Hasan b. Ali al-Askarī. He mentioned of the accounts of the Imams of Guidance that which, were I to mention it, would be lengthy. I only refrain from mentioning what I heard from him because I know you both have knowledge and portions of it.

What I heard from him saddened me, and the knowledge from which salvation is hoped dawned upon me. I took him to myself and made him the closest of my companions. He remained with me for a long time; I was never without a benefit I gained from him. I learned the Qur’an from him, and knew from him the Revelation (tanzīl), the Interpretation (ta’wīl), the Decisive (muḥkam), and the Allegorical (mutashābih). He narrated the reports to me and left nothing of what he knew but that he made me know it and revealed it to me.

One day, while we were sitting for discourse and my father was present with us, the servant (mutawakkil) in charge of the House of Wisdom and the Shrines came to this place hurriedly, barefoot and bareheaded. When my father saw him, he said: 'Woe to you! What has befallen you?' The man said: 'O King, the Lord of the House has appeared!' The King said: 'Woe to you! This is not its time nor its season.' The Sheikh from whom you know what you know said: 'O King, with Allah is the beginning and the Will. Let us go and see if what we all said is true or not.'

The King stood, uncovered his head, went barefoot, and we did the same. We hurried until we reached this place. We saw a Person who had placed his back against this door, with his hands clasped over his knees, and 'Death' was gazing from between his eyes. When we saw him, we were terrified and our intellects were dazed. We fell prostrate on our faces. He ordered us to raise our heads and spoke to us in our language. Among his words were: 'I am the First without a beginning, the Ancient Who built this House by My purpose and My Will. I did not seek help for it from any of My creation; rather, I brought it into being as I willed.'

My father said to him: 'We desire the Sign from you.' He said: 'Yes.' Then he stood and extended his hand toward an opening ten cubits away