"And on this day I have eaten double that. So I looked at the amount of what my Master handed to me, and behold, it was thirty-five fresh dates. So I said: 'This exceeds what I ate by one fresh date.' And I did no doubt that God, Glory be to Him and Exalted is He, had singled out from the people of Tarabay this [specific] number."

"So I entered upon them in al-Hir while they were in a gathering, conversing. When they saw me, they said: 'O Ali ibn Ahmad, your Master Abu al-Hasan had, on such-and-such day of such-and-such year, indicated to you what he indicated, and enjoined upon you what he enjoined upon you, and commanded you to spread that to the people of Tarabay, who are the People of Reality (Ahl al-Haqiqah). And he handed to you what he presented you with, so you distributed it among those present. And today you were with the Master al-Hasan while he confided in you, so where is our share of his favor upon you?'"

"I said: 'He directed me with the like of what Abu al-Hasan directed me with, and he had informed me of that, that it would happen. And what he presented me with therein—here, I have brought it to you.'"

"So I began placing a fresh date in the hand of each one of them, until I had placed [dates] in the hands of thirty-four men.