The Holy Will

“O Father of Al-Hassan, bring me a pen and a paper,” so the Messenger of Allah (PBUH & His Family) dictated his Will until he came to this position where he said: “O Ali, there will be twelve Imams after me and after them there will be twelve Mahdis. So you, O Ali, are the first of the twelve Imams, Allah the Exalted has named you in His heavens Ali Al-Murtada (the Content), Amirul Mo’mineen (the Prince of the Believers), Al-Siddiq Al-Akbar (the Greater Truthful), Al-Farouq Al-A’tham (the Greater Judge and Differentiator between truth and falsehood), Al-Ma’moun (they Trusted), and the Mahdi (the Guided). These names may not be attributed to other than you. O Ali, you are my vicegerent/guardian over my own family, their living and their dead, and upon my women: Whomever you kept, she shall find me tomorrow, and whomever you divorced, I am innocent of her, I will not see her and she will not see me on the Day of Resurrection. And you are my successor (Khalifa) over my nation after me. If death comes to you, hand it over to my son Al-Hassan, the righteous and benevolent. Then if death comes to him, let him hand it over to my son Al-Hussein, the martyr, the pure and murdered. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the master of worshipers, Dhul Thafanat (the one with hard skin on his knees) Ali. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed Al-Baqir (the Revealer of Knowledge). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ja’far Al-Sadiq (the Truthful). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Musa Al-Kathim (the Patient). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ali Al-Ridha (the Pleasing One). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed Al-Thiqa Al-Taqqi (the Trustworthy, the God-Fearing). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ali Al-Nasih (the Advisor). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Al-Hassan Al-Fadhil (the Meritorious). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed the Safeguarded of the Family of Mohammed (PBUT). Those are the twelve Imams. Then there will be twelve Mahdis after him, so if death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the first of the Mahdis, he has three names, one like mine and my Father’s and it is Abdullah (Servant of God), Ahmed (the Praised), and the third name is Al-Mahdi (the Guided), and he is the first of the believers.”

“Thursday, and what a day was Thursday! Then tears began to flow until I saw them on his cheeks as if they were the strings of pearls. He (the narrator) said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Bring me a tablet and ink-pot, so that I write for you a document after which you would never go astray. They said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) is in a state of unconsciousness.” (In Arabic: يهجر meaning delirious not unconscious)

Ibn Abbas reported: When the time of the death of the Prophet (PBUH & His Family) approached while there were some men in the house, and among them was Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, the Prophet (PBUH & His Family) said, “Come near let me write for you a writing after which you will never go astray." Umar said, "The Prophet (PBUH & His Family) is seriously ill, and you have the Qur'an, so Allah's Book is sufficient for us." The people in the house differed and disputed. Some of them said, "Come near so that Allah's Messenger (PBUH & His Family) may write for you a writing after which you will not go astray," while some of them said what Umar said. When they made much noise and differed greatly before the Prophet, he said to them, "Go away and leave me." Ibn Abbas used to say, It was a great disaster (a great calamity) that their dispute and noise prevented Allah's Messenger (PBUH & His Family) from writing that writing for them.

Ibn 'Abbas narrated: When Allah’s Apostle was on his death-bed and in the house there were some people among whom was Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, the Prophet said, “Come, let me write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.” Umar said, “The Prophet is seriously ill and you have the Qur’an; so the Book of Allah is enough for us.” The people present in the house differed and quarreled. Some said: “Go near so that the Prophet may write for you a statement after which you will not go astray,” while the others said as Umar said. When they caused a hue and cry before the Prophet, Allah’s Apostle said, “Go away!” ‘Ubaidullah said: Ibn ‘Abbas used to say, “It was very unfortunate that Allah’s Apostle was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise.” - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Book of Patients, Hadith No. 5669

1- An-Najm verses 1-4:

{By the star when it descends

Your companion [i.e., Moḥammed] is neither misguided nor has strayed,

Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination.

It is not but a revelation revealed}

2- Al-Hashr verse 7:

{Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment.}

3- An-Nisa verse 59:

{O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.}

4- Aal-Imran verse 31:

{Say, (O Prophet) “If you ‘sincerely’ love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.}

5- Al-Anfal verse 20:

{O you who have believed, obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn from him while you hear [his order]} (20)

5- Al-Anfal verse 24:

{O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life…} (24)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH & His Family) said: “There is nothing that brings you closer to paradise except that I have commanded you to do it, and nothing that brings you closer to hellfire except that I forbade you from it.”

