- Al-Ḥusayn narrated to us; he said: ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; he said: Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn narrated to me; he said: ʿUbayd Allah ibn Muḥammad al-Taymi narrated to me; he said: our companions transmitted from their teachers, who said:
“Moses—peace be upon him—once stood before the Children of Israel and delivered a sermon in which he spoke with great eloquence, and he was pleased with it. The Israelites asked him, ‘Is there anyone among the people who possesses more knowledge than you?’ He replied, ‘No.’
Allah then revealed to him: ‘Among the people there is someone who is more knowledgeable than you.’
Moses said, ‘My Lord, who could be more knowledgeable than I when You have given me the Torah, which contains the knowledge of everything?’
Allah revealed: ‘More knowledgeable than you is a servant of Mine to whom I entrusted a message. I sent him to a king who was tyrannical and obstinate; the king cut off his hands and his feet and mutilated his nose. I restored to him what had been severed, then sent him back to the king a second time. Throughout all of this he kept saying, “I am content for myself with whatever You have decreed for me,” and he did not say—as you said at the very first moment—“I fear that they will kill me” (Qur’an 26:14).’”