Muhammad b. Musa b. al-Mutawakkil narrated to us. He said: `Abdullah b. Ja`far al-Himyari narrated to us. He said: Ahmad b. Muhammad b. `Isa narrated to us from al-Hasan b. Mahbub from Muqatil b. Sulayman from Abi `Abdillah al-Sadiq . He said:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: I am the Master of Prophets, and my deputy is the Master of Deputies, and his deputies are the masters of deputies. Surely, Adam asked Allah to give him a righteous deputy. So, Allah revealed to him: “I ennobled the prophets with prophethood, then I chose My creation, and I made the choicest of them the deputies.” Then, Allah revealed to him: “O Adam! Depute Sheeth.” So, Adam deputed Sheeth – and he is Habatullah (the Gift of Allah) b. Adam. Sheeth deputed his son Shaban, who is the son of Nazala, the houri that Allah bestowed unto Adam from Paradise; so, he married her to his son Sheeth. Shaban deputed Mujallath. Then, Mujallath deputed Mahuq. Then, Mahuq deputed Ghathmisha. Then, Ghathmisha deputed Ekhnokh – and he is Idris the prophet . Then, Idris deputed Nahur. Then, Nahur gave it to Nuh the prophet . Then, Nuh deputed Sam. Then, Sam deputed `Athamir. Then, `Athamir deputed Bar`ithasha. Then Bar`ithasha deputed Yafith. Then, Yafith deputed Barra. Then, Barra deputed Jafiyya. Then, Jafiyya deputed `Imran. Then, `Imran gave it to Ibrahim the Friend of the Merciful . Then, Ibrahim deputed his son Isma`il. Then, Isma`il deputed Ishaq. Then Ishaq deputed Ya`qub. Then, Ya`qub deputed Yusuf. Then, Yusuf deputed Buthriya’. Then, Buthriya’ deputed Shu`ayb . Then, Shu`ayb gave it to Musa b. `Imran . Then, Musa b. `Imran deputed Yusha` b. Nun. Then, Yusha` b. Nun deputed Dawud . Then, Dawud deputed Sulayman as). Then, Sulayman deputed Asif b. Barkhiyya. Then, Asif b. Barkhiyya deputed Zakariyya . Then, Zakariyya gave it to `Isa b. Maryam . Then, `Isa deputed Sham`un b. Ham`un al-Safa. Then, Sham`un deputed Yahya b. Zakariyya. Then, Yahya b. Zakariyya deputed Mundhir. Then, Mundhir deputed Sulayma. Then, Sulayma deputed Barda. Then, the Messenger of Allah (s) said: Burda gave it to me, and I give it to you, `Ali. You will give it to your deputy, and then your deputy will give it to your deputies from your descendants, one after the other, until it is given to the best of the people of the Earth after you. The Nation will disbelieve over you, and they dispute over you severely. One who is steadfast with you is like one who is established with me, while one who estranges you is in the Fire – and the Fire is the lodging of the disbelievers.