2. We were told by Abu’l-Faraj, Muhammed bin Mudaffar bin Nafees al-Masri, the jurist, that he said: Were told by Abu’l-Hasan, Muhammed bin Ahmad al-Dawudi, from his father, that he said
I was at the place of Abu’l-Qasem, Hussain bin Ruh, may Allah sanctify his soul, and a man asked him about the meaning of Abbas to the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family: «Indeed, your paternal uncle, Abu Talib, has accepted Islam by the calculation of the camel» and he counted thirty-six with his hand. So he said: By that he meant: «One God» , and the interpretation of that is that the Alif is one, the Laam is thirty, the Haa’ is five, the Alif is one, the Hhaa’ is eight, the Daal is four, the Jeem is three, the Waw is six, the Alif is one and the Daal is four. Hence, that is thirty-six.