Anecdotes of Imam Sadiq(A.S.)
Walking Bare- Footed
One day, al- Sadiq and his companions went to condole his relative whose child died. While al- Sadiq was walking, the thong of his sandal broke off So, al- Sadiq picked up his sandals and walked bare- footed. One of his companions called b. Abu Ya'far looked at him, and then he took off his own sandal, cut off its thong and handed it to Abu Abd Allah (al-Sadiq), peace be on him. However, al- Sadiq became angry and refused to take the thong. Then he said: "No, the owner of the misfortune is worthier than others in enduring it." Then he went on walking bare- footed till he entered the house of the person whom he wanted to condole.
Hospitality
When al- Sadiq spread the table, he urged his companions to eat and made them enjoy the food. Perhaps, he brought some food after they had become satisfied. However, they refused to eat. So, he said: "You have eaten nothing. Indeed, those who love us very much are those who eat very much with us." Then he told them some traditions on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to encourage them to eat the food and to appeal to additional food. He used to report the following words which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said to Salman, al- Muqdad, and Abu Dharr: "Those who love us very much are those who eat much food with us."
The Best Alms
One day, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, gave a poor man four hundred dirhams. The poor man took them, thanked him for them, and went away. Al- Sadiq said to his servant: "bring the poor man back." The poor man said: "Master, I asked you (for a need), and you have given me (the need), then what do want to give me?" Al- Sadiq said to him: "Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'The best alms is that which brings about riches. We have not made you rich. So, take this ring. I wanted to sell it for ten thousand dirhams. When you becomes in need of it, then sell it at this cost."
His Secret Gifts
At night al- Sadiq, peace be on him, carried on his shoulder bag full of bread, meat, and dirhams. He went to the needy people of Medina. He divided those things among them, while they did not know him. After his death, they asked about those gifts. So, they knew that Abu Abd Allah (al-Sadiq), peace be on him, sent them.
Al- Sadiq's grandfathers embraced that custom, then his grand sons adopted it, too.
Al- Sadiq sent secret gifts to the people of Medina. In the mean time he sent such gifts to the Hashimites. He sent them parcels of dinars and said to the messenger: "Say to the Hashimites that these parcels have been sent to you from Iraq. When the messenger came back, al- Sadiq asked him: "What did they say?" The messenger said: "They said: 'As for you, may Allah reward you good because you bring gifts to the relatives of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. And as for Ja'far (al- Sadiq), may Allah judge between us and him."' So, Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, sank to the ground and said: "Allah, humiliate my neck for my grandfather's children."
One day, al- Sadiq gave Abu Ja'far al- Khth'ami a parcel (of dinars) and ordered him to send it secretly to a man of the Hashimites. When al- Khth'ami brought the parcel to the man, he (the man) said: "May Allah reward him (i.e. the sender of the parcel) good. He always send me a parcel. I live with the parcel till another one comes. However, Ja'far (al-Sadiq) sends me no dirham though he has a lot of money."
Also al- Sadiq, peace be on him, sent secret gifts to those who showed enmity toward him. For example, he allotted a sum of money to al- Hasan b. al- Aftas.
So, it was said to him (al- Sadiq): "Will you give the man who attacked you and wanted to kill you with the sword?" Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "Woe unto you! Have not read these Words of Allah: 'And those who join that which has bidden to be joined and have awe of their Lord and fear the evil reckoning.' Indeed, Allah has created Paradise and made it good."
His Clemency:
When al- Sadiq, peace been him, heard someone defamed him or backbited him or abused him, he prepared himself to prayers. Then, he invoked Allah for a long time not to punish the sinner and to forgive him his sins.
Concerning his blood relatives, al- Sadiq was very clement. So, he said: "I want Allah to know that I have humiliated my neck for my blood relatives. And I send gifts to the people of my house before they are in no need of me."
Also al- Sadiq was clement with his servants and all people. For instance, he sent a servant of his to get him a certain need. The servant was late. So, al- Sadiq went out to look for him. He found the servant sleeping. Al- Sadiq sat by his head fanning him till he woke. When the servant woke, al- Sadiq said nothing but: "Servant, why do you sleep day and night - night is for you, and day is for us."
One day, al- Sadiq sent a non- Arab servant to bring him a certain need. When the servant came back, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, questioned him, but he was unable to answer. Al- Sadiq repeated the question several times, but the servant was still unable to answer. Anyhow, al- Sadiq did not become angry with him, he mere Looked sharply at him, and then said to him: "If your tongue is tired, then your heart is not tired." Then al- Sadiq, peace be on him, added: "Indeed, modesty, chastity, and tiredness (the tiredness of the tongue not of the heart) are acts of belief, while obscenity, abusiveness, and insolence are acts of hypocrisy."
