One of the blessings that Almighty God bestows upon His chosen ones among the people is the special abilities He grants them. This has always been considered a sign of people’s faith in the legitimacy of God’s representatives among them throughout history. Among these, there are cases where their guiding and educational aspects stand out more prominently.
Shaykh Shiqiq al-Balkhi, who lived during the time of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him), recounts an incident that reveals some of these miracles:
In the year 149 AH, I set out for Hajj and stopped in the city of Qadisiyyah[1]. As I was observing the large number of people and their adornments, my gaze fell upon a young man with a handsome face and a wheat-colored complexion. He was wearing a woolen cloak over his clothes, sandals on his feet, and sitting alone away from the crowd. I thought to myself that this young man must be someone who seeks to impose himself upon the people during this journey. I swore to God that I would go to him and reproach him. I approached him, and when the young man saw me coming toward him, he said:
“O Shiqiq! Avoid excessive assumptions, for some assumptions are sinful.”[2]
Then he turned away from me and left. I said to myself, “What a great incident! He spoke about what I was thinking and called me by my name. This must be a righteous servant of God. I must reach him and ask for his forgiveness.” I hurried after him, but I could not catch up, and he disappeared from my sight.
When we reached the place called Waqisah[3], I suddenly saw him standing in prayer, his body trembling, and tears flowing from his eyes. I said to myself, “This is the man.” I went toward him to ask for his forgiveness. I waited until he finished his prayer, then approached him. As soon as he saw me, he said:
“O Shiqiq! Say: ‘Indeed, I (God) am the Forgiver for the one who repents, believes, does righteous deeds, and is then guided.'”[4]
Then he turned away from me and left. I said to myself, “This young man must be one of the awliya’ (friends of God). He spoke to me twice, revealing what was in my heart.”
After I arrived in Mecca, one night I saw him next to the Maqam of the Prophet (the chamber of the Zamzam well) well past midnight. He was praying with great humility, groaning and weeping. It was during this time that the night came to an end. As dawn broke, he sat at his place of prayer and began his dhikr (remembrance of God). He then prayed Fajr, circumambulated the Kaaba seven times, and left. I followed him, and suddenly I saw him in a different situation from what he had earlier displayed. He was now surrounded by attendants, and people gathered around him, greeting him. I asked someone near him, “Who is this young man?” He replied:
“This young man is Musa ibn Ja’far, the son of Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them).”
Among the many miracles reported from the Imams (peace be upon them), valuable lessons can be found. For instance, the verse that Imam Kadhim (peace be upon him) referred to in his first meeting with Shaykh Shiqiq contains an important point for reflection. Truly, what kind of perceptions do we have about the people around us, and how do we think about others? How beautiful it would be if we take heed from the Imam’s reminder of this noble verse, avoiding pre-judgment of others and steering clear of assumptions that might lead us to sin.
Taken from the book “The Life of the Fourteen Infallibles”, written by Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi al-Modarresi (with slight modifications).
Footnotes:
[1] One of the cities in Iraq, about 15 miles away from Takufah.
[2] (Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 12)
[3] One of the stops along the route from Kufa to Mecca.
[4] (Surah Ta-Ha, verse 82)