أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن أبيه، عن حماد، عن حريز، عن زرارة، قال: سألت أبا جعفر عليه السلام: هل سئل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله عن الأطفال. فقال: قد سئل فقال: الله أعلم بما كانوا عاملين. ثم قال: يا زرارة هل تدري ما قوله: " الله أعلم بما كانوا عاملين "؟ قال: لا قال: الله عز وجل فيهم المشيئة، إنه إذا كان يوم القيامة أتى بالأطفال، والشيخ الكبير الذي قد أدرك السن ولم يعقل من الكبر و الخرف، والذي مات في الفترة بين النبيين، والمجنون والأبله الذي لا يعقل، فكل واحد [منهم] يحتج على الله عز وجل فيبعث الله تعالى إليهم ملكا من الملائكة فيؤجج نارا فيقول: إن ربكم يأمركم أن تثبوا فيها فمن وثب فيها كانت عليه بردا وسلاما، ومن عصاه سيق إلى النار.
86.	My father, may Allah grant him mercy, said: We were told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, from Ahmad bin Muhammed, from his father, from Hammad, from Huraiz, from Zurara, that he said: I asked Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him: Was the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, asked about children? He said: He was certainly asked, and he said: Allah is more knowledgeable of what they are to do. He then said: O Zurara, do you know what is (the meaning of) his saying: «Allah is more knowledgeable of what they are to do»? He said: No. He said: To Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, is the will with regards to them. Indeed, when the Day of Resurrection will be, to Him will children be brought, and so will an old man who had reached an old age and does not rationalize due to aging and senility, and the one who dies in a period in which there are two Prophets, and the insane and the fool who does not rationalize. All of them will argue against Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, to which Allah, Exalted is He, will send to them an Angel from the Angels who will stir up a fire and say: Indeed, your Lord is commanding you to stay firm in it. Then, those who stay in it, it will be cold and a cause of peace to him, and those who disobey him will be dragged to the Fire.