The Cotton White Dress

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from ibn al-Qaddah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must wear white because it is fine and pure; and shroud your dead people with it.”’

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Mansur ibn Yunus from abu Hamzah who has narrated the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Do not swear except by Allah and one who swears by Allah must be considered truthful. One must agree with an oath by Allah. If one does not agree with an oath by Allah, is not of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.’”

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

2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Muthanna’ al-Hannat who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must wear white; it is fine and pure; and shroud your dead people with it.’”

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

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz who has narrated the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘If one swears by Allah it must be considered true, if one does not believe he is not of Allah. One must agree with an oath by Allah, if he does do so he is not of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.’”

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 certain persons of his people from Safwan al-Jammal who has said the following: “I provided abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), transportation to al-Kufah for the second time and abu Ja‘far al-Mansur was in it. When he (the Imam) arrived in al-Hashimiyah, the city of abu Ja‘far, al- Mansur, he (the Imam) pulled out his feet from the saddle’s stirrups and dismounted. He asked for al- Shahba ’ mule and dressed in white, with a white hat. When he (the Imam) entered the place of abu Ja‘far al-Mansur he said, ‘You have dressed like the Prophets.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘Why do you want to distance me from the children of the Prophets?’ Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur said, ‘I was planning to send to al-Madinah an army to uproot all its palm trees, take all of its inhabitants as captives.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Why did you want to do so, O ’Amir al-Mu’minin?’ abu Ja‘far al- Mansur said, ‘Because I am informed that your slave Mu‘alla’ ibn Khunayth calls people to you and collects funds for you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘By Allah it is not true.’ Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur said, ‘I cannot agree with you unless it is swearing to divorce, setting free of slaves, sacrificial offering and walking (Sa‘y).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Are you commanding me to swear by things as partners of Allah? One who is not happy with Allah has no case with Allah.’ Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur said, ‘Are you showing me how great your knowledge of the law is?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Why do you distance me from understanding and law when I am a child of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause?’ Abu Ja‘far al- Mansur said, ‘I will bring the informer face to face with you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can definitely do so.’ The informer came and abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked him, ‘O so and so.’ He replied, ‘Yes, by Allah, besides whom no one deserves to be worshipped, who knows the unseen and seen, the Beneficent, the Merciful that you have done so (called people to yourself . . .).’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to him, ‘Woe is on you! Are you glorifying Allah so that He may feel embarrassed to punish you?’ You must say, ‘I denounce the means and power of Allah and I resort to my own means and power.’ The man then took the oath the way he was told but before completing he dropped dead.’ Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur then said, ‘I will not believe anyone thereafter against you.’ He gave him (the Imam) good rewards and allowed him to go back.’”

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

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid f, abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘You must wear cotton clothes because it is the clothes of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and our clothes.”’

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