Hadith 40-1

حَدَّثَنا المُظَفَّر بْنِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ المُظَفَّر العَلَوِي السَمَرْقَنْدِيُّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْعُود العَيَّاشِيُّ، عَن أَبيهِ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ نصير، عَن الحَسَن بْنِ مُوسَى قالَ رَوى‏ أَصْحابُنا عَنِ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ كَيْفَ صِرْتَ إِلَى مَا صِرْتَ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَأْمُونِ وَكَأَنَّهُ أَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ يَا هَذَا أَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ النَّبِيُّ أَوِ الْوَصِيُّ قَالَ لا بَلِ النَّبِيُّ قَالَ فَأَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ مُسْلِمٌ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ قَالَ لا بَلْ مُسْلِمٌ قَالَ فَإِنَّ الْعَزِيزَ عَزِيزَ مِصْرَ كَانَ مُشْرِكاً وَكَانَ يُوسُفُ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ نَبِيّاً وَإِنَّ الْمَأْمُونَ مسلما [مُسْلِمٌ] وَأَنَا وَصِيٌّ وَيُوسُفُ سَأَلَ الْعَزِيزَ أَنْ يُوَلِّيَهُ حِينَ قَالَ اجْعَلْنِي عَلى‏ خَزائِنِ الأَرْضِ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ وَأَنَا أُجْبِرْتُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ. وَقَالَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فِي قَوْلِهِ اجْعَلْنِي عَلى‏ خَزائِنِ الأَرْضِ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ قَالَ حَافِظٌ لِمَا فِي يَدَيَّ عَالِمٌ بِكُلِّ لِسَانٍ.

Al-Mudhaffar ibn Ja’far ibn Al-Mudhaffar al-Alawi al-Samarqandi - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Mas’ood al-Ayyashi quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Nosayr, on the authority of Al-Hassan ibn Musa (al-Khashshab) that his companions [1] quoted on the authority of Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) that a man asked him, “May God settle your affairs! Why did you accept this affair and go to Al-Ma’mun? [2] He was somehow blaming the Imam (a.s.) for this. However, Abul Hassan Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) asked him, “Hey you! Please tell me whether a Prophet is nobler or a Trustee?” The man said, “Certainly a Prophet.” He (a.s.) asked, “Is a Muslim nobler or an atheist?” He replied, “Certainly a Muslim.” He (a.s.) said, “Indeed al-Aziz - the king of Egypt - was an atheist while Joseph (a.s.) was a Prophet. And Al-Ma’mun is a Muslim and I am a Trustee. Joseph (a.s.) asked al-Aziz to establish him as a leader when he asked the king of Egypt, “Set me over the store-houses of the land: I will indeed guard them, as one that knows (their importance)” But I was forced to do so. And when he (a.s.) said God’s words, ‘Set me over the store-houses of the land: I will indeed guard them, as one that knows (their importance).’ [3] He said that since he knew well how to take care of it and knew all the languages.