Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. Ishaq narrated to us. He said: Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Hamadani informed us. He said: Ahmad b. Salih narrated to us from Hakim b. `Abd al-Rahman. He said: Muqatil b. Sulayman narrated to me from al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad from his father from his forefathers . He said:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said to `Ali b. Abi Talib : O `Ali! You are to me as Habatullah was to Adam, and as Sam was to Nuh, and as Ishaq was to Ibrahim, and as Harun was to Musa, and as Sham`un was to `Isa, except that there is no prophet after me. O `Ali! You are my deputy and my vicegerent, so whoever denies your deputyship and your vicegerency is not from me and I am not from him; and I will be his adversary on the Day of Resurrection. O `Ali! You are the best of my Nation in virtue, the foremost of them in affability, the most knowledgeable of them, the most forbearing of them, the boldest of them in heart, and the most generous of them with your hands. O `Ali! You are the Imam and the emir after me. You are the patron and the vizier after me. You are an equal master of my Nation. O `Ali! You are the divider of Paradise and the Fire. By your love, the righteous will be known from the indecent, and the evil will be distinguishable from the elect, and the believer from the disbeliever.