I saw ʿAli ؓ smiling on the minbar and I never saw him smile more than that, [so broadly that] his eyeteeth appeared. Then he said: I remember what Abu Talib said. Abu Talib came to us when I was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and we were praying in Batn Nakhlah. He said: What are you two doing. O son of mу brother? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called him to Islam, but he said: There is nothing wrong with what you are doing (or saying), but by Allah you will never get my buttocks higher than me. And [ʿAli] smiled in amazement at what his father said. Then he said: O Allah. I do not know that there is a slave of Yours in this nation who worshipped You before me except Your Prophet - and he said it three times. [Then he said:] I prayed seven years before the people prayed  

رَأَيْتُ عَلِيًّا ضَحِكَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ لَمْ أَرَهُ ضَحِكَ ضَحِكًا أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ذَكَرْتُ قَوْلَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ظَهَرَ عَلَيْنَا أَبُو طَالِبٍ وَأَنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَنَحْنُ نُصَلِّي بِبَطْنِ نَخْلَةَ فَقَالَ مَاذَا تَصْنَعَانِ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي؟ فَدَعَاهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْإِسْلامِ فَقَالَ مَا بِالَّذِي تَصْنَعَانِ بَأْسٌ أَوْ بِالَّذِي تَقُولانِ بَأْسٌ وَلَكِنْ وَاللهِ لَا تَعْلُوَنِي اسْتِي أَبَدًا وَضَحِكَ تَعَجُّبًا لِقَوْلِ أَبِيهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللهُمَّ لَا أَعْتَرِفُ أَنَّ عَبْدًا لَكَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ عَبَدَكَ قَبْلِي غَيْرَ نَبِيِّكَ ثَلاثَ مِرَارٍ لَقَدْ صَلَّيْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ النَّاسُ سَبْعًا