1209 — Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Abbas informed us: Muhammad ibn Harun narrated to us; Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Nahdi narrated to us, saying: I heard Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash say:

Ali ibn Abi Talib delivered a sermon and said, “What prevents him from rising up and dyeing this with this?”

They said, “Commander of the Faithful, since you know him, show us [who he is], so that we may destroy his family.”

He said, “I adjure you by Allah: would a man kill for me someone other than my killer?”

They said, “Then give us your final instructions.”

He said, “I leave you to that with which Allah and His Messenger entrusted you.”

They said, “What will you say to your Lord when you come before Him?”

He said, “I will say: ‘I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, until You took me in death. They are Your servants: if You will, You may set them aright; and if You will, You may corrupt them.’”

1210 — I heard Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash say: “I have a good chain of transmission for this hadith: al-Amash informed me, from Salim ibn Abi al-Jad, from Abdullah ibn Saba, that Ali delivered this sermon to them.”