Virtues of ‘Ali’s Children — part 3/3

The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Jabir ibn Abdullah as saying: Truly, paradise longs for four members of my Ahl al-Bayt whom Allah loves and has ordered me to love. They are ‘Ali, Hasan, Husayn, and Mahdi whom Jesus will follow in prayer.²³ The Messenger of Allah has also said: There are four groups for whom I will intercede on the Day of Judgment; those who respect my progeny, those who endeavor to meet their needs, those who help them out in difficult situations, and finally those who have love for my progeny and express it.²⁴

It has been reported on the authority of Layth ibn Sad: In the year 110 A.H., I went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. I circumambulated Kabah, I did Say (ritual roaming) between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, and went up Mount Abu-Qubays. There, I found a man who had raised his hands in prayer, uttering the words “o Lord, o Lord” to the extent that he was almost fainting.

Then he uttered “O Allah, o Allah, o the Ever-living, the self-subsistent, o the Lord of Glory and Hhonor, o Lord, o Lord” so frequently that he was almost out of breath. Then, he said: O Lord! These two striped clothes I have on are worn out, give me a new one. Hunger has made me intolerant, give me food! Immediately I saw a basket full of grapes with no seed and a set of suit in the form of two-piece striped clothes in front of him! I went to him without any delay so as to eat from the grapes. He prevented me from eating. I said: I will share you with this blessing. He said: Why?

I said: I heard your prayer and said amen. He said: Eat from it but do not save any! We were engaged in eating. Although it was not the season for grapes, and nothing like it could be found in the city, after eating, I found out that the grapes were intact. Then he gave me one of those striped clothes. I said: I am in no need of clothes. He said: Take a distance from me so that I will put them on. I took a distance from him. He wore the clothes, took his old clothes in his hand and came down the mountain and went away. I started to follow him. On the way, a beggar who was half-naked said: O son of the daughter of the Messenger of Allah! Give me the clothes you have in your hand. May Allah give you clothes. He gave the clothes to the poor man. I followed the beggar and asked him: Who was that man? He said: Jafar ibn Muhammad Sadiq (a.s).

وَعَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: إنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تَشْتَاقُ إلَى أَرْبَعَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِي؛ قَدْ أَحَبَّهُمُ اللهُ وَأَمَرَنِي بِحُبِّهِمْ: عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَالْحَسَنِ وَالْحُسَيْنِ وَالْمَهْدِيِّ، صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ، الَّذِي يُصَلِّي خَلْفَهُ عِيسَى بْنُ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ.

وَقالَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: أَرْبَعَةٌ أنَا لَهُمْ شَفِيعٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ: الْمُكْرِمُ لِذُرِّيَّتِي، وَالْقَاضِي حَوَائِجَهُمْ، وَالسَّاعِي لَهُمْ فِي أُمُورِهِمْ عِنْدَمَا اضْطُرُّوا إلَيْهِ، وَالْمُحِبُّ لَهُمْ بِقَلْبِهِ وَلِسَانِهِ.