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, prevented the members of his house from going up to the house. One day a female slave, who looked after his children, went up to the house carrying a child of his. Suddenly, al- Sadiq came into the house. When the female slave saw him, she trembled with fear. So, the child fell down the ground and died. Al- Sadiq turned pale and went out of the house. When he was asked about the reason why he had turned pale, he answered: 'I have turned pale because I have terrified the female slave, not because of the death of the child.' Moreover, he said to her: "Don't worry,. You are free for Allah!"
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, was clement with all people. For example, a man of the pilgrims in Medina slept. The man thought that his bag (of money) had been stolen. He went out. He saw al- Sadiq praying. He accused him of stealing, saying to him: "You have taken my bag!" "What was in your bag?" asked al- Sadiq. "One thousand dinars," answered the man. So, al- Sadiq took the man with him to his house and gave him one thousand dinars. The man came back home and found his bag. Then he came back to al- Sadiq, gave him the money, and apologized to him for that. Then the man asked some people about al- Sadiq. They said: "This is Ja'far al- Sadiq." "No wonder!" said the man.
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, was clement even with his arch enemies. When al- Mansur permitted al- Sadiq to leave al- Hira (a town in Iraq), he (al- Sadiq) left it at night. When he reached the place of the armed men, one of them said to him: "I will not let you go!" Al- Sadiq begged him several times, but the armed man refused that. Murazim (al- Sadiq's companion) and Musadif (his servant) accompanied al- Sadiq. Musadif said to him: "May I be ransom for you! This dog (i.e. the armed man) has hurt you! I think that he will bring you back. I do not know how Abu Ja'far al- Mansur will treat you. So, permit Murazim and I to behead him and to throw him into the river." No,' said al- Sadiq. Then he went on convincing that armed man till most of night was over. At last, the armed man let them pass. So, al- Sadiq said: "Murazim, is this better or what you have said?" I (Murazim) said: "May I be ransom for you, this is better...."
His Kindness
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, treated All people kindly. One day he summoned his servant Musadif and said to him: "The members of my family have become many. So, prepare yourself and go with the traders to Egypt. When they reached Egypt, a caravan received them out of Egypt.
They asked them about the goods with them and told them that there was nothing of those goods in Egypt. So, the traders from Medina sold their goods a dinar for a dinar.
When they took their money, they came back to Medina. Musadif came to Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, carrying two bags. There was a thousand dinar in each bag. Musadif said to al- Sadiq: "May I be your ransom, this is the capital and these are the interests." Al- Sadiq said to him: "These interests are many. How did you sell the goods?" Musadif told him all about the goods." So, al- Sadiq took one of the two bags and said: "This is my capital. I am in no need of the interests." Then he added: "Musadif, dueling with words is easier than seeking the lawful."
Abu Hanifa al- Hajj quarreled with his son- in- law about inheritance. Suddenly, al- Mufaddle b. 'Amru, al- Sadiq's agent in Kufa, passed by them. When he understood their matter, he ordered them to go with him to his home. He made peace between them and gave them four hundred dirhams. When they became pleased with each other, he said to them: "These four hundred dirhams are not mine. However, Abu Abd Allah (al-Sadiq), peace be on him, ordered me to settle the quarrel between two men of our companions with his money. So, these four hundred dirhams belong to him."
His Patience
Isma'il was the elder son of al- Sadiq, peace be on him. He had outstanding merits, such as virtue, reason, worship, and the like. Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, loved him very much. So, some people thought that he would be the Imam after his father al- Sadiq. When Isma'il became ill, al-Sadiq became sad. Still, he invited his companions and offered them good food. He did not make them feel that he was sad. They thought that he would be impatient or weep. So, they asked him about his firm patience. Al- Sadiq said to them: "I should be patient, for the Prophet said: 'I will die as you die.'"
One day a boy of al- Sadiq's was walking before him. Suddenly, the boy died. So, al- Sadiq wept and said: "You (Allah) have taken and left, You have tried and healed." Then, he carried the boy to the women. When they saw him, they cried. So, al- Sadiq ordered them not to cry. Then he took him out to bury him and said: "Glory is to Him Who kills our children, but we love Him very much." Then when he buried his son, he said: "Indeed, we are the people who ask Allah for what we love in what we love, so He gives us. If He loves what we hate in what we love, we are pleased."
His Prestige
Sometimes the person himself creates prestige through his pride, and sometimes through his servants family, tribe, soldiers, state, and the like. This kind of prestige does not belong to certain people. Rather, it belongs to every one who gets one or more of the affairs. So, we may call this kind of prestige artificial.
