Boumousi says: One day, I went to Imam Hadi (peace be upon him) and said, “Mutawakkil is oppressing me, and he has taken my possessions because I am a follower of you. If it is possible, please ask him to stop his actions against me.” The Imam (peace be upon him) said, “If Allah wills, your request will be fulfilled.”
As night fell, I received several messages from Mutawakkil, asking me to come to him. When I arrived at the court of Mutawakkil, his minister, Fath bin Khakan, said to me, “Abu Musa, what have you done that the Emir has been so insistent in summoning you, causing me distress?”
I went to Mutawakkil, and he said, “Oh Abu Musa, we have neglected you, and you have forgotten us. What do you have in our possession?” I replied, “Such and such things and such and such amount of money.” He ordered them to give me twice the amount. As I was leaving the palace, I asked Fath, “Did Ali bin Muhammad (peace be upon him) come here?” He replied, “No.” “Did he write you a letter?” I asked. He replied, “No.” Fath followed me and said, “You must have asked him to pray for you; please ask him to pray for me as well.”
The next day, I went to Imam Hadi (peace be upon him) and told him, “My master, I have been told that you neither went to Mutawakkil nor made any request from him. So how is this…?”
The Imam (peace be upon him) replied, “Allah knows that we seek refuge in none but Him for all our affairs, and we rely on none but Him. He has accustomed us to ask from Him, so that He may answer us.”
I said, “My master, Fath bin Khakan said this to me.” The Imam replied, “He outwardly claims to love us, but inwardly he distances himself from us. Prayer is for the one who calls upon his Lord. When you have purified yourself in obedience to Allah, and have acknowledged the rights of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and our rights as Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), then whenever you ask Allah for anything, He will not leave you empty-handed.”[1]
Source: “The Life and Character of Imam Ali bin Muhammad al-Naqi (peace be upon him),” by Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Modarresi
Footnote:
[1] In this statement, Imam Hadi (peace be upon him) indicates that faith in Allah, sincerity of intention, and acknowledging the rights of His chosen ones are the main ways to have prayers answered. Naturally, anyone seeking to achieve a goal must follow the proper path to reach it. (For further information on the acceptance of prayers, please click here.)
However, if someone does not walk this path, they will have to endure the hardship of the alternative, which is much more difficult and far from the goal. Therefore, if an individual does not possess these qualities, Allah’s expansive mercy prevents the doors of prayer from being permanently closed to them. Hence, other conditions (such as being in dire need, etc.) may arise that facilitate the acceptance of their prayer. However, it is clear that the fulfillment of these conditions is much more challenging, and they lead to a longer path to fulfillment.