Aban narrates from Sulaym, who said: “I have been told by Abdullah ibn Ja’afar ibn Abi Talib. He said: “I was with Myawiyah and I had with me Hasan and Husayn. Abdullah ibn Abbas and Fazl ibn Abbas were also with Muawiyah.
Muawiyah turned to me and said: “O Abdullah ibn Ja’afer, you have a lot of respect for Hasan and Husayn. By God, they both are not better than you are, and their father is not better than your father is. If the mother of both of them was not Fatimah, then I would have said that your mother Asma Binte Umays is not lesser than her.”
I became very angry at what he said, so I could not control myself and said: “By God, you have no knowledge of both of them, their father and their mother, but By God, they are both better than me, their father is better than my father, and the mother of both of them is better than my mother. O Muawiyah, you are unaware of what I have heard from the Holy Prophet (SAW) about both of them, about their father, about their mother, and I have remembered them and have also memorized them, and also narrated them.”
Muawiyah said: “Tell me what you have heard.” In that gathering Hasan and Husayn, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Fazl ibn Abbas and ibn Abi Lahab were also present. “By God, you are not a liar, nor is there any doubt about you.” So I said: “This matter is much more than what you are thinking.” He said; “Even if it is begger than Ohad and Harra, I do not care, when there is no one from people of Shaam present in this gathering, and when Allah killed your leader, and dispersed your community, and the caliphate reached its place and mine. So you tell me because I do not care whatever you claim.”
So I said: “I have heard from the Holy Prophet (SAW) when he was asked about the verse ‘and we did not make the vision which We should you but a trial for men and the curse tree in the Quran as well’ (Surah Bani Israeel: 60)
He said: “I have seen twelve men from the Imams who misguide who are climbing on and getting down from my pulpit and they are making my Ummah go into reverse. In them there are two men from two different families of Quraysh from Taym and ‘Adiyy, three afre from Bani Umayyah, and seven are from the children of Hakam ibn Aas” And I heard him saying: “When the children of Abi ‘Aas reach 30 men, then they will interfere with the Book of Allah, will enslave the slaves of Allah, and will distribute the wealth of Allah within themselves.”
O Muawiyah, I have heard the Holy Prophet (SAW) say, when he was on his pulpit and I was sitting in front of him and Umar ibn Ab Salmah, Usama ibn Zayd, Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqas, Salman Farsi, Abu Dhar, Miqdad and Zubayr ibn Awaam were also there. He was saying: “Do I not have more authority over all believers than they themselves?” We all said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” So he said: “Whose ever Mawlah I am, Ali is him Mawlah too.” And he put his both hands on the shoulders of Ali (AS) and said: “O Allah, be a friend to him who keeps him (Ali) as a friend, and be an enemy to him who bears enmity towards him.
O people, I have more rights over all believers than they themselves have. They do not have a choice while I am there, and after me, Ali has more rights over them than they themselves have over their own life, and while he is there, nobody has a choice. Then my son Hasan, after his father, has more rights over all believers than they themselves have, and while he is there nobody has a choice. Then my son Husayn, after his brother has more rights over all believers than they themselves have and while he is there no one has a choice.”
Then Sallallahu Alayhi wa Alihi returned to say: “O people when I am martyred then Ali has more rights on your life than you yourself have, when Ali is martyred then my son Hasan has more rights over all believers than they themselves have, and when my son Hasan is martyred, then my son Husayn has more rights over all believers than they themselves, and when my son Husayn is martyred, then my son Ali ibnul Husayn will have more rights over believers than they themselves. While they are all there, no one will have any choice.”
Then he turned towards Ali (AS) and said: “O Ali, you will soon get him, so convey my Salaam to him, and when he is martyred his son Muhammad will have more rights over believers than they themselves have, and O Husayn, you will soon see him, so convey my Salaam to him. Then after Muhammad there will be one after another, men, and while they are there, nobody will have a choice.” Then he repeated this three times and said: “There will be no one from these who will not have more rights over believers than they themselves and while they are there, nobody will have a choice. These are all guides and are guided, and will be nine from children of Husayn.”
Ali, (SA), was standing nect to hi and was crying and asked: “O Messenger of Allah, will you also be killed?” He replied: “Yes, I will be martyred by poison, and you will be killed with a sword and your beard will be colored with the blood from your head. My son Hasan will be killed by poison and my son Husayn will be killed by an oppressor who is the son of an oppressor, an adulterer and the son of an adulterer, a hypocrite and the son of a hypocrite.”
Muawiyah said: “O ibn Ja’afar you have said a great matter. If what you are saying is truth, then I am destroyed and the three before me were also destroyed and the people of this Ummah who bear friendship with them are also destroyed. The Ummah of Muhammad, the companions of Muhammad from Muhajireen and Ansar, except your Ahlulbayt and your friends and helpers, are also destroyed.”
So I (Abdullah) said: “By God, whatever I have said is truth, and what I have heard from the Holy Prophet (SAW)”
Muawiyah said: “O Hasan, O Husayn and ibn Abbas, what is this ibn Ja’afar saying?” Ibn Abbas replied: “If you do not have faith in what he has said, then call those people whom he has named and ask them concerning this.”
Muawiyah sent someone to call Umar ibn Abi Salmah and Usama ibn Zayd and asked both of them. They both stood as witnesses and said: “We have heard from the Holy Prophet (SAW) whatever he said in the same manner that he has heard.” This happened in Medina in the first year when the Ummah accepted Muawiyah.”
Sulaym says: “I heard ibn Ja’afar narrating this hadith during the time of Umar.”
Muawiyah said: “O ibn Ja’afar, I heard concerning Hasan and Husayn and their father. What have you heard about the mother of the two?” At that time Muawiyah was making a mockery our of this.
So I (Abdullah) said: “Yes, I have heard the Holy Prophet (SAW) say: “There is no rank in a place of Heaven which is nearer to the rank of my Allah, which is as excellent and supreme as my status. We will be 4 people in there – myself, my brother Ali, the best of all and my best friend, and Fatimah who will be the leader of the entire women of Paradise, Hasan and Husayn and 9 Imams from the children of Husayn. We will be 4 people in one place. Allah has kept all evil away from us, and has purified us in such a manner that we deserve to be purified. These will be the guides and guided ones.
I am the conveyer from Allah and each one of these are conveyors from myself and Allah ‘Azz wa Jall, and these are all the proofs of Allah Tabarak wa T’Ala over His creation and are His witnesses on His earth and are treasures of His knowledge and mines of wisdom. Whoever obeys them will have obeyed Allah and whoever disobeys will have disobeyed Allah. The earth cannot remain even for a split second until they do not remain, and without them there can be no order on the earth. They are the informers of the Deen to Ummah and are informers of lawful and unlawful and explain what are the things that Allah is pleased with, and forbid what He dislikes. The command of each one will be the same, just as forbiddance will be one. There will not be any disunity, disintegration or disputes among them. Their last one will take matters from their first one, which will be what I have made to write, and which my brother Ali has written with his own hands. They will be inheritors of each other until the Day of Judgment. Except them and their Shias and friends, all on earth will be in darkness, deviation and trouble. They will not be dependant on anyone from the Ummah in the matters of Deen and the Ummah will be dependent on them. These are those people whom He has meant in His Book, and joined their obedience to obedience of Himself and His Prophet and said: ’Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from among you’ (Surah Nisa: 59)
Then Muawiyah turned to Hasan, Husayn, ibn Abbas, Fazl ibn Abbas, Umar ibn Abi Salmah and Usama ibn Zayd and said: “Do you all agree with what he has said?” They all said: “Yes” He said: “O Bani Abdul Muttalib, you are claiming a very big Amr, and present very strong arguments, if they are true. You people hide such things from people. People are unaware and are in darkness about these matters and if what you say is Truth, then the whole Ummah is destroyed and have become apostates, and have all left the matter of our Prophet, except you Ahlulbayt and those that believe you and such people are few.”
