4. [4/-] Rijal al-Kashshi: Muhammad b. Masud from Ali b. al-Hasan from Abbas b. A’mir from Aban b. Uthman from Zurara from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام who said: al-Mahdi the client of Uthman came to pledge allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful [Ali] while Muhammad b. Abi Bakr was seated. He [al-Mahdi] said: I pledge allegiance to you that the matter [Khilafa] was for you from the start and I disassociate myself from Fulan, Fulan, and Fulan, then he pledged allegiance to him.