Muhammad ibn Munkadir reports: I never thought `Ali ibn al-Husayn to leave an excellent successor after him until I saw his son, Muhammad. I wanted to give him a lesson, but he gave me one:
On a hot day, I went to Medina where I saw Imam al-Baqir (a.s) leaning on two slaves due to corpulence. I said to my self, “A great man of Quraish working at this hour of day in search of the material world! I will certainly give him an advice.” I approached and saluted him. While he was gasping, he greeted me back. Sweat was pouring from his head and face because of hot weather. I said, “May Allah improve your affairs. A great man of Quraish seeking the world at this time of the day! What will happen if death overtakes you in this situation?” Taking his hands off the shoulders of the two slaves and leaning against the wall, he said, “By Allah, if death overtakes me and I am in this situation, I will be in a state of obedience to Allah by which I can preserve my value from you and people. I am afraid of death only when I am committing a sin!” I said, “May Allah bless you! I intended to give you advice but you gave me advice.”[1]
Charity
Hasan ibn Kuthayr reports: I was complaining about indigence and unkindness of brothers-in-faith to Imam al-Baqir (a.s) who said, “A brother who is fond of you when you are rich, but cuts off his relations with you when you are in need, is a bad brother!” Then the Imam ordered his slave to give me a purse of seven hundred Dirhams, saying, “Spend this for the moment and inform me when it comes to and end.”[2]
Benevolence
The companions of Imam al-Baqir (a.s) report: the Imam allowed us to give away between five hundred and six hundred thousand Dirhams and he was never tired of giving gifts to brethren, emissaries and those who had set their hope on him.[3]
Forbearance With A Christian
Imam Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn al-Husayn had the title of Baqir, that is to say ‘One who analyzes’. He was called Baqir al-`Ulum meaning one who analyzes the knowledge. A Christian, in a mockery and ironic way playing on words of Baqir, misinterpreted to Baqara called him, “You are Baqara (cow)!” Without expressing any annoyance or anger, the Imam replied calmly, “No, I am not baqara but I am Baqir.” The Christian said, “You are the son of a lady-cook.” The Imam said in reply, “It was her job, which is not considered an insult or disgrace to her personality.” The Christian said, “Your mother was black, immodest and had an abusive tongue.” The Imam said, “If whatever you attribute to my mother is true, I pray Allah to forgive her and absolve her sins, and if it is a lie, may Allah forgive you for your lies and slander.”
Observing such a clemency from a person who had the authority to submit a non-Muslim to different persecutions was sufficient to provoke a revolution in the soul of the Christian and invite him towards Islam. Later on, he embraced Islam.[4]
Hospitality
Salma, a slave-girl of Imam al-Baqir (a.s), reports: the Imam’s brothers-in-faith would always come to visit him and the Imam too, received them with the best food, gave them a good garment and Dinars. I said to the Imam, “You will become needy as a result of this generosity!” The Imam would say, “O Salma! Good deeds are but giving gifts to brothers-in-faith and praiseworthy deeds. Imam al-Baqir would allow between five and six hundred thousand Dirhams to be given away to brothers-in-faith. He would never get tired of associating with his brethren, saying, “Recognize the actuality of the friendship of your brothers-in-faith from the feelings you have in your hearth towards him.” He was never heard calling anybody with disgraceful names; he would rather call them with their best names.[5]
Wife’s Rights
Hasan Zayyat of Basrah reports: My friend and I went to the presence of Imam al-Baqir while he was sitting in a well-decorated room with a purple mantle on his shoulder. He had trimmed his beard and blackened his eyes with kohl. I was full of questions. Realizing this, the Imam said, “Hasan! You and your friend may come to me tomorrow.” I said, “Very well, may I be your ransom!” The next day, we went to see him. He was sitting on a mat and wearing coarse clothes. He turned to my friend and said, “O brother of Basrah! When you came to me yesterday, I was in my wife’s room. It was her turn. The room was hers as well as all the articles. She had made up herself for me and I had to make up myself for her. Don’t give way to gloomy thought about me.” My friend said, “May I be your ransom. By Allah, something passed in my mind but Allah removed it now and I know that truth lies in what you said.”[6]
Praying Together
Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) has reported: Any time an event saddened my father, he would gather women and children and then raise his hands in prayer and they would say Amen.[7]
Surrender To Allah
A group of people went to the presence of Imam al-Baqir (a.s). This visit coincided with the illness of one of his children. They found him sad and restless. They said, “By Allah, if anything happens to him, we might see from him what we do not approve of.” It was not long time when they heard the Imam wailing. He came back to his friends with open face. They said to him, “May we be your ransom! We were afraid that if something happened we would see you more sorrowful.” The Imam said, “We would like to see one whom we love safe and sound but there is Allah’s decree, we will surrender to what He loves.”[8]
Prayer At Night
Quoting Imam al-Sadiq (a.s), Ishaq ibn `Ammar has reported: I was spreading my father’s bed and waiting for him to come. When he would go to his bed and sleep, then I would go to mine. One night, he was late. I went to the mosque to look for him. While all people had gone home, I found him alone in the mosque in prostration. I heard his lamentation, saying,
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبِّي حَقّاً حَقّاً. سَجَدْتُ لَكَ يَا رَبِّ تَعَبُّداً وَرِقّاً. أللَّهُمَّ إنَّ عَمَلِي ضَعِيفٌ فَضَاعِفْهُ لِي. أللَّهُمَّ قِنِي عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ عِبَادَكَ، وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ إنَّكَ أنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ.
Glory be to You, O my Lord, with true glory! I am prostrating myself before You, O my God, worshipping and serving You! O Allah! My deed is weak; (please) double its reward. O Lord! Preserve me from Your punishment when You resurrect Your servants. Accept my repentance for You are the best Accepter of repentance and the most Merciful.[9]
[1] Al-Kafi: 73/5, H 1.
[2] Al-Irshad by al-Mufid: 166/2.
[3] Al-Irshad by al-Mufid: 167/2.
[4] Al-Manaqib: 207/4.
[5] Kashf al-Ghummah: 118/2.
[6] Al-Kafi: 448/6, H 13.
[7] Al-Kafi: 487/2, H 3.
[8] Al-Kafi: 226/3, H 14.
[9] Al-Kafi: 323/3, H 9.
source : http://www.maaref-foundation.com
