Respecting the Imams (as)
Hadith 1:
الحسين بن محمد، عن محمد بن أحمد النهدي، عن محمد بن خلاد الصيقل، عن محمد بن الحسن بن عمار قال: كنت عند علي بن جعفر بن محمد جالسا بالمدينة و كنت أقمت عنده سنتين أكتب عنه ما يسمع من أخيه - يعني أبا الحسن عليه السلام - إذ دخل عليه أبو جعفر محمد بن علي الرضا عليه السلام المسجد - مسجد الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله - فوثب علي بن جعفر بلا حذاء ولا رداء فقبل يده وعظمه، فقال له أبو جعفر عليه السلام: يا عم اجلس رحمك الله فقال: يا سيدي كيف أجلس وأنت قائم، فلما رجع علي بن جعفر إلى مجلسه جعل أصحابه يوبخونه ويقولون: أنت عم أبيه وأنت تفعل به هذا الفعل؟ فقال: اسكتوا إذا كان الله عز وجل - وقبض على لحيته - لم يؤهل هذه الشيبة وأهل هذا الفتى ووضعه حيث وضعه، أنكر فضله؟! نعوذ بالله مما تقولون، بل أنا له عبد
Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Nahdi from Muhammad ibn Khallad al-Sayqal from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following:
"Once I was in a meeting with Ali ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as) in Madina. I stayed with him for two years to write down what he had heard from his brother, abu al-Hassan (Moosa) (as). At that time Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida (as), came in the mosque, the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (saww).
Ali ibn Jafar rushed toward him barefoot and without his gown. He kissed his hand and showed great respect for him. Abu Jafar (as) said to him, "Uncle, please sit down, may Allah grant you well being."
Ali bin Jafar said, "My master, how can I sit when you are standing?"
When Ali ibn Jafar returned to his place his companions began to blame him, saying, "You are the uncle of his father, how can you act as such before him?"
He said to them, "Be quiet, when Allah (swt), has not qualified this beard, holding his beard in his hand, but has qualified this young man and has given him such position, should I then deny his excellence and virtue? I seek refuge before Allah from what you say. In fact, I am a servant for him."
[Source: al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 322]
Hadith 2:
قَرَأْتُ فِي كِتَابِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ بُنْدَارَ بِخَطِّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْعَطَّارُ، قَالَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (ع) أَشْتَهِي أَنْ أَدْخُلَ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (ع) أُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْهِ! قُلْتُ فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ الْإِجْلَالُ وَ الْهَيْبَةُ لَهُ وَ أَتَّقِي عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ فَاعْتَلَّ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (ع) عِلَّةً خَفِيفَةً وَ قَدْ عَادَهُ النَّاسُ، فَلَقِيتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، فَقُلْتُ قَدْ جَاءَكَ مَا تُرِيدُ، قَدِ اعْتَلَّ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (ع) عِلَّةً خَفِيفَةً وَ قَدْ عَادَهُ النَّاسُ، فَإِنْ أَرَدْتَ الدُّخُولَ عَلَيْهِ فَالْيَوْمَ! قَالَ فَجَاءَ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (ع) عَائِداً فَلَقِيَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (ع) بِكُلِّ مَا يُحِبُّ مِنَ التَّكْرِمَةِ[1] وَ التَّعْظِيمِ، فَفَرِحَ بِذَلِكَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ فَرَحاً شَدِيداً، ثُمَّ مَرِضَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، فَعَادَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (ع) وَ أَنَا مَعَهُ، فَجَلَسَ حَتَّى خَرَجَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي الْبَيْتِ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجْنَا أَخْبَرَتْنِي مَوْلَاةٌ لَنَا أَنَّ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ امْرَأَةَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ كَانَتْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ السِّتْرَ تَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ خَرَجَتْ وَ انْكَبَّتْ عَلَى الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي كَانَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (ع) فِيهِ جَالِساً تُقَبِّلُهُ وَ تَتَمَسَّحُ بِهِ، قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، فَأَخْبَرَنِي بِمَا فَعَلَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ فَخَبَّرْتُ بِهِ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ (ع) فَقَالَ: يَا سُلَيْمَانُ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ وَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَ وُلْدَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، يَا سُلَيْمَانُ إِنَّ وُلْدَ عَلِيٍ وَ فَاطِمَةَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ إِذَا عَرَّفَهُمُ اللَّهُ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا كَالنَّاسِ.
Narrated that Sulayman bin Jafar said,
"Ali ibn Ubaydullah ibn al-Husain ibn Ali ibn al-Husain ibn Abi Talib (ع) (i.e., from the progeny of the 4th Imam) said to me, "I long to visit Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (عليه السلام) and give Him my salutations."
I (the narrator) said to him, "What prevents you from doing so?"
He replied, "Out of respect and awe for him, and out of my fear for him."
Then once Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (عليه السلام) was ill from a mild illness and people were visiting Him, so I met Ali ibn Ubaydullah and told him, "Abu al-Hasan (عليه السلام) is suffering from a mild illness people are visiting Him, so if you want to visit Him, today is the day."
So he went to Abu al-Hasan (عليه السلام) and visited Him and Abu al-Hasan (عليه السلام) met him with all honor and respect that he would wish for. So Ali ibn Ubaydullah was extremely happy with that.
Then once Ali ibn Ubaydullah was ill, so Abu al-Hasan (عليه السلام) visited him, and I (the narrator) was along with Him. So the Imam sat there until all others in the house had left and when we also left, our maid informed us that Umma Salmah the wife of Ali ibn Ubaydullah was looking at the Imam from behind the curtain and when the Imam went out, she came out from the behind the curtain and fell down upon the place at which Abu al-Hasan (عليه السلام) was sitting and she was kissing it and touching it.
Sulayman said, "Then I entered to see Ali ibn Ubaydullah and he informed me about what his wife Umma Salmah had done. So, I informed the same to Abu al-Hasan (عليه السلام) and so the Imam said, "O Sulayman, surely Ali ibn Ubaydullah and his wife and his children are from the people of paradise. O Sulayman, the children of Ali and Fatimah (عليهما السلام) if Allah has made them aware of this matter (of Imamat and Wilayat), then they are not like other people."
[Source: Rijal al-Kashi, Vol. 2, Pg. 856]