1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ هَلْ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) عَنِ الأطْفَالِ فَقَالَ قَدْ سُئِلَ فَقَالَ الله أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا زُرَارَةُ هَلْ تَدْرِي قَوْلَهُ الله أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ قُلْتُ لاَ قَالَ لله فِيهِمُ الْمَشِيئَةُ إِنَّهُ إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ جَمَعَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الأطْفَالَ وَالَّذِي مَاتَ مِنَ النَّاسِ فِي الْفَتْرَةِ وَالشَّيْخَ الْكَبِيرَ الَّذِي أَدْرَكَ النَّبِيَّ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَهُوَ لاَ يَعْقِلُ وَالأصَمَّ وَالأبْكَمَ الَّذِي لاَ يَعْقِلُ وَالْمَجْنُونَ وَالأبْلَهَ الَّذِي لاَ يَعْقِلُ وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ يَحْتَجُّ عَلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيَبْعَثُ الله إِلَيْهِمْ مَلَكاً مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ فَيُؤَجِّجُ لَهُمْ نَاراً ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُ الله إِلَيْهِمْ مَلَكاً فَيَقُولُ لَهُمْ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَثِبُوا فِيهَا فَمَنْ دَخَلَهَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ بَرْداً وَسَلاَماً وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا دَخَلَ النَّارَ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad, from Hariz from Zurarah who has narrated the following: “I asked abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ’Had the Messenger of Allah been asked about children?’ He said, ‘Indeed he was asked and he said, “Allah knows better about their deeds.’” The Imam then said, ‘O Zurarah, do you know His words, “Allah knows better of what they had been doing?”’ I replied, ‘I do not know.’ The Imam said, ‘Allah has a wish in the matter. On the Day of Judgment Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, will bring the children together as well as the people who have died between the intervals (the time between the passing away of one prophet and the coming of the other). He will bring the elderly who lived in the time of the Holy Prophet but had lost understanding, were the deaf, and the dumb who do not understand, the insane ones and the dimwitted who do not understand. Every one of such people will argue before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious. Allah sends an angel from among His angels who lights up a fire and then Allah sends another angel who says to them, ‘Your Lord commands you to jump in it (fire). Whoever of them jumps, for him it will turn cool and peaceful and he is admitted to paradise and those who disobey go to the fire.’”

2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ رَفَعُوهُ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الأطْفَالِ فَقَالَ إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ جَمَعَهُمُ الله وَأَجَّجَ لَهُمْ نَاراً وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَطْرَحُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فِيهَا فَمَنْ كَانَ فِي عِلْمِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَّهُ سَعِيدٌ رَمَى بِنَفْسِهِ فِيهَا وَكَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ بَرْداً وَسَلاَماً وَمَنْ كَانَ فِي عِلْمِهِ أَنَّهُ شَقِيٌّ امْتَنَعَ فَيَأْمُرُ الله بِهِمْ إِلَى النَّارِ فَيَقُولُونَ يَا رَبَّنَا تَأْمُرُ بِنَا إِلَى النَّارِ وَلَمْ تُجْرِ عَلَيْنَا الْقَلَمَ فَيَقُولُ الْجَبَّارُ قَدْ أَمَرْتُكُمْ مُشَافَهَةً فَلَمْ تُطِيعُونِي فَكَيْفَ وَلَوْ أَرْسَلْتُ رُسُلِي بِالْغَيْبِ إِلَيْكُمْ. وَفِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ أَمَّا أَطْفَالُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَيَلْحَقُونَ بِآبَائِهِمْ وَأَوْلاَدُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ يَلْحَقُونَ بِآبَائِهِمْ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِإِيمانٍ أَلْحَقْنا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad for more than one person who, in a marfu’ manner, have said the following: “He (the Holy Prophet) was asked about the children and he replied, ‘On the Day of Judgment Allah will bring all of them together, light up for them a fire and command them to throw themselves in it. Those of them who are fortunate in the knowledge of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, throw themselves in the fire and it turns cool and peaceful to them. Those of them who are not fortunate in the knowledge of Allah, they refuse to throw themselves in the fire and Allah then orders them to the fire and they will say, “O Lord, You commanded us to the fire and the pen has not moved against us.” The Almighty will say, “I just commanded you face to face but you did not obey Me: how would you obey Me through sending you my messengers in an unseen condition?”’ In another Hadith it is said that the children of the believing people are joined with their parents and the children of the pagans are joined with their parents as this is stated in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘The offspring of the believers will also follow them to paradise. Therefore, We shall join their offspring to them because of their faith. We shall not reduce anything from their deeds. Everyone will be responsible for his own actions.’” (52:21)

