Al-Kāfi - Volume 8


Book 1, Chapter 134

The stipulation of Al-Rida’ 'Alayhim al-Salam with Ma’mun
1 Ḥadīth

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُعَمَّرِ بْنِ خَلَّادٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عليه السلام) قَالَ لِيَ الْمَأْمُونُ يَا أَبَا الْحَسَنِ لَوْ كَتَبْتَ إِلَى بَعْضِ مَنْ يُطِيعُكَ فِي هَذِهِ النَّوَاحِي الَّتِي قَدْ فَسَدَتْ عَلَيْنَا قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنْ وَفَيْتَ لِي وَفَيْتُ لَكَ إِنَّمَا دَخَلْتُ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ الَّذِي دَخَلْتُ فِيهِ عَلَى أَنْ لَا آمُرَ وَ لَا أَنْهَى وَ لَا أُوَلِّيَ وَ لَا أَعْزِلَ وَ مَا زَادَنِي هَذَا الْأَمْرُ الَّذِي دَخَلْتُ فِيهِ فِي النِّعْمَةِ عِنْدِي شَيْئاً وَ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَ كِتَابِي يَنْفُذُ فِي الْمَشْرِقِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَرْكَبُ حِمَارِي وَ أَمُرُّ فِي سِكَكِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَ مَا بِهَا أَعَزُّ مِنِّي وَ مَا كَانَ بِهَا أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ يَسْأَلُنِي حَاجَةً يُمْكِنُنِي قَضَاؤُهَا لَهُ إِلَّا قَضَيْتُهَا لَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي أَفِي لَكَ.


134. A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Muammar Bin Khallaad who said: Abu Al-Hassan Al-Ridha (a.s) said to me: ‘Al-Ma’moun said to me (a.s), ‘O Abu Al-Hassan (a.s), if you (a.s) could write to some of the ones who are obedient to you (a.s) in these areas in which their relationship with us is spoilt’. I (a.s) said to him: ‘O Chief of believers, if you fulfil (your commitment) to me (a.s), I (a.s) would (fulfil my (a.s) commitment) to you, but rather, I (a.s) have entered into this matter in which I (a.s) have been entered into, I (a.s) do not issue commands, nor do I (a.s) prohibit, nor do I (a.s) appoint anyone, nor do I (a.s) dismiss anyone, and this matter which I (a.s) have entered into has not increased anything for me (a.s) regarding the favours. And I (a.s) used to be in Al-Medina, and my (a.s) letter would be established in the east and the west, and I (a.s) would ride upon my (a.s) mule and pass by in the markets of Al-Medina, and there would be no one more prestigious than me (a.s), and there was none among them who would question me (a.s) for a need with the possibility of my (a.s) fulfilling it, except that I (a.s) would fulfill it for him’. He said, ‘I will fulfill (my commitment) to you (a.s)’.