٣ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا الْقُمِّيِّينَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَامِرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ غَانِمٍ الْهِنْدِيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ بِمَدِينَةِ الْهِنْدِ الْمَعْرُوفَةِ بِقِشْمِيرَ الدَّاخِلَةِ وَأَصْحَابٌ لِي يَقْعُدُونَ عَلَى كَرَاسِيَّ عَنْ يَمِينِ الْمَلِكِ أَرْبَعُونَ رَجُلاً كُلُّهُمْ يَقْرَأُ الْكُتُبَ الارْبَعَةَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالانْجِيلَ وَالزَّبُورَ وَصُحُفَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ نَقْضِي بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَنُفَقِّهُهُمْ فِي دِينِهِمْ وَنُفْتِيهِمْ فِي حَلالِهِمْ وَحَرَامِهِمْ يَفْزَعُ النَّاسُ إِلَيْنَا الْمَلِكُ فَمَنْ دُونَهُ فَتَجَارَيْنَا ذِكْرَ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقُلْنَا هَذَا النَّبِيُّ الْمَذْكُورُ فِي الْكُتُبِ قَدْ خَفِيَ عَلَيْنَا أَمْرُهُ وَيَجِبُ عَلَيْنَا الْفَحْصُ عَنْهُ وَطَلَبُ أَثَرِهِ وَاتَّفَقَ رَأْيُنَا وَتَوَافَقْنَا عَلَى أَنْ أَخْرُجَ فَأَرْتَادَ لَهُمْ فَخَرَجْتُ وَمَعِي مَالٌ جَلِيلٌ فَسِرْتُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ شَهْراً حَتَّى قَرُبْتُ مِنْ كَابُلَ فَعَرَضَ لِي قَوْمٌ مِنَ التُّرْكِ فَقَطَعُوا عَلَيَّ وَأَخَذُوا مَالِي وَجُرِحْتُ جِرَاحَاتٍ شَدِيدَةً وَدُفِعْتُ إِلَى مَدِينَةِ كَابُلَ فَأَنْفَذَنِي مَلِكُهَا لَمَّا وَقَفَ عَلَى خَبَرِي إِلَى مَدِينَةِ بَلْخَ وَعَلَيْهَا إِذْ ذَاكَ دَاوُدُ بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ أَبِي الاسْوَدِ فَبَلَغَهُ خَبَرِي وَأَنِّي خَرَجْتُ مُرْتَاداً مِنَ الْهِنْدِ وَتَعَلَّمْتُ الْفَارِسِيَّةَ وَنَاظَرْتُ الْفُقَهَاءَ وَأَصْحَابَ الْكَلامِ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ دَاوُدُ بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ فَأَحْضَرَنِي مَجْلِسَهُ وَجَمَعَ عَلَيَّ الْفُقَهَاءَ فَنَاظَرُونِي فَأَعْلَمْتُهُمْ أَنِّي خَرَجْتُ مِنْ بَلَدِي أَطْلُبُ هَذَا النَّبِيَّ الَّذِي وَجَدْتُهُ فِي الْكُتُبِ فَقَالَ لِي مَنْ هُوَ وَمَا اسْمُهُ فَقُلْتُ مُحَمَّدٌ فَقَالُوا هُوَ نَبِيُّنَا الَّذِي تَطْلُبُ فَسَأَلْتُهُمْ عَنْ شَرَائِعِهِ فَأَعْلَمُونِي فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً نَبِيٌّ وَلا أَعْلَمُهُ هَذَا الَّذِي تَصِفُونَ أَمْ لا فَأَعْلِمُونِي مَوْضِعَهُ لاقْصِدَهُ فَأُسَائِلَهُ عَنْ عَلامَاتٍ عِنْدِي وَدَلالاتٍ فَإِنْ كَانَ صَاحِبِيَ الَّذِي طَلَبْتُ آمَنْتُ بِهِ فَقَالُوا قَدْ مَضَى (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقُلْتُ فَمَنْ وَصِيُّهُ وَخَلِيفَتُهُ فَقَالُوا أَبُو بَكْرٍ قُلْتُ فَسَمُّوهُ لِي فَإِنَّ هَذِهِ كُنْيَتُهُ قَالُوا عَبْدُ الله بْنُ عُثْمَانَ وَنَسَبُوهُ إِلَى قُرَيْشٍ قُلْتُ فَانْسُبُوا لِي مُحَمَّداً نَبِيَّكُمْ فَنَسَبُوهُ لِي فَقُلْتُ لَيْسَ هَذَا صَاحِبِيَ الَّذِي طَلَبْتُ صَاحِبِيَ الَّذِي أَطْلُبُهُ خَلِيفَتُهُ أَخُوهُ فِي الدِّينِ وَابْنُ عَمِّهِ فِي النَّسَبِ وَزَوْجُ ابْنَتِهِ وَأَبُو وُلْدِهِ لَيْسَ لِهَذَا النَّبِيِّ ذُرِّيَّةٌ عَلَى الارْضِ غَيْرُ وُلْدِ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَلِيفَتُهُ قَالَ فَوَثَبُوا بِي وَقَالُوا أَيُّهَا الامِيرُ إِنَّ هَذَا قَدْ خَرَجَ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ إِلَى الْكُفْرِ هَذَا حَلالُ الدَّمِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ يَا قَوْمُ أَنَا رَجُلٌ مَعِي دِينٌ مُتَمَسِّكٌ بِهِ لا أُفَارِقُهُ حَتَّى أَرَى مَا هُوَ أَقْوَى مِنْهُ إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ صِفَةَ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فِي الْكُتُبِ الَّتِي أَنْزَلَهَا الله عَلَى أَنْبِيَائِهِ وَإِنَّمَا خَرَجْتُ مِنْ بِلادِ الْهِنْدِ وَمِنَ الْعِزِّ الَّذِي كُنْتُ فِيهِ طَلَباً لَهُ فَلَمَّا فَحَصْتُ عَنْ أَمْرِ صَاحِبِكُمُ الَّذِي ذَكَرْتُمْ لَمْ يَكُنِ النَّبِيَّ الْمَوْصُوفَ فِي الْكُتُبِ فَكَفُّوا عَنِّي وَبَعَثَ الْعَامِلُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِشْكِيبَ فَدَعَاهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ نَاظِرْ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ الْهِنْدِيَّ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْحُسَيْنُ أَصْلَحَكَ الله عِنْدَكَ الْفُقَهَاءُ وَالْعُلَمَاءُ وَهُمْ أَعْلَمُ وَأَبْصَرُ بِمُنَاظَرَتِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ نَاظِرْهُ كَمَا أَقُولُ لَكَ وَاخْلُ بِهِ وَالْطُفْ لَهُ فَقَالَ لِيَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِشْكِيبَ بَعْدَ مَا فَاوَضْتُهُ إِنَّ صَاحِبَكَ الَّذِي تَطْلُبُهُ هُوَ النَّبِيُّ الَّذِي وَصَفَهُ هَؤُلاءِ وَلَيْسَ الامْرُ فِي خَلِيفَتِهِ كَمَا قَالُوا هَذَا النَّبِيُّ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَوَصِيُّهُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَهُوَ زَوْجُ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَبُو الْحَسَنِ وَالْحُسَيْنِ سِبْطَيْ مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قَالَ غَانِمٌ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ فَقُلْتُ الله أَكْبَرُ هَذَا الَّذِي طَلَبْتُ فَانْصَرَفْتُ إِلَى دَاوُدَ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَيُّهَا الامِيرُ وَجَدْتُ مَا طَلَبْتُ وَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ الله قَالَ فَبَرَّنِي وَوَصَلَنِي وَقَالَ لِلْحُسَيْنِ تَفَقَّدْهُ قَالَ فَمَضَيْتُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى آنَسْتُ بِهِ وَفَقَّهَنِي فِيمَا احْتَجْتُ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الصَّلاةِ وَالصِّيَامِ وَالْفَرَائِضِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّا نَقْرَأُ فِي كُتُبِنَا أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ لا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ وَأَنَّ الامْرَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ إِلَى وَصِيِّهِ وَوَارِثِهِ وَخَلِيفَتِهِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ ثُمَّ إِلَى الْوَصِيِّ بَعْدَ الْوَصِيِّ لا يَزَالُ أَمْرُ الله جَارِياً فِي أَعْقَابِهِمْ حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ الدُّنْيَا فَمَنْ وَصِيُّ وَصِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ الْحَسَنُ ثُمَّ الْحُسَيْنُ ابْنَا مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) ثُمَّ سَاقَ الامْرَ فِي الْوَصِيَّةِ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى صَاحِبِ الزَّمَانِ (عجل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف) ثُمَّ أَعْلَمَنِي مَا حَدَثَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِي هِمَّةٌ إِلا طَلَبُ النَّاحِيَةِ فَوَافَى قُمَّ وَقَعَدَ مَعَ أَصْحَابِنَا فِي سَنَةِ أَرْبَعٍ وَسِتِّينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ وَخَرَجَ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى وَافَى بَغْدَادَ وَمَعَهُ رَفِيقٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ السِّنْدِ كَانَ صَحِبَهُ عَلَى الْمَذْهَبِ قَالَ فَحَدَّثَنِي غَانِمٌ قَالَ. وَأَنْكَرْتُ مِنْ رَفِيقِي بَعْضَ أَخْلاقِهِ فَهَجَرْتُهُ وَخَرَجْتُ حَتَّى سِرْتُ إِلَى الْعَبَّاسِيَّةِ أَتَهَيَّأُ لِلصَّلاةِ وَأُصَلِّي وَإِنِّي لَوَاقِفٌ مُتَفَكِّرٌ فِيمَا قَصَدْتُ لِطَلَبِهِ إِذَا أَنَا بِ‏آتٍ قَدْ أَتَانِي فَقَالَ أَنْتَ فُلانٌ اسْمُهُ بِالْهِنْدِ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ أَجِبْ مَوْلاكَ فَمَضَيْتُ مَعَهُ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يَتَخَلَّلُ بِيَ الطُّرُقَ حَتَّى أَتَى دَاراً وَبُسْتَاناً فَإِذَا أَنَا بِهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) جَالِسٌ فَقَالَ مَرْحَباً يَا فُلانُ بِكَلامِ الْهِنْدِ كَيْفَ حَالُكَ وَكَيْفَ خَلَّفْتَ فُلاناً وَفُلاناً حَتَّى عَدَّ الارْبَعِينَ كُلَّهُمْ فَسَأَلَنِي عَنْهُمْ وَاحِداً وَاحِداً ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَنِي بِمَا تَجَارَيْنَا كُلُّ ذَلِكَ بِكَلامِ الْهِنْدِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَحُجَّ مَعَ أَهْلِ قُمَّ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا سَيِّدِي فَقَالَ لا تَحُجَّ مَعَهُمْ وَانْصَرِفْ سَنَتَكَ هَذِهِ وَحُجَّ فِي قَابِلٍ ثُمَّ أَلْقَى إِلَيَّ صُرَّةً كَانَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ لِيَ اجْعَلْهَا نَفَقَتَكَ وَلا تَدْخُلْ إِلَى بَغْدَادَ إِلَى فُلانٍ سَمَّاهُ وَلا تُطْلِعْهُ عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ وَانْصَرِفْ إِلَيْنَا إِلَى الْبَلَدِ ثُمَّ وَافَانَا بَعْضُ الْفُيُوجِ فَأَعْلَمُونَا أَنَّ أَصْحَابَنَا انْصَرَفُوا مِنَ الْعَقَبَةِ وَمَضَى نَحْوَ خُرَاسَانَ فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي قَابِلٍ حَجَّ وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا بِهَدِيَّةٍ مِنْ طُرَفِ خُرَاسَانَ فَأَقَامَ بِهَا مُدَّةً ثُمَّ مَاتَ رَحِمَهُ الله.
3. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from more then one person of our people of Qumm from Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-‘Amiri from abu Sa‘id Ghanim al-Hindi who has said the following. “I lived in interior Kashmir, India. My friends would sit on chairs on the right and left of the King. They were forty people and all of them would read the four books, Torah, Gospel, Psalms and the books of Abraham. We would judge among the people and provide them understanding of their religion and issue fatwas for them in the lawful and unlawful matters. All people would seek assistance from us including their King. Once we discussed about the Messenger of Allah and said that this prophet who is mentioned in the books has remained obscure to us. We must investigate about him and lead a fact finding task in his affairs. We agreed that I should go out and lead the fact finding task. I then left out with large amount of money and journeyed for twelve months until I reach near Kabul. Turkish bandits rubbed wounded me seriously. They pushed me to Kabul where their King saved me when he learned about me he sent me to Balkh which was under the control of Dawud ibn al-‘Abbass ibn abu al-Aswad. Information about me had reached him that I have come out of India in search for religion and that I have learned Persian and have debated the scholars of law and theology. Dawud ibn al-‘Abbass sent for me and summoned me to his presence. He gathered the scholars of law against me. They debated me. I then informed them that I have come to find about the prophet about whom we have learned in the books” He asked, “Who is he and what is his name?” I said, “His name is Muhammad.” They said, “He is our prophet that you search for.” I asked them about his laws and they informed me about them. I said, “I know that Muhammad is the prophet but I do not know the one you describe to me is he or not. You should show where he is so I can go and find out whether the signs that I have about him is found in him or not. If he would the one I am looking for I will accept his religion.” They said, “He has passed away.” I asked them, “Who is the executor of his will and his successor?” They said, “Abu Bakr is his successor.” I asked them, “Tell me about his name. Is this (Abu Bakr) his Kunya?” They said, “It is ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Uthman.” They ascribed him to Quraysh.” I then asked them to tell me about the genealogy of Muhammad. They informed me of his genealogy. I said this is not the person I am looking for. The one I am searching for is the one whose successor is his brother in religion and his cousin genealogically, the husband of his daughter and the father of his sons. This prophet will have no children on earth except the sons of this man who is his successor.” He has said that they attacked me and said, “O commander, this man has come out polytheism and has entered disbelief. It is lawful to spill his blood.” I said to them, “O people I already have a religion and I strongly believe in it. I do not want to give it up until I can find a religion stronger than this. I have found the description of this man in the books that Allah has revealed to His prophets. I came out of my country, India leaving behind all the honor and respect that I had only to find him. When examined your prophet the way you described him to me I found out that his description as you presented does not match the description of the prophet mentioned in the books. So leave me alone.” The agent sent for a man