MUNTAKHAB AL-ASAR

MUNTAKHAB AL-ASAR

Ayatullah Lutfullah Saafi Golpaygani
Translated by Dr Shabeeb Rizvi

159. Al-Ikhtesaas[1]: From him – i.e. al-Sadooq (r.a.) – from Muhammad Ibn Moosa Ibn al-Mutawakkil from Muhammad Ibn Abi Abdillah al-Kufi from Moosa Ibn Imraan from his uncle al-Husain Ibn Yazeed from Ali Ibn Saalem from his father (from Saalem Ibn Deenaar) from Sa’d Ibn Toraif from al-Asbagh Ibn Nobaatah who says, ‘I heard Ibn Abbas narrate that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) declared, “The remembrance of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, is worship, my remembrance is worship, the remembrance of Ali is worship and the remembrance of the Imams from his progeny is worship. I swear by the One Who raised me with prophethood and made me the best of creatures! Surely my successor is the most superior of all the successors. Indeed, he is the proof of Allah upon His servants and His caliph upon His creation. From his progeny are the guided Imams after me. Due to them, Allah restrains the punishment from the people of the earth and prevents the sky from falling on the earth. Due to them He prevents the mountains from being moved, through them He provides rainwater to His creation and causes the growth of vegetation. They are the true friends of Allah and my real caliphs. Their number is equal to the number of the months and these are twleve. Their number is equal to the number of the chiefs of Moosa Ibn Imraan (a.s.).” Then he (s.a.w.a.) recited the following verse, وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوْجِ[2] ‘I swear by the mansions of the stars.’ Then he (s.a.w.a.) said, “O son of Abbas! Do you think that when Allah swears by the sky the bearer of constellations, does He only imply the sky and its constellations?” I asked, ‘Then what is it, O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)?’ He (s.a.w.a.) retorted, “As for the sky, it’s me. And as for the constellations, they imply the Imams after me. The first of them is Ali and the last of them is Mahdi (a.s.).”’

160. Al-Ghaibah of No’maani[3]: Informed us Muhammad Ibn Hamaam from Abu Ali al-Hasan Ibn Ali Ibn Eesaa al-Quhistaani from Badr Ibn Ishaaq Ibn Badr al-Inmaati – a respected elder from our learned brothers and he was from the people of Qazween – in the night market in Mecca, circa 265 A.H. from Ishaaq Ibn Badr from my grandfather Badr Ibn Eesaa who says, ‘I asked my father Eesaa Ibn Moosa – who had an imposing personality – How many of the Taabeeen did you see?’ He replied, ‘I don’t understand what you are saying. But I was at Kufa when I heard an elderly person in its mosque talking about Abd Khair and said, ‘I heard Ameer al-Momineen (a.s.) narrate that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) told me, “O Ali! The rightly guided, infallible Imams from your progeny are eleven. You are the first of them and the last of them will bear the same name as that of mine. When he emerges, he will fill the earth with justice as it would be filled with injustice and oppression. A man will come to him while the wealth is hoarded near him and implore, ‘O Mahdi! Grant me.’ He will reply, ‘Take (as much as you like)’.”’

