الحسن بن محمد بن بشار

“One of the elders of the Qatia al-Rabee’ who is an honest Sunni told me that he has seen one of the Members of the Holy Household whom the people confess to be noble. He said that he has not seen anyone like him in nobility regarding piety and worshipping.” Hassan ibn Muhammad asked, “Who do you mean? How did you find him?” He replied, “There were eighty of us who gathered around As-Sandi ibn Shahak. Then he brought in Musa ibn Ja’far (s). As-Sandi told us, “Look at this man. Has anything been done to him? The people think that something wrong has been done to him. They say a lot of these things. This is his house. This is his seat where he is comfortable. The Commander of the Faithful (Harun) does not have any bad intentions regarding him (s). He is waiting for him to go there and converse with each other. Look at him. He is perfectly healthy. Ask him.” The narrator added, “The Imam (s) said, “Regarding my convenience, he is right.However, I want to let you know that I have been poisoned with nine dates. My body will turn green tomorrow and I will die the following morning.” The narrator added, “Then I looked at As-Sandi ibn Shahak. His body was shaking like a willow tree.” Al-Hassan ibn Muhammad says, “This Sunni man was one of the pious Sunnis. He was an elder whose words were accepted, and he was trusted by the people.”

the man. “Who is he? And how did you find him?” He then said, “In the days of al-Sindi ibn Shahik (a vazir of Harun al-Rashid) we gathered eighty people of the leading personalities in goodness to meet Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) Al-Sindi asked us, “Gentlemen, please examine this man. Has anything happened to him?” People think that he is tortured and they make a huge noise about it. This is his dwelling place and his bed which, has enough room and he is not constrained. Amir al-Mu’minin (Harun al-Rashid) has not done any bad things to him. He is kept here until the right time comes so he can debate Amir al-Mu’minin (Harun al-Rashid). He is quite well and comfortable from all aspects. You may ask him questions.” The narrator has said, “We had no other intention but to see to the man, to his virtue and his excellent attitude. Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) then said, “Whatever he (al-Sindi) has said about the capacity of the place and other such things are as he has said. However, O people, I let you know that I am being poisoned with seven pieces of dates. Tomorrow my color will turn green and after tomorrow I will die.” The man has said, “I looked at al-Sindi ibn Shahik. He shivered in terror and shook like the leaves of a branch of palm tree.”

‘Look at this man. Has anything happened to him? That is because people claim that a detested thing has been done to him. They say that many times. This is his house and this is his bed. We entertained him and did not harass him. The Commander of the faithful (Harun) does not intend to do evil to him; he is waiting for him to debate with him. He is entertained in all his affairs. So ask him.’” That Shaykh said: “We had no concern, except that we intended to see and meet the Imam. When we approached him, we did not see the like of him in virtue and worship. He said to us: ‘As for the entertainment and the like he mentioned, they are other than what he mentioned. However, people, I will tell you: I have been given poison in seven fresh dates. I will turn yellow tomorrow and die after tomorrow.’” When Sandi heard that, his strength collapsed, and he shook all over. That is because the Imam refuted his claims of being innocent of assassinating him. On the basis of this, the martyrdom of the Imam (a.s) is so well known that it does not need the mention of traditional reports; because denial of the martyrdom of the Imam in the meaning of opposing the necessities and facts, and on one side doubt in his martyrdom leads to doubt in the death and martyrdom of each of his Infallible forefathers and even others, Therefore, one will not be certain of the death of any of them. In addition to what has passed, it is well known that the Imam made a bequest to his son, Ali bin Musa (a.s) and after the martyrdom, entrusted the matter of Imamate to him and there are more traditional reports on this subject than they can be computed; we mention some of them to show that if he had been alive, there would have been no need for him to make a bequest to Imam Ali Ridha (a.s).

] I have never seen anyone as ascetic and as virtuous as him. He said: I said: Who? How did you see him? He said: One day, eighty of us – men of renown and goodness – gathered to al-Sindi b. Shahik, and we visited Musa b. Ja`far (as). So, a-Sindi said to us: O you! Look to this man – has anything happened to him? For surely, the people allege that he has been treated wrongly, and they make much ado about that. This is his house and his furnishings; it is expansive for him and not narrow. The commander of the faithful does not want any harm to come to him. Surely, he is only waiting for him to come and for the commander of the faithful to converse with him. Here he is, he is healthy, and all his affairs are widely available to him. He said: We had no concerns, so we only looked to the man and to his virtue and his character. Then, he said: As for what he mentioned regarding the wideness [of available things] and its like, then it is as he has mentioned. Except, I will inform you, O people, that I was fed poison in nine dates, and that I will turn green tomorrow, and that after tomorrow I will die. He said: So, I looked to al-Sindi b. Shahik, and he was shuddering and shaking like a ringworm. Al-Hasan said: This shaykh was from the best of the `amma. He was trustworthy, and his words were accepted. He was trusted very much by the people.