called al-Husayn ibn Eshkib and said to him, “Debate this Indian man.” He said, “May Allah grant you well being. There are the scholars of the law and the other scholars. They know better how to debate him.” He said to him, “Debate him as I say, and you can meet privately and be kind to him.” Al-Husayn ibn Eshkib said to me after our consultations, “The prophet that you are looking for is the one these people have described for you but their description of his successor is not the way they have described. This prophet is Muhammad ibn‘Abdallah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. His successor is Ali ibn abu Talib  ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. He is the husband of Fatema, daughter of Muhammad (s.a) and the father of al-Hassan and al-Husayn, the grandsons of Muhammad (s.a).” Ghanim abu Sa‘id has said, “I then said, “Allahu Akbar.” (Allah is great). This is the one I have been looking for.” I then returned to Dawud ibn al-‘Abbass and said to him, “O commander, I have found what I was searching for. I testify that there is no lord besides Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” The narrator has said that he treated and helped me with kindness and asked al-Husayn to look after me.” The narrator has said that thereafter I went to him until we were acquainted properly and he taught me understanding of the law of the matters that I needed such as prayer, fasting and the obligations.” The narrator has said that I said to him, “We read in our books that Muhammad (s.a) is the last of the prophets and there will be no other prophets after him. The task of leadership after him will be with the executor of his will, his successors and heirs and thereafter it will be with the executor of the will of the previous one and so on in their descendants until the end of the world. Who is the executor of the will of the executor of the will of Muhammad (s.a) ?” He said, “They are al-Hassan then al-Husayn the grandsons of Muhammad (s.a).” He then continued speaking of the executors of the will of the Holy Prophet (s.a) until the Sahib al-Zaman (the one who possesses Divine Authority today). Then he explained to me what had happened (with the Imams). Thereafter I hand no other goal but to search for the holy location. He (‘Amiri) has said that he came to us in Qumm. He sat with our people in the year two hundred sixty four AH. He then left with them and arrived in Baghdad with his friend from al-Sind who had accompanied him in religion. ‘Amiri has said that Ghanim said to me, “I disliked certain things about my companion and I departed him and went out to al-‘Abbassia and prepared my self for prayer. I began the prayer but I was anxious and thoughtful about my goal. At this time someone came to me and called me with my Indian name. I replied, “Yes, it is I.” He said, “Your master is calling you.” I went with him and he would walk from this to that street until he came to house and a garden and I saw him  sitting.” He said, “Well come, O so and so, in Inddian language. How are you? How was so and so until he mentioned all the forty people. He then asked me about every and each of them. Then he told all that had happened among us all in Indian language. Then he asked, “Did you want to perform Hajj with people of Qumm?” I said, “Yes, my master.” He then said, “Do not go to Hajj with them this year. Go back and perform Hajj in future.” He then gave me a bag of money that was in front of him and said to me, “Spend it for your needs and do not go to Baghdad to so and so.” He mentioned his name and said, “Do not tell him anything.” ‘Amiri has said that he came to us at Qumm. He then informed us of the triumph and that our people had returned from al-‘Aqaba. Ghanim went ‘Uthman Khurasan. Next year he went for Hajj and sent us souvenirs from Khurasan. He lived there for sometimes and then he died. May Allah grant him blessings.”