I said, ‘O Amir-ul-Momineen -asws , who is he?

I said, ‘O Amir-ul-Momineen -asws , who is he?’ He -asws said: ‘The one about whom Allah -azwj Mighty and Majestic has Said “[11:17] and a witness from Him recites it” , and the one “[13:43] and whoever has knowledge of the Book” , and the one “[39:33] And he who brings the truth and (he who) accepts it as the truth” , it is I -asws , and all of the people disbelieved apart from me -asws , and him -saww ’. قلت: يا أمير المؤمنين، فسمه لي. قال: قد سميته لك.

يا أبا الطفيل، والله لو دخلت على عامة شيعتي الذين بهم أقاتل، الذين أقروا بطاعتي وسموني (أمير المؤمنين) واستحلوا جهاد من خالفني، فحدثتهم شهرا ببعض ما أعلم من الحق في الكتاب الذي نزل به جبرئيل على محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وببعض ما سمعت من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله لتفرقوا عني حتى أبقى في عصابة حق قليلة، أنت وأشباهك من شيعتي. I said, ‘O Amir-ul-Momineen -asws , name him for me’. He -asws said; ‘I -asws have named him for you.

O Abu Al-Tufayl, by Allah -azwj , if the general public of the Shiites who have fought by my -asws side come to me -asws , those that have accepted to be obedient to me -asws , and call me -asws Amir-ul-Momineen, and consider it lawful to fight against the one who opposes me -asws , if I -asws were to narrate to them for months some of what I -asws know from the truth regarding the book which Jibraeel -as descended with upon Mohammed -saww , and some of what I -asws heard from the Messenger of Allah -saww , they will disperse from me -asws until there will remain only a few of the truthful ones, you and those like you from my -asws Shiites’.

ففزعت وقلت: يا أمير المؤمنين، أنا وأشباهي نتفرق عنك أو نثبت معك؟ قال: لا، بل تثبتون. ثم أقبل علي فقال: إن أمرنا صعب مستصعب لا يعرفه ولا يقر به إلا ثلاثة: ملك مقرب أو نبي مرسل أو عبد مؤمن نجيب امتحن الله قلبه للإيمان. يا أبا الطفيل، إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله قبض فارتد الناس ضلالا وجهالا(1)، إلا من عصمه الله بنا أهل البيت.

I panicked and said, ‘O Amir-ul-Momineen -asws , I and those like me, we will disperse from you -asws , or will we remain steadfast with you -asws ?’ He -asws said: ‘No, but you will remain steadfast’. Then he -asws turned towards me and said: ‘Our -asws matters are difficult, and become more difficult, none understand it nor accept it except for three – an Angel of Proximity, or a ‘Mursil Nabi -as ’, [9] or a ‘Momin’ [10] whose heart was Tested with Eman [11] by Allah -azwj .