وَرَوى الخَوارِزْمِيُّ بِإسْنَادِهِ عَنِ اللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ: حَجَجْتُ سَنَةَ عَشَرَةٍ وَمِائَةٍ وَطُفْتُ بِالْبَيْتِ وَسَعَيْتُ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ وَرَقَيْتُ أَبَا قُبَيْسٍ فَوَجَدْتُ رَجُلاً يَدْعُو وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ، حَتَّى انْطَفَأَ نَفَسُهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا اللهُ يَا اللهُ، حَتَّى انْطَفَأَ نَفَسُهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ، حَتَّى انْطَفَأَ نَفَسُهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإكْرَامِ، حَتَّى انْطَفَأَ نَفَسُهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَيْ رَبِّ أَيْ رَبِّ، حَتَّى انْطَفَأَ نَفَسُهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ إنَّ بُرْدَيَّ قَدْ خَلَقَا فَاكْسِنِي، وَإنِّي جَائِعٌ فَأَطْعِمْنِي. فَمَا شَعَرْتُ إلاَّ بَسْلَةً فِيهَا عِنَبٌ لاَ عُجْمَ لَهُ وَبُرْدَيْنِ مَلْقَاوَيْنِ، فَخَرَجْتُ إلَيْهِ وَجَلَسْتُ لآكُلَ مَعَهُ. فَقالَ لِي: مَهْ. فَقُلْتُ: أنَا شَرِيكُكَ فِي هَذَا الْخَيْرِ. فَقالَ: بِمَاذَا؟ فَقُلْتُ: كُنْتَ تَدْعُو وَأَنَا أُؤَمِّنُ عَلَى دُعَائِكَ. فَقالَ لِي: كُلْ وَلاَ تَدَّخِرْ شَيْئاً. فَأَكَلْنَا وَلَيْسَ فِي الْبِلاَدِ إذْ ذَاكَ عِنَبٌ. ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْنَا عَنْ رِيٍّ وَلَمْ يَنْقُصْ مِنَ السَّلَّةِ شَيْءٌ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي: خُذْ أَحَدَ الْبُرْدَيْنِ إلَيْكَ. فَقُلْتُ: أنَا غَنِيٌّ عَنْهُمَا. فَقالَ لِي: فَتَوَارَ عَنِّي حَتَّى أَلْبِسَهُمَا. فَتَوَارَيْتُ فَلَبِسَهُمَا وَأَخَذَ الأَخْلاَقَ بِيَدِهِ وَنَزَلَ. فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ فَلَقِيَهُ سَائِلٌ فَقالَ لَهُ: إكْسُنِي كَسَاكَ اللهُ يَا ابْنَ بِنْتِ رَسُولِ اللهِ. فَأَعْطَاهُ الأَخْلاَقَ. فَاتَّبَعْتُ السَّائِلَ فَقُلْتُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ فَقالَ لِي: هَذَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ.

Sufyan Thawri reports: On my pilgrimage to Mecca, I met Jafar ibn Muhammad. I found no Hajj pilgrimage in Masar to be engaged in prayer and supplication as much as him! When we reached Arafat, he took a distance from people and was engaged in prayer and supplication in a corner. At this time, a basket full of grapes came down from heaven to him, though it was not the season for grapes. He started eating grapes and invited me to eat too. Then, he said: Sufyan! What do you think of the number of the Hajj pilgrims? I said: Allah and His messenger know better! He said: Four hundred thousand! But among this crowd, only the Hajj of four persons is accepted and God will accept the Hajj of all pilgrims thanks to these four persons.²⁵

Narrations about their merits are too many to be counted. Jabir ibn Samarah has reported: I heard from the Messenger of Allah say: after me, twelve persons will have the position of Emir and leader and they are all from Quraysh.²⁶

Masruq has been quoted by Ahmad ibn Hanbal as saying: I and a group of people were sitting with Abdullah ibn Mas’ud in the mosque when a man arrived and asked Abdullah: Did your prophet not speak to you of the number of his successors? Ibn Mas’ud said: Yes, they are as many as the number of chiefs of Bani Israel.²⁷

The Messenger of Allah in relation to Imam Husayn said: My son, Husayn, is the Imam and leader of people. He is the brother of Imam, the son of Imam, and the father of nine leaders the ninth of whom is the Riser (Mahdi).²⁸

The Messenger of Allah has been quoted by Abi- Said Khidri as saying: I will soon pass away but I am leaving among you two valuable things. You will not go astray after me as long as you adhere to them. One is greater than the other. They are the Book of Allah, which is a rope stretched from the heavens to the earth, and my Household, they will never separate from one another until they come to me at the Pond. Be careful how you deal with them after me.²⁹

Ibn Abbas has reported: When the verse

“say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relative” (42:23)

was revealed, the companions of the Holy Prophet asked: O Messenger of Allah! Who are the near relatives? The Holy Prophet said: ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn and their progeny.³⁰

