أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنِ الْحَجَّالِ وَ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ مَهْمَا أُبْهِمَ عَلَى الْبَهَائِمِ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ فَلَا يُبْهَمُ عَلَيْهَا أَرْبَعَةُ خِصَالٍ مَعْرِفَةُ أَنَّ لَهَا خَالِقاً وَ مَعْرِفَةُ طَلَبِ الرِّزْقِ وَ مَعْرِفَةُ الذَّكَرِ مِنَ الْأُنْثَى وَ مَخَافَةُ الْمَوْتِ .
11. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from al-Hajj al and ibn Faddal from Tha’labah, from Ya‘qub ibn Salim from a man who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘No matter how unintelligent the animals may be, they are not so about four issues. They know that they have a Creator, they know how to find sustenance, they know male and female and they are afraid of death.’” 