

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as a friend, conversed with Moosa (a. s. ) during (his) supplications and chose you, O Muhammad. ’

The Bedouin declared, ‘I witness that there is no god but Allah and surely you are the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) with truth. So, inform me, will there be a Prophet after you? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) clarified, “No. I am the seal of the Prophets but after me, there will be just Imams from my progeny equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. The first of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) and he is the Imam and the Caliph after me. Nine Imams will be from his offspring” placing his hand on my (Husain) chest. “The Qaem is their ninth. He will stand with religion in the last era just as I stood with it in the first. ”

Instantly, the Bedouin recited a few verses glorifying the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). He (s. a. w. a. ) inquired, “O Brother of Bani Sulaym! Do you have any money with you? ” He answered, ‘I swear by the One Who honored you with Prophethood and revered you with Messengership! There are four thousand houses in Bani Sulaym and there is none poorer than me. ’

On hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) gave him his own camel. When the Bedouin returned to his people, he informed them about the entire event. They said, ‘The Bedouin accepted Islam in the greed of the camel! ’ Aggrieved by what they said, he spent the remaining part of the day in a hill and did

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not eat anything. On the morrow, he came to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and recited another poem glorifying the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) and expressing his state (of hunger and want). When the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) heard his verses, he (s. a. w. a. ) requested Ali (a. s. ) , “O Ali! Give the Bedouin what he needs. ” Ali (a. s. ) took him to the house of Fatemah (s. a. ) , satiated his hunger, and gave him a camel and a few dates.

221. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) narrates, “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) used to say to me while giving me glad-tidings, ‘O Husain! You are the leader, the son of a leader, the father of leaders, nine of your descendants will be the righteous Imams. The ninth of them will be their Mahdi. You are an Imam, the son of an Imam and the father of nine Imams from your offspring. The ninth of them will be their Mahdi, who will fill the earth with justice and equity. He will rise in the last era as I stood in the first’. ”

222. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Fatemah (s. a. ) recounts, “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) visited me when my son Husain (a. s. ) was born. I handed him over to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) while he was wrapped in yellow diapers. He (s. a. w. a. ) replaced them with white diapers and told me, ‘O Fatemah! Take him. Surely, he is the Imam, son of an Imam and the father of nine Imams from his posterity. They will be righteous Imams and the

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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 31, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 6; Al-Insaaf, pg. 231, Tr. No. 225; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 292, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 118.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 32, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 8; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 292, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 119.

[3]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 38, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 293, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 123

[4]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 44, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 304, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 143

[1]: Maqtal al-Husain by Khwaarazmi, vol. 1, pg. 146, Sec. 7; Meah Manqebah, pg. 124, the 58th Manqebah; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 45, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 5; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 262, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 9; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 475, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 38; Al-Oyoon, vol. 1, pg. 52, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 17; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 43, pg. 295, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 56; Al-Awaalem, vol. 17, pg. 73, Chap. 7, Tr. No. 1; Hilyah al-Abraar, vol. 2, pg. 720, Tr. No. 128; Al-Insaaf, pg. 164, Tr. No. 172; Munaar al-Huda, pg. 370.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 47, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 6; Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 295, Tr. No. 6; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 290, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 112; Al-Insaaf, pg. 36, Tr. No. 38

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 65, Chap. 7, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 308, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 147; Al-Insaaf, pg. 149, Tr. No. 144

[2]: Surah Ahzaab (33): Verse 33

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 95, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 317, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 167; Al-Insaaf, pg. 264, Tr. No. 248

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 98, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 5; Al-Insaaf, pg. 265, Tr. No. 249; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 319, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 170; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 116, Chap. 10, Sec. 4.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 172, Chap. 25, Tr. No. 3; Al-Insaaf, pg. 328, Tr. No. 303; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 342, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 208; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 129, Chap. 10, Sec. 4

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 176, Chap. 25, Tr. No. 5; Al-Insaaf, pg. 221, Tr. No. 213; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 344, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 210; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 130, Chap. 10, Sec. 4.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 193, Chap. 28, Tr. No. 1; Al-Insaaf, pg. 152, Tr. No. 150; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 350, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 219; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 123, Chap. 10, Sec. 3.

ninth is their Qaem’. ”

223. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Imam Husain (a. s. ) chronicles that my mother Fatemah (s. a. ) told me, “When you were born, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) visited me. I handed you to him (s. a. w. a. ) in yellow diapers. He (s. a. w. a. ) replaced them with white diapers, recited the Azaan in your right ear and the Eqaamah in your left ear. Then he (s. a. w. a. ) told me, ‘O Fatemah! Take him. Indeed he is the father of Imams, nine of his descendants will be righteous Imams and the ninth of them will be their Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ) ’. ”

224. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Mahmood Ibn Lubaid narrates, “When the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) expired, Fatemah (s. a. ) used to visit the graves of the martyrs, the grave of Hamzah (a. s. ) in particular, and cry. After a few days, I went to the grave of Hamzah (a. s. ) and saw her (s. a. ) crying there. I waited for a while, until she stopped crying. Thereafter, I approached her, did salaam to her and beseeched, ‘O chief of the woman- folk! By Allah, your crying has ripped my heart apart. ’ She (s. a. ) retorted, “O Aba Amr! I have the right to cry because I have lost the best of fathers, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). How eager I am to join the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! ’ Then she recited an elegy in memory of her father”.

I said, ‘My lady! I want to ask you a question that has been troubling me for quite some time. ’ She (s. a. ) said, “Ask. ” I inquired, ‘Did the Messenger of

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Allah (s. a. w. a. ) appoint Ali (a. s. ) for Imamat before his demise? ’ She (s. a. ) exclaimed, “Amazing! Have you all forgotten the day of Ghadeer- e-Khumm? ” I answered, ‘Certainly that was there but you inform me of that in which he (s. a. w. a. ) had made you a confidante. ’

She (s. a. ) elaborated, “I hold Allah the High as Witness that I have heard him say, ‘Ali is the best that I am appointing amongst you. He is the Imam and the caliph after me. My two grandsons and nine from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) are righteous Imams. If you follow them, you will find them guides and guided (by Allah). But if you oppose them, differences will plague you till the Day of Judgement’. ” I asked, ‘My lady! Then why did he (a. s. ) sit upon his right? ’ She (s. a. ) shot back, “O Aba Amr! Indeed the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) declared, ‘The example of an Imam is like that of Ka’bah, people go to it but it does not go to the people’. ”

Then she (s. a. ) said, “By Allah! Had they left the truth to whom it belonged and followed the progeny of their Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) , no two individuals would have disputed about Allah, the High. Generations would follow in the same manner until our Qaem (a. t. f. s. ) , the ninth from the descendants of Husain (a. s. ) , reappeared. But they brought ahead whom Allah had kept behind and they kept back whom Allah had advanced. When the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) expired and they laid him in his grave,

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they chose with their desire and acted whimsically. Woe unto them! Did they not hear the sayings of Allah,

وَ رَبُّکَ یَخْلُقُ مَا یَشَاءُ وَ یَخْتَار مَا کَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِیَرَة

(Qur’an Surah Qasas 28: 68)

‘And your Lord creates what He pleases and chooses. There is no choice for them. ’ Nay! They heard but they were as Allah,

Glorified be He, has described

فَتَعسًا لَهُمْ وَ اَضَلّ اَعْمَالَهُمْ

(Qur’an Surah Hajj 22: 46)

‘For surely their eyes were not blind but it was their hearts in their chests that had become blind. ’

How wrong were they! They unfolded their hopes in this world and they forgot their deaths.

فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَکِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِی فِی الصُّدُورِ

And (as for) those who disbelieve, for them is destruction and He has made their deeds ineffective.

(Qur’an Surah Muhammad 47: 8)

اعُوْذُ بِکَ یَا رَبِّ من الحور بعد الکور

O Lord! I seek refuge in You from loss after profit.

225. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Abd al-Rahmaan Ibn Samarah narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “The disputers in the religion of Allah have been cursed on the tongues of seventy prophets (a. s. ). Whoever disputes concerning the signs of Allah, has indeed disbelieved. Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, says,

مَا یُجَادِلُ فِى آیَاتِ اللهِ اِلاَّ الَّذِیْنَ کَفَرُوْا فَلاَ یَغْرُرْکَ تَقَلّبُهُمْ فِى الْبِلاَد

None dispute concerning the communications of Allah but those who disbelieve, therefore let not their going to and fro in the cities deceive you. (Qur’an Surah Gaafir 40: 4. )

Whoever explains the Quran whimsically, he has forged a lie against Allah

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and whoever passes a judgment amongst the people without knowledge, upon him is the curse of the sky and the earth. ” I requested, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Guide me to salvation. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) advised, “O son of Samarah! When desires differ and opinions vary, then fasten unto Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ). For surely, he (a. s. ) is the Imam of my Ummah and my caliph upon them after me. He (a. s. ) is the distinguisher, who will differentiate between truth and falsehood.

Whoever asks him (a. s. ) , he will answer him and whoever seeks guidance from him (a. s. ) , he will guide him. Whoever searches for truth in him shall find it. Whoever requests guidance from him, will find it. Whoever seeks refuge in him, will be secure. Whoever fastens unto him, will be saved. Whoever follows him, he (a. s. ) will guide him.

O son of Samarah! Whoever amongst you is at peace with him and takes him as a master will be safe. However, whoever rejects him and bears enmity against him, will be destroyed. O son of Samarah! Surely Ali (a. s. ) is from me. His soul is from my soul and his soil (teenat) is from my soil. He is my brother and I am his brother. He is the husband of my daughter Fatemah (s. a. ) , the chief of the women of the Universe, from the beginning to the end. From him are the two Imams of my Ummah and the two chiefs of the youth of Paradise, Hasan and

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Husain (a. s. ) , and the nine descendants of Husain (a. s. ). The ninth of them is the Qaem of my Ummah, who will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be filled with injustice and oppression. ”

226. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Imam Hasan al-Askari (a. s. ) narrates from his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , “O Ali! None will love you but the one whose birth is pure and none will hate you but the one of impure birth. None will befriend you but a believer and none will bear enmity against you but a disbeliever. ”

Abdullah Ibn Masood stood up and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! We came to know the sign of impure birth and a disbeliever in your life by malice and enmity against Ali (a. s. ). But what is the sign of impure birth and disbelief after you, when Islam will appear only on the tongues while its essence shall remain concealed? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) answered, “O son of Masood! Surely, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) is your Imam after me and my caliph upon you. After he expires, my son Hasan (a. s. ) is your Imam after him and my caliph upon you. When he dies, my son Husain (a. s. ) is your Imam after him and my caliph upon you.

Thereafter nine descendants of Husain (a. s. ) , one after the other are your Imams and my caliphs upon you. The ninth of them is the Qaem of my nation, who will fill the

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earth with justice and equity, as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. None shall love them save the one whose birth is pure and none shall hate them but the one with impure birth.

None will befriend them but a believer and none will bear enmity against them but a disbeliever. Whoever denies any one amongst them has indeed denied me and whoever denies me has indeed denied Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He. Whoever rejects even one from them, then indeed he has rejected me and whoever rejects me has rejected Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He. For certainly, their obedience is my obedience and my obedience is the obedience of Allah.

(Similarly) , their disobedience is my disobedience and my disobedience is the disobedience of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He. O son of Masood! Keep away from any skepticism in your heart concerning their judgments, lest you become a disbeliever. By the Might of my Lord, I am not indulging in pretense nor am I speaking from my desire concerning Ali and the Imams from his descendants. ”

Then he (s. a. w. a. ) raised his hands towards the sky and prayed, “O Allah! You take him as Your slave whoever takes my caliphs and the Imams of my Ummah after me as their masters, and You take as enemy whoever takes them as enemy. You help him who helps them and You forsake him who forsakes them. Do not leave the earth without a proof from them, either he

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is apparent, or occult and fearful that Your religion, Your proof and Your arguments may not be nullified. ” Then he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O son of Masood! I have told you now, all those things which if you leave them, you will be destroyed but if you fasten unto them, you will be saved. And safe is the one who follows the guidance. ”

227. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Asbagh Ibn Nubaatah chronicles that one day Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) came out, holding the hand of his son Hasan, while he (a. s. ) was saying, “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) met us in a similar fashion one day. That is, my hand was in his hand and he (s. a. w. a. ) was saying, ‘The best of creatures after me, and their chief is this brother of mine and he is the Imam of every Muslim and the master of every believer after my death.

Beware! And certainly I declare, ‘The best of creatures after me, and their chief is this son of mine and he is the Imam of every Muslim and the master of every believer after my death. Beware! He will be oppressed after me just as I was oppressed after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). The best of creatures and their chief after Hasan is my son and his brother Husain (a. s. ) , the oppressed after his brother and the martyr at Karbala. Know that he and his companions are the chiefs of the martyrs on the Day of Judgment. After Husain

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(a. s. ) , nine of his descendants are Allah’s Caliphs in His earth, His proofs upon His servants, His trustees upon His revelation, the Imams of the Muslims, the leaders of the believers and the pilots of the pious.

The ninth (of the Imams) is the Qaem through whom Allah will fill the earth with light after its darkness, justice after its oppression and knowledge after its ignorance. By the One Who sent my brother Muhammad with Prophethood and chose me for Imamat, revelation has - Volume 1 , Page 130 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 196, Chap. 28, Tr. No. 5; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 352, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 222; Al-Insaaf, pg. 330, Tr. No. 304.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 197,Chap. 28, Tr. No. 7; Al-Insaaf, pg. 290, Tr. No. 263; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 352, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 224; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 123, Chap. 10, Sec. 3.

[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 256, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 1; Al-Amaali, 7th Majlis, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 226, Chap. 41, Tr. Nos. 2 & 3; Al-Insaaf, pg. 213, Tr. No. 210; Rauzah al-Waaezeen, vol. 1, pg. 100, Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 115, Chap. 10, Sec. 3; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 25, Sec. 35, Tr. No. 8645; Mashaareqo Anwaar al-Yaqeen, pg. 56; Munaar al-Huda, pg. 367.

[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 261, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 8; Al-Ehtejaaj, pg. 69; Al-Insaaf, pg. 241, Tr. No. 232; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 246, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 59.

[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 259, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 5; Al-Insaaf, pg. 280, Tr. No. 257; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 379, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 216; Qasas al-Anbiyaa, pg. 266, Sec. 16, Tr. No. 439; Munaar al-Huda, pg. 369

descended from the sky in this regard on the tongue of the Trustworthy Spirit Jibraeel (a. s. ). Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) was asked while I was with him (s. a. w. a. ) , concerning the Imams after him. He (s. a. w. a. ) replied to the questioner,

وَالسّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوْج

By the sky, the possessor of constellations! (Qur’an Surah Buruj 85: 1)

Certainly, their number is equal to the number of the constellations, by the Lord of the nights, days and months and their number is equal to the number of the months! ” The questioner asked, ‘Who are they, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) placed his hand on my head and said, “He is the first of them and the last of them is Mahdi. Whoever befriends them has befriended me and whoever bears enmity against them bears enmity against me. Whoever loves them loves me and whoever bears malice against them, bears malice against me. Whoever denies them denies me and whoever recognizes them, recognizes me.

Through them, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be

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He, will protect His religion, inhabit His cities and sustain His servants. Due to them, rains descend from the skies and the earth throws up its bounties. They are my chosen ones, my caliphs, the Imams of the Muslims and the masters of the believers. ”

228. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Ali Ibn Moosa al-Reza (a. r. ) narrates from his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Whoever desires to fasten unto my religion and board the ark of salvation after me, he must follow Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , bear enmity against his enemies and befriend with his friends. For surely, he (a. s. ) is my successor and my caliph on my nation in my life and after my death. He (a. s. ) is the chief of every Muslim and the chief of every believer after me. His saying is my saying, his command is my command, his prohibition is my prohibition, his follower is my follower, his helper is my helper and one who forsakes him has forsaken me. ”

Then he (s. a. w. a. ) continued, “Whoever separates from Ali (a. s. ) after me, shall not see me and I will not see him on the Day of Judgment. Whoever opposes Ali (a. s. ) , Allah will make Paradise forbidden for him, his abode will be the Hell-fire, and evil will be his fate. Whoever forsakes Ali (a. s. ) , he will be forsaken on the Day of Presentation, and whoever helps Ali (a. s. ) Allah will help him on the day he will meet Him. Allah’s Hujjah (a. s. ) will prompt his answers

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to him on the day of questioning. ”

Thereafter he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) are the two Imams of my Ummah after their father and the leaders of the youth of Paradise. Their mother is the chief of the women of universe, and their father is the chief of the successors. From the descendants of Husain (a. s. ) , there will be nine Imams, and the ninth of them will be the Qaem of my progeny. Their obedience is my obedience and their defiance is my defiance. I will complain to Allah against those who challenge their superiority and deny their sanctity after me. Allah suffices as a Master and as a Helper for my progeny and the Imams of my Ummah, and as an Avenger for those who have denied them their rights.

وَسَیَعْلَمُ الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا أَیَّ مُنقَلَبٍ یَنقَلِبُونَ

And they who act unjustly shall know to what final place of turning they shall turn back. (Qur’an Surah Shuara 26: 227)

229. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Ali Ibn Moosa al-Reza (a. r. ) narrates from his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “I am the chief of the creation of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He. I am better than Jibraeel, Mikaaeel, Israafeel, the carriers of the Throne (arsh) , all the close angels of Allah and the messengers of Allah (s. a. ). I am the owner of the Intercession (شفاعة) and the honorable Hauz. I and Ali are the fathers of this Ummah.

Whoever recognizes us has indeed recognized Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He.

