Ab£’l-Fa¤l Meybodi and kh¡jeh `Abdull¡h An¥¡r¢

Ab£-Bakr al-Naqq¡sh has reported Imam `Al¢ as saying:

One day, a Jew came to me saying, “In your book, there is a verse the meaning of which is difficult to understand. If you clarify it, I will become Muslim.” “Which verse is that?” I asked. The Jew said, “The verse is: keep us on the right path. If you are already on the right path, why are you asking for it?” I said, “A group of prophets and God’s friends have already entered Paradise and attained an eternal prosperity. We are asking Allah to keep us on that path which led them to Paradise.” The Jew was convinced and he converted to Islam.[1]

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One day, Imam `Al¢ (a.s) came home to find °asan and °usayn crying. He asked for the reason. Lady F¡§imah (a.s) said, “They have not eaten for a whole day.” A pot was boiling on fire at the same time. Imam `Al¢ (a.s) asked, “What is in the pot?” Lady F¡§imah (a.s) answered, “There is plain water only.” Imam `Al¢ (a.s) became so distressed that he took his cloak to the market and sold it for six Dirhams. He had no sooner bought something for eating than he met a beggar shouting, “Whoever offers to Allah a good gift will have a better one for himself.” Imam `Al¢ (a.s) offered to him whatever he had and, when he came back home, he told the story to Lady F¡§imah (a.s). She said, “Allah bless you, O Ab£’l-°asan! You are always benevolent!”

Imam `Al¢ (a.s) was set to go to the mosque to offer prayer when he saw a nomadic selling a camel. He said, “O Ab£’l-°asan, I am selling this camel. Would you like to buy it?” Imam `Al¢ (a.s) said, “I do not have money.” The nomadic said, “I sell it to you until booty comes or you get something from the public fund.” Imam `Al¢ (a.s) bought that camel for sixty Dirhams and went his way. Another nomadic came to him, “O `Al¢! Will you sell this camel to me?” Imam `Al¢ (a.s) said, “Yes, I will.” “How much do you sell it?” asked the man. Imam `Al¢ (a.s) said, “Whatever price you say.” He said, “A hundred and twenty Dirhams.” Imam `Al¢ (a.s) said, “I do.” He then returned home. Telling the story to Lady F¡§imah (a.s) he said, “I will give sixty Dirhams to the nomadic and take the other sixty for ourselves.” So he went out to look for the man. On his way, he met the Holy Prophet who asked, “Where are you going?” Imam `Al¢ (a.s) told him the story. The Holy Prophet rejoiced, greeted and gave him good news, “O `Al¢! That man was not an Arab. The first man who sold you the camel was Archangel Gabriel and the second man who bought it was Archangel Michael. The camel too was one of the camels of Paradise. This is the good gift you offered to Allah by helping that beggar. Allah, may He be honored and glorified, has said:

Who is it that will offer to Allah a goodly gift. (2:245)[2]

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As for those who spend their property by night and by day, secretly and openly… (2:274)

This verse was revealed on the occasion that Imam `Al¢ (a.s) had four Dirhams and in his house there was no one but him. He gave away all four Dirhams to beggars, one by night, one by day, one secretly and one openly.

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The members of the Mub¡halah (mutual curse) were five: the Holy Prophet, Lady F¡§imah, Imam `Al¢, Imam °asan and Imam °usayn. The Holy Prophet put his mantle upon them saying,

أللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلأءِ أهْلُ بَيْتِي.

“O Allah, these are my Household.”

At this moment, Archangel Gabriel came and said, “O Mu¦ammad! am I from your Household?” The Holy Prophet said, “You are from us.” Taking pride in this, Archangel Gabriel said,

مَنْ مِثْلِي؟ وَأنَا فِي السَّمَاءِ طَاوُوسُ الْمَلأئِكَةِ، وَفِي الأرْضِ مِنْ أهْلِ بَيْتِ مُحَمَّدٍ.

“Who can be like me while I am the chief of angels in heavens and a member of Mu¦ammad’s Household?”[3]

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`Al¢ al-Murta¤¡ (the well-pleased)—cousin of Mu¦ammad al-Mu¥§af¡ (the well-chosen Prophet) and spouse of the Lady of the Judgment Day, F¡§imah al-Zahr¡’ (the luminous lady) who was the guard of caliphate and the head of Allah’s favorites—was the peer of `i¥mah and Prophethood, the source of knowledge and wisdom. Devotion, truthfulness, certainty, trust in Allah, piety and abstinence were his motto and garment. He was the impetuous lion, the holder of Dhu’l-Fiq¡r (the lethal sword), and the master of the Muh¡jir£n and An¥¡r.

