Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ قُسَيْطٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أُسَامَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ اجْتَمَعَ جَعْفَرٌ وَعَلِيٌّ وَزَيْدُ بْنُ حَارِثَةَ فَقَالَ جَعْفَرٌ أَنَا أَحَبُّكُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ أَنَا أَحَبُّكُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَالَ زَيْدٌ أَنَا أَحَبُّكُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالُوا انْطَلِقُوا بِنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى نَسْأَلَهُ فَقَالَ أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ فَجَاءُوا يَسْتَأْذِنُونَهُ فَقَالَ اخْرُجْ فَانْظُرْ مَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ فَقُلْتُ هَذَا جَعْفَرٌ وَعَلِيٌّ وَزَيْدٌ مَا أَقُولُ أَبِي قَالَ ائْذَنْ لَهُمْ وَدَخَلُوا فَقَالُوا مَنْ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ فَاطِمَةُ قَالُوا نَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ الرِّجَالِ قَالَ أَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا جَعْفَرُ فَأَشْبَهَ خَلْقُكَ خَلْقِي وَأَشْبَهَ خُلُقِي خُلُقُكَ وَأَنْتَ مِنِّي وَشَجَرَتِي وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا عَلِيُّ فَخَتَنِي وَأَبُو وَلَدِي وَأَنَا مِنْكَ وَأَنْتَ مِنِّي وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا زَيْدُ فَمَوْلَايَ وَمِنِّي وَإِلَيَّ وَأَحَبُّ الْقَوْمِ إِلَيَّ.
English Translation
Ahmad ibn Abd al-Malik told us, Muhammad ibn Salamah told us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Qusayt, from Muhammad ibn Usamah, from his father, who said: Ja'far, Ali, and Zayd ibn Harithah gathered together, and Ja'far said: I am the most beloved of you to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Ali said: I am the most beloved of you to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. And Zayd said: I am the most beloved of you to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. So they said: Let us go to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, so we may ask him. Usamah ibn Zayd said: So they came seeking his permission, and he said: Go out and see who these are. I said: This is Ja'far, Ali, and Zayd - not saying my father specially. He said: Let them in. So they entered and said: Who is most beloved to you? He said: Fatimah. They said: We are asking you about the men. He said: As for you, Ja'far, your form resembles my form and your character resembles my character, and you are from me and of my lineage. As for you, Ali, you are my son-in-law and the father of my child, and I am from you and you are from me. As for you, Zayd, you are my freedman, and of me and to me, and the most beloved of the people to me.