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And whoever refutes us has indeed refuted Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He. From Ali are the two grandsons of my Ummah and the chiefs of the people of Paradise, Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ). From the descendants of Husain (a. s. ) are nine Imams (a. s. ) , their obedience is my obedience and their disobedience is my disobedience. The ninth of them is their Qaem and their Mahdi. ”

230. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (a. s. ) recounts, “I and my brother (Husain) went to my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). He (s. a. w. a. ) made me sit on one lap and made my brother sit on the other. Then he (s. a. w. a. ) kissed us and said, ‘By my father! You two are Imams, grandsons and virtuous. Allah has chosen you from me, from your father and your mother. He has also chosen from your progeny, O Husain, nine Imams. The ninth of them is their Qaem and all of them are equal before Allah in superiority and status’. ”

231. Kamaal al-Deen [2]: Imam al-Sadeq (a. s. ) narrates from his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Surely Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, chose Friday from the days, the month of Ramazaan from the months, the Night of Power (لیلة القدر) from the nights, chose me from all the Prophets and chose Ali (a. s. ) from me. He granted him (Ali (a. s. ) ) superiority over all the successors. From Ali (a. s. ) He chose Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) and from Husain (a. s. ) , He chose the successors from his descendants. They

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(descendants) will dispel the distortion of the exaggerators (غالین) from the Quran, the plagiarism of the liars and the interpretation of the deviated ones. The ninth of them is their Qaem (a. t. f. s. ) and he is their apparent and their concealed. ”

232. Al-Ikhtesaas [1]: Salmaan al-Faarsi (r. a. ) recounts, ‘I saw Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) in the Prophet’s (s. a. w. a. ) room, who was kissing his eyes and lips, saying, “You are a chief, the son of a chief and the father of chiefs. You are a proof, the son of a proof and the father of proofs. You are an Imam, the son of an Imam and the father of nine Imams from your progeny. The ninth of them is their Qaem (a. t. f. s. ) ”. ’

233. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Imam Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) informs that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) declared, “O Husain! You are an Imam, the brother of an Imam, the son of an Imam and nine of your descendants will be trustees, infallible. The ninth of them is their Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ). Then congratulations to the one who loves them and woe unto the one who bears malice against them. ”

234. Al-Ghaibah of Fazl Ibn Shaazaan [3]: Imam Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) chronicles, “Ameer al-Momineen (a. s. ) was asked concerning the saying of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , ‘Surely I leave amongst you two weighty things, the Book of Allah and my progeny’, who is the progeny? He (a. s. ) replied, ‘I, Hasan, Husain and the nine Imams from the descendants of Husain (a. s. ). The ninth of them is their

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Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ). They shall not separate from the Book of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, and it shall not separate from them till they call upon the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) at his Hauz’. ”

235. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abu Maryam Abd al-Ghaffaar Ibn al-Qasim narrates, ‘I went to my master, al-Baaqer (a. s. ) , while there were a number of his companions with him. When the discussion of Islam arose, I asked, ‘O my master! Which Islam is the best? ’

He (a. s. ) replied, “In which the believers are safe from the tongue and hands of the Muslim. ”

‘Which of the ethics is the best? ’

“Patience and forgiveness. ”

‘Which believer is the most complete in belief? ’

“The best of them in morality. ”

‘Which is the best struggle? ’

“Where generosity is a habit and blood is spilled. ”

‘Which is the best prayer? ’

“Prolonging the Qunoot (supplication in prayers). ”

‘Which is the best charity? ’

“That you abstain from what Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has prohibited for you. ”

‘What is your opinion vis-à-vis calling upon the rulers? ’

“I don’t deem it proper. ”

‘But I travel quite often to Syria and pay a visit to (governor) Ibraheem Ibn al-Waleed. ’

“O Abd al-Ghaffaar! Certainly your paying a visit to the rulers invites three consequences: (a) the love of the world, (b) forgetting death and (c) decrease in satisfaction of what Allah has destined for you. ”

‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! I have a large family and I go to them only to obtain some benefits for myself. What is your view in this regard? ’

“O servant of Allah! For sure, I don’t order you

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to forsake the world. I am only commanding you to abstain from sins, because forsaking the world is a virtue (recommended) but abstaining from sins is obligatory. You are more in need of performing the obligations than acquiring the virtues. ”

I kissed his (a. s. ) hands and his feet and asked, ‘May my father and my mother be sacrifice for you, O son of Allah’s Messenger! We do not find correct knowledge but from you (Ahle Bait a. s. ). Now I have become old, my bones have become fragile and the state I see you (Ahle Bait a. s. ) in, does not please me. I see you being killed, expelled and fearful while I have been waiting for your Qaem (a. t. f. s. ) since a long time, thinking he will appear today or tomorrow. ’

“O Abd al-Ghaffaar! Surely our Qaem, he is the seventh from my descendants and now is not the time of his emergence. Indeed, my ancestors have narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘Certainly the Imams after me are twelve, equal to the number of the chiefs of Bani Israel. Nine of them are from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and the ninth of them is their Qaem (a. t. f. s. ). He will appear in the last era and shall fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. ”

‘So, if this is the case, O son of Allah’s Messenger, who will be your successor? ’

“Jafar (my son). He is the chief of my sons and the father of

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Imams. He is truthful in word and deed. Indeed, you have asked a big question O Abd al-Ghaffaar, and you deserves to be answered. For sure, the keys of knowledge are questions. ” Then he (a. s. ) recited a couplet whose theme runs as follows:

The cure of blindness is prolonging the question and

all of blindness is to keep quiet despite being ignorant. ’

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[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 260, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 6; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 254, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 70; Al-Insaaf, pg. 131, Tr. No. 120; Munaar al-Huda, pg. 370

[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 261, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 7; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 26, pg. 342, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 13 & vol. 36, pg. 255, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 71; Al-Insaaf, pg. 132, Tr. No. 121; Munaar al-Huda, pg. 370.

[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 269, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 12; Dalaael al-Imaamah, pg. 237; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 255, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 72; Al-Insaaf, pg. 53, Tr. No. 43; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 654, Sec. 67, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 823 narrating from the “Book of Virtues” by Husain Ibn Hamdaan.

[2]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 281, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 32; Dalaael al-Imaamah, pg. 240; Al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 67, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 7; Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Tusi (a. r. ) , pg. 140, Tr. No. 107; Isbaat al-Wasiyyah, pg. 251; Al-Mo’tabar, pg. 24; Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 9, Tr. No. 9; Taqreeb al-Maarif, pg. 176; Al-Mohtazar, pg. 159; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 25, pg. 363, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 22 & vol. 36, pg. 256, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 74 & pg. 260, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 80 & pg. 372, Tr. No. 234.

[1]: Al-Ikhtesaas, pg. 207; Kefaay al-Asar, pg. 45, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 5; Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 2, pg. 508; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 492, Chap. 94; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 64, Sec. 42, Tr. No. 745.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 299, Chap. 40, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 360, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 231; Al-Insaaf, pg. 59, Tr. No. 49.

[3]: Kefaayah al-Mahdi, pg. 82, Tr. No. 16; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 95, Chap. 9, Sec. 60, Tr. No. 812 narrating from the book of Isbaat al-Raj’ah of Fazl Ibn Shaazaan; Oyoon-o-Akhbaar al-Reza, vol. 1, pg. 57, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 25; Kamaal al-Deen, pg. 240; Maani al-Akhbaar, pg. 90 The chapter of the meaning of Saqalain and Etrat, Tr. No. 4; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 6, pg. 326, Chap. 9, Sec. 4, Tr. No. 125; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 373, Chap. 42, Tr. No. 2; E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 375, Sec. 2; Al-Insaaf, pg. 260, Tr. No. 244.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 250, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 5; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 358, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 228; Al-Insaaf, pg. 81, Tr. No. 74; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 132, Chap. 10, Sec. 4.

236. Al-Kaafi [1]: Abu Baseer narrates from Imam Baaqer (a. s. ) , “After Husain (a. s. ) , there will be nine Imams. The ninth of them is their Qaem. ”

237. Kamaal al-Deen [2] Abu Baseer narrates from Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) , “After Husain (a. s. ) , there will be nine Imams. The ninth of them is their Qaem. ”

238. Muqtazab al-Asar [3]: Salmaan al-Faarsi (r. a. ) recollects, ‘We were with the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) while Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) was sitting on his lap. Then the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) became a mount for him (a. s. ) and said to him, “O Aba Abdillah (Husain)! You are the chief from the chiefs and you are an Imam, the son of an Imam, the brother of an Imam and the father of nine Imams. The ninth of them is their Qaem, their Imam, the most knowledgeable of them, the most judicious of them and the most superior of them”. ’

239. Kashf al-Yaqeen [4]: Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad records that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said for Husain (a. s. ) , “This son of mine is an Imam, the brother of an Imam and the father of Imams. The ninth of them is their Qaem (a. t. f. s. ). ”

240. Muqtazab al-Asar [5]: Jaaber

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Ibn Abdullah al-Ansaari narrates, ‘The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “Surely, Allah chose Friday from the days, the Night of Power from the nights and the month of Ramazaan from the months. Then He chose me and Ali (a. s. ) and selected from Ali (a. s. ) , Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ). Thereafter, He chose from Husain (a. s. ) , the proofs of the universe, the ninth of them is their Qaem (a. t. f. s. ) who is the most knowledgeable and the most judicious amongst them”. ’

241. Al-Nukat al-Eteqaadiyyah [1]: The author of this book, while talking about Imamate argues, ‘The proof of their Imamate is that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) has successively endorsed their caliphate like his saying for Husain (a. s. ) , “This son of mine is an Imam, the son of an Imam, the brother of an Imam and the father of Imams. Their ninth is their Qaem who will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be filled with injustice and oppression”. ’

242. Faraaed al-Simtain [2]: Ibn Abbas (r. a. ) chronicles that a Jew named Na’sal came to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and said, ‘O Muhammad! I want to ask you a few things that have been troubling me for quite some time. If you answer me concerning them, I will accept Islam at your hands. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Ask, O Abu Amaarah! ” He requested, ‘O Muhammad! Describe unto me your Lord. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “Surely the Creator cannot be described except by what He has described Himself. How can the Creator be described, Whom

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the attributes are helpless from comprehending, imaginations from reaching Him, thoughts from confining Him and intellects from encompassing Him? He is more Majestic than the description of those who describe Him. He is Far in His nearness and Near in His remoteness. He has made ‘how’ so the question ‘how’ is not applicable for Him. He has made ‘where’ so the question ‘where’ cannot be used for Him. He is distinct from ‘how-ness’ and ‘where-ness’. Then, He is One, He is Needless as He has described Himself. Those who describe Him cannot reach unto His attribute. He is neither born nor does He give birth. And none is equal to Him. ”

He said, ‘You have said the truth, O Muhammad! Inform me about your statement, ‘He is One, there is nothing similar to Him’. Is not Allah, the High, One like man is one? ’ So, surely, His Oneness is similar to the oneness of man. ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) explained, “Allah, the High, is One in the actual meaning of oneness. But man is one in the meaning of compound i. e. he is made of substance, accident, soul and body. So, the similarity is only literal, nothing more. ”

He confessed: You have spoken the truth, O Muhammad! Inform me about your successor, who is he? For, there has been no Prophet but that he had a successor. Indeed, our Prophet Moosa Ibn Imran (a. s. ) appointed Yoosha’ Ibn Nun (a. s. ) as his successor. ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) clarified, “Yes. Surely my successor and caliph after me is Ali Ibn

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Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , followed by my two grandsons, Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) , who will be followed by nine of his descendants, righteous Imams, from his progeny. ”

He requested, ‘O Muhammad! Name them for me. ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) agreed, “Yes. When Husain (a. s. ) dies, his son Ali (a. s. ) will succeed him. And when Ali (a. s. ) dies, his son Muhammad (a. s. ) , then his son Ja’far (a. s. ) , then his son Moosa (a. s. ) , then his son Ali (a. s. ) , then his son Muhammad (a. s. ) , then his son Ali (a. s. ) , then his son Hasan (a. s. ) and then, al-Hujjah Ibn al-Hasan (a. t. f. s. ). These are the twelve Imams, their number being equal to the chiefs of Bani Israel. ”

He asked, ‘So, where is their place in Paradise? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) retorted, “With me at my level. ”

He acknowledged, ‘I witness that there is no god but Allah and that surely you are the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). I also witness that they are the successors after you. Indeed, I have found them in the previous books. In his covenant unto us, Moosa Ibn Imran (a. s. ) prophesied, ‘With the advent of the last era, there will emerge a Prophet named Ahmad, the seal of the Prophets. There will be no Prophet after him. From his progeny, nine righteous Imams will come forth, equal to the number of the grandsons. ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) inquired, “O Abu Amaarah! Do you know the grandsons? ”

He replied, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! They were twelve. The first of them was Laavi Ibn Barkhiyaa and he is the one who had gone

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into a prolonged occultation from the Bani Israel. Then he returned and Allah manifested His Shariah through him after its learning. He fought against the King Firishtiaa till he killed him. ’

The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “Whatever occurred in the Bani Israel will happen in my Ummah, step by step, in toto. The twelfth of my successors will go in occultation till he is not seen. A time will come upon my Ummah when nothing will remain from Islam except its name, and nothing shall remain from Quran but its image. Only then will Allah permit him to reappear, and (after his reappearance) , he will make Islam prevail and renew religion. ”

Then he (s. a. w. a. ) declared, “Congratulations to the one who loves them and woe unto the one who bears malice against them. Congratulations to the one who fastens unto them. ”

Shivering, Na’sal stood up before the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and started recited a poem in his glorification.

243. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrates, ‘I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , while Hasan (a. s. ) was sitting on his shoulder and Husain (a. s. ) was on his lap. He (s. a. w. a. ) was kissing both of them and praying, “O Allah! Befriend him who befriends these two and be enemy of the one who takes them as enemy. ”

Then he (s. a. w. a. ) prophesied, “O Ibn Abbas! As if I am seeing his (Husain) beard being dyed in his blood. He will call out (for help) but none will respond to his call. He will seek help

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but nobody will come to his help. ” I asked, ‘Who will do this, O Messenger of Allah? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “The worst of my Ummah. Allah will not make my intercession reach unto them. O Ibn Abbas! Whoever visits him (his grave) , while being cognizant of his rights, a reward of a thousand Hajj and a thousand Umrah will be recorded for him. Know that whoever visits him, it is as if he has visited me, and whoever visits me it is as if he has visited Allah. And the right of Allah’s visitor (on Him) is that He will not punish him with hell-fire. Know that prayers will be answered beneath his tomb and cure will be found in the soil of his grave and that of the Imams (a. s. ) from his progeny. ”

Ibn Abbas says, ‘I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah! How many Imams will be there after you? ’’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “They will be equal to the number of the companions (حواریّون) of Hazrat Eesa (a. s. ) , the grandsons of Hazrat Moosa (a. s. ) and the chiefs of Bani Israel? ” I enquired, ‘O Messenger of Allah! How many will they be? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “They were twelve and the Imams after me will be twelve in number. The first of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , followed by my two grandsons, Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ). When Husain (a. s. ) will die, his son Ali (a. s. ) will succeed him, followed by his son Muhammad (a. s. ). When Muhammad (a. s. ) expires,

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his son Ja’far (a. s. ) will succeed him, followed by his son Moosa (a. s. ). After the martyrdom of Moosa (a. s. ) , his son Ali (a. s. ) will succeed him, followed by his son Muhammad (a. s. ). When Muhammad (a. s. ) expires, his son Ali (a. s. ) will be his heir, followed by his son Hasan (a. s. ) , who finally, will be succeeded by his son al-Hujjah (a. t. f. s. ). ”

Ibn Abbas recounts, ‘I questioned, ‘O Messenger of Allah! These are names that I have never heard before! ’’ He (s. a. w. a. ) prophesied, “O Ibn Abbas! They are the Imams after me even if they are subjugated and oppressed. They are trustees, infallible, chosen ones and the best (among the people). O Ibn Abbas! One who comes on the day of judgement cognizant of their rights, I will take his hand and make him enter the paradise. O Ibn Abbas! Whoever denies them or rejects even one of them, then it is as if he has denied and rejected me. And, whosoever denies and rejects me, then he has denied and rejected Allah.

O Ibn Abbas! Soon the people will be divided into factions. When this is the case, you follow Ali (a. s. ) and his party for surely, he is with truth and truth is with him and they will not separate from each other till they meet me at the Hauz. O Ibn Abbas! Their mastership is my mastership and my mastership is the mastership of Allah. War with them is war with me and war with me is war with

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Allah. Their peace is my peace and my peace is Allah’s peace. ” Then the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) recited the Quranic verse,

یُرِیدُونَ أَن یُطْفِؤُواْ نُورَ اللهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَیَأْبَى اللهُ إِلاَّ أَن یُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ کَرِهَ الْکَافِرُونَ

They intend to extinguish Allah’s light with their mouths and Allah will not allow but to complete His light even if the unbelievers dislike it. (Qur’an Surah Taubah 9: 32)

244. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Salmaan al-Faarsi chronicles, ‘The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressed us thus, “O people! Soon I will depart from you and go into the unseen (world). I advise you to be good to my progeny. Keep away from innovations, for surely, every innovation is a deviation and every deviation and its initiator will be in hell-fire.

O people! O whoever loses the sun must fasten to the moon, and whoever loses the moon must hold on to the two bright stars of the Ursa Minor. And whoever loses the two bright stars of the Ursa Minor must fasten to the brilliant stars after me. I say this unto you and seek forgiveness from Allah for me and for you. ’ When he (s. a. w. a. ) descended from the pulpit, I trailed him (s. a. w. a. ). He (s. a. w. a. ) entered the house of Ayesha and I followed suit.

Then I asked, ‘May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! I heard you say that whoever loses the sun, - Volume 1 , Page 144 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

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[1]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 533, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 15; Al-Ghaibah by No’maani, pg. 94, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 25; Al-Khesaal, vol. 1, pg. 419, Chapter of Nine, Tr. No. 12 and vol. 2, pg. 80, Chapter of Twelve, Tr. No. 50; Al-Ghaibah by Shaikh Tusi, pg. 140, Tr. No. 104; Al-Irshaad, vol. 2, pg. 348, Chap. 59, Tr. No. 6; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 310, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 767/14; Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 2, pg. 448; Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 296; Dalaael al-Imamah, pg. 240; Isbaat al-Wasiyyah, pg. 203; Al-Insaaf, pg. 20, Tr. No. 13; Al-Istinsaar, pg. 170; Taqreeb al-Maarif, pg. 183; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 460, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 83 and pg. 533, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 312; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 392, Chap. 45, Tr. No. 3.

[2]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 350, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 45; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 134, Chap. 10, Sec. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 391, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 5; Al-Insaaf, pg. 29, Tr. No. 24; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 518, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 258.

[3]: Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 8 & 9, Tr. No. 7; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 372 under tradition 234; Nafas al-Rahmaan, pg. 94.

[4]: Kashf al-Yaqeen, pg. 118; Irshaad al-Quloob, vol. 2, pg. 33.

[5]: Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 9, Tr. No. 8; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 120, Chap. 10.

[1]: Al-Nukat al-Eteqadiyyah, pg. 35; al-Etemaad Fi Sharhe Risaalah Wajib al-Eteqaad, pg. 397.

[2]: Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 2, pg. 132, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 431; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 11, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 2; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 440, Chap. 76, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 3, pg. 303 & vol. 36, pg. 283, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 101; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 138, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 78; Al-Insaaf, pg. 276, Tr. No. 255.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 16, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 285, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 107; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 140, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 79; Al-Insaaf, pg. 202, Tr. No. 202.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 40, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 289, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 111; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 144, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 83; Al-Insaaf, pg. 261, Tr. No. 246.

must fasten to the moon, and whoever loses the moon must hold on to the

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two bright stars of the Ursa Minor. And whoever loses the two bright stars of the Ursa Minor must fasten to the brilliant stars after me. So, who is the sun, the moon, the two bright stars of the Ursa Minor and the brilliant stars? ”

He (s. a. w. a. ) elaborated, “As for the sun, then it’s me, while the moon is Ali (a. s. ). So if you lose me, then fasten unto him after me. Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) are the two bright stars of the Ursa Minor, so if you lose the moon, then hold on to these two. The brilliant stars are the nine infallible Imams (a. s. ) from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and the ninth of them is their Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ). ”

Then he (s. a. w. a. ) continued, “They are the successors and the caliphs after me, the Imams, the righteous, equal to the grandsons of Yaqub (a. s. ) and the companions of Eesa (a. s. ). ” I requested, ‘Name them for me, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) complied, “The first and the chief of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) followed by my two grandsons. After them is Zain al-Aabedeen Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) , followed by Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baaqer (a. s. ) , the splitter of the knowledge of the Prophets (a. s. ). He will be succeeded by Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, his son al-Kaazem (a. s. ) the namesake of Moosa Ibn Imran (a. s. ) , who will be followed by his son, who will be martyred in Khorasan while being away from his homeland. His son Muhammad

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and the two truthful ones, Ali and Hasan will succeed him. Finally the Hujjah, the Qaem, the Awaited One during his occultation, will succeed them. Surely, they are my progeny from my blood and my flesh. Their knowledge is my knowledge and their judgement is my judgement. Whoever tortures me concerning them, Allah will not make my intercession reach unto them. ”’

245. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Jaaber Ibn Yazeed al-Jo’fi narrates that I heard Jaaber Ibn Abdullah Ansaari say, ‘When Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, revealed upon His Prophet Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) ,

یَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُواْ أَطِیعُواْ اللهَ وَأَطِیعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِی الأَمْرِ مِنکُمْ

O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the messenger and those possessing authority among you. (Qur’an Surah Nisaa 4: 59)

I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! We know Allah and His Messenger. But who are the possessors of authority whose obedience Allah has accompanied with your obedience? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) explained, “They are my caliphs, O Jaaber, and the Imams of the Muslims after me. The first of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , then Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) , then Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) , then Muhammad Ibn Ali (a. s. ) the one who is famous as al-Baaqer in the Old Testament. Soon, you will meet him, O Jaaber, so when you face him, convey my salutation to him.

