all descend from Noah [peace be upon him] (1) and from Adam. The Children of Israel as well—both their Jews and their non-Jews—descend from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Moreover, calling Gabriel—Allah’s Messenger [to Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—] (2)—his servant (3) is the language of one who understands neither the true rank of the angels nor the significance of Allah’s sending them to the prophets. Most of the Rāfidah’s arguments, however, consist of poems befitting their ignorance and wrongdoing, and fabricated tales befitting their ignorance and falsehood. No one establishes the fundamentals (4) of religion by means of poetry such as this (5) except one who is not counted among those endowed (6) with insight.

[The Rāfidī’s discussion of Muhammad ibn Alī al-Jawād and the response to it]

(Section) (7).

The Rāfidī said (8): “His son (9), Muhammad ibn Alī al-Jawād (10), followed his father’s path in knowledge, piety, and generosity (11). When his father, al-Ridā, died, al-Ma’mūn (12) became deeply attached to him because of his extensive knowledge, religious devotion, and exceptional intelligence despite his youth, and he wished