A Mention of the Tradition of the Tablet (Ḥadīth al-Lawḥ) & that the Twelfth Imam is the Divine Authority who is the Son of al-Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī

Al-Imāma wa’l-Tabṣira min al-Ḥayra|Volume 1|Book 3|Chapter 4

Al-Imāma wa’l-Tabṣira min al-Ḥayra

Book 3, Chapter 4

A Mention of the Tradition of the Tablet (Ḥadīth al-Lawḥ) & that the Twelfth Imam is the Divine Authority who is the Son of al-Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī
2 hadiths
Hadith 1

سعد بن عبداللّه وعبداللّه بن جعفر الحميري جميعاً، عن أبي الحسن صالح بن أبي حماد، والحسن بن طريف جميعا:ً عن بكر بن صالح، عن عبدالرحمن بن سالم، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبداللّه عليه السلام، قال: قال أبي عليه السلام لجابر بن عبداللّه الأنصاري: إنّ لي اليك حاجة، فمتى يخفّ عليك أن أخلو بك فأسألك عنها؟ فقال له جابر: في أيّ الأوقات شئت. فخلى به أبو جعفر عليه السلام، قال له: يا جابر، أخبرني عن اللّوح الذي رأيته في يد(ي) أُمّي فاطمة بنت رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وآله وما أخبرتك به أنّه في ذلك اللّوح مكتوباً، فقال جابر: أشهد بالله، أنّي دخلت على اُمّك فاطمة عليها السلام في حياة رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وآله أُهنّئها بولادة الحسين عليه السلام، فرأيت في يدها لوحاً أخضر، ظننت أنّه من زمرّد، ورأيت فيه كتابة بيضاء شبيهة بنور الشمس، فقلت لها: بأبي أنتِ واُمّي، يابنت رسول الله ما هذا اللّوح؟ فقالت: هذا اللّوح أهداه الله عزّ وجلّ الى رسوله صلّى الله عليه وآله فيه إسم أبي، واسم بَعْلي، واسم إبنيّ، وأسماء الأوصياء من ولدي، فأعطانيه أبي ليسرّي بذلك. قال جابر: فأعطتنيه اُمّك فاطمة عليها السلام، فقرأته وانتسخته، فقال له أبي عليه السلام: فهل لك—يا جابر—أن تعرضه عليّ؟ فقال: نعم، فمشى معه أبي عليه السلام، حتى انتهى الى منزل جابر فأخرج الى أبي صحيفة من رقّ، فقال: يا جابر، اُنظر أنت في كتابك، لأقرأه أنا عليك. فنظر جابر في نسخته فقرأه عليه أبي عليه السلام، فوالله ما خالف حرف حرفاً قال جابر: فانّي اشهد بالله أنّي هكذا رأيته في اللوح مكتوباً: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم؛ هذا كتاب من الله العزيز الحكيم لمحمد نوره وسفیره وحجابه ودلیله، نزل به الرّوح الأمين من عند ربّ العالمين عظّم يا محمد أسمائي، واشكر نعمائي، ولا تجحد آلائي، إنّي أنا الله، لا إلٰه إلّا أنا، قاصم الجبّارين (ومبير المتكبّرين) ومذلّ الظالمين، وديّان يوم الدين، إنّي أنا الله، لا إلٰه إلّا أنا، فمن رجا غير فضلي أو خاف غير عدلي، عذبته عذاباً لا اُعذّبه أحداً من العالمين فايّاي فاعبد، وعليّ فتوكّل، إنّي لم أبعث نبيّاً، فأكملت أيّامه وانقضت مدّته، إلّا جعلت له وصيّاً، وانّي فضّلتك على الأنبياء، وفضّلت وصيك على الأوصياء وأكرمتك بشبليك بعده وبسبطيك الحسن والحسين، وجعلت حسناً معدن علمي بعد انقضاء مدّة أبيه، وجعلت حسيناً خازن وحيي، وأكرمته بالشهادة، وختمت له بالسعادة فهو أفضل من استشهد، وأرفع الشهداء درجة، جعلت كلمتي التامّة معه، والحجّة البالغة عنده، بعترته اُثيب واُعاقب، أوّلهم عليّ سيّد العابدين، وزين أوليائي الماضين، وابنه سميُّ جدّه المحمود، محمد الباقر العلمي والمعدن الحكمتي، سيهلك المرتابون في جعفر، الرادّ عليه كالراد عليّ، حقّ القول مني لأكرمنّ مثوى جعفر، ولاُسرنّه في أوليائه وأشياعه وأنصاره، وانـتـجـبـت « بعد » موسى « فتنة » عمياء حندس، لأنّ خيط فرضي لا ينقطع، وحجّتي لا تخفى، وأن أوليائي لا يشقون أبداً، ألا ومن جحد واحداً منهم فقد جحد نعمتي، ومن غيّر آية من كتابي فقد افترى عليّ، وويل للمفترين الجاحدين عند انقضاء مدّة عبدي موسى وحبيبي وخيرتي ألا إنّ المكذّب بالثامن مكذّب بكلّ أوليائي، وعليّ وليّي وناصري، ومن أضع عليه أعباء النبوّة، وأمتحنه بالاضطلاع، يقتله عفريت مستکبر، يدفن بالمدينة التي بناها العبد الصالح ذوالقرنين، الى جنب شرّ خلقي، حقّ القول منّي لاُقرّنّ عينه بمحمد إبنه وخليفته من بعده، فهو وارث علمي ومعدن حكمتي وموضع سرّي وحجّتي على خلقي، جعلت الجنّة مثواه وشفّعته في سبعين من أهل بيته كلّهم قد استوجبوا النار، وأختم بالسعادة لابنه عليّ وليّي وناصري، والشاهد في خلقي، وأميني على وحيي، أخرج منه الدّاعي