عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ دَاوُدَ الْيَعْقُوبِيِّ عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْعَلَوِيِّ قَالَ وَ حَدَّثَنِي الْأُسَيْدِيُّ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُبَشِّرٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ نَافِعٍ الْأَزْرَقَ كَانَ يَقُولُ لَوْ أَنِّي عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ بَيْنَ قُطْرَيْهَا أَحَداً تُبْلِغُنِي إِلَيْهِ الْمَطَايَا يَخْصِمُنِي أَنَّ عَلِيّاً قَتَلَ أَهْلَ النَّهْرَوَانِ وَ هُوَ لَهُمْ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لَرَحَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ وَ لَا وَلَدَهُ فَقَالَ أَ فِي وُلْدِهِ عَالِمٌ فَقِيلَ لَهُ هَذَا أَوَّلُ جَهْلِكَ وَ هُمْ يَخْلُونَ مِنْ عَالِمٍ قَالَ فَمَنْ عَالِمُهُمُ الْيَوْمَ قِيلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ (عليه السلام) قَالَ فَرَحَلَ إِلَيْهِ فِي صَنَادِيدِ أَصْحَابِهِ حَتَّى أَتَى الْمَدِينَةَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عليه السلام) فَقِيلَ لَهُ هَذَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ فَقَالَ وَ مَا يَصْنَعُ بِي وَ هُوَ يَبْرَأُ مِنِّي وَ مِنْ أَبِي طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ الْكُوفِيُّ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ هَذَا يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ لَوْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ بَيْنَ قُطْرَيْهَا أَحَداً تُبْلِغُهُ الْمَطَايَا إِلَيْهِ يَخْصِمُهُ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً (عليه السلام) قَتَلَ أَهْلَ النَّهْرَوَانِ وَ هُوَ لَهُمْ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لَرَحَلَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عليه السلام) أَ تَرَاهُ جَاءَنِي مُنَاظِراً قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ يَا غُلَامُ اخْرُجْ فَحُطَّ رَحْلَهُ وَ قُلْ لَهُ إِذَا كَانَ الْغَدُ فَأْتِنَا قَالَ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ غَدَا فِي صَنَادِيدِ أَصْحَابِهِ وَ بَعَثَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عليه السلام) إِلَى جَمِيعِ أَبْنَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَ الْأَنْصَارِ فَجَمَعَهُمْ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَى النَّاسِ فِي ثَوْبَيْنِ مُمَغَّرَيْنِ وَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ كَأَنَّهُ فِلْقَةُ قَمَرٍ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ مُحَيِّثِ الْحَيْثِ وَ مُكَيِّفِ الْكَيْفِ وَ مُؤَيِّنِ الْأَيْنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَ لَا نَوْمٌ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً (صلى الله عليه وآله) عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ اجْتَبَاهُ وَ هَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَكْرَمَنَا بِنُبُوَّتِهِ وَ اخْتَصَّنَا بِوَلَايَتِهِ يَا مَعْشَرَ أَبْنَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَ الْأَنْصَارِ مَنْ كَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ مَنْقَبَةٌ فِي عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عليه السلام) فَلْيَقُمْ وَ لْيَتَحَدَّثْ قَالَ فَقَامَ النَّاسُ فَسَرَدُوا تِلْكَ الْمَنَاقِبَ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنَا أَرْوَى لِهَذِهِ الْمَنَاقِبِ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ وَ إِنَّمَا أَحْدَثَ عَلِيٌّ الْكُفْرَ بَعْدَ تَحْكِيمِهِ الْحَكَمَيْنِ حَتَّى انْتَهَوْا فِي الْمَنَاقِبِ إِلَى حَدِيثِ خَيْبَرَ لَأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ غَداً رَجُلًا يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ كَرَّاراً غَيْرَ فَرَّارٍ لَا يَرْجِعُ حَتَّى يَفْتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عليه السلام) مَا تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ فَقَالَ هُوَ حَقٌّ لَا شَكَّ فِيهِ وَ لَكِنْ أَحْدَثَ الْكُفْرَ بَعْدُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عليه السلام) ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَحَبَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ يَوْمَ أَحَبَّهُ وَ هُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ يَقْتُلُ أَهْلَ النَّهْرَوَانِ أَمْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ قَالَ ابْنُ نَافِعٍ أَعِدْ عَلَيَّ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عليه السلام) أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ أَحَبَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ يَوْمَ أَحَبَّهُ وَ هُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ يَقْتُلُ أَهْلَ النَّهْرَوَانِ أَمْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ قَالَ إِنْ قُلْتَ لَا كَفَرْتَ قَالَ فَقَالَ قَدْ عَلِمَ قَالَ فَأَحَبَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِطَاعَتِهِ أَوْ عَلَى أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِمَعْصِيَتِهِ فَقَالَ عَلَى أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِطَاعَتِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عليه السلام) فَقُمْ مَخْصُوماً فَقَامَ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ.
