Abu Saalt Hirawi was one of the close companions of Imam Reza (PBUH). He narrates that one day when he was with Imam, the Imam started the following:
The Almighty Allah (SWT) sent a revelation to one of his messengers that, tomorrow morning eat the first thing you see, hide the second, accept the third thing and run away from the last.
The messenger started to move next morning; he saw a huge black mountain on his path. He stood and said: “My Lord asked me to eat this thing (while he was surprised from such order). My Lord orders me only to what is within my ability”. He started to move toward the mountain to eat it. The closer he got to the mountain, the smaller it became. He got so close until the mountain had become the size of a spoonful; he ate it and the serving was more delicious than any other food.
He then continued and found a pot of gold and said: “My Lord ordered me to hide this one”. He dag a hole and put the pot inside the hole; he then covered it well with soil and moved on. We he looked back, he noticed that the pot of gold was on the ground and fully visible. He said: “I did what my Lord commanded me to do”.
He moved on his path and saw a bird which was chased by an eagle. The bird started to fly around the messenger. He said to himself: “My Lord ordered me to accept this one.” So he opened his sleeve and the bird entered his sleeve….
The messenger continued his path. He reached a stinking corps filled with worms. He said: “My Lord ordered me to run away from this one”; and returned immediately from that scene.
He then had a dream in which he was told: You performed what was ordered to you. Do you know what they were?
He said: No.
He was told: The Mountain was the symbol of Anger. When one becomes angry, he is unable to see himself as the hugeness of anger rules and as a result he forgets about himself. But when one is patient and control his temper and think of his own value, he will find that anger to be easy to swallow like serving of food.
The pot of gold was the symbol of good deed, that when one hides it, Allah (SWT) demands to reveal it for the performer; so that in addition to the reward of hereafter, Allah (SWT) beautify the performer with that act.
The bird was the symbol of one who gives advice. You should always accept the advice and the person giving it to you…
But the stinking corps was the symbol of gossips; always run away from it.
(The above is a selection taken from “Uyoun Akhbar al-Reza (PBUH)”, by Late Sheikh Saduq (with little summarization and additions))
Footnote
1- The above text is selected from the Persian translation of the mentioned book, which was made by Mr. Hamid Reza Mustafid and Mr. Ali Akbar Ghaffari.