Stories of the Ahlulbayt are incidents recorded from the lives of Prophet Muhammad and his family

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Stories of
THE
AHLULBAYT

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1.AN ORPHAN’S EID
It was Eid, a day of celebration and a day of rejoicing.
There was an air of festivity in the streets of Madina. All
the people, both young and old were dressed in their best
clothes.
Rasulallah(saw) led the Eid prayers. After they had finished
they all greeted each other and everyone was walking
back home. The children were running and playing in
excitement, smiling and laughing.
As Rasulallah(saw)walked back home, he saw a little boy
sitting by himself on the side of the path. The little boy
was crying and looked very sad. Rasulallah(saw)bent down
and asked 'why are you crying?' 'Please leave me alone'
sobbed the little boy. The boy didn't even see who was
talking to him.
Rasulallah(saw) ran his fingers through the boy's hair and
very gently asked him again why he was crying. This time
the boy said, “My father died and now my mother has
married again and my stepfather does not want me to live
at his house anymore. The boy continued “Today is Eid and
everyone is happy. All the children have new clothes and
nice things to eat, but I don't have any clothes except
what I am wearing. I am hungry and I don't even have a
place to live.”
Rasulallah(saw)said to him, 'I know how you feel, I lost
both my mother and father when I was a little boy.' The
boy was surprised to hear that it was an orphan who was

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comforting him, and when he looked up to his great
surprise it was Rasulallah(saw), and he immediately jumped
up to his feet out of love and respect.
Rasulallah(saw)said to him 'If I were to become your new
father, Khadija(sa) your new mother and Fatima(sa) your new
sister, would that make you feel better?' 'Oh yes, that
would be the best thing in the world!' The boy started
smiling. The Prophet took him home and gave him new
clothes and good food. The boy indeed had a wonderful
Eid that day.

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2.Kindness and Forgiveness
Rasulallah(saw), was a very kind and loving. He treated every
one, young and old, with kindness and respect.
However, the idol worshippers disliked Rasulallah(saw), as he
was taking away people from idol worship to Islam. This
angered the enemies of Islam and they started harassing
and planning to kill the prophet.
One old woman made a habit of throwing rubbish on
Rasulallah(saw), whenever he passed from her house. The
prophet had to pass an alley, where her house was, on the
way to the mosque. Whenever the old woman threw
rubbish on him, the prophet would pass by silently,
brushing off the rubbish from his clothes, without
showing any anger or annoyance.
One day when the Rasulallah(saw)was passing by, he noticed
the old woman was not there to throw the rubbish. He
stopped and asked a neighbor. The neighbor informed
Rasulallah(saw) that the woman was sick in bed. Rasulallah(saw)
went to the house of the woman and politely asked
permission to visit the woman.
When allowed, he entered the house. The woman thought
that Rasulallah(saw) had come to take his revenge when she
was unable to defend herself. But Rasulallah(saw) assured
her that he had come to her, not to take any revenge, but
to see her and to look after her needs, as it was the
command of Allah (swt) that if anyone is sick, a Muslim
should visit and should help if help is needed.

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The old woman was greatly moved by this kindness and
love of the Prophet. She understood that he was truly the
Prophet of God and Islam was the true religion.
3.Dawat-e-Dhul-Ashira
Islam began when the Rasulallah(saw) became forty years
old. Initially, the mission was kept a secret. Then three
years after the advent of Islam, the Prophet was ordered
to commence the open declaration of his message. This
was the occasion when Almighty Allah revealed the verse
"And warn your nearest relations." (26:214)
When this verse was revealed, Rasulallah(saw) organized a
feast that is known in history as "Summoning the Family -
Dawat dhul-'Ashira". Rasulallah(saw) invited around forty
men from his family and asked 'Ali bin Abi Talib(as) to make
arrangements for dinner. After dinner, when Rasulallah(saw)
wanted to speak to them about Islam, Abu Lahab broke up
the gathering and the guests left before Rasulallah(saw)
could present his message to them.
Rasulallah(saw) then invited the same group the next day.
After dinner, he spoke to them, saying:
“Almighty Allah(swt) has assigned me to warn you of the
painful torments of the wrongdoers and give you the good
news of his reward to the pious believers. Become
Muslims and follow me to achieve salvation. I swear by
Almighty Allah (swt) that among all Arabs I do not know

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anyone who has brought his people anything better than
what I have brought you. I have brought you prosperity
and salvation both in this world and in the hereafter. The
Gracious God has commanded me to call you all to worship
Him. Now which one of you is willing to help me with the
task? Therefore, who amongst you will support me in this
matter so that he may be my brother, my successor and
my caliph among you?
No one answered him; they all held back except the
youngest of them - 'Ali bin Abí Talib (as). He stood up and
said, "I will be your helper, O Prophet of God."
The Prophet put his hand on the back of Imam Ali's (as)
neck and said:
Indeed this is my brother, my successor, and my caliph
amongst you; therefore, listen to him and obey."
This was a very explicit statement because the audience
understood the appointment of Imam'Ali (as) very clearly.

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4.DIVIDING THE CAMELS
A person was about to die, and before dying he wrote his
Will which went as follows ...
"I have 17 Camels, and I have three children. Divide my
Camels in such a way that my eldest gets half of them,
the second one gets 1/3rd of the total and my youngest
gets 1/9th of the total number of Camels"
After his death, the relatives were unable to divide the
camels as the man willed. They decided to go to Imam Ali
(as) and put forward their problem. After listening to their
problem, Imam Ali (as) said, "I will divide the camels as
per the man's will."
He said, "I will lend one of my camels to the total which
makes it 18 (17+1=18), now we will divide as per his will"
The Eldest gets 1/2 of 18 = 9
The second one gets 1/3 of 18 = 6
and The Youngest gets 1/9 of 18 = 2
Now the total number of camels = 17
Then Imam Ali (as) said, "Now I will take my Camel back."

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5.Five Loaves
Two travellers sat together on the way to their
destination to have a meal. One had five loaves of bread.
The other had three. A third traveller was passing by and
at the request of the two joined in the meal.
The travellers cut each of the loaf of bread in three
equal parts. Each of the travellers ate eight broken
pieces of the loaf.
At the time of leaving the third traveller took out eight
dirhams and gave to the first two men who had offered
him the meal, and went away. On receiving the money the
two travellers started quarrelling as to who should have
how much of the money.
The five-loaf-man demanded five dirhams. The three-
loaf-man insisted on dividing the money in two equal parts.
The dispute was brought to Imam Ali (as) to be decided.
Imam (as) requested the three-loaf-man to accept three
dirhams. The man refused and said that he would take
only four dirhams. At this Imam Ali (as) returned, “You can
have only one dirham. You had eight loaves between
yourselves. Each loaf was broken in three parts.
Therefore, you had 24 equal parts. Your three loaves
made nine parts out of which you have eaten eight
portions, leaving just one to the third traveller. Your

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friend had five loaves which divided into three made
fifteen pieces. He ate eight pieces and gave seven pieces
to the guest. As such the guest shared one part from
your loaves and seven from those of your friend. So you
should get one dirham and your friend should receive
seven dirhams.

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6.DISTANCE TO THE SUN
A man asked Imam Ali (as) "What is the distance between
me and that (pointing towards the sun) ".
It is worth mentioning here about the complexity of this
question. This man was an Arab. And in the Arabic
language the numbers or count is limited up to one
thousand (1000) and does not exceed 1000. The answer to
the question this man asked dealt in millions. Imam Ali (as)
had to answer him in a simple manner without confusing
him.
Imam Ali (as) answered: "If an Arab horse starts galloping
from here and continues for 500 years, then he (horse)
will reach the sun."
The man got convinced and walked away.
But it is for us now to ponder on this one sentence of
Imam Ali (as) which shows and proves the genius that this
great Imam was.
Imam Ali (as) said "If an Arab horse..." the average
galloping speed of an Arab horse is 22 mph (miles per
hour). If a horse gallops the full day (24hours), then;
22 x 24 =528 miles, the horse travels in a day
528 x 29.5 =15576 miles the horse travels in 1 month
(29.5 average lunar)

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15576 x 12 =186912 miles the horse travels in 12 months
(1 year)
186912 x 500 = 93,456,000 miles.
Scientists today approximate the distance to be about
93,000,000 miles.