Ibn Abbas turned to Muawiyah and said: “Allah Azz wa Jall says in His Book: ’and very few of My servants are grateful’ (Surah Saba: 03)
And ‘And most men will not believe though you desire it eagerly’ (Surah Yusuf: 03)
And ‘save those who believe and do good, and very few are they.’ (Surah Saad: 24)
And said to Noah ‘And there believed not with him but a few’ (Surah Hud: 40)
O Muawiyah, are you surprised at these? More surprising than what we say, are the matters of Bani Israeel. All magicians had told Pharoah: ‘therefore decide what you are going to decide; you can only decide about this world’s life’ (Surah Ta Ha: 72)
So they all brought faith on Prophet Musa and believed and obeyed him. He left with those who believed him and made them cross the ocean and showed them wonders and they all believed him and Torah and accepted his religion. He, along with them, passed through such a community that was worshipping its idols. They said: ‘O Musa! Make for us a god as they have (their gods)’ (Surah Araf: 38)
Then they took a calf, and except Haroon and his Ahlulbayt, all started worshipping it and Samiry told him: ‘This is your god and the god of Musa, but he forgot’ (Surah Ta Ha: 88)
After that he (Musa) told everyone: ‘O my people! Enter the Holy Land that Allah has prescribed for you’ (Surah Maidah: 2)
They all replied what Allah has mentioned in His Book: ‘Surely there is strong race in it, and we will on no account enter it until they go out from it, so if they go out, then surely we will enter.’ (Surah Maidah: 22)
Until Musa said: ‘My Lord! Surely I have no control (upon any) but my own self and my brother; therefore make a separation between us and the nation of transgressors’ (Surah Maidah: 25)
Then Allah said: ‘therefore do not grieve for the nation of transgressors’ (Surah Maidah: 26)
So this Ummah has followed their example. They also had lots of merits and were commendable with the Holy Prophet (SAW) and their status was also very close to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and accepted the religion of Muhammad and Quran until when the Holy Prophet (SAW) parted from them, they disputed among themselves and disintegrated, created jealousy and opposed their Imam, their guardian, until none of them remained on the promise that they had given to their Prophet, except those companions of our leader who had the same status with our Prophet that Haroon had with Musa, and a very few people who met Allah with their religion and faith, and others reversed like the companions of Musa (AS) did. They thought that the calf was their god. All of them united on that except Haroon and his children and a few from his Ahlulbayt.
Our Prophet (SAW) appointed the supreme, excellent and the best in Ghadir Khum and other places as well, and through him established authority over people, and ordered everyone to obey him and informed everyone that he has the same status with the Holy Prophet (SAW) that Haroon had with Musa and he is, after him, the guardian of all faithfuls and no doubt, every person whose guardian is the Prophet, Ali is also his guardian. Every person over whom the Holy Prophet (SAW) has more authority, Ali also has more authority over that person. He is his caliph on people and is his successor. Whoever obeys him has obeyed Allah and whoever disobeys his has disobeyed Allah, whoever bears friendship towards him, bears friendship towards Allah and whoever bears enmity towards him bears enmity towards Allah. People denied him and became ignorant of him and appointed others as rulers.
O Muawiyah, do not you know that when the Holy Prophet (SAW) sent an army towards MUTA, he appointed Ja’afar ibn Abi Talib as the leader, and then said: “If Ja’afar dies, then Zayd ibn Harithah, if Zayd dies, then Abdullah ibn Rawaha will become the leader.” and the Holy Prophet (SAW) was not happy that people choose anyone else for themselves. Would it be possible then that he would leave his Ummah and not mention who would be the caliph of the people? Yes, By God, he did not leave people in darkness or doubt, but the community after argument, rode on what they rode (did what they did). They told a lie against the Holy Prophet (SAW) and get destroyed. They themselves deviated and those that followed them also deviated. Misfortune be to the community that is oppressive.”
Muawiyah said: “O ibn Abbas, you are talking very weighty things, and to unite with us is better than opposing. You know that the Ummah is not pleased with your companion.”
