Hadith 52

as collared with a sword, and upon him was a coloured robe above the sword, and he had placed it under his neck with its freshness. The Sheikh, owner of the spear on the right of the road, paused and placed the heel of his spear in the ground, and the two youths paused on the left of the road, and the owner of the robe remained upon the road, facing my father. Then they greeted unto him. He responded the greeting to them. The owner of the robe said to him, ‘Tomorrow you should depart to go to your family’. He said to him, ‘Yes’. He said to him, ‘Go ahead until I see what pains you’. He said, ‘I disliked their touching, and I said (to myself), ‘The people of the valleys hardly every guard against the uncleanness, and I have (just) come out from the water, and my shirt is wet’. Then, along with that, I went ahead to him-ajfj. He-ajfj held me by my hand and pulled me to him-ajfj and went on to touch the two sides from my shoulder until his-ajfj hand hit the sore. He-ajfj squeezed it and pained me. Then he-ajfj sat evenly in the saddle of his-ajfj horse just as he-ajfj had been. The Sheikh said to me, ‘You have succeeded, O Ismail! ’ I was astonished from his having recognised me by my name. I said, ‘May we and you all succeed, if Allah-azwj so Desires! ’ He said, ‘This, he-ajfj is the Imam-ajfj’. He (the narrator) said, ‘I went ahead to him-ajfj. I embraced him-ajfj and kissed his-ajfj thigh. Then he-asws ushered (his-ajfj horse) and I walked with him-ajfj, holding on to him-ajfj. He-ajfj said: ‘Return! ’ I said, ‘I will not separate from you-ajfj, ever! ’ He-ajfj said: ‘The betterment is in your returning’. I reiterated to him-ajfj similar to my first word. The Sheikh said, ‘O Ismail! Are you not ashamed? The Imam-ajfj said to you twice: ‘Return! ’, and you are opposing him-ajfj? ’ He made me beware with this word. I paused, and he-ajfj proceeded a few steps and turned towards me and said: ‘When you arrived at Baghdad, then it is inevitable that Abu Ja’far, meaning the caliph Al-Mustansir, would be seeking you. When you are present in his presence and he gives you something, do not take it, and say to our-ajfj son Al-Razy to write for you to Ali Bin Awiz, for I-ajfj shall advise him to give you that which you want’. Then he-ajfj travelled, and his-ajfj companions were with him-ajfj. I did not cease to be standing, looking at them, until they were distant, and regret came to me due to my separation from him-ajfj. I sat on the ground for a time, then I walked to the Shrine. The custodians gathered around me and said, ‘We see your face to have changed! Is something paining you? ’ I said, ‘No’. They said, ‘Did anyone dispute with you? ’
I said, ‘No! There is no news with me from what you are saying. But I shall ask you all. Do you know the horsemen, those who were in your presence? ’ They said, ‘They are from the nobl