Allamah Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi

Translated by Sayyid Athar Husain S.H. Rizvi

Part I

Chapter One: Holy Birth of the Imam of the Age (a.s.) and the Circumstances of His Respected Mother

وُلِدَ ع لِلنِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَ خَمْسِينَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ

1 – Al-Kafi: Imam (a.s.) was born in the year two hundred and fifty-five (Hijri).

2 – Ikmaaluddin: Ibne Isaam has narrated from Kulaini from Allaan Razi that he said:

“Some of our associates have informed us that: When the slave girl of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) became pregnant, he told her, ‘You shall soon carry a male and his name is Muhammad; and he is my successor after me.’”

3 – Ikmaaluddin: Ibne Walid Qummi from Muhammad bin Attar from Husain bin Razaqallah from Musa bin Muhammad bin Qasim bin Hamza bin Ali Ibne Musa Ibne Ja’far (a.s.) from Hakima Khatoon, daughter of Imam Muhammad Taqi (a.s.) that she said:

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) sent for me and said: “O aunt, have your Iftar tonight with us. This is the night of mid-Shaban and Allah, the High, will bring forth the Divine Proof on this night. He will be His Proof on His earth.” Lady Hakima says, I said to him, “And who is his mother?” “Narjis,” he said to me. “May Allah make me your ransom,” I said to him, “there is no sign in her.” “It is as I tell you,” he said.

Lady Hakima says: I came and when I greeted and sat, she came to take off my shoes and said: “My lady, how are you this evening?” “Rather, you are my lady,” said I, “and the lady of my household.” She turned my word down and said: “What is this, dear aunt?” “My dear daughter, Allah, the Exalted, will grant you in this night of yours a boy, a master in this world and in the hereafter.” She sat and felt shy.

After I finished the Isha prayers and had Iftar, I went to bed and slept. When it was in the middle of the night, I got up to perform prayers. I finished my prayers and she was sleeping and there was no sign of any kind in her. I sat reciting the post-prayer recitations, then I went to the bed, and then I woke up suddenly. She was still asleep. She then woke up and arose and performed prayers.

Lady Hakima says: As doubts came to me, Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) called out, “Don’t make haste, aunt, the affair has come near.” I recited Surah Sajdah and Surah Yasin. And as I was doing that, she woke up suddenly; I rushed to her and read the name of Allah on her and then asked, “Do you feel anything?” “Yes aunt,” she said. “Pull yourself together and gather your heart,” I told her. “It will be as I told you.”

Lady Hakima said: “and then faintness overwhelmed me as parturition seized her. I woke up by sensing my Master, (a.s.); I removed the sheet from him, and there he was in prostration, touching the earth with his forehead and palms and knees and toes; I pulled him to myself and there he was, pure and clean.

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) called on me, “Bring my son to me, Aunt.” I took his son to him. He put his hands under his thighs and back and put the infant’s feet on his chest. He then put his tongue in his mouth and touched his eyes, ears, and joints with his hands. “My son, talk,” he said then. The baby said: “I testify that there is no god, except Allah, the One without a partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger.” He then invoked blessings for Amirul Momineen (a.s.) and the Imams until he reached his father and then respectfully stopped.

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) said: “Aunt, take him to his mother, so he may give her greetings and then bring him to me.” I took her to his mother and he greeted her. Then I brought him back and put him in the sitting room. He then said: “Aunt, come to us on the seventh day.”

Lady Hakima says, In the morning, I came to offer my greetings to Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.). I removed the curtain looking for my Master. Not seeing him, I asked his father, “May I be your ransom, where is my Master?” He said: “We entrusted him to the one that mother of Musa had entrusted Musa to.”