Hadith 157

(The book) ‘Al Kharaij Wa Al Jaraih’ – It is reported from Al Muazzal Bin Umar who said, ‘When Al-Sadiq-asws fulfilled his-asws bequest regarding the Imamate to Musa Al-Kazim-asws. His-asws brother Abdullah (Al-Aftah) claimed the Imamate, and he was the eldest son of Ja’far-asws during that time of his, and he was well known as Al-Aftah. Musa-asws instructed with gathering firewood in the middle of his-asws house. He-asws sent for his-asws brother Abdullah asking him to come to him-asws. When he came to be in his-asws presence, and there was a group with Musa-asws from faces of the Imamites, and his-asws brother Abdullah sat to him-asws, Musa-asws instructed to make the fire to be in that firewood, all of it. It was ignited, all of it, and the people did not know the reason regarding it, until all of the firewood became embers. Then Musa-asws stood up and sat, along with his-asws clothes, in the midst of the fire, and he-asws went on to discuss with the people of a time. Then he-asws stood up and shook his-asws clothes and returned to the seat. He-asws said to his-asws brother Abdullah: ‘If you were claiming that you are the (real) Imam-asws after your father-asws, then sit in that seat! ’
They said, ‘We saw Abdullah, his colour had changed. He stood up dragging his robes until he went out from the house of Musa-asws’’. [172]
Note: Abdullah Al-Aftah was eldest of his brothers after his brother Ismail, the one who died during the lifetime of his father-asws, and the status of Abdullah in the presence of his father-asws did not happen to be the status of his other brothers regarding the honour, and he was accused regarding the opposing to his father-asws regarding the beliefs. And it is said, he used to mingle with the Hashwiyya (sect) and inclined to the doctrines of the Murjiites, and after his father-asws he claimed the Imamate based upon the age, arguing that he was eldest of his remaining children after him-asws. A group from the companions of Al Sadiq-asws followed him, then most of them retracted from this word. Ibn Hazim said in ‘Al Jamhara’ on page 59, ‘Zurara arrived at Al-Medina and met Abdullah. He asked him questions on jurisprudence. He compiled it at the peak of ignorance, so he retracted from his Imamate. When he left to go to Al-Kufa, his companions came to him and asked him about his and their Imam-asws, and the Quran was in front of him. He indicated them to it and said to them, ‘This is my Imam. There is no Imam for me other than it! ’
Thus, the well-known Shias cut off from Al Aftahiyya (followers of Abdullah Al-Aftah). There remained a small number, from them being Ammas Al-Sabaty, and Musaddiq Bin Sadaqah among others, and they are the well-known as Al-Aftahiyya, attributed to their imam, Abdullah, when he was of broad (Aftah) head, wide, or broad of the legs. And the genealogists have not mentioned any posterity being for Abdullah. And it is said there was a son for him, his name was Hamza, and when Abdullah died, there did not happen to be for him except one daughter. Abdullah Al-Aftah died seventy days after his father-asws, and that was a Protective care of Allah-azwj with His-azwj creatures, the Momineen, when his period was not prolonged so the word would be a lot with his command, and the speakers with his imamate’.