سورة مريم

Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him): Fadl ibn Shadhan said: al-Ma'mun asked Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him) to write for him the essence of Islam in brief and concise form. The Imam (peace be upon him) wrote: The essence of Islam is to bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner to Him... and to bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is His servant and His Messenger... and that the guide after the Prophet, and the proof [of Allah] over the believers, and the one who upholds the affairs of the Muslims, and the speaker from the Qur'an, and the knower of the rulings of the Qur'an, and his brother and successor and executor and wali — the one whose station with him was like the station of Harun with Musa (peace be upon him) — is Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and imam of the Allah-fearing and leader of the bright-faced radiant ones, the best of successors and inheritor of the knowledge of the prophets and messengers. And after him, al-Hasan and al-Husayn (peace be upon them), the two masters of the youth of the people of Paradise. Then Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him), then Muhammad ibn Ali (peace be upon him), the opener of the knowledge of the prophets, then Ja'far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon him), inheritor of the knowledge of the successors, then Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him), then Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (peace be upon him), then Muhammad ibn Ali (peace be upon him), then Ali ibn Muhammad (peace be upon him), then al-Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon him), then the Hujjat al-Qa'im al-Muntazar (may Allah hasten his noble relief), the son of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari — the blessings of Allah be upon them all. And I testify for them of the succession and the imamate, and that the earth is never left without a proof of Allah the Exalted over His creation in every age and era, and that they are the firmest handhold and the imams of guidance and the proof over the people of the world until Allah inherits the earth and whoever is upon it (until the end of the world). And whoever opposes them is astray and abandons the truth and guidance.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Zurara said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) summoned Dawud ibn Kathir al-Raqqi, Humran ibn A'yan and Abu Basir; Mufaddal ibn Umar also came, and he brought a group until they numbered thirty men. He said: 'Dawud, uncover the face of Ismail.' He lifted the covering from his face. He said: 'Look closely — is he dead or alive?' He said: 'Master, he is dead.' He showed him to them one by one until they had all seen him. He said: 'O Allah, be a witness.' He ordered that he be washed and shrouded. Then he said: 'Mufaddal, uncover his face and see whether he is alive or dead; all of you look.' He said: 'Master, he is dead.' He said: 'Did you look carefully and observe closely?' They said: 'Yes.' They were astonished at this act of the Imam. He said: 'O Allah, be a witness.' They took him to bury him, and when they placed him in the grave he said: 'Mufaddal, uncover his face.' When he uncovered his face he said: 'Look, see whether he is dead or alive.' He said: 'Master, he is dead.' He said: 'O Allah, be a witness.' … Then he said again: 'This dead man clothed in a shroud who has been buried in this grave — who is he?' We said: 'Ismail.' He said: 'O Allah, bear witness.' Then he took the hand of Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) and said: 'This one is the possessor of the right, and the truth is with him and from him, until Allah inherits the earth and those who are on it.'

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَرِثُ الْأَرْضَ وَ مَنْ عَلَیْها [Surely We inherit the earth and all those who are on it]; whatever Allah has created, He inherits it on the Day of Resurrection.