In many of the narrated hadiths, it is mentioned that Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) was aware of what was in the hearts of people and the events that would happen to them in the future, and he would inform them about it. Also, Ma’mun (the most learned of the Abbasid caliphs in the sciences of his time), in the numerous sessions he held with scholars of various disciplines, would be forced to submit to the scholarly authority of Imam Jawad (peace be upon him).
The meaning of these hadiths is not that the Imams (peace be upon them) inherently knew the unseen, but rather it shows that, unlike other people (who typically acquire knowledge through sensory perception or experience), the Imams (peace be upon them) were connected to God through divine inspiration or through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and, in this way, were nourished by the source of knowledge and wisdom[1]. Faith in God’s power and His ability to do anything leads a person to believe that, if God wills, a person has the capacity to achieve anything possible.
In this regard, it is narrated that the governor of Mecca and Medina, a man from the opponents of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) named “Ibn Faraj al-Rukhaji,” was once standing next to the Tigris River with Imam Jawad (peace be upon him). He said to the Imam: “Your followers claim that you know how much water is in the Tigris and that you also know its weight!”
The Imam (peace be upon him) replied: “Can God give this knowledge to a fly among His creations?”
Faraj said: “Yes, He can.”
The Imam (peace be upon him) said: “I am more honored in the presence of God than a fly or any of His other creatures.”[2]
Indeed, doubt in God’s power is far weaker and baseless compared to doubt in the brightness and light of the sun. Of course, when it comes to a person claiming such a great position, doubt is understandable, and a person can only accept this claim after thorough investigation. However, regarding the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), especially after studying the numerous authentic hadiths narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) about them, in which they are introduced as the leaders and guides of the people, there is no longer any room for doubt.
Thus, the narrators of the hadiths from the Imams (peace be upon them) convey astonishing matters. Indeed, what is so surprising about the fact that whenever God wills, He can bestow His knowledge and power upon a person whose heart He has tested and purified?
(Extracted from the book “Guides of Light: The Life of Imam Muhammad Taqi (peace be upon him),” written by Ayatollah Muhammad Taqi Modarresi)[3]
Islamic – Shia Website: Roshd
Footnotes:
[1] (I’lam al-Wara, p. 270)
[2] (Ithbat al-Wasiya, pp. 227-228)
[3] The above text is extracted from the Persian translation of the mentioned book by Mr. Muhammad Sadiq Shari’at.