The Engraving on the Ring

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the engraving on the ring of the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, said, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’. The engraving on the ring of ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), said, ‘Allah is the owner’ and the engraving on the ring of my father said, ‘All glory belongs to Allah’.”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamil ibn Darraj from Yunus ibn Dhibyan and Hafs ibn Ghiyath who has said the following: “Once we asked Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘We pray to Allah to keep our souls in service for your cause, is it undesirable to write on one’s ring something other than one’s name and the name of one’s father?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The writing on my ring says, ‘Allah is the Creator of all things’. On the ring of my father, Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s.), who was the best Muhammadi, I saw with my own eyes, the writing said, ‘All glory belongs to Allah. ’ On the ring of Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), the writing said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, the most High, the most Great.’ On the ring of al-Hassan and al-Husayn (a.s.) the writing said, ‘Allah is sufficient for me.’ On the ring of ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), the writing said, ‘Allah is the owner’.’”

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

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Nuhaykiy from Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid who has said that:Mu‘attib passed by me and there was a ring with him and I asked him what it was? He replied, ‘It is the ring of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.).’ I took it to read what was written on it and it said, ‘O Lord, You are my protector so protect me from the mischief of Your creatures.’” (This may not be consider a Hadith directly from an Imam, but it speaks what was written on the ring of the Imam)

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

4. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Abu Nasr who has said the following: “I once was with Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), and he (the Imam) showed us the ring of Abu ‘Abd Allah, and Abu al-Hassan (a.s.). On the ring of Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), it said, ‘You are my trusty so protect me from people. ’ The engraving on the ring of Abu al- Hassan (a.s.), said, ‘Allah is sufficient for me’ and there was a flower and a crescent on its upper part.’”

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

5. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the engraving on his ring and the ring of his father. He (the Imam) said, ‘The engraving on my ring says, ‘It is whatever Allah wants and there is no power except the power of Allah’ and the engraving on the ring of my father said, ‘Allah is sufficient for me’ and it is what I used for my ring.’”

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

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Afi ibn Ma’bad from af-Husayn ibn Khafid who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘On the ring of Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), the writing said, ‘Disgraced and destroyed are murderers of al-Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.)’”

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

7. Sahf ibn Ziyad has narrated from certain persons of his people from Wasil ibn Sulayman from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Once we mentioned the ring of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and he (the Imam) said, ‘Will you like if I show you?’ I replied, ‘Yes, (I will be delighted to see it).’ He (the Imam) then asked for a sealed package and took from it a pack of cotton in which there was a ring of silver. It had a piece of black stone with two lines of writing that said, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) said, ‘The stone of the ring of the Holy Prophet is black.’”

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

8. Sahl ibn Ziyad Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Khalid who has said the following: “I once said to Abu al-Hasan, al-Thani (a.s.), ‘We narrate in Hadith that the Messenger of Allah (saww) after using the rest room performed cleansing while wearing his ring on his finger and so also did ’Amir al-Mu’minin. The engraving on the ring of the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’. He (the Imam) said, ‘They have spoken the truth.’ I then asked, ‘Is it proper for us to do so?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘They wore the ring on their right hand and you wear it on your left hand.’ I then remained quiet and he (the Imam) asked, ‘Do you know what the engraving on the ring of Adam (a.s.) was?’ I replied, ‘No, I do not know.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It was ‘No one deserves worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ The engraving on the ring of the last and seal of the prophets said, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’. The engraving on the ring of ’Amir al-Mu’minin said, ‘Allah is the owner. ’ On the ring of al-Hasan (a.s.), it said, ‘All glory belongs to Allah.’ On the ring of al-Husayn (a.s.), it said, ‘Allah achieves His goals.’ On the ring of Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) it was like the ring of his father. On the ring of Abu Ja‘far, the great, it was like the ring of his grandfather. On the ring of Ja‘far (a.s.), it said, ‘Allah is my Guardian and protector from His creatures. ’ On the ring of Abu al- Hasan, al-Awwal (a.s.), it said, ‘Allah is sufficient for me.’ On the ring of Abu al-Hasan, al-Thani (a.s.), it said, ‘It is all what Allah wants, there is no power except Allah.’ Al-Husayn ibn Khalid has said that he (the Imam) then extended his hand to me and said, ‘The engraving on my ring is like the engraving on the ring of my father (a.s.).’” (Abu al-Hasan, al-Thani (a.s.), it seems had two rings. One was his own ring with engraving that said, ‘It is all what Allah wants, there is no power except Allah’ and his other ring was the ring of his father).

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

9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘If one engraves the name of Allah on his ring he must change it from the hand with which one performs cleansing (washing one’s bottom).”’

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