الى سبيلي، والخازن لعلمي الحسن، ثمّ أكمل ذلك بابنه، رحمة للعالمين، علیه کمال موسی، وبهاء عيسى وصبر أيوب، ستذلّ أوليائي في زمانه، ويتهادون رؤوسهم كما تهادى رؤوس الترك والديلم، فيقتلون ويحرقون، ويكونون خائفين مرعوبين وجلين، تصبغ الأرض من دمائهم، ويفشو الويل والرّنين في نسائهم، اُولئك أوليائي حقاً، بهم أدفع كلّ فتنة عمياء حـنـدس، وبهم أكشف الزّلازل، وأرفع عنهم الآصار والأغلال ﴿أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖوَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ﴾. قال عبدالرحمن بن سالم: قال أبو بصير: لو لم تسمع في دهرك إلّا هذا الحديث لكفاك، فصنه إلّا عن أهله.

Saʿd b. ʿAbd Allāh and ʿAbd Allāh b. Jaʿfar al-Ḥimyarī together, from Abī’l-Ḥasan Ṣāliḥ b. Abī Ḥammād and al-Ḥasan b. Ṭarīf together, from Bakr b. Ṣāliḥ, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Sālim, from Abī Baṣīr, from Abī ʿAbd Allāh (as), who narrated: “My father (as) once said to Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī: “I have a need of you. So, when would it be convenient for you that I seclude myself with you so that I may ask you about it?” Jābir said to him: “Whenever you wish.” So, Abū Jaʿfar (as) secluded himself with him and said to him: “O’ Jābir, inform me about the Tablet which you saw in the hand of my mother, Fāṭima (as-f), the daughter of the Apostle of Allāh (sawa), and what she informed you was inscribed upon that Tablet.” Jābir responded: “I bear witness, by Allāh, that I once entered upon your mother, Fāṭima (as-f), during the lifetime of the Apostle of Allāh (sawa) to congratulate her upon the birth of al-Ḥusayn (as), whereupon I saw in her hand a green Tablet. I supposed that it was made of emerald, and I saw upon it writing, white as sunlight. So, I said to her: “May my father and mother be made your ransom, o’ daughter of the Apostle of Allāh. What is this Tablet?” She said: “This is the Tablet which Allāh (azwj) gifted to His Apostle (sawa). In it are the name of my father, the name of my husband, the names of my two sons and the names of the Legatees from among my offspring. My father gave it to me to bring me comfort because of it.” Jābir said: “Your mother, Fāṭima (as-f), then gave it to me, so I read it and made a transcription of it.” My father (as) said to him: “Would you, o’ Jābir, show it to me?” He replied: “Yes.” So, my father (as) walked with him until they reached Jābir’s house, whereupon Jābir brought out for my father a scroll of parchment. My father said: “O’ Jābir, you look at your copy while I read it to you.” So, Jābir looked at his transcription while my father (as) read it to him—and, by Allāh, not a single letter differed from another. Jābir said: “I bear witness, by Allāh, that this is how I saw it inscribed upon the Tablet: In the name of Allāh, the Entirely and Innately Merciful. This is a book from Allāh, the supremely Majestic and Wise, to His light, His envoy, His veil and His proof, Muḥammad, which has been brought down by the Trusted Spirit from the Lord of the Worlds. O’ Muḥammad, exalt My names, express gratitude for My blessings and do not persistently deny My bounties. Verily, I am Allāh. There is no god but Me, Breaker of tyrants, Obliterator of the arrogant, Humiliator of oppressors and Reckoner of the Day of Reckoning. Verily, I am Allāh. There is no god but Me. So, whoever hopes for other than My favour or fears other than My justice, I will punish him with a punishment with which I have punished no-one among the worlds. So, worship Me alone, and place your trust in Me. I have never sent forth a Prophet, completed his days and brought his tenure to its conclusion without appointing for him a Legatee. I have favoured you over the Prophets and favoured your Legatee over the