عبد الله بن جعفر

When people fell into discord with regard to the Imamate of Abul Hasan Imam Ridha (a.s), I collected the questions that were framed to gain confidence and certainty in his Imamate; and they totalled up to 15000, all of which the Imam replied.

Abdullah Ibn Ja’far Himyari said: When Abu Amr passed away, letters continued to arrive with the same handwriting through which we used to receive on the virtue of Abu Ja’far taking his father’s place.

“When three names, Muhammad, Ali, and Hasan come in consecution, their fourth is the Qaim (a.s).”

I heard Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s) say: “The similitude of our Order in the Divine Book is the similitude of the owner of the donkey; Allah made him die for a hundred a years and then raised him up again.”

I asked Imam Ali Ridha (a.s): “You have reached this stage, but you don’t have an issue?” He replied: “O Uqbah bin Ja’far, the Imam does not pass away before seeing his descendant [successor].”

Once we were with Ibn Mass’ood in his house when someone asked him: “Had your prophet told you how many caliphs would be after him?” Ibn Mass’ood said: “Yes, he had. But no one has asked me such a question before you. You are the youngest of these people. I have heard the Prophet (S) saying: “After me there will be (caliphs) as the number of the chieftains of Prophet Moses (as).”

I heard Abdullah bin Ja’far Tayyar [husband of Zainab] say: We were in the company of Muawiyah: I, Hasan, Husain, Abdullah bin Abbas, Umar bin Umme Salma and Usamah bin Zaid when an argument arose between us; I said to him: I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: “I have more authority on the believers than they have on themselves. After me, my brother Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s) has more authority on the believers than themselves. When Ali (a.s) is martyred, Hasan Ibn Ali (a.s) will have more authority on the believers than themselves, followed by my son Husain (a.s), who will have more authority on the believers than themselves. When Husain (a.s) is martyred, his son, Ali Ibn Husain (a.s) will have more authority on the believers than themselves. O Ali! Soon you will meet him. Then his son Muhammad Ibn Ali will have more authority on the believers than themselves. Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah (s) completed the list of twelve Imams, nine of whom will be from the descendants of Husain (a.s).” Abdullah Ibn Ja’far continues, ‘I sought testimony from Hasan, Husain, Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Umar Ibn Umm Salma and Usamah Ibn Zaid and they all verified my statement before Muawiyah.’ Sulaym bin Qays says, ‘And indeed I heard the same from Salman, Abu Zar and Miqdad and they in turn heard it from the Messenger of Allah (s).

“You are going to be tried with a great test. You are going to be tried with the fetus while still in its mother’s womb and with the suckling until it is said: he has disappeared and he has died. They say: “There is no Imam.” The Prophet (S) has disappeared and disappeared and I am going to die as well.”

“The man of this matter will disappear for a period of time, during which one, who still keeps to his religion, is like one, who lathes thorns of al-Qatad with his bare hand. Which of you can grasp at the thorns of al-Qatad?” Then he pondered for a while and said: “The man of this matter will disappear for a time so people are to fear Allah and to keep to their faith.” The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob al-Kulayni from Muhammad bin Yahya and al-Hasan bin Muhammad from Ja’far bin Muhammad al-Kufi from al-Hasan bin Muhammad as-Sayrafi from Salih bin Khalid from Yaman at-Tammar. Who is this one, who will disappear, but the expected Imam? Who is this one, whose birth and early life most of people will doubt? Who is this one, whom people will be indifferent to and will not believe in his rising nor in his existence even? It is he, whom the infallibles imam (as) have mentioned and described his loyal believers during his disappearance as ones, who grasp at the thorns of al-Qatad with bare hands. It is this little sincere group that is distinguished from the great masses of people, whose fancies have taken them too far away and whose hearts have become too narrow to bear the truth and its bitterness. They find themselves unable to believe in the existence of the Imam while his person is absent and his disappearance has lasted long. Only the little group has believed and kept on believing in the expected Imam (as) following, by that, the saying of Amirul Mo’mineen (as): “Do not feel desolate in the way of guidance when its followers are very few!”

Once we were with ibn Mass’ood in his house. Someone asked him: “Have your prophet told you how many caliphs will be after him?” Ibn Mass’ood said: “Yes, He has. But no one has asked me about this matter before you. You are the youngest of these people. I have heard the Prophet (S) saying: “After me there will be (caliphs) as the number of the chieftains of Prophet Moses (as).”

