When he was free from the matters about abu Ja'far he then...

When he was free from the matters about abu Ja'far he then turned to abu Muhammad (a.s.) and said, "My son, renew thanks to Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, because He has just granted you a task (Leadership with Divine Authority)." H 852, Ch. 75, h 6 Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Qalanisi from Ali ibn al- Husayn ibn 'Amr from Ali ibn Mahziyar who has said the following.

"Once I said abu al- Hassan (a.s.), "If something will happen-I seek refuge before Allah - to who then will go (Leadership with Divine Authority)?" He said, "My covenant (directive will) is for the eldest of my sons." H 853, Ch. 75, h 7 Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from abu Muhammad al-Asbarqiniy from Ali ibn 'Amr al-'Attar who has said the following.

"Once I went to see al-Hassan al-'Askari (a.s.) when his son abu Ja'far (Muhammad ) was still alive and I thought he will be the Imam after his father.

I then asked the Imam (a.s.), "May Allah take my souls in service for your cause, which of your sons I will consider (my Imam)?" The Imam (a.s.) said, "do not consider any of them (your Imam) until my command will come to you." The narrator has said, "I wrote to him afterwards asking, 'To who will go this task (Leadership with Divine Authority)" The narrator has said, "He wrote to me, "(It will go) to my eldest son." The narrator has said, "Abu Muhammad (a.s.) was older then abu Ja'far." H 854, Ch.

75, h 8 Muhammad ibn Yahya and others have narrated from Sa'id ibn 'Abdallah from a group of banu Hashim, among whom was al-Hassan ibn al-Hassan al-Aftas, the following. "They were present on the day Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad, at the door of abu al-Hassan to offer condolences. A place in the compound of his house was prepared for him and people were sitting around him.

They said, "We estimated that at that time from the descendents of abu Talib, Hashim and Quraysh there were about fifty men besides his slaves and other people. At such time he look at al-Hassan ibn Ali coming and the front of his shirt was torn. He stood at the right of his father and we did not know him.

Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) looked at him after a while and said, "My son, renew your thanks to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, because He has granted you a new task (Leadership with Divine Authority)." The young man wept, praised Allah, and said, "We are for Allah and to Him we shall return. He then said, "All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.