Morality of Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s.)

Mu`awiyah ibn Wahab has reported: I was with Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) in Medina intending to go to the market. Suddenly, he fell into prostration. When he rose is head, I asked for the reason. He said, “I just remembered Allah’s blessings on me.” I said, “Near the market where people are going and coming?” The Imam said, “None saw me.”[1]

Helping Non-Shi`ites

Mu`alla ibn Khunays has reported: At a drizzling night, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) left home to the shelter of Banu-Sa`idah. I followed him, but suddenly something dropped from his hand. He said, “In the name of Allah. He then asked me to search for it with my hand and give it to him if I find it. I suddenly touched pieces of bread spreading on the earth. I gave to the Imam whatever I had found. Then I saw a bag full of bread in the Imam’s hand. I said, “Would you kindly permit me to carry them for you?” The Imam said, “No, it is I who must carry it. Nevertheless come along with me.” We reached the shelter of Banu-Sa`idah and came across a group of people who were asleep. The Imam hid one or two loaves under their clothes. When he helped the last person, we returned to our place. I said, “May I be your ransom! Do they know the truth?” The Imam said, “I would help them with salt if they knew it.”[2]

Helping The Relatives

Abu Ja`far Khath`ami has reported: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) gave me a purse of gold coins and asked me to take it to such and such man of the Hashimites without telling him who had sent them. I gave the purse of gold coins to that man who said, “May Allah give a good reward to one who has sent it to me. He does it every year and I can live with it until next year, whereas Ja`far al-Sadiq with all his wealth does no give me anything!”[3]

Generosity

A traveler from among pilgrims who was in Medina fell into sleep. When he woke up, he thought his purse had been stolen. He searched for the purse and found Imam al-Sadiq, whom he did not know, praying. He caught the Imam accusing him of stealing his purse! The Imam asked, “What was in it?” He answered, “One thousand Dinars.” Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) took him home and gave him a thousand Dinars. When the man returned to his place, he found his purse. So he went back to the Imam’s house apologizing. But the Imam refused to accept the money, saying, “What I have lost will not return to me.” The man asked, “Who is this generous man.” They said, “He is Ja`far al-Sadiq.” The man said, “This generosity is particular to him.”[4]

Say Your Request

Ashja` Salami came to the presence of Imam al-Sadiq finding him ill. He sat besides him asking about the cause of illness. The Imam said, “Quit asking about the cause of illness. What is your request?” Ashja` composed a poem praying to Allah for the health of the Imam. Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) asked to his servant, “Do you have anything on you?” He said, “Four hundred Dinars.” The man said, “Give it to Ashja`.”

An Extraordinary Example of Kindness

Sufyan al-Thawri came to the presence of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) while the Imam was pale. He asked for the reason. The Imam said, “I always warned my household not to go on the rooftop. I entered home finding one of my slave-girls climbing the ladder while holding one of my children in her arms. As soon as she saw me, she started trembling out of fear and my child fell from her arms and died immediately. My paleness is not for the child but because of the fear which has overwhelmed the slave-girl. I twice told her that she was not to blame. I then set her free in the way of Allah.”[5]

Do Not Disclose Your Poverty

Al-Mufaddal ibn Qays reports: I went to the presence of Imam al-Sadiq, complaining to him about my situation and asking for prayer for me. The Imam asked his slave-girl to bring the purse which came from Abu-Ja`far. When she did, he said, “This purse has four hundred Dinars. Spend it on your needs.” I said, “May I be your ransom! By Allah, I did not intend to receive money. I had just come here to ask you to pray for me.” The Imam said, “I will pray for you; but from now on, do not disclose your poverty to people, for you will be abased.”[6]

Honoring A Guest

`Abdullah ibn Ya`fur reports: I found a guest with Imam al-Sadiq (a.s). The guest rose up to do something in his house. The Imam prohibited him from doing anything and he himself did what it was supposed to be done. The Imam further said, “Allah’s Messenger has prohibited hosts from asking the guest to do anything.”[7]

Attitude Towards Two Needy Persons

Musmi` ibn `Abd al-Malik has reported: we were at Mina in the presence of Imam al-Sadiq and a group of Shi`ites. There were grapes before us and we were eating from them. A beggar appeared and demanded for help. The Imam picked up some grapes and wanted to give to him. The beggar refused it and said, “Give me money!” The Imam said, “Excuse me, I do not have money.” The beggar became disappointed and went away. After taking a few steps, the beggar regretted in making his decision and asked for the grapes to be given to him. The Imam did not give him the grapes. It did not last for a long time that another beggar came asking for help. The Imam took a cluster of grapes and offered it to him. The beggar accepted it and said, “Praise belongs to the Lord of the worlds Who granted me my sustenance.” The Imam, hearing these words, ordered him to wait and gave him two handful of grapes. The beggar praised Allah for the second time. The Imam again told him to wait and not to leave. Then he turned towards one of his companions and asked, “How much money do you have with you?” The man searched his pockets and found about twenty Dirhams. He gave it to the beggar on the order of the Imam. For the third time, the beggar thanked Allah and said, “Praise only is due to Allah. O Allah, You are the Bestower of bounties and there is no associate for You.” Hearing these words, the Imam took off his garment and gave it to the beggar. Now the beggar changed his words and uttered some thankful words to the Imam and went away. We presumed that if the beggar had continued thanking and praising Allah in the same way as before, the Imam would have assisted him more.[8]

