a tubercular, nor a fool, nor a catamite, nor a whisperer, nor a madman.'

And I have seen you, O Abu al-Tahir, and this ailment has presented itself to you; is it a chronic illness so that I may treat you and take care of your recovery, or is this an accident that occurred to you at this hour?" I said to him: "An accident that occurred to me at this hour, the likes of which I have not known." He said to me: "What is the cause of this accident that necessitated it?" I said to him: "What prevents me from explaining that is:

A report I heard from our masters, the People of the House — Exalted Glory — that they said: 'Indeed, among you is a servant who stays for a day, two, or three days without reaching a morsel of bread to satisfy his hunger, yet he does not complain of his state to his brother, nor to his mother, nor to his father if they are in opposition to him. Whosoever is not like that, then there is no loyalty (wilāya) between us and him.'" He said: He said to me, "O Abu al-Tahir:

It is related from our masters, the People of the House — Exalted Glory — that they said: 'Whosoever hides his secret from his brother and conceals his affair from him, Allah shall strive in his trial and make him in need of his enemies.'

I am, O Abu al-Tahir, a brother among your brothers, and I shall not assist you if you hide from me what you are upon." At that moment, I explained my story to him. When he heard what I mentioned of my affair, he smiled in my face, laughing, and said to me: "O Abu al-Tahir, have you not heard what Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju'fi — From him is Peace — related:

From our master Abu 'Abd Allah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq — Exalted Glory — that he said: 'Indeed, Allah — Exalted Glory — gives faith to whom He loves among His servants and makes it stable with him. He gives him the world as a blessing from Him and