A group of scholars narrated to us from Abu Muhammad Hārūn...

A group of scholars narrated to us from Abu Muhammad Hārūn from Muhammad Ibn Himām from ‘Abdullah Ibn Ja‘far, saying, On a certain year after the demise of Abu Muhammad (a.s), we performed Hajj. I went to Ahmad Ibn Ishāq at the and saw Abu ‘Amr with him. I said, “This Sheikh,” pointing to Ahmad Ibn Ishāq, “and he is a trustworthy and admirable man before us, has narrated to us,” such and such.

I narrated to him all of the narrative, which we have mentioned above on the account of the eminent position of Abu ‘Amr. I said, “You are now someone whose word and truthfulness is not dubitable.

I beseech you for the sake of Allah and the sake of the two Imams who have declared you trustworthy, have you seen the son of Abu Muhammad who is the Patron of the Age?” He wept and then said, “You cannot inform anyone with this regard so long as I am alive.” I said, “Sure so.” He said, “I have verily seen him and his neck is like this.” He wanted to say that he has the most beautiful and wholesome of the necks.

I asked, “And the name?” He said, “You have been all forbidden from that.” Ahmad Ibn ‘Ali Ibn Nūh Abu al-‘Abbās al-Sairāfi narrates through the chain of narration from Muhammad Ibn Ismā‘il al-Hasīn and ‘Ali Ibn ‘Abdillah al-Hasīn, that the two men said, We entered upon Abu Muhammad al-Hasan (a.s) at Surra Man Ra’ā.

There were a congregation of his devotees and his Shī‘a in his presence when Badr, his servant, entered and said, “O’ my master, there is a nation, streaked in dust and with uncombed hair, at the gate.” The Imam said, “They are a congregation of our Shī‘a from Yemen.” قال أبو محمد الحسن بن علي قال لا يجمع على امرء ابن عثمان، وأبو عمرو، وأمر بكسر كنيته فقيل العمري. ويقال له: العسكري أيضا لأنه كان من عسكر سر من رأى ويقال له: السمان لانه كان يتجر في السمن تغطية على الأمر.

وكان الشيعة إذا حملوا إلى أبي محمد (ع) ما يجب عليهم حمله من الاموال أنفذوا إلى أبي عمرو فيجعله في جراب السمن وزقاقه ويحمله إلى أبي محمد (ع) تقية وخوفا.

فأخبرني جماعة، عن أبي محمد هارون بن موسى، عن أبي علي محمد بن همام الاسكافي قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن جعفر الحميري قال: حدثنا أحمد بن إسحاق ابن سعد القمي قال: دخلت على أبي الحسن علي بن محمد صلوات الله عليه في يوم من الايام فقلت: يا سيدي أنا أغيب وأشهد، ولا يتهيأ لي الوصول إليك إذا شهدت في كل وقت فقول من نقبل؟ وأمر من نمتثل؟ فقال لي صلوات الله عليه: هذا أبو عمرو الثقة الامين ما قاله الحكم فعني يقوله، وما أداه إليكم فعني يؤديه.