161. Yanaabi al-Mawaddah[4]: The author of Manaaqeb narrates from al-Hasan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Sa’d from Foraat Ibn Ibraheem al-Kufi from Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Hamdaani from Abu al-Fazl al-Abbas Ibn Abdullah al-Bukhaari from Muhammad Ibn al-Qaasim Ibn Ibraheem from Abd al-Salaam Ibn Saaleh al-Hirwi from Ali Ibn Moosa ar-Reza (a.s.) narrates on the authority of his forefathers reaching to Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.) who quotes the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), “Allah has not created any creature more superior and more honoured in front of Him than me.” Ali (a.s.) asked, “O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)! Are you superior or Jibraeel?” He (s.a.w.a.) responded, “O Ali! Surely Allah, Blessed and High Be He has granted His messengers superiority over the close angels and granted me superiority over all the prophets and messengers. After me superiority is for you and for the Imams from your progeny after you. O Ali! Surely the angels are our servants and the servants of our lovers. These angels are those who carry the throne (عرش) and are around it, glorifying Allah with His praise and seeking forgiveness for those who believe in our mastership. O Ali! If we were not there, Allah would not have created Adam, Hawwa, Paradise, Hell, Sky and Earth. Then how we are not superior to the angels while we have preceded them in the recognition of our Lord, His glorification, His praise and His holiness? For certainly, the first thing that Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, created were our souls and He made them speak about His Oneness and His Praise. Thereafter, He created the angels. When they saw our souls in the form of one light, they were overawed with our affair. Immediately, we glorified Allah (تسبيح) that the angels may know that we are created and that surely He, the High, is transcendent of our attributes. The angels emulated our glorification and purified Allah from our attributes. When the angels observed the greatness of our position, we declared ‘there is no god but Allah’ (تهليل) that they may know that there is no god except Allah and that we are His servants and not gods who are to be worshipped with Him or other than Him. When they witnessed the loftiness of our state, we said, ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ (تكبير) that the angels be informed that Allah is the Greatest and no creature can attain a lofty position but through Him.. When they saw what Allah has made for us from the might and the strength, we confessed, ‘There is no power or strength except that of Allah’ لاَ حَوْلَ وَ لاَ قُوَّةَ اِلاَّ بِالله that the angels may know that there is no power and strength except that of Allah. When they witnessed the bounties that Allah has conferred on us and our obedience, which He has made obligatory for His creatures, we praised Allah (تحميد) that the angels may become aware that all praise is for Allah on His bounties. The angels said, ‘All praise is for Allah.’ So, through us, they receive guidance to the recognition of Allah’s Oneness, Glorification, Greatness, Praise, etc. And surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, created Adam (a.s.) and placed us in his offspring. Then how we are not superior to the angels while they all prostrated before Adam? When I was taken to the heavens during ascension (me’raj), Jibraeel said the Azaan and the Iqaamah twice and requested, ‘Go ahead, O Muhammad!’ I asked, ‘Should I go ahead of you O Jibraeel?’ ‘Yes. Surely Allah, Blessed and High Be He, made His prophets superior to all His angels. He has granted special superiority to you over all of them.’ So, I went ahead, led the prayers (with the angels behind me) and am not proud about it. When I reached to the veils of light, Jibraeel implored again, ‘Go ahead, O Muhammad!’ And he stepped behind me. I asked, ‘O Jibraeel! Are you forsaking me in such a place?’ He retorted, ‘O Muhammad! This is my limit, which Allah has defined for me. If I exceed it, my wings will be burnt on account of the transgression of the orders of my Lord, Majestic is His Majesty.’ The veil of light was removed for me; I reached till where Allah pleased, to the loftiness of His kingdom. Then I was called out, ‘O Muhammad! You are my servant and I am your Lord. Then worship only Me and rely only on Me. I created you from My Light. You are My messenger to My creation and My proof upon My creatures. I created My paradise for you and for the one who follows you. I created My hell for the one who opposses you. I made My honour obligatory for your successors.’ I asked, ‘O Lord! Who are my successors?’ It was said, ‘O Muhammad! Your successors are transcribed on the canopy of My Throne (arsh).’ I looked and I saw twelve lights and in each light there was a green line on which was the name of one of my successors. The first of them was Ali and the last of them was the Qaem al-Mahdi.’ I enquired, ‘O Lord! Are these my successors after me?’ I was told, ‘O Muhammad! These are My friends, My lovers, My chosen ones and My proofs upon My creatures after you. They are your successors. By My Might and My Majesty! Certainly I will clean the earth of injustice with the last of them, al-Mahdi. I will make him rule the east of the earth and its west and make the wind subservient to him. I will make him dominate the skies and overcome the causes. I will help him with My army and assist him with My angels till My call is prevalent and the creatures gather on My Oneness (tauheed). Thereafter, I will prolong his kingdom and will alternate my friends as the rulers of the earth one after the other till the day of judgement.”

162. Yanaabi al-Mawaddah[5]: A lengthy tradition narrated from Al-Manaaqeb from Abu Tufail Aamer Ibn Waathelah in the incident of the arrival of a Jew of Madina to Ali (a.s.) and his questions from him. (The Jew) asked, ‘Inform me as to how many Imams will be in this (Muslim) Ummah after its Prophet (s.a.w.a.)? And inform me about the position of Muhammad, where is he in Paradise? And inform me who will stay with him in Paradise?’

Ali (a.s.) replied, “After its Prophet, this Ummah will have twelve Imams. Whoever opposes them (Imams) will not harm them.”

Jew: You have spoken the truth.

Ali (a.s.): Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) is placed in Jannah Al-Adn in Paradise, which is centrally located, is its highest position and is closest to the Throne of the Beneficent, Majestic be His Majesty.

Jew: You have spoken the truth.

Ali (a.s.): And as for those who will stay with him in Paradise, then these are the twelve Imams, first of them is me and the last of them is the Al-Qaem Al-Mahdi.

Jew: You have spoken the truth.

Ali (a.s.): Ask anything that you desire.

Jew: Inform me as to how much will you live after your Prophet and will you die a natural death or will you be martyred?

Ali (a.s.): I will live after him (s.a.w.a.) for thirty years and this-indicating towards his beard- will be dyed with this- pointing to his head (i.e. prophesying his martyrdom).

Jew: I witness that there is no god but Allah and I witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.). I also witness that surely you are the successor of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.).

163. Sharh-o-Ghaayah al-Ahkaam[6]: Abu Abdillah al-Husain Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.) said, “From us are the twelve guided (Imams). First of them is Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.) and the last of them is Al-Qaem (a.s.)”.

