all of them. His virtues (1) of the soul relating to himself—such as his knowledge, asceticism, generosity, and forbearance—are too renowned to enumerate (2). The same applies to those relating to others, such as the dissemination (3) of branches of knowledge (4) through him, and others drawing fully (5) from him. Likewise are his bodily virtues (6), such as worship, courage, and charity. As for external virtues, such as lineage, no one equalled him in this respect, owing to his kinship with the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace (7)—and the Prophet’s giving him his daughter (8), the foremost woman of all the worlds, in marriage.
The chief preacher (9) of Khwārazm narrated from the book ‘al-Sunnah’ (10), through his chain of transmission, that Jābir said: ‘When ‘Alī married Fātima, Allah gave her to him in marriage (11) from above the seven heavens. Gabriel (12) delivered the wedding address, and Michael and Isrāfīl were among
(1) k: “As for the merit”; m: “As for the virtue.”
(2) k: “They are too renowned to remain hidden.”
(3) k: “because of the dissemination.”
(4) s, b: “knowledge.”
(5) n, m: “and seeking his answers”; k: “and acquiring knowledge from him.”
(6) k: “virtues.”
(7) k: “such as lineage; no one equalled him in this respect, owing to his kinship with the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and his family.”
(8) n, s: bi-ibnat (“with a daughter”), a corrupted reading; k: bintahu (“his daughter”). In the margin of (s), opposite this passage, the following was written: “He gave his two daughters to ‘Uthmān in marriage and told him, ‘If we had a third, we would give her to you in marriage.’ On this basis, ‘Uthmān would be superior. End of quotation; in the margin of the original.”
(9) m: “the preacher.”
(10) k: “and he is one of the leading scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah.”
(11) k: “Fātima—peace be upon her—Allah Most High gave her to him in marriage…”
(12) k (p. 192 m): Jibra’īl (Gabriel).