He will be followed by Sadeq, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, then Moosa Ibn Ja’far, then Ali Ibn Moosa, then Muhammad Ibn Ali, then Ali Ibn Muhammad, then al-Hasan Ibn Ali, then the one who

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will be my namesake and bear my agnomen, the proof of Allah in His earth and His remainder among His servants, the son of Hasan Ibn Ali. He (a. t. f. s. ) is the one at whose hands Allah, High be His remembrance, will open the east of the earth and its west.

He (a. t. f. s. ) is the one who will be concealed from his Shias and his friends, an occultation in which none will be steadfast on the belief of his Imamate except the one whose heart has been tested by Allah for faith. ”

Jaaber says that he asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Will the Shias benefit from him during the occultation? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Yes, by the One Who sent me with Prophethood! Surely they will benefit with his light and gain from his mastership in his occultation like the people derive benefit from the sun when the clouds hide it. O Jaaber! This is from the hidden secrets of Allah and the treasures of His knowledge, so hide it except from the ones worthy of it. ”

Jaaber Ibn Yazeed recounts: When Jaaber Ibn Abdullah Ansaari paid a visit to Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) and was conversing with him, Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baaqer (a. s. ) emerged from the ladies room while he was a small boy and a forelock was dropping on his forehead. The moment his eyes fell on him, Jaaber trembled all over with every strand of hair on his body being raised in amazement. Jaaber stared at him for a

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long time and then asked, ‘Son! Come forward’, he came forward. Then he said, ‘Go back’ and he duly obliged. Jaaber exclaimed, ‘By the Lord of the Ka’bah! His traits are exactly like those of the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ). ’

Jaaber stood up and going near him, asked, ‘Son! What is your name? ’ He replied, “Muhammad. ” ‘Whose son? ’ “Ali Ibn Husain” was the response. Jaaber queried, ‘Son, may my life be sacrificed for you, are you al-Baaqer? ’ He replied in the affirmative and said, “Convey to me what you are carrying from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ” Jaaber responded, ‘O my master! The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) gave me glad tidings of survival till I meet you and to convey his salutations to you. O my master! The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) conveys salutations to you! ’ Abu Ja’far (a. s. ) remarked, “O Jaaber! May the salutations be on the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) till the heavens and the earth subsist. And may the salutations be on you for conveying the salutations. ”

Thereafter, Jaaber used to frequent him and learn things from him. Once, Imam Baaqer (a. s. ) asked him some question. At this, Jaaber pleaded, ‘By Allah! I don’t intend to violate the prohibition of Allah’s Messenger (s. a. w. a. ). For certainly, he (s. a. w. a. ) has informed me that you are the Imams, the guides from his Ahle Bait (a. s. ) after him (s. a. w. a. ).

The most forbearing of the people in childhood and the most knowledgeable of them in old age. And he (s. a. w. a. ) warned, “Don’t teach them for

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they are more knowledgeable than you. ” Hearing this, Abu Ja’far (a. s. ) retorted, “Indeed my grandfather (s. a. w. a. ) has spoken the truth. Certainly, I am more informed than you of what I asked you, as I have been granted wisdom in childhood. All this is due to the grace of Allah and His mercy upon us Ahle Bait (a. s. ). ”

246. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Jaaber Ibn Abdullah Ansari narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to Husain (a. s. ) , “O Husain! Nine Imams will emerge from your loins. From them, is the Mahdi of this Ummah. So, when your father is martyred, Hasan will succeed him and when Hasan is poisoned, you will follow him. When you will be martyred, your son Ali will succeed you. When Ali dies, his son Muhammad, and when Muhammad dies, his son Ja’far will succeed him. When Ja’far dies, his son Moosa, and when Moosa dies, his son Ali will follow him. When Ali dies, his son Muhammad and when Muhammad expires, his son Ali will be his heir. When Ali dies, his son Hasan will take charge and when Hasan departs, his son, al-Hujjah will succeed him. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be filled with injustice and oppression. ”

247. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Anas Ibn Maalik recounts, ‘I, Abuzar, Salman, Zaid Ibn Saabit and Zaid Ibn Arqam were with the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) when Hasan (a. s. ) and Husain (a. s. ) entered. The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) kissed them. Then Abuzar turned enthusiastically towards them,

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kissed their hands, returned and sat with us. We whispered to him, ‘O Abuzar! You are an old companion of the Prophet, yet you stand up for the two children of Bani Hashim, move enthusiastically towards them and kiss their hands?! ’ He retorted, ‘Yes. Had you heard what I heard concerning these two from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , you would have done more than what I do. ’

We inquired, ‘What did you hear, O Abuzar? ’ He replied, ‘I heard him (s. a. w. a. ) say to Ali (a. s. ): O Ali! By Allah, if a person prays and fasts till he becomes like a decomposed skin waterbag, yet his prayers and fasting will not benefit him without your love and hatred towards your enemies. O Ali! Whoever pleads to Allah through the medium of your love, it becomes a right upon Allah not to return him disappointed. O Ali! Whoever loves you and fastens unto you, then indeed he has fastened unto the strong rope’. ’ Thereafter Abuzar stood up and left.

We went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and verified, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Abuzar has narrated to us from you such and such things. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) confirmed, “Abuzar has spoken the truth, indeed he has spoken the truth, by Allah. There is nobody on the face of the earth more truthful than Abuzar. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) continued, “Allah, Blessed and High Be He, created me and my Ahle Bait (a. s. ) from one light, seven thousand years before He created Adam (a. s. ).

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Thereafter, He transferred us from his loin to the loins of the pure men and the wombs of the pure women. ”

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Where were you and in which form were you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “We were shadows of light beneath the Throne (arsh) , glorifying Allah and declaring His Majesty. ” He (s. a. w. a. ) proceeded, “When I was taken to the heavens for ascension (معراج) and reached the lotus tree (سدرة المتنهی) , Jibraeel left me alone. I cried, ‘My friend, Jibraeel, are you forsaking me in such a place? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, ‘O Muhammad! I am not permitted to cross this limit lest my wings be burnt. ’ From there, I was taken to in the light till Allah pleased, when Allah revealed unto me, ‘O Muhammad! I glanced through the earth, selected you from it and appointed you as a Prophet. For the second time, I glanced through the earth, chose Ali from it and nominated him as your successor, the inheritor of your knowledge and the Imam after you. I will bring forth from the loins of you two, pure progeny and infallible Imams and the treasurers of My knowledge. Had you not been there, I would not have created the world, the hereafter, the paradise and the hell. O Muhammad! Do you like to see them (the Imams)? ’ I replied in the affirmative. I was called, ‘O Muhammad! Raise your head! I raised my head and I saw the lights of Ali, Hasan, Husain, Ali

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Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and al-Hujjah. The last named was shining amongst them like a brilliant star. ’

I asked, ‘Who are these and who is he? ’ He replied, ‘O Muhammad! They are the Imams after you, the infallible from your progeny. He is the Hujjah, who will fill the earth with justice and equity and pacify the hearts of the believers’. ” We (the companions) remarked, ‘May our fathers and mothers be sacrificed for you! Indeed you have said a strange thing, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) retorted, “Stranger than this is the fact that some people will hear these things from me and yet turn their backs after Allah has guided them and trouble me concerning these Imams. May Allah not make my intercession reach unto them! ”’

248. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Anas Ibn Maalik chronicles that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “When I was taken to the heavens (معراج) , I saw transcribed on the leg of the throne (عرش) , ‘There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I have assisted and helped him through Ali. ’ I saw twelve names written with light. They were of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib, my two grandsons and nine names after them, of which three were Ali, two were Muhammad, Ja’far, Moosa, Hasan and al-Hujjah, who shone from amongst them. I asked, ‘O Lord! Whose names are these? ’ My Lord, mighty

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[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 253, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 3; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 494, Chap. 94; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 53, Chap. 7, Tr. No. 1; Al-Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 282 narrating from the Tafseer of Jaaber al-Jo’fi from Jaaber al-Ansaari; E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 397; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 11; Tafseer Rauz al-Jenaan, vol. 3, pg. 423; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 23, pg. 289, Chap. 17, Tr. No. 16 & vol. 36, pg. 249, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 67; Al-Insaaf, pg. 114, Tr. No. 107; Kefaayah al-Mohtadi, pg. 56, Tr. No. 5; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 278; Ta’veel al-Ayaat al-Zaaherah, pg. 141; Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 2, pg. 509; Tafseer al-Saafi, vol. 1, pg. 366; Ilzaam al-Naaseb, vol. 1, pg. 54; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, pg. 143, Chap. 10, Sec. 21; Tafseer Noor al-Saqlain, vol. 1, pg. 414, Tr. No. 331; Tafseer Kanz al-Daqaaeq, vol. 2, pg. 393; Reyaaz al-Saalekeen, vol. 5, pg. 173, Rauzah No. 34.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 61, Chap. 7, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 306, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 145; Al-Insaaf, pg. 162, Tr. No. 168.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 69, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 2; Irshaad al-Quloob, pg. 272; Al-Insaaf, pg. 317, Tr. No. 291; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 301, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 140.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 74, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar,vol. 36, pg. 310, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 151; Al-Insaaf, pg. 320, Tr. No. 292.

be His Majesty, called out, ‘They are the successors from your progeny. Through them, I will reward and I will chastise. ’”

249. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abu Hurairah reports, ‘I, Abu Bakr, Umar, Fazl Ibn Abbas, Zaid Ibn Haaresah and Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood were with the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) when Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) , (a child learning to walk) entered. The Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) held him and kissed him, saying, “Come on, come on, take small steps. ”

Then, the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) placed his mouth on his mouth and prayed, “O Allah! Surely I love him, so you love him too, and love the one who loves him. O Husain! You are an Imam, the son of an Imam and the father of nine Imams from your righteous progeny. ”

At this, Abdullah Ibn Masood asked, ‘Who are these Imams, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , whom you just mentioned, from the progeny of Husain? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) bowed his head for a long time, then he (s. a. w. a. ) raised it and said, “O Abdullah! You have asked a great question but I will inform you of it. Certainly, this son of mine - and he (s. a. w. a. ) placed his hand on the shoulder of Husain - will have a son who will be the namesake of his grandfather, Ali (a. s. ). He will be called as Abid and the light of the puritans. Allah will bring forth from the loin of Ali, whose name will be my name [2] and he will bear utmost similarity to me from the people.

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He will split the knowledge, as it ought to be split, speak with truth and command only for the right things.

Thereafter, Allah will cause to emerge from his offspring the word of right and the tongue of truth [1] , the truthful in his word and speech. He who doubts about him is like the one who has doubted about me and the one who rejects him is as if he has rejected me. ” At this juncture, Hassaan Ibn Saabit entered, recited a few poems glorifying the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and the tradition was discontinued.

On the morrow, we prayed along with the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). After the prayers, he (s. a. w. a. ) entered the house of Ayesha. Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) Abdullah Ibn Abbas and I (Abu Hurairah) followed him. It was his (s. a.. w. a. ) habit that when he was asked, he answered and when he was not questioned, he initiated the talk. I asked him, ‘May my father and my mother be held your ransom, O Messenger of Allah! Will you not inform me of the remaining Caliphs from the progeny of Husain (a. s. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Yes, O Abu Hurairah! Allah will bring forth from the progeny of Ja’far, a pure, immaculate son, a namesake of (Prophet) Moosa Ibn Imran (a. s. ). ”

Ibn Abbas inquired, ‘Then who, O Messenger of Allah? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) responded, “From the offspring of Moosa will emerge his son Ali, called Reza (a. s. ). He will be the place of knowledge and the mine of forbearance. By my

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father! He will be martyred as a stranger (far away from his homeland). From the progeny of Ali will come out his son Muhammad (a. s. ) , the praised one, the purest of the people in creation and the best of them in ethics.

Then, from the progeny of Muhammad will emerge his son Ali, pure of heart and truthful in speech. From the loin of Ali will come out Hasan, the blessed, the pure, the immaculate, the speaker from Allah and the father of His proof. Finally, from the offspring of Hasan, the Qaem of us Ahle Bait (a. s. ) will emerge. He will fill the earth with justice and equity, as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. He will bear the awe of (Prophet) Moosa, the judgement of Dawood and the brightness of Eesa. Then he (s. a. w. a. ) recited the verse,

ذُرِّیَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِن بَعْضٍ وَاللّهُ سَمِیعٌ عَلِیمٌ

Offspring, one of the other. And Allah is the Hearing, the Knowing. (Qur’an Surah Aale Imran 3: 34)

Here, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) asked him, “May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! Who are these whose names you have just mentioned? ” He (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “O Ali! These are the names of the successors after you, a pure progeny and a blessed offspring. ”

He (s. a. w. a. ) continued, “I swear by the One in Whose hands is the life of Muhammad! Even if a person worships Allah for a thousand years, then another thousand years between the Rukn (al-Yamaani)

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and the Maqaam (-e-Ibraheem) but comes to me denying their mastership, Allah will throw him in the hell-fire, whoever he may be. ”’

Abu Ali Ibn Humaam (one of the links in the chain of narrators of this tradition) remarks, ‘Amazing, very amazing, indeed from Abu Hurairah! He narrates such traditions but denies the virtues of the Ahle Bait (a. s. ). ’

250. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Abu Amaamah recounts that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “When I was taken to the heavens (معراج) , I saw written with light on the leg of the throne (عرش) , ‘There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I assisted him with Ali and helped him with Ali. After him, will be Hasan and Husain. I saw Ali written thrice, Muhammad twice, Ja’far, Moosa, Hasan and Hujjah; twelve names written with light. I asked, ‘O Lord! Whose names are these that you have accompanied with me? ’ I was called out, ‘O Muhammad! They are the Imams after you and the best ones from your progeny. ’”

251. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Yazeed Ibn Haroon reports that our teachers and our scholars informed us from Abd al-Qays (in a lengthy tradition in which the Battle of Jamal is discussed) that, ‘…then the woman (Ayesha) was caught and taken to the fort of Bani Halaf where Ali, Hasan, Husain, Ammaar, Zaid and Abu Ayyub Khalid Ibn Zaid al-Ansaari arrived.

When Abu Ayyub went to the houses of the Hashemiites, thirty of us from the elders of Basrah gathered, went to him, saluted him

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and asked, ‘You have fought with the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) in (the battles of) Badr and Ohod against the polytheists and now you have come to fight against the Muslims? ’ He replied, ‘By Allah! I have heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say to Ali (a. s. ) , “Surely you will fight against the Naakeseen (the people of Jamal- Ayesha, Talha, Zubair, etc. ) , the Qaaseteen (the people of Siffeen viz. Moaviyah and his sycophants) and the Maareqeen (the people of Naharwan- the Kharijiites). ”

We asked, ‘By Allah! Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) concerning Ali?! ’ He said, ‘I heard him (s. a. w. a. ) say, “Ali is with the truth and truth is with Ali. He is the Imam and the Caliph after me. He will fight for the interpretation of the Quran as I fought for its revelation. His two sons, Hasan and Husain, my two grandsons from this Ummah, are Imams, whether they stand or sit, and their father is better than they are. The Imams after Husain are nine from his progeny and from them is the Qaem, who will rise in the last era just as I stood up in its beginning and he will conquer the forts of deviation. ”

We asked, ‘Who are these nine (Imams)? ’ He replied, ‘They are the Imams after Husain, one after the other. ’ We inquired, ‘How many Imams did the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) promise you that would succeed him (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He retorted, ‘Twelve. ’ We requested, ‘Can you name them

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for us? ’ He responded, ‘Yes. Surely the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) informed us, “When I was taken to the skies for ascension, I looked at the leg of the Throne (arsh) where it was written with light: There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I have supported him with Ali and assisted him with Ali. Moreover, I saw eleven names transcribed with light on the leg of the Throne after Ali. They were Hasan, Husain, Ali (thrice) , Muhammad (twice) , Ja’far, Moosa, Hasan and Hujjah. I asked, ‘My Lord and my master! Whose are these whom You have honoured and associated their names with Your Name? ’ I was told, ‘O Muhammad! They are the successors after you and the Imams. So, congratulations to their lovers and woe unto those who bear malice against them…”’

252. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Huzaifah Ibn Yamaan reports that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) prayed with us. Then he (s. a. w. a. ) turned towards us and addressed us thus, “O my companions! I advise you to fear Allah and act in accordance with His obedience. Whoever does so will be successful and triumphant. But whosoever forsakes it will regret and lament. So, fasten unto piety and you will be safe and secure from the fears of the Day of Judgement. I have been called for (i. e. I am going to die) and I have responded. Thus, I leave behind you two weighty things, the Book of Allah and my progeny the Ahle Bait (a. s. ). If you

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hold on to them, you will not deviate. And whoever fastens unto my progeny after me will be among the successful ones. But whoever lags behind will be from the destroyed ones. ”

I asked, “O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Whom will you depute among us? ” He (s. a. w. a. ) questioned, “Whom did Moosa Ibn Imran (a. s. ) depute among his nation? ” I said, ‘His successor, Yoosha’ Bin Nun. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) retorted, “Then certainly my successor and my caliph after me will be Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , the leader of the righteous and the killer of the transgressors. Who helps him will be helped (by Allah) and who forsakes him will be forsaken. ”

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How many Imams will succeed you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Equal to the number of Bani Israaeel, of which, nine will be from the descendants of Husain (a. s. ). Allah will give them my knowledge and my understanding. They will be the treasures of Allah’s knowledge and the mine of His revelation. ” I inquired, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Then what about the descendants of Hasan (a. s. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) argued, “Indeed, Allah, Blessed and High be He, has placed Imamat in the progeny of Husain (a. s. ) and this is His saying, Mighty and Glorified be He,

وَجَعَلَهَا کَلِمَةً بَاقِیَةً فِی عَقِبِهِ

And He made it a remaining word in his posterity. (Qur’an Surah Zukhruf 43: 28)

I pleaded, ‘Will you not name them for me, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Yes. When I was

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taken to the heavens for ascension (me’raaj) , I saw that it was transcribed with light on the leg of the throne: There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I have assisted him and helped him with Ali. I saw the lights of Hasan, Husain and Fatemah. I observed Ali written in three places, Muhammad in two places, Moosa, Ja’far, Hasan and Hujjah, who was shining amongst them like a brilliant star.

I asked, ‘O Lord! Who are these whose names You have associated with Your Name? ’ He answered, ‘O Muhammad! Surely these are successors and Imams after you. I have created them from your soil (طینت). Then congratulations to the one who loves them and woe unto the one who bears enmity against them. For, due to them I send down the rains and through them I reward and I punish. ”’ Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) raised his hands towards the sky and prayed a few supplications. I heard him (s. a. w. a. ) say, “O Allah! Place information and deep knowledge in my posterity and the posterity of my posterity, in my progeny [1] and the progeny of my progeny. ”

253. Kamaal al-Deen [2]: Imam Ja’far Sadeq (a. s. ) narrates on the authority of his ancestors that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Jibraeel (a. s. ) has reported to me from the Lord of the Might, may His Majesty be Mighty, that He said, ‘Whoever knows (believes) that there is no god but Me alone, Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) is My servant and

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My messenger, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) is My caliph and that surely the Imams form his progeny are My proofs, I will make him enter the - Volume 1 , Page 161 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 81, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 312, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 158; Al-Insaaf, pg. 210, Tr. No. 208.

[2]: Imam Muhammad al-Baqer (a. s. )

[1]: Imam Ja’far al-Sadeq (a. s. )

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 105; Al-Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 296, Tr. No. 11; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 321, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 174; Al-Insaaf, pg. 97, Tr. No. 83.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 114, Chap. 16, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 324, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 182.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 136, Chap. 21, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 331, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 191; Al-Insaaf, pg. 97, Tr. No. 84.

[1]: lit.: crop – Tr.

