His death will make me weak and shattered because I am shy...

His death will make me weak and shattered because I am shy of putting these two youths (Hasan and Husayn) in the mouth of death lest the progeny of the Prophet (a.s) is extinguished!”[1] Once, Abul-Jarūd told Imam al-Baqir (a.s) that when the verse of Mubahalah, “…our sons and your sons” was presented as proof of Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn (a.s) being the sons of the Prophet (a.s), some people said, “Of course, the daughters’ children are the progeny but are not born from the backbone of the father!” The Imam (a.s) said that Allah says in the Holy Qur’an about taboo women: And the wives of your sons born from your backbone are taboo (haram) for you (to marry).

The Imam (a.s) told Abul-Jarūd to ask the objectors whether it was permissible for the Prophet (a.s) to marry the spouses of Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn (a.s). If they said in the affirmative, they will be wrong. If they say that he cannot marry them, the only reason for it being taboo is that they were the wives of the Prophet’s born of his backbone (sulb).

Ibn Babawayh al-Qummi has written that when Imam Mūsa al-Kazim (a.s) was called to the court of Harūn al-Rashid, the ruler asked him why he was called the progeny of the Prophet (a.s) although you are the progeny of `Ali (a.s) and the lineage descends from the father. The Imam (a.s) said, “If the Prophet (a.s) came back to the world and claims matrimonial relationship with you, will you accept it?” Harūn replied, “Most willingly!

This relationship for us is the matter of great pride!” Hearing this, the Imam (a.s) said: “But he cannot claim to establish matrimonial relationship with us and nor can we give him our relationship because we are his progeny and you are not!”[2] Muhammad ibn Talhah al-Shafi`i writes in Matalib al-Sa’ūl that al-Hajjaj ibn Yūsuf al-Thaqafi that whenever al-Shi`bi mentioned the names of Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn (a.s) he mentioned about them as the sons of the Prophet (a.s).

Al-Hajjaj got furious over it and called him to reprimand. When [1] Nahj al-Balāghah [2] `Uyūn al-Akhbār al-Shi`bi reached the court, he found a group of scholars of al-Kūfah sitting there.