Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu Ja‘far al-Thani’s (the second) عليه السلام Divine Authority over the people after abu al-Hassan al-Rida عليه السلام

Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 4|Chapter 73
Al-Kāfi

Book 4, Chapter 73

Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of abu Ja‘far al-Thani’s (the second) عليه السلام Divine Authority over the people after abu al-Hassan al-Rida عليه السلام

10ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَدْ كُنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَهَبَ الله لَكَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَكُنْتَ تَقُولُ يَهَبُ الله لِي غُلاماً فَقَدْ وَهَبَهُ الله لَكَ فَأَقَرَّ عُيُونَنَا فَلا أَرَانَا الله يَوْمَكَ فَإِنْ كَانَ كَوْنٌ فَإِلَى مَنْ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا ابْنُ ثَلاثِ سِنِينَ فَقَالَ وَمَا يَضُرُّهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ قَامَ عِيسَى (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِالْحُجَّةِ وَهُوَ ابْنُ ثَلاثِ سِنِينَ.
10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Safwan ibn Yahya who has said the following. “Once I said to al-Rida عليه السلام, before Allah’s granting you the blessing of the birth of abu Ja’far عليه السلام we would ask you and you would say, “Allah will grant me a son and He has granted you one. His birth is the delight of our eyes. May Allah spare us from showing your (sad) day. However, if something will happen to who then (will leadership with Divine Authority) will go?” The Imam عليه السلام pointed out with his hand towards abu Ja’far عليه السلام and he was standing before him. I then asked, “ May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, a child of three years?” The Imam عليه السلام said, “That will be of no harm to him. Jesus rose with Divine authority when he was a three years old child.”
  • Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi
    Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/376)
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 37