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) عَنِ الْوِلْدَانِ فَقَالَ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) عَنِ الْوِلْدَانِ وَالأطْفَالِ فَقَالَ الله أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn al-Suwayd from Yahya al-Halabiy from ibn Muskan from Zurarah who has said the following: “I asked abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the children, and he said, ‘The Messenger of Allah was asked about the children and infants, and he replied, “Allah knows best about what they had been doing.’””

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) مَا تَقُولُ فِي الأطْفَالِ الَّذِينَ مَاتُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَبْلُغُوا فَقَالَ سُئِلَ عَنْهُمْ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالَ الله أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ فَقَالَ يَا زُرَارَةُ هَلْ تَدْرِي مَا عَنَى بِذَلِكَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قَالَ قُلْتُ لاَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا عَنَى كُفُّوا عَنْهُمْ وَلاَ تَقُولُوا فِيهِمْ شَيْئاً وَرُدُّوا عِلْمَهُمْ إِلَى الله.

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ’Udhaynah from Zurarah who has said the following: “I asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about children who die before maturity and he replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah was asked about them and he said, “Allah knows best about what they may do.’” Then he turned to me and said, ‘O Zurarah, do you know what the Messenger of Allah meant thereby?’ I said, ‘No, I do not know.’ He said, ‘He meant to say, “You must not say anything about them but leave their affairs to Allah (to deal with).’””

5ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ بِإِيمانٍ أَلْحَقْنا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ قَصَرَتِ الأبْنَاءُ عَنْ عَمَلِ الآبَاءِ فَأَلْحَقُوا الأبْنَاءَ بِالآبَاءِ لِتَقَرَّ بِذَلِكَ أَعْيُنُهُمْ.

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from ibn Bukayr who has said the following: “This is about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, that read.. . . (The bountiful paradise is for the pious ones) and for the believers and their offspring who have followed them (parents) in belief, whom We shall join with their parents therein. . . . (52:21).’ Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘The children even though may have had shortcomings in their deeds, they will be joined with their parents to grant delightfulness to the eyes of the parents.’”

6ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَمَّنْ مَاتَ فِي الْفَتْرَةِ وَعَمَّنْ لَمْ يُدْرِكِ الْحِنْثَ وَالْمَعْتُوهِ فَقَالَ يَحْتَجُّ الله عَلَيْهِمْ يَرْفَعُ لَهُمْ نَاراً فَيَقُولُ لَهُمْ ادْخُلُوهَا فَمَنْ دَخَلَهَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ بَرْداً وَسَلاَماً وَمَنْ أَبَى قَالَ هَا أَنْتُمْ قَدْ أَمَرْتُكُمْ فَعَصَيْتُمُونِي.

6. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hisham who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah was asked about those who die in the interval (between the passing away of one prophet and coming of the other), those who have not committed sins, and people with severe mental conditions. He replied, ‘Allah argues against them by lighting up a fire and telling them to walk in it. Those who go in the fire it becomes cool and peaceful for them and to those who refuse Allah will say, “Consider, I just commanded you but you disobeyed Me.’””

7ـ وَبِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ قَالَ ثَلاَثَةٌ يُحْتَجُّ عَلَيْهِمُ الأبْكَمُ وَالطِّفْلُ وَمَنْ مَاتَ فِي الْفَتْرَةِ فَتُرْفَعُ لَهُمْ نَارٌ فَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ ادْخُلُوهَا فَمَنْ دَخَلَهَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ بَرْداً وَسَلاَماً وَمَنْ أَبَى قَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى هَذَا قَدْ أَمَرْتُكُمْ فَعَصَيْتُمُونِي.

7. Through the same chain of narrators it is said: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘An argument will be made against three kinds of people: dumb people, children, and those who have died in the interval between the passing away and coming of a prophet. A fire will be brought before them and they will be commanded to go in it. Those who go in the fire, it will turn cool and peaceful for them. Those who refuse to go in the fire, Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, will say, “Consider, I just commanded you but you disobeyed Me.’””