Conquest of Khaybar

A day before the Conquest of Khaybar, the Holy Prophet said:

لأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ غَداً رَجُلاً يَفْتَحُ اللهُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ، يُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، وَيُحِبُّهُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.

Tomorrow, I will give this standard to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger and Allah and His Messenger love him.

All night, all the companions were thinking about the truthful man to whom the standard of Islam and the banner of victory ‘there is no god but Allah’ would be given. The next day, the Holy Prophet asked, “Where is `Al¢ ibn Ab¢-±¡lib?” They answered, “O Allah’s Messenger! He has sore eye.” He said, “Bring him here.” As he was brought, the Holy Prophet put froth his tongue on his eyes. He was healed and a new light was found in his sight; so, the standard of Islam was given to him.[4]

Imam °usayn and a Beggar

It is narrated that Imam °usayn (a.s) saw a beggar and asked him about his lineage. The man said that he was son of so-and-so. The Imam said, “May Allah bless you; I was looking for you. A few Dirhams are your father’s claim against my father. Now it is time for me to pay my father’s debt to you.” With this pretext, he gave away and thanked Allah.[5]

The Marriage of Imam `Al¢ and Lady F¡§imah

One day, the Holy Prophet came to the Mosque holding a branch of basil in his hand. He said to Salm¡n, “Summon `Al¢.” Salm¡n went to `Al¢ saying, “O `Al¢! Go and see Allah’s Messenger!” `Al¢ said, “O Salm¡n! How did you find Allah’s Messenger at this hour?” Salm¡n said, “He was very happy like a shining moon.” `Al¢ came close the Holy Prophet who gave him that branch of basil. It was very sweet-smelling. `Al¢ asked, “How sweet-smelling this is! What is it?” The Holy Prophet said, “It is a gift from the Paradisiacal Women for the marriage of my daughter, F¡§imah.” `Al¢ said, “To whom will she be married, O Allah’s Messenger?” He replied, “She will be married to you, `Al¢! I was sitting in the mosque when an angel came in a way I had never seen before, saying: My name is Ma¦m£d and my station in heaven is Nedia. A third of night had passed when I heard a call from the layers of heaven saying: O archangels, heavenly creatures and cherubim! Get together in the fourth heaven. All got together. The inhabitants of Paradise were present too. A decree said: O Archangels and Favorites of the King! Recite the Qur’¡nic chapter: The Man (Ins¡n or al-Dahr). Then, ±£b¡ Tree was ordered to offer the marriage of `Al¢ and F¡§imah Zahra to heavens! At this time, ±£b¡   started shaking whereby Jewels, pearls and ornaments showered down. Then, there came a decree to put a pulpit of a white pearl under ±£b¡ Tree. An angel went up the pulpit praising Allah and greeting all the prophets. Then Allah called: O Gabriel! O Michael! You are two witnesses of F¡§imah, and I, the Lord, am F¡§imah’s Guardian! O Cherubim and heavenly creatures! I take you as witnesses that I gave F¡§imah in marriage to `Al¢. Give the good news to My beloved that we made this marriage in heaven, you do the same on the earth. So, the Holy Prophet invited the Muh¡jir£n and An¥¡r on the same occasion. Turning his face to `Al¢, the Holy Prophet said, “O `Al¢! This was decreed in heaven. Now I give F¡§imah to you in marriage against four hundred Dirhams as marriage portion. Do you accept it?” `Al¢ said, “O Allah’s Messenger! I accepted her marriage to me.” Allah’s Messenger said, “Allah bless you.”[6]

Imam `Al¢’s Knowledge

Ibn `Abb¡s is reported as saying: One night, `Al¢ said to me, “After you accomplish your night prayer, come to me to give you a gift.” It was a night shining with moonlight. `Al¢ said, “What is the meaning of (the letter) alif in S£rah al¦amd (No. 1)?” I said, “O `Al¢! You know it.” So, he started speaking and spoke for an hour on the alif and another hour on (the letter) l¡m. He did the same with the other letters and when he finished, the sun was rising. I found that my knowledge as compared to `Al¢’s was like a small pond before a sea.[7]