‘Abd Allah asked his holiness...

‘Abd Allah asked his holiness: “Why didn’t [Imam] ‘Ali fight with his enemies twenty five years after the Prophet (S) but he fought during his ruling days?” Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) said, “He followed the example of the Prophet (S) who did not fight with the unbelievers for thirteen years in Mecca and nineteen years in Medina and the reason was lack of enough helpers; similarly, ‘Ali (a.s.) gave up fighting with the enemy because his helpers were few.”[^5] Hasan b. ‘Ali b.

Fadhdhal asked his holiness: “Why is the Prophet’s nickname Abu al-Qasim?” He answered: “Because he had a son named Qasim.” The narrator said, “Do you deem me worthy of telling me more?” The Imam said, “Yes.” He said, “Do you know that ‘Ali is the distributor of the Paradise and the Hell?” The man said, “Yes.” His holiness said, “The Prophet (S) is called Abu al-Qasim (the father of the distributor) because he is [the spiritual] father of (‘Ali, who is) the distributor of Paradise and Hell.”[^6] Someone asked Imam al-Ridha (a.s.): “Is it (the hadith ) true that the Prophet (S) said, “My companions are like stars, whichever you follow, you will be guided?” The Imam said, “Yes, what the Prophet (S) means are those who did not change or transform the way.” He asked: “How would it become known?” His holiness said, “By means of the hadith related – by the Sunnis – from the Prophet (S) saying: “On the Resurrection Day some men will distance my companions from my Fountain just like they distance strange camels from the water.

I say: O Lord! My companions, my companions! I am told: You do not know what they did after you! And take them to the left. I say: May they be far! May they be perished!” Then Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) said, “Do you think this would be for those who remained unchanged and unvaried?”[^7] [^1]: ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 2, p. 76. [^2]: Ibid, p. 74. [^3]: ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 2, p. 79 (in brief). [^4]: Ibid, p. 80. [^5]: Ibid, p. 80. [^6]: Ibid, p. 84. [^7]: Ibid, 86.

Some of the dignitaries among Sunnis, such as Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs as well as others have related from various narrators the hadith about some of the companions’ deviation with various references and sanads. Previous…