Imam Zayn ul-Abidin –Sajjad- (a.s) was received by Shibli when he was back from Hajj and the following dialogue occurred between them:
The Imam: Did you perform Hajj, Shibli?
Shibli: Yes, son of Allah’s Messenger, I did.
The Imam: You stopped at Miqat, put off your sewn clothes, and washed yourself, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam: As you stopped at Miqat, did you intend to put off the garment of disobedience (to God) and put on a garment of obedience (to Him)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: As you put off your sewn clothes, did you intend to get rid of ostentation, hypocrisy, and intrusion in suspicious matters?
Shibli: No, I did not?
The Imam: As you washed yourself, did you intend to wash yourself from sins and offenses?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: In that case, you did not really stop at Miqat, put off your sewn cloths, and wash yourself. You washed yourself thoroughly, entered the state of Ihram, and intended to perform Hajj, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam: As you washed yourself thoroughly, entered the state of Ihram, and intended to perform Hajj, did you intend to wash yourself thoroughly with pure repentance to Allah?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: As you entered the state of Ihram, did you intend to abstain from every matter that Allah deems unlawful?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: As you intended to perform Hajj, did you intend to get rid of any pledge that you took with anyone other than Allah?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: In that case, you did not wash yourself thoroughly, enter the state of Ihram, or intend to perform Hajj. Did you enter Miqat, offer the two-Rakat prayer of Ihram, and say Labbayk (Talbiya)?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam: As you entered Miqat, did you intend to meet all the qualifications of the visitation of the Sacred House of Allah?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: As you offered the two-Rakat prayer, did you intend to seek nearness to Allah through the best deeds such as prayers and the deeds by which servants of Allah can obtain His rewards?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: As you said Labbayk, did you intend to utter any statement of obedience to Allah and shut your mouth against any statement of disobedience to Him?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: In that case, you did not enter Miqat, offer the two-Rakat prayer of Ihram, or say Labbayk. You entered the Sacred Precinct, saw the Kaaba, and offered prayers there, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam: As you entered the Sacred Precinct, did you intend to abstain from backbiting any individual of Islam?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: As you arrived in Mecca, did you intend to direct towards Allah and no one else?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: In that case, you did not really enter the Sacred Precinct, see the Kaaba, or offer prayers. You circumambulated the Holy House, touched the corners, and performed the Sa’y, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam: As you performed the Sa’y, did you intend to seek refuge of Allah (from the trickeries of Satan and evil temptations) and that He, the Knower of the unseen, knew this from you?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: In that case, you did not really circumambulate the Holy House, touch its corner, or perform the Sa’y. You caressed the Black Stone, stopped at the standing-place of Ibrahim (a.s), and offered a two-Rakat prayer there, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam (a.s) then cried so loudly and said:
To caress the Black Stone is to shake hands with Allah. Look, poor man, do not ever waste the reward for the thing that is greatly sacred and do not breach your caressing by acts of violation (of God’s instructions) and seizure of illegal things, just like the sinful.
As you stopped at the standing-place of Ibrahim (a.s), did you intend to stop at every act of obedience (to God) and leave every act of disobedience (to Him)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: As you offered the two-Rakat prayer, did you intend to offer the same prayer that was offered by Ibrahim (a.s) and to disappoint Satan?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: In that case, you did not really caress the Black Stone, stop at the standing-place of Ibrahim (a.s), or offer the two-Rakat prayer there. You came near to Well Zamzam and drank from its water, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam: As you did, did you intend to come near to acts of obedience (to God) and cast your sight down acts of disobedience (to Him)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
The Imam: In that case, you neither really came near that well nor did you drink from its water. You roamed, walked, and frequented to Mount Safa and Mount Marwa, did you not?
Shibli: Yes, I did.
The Imam: As you did, did you intend to be between hope and fear (of God)?
Shibli: No, I did not.
