Clear declaration of Imam Kadhim about the Imamate of Imam Ridha

I visited Abul Hasan Musa (a.s) the year before he went to Iraq. Ali, his son, was sitting in front of him. He looked at me and said: Muhammad, this year there will be some disturbance, but do not be worried by that. “May God make me your ransom, what will that be?” I asked him, for he had filled me with anxiety. “I will go to this despot,” he answered, “but he will not receive any evil from me nor from the one who will be after me.” “May God make me your ransom, what will happen?” I said. “Whoever wrongs this son of mine and denies his Imamate after me is like those who wronged Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s) and denied his right after the Messenger of Allah (s),” he replied. “If God supports me in my life, may I submit to his right and declare my belief in his Imamate?” I asked. “True, Muhammad,” he said, “God will support you during your life and you will submit to his right and declare your belief in his Imamate, and the Imamate of the one who will be (Imam) after him.” “Who will that be?” I asked. “His son, Muhammad,” he answered. I said: “I give consent and submit to him.”

I said to Abu Ibrahim (Imam Kadhim): May I be your ransom, I have grown old. So take my hand and save me from Hell-fire. Who is our leader after you? Imam (a.s) pointed to his son, Abul Hasan (Imam Ridha) and said: This is your leader after me.

I said to Abul Hasan the first (Imam Kadhim a.s.): Show me from whom I will take (instruction in) my religion.” This son of mine, Ali, he said. My father took my hand and took me to the tomb of the Messenger of Allah (s). He said to me that God, may His name be exalted, said: I make you a Caliph on earth, and that when God, the Exalted, says anything, He carries it out.

I, Hisham bin Hakam and Ali bin Yaqtin were in Baghdad, when Ali bin Yaqtin said: I was with Abdus Salih [Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s)] when his son, Ali entered. Imam (a.s) said: O Ali bin Yaqtin, this Ali, is the chief of my children and I have given to him my agnomen (both were called Abul Hasan). [In another narration:] Hisham struck his face with the palm of his hand and said: Shame on you, how can you say that? ‘By God, I heard it from him, just as I said it,’ replied Ali bin Yaqtin. ‘Then, by God, the authority is for him after (Musa),’ said Hisham.

My son, Ali, the eldest of my children, is the one most preferred by me and the one most loved by me. He examined the leather case (Jafr) with me. Only a prophet or the testamentary trustee (Wasi) of a prophet can examine it.

The ordinances (alwah) came to us from Abul Hasan Musa (a.s) while he was in prison: My testament (ahd) to the eldest of my sons is that he should do such-and-such. As far as so-and-so is concerned, do not give him anything until you meet me or God decrees death for me.

I visited Abu Ibrahim [Imam Kadhim (a.s)]. With him was Abul Hasan [Ali Ridha (a.s)], his son. Imam (a.s) said: Ziyad, this is my son, Ali. His writing is my writing, his words are my words, his messenger is my messenger, and whatever he says, (the truth) is what he says.

Abul Hasan Musa (a.s) summoned us and we gathered. Then he said: Do you know why I have summoned you? No, we answered. Witness that this son of mine is my testamentary trustee (Wasi) and one who will superintend my affair as my successor after me. Whoever has a debt (to be collected) from me, let him collect it from this son of mine. Whoever I have made a promise to; let him get its fulfillment from him. Whoever has to meet me, will only do so through his correspondence.

I said to Abu Ibrahim [Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s)]: I am afraid that something may happen and I will not be able to meet you. So tell me who the Imam is after you? Imam (a.s) replied: My son, so-and-so, meaning Abul Hasan [Imam Ali Ridha].

I said to Abu Ibrahim [Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s)]: I asked your father who would be the Imam after him and he told me that you would be. Therefore, when Abu Abdullah [Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s)] passed away, the people went to right and left, while I and my companions declared (our support) for you. Therefore, tell me which of your children will be (the Imam) after You? My son, so-and-so [Imam Ali Ridha (a.s)], he said.

I brought some money to Abu Ibrahim [Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s)]. He took some of it and left some of it. “May God set you right,” I said, “Why have you left it with me?” “The one who will be in charge of the authority will ask you for it,” he told. When the news of his death came, Abul Hasan, Ridha (a.s) summoned me and asked me for that money and I paid it to him.

in the year in which he died: I will be taken in this year and the authority (Amr) will belong to son, Ali, who is named after two Alis. The first Ali is Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s) and the second Ali is Ali bin Husain, the blessings of God be on them. He (i.e. Ali Ridha) is given understanding, forbearance, knowledge, help, love, piety and religion of the first and tribulation and endurance in the face of adversity of the second.

I said to Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s): Please permit me to ask you a question. Imam (a.s) said: Ask about Imamate. I asked: Who is your successor; because I don’t know any other Imam? Imam (a.s) replied: Ali, my son, whom I have given my agnomen (of Abul Hasan). I asked: My master, save me from Hell-fire and purify me, since Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s) said that you are the Qaim on the matter of Imamate. Imam (a.s) replied: But I am not the Qaim in this matter. Then he said: O Hasan, every Imam who is the leader of the Ummah and the appointed one on the matter of Mastership (Wilayat) is his Qaim. And when he passes away, the one who is after him is the one raised up by the command of Allah and the Divine Proof (Hujjat) till the time the Qaim and Hujjat is concealed from the people. Hence, all of us are Qaim. Thus, just as you behave with us [and accept our Mastership (Wilayat)] same was done with my son, Ali. By Allah, I have not acted thus on my own [appointing the Imam after me] on the contrary, the Almighty Allah has done it according to His will.

I was in the company of Abu Ibrahim, Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s). The Imam said: Indeed, Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s) said: A man is fortunate, who before his death sees his successor from his progeny. After that the Imam pointed out to his son, Ali and said: Almighty Allah has pointed out this son, who is from my life, as my successor.

Harun bin Saad Ajali said to me: Ismail, to whom you are inclined [and in whose Imamate you hope], has died. Ja’far [Imam Sadiq] is also aged and would pass away these days and you would remain without an Imam. I did not know what to reply. I mentioned this to Imam Sadiq (a.s). Imam (a.s) said: Never, by Allah! The Almighty Allah would never discontinue the matter of Imamate as long as the days and nights endure. When you meet him, tell him: This Musa bin Ja’far is growing up and we will get him married and he would get a son, who would be his Caliph and successor, if Allah wills.

H 23 - In another report, Abu Abdullah (a.s) said in a lengthy tradition: Our master will appear from his loins; and he pointed to Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s). Thus, he would fill up the earth with justice and oppression as it would have been filled with injustice and tyranny; and the world would be cleaned and prepared for him.

I heard from Ali bin Ja’far that he said: I was with my brother, Musa Ibn Ja’far (a.s), who by Allah, was the Divine Proof on the earth after my father; just then his son, Ali arrived. Imam (a.s) said: O Ali, this is your master and Imam and his position with relation to me is like my position with my father. Thus, may Almighty Allah keep you firm on His religion. After that I wept and said to myself: The Imam wanted to convey the information of his death to me as he had said: Ali dear, there is no option, except that divine destiny should be issued about me and that I emulate the Messenger of Allah, Amirul Momineen, Fatima, Hasan and Husain (a.s). This incident occurred three days before Harun arrested the Imam for the second time. There are so many traditions and reports about this that they cannot be computed; and they are mentioned in well known books of the Imamites and anyone who wishes, may refer to them, but those we mentioned so far, would be sufficient, if Allah wills.