Hadith 30-23

حَدَّثَنا أَبُو الحَسَن مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ إِسْحاق رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَبُو سَعِيدُ النَّسويُّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ هارُون قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدِ بْنِ أَبُو الفَضْلِ البلخي قالَ: حَدَّثَني خالَ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدُ البَلخيُّ، عَنْ عَلِىِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ، عَنْ أَبيهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، عَن أبيهِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّد، عَنْ أَبيهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِىِّ، عَنْ أَبيهِ عَلِىِّ بْنِ الحُسَيْن عَنْ أَبيهِ الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِىِّ، عَن أبِيهِ عَلِىِّ بْنِ أَبِي طالِبٍ‏ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ قالَ: بَيْنََما أَنَا أَمْشِي مَعَ النَّبِيِ‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فِي بَعْضِ طُرُقَاتِ الْمَدِينَةِ إِذْ لَقِيَنَا شَيْخٌ طُوَالٌ كَثُّ اللِّحْيَةِ بَعِيدُ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَنْكِبَيْنِ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِ‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَرَحَّبَ بِهِ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ وَقَالَ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَابِعَ الْخُلَفَاءِ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ أَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ هُوَيَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ بَلَى ثُمَّ مَضَى فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا هَذَا الَّذِي قَالَ لِي هَذَا الشَّيْخُ وَتَصْدِيقُكَ لَهُ قَالَ أَنْتَ كَذَلِكَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ فِي كِتَابِهِ إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً وَالْخَلِيفَةُ الَْمجْعُولُ فِيهَا آدَمُ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يا داوُدُ إِنَّا جَعَلْناكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ فَهُوَالثَّانِي وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حِكَايَةً عَنْ مُوسَى‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ حِينَ قَالَ لِهَارُونَ اخْلُفْنِي فِي قَوْمِي وَأَصْلِحْ فَهُوَهَارُونُ إِذَا اسْتَخْلَفَهُ مُوسَى‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فِي قَوْمِهِ وَهُوَالثَّالِثُ وَقَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَأَذانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الأَكْبَرِ فَكُنْتَ أَنْتَ الْمُبَلِّغَ عَنِ اللَّهِ وَعَنْ رَسُولِهِ وَأَنْتَ وَصِيِّي وَوَزِيرِي وَقَاضِي دَيْنِي وَالْمُؤَدِّي عَنِّي وَأَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلا أَنَّهُ لا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي فَأَنْتَ رَابِعُ الْخُلَفَاءِ كَمَا سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ الشَّيْخُ أَوَلا تَدْرِي مَنْ هُوَقُلْتُ لا قَالَ ذَاكَ أَخُوكَ الْخَضِرُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَاعْلَمْ.

Abul Hassan Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Nasavi quoted on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Harun, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abul Fadhl al-Balkhi, on the authority of his uncle Yahya ibn Sa’eed al-Balkhi, on the authority of Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha’ (a.s.), on the authority of his father Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.), on the authority of his father Ja’far ibn Muhammad (a.s.), on the authority of his father Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s.), on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Husayn (a.s.), on the authority of his father Al-Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.), on the authority of his father Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), “Once I was walking with the Prophet (S) in the lanes of Medina, when we ran into a tall, broad-shouldered, old man with a long beard. He greeted the Prophet (S) and expressed his respect. He then looked at me and said, ‘O the fourth of the vicegerents! Greetings, God’s Mercy and Blessings be upon you!’ He then looked at the Prophet (S) and said, ‘O Prophet of God! Is that not so?’ God’s Prophet (S) said, ‘Yes.’ Then he left. I asked God’s Prophet (S), ‘O Prophet of God! What is it that this old man said and you acknowledged?’ The Prophet (S) said, ‘You are what he referred to. Praise be to God. Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God has said the following in His Book, ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth…’ [9] The vicegerent that God established on the Earth was Adam (a.s.). God also said, ‘O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice)...’ [10] Thus David was the second vicegerent. The Honorable the Exalted God said that Moses told his brother Aaron, ‘…Act for me amongst my people: Do right…’ [11] It was Aaron who became the vicegerent of Moses (a.s.) amongst the people. Thus Aaron was the third vicegerent. The Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘And an announcement from God and His Apostle, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage...’ [12] It was you who announced this verse on behalf of God and His Messenger. You are my Trustee, my Vizier. You are the one to pay back my debts and to fulfill my promises. Your position relative to me is the same as that of Aaron’s position relative to Moses (a.s.), with the only difference that there will be no Prophets after me. Thus you are the fourth vicegerent just as the old man who greeted you has said. Do you know who he was?’ I said, ‘No.’ The Prophet (S) said, ‘Know that he was your brother al-Khizr (a.s.).’