Hadith 297

(The book) ‘Al Kharaij Wa Al Jaraih’ – It is reported by Shueyb who said, ‘I entered to see him (Al-Sadiq-asws). He-asws said to me: ‘Who was your co-traveller? ’ I said, ‘The good, the meritorious Abu Musa Al-Baqqal’. He-asws said: ‘Enjoin good with him, for there are many rights for him upon you. As for first of them, it is what you are upon from the religion of Allah-azwj, and rights of companionship’. I said, ‘If I had the capacity, he would not walk upon the ground (i. e. would make him ride)’. He-asws said: ‘Enjoin good with him’. I said, ‘Besides this, make him suffice with it from you’. He (the narrator) said, ‘We went out until we descended at an encampment in the road called Watqar (a spring near Makkah). We descended at it, and he-asws ordered the servants to suffice the camels with the fodder and prepare food. They did so, and I looked at Abu Musa and there was a water pitcher with him, and he took to this way for performing wud’u, and I awaited, until he fell in a hole in the ground. And the food was ready. The servant said to me, ‘I have prepared the food’. I said, ‘Search for Abu Musa for he had taken to this direction to perform wud’u’. The servants sought him, but they could not find him. I gave Allah-azwj a pact that I will not depart from the place which I was in, for three days. I shall search for him until I have an excuse to Allah-azwj. I hired Bedouins in searching for him and made (a reward) of ten thousand Dirhams to be for the one who comes with him. The Bedouins went in searching for him for three days. When it was the fourth day, the group came to me, and they had despaired form him. They said, ‘O servant of Allah-azwj! We do not view regarding your companion except, and he has been kidnapped in this deadly countryside. More than one has been lost in it, and we view for you that you should depart from it’. When they said these words to me, I departed until we arrived at Al-Kufa and I informed his family with his story. And I went out the following year until I entered to see Abu Abdullah-asws. He-asws said to me: ‘O Shueyb! Did I-asws not instruct you that you should be enjoining good with Musa Al-Baqqal? ’ I said, ‘Yes, but he went where he went’. He-asws said: ‘May Allah-azwj have Mercy on Abu Musa! If you were to see the status of Abu Musa in the Paradise, Allah-azwj would Delight your eyes. There was a rank for Abu Musa in the Presence of Allah-azwj, which he could not achieve except by that which he had been afflicted with’’. [133]