[2]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 258, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 3; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 143, Chap. 22, Tr. No. 1; E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 4, Section 2; Al-Ehtejaaj, vol. 1, pg. 68; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 251, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 68; Qasas al-Anbiyaa, pg. 368, Section 17, Tr. No. 440; Munaar al-Huda, pg. 368; Al-Insaaf, pg. 238, Tr. No. 230.

paradise on account of My mercy, save him from My hell due to My forgiveness and allow him to reside in My neighbourhood. I will make My honour obligatory on him, complete My bounties on him and make him from My special and pure (servants). If he calls Me, I will answer him, if he invokes Me, I will accept his invocation and if he asks Me, I will grant him. If he is silent, I will initiate the talk with him and if he errs, I will have mercy on him. If he flees from Me, I will call him and if he returns unto Me, I will accept him. If he knocks on My door, I will open it.

But one who does not witness that there is no god but Me alone; or bears testimony for the same but does not bear witness that Muhammad is My servant and My messenger; or testifies for the above two but does not acknowledge that Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) is My caliph; or witnesses for all the above but refuses to confess that the Imams (a. s. ) from his progeny are My proofs, then indeed He has denied My bounties, belittled My greatness and disbelieved in My signs and My books.

If he desires Me, I will veil Myself from him and if he

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asks Me, I will deprive him. When he calls Me, I will not hear his call and when he invokes Me, I will not accept his invocation. If he expects from Me, I will disappoint him. This is my retribution for him and I am not unjust unto My servants. ’”

At this juncture, Jaaber Ibn Abdullah Ansaari stood up and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Who are the Imams from the progeny of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. )? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “Hasan and Husain, the two leaders of the youth of paradise. Then, the chief of the worshippers in his time, Ali Ibn Husain, then Baaqer, Muhammad Ibn Ali; soon you will reach unto him O Jaaber, so when you meet him, convey my salutations unto him. He will be followed by Sadeq, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, then Kaazem, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, then Reza, Ali Ibn Moosa, then Taqi, Muhammad Ibn Ali, then Naqi, Ali Ibn Muhammad, then Zaki, Hasan Ibn Ali, then his son, the one who will rise with the truth, the Mahdi of this Ummah. He will fill the earth with justice and equity, as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression.

These, O Jaaber, are my caliphs, my successors, my descendants and my progeny. Whoever obeys them has obeyed me and whoever disobeys them has defied me. Whoever denies them or denies even one of them, then indeed he has denied me. Through them, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will prevent the skies from falling

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on the earth, of course, with His permission. Due to them, Allah protects the earth from swallowing up its inhabitants. ”

254. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Ali (a. s. ) chronicles, “I was with the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) in the house of Umm Salmah (r. a. ) {and the tradition is a lengthy one concerning the successors of the Prophets (a. s. ) and it reaches till} when the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘And I am handing over the succession to you and you hand it over to your son Hasan, who in turn will hand it over to his brother Husain. He will hand it over to his son Ali, Ali to his son Muhammad, Muhammad to his son Ja’far, Ja’far to his son Moosa, Moosa to his son Ali, Ali to his son Muhammad, Muhammad to his son Ali, Ali to his son Hasan and Hasan will hand it over to his son al-Qaem.

Thereafter, their Imam will disappear from them till Allah pleases and he will have two occultations, of which one will be greater than the other. ’ Then he (s. a. w. a. ) turned to us and addressed us in a raised voice, ‘Beware! Beware! When the fifth descendant of my seventh offspring goes in occultation! ” I asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What will happen after his occultation? ” He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “He will be patient till Allah grants him permission to emerge. He will reappear from a village called ‘Kar’ah’. He will wear a turban (amaamah) on his head, sport my armour and don my sword the

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Zulfiqaar. Then, a caller will call out, ‘This is Mahdi, the Caliph of Allah, so obey him. ’

He will fill the earth with justice and equity, as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. This will be at a time when the world will become a place of confusion, chaos and disorder and people will envy each other. Neither the elder will have mercy on the younger nor will the strong deal the weak with compassion. Only then will Allah permit him to reappear. ’”

255. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) cites on the authority of his ancestors till Ameer al-Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “When I was taken to heavens, my Lord, mighty be His Majesty, revealed unto me, ‘O Muhammad! I scanned the earth thoroughly, selected you from it, appointed you as a Prophet and derived for you a name from My Name.

So I am Mahmood while you are Muhammad. Then, I scanned for the second time, chose Ali from it, made him as your successor and your caliph, the husband of your daughter, the father of your progeny and derived his name from among My Names. So I am al-Ali al-A’laa while he is (named) Ali. I have made Fatemah, Hasan and Husain from the lights of you two and presented their mastership to the angels.

So, whoever accepted it (mastership) became among My close angels. O Muhammad! If a person worships Me till he breaks down and becomes

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like a decomposed skin waterbag but approaches Me denying their mastership, I will not make him reside in My Paradise nor will I grant him a shadow beneath My Throne (عرش). O Muhammad! Do you love to see them? ’

I replied in the affirmative. He, Mighty and Glorified be He, ordered, ‘Raise your head. ’ So I raised my head and saw the lights of Ali, Fatemah, Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and Muhammad (م. ح. م. د. ) , the son of Hasan, the Qaem was standing between them like a brilliant star.

I asked, ‘O Lord! Who are these? ’ He replied, ‘These are the Imams and this is the Qaem who will make My permissible, permissible and My prohibited, prohibited. Through him, I will take revenge from My enemies. He will be a source of comfort for My friends. He is the one who will cure the hearts of your Shias from the oppressors, the deniers and the unbelievers’. ”

256. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Ameerul Momineen Ali (a. s. ) recounts, “I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) in the house of Umm Salmah (r. a. ) when the verse,

إِنَّمَا یُرِیدُ اللَّهُ لِیُذْهِبَ عَنکُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَیْتِ وَیُطَهِّرَکُمْ تَطْهِیرًا

Surely Allah intends to keep all the filth away only from you, O Ahl al-Bait, and purify you, a purification. (Qur’an Surah Ahzaab 33: 33. )

was revealed. The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘O Ali! This verse was revealed concerning you

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and my two grandsons, who are the Imams from your progeny. ’ I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah! How many Imams will be there after you? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘You, O Ali, then your two sons Hasan and Husain, after Husain his son Ali, after Ali his son Muhammad, after Muhammad his son Ja’far, after Ja’far his son Moosa, after Moosa his son Ali, after Ali his son Muhnammad, after Muhammad his son Ali, after Ali his son Hasan and the Hujjah is the son of Hasan. Thus I found their names written on the leg of the Throne (arsh). I asked Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, about them. He informed, ‘O Muhammad! These are the Imams after you, pure and infallible, and their enemies are cursed’. ”

257. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Imam Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) chronicles, “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) addressed us thus, after praising and glorifying Allah, ‘O people! I have been invited (to die) and I have accepted the invitation. Surely, I leave behind you two weighty things, the Book of Allah and my progeny, my Ahle Bait (a. s. ). If you fasten unto both of them, you will never go astray. Learn from them and do not teach them because they are more learned than you. The earth cannot be devoid from them. If it ever does, it will be destroyed along with its inhabitants. ’

Then he (s. a. w. a. ) invoked, ‘O Allah! I know that knowledge is neither destroyed nor terminated. You will not leave Your earth without a

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proof upon Your creation, whether he is apparent but disobeyed or fearful and concealed, so that Your proof is not invalidated nor do Your friends go astray after You have guided them. They are (Your friends) less in number but high in value before Allah. ’ When he (s. a. w. a. ) descended from the pulpit, I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Aren’t you the proof (of Allah) upon the creation, all of them? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘O Hasan! Verily Allah says,

إنّما اَنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَ لکُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَاد

You are only a warner and for every nation there is a guide. (Surah Ra’d (13): Verse 7)

So, I am the warner while Ali is the guide. ’ I inquired, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Then what about your saying that the earth cannot exist without a proof? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) retorted, ‘Yes, Ali is the Imam and the proof after me and you are the proof and the Imam after him. Husain is the Imam and the proof after you. Indeed, the Gracious, the Knower, has informed me that He will bring forth from the loin of Husain, a son called Ali, the namesake of his grandfather. When Husain dies, his son Ali will succeed him and he will be the proof and the Imam.

Then, Allah will bring out from the progeny of Ali a son, who will be my namesake and the most similar of the people to me. His knowledge is my knowledge and his judgment is my judgment. He is the Imam

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and the proof after his father. Thereafter, Allah will bring forth from his posterity a son called Ja’far. He will be the most truthful of the people in word and deed and he is the Imam and the proof after his father. Then Allah, the High, will cause to emerge from the loin of Ja’far a son, who will be the namesake of (Prophet) Moosa Ibn Imraan.

He will be the best of worshippers among the people and he is the Imam and the proof after his father. Later, Allah will bring forth from the progeny of Moosa a son called Ali. He will be the mine of Allah’s Knowledge and the station of His Wisdom. He is the Imam and the proof after his father.

Thereafter, Allah will cause to emerge from the posterity of Ali a child called Muhammad. He is the Imam and the proof after his father. Then, Allah will bring out from the posterity of Muhammad a son called Ali. He is the Imam and the proof after his father. Later, Allah will bring forth from the progeny of Ali a son called Hasan. He is the Imam and the proof after his father. Finally, from the progeny of Hasan, Allah will bring forth the Hujjah, the Qaem, the Imam of his time and the liberator of his friends. He will go in occultation and remain unseen. A group of people will turn away from believing in him while others will remain steadfast

وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَ مَتى

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هذَا الْوَعْدُ اِنْ کُنْتُمْ صَادِقِیْنِ

And they say when is this promise, if you were truthful? (Qur’an Surah Yunus 10: 48; Qur’an Surah Anbiya 21: 38; Qur’an Surah Naml 27: 71; Qur’an Surah Sabaa 34: 29; Qur’an Surah Yaasin 36: 48. )

Even if one day remains for the world to come to an end, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will prolong this day till He brings forth our Qaem. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. So, the earth cannot exist without you. Allah has given you my knowledge and my understanding. Indeed, I had prayed to Allah that He should place the knowledge and understanding in my - Volume 1 , Page 169 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 146, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 3; Al-Insaaf, pg. 84, Tr. No. 76; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 333, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 195.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 152, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 5; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 252, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 2; Oyoon-o-Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 58, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 27; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 245, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 58; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 327, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 126; Ghaayah al-Maraam, pg. 142, Tr. No. 3; Al-Insaaf, pg. 299, Tr. No. 277

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 155, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 9; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 366, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 199; Al-Insaaf, pg. 258, Tr. No. 242.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 162 – 165, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 238-240, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 201; Al-Insaaf, pg. 125-127, Tr. No. 115.

posterity, the posterity of my posterity, my progeny and the progeny of my progeny. ”

258. Muqtazab al-Asar [1]: From the most precise, strange and amazing traditions, and from the protected, unseen (knowledge) concerning the number of the Imams and their names from the Sunni channel, without the chain of narrators (مرفوعًا) is the narration of al-Jaarood Ibn al-Munzir from Qass Ibn Saaedah {then its chain is mentioned till al-Jaarood and it is stated that he was a scholar before the Prophet’s (s. a. w. a. ) declaration (بعثت) , who was aware of the names of his (s. a. w. a. ) successors.

The narration is lengthy, in which it is mentioned that al-Jaarood al-Abdi was a Christian and accepted Islam in the year of the treaty of Hudaibiyyah. His Islam was sincere and he used to recite the heavenly books.

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He narrated this tradition for us during the caliphate of Umar Ibn Khattaab, till it reaches to this point}.

I requested, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Please inform me- may Allah inform you with goodness- of these names which we have not seen but only in the narration of Qass. ’ The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “O Jaarood! The night in which I was taken to the heavens, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, revealed unto me, ‘Ask the Messengers whom We have sent before you on what were they raised? ’

I asked them, ‘On what were you raised? ’ They replied, ‘On your prophethood and the mastership of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) and the Imams from you two. ’ Then it was revealed to me that I should turn to the right of the Throne (arsh). I turned and there I saw Ali, Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and the Mahdi in the flickers of light, praying. ’ The Lord, the High, informed me, ‘These are the proofs, My friends. And he (Mahdi) is the avenger from My enemies’. ”

259. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Imam Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) narrates, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say to Ali (a. s. ) , ‘O Ali! You are the heir of my knowledge, the treasure-chest of my wisdom and the Imam after me. When you will be martyred, your son Hasan (will succeed you). When Hasan

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is martyred, then your son Husain and when Husain is martyred, his son Ali will succeed him. Nine infallible Imams will come successively from the progeny of Husain. ’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! What are their names? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘Ali, Muhammad, Ja’far, Moosa, Ali, Muhammad, Ali, Hasan and the Mahdi from the posterity of Husain. Allah, the High, will fill the earth through him (Mahdi) with justice as it would be replete with injustice and oppression’. ”

260. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Imam Husain (a. s. ) chronicles that the Holy Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) said, “Jibraeel informed me, ‘When Allah, Blessed and High be He, transcribed the name of Muhammad on the leg of the Throne, I asked him, ‘O Lord! This name that I see written on the leg of the Throne is the most honourable of Your creatures. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) says, ‘Then Allah showed him (Jibraeel) twelve shadows, bodies without souls between the heaven and the earth. ’

He requested, ‘O Lord! For the sake of their right upon You, inform me about them. ’ Allah responded, ‘This is the light of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , this is the light of Hasan (a. s. ) , this is the light of Husain (a. s. ) , this is the light of Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ) , this is the light of Muhammad Ibn Ali (a. s. ) , this is the light of Ja’far Ibn Muhammad (a. s. ) , this is the light of Moosa Ibn Ja’far (a. s. ) , this is the light of Ali Ibn Moosa (a. s. ) , this is the light of Muhammad Ibn Ali

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(a. s. ) , this is the light of Ali Ibn Muhammad (a. s. ) , this is the light of Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) and this is the light of the Hujjah, the Qaem, the awaited one. ’ Imam Husain (a. s. ) says, ‘The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) used to say that none shall gain proximity and closeness to Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, through these people but that Allah will free his neck from the fire’. ”

261. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Imam Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) recounts, “When the verse of the Holy Quran

وَ اُوْلُوْا الْاَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ اَوْلی بِبَعْضٍ

And the possessors of relationships, some of them are worthier than the others, (Qur’an Surah Anfaal 8: 75)

was revealed, I asked the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) about its interpretation. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) explained, ‘By Allah! It does not imply anyone but you (Imams) and you are the possessors of relationships. When I die, your father Ali is the closest to me and my position. When your father dies, your brother Hasan is closest to him and when he dies, you will be most worthy to take his position. ’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Then who will be worthy (of this position) after me? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) elaborated, ‘Your son Ali will be the most worthy after you. When he dies, his son Muhammad will be the most worthy after him. When Muhammad dies, his son Ja’far will be the most worthy after him to take his place (of Imamat). When Ja’far dies, his son Moosa will be the most worthy

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after him. When Moosa dies, his son Ali will be the most worthy after him. When Ali dies, his son Muhammad will be the most worthy after him.

When Muhammad dies, his son Ali will be the most worthy after him. When Ali dies, his son Hasan will be the most worthy after him. When Hasan dies, your ninth descendant will go in occultation. These are the nine Imams from your progeny. Allah has granted them my knowledge and my understanding, their soil (teenat) is my soil. As for the nation that troubles me concerning them, may Allah not make my intercession reach unto them! ’”

262. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Imam Husain Ibn Ali (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to Ali (a. s. ) , “I have more rights on the believers than they themselves. Then you, O Ali, have more rights upon the believers than they themselves. After you, Hasan has more rights upon the believers than they themselves. After him, Husain has more rights upon the believers than they themselves. After him, Ali has more rights upon the believers than they themselves.

After him, Muhammad has more rights upon the believers than they themselves. After him, Ja’far has more rights upon the believers than they themselves. After him, Moosa has more rights upon the believers than they themselves. After him, Ali has more rights upon the believers than they themselves.

After him, Muhammad has more rights upon the believers than they themselves. After him, Ali has more rights upon the

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believers than they themselves. After him, Hasan has more rights upon the believers than they themselves. And al-Hujjah Ibn al-Hasan has more rights upon the believers than they themselves. They are the righteous Imams. They are with the Truth and the Truth is with them. ”

263. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Umm Salmah (r. a. ) recounts that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “When I was taken to the skies (me’raj) , I saw written on the Throne, ‘There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I supported him with Ali and helped him with Ali. ’ I saw the lights of Ali, Fatemah, Hasan and Husain. And the lights of Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and I saw the light of al-Hujjah shining amongst them like a brilliant star.

I asked, ‘O Lord! Who is this? And who are these? ’ I was told, ‘O Muhammad! This is the light of Ali and Fatemah and this is the light of your two grandsons, Hasan and Husain and these are the lights of the Imams after you from the progeny of Husain, purified and infallible. And this is the Hujjah who will fill the earth with justice and equity. ’”

264. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Sahl Ibn Sa’d al-Ansaari says, ‘I asked Fatemah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , about the Imams. ’ She replied, “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) used to say, ‘O Ali! You are the

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Imam and the caliph after me and you have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After you die, your son Hasan will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Hasan dies, your son Husain will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Husain dies, his son Ali will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Ali dies, his son Muhammad will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Muhammad dies, his son Ja’far will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Ja’far dies, his son Moosa will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Moosa dies, his son Ali will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Ali dies, his son Muhammad will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Muhammad dies, his son Ali will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Ali dies, his son Hasan will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. After Hasan dies, the Qaem, the Mahdi will have more right upon the believers than they themselves. Through him, Allah, the High, will conquer the easts of the earth and its wests. Then they are the rightful Imams and the truthful tongues. Whoever helps them will be helped and whoever forsakes them will be forsaken’. ”

265. Al-Fazaael [1]: Abdullah Ibn Aufaa narrates on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) that he said, “When

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Allah created Ibraheem (a. s. ) , His friend, He removed the veils of his vision. Hence, when he looked towards the Throne, he saw a light and asked, ‘My God and my Master! What is this light? ’ He replied, ‘O Ibraheem! This is Muhammad, My chosen and selected one. ’

Ibraheem (a. s. ) enquired, ‘My God and my Master! I see next to him another light. ’ He replied, ‘O Ibraheem! This is Ali, the helper of My religion. ’ Again he asked, ‘My God and my Master! I see next to these two a third light, following the two lights. ’ He replied, ‘O Ibraheem! This is Fatemah following her father and her husband. I have separated her followers from the fire. ’ Ibraheem (a. s. ) asked, ‘My God and my Master! I see two lights following the third light. ’ He replied, ‘O Ibraheem! These two are Hasan and Husain following their father, their mother and their grandfather. ’

He asked, ‘My God and my Master! I see nine lights encircled by these five lights. ’ He replied, ‘O Ibraheem! These are the Imams from their progeny. ’ He asked, ‘My God and my Master! Through whom are they recognized (i. e. How should I know them)? He replied, ‘O Ibraheem! The first of them is Ali Ibn Husain then Muhammad the son of Ali, Ja’far the son of Muhammad, Moosa the son of Ja’far, Ali the son of Moosa, Muhammad the son of Ali, Ali the son of Muhammad, Hasan the son of Ali and the Muhammad the son of Hasan,

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the Qaem, the Mahdi. ’

He asked, ‘My God and my Master! I see a number of lights around them that cannot be enumerated except by You. ’ He answered, ‘O Ibraheem! These are their Shias and their lovers. ’ Ibraheem asked, ‘My God and my Master! How will their Shias and their lovers be recognized? ’ He informed, ‘They will perform fifty-one rak’ats of namaz (everyday) , recite بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم loudly (in their prayers) , read the Qunoot before the ruku’ (of the second rak’at) , perform two prostrations of thanks giving (sajdatayy al-shukr) and will wear their rings in their right hands. ’ - Volume 1 , Page 177 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

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[1]: Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 31, Tr. No. 21; Kanz al-Fawaaed, pg. 256; Kitaab al-Arbaeen of Allamah Majlisi (a. r. ) , pg. 239, under the discussion of Tr. No. 20; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 15, pg. 241, Chap. 2, Tr. No. 60; vol. 18, pg. 293, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 2; Vol. 26, pg. 298, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 65; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 3, Chap. 9, Section 62, Tr. No. 818.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 166, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 5; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 340, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 204; Al-Insaaf, pg. 34, Tr. No. 34.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 169, Chap. 25, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 341, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 206; Al-Insaaf, pg. 222, Tr. No. 212.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 175, Chap. 25, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 343, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 209; Al-Insaaf, pg. 101, Tr. No. 88.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 177, Chap. 25, Tr. No. 6; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 345, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 211; Al-Insaaf, pg. 229, Tr. No. 221.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 185, Chap. 26, Tr. No. 5; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 348, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 217; Al-Insaaf, pg. 31, Tr. No. 270.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 195, Chap. 28, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 351, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 221; Al-Insaaf, pg. 191, Tr. No. 188.

