Sharh al-Akhbar...

Sharh al-Akhbar, narrating from Ja’far ibn Farwi who narrates: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) was sitting down with his companions when Hasan and Husayn (a.s.) came to him. They were young and they were leaping on him, so at times he would bring his head down for them and at other times he would pick them up and kiss them. A man who was in his gathering was looking at him with astonishment to what he was doing.

He said: “O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), I don’t think I have ever kissed my child.” The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) got angry so much that the colour of his skin changed and he said to the man: “If Allah has extracted mercy from your heart, then what can I do to you? He who does not have mercy on our little ones and honours our elders is not considered among us.”[^9] 382.

Sunan al-Nisai , narrating from ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad, from his father who said: “In one of the evening and night prayers the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) came to us while he was carrying either Hasan or Husayn. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) came forward and put him on the ground. Then he performed his takbir and started his prayer. During his prayer he prostrated for a long time.

My father said: “I raised my head and I saw a child on the back of the Messenger of Allah while he was prostrated, then I returned back to my prostration. When the Messenger of Allah finished the prayer, the people said: “O Messenger of Allah!

You had a long prostration in the middle of your prayers in a way that we thought something might have happened or something was being revealed unto you.” He said: “It was neither, but my son mounted on my shoulder and I did not like to dismount him hastily until he finished what he was doing.”[^10] 383. al-Manaqib, narrating from Ibn Shahr Ashub from Layth ibn Sa’d who said: “The Prophet (s.a.w.) was praying one day with a group of people when Husayn who was a young boy was beside him.

Whenever the Prophet (s.a.w.) fell in prostration, Husayn (a.s.) would come and mount on his shoulder and then shake his feet saying: “Hie! Hie!” When the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.) wanted to raise his head, he would take him and put him beside him, and as soon as he prostrated again, Husayn would return on his back and say: “Hie! Hie!” He did not cease doing it until the Prophet (s.a.w.) finished his prayers. It was at this time that a Jew said: “O Muhammad!