Excellence of Son

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الْوَلَدُ الصَّالِحُ رَيْحَانَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ قَسَمَهَا بَيْنَ عِبَادِهِ وَ إِنَّ رَيْحَانَتَيَّ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا- الْحَسَنُ وَ الْحُسَيْنُ سَمَّيْتُهُمَا بِاسْمِ سِبْطَيْنِ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ شَبَّراً وَ شَبِيراً[2].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘A virtuous son is a sweet smelling flower from Allah which Allah distributes among His servants. My sweet smelling flowers in this world are al-Hassan a

قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع‌ مِنْ سَعَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ وُلْدٌ يَسْتَعِينُ بِهِمْ.

“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), has said, ‘It is of prosperity and good fortune of a man to have sons who help and support him.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ أَكْثِرُوا الْوَلَدَ أُكَاثِرْ بِكُمُ الْأُمَمَ غَداً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You (my followers) should bring up more children because I will claim to have the majority with you among the nations tomorrow (on the Day of Judgment).

لَمَّا لَقِيَ يُوسُفُ أَخَاهُ قَالَ لَهُ يَا أَخِي كَيْفَ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَتَزَوَّجَ النِّسَاءَ بَعْدِي‌ قَالَ إِنَّ أَبِي أَمَرَنِي وَ قَالَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَكُونَ لَكَ ذُرِّيَّةٌ تُثْقِلُ الْأَرْضَ بِالتَّسْبِيحِ فَافْعَلْ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When Yusuf ‘Alayhi al-Salam, met his brother, he asked him, ‘How could you marry women after me?’ He replied, ‘My father commanded me and said, ‘If you like to have such a number of children who can make the earth heavy with Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) you must do so.’”

إِنَّ فُلَاناً رَجُلًا سَمَّاهُ قَالَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ زَاهِداً فِي الْوَلَدِ حَتَّى وَقَفْتُ بِعَرَفَةَ فَإِذَا إِلَى جَانِبِي غُلَامٌ شَابٌّ يَدْعُو وَ يَبْكِي وَ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ وَالِدَيَّ وَالِدَيَّ فَرَغَّبَنِي فِي الْوَلَدِ حِينَ سَمِعْتُ ذَلِكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that so and so -whose name he (the Imam) mentioned- once said, ‘I was not interested in children until I stood in al-‘Arafat and there was a young man next to me who prayed and wept, saying, “O Lord, my parents, (grant blessings to) my parents.” Hearing this made me interested in childr

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مِنْ سَعَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ الْوَلَدُ الصَّالِحُ.

the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Of good fortune and prosperity of a man is his having the virtuous son.’”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع أَنِّي اجْتَنَبْتُ طَلَبَ الْوَلَدِ مُنْذُ خَمْسِ سِنِينَ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَهْلِي كَرِهَتْ ذَلِكَ وَ قَالَتْ إِنَّهُ يَشْتَدُّ عَلَيَّ تَرْبِيَتُهُمْ لِقِلَّةِ الشَّيْ‌ءِ فَمَا تَرَى فَكَتَبَ ع إِلَيَّ اطْلُبِ الْوَلَدَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَرْزُقُهُمْ.

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘I have avoided praying for a son for five years because my wife dislikes it and says that bringing up a child is very difficult because of lack of resources.’ He (the Imam) (a.s.), wrote to me, ‘Ask for them (children): Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, will grant them

إِنَّ أَوْلَادَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَوْسُومُونَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ شَافِعٌ وَ مُشَفَّعٌ فَإِذَا بَلَغُوا اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً كَانَتْ‌[1] لَهُمُ الْحَسَنَاتُ فَإِذَا بَلَغُوا الْحُلُمَ كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّيِّئَاتُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Children of believing people are named before Allah, as intercessors with accepted intercession. When they become twelve years old they can have good deeds and when they mature then sins are written against them.’”

أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع كَانَ يَقْرَأُ- وَ إِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوالِيَ‌ مِنْ وَرائِي‌[2] يَعْنِي أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَارِثٌ حَتَّى وَهَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بَعْدَ الْكِبَرِ.

I am afraid for my dependents after me,’ (19:6) meaning that he had no heirs until Allah granted him (an heir) after his becoming very old.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ الْوَلَدَ الصَّالِحَ رَيْحَانَةٌ مِنْ رَيَاحِينِ الْجَنَّةِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘A virtuous son is a sweet smelling flower from the flowers of paradise.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مِنْ سَعَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ الْوَلَدُ الصَّالِحُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘It is of the prosperity and good fortune of a man to have the virtuous son.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَرَّ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ع بِقَبْرٍ يُعَذَّبُ صَاحِبُهُ ثُمَّ مَرَّ بِهِ مِنْ قَابِلٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ لَا يُعَذَّبُ فَقَالَ يَا رَبِّ مَرَرْتُ بِهَذَا الْقَبْرِ عَامَ أَوَّلَ فَكَانَ يُعَذَّبُ وَ مَرَرْتُ بِهِ الْعَامَ فَإِذَا هُوَ لَيْسَ يُعَذَّبُ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ أَدْرَكَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ فَأَصْلَحَ طَرِيقاً وَ آوَى يَتِيماً فَلِهَذَا غَفَرْتُ لَهُ بِمَا فَعَلَ ابْنُهُ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said the following: ‘Jesus, son of Marry, once passed by a grave wherein its dweller suffered a great suffering. He passed by the same grave afterward but foun