The Sufficient (Vol 1) · Hadith 837 (#Ḥadīth #10)

10ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا قَدْ كُنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَهَبَ الله لَكَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ فَكُنْتَ تَقُولُ يَهَبُ الله لِي غُلاماً فَقَدْ وَهَبَهُ الله لَكَ فَأَقَرَّ عُيُونَنَا فَلا أَرَانَا الله يَوْمَكَ فَإِنْ كَانَ كَوْنٌ فَإِلَى مَنْ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى ابي جعفر وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا ابْنُ ثَلاثِ سِنِينَ فَقَالَ وَمَا يَضُرُّهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ قَامَ عِيسَى بِالْحُجَّةِ وَهُوَ ابْنُ ثَلاثِ سِنِينَ.

10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Safwan ibn Yahya who has said the following. “Once I said to al-Rida , before Allah’s granting you the blessing of the birth of abu Ja’far we would ask you and you would say, “Allah will grant me a son and He has granted you one. His birth is the delight of our eyes. May Allah spare us from showing your (sad) day. However, if something will happen to who then (will leadership with Divine Authority) will go?” The Imam pointed out with his hand towards abu Ja’far and he was standing before him. I then asked, “ May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, a child of three years?” The Imam said, “That will be of no harm to him. Jesus rose with Divine authority when he was a three years old child.”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).