Hadith 8-8

حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ زِيادِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الْهَمَذانيُ‏ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا عَلِىُّ بْنُ إِبراهِيمَ بْنِ هاشِمٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ العَنبَرِيِّ قالَ: لَمّـا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو إِبْـراهيمَ مُوسَـى بْنِ جَعْفَـرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ جَمَعَ هارُونُ الرَّشِيدِ شُيُوخَ الطَّالِبِيَّةِ وَبَنِي العَبَّاسِ وَسائِرِ أَهْلِ المَمْلَكَةِ وَالحُكَّامِ وَأَحضَرَ أَبَاإِبراهِيمَ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ، فَقالَ: هذا مُوسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَدْ ماتَ حَتفَ أَنْفِهِ، وَما كانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ ما أَستَغفِرُ اللَّهَ مِنْهُ فِي أَمْرِهِ - يَعْنِي فِي قَتلِهِ - فَانْظُرْوا إِلَيْهِ، فَدخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ سَبْعُونَ رَجُلاً مِن شِيعَتِهِ، فَنَظَرُوا إِلى مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ وَلَيْسَ بِهِ أَثَرَ جِراحَةٍ وَلا خَنقٍ، وَكانَ فِي رَجُلِهِ أَثَرُ الحِنَّاءِ، فَأَخَذَهُ سُلَيْمانُ بْنِ أَبي جَعْفَرٍ، فَتَوَلّى‏ غُسْلَهُ وَتَكفِينَهُ وَتَحَفّى‏ وَتَحَسَّرَ فِي جِنازَتِهِ. قالَ مُصَنِّفُ هذا الْكِتاب: إِنَّما أَورَدتُ هذِهِ الأَخْبارَ فِي هذا الْكِتابِ رَدّاً عَلَى الواقِفَةِ عَلَى مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ، فَإِنَّهُم يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ حَىٌّ وَيُنكِرُونَ إِمامَةَ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَإِمامَةَ مِن بَعْدَهُ مِنَ الأَئِمَّةِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ‏ و فِي صِحَّةِ وَفاة مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إِبطالُ مَذْهَبِهِم، وَلَهُم فِي هذِهِ الأَخْبارِ كَلامٌ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ الصَّادِقَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قالَ: الإِمامُ لا يُغَسِّلُهُ إِلاّ الإِمامُ، وَلَوْ كانَ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إِماماً كَما ذَكَرتُم لَغَسَّلَهُ، في هذِهِ الأَخْبارِ أَنَّ مُوسَى‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ غَسَّلَهُ غَيْرُهُ. وَلا حُجَّةَ لَهُم عَلَيْنا فِي ذلِكَ، لأَنَّ الصَّادِقَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إِنَّما نَهى‏ أَن يُغَسِّلَ الإِمامَ إِلاّ مَن يَكُونُ إِماماً، فَإِنَّ دَخَلَ مَن يُغَسِّلُ الإِمامَ فِي نَهيِهِ فَغَسَّلَهُ لَمْ يُبطِل بِذلِكَ إِمامَةَ الإِمامِ بَعْدَهُ، وَلَمْ يَقُل‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: أَنَّ الإِمامَ لا يَكُونُ إِلاّ الَّذِي يُغَسِّلُ مَن قَبْلَهُ مِنَ الأَئِمَّةِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ، فَبَطَلَ تَعَلَّقُهُم عَلَيْنا بِذلِكَ. عَلَى أَنَا قَدْ رُوَّينا فِي بَعْضِ هذِهِ الأَخْبارِ: أَنَّ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَدْ غَسَّلَ أَباهُ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍعَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ، مِن حَيْثُ خَفِيَ عَلَى الحاضِرِينَ لِغُسلِهِ غَيْرِ مَنِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلا تُنكِرُ الواقِفَةُ أَنَّ الإِمامَ يَجُوزُ أَن يَطوِيَ اللَّهُ تَعالى‏ لَهُ البُعدَ حَتّى‏ يَقطَعَ المَسافَةَ البَعِيدَةَ فِي المُدَّةِ اليَسِيرَةِ.

Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja’far al-Hamadani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Sadaqa al-Anbari, “When Abu Ibrahim Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) passed away, Harun Ar-Rashid gathered together all the elders of the Talibite (from the progeny of Abu Talib) and Abbasid clans, and other people from the country including the judges. He brought in the corpse of Abu Ibrahim Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) and said, “This is Musa ibn Ja’far who has died naturally. There was nothing between us for me to ask God for forgiveness - that is murdering him. [5] Look at him. Do you see any injuries or signs of being choked on him?” Seventy of the Shiites went there and looked at him (a.s.). They did not find any traces of injury or signs of being choked on his body. There was signs of Henna [6] on his feet. Then Soleiman ibn Abi Ja’far performed the major ritual ablutions for the dead, covered him in his shroud, and followed the corpse with bare feet and without wearing a turban.” The author of this book (a.s.heikh Sadooq) said, “I have included these traditions here in this book in order to refute the Waqifites [7] who consider Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) to be alive and deny the Divine Leadership of Imam Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) and the other Imams (a.s.) who came after him. Once the demise of Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) is established, their sect will be invalidated. Regarding these traditions they say, “Indeed As-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘Only a Divine Leader performs the major ritual ablutions for the dead when a Divine Leader passes away.’ They argue that if our claim that Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) is a Divine Leader was true, then Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) should have done the major ritual ablutions for the dead when Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) died, while according to this tradition someone else did that. Their reasoning is not acceptable for us since As-Sadiq (a.s.) has admonished that people other than the Divine Leaders should not perform the major ritual ablutions for the dead. Thus, if someone who is not a Divine Leader does this act which is admonished against, the Divine Leadership of the following Divine Leader is not violated. Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) has never said that whoever performs the major ritual ablutions for the dead for a Divine Leader will be the next Divine Leader. Therefore, they have no case to present using this tradition. Moreover, we read in some traditions that Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) did perform the major ritual ablutions for the dead when his father Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) was killed. However, this was done in hiding and only a few people are aware of it. The Waqifites do not deny that the Divine Leaders are permitted by the Sublime God to travel long distances in no time.”