7. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from abu Muhammad al-Asbarqiniy from Ali ibn ‘Amr al-‘Attar who has said the following.

“Once I went to see al-Hassan al-‘Askari when his son abu Ja‘far (Muhammad ) was still alive and I thought he will be the Imam after his father. I then asked the Imam , “May Allah take my souls in service for your cause, which of your sons I will consider (my Imam)?” The Imam said, “do not consider any of them (your Imam) until my command will come to you.” The narrator has said, “I wrote to him afterwards asking, ‘To who will go this task (Leadership with Divine Authority)” The narrator has said, “He wrote to me, “(It will go) to my eldest son.” The narrator has said, “Abu Muhammad was older then abu Ja‘far.”