Imam Ali (peace be upon him): In the book of Sulaym ibn Qays al-Hilali it is reported that Aban ibn Abi Ayyash narrated from him, and he recited the entire book in the presence of a group of eminent companions — including Abu al-Tufayl — before our master Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), and the Imam declared it sound and said: "These are our sound hadiths." It is narrated that Aban said: After the recitation of the book in the presence of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), I met Abu al-Tufayl at his home. He related to me a hadith concerning raj'a (the return) which he had heard from a group of the people of Badr, and from Salman (may Allah have mercy on him), Miqdad and Ubayy ibn Ka'b. Abu al-Tufayl said: "What I heard from them I presented in Kufa to Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). He said: 'This is a special knowledge which the umma has no right to be ignorant of, and it is obligatory upon them to know it, and its [ultimate] knowledge is to be entrusted to Allah the Exalted.' Then the Imam confirmed for me everything those righteous ones had narrated to me, and read out to me many passages of those hadiths and gave a complete tafsir of them, until — up to the Day of Resurrection — none is more certain of raj'a than I am. Among the things I asked was this: I said: 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! Inform me about the Pool (Hawd) of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): is such a pool in this world or in the hereafter?' He said: 'It is in this world!' I asked: 'Who is the one who drives people away from it?' He said: 'I, with my own hand, bring my friends to it and drive my enemies away from it.' In another narration it is stated: 'I shall admit my friends into it and turn my enemies away from it!' I said: 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! In this verse: وَ إِذا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَیْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ تُکَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ کانُوا بِآیاتِنا لا یُوقِنُونَ [And when the decree (of punishment) befalls them (and they stand at the threshold of the resurrection), We shall bring forth for them a creature from the earth that will speak to them, (saying) that the people did not believe in Our signs.] (Naml/82) — what is meant by the "creature"?' He said: 'O Aba Tufayl! Pass over this question!' I said: 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! May I be your ransom, inform me!' He said: 'This is a creature that eats food, walks in the markets, and marries women!' I said: 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! Who is he?' He said: 'He is the mainstay of the religion, by whom the earth is made steady.' I said: 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! Who is he?' He said: 'He is the truthful one (siddiq) of this umma, its distinguisher (faruq), its learned and Allah-fearing one, and the Dhu al-Qarnayn of this umma!' I said: 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! Who is he?' He said: 'He is the one about whom Allah the Exalted said: وَیَتْلُوهُ شاهِدٌ مِنْهُ [And a witness from Him recites it.] (Hud/17), and the one who has the knowledge of the Book (and awareness of the Qur'an) with him وَ الَّذِی عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْکِتابِ (Ra'd/43), and the one who brings the truthful word and the one who confirms it وَ الَّذِی جاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَ الَّذِی صَدَّقَ بِهِ (Zumar/33). And all the people, except him, are disbelievers.' I said: 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! Make him known to me!' He said: 'O Aba Tufayl! I have made him known to you. By Allah, if I were to go among the generality of my Shia — those with whose help I fight my enemies, those very Shia who believe in obedience to me and call me Amir al-Mu'minin and consider jihad against my enemy to be lawful — and were to tell them a portion of the realities that are in the Book which Jibra'il sent down upon Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), they would scatter from around me, and I would be left with a small band of the people of truth, of whom you and those like you among my Shia are.' Abu Tufayl says: I became afraid and asked: 'Will I and those like me part from you, or shall we remain firm with you?' He said: 'You will remain firm!' Then the Imam turned to me and said: 'The reality of our affair is exceedingly difficult, and none recognises it and none affirms it save three: a nearby-brought angel, a sent prophet, or a noble believing servant whose heart Allah has tested for faith! O Aba al-Tufayl! The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) had his soul taken, and the people apostatised as misguided and ignorant ones, except those whom Allah preserved through us, the Ahl al-Bayt.'