91, h 5 Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Ali ibn Mahziyar...

91, h 5 Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Ali ibn Mahziyar from Muhammad ibn 'Isma'il ibn Bazi' who has said the following. "I asked abu Ja'far (a.s.) of an issue of the Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) and I said, "Can the Imam be a boy less than seven years old?" He said, "Yes, he can even be less the five years old." Sahl has said that ibn Mahziyar narrated this to me in the year two hundred twenty one." H 997, Ch.

91, h 6 Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from al-Khayrani from his father who has said the following. "Once I was standing in the presence of abu al-Hassan (a.s.) in Khurasan and someone said to him, 'O my master if something will happen to you to who must we then turn for guidance?" The Imam (a.s.) said, "You must turn for guidance to abu Ja'far (a.s.), my son." The person asking the question seemed to have thought of his (abu Ja'far (a.s.) age very small.

Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) then said, "Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, sent Jesus (a.s.) son of Mary as a Messenger and a prophet being the author of a whole system of law. He began this task in an age much smaller than the age of abu Ja'far (a.s.)." H 998, Ch. 91, h 7 Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu'alla ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Asbat who has said the following.

"Once I saw abu Ja'far (a.s.) who had come out to me and I began to look at him from head to his toes so I can describe him to our people in Egypt. I was looking until he sat down and said, "O Ali, Allah has supported His argument against the people in the case of Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) just as He has done so in the case of the prophets. He has said, "We gave authority to him (John) over the people during his childhood (19:12)..

When he attained maturity, God gave him strength, wisdom and knowledge. Thus, do We reward those who do good." (12:22) "When he grew-up to manhood and became forty years old,. . ." (46:15). It come to pass that wisdom comes to a prophet when he is just a child or it may come to a prophet when he is forty years old." H 999, Ch. 91, h 8 Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father who has said the following.

"Once abu Ali ibn Hassa'n spoke to abu Ja'far (a.s.) saying, "My mater, people refuse to accept your Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) because of you very young age." He said, "Why do they not refuse to accept the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious.