(457) Abu Nasr Muhammad narrated to me, saying: Sheikh Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jali — may God sanctify his subtle essence — narrated to me, saying: My sheikh Lord Abu Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Hamdan al-Khasibi — may God ennoble his station — narrated to me from al-Hasan ibn Mas’ud and Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Khiraqi, who both said: We both entered upon Lord Abu Muhammad — exalted be his glory — and said to him: "May we be your ransom, will You permit us to ask a question?" He replied: "Do you two wish to ask me regarding the Gate of Abu Ali ibn Muhammad — his Gate and my Gate after him — Muhammad ibn Nusayr?" We said: "Yes, our lord, for he has sickened the hearts, pained the souls, and increased the doubts." He said: "What was the curse of my grandfather Ja'far against Abu al-Khattab Muhammad ibn Ismail in your view?" We said to him: "A mercy?" He said: "Woe to you! Had the curse of Abu Muhammad ibn Nusayr been a punishment, I would have no Gate after him." We asked: "O our lord, what was the reason for that curse?" He replied: "By God, its reason was nothing but envy from our Shia; they envied them both for the blessing of God upon them, and they were within them," as God the Almighty said: {And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, God has sent to you Saul as a king." They said, "How can he have kingship over us while we are more worthy of kingship than him and he has not been given any measure of wealth?" He said, "Indeed, God has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And God gives His kingship to whom He wills. And God is all-Encompassing and Knowing"}1
And as the Sublime said: {Or do they envy people for what God has given them of His bounty? But We had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom}2. "And like the brothers of Joseph when they envied him and cast him into the bottom of the well and brought his shirt with false blood." We said: "O our Master, we seek refuge in God from doubting that the curse of Abu al-Khattab and Abu Shu’ayb is anything but mercy."