Al-Husayn b. Ibrahim b. Natana narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim narrated to us from his father Ibrahim b. Hashim. He said: I saw `Abdullah b. Jundab in a position, and I had not seen a position more beautiful than his position. He did not stop stretching forth his hands to the sky [in supplication] while tears ran down his cheeks and reached the ground. When the people came, I said to him: O Aba Muhammad! I have never seen a position more beautiful than your position. He said: By Allah, I only supplicated for my brothers, and that is because Aba’l Hasan Musa b. Ja`far informed me that when one prays for his brother when he is away, a call is made from the Throne: “Multiplied by one hundred thousand for you” – I would hate to drop a guaranteed [supplication] that equalled one hundred thousand [acceptances] than one [supplication] that I do not know whether it will be accepted or not.

Muhammad b. Muhammad b. `Isam al-Kulayni narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. Ya`qub al-Kulayni narrated to us from `Ali b. Muhammad from Muhammad b. Sulayman from Isma`il b. Ibrahim from Ja`far b. Muhammad al-Tamimi from al-Husayn b. `Ilwan from Abi `Abdillah al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad from his forefathers . He said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: There is not a believing man nor woman who has passed from the beginning of time till the Day of Resurrection except that they are an intercessor for those they mentioned in their supplication: “O Allah! Forgive the believing men and women.” A believer will be ordered to the Fire on the Day of Resurrection, but the believing men and women will say: “O our Lord! This is one who would pray for us, so accept our intercession for him.” So, Allah will accept their intercession and they will be saved.

Ahmad b. `Ali b. Ibrahim b. Hashim narrated to us. He said: My father narrated to us from my grandfather from Muhammad b. Abi `Umayr from Hisham b. Salim from Abi `Abdillah al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad . He said: Whoever supplicates for forty believers before he supplicates for himself, his supplication will be granted for him.

My father narrated to us. He said: Sa`d b. `Abdullah narrated to us from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid from Muhammad b `Ali al-Kufi from al-Hasan b. Abi `Uqba al-Sayrafi from al-Husayn b. Khalid al-Sayrafi. He said: I said to Abi’l Hasan `Ali b. Musa al-Rida : [What is the ruling of] a man who purifies himself [after defecation] while wearing a ring on his finger with “there is no god but Allah (la ilaha illallah)” etched on it? So, he said: That would be hateful of him. So, he said: May I be your ransom! Didn’t the Messenger of Allah (s) and every one of your forefathers do that while their ring was on their finger? He said: Of course, but they would wear their ring on the right hand. So, fear Allah and watch yourself. I said: What was etched on the ring of Amir al-Mu’minin ? So, he said: Why do you not ask me about those who came before him? I said: Then I ask [that of] you. He said: On the ring of Adam, it was etched: “there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (la ilaha illallah, muhammadan rasulullah)”. Habatullah had the same as him. When Nuh boarded the Ark, Allah revealed to him: “O Nuh! If you fear drowning, then sanctify Me one thousand times, then ask Me to save you, and I will save you from drowning and those who believe in you.” He said: When Nuh and those with him settled on the Ark and he released the rope, the storm wind gusted them, and Nuh feared that he may drown. The wind intensified, but he was unable to sanctify one thousand times. So, he said in Syriac: “Glorify Him a thousand thousand times. O waves, settle (Haluliya alfa alfa, ya mariya atqin).” He said: So, the rope settled, and the Ark continued. So, Nuh said: “Surely, I must not abandon the words by which Allah saved me from drowning.” He said: So, he etched in his ring: “There is no god, one thousand times over. O Lord! Rectify me (la ilaha illallah alfa marra. Ya rabb, islahni).” He said: When Ibrahim was placed in the furnace, Gabriel became angry. So, Allah revealed to him: “What made you angry, Gabriel?” He said: “O Lord! Your Friend, who is the only servant of Yours who worships You on the face of the Earth, has been overcome by Your enemy and his enemy!” So, Allah revealed to him: “Be quiet. Only a servant who fears death like you would hurry. He is My servant, and I can take him if I wish.” He said: So, Gabriel was relieved, and he turned to Ibrahim and said: "Do you need anything?" So, he said: "From you? No." So, at that moment, Allah descended a ring with six phrases: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, there is no ability nor power except by Allah, I have delegated my matters to Allah, I have relied my back on Allah, and Allah is sufficient for me (la ilaha illallah, Muhammadan rasulullah, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, fawadtu amri ilalllah, asnadtu thahri ilallah, hasbiallah)." Then, Allah revealed that he should wear this ring, "for I will make the fire cool and peaceful for you." He said: The etching on the ring of Musa was two phrases taken from the Torah: "Be patient and you will be rewarded, be truthful and you will be saved (asbir tu'jar, asdiq tanaj)." He said: The etching on the ring of Sulayman was: "Glorified is He who reined in the Jinn with His words (subhana man alham al-jinn bikalimatih)." The etching on the ring of `Isa was two phrases taken from the Gospel: "Blessed is the servant who remembers Allah for his own sake, and woe is the servant who forgets Allah for his own sake (tuba li `abdin dhakarallah min ajlihi, wa waylun li `abdin nasiyallah min ajlih)." The etching on the ring of Muhammad (s) was: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (la ilaha illallah, muhammadan rasulullah)." The etching on the ring of Amir al-Mu'minin was: "Rulership is for Allah (al-mulk lillah)." The etching on the ring of al-Hasan was: "Glory is for Allah (al-`izzatu lillah)." The etching on the ring of al-Husayn was: "Surely, Allah will fulfill His will (innallaha balighu amrih)." `Ali b. al-Husayn would wear the ring of his father al-Husayn . Muhammad b. `Ali would wear the ring of al-Husayn . The etching on the ring of Ja`far b. Muhammad was: "Allah is my Guardian and my protection from His creation (Allahu waliyi wa `ismati min khalqih)." The etching on the ring of my father Abi'l Hasan Musa b. Ja`far was: "Allah is sufficient for me (hasbiallah)." Al-Husayn b. Khalid said: Then, Abu'l Hasan al-Rida opened his hand, and he was wearing the ring of his father on his finger, and he showed me the etching.

