Hadith 32-16

حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ إِسْحاق الطَّالِقانِيُّ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَبُو سَعِيدُ الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِى العدوي قالَ: حَدَّثَنا الهِيْثَم بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّه الرمانِي قالَ: سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ عَلِيٍ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ لِمَ لَمْ يُجَاهِدْ أَعْدَاءَهُ خَمْساً وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ جَاهَدَ فِي أَيَّامِ وَلايَتِهِ فَقَالَ لانَّهُ اقْتَدَى بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فِي تَرْكِهِ جِهَادَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ بِمَكَّةَ بَعْدَ النُّبُوَّةِ ثَلاثَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْراً وَذَلِكَ لِقِلَّةِ أَعْوَانِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَكَذَلِكَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ تَرَكَ مُجَاهَدَةَ أَعْدَائِهِ لِقِلَّةِ أَعْوَانِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَلَمَّا لَمْ تَبْطُلْ نُبُوَّةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ مَعَ تَرْكِهِ الْجِهَادَ ثَلاثَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً وَتِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْراً، كَذَلِكَ لَمْ تَبْطُلْ إِمَامَةُ عَلِيٍ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مَعَ تَرْكِهِ الْجِهَادَ خَمْساً وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً، إِذَا كَانَتِ الْعِلَّةُ الْمَانِعَةُ لَهُمَا مِنَ الْجِهَادِ وَاحِدَةً.

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taliqani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Abu Sa’eed Al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Adawi quoted that al-Haytham ibn Abdullah al-Romani asked Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), “O son of God’s Prophet! Why didn’t Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) fight his enemies for twenty-five years after God’s Prophet (S), and then started fighting during his (own) rule?” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “Ali (a.s.) followed God’s Prophet (S) as his model in this regard. Ali (a.s.) had not fought with the pagans for thirteen years in Mecca and nine months after his migration to Medina, because he had very few followers and he did not have the power to overcome his enemies. Ali (a.s.) did the same and put off fighting his enemies due to having few supporters. The Prophethood of the Prophet of God (a.s.) was not nullified by putting off a Holy War for thirteen years and nine months. The same holds for Ali (a.s.). His Trusteeship was not nullified by putting off the Holy War for twenty-five years. Both of them had obstacles. Neither one’s mission was voided. They both had the same reason.”