[1]: Al-Fazaael, pg. 158; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 213-214, Chap. 40, Tr. No. 15; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 417, Section 7, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 278.

Ibraheem (a. s. ) implored, ‘My God! Make me from their Shias and lovers. ’ Allah responded, ‘I have made you. ’ Thereafter, Allah, the High, revealed concerning him,

وان من شیعته لابراهیم. اذ جاء ربه بقلب سلیم

And surely from his Shias is Ibraheem. When he came to his Lord with a secure heart. (Qur’an Surah Saaffaat 37: 83-84)

Allah, the High, and His Messenger have spoken the truth. Mufazzal Ibn Umar narrates, ‘When Ibraheem felt death approaching him, he narrated this tradition, went into prostration and his soul was captured in this very state’. ”

266. Muqtazab al-Asar [1]: Abu Salmaa, the caretaker of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) ’s camel narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “When I was taken to the skies, (Allah) the Mighty, majestic be His praise, said,

آمن الرسول بما انزل الیه من ربّه

The Messenger believed on what was revealed to him from his Lord. (Qur’an Surah Baqarah 2: 285. )

I

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said, ‘And the believers (also believed). ’ He affirmed, ‘You spoke the truth, O Muhammad. Who did you depute (as your caliph) for your nation? ’ I replied, ‘The best of them. ’ He enquired, ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taalib? ’ I answered, ‘Yes, O Lord. ’ He said, ‘O Muhammad! I scanned the earth as it ought to be scanned, chose you from it and derived for you a name from My names. So, I am not remembered in any place but that you are mentioned with Me.

Thus, I am the Mahmood while you are Muhammad. Later, I scanned (again) and chose from it Ali. I derived for him a name from My names. So, I am the Highest (al-A’laa) while he is Ali. O Muhammad! Surely I have created you and created Ali, Fatemah, Hasan and Husain from the type of My light. I presented the mastership of you (all) to the people of the heavens and the earths. Then whoever accepted it was a believer before Me and whoever denied it was from the unbelievers before Me.

O Muhammad! If a person from My slaves worships Me till he is cut into pieces or becomes like a decomposed skinbag but comes to Me denying your mastership, I will not forgive him unless he confesses to your mastership. O Muhammad! Do you like to see them? ’ I replied, ‘Yes, O Lord. ’ He ordered me, ‘Look to the right of the Throne. ’ I turned and there were Ali, Fatemah, Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain,

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Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and the Mahdi.

They will be in the flickers of light, standing and praying. The Mahdi will be right in the middle amongst them shining like a brilliant star. ’ He declared, ‘O Muhammad! These are the proofs and he (Mahdi) will avenge the blood of your progeny. I swear by My Might and My Majesty, he is the essential proof for My friends and the avenger from My enemies’. ”

267. Al-Manaaqeb [1]: Abdullah Ibn Umar informs on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) who said, “O Ali! I am the warner of my nation, you are its guide, Hasan is its leader, Husain is its impeller, Ali Ibn Husain is its gatherer, Muhammad Ibn Ali is its knower, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad is its writer, Moosa Ibn Ja’far is its enumerator, Ali Ibn Moosa is its interpreter, saviour and the repeller of its enemies, and who will bring its believers nearer, Muhammad Ibn Ali is its leader and its impeller, Ali Ibn Muhammad is its traveler and scholar, Hasan Ibn Ali is its announcer and its endower and the Qaem, the (last) successor is its quencher, implorer and its witness. Surely in these are the signs for the believers. ” Ibn Shahr Aashob says that a group of narrators has narrated this tradition from Jaaber Ibn Abdullah Ansaari on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ).

268. Meah Manqebah [2]: Ali Ibn

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Abi Taalib (a. s. ) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, “I will meet you at the Hauz (pond of Kausar) while you, O Ali, will be its distributor, Hasan will be the protector, Husain will be the commander, Ali Ibn Husain will be the allocator, Muhammad Ibn Ali will be the dispenser, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad will be the impeller, Moosa Ibn Ja’far will be the enumerator of the lovers and the malicious and the uprooter of the hypocrites, Ali Ibn Moosa will adorn the believers, Muhammad Ibn Ali will take the people of paradise to their levels, Ali Ibn Muhammad will address his Shias and get them married to the Hoor al-Een, Hasan Ibn Ali will be the lamp of the people of paradise from which they gain light and the Qaem, the Haadi, the Mahdi will be their intercessor on the Day of Judgment when Allah will not permit except whomsoever He pleases and is satisfied with. ”

269. Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Toosi (r. a. ) [1]: Imam Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Naqi (a. s. ) narrates on the authority of his ancestors that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , “Whoever desires that he should meet Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, in a state of safety and purity and that the Great Fear (فزع اکبر) , then he must befriend you and befriend your sons Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad, Ali, Hasan and the Mahdi, who will

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be their seal. In the last era, there will be a group who will befriend you, O Ali. People will hate them although had they loved them (the Shias) , it would have been better for them, if they were knowing. They (Shias) will give preference to you and your sons over their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, relatives and kin, blessings of Allah be on them, the best of blessings. They will be gathered beneath the Standard of Praise (Lewaa al-Hamd) , their sins will be overlooked and their grades will be raised as a reward for what they were doing’. ”

270. Muqtazab al-Asar [1]: Abdullah Ibn Umar recounts that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a) said, “Surely Allah, the High, revealed to me when I was taken to the sky, ‘O Muhammad! Whom did you depute (as your representative) in the earth, who is the most knowledgeable about that? I replied, ‘My brother. ’ He asked, ‘O Muhammad! Ali Ibn Abi Taalib? ’ I answered, ‘Yes, O Lord. ’ He informed, ‘O Muhammad! Indeed I scanned the earth as it ought to be scanned, then chose you from it.

So, I am not remembered till you are remembered with Me. I am the Mahmood and you are Muhammad. Again, I scanned the earth as it ought to be scanned, then chose from it Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ). I made him your successor. So, you are the chief of the Prophets while Ali is the chief of successors.

Then I derived for him a name from My

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Names. Thus, I am the Highest (al-A’laa) and he is Ali. O Muhammad! Verily, I created Ali, Fatemah, Hasan and Husain and the Imams from one light. Thereafter, I presented their mastership for the angels. So, whoever accepted, was from the proximate ones and whoever denied, was from the disbelievers. O Muhammad! If a person from My slaves worships Me till his last breath but meets Me in a state of denial of their mastership, I will make him enter My fire. O Muhammad! Would you like to see them? ’ I replied in the affirmative.

He ordered me to come forward. I came forward and there were Ali Ibn Abi Taalib, Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and the Hujjah, the Qaem who was like a brilliant star in their midst.

I asked, ‘O Lord! Who are these? ’ He replied, ‘These are the Imams and this is the Qaem. He will make My permissible, permissible and My prohibited, prohibited and take revenge from My enemies. O Muhammad! Love him and love the one who loves him’. ”

271. Al-Arbaeen of Al-Haafez Abu al-Fath Muhammad Ibn Abi al-Fawaares [1]: Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) informs that my brother, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to me, “One who loves that he should meet Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, while He is turning to him and not away from him, then he

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should befriend Ali (a. s. ).

Whoever desires that he meets Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, while He is satisfied with him, then he should befriend your son Hasan (a. s. ). Whoever loves that he meets Allah, while he is absolutely fearless, then he should befriend your son Husain (a. s. ). Whoever loves that he meets Allah, while He is purified and cleansed of his sins, then he should befriend Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ). For surely, it is like Allah, the High, has said,

سِیمَاهُمْ فِی وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ

Their marks are on their faces due to the effects of prostration. (Surah Fath (48): Verse 29)

Whoever loves that he meets Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, while his eyes are soothed, then he should befriend Muhammad Ibn Ali (a. s. ). Whoever loves that he meets Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, while his book is given in his right hand, then he should befriend Ja’far Ibn Muhammad al-Sadeq (a. s. ).

Whoever loves that he meets Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, pure and purified, then he should befriend Moosa Ibn Ja’far, the light, the Kaazem (a. s. ). Whoever loves that he meets Allah, while he is laughing, then he should befriend Ali Ibn Moosa al-Reza (a. s. ). Whoever loves that he meets Allah, while his grades are raised and his sins are replaced with good deeds, then he must befriend his son Muhammad (a. s. ). Whoever loves that he meets Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, while his accounting is done very lightly and he enters the

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paradise whose breadth is equal to the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious ones, then he must befriend his son Ali (a. s. ).

Whoever loves that he meets Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, while he is from the successful ones, then he must befriend his son Hasan al- Askari (a. s. ). And whoever loves that he meets Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, while his belief is complete, his Islam is excellent, then he must befriend his son Saaheb al-Zamaan, the Mahdi (a. t. f. s. ). These are the lamps in darkness, the Imams of guidance and the standards of piety. Then whoever loves them and befriends them, I am his guarantor before Allah for paradise’. ”

272. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Alqamah Ibn Qais chronicles that when Ameerul Momineen (a. s. ) was delivering a beautiful sermon in Masjid al- Kufa, he (a. s. ) remarked, “Know that soon I will depart from you…” A person called Aamer Ibn Kaseer stood up and pleaded, ‘O Ameerul Momineen (a. s. )! You have informed us about the Imams of disbelief and the caliphs of falsehood. Please inform us about the rightful Imams and truthful tongues after you. ’

He (a. s. ) responded, “Yes. Certainly it is a covenant which the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) has promised to me that this affair (Islam) will be ruled by twelve Imams. Nine of these will be from the progeny of Husain (a. s. ). Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) has informed, ‘When I was taken to the sky, I looked at the leg of the Throne, where it was written,

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[1]: Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 10, Tr. No. 10; Al-Ghaibah, pg. 147, Tr. No. 109; Maqtal al-Husain by Khwaarazmi, vol. 1, Section 6, pg. 95; Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 2, pg. 319, Tr. No. 571; Meah Manqebah, pg. 37; Kefaayah al-Mahdi, pg. 60, Tr. No. 7; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 283; Al-Taraaef, pg. 172, Tr. No. 270; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 486, Chap. 93 & pg. 261, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 82; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 35-38, Section 1, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 216-217, Chap. 40, Tr. No. 18; Tafseer al-Furaat, pg. 5; Al-Insaaf, pg. 62, Tr. No. 56; Ghaayah al-Maraam, pg. 695, Tr. No. 27 and many more books other than what we have hinted at.

[1]: Al-Manaqeb, vol. 1, pg. 292, Chap. Of what the sunnis have narrated; Meah Manqebah, pg. 24; Behaar al-Anwaar,vol. 36, pg. 270, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 91; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 150; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 243; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 222, Chap. 9, Section 27, Tr. No. 210; Al-Istinsaar, pg. 22; Al-Awaalem, vol. 153, pg. 134, Tr. No. 68.

[2]: Meah Manqebah, pg. 23; Maqtal al-Husain, vol. 1, pg. 95, Section 6, Al-Manaqeb, vol. 1, pg. 292; Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 2, pg. 321, Section 61, Tr. No. 572; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. pg. 150, Chap. 10, Section 4; Kashf al-Astaar, pg. 110; Al-Taraaef, pg. 273, Tr. NO. 271; Al-Najm al-Saaqeb, Chap. 50; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 134, Tr. No. 69; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 26, pg. 316, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 80; Al-Istinsaar, pg. 23; Al-Insaaf, pg. 14, Tr. No. 10; Ghayah al-Maraam, Chap. 141, Tr. No. 2.

[1]: Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Toosi, pg. 136, Tr. No. 100; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 258, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 77; Al-Manaaqeb, vol. 1, pg. 293; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 460, Section 17, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 372 & vol. 3, pg. 224, Section 27, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 213.

[1]: Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 23, Tr. No. 15; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 93, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 24; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 222, Chap. 40, Tr. No. 21; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 42, Tr. No. 8; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 286; Al-Insaaf, pg. 113, Tr. No. 106.

[1]: Al-Arbaeen, Tr. No. 4; Al-Abaqaat, vol. 12, pg. 253, Tr. No. 2; Kashf al-Astaar, pg. 60; Al-Fazaael, pg. 116; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 296, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 125.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 213, Chap. 29, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 354, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 225; Al-Insaaf, pg. 232, Tr. No. 227; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 310, Tr. No. 20.

asked, ‘O Lord! Whose lights are these? ’ I was told, ‘O Muhammad! These lights are the Imams from your progeny. ’ I (Ali a. s. ) requested, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Name them for me.

He said, ‘Yes. You are the Imam and the caliph after me. You will repay my debts and fulfil my promises. After you, your two sons Hasan and Husain (will be the Imams). Husain will be succeeded by his son, Ali, after him, his son Muhammad called as Baaqer, after Muhammad, his son Ja’far, called Sadeq, after Ja’far, his son, Moosa called al-Kazem, after Moosa, his son Ali called Reza, after Ali, his son Muhammad called Zaki, after Muhammad, his son Ali called Naqi, after Ali, his son Hasan called Ameen, Askari. The Qaem will be from the descendants of Husain. He will be my namesake and the most similar of the people to me. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be replete with injustice and oppression…’”

273. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Yahya Ibn No’maan narrates, ‘I was with Husain (a. s. ) when a veiled dark-brown skinned Arab entered and saluted him. Husain (a. s. ) replied to his salaam.

The Arab said, ‘O son of Allah’s messenger! (I have a) question. ’

He (a. s. ) said, “Bring it forth. ”

The Arab enquired, ‘How much is the difference between belief (ایمان) and certitude (یقین)? ’

He

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(a. s. ) responded, “Four fingers. ”

‘How? ’

“Belief is what we hear, while certitude is what we see and the distance between the eyes and the ears is four fingers. ”

‘What is the distance between the sky and the earth? ’

‘An accepted prayer. ”

‘What is the distance between the east and the west? ’

“The distance of a day for the sun. ”

‘What is the respect of a man? ’

“His needlessness from the people. ”

‘What is the most evil thing? ’

“Sins by an old man is evil, anger by a king is evil, lies by a noble is evil, miserliness by a wealthy person is evil and greed by a scholar is evil. ”

‘You have spoken the truth, O son of Allah’s messenger. Then inform me about the number of the Imams after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). ’

“Twelve, equal to the number of chiefs of Bani Israael. ”

‘Name them for me. ’

Imam Husain (a. s. ) lowered his head for a while, then raised it and said, “Yes. I will inform you, O Arab brother. Surely, the Imam and the caliph after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) was my father, Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , my brother Hasan, myself and nine of my descendants. From them is Ali, my son followed by his son, Muhammad. After him, his son Ja’far followed by his son, Moosa, his son, Ali, his son, Muhammad, his son, Ali, his son, Hasan and after him the Caliph, the Mahdi. He is the ninth of my descendants and he will establish the religion in the last era. ”

The Arab stood up and left,

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glorifying the Prophet and his ancestors.

274. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Ghaalib al-Johni narrates that Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali, al-Baaqer (a. s. ) said, “Surely the Imams after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) are like the number of the Bani Israel chiefs and they were twelve. Whoever takes them as their masters will be successful and whoever bears enmity against them will be destroyed. Indeed, my father has narrated from his ancestors that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘When I was taken to the skies, I looked at the leg of the Throne where it was written, ‘There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I have supported him with Ali and I have helped him with Ali. ’ I saw written in places Ali, Ali, Ali, Muhammad, Muhammad, Ja’far, Moosa, Hasan and Husain and the Hujjah. I have enumerated them for you and they are twelve. I asked, ‘O Lord! Who are these whom I am seeing? ’ He replied, ‘O Muhammad! This is the light of your successor and your two grandsons and these are the lights of the Imams from their progeny. Through them I will reward and through them I will punish’. ”

275. Kefaayah al-Asar [2]: Kumayt Ibn Abi Al-Mustahil narrates, ‘I went to my master, Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baaqer (a. s. ) and asked, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! I have written a few poems in your eulogy. Do you permit me to recite them for you? ’ Imam (a. s. ) replied, “These are the days of Beez. ” [3] I argued,

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‘But these (verses) are exclusively for you. ’ Imam (a. s. ) said, “Bring them forth. ”

The first four verses that I recited were on the changing of times, the fickleness of fortunes and that the ultimate robe of every man is his shroud (کفن). Hearing these two couplets, Imam (a. s. ) cried and so did his son, Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) and I also heard his slave girl sobbing from behind the curtain.

The next two couplets talked as to how even their close ones had forsaken the Imams and how their remembrance stimulates grief and restlessness in our existence. Again, Imam (a. s. ) cried and said, “When a person remembers us or we are mentioned before him and tears flow from his eyes, even if they are equal to the size of a fly’s wing, Allah will build a house for him in paradise and will make it as a barrier between him and the hell. ”

The following two couplets were about the joy of being associated with the Imams (a. s. ) and about the injustices meted out to them.

Imam (a. s. ) took my hand and prayed, “O Allah! Forgive all the sins of Kumayt, past and present. ”

The last couplet went as follows

When will the truth be established concerning you and

When will your second Mahdi uprise.

Imam (a. s. ) exclaimed, “Soon, Inshallah, soon. O Aba Mustahil! Our Qaem is the ninth descendant of Husain (a. s. ). For, the Imams after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) are twelve and the twelfth is the Qaem. ” I asked, ‘Master! Who are these twelve? ’ He (a. s. )

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replied, “The first of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) followed by Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain and myself. After me, this son of mine – and he kept his hand on the shoulder of Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) – Ja’far. ” I enquired, ‘And after him? ’ He (a. s. ) explained, “His son Moosa followed by the son of Moosa, Ali, then the son of Ali, Muhammad, followed by the son of Muhammad, Ali. Then the son of Ali, Hasan and he is the father of the Qaem, who will emerge and fill the world with justice and equity and cure the hearts of our Shias. ” I asked, ‘When will he reappear, O son of Allah’s Messenger? ’ He (a. s. ) answered, “Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) was asked the same question and he (s. a. w. a. ) had replied that the likeness of Mahdi is the likeness of the Hour. It will not come to you but suddenly. ”

276. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Jaaber Ibn Yazeed al-Jo’fi reports, ‘I asked Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baaqer (a. s. ) , ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Verily, a group thinks that Allah, the High, has placed Imamat in the posterity of (both) Hasan and Husain. ’ He (a. s. ) denied, “They lie, by Allah, did they not hear Allah, high be His remembrance, says,

وجعلها کلمة باقیة فی عقبه

And he made it a word to continue in his posterity. (Qur’an Surah Zukhruf 43: 28. )

Then, did he make it but in the posterity of Husain (a. s. )? O Jaaber! Surely the Imams are those whose Imamat

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has been documented by the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). They are those about whom the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) says, ‘When I was taken to the sky for ascension, I found their names written on the leg of the Throne with light, twelve names. From them were Ali, his (Prophet’s) two grandsons, Ali, Muhammad, Ja’far, Moosa, Ali, Muhammad, Ali, Hasan and al-Hujjah, al-Qaem.

