I was present at Ja`far b. Muhammad`s (AS), when Umar b. Qays al-Masir and Abu Hanifa and Umar b. Dharr, together with a group of their companions, called upon him. Then they asked him about faith (al-Iman). He said: The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: “An adulterer (and a fornicator) does not commit that sin at the same time being a Mo`min, and a thief does not steal at the same time being a Mo`min, and one does not drink liquor (intoxicant) while being a Mo`min.”
We started looking at each other, then Umar b. Dharr said: “What shall we call them
He, peace be upon him, said: “Call them the way Allah has called them because of their deeds. Allah in Qur`an says: `And for a male thief and a female thief, cut off their hands` (al-Maedah V:38) and `As for the fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them a hundred stripes.` (al-Noor V:2).” Hearing this, they stared at each other.
Muhammad b. Yazid says: Bishr b. Umar b. Dharr, who was with them, reported to me that: When we left, Umar b. Dharr said to Abu Hanifa: “Why did you not ask him who had reported from the Prophet?” He (Abu Hanifa) said: “What can I say to a man who (authoritatively) says: The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said.”
Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (A.S.) at the Prophet`s grave
He said: Abul Hasan Ahmad b. Muhammad b. al-Waleed – may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, from Sa`d b. Abdillah, from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa, from Muhammad b. Sinan, from Ishaq b. Ammar, who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah saying near the grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny: “I beseech (Allah) Who selected and chose you, purified and guided you and through you guided the people: to bless you; Surely, Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet, O you who believe, you should invoke blessings on him and peace on him.”
Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) explains momin`s experience after death
He said: Abul Qasim Ja`far b. Muhammad b. Qawlawayh – may Allah bless him with mercy, who reported from his father, from Sa`d b. Abdillah, from Ahmed b. Muhammad b. Isa, from al-Hasan b. Mehboob, from Hannan b. Sudair, from his father, who said:
I was with Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, when discussion about a Mo`min and his rights took place. Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, turned to me and said: “O Abu al-Fadhl, may I not tell you about the status of a Mo`min in the estimation of Allah?” I said: “Yes, do enlighten me, may I be your ransom!”
He said: “When a Mo`min dies, his soul is taken up to the heaven by its angels, who say: O Sustainer, here is Your servant and what a good servant!” Allah Almighty says: “Descend to the earth near his grave and continue to laud and magnify My name, confirming My Oneness and My Greatness and write the reward for My servant till I resurrect him from his grave.”
Then he said: “May I tell you more?” I said: “Yes.” He said: “When Allah will resurrect a believer from his grave, together with him will be an image who will lead him. Whenever the believer will see anything frightful from the frightful aspects of the Day of Judgement, the image will solace him by saying: `Do not be anxious, nor distressed. Have good tidings and honour from Allah, Most High.` And it continues to give tidings of delight and honour, till he stands before Allah to account for his deeds; and he shall have a lenient reckoning. Then He orders him to enter the Paradise, with the image in front of him. Then the believer shall say to the image: `May Allah bless you with mercy, you have been a good company emanating from my grave, giving me good tidings of delight and honour from Allah, Most High; till it transpired to be that way. So, who are you?` The image will say: `I am the delight and joy, which you caused to your believing brother on earth. Allah has created me thus from that gesture, so that I may give you good tidings.`”
We do not say except that which our Lord, Most High, has said
He said: Abu Hafs Umar b. Muhammad al-Sayrafi reported to me from Muhammad b. Hammam al-Askafi who reported from Ahmad b. Idrees, who reported from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa al-Asha`ri, from Ali b. No-man, from Fudhail b. Uthman, from Muhammad b. Shurayh who said:
I heard Abu Abdillah Ja`far b. Muhammad,[Imam Sadiq] peace be upon him, say: “Surely, Allah has enforced our authority, and made it obligatory upon people to love us. By Allah, we do not say anything out of caprice or our desire, and we do not act according to our views. We do not say except that which our Lord, Most High, has said.”
