Chapter on the Virtue of Mosques and Prayer Within Them, and the Virtue of Congregational Prayer and Its Rulings

And Jabir ibn Abdillah al-Ansari narrated that he said: Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, led us in prayer at ‘Baratha’ after returning from fighting the Kharijites, and we totalled around one hundred thousand men. Then a Christian descended from his hermitage and said: “Where is the leader of this army?” We said: “This is he.” (gesturing towards Imam Ali عليه السلام) So he (the Christian) approached Imam Ali عليه السلام and greeted him with peace, then said: “O my master, are you a prophet?” Imam عليه السلام replied: “No, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, my master, has died.” He (the Christian) said: “Then you are the successor of a prophet?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.” Then Imam Ali عليه السلام said: “Sit down. How did you ask about this?” He (the Christian) said: “This hermitage was built for the sake of this place, and it is Baratha. And I read in the ‘revealed books’ that none prays in this place with such a gathering except a prophet or the successor of a prophet. And I have come to embrace Islam.” So he accepted Islam and came out with us to Kufah. Then Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said to him: “So who prayed here?” He (the ex-Christian) said: “Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام and his mother prayed here.” Then Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said to him: “Shall I inform you who else prayed here?” He (the ex-Christian) said: “Yes.” Imam عليه السلام said: “Ibrahim عليه السلام, peace be upon him.”