(456) This is supported by what Abu Muhammad ibn al-Hasan related to me from Sheikh Abu Sa'id Maymun ibn al-Qasim al-Tabarani, reaching by his chain to Yahya ibn Ma'in al-Samiri — peace be upon him — who said: It reached [the Caliph] al-Mu'tamid that Abu Shu’ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr — peace be upon him — was calling to our Master Abu al-Hasan Ali al-Askari — exalted be his glory. This became grave to al-Mu'tamid, who said: "He is within my favor yet calls to other than me? I shall certainly strike his neck!" This reached our Master Abu al-Hasan — exalted be his glory — who said: "May God curse Abu Shu’ayb; he has consumed my provision through mockery and said of me what I did not say." This reached al-Mu'tamid, so he bestowed a robe of honor¹ upon Abu Shu’ayb and mounted him upon a noble horse². Yahya ibn Ma'in said: I saw him as I was standing at the door of al-Mu'tamid's house; he had come out wearing the robe, riding the horse, with trumpets³ and drums⁴ before him. I said to myself: "Is this the one they said calls to our Master al-Hasan the Latter?" I saw him break through the ranks, come to me, and say: "Yes, it is I." Yahya said: I saw him the next day on a black horse with a gold saddle. I said to myself: "Is this the one they claim that when wealth comes from Khorasan, he knows its amount and weight before counting or weighing it, and tells his servant: 'Go to such a path for you shall meet a man whose description is such,' and knows the hidden things before they are present before him?" He [Abu Shu’ayb] broke through the ranks, came to me, and say: "Yes, I am that." I said: "I have believed and attested."

Thus the curse of our Master al-Hasan al-Askari — exalted be his glory — was just like the curse of our Master al-Sadiq — exalted be his glory — against Abu al-Khattab; and he is Abu al-Khattab — peace be upon him.