These are the Imams from the chosen and purified Ahle Bait (a. s. ). By Allah! None can claim Imamat except us but that Allah, the High, will gather him alongwith Iblees and his army. ’ Then Imam (a. s. ) took a deep breath and said, ‘May Allah not observe the rights of this nation as they have not observed the rights of their Prophet. By Allah! Had the truth been left for those worthy of it, no two persons would have disputed concerning Allah. Then Imam (a. s. ) recited a couplet whose meaning went as follows,

‘Surely the Jews for the love of their Prophet believed in the calamities of various eras, but the believers due to the love of Muhammad’s progeny were thrown in the fire as punishment. ’

I asked, ‘Master! Is not this affair for you? ’ Imam (a. s. ) replied in the affirmative. I enquired again, ‘Then why are you sitting upon your rights and your claims, while Allah, Blessed and High be He, orders,

و جاهدوا فی الله حق جهاده هو اجتباکم

And strive hard in the way of Allah, a striving as is due to Him. He has chosen you. (Qur’an

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Surah Hajj 22: 28. )

He (a. s. ) retorted, “Why did Ameerul Momineen Ali (a. s. ) sit upon his right? Because he did not find any helper. Did you not hear Allah say in the story of Lut,

قال لو ان لی بکم قوة او آوی الی رکن شدید

He said: Ah! That I had power to suppress you, rather I shall have recourse to a strong support. (Qur’an Surah Hud 11: 80)

Or did you not hear Allah say in the incident of Nuh,

فدعا ربّه انی مغلوبٌ فانتصر

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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 232, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 384, Chap. 43, Tr. No. 5; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 331, Tr. No. 27; Al-Insaaf, pg. 326, Tr. No. 301; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 256, Chap. 214.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 244, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 1; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 262, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 1; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 390, Chap. 45, Tr. No. 1; Al-Insaaf, pg. 259, Tr. No. 243.

[2]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 248, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 4; Al-Insaaf, pg. 270, Tr. No. 254; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 390, Chap. 5, Tr. No. 2; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 262, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 2; Tabyeen Al-Mahajjah, pg. 329, Tr. No. 26.

[3]: The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of every month are called as ‘Ayyam-e-Beez’. Apparently, Imam (a. s. ) has hinted that recitation of poems on these days are abominable (makrooh).

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 246, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 357, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 226; Al-Muhajjah, pg. 198, Verse 83, Tr. No. 1; Tabyeen Al-Mahajjah, pg. 287; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 233, Tr. No. 223; Al-Insaaf, pg. 117, Tr. No. 108.

Then he called out to his Lord, I have been overpowered, so grant me victory. (Qur’an Surah Qamar 54: 10. )

And He says in the story of Moosa,

ربّ انیّ لا املک إلاّ نفسی و اخی فافرق بیننا و بین القوم الفاسقین

He said: My Lord! Surely I have not control but my ownself and my brother; therefore make a separation between us and the nation of transgressors. (Qur’an Surah Maaedah 5: 25. )

So, when this is the state of the Prophet, then the successor is definitely more excusable. O Jaaber! Surely, the likeness of the Imam is the likeness of the Ka’bah, the people go to it and it does not go to the people. ”

277. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Yunus Ibn Zibyaan has narrated a lengthy tradition from Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) containing plenty of Divine Realities and true knowledge. In a part of that tradition, Imam (a. s. ) says, “O Yunus! If you desire correct knowledge, then it is with us, Ahle Bait (a. s. ). For surely, we have inherited and

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have been granted the path of wisdom (شرع الحکمة) and the desicive statement (فصل الخطاب). ’

I enquired, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Has everybody, who is from the Ahle Bait (a. s. ) , inherited like you, the children of Ali (a. s. ) and Fatemah (s. a. ) , have done? ’ Imam (a. s. ) replied, “None has inherited it except the twelve Imams. ” I requested, ‘Name them for me, O son of Allah’s Messenger. ’ He (a. s. ) answered, “The first of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib, followed by Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, then myself and after me, my son, Moosa, followed by his son Ali, then his son Muhammad, then his son Ali, then his son Hasan and after Hasan, the Hujjah. Allah has chosen us, purified us and granted us what none in the universe has been granted. ”

278. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Muhammad Ibn Abi Umair narrates from Heshaam, ‘I was with Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad Sadeq (a. s. ) when Moawiyah Ibn Wahb Ibn Abd al-Malik Ibn A’yan entered. (This tradition comprises of the discussions of Allah’s recognition and other extremely important topics, till it reaches to. )

Then Imam (a. s. ) said, “Verily, the most obligatory and essential of the duties on mankind is the recognition of the Lord and acknowledgement of slavery to Him. The (minimum) limit of recognition is to know that there is no god but Him and there is none similar or like Him. Also, he should know that Allah is Eternal, Present, Existent, not absent, Described but without any similar or parallel.

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There is nothing like Him and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.

After this, he should have the recognition of the Messenger and testify for his prophethood. The minimum recognition of the Messenger is to confess to his prophethood, and whatever he has brought from the Book or the commands or the prohibitions are all from Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He.

After this, he should have the recognition of the followed Imam, by his attributes, characteristics and his name in the states of difficulty and comfort. The minimum recognition of the Imam is that he is equal to a prophet, except the status of Prophethood, and his heir. And that his obedience is the obedience of Allah and His Messenger (s. a. w. a. ).

And that one should submit to him in every affair, refer to him and take from his sayings. Also, one should know that the Imam after the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib followed by Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, myself, then after me my son Moosa, after him his son, Ali, after him his son, Muhammad, after him his son, Ali, after him his son, Hasan and the Hujjah is the son of Hasan…”

279. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Tameem Ibn Bohlool reports that I asked Abdullah Ibn Abi Huzail about Imamat on whom is it obligatory and what are the signs of an Imam? He said to me, ‘Surely, its evidence is that he is the proof upon the believers, the establisher of the affairs

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of the Muslims, speaks with the Quran, knower of Divine Laws, brother of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , his caliph upon his nation, his successor upon them and his administrator who is unto the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) as Haroon (a. s. ) was to Moosa (a. s. ). His obedience is obligatory as per the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He,

یَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُواْ أَطِیعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِیعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِی الأَمْرِ مِنکُمْ

O you who believe! Obey Allah, obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you. (Qur’an Surah Nisaa 4: 59)

And Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, said,

إِنَّمَا وَلِیُّکُمُ اللّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِینَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَیُؤْتُونَ الزَّکَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاکِعُونَ

Only Allah is your Master and His Messenger and those who believe, who establish prayer and give zakaat while they are in a state of genuflection (ruku’). (Qur’an Surah Maaedah 5: 55)

He is entitiled for mastership and Imamat was confirmed for him on the day of Ghadeer-e-Khumm by the saying of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) on the command of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, “Do I not have more authority upon you than you yourselves? ” They all replied in the affirmative. He (s. a. w. a. ) declared, “Then, of whomsoever I am his master, Ali is his master. O Allah! Take him as Your slave, who takes him (Ali) as his master and take him as Your enemy, who takes him as his enemy. Help him who helps him and forsake him who forsakes him. Honour him who supports him. ”

This was Ali

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Ibn Abi Taalib, the chief of the faithfuls, the leader of the pious, the chief of the handsome, the most superior of the successors and the best of all creation after the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds. After him are Hasan and Husain, the two grandsons of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and the sons of the best of the women. They will be followed by Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and Muhammad Ibn Hasan (peace be upon them all) , one after the other.

They are the progeny of the Messenger (s. a. w. a. ) , the known ones through successorship and Imamat. The earth cannot exist without a proof from them in every era and in every time. They are the strong rope, the Imams of guidance, and the proof upon the people of the world till Allah inherits the earth and whoever is on it. Whoever opposses them, is deviated and has left the truth and guidance. Indeed, they have been talked about by the Quran and the Messenger has spoken concerning them elaborately.

Surely, one who dies without recognizing them dies the death of ignorance. Verily, in them their religion are the traits of precautious piety, chastity, truthfulness, betterment (of the people) , striving hard (in the way of Allah) , repaying the trust to the good doer as well as the transgressor, prolonging the prostration, performing the night prayers, abstaining from

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the prohibited, awaiting the reappearance with patience and keeping good company and good neighbourhood.

280. Amaali al-Sadooq [1]: Shah Abdul Azeem al-Hasani (r. a. ) narrates, ‘I went to meet my master (the tenth Imam) Ali Ibn Muhammad al- Naqi (a. s. ). ’ When he (a. s. ) saw me, he (a. s. ) remarked, “Welcome, O Aba Qaasim! You are our real follower. ”

I asked, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! I intend to present my religion before you. If it is right, then I will remain steadfast on it till I meet Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He (i. e. till my death). ’

Imam (a. s. ) ordered, “Come forth with it, O Abul Qaasim. ”

I said, ‘Verily, I believe that Allah, the High, is One. There is nothing like Him. He is removed from the two limits, the limit of negation (ابطال) and the limit of immanence (تشبیه). He does not have a body or form or accident [2] or substance. Nay! He is the Maker of bodies, the Creator of forms, the Originator of the accidents and the substances and the Lord of everything, its Owner, its Maker and its Initiator.

Indeed, Muhammad (s. a. w. a. ) is His servant and His Messenger, the seal of the Prophets and there is no Prophet after him, till the Day of Judgment. His Shariah is the last Shariah and there is no Shariah after it till the Day of Judgment.

I also believe that the Imam, the Caliph and the Master of the affair after him is Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) followed by Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad

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Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, then you O my Master.

He (a. s. ) informed, “After me is my son Hasan (al-Askari). How difficult will be the condition of the people concerning his successor (i. e. the twelfth Imam)? ”

I asked, ‘Why will that be so, my master? ’

He (a. s. ) explained, “This is because he will be hidden and it will not be permitted to use his name till he reappears. And when he does so, he will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. ”

I said, ‘I believe. ’

Then I said, ‘I also believe that their friend is the friend of Allah and their enemy is the enemy of Allah. Their obedience is the obedience of Allah and their defiance is the defiance of Allah. I also believe that the ascension (معراج) is the truth, the questioning in the grave is the truth, paradise is truth, hell is truth, path (صراط) is truth, weighing scale (میزان) is truth and that the Hour (قیامة) will come and Allah will raise all those in the graves.

I also believe that the obligations after the mastership of the Ahle Bait (a. s. ) are prayers, zakaat, fasting, hajj, jehaad, enjoining good and prohibiting evil. ’

Thereafter, Imam Ali Ibn Muhammad (a. s. ) remarked, “O Aba Qaasim! By Allah! This is the religion of Allah, which He has chosen for His servants. Then be steadfast on it, may Allah keep you steadfast through firm beliefs in this world as

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well as the hereafter. ”

281. Al-Khesaal [1]: Saqr Ibn Abi Dalf al-Karkhi reports, ‘When Mutawakkil took away our master Abul Hasan al-Askari (a. s. ) , I came to ask about his well being. Mutawakkil’s doorkeeper, Raazeqi, saw me and ordered that I should come to him. I obliged. He asked, ‘O Saqr! How are things with you? ’ I answered, ‘Fine, Sir. ’ He asked me to sit down and talked about the past as well as the future. I thought unto myself that I had erred in coming. After dispersing the people from around him, he asked me, ‘Why have you come? ’ I retorted, ‘Just like that. ’

He enquired, ‘Perhaps you want to know about the well being of your master. ’ I said, ‘My master? My master is Ameerul Momineen - Volume 1 , Page 198 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 255, Chap. 34, Tr. No. 1; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 278, Tr. No. 16; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 403, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 15; Al-Insaaf, pg. 330, Tr. No. 105; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 348, Tr. No. 36.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 256, Chap. 34, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 406, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 16; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 281, Tr. No. 18; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 334; Al-Insaaf, pg. 313, Tr. No. 288.

[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 336, Chap. 33, Tr. No. 9; Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 478, Chap. 12, Tr. No. 46; Al-Oyoon, vol. 1, pg. 54, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 20; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 396, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 2; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 270, Tr. No. 2; Al-Insaaf, pg. 109, Tr. No. 103; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 346, Tr. No. 35.

[1]: Amaali al-Sadooq, pg. 302, Majlis 54, Tr. No. 24; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 379, Chap. 37, Tr. No. 1; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 294, Chap. 11, Tr. No. 1; Al-Tawheed, pg. 81, Chap. 2, Tr. No. 37; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 286, Chap. 38, Tr. No. 1; E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 436; Chap. 2, Section 2; Kefaayah al-Muhtadi, pg. 101, Tr. No. 27; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 3, pg. 268, Chap. 10, Tr. No. 4 & vol. 36, pg. 412, Chap. 47, Tr. No. 2 & vol. 66, pg. 1, Chap. 28, Tr. No. 1; Al-Insaaf, pg. 219, Tr. No. 212; Sifaat al-Shia, pg. 90, Tr. No. 68; Rawzah al-Waaezin, vol. 1, pg. 31; Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 2, pg. 525; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 542, Chap. 9, Section 13, Tr. No. 354.

[2]: Philosophical term for the Arabic equivalent of ‘aradh’.

[1]: Al-Khesaal, vol. 2, pg. 395, Chap. 7, Tr. No. 102; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 2, pg. 382, Chap. 37, Tr. No. 9; Ma’ani al-Akhbaar, pg. 123; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 289, Chap. 38, Tr. No. 3; Jamaal al-Usboo’, pg. 25, Section 3, Tr. No. 1; E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 437, Section 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 24, pg. 238, Chap. 60, Tr. No. 1, & vol. 36, pg. 412, Chap. 47, Tr. No. 3, & vol. 56, pg. 20, Chap. 15, Tr. No. 3; Rawzah al-Waaezin, vol. 2, pg. 392; Al-Manaaqeb, vol. 1, pg. 308; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 491, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 177; Al-Insaaf, pg. 200, Tr. No. 201.

(Mutawakkil). ’ He reprimanded, ‘Keep quiet. Your master is the truthful master. Don’t be shy before me because I am on your religion (i. e. I am also a Shia). ’ I exclaimed, ‘All praise is for Allah. ’

He asked, ‘Do you want to see him? ’ I replied in the affirmative. He said, ‘Sit till the courier leaves him. ’ I did so. When the courier left, Raazeqi told his slave, ‘Catch the hand of Saqr and take him to the room where the Alavi (implying Imam Ali Naqi a. s. ) is imprisoned and leave them alone. ’ He took me to the room in which the Alavi was imprisoned and directed me to his cell. I went and saw Imam (a. s. ) sitting on a mat and infront of him was

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a dug grave. I saluted him, he (a. s. ) responded to my salutation and ordered me to sit down. I sat down.

He (a. s. ) asked, “O Saqr! What has brought you here? ” I said, ‘Master! I came to enquire about your well being. Then I looked at the grave and cried. ’ He (a. s. ) pacified me saying, “O Saqr! Don’t cry because no harm is going to reach unto us for the time being. ” I heard a sigh of relief, ‘All praise is for Allah. ’

Then I asked, ‘Master! There is a tradition narrated on the authority of the Prophet (s. a. w. a. ) whose meaning I cannot understand. ’ He (a. s. ) asked, “What is it? ” I said, ‘His (s. a. w. a. ) saying, ‘Do not commit aggression agaisnt the days, lest they assail you. ’ What does it mean? ’

He (a. s. ) replied, “Yes. We are the days. The heavens and the earth subsist due to us, hence, Saturday refers to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , Sunday refers to Ameerul Momineen, Monday refers to Hasan and Husain, Tuesday belongs to Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Wednesday is of Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali and myself. Thursday belongs to my son, Hasan Ibn Ali and Friday is of my grandson, around whom the groups of truth will gather. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be filled with injustice and oppression. This is the meaning of the days. So, do not commit aggression against them in this world,

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lest they do so against you in the hereafter. ” Then he (a. s. ) said, “You can leave and I don’t guarantee your safety. ”

282. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Yahya Ibn Zaid [2] says, ‘I asked my father about the Imams. ’ He informed, ‘The Imams are twelve, four have passed away and eight remain. ’ I requested, ‘O Father! Name them. ’ He retorted, ‘As for the past Imams, they are Ali Ibn Abi Taalib, Hasan, Husain and Ali Ibn Husain. As for the remaining, they are my brother Baaqer followed by Ja’far al-Sadeq, his son Moosa, his son Ali, his son Muhammad, his son Ali, his son Hasan and finally his son Mahdi. ’ ‘O Father! Are you not from them? ’ He answered, ‘No. But I am from the progeny. ’ I enquired, ‘Then how did you know their names? ’ He explained, ‘It is a promised covenant, which the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) pledged to us. ’

283. Kamaal al-Deen [3]: Imam Husain (a. s. ) chronicles, ‘I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) while Ubayy Ibn K’ab was with him. ’ The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) exclaimed, “Welcome! O Aba Abdillah! O adornment of the heavens and the earth. ”

Ubayy asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How somebody other that you can be the adornment of the heavens and earth? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “O Ubayy! I swear by the One, Who raised me as a Prophet with truth. Verily, Husain Ibn Ali, in the heaven enjoys a greater position than in the earth. Surely, it is written on the right side of the Throne that

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he is the light of guidance, the ark of salvation, the untiring Imam, might, pride, the ocean of knowledge and the treasure-chest. (Is he still not the adornment of the heavens and the earth? ).

Certainly, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has carried in his loins pure, blessed and chaste sperm, which was created before the creation came into existence in the wombs of the mothers, or semen flowed in the backs of the fathers, or even before day and night existed. Indeed, Allah inspired the creatures the prayers by which they would invoke but that Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, would gather them with him (Husain). He will be their intercessor in his hereafter and Allah will remove from him, his difficulty, repay his debt, ease his affair, expand his path, strengthen him against his enemy and will not rip apart his veil (i. e. conceal his sins). ”

Ubayy enquired, ‘What are these prayers, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) answered, “When you are sitting after finishing your prayers say,

اللهم إنی أسألک بکلماتک ومعاقد عرشک وسکان سماواتک (وأرضک) وأنبیائک ورسلک (أن تستجیب لی) فقد رهقنی من أمری عسر، فأسألک أن تصلی على محمد وآل محمد وأن تجعل لی من عسری یسرا

O Allah! Certainly I ask You for the sake of Your Kingdom, the contracting parties of Your Might, the residents of Your heavens (and Your earth) and Your Prophets and Messengers (that You answer me) because difficulty has overcome my affair. Thus, I ask You that You bless Muhammad and

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the Progeny of Muhammad and that You make my affair easy for me.

Then surely Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will ease your affair, expand your heart for you and inspire unto you the testimony لا إله إلا الله There is no god but Allah’ at the time of your death. ’

Ubayy questioned, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! What is this sperm, which is in the loin of my beloved Husain (a. s. )? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) elucidated, “The likeness of this sperm is like that of the moon, which throws light and shows the way; whoever follows it will be guided and whoever deviates from it will be led astray. ”

He asked, ‘Then, what is his name and what is his supplication? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) explained, “His name is Ali and his supplication is,

یا دائم یا دیموم، یا حی یا قیوم، یا کاشف الغم ویا فارج الهم، ویا باعث الرسل، ویا صادق الوعد

O Eternal! O Everlasting! O Living! O Controller! O Reliever of sorrows! O Remover of grief! O Sender of Messengers and O Truthful in His promise!

Whoever invokes through this supplication, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will raise him alongwith Ali Ibn Husain and he (a. s. ) will be his guide to paradise.

Ubayy enquired, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Will he have any caliph or successor? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Yes. For him will be the inheritances of the heavens and the earth. ”

Ubayy asked, ‘What does ‘the inheritances of the heavens and the earth’ mean? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Decreeing the truth, ordering righteousness, interpretation of the laws and explanation

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of what will be. ”

Ubayy asked, ‘What is his name? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “His name is Muhammad. Verily, the angels will soon be acquainted with him in the heavens and invoke with his invocation.

اللهم إن کان لی عندک رضوان وود فاغفر لی ولمن تبعنی من إخوانی وشیعتی وطیب ما فی صلبی

O Allah! If there is any satisfaction or love near You for me, then forgive me and whoever follows me from my brothers or my followers, and purify what is in my loin, O the most Merciful of all mercifuls.

