companions—those in whose virtue, religion, and truthfulness of speech he trusts—and orders each of them to seek out a king among the kings of the earth to know his governance, how he manages his companions, the revenue of his lands, and the number of his soldiers, princes, and commanders. Each would then inform him of what he witnessed.

My father ordered me to bring my specific elite companions. I brought a group of people, and he ordered each of them to travel to a king of the time. He sought someone to travel to your lands, but no man was present who knew of the talk of Islam what ought to be known. A man was mentioned to him who was a worshiper on an island of his, who held the religion of Islam and possessed fine understanding and virtue. He ordered him to be brought. When he stood before the King, he informed him of what he wanted and asked him to travel to the lands of Islam for the matter he called him to. He accepted and traveled. My father the King handed me the rule; I sat upon the throne and the crown was placed on my head.

I remained thus for a long time. Every messenger to the other kings returned and informed me of what he saw, except the messenger I dispatched to the lands of Islam, whose report was delayed until I feared for him. When I had despaired, he came to me. I was delighted by his arrival and sat to hear what he had witnessed. He began his talk by saying to me: 'The kings of the Muslims differ and their Imams are distinct. The King and his followers are fearful, as if they have been in a race since the beginning of the Messenger’s mission until the time of his occultation.' He mentioned those who took charge of the affair after him, those who changed his Sunnah and altered his Sharia. He mentioned the People of Truth among them and pointed to them—they are the Imams of Guidance and the Lamps in the Darkness—Imam by Imam, until he reached the mention of Ali b. Muhammad al-Askarī, Exalted Glory. He mentioned what occurred with al-Mutawakkil, the killing of al-Mutawakkil by al-Muntasir, and the appearance of al-