Saʿd b. ʿAbd Allāh, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā, from Muḥammad b. Abī ʿUmayr, from ʿUmar b. Udhayna, from Abān b. Abī ʿAyyāsh, from Sulaym b. Qays al-Hilālī, who said: “I heard ʿAbd Allāh b. Jaʿfar al-Ṭayyār saying: “We were with Muʿāwiya, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn عليهما السلام, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās, ʿUmar b. Abī Salama, and Usāma b. Zayd,” whereupon he mentioned a discussion that occurred between him and Muʿāwiya b. Abī Sufyān, in which he said to Muʿāwiya: “I heard the Apostle of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله saying: “Indeed, I am closer to the faithful than their own souls.[1] Then, my brother, ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib عليه السلام is closer to the faithful than their own souls. So, when he is martyred, then my scion, al-Ḥasan, is closer to the faithful than their own souls. Then, my scion, al-Ḥusayn, is closer to the faithful than their own souls. So, when he is martyred, then his son, ʿAlī, is closer to the faithful than their own souls. You will come to know him, o’ ʿAlī! Then his son, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī, is closer to the faithful than their own souls. You will come to know him, o’ Ḥusayn!”[2] Then the succession is completed as twelve Imams, nine from among the offspring of al-Ḥusayn.” ʿAbd Allāh (b. Jaʿfar al-Ṭayyār) said: “I then called upon al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn صلوات الله عليهما, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās, ʿUmar b. Abī Salama and Usāma b. Zayd to bear witness, so they bore witness for me, before Muʿāwiya.” Sulaym b. Qays said: “I heard that from Salmān, Abī Dharr, al-Miqdād and Usāma b. Zayd,[3] whereupon they narrated it to me that they heard it from the Apostle of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم himself.”