 ٢ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الله أَجَلُّ وَأَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْرَفَ بِخَلْقِهِ بَلِ الْخَلْقُ يُعْرَفُونَ بِالله قَالَ صَدَقْتَ قُلْتُ إِنَّ مَنْ عَرَفَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبّاً فَيَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ أَنَّ لِذَلِكَ الرَّبِّ رِضًا وَسَخَطاً وَأَنَّهُ لا يُعْرَفُ رِضَاهُ وَسَخَطُهُ إِلا بِوَحْيٍ أَوْ رَسُولٍ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَأْتِهِ الْوَحْيُ فَقَدْ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ الرُّسُلَ فَإِذَا لَقِيَهُمْ عَرَفَ أَنَّهُمُ الْحُجَّةُ وَأَنَّ لَهُمُ الطَّاعَةَ الْمُفْتَرَضَةَ وَقُلْتُ لِلنَّاسِ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) كَانَ هُوَ الْحُجَّةَ مِنَ الله عَلَى خَلْقِهِ قَالُوا بَلَى قُلْتُ فَحِينَ مَضَى رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مَنْ كَانَ الْحُجَّةَ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ فَقَالُوا الْقُرْآنُ فَنَظَرْتُ فِي الْقُرْآنِ فَإِذَا هُوَ يُخَاصِمُ بِهِ الْمُرْجِئُ وَالْقَدَرِيُّ وَالزِّنْدِيقُ الَّذِي لا يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ حَتَّى يَغْلِبَ الرِّجَالَ بِخُصُومَتِهِ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ لا يَكُونُ حُجَّةً إِلا بِقَيِّمٍ فَمَا قَالَ فِيهِ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ كَانَ حَقّاً فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ مَنْ قَيِّمُ الْقُرْآنِ فَقَالُوا ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ قَدْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ وَعُمَرُ يَعْلَمُ وَحُذَيْفَةُ يَعْلَمُ قُلْتُ كُلَّهُ قَالُوا لا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ أَحَداً يُقَالُ إِنَّهُ يَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ إِلا عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَإِذَا كَانَ الشَّيْ‏ءُ بَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ فَقَالَ هَذَا لا أَدْرِي وَقَالَ هَذَا لا أَدْرِي وَقَالَ هَذَا لا أَدْرِي وَقَالَ هَذَا أَنَا أَدْرِي فَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَانَ قَيِّمَ الْقُرْآنِ وَكَانَتْ طَاعَتُهُ مُفْتَرَضَةً وَكَانَ الْحُجَّةَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَأَنَّ مَا قَالَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ فَهُوَ حَقٌّ فَقَالَ رَحِمَكَ الله.
 2. Muhammad ibn Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mansur ibn Hazim who has said the following. “I said to Imam abu ‘Abdallah , ‘Allah by far above Majestic and Gracious to be known through His creatures. In fact, the creatures are known through Allah.’” The Imam  said, “You have spoken the truth.” I said, “One who knows that he has a Lord, he must also learn that his Lord agrees with certain things and disagrees with certain other things. The only way he would know what his like and dislikes is revelation or a messenger. On e does not receive revelation he must find the messengers and when finds the messengers he will know that they the Divine authority and that obedience to them is necessary. I say to people, “Do you know that the messenger of Allah was the Divine authority over His creatures?” They say, “Yes, he was the Divine authority.” I then ask, “After the messenger of Allah who was the Divine authority over His creatures?” They said, “After the messenger of Allah the Divine authority is the Holy Quran.” I considered the Holy Quran and found out that various kinds of people consider this Holy Book as support for their beliefs. For example the Murji’a (people who say Allah has postponed punishment), the pre-determinists and the atheist who even do not believe in it but take it as the basis for their arguments against the others. I then learned that the Holy Quran can not serve as Divine authority without a guardian whose words from the Holy Quran would be the truth. I then ask the people, “Who is the guardian of the Holy Quran?” They say, “Ibn Mas‘ud knew the Holy Quran, ‘Umar knew it and Hudhayfa knew the Holy Quran.” I ask them, “Did they know all of the Holy Quran?” The people say, “No, they did not know all of it.” I have not found anyone who would know all of the Holy Quran except Ali ibn abu Talib . It is a fact that if any issue would emerge that needed a Quranic solution, except for Imam Ali  every one of the others would, in many cases, say, “I do not know.” Only Imam Ali  would say, “I know.” I then acknowledge that Imam Ali  is the guardian of the Holy Quran and obedience to him is obligatory and he is the Divine authority over the people after the Holy Prophet (s.a.). Whatever Imam Ali  has said from the Holy Quran is the truth.” The Imam  said, “May Allah grant you blessing.”