جعفر بن عبد الله بن جعفر

When Jesus son of Mary [`Isa ibn Maryam] (AS) was born, he was a day old; however, he looked to be two months old. When he turned seven months old, his mother took him to the teachers of script. She placed him before the teacher, so the teacher said to him: “Say: In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.” Thus, `Isa (AS) said: “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.” Then the teacher said to him: “Say: Abjad (the alphabet).” So `Isa (AS) lifted his head and asked, “Do you know what abjad is?” Hence, the teacher picked up a lash to hit him. Therefore, `Isa (AS) responded, “O teacher, do not hit me. If you do not know the maning, ask me, and I shall it explain it to you.” Thus, the teacher replied, “Explain it to me.” `Isa (AS) explained: The letter [alif] “a” stands for Allah’s Blessings; the letter [ba] “b” stands for Allah’s Joy; the letter [jim] “j” stands for Allah’s Exaltation; the letter [dal] “d” stands for Allah’s Religion. In hawwaz, the letter [ha] “h” stands for the terror of Hell; the letter [wa’u] “w” stands for the affliction for the ones in the Fire; and the letter [za`i] “z” stands for the moaning of Hell. Hutti is for diminishing the mistakes from the seekers of forgiveness. Kaliman is the Word of Allah, there is none that can alter His words. Sa`fas is tit for tat and recompense for recompense. Qarashat is that He assembles them then resurrects them. The teacher then said: “Lady! Take you son away. He is already learned, and is not in need of a teacher.”

When `Isa b. Maryam (as) was born, he was one day old, but it was as though he was two months old. When he was seven months old, his mother took him by the hand to the scribes and sat him in front of the teacher. So, the teacher said: Say: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. So, `Isa (as) said: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. So, the teacher said: Say the alphabet. So, `Isa (as) raised his head and said: Do you know what the alphabet is? So, he took a stick to discipline him, so he said: O teacher! Do not discipline me. If you do not know, then ask me so that I may explain it to you. He said: Explain it to me. So `Isa (as) said: “A” is the signs (alaa’) of Allah, “B” is the delight (bahja) of Allah, “J” is the beauty (jamal) of Allah, and “D” is the religion (din) of Allah. “H” is the horror (hawl) of Hell, “W” is the woe (wayl) of the people of the Fire, and “Z” is the roar (zafir) of Hellfire. “Ḥ” is the falling (hattat) of sins from those who repent. “K” is the words (kalam) of Allah, for which there is no substitute. “Sa`fas” is a measure (sa`) for a measure, and a reward for a reward. “Qarshat” means that He gathers them (qarashahum) and resurrects them. So, the teacher said: O woman! Take your son by the hand, for he is learned, and he has no need for a teacher.

The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "I have been taught (by Allah) the seven verses (i.e. Surah al-Fateha) of two recitations. And the whole Ummah of mine was presented to me (while in the clay form), till I was able to see its small and its big; and I looked at the entire heavens. And when I saw you, O ‘Ali, I sought forgiveness for you and your followers till the Day of Judgement."

When Isa ibn Maryam [1], peace be upon him, was born, he was as a child of one day seeming as child of two months, and when he was a child of seven months, his mother took by his hand and brought him to the writers and made him sit between the hands of the teacher. Then the teacher said: Say: In the Name of Allah, the Merciful with all the creation, the Merciful to the believers in particular. Then Isa, peace be upon him, said: In the Name of Allah, the Merciful with all the creation, the Merciful to the believers in particular. Then the teacher said to him: Recite the alphabet. Then Isa, peace be upon him, raised his head and said: Do you know what I should recite of the alphabet? Then he raised the whip to hit him, so he said: O teacher, do not hit me if you were to know. Otherwise, ask me that I might interpret to you. He said: Interpret to me. Isa, peace be upon him, said: The «Alif» is the Bounties of Allah, the «Baa’» is the Delight of Allah, the «Jeem» is the Beauty of Allah, the «Daal» is the Religion of Allah, the «Huz» - «Haa’» - is the dread [2] of Hell, the «Waw» refers to the woe to the people of the Fire, the «Zaay» is the sigh [3] of Hell, «Hhatti» is the falling [4] of intentional mistakes from (the account of) the seekers of forgiveness, «Kalman» is the Speech [5] of Allah, whose Speech none will replace, «Saa’fass» refers to a Ssaa’ [6] for a Ssaa’, the reward is based upon requital, and «Qarasht» refers to that He assembled them in Hell and gathered them. Then the teacher said: O woman, take by the hand of your son, for he has known, and there is no need to him for a teacher.

I was in Khorasan with Ali bin Musa al-Rida, peace be upon them both, in his congregation, and Zaid bin Musa was present, having approached a group in the congregation, taking pride over them and saying: We are as such, and we are as such. Meanwhile, Abu’l-Hasan, peace be upon him, was facing a people which he was speaking to, and he heard the statement of Zaid, so he turned to him and said: O Zaid, have you been conceited by the saying of a food merchant in Kufa with regards to that Fatima shielded her private organ, to which Allah forbade her offspring from the Fire? By Allah, that for none but Hasan, Hussain and the children from her belly, exclusively. If Musa bin Ja’far, peace be upon them both, was obeying Allah, fasting during his day and standing during his night for prayer, and you would disobey him, and then you would both come on the Day of Resurrection as equal, you will, verily, be more honored to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, than him. Indeed, Ali bin Hussain, peace be upon them both, used to say: To the one who is good to us are two portions of reward, and to the one who harms us are two multiples of torment. Hasan al-Washha’ said: Then he turned to me and said: O Hasan, how do you recite this verse: «He said: O Nuh, he is, indeed, not from your family; he is, indeed, an act that is not righteous» (11:46)? So I said: Among the people are those who recite: «he is, indeed, an act that is not righteous» and among them are those who recite: «he is, indeed, from the act [1] of one who is not righteous». The one who recites: «he is, indeed, from the act [2] of one who is not righteous» has negated him from his father. Then he, peace be upon him, said: «No, he was, certainly, his son, however, when he disobeyed Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, Allah negated him from his father. So is the one who is from us whilst not obeying Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He; he is not from us. You, if you obey Allah, then you are from us, the Household.