1343 — Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah informed us; Ahmad ibn al-Hasan informed us; Ja'far ibn Muhammad narrated to us; Qutaybah ibn Sa'id narrated to us; Ja'far ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from Abu Imran al-Jawni, from Nawf, who said: Ezra said while confiding in his Lord, “My Lord, You create creation, then You lead whom You will astray and guide whom You will.” He was told, “O Ezra, refrain from this.” But he returned to it and said, “My Lord, You create creation, then You lead whom You will astray and guide whom You will.” He was told, “O Ezra, refrain from this.”

“And man is, above all else, prone to dispute.” [al-Kahf: 54]

Then He said, “O Ezra, you must desist from this, or I shall erase you from prophethood. Indeed, I am not questioned about what I do, but they will be questioned.” ⦗805⦘

Ali ibn al-Abbas ibn al-Rumi, the poet, said:

[The rapid metre]

Among Banu Ammar is an Aziza—through her he disputes with Allah concerning the divine decree:

“Why did what occurred occur, and what did not occur not occur?” Thus he is mankind’s advocate.