Ahmed has reported...

Ahmed has reported: Abū al-Hasan the First (Mūsā al-Kāzim) said to me: Did you know that one of the people from al-Maghrib has come? No, I replied. Indeed, he, peace be on him, said, a man from the people of al-Maghrib has come to Medina. So come with us. He rode off and I rode with him until we came to the man. There he was, a man of al-Maghrib. He had with him slave- girls. Show us your wares, I told him. He showed us nine good slave-girls.

However, all the time Abū al-Hasan was saying: I have no need of those. Then he told him: Show us something else. I have nothing except a sick slave-girl, he replied. what is (wrong) with you (not) to offer her (for sale) he (Abū al-Hasan) said. The man refused and went away. On the next day he (Abū al-Hasan Mūsā), peace be on him, sent for me and told me: Ask him how much is the maximum he wants for her? Whatever he says, tell him that you will take her.

I went to the man and he said to me: I would not take less than such-and-such a sum. I will take her, I said. She is yours, he replied, but tell me about the man who was with you, yesterday. He was a man from the Banū Hāshim, I told him. Which Banū Hāshim? he asked. From among their chiefs, I answered, I do not [1] 'Iyūn Akhb ār al-Ridā, vol. 1, pp. 14-15. have more (information) than this. I want more than (this sum of money), he demanded. I have nothing more than this, I explained.

Then he said: I will tell you that when I bought her from a remote area of al-Maghrib, a woman from ahl al-kitāb (the people of the Book, i.e. Jews and Christians) met me and asked me who this maidservant was whom I had with me. I told her that I had bought her for myself but she said it was not appropriate that she should be with the like of me.

It is fitting that this slave-girl should be with the best person on earth, for she will soon give birth to a son such as has not been born in the east or the west. I took her to Abū al-Hasan (Mūsā). It was not long afterwards that she gave birth to Ali (al-Ridā). [1] It was reported that Imām al-Kāzim, peace be on him, said to his companions: By Allah, I have bought this slave-girl according to Allahs command and inspiration.

He was asked about this statement and he replied: While I was sleeping my grandfather and my father came to me, and there was with them a piece of silk cloth. They spread the piece, and suddenly there was a shirt in which was the picture of this slave-girl.