Among the Rāfida, some said that Abū Jafar appointed Abū Mansūr as his successor. (* Then, among these, some said that Abū Mansūr appointed his son, al-Hasan ibn Abī Mansūr, as his successor *)(1).(2)(3) Others among them inclined toward(4) upholding the cause(5) of Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn(6).
They said:
“Abū Jafar appointed Abū Mansūr, rather than anyone from the Banū Hāshim, as his successor, just as Moses—peace be upon him—(7) appointed Joshua son of Nun, rather than one of his own children or one of Aaron’s children—peace be upon him—(8). Then, after Abū Mansūr, authority would revert(9) to the descendants of Alī, just as authority reverted after Joshua(10) to the descendants of Aaron.”
Others among them said(11) \ 97: “Abū Jafar explicitly designated his son Jafar ibn Muhammad, and Jafar is alive: he has not died and will not die until his cause becomes manifest. He is the Qā'im, the Mahdī(12).”
(1) The passage between the two asterisks is absent from (M).
(2) [The note consists only of a comma.]
(3) (A) and (B) read: “He appointed his son al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn ibn Abī Mansūr as his successor.” *Al-Maqālāt* reads: “He appointed his son al-Husayn ibn Abī Mansūr as his successor, and he was the imam after him.”
(4) (A) and (B) read: “Some of them said that it passed to…” *Al-Maqālāt*, 1:97, reads: “Another sect, known as the Muhammadiyya, inclined toward…”
(5) The phrase “upholding the cause of” is absent from (A) and (B).
(6) (A) reads: “Muhammad ibn Alī—that is, Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn”; (B): “Muhammad ibn Alī ibn Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn”; (N), (M), (W), and (S): “Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan”; (R) and (H): “Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn”; and *Al-Maqālāt*: “Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan.”
(7) The words “peace be upon him” are an addition in (A) and (B). *Al-Maqālāt* reads: “May Allah bless him.”
(8) The words “peace be upon him” are an addition in (A) and (B).
(9) (N) and (M) read: “reverted.”
(10) *Al-Maqālāt* reads: “after Joshua son of Nun.”
(11) The following passage summarizes the account in *Al-Maqālāt*, vol. 1.
(12) (A) and (B) read: “al-Qā’im bi-l-Mahdī.”