Legatees, and I have honoured you after him through your two lionets, your two grandsons, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn. I have made Ḥasan the repository of My knowledge after the conclusion of his father’s term, and I have made Ḥusayn the custodian of My revelation, honoured him with martyrdom and sealed his life with felicity, for he is the best of those who are martyred and the highest of the martyrs in rank. I have placed My complete Word with him and My consummate Divine authority with him; through his posterity I reward and I punish. The first of them is ʿAlī, chief of the worshippers and ornament of My representatives who have passed on, and his son, the namesake of his praiseworthy forefather, Muḥammad—the one who will cleave open My knowledge and the repository of My wisdom. Those who doubt concerning Jaʿfar will perish; for the one who stands against him stands against Me. It is an utterance in truth from Me that I will surely honour Jaʿfar’s abode and will surely gladden him in regard to his representatives, his partisans and his supporters. And after him I have chosen Mūsā; there will be a blind, pitch-black tribulation, for the thread of My obligation will not be severed, My Divine authority will not be hidden and My representatives will never be wretched. See! Whoever persistently denies one of them has persistently denied My blessing, and whoever alters a verse of My Book has fabricated upon Me. Woe betide the fabricators upon the conclusion of the tenure of Mūsā, My servant, My beloved and My chosen one! See! The one who repudiates the eighth has repudiated all of My representatives. ʿAlī is My representative and supporter, the one upon whom I will place the burdens of prophethood and whom I will test in undertaking them. An arrogant rogue will murder him, and he will be buried in the city built by the righteous servant Dhū’l-Qarnayn, beside the most evil of My creation.[1] It is an utterance in truth from Me that I will surely gladden his eyes with Muḥammad, his son and his caliph after him, for he is the inheritor of My knowledge, the repository of My wisdom, the locus of My secret and My Divine authority over My creation. I have made Paradise his residence and granted him intercession for seventy members of his household, all of whom had deserved the Fire. And I will seal with felicity for his son ʿAlī, My representative and supporter, the witness among My creation and My trustee over My revelation. From him I will bring forth the missionary (inviting people) to My path and the custodian of My knowledge, al-Ḥasan. Then I will bring this to completion through his son, as a mercy to the worlds. Upon him will be the perfection of Mūsā, the splendour of ʿĪsā and the patience of Ayyūb. My representatives will be subjected to debasement during his time, and their heads will be passed around as gifts just as the heads of the Turks and Daylamites are passed around. They will be killed and burned, and will be fearful, terrified and apprehensive. The earth will be dyed with their blood, and lamentation and wailing will become prevalent among their women. Those are My representatives in truth. Through them I will repel every blind, pitch-black tribulation, through them I will dispel earthquakes, and I will remove from them their encumbrances and fetters. ﴾It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and [His] mercy, and it is they who are the [rightly] guided.﴿ [2:157].” ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Sālim reported that Abū Baṣīr said: “Had you heard nothing in the course of your lifetime except this tradition, it would have sufficed you. So, keep it with only its people.”

