Ali (as) opened the first seal and went whereto (to the...
Ali (as) opened the first seal and went whereto (to the better world) he had been ordered. Then al-Hasan (as) opened the second seal and went whereto he had been ordered. Then al-Husayn (as) opened the third seal and found in it: “Fight, kill and you are to be killed. Set out with some people towards martyrdom. They will not be martyred except with you.” He gave the will to Ali bin al-Husayn (as) and went.
Ali bin al-Husayn (as) opened the fourth seal and found in it: “Ponder long and be silent for knowledge is veiled.” Then he gave it to Muhammad bin Ali (as), who opened the fifth seal and found in it: “Interpret the Book of Allah, confirm your father’s knowledge, bequeath knowledge to your son, humor the umma and announce the truth in fright and safety and do not fear except Allah!” He did and gave the will to the next one.” Ma’ath said: “Is it you?” Imam as-Sadiq (as) said: “O Ma’ath, you are not but to go and narrate this from me.
Yes, it is me.” He mentioned twelve names and then became silent. I (Ma’ath) said: “Then who?” He said: “It is just so!”[^4] 4 - أخبرنا علي بن أحمد البندنيجى، عن عبيد الله بن موسى، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أحمد القلانسي قال: حدثنا محمد بن الوليد عن يونس بن يعقوب عن أبي عبد الله قال: دفع رسول الله إلى علي صحيفة مختومة باثني عشر خاتماً، وقال: فُضَّ الأوّلَ واعمل به وادفعْها إلى الحسن يفُضّ الثاني ويعمل به ويدفعْها إلى الحسين يفضّ الثالث ويعمل بما فيه، ثم إلى واحدٍ واحدٍ من ولد الحسين (4) Ali bin Ahmad al-Bandaneeji narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa from Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Qalanisi from Muhammad bin al-Waleed from Younus bin Ya’qoob that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said: “The Prophet (S) had given Ali (as) a book sealed with twelve seals and said to him: “Open the first seal and do according to it and then give it to al-Hasan (as) to open the second and to do according to it.
Then al-Hasan (as) is to give it to al-Husayn (as) to open the third and to do according to it and then from one to another of the progeny of al-Husayn (as).”[^5] 5 - وأخبرنا علي بن أحمد، عن عبيد الله بن موسى، عن علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن حريز، عن زرارة، عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي قال: سألته عن قول الله: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُمْ بِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا قال: أمرَ اللهُ الإمامَ منّا أن يُؤدّيَ الإمامةَ إلى الإمام بعده، ليس له أن يزويَها عنه.