Imam Musa, peace be on him, visited Harun (al-Rashid’s) palace. When the chamberlain of the palace saw him, he received him with honoring and welcome, gave him precedence over other then him to meet Harun. In the waiting-room was Nafee‘ al-Ansari. When he saw that honoring and welcome, he burnt with anger, turned to ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, who was with him, and said to him:
-Who is this Shaykh?
-Do you not know him? This is the Shaykh (Chief) of the family of Abi Talib; this is Musa b. Ja‘far
Nafee‘ criticized the ‘Abbasids for their honoring Imam Musa, saying: “I have never seen someone more incapable than this group of people who welcomes and honors a man who is able to remove them from their throne; when he comes out, I will treat him badly!”
‘Abd al-‘Aziz scolded, saying: “Do not do that! For they are the Household (of the Prophet). When someone addresses them in a bad manner, they brand him through an answer for life.”
When the Imam ended his meeting with Harun and came out of him, Nafee‘ angrily walked towards him, caught the reins of his mount, and asked him:
-Who are you?
-Fellow, if you want (to know) the lineage, then I am the (grand) son of Muhammed, the one loved by Allah, the (grand) son of Isma‘il, the one whom Allah ransomed with a great sacrifice, and the (grand) son of Ibraheem, the bosom friend of Allah. If you want (to know) the city, it is that to which Allah, the Great and Almighty, has made the hajj obligatory on Muslims and on you, if you belonged to them! If you want to vie in glory (with me), by Allah, the polytheists from among my people did not regard the Muslims from among your people as their equals when they said: “Muhammed, let our equals from Quraysh meet us (in battle)! Leave the reins of my mount!
Nafee‘ went away while he was unable to see his way out of shame and disgrace