’ [7] قَالَ فَعِنْدَ مَنْ يُوجَدُ عِلْمُ ذَلِكَ He said...

’ [7] قَالَ فَعِنْدَ مَنْ يُوجَدُ عِلْمُ ذَلِكَ He said, ‘So with whom can one find knowledge of that?’ قُلْتُ عِنْدَ مَنْ عَرَفْتُ I said, ‘With the one who recognises.’ قَالَ وَدِدْتُ لَوْ أَنِّي عَرَفْتُهُ فَأَغْسِلُ قَدَمَيْهِ وَ أَخْدُمُهُ وَ أَتَعَلَّمُ مِنْهُ He said, ‘I would love it if I could know him, so I would wash his feet and serve him, and learn from him!’ قُلْتُ أُنَاشِدُكَ اللَّهَ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ رَجُلًا كَانَ إِذَا سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص أَعْطَاهُ وَ إِذَا سَكَتَ عَنْهُ ابْتَدَأَهُ I said, ‘I adjure you with Allah -azwj !

Do you know of any man whenever he had asked Rasool-Allah -saww , he -saww gave him, and when he was silent, he -saww initiated him?’ قَالَ نَعَمْ ذَلِكَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع He said, ‘Yes, that is Ali -asws Bin Abu Talib -asws .’ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً سَأَلَ أَحَداً بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص عَنْ حَلَالٍ أَوْ حَرَامٍ I said, ‘Do you know that after Rasool-Allah -saww , Ali -asws had asked anyone about a Halal or Haraam?’ قَالَ لَا He said, ‘No.’ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَنْهُ I said, ‘Do you know they (companions) were needed to him -asws and were taking from him -asws ?’ قَالَ نَعَمْ He said, ‘Yes.’ قُلْتُ فَذَلِكَ عِنْدَهُ I said, ‘So that (knowledge) is with him -asws .’ قَالَ فَقَدْ مَضَى فَأَيْنَ لَنَا بِهِ He said, ‘He -asws has passed away, so where can it be for us with him -asws ?’ قُلْتُ تَسْأَلُ فِي وُلْدِهِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ الْعِلْمَ فِيهِمْ وَ عِنْدَهُمْ I said, ‘You can ask his -asws sons -asws , for that knowledge is among them -asws and with them -asws .’ قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ لِي بِهِمْ He said, ‘And how can it be for me with them -asws ?’ قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ قَوْماً كَانُوا فِي مَفَازَةٍ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَ مَعَهُمْ أَدِلَّاءُ فَوَثَبُوا عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَتَلُوا بَعْضَهُمْ وَ أَخَافُوا بَعْضَهُمْ فَهَرَبَ وَ اسْتَتَرَ مَنْ بَقِيَ لِخَوْفِهِ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا مَنْ يَدُلُّهُمْ فَتَاهُوا فِي تِلْكَ الْمَفَازَةِ حَتَّى هَلَكُوا مَا تَقُولُ فِيهِمْ I said, ‘What is your view of a people who were in a wilderness of the earth and with them were guides, but they pounced upon them and killed some of them and some of them feared so one who remained went into hiding due to his fear, so they could no longer find one who could guide them.