1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from all from al- Hassan ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man from Salam ibn al-Mustanir who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, . . created and not created . . (22:5) He (the Imam) said, ‘Created are those whom Allah created in the back of Adam (a.s.). He made them to promise and make a covenant. Then He allowed them to move through the backs of men and wombs of women. They are the ones who come out in the world so that they are asked about the covenant. His words ‘not created’ refer to every strand or trace that Allah did not create in the back of Adam (a.s.) when He created the particles and made them to form the covenant. They were the seeds that were not allowed to take place in the womb or were aborted before the spirit was blown in them as well as life and continued life.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from those whom he has mentioned who has said the following: “I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘He knows what every female bears and what the wombs decrease (spoil) and what they increase (dispose).’ (13:8) He (the Imam) said, ‘Decrease’ is every pregnancy before nine months and ‘increase’ is what is more than nine months. Whenever a woman experiences pure blood discharge during her pregnancy a similar number of days are increased in the length of her pregnancy.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ibn Faddal from al-Hasan ibn al-Jahm that he heard Abul Hasan al-Ridha (as) say: Abu Ja'far (al-Baqir) (as) said: "Sperm in the womb after forty days becomes a clot, and then after another forty days becomes a fetus. When four months pass by, Allah sends two creating angels and they ask, “Oh Lord, what do You want to create, male or female?". They are then commanded accordingly. Then they ask, "Oh Lord, do You want him to be miserable or happy?". They are then commanded accordingly. Then they ask, "When is his term (of death)? What is his sustenance and its quantity?". They then write the covenant (of monotheism) between his eyes. When God's appointed time (i.e. pregnancy) for the fetus comes, He sends an angel to prompt it, causing it to emerge and emerges forgotten about the covenant (of monotheism)." Al-Hasan ibn al-Jahm asked him (Imam al-Ridha): "Would Allah a change a female into a male, or a male into a female, if someone were to supplicate to him for that?". So he said: "Indeed Allah does what He wills".

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father all from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘When Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, wants to create the seed which has formed the covenant when taken from the back of Adam or what appears to Him, (due to al-Bada’ ) He places it in the womb and moves the man to go to bed with the woman (his wife). He inspires the womb to open its door so that His creature can enter in it and His authoritative determination and measure. The womb opens its door and the seed reaches the womb, then turns back and forth for forty days, then it becomes a clot, then an embryo in forty days, then a piece of flesh in which veins spread like a net. Then Allah sends two creative angels in the womb who make in the womb as Allah wills. They enter inside the woman through her mouth until they reach her womb. In it (the seed) is the old spirit transferred from the backs of men to the wombs of women, then they blow in it the spirit of life and continued life and carve for him ears, eyes, all of his parts and all the inside by the permission of Allah. Then Allah sends revelation to the two angels that says, ‘Write upon him My authoritative command of determination and measures and stipulate for me a change of plan (al- bada’) in what you write.’ They then ask, ‘What must we write, O Lord?’ Allah then reveals to them to raise their heads to the head of his mother.’ They then raise their heads and find a tablet knocking [informing] from the forehead of his mother. They look at it and find in it his shape, fashion, duration of his life, his covenant of being a virtuous or a wicked one and all of his characteristics.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘One of them dictates, the other writes all that is in the tablet and stipulates the condition of change of plan (al-bada’). They seal the book and place it between his two eyes, then they make him stand up in the belly of his mother.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He perhaps turns insolent and changes and this only happens with insolent and disobedient ones. When it is time for his coming out Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, inspires the womb to open its door so that His creature can come out to His earth so that His command is applied to him; it is time for him to come out.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘The womb then opens the door of the child and Allah sends an angel called a reprimanding one, who reprimands him and it makes him feel shocked. His head turns downward and his feet upward thus Allah makes it easy for the child to come out as well as for the woman.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘When he stops the angel reproaches him again which gives him a shock again. He then falls on the ground crying and upset because of the reproach.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl from abu Hamzah who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the creation. He (the Imam) said, ‘When Allah, most Blessed, most High, created the creation from clay He poured them as arrows are poured, took out the Muslim ones, made him fortunate and made the unbeliever wicked ones. When the seed falls angels receive it and give it its shape then they ask, ‘O Lord, do You want it to be a male or female? ’ The Lord, most Majestic, most Glorious, then says whatever He wants.’ The two then say, ‘Blessed is Allah the best Creator.’ It then is placed inside her and it moves back and forth for nine days in every vein and joint. Inside from her to the womb there are three locks. One lock is for the upper side parallel to the bellybutton from the right side, the other lock is from the midsection and another lock is lower in the womb. After nine days, it is placed in the upper lock where it remains for three months and at this time, the woman experiences disgust and nausea. Thereafter it comes down to the middle lock and remains there for three months. The bellybutton of the child connects to a group of veins and all of the veins of the woman from which food enters as well as drinks by the way of these groups of veins. Then the child descends down to the third lock where the child remains for another three months and this completes nine months. The woman then undergoes childlabor and with every pain a vein of the veins disconnect from the bellybutton of the child. When pain starts his hand rests on his bellybutton and he falls on the ground with his hands spread and thereafter his sustenance is by the way of his mouth.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il or others who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, can a pregnant woman pray to Allah to make the child inside her a well formed boy?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She can do so from conception up to the fourth month. Up to forty nights it is sperm, for another forty nights it is a clot and for another forty nights it is an embryo, thereafter Allah sends two creative angles who ask, “O Lord, what must we create, a male or female, fortunate or unfortunate?” Their question is then answered. They then ask, “O Lord, what is his sustenance, when is the time of his death and what is the length of his life?” It all then is told to them and his covenant is between his eyes to which he looks. He still is inside his mother until the time of his coming out draws near. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sends an angel who drives him out with reproach that sends him into shock and he forgets the covenant?”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from Zurarah ibn ’ A‘yan who has said the following: “I once heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘When the seed falls in the womb it settles there for forty days, remains as a clot for forty days and as an embryo for another forty days. Allah then sends two creative angels with instruction to create him, as Allah wants it to be. It can be a male or a female. They shape him and write down the duration of his life, the time of his death, that he is a fortunate or unfortunate. The two must write down between his eyes the covenant of Allah, which He has taken from him in the condition of being particles. When the time for his coming out from the belly of his mother draws near; Allah sends an angel called admonisher who admonishes him that sends him into shock. He forgets the covenant and falls on the ground weeping because of the admonition of the angel?”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.