عَنِ الْمَرْزُبَانِ بْنِ عِمْرَانَ قَالَ: سَاَلْتُ الرِّضَاؑ عَنْ نَفْسِي فَقُلْتُ اَسْاَلُكَ عَنْ اَهَمِ الْاَشْيَاءِ اَ مِنْ شِيعَتِكُمْ اَنَا فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَتَعْرِفُ اسْمِي فِي الْاَسْمَاءِ قَالَ نَعَمْ.
Al-Marzobaan Ibn Imraan reports, “I asked (Imam) al-Reza (peace be upon him) about myself. I said, ‘I want to ask you about the most important of things. Am I from your Shias?’ He (peace be upon him) replied, ‘Yes.’ I inquired, ‘May I be held your ransom! Do you recognize my name among the names (of your Shias in your register)?’ He (peace be upon him) answered, ‘Yes.’
Note:
The above tradition and the previous traditions too show the knowledge of the unseen of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them). It should be borne in mind that this is by no means exaggeration in their (peace be upon him) position. Shias believe that all perfections of the Imams (peace be upon him) originally and essentially belong to Allah the Almighty. He grants perfections to whosoever He pleases. Hence, there is no question of polytheism (shirk). The Imams (peace be upon them) have themselves ordered their followers, “Regard us as creatures (of Allah) (i.e. don’t attribute godhood to us) and then say whatever you want to about our merits.” (Irshaad al-Quloob of al-Daylami (r.a.), vol. 2, p. 427; Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 25, p. 289, H. 45). In some other narrations, it has come after this narration that Imam (peace be upon him) said, “You will never reach us.” There are several such traditions. For details, one can refer, Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 25, Chapter 10 “Rejection of exaggeration concerning the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) and the Imams (peace be upon them), explanation of the meaning of delegation of affairs (tafweez) and what is NOT appropriate to attribute to them and what is appropriate.” In this chapter, Allamah Majlisi (r.a.) has recorded more than twenty-five traditions on this subject, which can also be a fitting riposte to the exaggerators.
References:
1. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 26, p. 123, H. 16
2. Basaaer al-Darajaat, vol.1, p. 173, H. 8
3. Ikhteyaar Marefah al-Rejaal of al-Kashi[1], vol. 2, p. 794, No. 970
4. al-Ikhtesaas, p. 88 (with minor variation in the wordings)
[1] Originally this book was written by Muhammad Ibn Umar al-Kashi (r.a.), who like his teacher Muhammad Ibn Mas’ood al-Ayyaashi (r.a.), was a convert from Ahl Tasannun. It was destroyed and later retrieved to a considerable extent by the great Shaikh al-Taaefah al-Toosi (r.a.), who attributed it to its author. May Allah the Almighty have mercy on them!