On Ar-Ridha’s Words on the Reasons for Various Things
ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā|Volume 2|Book 1|Chapter 2
ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā
Volume 2, Book 1, Chapter 2
On Ar-Ridha’s Words on the Reasons for Various Things
16 - حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ إِسْحاق الطَّالِقانِ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَبُو سَعِيدُ الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِى العدوي قالَ: حَدَّثَنا الهِيْثَم بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّه الرمانِي قالَ: سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلام فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ عَلِيٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلام لِمَ لَمْ يُجَاهِدْ أَعْدَاءَهُ خَمْساً وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ جَاهَدَ فِي أَيَّامِ وَلايَتِهِ فَقَالَ لانَّهُ اقْتَدَى بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فِي تَرْكِهِ جِهَادَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ بِمَكَّةَ بَعْدَ النُّبُوَّةِ ثَلاثَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً وَبِالْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْراً وَذَلِكَ لِقِلَّةِ أَعْوَانِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَكَذَلِكَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ تَرَكَ مُجَاهَدَةَ أَعْدَائِهِ لِقِلَّةِ أَعْوَانِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَلَمَّا لَمْ تَبْطُلْ نُبُوَّةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ مَعَ تَرْكِهِ الْجِهَادَ ثَلاثَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً وَتِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْراً، كَذَلِكَ لَمْ تَبْطُلْ إِمَامَةُ عَلِيٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلام مَعَ تَرْكِهِ الْجِهَادَ خَمْساً وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً إِذَا كَانَتِ الْعِلَّةُ الْمَانِعَةُ لَهُمَا مِنَ الْجِهَادِ وَاحِدَةً.
32-16 Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taliqani رضي الله عنه narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Adawi that al-Haytham ibn Abdullah al-Romani asked Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha عليه السلام: "O son of Raslulullah, why didn’t Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام do jihad against his enemies for 25 years after Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم but then did jihad during the years of his own rulership?” So he said, “It is because he followed (the ways) of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم who left jihad against the mushrikeen (polytheists) in Mecca for 13 years after his Prophethood, and in Medina for 19 months. That was due to the small number of supporters that he had, and Ali عليه السلام also left jihad against his enemies due to the small number of supporters that he had. So if the Prophethood of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم is not void if he left jihad for 13 years and 19 months, then the Imamat of Ali عليه السلام is not void if he left jihad for 25 years. That is because the reason that prevented them from doing jihad was the same."