1579 — Ibn Abī Dāwūd narrated to us; he said: My paternal uncle, Muhammad ibn al-Ashath, narrated to us; he said: Amr ibn Hammād ibn Talha al-Qannād narrated to us; he said: Ishāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Azdī narrated to us, from Marūf, from Abū Jafar, from Zayd ibn Arqam, who said: The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Shall I direct you to someone from whom, if you seek guidance, you will neither go astray nor perish?” They replied, “Indeed, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “It is this man”—and Ali ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—was sitting there. He then said: “Support him, act sincerely toward him, and affirm his truthfulness.” Then he said: “Gabriel—peace be upon him—commanded me to tell you what I have said.”