A holy letter came out to Shaykh Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Uthman Ibn Saeed Amari, may Allah sanctify his soul, consoling him for his father (a.s). One section of the letter reads: “We belong to Allah and to Him do we return, we submit to His command and are pleased with His destiny. Your father lived fortuitously and died praiseworthy. May Allah have mercy on him and take him to the company of his Imams and his masters (a.s). He was always dedicated to their cause and diligent in what would take him near Allah, the Exalted, and the Imams. May Allah beautify his visage and forgive him his shortcomings.” Another segment of the letter reads: “May Allah increase upon you the reward and may He adorn for you the grief. This tragedy has struck you and us. His separation has left you in fright and us too. May Allah please him in his eternal abode. Of the best of his fortuitousness was that Allah gave him a son like you, to stay behind him and take his place and perform his tasks and seek mercy for him. I say, all praise belongs to Allah, for hearts are pure and pleased at your position and at what Allah has bestowed you. May Allah help you, strengthen you, empower you and grant you success. May He be your Guardian, Protector and Guide, and Allah is sufficient for you.”

As for believers in Imamate of Abdullah Ibn Ja’far, namely the Fatahiyya, and that of Ja’far Ibn Ali, their creed is wrong, because an Imam has to be infallible and these two were not. Their evident actions, which contradict infallibility, are widely known and scholars have narrated them and they are present in books and we will not prolong the discourse by quoting them here. Besides, the established principle, which is beyond doubt amongst the Shia, is that Imamate shall not pass from one brother to another, after Hasan and Husain (a.s). Therefore, the Imamate of Ja’far, after his brother, is void.

I was with Ibn Masud when a person asked him: Did your Prophet inform you how many his successors would be? Ibn Masud said: Yes, in spite of the fact that you are the youngest, no one other than you asked me this question. I always heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: After me there will be Caliphs equal to the number of the chiefs of Musa (a.s). Allah, the Mighty and the High said: “…and We raised up among them twelve chieftains…”

“Some of those who are bound by blood are closer (to each other) than others in the Book of Allah.”

“Surely Allah chose the prophets from the people and chose the messengers from the prophets and chose me from the messengers and chose Ali (a.s) from me. He granted him (Ali) superiority over all the successors. From Ali (a.s) He chose Hasan (a.s) and Husain (a.s) and from Husain (a.s), He chose the successors from his descendants. The ninth of them is their Qaim (a.t.f.s.) and he is their apparent and their concealed.”

“You stretch your heads towards any one of us and say: It is he (our man). And Allah makes them (the imams) die one after the other until He sends for this matter one, whom you do not know whether he is born or not or whether he is created yet or not.”

I have heard Abdullah bin Ja’far at-Tayyar saying: One day Al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Abdullah bin Abbas, Umar bin Umm Salama, Ussama bin Zayd and I were with Mo’awiya. I said to him: “I have heard the Prophet (S) saying: “I am worthier of the believers than themselves then my brother Ali bin Abu Talib will be worthier of the believers than themselves. If he is martyred then his son al-Hasan will be worthier of the believers than themselves then after him al-Husayn will be worthier of the believers than themselves. If he is martyred, his son Ali bin al-Husayn will be worthier of the believers than themselves then his son Muhammad bin Ali will be worthier of the believers than themselves then the rest of the twelve imams, nine of whom are from the progeny of al-Husayn.” I asked al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Abdullah bin Abbas, Umar bin Umm Salama and Ussama bin Zayd to witness of that (the Prophet (S) had said so) and they witnessed.” Sulaym said: “I have heard that from Salman al-Farisi, al-Miqdad and Abu Tharr that they have heard it from the Prophet (S).”

“Mansoor bin Hazim and Abu Ayyoob al-Khazzaz said to Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) while I was present with them: “May Allah make us die for you! One does not know when death comes. Who is our imam after you?” He said: “If death comes, your man will be this.” He patted his son Musa, who was then five years old. Abdullah bin Ja’far was also present in the house on that day.”

I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: “Mahdi is from my progeny, from the descendants of Fatima.”

I asked Muhammad bin Uthman Amari: “Have you the seen the master of this affair? He replied: “Yes, and the last time I saw him, he was besides the House of Allah and praying: O my Lord, fulfill the promise that You made to me.” Muhammad bin Uthman said: And I saw him holding the curtain of the Kaaba below the spout and praying: O my Lord, take revenge from my enemies.