Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu'alla ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Mirdas who has said that Saffron ibn Yahya and al-Hassan ibn Mahbub have narrated from abu Ayyub from abu Khalid
al-Kabuli who has said that he asked Imam abu Ja'far (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah e following.
"Those who believe in him, honor and help him, and follow the light which is sent down to him, will have everlasting happiness." (7:157) The Imams (a.s.) said, "O abu Khalid, I swear by
Allah that it is the Imams from the family of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) up to the Day of judgment who are called light in the above verse. They, I swear by Allah, are the light of Allah whom He
sent down.
It is they, I swear by Allah, who are the light of Allah in the heavens and in the earth. O abu Khalid, I swear by Allah, that the light of the Imams (a.s.) in the hearts of the true
believers is more bright than the light of the sun in the midday. They, I swear by Allah, give light to the hearts of the true believers and Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, may block such
light from reaching the hearts of whoever He may will, thus their hearts remain dark.
O abu Khalid, no one would believe in our Divine authority except that Allah will cleanse his heart. Allah will not cleanse the heart of a person until he or she will acknowledge our Divine
authority and live in peace with us.
When one lives in peace with us Allah will safe guard him against the severity of the day of recockning and grant him security against the great terror on the Day of Judgment"
H 496, Ch. 13, h 2
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated through his chain of narrators from abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah that say, There are those who follow the Messengers, the illiterate Prophet
(not conventionally educated), whose description they find written in the Torah and the Gospel. [He (the Messengers) enjoins them to do good and forbids them to do all that is unlawful, makes
lawful for them all that is pure and unlawful all that is filthy, removes their burdens and the entanglements in which they are involved].
Those who believe in him, honor and help him, and follow the light which is sent down to him, will have everlasting happiness." (7:157) The Imams (a.s.) said, "It is Amir al-Mu'minin Ali
(a.s.) and the Imams (a.s.) after him who are called 'light' in the above verse of the Holy Quran."
H 497, Ch. 13, h 3
Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar from ibn Fudala from Tha'laba ibn Maymun from abu al-Jarud who has said that he said the following to Imam abu Ja'far (a.s.).
"Allah has given a great deal of good to the people of the heavenly books." The Imam (a.s.) then asked, "What is it?"
I then said it said in Holy Quran, "We sent Our guidance to them so that perhaps they might take heed. (28:51) (Some of) the followers of the Bible believe in the Quran
(28:52).
When it is recited to them, they say, "We believe in it. It is the Truth from our Lord. We were Muslims before it was revealed" (28:53). These will receive double reward for their
forbearance, replacing evil by virtue, and for their spending for the cause of God." (28:54)
The Imam (a.s.) said, "Allah has given you also a great deal of good as He has given to them and he recited, 'Believers, have fear of God and believe in His Messenger. God will grant you a
double share of mercy, a light by which you can walk, and forgive your sins. God is Allforgiving and All-merciful.' (57:28) The light mentioned in this verse mean the Imam (a.s.)who you
follow.'"
H 498, Ch. 13, h 4
Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from 'Abd al-'Azim ibn 'Abdallah al-Hassani from Ali ibn Asbat and al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Ayyub from abu Khalid al-kabuli who has said that he asked
Imam abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, in the following verse of the Holy Quran.
"Those who believe in him, honor and help him, and follow the light which is sent down to him, will have everlasting happiness." (7:157) The Imams (a.s.) said, "O abu Khalid, the light in
this verse, I swear by Allah, means the Imams.
O abu Khalid the light of the Imam (a.s.) in the hearts of the true believers is more bright than the light of the sun in midday. It is they who brighten the hearts of the true believers
and Allah withholds their light from reaching whomever He would will, thus, their hearts become dark and Allah covers them with the darknesss."
H 499, Ch. 13, h 5
Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn sham?? From 'Abdallah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmanal-Asamm from 'Abdallah ibn al-Qasim
from salih ibn Sahl al-Hamadani who has said that abu 'Abdallah (a. s.) has said the following about the verse of the Holy Quran below.
"God is the light of the heavens and the earth. A metaphor for His light is a lantern in which there is a lamp placed in a glass. The glass is like a shining star which is lit from a
blessed olive tree that is neither eastern nor western. Its oil almost lights up even though it has not been touched by the fire. It is light upon light. God guides to His light whomever He
wants. God uses various metaphors.
He has the knowledge of all things." (24:35) The Imam (a.s.) said that the lantern metaphorically stands for the Holy lady, Fatima (a.s.), the lamp stands for Imam al-Hassan (a. s.) and the
glass stands for Imam al-Husayn (a.s.).
The shining star stands for the Holy lady Fatima (a.s.) who shines among the ladies of the world. The blessed olive tree stands for Prophet Abraham. Neither eastern nor western means not
Jewish nor Christian.
'Its oil almost lights up' means that it almost bursts up with knowledge. 'Light up on light' means that there will one Imam after the other Imam (a.s.) 'God guides to His light who ever He
wants' means that Allah guides through the Imams whomever He wants." About 'God uses various metaphors' I said, "Or it (the deeds of the unbelievers) are like the darkness of a deep, stormy sea
with layers of giant waves, covered by dark clouds.
It is darkness upon darkness whereby even if one stretches out his hands he can not see them. One can have no light unless God gives him light. (24:40)
The Imam (a.s.) said, " 'darkness' refers to the first and his friend, 'with layers of giant waves' refers to the third, 'covered with darkness' refers to the second. 'it is darkness up on
darkness' refers to Mu'awiya and the disasters caused by the Amavides. 'even if one stretches out his hands' means that even if a true believer would stretch his hands in such disastrous
condition 'he can not see them'.
'One can have no light unless God gives him light, means the light from the children of the Holy Lady, Fatima (a.s.) 'Can have no light' means an Imam on the Day of Judgment." The Imam
(a.s.) said that, "On the Day of Judgment you will see the believers with their light shining in front of them and to their right. They will be told, "Paradise wherein streams flow is the glad
news for you today.
You will live therein forever. This is the greatest triumph." (57:12), the shining light in front . . .' is a reference to the Imams (a.s.) whom would walk in front and on the right of the
true believers until they all enter paradise."
Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Musa ibn al-Qasim al-Bajali and Muhammad ibn yahya from al-'Amrakiy ibn Ali altogether from Ali ibn Ja'far
(a.s.) from his brother a similar Hadith.
H 500, Ch. 13, h 6
Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from al-husayn ibn 'Ubadallah from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan and Musa ibn 'umar from al-hassan ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl who has said that he asked
abu al-Hassan (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, in the following verse of the Holy Quran.
"They want to put out the light of God with their mouths, but God will certainly make His light shine forever - even though the unbelievers may dislike this." (61:8) The Imam (a.s.) said,
"They want to put out the divine authority of Amir al-Mu'minin (a.s.) with their mouths.
'but Allah completes His light' means the Imams (a.s.) as mentioned in, "Those who believe in him, honor and help him, and follow the light which is sent down to him, will have everlasting
happiness." (7:157) The light stands for Imam (a.s.)."
