Muhammad b. Musa b. al-Mutawakkil narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. al-Husayn al-Sa`d Abadi narrated to us. He said: Ahmad b. Abi `Abdillah al-Barqi narrated to us from his father from Fadala b. Ayyub from Zayd al-Shahham from Abi `Abdillah al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad from his father Muhammad b. `Ali al-Baqir from his father . He said:

The Prophet (s) became ill with the illness from which he passed away. So, Fatima the Mistress of Women visited him, and with her were al-Hasan and al-Husayn . She took al-Hasan by her right hand and she took al-Husayn by her left hand. They walked, and Fatima was between them, until they entered the house of `A’isha. So, al-Hasan sat to the right of the Messenger of Allah (s) and al-Husayn sat to the left of the Messenger of Allah (s). They began kissing the body of the Messenger of Allah (s), but the Prophet (s) did not awake from his sleep. So, Fatima said to al-Hasan and al-Husayn: “My beloveds! Your grandfather has fallen asleep. So, go for a moment until he awakes, then return to him.” So, they said: “We are not going at this time.” So, al-Hasan lay on the right side of the Prophet (s) and al-Husayn lay on his left side until they fell asleep. They awoke before the Prophet (s), and Fatima had gone back to her house when they had slept. So, they said to `A’isha: “What did our mother do?” She said: “When you both fell asleep, she returned to her house.” So, they left in the darkness of a night that was muddled in thunder and lightning. The sky had loosened its rain and a light dazzled for them. They did not stop walking in that light, while al-Hasan’s right hand held al-Husayn’s left hand. They both walked and talked until they reached the yard of Bani Najjar. When they reached the yard alone, they did not know where they had gone. So, al-Hasan said to al-Husayn: “We have been alone [for so long] that we reached this point. We do not know where to go. So, let us sleep at this moment until we awake.” So, al-Husayn said to him: “Go ahead, brother, I will do the same.” So, they both lay down, and each of them embraced the other, and they slept. The Prophet (s) then awoke from his sleep and he sent for them in the house of Fatima, but they were not there. He longed for them, so the Prophet (s) stood on his feet and he said: “My God, my Master, and my Lord! These two are my cubs, and they have gone due to shortage and starvation. O Allah! You are my guardian over them.” So, a light spread out for the Prophet (s), and he remained in it until he reached the yard of Bani Najjar and found them sleeping, embracing one another. The sky had folded over them like a plate, and even though it was raining intensely – more than anyone had seen before – Allah had prevented the rain from coming onto the land that they had been sleeping in. Not a single drop landed on them. They were encompassed by a serpent that had hair like a tree rich with reeds and two wings: one wing was covering al-Hasan, and one wing was covering al-Husayn. When the Prophet (s) saw them hemmed in, the serpent withdrew, saying: “O Allah! I bear witness to You and to Your angels that these two are the cubs of Your Prophet, and I protected them and I handed them over safely and healthily.” So, the Prophet (s) said to it: “O serpent! Who are you?” It said: “I am the messenger of the Jinn to you.” He said: “Which of the Jinn?” It said: “From the Jinn of Nusaybin, from a delegation of Bani Malih. We forgot a verse from the Book of Allah. So, they sent me to you so that you may teach us what we have forgotten from the Book of Allah. When I reached this place, I heard a caller call out: ‘O serpent! These two are the cubs of the Messenger of Allah, so protect them from pests, impairments, and disasters of the night and day.’ So, I protected them and I have handed them over safely and healthily to you.” Then, the serpent took the verse and left. The Prophet (s) took al-Hasan and put him on his right shoulder and put al-Husayn on his left shoulder. So, `Ali came out and followed the Messenger of Allah (s). One of his companions said to him: “May my mother and my father be your sacrifice! Give me one of your cubs so that I may lighten [the load] for you.” So, he said: “Go, for Allah has heard your words and recognized your status.” Then, `Ali met him and said: “May my mother and my father be your sacrifice, O Messenger of Allah! Give me one of my cubs and your cubs so that I may lighten for you.” So, the Prophet (s) turned to al-Hasan and said: “O Hasan! Would you like to go to the shoulder of your father?” So, he said to him: “By Allah, grandfather, your shoulder is more beloved to me than the shoulder of my father.” Then, he turned to al-Husayn and said: “O Husayn! Would you like to go to the shoulder of your father?” So, he said: “By Allah, grandfather, I say the same as my brother – your shoulder is more beloved to me than the shoulder of my father.” So, he took them to the house of Fatima , and she had prepared dates for them and put them in front of them. They ate until they were satiated and happy. Then, the Prophet (s) said to them: “Stand now and wrestle.” So, they stood and wrestled – and Fatima had gone out for a need of hers – so, she entered, and she heard the Prophet (s) saying: “Yes, Hasan, strengthen yourself against al-Husayn, and wrestle with him.” Then, she said to him: “O father! I am astonished. You are encouraging this one over that one, the older against the younger?!” So, he said to her: “O my daughter! Are you not pleased that I am saying: ‘O Hasan! Strengthen yourself against al-Husayn, and wrestle with him’ while my beloved Gabriel is here saying: ‘O Husayn! Strengthen yourself against al-Hasan, and wrestle with him.’?”