The first of them, Ali ibn Abi Talib [- may Allah be pleased with him -] (1), was the best of all creation after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(2). Allah made him the very self of the Messenger of Allah (3), for He said, “ourselves and yourselves” [Surah Āl Imrān: 61]. [The Messenger of Allah] took him as his brother and gave him (4) his daughter in marriage. His merit is no secret (5), and many miracles were manifested through him (6). Some people even ascribed lordship to him (7), so he killed them. Others have continued to embrace their doctrine down to the present day, such as the extremists and the Nusayriyyah.
His two sons—the grandsons of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, (8) and “the leaders of the youth of Paradise”—were Imāms by the Prophet’s explicit designation—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(9). They were the most ascetic and learned people of their time (10), and they both strove (11) for Allah as He ought to be striven for until they were killed. Al-Hasan (12) wore wool beneath his fine garments, with
(1) (N) reads: “Alī—may Allah be pleased with him”; (M): “Alī—may Allah ennoble his countenance in Paradise”; and (K): “Alī ibn Abī Tālib—peace be upon them both.”
(2) (K) reads: “May Allah bless him and his family.”
(3) (A), (B), and (H) read: “the very self of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace”; (N) and (M): “the very self of His Messenger”; and (W): “the very self of the Messenger of Allah—peace be upon him.”
(4) (S), (R), (H), (W), (N), and (M) read: “and he made him his brother and zajjahu”; (K): “The Messenger—may Allah bless him and his family—made him his brother and gave him in marriage.”
(5) (A), (B), and (W) read: “cannot be enumerated.”
(6) (K) reads: “from him.”
(7) “Some people concerning him” appears thus in (W), (K), (H), and (R); the other manuscripts read: “concerning him, some people.”
(8) (K) reads: “May Allah bless him and his family.” Allah willing, I shall not indicate this variant hereafter.
(9) (N) and (M) read: “by the explicit designation of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace”; (K): “by the explicit designation of the Prophet—peace be upon him.”
(10) “In the time of them both” appears thus in (A) and (B); (K) and the other manuscripts read: “in their time.”
(11) (N), (M), and (W) use the plural form: “and they strove.”
(12) (K) and (W) read: “Al-Hasan—peace be upon him.”