Excellence of Son

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from ibn Muskan from certain persons of our people who has said the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn عليه السلام, has said, ‘It is of prosperity and good fortune of a man to have sons who help and support him.’”

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You (my followers) should bring up more children because I will claim to have the majority with you among the nations tomorrow (on the Day of Judgment).”’

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said, ‘When Yusuf ‘Alayhi al-Salam, met his brother, he asked him, ‘How could you marry women after me?’ He replied, ‘My father commanded me and said, ‘If you like to have such a number of children who can make the earth heavy with Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) you must do so.’”

5. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that so and so -whose name he (the Imam) mentioned- once said, ‘I was not interested in children until I stood in al-‘Arafat and there was a young man next to me who prayed and wept, saying, “O Lord, my parents, (grant blessings to) my parents.” Hearing this made me interested in children.’”

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from his father in a mursal manner has said, the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Of good fortune and prosperity of a man is his having the virtuous son.’”

7. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Bakr ibn Salih who has said the following: “I once wrote to abu al-Hassan عليه السلام, saying, ‘I have avoided praying for a son for five years because my wife dislikes it and says that bringing up a child is very difficult because of lack of resources.’ He (the Imam) عليه السلام, wrote to me, ‘Ask for them (children): Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, will grant them sustenance.’”

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Talhah ibn Zayd who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said, ‘Children of believing people are named before Allah, as intercessors with accepted intercession. When they become twelve years old they can have good deeds and when they mature then sins are written against them.’”

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin would read, ‘. . . I am afraid for my dependents after me,’ (19:6) meaning that he had no heirs until Allah granted him (an heir) after his becoming very old.’”

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘A virtuous son is a sweet smelling flower from the flowers of paradise.’”

11. Through the same chain of narrators as that of the previous Hadith, the following is narrated: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘It is of the prosperity and good fortune of a man to have the virtuous son.’”

12. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from Sharif ibn Sabiq from al-Fadl ibn abu al- Qurrah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said the following: ‘Jesus, son of Marry, once passed by a grave wherein its dweller suffered a great suffering. He passed by the same grave afterward but found the dweller was not suffering. He asked, “O Lord, I passed by this grave a year ago when he was suffering a great suffering and this year I passed by his grave but he did not suffer.” Allah then revealed to him that his virtuous son became mature who repaired a road and gave shelter to an orphan, so I forgave him because of what his son has done.’ The Messenger of Allah then said, ‘It is of the inheritance of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, for His believing servant in the form of a virtuous son who worships Him after the death of his father’ and he (the Imam) then read the verse of the Quran about Zakariya, ‘. . . O Lord, grant me from You an heir who will inherit me and the people of Ya‘qub. O Lord, make him to please You.’”