عاصم بن عمر

“This matter (the religion) will still prevail without being harmed by the enemies until there will be twelve caliphs; all of them are from Quraysh.”

There are two things which the Children of Adam dislike. They dislike death, while death is the relief of the believers from trials, and they dislike to have little wealth, while having little wealth would reduce the amount of Reckoning.”

I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: This religion would remain victorious and will not be harmed by those who intend to cause harm to it till the time that twelve Caliphs, all of whom would be from Quraish, rise up [for Imamate].

I was seated at the side of Abi Ja`far عليه السلام who was seated with his legs drawn up to the belly [enfolding them with his hands] while facing the Ka`ba when he [the Imam] said: looking at it [the Ka`ba] is a form of worship. Then a man from Bajila called A`sim b. Umar came to him and said: Ka`b al-Ahbar used to say: the Ka`ba prostrates to Bayt al-Maqdis every morning, Abu Ja`far عليه السلام said: what is your opinion about what Ka`b said? He [A`sim] said: he spoke the truth – it is as Ka`b said, so Abu Ja`far عليه السلام said: you have lied and Ka`b al-Ahbar has lied with you, and he became angry, Zurara said: I had never seen him saying to someone ‘you have lied’ to his face other than to him [i.e. A`sim] …

“I, once, was sitting near abu Ja’far (a.s.), while he was sitting in an Ihtiba’ position (holding one’s knees against one’s belly with one’s arms or a piece of cloth) facing al-Ka’bah. He (the Imam) said, ’Looking at al-Ka’bah is an act of worship.’ At this time a man from Bajilah people who was called ‘Asem ibn ’Umar came to abu Ja’far (a.s.), and said, ’Ka’b al-Ahbar would say, “Al-Ka‘bah every morning prostrates before al-Bayt al-Maqdis (the holy house in Jerusalem).”’ Abu Ja’far (a.s.), then asked, ‘What do you say about what Ka’b has said?’ He (the man) replied, ’He has spoken the truth, the word is what Ka’b has said.’ Abu Ja’far (a.s.), then said, ‘You have spoken lies. Ka’b al-Ahbar has spoken lies along with you.’ He (the Imam) became angry. Zurarah has said, ‘I never found him (the Imam) facing someone say, “You speak lies” except him (this man).’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has not created any site on earth more beloved to Him than al-Ka‘bah.’ He (the Imam) then pointed with his hand to al-Ka’bah and said, ’There is not anything more graceful before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, than al-Ka’bah. For this (al-Ka’bah) Allah made the sacred months, in His book, on the day He created the skies and earth. Of these months, three are consecutive: the months of Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa’dah and Dhu al-Hajjah, and one is alone for performing ‘Umrah (and it is) the month of Rajab.’”