164. Rauz al-Jenaan Fi Tafseer al-Quran[7]: The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) declared, “The Imams after me are twelve. First of them is Ali, the fourth of them is Ali, the eighth of them is Ali, the tenth of them is Ali and the last of them is Mahdi.”

165. Al-Manaaqeb[8]: Imam Sadeq (a.s.) cites on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a..), who said, “Surely Allah, the High, has taken my covenant and the covenant of the twelve Imams after me. They are the proofs of Allah upon His creatures. The twelfth of them is al-Qaem, through whom Allah will fill the earth with justice and equality as it would be fraught with injustice and tyranny.”

166. Faraaed al-Simtain[9]: Asbagh Ibn Nubaatah narrates on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Abbas, who says, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) say, “I, Ali, Hasan, Husain and nine descendants of Husain are purified and infallible.”’

167. Kefaayah Al-Athar[10]: Narrated to us Ali Ibn al-Husain from Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn al-Husain (or al-Hasan) al-Bazoofari (r.a.) from al-Qaazi Abu Ismaeel Ja’far Ibn al-Husain al-Balkhi from Shaqeeq (Ibn Ahmad) al-Balkhi from Sammaak from Zaid Ibn Aslam from Abu Haaroon al-Abdi from Abu Saeed al-Khudri who narrates, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) say, “My Ahle Bait (a.s.) are (a cause of) protection for the people of the earth like the stars are for the inhabitants of the skies.” He was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)! The Imams after you are from your Ahle Bait (a.s.)?’ He (s.a.w.a.) replied, “Yes. The Imams after me are twelve, of which nine will be from the offspring of Husain (a.s.), trustees and infallible. From us is the Mahdi of this Ummah. Beware! Surely they are my Ahle Bait (a.s.) and my progeny, from my flesh and my blood. Those who will hurt me concerning them, I will not intercede to Allah on their behalf (on the day of judgement).””

168. Kefaayah Al-Athar[11]: Narrated to us Ali Ibn Muhammad from Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Safwaani from Faiz Ibn al-Mufazzal al-Halabi (or al-Jalli) from Mas’ar Ibn Kedaam from Salmah Ibn Kohail from Abu al-Sadeeq al-Naaji from Abu Saeed al-Khudri who narrates, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) say, “The Imams after me are twelve, nine of them are from the descendants of al-Husain (a.s.) and the Mahdi is from them.””

---

[1] Al-Ikhtesaas, pg. 223, Chap. 71; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 370, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 234.

[2] Surah Buruj (85): Verse 1.

[3] Al-Ghaibah of No’maani, pg. 92, Chap. 4, Tr. No. 23; Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Tusi (a.r.), pg. 135, Tr. No. 99 (briefly) and in it is : The guided ones, those whose rights will be usurped, from your progeny; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 259, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 78 and pg. 281, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 101.

[4] Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 485, Chap. 93; Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 1, pg. 254, Chap. 23, Tr. No. 4; Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a.s.), vol. 1, pg. 262, Chap. 22, Tr. No. 22; Elal al-Sharaae, pg. 13; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 26, pg. 335, Chap. 8, Tr. No. 1 and vol. 57, pg. 303, Chap. 39, Tr. No. 16. And in other than Yanaabi, ‘Al-Hasan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Saeed.’

[5] Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 443, Chap. 76

[6] Kashf al-Astaar, pg. 109, Section 1 published at the Naynavi Library narrating from Sharh-o-Ghaayah al-Ahkaam

[7] Rauz al-Jenaan, vol. 9, pg. 240 under the exegesis of Surah Taubah, Verse 36

[8] Al-Manaaqeb of Ibn Shahr al-Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 283

[9] Faraaed al-Simtain, vol. 2, pg. 132, Chap. 31, Tr. No. 430 & pg. 313, Chap. 61, Tr. No. 563; Al-Manaaqeb by Ibn Shahr Aashob, vol. 1, pg. 209; Kamaal al-Deen, vol.1, pg. 280, Chap. 24, Tr. No. 28; Oyoon-o-Akhabaar al-Reza (a.s.), vol.1, pg. 64, Chap. 6, Tr. No. 30; Kefaayah Al-Athar, pg. 19, Chap. 1, Tr. No. 4; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 286, Chap. 41, Tr. No. 50 & 108; Yanaabi al-Mawaddah, pg. 258 narrating from Mawaddah al-Qurbaa; Al-Seraat al-Mustaqeem, vol. 2, pg. 110

[10] Kefaayah Al-Athar, pg. 29, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 2; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 291; Chap. 41, Tr. No. 114

[11] Kefaayah Al-Athar, pg. 34, Chap. 3, Tr. No. 10; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 36, pg. 293; Chap. 41, Tr. No. 121