20. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from ‘Abd Allah ibn Yahya al-Kahili from Muhammad ibn Malik from ‘Abd al-‘Ala’ Mawla ale Sam who has said the following:

“Abu ‘Abd Allah stated to me a Hadith and I said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, did you not have a (Za’m) about me a while ago of such and such nature?’ The Imam said, ‘No.’ The narrator has said that it became very hard for me to understand and I said, ‘Yes, by Allah you did have such (Za’m) about me.’ The Imam said, ‘No, by Allah, I did not have such (Za’m) about you.’ The narrator has said that it became even more difficult for me to understand and I said, ‘Yes, by Allah, you did say it.’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, I did say but do you not know that all (Za’m) in the Quran signify lies?’ (The word Za ’m in Arabic may mean to believe, to think, to guess, to surmise and so forth. The Imam explained to the narrator that in the Quran this word is used to mean something not true and that he (the Imam) had not used the word “Za’m” in the sense the Holy Quran has used)