Praying To Allah

`Abdullah ibn Ya`fur has reported: I heard Imam al-Sadiq, while raising his hands towards the sky, saying, “O Lord! Do not leave me even a moment to myself.” His eyes being tearful, the Imam turned to me and said, “O son of Ya`fur! Allah left (Prophet) Yunus, son of Matti (Matthew) less than a moment to himself and that calamity came about.” I said, “Did he go as far as being ungrateful to Allah?” The Imam said, “No, but dying in that situation would be perdition.”[9]

Patience In Hard Conditions

Qutaybah al-A`sha has reported: I went to the presence of Imam al-Sadiq to visit his ill son. I found the Imam sad and worried at the door. I asked, “May I be your ransom! How is the child?” Then I man said, “By Allah! He is badly afflicted!” The Imam entered the house, stayed there for an hour and returned to us with shining face. It looked like that sorrow had left the Imam. I said hopefully to myself that the child had probably improved. So I said, “May I be your ransom! How is the child?” The Imam said, “He died!” I said, “May I be your ransom. When he was alive you were sad but now that he has died you are no sadder. How is it that?” The Imam said, “We, Ahl al-Bayt, are anxious before the calamity; but when Allah’s decree is passed, we are content with it and we are in a state of submission to Him.”[10]

Paradise, A Reward For Prayer

Quoting Imam al-Sadiq, Abu-Basir has reported: I was circumambulating the Ka`bah when my father passed by me. Observing that I was sweating and endeavoring in performing my prayer, he said to me, “My son Ja`far! When Allah loves a servant, He rewards him with Paradise and accepts little acts from him.”[11]

Kindness To Servants

Hafs ibn `A’ishah has reported: Imam al-Sadiq sent a slave on a mission. The slave delayed for sometime. So the Imam went after him and found him sleeping. He sat near him and started to fan him. When the slave woke up, the Imam said, “You had no right to sleep at this hour. You should sleep at night and work for us during day.”[12]

Working Hard For Living

Abu-`Amr al-Shaybani has reported: I saw Imam al-Sadiq in coarse garment, with a spade in his hands working and sweating in an orchard of him. I said, “May I be your ransom! Give the spade to me to do it.” The Imam said, “I like to work hard for living under the sun.”[13]

Worker’s Wage

Hannan ibn Shu`ayb has reported: We hired a group of people for working in the orchard of Imam al-Sadiq. When the work was finished, the Imam said to Mu`tib, “Pay the wage of workers before their sweat dry up.”[14]

Lawful Profit

Abu-Ja`far Fazari has reported: Imam al-Sadiq called his servant, gave him a thousand Dinars and said, “Be prepared for making a journey to Egypt for doing business, for our dependents have increased.” The servant prepared certain goods and set out for Egypt with the caravan of merchants. When they were near Egypt, they met a caravan leaving. They asked about the goods needed by people in Egypt, they said, “What you have is rare in Egypt.” So, they agreed to sell their goods with a good profit! Having sold their goods, they returned to Medina and went to see Imam al-Sadiq. Having two purses of a thousand Dinars each, the servant said, “May I be your ransom! One purse is the principal and the other is the profit.” Imam al-Sadiq said, “This is a huge profit! How did you sell the good?” The servant told the Imam the whole story. The Imam said, “Glory be to Allah! Did you collude to sell the goods with a high profit to Muslims?” Then he took one of the purses and said, “This is the principal money and I am not in need of its profit. Striking with a sword in a battlefield is easier than seeking what is lawful.”[15]

[1] Basa’ir al-Darajat: 495, H 2.

[2] Al-Kafi: 8/4, H 3.

[3] Al-Manaqib: 273/4.

[4] Al-Manaqib: 274/4.

[5] Al-`udad al-Qawiyyah: 155.

[6] Rijal al-Kashshi: 184.

[7] Al-Kafi: 283, H 1.

[8] Al-Kafi, 49/4, H 12.

[9] Al-Kafi: 581/2, H 15.

[10] Al-Kafi: 225/3, H 11.

[11] Al-Kafi: 86/2, H 4.

[12] Al-Kafi: 87/8, H 50.