أَوْصَى أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع إِلَى ابْنِهِ الْحَسَنِ قَبْلَ مُضِيِّهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ أَشْهُرٍ وَ أَشْهَدَنِي عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَ جَمَاعَةً مِنَ الْمَوَالِي.
“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) prepared his directive will to his son, al-Hassan four months before his leaving this world. He appointed me to bear testimony to his will as well as a group of the follower friends.”
كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع فِي صَحْنِ دَارِهِ فَمَرَّ بِنَا مُحَمَّدٌ ابْنُهُ[5]- فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا صَاحِبُنَا بَعْدَكَ فَقَالَ لَا صَاحِبُكُمْ بَعْدِيَ الْحَسَنُ.
“Once I was with abu al-Hassan in the compound of his house and at that time his son, Muhammad passed by. I said to him, “may Allah take my souls in service for your cause, will he be our master, Imam, after you?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “ No, your master, Imam, after me will be al-Hassan (a.s.).” * This abu Ja‘far Muham
قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع صَاحِبُكُمْ بَعْدِيَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي عَلَيَّ قَالَ وَ لَمْ نَعْرِفْ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ.
“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) said, “Your master (Imam) after me will be the one who will perform prayer for me (prayer for burial).” The narrator has said that we did not know abu Muhammad (a.s.) before this. Abu Muhammad came out and prayed (for his burial).”
كُنْتُ حَاضِراً أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع لَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ ابْنُهُ مُحَمَّدٌ فَقَالَ لِلْحَسَنِ يَا بُنَيَّ أَحْدِثْ لِلَّهِ شُكْراً فَقَدْ أَحْدَثَ فِيكَ أَمْراً.
“I was present with abu al-Hassan (a.s.) when his son Muhammad died. The Imam (a.s.) said this to (his son) al-Hassan (a.s.), “Son renew your thanks to Allah because He has just granted you the matter (Leadership with Divine Authority).”
كُنْتُ حَاضِراً عِنْدَ مُضِيِّ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع فَجَاءَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع فَوُضِعَ لَهُ كُرْسِيٌّ فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ وَ حَوْلَهُ أَهْلُ بَيْتِهِ وَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ قَائِمٌ فِي نَاحِيَةٍ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ- الْتَفَتَ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ ع فَقَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ أَحْدِثْ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى شُكْراً فَقَدْ أَحْدَثَ فِيكَ أَمْراً.
“I was present at the time of abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Ali’s (leaving this world). Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) came and a chair was set for him. He sat on it and his family around him. Abu Muhammad was standing on one side. When he was free from the matters about abu Ja‘far he then turned to abu Muhammad (a.s.) and said, “My s
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع إِنْ كَانَ كَوْنٌ وَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ فَإِلَى مَنْ قَالَ عَهْدِي إِلَى الْأَكْبَرِ مِنْ وَلَدَيَّ.
“Once I said abu al-Hassan (a.s.), “If something will happen-I seek refuge before Allah – to who then will go (Leadership with Divine Authority)?” He said, “My covenant (directive will) is for the eldest of my sons.”
دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْعَسْكَرِيِّ ع وَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ابْنُهُ فِي الْأَحْيَاءِ وَ أَنَا أَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ هُوَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَنْ أَخُصُّ مِنْ وُلْدِكَ فَقَالَ لَا تَخُصُّوا أَحَداً حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ إِلَيْكُمْ أَمْرِي قَالَ فَكَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَعْدُ فِيمَنْ يَكُونُ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ فِي الْكَبِيرِ مِنْ وَلَدَيَّ قَالَ وَ كَانَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ أَكْبَرَ مِنْ أَبِي جَعْفَر
“Once I went to see al-Hassan al-‘Askari (a.s.) when his son abu Ja‘far (Muhammad ) was still alive and I thought he will be the Imam after his father. I then asked the Imam (a.s.), “May Allah take my souls in service for your cause, which of your sons I will consider (my Imam)?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “do not consider
فِي صَحْنِ دَارِهِ وَ النَّاسُ جُلُوسٌ حَوْلَهُ فَقَالُوا قَدَّرْنَا أَنْ يَكُونَ حَوْلَهُ مِنْ آلِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَ قُرَيْشٍ مِائَةٌ وَ خَمْسُونَ رَجُلًا سِوَى مَوَالِيهِ وَ سَائِرِ النَّاسِ إِذْ نَظَرَ إِلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ قَدْ جَاءَ مَشْقُوقَ الْجَيْبِ حَتَّى قَامَ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَ نَحْنُ لَا نَعْرِفُهُ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ أَحْدِثْ لِلَّه
“They were present on the day Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad, at the door of abu al-Hassan to offer condolences. A place in the compound of his house was prepared for him and people were sitting around him. They said, “We estimated that at that time from the descendents of abu Talib, Hashim and Quraysh there were about
دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع بَعْدَ مُضِيِّ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ فَعَزَّيْتُهُ عَنْهُ وَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ع جَالِسٌ فَبَكَى أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ع فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى قَدْ جَعَلَ فِيكَ خَلَفاً مِنْهُ فَاحْمَدِ اللَّهَ.
