salamu alikum
i was doing some reading this afternoon and i came across this… i was left speechless…it moved me so and i wanted to share it with everyone if there ever was any doubt(astarfghullah) as to who were the successors to the Prophet (saw) this beautiful narration should end it for those who are true believers.. subhanAllah..
It is related with a sound chain of authority from Salman al-Farsi, ’ I visited the Messenger of Allah who looked at me and said, ’ “O Salman, Allah (SWT) does not send a Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) or messenger unless there are with him twelve chiefs.” ’ “O Messenger of Allah, I know this from the people of the two books.” '“O Salman, do you know my twelve chiefs, whom Allah (SWT) has chosen to be leaders after me?”
“Allah (SWT) and His Messenger know best.”
’ "O Salman, Allah (SWT) created me from the quintessence of light, and called me, so I obeyed Him. Then He created 'Ali (peace be upon him) from my light, and called him, and he obeyed. From my light and the light of 'Ali
peace be upon him) He created Fatimah (peace be upon him): He called her and she obeyed. From me, 'Ali (peace be upon him) and Fatimah (peace be upon him), He created al-Hasan (peace be upon him) and al-Husayn (peace be upon him). He called them and they obeyed Him. Allah (SWT) has named us with five of His names: Allah (SWT) is al-Mahmud (the Praised) and I am Mu¦ammad (worthy of praise); Allah (SWT) is al-'Ali (peace be upon him) (the High), and this is 'Ali (peace be upon him) (the one of high rank); Allah (SWT) is al-Fatir (Creator out of nothing), and this is Fatimah (peace be upon him); Allah (SWT) is the One with Hasan (beneficence), and this is Hasan; Allah (SWT) is Muhassin (the Beautiful), and this is Husayn. He created nine Imams (peace be upon him) from the light of al-Husayn (peace be upon him) and called them and they obeyed Him, before Allah (SWT) created either Heaven on high, the out-stretched earth, the air, the angels or man. We were lights who glorified Him, listened to Him and obeyed Him."
“O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be your ransom! What is there for the person who recognizes these men as they should be recognized?”
“O Salman, whoever recognizes them as they should be recognized, and follows their example, befriends them and is free of their enemies, by Allah (SWT)! he is one of us. He will return to where we return, and he will be where we are!”
“O Messenger of Allah, is there belief without knowing their names and lineage?”
“No, Salman.”
“Messenger of Allah, where will I find them?”
’ "You already know al-Husayn (peace be upon him); then there will be the master of the worshippers, 'Ali (peace be upon him) ibn Husayn (Zayn al-'Abidin); then his son Mu¦ammad ibn 'Ali (peace be upon him), the piercer of the knowledge of the early and the later Holy Prophet (peace be upon him
and his family)s and messengers (al-Baqir); then Ja’far ibn Mu¦ammad, the truthful tongue of Allah (SWT) (al-Sadiq); then Musa ibn Ja’far, the one who kept his rage silent through patience in Allah (SWT) (al-Kathim); then 'Ali (peace be upon him) ibn Musa, pleased with the secret of Allah (SWT) (al-Rida '); then Mu¦ammad ibn 'Ali (peace be upon him), the chosen one from the creatures of Allah (SWT) (al-MukAtar); then 'Ali (peace be upon him) ibn Mu¦ammad, the guide to Allah (SWT) (al-Hadi); then al-Hasan (peace be upon him), son of 'Ali (peace be upon him), the silent, trustworthy guardian over the secret of Allah (SWT) (al-‘Askari); then mim ha’ mim dal (Mu¦ammad), called Ibn al-Hasan (peace be upon him), the announcer who establishes the right of Allah (SWT)."
Salman said, 'I wept. Then I continued, ’ "O Messenger of Allah , let my life be deferred until their time! "
'He said, "O Salman, recite this:
When the promise for the first of the two came, We sent over you our servants of mighty prowess, so they went to and from among the houses, and it was a promise to be accomplished. Then We gave you back the turn to prevail against them, and aided you with wealth and children and made you a numerous band. (Q. 17:5-6)
“I wept a lot,” said Salman, "and my yearning became intense. I said, ’ “O Messenger of Allah, is it a pledge from you?”
"Yes, by the One Who sent me and entrusted me with the Message; it is a pledge from me and from 'Ali (peace be upon him), Fatimah, al-Hasan (peace be upon him), al-Husayn (peace be upon him), and the nine Imams (peace be upon him) descended from the children of al-Husayn (peace be upon him), to you and those who are with us, and those of us who are wronged. Whoever is truly sincere in his belief, then by Allah (SWT),
Salman, let Iblis and his armies come. Whoever has pure disbelief will be punished by retaliation, torture and inheritance (i.e. by others rather than them). Your Lord will not wrong anyone. It is we who are indicated in this verse:
We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the leaders, and to make them the heirs, and to grant them power in the land, and to make Pharoah, Haman and their armies see from them what they feared." ’ (Q. 28:5-6)
Salman said, ‘I took leave of the Messenger of Allah, completely unconcerned as to how Salman would meet death, or how death would meet him.’"