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."