Hadith 2

سعد بن عبداللّه، وعبداللّه بن جعفر الحميري، ومحمد بن يحيى العطار، وأحمد بن ادريس، جميعاً قالوا: حدّثنا أحمد بن أبي عبداللّه البرقي، قال: حدّثنا أبو هاشم داود بن القاسم الجعفري، عن أبي جعفر الثاني محمد بن عليّ عليهما السلام قال: أقبل أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام ذات يوم ومعه الحسن بن عليّ وسلمان الفارسيّ رضي الله عنه، وأمير المؤمنين متّكئ على يد سلمان، فدخل المسجد الحرام فجلس، إذ أقبل رجل حسن الهيئة واللّباس، فسلّم على أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فردّ عليه السلام فجلس، ثمّ قال: يا أمير المؤمنين أسألك عن ثلاث مسائل إن أخبرتني بهنّ علمت أنّ القوم ركبوا من أمرك ما أقضي عليهم أنّهم ليسوا بمأمونين في دنياهم ولا في آخرتهم، وان تكن الاُخرى علمت أنّك وهم شرع سواء. فقال له أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: سلني عمّا بدا لك؟ فقال: أخبرني عن الرجل اذا نام أين تذهب روحه؟ وعن الرّجل كيف يذكر وينسى؟ وعن الرجل كيف يشبه ولده الأعمام والأخوال؟ فالتفت أمير المؤمنين الى أبي محمد الحسن فقال: يا با محمد أجبه. فقال: أمّا ما سألت عنه من أمر الانسان إذا نام أين تذهب روحه، فانّ روحه متعلّقة بالرّيح والرّيح متعلّقة بالهواء الى وقت ما يتحرّك صاحبها لليقظة، فان أذن الله عزّ وجلّ بردّ تلك الرّوح الى صاحبها جذبت تلك الرّوح الرّيح، وجذبت تلك الرّيح الهواء، فرجعت الرّوح فاسكنت في بدن صاحب، وان لم يأذن الله عز وجلّ بردّ تلك الرّوح الى صاحبها جذب الهواء الرّيح، وجذبت الرّيح الروح، فلم تردّ الى صاحبها الى وقت ما يبعث، وأمّا ما ذكرت من أمر الذّكر والنسيان: فانّ قلب الرّجل في حقّ، على الحقّ طبق فان صلّى الرجل عند ذلك على محمد وآل محمد صلاة تامّة إنكشف ذلك الطبق عن ذلك الحقّ فأضاء القلب وذكر الرّجل ما كان نسيه، وان هو لم يصلّ على محمد وآل محمد أو نقص من الصلاة عليهم انطبق ذلك الطبق على ذلك الحقّ فأظلم القلب ونسي الرّجل ما كان ذكر. أمّا ما ذكرت من أمر المولود الذي يشبه أعمامه وأخواله، فانّ الرّجل اذا أتى أهله فجامعها بقلب ساكن وعروق هادئة و بدن غير مضطرب فأسكنت تلك النطفة في جوف الرّحم خرج الولد يشبه أباه وأُمّه، وان هو أتاها بقلب غیر ساکن وعروق غير هادئة وبدن مضطرب، اضطربت تلك النطفة فوقعت في حال اضطرابها على بعض العروق فان وقعت على عرق من عروق الأخوال أشبه الرّجل أخواله، فقال الرّجل: أشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله، ولم أزل أشهد بها، وأشهد أنّ محمداً رسول الله، ولم أزل أشهد بها، وأشهد أنّك وصيه والقائم بحجّته بعده—وأشار بيده الى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام—ولم أزل أشهد بها، وأشهد أنك وصيّه والقائم بحجّته—وأشار الى الحسن عليه السلام—وأشهد أنّ الحسين بن عليّ وصيّ أبيك والقائم بحجّته بعدك، وأشهد على عليّ بن الحسين أنّه القائم بأمر الحسين بعده، وأشهد على محمد بن علي أنّه القائم بأمر عليّ بن الحسين، وأشهد على جعفر بن محمد أنّه القائم بأمر محمد بن عليّ، وأشهد على موسى بن جعفر أنّه القائم بأمر جعفر بن محمد، وأشهد على عليّ ابن موسى أنّه القائم بأمر موسى بن جعفر، وأشهد على محمد بن علي أنّه القائم بأمر علي بن موسى، وأشهد على عليّ بن محمد أنه القائم بأمر محمد بن عليّ، وأشهد على الحسن بن عليّ أنّه القائم بأمر عليّ بن محمد، وأشهد على رجل من ولد الحسن ابن عليّ لا يكنّى ولا يسمّى حتى يظهر أمره فيملأ الأرض عدلاً كما ملئت جوراً، والسلام عليك يا أمير المؤمنين ورحمة الله وبركاته، ثمّ قام فمضى. فقال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: يا أبا محمد اتبعه فأنظر أين يقصد؟ فخرج الحسن عليه السلام في أثره، قال: فما كان إلّا أن وضع رجله خارج المسجد فما دريت أين أخذ من أرض الله، فرجعت الى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام، فأعلمته. فقال: يا أبا محمد أتعرفه؟ فقلت: الله ورسوله وأمير المؤمنين أعلم، فقال: هو الخضر عليه السلام.

