The Birth of abu al-Hassan Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.)

“Once I was in the presence of abu Ibrahim (a.s.) that a monk and a nun from the people of Najran, Yemen came to see him. al-Fadl ibn Sawwar sought permission for them and the Imam (a.s.) said, “Tomorrow bring them to the well of ’Umm Khaayr.” The narrator has said that on the next day we went to see him and we found the people also there. The Imam (a.s.) ordered to spread a mat that was made of palm tree fibers. He then sat down on it and the people sat down on The Imam (a.s.).The nun began asking questions. She asked may questions. The Imam (a.s.) answered them all. Abu Ibrahim (a.s.) asked her certain questions but she could not answer. She then accepted Islam. The monk then began to ask questions and the Imam (a.s.) would answer whatever he would ask. The monk then said, “I was very strong in my religion and no one of the Christians was as knowledgeable as I am. I heard of man from India who could go for pilgrimage to the Holy House in one day and one night and then go back to India to his home. I asked as to where did he live? I was told that he lived in Sibdhan. The one who informed me about him said that he knew the knowledge with which Asaf, the companion of Solomon brought the throne of Sheba before Solomon. He is the one whom Allah has mentioned in your book and in the books of the followers of the Bible.” Abu Ibrahim (a.s.) then said, “How many are the names of Allah that if invoke would not leave one without the desired result?” The monk said, “They are many but the ones with perfect effects that do not leave the person invoking them without the desired results are seven.” Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) asked him, “Tell of whichever that you know.” The monk said, “By Allah, who has sent the Torah to Moses and has made Jesus to be a lesson for the worlds and a trial for the thankfulness of the people of reason, Who has made Muhammad (s.a.) to be a blessing and mercy and has made Ali (a.s.) a lesson and the source of understanding, Who has made the executors of his will from his descendants and the descendants of Muhammad (s.a.) that I do not know.” Had I known them you would not have to ask me, I would not have come to you and would have asked you questions.” Abu Ibrahim (a.s.) then said, “Tell me more about the man from India.” The monk said, “I have heard certain names but I do not know their meanings and interpretations. I do not know what they are and how they are and how they are read? I journeyed until I reached Sidhan in India. I asked about the man and I was told that he has built a monastery in the mountain and can only be seen twice a yea. The people of India believe that Allah has made a stream flow through his monastery. They think that a different kincheloe, MI 49784 of farming is done for him therein and that all is done for him without normal labor. I then went to his door and waaited for three days without knocking and trying to open the door. On the fourth day Allah opened the door. A cow loaded wth fire wood came. Her breast was so heavily filled with milk that it would almost touch the ground and the milk would almost to come out. The cow pushed the door open and I followed her. I found the man in a standing position looking towards the sky and would weep. Then he would look to the earth and weep. He would look at the mountains and would weep. I said, “Glory belongs to Allah. How few are the people like you in our times.” He said, “By Allah, I am only one good of the deeds of the one whom you have left behind you.” I then said, “I am told that you know certain names of the name s of Allah through which you can reach every day and night the Holy house that is in al-Sham (Syria). Is it true?”He asked me, “Do you recognize the Holy House?” I replied, “I do not know any other Holy House besides that in al-Sham.” He said, “Not Bayt al-Maqdis (the mosque in Jerusalem). The Holy House that is the House of the family of Muhammad (s.a.).” I then said, “What I have heard up to this day is the Holy House that I just mentioned.” He said, “That is the place where the prophets worshipped Allah. It had been called the center of the places of worship until the period between the time of Jesus and the coming of Muhammad (s.a.) in which the calamities approached the pagans and misfortune entered the houses of Satan. They moved, changed and transferred those names as Allah has said in His words whose intrinsic meaning stand for the family of Muhammad and apparently stand as a proverb, “These are only names given by yourselves and your fathers. God has not given them any authority. . .”(53:23). I then said, to him, “I have come to your from a far away land. On the way I crossed , oceans, sadness, anxieties and fear. I have passed days and night in despair for falling to reach my goal.” He said to me, “I do not see that your mother conceived with you at any time without a noble angel with her. I never found your father without formal purification whenever he would go to bed with your mother. He went to bed with her in purified condition. I do not think there was any other reason except his reading the fourth part of the Torah during his nightly vigil, thus, arrived with him to the good end. Go back jus as you came. Leave until you reach Madina of Muhammad (s.a.) which also called the pure and clean. In the age of darkness of ignorance they called it Yathrib. Then go a place therein called al-Barqi’. Then ask for a house called the house of Marwan. Logde there for three days. Then ask for a black old man who works with the fibers of the palm tree (to make mats and other such things) that they call al-Khasf. Be kind to him and tell him, “I am sent to you by your guest who would stay with you in the corner of the house wherein there are the four pieces of woods. Then ask him about so and so son of so and so. Ask him where he forms his gathering and what time he passes thereby. He will show him to you or will give full description and dyou recognize him through the description and I also describe him for you.” .I said, “After meeting him what would I do?” He said, “Ask him of whatever happened and whatever will happen. Ask him about religious guidance of those past and those yet to come.” The narrator has said that abu Ibrahim (a.s.) said to him, “Your friend who you met has given you very good advise.” The monk then asked the Imam (a.s.), “What is his name, may Allah take my soul in service for your cause,?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “His name is Mutammim ibn Firuz from the people of Persia. He established faith in Allah Who is only One and has no partners and worshipped Him sincerely with certainty and devotion. He ran away from his people when was afraid of them. His Lord granted him authority and guided him to the way of right guidance and progress. He made him to be of the pious ones and granted him the knowledge of who the His sincere servants are. Every year he he visits Makka for Hajj and performs ‘Umra at the beginning of every month once. He comes from his place in India to Makka because of the distinction that Allah ahs granted to him and His support and thus Allah rewards those who give thanks.” The monk then asked him many questions. The Imam (a.s.) answered them all. He asked the monk certain questions which he could not answer but the Imam (a.s.) himself answered them.. The monk then said, “Tell me of the eight letters that were revealed out of which four were manifested on earth and the other four remained in space. To who the four were sent thhe fpur that remained in space? Who will interpret them?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He will be our al-Qa’im (the one who will rise with Divine authority). Allah will sent them to him and he will interpret them. He will sent to him what has not even been sent to the truthful ones, the messengers and the rightly guided ones.” Then the monk said, “Tell me about the of the four that were sent to earth. What are they?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “I will tell you about all four. The first one was ‘there is no lord except Allah Who is One and has no partners that He is eternal ’. The second was, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah purely’. The third one was we the Ahl al-Bayt (infallible members of the family of Muhammad (s.a.). the fourth one was our Shi‘a (followers) who are from us and we are from the Messenger of Allah and the Messenger of Allah is from Allah through means.” The monk then said, “I testify that there is no lord except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and that whatever he brought from Allah is true and that your, Ahl al-Bayt (the infallible members of the family of Muhammad (s.a.) are the chosen of Allah from His creatures and that you Shi‘a are pure who are the replacement (of those who oppose you). They will have the good end. All thanks are due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.” Abu Ibrahim (a.s.) called to bring for him a gown, a shirt made in Gha’in Khurasan, a scarf, a shoe and a hat. He gave them to him and prayed the noon time prayer and asked him to circumcise. He said, “ It had been done when he was seven years old.”