12. He said: Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Waleed, who reported from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, who reported from Ya’qoob ibn Yazeed, from Hammad ibn Isa, from Hammad ibn Uthman, from Zurarah ibn A’ayan who said: Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, told me: "O Zurarah, keep away from the people who apply analogy in the matters of religion. Surely, they have abandoned the knowledge of what was assigned to them, and entered into unnecessary hair splitting matters, which had already been decided for them. They interpret the Traditions (the way they like) and impute lies to Allah, Most High. And as if I see a man among them who when called from the front, answers to the one behind him, and when called from behind, he hearkens to the one in front. They wonder aimlessly on the earth and in religion."