552. Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, and Abu Ali Al-Ashary, from Muhammad Bin Abdul Jabbar, together from Ali Bin Hadeed, from Jameel, from Zurara, who has narrated the following: Abu Ja’far said, ‘Humran asked him , ‘May Allah (azwj) Make me to be sacrificed for you ! If you were to narrate to us when this Matter (Al-Qaim ) is to take place, it would make us happy’. He said: ‘O Humran! You have friends, and brothers, and people whom you know. There used to be a scholar in the past, and he had a son who was never interested in the knowledge of his father, and did not ask him about anything, and they had a neighbour who used to come over and ask him, and take (knowledge) from him. The death presented itself to the man, so he called his son and said, ‘O my son! You have kept yourself away from what was in my possession, and had very little interest in it, and you never used to ask me about anything, whilst I had a neighbour who used to come to me, and ask me, and take (knowledge) from me, and memorise it from me. So now if you ever need anything, go to him. He introduced his neighbour to him. The man died, and his son remained. The king of that era saw a dream, so he asked around for the man. It was said to him that he had died. So the king said, ‘Did he leave a son?’ It was said to him, ‘Yes, he left a son’. So he said, ‘Bring him to me’. They went to him in order to bring him to the king. The boy said, ‘By Allah (azwj), I do not know why the king has called me, and there is no knowledge with me, and if he were to ask me about something, I would be disgraced’. He remembered what his father has bequeathed to him, so he came to the man who used to take the knowledge from his father. He said to him, ‘The king has sent for me to ask me, and I do not know why he has sent for me, and my father had ordered me that I should come to you if I ever have a need for anything’. The man said, ‘But I know very well with regards to what he has sent for you. So, if I were to inform you, then whatsoever that Allah (azwj) Brings out to you, so it would be (divided) between you and me’. He said, ‘Yes’. He took an oath from him and made a binding agreement with the boy. He said, ‘He wants to ask you about a dream that he saw, as to which era it relates to? So you should say to him, ‘This is the era of the wolf’. The boy went to him, and the king said to him, ‘Do you know why I sent for you?’ He said, ‘You sent for me intending to ask me about a dream that you saw, as to which era it relates to’. The king said, ‘You speak the truth, so inform me as to which era it relates to’. He said to him, ‘The era of the wolf’. So he ordered for an award to be given to him, and the boy grabbed it and left to go to his house. He refused to be loyal to his companion and said (to himself), ‘I will not hand over this wealth, and will consume it until I die, and there is no need for me, nor will I ever have to ask him about anything similar to what I have already asked him’. So that (situation) prevailed for as long as Allah (azwj) Desired it to. Then the king saw (another) dream, so he sent for the boy. He regretted at what he had done and said, ‘By Allah (azwj), there is no knowledge with me that I can give, and I do not know how to deal with my companion, and I have betrayed him, and never apologised to him’. Then said, ‘Let me go to him in any case and present excuses to him, hopefully he will inform me’. So he came and said to him, ‘I have done what I have done, and never apologised to you for what happened between I and you, and that which was in my hands has gone, and I have now got a need from you’. So adjure me to Allah (azwj) and do not abandon me, and I am a reliable one for you, that nothing will be given to me except that it would be (divided) between you and me. And the king has sent for me and I do not know what he will be asking me’. So he said, ‘He intends to ask you about a dream he saw, as to which era it relates to, so say to him, ‘It is for the era of the ram’. So he went to the king who said, ‘Do you know why I have sent for you?’ He said, ‘You saw a dream and you want to ask me as to which era it relates to’. So he said to him, ‘You have spoken the truth, so tell me which era this is for?’ He said, ‘This is for the era of the ram’. So he ordered a reward for him. The boy grabbed it and left for his house, and he was pondering whether he should be loyal to his companion, or whether he should not be loyal to him. Sometimes he thought that he should do it, sometimes he thought that he should not do it. Then he said (to himself), ‘I will have no need for him anymore after this time ever’, and opted for the betrayal and leave the loyalty. So that (situation) prevailed for as long as Allah (azwj) Desired it to. Then the king saw (another) dream, so he sent for him. He regretted at what he had done regarding what was between himself and his companion and said (to himself), ‘I have betrayed him twice, how shall I face him, and there is no knowledge with me. Then he decided on going to the man, and came up to him. So he swore upon Allah (azwj) Blessed and High, and asked him to let him know and inform him, and that this time he would be loyal to him, and be a trustworthy to him, and said, ‘Do not leave me upon this condition, for I will not return to the betrayal, and will be loyal to you. So he took an agreement from him. He said, ‘He has called you to ask you about a dream he saw, as to which era it relates to. So when he questions you, inform him that it is for the era of the scale (balance)’. He said: ‘So he came up to the king who said to him, ‘Do you know why I have sent for you?’ He said, ‘You have seen a dream and intend to ask me as to which era it relates to’. He said, ‘You have spoken the truth, so tell me which era this is for?’ He said, ‘This is for the era of the scale’. So he ordered a reward for him. The boy grabbed the reward and went with it to the man and placed it in front of him and said, ‘I have come to you with whatever was given to me, so divided it equally’. So the scholar said to him, ‘The first period was like the era of the wolf, and you were from the wolves. And the second period was the era of the ram which thinks but does not do it, and similarly you were thinking about it but were not loyal. And this period is the era of the scale, and you were, with regards to it, upon the loyalty. So grab your wealth for I have no need for it’. And he returned it back to him’.