Sa'id b. Jubair reported from Ibn Abbas that he said: “Thursday, and what about Thursday? Then tears began to flow until I saw them on his cheeks as if they were the strings of pearls. He (the narrator) said that Allah's Messenger (PBUH & His Family) said: Bring me a shoulder blade and ink-pot (or tablet and inkpot), so that I write for you a document (by following which) you would never go astray. They said: Allah's Messenger (PBUH & His Family) is in the state of unconsciousness.

Narrated Ibn Abbas: Thursday! And how great that Thursday was! The ailment of Allah's Messenger (PBUH & His Family) became worse (on Thursday) and he said, fetch me something so that I may write to you something after which you will never go astray." The people (present there) differed in this matter, and it was not right to differ before a prophet. Some said, "What is wrong with him ? (Do you think ) he is delirious (seriously ill)? Ask him ( to understand his state )." So they went to the Prophet (PBUH & His Family) and asked him again. The Prophet (PBUH & His Family) said, "Leave me, for my present state is better than what you call me for." Then he ordered them to do three things. He said, "Turn the pagans out of the Arabian Peninsula; respect and give gifts to the foreign delegations as you have seen me dealing with them." (Saeed Ibn Jubair, the sub-narrator said that Ibn Abbas kept quiet as rewards the third order, or he said, "I forgot it.")

39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

(John 5: verses 39, 46-47)

6 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read... 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

(Luke 4: verses 6, 17-21)

And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, “O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allāh to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Aḥmed." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, “This is obvious magic."

(As-Saff, verse 6)

And if he [i.e., Moḥammed] had made up about Us some [false] sayings, We would have seized him by the right hand; Then We would have cut from him the aorta. And there is no one of you who could prevent [Us] from him.

(Al-Haqqa, verses 44-47)

The Almighty says: {And if he had made up about Us some sayings}, ie: Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) if he had been, as they claim, fabricating lies about us, so he added to or omitted from the message, or said something of his own mind and attributed it to us, and it is not like that, we would have hastened to punish him. That is why he said {We would have seized him by the right hand}. It was said: It means that we would take revenge on him with the right hand; as it is more severe in killing, and it was said: We would have seized him with his right hand. {Then We would have cut from him the aorta} Ibn Abbas said: It is the blood vessel connecting the heart, and it is the vessel in which the heart is suspended. The same was said by Ikrimah, Saeed Ibn Jubair, Al-Hakam, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Muslim Al-Bateen, and Abu Sakhr Hameed Ibn Ziyad.

(Tafsir Ibn Katheer, page 218)

“And if he made up lies, or made up {on us}, Mohammed, {some sayings}, and he brought something of his own. {We would have seized him by the right hand}, it was said meaning metaphorically: We would have seized him and took revenge from him by the right hand, i.e. by the truth.

(Tafsir Al-Baghawi page 214)

‘The one who claims this matter, what is his proof?', he said: ‘He is asked about the halal and haram'. He said, then Ali came and said: ‘Three proofs do not gather in a person except that he is the companion of this matter: That he be the most deserving [of the right] of the one who was before him, that he has the weapon, and that he be the owner of the apparent will'.

(Al-Kafi by Al-Kulaini, vol. 1, p. 284)

“And if he had made up concerning Us some [false] sayings. We would have seized him by the right hand. Then We would have cut from him the aorta”. (Holy Qu'ran, Al-Haqqah Verse 44-46)

“This is a matter that can not be claimed except by its companion, otherwise Allah would destroy the age of the one who falsely claims it”. (Al-Kafi by Al-Kuleini volume 1 page 372)

‘I said to Abu Abdullah (PBUH), ‘By what is the Master of this command recognised?’ He said: ‘By the tranquillity, and the dignity, and the knowledge, and the Will’’. - Basaair Al Darajaat – P 10 Ch 13 H 2

‘The one who claims this matter, what is his proof?', he said: ‘He is asked about the halal and haram'. He said, then Ali came and said: ‘Three proofs do not gather in a person except that he is the companion of this matter: That he be the most deserving [of the right] of the one who was before him, that he has the weapon, and that he be the owner of the apparent will'. (Al-Kafi by Al-Kulaini, vol. 1, p. 284)

I heard Abu Abdullah Al-Sadiq (PBUH) saying: “The companion of this matter has two absences. After one of them he comes back to his family and regarding the other one it is said: “He has perished , which valley he has followed?” I said: “If that takes place, then what will we do?” He said: “If a claimant claims it (that he is Al-Qaim), you are to ask him about the great matters, which no one will answer except him (Al-Qaim)”.

(Al-Kafi, vol.1 p.340, Ithbat al-Hudat, vol.3 p.445, Biharul Anwar, vol.52 p.157, Mo’jam Ahadeeth al-Imam al-Mahdi, vol.3 p.364)