Muhammad b. Muhammad b. `Isam narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. Ya`qub al-Kulayni narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. Muhammad narrated to us from Muhammad b. Sulayman from Isma`il b. Ibrahim from Ja`far b. Muhammad al-Tamimi from al-Husayn b. `Ilwan from `Amr b. Khalid from Zayd b. `Ali . He said: I asked my father, the Master of Worshipers , and I said to him: O father! Inform me about my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (s): When he ascended to heaven, and his Lord commanded him to do fifty prayers, why did he not ask Him to lighten the load on his Nation until Musa b. `Imran told him: "Return to your Lord and ask him to lighten the load, for surely, your Nation cannot fulfill this"? So, he said: O my son! Surely, the Messenger of Allah (s) would not make suggestions to his Lord, nor would he return to Him with regards to something He had commanded him. So, when Musa asked him, he became the intercessor of his Nation through him, and [thus] he was unable to reject the intercession of his brother Musa (i.e. Musa interceded on behalf of the Muslim Nation, and the Prophet was unable to reject the plea of Musa). So, he returned to his Lord to ask him to lighten the burden, until it became five prayers. He said: So, I said to him: O father! Then why did he not return to his Lord to lighten it to less than five prayers, for Musa told him to return to his Lord [again] to ask him to lighten it [further]? So, he said: O my son! He (s) wanted to lighten the burden on his Nation through the reward of fifty prayers, as Allah says, "He who comes with a good deed will have ten like it." (6:160) When he (s) descended to the Earth, Gabriel came down to him and said: "O Muhammad! Surely, your Lord recites the salaam to you, and says: 'Surely, they are five [prayers worth] fifty. My words have not been exchanged, and I am not oppressive to the worshipers.'" He said: So, I said to him: O father! Isn't it the case that Allah is not described with a place? So, he said: Of course. May Allah be exalted above that. So, he said: So, what is the meaning of the saying of Musa to the Messenger of Allah (s): "Return to your Lord"? So, he said: Its meaning is the [same] meaning as the saying of Ibrahim : "Surely, I am going to my Lord for guidance" (37:99), and the meaning of the saying of Musa : "I hasten to You, my Lord, so that You may be pleased." (20:84), and His saying, "So, hasten to Allah" (50:51) - meaning, make pilgrimage to the House of Allah. O my son! The Ka`ba is the House of Allah. Whoever makes pilgrimage to the House of Allah has made his intention toward Allah. The mosques are the houses of Allah, so whoever goes to them has gone to Allah and made his intention toward Him. The one who prays stands before Allah for the duration of his prayer. Those who stand at `Arafa stand before Allah. Surely, for Allah there are places in His heavens; whoever ascends to a place of His therein has ascended to Him. Have you not heard the saying of Allah, "The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him" (70:4)? He says in the story of `Isa , "Rather, Allah raised him to Himself" (4:158), and He says, "Goodly words ascend to Him and righteous deeds are raised up by Him" (35:10).