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7.THE WELL DIGGER
He came to the village and purchased a piece of
barren land. He chose a suitable place and, putting
his hopes in the grace of Allah, he began to dig.
Several days went by, and the man continued to dig.
He would start in the morning, under the hot sun and
dig until evening.
People would pass by curious to see what the man was
doing. Some would shake their heads and say; “he is
wasting his time”, others would laugh at him. But the
man persevered. Exhausted, he would come out of
the hole, wipe away the sweat on his brow, rest for a
while, and then re-enter the hole, digging.
Then one hot afternoon, as the man was digging. He
was swinging the pickaxe with such vigor that the
sound of his breathing could be heard all around.
After receiving a strong, hard blow with the pickaxe,
the ground suddenly split open, and fresh, clear
water bubbled up. He climbed quickly out of what had
now become a wonderful well in the dry desert which
would soon turn ill the surrounding area into a lovely
orchard.
Soon the people gathered around to see it. Each of
them was commenting on It. "What a hardworking
man " one said. " "Another said "Allah has been
generous to him and given him goodness". Another

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man joined in saying
"This man and his descendants have become rich ".
Many congratulated the man.
"Bring me a paper and pen" said the man to the chief
of the village. He wrote the following: “I have gifted
this well and the land surrounding it in charity for its
income to be used as follows:
a. In helping the poor and destitute.
b. In helping the travelers far away from their
homes.
c. In providing the means for the marriages of
orphans.
d. In providing medical care for the poor.
e. In the doing of good works of public benefit.
I have gifted this well in charity so as to seek the
pleasure of Allah and the rewards of the Hereafter,
and in order to be saved from the of Hell.
The man signed his name on the paper- Ali Ibn abi
Talib (as)

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8.SURAH AL-KAUTHAR
Bibi Fatimah Zahra (sa) was born to Bibi Khadija (sa) and
Rasulallah (saw) Before her birth, the Prophet (saw) had two
sons, Qasim and Tahir, but both boys had died when they
were babies.
Rasulallah (saw) had just started teaching the message of
Islam and had made many enemies. As a result, some of
the unbelievers began to make fun of him at the death of
his sons, calling him "Abtar".
The word Abtar means an animal that has no tail - and was
meant to say that Rasulallah (saw) was tail-less because
he had no children to carry on his family.
Thus, when Bibi Fatima (sa) was born, the following Sura of
the Holy Qur'an was revealed:
"In the Name of Allah, the most Kind, the most
Merciful. Indeed (O Muhammad (saw)), we have given
you Kawthar. So pray to your Lord and give sacrifice.
Verily, your enemies will be Abtar."
Surah al-Kawthar, (108)
When Rasulallah(saw) was asked what Kawthar meant, he
replied Kawthar is a stream in Heaven That Allah (swt) has
granted to him. It has the best and sweetest water Imam
Ali (as) will distribute water form this stream, to the

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believers, who will be arriving in paradise.
He then said that Kawthar also meant abundance, and the
birth of bibi Fatima (sa) signified that, through her, his
family would be in abundance.
The promise of Allah(swt) was certainly true because today,
there are countless descendants of Rasulallah(saw). who are
known as Sayyids, while there is nobody who claims to be
a descendant of the ones who mocked Rasulallah(saw). Thus
it was the enemies of Rasulallah(saw) who became "Abtar".
9.THE MORAL EXCELLENCE OF FATEMA ZAHRA(AS)
Fatema Zahra (sa) lived in a two room house made out of
clay, wore the simplest garments from head to toe, She
would grind wheat and barley with her bare hands to
prepare meal for her family, and attended to her four
children with utmost love and care. Fatema (sa) also milled
wheat and barley for her poor neighbors. She would also
carry water from the well for her neighbors who were old
or too weak.
Yet, she was no ordinary woman. Fatema Zahra (sa) had high
moral virtues and her life is full of spiritual behavior.