Then, Allah will place in his loin a blessed, pure and immaculate sperm. Jibraeel informed me that surely Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has purified this sperm and named it Ja’far and made him a guide, the guided one, he is satisfied with Allah and Allah is satisfied with him. He prays to his Lord and says in his supplication,

یا دیان غیر متوان یا أرحم الراحمین اجعل لشیعتی من النار وقاء، ولهم عندک رضاء، فاغفر ذنوبهم، ویسر امورهم، واقض دیونهم، واستر عوراتهم، وهب لهم الکبائر التی بینک وبینهم، یا من لا یخاف الضیم ولا تأخذه سنة ولا نوم، اجعل لی من کل (هم) وغم فرجا

O Untiring Provider! O the most Merciful of all mercifuls! Grant protection for my Shias from the fire and satisfaction near You for them. Then, forgive their sins, ease their affairs, repay their debts, conceal their secrets and forgive their major sins which are between You and them. O He, Who does not fear injustice nor does sleep

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and slumber overtake Him! Grant salvation for me from every grief and sorrow.

Whoever prays with this supplication, Allah will raise him with a white (bright) face along with Ja’far Ibn Muhammad to the paradise, O Ubayy! Surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, has placed in this sperm a pure, blessed and immaculate sperm, upon which He has sent mercy. He named it Moosa and made him an Imam.

Ubayy asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Have each one of them been described in detail, procreate, inherit and describe each other in the aforementioned manner? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Jibraeel (a. s. ) has described them for me on the authority of Allah, the Lord of the worlds, Mighty be His Majesty. ”

Ubayy asked, ‘Did Moosa (Ibn Ja’far) have any specific supplication, which he (a. s. ) prayed, other than the supplications of his forefathers? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “Yes. He will say in his supplications

یا خالق الخلق، ویا باسط الرزق، ویا فالق الحب (والنوى)، ویا بارئ النسم ومحیی الموتی وممیت الاحیاء، و (یا) دائم الثبات، ومخرج النبات افعل بی ما أنت أهله

O Creator of creation! O Giver of sustenance! O Splitter of grain! O Creator of winds! O Giver of life to the dead and Who causes death to the living! O Everlasting and Who brings forth the vegetation! Do unto me as You are worthy of doing.

One who invokes in this manner, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will fulfill his needs and raise him on the Day of Judgment along with Moosa Ibn Ja’far. Surely, Allah has

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placed in his loin a pure and immaculate sperm with which He is satisfied. He has named it Ali and Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, in His knowledge and His wisdom, was satisfied with his creation. He made him a proof for his Shias, through which they will demonstrate on the Day of Judgment. He has an invocation by which he invokes

اللهم أعطنی الهدى، وثبتنی علیه، واحشرنی علیه آمنا أمن من لا خوف علیه ولا حزن ولا جزع، إنک أهل التقوى وأهل المغفرة

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[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 300, Tr. No. 10; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 46, pg. 198, Chap. 11, Tr. No. 72; Tanqeeh al-Maqaal, vol. 2, pg. 470; Al-Insaaf, pg. 324, Tr. No. 298.

[2]: Zaid Ibn Ali Ibn Husain (a. s. ).

[3]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 264, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 11; Al-Oyoon, vol. 1, pg. 59, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 29; Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 1, pg. 155, Chap. 35, Tr. No. 447; Al-Insaaf, pg. 243, Tr. No. 233; Qasas al-Anbiyaa, pg. 361, Section 1, Tr. No. 437; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 204, Chap. 40, Tr. No. 8; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 477, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 128; Ilzaam al-Naaseb, vol. 1, pg. 201; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 266, Tr. No. 4; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 58.

O Allah! Grant me guidance, make me firm on it, and raise me on it in a state of security, like the safety of the one who has neither fear nor grief nor sorrow. Surely, You are Worthy of fear and Worthy of forgiveness.

And verily, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has put in his sperm a blessed, pure and immaculate sperm, with which He is satisfied and named him Muhammad Ibn Ali. He is the intercessor of his Shias and the inheritor of his grandfather’s knowledge. He has clear signs and apparent arguments. When he will be born, he will declare, لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله صلى الله علیه وآله There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And he will recite in his supplications

یا من لا شبیه له ولا مثال، أنت الله لا إله إلا أنت ولا خالق إلا أنت تفنی المخلوقین وتبقی أنت، حلمت عمن عصاک، وفی المغفرة رضاک

O the One Who has neither any similar nor any

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example. You are Allah, there is no god but You and there is no creator but You. You will annihilate the creatures while You will remain. You are forebearing with the one who disobeys You and in forgiveness is Your satisfaction.

Whoever prays with this supplication, Muhammad Ibn Ali will be his intercessor on the Day of Judgment. Surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, has placed in his loin a pure, bright, blessed, immaculate and clean sperm. He has named it Ali Ibn Muhammad. He has clothed him with contentment and dignity, and deposited in him sciences and secrets of every hidden thing. Whoever meets him, he will inform him of what is in his heart and caution against his enemy and he will supplicate in this manner

یا نور یا برهان یا منیر یا مبین یا رب اکفنی شر الشرور وآفات الدهور، وأسألک النجاة یوم ینفخ فی الصور

O Light of all lights! O Proof! O Illuminator! O Explanator! O Lord! Protect me from the evil of the evil ones and the calamities of the times. I ask You salvation on the Day when the trumpet is blown.

Whoever recites this supplication, Ali Ibn Muhammad will be his intercessor and his leader to paradise. Surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, has placed in his loin a sperm and named it Hasan Ibn Ali. He made him a light in His cities, a caliph in His earth, an honour for His nations, a guide for His Shias, an intercessor for them near

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their Lord, a punishment for those who oppose him, a proof for whoever befriends him and a clear argument for whoever takes him as an Imam. He will say in his supplication,

یا عزیز العز فی عزه، یا عزیزا عزنی بعزک، وأیدنی بنصرک وأبعد عنی همزات الشیاطین، وادفع عنی بدفعک وامنع عنی بمنعک واجعلنی من خیار خلقک، یا واحد یا أحد یا فرد یا صمد

O Mighty of reverence in His Might! O Mighty! Grant me might for the sake of Your Might, assist me with Your help, keep far from me the whisperings of the devils, defend me with Your defence, protect me with Your protection and make me from the chosen ones of Your creatures. O One! O Unique! O Singular! O Needless!

Whoever invokes with this supplication, Allah, the High, will raise him with him (Hasan Ibn Ali) and for him is salvation from hell even if it was obligatory on him. Surely Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has placed in the loin of Hasan, a blessed, pure, clean, immaculate and purified sperm. Every believer from whom Allah has taken the covenant of mastership (ولایة) is satisfied with it and only the deniers will disbelieve in him.

He is the pure, immaculate, righteous, guide and guided Imam. He is the beginning of justice and its end. He will verify Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, and Allah will verify him in his saying. He will emerge from Mecca till the proofs and signs are manifested. In Taaleqaan [1] , he will

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have treasures that are neither gold nor silver but beautiful war-horses and imposing men. Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will gather for him three hundred and thirteen men from distant cities equal to the number of the Muslim soldiers in Badr.

With him is a sealed book, which comprises the number of his companions along with their names, their geneology, their cities, their business, their speech and their agnomen. They will be steadfast and will strive hard in his obedience.

Ubayy asked, ‘And what will be his proofs and his signs, O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, ‘He will have a standard. When the time of his reappearance nears, this standard will unfurl on its own and Allah, Blessed and High be He, will give it the power of speech. The standard will call out, ‘Emerge, O friend of Allah, and kill the enemies of Allah. ’ He will also have two flags and two marks, besides a sheathed sword, which will call out, ‘Come forth, O friend of Allah, as it is not permitted for you to sit (quietly) before the enemies of Allah. ’

Then he will reappear and kill the enemies of Allah wherever he will find them. He will uphold the laws of Allah and judge by the judgment of Allah. Jibraeel will appear from his right side, Mikaaeel from his left, (Prophets) Shoaib and Saaleh infront of him. Soon, you will remember what I am telling you and I entrust my affairs to Allah, Mighty and

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Glorified be He, even if it is after a long time. O Ubayy! Congratulations to the one who meets him, congratulations to the one who loves him and congratulations to the one who believes in him.

Allah will save him from destruction because of his acknowledgement in Him, in the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and in all the Imams (a. s. ). Allah will open for them the paradise. Their likeness in the earth is like that of the (perfume) musk, the fragrance of which never diminishes after diffusion. Their similarity in the heavens is like that of an illuminated moon, the light of which never extinguishes.

Ubayy asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! How has Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, explained the condition of these Imams? ’

He (s. a. w. a. ) answered, “Surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, sent down upon me twelve seals and twelve books. The name of each Imam is on his seal and his attribute is in his book, may Allah bless them all.

284. Kamaal al-Deen [1]: Ibn Abbas reports, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) say, “Surely for Allah, Blessed and High be He, there is an angel called Dardaaeel {the tradition has a lengthy narration about this angel, the greatness of the world of creation, its expanse, the virtues of our master Imam Husain (a. s. ) and the gravity of the crime of his murder, etc. till it reaches to}… the Imams after me are Ali – the guide, Hasan – the recipient of guidance, Husain – the helper,

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Ali Ibn Husain – the helped one, Muhammad Ibn Ali – the intercessor, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad – the benefactor, Moosa Ibn Ja’far – the trustee, Ali Ibn Moosa – the satisfied one, Muhammad Ibn Ali – the active, Ali Ibn Muhammad – the trusted one, Hasan Ibn Ali – the knowing and the Qaem – behind whom Eesa Ibn Maryam (a. s. ) will pray…”. ’

285. Kefaayah al-Asar [1]: Alqamah Ibn Muhammad al-Khuzrami chronicles that Ja’far Ibn Muhammad al-Sadeq (a. s. ) said, “The Imams are twelve. ” I requested, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Name them for me. ’ He (a. s. ) obliged, “From the past, Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali and myself. ” I asked, ‘And after you, O son of Allah’s Messenger? ’ He (a. s. ) answered, “Verily, I have willed unto my son, Moosa and he is the Imam after me. ”

I questioned, ‘Who will succeed Moosa? ’ He (a. s. ) replied, “His son Ali, called as Reza. He will be buried in the land of Khurasan, a stranger. His son Muhammad will succeed him followed by his son Ali. After Ali, his son Hasan will succeed him followed by Mahdi the son of Hasan. ”

Then he (a. s. ) stated, “My father has narrated to me from his ancestors that the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘O Ali! When our Qaem emerges three hundred and thirteen men, equal to the number of Muslim soldiers at Badr, will gather around him. When the time of his reappearance nears, his sheathed sword will call out,

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‘Stand up, O friend of Allah and kill the enemies of Allah’. ”

286. Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) [1]: Abu Baseer reports that Imam Sadeq (a. s. ) said, “My father (a. s. ) said to Jaaber Ibn Abdullah Ansaari, ‘I have some work with you. So, when is it possible for you to give me some time that I may ask you something? ’ Jaaber replied, ‘Whenever you wish. ’

Thus, when my father (a. s. ) met him in privacy, he (a. s. ) asked him, “O Jaaber! Inform me about the Tablet which you saw in the hand of my mother, Fatemah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and what did she tell you as to what was written in it? ” Jaaber replied, ‘I hold Allah as Witness that I went to visit your mother, Fatemah (a. s. ) during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) to congratulate her for Husain (a. s. ) ’s birth. I saw in her hand a green Tablet, which I thought to be of emerald and its writing was as bright as sunlight.

I asked her, ‘May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O daughter of Allah’s Messenger (s. a. w. a. )! What is this Tablet? ’ She (s. a. ) replied, “This is the Tablet, which Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has gifted to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). In it is the name of my father, the name of Ali, the name of my two sons and the names of the successors from my progeny. In turn, my father gave it to me that I

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may rejoice through it. ”

Jaaber said, ‘Thus, your mother Fatemah (a. s. ) gave it to me. I read it and copied it. ’ My father (a. s. ) asked, “O Jaaber! Can you show it (the copied manuscript) to me? ” He replied in the affirmative. My father (a. s. ) accompanied Jaaber to his house where he took out a book from a parchment and giving it to my father he said, ‘I hold Allah as Witness that this is what I saw written in the Tablet:

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. This is a Book from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise to Muhammad, His light, His ambassador, His veil and His proof. The trustworthy spirit (Jibraeel) has descended with it from the Lord of the worlds. O Muhammad! Magnify my names, be grateful for My bounties and do not deny My endowments.

Verily I am Allah, there is no god but Me, the Destroyer of the oppressors, the Degrader of the tyrants and the Establisher of the Day of Judgment. Verily I am Allah, there is no god but Me. Whoever expects grace from other than Me or fears other than My justice and My punishment, I will punish him in such a way that I will not punish anybody in this manner in the worlds. Hence, worship only Me and rely only on Me. Indeed, I did not raise a messenger, completed his days and terminated his duration but that I appointed for him a successor.

Certainly, I made you superior over

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all other Prophets and made your successor superior over all other successors. After him, I honoured you with your two grandsons, Hasan and Husain. I made Hasan the mine of My knowledge after the end of the days of his father and I made Husain the treasurechest of My revelation, honoured him with martyrdom and sealed it for him with eternal bliss. So, he is the best of the martyrs and the highest of them in grade before - Volume 1 , Page 213 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

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[1]: A state in modern Iran.

[1]: Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 282, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 36; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 42, pg. 248, Chap. 11, Tr. No. 24; Al-Awaalem, vol. 17, pg. 15, Chap. 2, Tr. No. 5; Al-Insaaf, pg. 276, Tr. No. 256.

[1]: Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 262, Chap. 34, Tr. No. 5; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 409, Chap. 46, Tr. No. 18, & vol. 52, pg. 303, Chap. 26, Tr. No. 72; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 269, Chap. 7, Tr. No. 1; Al-Insaaf, pg. 231, Tr. No. 226; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 333, Tr. No. 29; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 603, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 587.

[1]: Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg 41, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 2; Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 527, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 3; Miraat al-Oqool, vol. 6, pg. 210; Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 2, pg. 136; Taqreeb al-Maarif, pg. 178; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg 296, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 755/1; Al-Ikhtesaas, pg. 210; Mashaareqo Anwaar al-Yaqeen, pg. 103; Al-Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Ashob, vol. 1, pg. 296; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 308, Chap. 28, Tr. No. 1; al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Tusi (r. a. ) , pg. 143, Tr. No. 108; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 62, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 5; E’laam al-Waraa, pg. 4, Section 2; Irshaad al-Quloob, vol. 2, pg. 108; Al-Ehtejaaj, pg. 67; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 195, Chap. 40, Tr. No. 3; Tafseer al-Burhaan, vol. 2, pg. 123, Tr. No. 6; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 285, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 73; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 137, Chap. 10; Isbaat al-Wasiyyah, pg. 29, Tr. No. 5; Al-Hidaayah, the Chapter of Twelve Imams (a. s. ) , Tr. No. 5; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 68, Tr. No. 6; Al-Insaaf, pg. 21, Tr. No. 17; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 271; Tr. No. 5; Ilzaam al-Naaseb, vol. 1, pg. 213; Taaweel al-Aayaat al-Zaaherah, pg. 210.

Me. I have placed My perfect word with him and the complete proof near him. Through his progeny, I shall reward and I shall punish.

The first of them is the chief of the worshippers and the adornment of My past friends, then his son (Muhammad) who resembles his grandfather al-Mahmood [1] , the splitter of My knowledge and the mine of My wisdom. Soon, those who doubt concerning his son Ja’far will be destroyed. He who rejects him has rejected Me. I speak the truth, I will indeed honour the position of Ja’far and make him happy vis-à-vis his Shias, his helpers and his friends. After him, I have selected Moosa and there will be a blinding, dark corruption so that the spark of My obedience is not terminated, My proof is not hidden and My friends are not afflicted with misfortune.

Beware! Whoever denies even one of them, he has denied My bounty. Whoever changes one verse from My Book, then indeed he has attributed a lie unto Me. Then woe unto the liars,

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the deniers with the termination of the duration of My servant, My beloved and My chosen one, Moosa. Verily, the one who denies the eighth is as if he has denied all My friends (Imams). Ali is My friend, My helper and the one upon whom I have placed Prophethood’s burden of proof and conferred upon him mastership.

An arrogant devil [1] will murder him. He will be buried in a city, which the righteous servant [2] has built, next to the worst of My creatures. I speak the truth, I will soothe his eyes with Muhammad, his son and his successor after him. He is the heir of My knowledge, the mine of My wisdom, the place of My joy and My proof upon My creatures.

None shall believe in him but that the paradise will be his abode and I will allow him to intercede for seventy of his family members, even if all of them are eligible for hell. I will complete his bliss with his son Ali, My friend, My helper, My witness amongst My creatures and My trustee upon My revelation. From him, I will bring forth Hasan, the caller to My path and the treasurer of My knowledge.

Thereafter, I will complete this (chain of Imamat) with his son, م. ح. م. د. mercy for the worlds. He will possess the perfection of Moosa, the brightness of Eesa and the patience of Ayyub. Soon, My friends will be humiliated in his time and their heads will be gifted as trophies

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like the heads of the Turks and the Dylamites.

They will be killed, they will be burnt, they will live in a state of fear, terror and trepidation. The earth will be coloured with their blood and wailing and sobbing will be commonplace among their womenfolk. They are My true friends! Through them I will repel all blinding and dark mischief, remove the earthquakes and do away with the burdens and the chains.

أُولَئِکَ عَلَیْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِکَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

They are those upon them is the blessings of their Lord and mercy. And they are the guided ones. (Qur’an Surah Baqarah 2: 157)

Abu Baseer says, ‘If you do not hear in your time anything but this tradition, it will suffice for you. Hence, conceal it except from those who are worthy of it. ’

287. Muqtazab al-Asar [1]: Salmaan narrates, ‘One day I went to the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). When he (s. a. w. a. ) looked at me, he (s. a. w. a. ) said, “O Salmaan! Surely Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, did not raise a Prophet or a Messenger but that He has placed in him twelve successors. ” I acknowledged, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! I came to know about this from the People of the Book’

He (s. a. w. a. ) questioned, “O Salmaan! Do you recognise my twelve successors, whom Allah has chosen for Imamat after me? ” I answered, ‘Allah and His Messenger know the best. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) informed, “O Salmaan! Allah created me from His chosen Light. He called me and I obeyed Him.

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From my light, He created Ali. He called him to His obedience, so he obeyed Him. From my light and the light of Ali, He created Fatemah. He called her and she obeyed Him. From my light and the from the lights of Ali and Fatemah, He created Hasan and Husain. He called both of them and they obeyed Him. So, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, named us with five names from His names.

Hence, Allah is Mahmood and I am Muhammad; Allah is al-Ali (the High) and he is Ali. Allah is Faatir (Creator) and she is Fatemah. Allah is Zu al-Ehsaan (the Owner of goodness) and this is Hasan. Allah is Mohsin (Obliger) and this is Husain.

Thereafter, He created from us and from the light of Husain, nine Imams. He called them and they obeyed Him. Before Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, created the established sky, the vast earth, the air, the water, the angels and the humans, we were in His knowledge lights, glorifying Him, listening to and obeying Him. ”

Salmaan asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! May my father and my mother be sacrifice for you, what is the reward of the one who recognizes them? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) prophesied, “Whoever recognizes them as they ought to be recognized, follows them, befriends their friends and bears enmity against their enemies, then by Allah, he is from us, he will enter where we enter and he will reside where we reside. ”

I asked, ‘O Messenger of

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Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Is it possible to believe in them without knowing their names and geneology? ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) replied, “No, O Salmaan! ”

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. )! Please introduce them unto me. ’ He (s. a. w. a. ) elaborated, “You know till Husain. After him is the chief of the worshippers Ali Ibn Husain followed by his son, Muhammad Ibn Ali, the splitter of the knowledge of the Prophets and the Messengers, from the beginning till the end. After him will be Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, the truthful tongue of Allah. Then, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, the controller of anger, the forbearing in the way of Allah.