Al-Sadiq (A.S.) exhorts Taqwa
And with the first chain of narration, from Ali b. Mahzyar, (from al-Hassan), from Ali b. Uqba, from Abi Kahmas, from Amru b. Saeed b. Hilal, who said:
I requested Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him: `Guide me.` He said: `My admonition to you is to be mindful of your duties to Allah (taqwa), to refrain from that which is forbidden and to make a strenuous effort (to win His Pleasure). And you should know that any effort, which is not coupled with abstaining from that, which is forbidden, has no benefit. And always look at those who are lower than you, and do not look at those who are above you. For how often has Allah, Most High, advised His messenger: `So do not be deluded by their wealth and their children`, (al-Tawbah: v.55), and again He said: `And do not even look at the wordly wealth. We have let some pairs of disbelievers to gain, it is only an allurement of the life of this world….` (Taha:v.131).”
And if your passion (or desires) drive you towards any of those things, then you should be aware that the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his progeny, had barley for daily subsistence, dates for his sweet dish, when available, and the source of warmth (firewood, fuel) was from the branches of the palm tree. And when any calamity befalls you, then remember how you were tested by the passing away of the Prophet, peace be upon him; for the people will never face a similar tribulation ever again.”
The excellence of Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.)
He said: Abu Ja`far Muhammad b. Ali b. al-Husain b. Musa b. Babawayh al-Qummi, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad b. Abul Qasim, from Ahmad b. Abu Abdillah al-Barqi, from his father, from the one who heard from Hannan b. Sadir al-Sayrafi, who said:
I dreamt and saw the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, with a bowl before him covered with a cloth. I came closer to him and greeted him, and he returned my greetings. Then he removed the cloth from the bowl, which was filled with fresh dates. He began to eat from it, so I went closer still and said: “O messenger of Allah, may I have one?” He gave me one, which I ate. Then I requested for another one, and he gave and I ate. This way, just as I ate one, I went on requesting for another till he gave me eight of them. As I ate the last, I asked for more, but he said: “Enough for you.”
He said: I woke up from my dream. Next day, I visited al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad, peace be upon him, and before him was a bowl covered with cloth, the same way as I had previously seen in my dream, before the Prophet. So I greeted him and he returned my greetings, then he uncovered the bowl, which was filled with fresh dates. He began to eat, and I felt surprised. I said: “May I be your ransom, could I have one?” He gave one to me, which I ate. Then I requested for another and he gave. And so I went on asking for another till he gave me eight. Then I asked for more, so he said: “If my grandfather, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, had given more, I would have also given.” So I related to him the dream. He smiled as if he knew what had transpired.
Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) Narrates Directly
He said: Al-Mudhaffar b. Muhammad al-Balkhi reported to me from Abu Ali Muhammad b. Hammam al-Iskafi, who reported from Abu Ja`far Ahmed b. Mabandar, from Mansoor b. al-Abbas al-Qasbani, who reported from al-Hasan b. Ali al-Khazzaz, from Ali b. Uqbah from Salim b. Abu Hafsah, who said:
When Abu Ja`far Muhammad b. Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, died, I said to my friends: Wait for me till I have been to Abu Abdillah Ja`far b. Muhammad, peace be upon him, to console him. So I visited him, and consoled him saying: “We are for Allah, and unto Him shall we return.” Then I confirmed: “By Allah, a man who reported from the Prophet directly, and was never asked about the chain of narrators between him and the Prophet, has passed away. By Allah, no one like shall ever be found.”
He said: Abu Abdillah remained silent for a few moments, and then said: “Allah, Most Glorified said: “Surely, someone from My slaves may give away in charity a piece of date, then I rear it up, the way you rear up a foal, till I will make it as big as the mountain of Uhud.”
When I came back to my friend, I said: “I have not seen anything more surprising than this. We were thinking highly of Abu Ja`far who reported from the Prophet directly, but Abu Abdillah has begun by saying: Allah, Most Glorified, said!”
