قال الشيخ أبو جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن موسى بن بابويه الفقيه القمي نزيل الري، مصنف هذا الكتاب - رضي الله عنه، وقدس روحه: حدثنا أبي، ومحمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد - رضي الله عنهما - قالا: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، و عبد الله بن جعفر الحميري، وأحمد بن إدريس، ومحمد بن يحيى العطار - رحمهم الله - قالوا: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن خالد قال: حدثنا علي بن حسان الواسطي، عمن ذكره، عن داود بن فرقد قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: أنتم أفقه الناس إذا عرفتم معاني كلامنا، إن الكلمة لتنصرف على وجوه، فلو شاء إنسان لصرف كلامه كيف شاء ولا يكذب.
Sheikh Abu Ja’far, Muhammed bin Ali bin Hussain bin Musa bin Babawayh, the jurist, al-Qommi, the visitor of Ray, the compiler of this book, may Allah be pleased with him and sanctify his soul: 1.	We were told by my father, and Muhammed bin Hasan bin Ahmad bin Waleed, may Allah be pleased with them both, that they both said: We were told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, and Abdullah bin Ja’far al-Himyari, and Ahmad bin Idrees, and Muhammed bin Yahya al-‘Attar, may Allah grant them mercy, that they said: We were told by Ahmad bin Muhammed bin Khalid, that he said: We were told by Ali bin Hassaan al-Wasiti, from the one he mentioned, from Dawud bin Farqad, that he said: I heard Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, say: You are the most knowledgeable of the people if you were to know the meanings of our words. Verily, a word does indeed turn to several indications. If a person wishes, he may turn his words however he wishes, whilst not lying.