عَنْ اَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ اَبِي جَعْفَرٍؑ قَالَ اِنِّي لَاَعْرِفُ مَنْ لَوْ قَامَ عَلَى شَاطِئِ الْبَحْرِ لَنَدَبَ بِدَوَابِّ الْبَحْرِ وَ بِاُمَّهَاتِهَا وَ عَمَّاتِهَا وَ خَالَاتِهَا
Abu Baseer (r.a.) reports that Imam Abu Ja’far (al-Baqer a.s.) said,
“Surely, I know someone if he stood on the sea-shore, he can call the sea animals along with their mothers, their paternal aunts and their maternal aunts.”
Notes:
1) Perhaps Imam (peace be upon him) has used third person in this tradition for the sake of dissimulation (taqiyyah).
2) This narration establishes the mastership of the Imam (peace be upon him) over the entire universe (wilayah takveeni), of which the oceans are an important part. This is also a clear distinguishing factor between a true Imam (peace be upon him) and false claimants and usurpers of divine positions.
3) That Imam (peace be upon him) knows the relations between the sea animals is an amazing feature of his divine knowledge.
References:
1. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 25, p. 372, H. 22
2. Basaaer al-Darajaat, p. 513, H. 31