Abul Adyan says: “I was a servant of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), and carried his letters to different cities and environs. I had the honor to attend to his service in his last illness. He gave the letters to me and said, ‘Go to Madayn. Your journey will last for fifteen days. On the fifteenth day, you will return to Samarrah. Here, wails and cries from my house will greet you. You will see me in the room where corpses are given the ritual bath.” I asked, ‘Master! In such a case, who will be the Imam after you?’ Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) responded, ‘One who will ask you about the replies to my letters will be my successor.’ I requested, ‘Please provide me more details.’ Imam (a.s.) replied, ‘He will lead my funeral prayers.’ I pleaded again, ‘Please furnish more information.’ He retorted, ‘He will inform you about what is there in the bag.’ The awe-inspiring personality of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) prevented me from further inquiry about the bag.
I took the letters to Madayn and procured the ripostes. On the 15th day, just as Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) had predicted, I entered Samarrah. Loud voices of wailing and crying echoed from the house of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). I saw Ja’far, the brother of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), standing on the door and receiving condolences and consolation from the local Shias. I said to myself, ‘If this man is the Imam, then it will be clear that the position of Imamate has undergone a change. For, I have seen him drink wine, gamble and play musical instruments.’ I went near him and offered my condolences. He did not ask me anything. Afterwards Aqeed emerged from the house and said, ‘Master! Your brother has been shrouded. Come and lead his funeral prayers.’ Ja’far went ahead to lead the prayers. Around him were some Shias including as-Samman and Hasan bin Ali alias Salma, whom Mutamid killed.
When I entered the Imam’s house I saw that his corpse had been shrouded and Ja’far bin Ali went forward to pray the funeral prayer. As he was about to announce the Takbeer, a young boy with a wheatish complexion, curly hair, broad teeth, shining like a brilliant moon, came out of the house. He caught hold of Ja’far’s robe and pushed him aside, saying, ‘Uncle! Move aside. I am more worthy of leading the funeral prayers of my father.’ Ja’far withdrew in a corner and his face went colorless.
The child went ahead to recite the prayers on his father’s dead body and buried him next to his father’s (10th Imam’s) grave. Thereafter, he turned towards me and said, ‘O Basri! Give me the replies of the letters that are with you.’ I handed the letters to him and said to myself, ‘Two prophecies are already fulfilled. Now only the third one about the contents of the bag, remains.’ I went to Ja’far bin Ali and saw him sighing. Hajiz Washsha said to him: O master, who is that lad? So that I can establish the proof on him. He said: By Allah I had never seen him and I don’t know who he is. We were sitting when some residents of Qom arrived and asked about the condition of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). When they were informed about his demise, they inquired about the Imam after him. People guided them towards Ja’far Ibn Ali. They saluted him and offered their condolences. They wanted to know from him about the money that they had brought along with themselves, to whom did it belong and how much? Ja’far stood up from his place, and while gathering his clothes, he said, ‘They expect me to know the unseen.’
Afterwards, a servant emerged from the house of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and announced, ‘The letters of so and so are in your possession. You also have a bag containing a thousand dinars. Of which, only ten dinars are pure. They gave the letters and money to this servant saying, ‘The one who has sent you must be an Imam.’ Ja’far bin Ali came to Mutamid and narrated everything. Mutamid sent his soldiers to the Imam’s house who arrested and brought Saqeel. Mutamid told her to surrender the child but she denied having given birth to any child and she claimed that she was pregnant so that Mutamid would give the pursuit of the child. So he gave her in custody of Ibne Abi Shawarib the Qadi, till Ubaidullah bin Yahya bin Khaqan died all of a sudden. The owner of Zanj revolted in Basra. All these circumstances made him unconcerned with Saqeel and she was released. And praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.”