548. A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Al-Husayn Bin Yazeed Al-Nowfaly, from Ali Bin Dawood Al-Yaqouby, from Isa Bin Abdullah Al-Alawy who said: It has been narrated to me by Al-Asaydi and Muhammad Bin Basheer that Abdullah Bin Naf’a Al-Azraq used to say, ‘If only I knew someone between its (earth’s) diameter where my animal (ride) can reach to, who can debate with me that Ali  killed the people of Naharwaan, and he  was not unjust to them, I would ride over to him’ (to refute). So it was said to him, ‘And (what about his  son )?’ He said, ‘Is his  son  a knowledgeable one?’ So it was said to him, ‘This is your first ignorance. And have they  ever been without a knowledgeable one?’ He said, ‘So who is their  knowledgeable one today?’ It was said, ‘Muhammad  Bin Ali  Bin Al-Husayn Bin Ali ’. He (the narrator) said, ‘So he rode over to him  with the brave ones of his companions until he came up to Al-Medina. So he sought permission to see Abu Ja’far . It was said to him , ‘This is Abdullah Bin Naf’a’. He  said; ‘So what has he to do with me , and he ‘يَبْرَأُ’ distances himself (Tabarra) from me  and from my  father  both morning and evening’. Abu Baseer Al-Kufy said to him , ‘May I be sacrificed for you , this one alleges that, ‘‘If only I knew someone between its (earth’s) diameter where my animal (ride) can reach to, who can debate with me that Ali  killed the people of Naharwaan, and he  was not unjust to them, I would ride over to him (to refute)’. So Abu Ja’far  said to him: ‘You think he has come to me  for a debate?’ He said, ‘Yes’. He  said: ‘O boy (servant), go out and unload his saddlebag, and tell him to come to us  tomorrow’. He (the narrator) said, ‘So when it was the next day, Abdullah Bin Naf’a came with the brave ones of his companions, and Abu Ja’far  sent a message to all the sons of the Emigrants and the Helpers and gathered them. Then he  came out to the people wearing two alluring robes and faced the people as if he  was the moon in orbit. So he  said: ‘The Praise is due to Allah (azwj), the Awarder of the positions, and the Attribute of the attributes, and the Director of the directions. The Praise is due to Allah (azwj) “[2:255] slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His” up to the end of the Verse. ‘And I  testify that there is no god except for Allah (azwj), One, with no associates to Him (azwj). And I  testify that Muhammad ﷺ is His (azwj) servant, Chosen by Him (azwj) and Guided by Him (azwj) to be on the Straight Path. The Praise is due to Allah (azwj) Who Honoured us  with the Prophet-hood and Favoured us by Al-Wilayah. O group of the sons of the Emigrants and the Helpers! The ones among you who have merits regarding Ali  Bin Abu Talib , so he should stand and narrate them’. So the people stood up, so they enumerated those merits. Abdullah said, ‘I am a narrator of these merits from them, but, subsequently the disbelief took place after the appointment of the two judges’. Then they ended up with the merits in the Hadeeth of Khyber: ‘I ﷺ shall give the flag tomorrow to a man who loves Allah (azwj) and His (azwj) Messenger ﷺ, and Allah (azwj) and His (azwj) Messenger ﷺ love him . An attacking one, not a fleeing one who will not return until Allah (azwj) Grants victory upon his  hands’. So Abu Ja’far  said; ‘What do you say regarding this Hadeeth’. He said, ‘True. There is no doubt with regards to it, but disbelief took place afterwards’. So Abu Ja’far  said to him: ‘May your mother be bereft of you! Inform me  about Allah (azwj) Loving Ali  Bin Abu Talib  on the Day He (azwj) Loved him  and He (azwj) Knew that he  would be killing the people of Nahrwan, or did He (azwj) not Know?’ Ibn Naf’a said, ‘Repeat that for me’. So Abu Ja’far  said to him: ‘Inform me  about Allah (azwj), He (azwj) Loved Ali  on the day that He (azwj) Loved him , and He (azwj) Knew that he  would be killing the people of Nahrwan, or did He (azwj) not Know?’ He said, ‘If I say, ‘No’, I would have blasphemed’. He (the narrator) said, ‘So he said, ‘He (azwj) had Known’. He  said: ‘So did Allah (azwj) Love Ali  to act in obedience to Him (azwj) or in disobedience to Him (azwj)?’ He  said; ‘Upon his  acting in obedience to Him (azwj)’. So Abu Ja’far  said to him: ‘So stand up (and leave) for you have been defeated’. He stood up and he was saying, ‘Until the white thread becomes distinct from the black thread at dawn, Allah (azwj) Knows where He (azwj) should Make His (azwj) Message to be’.