Saʿd b. ʿAbd Allāh, ʿAbd Allāh b. Jaʿfar al-Ḥimyarī, Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-ʿAṭṭār and Aḥmad b. Idrīs altogether said: “Aḥmad b. Abī ʿAbd Allāh al-Barqī narrated to us, saying: “Abū Hāshim Dāwūd b. al-Qāsim al-Jaʿfarī narrated to us, from Abī Jaʿfar al-Thānī Muḥammad b. ʿAlī (as-d), who said: “One day, Amīr al-Muʾminīn (as) approached, and with him were al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī and Salmān al-Fārisī (ra), and Amīr al-Muʾminīn was leaning on Salmān’s hand, whereupon they entered the Sacred Mosque and sat down. A handsome-looking, well-dressed man approached, greeting Amīr al-Muʾminīn (as) with a greeting of peace he reciprocated, so the man sat down. Then, he said: “O’ Amīr al-Muʾminīn, I would ask you three questions. If you inform me (about the truth) in regard to them, I will have known that the people have undertaken, in regard to the Divine ordinance you are currently in charge of,[1] something I deem to have rendered them unreliable in both their worldly affairs as well as those of the Hereafter. But, if it be otherwise, I will know that you and they are on the same footing.” Amīr al-Muʾminīn (as) responded to him: “Ask me. What has occurred to you?” The man said: “Inform me about when a man sleeps, where does his soul go? And about how a man remembers or forgets? And about why a man’s progeny (sometimes) resembles their paternal or maternal uncles?” Amīr al-Muʾminīn turned to Abī Muḥammad al-Ḥasan, and said: “Answer him, o’ Abā Muḥammad.” Imam al-Ḥasan al-Mujtabā (saa) said: “As for what you have asked in regard to the matter of man in terms of where his soul goes while he is asleep, then (consider that) the soul is attached to the wind, and the wind is attached to the air, until such time as it stirs its owner to wake up. If Allāh (azwj) permits that soul to return to its owner, that soul will pull on the wind, and that wind will pull on the air until the soul returns and resides tranquilly in the body of its owner. If Allāh (azwj) does not permit that soul to return to the body of its owner, the air pulls on the wind, and the wind pulls on the soul, so it will not return to the body of its owner until such time as he is resurrected. As for what you have mentioned in regard to the matter of remembrance and forgetfulness, the heart of a man is in a receptacle, and over the receptacle is a covering. So, if the man sends, at that point, salutations upon Muḥammad and the House of Muḥammad with a complete salutation, then that covering will be taken off that receptacle, the heart will lighten up and the man will remember what he had forgotten. And, if he does not send salutations upon Muḥammad and the House of Muḥammad, or there is deficiency in his salutations upon them,[2] then that covering closes over that receptacle so that the heart is darkened, and the man forgets what he had remembered. As for what you have mentioned in regard to the matter of a newborn who resembles his paternal or maternal uncles—when a man comes onto his wife and has intercourse with her with a tranquil heart, calm veins and an undisturbed body, then that drop of semen comes to reside tranquilly in the womb’s cavity, and