The person may have prestige without army, servants sates, authority, pride, and so on. This kind of prestige is not called artificial. Rather, it is the prestige which Allah, the Exalted, gives to anyone, of his creatures. The person can create this prestige through humbleness, good manners, knowledge, and the like. "Whoever wants glory without a tribe and prestige without authority, then should come out of the humiliation of the disobedience of Allah to the glory of his obedience. Whoever fears Allah, Allah makes everything afraid of him. And whoever does not fear Allah, Allah makes him afraid of everything." Indeed, we can call this kind of prestige genuine.
Al- Mansur had artificial prestige. Though he had a wide kingdom, and a big army, he respected Ja'far b. Mohammed al- Sadiq, peace be on him, when he looked at him.
Al- Mufaddal b. 'Amr said: "Al- Mansur tried to kill Abu Abd Allah (al-Sadiq), peace be on him, several times. However, he respected him when he looked at him. So, he did not kill him."
All people respected Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, whether they were friends or enemies. For example, Hisham b. al- Hakam, who was a Jahami before he became an Imami, said to al- Sadiq: "Son of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, I respect, you, I am shy of you. My tongue is not able to utter even a word before you."
Though al- Sadiq, peace be on him, had such great prestige, he was very humble in word to his companion and those who sat with him. He sat with them, ate with them, and talked with them.
His worship
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, was the best of all creatures during his time in worshipping, such as fasting, prayers, hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), and the like.
In Tadhkirat al- Khawas, al- Sibt b. al- Jawzy says: "The biographers say: 'Al- Sadiq was busy worshipping. He was indifferent to leadership.'" In Matalib al- Sa'ul, b. Talha says: "Al- Sadiq had many sciences. He worshipped (Allah) very much. He read continuos parts of the Koran. And he divided his time according to the religious duties." In Hulyat al- Awlia', Abu Na'im says: "Al- Sadiq devoted all his time to worshipping and submission to Allah. He preferred isolation and humbleness to leadership and parties." Malik b. Anas says: "Ja'far b. Mohammed had three qualities:
he fasted, or prayed, or remembered Allah. He was among the greatest scholars of creatures and among the great devout." We have mentioned all these qualities in the topics: Who was al- Sadiq? and His scientific Life.
His Religious Devotion
"Al- Sadiq wore a thick, short, woolen cloak on his body, and wore silk garment on it. And he said: 'We wear the cloak for Allah, and the silk (garments) for you."
"Al- Sadiq offered meat to his guest, while he ate vinegar and animal oil. Then he said: 'This is our food and the food of the Prophets.'"
One day, Sufyan al- Thawry came to al- Sadiq. He saw him wearing a silk cloak. So, sufyan criticized him and said: "Why have you worn this (cloak), while you are among the family of Prophethood?" Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "You do not know. Insert your hand into here." There was a garment of rough hair.
Then al- Sadiq said: "Thawry, show me what is under your cloak." There was a shirt thinner than the crust of the egg. So, Sufyan became shy of al- Sadiq. Then al- Sadiq said to him: "Thawry, do not come to us many times so as not to harm us nor do we harm you."
Al- Sadiq said these words before al- Thawry, for the latter disagreed with the former on his behavior, knowledge, and act. In the meantime, the ruler prevented al- Sadiq from meeting people and prevented them from meeting him. So, the person would expose himself and al- Sadiq to danger when he wanted to meet him, especially if the person was of great importance among people, such as Sufyan al- Thawry.
His Prediction on the Events
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, predicted many events. They occurred as he predicted after a time. For example, he predicted the end of the authority of the Abbasids: Abu Muslim al- Khurasani came to al- Sadiq and tired to convince him to take the reins of power. He told him that there were many people ready to support him. Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to him: "What you are talking about shall not be ours.
The children of al- Abbas shall play with authority." So, Abu Muslim went to Abd Allah b. al- Hasan and asked him to take the reins of authority. Abd Allah gathered the members of his family and took care of the matter. He summoned Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, to ask his advice. So, al- Sadiq came and sat between al- Saffah and al- Mansur. When they asked the advice of al- Sadiq, he patted al- Saffah's shoulder and said: "No, by Allah, this shall be the first to take the reins of authority." Then, he patted al- Mansur's shoulder and said: "The children of this shall play with authority." Then, he stood up and left their meeting.
One day Abd Allah b. al- Hasan summoned al- Sadiq to nominate his son Mohammed to the Caliphate. Al- Sadiq said to Abd Allah: "By Allah, this matter (the caliphate) is not for you nor for your children. The caliphate is for this (i.e. al- Saffah), then for this (i.e. al- Mansur), and then for his children. When al- Sadiq went out, Abu Ja'far (al- Mansur) followed him and said to him: "Abu Abd Allah, do you know what you have said?" Al-Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "Yes, by Allah, I know it (the caliphate) and it shall occur."
