existence becomes pleasant. Through it, praise, commendations, and good deeds are acquired.'

My master said to him: 'Have you not heard the report related from Dawud al-Raqqi?' The Minister said: 'What is the report?' He said:

It is related from Dawud al-Raqqi that he said: I used to sit in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah and relate the virtues of my Master al-Sadiq. A man of the opposition used to sit by me. Whenever I related a virtue to him, that man would say: "You have lied and your companion has lied." I would turn away from him and not care for his words. When that became long for me, I mentioned his matter to my Master and complained to him. He said to me: "I shall occupy him away from you."

Then he summoned one of the Shi‘a and gave him a paper containing a hundred dinars, and said to him: "Take these, meet so-and-so, give them to him, and convey to him my salutations. Tell him that my Master, when he learned of your poverty and the size of your family, sent these to you to assist you in your time; they are for you every year from us."

The man did that and gave them to him. When he opened the paper and looked at the dinars, he rejoiced with a great joy and said to him: "I bear witness that your companion, Abu ‘Abd Allah Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, is the Truthful; he knows the secrets and what the consciences hide, and no hidden thing is hidden from him, whether in secret or in public." He took the dinars and departed.

Dawud said: On the following morning, I sat in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah and related the virtues of my Master Abu ‘Abd Allah, and the man was present. When he heard that from me, he said: "You have spoken the truth and your companion has spoken the truth." He continued in this manner; whenever he attended the place and heard my narration, he would say the same.