AMIRAL MOMININ ALI (AS)

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father that ’Isma‘il ibn Mihran who has said the following. “When abu Ja‘far  left Madina for Baghdad the first time of his two journeys on his leaving I said to him, “May Allah take my souls in service for your cause, I am afraid about you in this condition. To who, after you, will belong the task (Leadership with Divine Authority)?” He turned to me laughing and said, “The disappearance, as have thought, will not take place this year. When he was about to be taken to al-Mu‘tasam (79/795 —became caliph 28/833 — 227/84), for the second time I went to him and said, “May Allah take my souls in service for your cause. You are leaving. To who, after you, will go this task Leadership with Divine Authority)?” He wept until his beard become soaked. He then turned to me and said, “This time you should be afraid about my life. The task (Leadership with Divine Authority) after me will go to my son Ali .”

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ لَمَّا خَرَجَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ  مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ فِي الدَّفْعَةِ الاولَى مِنْ خَرْجَتَيْهِ قُلْتُ لَهُ عِنْدَ خُرُوجِهِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنيِِ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكَ فِي هَذَا الْوَجْهِ فَإِلَى مَنِ الامْرُ بَعْدَكَ فَكَرَّ بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَيَّ ضَاحِكاً وَقَالَ لَيْسَ الْغَيْبَةُ حَيْثُ ظَنَنْتَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ فَلَمَّا أُخْرِجَ بِهِ الثَّانِيَةَ إِلَى الْمُعْتَصِمِ صِرْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَنْتَ خَارِجٌ فَإِلَى مَنْ هَذَا الامْرُ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَبَكَى حَتَّى اخْضَلَّتْ لِحْيَتُهُ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ عِنْدَ هَذِهِ يُخَافُ عَلَيَّ الامْرُ مِنْ بَعْدِي إِلَى ابْنِي عَلِيٍّ.

Al -Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from al -Khayrani who has narrated from his father the following. “My father was to watch the door of the house of abu Ja‘far  to serve the task for which he was assigned. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa would come every day at dawn for information about the health of abu Ja‘far . There was a messenger that would come and go between abu Ja‘far  and my father. When he (the messenger) would come Ahmad would leave and my father would remain with him privately. One night I went out and Ahmad also left the meeting and my father remained in privacy with the messenger. Ahmad, however, wlaked around the meeting place as such that could hear the conversation. The messenger said to my father, “You master sends you greetings and says to you, “I am leaving and the task ((Leadership with Divine Authority) goes to my son, Ali . His rights up on you after me will be as much as my rights up on you after my father.” The messenger then left and Ahmad came back to his place and said to my father, “What did he say to you?” My father said, “He said good.” Ahmad said, “I heard what he just said to you. Why do hide it?” He then stated all that he had heard. My father said to him, “Allah has made unlawful for you what you just did, because Allah, the Most High, has said, “Do not spy. .” (49 :2) However, you must bear this testimony, perhaps we my need it one day but you must not make it public until the proper time. In the morning my father wrote dawn the text of the message in ten, sealed and sent them to the leaders of the community. He said to them, “If my death may take place before I will ask you for this message you may open it to learn about it.” When abu Ja‘far  left this world, my father has mentioned that he did not come out of his home until about four hundred people had faith expressed their faith with certainty in the abu al-Hassan, Ali ibn Muhammad  as their Imam (Leader with Divine Authority). The leaders in the community gathered together in the house of Muhammad ibn al-Faraj consulting each other about this task (Leadership with Divine Authority). Muhammad ibn al-Faraj then wrote to my father to inform him of the gathering with him. He had said that had it not been for fear of publicity he would personally come to my father and ask him to join (them). My father rode and went to him. He found the community gathered at his place and they said to my father, “What do you say about this issue (Leadership with Divine Authority)?” My father those to whom he had sent a copy of the text of the message to bring them. They were brought and he said, “This is what I was commanded to do.” Some of them then said, “We would have loved if you would have asked another person also to bear witness and testimony to this fact.” He then said, “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Gracious, has, in fact, brought for you such witness. This is abu Ja‘far al-Asha‘ari can testify to my hearing this message.” He asked him to testify but Ahmad denied his hearing the message as suCh My father then asked him for a mubahala (disputing party’s asking Allah to condemn the untrue party). He has said that when the case was proved against Ahmad he then said, “Yes, I did hear the message and it is an honor. I loved that it should go to a Arab man not to a none Arab person. Up on this the people there acknowledged the truth altogether.” In the copy of al-Safwan the above Hadith is recorded as follows:

الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْخَيْرَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَانَ يَلْزَمُ بَابَ ابي جعفر  لِلْخِدْمَةِ الَّتِي كَانَ وُكِّلَ بِهَا وَكَانَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى يَجِي‏ءُ فِي السَّحَرِ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ لِيَعْرِفَ خَبَرَ عِلَّةِ ابي جعفر  وَكَانَ الرَّسُولُ الَّذِي يَخْتَلِفُ بَيْنَ ابي جعفر  وَبَيْنَ أَبِي إِذَا حَضَرَ قَامَ أَحْمَدُ وَخَلا بِهِ أَبِي فَخَرَجْتُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَقَامَ أَحْمَدُ عَنِ الْمَجْلِسِ وَخَلا أَبِي بِالرَّسُولِ وَاسْتَدَارَ أَحْمَدُ فَوَقَفَ حَيْثُ يَسْمَعُ الْكَلامَ فَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ لابِي إِنَّ مَوْلاكَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ السَّلامَ وَيَقُولُ لَكَ إِنِّي مَاضٍ وَالامْرُ صَائِرٌ إِلَى ابْنِي عَلِيٍّ وَلَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْدِي مَا كَانَ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْدَ أَبِي ثُمَّ مَضَى الرَّسُولُ وَرَجَعَ أَحْمَدُ إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِ وَقَالَ لابِي مَا الَّذِي قَدْ قَالَ لَكَ قَالَ خَيْراً قَالَ قَدْ سَمِعْتُ مَا قَالَ فَلِمَ تَكْتُمُهُ وَأَعَادَ مَا سَمِعَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبِي قَدْ حَرَّمَ الله عَلَيْكَ مَا فَعَلْتَ لانَّ الله تَعَالَى يَقُولُ وَلا تَجَسَّسُوا فَاحْفَظِ الشَّهَادَةَ لَعَلَّنَا نَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهَا يَوْماً مَا وَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُظْهِرَهَا إِلَى وَقْتِهَا فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ أَبِي كَتَبَ نُسْخَةَ الرِّسَالَةِ فِي عَشْرِ رِقَاعٍ وَخَتَمَهَا وَدَفَعَهَا إِلَى عَشْرَةٍ مِنْ وُجُوهِ الْعِصَابَةِ وَقَالَ إِنْ حَدَثَ بِي حَدَثُ الْمَوْتِ قَبْلَ أَنْ أُطَالِبَكُمْ بِهَا فَافْتَحُوهَا وَأَعْلِمُوا بِمَا فِيهَا فَلَمَّا مَضَى أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ  ذَكَرَ أَبِي أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ حَتَّى قَطَعَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ نَحْوٌ مِنْ أَرْبَعِمِائَةِ إِنْسَانٍ وَاجْتَمَعَ رُؤَسَاءُ الْعِصَابَةِ عِنْدَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفَرَجِ يَتَفَاوَضُونَ هَذَا الامْرَ فَكَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَرَجِ إِلَى أَبِي يُعْلِمُهُ بِاجْتِمَاعِهِمْ عِنْدَهُ وَأَنَّهُ لَوْ لا مَخَافَةُ الشُّهْرَةِ لَصَارَ مَعَهُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَيَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُ فَرَكِبَ أَبِي وَصَارَ إِلَيْهِ فَوَجَدَ الْقَوْمَ مُجْتَمِعِينَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالُوا لابِي مَا تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الامْرِ فَقَالَ أَبِي لِمَنْ عِنْدَهُ الرِّقَاعُ أَحْضِرُوا الرِّقَاعَ فَأَحْضَرُوهَا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ هَذَا مَا أُمِرْتُ بِهِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ قَدْ كُنَّا نُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَكَ فِي هَذَا الامْرِ شَاهِدٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ قَدْ أَتَاكُمُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِهِ هَذَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الاشْعَرِيُّ يَشْهَدُ لِي بِسَمَاعِ هَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَسَأَلَهُ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ بِمَا عِنْدَهُ فَأَنْكَرَ أَحْمَدُ أَنْ يَكُونَ سَمِعَ مِنْ هَذَا شَيْئاً فَدَعَاهُ أَبِي إِلَى الْمُبَاهَلَةِ فَقَالَ لَمَّا حَقَّقَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ قَدْ سَمِعْتُ ذَلِكَ وَهَذَا مَكْرُمَةٌ كُنْتُ أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَكُونَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْعَرَبُ لا لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْعَجَمِ فَلَمْ يَبْرَحِ الْقَوْمُ حَتَّى قَالُوا بِالْحَقِّ جَمِيعاً.

