My father and Muhammad b. al-Hasan – may Allah be pleased with them – narrated to us, saying: Sa'd b. Abd Allah and Abd Allah b. Ja'far al-Himyari together narrated to us from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa, from al-Hasan b. Mahbub, from Malik b. Atiyyah, from Abu Hamzah al-Thumali, from Abu Ja'far عليه السلام, who said: Ibrahim عليه السلام once went out traveling through the lands to reflect. He passed by a barren plain and saw a man standing in prayer, his voice reaching the sky, and his clothes were of hair. Ibrahim عليه السلام stopped in amazement and sat waiting for him to finish. When it took too long, he nudged him with his hand and said, "I have a need—shorten your prayer." So the man shortened it and sat down. Ibrahim asked him, "Whom are you praying to?" He replied, "To the God of Ibrahim." Ibrahim said, "And who is the God of Ibrahim?" He replied, "The One who created you and created me." Ibrahim said, "I am impressed with your state, and I would like to be your brother for the sake of Allah, the Exalted. Where is your home if I wish to visit you and meet you?" The man replied, "My home is beyond that point" – and he pointed toward the sea – "and as for my prayer place, it is this very spot. You will find me here if you wish, God willing."
Then the man said to Ibrahim, "Do you have a need?" Ibrahim said, "Yes." The man asked, "And what is it?" Ibrahim replied, "That you pray to Allah and I say 'amen' to your supplication, or I will pray and you say 'amen' to mine." The man asked, "And what shall we ask Allah for?" Ibrahim said, "For the sinful believers." The man said, "No." Ibrahim asked, "Why not?" He replied, "Because I have been asking Allah with a supplication for three years and I have not seen it answered up to now. I am ashamed before Allah, the Exalted, to ask Him for anything until I know He has answered me." Ibrahim asked, "And what was your supplication?"
The man said, "One day, while I was in this very prayer place, a radiant boy passed by me, light was shining from his forehead, he had a lock of hair behind his head, and he was herding cattle that looked as if they were oiled, and sheep that looked as if they had been saturated. I was amazed at what I saw and asked, 'O boy, whose are these cattle and sheep?' He replied, 'They are mine.' I asked, 'And who are you?' He said, 'I am Isma'il son of Ibrahim, the Friend of the Merciful.' So I prayed to Allah, the Exalted, at that moment and asked Him to show me His Friend."
Ibrahim عليه السلام then said to him, "I am Ibrahim, the Friend of the Merciful, and that boy is my son." The man then said, "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, who answered my supplication." Then he kissed both sides of Ibrahim’s face and embraced him. Then he said, "Now yes—pray so I may say 'amen' to your supplication." So Ibrahim عليه السلام prayed for the believing men and women who are sinners, from that day until the Day of Resurrection, asking forgiveness and Allah's satisfaction for them. The man said 'amen' to his supplication. Abu Ja'far عليه السلام said: The supplication of Ibrahim reaches the sinful believers from among our Shia until the Day of Resurrection.