Then We brought forth after them others, and so it continues you, O those addressed by this word and the Quran; you did not believe in it and chose disbelief over faith. Thus, We shall do to you as We did to them, and [the authority] shall be handed over to others besides you.
[45] Muhammad ibn Sinan—peace be upon him—narrated from Abu Faddal, from Jabir; Furat ibn al-Ahnaf said that he heard Abu Ja'far—may His Might be exalted—saying: "Indeed, Uthman ibn Affan looked at Abu Dharr in a form (Surah) granted to him by the Commander of the Faithful—may His Might be exalted—and so he hated and opposed him. Uthman was forbidden from that, but he refused and his hatred increased; thus, he was metamorphosed (Musiha) into a raven." The Master said to me: "If you see him, O Furat ibn al-Ahnaf, say to him: {And you have already known the first creation, so will you not remember?} 1 ."
He [Furat] said: "So I went the [next] morning to Kufa, and there was the raven standing. When I saw him, I said to him: {And you have already known the first creation, so will you not remember?} 2 ." He said: "The raven stretched its neck toward me and then said: 'O Furat ibn al-Ahnaf, I have been cycled (Kurrirtu) seventy times, yet the enmity of Ali has not left my heart.'" He said: "The next day, I related his story to Abu Ja'far—may His Might be exalted.