Aban narrates from Sulaym. Sulaym said: ” Ali (S.A), Abu Dhar, Salman and Miqdad narrated a hadith to me and also Abul Hajaaf Dawood ibn Abi Awf al Awfi, who has narrated from Abu Sa’eed al Khidhri, who said: [“The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) entered the house of his daughter Lady Fatimah (a.s.) when she was lighting a fire under a saucepan and cooking food for her household, and Ali (a.s.) was sleeping in a corner of his house. Hasan and Husayn (S. A.) were sleeping besides him.
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) sat next to his daughter and was talking to her when she was lighting a fire underneath the saucepan and there was no servant present. Hasan (a.s.) woke up and came to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and said: {“O father, give me water.”}. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) carried him, stood up and went to the she-camel, and with his hand milked the camel, and then brought a cup of the milk which had foam, so that he could give it to Hasan (a.s.). Husayn (a.s.) woke up and came and said: {“O father, make me drink it as well.”} The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: [“O my son, your brother who is elder to you asked me for a drink before you.”] So Husayn (a.s.) said: {“Make me drink before him”}. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) was making him wait, humbly talking to him to give his brother a chance to drink before him, and Husayn (a.s.) was refusing.
Lady Fatimah (a.s.) said: {“O father, is Hasan dearer to you than Husayn?}. He (S.A.W.A.S) said: {“No, he is not dearer to me of the two, but the two are equal to me, only that Hasan asked for a drink first and I and you and these two and the one who is sleeping will be in Heaven in one place and one status.”}
Ali (a s.) was sleeping, unaware of this. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) passed from these two when they were playing. He lifted both of them and sat them on his shoulders. A person came in front and said: “You are such a good conveyor”. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) replied: “How wonderful are these two riders! Indeed, these two children are two flowers of mine in this world.”
He said: [“When the two were brought to the house of Lady Fatimah (a.s.) they were told to wrestle with each other. The two started wrestling. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) started saying: “O Hasan go forward”, so Lady Fatimah (a.s) said: “O Messenger of Allah you are saying ‘O Hasan go forward, when he is older” The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) replied: “It is Jibra’eel who is saying “YES, O HUSAYN, YOU GO FORWARD”. So Husayn (a.s) made Hasan (a.s) fall down.”]
He said [“One day the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) saw Hasan and Husayn coming. He said: {“These two, By God, are the leaders of the Youths of Paradise and the father of these two is better than these two. In my eyes, better than everyone and most loved of all and most reputable of all, is the father of you two, and then after him the mother of you two, and in the eyes of Allah, there is no one more meritorious than myself and my brother who is my vizier, my caliph in my Ummah and after me is the guardian of all Mumineen – Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s).
Beware – my brother, my friend, my vizier, and my Safi (the chosen one) my caliph after me, and after me the guardian of every Mumin and Muminah is Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.). When Ali will pass away then my son Hasan will be after him, and when he passes away, after him will be my son Husayn. After that there will be nine imams who will be descendants of Husayn These will all be guides and will be guided. These will all be with the truth and truth will be with them. They all will not separate from it and till the Day of Judgement it will not separate from them. These all are those through whom the earth is qayaym (established), these all are the ones through whom earth is at peace.
These are the ones who are Allah’s strong rope, Allah’s strong cord, which is not breakable and these are all Allah’s Hujjat (authority) on His earth and are His Witnesses on His creatures and are the Treasures of His Knowledge and are the mines of His Wisdom (Hikmat). And they are like the boat of Noah (a.s). Whoever sails in the boat will be saved and whoever leaves the boat will be drowned and these are all like the door of HITTA of Bani Israel. Whoever entered it is the one with Iman and whoever stayed out is Kafir. Allah in His Book has made their obedience compulsory and has commanded their Wilayat. Whoever obeys them has obeyed Allah and whoever disobeys them has disobeyed Allah.”}]
He (Abu Sa’eed Khadri) said: “Husayn (a.s) used to come to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) was in prostration. Passing through the rows (congregational prayers) he used to come to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and used to climb onto his back. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) used to raise his head in such a way that one of his hands used to be on the back of Husayn (a.s.) and put his other hand on his own knee until he had completed the prayer.
Hasan (a.s) used to come to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) when he was giving a sermon from the pulpit. He used to get on the pulpit and climb on the shoulders of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and used to have his two feet hanging over the chest of the Holy Prophet (SAW) until the shining of his anklets was seen and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) used to continue his sermon and hold Hasan (a.s) with him until he had completed his sermon.