Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār 1, narration 126

Translation

1. We were told by Ja’far bin Muhammed bin Masrur, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: I was told by Hasan bin Muhammed bin ‘Amer, from Mu’alla bin Muhammed, from Ahmad bin Muhammed al-Bazanti, from Ali bin Ja’far, that he said: I heard Abu’l-Hasan, Musa bin Ja’far, peace be upon them both, say: Once, when the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him was sitting, it entered into his place an Angel with twenty-four faces. Then the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said to him: My beloved Jibra’eel, I have not seen you in this image. Then the Angel said: I am not Jibra’eel. I am Mahmud, and I was sent by Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, to marry the Light to the Light. He said: Whom to whom? He said: Fatima to Ali. He said: Then, when the Angel went away, it was written between his shoulders: «Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, Ali is his Successor». Then the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: Since when has this been written between your shoulders? So he said: Since before Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, created Adam by twenty-two thousand years.

Translation: Basel Kadem — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.