ʿAli ؓ said to me: I had a status with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that no one else had. l used to come to him every morning before dawn and greet him with salam until he cleared his throat. One night I came in and greeted him with salam. I said: Peace be upon you, O Prophet of Allah. He said: “Wait a moment, O Abu Hasan, until I come out to you.” When he came out to me, I said: O Prophet of Allah, has someone upset you? He said: ʿNo.ʿ I said: Why did you not speak to me in the past, but you spoke to me tonight? He said: ʿI heard a sound in the room and said: ‘Who is this?ʿ He said: ʿI am jibreel.“ I said: ʿCome in. He said: ‘No; come out to me.ʿ When I came out he said: ʿIn your house there is something that no angel will enter so long as it is there.ʿ I said: “I did not know, O Jibreel.” He said: ʿGo and look ʿSo I opened the door and I did not find anything apart from a puppy that al-Hasan had been playing with. I said: ʿI did not find anything except a puppy.ʿ He said: ʿThere are three things, no angel will enter so long as one of them is in the house: a dog, major impurity or an image of an animate being.”

قَالَ لِي عَلِيٌّ كَانَتْ لِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْزِلَةٌ لَمْ تَكُنْ لِأَحَدٍ مِنَ الْخَلائِقِ إِنِّي كُنْتُ آتِيهِ كُلَّ سَحَرٍ فَأُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَتَنَحْنَحَ وَإِنِّي جِئْتُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ فَقَالَ عَلَى رِسْلِكَ يَا أَبَا حَسَنٍ حَتَّى أَخْرُجَ إِلَيْكَ فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ إِلَيَّ قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَغْضَبَكَ أَحَدٌ؟ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ فَمَا لَكَ لَا تُكَلِّمُنِي فِيمَا مَضَى حَتَّى كَلَّمْتَنِي اللَّيْلَةَ؟ قَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ فِي الْحُجْرَةِ حَرَكَةً فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا؟ فَقَالَ أَنَا جِبْرِيلُ قُلْتُ ادْخُلْ قَالَ لَا اخْرُجْ إِلَيَّ فَلَمَّا خَرَجْتُ قَالَ إِنَّ فِي بَيْتِكَ شَيْئًا لَا يَدْخُلُهُ مَلَكٌ مَا دَامَ فِيهِ قُلْتُ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ يَا جِبْرِيلُ؟ قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَانْظُرْ فَفَتَحْتُ الْبَيْتَ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ فِيهِ شَيْئًا غَيْرَ جَرْوِ كَلْبٍ كَانَ يَلْعَبُ بِهِ الْحَسَنُ قُلْتُ مَا وَجَدْتُ إِلا جَرْوًا قَالَ إِنَّهَا ثَلاثٌ لَنْ يَلِجَ مَلَكٌ مَا دَامَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا وَاحِدٌ مِنْهَا كَلْبٌ أَوْ جَنَابَةٌ أَوْ صُورَةُ رُوحٍ