[6410] My father narrated to us, Abu Husayn ibn Yahya ibn Sulayman narrated to us, Yunus ibn Bukayr, from Abu 'Abd Allah al-Kufi, who said: I heard Jabir al-Ju'fi, from Abu Ja'far—meaning Muhammad ibn 'Ali—and he mentioned the companions of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and said: May Allah have mercy on them all; they are the rabbaniyyun and the ahbar (learned men), just as their Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is the seal of the prophets.

[6411] Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, 'Abdah ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from Sa'id, from Salim ibn Abi Hafsah, from Abu Kulthum, who said: I heard Ibn al-Hanafiyyah saying on the day Ibn 'Abbas died: Today, the rabbani of this Ummah has died.

[The Fifth Aspect]

Those who interpreted it as meaning the two sons of Asriya:

[6412] Ahmad ibn 'Uthman ibn Hakim al-Awdi narrated to us in what he wrote to me, Ahmad ibn Mufaddal narrated to us, Asbat narrated to us, from al-Suddi, who said: There were two brothers from the Jews called the sons of Asriya, and they had followed the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) learning from him. He called them and asked them, so they informed him of the matter as it was when the nobleman committed adultery and the poor man committed adultery, and one of them was a rabbani and the other was a hibr (learned man).

[His saying: The ahbar]

[The First Aspect]

[6413] Muhammad ibn al-'Awfi informed us in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to us, my uncle narrated to me, my father narrated to me, from Ibn Ishaq, from Ibn 'Abbas, regarding His saying: "the ahbar"—he said: They are the reciters [of the scriptures].

[The Second Aspect]

[6414] My father narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Wahb ibn 'Atiyyah, [and] al-Walid ibn Muslim, Khulayd ibn Da'laj narrated to us, from Qatadah, who said: The ahbar are the scholars. A similar [report] was narrated from Fudayl ibn 'Iyad.

His saying, the Almighty: "of that which they were entrusted to guard"

[6415] I read to Muhammad ibn al-Fadl, Muhammad ibn 'Ali narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Muzahim narrated to us, from Bukayr ibn Ma'ruf, from Muqatil ibn Hayyan, regarding His saying: "of that which they were entrusted to guard"—of the Book of Allah.

[6416] And through the same chain, from Muqatil, regarding His saying: "of the Book of Allah"—meaning: The stoning and belief in Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).