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Even on her marriage day, Fatema Zahra (sa) did not forget
about those in need. A girl's wedding dress is probably
one of her most cherished belongings. Rasulallah(saw)
bought Fatema Zahra (sa) a new dress for her marriage
ceremony to Imam Ali (as)
On the day of her marriage, poor woman came to the holy
house and asked for old clothes. Fatema Zahra (sa) could
have given her an old dress that she had, but not this kind
and generous lady! She gave her the new wedding dress,
while she wore her old dress to her wedding.
When asked by Rasulallah(saw) why she did not donate her
old dress, Fatema Zahra(sa) replied “I followed the
teachings of Noble Qur'an”
"By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you
spend generously out of what you love."
(Qur'an, 3:92)

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10.ANGER MANAGEMENT
Once, a man who was visiting the city of Madina from
Syria saw Imam Hassan (as) and started insulting him and
his father Imam Ali (as). Imam Hassan(as) did not reply to
the man, until the Syrian stopped. Imam(as) then said
salaam to the man and said:
“You must be a visitor in Madina. If you need
transportation, we shall provide it for you. If you are
hungry, we shall feed you. If you are in need of clothes,
we shall cloth you. If you have any need, we shall fulfill it
for you. Why don’t you be our guest for the time you are
in Madina?
The man was from Syria, where Muawia had brainwashed
the people against Imam Ali (as) with lies. The man was
confused at Imam Hasan’s (as) politeness and
humblessness, as he had heard that Imam Ali (as) and his
sons were rude and arrogant unbelievers. The Syrian
thought he should investigate more and agreed to stay at
Imam Hassan’s (as) house.
Imam Hassan (as) looked after the Syrian in the best of
ways. The Syrian saw the trues side of the imam and all
that he was doing, helping the community and guiding
them. After the Syrian experienced the hospitality and
kindness of the imam, he cried and said to Imam Hassan
(as): "I testify that you are Allah's (swt) representative on
this earth. Allah (swt) surely knows to whom He assigns His

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Message. Before I hated you and your father because of
lies that were fed to me, but now, after seeing the truth
for myself, you are the most beloved of Allah's (swt)
creatures to me."
11.COURAGE, HONESTY AND JUSTICE
Imam Hussein (as) had great love for honesty, truth and
justice. He was a man of great courage. He proved his
courage and love of Allah (swt) at Karbala. In Karbala he
made the greatest sacrifice. He faced 30,000 of Yazid’s
soldiers all alone after all his family and friends were
killed. Anyone else would have either surrendered or fled.
But not Imam Hussain(as). He stood against the enemy like
a brave Lion ready to give his life in the way of Islam.
Imam Hussain(as) was also very well known for his kindness,
charity and love for the poor.
One day riding a horse, the Imam was passing through one
of the streets of Madina. On one side of the street some
beggars had gathered, eating food they had received
during the day.

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When the beggars saw Imam Hussein(as) passing, they
greeted The imam and invited him to join them and eat
with them. Imam Hussein(as) came down from his horse and
sat with them. He very politely explained to the beggars
that he was from the house of Rasulallah (saw) and
therefore, it was forbidden to him to take anything that
has been given in charity (sadqah). Had not charity been
forbidden to him he would most willingly have shared their
food.
The Imam invited all of them to his house and have a meal
with him there. All the beggars happily agreed.
12.THE ANONYMOUS HELPER
A caravan of Muslims was headed towards Mecca. The
caravan arrived in Madina and rested a few days, and
continued on towards Mecca.
At Madina, a man joined the group. He was eagerly busy in
serving the members of the caravan. He would help in any
way he could with a smile. The people were impressed with
this man, who was so kind and humble. The caravan

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stopped at a village to resupply. A villager recognized the
helper. With much surprise, he asked the pilgrims if they
knew this man. “No, we don't know him. He joined us in
Madina. We haven't asked him for help. But he has been
willingly helping us."
The villager replied: "Obviously you don't know him. For if
you did, you would never have allowed a man like him to
serve you "Who is this person?" the caravan leader asked.
The villager replied; "This is Imam Zain al-'Abideen(as)."
The group immediately went to the imam(as) with surprise
and shame and apologized to him. They asked the imam:
"Why did you not introduce yourself? We may have
mistreated you in our ignorance, and would have
committed a big sin in being disrespectful to you."
The Imam (as) replied: “I intentionally joined your group,
for you didn't know me. When I join a group, where people
know me, they are very kind to me. They do not allow me
to be to do any work or help. Thus I was eager to join a
group where I will be anonymous, so that I may have the
honor of being of some service to my brethren."

