Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu ‘Abdallah Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq’s (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.)

نَظَرَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَمْشِي فَقَالَ تَرَى هَذَا هَذَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ نُرِيدُ أَنْ نَمُنَ‌ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ‌ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِينَ‌[2].

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) looked at abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who was walking. The Imam (a.s.) said, ‘Do you see this (person)? This is of those about whom Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has said, “However, We have decided to grant a favor to the suppressed ones by appointing them leaders and heirs of the land,” [28:5]:

لَمَّا حَضَرَتْ أَبِي ع الْوَفَاةُ قَالَ يَا جَعْفَرُ أُوصِيكَ بِأَصْحَابِي خَيْراً قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَ اللَّهِ لَأَدَعَنَّهُمْ وَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُمْ يَكُونُ فِي الْمِصْرِ فَلَا يَسْأَلُ أَحَداً.

"When my father was about to leave this world he said, 'O Ja‘far, I recommend you to be good to my companions.' I then said, “May I be your ransom, by Allah, I will educate them as such that in any city where any of them would live he would not need to ask others for knowledge (of religion).”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ مِنْ سَعَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ الْوَلَدُ يَعْرِفُ فِيهِ شِبْهَ خَلْقِهِ وَ خُلُقِهِ وَ شَمَائِلِهِ وَ إِنِّي لَأَعْرِفُ مِنِ ابْنِي هَذَا شِبْهَ خَلْقِي وَ خُلُقِي وَ شَمَائِلِي يَعْنِي أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع.

“It is part of the success of a man to have a child who is similar to his father physically, ethically and in good character. I do not know anyone more similar to me physically, ethically and in good character than this son of mine." (meaning thereby Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.))

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَأَقْبَلَ جَعْفَرٌ ع فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع هَذَا خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ أَوْ أَخْيَرُ.

“Once I was in the presence of Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) when Ja‘far (a.s.) came. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) said, “He (Ja‘far) is the best of the people or the best of best among them.”

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَأَقْبَلَ جَعْفَرٌ ع فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع هَذَا خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ.

“Once I was in the presence of Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) when Ja‘far (a.s.) came. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) said, “This (Ja‘far ) is the best of the people.”

كُنْتُ قَاعِداً عِنْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَأَقْبَلَ جَعْفَرٌ ع فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع هَذَا خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ.

“Once I was in the presence of abu Ja‘far (a.s.) that Ja‘far (a.s.) came. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) said, “This (Ja‘far) is the best of the people.”

سُئِلَ عَنِ الْقَائِمِ ع فَضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ هَذَا وَ اللَّهِ قَائِمُ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص قَالَ عَنْبَسَةُ فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِذَلِكَ فَقَالَ صَدَقَ جَابِرٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَرَوْنَ أَنْ لَيْسَ كُلُّ إِمَامٍ هُوَ الْقَائِمَ بَعْدَ الْإِمَامِ الَّذِي كَانَ قَبْلَهُ.

"A question was asked of Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) about al-Qa’im (the twelfth Imam (a.s.). He (Abu Ja‘far) tapped (at the shoulder of) Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) and said, 'This, by Allah, is the Qa’im (one who will establish the kingdom of Allah) of the family of Muhammad (s.w.).' ‘Anbasa has said, 'When Abu Ja‘far passed away, we

إِنَّ أَبِي ع اسْتَوْدَعَنِي مَا هُنَاكَ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَتْهُ الْوَفَاةُ قَالَ ادْعُ لِي شُهُوداً فَدَعَوْتُ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فِيهِمْ نَافِعٌ مَوْلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ اكْتُبْ هَذَا مَا أَوْصَى بِهِ يَعْقُوبُ بَنِيهِ‌ يا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفى‌ لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ‌[1] وَ أَوْصَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ إِلَى جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَمَر

“My father entrusted me with all that is there (the sacred objects inherited from the prophets such as directive wills etc.). When he was about to leave this world, he asked me to call for him a few people to bear testimony. I then called for him four people from Quraysh among them was Nafi‘ Mawla ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Umar.