Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) was known during his time as “As-Sabir” (the patient) and “Al-Amin” (the trustworthy). He was recognized as a righteous servant and was widely known as Al-Kadhim. He always treated all Muslims with kindness and generosity, and anyone who approached him with a request for help, no matter their need, always had their wish granted and left his service contented. Among those who sought assistance from Imam (peace be upon him) was a man from the region of Ray. This man, who had considerable wealth, recounts:
“I had become subject to heavy taxes, and if I were to pay these taxes, which had been imposed on me, I would lose everything. Eventually, the governor of Ray was removed from office, and a new governor was appointed. I was very concerned that this new governor would demand taxes from me based on the previous records. Some of my friends advised me, saying, ‘The new governor is secretly a Shi’ah, and since you are also a Shi’ah, you should approach him with your issue.’ However, I was not certain about this and was too afraid to approach him and reveal that I was a Shi’ah, as Shi’ahs were sometimes killed or imprisoned by the government at that time. So, I decided it would be better to travel to Medina and seek help from Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him).”
Upon arriving in Medina and presenting himself before Imam (peace be upon him), the Imam wrote a letter which contained the following message:
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, know that the Almighty God has a shade of mercy beneath His Throne, from which no one benefits except the one who shows kindness and generosity to his fellow believer, relieves him from distress, or makes him happy.
The one who brings this letter is from your brothers. Peace.”
The man continues, “I secretly took the letter back with me to Ray, and I knew that I had to deliver it to the governor in secrecy. One night, I went to his house and asked the doorman to inform the governor that someone from Musa ibn Ja’far (peace be upon him) had come with a letter for him. After a while, the governor came out barefoot, greeted me, and asked, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I have come on behalf of Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (peace be upon him), and I have a letter for you.’ The governor took the letter, recognized it, and kissed it. Then he respectfully sat down in front of me and asked what my issue was. I told him, ‘I have been burdened with heavy taxes, and if I pay them, I will be ruined.’ The governor immediately ordered the tax records to be brought, and they were amended that very night. Then he asked, ‘May I do something else for you?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He replied, ‘I want to share with you everything I have tonight. I will divide my cash equally with you, and for the rest of my possessions, I will evaluate their value and give you half.'”
The man goes on to say, “After this, I bid farewell to the governor, and during my next visit to Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him), I narrated the entire incident. Upon hearing my story, the Imam smiled. I asked, ‘Did his actions bring you joy?'”
The Imam replied, “Yes, by God, his actions made me happy. He made my grandfather, Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him), happy. I swear by God, he made the Prophet (peace be upon him) happy, and indeed, he made God happy as well.”[1]
(Excerpt from the book A Journey into the Lives of the Imams by Martyr Murtadha Mutahhari)
Footnote:
[1] Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 48, Page 174