١٦ - أخبرنا علي بن الحسين قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار بقم، قال: حدثنا محمد بن حسان الرازي، قال: حدثنا محمد بن علي الكوفي، قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن محمد بن يوسف، قال: حدثنا محمد بن عيسى، عن عبد الرزاق، عن زيد الشحام، عن أبي عبد الله ، وقال محمد بن حسان الرازي: وحدثنا به محمد بن علي الكوفي، عن محمد بن سنان، عن زيد الشحام قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله: أيهما أفضل الحسن أو الحسين؟ قال: إنّ فضلَ أوّلنا يلحق فضل آخرنا، وفضلُ آخرنا يلحق فضل أوّلنا فكلٌّ له فضل. قال: قلت له: جعلت فداك وسّع عليّ في الجواب، فإني والله ما أسألك إلاّ مرتاداً، فقال: نحن مِن شجرة برأنا اللهُ من طينة واحدة، فضلُنا من الله وعلمُنا من عند الله، ونحن أمناءُ الله على خلقه والدعاةُ إلى دينه والحجابُ فيما بينه وبين خلقه، أزيدك يا زيد؟ قلت: نعم، فقال: خلقُنا واحد وعِلمنا واحد وفضلُنا واحد، وكلنا واحد عند الله . فقلت: أخبرني بعدّتِكم، فقال: نحن اثنا عشر - هكذا - حول عرشِ ربّنا جلّ وعزَّ في مبتدء خلقِنا، أوّلنا محمد، وأوسطُنا محمد، وآخرنا محمد.
(16) Ali bin al-Husayn narrated from Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar from Muhammad bin Hassaan ar-Razi from Muhammad bin Ali al-Kufi from Ibraheem bin Muhammad bin Yousuf from Muhammad bin Eessa from Abdurrazak from Zayd ash-Shahham that Abu Abdullah  had said (the same, which had been also narrated) by Muhammad bin Hassaan ar-Razi from Muhammad bin Ali al-Kufi from Muhammad bin Sinan that Zayd ash-Shahham had said: I asked Abu Abdullah : “Who is better; al-Hasan or al-Husayn?” He said: “The virtue of the previous one of us joins the next one of us and the virtue of the next one of us joins the previous one. Each one of us has his virtue.” I said: “May my soul be sacrificed for you! Would you explain the answer more to me because I look for the truth?” He said: “We are from one tree. Allah has created us from one clay. Our virtue and knowledge are from Allah. We are the deputies of Allah over His people, the propagandists for His religion and the means between Allah and His people. Do I say more to you O Zayd?” I said: “Yes!” He said: “Our creation is the same. Our knowledge is the same. Our virtue is the same and we all are the same before Allah.” I asked: “Would you tell me how many you are?” He said: “We are twelve ones. So has been determined around the Throne at the beginning of the Creation. The first of us is Muhammad. The middle is Muhammad and the last of us is Muhammad.”