1 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ أَنْوَارَ خُلَفَائِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ أَبْدَانَهُمْ، فَأَعْطَى كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمُ اسْمًا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، ﴿وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ﴾ أَسْمَاءَهُمْ ﴿كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ﴾ وَهُمْ أَشْبَاحٌ، ﴿فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ۝ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ ۝ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنْبِئْهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ﴾[1]، يَعْنِي مَا يَكُونُ فِيهِمْ مِنَ الصِّفَاتِ الْمَرْضِيَّةِ الَّتِي يَسْتَخْلِفُهُمْ مِنْ أَجْلِهَا، وَمِنْهَا أَخَذَ أَسْمَاءَهُمْ.

Translation of the saying:

Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Taloqani informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “Indeed, God created the lights of His Caliphs on the earth before creating their bodies, then He granted each one of them a name from Himself ‘and taught Adam’ their names, ‘all of them, then presented them to the Angels’ while they were silhouettes, ‘then He said: inform Me of their names if you are truthful! They said: Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except for what You have taught us; You are indeed the All-Knowing, the Wise! He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names. Then, when he informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you conceal?!’ Which means what they have of satisfactory attributes for which He appointed them as Caliphs, and from which He chose their names.”

2 . أَخْبَرَنَا جُبَيْرُ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ الْخُجَنْدِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾، مَا كَانَتْ تِلْكَ الْأَسْمَاءُ؟ فَقَالَ: كَانَتْ أَسْمَاءَ خُلَفَاءِ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَالَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ: ﴿إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ﴾[2]، فَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ أَسْمَاءَ خُلَفَائِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلَّهَا، لِيُنْبِأَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ، فَيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَا يَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ خَلِيفَةً، وَلَكِنْ يَجْعَلُ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءَ وَالصَّالِحِينَ، وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا، ﴿فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ﴾، وَكَانَ الْمَهْدِيُّ وَاللَّهِ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَسْمَاءِ.

Translation of the saying:

Jubayr ibn Ata’ al-Khujandi informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the words of God Almighty Who says: “And He taught Adam the names, all of them, then presented them to the Angels and said: ‘Inform Me of their names if you are truthful!’” What were those names? So he said: “They were the names of the Caliphs of God on the earth; because when He said to the Angels: ‘Indeed, I am the Appointer of a Caliph on the earth, they said: Do you appoint one on it who will cause corruption and shed blood on it?’ So He taught Adam all the names of His Caliphs on the earth so that he would inform the Angels, so they would know that He does not appoint on it one who causes corruption and sheds blood as a Caliph on it, but rather He appoints the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and how excellent those companions are. ‘Then, when he informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you conceal?!’ And I swear to God, Mahdi was one of those names.”

Explanation of the saying:

This is the knowledge of interpretation that none knows but God and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge, and it is a clear indication of the merit of this righteous servant, the greatness of his dignity, and the loftiness of his status; as God has said about those whom He has chosen from among His servants: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ﴾[3]; “God has chosen him over you and increased him in knowledge,” and said: ﴿آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْمًا﴾[4]; “We have bestowed on him mercy from Us, and We have taught him knowledge from Us,” and said: ﴿وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ﴾[5]; “He was indeed a possessor of knowledge because of what We taught him,” and said: ﴿وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ﴾[6]; “And indeed, We chose them over all people due to knowledge,” and said: ﴿يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ﴾[7]; “God will raise in rank those of you who believed and those who were given knowledge,” and said: ﴿نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَاتٍ مَنْ نَشَاءُ ۗ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾[8]; “We raise in rank whomever We will, and there exists a more knowledgeable person above every possessor of knowledge.”