Then, Ali Ibn Moosa, the one who is satisfied with the command of Allah. Then, Muhammad Ibn Ali, the generous, the chosen one of Allah’s creation. Then, Ali Ibn Muhammad, the guide towards Allah. Then, Hasan Ibn Ali, the silent, the trustee of Allah’s secret. Then his son, the proof of Allah, so and so and he took his name, the son of Hasan, the Mahdi, one who will speak and rise with Allah’s right…”

288. Dalaael al-Imaamah [1]: Ameerul Momineen (a. s. ) reports, “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said to me, ‘The night when I was taken for ascension, I saw palaces made of ruby, green chrysolite, pearls, corals and pure gold. Its floors were of pungent musk and its soil was of saffron. In them were fruits, dates, pomegranates, fairies, beautiful women, rivers of milk, rivers of honey flowing on pearls and jewels.

There were domes on the two shores

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of these rivers and rooms, tents, servants and young ones. Its carpets were of brocades and silk and birds were in it. I asked, ‘O my friend Jibraeel! For whom are these palaces and what’s their status? ’ Jibraeel (a. s. ) informed me, ‘These palaces and whatever are in them, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has created them thus and prepared in them as you see and their multiples, for the Shias of your brother, Ali, your caliph after you upon your nation.

They (Shias) will be called in the last era as ‘Raafezis’ [1] , an appellation more apt for other (than them). Yet, it will be an adornment for them because they will abandon falsehood and fasten unto truth. They are the real majority. (Also, these palaces are created) for the Shias of his son Hasan after him, for the Shias of Husain after him, for the Shias of his son Ali Ibn Husain after him, for the Shias of his son Muhammad Ibn Ali after him, for the Shias of his son Ja’far Ibn Muhammad after him, for the Shias of his son Moosa Ibn Ja’far after him, for the Shias of his son Ali Ibn Moosa after him, for the Shias of his son Muhammad Ibn Ali after him, for the Shias of his son Ali Ibn Muhammad after him, for the Shias of his son Hasan Ibn Ali after him and for the Shias of his son Muhammad al-Mahdi after him.

O Muhammad! These are the Imams after

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you, the standards of guidance and the lamps in darkness. Their Shias and the Shias of your progeny and their lovers are the truthful Shias. They are the friends of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) , who will abandon falsehood and keep away from it. They will aim for the truth and follow it. They will befriend them (the Imams) in their lives, visit their graves after their death, support them and strive for their love. Allah’s Mercy is upon them. Surely, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful’. ”

289. Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Toosi (r. a. ) [1]: Jaaber al-Jo’fi chronicles, ‘I asked Abu Ja’far (Imam Baaqer) (a. s. ) concerning the interpretation of the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He,

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِی کِتَابِ اللّهِ یَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَات وَالأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَلِکَ الدِّینُ الْقَیِّمُ فَلاَ تَظْلِمُواْ فِیهِنَّ أَنفُسَکُمْ

Surely the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah’s ordinance since the day He created the heavens and the earth, of these four being sacred; that is the right reckoning; therefore be not unjust to yourselves regarding them. (Qur’an Surah Taubah 9: 36)

My master (a. s. ) heaved a deep sigh and said, “O Jaaber! As for the year, it is my grandfather the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) and its months are twelve months. They are from Ameerul Momineen till myself, and from me to my son Ja’far, followed by his son Moosa, then his son Ali, then his son Muhammad, then his son Ali, then his son Hasan

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and then his son Muhammad, al-Haadi, al-Mahdi.

These are the twelve Imams, the proofs of Allah upon His creation and the trustees of His revelation and His knowledge. As for the four sacrosanct [1] months, which are the strong religion, they are the four (of the twelve) who bear one name Ali and they are Ameerul Momineen Ali, my father Ali Ibn Husain, Ali Ibn Moosa al-Reza and Ali Ibn Muhammad (al-Naqi). Acknowledging the Imamat of these four, it is a strong religion. ‘And do not oppress yourselves’ means believe in all of them that you may be guided. ”

290. Taweel al-Aayaat al-Zaaherah [2]: Jaaber Ibn Yazeed al-Jo’fi enquired from Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad al-Sadeq (a. s. ) regarding the interpretation of the verse

وَإِنَّ مِن شِیعَتِهِ لَإِبْرَاهِیمَ

And surely from his Shias is Ibraheem. (Qur’an Surah Saaffaat 37: 83)

He (a. s. ) explained, “Verily, when Allah, Glorified be He, created Ibraheem (a. s. ) , the veil from his vision was raised and he saw a light on the side of the Throne. ” He asked, ‘My God! What is this light? ’ He was told, ‘This is the light of Muhammad, the chosen one of My creation. ’ He saw a light next to him (s. a. w. a. ). Again he enquired, ‘My God! What is this light? ’ He was told, ‘This is the light of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , the helper of My religion. ’

Again, he saw three lights next to them and asked, ‘My God! What are these lights? ’ He was told, ‘This is the light of Fatemah (s. a. ) , I have separated her

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[1]: A title of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ).

[1]: Ma’moon al-Abbasi.

[2]: Implying Prophet Zulqarnain (a. s. ) as he was the one who had built the city of Khorasan during his rule.

[1]: Muqtazab al-Asar, pg. 6, Tr. No. 6; Dalaael al-Imaamah, pg. 237, Tr. No. 11; Misbaah al-Shariah, pg. 46, Chap. 68-69; Al-Mohtazar, pg. 106; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 53, pg. 142, Chap. 29, Tr. No. 162; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 142, Chap. 10, Section 1, Tr. No. 2; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 708, Section 18, Tr. No. 145.

[1]: Dalaael al-Imaamah, pg. 254, Tr. No. 53; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 655, Chap. 9, Section 69, Tr. No. 835 & vol. 1, pg. 724, Chap. 9, Section 27, Tr. No. 211.

[1]: Literally, Raafezi means one who discards and abandons religion. – Translator.

[1]: Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Toosi, pg. 149, Tr. No. 110; Al-Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr Ashob, vol. 1, pg. 284; Noor al-Saqalain, vol. 2, pg. 215, Tr. No. 140; Al-Mahajjah, pg. 93, Chap. 24; Al-Burhaan, vol. 2, pg. 123, Tr. No. 5 in the exegesis of Surah Taubah (9): Verse 36; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 1, pg. 549, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 375; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 24, pg. 240, Chap. 60, Tr. No. 2.

[1]: Literally, Horom is the pl. of Haraam which means prohibited.

[2]: Taweel al-Aayaat al-Zaaherah, pg. 485 under surah saaffaat (37): Verse 83; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 151, Chap. 39, Tr. No. 131; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 3, pg. 85, Chap. 9, Section 53, Tr. No. 787; Al-Mahajjah, pg. 181, Chap. 70, Tr. No. 1.

followers from the hell-fire and the lights of her two sons, Hasan and Husain. ’ He exclaimed, ‘My God! I also see nine lights encircling them. ’ He was told, ‘O Ibraheem! These are the Imams from the progeny of Ali and Fatemah. ’

Ibraheem (a. s. ) pleaded, ‘My God! For the sake of these five, let me know who are these nine (Imams)? ’ He was told, ‘O Ibraheem! The first of them is Ali Ibn Husain, then his son Muhammad, then his son Ja’far, then his son, Moosa, then his son Ali, then his son Muhammad, then his son Ali, then his son al-Hasan and then his son, the Hujjah, the Qaem. ’ Ibraheem (a. s. ) remarked, ‘My God and my Master! I also see more lights that are encircling these lights and who cannot be enumerated but by You. ’

He was told, ‘O Ibraheem! These are their Shias, the Shia of Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ). ’ Ibraheem (a. s. ) enquired, ‘How will their Shias be recognized? ’ He (Allah) replied, ‘They will perform fifty-one rakats of prayers (daily) , recite ‘In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful’ loudly (in their prayers) , recite Qunoot before Ruku’ (genuflection) [1] and wear their rings in their right hand. ’ Hearing this, Ibraheem (a. s. ) pleaded, ‘O Allah! Make me from the Shias of Ameerul Momineen! ’” Imam (a. s. ) says, “Then Allah, the High, informed about this in His Book through the verse, ‘And surely from his Shias is Ibraheem. ”

291. Al-Kaafi [2]: Imam Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Naqi (a. s. ) narrates, ‘Ameerul Momineen (a. s. )

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was in Masjid al-Haraam (Kaabah) along with his son, Imam Hasan (a. s. ) and Salmaan. He was reclining on the shoulder of the latter, when a handsome and well-dressed man entered and saluted him. Ameerul Momineen (a. s. ) replied to his salutation.

The person sat down and said, ‘O Ameerul Momineen (a. s. )! I ask you three questions. If you answer them correctly, I will know that people have failed in their duty concering you, which was imposed upon them and that they will not be safe in this world as well as the hereafter. But, if you fail to answer my questions, I will understand that you and they are both one and the same. ’ Ameerul Momineen (a. s. ) told him, “Ask whatever you desire. ” He said,

‘Inform me that when a person sleeps, where does his soul go?

What is the cause of remembrance and forgetfulness?

How come one person resembles his paternal uncles while another is similar to his maternal uncles?

Ameerul Momineen (a. s. ) turned to his son, Hasan and ordered, “O Aba Muhammad! Answer him. ” Imam Hasan (a. s. ) answered his questions. Hearing the answers, the man exclaimed, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I always believed this. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and I always believed this. I bear witness that you are the successor of Allah’s Messenger and the upholder of His testimony and I always believed it. ”

Then he turned to Imam Hasan and said, ‘I bear witness that you are his

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successor and the upholder of His testimony and I bear witness that Husain Ibn Ali is the successor of his brother. I bear witness that Ali Ibn Husain is the successor of Husain after him. I bear witness that Muhammad Ibn Ali is the successor of Ali after him. I bear witness that Ja’far Ibn Muhammad is the successor of Muhammad after him. I bear witness that Moosa Ibn Ja’far is the successor of Ja’far after him. I bear witness that Ali Ibn Moosa is the successor of Moosa after him. I bear witness that Muhammad Ibn Ali is the successor of Ali after him.

I bear witness that Ali Ibn Muhammad is the successor of Muhammad after him. I bear witness that Muhammad Ibn Ali is the successor of Ali after him. I bear witness that Hasan Ibn Ali is the successor of Ali after him. I also bear witness that a person from the progeny of Hasan will neither have an agnomen nor will he be named till he manifests his affair. He will fill the earth with justice as it would be filled with injustice. Salutations be upon you, O Ameerul Momineen and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. ’

Then he stood up and went away. Ameerul Momineen (a. s. ) said, “O Aba Muhammad! Follow him and see where he goes. ” Imam Hasan Ibn Ali (a. s. ) went after him, and reports, ‘The moment he kept his foot out of the Mosque, I did not comprehend where he

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disappeared from the earth of Allah. I returned to Ameerul Momineen (a. s. ) and upprised him of the same. ’ He (a. s. ) asked, “O Aba Muhammad! Did you recognize him? ” I retorted, ‘Allah, His Messenger and Ameerul Momineen know the best. ’ He (a. s. ) answered, “He was (Prophet) Khizr. ”

292. ManLaa Yahzoroh al-Faqih [1]: Abdullah Ibn Jandab reports that Imam Moosa Ibn Ja’far (a. s. ) said, “You pray in the prostration of thanksgiving (sajdah al-shukr) thus,

أللّهمّ إنّى أُشهدک و اُشهِدُ ملائکتَکَ وَ أنبیاءَکَ وَ رُسُلک و جمیعَ خَلْقِکَ اللهَ رَبّى وَالإسلامَ دینى و محمدًا نبیّى و علیًّا والحسن و الحسین و علی بن الحسین و محمد بن على و جعفر بن محمد و موسى بن جعفر و على بن موسى و محمد بن على و على بن محمد والحسن بن على و الحجّة بن الحسن بن على أئمتی، بهم اتولّى و من اعدائهم اتبرا.

O Allah! Verily, I hold You as a witness and I hold Your angels, Your Prophets, Your Messengers and all Your creation as witnesses that Allah is my Lord, Islam is my religion, Muhammad is my Prophet, Ali, Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and al-Hujjah, the son of Hasan are my Imams. I take them as my masters and express disgust from their enemies.

293. Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) [2]: Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) narrates, “The Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ) said, ‘When I was taken to the heaven for ascension,

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my Lord, mighty is His Majesty, revealed unto me, ‘O Muhammad! I glanced to the earth, chose you from it, appointed you as a Prophet and derived your name from My Name.

So, I am the Praised One (المحمود) while you are Muhammad. I glanced for the second time, chose Ali from it, appointed him as your successor, your caliph, the husband of your daughter and the father of your progeny. I derived his name from My Name. So, I am the High (العلى) , the Highest (الاعلى) while he is Ali. I created Fatemah, Hasan and Husain from the lights of you two. Thereafter, I presented their mastership before the angels. Whoever accepted it became from My close ones.

O Muhammad! If a person worships Me till he breaks and becomes like a decomposed skin-bag but comes to me denying their mastership, I will not allow him to stay in My paradise nor will I provide him shadow beneath My Throne (arsh). O Muhammad! Do you like to see them? ’ I replied, ‘Yes, O my Lord! ’ Then He, Mighty and Glorified be He, ordered, ‘Raise your head. ’ I raised my head and saw the lights of Ali, Fatemah, Hasan, Husain, Ali Ibn Husain, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, Moosa Ibn Ja’far, Ali Ibn Moosa, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, al-Hasan Ibn Ali and al-Hujjah Ibn al-Hasan, the Qaem, was right in the middle amongst them like a brilliant star.

I asked, ‘My Lord! Who are they? ’ He informed,

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‘They are the Imams and he is the Qaem, who will implement My permitted and prohibit My prohibitions. Through him I will take revenge from My enemies. He is the comfort for My friends and he is the one who will cure the hearts of your Shias from the oppressors, the deniers and the unbelievers…’”

294. Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) [1]: Fazl Ibn Shaazaan reports, ‘Mamoon asked Ali Ibn Moosa al-Reza (a. s. ) to write for him the core of Islam in a brief and eloquent manner. Imam (a. s. ) wrote to him thus, “Verily, the core of Islam is the testimony that there is no god but Allah, there is no partner for Him, the Lord, the One, the Unique, the Solitary, the Needless, the Controller, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Powerful, the Eternal, the Existing, the Surviving, the Knowing Who is not ignorant, the Powerful Who is not helpless, the Self-Sufficient Who is not needy and the Just Who does not oppress. He is the Creator of everything and there is nothing like Him. He has neither any similar nor opposite nor alike nor equal. He is the objective of worship, supplication, inclination and fear.

And that verily Muhammad is His servant, His messenger, His trustee, His purified one and His chosen one from among His creation, the chief of the Messengers, the seal of the Prophets and the most superior in the entire universe. There is no prophet after him, there is no change in his nation (ملّت) and there is no

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alteration for his shariat.

And (to believe) that whatever Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (s. a. w. a. ) has brought is the clear truth.

To testify for him (s. a. w. a. ) and for all the past Prophets, Messengers and Proofs of Allah (peace be on them all) , who preceded him.

To testify for his truthful, mighty Book which, ‘Falsehood cannot reach unto it from in front or from behind, a descent from the Wise, the Praiseworthy. ’ [1] And that it (the Holy Quran) is dominant over all the books and it is the truth from its beginning till its end. We believe in its clear as well as ambiguous verses, particular as well as general verses, promises as well as threats, abrogating as well as abrogated verses, its stories and its news. None among the creatures has the power to bring its like.

The guide after him (s. a. w. a. ) , the proof upon the believers, the upholder of the affairs of the Muslims, the interpretor of the Quran and the cognizant of its laws, is his brother, his caliph, his successor and his friend, the one who was unto him as Haroon was unto Moosa (a. s. ) , Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a. s. ) , the chief of the faithfuls, the leader of the pious, the guide of the handsome (in faith) , the most superior of the successors and the heir of the knowledge of the Prophets and the Messengers.

After him are his two sons, Hasan and Husain, the chief of the youth of paradise. After him is Ali Ibn Husain, the adornment of the worshippers, Muhammad Ibn

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Ali, the splitter of the knowledge of the Prophets, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, the heir of the knowledge of the successors, Moosa Ibn Ja’far al- Kaazim, Ali Ibn Moosa al-Reza, Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ali Ibn Muhammad, Hasan Ibn Ali and the Hujjah, the Qaem and the awaited one (blessings of Allah be on them all).

I bear witness for them vis-à-vis successorship and Imamat. And that the earth will not be devoid of a proof of Allah, the High, upon His creatures in every time and era. They are the strong rope (al-urwah al-wusqaa) , the Imams of guidance and the proof upon the people of the world till Allah inherits the earth and whosoever is upon it. Whoever opposes them is the deviator, who leads others astray, false and the forsaker of truth and guidance. They (Imams) speak from the Quran and explain on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a. ). One who dies without recognizing them has died the death of ignorance.

And that from their religion is precautious piety, chastity, truthfulness, righteousness, steadfastness, struggle, repaying the trust to the good as well as the transgressor, prolonging the prostration, fasting during the day, praying during the night, abstaining from the prohibited, awaiting salvation with patience, being a good neighbour, being a noble friend and (finally, always being with) ablutions (وضو) like Allah, the High, has - Volume 1 , Page 228 - Muntakhab al - Athar fi l-Imam al - thani Ashar: Selected Narrations about the Twelfth Imam

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[1]: In the second rakat of each prayer.

[2]: Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 525, Chap. 184, Tr. No. 1; Al-Waafi, vol. 2, pg. 299, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 756/2; Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 58, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 2; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 313, Chap. 29, Tr. No. 1; Al-Oyoon, vol. 1, pg. 65, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 35; Elal al-Sharaae, pg. 96, Chap. 85, Tr. No. 6; Tafseer al-Qummi, vol. 2, pg. 44; Al-Ehtejaaj, pg. 266; Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Toosi, pg. 154, Tr. No. 124; Isbaat al-Wasiyyah, pg. 121; Dalaael al-Imaamah, pg. 69, Tr. No. 21; Taqreeb al-Maaref, pg. 177; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 414, Chap. 48, Tr. No. 1 and Vol. 58, pg. 36, Chap. 42, Tr. No. 8 and pg. 39, Tr. No. 9; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 283, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 72; Al-Mahaasin, pg. 332; Hilyah al-Abraar, vol. 1, pg. 510, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 1; Al-Istinsaar, pg. 31; Al-Insaaf, pg. 90, Tr. No. 81.

[1]: ManLaa Yahzoroh al-Faqih, vol. 1, pg. 329, Tr. No. 1; Al-Kaafi, vol. 3, pg. 325, Chap. 191, Tr. No. 17; Al-Tahzeeb, vol. 2, pg. 110, Chap. 7, Tr. No. 416/184; Mishbaah al-Mutahajjid, pg. 168; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 83, pg. 235, Tr. No. 59; Lawaame’ of Sahebqaraani, vol. 4, pg. 176; Rawzah al-Muttaqeen, vol. 2, pg. 382.

[2]: Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 1, pg. 58, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 27; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 252, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 2; Kefaayah al-Asar, pg. 152, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 5; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 326, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 126; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 245, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 58; Al-Muhtazar, pg. 90; Tabyeen al-Mahajjah, pg. 283, Tr. No. 10; Al-Insaaf, pg. 299, Tr. No. 277; Al-Awaalem, vol. 15/3, pg. 44, Tr. No. 9.

[1]: Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a. s. ) , vol. 2, pg. 121, Chap. 35, Tr. No. 1 and 3; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 10, pg. 352, Chap. 20, Tr. No. 1; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 354, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 157.

[1]: Surah Fusselat (41): Verse 42.

commanded in His Book…’

295. Kitaab al-Fazl Ibn Shaazaan [1]

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[1]: Kefaayah al-Mahdi, pg. 10, Tr. No. 1; Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 2, pg. 541, Section 14, Chap. 9, Tr. No. 357 and 358 narrating from Al-Eteqaadaat of Shaikh Saduq (a. r. ).