MUHAMMAD’S TALKING DONKEY

 

MUHAMMAD’S TALKING ASS

According to one of the most authentic collections of Shia hadiths, Muhammad had a talking ass who narrated a tradition from a long chain of talking asses. All emphasis is mine.

Ḥadīth #9: 627

9ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ شَبَابٍ الصَّيْرَفِيِّ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله  قَالَ لَمَّا حَضَرَتْ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ الْوَفَاةُ دَعَا الْعَبَّاسَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَأَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ  فَقَالَ لِلْعَبَّاسِ يَا عَمَّ مُحَمَّدٍ تَأْخُذُ تُرَاثَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَتَقْضِي دَيْنَهُ وَتُنْجِزُ عِدَاتِهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ الله بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي إِنِّي شَيْخٌ كَثِيرُ الْعِيَالِ قَلِيلُ الْمَالِ مَنْ يُطِيقُكَ وَأَنْتَ تُبَارِي الرِّيحَ قَالَ فَأَطْرَقَ ﷺ هُنَيْئَةً ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عَبَّاسُ أَ تَأْخُذُ تُرَاثَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَتُنْجِزُ عِدَاتِهِ وَتَقْضِي دَيْنَهُ فَقَالَ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي شَيْخٌ كَثِيرُ الْعِيَالِ قَلِيلُ الْمَالِ وَأَنْتَ تُبَارِي الرِّيحَ قَالَ أَمَا إِنِّي سَأُعْطِيهَا مَنْ يَأْخُذُهَا بِحَقِّهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عَلِيُّ يَا أَخَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَ تُنْجِزُ عِدَاتِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَتَقْضِي دَيْنَهُ وَتَقْبِضُ تُرَاثَهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي ذَاكَ عَلَيَّ وَلِي قَالَ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى نَزَعَ خَاتَمَهُ مِنْ إِصْبَعِهِ فَقَالَ تَخَتَّمْ بِهَذَا فِي حَيَاتِي قَالَ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى الْخَاتَمِ حِينَ وَضَعْتُهُ فِي إِصْبَعِي فَتَمَنَّيْتُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مَا تَرَكَ الْخَاتَمَ ثُمَّ صَاحَ يَا بِلالُ عَلَيَّ بِالْمِغْفَرِ وَالدِّرْعِ وَالرَّايَةِ وَالْقَمِيصِ وَذِي الْفَقَارِ وَالسَّحَابِ وَالْبُرْدِ وَالابْرَقَةِ وَالْقَضِيبِ قَالَ فَوَ الله مَا رَأَيْتُهَا غَيْرَ سَاعَتِي تِلْكَ يَعْنِي الابْرَقَةَ فَجِي‏ءَ بِشِقَّةٍ كَادَتْ تَخْطَفُ الابْصَارَ فَإِذَا هِيَ مِنْ أَبْرُقِ الْجَنَّةِ فَقَالَ يَا عَلِيُّ إِنَّ جَبْرَئِيلَ أَتَانِي بِهَا وَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ اجْعَلْهَا فِي حَلْقَةِ الدِّرْعِ وَاسْتَذْفِرْ بِهَا مَكَانَ الْمِنْطَقَةِ ثُمَّ دَعَا بِزَوْجَيْ نِعَالٍ عَرَبِيَّيْنِ جَمِيعاً أَحَدُهُمَا مَخْصُوفٌ وَالاخَرُ غَيْرُ مَخْصُوفٍ وَالْقَمِيصَيْنِ الْقَمِيصِ الَّذِي أُسْرِيَ بِهِ فِيهِ وَالْقَمِيصِ الَّذِي خَرَجَ فِيهِ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ وَالْقَلانِسِ الثَّلاثِ قَلَنْسُوَةِ السَّفَرِ وَقَلَنْسُوَةِ الْعِيدَيْنِ وَالْجُمَعِ وَقَلَنْسُوَةٍ كَانَ يَلْبَسُهَا وَيَقْعُدُ مَعَ أَصْحَابِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا بِلالُ عَلَيَّ بِالْبَغْلَتَيْنِ الشَّهْبَاءِ وَالدُّلْدُلِ وَالنَّاقَتَيْنِ الْعَضْبَاءِ وَالْقَصْوَاءِ وَالْفَرَسَيْنِ الْجَنَاحِ كَانَتْ تُوقَفُ بِبَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ لِحَوَائِجِ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ يَبْعَثُ الرَّجُلَ فِي حَاجَتِهِ فَيَرْكَبُهُ فَيَرْكُضُهُ فِي حَاجَةِ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ وَحَيْزُومٍ وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَانَ يَقُولُ أَقْدِمْ حَيْزُومُ وَالْحِمَارِ عُفَيْرٍ فَقَالَ اقْبِضْهَا فِي حَيَاتِي فَذَكَرَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ  أَنَّ أَوَّلَ شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ تُوُفِّيَ عُفَيْرٌ سَاعَةَ قُبِضَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ قَطَعَ خِطَامَهُ ثُمَّ مَرَّ يَرْكُضُ حَتَّى أَتَى بِئْرَ بَنِي خَطْمَةَ بِقُبَا فَرَمَى بِنَفْسِهِ فِيهَا فَكَانَتْ قَبْرَهُ وَرُوِيَ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ  قَالَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ الْحِمَارَ كَلَّمَ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ فَقَالَ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي إِنَّ أَبِي حَدَّثَنِي عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مَعَ نُوحٍ فِي السَّفِينَةِ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ نُوحٌ فَمَسَحَ عَلَى كَفَلِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ صُلْبِ هَذَا الْحِمَارِ حِمَارٌ يَرْكَبُهُ سَيِّدُ النَّبِيِّينَ وَخَاتَمُهُمْ فَالْحَمْدُ لله الَّذِي جَعَلَنِي ذَلِكَ الْحِمَارَ.

