3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَيْفٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ فِي حَدَاثَةِ سِنِّكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى دَاوُدَ أَنْ يَسْتَخْلِفَ سُلَيْمَانَ وَهُوَ صَبِيٌّ يَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ فَأَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ عُبَّادُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَعُلَمَاؤُهُمْ فَأَوْحَى الله إِلَى دَاوُدَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنْ خُذْ عَصَا الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ وَعَصَا سُلَيْمَانَ وَاجْعَلْهَا فِي بَيْتٍ وَاخْتِمْ عَلَيْهَا بِخَوَاتِيمِ الْقَوْمِ فَإِذَا كَانَ مِنَ الْغَدِ فَمَنْ كَانَتْ عَصَاهُ قَدْ أَوْرَقَتْ وَأَثْمَرَتْ فَهُوَ الْخَلِيفَةُ فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ دَاوُدُ فَقَالُوا قَدْ رَضِينَا وَسَلَّمْنَا.
3. mmd ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Sayf from certain persons of our people from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) al-Thani (the second). The narrator has said that I said to him “They speak about (and question) your very young age. He said, “Allah informed David through inspiration to appoint Sulayman as the executor of his will and successor while he was just a child minding sheep. The worshippers and scholars of the Israelites disliked it. Allah then inspired David to take the staff of those who have objections and that of Sulayman and place them in a room and seal them with each one’s seals. On the next day whichever staff would be found that has grown leaves and fruits the owner thereof would be the successor. David informed them of this matter and they all agreed.”