The meaning of the carrying performed by the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, to Ali, peace be upon him, and Ali’s incapability of carrying him
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حدثنا أحمد بن عيسى المكتب، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد الوراق، قال: حدثني بشر بن سعيد بن قيلويه المعدل بالمرافقة قال: حدثنا عبد الجبار بن كثير التميمي اليماني قال: سمعت محمد بن حرب الهلالي أمير المدينة يقول: سألت جعفر بن محمد عليهما السلام فقلت له: يا ابن رسول الله في نفسي مسألته أريد أن أسألك عنها. فقال: إن شئت أخبرتك بمسألتك قبل أن تسألني وإن شئت فسل، قال: فقلت له: يا ابن رسول الله وبأي شئ تعرف ما في نفسي قبل سؤالي عنه؟ قال: بالتوسم والتفرس: أما سمعت قول الله عز وجل: " إن في ذلك لآيات للمتوسمين " وقول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: " اتقوا فراسة المؤمن فإنه ينظر بنور الله عز وجل "؟ قال: قلت له: يا ابن رسول الله فأخبرني بمسألتي. قال: أردت أن تسألني عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله لم لم يطق حمله علي عليه السلام عند حطه الأصنام من سطح الكعبة مع قوته وشدته وما ظهر منه في قلع باب القموص بخيبر والرمي بها وراءه أربعين ذراعا وكان لا يطيق حمله أربعون رجلا وقد كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ير كتب الناقة والفرس والبغلة والحمار وركب البراق ليلة المعراج وكل ذلك دون علي عليه السلام في القوة والشدة. قال: فقلت له: عن هذا والله أردت أن أسألك يا ابن رسول الله فأخبرني. فقال: إن عليا عليه السلام برسول الله شرف، وبه ارتفع، وبه وصل إلى إطفاء نار الشرك وإبطال كل معبود دون الله عز وجل، ولو علا النبي صلى الله عليه وآله لحط الأصنام لكان بعلي عليه السلام مرتفعا وشريفا وواصلا إلى حط الأصنام، ولو كان ذلك كذلك لكان أفضل منه، ألا ترى أن عليا عليه السلام قال: لما علوت ظهر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله شرفت وارتفعت حتى لو شئت أن أنال السماء لنلتها، أما علمت أن المصباح هو الذي يهتدي به في الظلمة وانبعاث فرعه من أصله، وقد قال علي عليه السلام: " أنا من أحمد كالضوء من الضوء "، أما علمت أن محمدا وعليا صلوات الله عليهما كانا نورا بين يدي الله جل جلاله قبل خلق الخلق بألفي عام وان الملائكة لما رأت ذلك النور رأت له أصلا قد انشعب فيه شعاع لامع، فقالت: إلهنا وسيدنا، ما هذا النور! فأوحى الله عز وجل إليهم: هذا نور من نوري أصله نبوة وفرعه إمامه، أما النبوة فلمحمد عبدي ورسولي، وأما الإمامة فلعلي حجتي ووليي ولولاهما ما خلقت خلقي، أما علمت أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله رفع يدي علي عليه السلام بغدير خم حتى نظر الناس إلى بياض إبطيهما فجعله مولى المسلمين وإمامهم، وقد احتمل صلى الله عليه وآله الحسن والحسين عليهما السلام يوم حظيرة بني النجار، فلما قال له بعض أصحابه: ناولني أحدهما يا رسول الله. قال: نعم الحاملان ونعم الراكبان وأبوهما خير منهما، وروي في خبر آخر أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله حمل الحسن وحمل جبريل الحسين فلهذا قال: نعم الحاملان. وإنه عليه السلام كان يصلى بأصحابه فأطال سجدة من سجداته، فلما سلم قيل له: يا رسول الله لقد أطلت هذه السجدة. فقال صلى الله عليه وآله: نعم، إن ابني ارتحلني فكرهت أن أعجله حتى ينزل وإنما أراد عليه السلام بذلك رفعهم وتشريفهم، فالنبي صلى الله عليه وآله رسول بني آدم وعلي عليه السلام إمام ليس بنبي ولا رسول فهو غير مطيق لحمل أثقال النبوة. قال محمد بن حرب الهلالي: قلت له: زدني يا ابن رسول الله. فقال: إنك لأهل للزيادة، إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله حمل عليا على ظهره يريد بذلك أنه أبو ولده وإمام الأئمة من صلبه، كما حول رداءه في صلاة الاستسقاء وأراد أن يعلم أصحابه بذلك أنه قد تحول الجدب خصبا. قال: فقلت له: زدني يا ابن رسول الله، فقال: احتمل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله عليا يريد بذلك أن يعلم قومه أنه هو الذي يخفف عن ظهر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ما عليه من الدين والعدات والأداء عنه من بعده. قال: فقلت له: يا ابن رسول الله زدني، فقال: إنه احتمله ليعلم بذلك أنه قد احتمله وما حمل، لأنه معصوم لا يحتمل وزرا فتكون أفعاله عند الناس حكمة وصوابا، وقد قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله لعلي عليه السلام: يا علي إن الله تبارك وتعالى حملني ذنوب شيعتك ثم غفرها لي، وذلك قوله عز وجل: " ليغفر لك الله ما تقدم من ذنبك وما تأخر " ولما أنزل الله تبارك وتعالى عليه " يا أيها الذين آمنوا عليكم أنفسكم " قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله " يا أيها الناس عليكم أنفسكم لا يضر كم من ضل إذا اهتديتم " وعلي نفسي وأخي، أطيعوا عليا فإنه مطهر معصوم لا يضل ولا يشقى، ثم تلا هذه الآية " قل أطيعوا الله وأطيعوا الرسول فإن تولوا فإنما عليه ما حمل وعليكم ما حملتم وإن تطيعوه تهتدوا وما على الرسول إلا البلاغ المبين". قال محمد بن حرب الهلالي: ثم قال لي جعفر بن محمد عليهما السلام: أيها الأمير لو أخبرتك بما في حمل النبي صلى الله عليه وآله عليا عليه السلام عند حط الأصنام من سطح الكعبة من المعاني التي أرادها به لقلت: إن جعفر بن محمد لمجنون، فحسبك من ذلك ما قد سمعته. فقمت إليه وقبلت رأسه وقلت: الله أعلم حيث يجعل رسالته.