Ibn Abbas said: “I have heard from the Holy Prophet (SAW) saying: “No Ummah will disagree after their Prophet, but their people of distortion will overpower their people of truth.” This Ummah in some matters is united and there is no dispute nor separation like bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger, praying five times a day, compulsory Zakah, fasting during the month of Ramadhan, Ka’abah being the house for Hajj, and many matters of obedience to Allah, and also agrees that drinking alcohol is forbidden, adultery is forbidden, stealing is forbidden, to break relationship with blood relatives, lying, deceiving, and many other actions which are sins. It disagrees in two matters, one of which is that they killed among themselves, dispersed and formed groups and curse each other, and keep away from each other. The second matter, on which killing did not take place and no disintegration took place, some gave freedom to some, and that is the Book of Allah and the Traditions of the His Prophet. The matter that were new, the Ummah thought there was nothing in the Book of Allah or in the tradition of His Prophet, and those matters, in which Ummah became different and disintegrated and some kept away from some, are MULK and caliphate. The Ummah thought that it is more deserving of it than the Ahlulbayt of the Holy Prophet (SAW).
Any person who accepted that in which there is no dispute among people of Qiblah, and returned to the Knowledge of Allah on the things in which there was dispute, was saved and got saved from Hell. In the matters in which there are two opinions and dispute and is difficult, then Allah will not question about it. Whomever Allah guides and obliges and makes his heart enlightened and makes known who the mines of knowledge are, and he comes to know it, will be fortunate and will be a friend of Allah. The Apostle (SAW) of Allah used to say: “Allah have mercy on that person who said truth and benefited, or kept quiet and was saved.”
All Imams are from the household of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and are from mines of Prophethood, where the Book was revealed where the Message descended, and where angels came and went. It is suitable for it to be there, because Allah has specialized them and have declared them deserving of it in His Book and on the tongue of His Prophet (SAW). Knowledge is among them with all parts, visible and hidden, its Mohkam (the meaning of which is clear) and Mutashabe (in which there is doubt), its Nasik (one that replaces the first order) and its Mansukh (the order of which is withdrawn).
O Muawiyah, Umar ibn Khattab, during his rule, sent me to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS): “I would like to compile Quran so send me the Quran that you have written.”
Alayhissalam replied: “Before reaching that Quran, By God, my neck can be cut.” I asked: “Why?” He replied: “Because Allah says ‘None shall touch it save the purified ones’ (Surah Waqia: 79)
The whole Quran cannot be reached except those that are pure, and that means us, and we are those people from whom Allah has kept uncleanness away and made us as pure as we deserve to be. And He said: ‘We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom we chose from among Our servants;’ (Surah Fatir: 32)
We are those whom Allah has chosen from His servants, and we are the chosen ones of Allah. Through us examples are mentioned and Messages have been revealed on us.”
Umar became angry with that and said: “ibn Abi Talib thinks that except him no one else has the knowledge. Whoever recites a little bit of Quran, he should bring it to me.” So whenever anyone brought Quran (verse) and recited it, and also had another person with him, he (Umar) used to write it, otherwise he did not write it.
O Muawiyah, anyone who said that a bit of Quran was missing, then he is a liar. It is safe with the one who is qualified, and is present. Then Umar ordered his reporter and Governors and told them to do research in their opinion and follow whatever they understood to be truth. So he and some of his governors always remained in trouble, so Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) used to tell them those matters in which he used to establish argument over them. Umar’s governors used to arrive at different decisions over the same matter, and Umar used to endorse them as correct, because Allah did not give them the wisdom or qualification of correct decision. Every group of Qiblah thought that he is the mine of knowledge and caliphate except the Ahlulbayt. We seek help only from Allah against those who denied the rights of Ahlulbayt, and set up a system where the likes of you do whatever they want over them.
Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best lawyer.
No doubt, there are three types of people: – a believer who knows our rights, believes in what we say, and in every matter keeps us ahead. This is the person who is saved and is honest and is Allah’s friend. Whoever established enmity with us and kept away from us, curses us and considers our blood permitted, and denies our rights and has made keeping away from us religion – this person is an infidel, an idolater and cursed. The one who chooses that in which there is no dispute and whatever he finds difficulty in, he returns its knowledge to Allah, even if it is our Wilayat, and does not bear enmity towards us, we are hopeful for him and his decision is in Allah’s hands.”
When Muawiyah heard this, he ordered that a thousand times a thousand dirhams be given to Hasan (AS) and Husain (AS) – five lacs for each one.”