1. We were told by my father, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Yahya al-‘Attar, from Muhammed bin Ahmad, from Ibrahim bin Hashim, from Dawud bin Muhammed al-Nahdi, from some of our companions, that he said: Ibn Abi Sa’eed, the Hirer, entered into the place of al-Rida, Allah’s blessings be upon him, and said to him: Did Allah make your rank reach (the point) that you claim what your father claimed? Then he said to him: What is it with you, may Allah extinguish your light and make poverty enter your home? Have you not known that Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, revealed to Imran, peace be upon him: «Indeed, I am gifting to you a male» and then He gifted to him Mariam, and he gifted to Mariam, Isa, and hence, Isa is from Mariam, and Mariam is from Isa, and Mariam and Isa are one thing? (Similarly) I am from my father, and my father is from me, and I and my father are one thing. Then Ibn Abi Sa’eed said to him: Shall I then ask you about a matter? So he said: I do not assume that you will accept from me, and you are not from my followers, however, bring it. He said: A man said at his death: «Every slave of mine who is old, he is free, for the sake of Allah.» He said: Yes, indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says in His Book: «until it returns (to appear) like the old date stalk.» (36:39) Hence, whomever of his slaves who has reached six months (in time of ownership), he is old, and (is to be) free. He said: Then the man went out and he became poor until he died, and he did not have a sleeping place for (even) a night. May Allah curse him.