O Malik, it is beyond your capacity to describe the Messenger of Allah [a.

O Malik, it is beyond your capacity to describe the Messenger of Allah [a.s] and similarly you cannot describe us and similarly you cannot describe a believer. O Malik, when a believer meets his brother (in faith) and shakes his hand, Allah does not stop gazing at them; and sins continue to fall off them until they part without any sins on them.

How then can you possibly describe one who is (of) such (greatness before Allah)?[^6] 57 - وعن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال إذا التقى المؤمنانِ كان بينهُما مِائة رحمة؛ تسعٌ وتسعون لأشَدّهما حُباً لصاحبه.

It has been reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [a.s] said: When two believers meet, one hundred mercies are showered between them—ninety nine of these go to the one who loves the other more.[^7] 58 - عن أبي عبيدة قال: زاملت أبا جعفر (ع) إلى مكة، فكان إذا نزل صافحني واذا ركب صافحني، فقلت: جعلت فداك، كأنك ترى في هذا شيئاً؟ فقال: نَعم، إن المؤمن إذا لقى أخاه فصافحه تفرّقا من غير ذنب.

It has been reported that Abu 'Ubaydah said: I accompanied Abu Ja'far [a.s] to Makkah, and whenever he broke his journey, he shook hands with me; and when he commenced, he shook hands with me. So, I said to him, 'May I be ransomed for you!

Perhaps you do this for a reason?' 'Indeed,' he replied, 'Whenever a believer meets his brother (in faith) and shakes hands with him, they part absolved of sins.'[^8] 59 - وعن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال فكَما لا تقدر الخلائقُ على كُنه صفةِ الله (جلّ جلاله)، فكذلك لا تقدرُ على كُنه صِفة رسولِ الله (ص)، وكما لا تقدر على كُنه صفة الرسول (ص)، كذلك لا تقدرُ على كنه صفة الإمامِ، وكما لا تقدر على كُنه صفة الإمام كذلك لا يقدرون على كُنه صفة المؤمنِ.

It has been narrated that Abu 'Abd Allah [a.s] said: Just as people are not able to describe the real essence of Allah [M.G], similarly they cannot describe the true nature of the Messenger of Allah [a.s]; and just as they are unable to describe the true nature of the Messenger of Allah [a.s], similarly they cannot possibly grasp the essential being of an Imam; and just as they cannot possibly grasp the essential being of an Imam, similarly they can never understand the true nature of a believer.[^9] 60 - عن صفوان الجمال قال: سمعته يقول ما التَقى مؤمنانِ قطّ فتصافحا إلاّ كان أفضلُهما إيماناً أشدَّهُما حُباً لِصاحبِه.

وما التقى مؤمنان قطُّ فتصافحا وذكرا اللهَ فيفترقا حتى يغفرَ الله لهما إن شاء اللهُ.