The Commands of the Holy Prophet to Wish Well for the Imams of Muslims, Remain Close with their Group and as to Who They are.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn abu Dawud from ‘Abd Allah ibn Aban who has said the following: “Once, we visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and he asked us, ‘Does anyone of you have anything of the knowledge of my uncle, Zayd ibn Ali?’ A man from the group said, ‘I have something of the knowledge of your uncle. Once, we were in the presence of Imam one night in the house of Mu‘awiyah ibn Ishaq al-Ansariy when he said, “Allow us to visit al-Sahlah Masjid to perform Salah (prayer).’” Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then asked, ‘Did he do so?’ He (the man) replied, ‘Something came up that prevented him from visiting al-Sahlah Masjid.’ The Imam then said, ‘By Allah, had he sought refuge with Allah therein for a year he would have given him such refuge. You should take notice that it is the house of prophet Idris. Therein he did his sewing works. From this place Ibrahim started his journey to Yemen, where al-‘Amaliqah people has settled down. Dawud began his move against Jalut (Goliath) from this place. In it, there is the green stone on which every prophet’s picture exists. From under this stone the clay of every prophet was taken and it is the place where the rider disembarks for rest.’ It was asked, ‘Who is the rider?’ The Imam replied, ‘He is al- Khadir.’”

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

Muhammad b. al-Hasan narrated from some of our companions, from Ali b. al-Hakam, from al-Hakam b. Miskin, from a man of Quraysh from the people of Mecca, who said: Sufyan al-Thawri said to me, "Take us to Ja'far b. Muhammad." So I went with him to him, and we found him mounted on his riding animal. Sufyan said to him, "O Abu Abdillah, narrate to us the sermon of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in Masjid al-Khayf." He (Ja'far) replied, "Let me go about my errand, for I have mounted. When I return, I will narrate it to you." Sufyan insisted, "I ask you by your kinship to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) to narrate it to me now." So he dismounted and called for an inkwell and parchment. Then he said, "Write: In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The sermon of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in Masjid al-Khayf: 'May God brighten the face of a servant who hears my words, retains them, and conveys them to those who did not hear them. O people, let the one who is present convey to the one who is absent. Perhaps a bearer of knowledge is not understanding, and perhaps he conveys it to one who understands better than he does. Three things the heart of a Muslim will never harbor ill against: sincerity in action for God, sincere counsel to the leaders of the Muslims, and adherence to their congregation, for their supplication encompasses those behind them. Believers are brothers, their blood is equal, and they are united against others. The protection given by the lowest among them is binding on all.'" Sufyan wrote it down and read it back to Ja'far, then he mounted again. As we walked along the road, Sufyan stopped and said, "Wait, let me review this hadith." I said to him, "By God, Abu Abdillah has bound something to your neck that will never leave you." He asked, "And what is that?" I said, "Three things: 1. **Sincerity in action for God**—we understand that. 2. **Sincere counsel to the leaders of the Muslims**—who are these leaders that we must advise? Is it Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan, Yazid b. Mu'awiya, Marwan b. al-Hakam, and all those whose testimony we do not accept and behind whom we do not pray? 3. **Adherence to their congregation**—which congregation? Is it the Murji'ah, who claim that even if one does not pray, fast, purify himself from impurity, demolishes the Kaaba, and commits incest with his mother, he still has the faith of Jibril and Mikail? Or is it the Qadariyya, who say that God's will does not prevail but that of Iblis does? Or is it the Haruriyya, who dissociate from Ali b. Abi Talib and accuse him of disbelief? Or the Jahmiyya, who claim that faith is merely the knowledge of God and nothing more?" Sufyan exclaimed, "Woe to you! Then who do they say the true leader is?" I replied, "They say, by God, that Ali b. Abi Talib is the Imam whose counsel is obligatory upon us, and that adherence to the congregation means his household." At that, Sufyan took the paper, tore it up, and said, "Do not tell anyone about this!"

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ali ibn al-Hassan ibn Ali from ‘Uthman from Salih ibn abu al-Aswad who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when al-Sahlah Masjid was mentioned, said, ‘It is the dwelling of our companion when he rises (with Divine Authority).”’

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all together from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Burayd ibn Mu‘awiya from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) who has said the following. “the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, would not look to a friend of His who would strive and pressure his soul in obedience to his Imam and wishing well for him but that he will be with us in the high position in paradise.”

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

4. A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn al-Faddal from abu Jamila from Muhammad al-Halabi from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Whoever would distance himself from the company the Muslims even by one shibr (one foot) he has removed the band of allegiance with Islam from his neck.”

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