2. We were told by Ali bin Ahmad bin Muhammed bin Imran al-Daqqaq, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Ya’qub, from Ali bin Muhammed, from Sahl bin Ziyad, from Muhammed bin Waleed – whose title is Shabab al-Sayrafi – of Dawud bin Qasim al-Ja’fari, that he said: I said to Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him: May I be sacrificed for you, what is al-Samad? He said: The Master to which one remains firm, during the less and the more (fortunate).