حدثنا محمد بن إبراهيم بن إسحاق الطالقاني - رضي الله عنه - قال: أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد مولى بني هاشم، عن علي بن الحسن بن علي بن فضال، عن أبيه قال: سألت الرضا علي بن موسى عليه السلام عن " بسم الله " فقال: معنى قول القائل: " بسم الله " أي أسم على نفسي سمة من سمات الله عز وجل وهي العبادة. قال: فقلت له: ما السمة؟ قال: هي العلامة .

1.	We were told by Muhammed bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq al-Talaqani, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were informed by Ahmad bin Muhammed bin Sa’eed, the servant of the sons of Hashim, from Ali bin Hasan bin Ali bin Faddal, from his father, that he said: I asked al-Rida, Ali bin Musa, peace be upon him, about «Bism-il-Laah». He said: The meaning of the saying of the sayer: «Bism-il-Laah» is: I attribute upon myself an attribute from the Attributes of Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, and that is servitude. He said: Then I said to him: What is an attribute? He said: It is a sign.

Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār

Chapter #4