30-23 Abul Hassan Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Nasavi quoted on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Harun, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abul Fadhl al-Balkhi, on the authority of his uncle Yahya ibn Sa’eed al-Balkhi, on the authority of Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, on the authority of his father Musa ibn Ja’far صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, on the authority of his father Ja’far ibn Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, on the authority of his father Muhammad ibn Ali صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Hussein صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, on the authority of his father Al-Hussein ibn Ali صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, on the authority of his father Ali ibn AbiTalib صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, “Once I was walking with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم in the lanes of Medina, when we ran into a tall, broad-shouldered, old man with a long beard. He greeted the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and expressed his respect. He then looked at me and said, ‘O the fourth of the vicegerents! Greetings, God’s Mercy and Blessings be upon you!’ He then looked at the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and said, ‘O Prophet of God! Is that not so?’ God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, ‘Yes.’ Then he left. I asked God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, ‘O Prophet of God! What is it that this old man said and you acknowledged?’ The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, ‘You are what he referred to. Praise be to God. Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God has said the following in His Book, ‘I will create a vicegerent on earth…’ The vicegerent that God established on the Earth was Adam صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. God also said, ‘O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice)...’ Thus David was the second vicegerent. The Honorable the Exalted God said that Moses told his brother Aaron, ‘…Act for me amongst my people: Do right…’ It was Aaron who became the vicegerent of Moses صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم amongst the people. Thus Aaron was the third vicegerent. The Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘And an announcement from God and His Apostle, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage...’ It was you who announced this verse on behalf of God and His Messenger. You are my Trustee, my Vizier. You are the one to pay back my debts and to fulfill my promises. Your position relative to me is the same as that of Aaron’s position relative to Moses صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, with the only difference that there will be no Prophets after me. Thus you are the fourth vicegerent just as the old man who greeted you has said. Do you know who he was?’ I said, ‘No.’ The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, ‘Know that he was your brother al-Khizr صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم.’