My father narrated to us. He said: Sa`d b. `Abdullah narrated to us from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid from Muhammad b `Ali al-Kufi from al-Hasan b. Abi `Uqba al-Sayrafi from al-Husayn b. Khalid al-Sayrafi. He said:

I said to Abi’l Hasan `Ali b. Musa al-Rida : [What is the ruling of] a man who purifies himself [after defecation] while wearing a ring on his finger with “there is no god but Allah (la ilaha illallah)” etched on it? So, he said: That would be hateful of him. So, he said: May I be your ransom! Didn’t the Messenger of Allah (s) and every one of your forefathers do that while their ring was on their finger? He said: Of course, but they would wear their ring on the right hand. So, fear Allah and watch yourself. I said: What was etched on the ring of Amir al-Mu’minin ? So, he said: Why do you not ask me about those who came before him? I said: Then I ask [that of] you. He said: On the ring of Adam, it was etched: “there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (la ilaha illallah, muhammadan rasulullah)”. Habatullah had the same as him. When Nuh boarded the Ark, Allah revealed to him: “O Nuh! If you fear drowning, then sanctify Me one thousand times, then ask Me to save you, and I will save you from drowning and those who believe in you.” He said: When Nuh and those with him settled on the Ark and he released the rope, the storm wind gusted them, and Nuh feared that he may drown. The wind intensified, but he was unable to sanctify one thousand times. So, he said in Syriac: “Glorify Him a thousand thousand times. O waves, settle (Haluliya alfa alfa, ya mariya atqin).” He said: So, the rope settled, and the Ark continued. So, Nuh said: “Surely, I must not abandon the words by which Allah saved me from drowning.” He said: So, he etched in his ring: “There is no god, one thousand times over. O Lord! Rectify me (la ilaha illallah alfa marra. Ya rabb, islahni).” He said: When Ibrahim was placed in the furnace, Gabriel became angry. So, Allah revealed to him: “What made you angry, Gabriel?” He said: “O Lord! Your Friend, who is the only servant of Yours who worships You on the face of the Earth, has been overcome by Your enemy and his enemy!” So, Allah revealed to him: “Be quiet. Only a servant who fears death like you would hurry. He is My servant, and I can take him if I wish.” He said: So, Gabriel was relieved, and he turned to Ibrahim and said: "Do you need anything?" So, he said: "From you? No." So, at that moment, Allah descended a ring with six phrases: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, there is no ability nor power except by Allah, I have delegated my matters to Allah, I have relied my back on Allah, and Allah is sufficient for me (la ilaha illallah, Muhammadan rasulullah, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, fawadtu amri ilalllah, asnadtu thahri ilallah, hasbiallah)." Then, Allah revealed that he should wear this ring, "for I will make the fire cool and peaceful for you." He said: The etching on the ring of Musa was two phrases taken from the Torah: "Be patient and you will be rewarded, be truthful and you will be saved (asbir tu'jar, asdiq tanaj)." He said: The etching on the ring of Sulayman was: "Glorified is He who reined in the Jinn with His words (subhana man alham al-jinn bikalimatih)." The etching on the ring of `Isa was two phrases taken from the Gospel: "Blessed is the servant who remembers Allah for his own sake, and woe is the servant who forgets Allah for his own sake (tuba li `abdin dhakarallah min ajlihi, wa waylun li `abdin nasiyallah min ajlih)." The etching on the ring of Muhammad (s) was: "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (la ilaha illallah, muhammadan rasulullah)." The etching on the ring of Amir al-Mu'minin was: "Rulership is for Allah (al-mulk lillah)." The etching on the ring of al-Hasan was: "Glory is for Allah (al-`izzatu lillah)." The etching on the ring of al-Husayn was: "Surely, Allah will fulfill His will (innallaha balighu amrih)." `Ali b. al-Husayn would wear the ring of his father al-Husayn . Muhammad b. `Ali would wear the ring of al-Husayn . The etching on the ring of Ja`far b. Muhammad was: "Allah is my Guardian and my protection from His creation (Allahu waliyi wa `ismati min khalqih)." The etching on the ring of my father Abi'l Hasan Musa b. Ja`far was: "Allah is sufficient for me (hasbiallah)." Al-Husayn b. Khalid said: Then, Abu'l Hasan al-Rida opened his hand, and he was wearing the ring of his father on his finger, and he showed me the etching.