“I went to see abu al-Hassan (a.s.) after the death of abu Ja‘far and offered condolences for this reason. Abu Muhammad (a.s.) was also present. He wept and abu al-Hassan (a.s.) turned to him and said, “Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has made you to succeed (the Imam) instead of him. You must thanks Allah.”
كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع بَعْدَ مَا مَضَى ابْنُهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ وَ إِنِّي لَأُفَكِّرُ فِي نَفْسِي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَقُولَ كَأَنَّهُمَا أَعْنِي أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ وَ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ فِي هَذَا الْوَقْتِ- كَأَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى وَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ابْنَيْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ ع وَ إِنَّ قِصَّتَهُمَا كَقِصَّتِهِمَا إِذْ كَانَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُرْجَى بَعْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ قَبْلَ أ
“Abu Ja‘far and Abu Muhammad at this time are like Abu al-Hassan Musa and ’Isma‘il, the sons of Ja‘far ibn Muhammad (a.s.), and their stories are similar, since Abu Muhammad was the appointee after Abu Ja'far (AS).” At that moment, Abu al-Hassan turned to me before I could say anything and said, “Yes, O Abu Hashim, All
كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع- أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ابْنِي أَنْصَحُ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ غَرِيزَةً[4] وَ أَوْثَقُهُمْ حُجَّةً وَ هُوَ الْأَكْبَرُ مِنْ وَلَدَيَّ وَ هُوَ الْخَلَفُ وَ إِلَيْهِ يَنْتَهِي عُرَى الْإِمَامَةِ وَ أَحْكَامُهَا[1] فَمَا كُنْتَ سَائِلِي فَسَلْهُ عَنْهُ فَعِنْدَهُ مَا يُحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ.
“My son, abu Muhammad instinctively is the most considerate in the family of Muhammad (s.a). He possesses the strongest authoritative supporting evidence above them and he is the eldest of my sons. He is the succeeding Imam and to him go the rings of Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) and its rules. Whatever you
كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ فِي كِتَابٍ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَسْأَلَ عَنِ الْخَلَفِ بَعْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ وَ قَلِقْتَ[2] لِذَلِكَ فَلَا تَغْتَمَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَا يُضِلُ قَوْماً بَعْدَ إِذْ هَداهُمْ حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ما يَتَّقُونَ وَ صَاحِبُكَ بَعْدِي أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ابْنِي وَ عِنْدَهُ مَا تَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ يُقَدِّمُ مَا يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ وَ يُؤَخِّرُ مَا يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ- ما نَنْسَخْ مِنْ آ
“Abu al-Hassan wrote to me in a letter as herein below. “You wanted to ask about the succeeding Imam after (the death) of abu Ja‘far and you were anxious about it. Do not feel sad; “God does not misguide a nation after having given them guidance until the means of piety are made known to them. . .” (9:115) Allah, the M
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ الْخَلَفُ مِنْ بَعْدِيَ الْحَسَنُ فَكَيْفَ لَكُمْ بِالْخَلَفِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْخَلَفِ فَقُلْتُ وَ لِمَ جَعَلَنِيَ اللَّهُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لَا تَرَوْنَ شَخْصَهُ وَ لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ ذِكْرُهُ بِاسْمِهِ فَقُلْتُ فَكَيْفَ نَذْكُرُهُ فَقَالَ قُولُوا الْحُجَّةُ مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ.
‘The succeeding (Imam) after me will be al-Hassan. How will your dealing be with the succeeding (Imam) of the succeeding (Imam)?” I then said, “Why will that be so, may Allah take my souls in service for your cause?” He said, “You will not see him in person. It will not lawful for you to pronounce his name.” I then ask