Muhammad ibn Ja‘far al-Kufi has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Wasiti who has said the following “I heard Ahmad ibn abu Khalid, stating that he (The Imam  had appointed him as witness to bear testimony to this documented will in the following words. “Ahmad ibn abu Khalid, the slave of abu Ja‘far, bears testimony that abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja‘far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn abu Talib  is asked to bear testimony. Testimony to the fact that he has appointed his son, Ali, the executor of his directive wills about himself and bout his sisters. He has placed the affairs of Musa in his charge when he would attain maturity. He has appointed ‘Abdallah ibn al-Musawir as the over seer to his legacy, his estate, property, expenditures and slaves etc., until Ali ibn Muhammad will reach the age of maturity. At such time ‘Abdallah ibn al-Musawir will transfer the overseeing position to him (Ali ibn Muhammad ). He thereafter will take charge of his own affairs and sister. The management of the affairs of Musa will also be left to him. Musa will take charge of his own affairs after the two (overseers) according to the conditions set forth by the father of the two of them in the matters his charitable charities. This has been documented on Sunday 3rd dhu al-Hijja, in the year two hundred twenty. Ahmad ibn abu Khalid has transcribed his own testimony with his own hand writing. He has asked al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah ibn al-Hassan ibn ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn abu Talib . He is also known as al-Jawani has a testimony just like the testimony of Ahmad ibn abu Khalid at the beginning of this document. He als has written his testimony with his own hand and the witness to bear testimony in the document is Nasr, the servant and he has written his bearing testimony with his own hand.”

وَفِي نُسْخَةِ الصَّفْوَانِيِّ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْكُوفِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الْوَاسِطِيِّ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ أَبِي خَالِدٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ يَحْكِي أَنَّهُ أَشْهَدَهُ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْوَصِيَّةِ الْمَنْسُوخَةِ شَهِدَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ أَنَّ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ  أَشْهَدَهُ أَنَّهُ أَوْصَى إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ابْنِهِ بِنَفْسِهِ وَأَخَوَاتِهِ وَجَعَلَ أَمْرَ مُوسَى إِذَا بَلَغَ إِلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ عَبْدَ الله بْنَ الْمُسَاوِرِ قَائِماً عَلَى تَرِكَتِهِ مِنَ الضِّيَاعِ وَالامْوَالِ وَالنَّفَقَاتِ وَالرَّقِيقِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَنْ يَبْلُغَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَيَّرَ عَبْدُ الله بْنُ الْمُسَاوِرِ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ إِلَيْهِ يَقُومُ بِأَمْرِ نَفْسِهِ وَأَخَوَاتِهِ وَيُصَيِّرُ أَمْرَ مُوسَى إِلَيْهِ يَقُومُ لِنَفْسِهِ بَعْدَهُمَا عَلَى شَرْطِ أَبِيهِمَا فِي صَدَقَاتِهِ الَّتِي تَصَدَّقَ بِهَا وَذَلِكَ يَوْمُ الاحَدِ لِثَلاثِ لَيَالٍ خَلَوْنَ مِنْ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ سَنَةَ عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ وَكَتَبَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ شَهَادَتَهُ بِخَطِّهِ وَشَهِدَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ  وَهُوَ الْجَوَّانِيُّ عَلَى مِثْلِ شَهَادَةِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ فِي صَدْرِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ وَكَتَبَ شَهَادَتَهُ بِيَدِهِ وَشَهِدَ نَصْرٌ الْخَادِمُ وَكَتَبَ شَهَادَتَهُ بِيَدِهِ.