21 – He narrated to me … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

22 – … ʿUthmān … narrated to me; Yūsuf … narrated to me, from Jaʿfar ibn …, from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad, from his father, who said:

At the door of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) there gathered ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib, and al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. Turning to ʿAlī he said, “Abū al-Ḥasan, will you not describe al-maʿrūf (acts of kindness)?” He replied, “Indeed—al-maʿrūf is the greatest of treasures … so let not the ingratitude of those who deny it ⦗33⦘ make you reluctant to perform it, for one who gained no benefit from it at all may yet praise you for it, and a Muslim may thank you … for what the ungrateful rejected.”

Jaʿfar said, “Al-maʿrūf …”

Al-ʿAbbās said, “Al-maʿrūf is not complete except with three things: doing it promptly, keeping it concealed, and deeming it small. When you make it seem small, you thereby magnify it; when you hasten it, you make it pleasing; and when you conceal it, you perfect it.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) then came out to them and said, “I heard … What were you discussing?” When they informed him, he said, “All of you have spoken well … The people of al-maʿrūf in this world are the people of al-maʿrūf in the Hereafter.”