1123 — Ubayd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad informed us. He said: Abu al-Tayyib ibn al-Sindi informed us. He said: Musa ibn al-Hasan al-Jalajili narrated to us. He said: Abd Allah ibn Bakr narrated to us. He said: Abu Bakr Abd al-Rahman narrated, tracing the report back to Ali, that a man asked him:

“O Abu al-Hasan, what do you say concerning divine decree?”

He replied, “It is a dark path, so do not tread it.”

The man asked, “O Abu al-Hasan, what do you say concerning divine decree?”

He replied, “It is a vast sea, so do not enter it.”

The man asked, “O Abu al-Hasan, what do you say concerning divine decree?” ⦗696⦘

He replied, “It is Allah’s secret, so do not seek to probe it.”