Also al- Sadiq predicted the killing of Mohammed and Ibrahim, the two sons of al- Hasan, on many occasions. One day, he said: "Marwan shall be the end of the Omayyads, and Mohammed shall be killed."
Friendship during Travel
Travel has special manners which are different from those ones during the normal life. From the first look, you may know it is an act of generosity, the noble self, and manhood to spend much money on the food in the manner that surpasses your friends. However, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, prevented (Muslims from doing that) during travel, for such kind of spending costs the friend a lot when he wants to vie in spending with his other friends or it may humiliate him when he prevents himself from doing that. It is not an act of politeness or good friendship to cost your friend or humiliate him. For this reason, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to Shahab b. 'Abd Raba
"Shahab, do not do that, for if they spend and you spend (more than them), then you wrong them or humiliate them when they prevent from (spending). So, accompany your matches, accompany your matches."
The Imam said these words when Shahab said to him: "You have known my condition, my open- hand, and my generosity toward my brothers. I accompany the person of them to cover the road to Mecca and I become generous toward him."
I (the author) say: The person humiliates others when he spends on them. In the meantime, others humiliate him when they spend on him. So, the Imam prevented (Muslims) from adopting both cases. He said to Abu Basir: "I do not want (the person) to humiliate himself, so he should accompany those who match him."
The Imam said these words when Abu Basir asked about the person who accompanies the rich, while he is inferior to them (in spending). So, the men take out the expense, while he is not able to take out what they do."
When Hisham b al- Hakam asked the Imam about some cases, the Imam answered: "Accompany those who are like you."
Accordingly, the Imam regard the companionship of the match as a rule for both causes, lest the person should humiliate himself or humiliate the others. This is among his great wisdoms which he adopted to make people follow good manners.
Good Neighborhood
It is an act of the politeness of the person and of his superior intellect is to adopt good neighborhood. Besides, it is a virtuous act which the wise summon people to put it into effect. The Arabs vied with each other for treating their neighbor kindly. Also they did their best to defend the neighbor When Islam came it adopted this noble trait, increased the respect for it, and urged the Muslims to cling to it. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, gave frequent commandments concerning it. For this reason, Amir al- Mu'minin (Imam 'Ali), peace be on him, said: "Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, went on advising us (to treat) the neighbor (kindly). So, we thought that he would bequeath him."
The grandsons of the Prophet followed the same manner in regard with the neighbor. For example, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "Cleave to Allah fearingness.... good manners, and good neighborhood." Al- Sadiq repeated these commandments many times. So, he blamed those who neglected them. In this connection, he, peace be on him, said: "Do the person of you not feel shame that his neighbor knows his right, while he does not know his neighbor's right?"
Moreover, al- Sadiq excluded those who do not treat their neighbors kindly. He, peace be on him, said: "Whoever does not treat his neighbor kindly is not one of us."
Treating the Brothers Kindly
Treating the brothers kindly is a branch of rendering help to them Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, urged Muslims very much to treat each other kindly. In his commandments to Jamil b Darraj, he said: "It is an act of pure belief is to treat the brothers kindly and to Satisfy their needs. The Merciful (Allah) loves him who treats his brothers kindly ... Jamil, tell your honorable companions about this tradition. He (Jamil) said: "May I be ransom for you, who are my honorable companions?" He said: "Those who treat their brothers kindly during poverty and riches."
In his foregoing commandments to Abid Allah b Jundub, al- Sadiq said: "Indeed, to move the feet to visit the brothers and to treat them kindly is the best way to worship Allah."
As treating the brothers kindly is great with Allah, the Exalted, the Satan does his best to prevent man from doing that, In these commandments, he said: "Bin Jundub, the Satan has snares to catch (people) so, beware of his snares." He (Bin Jundub) said: "Son of the Prophet of Allah, what are his snares?" He (the Prophet) said: "As for his snares, he (the Satan) prevent you from treating your brothers kindly."
Truthful Talk and Giving the Trust
Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, advised his companions to be truthful in their talks and to give trusts to their owners. In this connection, we have mentioned some information before.
Though these two traits are the best of all traits in themselves, they have clear effects on the religion. For example, they bring about love and confidence among people, so riches happens. In this regard, we will mention the following tradition.
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to Abd al- Rahman b Sayyaba: "Do you not want me to give you a commandment?" Abd al- Rahman said: "Yes, may I be ransom for you." Al- Sadiq said: "Cleave to the truthful talk and giving the trust So, you will share people their properties." Abd al- Rahman said: "I have memorized the tradition, so I have earned three hundred thousand dirhams."
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