سَعِيدٌ الْاَعْرَجُ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ اَنَا وَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَلَى اَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِؑ فَابْتَدَاَنَا فَقَالَ يَا سُلَيْمَانُ مَا جَاءَ عَنْ اَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَؑ يُؤْخَذُ بِهِ وَ مَا نَهَى عَنْهُ يُنْتَهَى عَنْهُ جَرَى لَهُ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ مَا جَرَى لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ الْفَضْلُ عَلَى جَمِيعِ مَنْ خَلَقَ اللهُ الْمُعَيِّبُ عَلَى اَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَؑ فِيْ شَيْءٍ مِنْ اَحْكَامِهِ كَالْمُعَيِّبِ عَلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ عَلَى رَسُولِهٖ ﷺ وَ الرَّادُّ عَلَيْهِ فِيْ صَغِيرَةٍ اَوْ كَبِيرَةٍ عَلَى حَدِّ الشِّرْكِ بِاللهِ كَانَ اَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص بَابَ اللهِ الَّذِي لَا يُؤْتَى اِلَّا مِنْهُ وَ سَبِيلَهُ الَّذِي مَنْ سَلَكَ بِغَيْرِهِ هَلَكَ وَ بِذٰلِكَ جَرَتِ الْاَئِمَّةُؑ وَاحِدٌ بَعْدَ وَاحِدٍ جَعَلَهُمُ اللهُ اَرْكَانَ الْاَرْضِ اَنْ تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ وَ الْحُجَّةَ الْبَالِغَةَ عَلَى مَنْ فَوْقَ الْاَرْضِ وَ مَنْ تَحْتَ الثَّرَى وَ قَالَ قَالَ اَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَؑ اَنَا قَسِيمُ اللهِ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَ النَّارِ وَ اَنَا الْفَارُوقُ الْاَكْبَرُ وَ اَنَا صَاحِبُ الْعَصَا وَ الْمِيسَمِ وَ لَقَدْ اَقَرَّتْ لِي جَمِيعُ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَ الرُّوحُ بِمِثْلِ مَا اَقَرَّتْ لِمُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَ لَقَدْ حُمِلْتُ عَلَى مِثْلِ حَمُولَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَ هِيَ حَمُولَةُ الرَّبِّ وَ اِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ يُدْعَى فَيُكْسَى وَ يُسْتَنْطَقُ وَ اُدْعَى فَاُكْسَى وَ اُسْتَنْطَقُ فَاَنْطِقُ عَلَى حَدِّ مَنْطِقِهِ وَ لَقَدْ اُعْطِيتُ خِصَالًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ اَحَدٌ قَبْلِي عُلِّمْتُ عِلْمَ الْمَنَايَا وَ الْبَلَايَا وَ الْاَنْسَابَ وَ فَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ فَلَمْ يَفُتْنِي مَا سَبَقَنِي وَ لَمْ يَعْزُبْ عَنِّي مَا غَابَ عَنِّي اُبَشِّرُ بِاِذْنِ اللهِ وَ اُؤَدِّي عَنِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ كُلُّ ذٰلِكَ مَكَّنَنِيَ اللهُ فِيهِ بِاِذْنِهِ
Saeed al-A’raj reports, “I and Sulaiman Ibn Khalid went to Imam Abu Abdillah (al-Sadeq a.s.). He (peace be upon him) initiated the conversation with us and said,
‘O Sulaiman! Whatever Ameerul Momineen (peace be upon him) has brought should be acted upon and whatever he (peace be upon him) has prohibited should be refrained from. All the excellences that were present in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) were available in him (peace be upon him). For the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) is superior to whosoever Allah has created. Whoever finds faults with Ameerul Momineen (peace be upon him) is like the one who finds faults with Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his holy progeny). One who rejects him (peace be upon him) in anything – minor or major – has associated partners with Allah. Ameerul Momineen (peace be upon him) was Allah’s door as Allah cannot be approached but through him (peace be upon him). He (peace be upon him) was the path of Allah; if anybody tread a path other than his will be destroyed. The same applied for all the Imams (peace be upon them), one after the other. Allah has made them the pillars of the earth that it should move due to them. They are the conveyed proofs for whoever is above the earth and inside its core. Ameerul Momineen (peace be upon him) declared, ‘I am the distributor of Paradise and Hell on behalf of Allah. I am the greatest point of distinction (between truth and falsehood). I am the owner of the staff and the branding iron. All the angels and the Holy Spirit acknowledged me like they acknowledged the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny). Indeed I have been made to carry like Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) was made to carry and it is the burden of the Lord. Surely, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) was called, clothed and made to speak. I too was called, clothed and made to speak. I speak like he (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) speaks. I have been characteristics which none before me has been given. I was taught the knowledge of deaths, calamities, genealogy and the decisive statement. So there is no knowledge of the past that I have missed. The knowledge of whatever is not in my presence is not concealed from me. I give glad tidings with Allah’s permission and I convey from the side of Allah – Mighty and Majestic be He. Allah has given all these things in my power in His way with His permission’.”
References:
1. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 23, p. 229
2. Shawaahed al-Tanzeel of Al-Haakim al-Haskaani, vol. 2, p. 193 under the verse.