9. Muhammad ibn al-Husayn and Ali ibn Muhammad from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Walid Shabab al-Sayrafi from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from Abi ‘Abdillah  who has said the following “When the Messenger of Allah was about to die, he called to him al-‘Abbas Bbn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and Amir al-Mu’minin . He said to al-‘Abbas, “O uncle of Muhammad, will you inherit the legacy of Muhammad, pay his debts and fulfill his promises and commitments?” He responded, “O the Messenger of Allah, may Allah take my soul and the souls of my parents in service for your cause, I am an old man with a large number of dependents, with very little belongings while in generosity compete the winds.” He (the Messenger of Allah) said, “I will give them away to whoever would want them along with its rights and responsibilities.” Then he (s.a.) said, “O Ali, brother of Muhammad, will you pay off the liabilities of Muhammad, pay off his debt and take possession of his legacy?” He said, “Yes, May Allah take my soul and the soul of my parents in service for your cause, it is my responsibility and in my favor” He has said, “I looked at him and saw him take off even his ring from his finger and said to me: Wear this ring in my lifetime.” He (Ali) has said, “I looked at the ring when I wore it on my finger and wished to have it out of all his properties.” He then called upon Bilal loudly, “Bring me my helmet, the coat of arms, the flag, the Shirt, the Dhulfaqar (famous sword), al-Sahab, (the Turban) al-Burd, (the cloth), al-Abraqa, (the belt) and the staff.”

Ali has said, “I had never before seen that belt. When it was brought its shine would almost take away one’s sight. It was of the belts of paradise.” He (the Messenger of Allah) then said, “O Ali, Jibril brought this for me and said, “O Muhammad, place it in the ring of the coat of arms and use it as a belt around your midsection. Then he asked that the two pairs of Arabian shoves be brought to him along with the shirt. One of them was already stitched and the other was not yet stitched. It was the shirt with which he take for the ’Isra’ (the night journey), the shirt while wearing it he came out on the day of ’Uhud. Three caps were brought, the cap used while on a journey, the cap used on the ‘Id days and the cap used on Fridays. Also the cap that was used during his meeting with his companions was brought to him.” Then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, “O Bilal, bring to us the two mules, the gray one and Dul dul and the two camels, al-Ghadba’ and al-Qaswa’ and the two horses.” Al-Janah would be kept near the door of the Mosque in case the Messenger of Allah needed it. Whenever he would need anything he would let a man ride on it to go for the task and the horse would run for the needs of the Messenger of Allah. Also Hayzum was brought to him, the donkey called ‘Ufayr were brought to him. He then said, “Take possession of these in my lifetime.” Amir al-Mu’minin has said, “The first one of the animals died was ‘Ufayr who died at within the same hour that the Messenger of Allah died. He broke off his bound until he began to run until he came to the well of Bani Khatma in Qiba and threw himself into it and it became his grave.” It is narrated that Amir al-Mu’minin has said, “That donkey spoke to the Messenger of Allah saying: May Allah take my soul and the soul of my parents in service for your cause, my father related to me from his father from his grandfather from his father who lived with Noah in the Ark. Once Noah came to him and whipped him on his back and said: “From the descendents of this donkey there will a donkey on whose back the master and the last of the prophets will ride.” I thank Allah who has made me that donkey.

Sahih al-Kafi Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/44) Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Al-Kāfi – Volume 1, Book 4, Chapter #38, The Armaments and Sacred Items belonging to the Holy Prophet that transferred to the Imam )