عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ الْأَصْبَهَانِيِّ قَالَ اسْتَهْدَانِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) فَأَهْدَيْتُ لَهُ طَيْراً رَاعِبِيّاً فَدَخَلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) فَقَالَ اجْعَلُوا هَذَا الطَّيْرَ الرَّاعِبِيَّ مَعِي فِي الْبَيْتِ يُؤْنِسُنِيقَالَ وَ قَالَ عُثْمَانُ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) وَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَمَامٌ يَفُتُّ لَهُنَّ خُبْزاً .
14. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Bakr ibn Salih from Muhammad ibn abu Hamzah from ‘Uthman al- Asbahaniy who has said the following: “’Isma‘il ibn abu ‘Abd Allah , asked me for a gift and I gave him a Ra’Tbiy bird (a pigeon). Abu ‘Abd Allah , came in and said, ‘Keep this al-Ra’‘ibiy bird in the house with me for comfort.’ ‘Uthman has said, ‘I once visited abu ‘Abd Allah , when in front of him there was a pigeon for which he (the Imam) made the bread in pieces.’” 