Ahmad b. Ziyad b. Ja`far al-Hamadani narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim narrated to us from his father Ibrahim b. Hashim from `Abd al-Salam b. Salih al-Harawi. He said: I said to `Ali b. Musa al-Rida : O son of the Messenger of Allah! What do you say regarding the hadith that the people of hadith narrate: "Surely, the believers will visit their Lord from their homes in Paradise." So, he said: O Aba'l Salt! Surely, Allah favoured His Prophet Muhammad (s) over the entirety of the creation, from the prophets to the angels. He made his obedience His own obedience, and He made his acquiescence His own acquiescence. Visiting him in this world and the Hereafter is [the same as] visiting Him. So, He says, "He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah" (4:80) and He says, "Surely, those who pledge allegiance to you have pledged allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands." (48:10) The Prophet (s) said: "He who visits me in my life or after my death has visited Allah." The rank of the Prophet (s) in Paradise is the highest rank. Whoever visits him in his rank in Paradise in his house has visited Allah." He said: So, I said to him: O son of the Messenger of Allah! Then what is the meaning of the report that they narrate: "The reward of 'there is no god but Allah (la ilaha illallah)' is looking at the Face of Allah"? So, he said: O Aba'l Salt! Whoever describes Allah with a face like the faces [of the creation] has disbelieved. Rather, the Face of Allah is His prophets, His messengers, and His Proofs (s). They are the ones by whom Allah is faced and by whom His religion is recognized. Allah says, "All that is upon it will perish, and the Face of your Lord will remain" (55:26). He says, "Everything will be destroyed except His face." (28:88) Looking at the face of the prophets, messengers, and Proofs of Allah in their rank is a great reward for the believers on the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet (s) said: "Whoever hates my Ahl al-Bayt and my progeny will not see me nor will I see him on the Day of Resurrection." He said: "Surely among you is he who will not see me after he departs from me." O Aba'l Salt! Allah is not described with a place, nor is He comprehended by sight or by imagination. He said: So, I said: O son of the Messenger of Allah! Inform me about Paradise and the Fire. Are they two creations today? So, he said: Yes, for the Messenger of Allah (s) entered Paradise and saw the Fire when he was taken up to heaven. He said: So, I said to him: There are a people who say that they are predestined and not yet created. So, he said: They are not of us, and we are not of them. Whoever denies the creation of Paradise and the Fire has belied the Prophet (s) and has belied us. They are not upon our wilaya in anything. They will remain forever in the Fire of Hell. Allah says, "This is Hell that the criminals bely -- they will go around between it and scalding water" (55:43-44). The Prophet (s) said: "When my Lord took me up to heaven, Gabriel took me by the hand and brought me into Paradise. He gave me of its fresh dates, and I ate it. It turned into sperm in my loins. When I descended to the Earth, I went to Khadija, and she became pregnant with Fatima. Fatima is a human houri, so whenever I long for the fragrance of Paradise, I smell the fragrance of my daughter Fatima."

`Ali b. Ahmad b. `Abdullah b. Ahmad b. Abi `Abdillah al-Barqi narrated to us. He said: My father narrated to me from his grandfather Ahmad b. Abi `Abdillah from his father from Ahmad b. al-Nadr al-Khazzaz from `Amr b. Shimr from Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju`fi from Abi `Abdillah al-Sadiq . He said: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (s) and said: O Messenger of Allah! I want to fight, and I am fit. He said: Then fight in the way of Allah, for surely, if you are killed, you will be alive with Allah being given sustenance, and if you die [naturally], your reward will be with Allah, and if you return, your sins will be expunged as though you were just born. So, he said: O Messenger of Allah! I have two elderly parents who say that they find harmony through me and hate for me to go out [to fight]. So, the Messenger of Allah (s) said: Stay with your parents, for by He in whose hand is my soul, giving them harmony for a day and a night is better than a year of fighting.

Muhammad b. Musa b. al-Mutawakkil narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. al-Husayn al-Sa`d Abadi narrated to us from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid. He said: Abu’l Qasim al-Kufi narrated to us from Hannan b. Sadir from his father. He said: I said to Abi Ja`far al-Baqir : ’Can a son pay back (for the favors of) a father?’ The Imam replied, ‘There is no payment for him except two things: if the father is a slave and the son buys him and sets him free, or the father is in debt and the son pays it off.’

Abu `Ali Ahmad b. Ziyad al-Hamadani narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim b. Hashim narrated to us from Muhammad b. `Isa b. `Ubayd al-Yaqtini from Yunus b. `Abd al-Rahman from Ibn Asbat from `Ali b. Salim from his father from Thabit b. Abi Safiyya. He said: The Master of Worshipers `Ali b. al-Husayn looked at `Ubaydullah b. al-`Abbas b. `Ali b. Abi Talib and shed a tear. Then, he said: There was not a day that was more severe for the Messenger of Allah (s) than the day of Uhud. Therein, his uncle Hamza b. `Abd al-Muttalib, the Lion of Allah and the Lion of the Messenger of Allah, was killed. After that, [the worst day was] the day of Mu’ta, wherein his cousin Ja`far b. Abi Talib was killed. Then, he said: But there is no day like the day of al-Husayn . Thirty thousand men came down on him, alleging that they were from this Nation and that they were gaining Allah’s proximity through his blood. He was, by Allah, reminding them [of their duty], but they did not learn, until they killed him treacherously, oppressively, and antagonistically. Then, he said: May Allah have mercy on al-`Abbas, for he was harmed, and he suffered. He sacrificed his soul for his brother until his arms were severed, so Allah exchanged them for two wings with which he flies with the angels in Paradise, just as He did with Ja`far b. Abi Talib. Surely, al-`Abbas will have a status with Allah on the Day of Resurrection that will be envied by all the martyrs.