Hadith 11-3

حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ زِيادِ بْنِ جَعْفَر الْهَمَذانيُ‏ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا عَلِىُّ بْنُ إِبراهِيمَ بْنِ هاشِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَن إِبْراهيمَ بْنِ هاشِمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ السَّلامِ بْنِ صالِحٍ الهَرَوِيِّ قالَ: قُلْتُ لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضا عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ: يا ابْنَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ما تَقُول فِي الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي يَروِيهِ أَهْلُ الْحَدِيثِ: أَنَّ المُؤْمِنِينَ يَزُورُونَ رَبِّهِمْ مِن مَنازِلِهِمْ فِي الجَنَّةِ؟ فَقالَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: يا أَبَا الصَّلْتِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبارَكَ وَتَعالى‏ فَضَّلَ نَبِيِّهِ مُحَمَّداً صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى جَمِيعَ خَلقِهِ مِنَ النَبِيِّينَ وَالمَلائِكَةِ، وَجَعَلَ طاعَتَهُ طاعَتَهُ، وَمَتابِعَتَهُ مُتابِعَتَهُ، وَزِيارَتَهُ فِي الدُّنْيا وَالآخِرَةِ زِيارَتَهُ فَقالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «مَن ْيُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطاعَ اللَّهَ» قالَ: «إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبايِعُونَ كَإِنَّما يُبايِعُونَ اللَّهَ يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ» وَقالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ «مَن زارَنِي فِي حَياتِي أَوْ بَعْدَ مَوْتِي فَقَدْ زارَ اللَّهَ تَعالى‏» وَدَرَجَةُ النَّبِي‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فِي الجَنَّةِ أَرْفَعُ الدَّرَجاتِ. فَمَنْ زارَهُ فِي دَرَجَتِهِ الجَنَّةِ مِن مَنْزِلِهِ فَقَدْ زارَ اللَّهُ تَبارَكَ وَتَعالى‏. قالَ: فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: يا ابْنِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَما مَعْنَى الخَبَرِ الَّذِي رَوَوهُ: «أَنَّ ثَوابَ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ اللَّهُ النَّظَرُ إِلى وَجْهِ اللَّهِ تَعـالى‏» فَقـالَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: يـا أَبَا الصَّلْتِ مَن وَصَفَ اللَّهَ تَعالى‏ بِوَجهٍ كَالوُجُوهِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ، وَلكِن وَجْهُ اللَّهِ تَعالى‏ أَنبِياؤُهُ وَرُسُلِهِ وَحُجَجُهُ صَلَواتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيهِم، هُمُ الَّذِينَ بِهِم يَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِلى دِينِهِ وَمَعْرِفَتِهِ و قالَ اللَّه تَعالى‏: «كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْها فانٍ وَيَبْقى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلالِ وَالْإِكْرامِ» وَقالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «كُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ هالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ» فَالنَّظَرُ إِلى أَنبِياءَ اللَّه تَعالى‏ وَرُسُلِهِ وَحُجَجِهِ‏ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ فِي دَرَجاتِهِمْ ثَوابٌ عَظِيمٌ لِلمُؤمِنينَ يَوْمَ القِيامَةِ وَقَدْ قالَ النَّبِي‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: «مَن أَبغَضَ أَهْلَ بَيْتِي وَعِتْرَتِي لَمْ يَرنِي وَلَمْ أَرَهُ يَوْمَ القِيامَةِ» وَقالَ: «إِنَّ فِيكُم مَنْ لا يَرانِي بَعْدَ أَن يُفارِقَنِي»، يا أَبَا الصَّلْتِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبارَكَ وَتَعالى‏ لا يُوصَفُ بِمَكانٍ، وَلا يُدْرِكُ بِالأَبصارِ وَالأَوهامِ. قالَ،: قُلْتُ لَهُ يا ابْنِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَخبِرنِي عَنِ الجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ أهُما الْيَوْمَ مَخْلُوقتانِ؟ فَقالَ: نَعَم، وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قَدْ دَخَلَ الجَنَّةَ وَرَأى النَّارِ لَمّا عُرِجَ بِهِ إِلى السَّماءِ، قالَ: فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: إِنَّ قَوْماً يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّهُما الْيَوْمَ مُقَدَّرَتانِ غَيْرِ مَخْلُوقَتَيْنِ، فَقالَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ لا هُم مِنَّا وَلا نَحْنُ مِنْهُمْ، مَن أَنْكَرَ خَلقَ الجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ النَّبِي‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَكذبنا وَكَذَّبَنا وَلَيْسَ مِن وِلايَتِنا عَلَى شَي‏ءٍ وَيُخلَدُ فِي نارِ جَهَنَّمَ، قالَ اللَّه تَعالى‏: «هذِهِ جَهَنَّمُ الَّتِي يُكَذِّبُ بِهَا الُْمجْرِمُونَ يَطُوفُونَ بَيْنَها وَبَيْنَ حَمِيمٍ آنٍ» وَقالَ النَّبِي‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: «لَمّا عُرِجَ بي إِلى السَّماءِ أَخَذَ بِيَدِي جِبْرَئِيلُ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَأَدخِلَني الجَنَّةَ، فَناوِلْني مِن رُطَبِها، فَأَكَلتُهُ فَتَحَوَّلَ ذلِكَ نُطْفَةً فِي صُلْبِي، فَلَمَّا هَبَطتُ إِلى الأَرْضِ واقَعتُ خَدِيجَةَ، فَحَمَلَت بِفاطِمَةَ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمُ فَفاطِمَةَ حَوراءٌ إِنسِيَّةٌ، فَكُلَّما اشتَقتُ إِلى رائِحَةِ الجَنَّةِ شَمَمتُ رائِحَةَ ابنَتِي فاطِمَةَ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمُ.

Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja’far al-Hamadani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abdul Salam ibn Salih al-Harawi [2] , “I asked Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha’ (a.s.), ‘O son of the Prophet of God! What is your opinion on the following traditions which the narrators of traditions narrate: ‘The believers visit their Lord from their homes in Paradise.’ Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) replied, ’O Aba Salt! Indeed the Blessed the Sublime God has honored His Prophet Muhammad over all His creatures - even the Prophets and the angels. He has established obeying him equal to obeying God, following him equal to following God, and visiting him equal to visiting God. The Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘He who obeys the Apostle, obeys God…’ [3] God also said, ‘Verily those who plight their fealty to thee do no less than plight their fealty to God: the Hand of God is over their hands…’ [4] Moreover, the Prophet (S) has said, ‘Whoever comes to visit me during my life or after my death has indeed visited the Sublime God. The rank of the Prophet (S) in Heaven is the highest rank of all. Therefore, whoever visits the Prophet (S) in the Prophet’s (a.s.) own rank and position in Heaven has indeed visited the Blessed the Sublime God.’’” Aba Salt (Abdul Salam ibn Salih al-Harawi) added, “I asked, ‘O son of the Prophet of God (a.s.)! What is the meaning of the following tradition, ‘The reward of saying There is no god but God is looking at the Face of the Sublime God?’ The Imam (a.s.) replied, ‘Whoever considers the Sublime God as having a face similar to that of the creatures is an atheist. However, the Sublime God’s Face is His Prophets (a.s.), His Messengers (a.s.) and His Proofs (a.s.). They are the people by whom the people are directed towards the Honorable the Exalted God, His Religion and His Recognition. The Sublime God said, ‘All that is on earth will perish. But will abide (forever) the Face of thy Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty and Honor.’ [5] The Honorable the Exalted God also said, ‘…Everything (that exists) will perish except His own Face..’ [6] . Therefore, looking at the Sublime God’s Prophets (a.s.), Messengers (a.s.) and Proofs (a.s.) in their respective ranks has a great reward for the believers on the Resurrection Day. The Prophet (S) has also said, ‘On the Resurrection Day whoever despises the members of my Holy Household and my ‘Itra [7] will not see me. I will not see him either.’ The Prophet (S) has also said, ‘Among you there are some people who will never again see me after they depart from me.’ O Aba Salt! Indeed the Blessed the Sublime God cannot be described by position, cannot be perceived by the eyes or imaginations.’” Aba Salt said, “I asked, ‘Please tell me whether Heaven and Hell have been created?’ Imam Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) answered, ‘Yes. When the Prophet of God (a.s.) was taken for the Ascension to the heavens he entered Paradise, and saw the Fire.’” Aba Salt said, “I asked, ‘Some people believe that these two have been destined to be, but have not been created yet.’ The Imam (a.s.) replied, ‘Neither do they belong to us, nor do we belong to them. Whoever denies Heaven and Hell has indeed denied the Prophet (S) and us. He is not controlled by any part of our Mastery. He will abide in the Fire for eternity. The Sublime God has said, ‘This is the Hell which the sinners deny. In its midst and in the midst of boiling hot water will they wander around!’ [8] The Prophet (S) said, ‘When I was taken for Ascension to the heavens Gabriel took my hands and took me into Paradise. They he gave me some Heavenly Dates from which I ate. The date turned into sperms in my loin. Once I returned to the Earth I made love with Khadija and she got pregnant with (the Blessed Baby) Fatima (a.s.). Therefore, Fatima is a human houri. [9] Whenever I wish to smell Paradise, I smell the scent of my daughter Fatima (a.s.).’’”