1- Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibne Abbas, also known as Ibne Hajjam narrated from Jabir Ibne Abdullah in his book Ma Anzallaho fi Ahle Bait Min Quran with his evidence. He said: I met Ammar Yasir in a street in Medina. I inquired from him about the Messenger of Allah (s). He replied that the Holy Prophet (s) was currently sitting in the Masjid with the leaders of his people and today the strange thing is that we offered the morning prayers with Holy Prophet (s). Then when the sun came up, Ali came to the Masjid. The Prophet (s) stood up and kissed him between the eyes and made them sit near him until Ali’s knees were touching the Prophet’s knees.
The Prophet (s) said: Arise and have a word with the Sun. He will also talk with you. People who were surrounding Holy Prophet (s) asked in surprise: “Will the Sun speak to Ali (a)?”
Some envious people in the gathering began to say softly that Holy Prophet (s) always want to raise the status of his Ibne Umme.
Ali (a) got up and said to the sun: O the creation of Allah. How are you? How have you found this morning? The Sun raised its voice and said: I am fine, O brother of Holy Prophet (s) O the first, O the last, O the Zahir, O the Batin, O the person who is having knowledge of everything.
Ali came to the presence of the Messenger of Allah. The Holy Prophet smiled and said: Are you going to tell me or I should I?
Ali said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to hear from your tongue. The Prophet (s) said: The sun has called you “O the first” because you are the first person to believe in Allah. The sun called you “O the Last” because you will be the one to stay till the end, when I will be shrouded and put in grave. Sun has called you O the Zahir, the reason is that you will overcome my secrets. Sun has called you O the Batin and greeted you. The reason is that you will keep my knowledge safe your inside.
In addition, the sun has greeted you, saying: Ya Man Huwa bi Kulli Shai in Aleem. It is because Allah Almighty has revealed the knowledge of Halaal, Haraam, duties, rules, interpretation, abrogation, inferiority and difficulty. You are the knower of all these sciences. I doubt and fear about you, that the people of my Ummah would be so much concerned about you, as Christians have said regarding Hazrat Isa (a). I would say something about you that people would pick up the dust of your feet for healing as they did about Hazrat Isa (a).
Hazrat Jabir’s states when Ammar narrated whole incident. Salman arrived. Ammar said: Salman was also with us. Then Salman also narrated the whole incident in the same way as Ammar had narrated.
2- (Excluding the chains of narration) It is narrated from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) that one day the Holy Prophet placed his head in the lap of Hazrat Ali and fell asleep. Hazrat Ali had not prayed the Asr prayer till then. When the sun began to set and the Messenger of Allah (s) woke up, Hazrat Ali mentioned to him that he had to make up his prayers. The Messenger of Allah (s) prayed. The sun returned to the place of Asr and Hazrat Ali offered prayers.
Then the Prophet (s) said to Hazrat Ali (a): Get up and send salutation to sun and it will speak to you.
Hazrat Ali said, “How can I greet the sun?” The Prophet (s) said: Greet him by saying, “Peace be upon you, O Allah’s creature.” Ali (a) got up and said “Peace be upon you, O Allah’s creature.”
In reply the Sun said: And peace be upon you, O the first, O the last, O the apparent, O the hidden, O the one who would save ones followers and the one who will engulf ones enemies.
Holy Prophet (s) asked Ali: What did the sun say to you? Ali narrated the conversation with Sun to Holy Prophet (s).
Then Holy Prophet (s) said: “The sun has said the truth and it has spoken by the command of Allah. You are the first of the believers, and you are the last successor, because there is no prophet after me, and there is no successor after you, and you are mighty over your enemies. (In Arabic language Ghalib is also called as Zahir). And you protect the knowledge inside you; you are the trustee of my knowledge and the treasurer of my Lord revelations. You will have the best offspring, and your devotees and Shia will be the chosen ones by Allah on the Judgment Day.1
1 Tawilul Ayaat, Vol. 2, Pg. 655; Al-Burhan, Vol. 4, Pg. 288, Tr.8.
3- It is narrated in Thaqibul Manaqib from Abdullah Ibne Masud. He said, “We were in the presence of the Prophet (s) when we saw Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) enter the Masjid. The Messenger of Allah (s) said to Ali (a): Would you like to see your honor before Allah? Ali (a) replied: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed on you.” He said: “Come with me tomorrow and converse with the Sun. By the command of Allah, the Sun will also speak to you.”
The next day we offered the Fajr prayer. The Messenger of Allah (s) took Ali’s hand and came out of Masjid and waited for the Sun to rise. All the Muhajireen and Ansar surrounded him.
As soon as the Sun rose, he said to Ali: “Speak to him. He is commanded by Allah to speak with you.”
Ali said to the Sun: Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you, O obedient listener of the command of Allah. And may Allah have mercy and blessings.
In response, Sun replied: Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you. O the best of successors; You have been given a blessing in this world and in the hereafter which no eye has seen and no ear has heard.
Hazrat Ali said: What have I been given? Sun said: I am not allowed to narrate these rewards, otherwise people will fall into mischief, you are blessed with knowledge and wisdom in this world and in the hereafter. And you are one of those regarding whom Allah has spoken: “No one knows what an eye-cooling equipment is hidden for them. This is the recompense of their deeds. And you belong to the people about whom Allah has sent down this verse:
أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقًا ۚ لَّا يَسْتَوُون
“Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal.”1
1 Surah Sajdah 32:18.
It is narrated that the Sun had conversed with Hazrat Ali three times.2
2 Ath-Thaqib fil Manaqib, Pg. 255, Tr. 3; Faraidus Simtain, Vol. 1, Pg. 185; Fadhail, Ibne Shazan, Pg. 163.
Ibne Shahr Ashob has narrated this traditional report in Manaqib, Shaykh Abu Ali Muhammad Ibne Ahmad Ibne Ali Qatal in Rauzatul Waizeen and Khatib Khwarizmi in Manaqib Amirul Momineen (a). He has narrated in his book through his chain of narrators.3
3 Manaqib, Ibne Shahr Ashob, Vol. 2, Pg. 323; Biharul Anwar, Vol. 41, Pg. 176; Rauzatul Waizeen, Pg. 128; Amali, Saduq, Pg. 472; Qisasul Anbiya, Rawandi, Pg. 292, Tr. 361; Manaqib, Khwarizmi, Pg. 63; Al-Yaqin fee Imratul Amirul Momineen, Pg. 25; Kashful Ghumma, Vol. 1, Pg. 154.