وَحَجَّ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ فَقـالَ: رَأَيْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّـدٍ عَلَيْهِمَـا السَّلامُ لَمْ أَرَ حَـاجَّاً وَقَفَ بِالْمَشَاعِرِ وَاجْتَهَدَ فِي التَّضَرُّعِ وَالإبْتِهَالِ مِثْلَهُ. فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ عَرَفَةَ أَخَذَ مِنَ النَّاسِ جَانِباً وَاجْتَهَدَ فِي الدُّعَاءِ فِي الْمَوْقِفِ. ثُمَّ نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ عِنَبٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَأَخَذَ يَأْكُلُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي: يَا سُفْيَانُ، أُدْنُ وَكُلْ. وَلَمْ يَكُنْ وَقْتَ عِنَبٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا سُفْيَانُ أَتَدْرِي كَمِ الْحَاجُّ؟ فَقُلْتُ: اللهُ وَابْنُ رَسُولِهِ أَعْلَمُ. فَقالَ: يَا سُفْيَانُ، إنَّهُمْ أَرْبَعُمِائَةِ أَلْفِ حَاجٍّ. وَإنَّهُ لاَ حَجَّ صَحِيحاً مَقْبُولاً إلاَّ لأَرْبَعَةِ نَفَرٍ، وَإنَّ اللهَ تَعالَى يَقْبَلُ الْجَمِيعَ لأَجْلِ قُبُولِ حَجِّ الأَرْبَعَةِ.

وَالأخْبَارُ فِي فَضَائِلِهِمْ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ تُحْصَى. وَفِي الْجَمْعِ بَيْنَ الصَّحيحَيْنِ: عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمَرَةَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يَقُولُ: يَكُونُ بَعْدِي اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَمِيراً كُلُّهُمْ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ.

وَمِنْ مُسْنَدِ أحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ: عَنْ مُسْروقٍ قَالَ: كُنَّا جُلُوساً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مَعَ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَأَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ فَقالَ: يَا بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، هَلْ حَدَّثَكُمْ نَبِيُّكُمْ كَمْ يَكُونُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ خَلِيفَةٌ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، كَعِدَّةِ نُقَبَاءِ بَنِي إسْرَائِيلَ. وَقالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ لِلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: هَذَا ابْنِي إمَامٌ أَخُو إمَامٍ ابْنُ إمَامٍ أَبُو أَئِمَّةٍ تِسْعَةٍ وَتَاسِعُهُمْ قَائِمُهُمْ.

وَمِنْ كِتابِ المَناقِبِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخِدْرِيِّ أنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قَالَ: إنِّي أُوشَكُ أَنْ أُدْعَى فَأُجِيبُ، وَإنِّي قَدْ تَرَكْتُ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ: كِتَابَ اللهِ، حَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إلَى الأَرْضِ، وَعِتْرَتِي أَهْلَ بَيْتِي. وَإنَّ اللَّطِيفَ الْخَبِيرَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّهُمَا لَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ، فَانْظُرُوا مَاذَا تُخَلِّفُونِي فِيهِمَا. وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ ?قُلْ لاَ أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى? قَالُوا: يَا رَسولَ اللهِ، مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ الَّذِينَ أَمَرَ اللهُ بِمَوَدَّتِهِمْ؟ قَالَ: عَلِيٌّ وَفَاطِمَةُ وَوِلْدُهُمَا.

When Imam Hasan (a.s) was passing away, he started weeping. His brother, Husayn asked: O my brother! Are you weeping out of fear, though you are one of the youths in paradise, though you have gone on Hajj pilgrimage on foot for twenty times, and though you have given away half of your wealth in the way of Allah to the extent that you have given away even your shoes? Imam Hasan (a.s) said: O my brother! I am not weeping out of fear of death, rather separation from friends make me cry, for I cannot meet them anymore.³¹

وَلَمَّا حَضَرَ الْحَسَنَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ الْوَفَاةُ بَكَى، فَقالَ لَهُ أَخُوهُ الْحُسَيْنُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: أَتَبْكِي خَوْفاً مِنَ الْمَوْتِ وَأَنْتَ أَحَدُ سَيِّدَيْ شَبَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَحَجَجْتَ الْبَيْتَ مَاشِياً عِشْرِينَ حِجَّةً وَقَاسَمْتَ اللهَ تَعالَى مَالَكَ نِصْفَيْنِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ وَتَصَدَّقْتَ بِنَعْلٍ وَأَبْقَيْتَ نَعْلاً؟ فَقالَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مَا بَكَيْتُ خَوْفاً مِنَ الْمَوْتِ، وَلَكِنْ لِفِرَاقِ الأَحِبَّةِ.