The Cotton White Dress
1
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ الْقَدَّاحِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) الْبَسُوا الْبَيَاضَ فَإِنَّهُ أَطْيَبُ وَ أَطْهَرُ وَ كَفِّنُوا فِيهِ مَوْتَاكُمْ .
1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from ibn al-Qaddah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must wear white because it is fine and pure; and shroud your dead people with it.”’
2
الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ مُثَنًّى الْحَنَّاطِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) الْبَسُوا الْبَيَاضَ فَإِنَّهُ أَطْيَبُ وَ أَطْهَرُ وَ كَفِّنُوا فِيهِ مَوْتَاكُمْ .
2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Muthanna’ al-Hannat who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must wear white; it is fine and pure; and shroud your dead people with it.’”
3
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ الْجَمَّالِ قَالَ حَمَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) الْحَمْلَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ وَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الْمَنْصُورُ بِهَا فَلَمَّا أَشْرَفَ عَلَى الْهَاشِمِيَّةِ مَدِينَةِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ أَخْرَجَ رِجْلَهُ مِنْ غَرْزِ الرِّجْلِ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ وَ دَعَا بِبَغْلَةٍ شَهْبَاءَ وَ لَبِسَ ثِيَابَ بِيضٍ وَ كُمَّةً بَيْضَاءَ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ لَقَدْ تَشَبَّهْتَ بِالْأَنْبِيَاءِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) وَ أَنَّى تُبَعِّدُنِي مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِفَقَالَ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَبْعَثَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ مَنْ يَعْقِرُ نَخْلَهَا وَ يَسْبِي ذُرِّيَّتَهَا فَقَالَ وَ لِمَ ذَلِكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَ رُفِعَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّ مَوْلَاكَ الْمُعَلَّى بْنَ خُنَيْسٍ يَدْعُو إِلَيْكَ وَ يَجْمَعُ لَكَ الْأَمْوَالَ فَقَالَ وَ اللَّهِ مَا كَانَ فَقَالَ لَسْتُ أَرْضَى مِنْكَ إِلَّا بِالطَّلَاقِ وَ الْعَتَاقِ وَ الْهَدْيِ وَ الْمَشْيِ فَقَالَ أَ بِالْأَنْدَادِ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ تَأْمُرُنِي أَنْ أَحْلِفَ إِنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْضَ بِاللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍفَقَالَ أَ تَتَفَقَّهُ عَلَيَّ فَقَالَ وَ أَنَّى تُبَعِّدُنِي مِنَ الْفِقْهِ وَ أَنَا ابْنُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) فَقَالَ فَإِنِّي أَجْمَعُ بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَ مَنْ سَعَى بِكَ قَالَ فَافْعَلْ فَجَاءَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي سَعَى بِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَا هَذَا فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَ الشَّهَادَةِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ لَقَدْ فَعَلْتَفَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) وَيْلَكَ تُمَجِّدُ اللَّهَ فَيَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ تَعْذِيبِكَ وَ لَكِنْ قُلْ بَرِئْتُ مِنْ حَوْلِ اللَّهِ وَ قُوَّتِهِ وَ أَلْجَأْتُ إِلَى حَوْلِي وَ قُوَّتِي فَحَلَفَ بِهَا الرَّجُلُ فَلَمْ يَسْتَتِمَّهَا حَتَّى وَقَعَ مَيِّتاً فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ لَا أُصَدِّقُ بَعْدَهَا عَلَيْكَ أَبَداً وَ أَحْسَنَ جَائِزَتَهُ وَ رَدَّهُ .
3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from certain persons of his people from Safwan al-Jammal who has said the following: “I provided abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, transportation to al-Kufah for the second time and abu Ja‘far al-Mansur was in it. When he (the Imam) arrived in al-Hashimiyah, the city of abu Ja‘far, al- Mansur, he (the Imam) pulled out his feet from the saddle’s stirrups and dismounted. He asked for al- Shahba ’ mule and dressed in white, with a white hat. When he (the Imam) entered the place of abu Ja‘far al-Mansur he said, ‘You have dressed like the Prophets.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, said, ‘Why do you want to distance me from the children of the Prophets?’ Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur said, ‘I was planning to send to al-Madinah an army to uproot all its palm trees, take all of its inhabitants as captives.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Why did you want to do so, O ’Amir al-Mu’minin?’ abu Ja‘far al- Mansur said, ‘Because I am informed that your slave Mu‘alla’ ibn Khunayth calls people to you and collects funds for you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘By Allah it is not true.’ Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur said, ‘I cannot agree with you unless it is swearing to divorce, setting free of slaves, sacrificial offering and walking (Sa‘y).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Are you commanding me to swear by things as partners of Allah? One who is not happy with Allah has no case with Allah.’ Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur said, ‘Are you showing me how great your knowledge of the law is?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Why do you distance me from understanding and law when I am a child of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause?’ Abu Ja‘far al- Mansur said, ‘I will bring the informer face to face with you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can definitely do so.’ The informer came and abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, asked him, ‘O so and so.’ He replied, ‘Yes, by Allah, besides whom no one deserves to be worshipped, who knows the unseen and seen, the Beneficent, the Merciful that you have done so (called people to yourself . . .).’ Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, said to him, ‘Woe is on you! Are you glorifying Allah so that He may feel embarrassed to punish you?’ You must say, ‘I denounce the means and power of Allah and I resort to my own means and power.’ The man then took the oath the way he was told but before completing he dropped dead.’ Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur then said, ‘I will not believe anyone thereafter against you.’ He gave him (the Imam) good rewards and allowed him to go back.’”
4
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ جَدِّهِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) الْبَسُوا ثِيَابَ الْقُطْنِ فَإِنَّهَا لِبَاسُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) وَ هُوَ لِبَاسُنَا .
4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid f, abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘You must wear cotton clothes because it is the clothes of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and our clothes.”’