Hadith No: 2
Ibn Abi al-Hadid - Sharh Nahj al-Balagha
Volume: (9) - Page Number: (173)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Hadith Twenty-One: He (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) called Ali to him during the Ghazwat al-Ta'if and conversed with him in private, prolonging their conversation until some of the companions began to dislike it. Then one of them said: "He has certainly prolonged his cousin's private talk today." When this was brought to his attention, peace be upon him and his holy progeny, he gathered a group of them and said: "Indeed, someone has said: 'He has certainly prolonged his cousin's private talk today'
but I was not conversing with him in private; rather, God was conversing with him in private.'" Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated this in al-Musnad.