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13. NO SHAME IN DOING HARD WORK
Once a man saw Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) working in the
fields on a hot day . The burden of hard work was apparent
on the Imam, who was drenched in sweat. The man started to
think to himself, “A man of God seeking after the worldly
life! Indeed, let me tell him off”
The man approached Imam al-Baqir(as) and started to
reprimand the imam saying, “May God help you. You are the
leader of the Muslims, what are you doing outside, at this
hour, in this condition? – seeking the worldly life? What if
your time (of death) comes while you are in this state? What
would you do? You should be in the mosque worshipping?”
The Holy Imam responded, “If death comes to me while I am
in this state, it would come to me while I am in a state of
obedience to Allah (swt). Through this work i am doing, I am
providing for myself and my family to be free from
depending on you and other people. Indeed, I would be afraid,
rather, if death comes to me while I am doing something that
is in disobedience to Allah(swt).” The man then agreed, “You
have spoken truthfully, may God grant you Mercy… I had
wanted to correct you, but instead you corrected me!
Lesson; Working in a halal way to provide for your family
is also act of worship

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14.THE PHYSICIAN AND THE IMAM
A Hindu physician attached to the court of the ruler al-
Mansur, once had a very interesting discussion with Imam
Jaffer Al Sadiq (as) in which the Imam (as) asked the
physician some questions;
Why is the head covered with hair?
Why are there lines and wrinkles on the forehead?
Why are the eyes shaped like almonds?
Why has the nose been placed between the eyes?
Why are the hair and the nails without life (sensation)?
Why do the knees fold backwards, and why is the foot
hollow on one side?
To all these questions, the physician had only one reply: 'I
do not know.'
The Imam (as) then answered all the questions. Imam
Sadiq(as) answered as follows;
The hair is created over the head so that oil may reach
inside the head, and heat can go out through it. The hair
protects the head from heat and cold.

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There are lines and wrinkles on the forehead so that
sweat from the head does not immediately reach the eyes
giving the person a chance to wipe the sweat away.
The eyes are almond-shaped so as to make it easy to put
medicine inside them and remove dirt from them. Had
they been square or round, both would make it difficult to
remove dirt or put medication.
The nose is put in between the eyes as it helps to divide
the light equally towards both eyes.
The hair and nails lack sensation to make it easier to cut
and trim them. If there were life in them it would have
hurt a person when cutting the nails.
The knees fold backwards because human beings walk
forward, and the foot is hollow to make movement
easier.'
The physician was so impressed with Imam Sadiq’s(as)
knowledge that he accepted Islam.

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15.KINDNESS OF THE IMAMS
There was a poor uneducated farmer who was very rude
to our 7th Imam, Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) whenever he
saw him.No matter how rude this man was, Imam (as) never
got angry and he never said anything to the man.
One day Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) rode out to the rude
farmer's farm, where he met the farmer, working. When
the farmer saw the imam(as), he put his hands on his hips,
ready to be abusive again. The imam(as) dismounted, went
towards the farmer and greeted him with a friendly and
smiling face. The imam(as) told him that he should not
overwork himself. He then asked him how much he was
expecting to receive for the crop.
The man was amazed at Imam Musa Al-Kadhim’s (as)
politeness and sincerity. After thinking, the man said that
he was expecting to get around 200 dinars which would
not be enough for his needs. Imam (as) took out a purse and
gave it to the farmer telling him that in it was 300 Dinars,
more than the value of his crop. The Imam told the
farmer to take the money and also to keep the crop, and
that he would pray for him.
The farmer, faced with such kind behavior and good
Akhlaq, was ashamed of himself, and asked the Imam(as)
for forgiveness.

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16.THE DEER
Once Imam Reza(as) was travelling with a few companions.
It was afternoon and the weather was hot. The Imam(as)
and his companions stopped to rest.
As the imam(as) rested under a tree, he A saw a deer
running to him. The deer reached the imam and sat next
to him. The imam(as) looked frightened. She could hardly
breathe. It seemed that she had been running for long.
At this point, a hunter appeared. When the hunter saw
the deer sitting by the Imam(as), he happily said: “finally I
got her.” The hunter then took out a rope to tie the deer.
But the Imam(as) stopped him, saying “wait!” The hunter, a
young man, replied sharply: “why shall I wait? This deer is
mine. I saw her first and I have been following her for a
long time in this hot weather.”
Imam(as) said: “I will buy this deer from you.” The hunter
said: “I’m not selling!” The Imam(as) said: “I will pay you
more than the deer is worth.” The man did not accept
either. As the Imam(as) was urging the hunter to take the
money and leave the deer alone, the deer was looking into
the Imam’s(as) eyes trying to tell him something.
The Imam(as) finally said: “Let this deer go. I give you my
word that she will come back.” The hunter laughed and

