Al-Kāfi - The Book about people with Divine Authority

Al-Kāfi - The Book about people with Divine Authority Chapter: The Conditions of the Imams in the Matters of Age َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَيْفٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّهُ٠ْ يَقُولُونَ فِي حَدَاثَةِ سِنِّكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى دَاوُدَ أَنْ يَسْتَخْلِفَ سُلَيْ٠َانَ وَهُوَ صَبِيٌّ يَرْعَى الْغَنَ٠َ فَأَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ عُبَّادُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَعُلَ٠ْ فَأَوْحَى الله إِلَى دَاوُدَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) أَنْ خُذْ عَصَا الْ٠ِينَ وَعَصَا سُلَيْ٠َانَ وَاجْعَلْهَا فِي بَيْتٍ وَاخْتِ٠ْ عَلَيْهَا بِخَوَاتِي٠َنْ كَانَتْ عَصَاهُ قَدْ أَوْرَقَتْ وَأَثْ٠َرَتْ فَهُوَ الْخَلِيفَةُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ٠ْ دَاوُدُ فَقَالُوا قَدْ رَضِينَا وَسَلَّ٠3.

mmd ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Sayf from certain persons of our people from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) al-Thani (the second). The narrator has said that I said to him “They speak about (and question) your very young age. He said, “Allah informed David through inspiration to appoint Sulayman as the executor of his will and successor while he was just a child minding sheep. The worshippers and scholars of the Israelites disliked it.

Allah then inspired David to take the staff of those who have objections and that of Sulayman and place them in a room and seal them with each one’s seals. On the next day whichever staff would be found that has grown leaves and fruits the owner thereof would be the successor. David informed them of this matter and they all agreed.” رسل - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/247)) يخرجه - Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi (Sahih al-Kafi)