1. We were told by al-Hakim, Ahmad bin Muhammed bin Abdul-Rahman al-Maruzi, that he said: We were told by Abu Bakr, Muhammed ibn Ibrahim al-Jarjani, that he said: We were told by Abu Bakr, Abdul-Samad bin Yahya al-Wasiti, that he said: We were told by Hasan bin Ali al-Madani, from Abdullah bin Mubarak, from Sufyan al-Thawri, from Ja’far bin Muhammed al-Sadiq, from his father, from his grandfather, from his father, from Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them, that he said: Indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, created the Light of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, before He created the Heavens, the earth, the Throne, the Chair, the Tablet, the Pen, Paradise and the Fire, and before He created Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Isma’eel, Ishaq, Ya’qoub, Musa, Isa, Dawud, Sulayman and everyone about whom Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, mentioned in His saying: «And We gave to him Ishaq and Ya’qoub…»
(6:84) - until His saying - «…and We guided them to a straight path»
(6:87) and before He created the Prophets, all of them, by four hundred and twenty thousand years. Along with him, He, Exalted and Glorious is He, created twelve Covers: the Cover of Ability; the Cover of Greatness; the Cover of Favor; the Cover of Mercy; the Cover of Happiness; the Cover of Dignity; the Cover of the Rank; the Cover of Guidance; the Cover of Prophethood; the Cover of Loftiness; the Cover of Prestige; and the Cover of Salvation. Then, He restrained the Light of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, in the Cover of Ability for twelve thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to my Lord, the Highest, and in Praise of Him»; in the Cover of Greatness for eleven thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to the Knower of the Secret»; in the Cover of Favor for ten thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to He who is Subsistent and does not amuse Himself»; in the Cover of Mercy for nine thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be the Lofty, the Highest»; in the Cover of Happiness for eight thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to He who is Everlasting and does not omit»; in the Cover of Dignity for seven thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to He who is Self-Sufficient and does not need»; in the Cover of the Rank for six thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to the All-Knowing, the All-Generous»; in the Cover of Guidance for five thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to the One with the Great Throne»; in the Cover of Prophethood for four thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to the Lord of Might (above) from what they describe»; in the Cover of Loftiness for three thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to the One with Ownership and Kingdom»; in the Cover of Prestige for two thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to Allah, and in Praise of Him»; and in the Cover of Salvation for a thousand years, while it was saying: «Glory be to my Lord, the Great, and in Praise of Him». Then, He made his name appear on the Tablet, and he remained enlightened on the Tablet for four thousand years. Then He made him appear on the Throne, and so, he was by the leg of the Throne, fastened, for seven thousand years until Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, placed him in the backbone of Adam, peace be upon him, and then He transmitted him from the backbone of Adam to the backbone of Nuh, peace be upon him, and then from one backbone to another backbone, until Allah, Exalted is He, took him out of the backbone of Abdullah bin Abdul-Muttalib. Then, He generously dignified him with six miracles: He made him wear the Shirt of Satisfaction; dressed him with the Garment of Prestige; throned him with the Throne of Guidance; made him wear the Trousers of Conscious Knowledge; made his waistband the Waistband of Love, by which he tightens his trousers; made his sandal the Sandal of Fear; and He handed to him the Staff of the Rank. Then he said to him: O Muhammed, go to the people and say to them: Say: «There is no god but Allah, Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah». The making of that shirt was from six things: its figure was of ruby; its sleeves were of pearl; its patch was of yellow crystal; its underarms was of peridot; its collar was of red corals; and its pocket was of the Light of the Lord, Glorified be His Glory. Allah accepted the repentance of Adam, peace be upon him, by that shirt, returned the ring of Sulayman with it, returned Yusuf to Ya’qoub with it, saved Yunus from the belly of the wale with it, and so with the rest of the Prophets, peace be upon them. He saved them from misfortunes with it, and that shirt was not but the shirt of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family.