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said: “are you joking!? How can the deer go and then come
back? I have been running after her for hours and now
when I finally have her, you want me to leave her?”
The imam(as) kept on insisting. Finally, the hunter agreed
“Alright, I will let the deer go! But you are not moving
from here until she comes back.”
The deer left and then after a while she came back. When
the hunter saw the deer, he was shocked. He rubbed his
eyes and stared at the deer. He could not believe that the
deer had come back.
The imam(as) explained that he could understand the
language of the deer. The deer had two babies, which
were waiting for her. She wanted to go and feed her
babies, one final time before being captured.
The hunter understood that the one, whom he was keeping
as a hostage, was no one else other than Imam Reza (as). He
started crying, falling on the Imam’s(as) feet saying: “oh
son of prophet! Forgive me! I was foolish and selfish.”
Imam(as) comforted the hunter and said: “Now, the best
thing is to sell this deer to me. Here, take this money and
give the deer to me. The imam(as) let the deer go back to
her babies.

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17.BRAVERY AND KNOWLEDGE OF IMAM
Imam Taqi (as) was only nine years old. He was walking down
a street of Baghdad, when the cruel ruler Mamun al-
Rashid and his soldiers came by. All the other children on
the street ran away but Imam Taqi (as) did not.
Noting this, Mamun al-Rashid stopped and asked, "Young
man, why did you not run away like the other children?"
Imam Taqi (as) replied calmly, "Neither had I committed a
crime, nor was I blocking the way. Why should I have run
away or be afraid? And I also know that you will not cause
any unnecessary trouble when your way is not blocked."
Mamun al-Rashid was surprised with this mature reply and
asked, "What is your name?" "Muhammad," Imam(as)
replied. Whose son are you? asked al-Rashid. Imam(as)
said; "Son of Imam Ali Ridha (as)." Mamun said nothing and
rode on.
Mamun al-Rashid had a hawk and during his hunt the hawk
returned to him with a small fish in its beak. As Mamun
was returning back, he once again, he found the children
playing on the same spot, who again ran away except for
Imam Taqi (as)
Mamun al-Rashid hid the fish in his palm, stopped near the
Imam and said, "Tell me, what is in my fist?"

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Imam Taqi (as)
replied, "Allah (swt)
has created tiny
fish in the river.
The hawks of kings
sometimes catch
fish from there
and bring it to the
Kings. They hide it
in their fist and
then ask a member
of the family of
the Prophet to reveal what they are hiding.
Amazed, Mamun al-Rashid said, "You truly are the son of
Imam Ali Ridha (as).
A few months later, Mamun al-Rashid ordered the killing
of Imam Taqi’s (as) father Imam Ali Ridha (as). Mamun
thought that he would try to bribe Imam Taqi (as) into his
favor because the imam(as) was still only a child.
Mamun al-Rashid took Imam Taqi (as) to his palace and tried
to give the Imam wealth and all the expensive luxuries,
but Imam Taqi (as) was not interested. No matter how much
Mamun al-Rashid tried, the Imam(as) did not do anything
against Allah's (swt) command.

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18.THE IMPERSONATOR
During the time of Abbasid ruler Al-Mutawakkil a lady
claimed that she was Zainab(sa) the daughter of Imam Ali
(as) and Fatima Zahra (sa). She was brought to Mutawakkil
who said, "Many long years have passed since that period
when Zainab(sa) lived and you are quite young."
She replied, "Yes, but Rasulallah (saw) drew his hand upon
my head and prayed for me to remain young forever. As
such, after every forty years I turn back to become
young."
Al-Mutawakkil asked all the wise men about this case and
all of them said that the woman was lying. They also told
Mutwakkil to approach Imam Ali Naqi (as) for advice.
Al-Mutawakkil at once summoned Imam Ali Naqi (as) and
told him about the matter. Imam said, “Send her to the
cage of the Lions, if she is telling the truth, the lions will
not harm her. Animals cannot harm the children of
Fatima(sa) and do not eat their flesh”.
Al-Mutawakkil said to the woman, "what do you say?" She
replied, "This man wishes that I may be killed. If what he
is saying is true, then let him do it himself."Al-Mutawakkil
told the imam, "She is right, you must yourself go into the
cage first."

