He asked me: “Where were you?

He asked me: “Where were you?” I replied: “I was visiting the grave of al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (‘a).” He said: “However, if you had visited the grave of ‘Abd al-Azim which is situated near you, then your status would have been similar to the one who visited al-Husayn (a.s) [10] .” In addition, it is clear from what Sahib bin ‘Abbad narrates, that Sayyid ‘Abd al-Azim was a ‘source of reference’ in matters of the faith and an interpreter of Islamic law for the Shi’ites concerning issues which seemed ambiguous and unclear to them.

Thus Abu Turab al-Ruyani says: ‘I visited ‘Ali ibn Muhammad (a.s) in Samarra ‘and I asked him some questions relating to the permissible and impermissible. He answered all of them. When I was bidding him farewell, he said: “O Hammad, if something regarding religion confuses or confounds you then refer it to ‘Abd al-’Azim, and convey to him my regards [11] .” His Position Before the Scholars Many scholars and biographers have mentioned sterling statements in his favour.

In a biographical treatise of Sahib ibn ‘Abbad about Sayyid ‘Abd al-Azim, he said: “I was asked about the genealogy of ‘Abd al-’Azim al-Hasani who is buried near the tree and who is the owner of that place too (may Allah sanctify his soul) and about his state and beliefs and the level of his knowledge and piety. Hence, here I mention all that in brief and with Allah lies success.

He is Abu al-Qasim, ‘Abd al-Azim bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ali bin al-Hasan bin Zayd bin al-Hasan bin ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (may the blessings of Allah be upon him and his forefathers). He was a pious and religious man, a devout worshipper; reliable, trustworthy and truthful. He was learned in matters of faith and a proponent of the belief in the transcendence of God and His Justice as well as prolific in hadith transmission.

He narrated from Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Musa and from his son Abu al-Hasan, the one who resided in al-’Askar. There are letters from them both addressed to him. He also narrates from a group of the companions of Musa ibn Ja’far and ‘Ali ibn Musa (‘a). He had a book by the title “Kitab Yawm wa al-Layla [12] .” His Scholarly Heritage Two books have been mentioned and attributed to Sayyid ‘Abd al-’Azim by the biographers [13] . These are: 1) Khutab Amir al-Mu‘minin (a.s).

Al-Najashi mentions this work in his biographical entry for Sayyid ‘Abd al-Azim, number 651. 2) Al-Yawm wa al-Layla.