9. My father said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Hashim and Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abu al-Khattab and Ya`qub ibn Yazid all three, on the authority of Ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of Ibn Udaynah, on the authority of Zurarah that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir said:

I asked him about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High; Being upright for Allah, not associating aught with Him, and about being upright. Thus, he replied, “It is the natural predisposition that Allah placed in human being. There is no change in His Creation.” Then he added, “Allah created them with the recognition.” Zurarah says: I asked him about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their backs. He explained, “He brought forth from Adam’s loins his progeny until the Day of Judgment. They all scattered before Him. He introduced them, and showed them His Creation. Had it not been so, no one would have recognized their Lord.” He also added, “The Messenger of Allah said: “Every child is born with a natural predisposition (towards Divine Unity), i.e. on the recognition that Allah, the Mighty and High, is his Creator.” Thus, that is the explanation of His Word: And if you ask them who created the heaves and the earth, they will certainly say: Allah.