Hadith Nafi’ mawla of ‘Umar with Abu Ja’far,'Alayhim al-Salam

‘We went on Pilgrimage with Abu Ja’far (asws) in the year in which Hisham Abdul Malik was performing the Pilgrimage as well, and along with him was Nafa’u, the retainer of Umar Bin Al-Khattaab. So Nafa’u looked towards Abu Ja’far (asws) in the corner of the House and the people had gathered around him’. Nafa’u said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, who is this one around whom the people have gathered?’ He said, ‘This is a Prophet of the people of Al-Kufa. This is Muhammad (asws) Bin Ali (asws)’. He said, ‘Be a witness for I shall ask him (asws) about certain matters that nobody can answer with regards to it except for a Prophet (as) or a son (asws) of a Prophet (as), or a successor (asws) of a Prophet (as)’. He said, ‘So go ahead and ask him (asws), perhaps you can embarrass him (asws)’. So Nafa’u came until he leaned upon the people, until he was higher than Abu Ja’far (asws). He said, ‘O Muhammad (asws) Bin Ali (asws)! I have read the Torah, and the Evangel, and the Psalms, and the Furqaan (Quran), and have understood their Permissibles, and their Prohibitions, and I have come to ask you (asws) about certain matters that none can answer with regards to it except for a Prophet (as), or a successor (asws) of a Prophet (as), or son (asws) of a Prophet (as)’. He (the narrator) said, ‘Abu Ja’far (asws) raised his (asws) head and said; ‘Ask, or shall I (asws) begin for you?’ He said, ‘Inform me, how many years were there in between Isa (as) and Muhammad (saww)?’ He (asws) said: ‘Shall I (asws) inform you in accordance to your words or to mine (asws)?’ He said, ‘Inform me in accordance to both together’. He (asws) said: ‘In accordance to my (asws) words, so there were five hundred years, and in accordance to your words there were six hundred years’. He said, ‘So inform me about the Statement of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic to His (azwj) Prophet (saww): “[43:45] And ask those of Our Rasools whom We sent before you: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Beneficent Allah?” who was the one that Muhammad (saww) asked since there were five hundred years in between him (saww) and Isa (as)?’ Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘This is the Verse: “[17:1] Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing”, so Allah (azwj) Blessed and High Showed to Muhammad (saww) certain Signs when He (azwj) Made him (saww) to travel to the Bayt Al-Maqdas, was that Allah (azwj) Mighty is His (azwj) Mention, Resurrected from the former ones and the later ones, Prophets (as) and Rasools (as), then Commanded Jibraeel (as) to Call out the Adhaan and the Iqamah. And he said in his Adhaan “Hurry to the Best of the deeds” (Hayya Ala Khayr Al-Amal). Then Muhammad (saww) proceeded and Prayed with the people. When he (saww) had finished, he (saww) asked them: ‘What did you testify to and what did you worship?’ They replied, ‘We testified that there is no god except Allah (azwj), One with no associates to Him (azwj), and that you (saww) are the Rasool (saww) of Allah (azwj), and it is upon that, that He (azwj) Took a Covenant from us and the Confirmation’. So Nafa’u said, ‘You (asws) have spoken the truth, O Abu Ja’far (asws)! So Inform me about the Statement of Allah (azwj): “[21:30] Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them”. He (asws) said: ‘When Allah (azwj) Blessed and High Sent Adam (as) to the earth, and the skies were closed up and did not rain at all, and the earth was closed up and did not grow any vegetation. So when Allah (azwj) Accepted the repentance of Adam (as), He (azwj) Commanded the sky, so it collected rain in the clouds. Then He (azwj) Commanded it, so it allowed it to fall. Then He (azwj) Commanded the earth, so it produced the trees, and the fruits, and the rivers flowed. So that is (what is meant by) ‘closed up’, and this is (what is meant by) ‘it opened up’’. Nafa’u said, ‘You (asws) had spoken the truth, O son (asws) of the Rasool (saww) of Allah (azwj). So inform me about the Statement of Allah (azwj): “[14:48] On the day when the earth shall be changed into a different earth, and the heavens (as well)”. Which earth would it be replaced by on the Day?’ So Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘It will be the ground which would become edible, from which they will be eating until such time as Allah (azwj) has Completed the Accounting’. Nafa’u said, ‘They would be busy (with the accounting) instead to eating’. So Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘Would they be busy on that Day or would they be in the Fire?’ Nafa’u said, ‘But they would be in the Fire’. He (asws) said: ‘By Allah (azwj), they would not be busy, it’s just that when they call for the food, so they will be fed the Zaqoom (a tree in Hell), and they will call for drink and they will be quenched with Al-Hameem (a river of Hell)’. He said, ‘You (asws) has spoken the truth, O son (asws) of the Rasool (saww) of Allah (azwj), and there remains one question’. He (asws) said: ‘And what is that?’ He said, ‘Inform me about Allah (azwj) Blessed and High, when (did He (azwj) Exist) from?’ He (asws) said: ‘Woe be unto you. When was he (azwj) not from that I (asws) inform you when He (azwj) was from? Glory be to the One Who (azwj) always Was and will never cease to Be, Alone, Eternal, He (azwj) has not Taken any associate nor a son’. Then he (asws) said: ‘O Nafa’u, inform me of what I (asws) ask you about’. He said, ‘And what is it?’ He (asws) said: ‘What do you say about the companions of Nahrwaan (a battle), for if you say that Amir-ul-Momineen (asws) killed them rightfully, therefore they were apostates, and if you were to say then he (asws) killed them wrongly, so you would have blasphemed’. He (the narrator) said, ‘He turned around from those that were with him, and he was saying, ‘By Allah (azwj), you (asws) are truly the most knowledgeable of the people’. So he came to Hisham who asked, ‘What did you do?’ He said, ‘Leave me from your speech. By Allah (azwj), this one (asws) is truly the most knowledgeable of the people, and he (asws) is truly the son (asws) of the Rasool (saww) of Allah (azwj), and his (asws) companions are quite right in taking him (asws) as a Prophet (as)’.