1. We were told by Ahmad bin Muhammed bin Abdul-Rahman al-Maruzi, the Magran ruler, that he said: We were told by Abu Amru, Muhammed bin Ja’far al-Miqri al-Jarjani, that he said: We were told by Abu Bakr, Muhammed bin Hasan al-Mosuli in Baghdad, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin ‘Asim al-Turayfi, that he said: We were told by Abu Zaid, Abbas bin Yazid bin Hasan, the cameleer, the servant of Zaid bin Ali, that he said: I was informed by my father, Yazid bin Hasan, that he said: I was told by Musa ibn Ja’far bin Muhammed, from his father, Muhammed bin Ali, from his father, Ali bin Hussain, from his father, Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them, that he said:

We were sitting in the Mosque, and the muezzin climbed up the minaret and said: Allah is Greater, Allah is Greater. Then the Commander of the Believers, Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, wept and we wept due to his weeping. When the muezzin was finished, he said: Do you comprehend what the muezzin says? We said: Allah, His Messenger and his Successor are more knowledgeable. He said: If you are to know what he says, you would certainly laugh a little and weep much. For his saying: «Allah is Greater» are many meanings, among which is that the muezzin’s saying: «Allah is Greater» implies His Ancientness, Eternity, Perpetuity, Knowledge, Strength, Ability, Forbearance, Generosity, Munificence, Bestowal and Solemnity. Hence, when the muezzin says: «Allah is Greater» then he is saying: Allah is He to whom belongs the creation and the commandment, and with His Volition the creation was, and from Him is everything to the creation, and to Him returns the creation. He is the first before everything, He was not perishing, and the Last after everything, He will not perish. He is the Dominant above everything, He may not be perceived, and the Inside beneath everything. He is the Remaining when everything except Him is to annihilate. The second meaning: Allah is Greater, meaning the Knowing, the Acquainted upon them, with regards to what was and what will be before it is. The third: Allah is Greater, meaning the Powerful over everything, He is Able to do what He wishes, the Strong due to His Strength, the Potent over His creation, the Strong in His Essence. His Ability is established upon all things; if He decides a matter, He only says to it: Be, and it is. Fourth: Allah is Greater, in the meaning of His Forbearance and Generosity, forbearing as if He is not known, pardoning as if He is not seen, veiling as if He is not disobeyed. He does not rush with a punishment, out of generosity, pardon and forbearance. Another indication of the meaning of «Allah is Greater» is the Munificent, giving in magnitude, the Generous in good deeds. Another indication of «Allah is Greater» is that it includes a negation of Him possessing a characteristic and a condition, such as if he is saying: Allah is More Glorious than for the describers to comprehend the degree of His characteristic. By which He is characterized, but that the describers only describe Him based upon their ability (of understanding), not based upon the degree of His Greatness and Glory, Exalted be Allah above the describers to be able to comprehend His characteristic, a Great Exaltation. Another indication of «Allah is Greater» is as if he is saying: Allah is Higher and More Glorious, and He is the Self-Sufficient from His servants, He has no need for the deeds of His creation. As for his saying: «I testify that there is no god but Allah» it is an announcement that the testimony is not possible unless by knowing Him from the heart, as if he is saying: I know that there is none to be worshipped except for Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and that every worshipped is false except for Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and I acknowledge with my tongue what is in my heart of knowledge that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that there is no refuge from Allah except to Himself, and there is no escape from the evil of every evil and the affliction of every affliction except by Allah. At the second time «I testify that there is no god but Allah» means: I testify that there is no guide except for Allah, and there is no guide for me to Religion except for Allah, and I testify before Allah that I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify before the inhabitants of the Heavens and the inhabitants of the Earths, and what is in them of all the Angels and people, and what is in them of mountains, trees, cattle and beasts, and every moist and dry, that I testify that there is no creator except for Allah, and there is no sustainer, worshippers, harmer, helpful, taker, extender, granter, preventor, admonisher, sufficient, first nor last except for Allah, to Him belongs the creation and the order, and in His Hand is all good, Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. As for his saying: «I testify that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah» he is saying: I testify before Allah that there is no god but Him and that Muhammed is His Servant, Messenger, Prophet, Chosen and Confidant, whom He sent to the totality of people, all of them, with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may make him victorious above all religion, even if the polytheists dislike it, and I testify before those in the Heavens and the earth of all the Prophets, Messengers, Angels and people that Muhammed is the Master of the first and the last. At the second time «I testify that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah» he is saying: I testify that there is no need for anyone except for Allah, the One, the Vanquisher, the Self-Sufficient from all His servants, the creations and people, and that He sent Muhammed to the people as a bearer of glad tidings, warner and caller to Allah by His permission, and a brightening lamp; he who denies and rejects him knowingly and does not believe in him, Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, will enter him into the Fire of Hell, forever, made to abide, not being ever separated from it. As for his saying: «Hasten to prayer» it means: Come to the best of your deeds and the call of your Lord, and rush towards forgiveness from your Lord, the extinguishing of your fire which you have ignited, and the liberation of your necks which you have conditioned, that Allah might expiate from you your misdeeds, forgive you for your sins and replace your misdeeds with good deeds, for indeed, He is a Generous King, possessing Great Favor, and that He has permitted us, all the Muslims, to enter into His service and moving forward to between His Hands. At the second time of «Hasten to prayer» it means: Stand up to supplication to Allah, your Lord, the presentation of your needs before your Lord, and use His speech as a means to Him, and seek intercession with it, increase the remembrance (of Allah), Qunut [1], kneeling, prostration, subordination and submissiveness, and raise to Him your needs, for He has permitted that to us. As for his saying: «Hasten to success», he is saying: Come forward towards a remain after which there is no termination, and salvation with which there is no perishing, and come to a life with which there is no death, to a bliss that has no depletion, to a property from which there is no passing, to a joy with which there is no grief, to a company with which there is no loneliness, to a wealth with which there is no poverty, to a health with which there is no illness, to an honor with which there is no humility, to a strength with which there is no weakness, and to a dignity, how of a dignity is it, and rush towards the joy of this world and the Next, and the salvation of the Hereafter and the First. At the second time of «Hasten to success», he is saying: Precede to what I have called you to, and to the abundant dignification, the great favor, the lofty grace, the great winning, and the bliss of eternity in the vicinity of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, in a Seat of Honor near an All-Sovereign, Perfect in Ability. As for his saying: «Allah is Greater», he is saying: Allah is Higher and More Glorious than for anyone among His creation to know what He has of dignification towards a servant who responds to Him, obeys Him, obeys His commandment, worships Him, knows His threat, occupies himself with Him and His remembrance, loves Him, believes in Him, is assured towards Him, trusts Him, fears Him, seeks Him, misses Him, accords with Him in his ruling and judging and is pleased with Him. At the second time of «Allah is Greater», he is saying: Allah is Greater, Higher and More Glorious than for anyone to know the extent of His dignification of His allies and His punishment of His enemies, the extent of His pardoning, forgiveness and grace towards those who respond to Him and respond to His Messenger and the extent of His torment and exemplary punishment, and that it is for those who denied Him and rejected Him knowingly. As for his saying: «There is no god but Allah» it means: To Allah belongs the ultimate proof upon them, through the Messenger, the Message, the clarification and the call, and He is More Glorious than for anyone of them to have a proof against Him. Hence, he who responds to Him, to him is light and dignity, and he who denies him, then indeed, Allah is Self-Sufficient from all the worlds, and He is the Swiftest of Accountants. The meaning of «Verily, the prayer has been established» in the Iqamah means that the time has come for visitation, supplication, fulfillment of needs, attainment of wishes and reaching Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and His dignification, pardoning, satisfaction and forgiveness.