548. A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Al-Husayn Bin Yazeed Al-Nowfaly, from Ali Bin Dawood Al-Yaqouby, from Isa Bin Abdullah Al-Alawy who said: It has been narrated to me by Al-Asaydi and Muhammad Bin Basheer that Abdullah Bin Naf’a Al-Azraq used to say, ‘If only I knew someone between its (earth’s) diameter where my animal (ride) can reach to, who can debate with me that Ali killed the people of Naharwaan, and he was not unjust to them, I would ride over to him’ (to refute). So it was said to him, ‘And (what about his son )?’ He said, ‘Is his son a knowledgeable one?’ So it was said to him, ‘This is your first ignorance. And have they ever been without a knowledgeable one?’ He said, ‘So who is their knowledgeable one today?’ It was said, ‘Muhammad Bin Ali Bin Al-Husayn Bin Ali ’. He (the narrator) said, ‘So he rode over to him with the brave ones of his companions until he came up to Al-Medina. So he sought permission to see Abu Ja’far . It was said to him , ‘This is Abdullah Bin Naf’a’. He said; ‘So what has he to do with me , and he ‘يَبْرَأُ’ distances himself (Tabarra) from me and from my father both morning and evening’. Abu Baseer Al-Kufy said to him , ‘May I be sacrificed for you , this one alleges that, ‘‘If only I knew someone between its (earth’s) diameter where my animal (ride) can reach to, who can debate with me that Ali killed the people of Naharwaan, and he was not unjust to them, I would ride over to him (to refute)’. So Abu Ja’far said to him: ‘You think he has come to me for a debate?’ He said, ‘Yes’. He said: ‘O boy (servant), go out and unload his saddlebag, and tell him to come to us tomorrow’. He (the narrator) said, ‘So when it was the next day, Abdullah Bin Naf’a came with the brave ones of his companions, and Abu Ja’far sent a message to all the sons of the Emigrants and the Helpers and gathered them. Then he came out to the people wearing two alluring robes and faced the people as if he was the moon in orbit. So he said: ‘The Praise is due to Allah (azwj), the Awarder of the positions, and the Attribute of the attributes, and the Director of the directions. The Praise is due to Allah (azwj) “[2:255] slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His” up to the end of the Verse. ‘And I testify that there is no god except for Allah (azwj), One, with no associates to Him (azwj). And I testify that Muhammad ﷺ is His (azwj) servant, Chosen by Him (azwj) and Guided by Him (azwj) to be on the Straight Path. The Praise is due to Allah (azwj) Who Honoured us with the Prophet-hood and Favoured us by Al-Wilayah. O group of the sons of the Emigrants and the Helpers! The ones among you who have merits regarding Ali Bin Abu Talib , so he should stand and narrate them’. So the people stood up, so they enumerated those merits. Abdullah said, ‘I am a narrator of these merits from them, but, subsequently the disbelief took place after the appointment of the two judges’. Then they ended up with the merits in the Hadeeth of Khyber: ‘I ﷺ shall give the flag tomorrow to a man who loves Allah (azwj) and His (azwj) Messenger ﷺ, and Allah (azwj) and His (azwj) Messenger ﷺ love him . An attacking one, not a fleeing one who will not return until Allah (azwj) Grants victory upon his hands’. So Abu Ja’far said; ‘What do you say regarding this Hadeeth’. He said, ‘True. There is no doubt with regards to it, but disbelief took place afterwards’. So Abu Ja’far said to him: ‘May your mother be bereft of you! Inform me about Allah (azwj) Loving Ali Bin Abu Talib on the Day He (azwj) Loved him and He (azwj) Knew that he would be killing the people of Nahrwan, or did He (azwj) not Know?’ Ibn Naf’a said, ‘Repeat that for me’. So Abu Ja’far said to him: ‘Inform me about Allah (azwj), He (azwj) Loved Ali on the day that He (azwj) Loved him , and He (azwj) Knew that he would be killing the people of Nahrwan, or did He (azwj) not Know?’ He said, ‘If I say, ‘No’, I would have blasphemed’. He (the narrator) said, ‘So he said, ‘He (azwj) had Known’. He said: ‘So did Allah (azwj) Love Ali to act in obedience to Him (azwj) or in disobedience to Him (azwj)?’ He said; ‘Upon his acting in obedience to Him (azwj)’. So Abu Ja’far said to him: ‘So stand up (and leave) for you have been defeated’. He stood up and he was saying, ‘Until the white thread becomes distinct from the black thread at dawn, Allah (azwj) Knows where He (azwj) should Make His (azwj) Message to be’.