199 - Muhammad ibn al-Hasan informed me that al-Fadl narrated to them, saying: I read to Abu 'Abd Allah [Ahmad ibn Hanbal], Abu al-Nadr, who said: Abu Ja'far al-Razi narrated to us, and he mentioned the hadith of al-Asadi, which says: "And I made you the first of the prophets in creation and the last of them in mission, and the first of them to have judgment passed for him." He then mentioned the hadith. Al-Fadl said: Ahmad said to me: "The first of the prophets, meaning in creation, {And [mention, O Muhammad], when We took from the prophets their covenant and from you and from Noah} [Al-Ahzab: 7], so He began with him."
١٩٩ - أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، أَنَّ الْفَضْلَ حَدَّثَهُمْ قَالَ: قَرَأْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَبُو النَّضْرِ قَالَ: ثَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الرَّازِيُّ، فَذَكَرَ حَدِيثَ الْأَسَدِيِّ، قَالَ: «وَجَعَلْتُكَ أَوَّلَ النَّبِيِّينَ خَلْقًا وَآخِرَهُمْ بَعْثًا، وَأَوَّلَهُمْ مَقْضِيًّا لَهُ» ، فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ، قَالَ الْفَضْلُ: قَالَ لِي أَحْمَدُ: " أَوَّلُ ⦗١٨٨⦘ النَّبِيِّينَ يَعْنِي خَلْقًا، {وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَمِنْكَ وَمِنْ نُوحٍ} [الأحزاب: ٧] فَبَدَأَ بِهِ "
