Husain bin Hamadan Hazini has narrated in his Hidayatul Kubra on the authority of Mufaddal Ibne Umar Jofi and he in turn has narrated from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a) that he said: One day Messenger of Allah (s) was in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Masjid and Amirul Momineen (a) was on his right and Abu Bakr and Umar were to his left. Suddenly a cloud hovered over him from which lightning and mild sounds were emanating; and the cloud floated low.
Messenger of Allah (s) said to Imam Ali (a), “Abul Hasan, a gift has arrived for us from Almighty Allah.” Then His Eminence raised his hand to the cloud and the cloud lowered further till it came in contact of his hand. A cup appeared from it which gleamed so much that it dazzled the eyes; and so much fragrance was wafting out that the people present there were bewildered. Sounds of divine glorifications were coming out of the goblet and that too in pure Arabic. Then it came straight to the hands of Messenger of Allah (s) and when it came in contact with the hand of the Prophet, it recited:
Peace be on you, O beloved of Allah and His chosen one and His prophet from the universe and from all the circles of the first and the last. And upon your successor who is superior to all the successors and on your brother, who is better than all the brothers. And peace be on your successor, who is better than all the Caliphs, who is the leader of the pious and the ruler of the believers; a light for the seekers of light; a lamp for the pious.
And peace be on his wife, who is superior to all the women of the worlds, who is the most luminous of the luminous bodies, who is the most chaste, and who is the mother of the rightly guided Imams. Peace be on her. Peace be on your two grandsons, your two lights and your two fragrant ones and the coolness of your eyes, Hasan and Husain.
So loud and clear was the sound of the salutation from the cup that everyone heard in the Masjid, while its blazing luminosity was dazzling all the people present there.
During these moments Messenger of Allah (s) was continuously praising and extolling the Almighty. Then the following was heard from that cup:
“O Messenger of Allah (s), Almighty Allah has sent me to you, Ali, your daughter, Fatima and Hasan and Husain. Now you place me on the palm of Ali.”
Messenger of Allah (s) said to Hazrat Ali (a), “Now you take the God’s gift in your hands.”
Hazrat Ali (a) extended his hand and placed that cup on his palm, kissed it, inhaled its fragrance and remarked, “Welcome to this gift of God for His Messenger and his Ahle Bayt (a).” Then he recited divine praise and glorifications in excess and the sound of Takbir and Tahleel continued from that goblet as well.
Then it said: O Messenger of Allah (s), please tell Ali to hand me over to Lady Fatima Zahra (s), Hasan and Husain under the command of Almighty.
Messenger of Allah (s) said to Ali, “Abul Hasan, arise and hand this cup to Fatima, Hasan and Husain.”
Amirul Momineen (a) lifted the cup and went home. At that time the light of that cup was shinning so bright that it even overtook the light of the Sun, while its fragrance overpowered all the smells. As per the command of the Holy Prophet (s) he handed it over to Lady Fatima Zahra (s), Hasan and Husain and they kissed it and recited the praise of God. Then Ali picked up the goblet, brought it back to Messenger of Allah (s) and placed it on his palm.
At that moment a man said,
“O Messenger of Allah (s), why is it so that whenever you receive a gift from Allah you share it with Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain?”
His Eminence said, “You are a committing a great audacity. Did you not hear what the cup said?”
“O Messenger of Allah (s), do you permit me to take it in my hand and kiss it?”
“No! Neither you nor anyone else has the right to touch it.”
“Can I just touch it?”
Since you are insisting so much, go and try to touch it! If you succeed then I am not a true messenger of God. That man extended his hand, but it could not reach that goblet and gradually started rising up.
The following was heard from it: “O Messenger of Allah (s), does anyone conduct like this with his visitor?”
Messenger of Allah (s) said to that man, “Woe be on you! Your audacities against God and His Prophet have gone too far!”
Then His Eminence said to Ali (a), “Ali, arise and take hold of the cup again and ask what message God has sent through it? Has it forgotten the message?”
Amirul Momineen (a) arose and took the cup in his hands and said, “The Holy Prophet (s) is asking what message God has sent through you and whether you have forgotten that message?”
It said: O brother of Messenger of Allah (s), Allah commanded me to tell you that Allah has deemed as my duty that whenever it is the time of the demise of your Shia I go to him so that he is pleased to see me and he does not perceive the pain of death. Your Shia sees you at the time of his death and smells my fragrance. In that condition his soul leaves his body and he doesn’t at all feel death. When the cup conveyed this message that audacious fellow said to his companion:
Alas, if that cup had only mentioned the first thing! At least it should not have mentioned the second.1
1 Al-Hidayatul Kubra, Pg. 32-33; the author has also mentioned this incident in another work entitled: Maalimul Zulfa, Chapter 86, Pg. 318.