Those who are in the proximity, Close ones
إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ {45}
When the Angel said: ‘O Maryam! Allah Gives you glad tidings with a Word from Him (of one) whose name is the Messiah, Isa son of Maryam, worthy of regard in the world and the Hereafter and from ‘الْمُقَرَّبِينَ’ those of Proximity [3:45]
أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ ذُكِرَتِ التَّقِيَّةُ يَوْماً عِنْدَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ ( عليه السلام ) فَقَالَ وَ اللَّهِ لَوْ عَلِمَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ مَا فِي قَلْبِ سَلْمَانَ لَقَتَلَهُ وَ لَقَدْ آخَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) بَيْنَهُمَا
Ahmad Bin Idrees, from Imran Bin Musa, from Haroun Bin Muslim, from Mas’ada Bin Sadqa,
(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘One day the dissimulation was mentioned in the presence of Ali-asws Bin Al–Husayn-asws, so he-asws said: ‘By Allah-azwj! If Abu Zarr-as knew what was in the heart of Salman-as, he-as would have killed him-as; and Rasool–Allah-saww had established brotherhood between the two of them-as.
فَمَا ظَنُّكُمْ بِسَائِرِ الْخَلْقِ إِنَّ عِلْمَ الْعُلَمَاءِ صَعْبٌ مُسْتَصْعَبٌ لَا يَحْتَمِلُهُ إِلَّا نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ أَوْ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ أَوْ عَبْدٌ مُؤْمِنٌ امْتَحَنَ اللَّهُ قَلْبَهُ لِلْإِيمَانِ
(It was asked) ‘So, what are your thoughts with the rest of the people? The knowledge of the knowledgeable ones-asws is difficult, becoming more difficult. None can bear it except for a Mursil Prophet-saww, or an Angel of ‘مُقَرَّبٌ’ Proximity, or a Momin servant whose heart Allah-azwj has Tested for the Eman’.
فَقَالَ وَ إِنَّمَا صَارَ سَلْمَانُ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ لِأَنَّهُ امْرُؤٌ مِنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ فَلِذَلِكَ نَسَبْتُهُ إِلَى الْعُلَمَاءِ
So he (Abu Abdullah-asws) said: ‘And rather, Salman-as came to be of the knowledgeable ones because he-as is a man from us-asws, the People-asws of the Household, therefore due to that I-asws am attributing him-as to the knowledgeable ones-asws’.[1]
[1] Al-Kafi V 1 – The Book Of Divine Authority CH 102 H 2