إِنَّ ابْنِي عَلِيّاً أَكْبَرُ وُلْدِي وَ أَبَرُّهُمْ عِنْدِي وَ أَحَبُّهُمْ إِلَيَّ وَ هُوَ يَنْظُرُ مَعِي فِي الْجَفْرِ وَ لَمْ يَنْظُرْ فِيهِ إِلَّا نَبِيٌّ أَوْ وَصِيُّ نَبِيٍّ.
“My son, Ali is the eldest of my sons and the most virtuous among them to me and the most beloved of them to me. He looks into the Jafr (a secret source of knowledge) with me. No one looks into it except a prophet or the executor of the will of a prophet.”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي قَدْ كَبِرَ سِنِّي فَخُذْ بِيَدِي مِنَ النَّارِ قَالَ فَأَشَارَ إِلَى ابْنِهِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع فَقَالَ هَذَا صَاحِبُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِي.
“I said to abu Ibrahim (a.s.), ‘May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, I have become old, take my hand out of fire.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) pointed to his son, abu al-Hassan (a.s.) and then said, “This is your guardian after me.”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلِ ع أَ لَا تَدُلُّنِي إِلَى مَنْ آخُذُ عَنْهُ دِينِي فَقَالَ هَذَا ابْنِي عَلِيٌّ إِنَّ أَبِي أَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَأَدْخَلَنِي إِلَى قَبْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَقَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قَالَ- إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً[1] وَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِذَا قَالَ قَوْلًا وَفَى بِهِ.
“I said to Abu al-Hassan the 1st (a.s.) 'Would you guide me to a person from whom I could learn my religion?'” He (the Imam) said, “This is my son Ali. My father took my hand until we were at the grave of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) and said, “My son, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has said, “. . I am appointi
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع إِنِّي قَدْ كَبِرَتْ سِنِّي وَ دَقَّ عَظْمِي وَ إِنِّي سَأَلْتُ أَبَاكَ ع فَأَخْبَرَنِي بِكَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي مَنْ بَعْدَكَ فَقَالَ هَذَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا.
“I said to abu al-Hassan aMusa (a.s.), ‘I have grown old and my bones are weakening. I asked your father (a.s.) and he informed me about you. Would you also inform me (about the Imam after you).” The Imam (a.s.) said, “This abu al-Hassan al-Rida.”
دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ عِنْدَهُ ابْنُهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع فَقَالَ لِي يَا زِيَادُ هَذَا ابْنِي فُلَانٌ كِتَابُهُ كِتَابِي وَ كَلَامُهُ كَلَامِي وَ رَسُولُهُ رَسُولِي وَ مَا قَالَ فَالْقَوْلُ قَوْلُهُ.
6. Ahmad ibn Mihran has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from Ziyad ibn Marwan al-Qandi, from the Waqifa sect who has said the following. “Once I went to see abu Ibrahim at that time his son abu al-Hassan al-Rida was with him. The Imam (a.s.) said to me, “O Ziyad, this is my son so and so. His writing is my writing, his
بَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع فَجَمَعَنَا ثُمَّ قَالَ لَنَا أَ تَدْرُونَ لِمَ دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَقُلْنَا لَا فَقَالَ اشْهَدُوا أَنَّ ابْنِي هَذَا وَصِيِّي وَ الْقَيِّمُ بِأَمْرِي وَ خَلِيفَتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عِنْدِي دَيْنٌ فَلْيَأْخُذْهُ مِنِ ابْنِي هَذَا وَ مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ عِنْدِي عِدَةٌ فَلْيُنْجِزْهَا مِنْهُ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ بُدٌّ مِنْ لِقَائِي فَلَا يَلْقَنِي إِلَّا بِكِتَابِهِ.
“Abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.) once called all of us to see him. We all gathered and then he said to us, “Do you know why have I called you?” We said, “We do not know.” He then said, “Bear testimony that this my son is the executor of my will, the director of my affairs and the succeeding Imam (a.s.). Whoever has a loan du
خَرَجَتْ إِلَيْنَا أَلْوَاحٌ مِنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع وَ هُوَ فِي الْحَبْسِ عَهْدِي إِلَى أَكْبَرِ وُلْدِي أَنْ يَفْعَلَ كَذَا وَ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ كَذَا وَ فُلَانٌ لَا تُنِلْهُ شَيْئاً حَتَّى أَلْقَاكَ أَوْ يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ الْمَوْتَ.
“My instructions and directives to my eldest son to do so and so. As far so and so is concerned, do not give him anything until I will meet you or Allah will decree otherwise.”
خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا مِنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع بِالْبَصْرَةِ أَلْوَاحٌ مَكْتُوبٌ فِيهَا بِالْعَرْضِ عَهْدِي إِلَى أَكْبَرِ وُلْدِي يُعْطَى فُلَانٌ كَذَا وَ فُلَانٌ كَذَا وَ فُلَانٌ كَذَا وَ فُلَانٌ لَا يُعْطَى حَتَّى أَجِيءَ أَوْ يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَيَّ الْمَوْتَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ ما يَشاءُ.
