أبو هاشم

If it is said: Abu Ali has argued that in the conditions in which “those having a say” are not able to select an Imam, Allah performs acts that stand in place of enforcing the penalties and take away the excuse of duty-bound; and Abu Hashim has said that enforcing penalties is a worldly matter and has no relationship with religion.

As for Abu Hashim’s view that penal codes are for worldly benefits, it is unacceptable; because penal codes are obligatory acts of worship, and if they were for sheer worldly benefits, they would not be obligatory. Besides, he believes that enforcing the penalties falls in the category of requitals, and legal penalties are part of Divine punishment, some of which have been brought in this life for certain expediencies. How can he still say that they are for worldly expediencies? Therefore, this argument is invalid.

One night Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) and his brother, Ja’far came to the prison. And they said: [The story went like this] One night we were sitting together and talking among ourselves when unlocking of the prison gate was heard and it terrified us. Abu Hashim, who was unwell, told one of us: See what’s happening. That person went to the gate, which was open and they were putting two men in the jail, after which they closed and locked the gate again. [My friends] went to them and asked: Who are you? One of them said: We are from the Talibiyyin tribe and have been arrested. He again asked: What is your name? He replied: I am Hasan bin Ali and this is my brother, Ja’far bin Ali. Our friend said: May I be sacrificed on you, if you feel right, please come to my house [my cell in prison]. He came to us and Abu Hashim and informed us of this. After that the two of them entered. When Abu Hashim saw them, he got up from the rug he was sitting on and kissed the face of Abu Muhammad and made him sit on it and Ja’far also sat with him. Ja’far called out aloud to his slave girl: Washtana. Abu Muhammad scolded him and ordered: Shut up. The inmates also saw that signs of intoxication were apparent on the face of Ja’far while he sat with them, sleep overcame him and he went to sleep in that same position. His shameful actions and sayings that are narrated are more than to be counted and we will keep ourselves clean by not mentioning them.

I was imprisoned with Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) in the prison of Mohtadi bin Wathiq. Imam (a.s) said to me: O Aba Hashim, this transgressor wanted to play with divine destiny, but Allah, the Mighty and the High has cut off his life and transferred his kingdom to his successors. I don’t have a son at present; but very soon, I will be bestowed with one. Abu Hashim said: The following morning Turks attacked Mohtadi and slew him and Motamid succeeded him to the throne. Almighty Allah saved us from the intrigue of Mohtadi also.

“Once we were with Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali al-Jawad (as) when as-Sufyani was mentioned and that his matter was inevitable. I said to Abu Ja’far al-Jawad (as): “Does Allah change His determination concerning the inevitable matters?” He said: “Yes, He does.” We said to him: “We fear that He may change his determination concerning the matter of al-Qa’im!” He said: “The matter of al-Qa’im is a part of the promise of Allah and Allah dose not fail to perform His promise.”

I was imprisoned with Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) in the prison of Mohtadi bin Wathiq. Imam (a.s) said to me: O Aba Hashim, this transgressor wanted to play with divine destiny, but Allah, the Mighty and the High has cut off his life and transferred his kingdom to his successors. I don’t have a son at present; but very soon I will be bestowed with one. Abu Hashim said: The following morning Turks attacked Mohtadi and slew him and Motamid succeeded him to the throne. The Almighty Allah saved us from the intrigue of Mohtadi also.

When Abu Ja’far passed away, I was present with Imam Hadi (a.s) and previously the Imam had hinted to him. Therefore, I thought and said to myself: This is just how it happened in the case of Abu Ibrahim [Imam Kadhim (a.s)] and Ismail Ibn Ja’far that when Ismail passed away, Imam Sadiq (a.s) publicly announced his death so that no one may say that Ismail or his descendants are Imams. Imam Hadi (a.s) came to me and said: Yes, Aba Hashim, change of destiny occurred (Bada) with regard to Abu Ja’far and Almighty Allah replaced him with Abu Muhammad as He did in the case of Ismail, son of Imam Sadiq (a.s), after Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s) had declared and mentioned him to be the Imam after him and appointed him as his successor; just as you said to yourself, although it would be displeasing to the followers of falsehood. My son, Abu Muhammad is my successor and he is having all that which the Shia society is in need of and he is having the distinctive signs of Imamate, by the grace of God.