the child comes out resembling his father and mother. But, if he comes onto her with a heart that is not tranquil, veins that are not calm and body that is agitated, he will have agitated that drop of semen, and in a disturbed state it will collide with some veins. If it collides with one of the veins associated with his maternal uncles, the boy will come out resembling his maternal uncles.” So, the man said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allāh, and I have never ceased to bear witness as such. And I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Apostle of Allāh, and I have never ceased to bear witness as such. And I bear witness that you are his Legatee and the Upholder of his Divine authority after him”—and he pointed, with his hand, towards Amīr al-Muʾminīn (as)—“and I have never ceased to bear witness as such. And I bear witness that you are his Legatee and the Upholder of his Divine authority after him”—and he pointed towards al-Ḥasan (as)—“and I bear witness that al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī is the Legatee of your father and the Upholder of his Divine authority after you.[3] And I bear witness upon ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn, that he is the Upholder of al-Ḥusayn’s Divine ordinance after him. And I bear witness upon Muḥammad b. ʿAlī, that he is the Upholder of ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn’s Divine ordinance. And I bear witness upon Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad, that he is the Upholder of Muḥammad b. ʿAlī’s Divine ordinance. And I bear witness upon Mūsā b. Jaʿfar, that he is the Upholder of Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad’s Divine ordinance. And I bear witness upon ʿAlī b. Mūsā, that he is the Upholder of Mūsā b. Jaʿfar’s Divine ordinance. And I bear witness upon Muḥammad b. ʿAlī, that he is the Upholder of ʿAlī b. Mūsā’s Divine ordinance. And I bear witness upon ʿAlī b. Muḥammad, that he is the Upholder of Muḥammad b. ʿAlī’s Divine ordinance. And I bear witness upon al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī, that he is the Upholder of ʿAlī b. Muḥammad’s Divine ordinance. And I bear witness upon a man from the offspring of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī, who is not to be called by his teknonym or given name until his matter becomes apparent, whereupon he will fill the Earth with justice as it was previously full of iniquity. And peace be upon you, o’ Amīr al-Muʾminīn, and the mercy of Allāh and His blessings.” The man then stood up and left. Amīr al-Muʾminīn (as) said: “O’ Abā Muḥammad! Follow him, so that you may see where he is going.” Al-Ḥasan (as) exited (the Sacred Mosque) out onto his path, and said: “As soon as he stepped outside the Mosque, I could no longer tell where in Allāh’s land he had gone, so I returned to Amīr al-Muʾminīn (as), and let him know.” He said: “O’ Abā Muḥammad, did you recognise him?” I replied: “Allāh, His Apostle and Amīr al-Muʾminīn know best.” Imam ʿAlī (saa) said: “He is al-Khiḍr (as).”

Al-Imāma wa’l-Tabṣira min al-Ḥayra: A Mention of the Tradition of the Tablet (Ḥadīth al-Lawḥ) & that the Twelfth Imam is the Divine Authority who is the Son of al-Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī | Thaqalayn