حدثنا محمد بن القاسم الاسترآبادي المعروف بأبي الحسن الجرجاني المفسر - رضي الله عنه - قال: حدثني أبو يعقوب يوسف بن محمد بن زياد، وأبو الحسن علي بن محمد بن سيار، عن أبويهما، عن الحسن بن علي بن محمد بن علي بن موسى بن جعفر بن محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب صلوات الله عليهم أجمعين أنه قال: كذبت قريش واليهود بالقرآن وقالوا: سحر مبين تقوله، فقال الله: " ألم ذلك الكتاب " أي يا محمد هذا الكتاب الذي أنزلناه عليك هو الحروف المقطعة التي منها " الف، لام، ميم " وهو بلغتكم وحروف هجائكم فأتوا بمثله إن كنتم صادقين واستعينوا على ذلك بسائر شهدائكم، ثم بين أنهم لا يقدرون عليه بقوله: " قل لئن اجتمعت الإنس والجن على أن يأتوا بمثل هذا القرآنلا يأتون بمثله ولو كان بعضهم لبعض ظهيرا  ثم قال الله: " ألم " هو القرآنالذي افتتح ب‍ " ألم " هو " ذلك الكتاب " الذي أخبرت به موسى فمن بعده الأنبياء فأخبروا بني إسرائيل أن سأنزل عليك يا محمد كتابا عزيزا " لا يأتيه الباطل من بين يديه ولا من خلفه تنزيل من حكيم حميد " " لا ريب فيه " لا شك فيه لظهوره عندهم كما أخبرهم به أنبياؤهم أن محمدا ينزل عليه كتاب لا يمحوه الباطل، يقرؤه هو وأمته على سائر أحوالهم " هدى " بيان من الضلالة " للمتقين " الذين يتقون الموبقات ويتقون تسليط السفه على أنفسهم حتى إذا علموا ما يجب عليهم علمه عملوا بما يوجب لهم رضا ربهم. قال: وقال الصادق عليه السلام: ثم " الألف " حرف من حروف قول الله دل بالألف على قولك الله و دل باللام على قولك الملك العظيم القاهر للخلق أجمعين، ودل بالميم على أنه المجيد المحمود في كل أفعاله  وجعل هذا القول حجة على اليهود وذلك أن الله لما بعث موسى بن عمران ثم من بعده من الأنبياء إلى بني إسرائيل لم يكن فيهم أحد إلا أخذوا عليهم العهود و المواثيق ليؤمنن بمحمد العربي الأمي المبعوث بمكة الذي يهاجر إلى المدينة، يأتي بكتاب من الحروف المقطعة افتتاح بعض سوره، يحفظه أمته فيقرؤنه قياما وقعودا و مشاة وعلى كل الأحوال يسهل الله عز وجل حفظه عليهم ويقرنون بمحمد صلى الله عليه وآله أخاه ووصيه علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام الاخذ عنه علومه التي علمها، والمتقلد عنه لأمانة التي قدرها ، ومذلل كل من عاند محمد صلى الله عليه وآله بسيفه الباتر ويفحم كل من جادله وخاصمه بدليله الظاهر يقاتل عباد الله على تنزيل كتاب الله حتى يقودهم إلى قبوله طائعين وكارهين، ثم إذا صار محمد صلى الله عليه وآله إلى رضوان الله عز وجل وارتد كثير ممن كان أعطاه ظاهر الايمان وحرفوا تأويلاته وغيروا معانيه ووضعوها على خلاف وجوهها قاتلهم بعد [ذلك] على تأويله حتى يكون إبليس الغاوي لهم هو الخاسر الذليل المطرود المغلول . قال: فلما بعث الله محمدا وأظهره بمكة ثم سيره منها إلى المدينة وأظهره بها، ثم أنزل إليه الكتاب وجعل افتتاح سورته الكبرى ب‍ " ألم " يعني " ألم ذلك الكتاب " وهو ذلك الكتاب الذي أخبرت أنبيائي السالفين أني سأنزله عليك يا محمد، " لا ريب فيه " فقد ظهر كما أخبرهم به أنبياؤهم أن محمدا ينزل عليه كتاب مبارك لا يمحوه الباطل، يقرؤه هو وأمته على سائر أحوالهم، ثم اليهود يحرفونه عن جهته، ويتأولونه على غير وجهه، ويتعاطون التوصل إلى علم ما قد طواه الله عنهم من حال آجال هذه الأمة وكم مدة ملكهم، فجاء إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله منهم جماعة، فولى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله عليا عليه السلام فخاطبهم، فقال قائلهم: إن كان ما يقول محمد - صلى الله عليه وآله - حقا لقد علمناكم قدر ملك أمته، هو إحدى وسبعون سنة، " الألف " واحد، و " اللام " ثلاثون، و " الميم " أربعون، فقال علي عليه السلام: فما تصنعون ب‍ " المص " وقد انزل  عليه؟ قالوا: هذه إحدى وستون ومائة سنة. قال: فما ذا تصنعون ب‍ " الر " وقد أنزلت عليه؟ فقالوا: هذه أكثر، هذه مائتان وإحدى وثلاثون سنة. فقال علي عليه السلام: فما تصنعون بما انزل عليه " المر "؟ قالوا: هذه مائتان وإحدى وسبعون سنة فقال علي عليه السلام: فواحدة من هذه له أو جميعها له؟ فاختلط كلامهم فبعضهم قال له: واحدة منها وبعضهم قال: بل يجمع له كلها وذلك سبعمائة وأربع وثلاثون سنة، ثم يرجع الملك إلينا يعني إلى اليهود. فقال علي عليه السلام: أكتاب من كتب الله نطق بها، أم آراؤكم دلتكم عليه؟ قال بعظهم: كتاب الله نطق به، وقال آخرون منهم: بل آراؤنا دلت عليه، فقال علي عليه السلام. فأتوا بالكتاب من عند الله ينطق بما تقولون. فعجزوا عن إيراد ذلك، وقال للآخرين: فدلونا على صواب هذا الرأي. فقال: صواب رأينا دليله أن هذا حساب الجمل. فقال علي عليه السلام: كيف دل على ما تقولون وليس في هذه الحروف إلا ما اقترحتم بلا بيان! أرأيتم إن قيل لكم: إن هذه الحروف ليست دالة على هذه المدة لملك أمة محمد ولكنها دالة على أن كل واحد منكم قد لعن بعدد هذا الحساب أو أن عدد ذلك لكل واحد منكم ومنا بعدد هذا الحساب دراهم أو دنانير أو أن لعلي على كل واحد منكم دين عدد ماله مثل عدد هذا الحساب قالوا: يا أبا الحسن ليس شئ مما ذكرته منصوصا عليه في " ألم " و " المص " و " الر " و " المر ". فقال علي عليه السلام: ولا شئ مما ذكرتموه منصوص عليه في " ألم " و " المص " و " الر " و " المر " فإن بطل قولنا لما قلنا بطل قولك لما قلت، فقال خطيبهم ومنطيقهم  لا تفرح يا علي بأن عجزنا عن إقامة حجة فيما تقولهن  على دعوانا فأي حجة لك في دعواك؟ إلا أن تجعل عجزنا حجتك، فإذا ما لنا حجة فيما نقول ولا لكم حجة فيما تقولون. قال علي عليه السلام لا سواء إن لنا حجة هي المعجزة الباهرة، ثم نادى جمال اليهود: يا أيتها الجمال أشهدي لمحمد ولوصيه. فتبادر الجمال: صدقت صدقت، يا وصي محمد وكذب هؤلاء اليهود فقال علي عليه السلام هؤلاء جنس من الشهود، يا ثياب اليهود التي عليهم: أشهدي لمحمد و لوصيه. فنطقت ثيابهم كلها: صدقت صدقت يا علي نشهد أن محمد رسول الله حقا، وأنك يا علي وصيه حقا، لم يثبت محمدا قدما في مكرمة إلا وطأت على موضع قدمه بمثل مكرمته وأنتما شقيقان من اشراق أنوار الله فميزتما اثنين وأنتما في الفضائل شريكان إلا أنه لا نبي بعد محمد صلى الله عليه وآله. فعند ذلك خرست اليهود وآمن بعض النظارة منهم برسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فغلب الشقاء على اليهود وسائر النظارة الآخرين، فذلك ما قال الله: " لا ريب فيه " إنه كما قال محمد صلى الله عليه وآله ووصي محمد عن قول محمد صلى الله عليه وآله عن قول رب العالمين ثم قال: " هدى " بيان وشفاء " للمتقين " من شيعة محمد وعلي إنهم اتقوا أنواع الكفر فتركوها واتقوا الذنوب الموبقات فرفضوها واتقوا إظهار أسرار الله وأسرار أزكياء عباده الأوصياء بعد محمد صلى الله عليه وآله فكتموها واتقوا ستر العلوم عن أهلها المستحقين لها وفيهم نشروها.
4.	We were told by Muhammed bin Qasim al-Esterabadi, known as Abu’l-Hasan al-Jarjani, the Exegetist, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: I was told by Abu Ya’qub, Yusuf bin Muhammed bin Ziyad, and Abu’l-Hasan, Ali bin Muhammed bin Sayyar, from their fathers, from Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib, Allah’s blessings be upon them all, that he said: Quraish and the Jews rejected the Qur’an, and they said: A clear magic that he has uttered. Then Allah said: «Alif Laam Meem. That Book» meaning: O Muhammed, this book that We have sent down unto you is the segmented letters among which are «Alif Laam Meem», which is in your language and the letters of your alphabet, hence, bring an equal to it if you are truthful, and seek assistance for that from the rest of your witnesses. Then he clarified that they are not able to it, with His saying: «Say: Certainly, if the humans and the jinns were to gather to bring an equal to this Qur’an, they will not bring an equal to it, even if they were to each other, assistants.» (17:88) Then Allah said: «Alif Laam Meem». The Qur’an that was opened with «Alif Laam Meem», it is «That Book» which was informed of by Musa [1] and those after him of Prophets; they informed the sons of Isra’eel that I will send down unto you, O Muhammed, a Mighty Book «whom falsehood does not come from between its hands nor from behind it; a Revelation from an All-Wise, an All-Praiseworthy» (41:42). «In which there is no doubt», in which there is no doubt, due to its appearance among them, like how they were informed by their Prophets that upon Muhammed the Book shall be sent down. It will not be erased by falsehood; it will be read by him and his nation on the rest of their conditions. «A guidance» clear from aberration «to the godfearing» who guard against grave sins and guard against granting control of foolishness upon themselves, until they are knowledgeable of what is obligatory upon them to know, they act by what brings them the satisfaction of their Lord. He said: Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: The «Alif» is a letter from the letters of the saying: Allah. With the «Alif» He denoted your saying: Allah. And with the «Laam» He denoted your saying: