The Birth of Abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali, the Second (a.s.)

مُحَمَّدٌ وَ كَانَ زَيْدِيّاً قَالَ: كُنْتُ بِالْعَسْكَرِ فَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّ هُنَاكَ رَجُلٌ مَحْبُوسٌ أُتِيَ بِهِ مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ الشَّامِ مَكْبُولًا[2] وَ قَالُوا إِنَّهُ تَنَبَّأَ[3] قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ خَالِدٍ فَأَتَيْتُ الْبَابَ وَ دَارَيْتُ الْبَوَّابِينَ وَ الْحَجَبَةَ حَتَّى وَصَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ لَهُ فَهْمٌ فَقُلْتُ يَا هَذَا مَا قِصَّتُكَ وَ مَا أَمْرُكَ قَالَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ رَجُلًا بِالشَّامِ أَعْبُد

“Muhammad who belonged to Zaydi sect said to me this. “I was in the army camp and I was told that there was a prisoner brought from the area of al-Sham (Syria) tied up and that he has proclaimed himself a prophet.” Ali ibn Khalid has said, “I went to him and found my way through the guards until I reached him. I found

كُنْتُ مُجَاوِراً بِالْمَدِينَةِ- مَدِينَةِ الرَّسُولِ ص وَ كَانَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع يَجِي‌ءُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مَعَ الزَّوَالِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَيَنْزِلُ فِي الصَّحْنِ وَ يَصِيرُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ يُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى بَيْتِ فَاطِمَةَ ع فَيَخْلَعُ نَعْلَيْهِ وَ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيَّ الشَّيْطَانُ فَقَالَ إِذَا نَزَلَ فَاذْهَبْ حَتَّى تَأْخُذَ مِنَ التُّرَابِ الَّذِي يَطَأُ عَلَ

“I lived in al-Madina of the Messenger of Allah. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) would come every day to the mosque at noon time. He would enter the compound and would turn to the shrine of the Messenger of Allah and offer his greeting of peace. He would then turn to the house of Fatima (a.s.), take off his shoes, stand up and pray.

خَرَجَ ع عَلَيَّ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى رَأْسِهِ وَ رِجْلَيْهِ لِأَصِفَ قَامَتَهُ لِأَصْحَابِنَا بِمِصْرَ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى قَعَدَ وَ قَالَ يَا عَلِيُّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ احْتَجَّ فِي الْإِمَامَةِ بِمِثْلِ مَا احْتَجَّ فِي النُّبُوَّةِ فَقَالَ- وَ آتَيْناهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا[1] قَالَ‌ وَ لَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ‌[2] وَ بَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً[3] فَقَدْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُؤْتَى الْحُكْمَ‌[4] صَبِيّاً وَ يَجُوزُ أَنْ

“He (abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) came out to me and I looked at his head and legs so I would be able to describe him physically to our people in Egypt. I kept looking until he sat down and said, “ O Ali, Allah’s presentation of proofs in support of Imam’s Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) is the

احْتَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع بِكُلِّ حِيلَةٍ فَلَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ فِيهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ[5]- فَلَمَّا اعْتَلَّ وَ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْنِيَ عَلَيْهِ ابْنَتَهُ‌[6] دَفَعَ إِلَى مِائَتَيْ وَصِيفَةٍ مِنْ أَجْمَلِ مَا يَكُونُ‌[7] إِلَى كُلِّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ جَاماً فِيهِ‌ جَوْهَرٌ يَسْتَقْبِلْنَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع إِذَا قَعَدَ فِي مَوْضِعِ الْأَخْيَارِ فَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ- مُخَارِق

“Al-Ma’mun did all he could to prove that abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.) was only a young man of worldly desires. However Al-Ma’mun could not succeed. When he became frustrated he gave his daughter in marriage to abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (a.s.). For the ceremony he sent two hundred most beautif

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع وَ مَعِي ثَلَاثُ رِقَاعٍ غَيْرُ مُعَنْوَنَةٍ وَ اشْتَبَهَتْ عَلَيَّ فَاغْتَمَمْتُ فَتَنَاوَلَ إِحْدَاهُمَا وَ قَالَ هَذِهِ رُقْعَةُ زِيَادِ بْنِ شَبِيبٍ ثُمَّ تَنَاوَلَ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ هَذِهِ رُقْعَةُ فُلَانٍ فَبُهِتُّ أَنَا فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ فَتَبَسَّمَ قَالَ وَ أَعْطَانِي ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ وَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَحْمِلَهَا إِلَى بَعْضِ بَنِي عَمِّهِ وَ قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ سَيَق

“This is the letter of Ziyad ibn Shabib.” Then he picked up the other one and said, “.This is the letter of so and so.” I became awe struck. He looked at me and smiled.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) then gave me three hundred Dinars and asked me to deliver them to the certain persons of the sons of his un