1. We were told by Ahmad bin Isa al-Mukattib, that he said: We were told by Ahmad bin Muhammed al-Warraq, that he said: I was told by Bishr bin Sa’eed bin Qeelawayh al-Mu’addil, in Murafiqa [1], that he said: We were told by Abdul-Jabbar bin Kathir al-Tamimi al-Yamani, that he said: I heard Muhammed bin Harb al-Hilali, a commander in Medina, say: I asked Ja’far bin Muhammed, peace be upon them both, and said to him: O son of Allah’s Messenger, there is a matter (of question) in me which I want to ask you about. He saud: If you wish, I would inform you of your matter before you ask me, and if you wish, then ask. He said: Then I said to him: O son of Allah’s Messenger, and by what thing do you know what is in my inner self before I ask of it? He said: By discerning and scrutinizing. Have you not heard the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «Indeed, in that are signs for those who discern.» (15:75) and the saying of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family: «Fear the scrutinizing of the believer, for indeed, he gazes with the Light of Allah, Exalted and Gloriousis He»? He said: I said to him: O son of Allah’s Messenger, then inform me of my matter. He said: He said: You wanted to ask me about the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, why he was capable of carrying Ali, peace be upon him, when he put down the statues from the roof of the Ka’ba, despite his strength, severeness and what appeared from him at the pulling out of the gate of the lion in Khaybar and the casting of it behind him by (the length of) forty upper arms, when forty men were not capable of carrying it. The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, however, used to ride a female camel, horse, mole and donkey, and also rode the Buraq [2] at the Night of Ascension, and all that are (signs of what is) beneath Ali, peace be upon him, in strength and severeness. He said: Then I said to him: About this, by Allah, I wanted to ask you, O son of Allah’s Messenger, so inform me. He said: Indeed, Ali, peace be upon him, was honored through the Messenger of Allah, and by him he was elevated, and by him he reached (the extent of) extinguishing the fire of polytheism and invalidating every worshipped except for Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. If the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, had been carried to take down the statues, he would have, through Ali, peace be upon him, become in a state of elevation, honor and reach to take down the statues. If it was as such, he would be better than him. Do you not see that Ali, peace be upon him, said: «When I was on the back of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, I was honored and raised to the extent that even if I had wished to reach the sky, I would have reached it»? Do you not know that the lamp is that by which one is guided in darkness, and in which the branch emerges from the source? Ali, peace be upon him, had said: «I am from Ahmad [3] like (how) a light (is derived) from light.» Do you not know that Muhammed and Ali, Allah’s blessings be upon them both, were between the Hands of Allah, Glorified be His Glory, before the creation of the creation by two thousand years, and that when the Angels saw that Light, they saw that it had a source from which a brightening radiation diverged, and it said: «Our God and Master, what is this Light?» to which Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, revealed to them: «This is a Light from My Light; its source is Prophethood and its branch is Imamate. As for the Prophethood, it is for Muhammed, My Servant and Messenger, and as for the Imamate, it is for Ali, My Proof and Viceregent, and were it not for both of them, I would not have created My creation»? Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, raised the hands of Ali, peace be upon him, in Ghadeer Khumm until the people saw the whiteness of their underarms, and made him the Master of the Muslims and their Imam, and that he, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, had carried Hasan and Hussain, peace be upon them both, on the day of the yard of the sons of Najjar, and that when some of his companions said to him: «Hand me one of them, O Messenger of Allah» he said: « How good are the two who are carrying, and how good are the two will ride, and their father is better than»? [4] It was narrated in another report that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, carried Hasan and that Jibra’eel carried Hussain, and that it was for this sake that he said: «How good are the two who are carrying». He, peace be upon him, was praying (in congregation) with his companions and had prolonged one prostration of his prostrations, and that when he sent peace, it was said to him: O Messenger of Allah, you certainly prolonged this prostration. He, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, then said: Yes, indeed, my son rode on me, and I disliked to make him haste until he gets down. By that, he, peace be upon him, only wanted to elevate and honor them. The Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, is the Messenger of the sons of Adam, whereas Ali, peace be upon him, is an Imam, and is not a Prophet, nor a Messenger, and so, he is not capable of carrying the weights of Prophethood. [5] Muhammed bin Harb al-Hilali said: Then I said to him: Increase me, O son of Allah’s Messenger. He said: You are surely deserving of more. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, carried Ali on his back in the manner that he intended that he is the father of his children and the Imam of the Imams from his backbone, like how he transformed his garment during the prayer of seeking rain and wanted to give his companions a notice that the barren ground had turned into fertile. He said: Then I said to him: Increase me, O son of Allah’s Messenger. He said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, carried Ali and wanted to give notice to his people that he is the one who will lighten from the back of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, that which is upon him of debt, numbers and clearance on his behalf after him. He said: Then I said to him: O son of Allah’s Messenger, increase me. He said: Indeed, he carried him in order to give notice by it that he had carried him along with what he has carried, because he is an Infallible and does not carry a (sinful) burden, and hence, his acts would be a wisdom and rightness to people. Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said to Ali, peace be upon him: O Ali, indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, made me carry the sins of your party [6] and then forgave me for them. That is the saying of Him, Exalted and Glorious is He: «That Allah might forgive what has preceded, of your (act of) sin, and what will follow» (48:2). Moreover, when Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, sent down unto him: «O you who have believed, it is upon you (to take care of) your own selves» (5:105) the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: «O people, it is upon you (to take care of) your own selves. You will not be harmed by the one who aberrates if you are guided. Ali is my own self and my brother. Obey Ali, for indeed, he is purified, Infallible, he will not aberrate, nor become wretched.» He then recited this verse: «Say: Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and if they turn away, it is only upon him what was carried upon him, and it is upon you what was carried upon you, and if you obey him, you will be guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except for the clear notification.» (24:54) Muhammed bin Harb al-Hilali said: Then Ja’far bin Muhammed, peace be upon them both, said: O commander, if I was to inform you of what lies in the carrying of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, to Ali, peace be upon him, during the taking down of the statues from the roof of the Ka’ba of the meanings which he intended with it, you would surely had said: «Indeed, Ja’far bin Muhammed is surely insane.» Hence, it is sufficient for you of that what you have heard. Then I stood up to him, kissed his head and said: Allah is More Knowledgeable where He places His Message.