The Great King, the Vanquisher of the creation, all of them. With the «Meem» He denoted that He is the Commendable, the Praised, in all all His acts, and He made this saying a proof upon the Jews. That is because when Allah sent Musa bin Imran [2], and then after him the Prophets to the sons of Isra’eel, there was none among them except that they took upon them oaths and covenants that they will certainly believe in Muhammed, the Arab, the Ummi [3] who will be sent in Mecca, who will migrate to Medina, who will bring a Book consisting of segmented letters as an opening to some of its chapters. His nation will preserve it, and they will read it while standing, sitting, walking and in all conditions. Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, will make its memorizing easy upon them. They will equal to Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, his brother and Successor, Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, the one who takes from him his knowledge that he knew, and who takes on his behalf the trust that he was entrusted, and the humiliator of everyone who was adamant towards Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, with his cutting sword, and who overwhelms everyone who argues against him and opposes him with his manifest proof. He will fight the servants of Allah over the revelation of the Book of Allah until he leads them to accept it, willingly or forcibly. Then, when Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, will move to the satisfaction of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and it will apostatize many from those who granted him apparent faith, and they alter his interpretations, change its meanings and place them on the contrary of their indications, he will fight them after over its interpretation, until Iblees, their seducer, is the looser, the humiliated, the banished, the chained. He said: Then, when Allah sent Muhammed and made him appear in Mecca, then made him march from it to Medina and made him appear in it, then sent down the Book unto him and made the opening of its greatest chapter with «Alif Laam Meem», meaning «Alif Laam Meem. That Book» which is that Book whom My previous Prophets informed that I will send down unto you, O Muhammed «in which there is no doubt» it appeared like how they were informed by their Prophets that upon Muhammed there will be sent down a Blessed Book which falsehood will not erase, which will be read by him and his nation on the rest of their conditions. Then, the Jews attempted to alter it from its direction and interpret it differently than its indication, and they pursued to reach a knowledge that Allah has not folded from them with regards to the conditions of the time of this nation and the duration of their reign. So, a group of them came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, assigned Ali, peace be upon him, so he addressed them. Their speaker said: If what Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family [4], says is true, then we will teach you the duration of his nation’s reign. It is seventy one years; the «Alif» is one, the «Laam» is thirty and the «Meem» is forty. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: So what do you do with «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad» which has been sent down unto him? Then they said: These are more; they are two hundred and thirty one years. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: So what do you do with what has been sent down unto him of «Alif Laam Meem Raa’»? They said: These are two hundred and seventy one years. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: So, is one of these for him, or are they all for him? Their word differed, and so some of them said to him: One of them. And others said: Rather, all shall be calculated for him, and that will be seven hundred and thirty four years, and then the reign will return to us, meaning to the Jews. