Hadith Nafi’ mawla of ‘Umar with Abu Ja’far,'Alayhim al-Salam

93. A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Al-Hassan Bin Mahboub, from Abu Hamza Sabit Bin Dinar Al-Thamaly and Abu Mansour, from Abu Al-Tabi’e who said: ‘We went on Pilgrimage with Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام in the year in which Hisham Abdul Malik was performing the Pilgrimage as well, and along with him was Nafa’u, the retainer of Umar Bin Al-Khattaab. So Nafa’u looked towards Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام in the corner of the House and the people had gathered around him’. Nafa’u said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, who is this one around whom the people have gathered?’ He said, ‘This is a Prophet of the people of Al-Kufa. This is Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام Bin Ali عليه الصلاة والسلام’. He said, ‘Be a witness for I shall ask him عليه الصلاة والسلام about certain matters that nobody can answer with regards to it except for a Prophet عليه السلام or a son عليه الصلاة والسلام of a Prophet عليه السلام, or a successor عليه الصلاة والسلام of a Prophet عليه السلام’. He said, ‘So go ahead and ask him عليه الصلاة والسلام, perhaps you can embarrass him عليه الصلاة والسلام’. So Nafa’u came until he leaned upon the people, until he was higher than Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام. He said, ‘O Muhammad عليه الصلاة والسلام Bin Ali عليه الصلاة والسلام! I have read the Torah, and the Evangel, and the Psalms, and the Furqaan (Quran), and have understood their Permissibles, and their Prohibitions, and I have come to ask you عليه الصلاة والسلام about certain matters that none can answer with regards to it except for a Prophet عليه السلام, or a successor عليه الصلاة والسلام of a Prophet عليه السلام, or son عليه الصلاة والسلام of a Prophet عليه السلام’. He (the narrator) said, ‘Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام raised his عليه الصلاة والسلام head and said; ‘Ask, or shall I عليه الصلاة والسلام begin for you?’ He said, ‘Inform me, how many years were there in between Isa عليه السلام and Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم?’ He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Shall I عليه الصلاة والسلام inform you in accordance to your words or to mine عليه الصلاة والسلام?’ He said, ‘Inform me in accordance to both together’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘In accordance to my عليه الصلاة والسلام words, so there were five hundred years, and in accordance to your words there were six hundred years’. He said, ‘So inform me about the Statement of Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic to His عز وجل Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم: “[43:45] And ask those of Our Rasools whom We sent before you: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Beneficent Allah?” who was the one that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم asked since there were five hundred years in between him صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and Isa عليه السلام?’ Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘This is the Verse: “[17:1] Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing”, so Allah عز وجل Blessed and High Showed to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم certain Signs when He عز وجل Made him صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم to travel to the Bayt Al-Maqdas, was that Allah عز وجل Mighty is His عز وجل Mention, Resurrected from the former ones and the later ones, Prophets عليه السلام and Rasools عليه السلام, then Commanded Jibraeel عليه السلام to Call out the Adhaan and the Iqamah. And he said in his Adhaan “Hurry to the Best of the deeds” (Hayya Ala Khayr Al-Amal). Then Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم proceeded and Prayed with the people. When he صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم had finished, he صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم asked them: ‘What did you testify to and what did you worship?’ They replied, ‘We testified that there is no god except Allah عز وجل, One with no associates to Him عز وجل, and that you صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم are the Rasool صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم of Allah عز وجل, and it is upon that, that He عز وجل Took a Covenant from us and the Confirmation’. So Nafa’u said, ‘You عليه الصلاة والسلام have spoken the truth, O Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام! So Inform me about the Statement of Allah عز وجل: “[21:30] Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them”. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘When Allah عز وجل Blessed and High Sent Adam عليه السلام to the earth, and the skies were closed up and did not rain at all, and the earth was closed up and did not grow any vegetation. So when Allah عز وجل Accepted the repentance of Adam عليه السلام, He عز وجل Commanded the sky, so it collected rain in the clouds. Then He عز وجل Commanded it, so it allowed it to fall. Then He عز وجل Commanded the earth, so it produced the trees, and the fruits, and the rivers flowed. So that is (what is meant by) ‘closed up’, and this is (what is meant by) ‘it opened up’’. Nafa’u said, ‘You عليه الصلاة والسلام had spoken the truth, O son عليه الصلاة والسلام of the Rasool صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم of Allah عز وجل. So inform me about the Statement of Allah عز وجل: “[14:48] On the day when the earth shall be changed into a different earth, and the heavens (as well)”. Which earth would it be replaced by on the Day?’ So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘It will be the ground which would become edible, from which they will be eating until such time as Allah عز وجل has Completed the Accounting’. Nafa’u said, ‘They would be busy (with the accounting) instead to eating’. So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Would they be busy on that Day or would they be in the Fire?’ Nafa’u said, ‘But they would be in the Fire’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘By Allah عز وجل, they would not be busy, it’s just that when they call for the food, so they will be fed the Zaqoom (a tree in Hell), and they will call for drink and they will be quenched with Al-Hameem (a river of Hell)’. He said, ‘You عليه الصلاة والسلام has spoken the truth, O son عليه الصلاة والسلام of the Rasool صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم of Allah عز وجل, and there remains one question’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘And what is that?’ He said, ‘Inform me about Allah عز وجل Blessed and High, when (did He عز وجل Exist) from?’ He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Woe be unto you. When was he عز وجل not from that I عليه الصلاة والسلام inform you when He عز وجل was from? Glory be to the One Who عز وجل always Was and will never cease to Be, Alone, Eternal, He عز وجل has not Taken any associate nor a son’. Then he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘O Nafa’u, inform me of what I عليه الصلاة والسلام ask you about’. He said, ‘And what is it?’ He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘What do you say about the companions of Nahrwaan (a battle), for if you say that Amir-ul-Momineen عليه الصلاة والسلام killed them rightfully, therefore they were apostates, and if you were to say then he عليه الصلاة والسلام killed them wrongly, so you would have blasphemed’. He (the narrator) said, ‘He turned around from those that were with him, and he was saying, ‘By Allah عز وجل, you عليه الصلاة والسلام are truly the most knowledgeable of the people’. So he came to Hisham who asked, ‘What did you do?’ He said, ‘Leave me from your speech. By Allah عز وجل, this one عليه الصلاة والسلام is truly the most knowledgeable of the people, and he عليه الصلاة والسلام is truly the son عليه الصلاة والسلام of the Rasool صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم of Allah عز وجل, and his عليه الصلاة والسلام companions are quite right in taking him عليه الصلاة والسلام as a Prophet عليه السلام’.