Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥya al-ʿAṭṭār narrated to us, saying that his father narrated to him, among others, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā, from Nūḥ b. Shuʿayb al-Nīshābūrī, from ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Dahqān, from ʿUrwa b. Abī Shuʿayb al-ʿAqarqūfī, from Shuʿayb, from Abī Baṣīr, who said that he heard al-Ṣādiq عليه السلام narrating from his father, from his forefathers عليهم السلام, who transmitted the following report: “One day, the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله said to his companions: “Which one of you is constantly fasting?” Salmān replied: “I am, o’ Messenger of Allāh.” So the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله then said: “Which one of you stays up all night (in worship)?” Salmān responded: “I do, o’ Messenger of Allāh.” He continued: “Which one of you reads the whole Qurʾān every day?” Again, Salmān was the one to respond: “I do, o’ Messenger of Allāh.” Some of the companions were incensed at that, spurring them to say: “O’ Messenger of Allāh, Salmān is a man from Fars who wants to exult over us, the generality of the Quraysh. You asked us: “Which one of you is constantly fasting?” and he said: “Yes,” even though he often spends his days eating. You asked us: “Which one of you stays up all night (in worship)?” and he said: “Yes,” even though he often spends his nights sleeping. You asked us: “Which one of you reads the whole Qurʾān every day?” and he said: “Yes,” even though he often spends his days silent.” The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله responded: “Enough, o’ obscure person! And how can you compare to someone like Luqmān the Wise? Ask Salmān, and he will inform you.” The man asked Salmān: “O’ Abā ʿAbd Allāh, do you not claim that you are constantly fasting?” Salmān said: “Aye.” The man continued: “Yet I see you spending many of your days eating.” Salmān defended himself: “It is not as you suppose. I fast three days every month, and Allāh says: ﴾Whoever comes with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof﴿ [6:160], and I join fasting in Shaʿbān to the month of Ramaḍān, so that counts as constantly fasting.” The man continued: “And do you not claim that you stay awake at night (to worship)?” Salmān responded: “Aye.” The man retorted: “And yet you spend many of your nights asleep.” Salmān again defended himself: “It is not as you think. I have heard the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله say: “Whoever sleeps in a state of ritual purity, he will have done so as if he had spent the whole night in worship,” and I rest in a state of ritual purity.” The man continued: “Do you not claim that you read the whole Qurʾān every day?” Salmān answered: “Aye.” The man continued: “And yet you spend your days in silence.” Salmān defended himself yet again: “It is not as you think. I have heard my beloved Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله say to ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib: “O’ Abāʿl-Ḥasan, the likeness of you in this community is ﴾Say, “He is Allāh, [Who is] One”﴿ [112:1]. Whoever reads that chapter once has read a third of the Qurʾān. Whoever reads that chapter twice has read two thirds of the Qurʾān. Whoever reads that chapter thrice has completed the Qurʾān. Whoever proclaims his love for you with his tongue has completed one third of true belief. Whoever proclaims his love for you with his tongue and his heart has completed two thirds of true belief. Whoever proclaims his love for you with his tongue and his heart and supports you with physical exertion has completed his true belief. O’ ʿAlī, by He Who sent me forth with the Truth, had all the people of the earth loved you as the people of the heavens have done so, no one would be subjected to Hellfire!” And I read (the chapter that begins with) ﴾Say, “He is Allāh, [Who is] One”﴿ thrice every day.” The man stood still as if he had been compelled to swallow a rock.”