15. Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qittan and `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq both said: Ahmad ibn Yahya said: Bakr ibn `Abd Allah ibn Hubayb said: Muhammad ibn `Ubayd Allah related to me that `Ali ibn al-Hakam said: `Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Aswad said, on‬‬ the authority of Ja`far ibn Muhammad , on the authority of his father (AS‬‬)

The Messenger of Allah had two Jewish friends who believed in Musa, the Messenger of Allah . They used to come to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah and listen to him. They both had read the Torah, the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa , and had knowledge of previous books. When Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, made His Messenger die, they both came asking for the one vested authority after him, and said: “Verily, a prophet does not die but he leaves behind a Caliph who executes all affairs in his Ummah after him, who is the closet to him in relation from his Household, of great significance and high prestige.” Then one of them asked his companion, “Do you know who is vested with authority after this Prophet ?” The other one replied, “I do not know him except for the description which I have found in the Torah that he will bald and pale. Verily, he is the closest of the people to the Messenger of Allah.” Thus, when they both entered medina, and asked about the Caliph, they were guided to Abu Bakr. When they looked at him they both said: “This is not our Companion.” Then they asked him, “What is your relationship with the Messenger of Allah ?” He answered, “Verily, I am a man from his family. He was the husband of my daughter, `A’ishah.” They both enquired, “Is there any other relationship?” He responded, “No.” They both said: “This is not the relationship. Inform us, where is your Lord?” He replied, “Above the seven heavens.” They responded, “Do you have anything else to add?” He said: “No” They said: “Lead us to the one who is more learned than you. For verily, you are not the man we find described in the Torah who is successor of this Prophet and his Caliph.” Abu Bakr became furious as a result of their statement and got up. Then he guided them to `Umar. This was because Abu Bakr knew that if they confronted `Umar, he would surely hit them. Hence, when they appeared to `Umar, they asked, “What is your relationship with this Prophet ?” He answered, “I am from his family, and he was the husband of my daughter Hafsah.” They both asked, “Is there any other relationship?” He responded, “No.” They both said: “This is not the relationship that we seek to establish. It is not the description which we find the Torah.” Then they asked him, “Where is your Lord?” He replied, “Above the seven heavens.” They asked, “Do you have anything else to add?” He said: “No.” They both said: “Take us to the one who is more learned than you.”Hence, he guided them to `Ali, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. When they both arrived in his presence and looked at him, one of them said to his companion, “Verily, he is the man whom we find described in the Torah. He is the successor of this Prophet , his Caliph, husband of his daughter, father of the two grandsons [sibtayn] and father of the Riser [qa’im] who will come with the Truth after him,” Then they asked `Ali , “O man! What is your relationship to the Messenger of Allah?” He replied “He was my brother. I am his heir, his successor, the first to believe in him, and the husband of his daughter Fatimah .” They said to him, “This is the closest and most perfect relationship. This is the description which we find in the Torah.” Then they asked him, “Where is your Lord, the Mighty and High?” `Ali, blessings and salutations be upon him, replied to them, “If the two of you desire, I could inform you about the life of your Prophet Musa , and if you desire, I could inform you about the life of our Prophet Muhammad .” They said: “Inform us of the lifetime of our Prophet Musa .” `Ali responded, Four angels came; an angel from the east, an angel from the West, an angel from the Heaven, and an angel form (below) the Earth. Then the one from the east asked the one from the west, “Where have you come from?” He said: “I have come form my Lord.” The one from the west asked the one from the east, “Where have you come from?” He replied, “I have come from my Lord.” The one who came down from the Heaven asked the one which came out from the Earth. “Where have you come from?” He answered, “I have come from my Lord. And the one which came out form the Earth asked the one which came down form Heaven, “Where have you come from?” He said: “I have come from y Lord.” This took place during the lifetime of your Prophet Musa , and as for what was in the lifetime of our Prophet Muhammad , then that is His word in His Decisive Book: `Nowhere is there a secret counsel between three persons but He is the fourth of them, nor (between) five but He is the sixth of them nor less than that nor more but He is with them where so ever they are.” The two Jewish men enquired, “Then what has stopped your two companions from putting you in the place which you deserve? We swear by the One who revealed the Torah to Musa : Verily, you are the True Caliph. We find your description in our Book, and we read it in our synagogues. Verily, you are more worth of this affair and more entitled to it than the one who has snatched it away from you.” `Ali replied, “The two of them preceded themselves and obstructed me. Their accountability is with Allah, the Mighty and High. They will be stopped and questioned (on the Day of Judgment).”