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: Has a Book from the Books of Allah spoken this, or did your reasoning lead you to it? Some of them said: The Book of Allah spoke it. Others of them said: Rather, our reasoning lead to it. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: Then bring the Book that is from Allah which speaks what you say. Then they were unable to bring that. And he said to the others: Then lead us to the validity of this reasoning. He said: The validity of our opinion, its proof is that this is the camel’s calculation. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: How did it lead to what you say, when there is not in these letters except that which you suggested without evidence? Would you imagine if it was said to you: These letters do not denote the duration of the reign of Muhammed’s nation, but they denote that everyone of you has been cursed by the amount of this calculation, or for each one of you and us is as the mount of this calculation in dirhams and dinars, or that Ali has upon each one of you a debt whose amount of money is like the amount of this calculation? They said: O Aba’l-Hasan, none of what you mentioned is confirmed in «Alif Laam Meem», «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad», «Alif Laam Raa’» and «Alif Laam Meem Raa’». Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: And nothing from what you mentioned is confirmed in «Alif Laam Meem», «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad», «Alif Laam Raa’» and «Alif Laam Meem Raa’». Hence, if our saying is invalid due to what we said, then your saying is invalid due to what you said. Then their speaker and eloquent said: Do not rejoice, O Ali, that we were unable to establish a proof in what you said about our claim, for what proof do you have of your claim? Unless you make our inability your proof. Hence, we have no proof of what we say, and you have no proof of what you say. Ali, peace be upon him, said: They are not the same. Indeed, we have a proof, that is the dazzling miracle. Then he called to the camels of the Jews: O camels, testify for Muhammed and his Successor. Then the camels initiated: You spoke true, you spoke true, O Successor of Muhammed, and these Jews have lied. Then Ali, peace be upon him said: These are a part of the witnesses. O clothes of the Jews which are on them, testify for Muhammed and his Successor. Then all the clothes spoke: You spoke true, you spoke true, O Ali, we testify that Muhammed is truly the Messenger of Allah, and that you, O Ali, is truly his Successor; Muhammed stepped into no noble quality except that you stepped on his footstep with his same noble quality. You are two brothers from the radiance of the Lights of Allah, after which you were made distinct into two, and you are associates in virtues, except that there is no prophet after Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. Therein, the Jews were silent, and some of their attendants believed in the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. Then wretchedness dominated the Jews and the rest of the other attendants. That is about which Allah said: «in which there is no doubt». It is as was said by Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and the Successor of Muhammed about the saying of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, about the saying of the Lord of all the worlds. Then he said: «a guidance» is a clarification and a remedy «to the godfearing» from the Shi’a of Muhammed and Ali; they guarded against the various types of disbelief, and so they abandoned them, and they guarded against grieve sins, and so they rejected them, and they guarded against demonstrating the secrets of Allah and the secrets of his pure servants, the Successors after Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and so they concealed them, and they guarded against veiling knowledge from its people who deserve it, and they spread it among them.