1. We were informed by Abu’l-Hasan, Muhammed bin Harun al-Zanjani, with regards to what he wrote to me at the hands from Ali bin Ahmad al-Baghdadi al-Warraq, that he said: We were told by Mu’adh bin Muthanna al-Anbari, that he said: We were told by Abdullah bin Asmaa’, that he said: We were told by Juwairya, from Sufyan bin Sa’eed al-Thawri, that he said:

I said to Ja’far bin Muhammed bin Ali bin Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them: O son of Allah’s Messenger, what is the meaning of the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «Alif Laam Meem» [1] (2:1), «Alif Laam Ssaad’» (7:1), «Alif Laam Raa’» (10:1), «Alif Laam Meem Raa’» (13:1), «Kaaf Haa’ Yaa’ ‘Ayn Ssaad» (19:1), «Taa’ Haa’» (20:1), «Taa’ Seen» (27:1), «Taa’ Seen Meem» (26:1), «Yaa’ Seen» (6:1), «Ssaad» (38:1), «Hhaa’ Meem» (40:1), «Hhaa’ Meem ‘Ayn Seen Qaaf» (42:1), «Qaaf» (50:1) and «Nun» (68:1)? He, peace be upon him, said: As for «Alif Laam Meem» at the beginning of al-Baqarah, it means: I am Allah, the King. As for «Alif Laam Meem» at the beginning of Aal Imran, it means: I am Allah, the Commendable. «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad» means: I am Allah, the Potent, the Truthful. «Alif Laam Raa’» means: I am Allah, the Compassionate. «Alif Laam Meem Raa’» means: I am Allah, the Giver of life, the Causer of death, the Sustainer. «Kaaf Haa’ Yaa’ ‘Ayn Ssaad» means: I am the Sufficient, the Guide, the Protector, the Knowledgeable, the Truthful in promise. As for «Taa’ Haa’», it is a name from the names of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and it means: O he who seeks the truth, he who guides to it. «The Qur’an was not sent down unto you for you to be distressed» (20:1), but rather: for you to be glad with it [2]. As for «Taa’ Seen» it means: I am the Seeker, the All-Hearing. As for «Taa’ Seen Meem» it means: I am the Seeker, the All-Hearing, the Initiator, the Returner. As for «Yaa’ Seen» it is a name from the names of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and it means: O he who hears the Revelation. «And by the Wise Qur’an. Indeed, you are certainly from the Messengers, upon the Straight Path.» (36:3-4) As for «Ssaad» it is a water source that springs from beneath the Throne, and it is from which the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, made Wudu when it was journeyed with him. Jibra’eel [3], peace be upon him, enters into it every day and immerses into and then exits from, and then he shakes his wings. At then, there is no drop that drops from his wings, except that Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has created from it an Angel who glorifies Allah and sanctifies, declares Him Greater and praises Him till the Day of Resurrection. As for «Hhaa’ Meem» it means: The Praiseworthy, the Commendable. As for «Hhaa’ Meem ‘Ayn Seen Qaaf» it means: The All-Forbearing, the Rewarding, the Knowledgeable, the All-Hearing, the Powerful, the Strong. As for «Qaaf» it is the mountain that surrounds the earth and of which is the greenness of the sky, and by which Allah holds the earth from swaying with its inhabitants. As for «Nun» it is a river [46] in Paradise about which Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, said: «Freeze» and it froze and became ink. Then Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, said to the pen: «Write» and the Pen wrote on the Preserved Tablet what was and what will be till the Day of Resurrection. The Ink is of light, the Pen is a pen is of light and the Tablet is a tablet of light. And Sufyan said: So I said to him: O son of Allah’s Messenger, clarify to me the matter of the Tablet, the Pen and the Ink in bountiful clarification and teach me from what Allah has taught you. So he said: O son of Sa’d, were it not that you are deserving the answer, I would not have answered you. The «Nun» is an Angel who delivers to the Pen, who is an Angel, and the Pen delivers to the Tablet, who is an Angel, and the Tablet delivers to Israfeel [4], and Israfeel delivers to Mika’eel [5], and Mika’eel delivers to Jibra’eel, and Jibra’eel delivers to the Prophets and Messengers, upon whom are the blessings of Allah. He said: Then he said to me: Stand up, O Sufyan, for I can not be assured of you.