30. 30
Imam Ali Naqi (as) readilly went into the lions in the cage
and sat among them. All observed with amazement, that
the lions sat very respectfully before the Imam Ali
Naqi(as) and sometimes caressed themselves against his
body and he patted them affectionately. When Imam Ali
Naqi (as) ordered the animals to move, they all obeyed and
moved to a corner.
When Imam Ali Naqi (as) came out of the cage, Al-
Mutawakkil turned to the woman and said, “now it is your
turn."
The woman started crying and begging for mercy saying,
"I told a lie, I am the daughter of an ordinary farmer. I
just wanted fame and fortune but it did not work."

31. 31
19.IMAM HASSAN ASKARI & THE WILD ANIMALS
Mu'tamid, the Abbasid Caliph was an open enemy of the
Ahlul Bayt (as). He ordered that Imam Hassan Askari (as)
should be imprisoned and that no mercy should be shown
to Him.
Two of the cruelest guards were chosen to take charge of
the Imam, but after a few days with the imam, the men
changed into men of worship, prayer and fasting. When
they were asked about their change in character, they
said: "What can we say about a man who fasts through the
day and stands (in prayer) through the night, who does
not speak and occupies himself with nothing except
worship? When he looks at us, our limbs shake and we are
overcome with such a feeling which we have never had."
Then Imam Hassan Askari (as) was handed over to a man
named Nahrir, who was a very cruel man. However,
Nahrir’s wife warned him: "Fear Allah(swt), have you no idea
of who is imprisoned in your prison? He is a pious man and
a representative of Allah(swt). You will be forever cursed
for your actions. Nahrir replied: "O' really. Just watch
me; I am going to send him inside the cage of the wild
animals."
Imam Hassan Askari (as) was sent to a cage full of wild
animals. The people thought that this was the end of
Imam Hassan Askari's (as) life. But when the imam entered
the cage, the animals all surrounded the imam and sat

32. 32
next to him obediently. When Imam Hassan Askari(as)
started praying, the wild animals also prostrated.
This proved to the people that Our Imam was the true
representative of ALLAH (swt) and all creatures are
obedient to him.

33. 33
20.IMAM HELPS THOSE WHO ARE IN PROBLEMS
This is a true story from an, English soldier called Colonel
Baines. In 1942, during the 2nd World War, the Colonel
was stationed at the Royal Air Force Base at Habbaniyah,
a town some 22 miles south of Baghdad.
During the height of the war there was fear that Hitler
might invade Iraq to grab the oilfields. The Commander of
the Base decided to evacuate families of the people living
at the base. Colonel Baines was given the task of leading
the caravan of jeep cars full of women and children from
Baghdad to Damascus. They had to pass through the
Desert where there was no road and they had to find
their way by looking at the stars.
Colonel Baines was a Christian but he was well versed in
Islamic history and especially the history concerning the
lives of the Imams. He had read many books about the
12th Imam (as) and was well aware of the stories of those
faithful who believe who receive help from the Imam(as) in
their distress.
Half way through their journey of this caravan of five
jeeps through the desert, they lost their way in a desert
storm. They were hopelessly lost. They decided to stop
and as they did not know what to do.
A whole day and night passed. The group became
desperate. Water stocks were gone and the children

