The Jinns Come to the Imam for Religious Instructions and for Dealing with their Affairs

أَتَيْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي بَعْضِ مَا أَتَيْتُهُ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ لَا تَعْجَلْ حَتَّى حَمِيَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَيَّ وَ جَعَلْتُ أَتَتَبَّعُ الْأَفْيَاءَ فَمَا لَبِثَ أَنْ خَرَجَ عَلَيَّ قَوْمٌ كَأَنَّهُمُ الْجَرَادُ الصُّفْرُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْبُتُوتُ‌[3] قَدِ انْتَهَكَتْهُمُ الْعِبَادَةُ قَالَ فَوَ اللَّهِ لَأَنْسَانِي مَا كُنْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ حُسْنِ هَيْئَةِ الْقَوْمِ فَلَمَّا دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ لِي أَرَانِي قَدْ شَق

“On one of the occasion of my meeting with abu Ja‘far (a.s.) when I went tosee him he asked me to wait until the sun became very hot on me. I tried to follow the shadow from the sun. No very long thereafter a people came out of his presence that looked like locusts dressed in large gowns and very oale and slim due to e

كُنَّا بِبَابِهِ فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْمٌ أَشْبَاهُ الزُّطِّ[4] عَلَيْهِمْ أُزُرٌ وَ أَكْسِيَةٌ فَسَأَلْنَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْهُمْ فَقَالَ هَؤُلَاءِ إِخْوَانُكُمْ مِنَ الْجِنِّ.

“They were your brethren from Jinns.”

أَتَيْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع أُرِيدُ الْإِذْنَ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا رِحَالُ إِبِلٍ عَلَى الْبَابِ مَصْفُوفَةٌ وَ إِذَا الْأَصْوَاتُ قَدِ ارْتَفَعَتْ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ قَوْمٌ مُعْتَمِّينَ بِالْعَمَائِمِ يُشْبِهُونَ الزُّطَّ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَبْطَأَ إِذْنُكَ عَلَيَّ الْيَوْمَ وَ رَأَيْتُ قَوْماً خَرَجُوا عَلَيَّ مُعْتَمِّينَ بِالْعَمَائِمِ فَأَنْكَرْتُهُمْ فَقَالَ أَ وَ تَدْرِي مَن

I to ask permission to meet abu Ja‘far (a.s.). I found saddles of camels lined up in front of the door and noises coming very loud and then a people came out with turbans like those of the Indian gypsies. I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.) about them and said, may Allah take my soul in service for your cause. Today it took a lo

أَوْصَانِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع بِحَوَائِجَ لَهُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَخَرَجْتُ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا بَيْنَ فَجِّ الرَّوْحَاءِ[1] عَلَى رَاحِلَتِي إِذَا إِنْسَانٌ يَلْوِي ثَوْبَهُ‌[2] قَالَ فَمِلْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَ ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ عَطْشَانُ فَنَاوَلْتُهُ الْإِدَاوَةَ[3] فَقَالَ لِي لَا حَاجَةَ لِي بِهَا وَ نَاوَلَنِي كِتَاباً طِينُهُ رَطْبٌ قَالَ فَلَمَّا نَظَرْتُ إِلَى الْخَاتَمِ إِذَا خَاتَمُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَقُلْتُ مَتَى عَهْدُك

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.) asked me to help him in a few things in Maina. I left and when reached fajj al-Rawha’ a man waved to me with his cloths. The narrator has said that I turned to him and I though he was thirsty. I offered the cup but he declined saying, “I do not need it.” He gave a letter with its ink still not dried

رَأَيْتُ الرِّضَا ع وَاقِفاً عَلَى بَابِ بَيْتِ الْحَطَبِ وَ هُوَ يُنَاجِي وَ لَسْتُ أَرَى أَحَداً فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي لِمَنْ تُنَاجِي فَقَالَ هَذَا عَامِرٌ الزَّهْرَائِيُّ أَتَانِي يَسْأَلُنِي وَ يَشْكُو إِلَيَّ فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَسْمَعَ كَلَامَهُ فَقَالَ لِي إِنَّكِ إِنْ سَمِعْتِ بِهِ حُمِمْتِ سَنَةً فَقُلْتُ يَا سَيِّدِي أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَسْمَعَهُ- فَقَالَ لِيَ اسْمَعِي فَاسْتَمَعْتُ فَسَمِعْتُ شِ

“Once I saw al-Rida (a.s.) standing at the door of the firewood room and he was whispering but I would not see anyone else around. I then asked him, “My master, who are you talking to?” He said, “This is ‘Amir al-Zahra’i. He has come to ask a few questions and he has certain complains.” I then asked, “My master, I like

بَيْنَا أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ ثُعْبَانٌ مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ بَابٍ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَهَمَّ النَّاسُ أَنْ يَقْتُلُوهُ فَأَرْسَلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع أَنْ كُفُّوا فَكَفُّوا وَ أَقْبَلَ الثُّعْبَانُ يَنْسَابُ‌[2] حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَتَطَاوَلَ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فَأَشَارَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يَقِفَ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنْ خ

“Once when Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) was on the pulpit a serpent entered from one of the doors of the mosque. People wanted to kill him. Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) asked them to leave him alone. They left him alone. The serpent began to crawl to the pulpit. He stretched and saluted to Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.). Amir al-Mu’min

كُنْتُ مُزَامِلًا لِجَابِرِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ الْجُعْفِيِّ فَلَمَّا أَنْ كُنَّا بِالْمَدِينَةِ دَخَلَ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَوَدَّعَهُ وَ خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَ هُوَ مَسْرُورٌ حَتَّى وَرَدْنَا الْأُخَيْرِجَةَ[3] أَوَّلَ مَنْزِلٍ نَعْدِلُ مِنْ فَيْدَ[4] إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ- يَوْمَ جُمُعَةٍ فَصَلَّيْنَا الزَّوَالَ فَلَمَّا نَهَضَ بِنَا الْبَعِيرُ إِذَا أَنَا بِرَجُلٍ طُوَالٍ آدَمَ مَعَهُ كِتَابٌ فَنَاوَلَهُ جَابِراً فَتَن

“Once I was a companion of Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ja‘far‘fi on a journey. When reached he went to meet abu Ja‘far (a.s.). He said farewell to him and came out very happy until we arrived in al-’Ukhayraja, the first length of journey from Fayd to Madina. It was a Friday. We said our prayers at noon. When the camel rose to l