The Body of the Imam and its Multiplicity of Colors

Abi Ja'far Muhammad Ibn Jarir Ibn Rustam al-Tabari († 941) :

He said: Ahmad Ibn Saleh narrated to me, from Askar the servant of Abi Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali al-Redha [Imam al-Jawad] said: “I entered on him as he was sitting in a vast room that is ten feet long. I stood at the door of the room and said to myself: O Glory be to God! How bright is the tan of my Master and how illuminating is his body! By God! Before I completed what I was saying to myself, his body widened and elongated until he fit the whole room to the ceiling along with all the walls. Then, I saw his color darkened until it became as dark as the night and then it whitened until it became as white as the snow. Then, his color became red like red agate and then it became as green as the greatest leafy branch. Then, his body minimized until he returned the way he was at first and his color returned to its original color. Thus, I passed out due to this wondrous matter that I had seen. He yelled at me and said: O Askar, how much do you doubt us and how much you do you weaken your heart! By God, no one can reach our true reality, except those who have been bestowed upon by God and who God chose and accepted him as our friend. Askar said: So, I promised myself to only think about what I would say.” [Dalail al-Imamah, Page 404]

قال: وحدثني أحمد بن صالح، عن عسكر مولى أبي جعفر محمد بن علي الرضا، قال: دخلت عليه وهو جالس في وسط إيوان له يكون عشرة أذرع (2)، قال: فوقفت بباب الإيوان، وقلت في نفسي: يا سبحان الله، ما أشد سمرة مولاي، وأضوى جسده (3)! قال: فوالله، ما استتممت هذا القول في نفسي حتى عرض في جسده، وتطاول، فامتلأ به الإيوان إلى سقفه مع جوامع حيطانه، ثم رأيت لونه قد أظلم حتى صار كالليل المظلم، ثم ابيض حتى صار كأبيض ما يكون من الثلج الأبيض، ثم احمر فصار (4) كالعلق المحمر، ثم أخضر حتى صار كأعظم شئ يكون في الأعواد المورقة الخضر (5)، ثم تناقص جسده حتى صار في صورته الأولى، وعاد لونه إلى اللون الأول (6) فسقطت لوجهي لهول ما رأيت، فصاح بي: يا عسكر، كم تشكون فينا، وتضعفون قلوبكم، والله لا يصل (7) إلى حقيقة معرفتنا إلا من من الله بنا عليه، وارتضاه لنا وليا. قال عسكر: فآليت أن لا أفكر في نفسي إلا بما ينطق به لساني (8)

Abu Abdillah al-Hussein Ibn Hamdan al-Khasibi († 969) :

From al-Hussein bin Hamdan who said: Ahmad bin Saleh narrated to me from Askar the salve of Abi Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali al-Redha [Imam al-Jawad] who said: “I entered on him as he was sitting in a vast room that is ten feet long. I stood at the door of the room and said to myself: O Glory be to God! How bright is the tan of my Master and how illuminating is his body! By God! Before I completed what I was saying to myself, his body widened and elongated until he fit the whole room to the ceiling along with all the walls. Then, I saw his color darkened until it became as dark as the night and then it whitened until it became as white as the snow. Then, his color became red like the red agate and then it became as green as the greatest leafy branch. Then, his body minimized until he returned the way he was at first and his color returned to its original color. Thus, I passed out due to this wondrous matter that I had seen. He yelled at me and said: O Askar! If you doubt, we shall make you firm, and if you are weak, we shall strengthen you. By God! No one will be able to arrive to the reality of our recognition except the one God has Conferred upon him through us and has Selected him for us as a friend! Askar said: So, I promised myself to only think about what I would say.” [al-Hidayah al-Kubrah, Page 349-350]