I was with Abul Hasan Askari [Imam Hadi] at the time when his son, Abu Ja’far passed away, Imam (a.s) pointed to him emphatically so that we may see his son, who had passed away. I said to myself: This is just how it happened in the case of Abu Ibrahim [Imam Kadhim (a.s)] and Ismail Ibn Ja’far that when Ismail passed away, Imam Sadiq (a.s) publicly announced his death, so that no one may claim that Ismail or his descendants are Imams. Thus Imam Hadi (a.s) came to me and said: Yes, Aba Hashim, change of destiny occurred (Bada) with regard to Abu Ja’far and Almighty Allah replaced him with Abu Muhammad as He did in the case of Ismail, son of Imam Sadiq (a.s), after Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s) had declared him to be the Imam after him and appointed him as his successor; just as you said to yourself, although it would be displeasing to the followers of falsehood, my son, Abu Muhammad is my successor and he is having all that which the Shia society is in need of and he is having the distinctive signs of Imamate, by the grace of God.

“O Amirul Mo’mineen, I want to ask you three questions.” Amirul Mo’mineen said: “Ask whatever you like.” The man said: “Would you tell me if man sleeps where his soul goes to? How does man remember and forget? How do man’s children look like their uncles; their father’s brothers and mother’s brothers?” Amirul Mo’mineen (as) turned to his son al-Hasan (as) and said to him: “O Abu Muhammad, answer him!” Imam al-Hasan (as) said to the man: “As for your question that when man sleeps whereto his soul goes, his soul is hanging in the air until he moves during his wake, so when Allah permits that that soul is to go back to the body, the soul attracts the air to settle in its body but if Allah does not permit that soul to get back to that body, the air will attract the soul away from the body until the Day of Resurrection. But as for what you asked about remembering and forgetting, the heart of man has been created to comply with the truth and there is a cover on the truth. If he prays Allah to have blessing upon Muhammad and his family in a perfect way, that cover will be removed from upon the truth and the heart will shine then one will remember what he has forgotten but if he does not pray Allah to have blessing upon Muhammad and his family or his prayer is imperfect, the cover will get closed on the truth and the heart will be dark and then he will forget what he has remembered. As about a newborn baby that looks like the uncles, if a man goes to bed with his wife with calm heart, tranquil nerves and undisturbed body, his sperm will settle inside the womb and the baby will looks like either its father or its mother. If a man goes to bed with his wife with upset heart, unquiet nerves and disturbed body, the sperm also will upset and fall on some veins. If it falls on a vein of the father’s brothers, the baby will look like the father’s brothers and if it falls on a vein of the mother’s brothers, the baby will look like the mother’s brothers.” The man said: “I witness that there is no god but Allah and I will keep on that. I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and I will keep on that. (He pointed to Imam Ali (as) with his hand and said) I witness that you are the guardian of the messenger of Allah and the successor of his authority and I will keep on it. (He pointed to Imam al-Hasan (as) and said) I witness that you are his guardian and the successor of his authority and I will keep on it. I witness that al-Husayn bin Ali is his (al-Hasan’s) guardian and the successor of his authority and I will keep on that. I witness that Ali bin al-Husayn is the guardian of al-Husayn. I witness that Muhammad bin Ali is the guardian of Ali bin al-Husayn. I witness that Ja’far is the guardian of Muhammad (bin Ali). I witness that Musa is the guardian of Ja’far. I witness that Ali (bin Musa) is the guardian of Musa. I witness that Muhammad (bin Ali bin Musa) is the guardian of Ali (bin Musa). I witness that Ali (bin Muhammad) is the guardian of Muhammad. I witness that al-Hasan is the guardian of Ali and I witness that a man from among the offspring of al-Husayn, who is not named or surnamed until he appears by the will of Allah to spread justice allover the earth after it has been filled with injustice and oppression, is the guardian of al-Hasan bin Ali. Peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be upon you, O Amirul Mo’mineen.” Then he left. Then Amirul Mo’mineen said to Imam al-Hasan: “O Abu Muhammad, follow after him and see where he goes to!” Imam al-Hasan said: “I followed after him, but since he put his leg out of the gate of the mosque I could not know where he disappeared. I came back and told Amirul Mo’mineen (as). He said to me: “O Abu Muhammad, do you know who he is?” I said: “No, Allah, His messenger and Amirul Mo’mineen are more aware.” He said: “He is al-Khidr (as).”