Hadith 40-28

حَدَّثَنا أَبي رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدِ بْنِ إِدْرِيس قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ عِمْران الأَشْعَرِيِّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُعاوِيَةَ بْنِ حكيم عَنْ معمر بْنِ خلاد قالَ: قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ لِيَ الْمَأْمُونُ يَا أَبَا الْحَسَنِ انْظُرْ بَعْضَ مَنْ تَثِقُ بِهِ تُوَلِّيهِ هَذِهِ الْبُلْدَانَ الَّتِي قَدْ فَسَدَتْ عَلَيْنَا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ تَفِي لِي وَأَفِي لَكَ فَإِنِّي إِنَّمَا دَخَلْتُ فِيَما دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَنْ لا آمُرَ فِيهِ وَلا أَنْهَى وَلا أَعْزِلَ وَلا أُوَلِّيَ وَلا أَسِيرَ حَتَّى يُقَدِّمَنِيَ اللَّهُ قَبْلَكَ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّ الْخِلافَةَ لَشَيْ‏ءٌ مَا حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ نَفْسِي وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ أَتَرَدَّدُ فِي طُرُقِهَا عَلَى دَابَّتِي وَإِنَّ أَهْلَهَا وَغَيْرَهُمْ يَسْأَلُونِّيَ الْحَوَائِجَ فَأَقْضِيهَا لَهُمْ فَيَصِيرُونَ كَالأَعْمَامِ لِي وَإِنَّ كُتُبِي لَنَافِذَةٌ فِي الأَمْصَارِ وَمَا زِدْتَنِي فِي نِعْمَةٍ هِيَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ رَبِّي فَقَالَ أَفِي لَكَ.

(The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ahmad ibn Idris quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Imran al-Ash’ari, on the authority of Mo’awiya ibn Hakeem, on the authority of Mo’ammar ibn Khallad that Abul Hassan Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) narrated that one day Al-Ma’mun told him, “O Abal Hassan (Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.))! See whom you trust and introduce them to me to appoint as the governor of a few of the towns in which there is rebellion against us.” The Imam (a.s.) told him, “Honor your covenant with me, and I will honor my covenant with you. My condition for accepting the succession to the throne was that I will not interfere in any of the affairs. I will neither issue any orders, nor will I admonish anyone. I will not remove anyone from office, neither will I appoint anyone. I will not dispatch anyone for any affair. This I will do until God takes me away before you. I swear by God that I have not made any plans for the Caliphate in my mind. I was in Medina where I went around on my own animals. The people there and other people just asked me for the fulfillment of their needs. I fulfilled whatever I possibly could. Thus to me they were just like my uncles. My letters to anyone anywhere were honored. You have not added any blessings to what God has already granted to me.” Then Al-Ma’mun said, “Fine. I will honor my covenant with you.”