Kamaaluddin wa Tamaamun Ni’ma Vol. 2

Chapter 46: Longevity

1 - Narrated to us Muhammad bin Hasan bin Ahmad bin Walid (r.a.) that he said: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Hasan Saffar from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa from Ali bin Hakam from Hisham bin Saalim from As-Sadiq Ja’far bin Muhammad (a.s.) that he said:

“Prophet Nuh (a.s.) lived for 2500 years out of which 850 years was before proclaiming his prophethood and he propagated faith to his nation for 950 years. After deluge he disembarked from the Ark and lived for another 700 years during which his children lived on the earth. Then one the day the angel of death visited him when he was standing in the sun. The angel greeted him: Peace be on you.

He responded to the greeting, then asked: What is the purpose of your visit, O angel of death? The angel said: I have come to capture your soul. Nuh (a.s.) said: Will you allow me to come to the shade? The angel said: All right. Nuh (a.s.) came into the shade and said: O angel of death, I feel the duration of my life was as much as the time it took me to come from the sun into the shade. Now you may do as you are commanded. The narrator says: Then the angel captures the soul of Nuh (a.s.).”

2 - Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ali Majilaway (r.a.): Narrated to us Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar from Husain bin Hasan bin Aban from Muhammad bin Uramata that: Narrated to me Saeed bin Junah from Ayyub Ibne Rashid from a man from Abi Abdullah (a.s.) that he said:

“The lifespan of each person of the nation of Nuh (a.s.) was of three hundred years.”

3 - Narrated to us my father: Narrated to us Ahmad bin Idrees Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar, all of them said: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Yahya that: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Yusuf Tamimi from Ja’far bin Muhammad from his father from his grandfather (a.s.) from the Messenger of Allah (S) that he said:

“Father of humanity, Adam, lived for 930 years. Prophet Nuh (a.s.) had a lifespan of 2450 years. Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) 175 years. Prophet Ismail (a.s.) 120 years. Prophet Ishaq (a.s.) 180 years. Prophet Yaqoob (a.s.) 120 years. Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) 120 years. Prophet Musa (a.s.) 126 years. Prophet Harun (a.s.) 133 years. Prophet Dawood (a.s.) 100 years out which he was the king for 40 years and Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.) lived for 712 years.”

4 - Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ali bin Bashshar Qazwini (r.a.): Narrated to us Abul Faraj Muzaffar bin Ahmad: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ja’far Kufi: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ismail Barmaki: Narrated to us Hasan bin Muhammad Salih Bazzaz that he said: I heard Hasan bin Ali Askari (a.s.) say:

“After me, my son will be the Qaim through whose long lifespan and occultation the practice of the prophets will be repeated. His occultation will so much prolonged that the hearts of the people will; harden no one will remain steadfast on religion except those on whose hearts Allah, the Mighty and Sublime has inscribed faith and those who would be helped by Ruhul Qudus.”

5 - Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ahmad Shaibani (r.a.) that he said: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Abi Abdullah Kufi from Musa bin Imran Nakhai from his uncle Husain bin Yazid Naufali from Hamza bin Humran from his father Humran bin Ayyan from Saeed bin Jubair that he said: I heard the Chief of the Worshippers Ali bin Husain (a.s.) say:

“In the Qaim is resemblance to Prophet Nuh (a.s.) and that is a long lifespan.”

6 - Narrated to us my father that: Narrated to us Ali bin Ibrahim bin Hashim from his father from Muhammad bin Abi Umair from Hisham bin Saalim from As-Sadiq Ja’far bin Muhammad (a.s.) that he said relating the story of Prophet Dawood (a.s.):

“One day Prophet Dawood (a.s.) came out of the house reciting the Zaboor. And when he recited the Zaboor, there was no mountain, no stone and no bird that did not join him in his recitation. Finally he reached a hill on top of which lived a worshipper named Hizqil. When this man heard the mountains, stones and birds reciting the Zaboor he understood that Prophet Dawood (a.s.) was approaching.

Prophet Dawood (a.s.) said: O Hizqil, allow me also to join you on the hill. He replied: No. On being refused the permission Prophet Dawood (a.s.) began to weep. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime revealed to Hizqil to allow Prophet Dawood (a.s.) and to seek His forgiveness. So he held the hand of Prophet Dawood and brought him to the top. Prophet Dawood (a.s.) said: O Hizqil, do you ever feel like committing a sin? He replied: No. He asked: Do you ever feel desirous of worldly pleasures and vices?

He said: Sometimes I feel the urge. He asked: Then what do you do? He said: I go into this cave and by looking at that which is in the cave I obtain lesson from it. So Prophet Dawood (a.s.) entered the cave and saw a throne made of iron on which was a skeleton, and an iron plate was attached to it. Dawood (a.s.) saw the following written on it:

‘I am Urwah bin Salam. I ruled for 1000 years, constructed 1000 cities, married 1000 times and the gist of my whole life is that today I have turned to dust. I am the diet of worms and insects. Thus one who sees me should not desire the world.’”