“In Basra (wherein the Imam (a.s.) was imprisoned) certain tablets came out to us from abu al-Hassan (a.s.) on which, it was written horizontally, ‘My instructions and directives to the my eldest son (Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (a.s.) who should give such and such to so and so. As far so and so is concerned do not give him a
كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ مِنَ الْحَبْسِ أَنَّ فُلَاناً ابْنِي سَيِّدُ وُلْدِي وَ قَدْ نَحَلْتُهُ كُنْيَتِي.
“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) wrote to me from prison that so and so my son is the master and guardian of my children and I have gifted my own (Kunya, Arabic) surname.”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يَحْدُثَ حَدَثٌ وَ لَا أَلْقَاكَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي مَنِ الْإِمَامُ بَعْدَكَ فَقَالَ ابْنِي فُلَانٌ يَعْنِي أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع.
“My son, so and so, meaning thereby abu al-Hassan (a.s.).”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع إِنِّي سَأَلْتُ أَبَاكَ ع مَنِ الَّذِي يَكُونُ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ هُوَ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع ذَهَبَ النَّاسُ يَمِيناً وَ شِمَالًا وَ قُلْتُ فِيكَ أَنَا وَ أَصْحَابِي فَأَخْبِرْنِي مَنِ الَّذِي يَكُونُ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ مِنْ وُلْدِكَ فَقَالَ ابْنِي فُلَانٌ.
12. Ahmad ibn Mihran has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali from Sa‘id ibn abu al-Jahm from al-Nasr ibn Qabus who has said the following. “I said to abu Ibrahim (a.s.), ‘I asked your father, “Who will be (the Imam) after you? He informed me that you will be (the Imam after him). When abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) left this world pe
جِئْتُ إِلَى أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع بِمَالٍ فَأَخَذَ بَعْضَهُ وَ تَرَكَ بَعْضَهُ فَقُلْتُ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ لِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ تَرَكْتَهُ عِنْدِي قَالَ إِنَّ صَاحِبَ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ يَطْلُبُهُ مِنْكَ فَلَمَّا جَاءَنَا نَعْيُهُ بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع ابْنُهُ فَسَأَلَنِي ذَلِكَ الْمَالَ فَدَفَعْتُهُ إِلَيْهِ.
“Once I went to deliver some property to abu Ibrahim (a.s.). He accepted some of it and left the others. I asked him, “May Allah keep you well, why have you left it with me?” He said, “The in charge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) will demand it from you.” When we heard the news of his (abu Ibrahim’s) d
أَبُو الْحَكَمِ وَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُمَارَةَ الْجَرْمِيُّ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ سَلِيطٍ قَالَ: لَقِيتُ أَبَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع وَ نَحْنُ نُرِيدُ الْعُمْرَةَ فِي بَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَلْ تُثْبِتُ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعَ الَّذِي نَحْنُ فِيهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَهَلْ تُثْبِتُهُ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ إِنِّي أَنَا وَ أَبِي لَقِينَاكَ هَاهُنَا وَ أَنْتَ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ مَع
“The the Imam (a.s.) said, “O Yazid, when ever you will pass through this place and meet and you will soon meet himgive him the glad news of the birth of trust worthy son to him, a protected and holy one. He will inform you of your meeting with me. You then inform him that the girl from whom this boy will be born is a
لَمَّا أَوْصَى أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع أَشْهَدَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْجَعْفَرِيَّ وَ إِسْحَاقَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْجَعْفَرِيَّ وَ إِسْحَاقَ بْنَ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ صَالِحٍ وَ مُعَاوِيَةَ الْجَعْفَرِيَّ وَ يَحْيَى بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ وَ سَعْدَ بْنَ عِمْرَانَ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ وَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ وَ يَزِيدَ بْنَ سَلِيطٍ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ وَ مُحَمَّدَ
I ask them to witness and bear testimony that he testifies that there is no Lord except Allah Who is the only Lord Who has no partner and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. The coming of the Hour (of judgment ) after death is true. The warning is true and that all people will be held responsible for their
دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَقْدَمَ الْعِرَاقَ بِسَنَةٍ وَ عَلِيٌّ ابْنُهُ جَالِسٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَمَا إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ حَرَكَةٌ فَلَا تَجْزَعْ لِذَلِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ مَا يَكُونُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَدْ أَقْلَقَنِي مَا ذَكَرْتَ فَقَالَ أَصِيرُ إِلَى الطَّاغِيَةِ أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَا يَبْدَأُنِي مِنْهُ سُوءٌ وَ مِنَ الَّذِي يَك
“Once I went to see abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.) one year before he would leave for Iraq. His son Ali (a.s.) was also in the meeting. He looked at me and said, “O Muhammad, during this year a movement will take place do not be disturbed in it.” The narrator has said that he then asked the Imam (a.s.), “‘May Allah take my