The excellence of Al-Sadiq

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Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Musa ibn Babawayh al-Qummi, may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad ibn Abul Qasim, from Ahmad ibn Abu Abdillah al-Barqi, from his father, from the one who heard from Hannan ibn Sadir al-Sayrafi, who said:

I dreamt and saw the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, with a bowl before him covered with a cloth. I came closer to him and greeted him, and he returned my greetings. Then he removed the cloth from the bowl, which was filled with fresh dates. He began to eat from it, so I went closer still and said: “O messenger of Allah, may I have one?”

He gave me one, which I ate. Then I requested for another one, and he gave and I ate. This way, just as I ate one, I went on requesting for another till he gave me eight of them. As I ate the last, I asked for more, but he said: “Enough for you.”

He said: I woke up from my dream. Next day, I visited al-Sadiq Ja’far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon him, and before him was a bowl covered with cloth, the same way as I had previously seen in my dream, before the Prophet. So I greeted him and he returned my greetings, then he uncovered the bowl, which was filled with fresh dates.

He began to eat, and I felt surprised. I said: “May I be your ransom, could I have one?” He gave one to me, which I ate. Then I requested for another and he gave. And so I went on asking for another till he gave me eight. Then I asked for more, so he said: “If my grandfather, the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, had given more, I would have also given.” So I related to him the dream. He smiled as if he knew what had transpired.

Reference : Al-Amali, The Dictations of Shaykh al-Mufid