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع صَبِيحَةَ عُرْسِهِ حَيْثُ بَنَى بِابْنَةِ الْمَأْمُونِ وَ كُنْتُ تَنَاوَلْتُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ دَوَاءً فَأَوَّلُ مَنْ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فِي صَبِيحَتِهِ أَنَا وَ قَدْ أَصَابَنِي الْعَطَشُ وَ كَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَدْعُوَ بِالْمَاءِ فَنَظَرَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي وَجْهِي وَ قَالَ أَظُنُّكَ عَطْشَانَ فَقُلْتُ أَجَلْ فَقَالَ يَا غُلَامُ أَوْ جَارِيَةُ اسْقِنَا مَاءً فَقُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي السَّاعَةَ يَأْ

I went tot see abu Ja‘far (a.s.) in the morning of his marriage to the daughter of al-Ma’al-Ma’mun. The night before I had taken medicine and I was the first to meet him that morning. I was thirsty but did not like to ask for water. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) looked at me and said, “I think you are thirsty.” I said, “Yes, I am

اسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّوَاحِي مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَدَخَلُوا فَسَأَلُوهُ فِي مَجْلِسٍ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ ثَلَاثِينَ أَلْفَ مَسْأَلَةٍ فَأَجَابَ ع‌[2] وَ لَهُ عَشْرُ سِنِينَ.

“Once a group of Shi‘a from the suburbs asked permission to meet abu Ja‘far (a.s.). He granted them permission and they came in his presence. In one meeting they asked him thirty thousand questions. He answered them all and at that time he was ten years old.”

فَقَالَ لَهُ لِمَ لَمْ تَحْمَدِ اللَّهَ قَالَ ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُ بَعْدُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع وَ أَمَرَ لِي بِشَيْ‌ءٍ فَقُلْتُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَقَالَ لِي تَأَدَّبْتَ.

“Di‘bil ibn Ali once went to see abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) and he ordered his people to give him a certain gift but he did thank Allah.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) said to him, “Why did you not thank Allah?” The narrator has said that then I went to see abu Ja‘far (a.s.) and ordered his people to giv

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع‌[3] فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ حَدَثَ بِآلِ فَرَجٍ حَدَثٌ فَقُلْتُ مَاتَ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَتَّى أَحْصَيْتُ لَهُ أَرْبَعاً وَ عِشْرِينَ مَرَّةً فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هَذَا يَسُرُّكَ لَجِئْتُ حَافِياً أَعْدُو إِلَيْكَ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَ وَ لَا تَدْرِي مَا قَالَ لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ لِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ أَبِي قَالَ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ خَاطَبَهُ فِي شَيْ‌ء

“Once I went to see abu al-Hassan (a.s.). He said, “O Muhammad, has something happened to the family of al-Faraj (the governor of al-Madina )?” I said, “Yes, ‘Umar (a member of al-Faraj family) has died.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “All thanks and praise belongs to Allah.” He said it twenty four times. I then said, “My mast

صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي مَسْجِدِ الْمُسَيَّبِ وَ صَلَّى بِنَا فِي مَوْضِعِ الْقِبْلَةِ سَوَاءً[2] وَ ذُكِرَ أَنَّ السِّدْرَةَ الَّتِي فِي الْمَسْجِدِ كَانَتْ يَابِسَةً لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا وَرَقٌ فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ وَ تَهَيَّأَ تَحْتَ السِّدْرَةِ فَعَاشَتِ السِّدْرَةُ وَ أَوْرَقَتْ وَ حَمَلَتْ مِنْ عَامِهَا.

10. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from from Muhammad ibn Hassa’n from abu Hashim Ali-Ja‘fari who has said the following. “Once I prayed with abu Ja‘far (a.s.) in the Mosque of Ali-Musayyib. He lead the prayer with us and as to the direction of Makka he stood up facing straight. He also has said that a berry tree that wa

مَضَى أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع وَ لِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ فَقُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي ذَهَبَ مَالِي فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع إِذَا كَانَ غَداً فَأْتِنِي وَ لْيَكُنْ مَعَكَ مِيزَانٌ وَ أَوْزَانٌ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَقَالَ لِي مَضَى أَبُو الْحَسَنِ وَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَرَفَعَ الْمُصَلَّى الَّذِي كَانَ تَحْتَهُ فَإِذَا تَحْتَهُ دَنَانِيرُ فَد

“Abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) passed away and owed my four thousand dirhams. I said to myself, “My money is lost.” Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) sent me a message to come to him the next day and bring with me a balance and weighing stones.” I went to see hiom and he said, “Abu al-Hassan has passed away. Did he owe you four thousan

قُبِضَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ وَ هُوَ ابْنُ خَمْسٍ وَ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً- وَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ وَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ يَوْماً تُوُفِّيَ يَوْمَ الثَّلَاثَاءِ لِسِتٍّ خَلَوْنَ مِنْ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ[3] سَنَةَ عِشْرِينَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ- عَاشَ بَعْدَ أَبِيهِ تِسْعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً إِلَّا خَمْساً وَ عِشْرِينَ يَوْماً.

12. Sa‘d ibn ‘Abdallah and Ali-Himyari all have narrated fom Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar from his brother Ali from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Muhammad ibn Sinan who has said the following. “Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s.) passed away at the age of twenty five years, three months and twelve days. He died on a Tuesday on the sixth of Dhi