عن الحسين بن حمدان قال: حدثني أحمد بن صالح عن عسكر مولى أبي جعفر محمد بن علي الرضا (عليه السلام) قال: دخلت عليه وهو جالس في وسط إيوان له يكون عشرة اذرع في عشرة اذرع فوقفت بباب الإيوان أراه فقلت في نفسي سبحان الله ما أشد سمرة مولاي وأضوأ جسده قال فوالله ما استتممت هذا القول حتى عرض جسده وتطاول وامتلأ به الإيوان إلى سقفه مع جوانب حيطانه ثم رأيت لونه قد أظلم ثم أظلم ثم ابيض ثم صار كأبيض من الثلج ثم احمر ثم صار مثل العقيق المحمر ثم اخضر حتى صار كأغض ما يكون من الأغصان المورقة المخضرة ثم تناقص جسده حتى صار في صورته الأولى وأعاد لونه إلى اللون الأول فسقطت لوجهي لهول ما رأيت فصاح بي يا عسكر تشكون بي فنثبتكم وتضعفون فنقويكم فوالله لا وصل إلى حقيقة معرفتنا الا من من الله بها عليه وارتضيناه لنا وليا قال عسكر فما لبث في نفسي الا ما أظهره لساني وتفوه به جناني.

Ibn Shahrashub († 1192) :

Askar the servant of Abu Ja'far [Imam al-Jawad] said: “I entered to see him. I said within myself, O Glory be to God! How bright is the tan of my Master and how illuminating is his body. He (the narrator) said, By God! The speech had not even completed within myself, until he stood up and presented his body, and filled up the hall with it to the roof, and along with the sides of its walls. Then I saw his color to have darkened until it became like the dark night. Then white, until it became like as white as it can be, more than the snow. Then red, until it became like a blood clot. Then green, until it became like as green as could be from the branches, the green leaves. Then his body waned until it became like its former image and his color returned to the former state, and I fell down to my face from what I had seen. He shouted at me: O Askar! If you doubt, we shall make you firm, and if you are weak, we shall strengthen you. By God! No one will be able to arrive to the reality of our recognition except the one God has Conferred upon him through us and has Selected him for us as a friend!” [Manaqib Al Abi Talib, Volume 3, Page 493-494]

قَالَ عَسْكَرٌ مَوْلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ : دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي يَا سُبْحَانَ اَللَّهِ مَا أَشَدَّ سُمْرَةَ مَوْلاَيَ وَ أَضْوَى جَسَدَهُ قَالَ فَوَ اَللَّهِ مَا اِسْتَتْمَمْتُ اَلْكَلاَمَ فِي نَفْسِي حَتَّى تَطَاوَلَ وَ عَرَضَ جَسَدَهُ وَ اِمْتَلَأَ بِهِ اَلْإِيْوَانُ إِلَى سَقْفِهِ وَ مَعَ جَوَانِبِ حِيطَانِهِ ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ لَوْنَهُ وَ قَدْ أَظْلَمَ حَتَّى صَارَ كَاللَّيْلِ اَلْمُظْلِمِ ثُمَّ اِبْيَضَّ حَتَّى صَارَ كَأَبْيَضِ مَا يَكُونُ مِنَ اَلثَّلْجِ ثُمَّ اِحْمَرَّ حَتَّى صَارَ كَالْعَلَقِ اَلْمُحْمَرِّ ثُمَّ اِخْضَرَّ حَتَّى صَارَ كَأَخْضَرِ مَا يَكُونُ مِنَ اَلْأَغْصَانِ اَلْوَرَقَةِ اَلْخَضِرَةِ ثُمَّ تَنَاقَصَ جِسْمُهُ حَتَّى صَارَ فِي صُورَتِهِ اَلْأُولَى عَادَ لَوْنُهُ اَلْأَوَّلُ وَ سَقَطْتُ لِوَجْهِي مِمَّا رَأَيْتُ فَصَاحَ بِي يَا عَسْكَرُ تَشُكُّونَ فَنُنْبِئُكُمْ وَ تَضْعُفُونَ فَنُقَوِّيكُمْ وَ اَللَّهِ لاَ وَصَلَ إِلَى حَقِيقَةِ مَعْرِفَتِنَا إِلاَّ مَنْ مَنَّ اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اِرْتَضَاهُ لَنَا وَلِيّاً .