34. 34
began to cry for water. The group prayed, but nothing
happened.
Colonel Baines remembered that he read somewhere that
if you are in such distress, call the Imam(as) of the time
for help. He put up his hands in the shape of prayer,
closed his eyes and asked in his heart for the Imam(as) to
help. He said, “we are all Christians and we ask for your
help. These children with me are innocent, they do not
deserve to die in this manner. O ’Imam (as) of the Time,
help them get out of this desert”. His prayers had not
even ended when he saw that two horsemen were coming
right through the eye of the storm.
They came near the circle of jeep cars, approached
Colonel Baines, and asked, “do you all wish to go to
Damascus”. He said “yes of course”. They said, “follow us”.
The jeeps lined up and followed the horsemen. They had
gone a few miles until the way became clear for them.
Their guides told them to go straight to the West and
they will reach Damascus. In a few days they all reached
Damascus and safety. Colonel .Baines realized that his
prayers to the 12th Imam(as) were heard and help arrived
from the Imam.
Colonel Baines embraced Islam, changed his name to
Abdullah Baines and after his retirement from the Army,
settled in Kent. He has himself narrated this story before
his death in 1965.

35. 35
21.DOING TAWAF WITH THE IMAM
A ten year old girl was accompanying her mother to visit
the Holy Kaaba.
Suddenly she found that amongst the large crowd, she
had separated from her mother. She looked everywhere
but couldn't see her so she sat down and started crying.
The people were doing Tawaf of the Holy Kaaba and were
shouting "Labbaik, Here I am." So no one could hear her
cries.
She said to herself: "O my Allah! What should I do now"?
She suddenly remembered her aunt who while biding her
farewell had told her: "When you reached the holy Kaaba,
extend my greetings to my Master Imam al-Mahdi (as)!" If
you are in any problem call out to him and he will
definitely help you!
She raised her little hands to the sky and cried out
sorrowfully "O Imam al-Mahdi(as), help me!."

36. 36
Suddenly she heard a voice which was calling her by her
name. She turned around and saw a man in Ehraam, who
was standing before her.
The stranger gently said: " rise and do tawaf of the Holy
Kaaba."
The little girl said: "But I do not know how to do tawaf.
Moreover, I cannot do tawaf Holy Kaaba alone among this
crowd."
The stranger said: "Come with me and act just as I do."
Thus she rose and did tawaf of the Holy Kaaba along with
the stranger. When they finished the tawaf, the stranger
pointed at a group and said “Your mother and friends are
there”. The girl looked where the stranger was pointing
and saw her mother standing crying and worried. She
turned to the stranger to thank him, but he was nowhere
in sight.
The girl ran to her mother and embraced her. Her mother
said: "Where were you, O my daughter? I was so worried
about you."
The little girl explained what had happened to her.When
she finished speaking, her mother took her in her arms
and began to cry. She then said: "O my dear daughter!
You called your Imam, Imam al-Mahdi (as) and hehelped you.
You really met the Imam(as). O my daughter!"

37. 37
"You mean I have just done tawaf of the Holy Kaaba along
with Imam al-Mahdi (as)! I do not believe it!"
She suddenly remembered that she had to extend her
aunt's greetings to the 12th Imam, Imam al-Mahdi (as).
Thus she turned to the people who were doing Tawaf and
shouted. "O my Master! I beg your pardon! I nearly
forgot, my aunt has extended her greetings to you."
22.IMAM HELPS THE SCHOLARS
There once lived a great Mujtahid by the name of Allama
Majlisi Once some people from another town, came to him
with an urgent question. They said a pregnant woman has
just died. They wanted to know if the dead woman be
buried as she was or should child be removed, then the
woman buried?
Allama Majlisi decided that the woman should be buried
as she was, along with the child. The family and friends
obeyed the ruling of Allama and proceeded to bury the

38. 38
woman and child. As they were carrying the coffin to the
grave, a horseman appeared and said that Allama Majlisi
had decided that the baby should be removed. The family
arranged for the baby to be removed. The baby was alive
and well.
A few years later Allama Majlisi was visited by a man with
a small child. The man told Allama Majlisi that this was
the same child that had been cut from his mother’s body
after Allama Majlisi had sent the horseman telling the
people that he had changed his instructions.
Allama Majlisi was initially shocked as he had not sent any
horseman, but then, he realized that the horseman must
have been Imam al-Mahdi (as) who had come to his help,
preventing him making a mistake.
From that day Allama Majlisi stayed in his house refusing
to give anymore advice to the people, in case he made
another mistake. In a few days he received a letter from
Imam al-Mahdi (as) telling him that he should not worry and
should continue to guide the people. If he should make a
mistake, Imam al-Mahdi (as) would come to his help and
correct him.