Al-Kāfi 8, narration 144

Translation

144. Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Mahboub, from Jameel Bin Saleh, from Yazeed Al-Kunasy, who has narrated the following: Abu Ja’far (asws) having said that; ‘The Rasool Allah (saww) had stayed at one man’s house in Al-Taef before the Islamic era. He had honoured him (saww). So when Allah (azwj) Sent Muhammad (saww) to the people, it was said to the man, ‘Do you know the one whom Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic has Sent to the people?’ He said, ‘No’. They said, ‘He (saww) is Muhammad Bin Abdullah (saww), the orphan of Abu Talib (as), and he (saww) is the one whom stayed with you at Al-Taef on such and such a day. You had honoured him (saww)’. Imam (asws) said: ‘The man went to the Rasool Allah (saww). He greeted him (saww), then said to him (saww), ‘Do you (saww) recognise me, O Rasool Allah (saww)?’ He (saww) said: ‘And who are you?’ He said, ‘I am the lord of the house where you (saww) stayed in at Al-Taef during the pre-Islamic period on such and such a day. I honoured you (saww)’. The Rasool Allah (saww) said to him: ‘Welcome to you. Ask for your need’. So he said, ‘I ask you (saww) for a hundred sheep along with its shepherd’. So the Rasool Allah (saww) ordered for him what he had asked for, then said to his (saww) companions: ‘What was it with this man that he did not ask me (saww) what the elderly woman of the Children of Israel asked to Musa (as)?’ They said, ‘And what did the elderly woman of the Children of Israel ask to Musa (as)?’ So he (saww) said: ‘Allah (azwj) Revealed unto Musa (as) that: “Carry the bones of Yusuf (as) from Egypt, before you (as) leave from it, to the Holy land in Syria”. Musa (as) asked about the grave of Yusuf (as). An old man came up and said, ‘If there is anyone who would recognise his (as) grave it would be such and such a woman. So Musa (as) sent for her. When she came, he (as) said: ‘Do you recognise the place of the grave of Yusuf (as)?’ She said, ‘Yes’. Point it out to me (as) and you can have whatever you ask for’. She said, ‘I will not point it out to you except under my command’. He (as) said: ‘For you is the Paradise’. She said, ‘No, except by my command on you (as)’. So Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic Revealed unto Musa (as): “It is not a great thing to you (as) for it to be by her command”. So Musa (as) said to her: ‘For you is the command’. She said, ‘My command is that I should be with you (as), in your (as) level which you (as) would be upon, on the Day of Judgement, in the Paradise’. So the Rasool Allah (saww) said: ‘What was it with this (man) that he did not ask me (saww) for what the elderly woman of the Children of Israel asked for?’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.