Yunus ibn Ya\u2019qub, one of the\ncompanions of Imam Sadiq (PBUH), narrates the following story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was in the presence of Imam Sadiq\n(PBUH) when a man from Shaam\/Syria came to him and said, \u201cI am a man of Kalam\n(theology), Fiqh (laws), and Fara\u2019iz (rules of inheritance) (1); I have come to\ndebate your people.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2026 The Imam told\nme, \u201cFind out who is outside who could debate him and bring them in.\u201d I then\nbrought in Hamran ibn \u2019Ayan, Ahwal, Hisham ibn Salim, and Qays ibn Masir, who\nwere all good in debating. After a while Hisham ibn al-Hakam came in. He had\njust grown a small beard, and all of us were older than him. The Imam made room\nfor him and said, \u201cHe is our supporter with his heart, tongue and hands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Imam then asked his companions to\ndebate the man. Each of the companions debated the man in his own specific\nfield. The Imam then asked the man from Syria to speak with Hisham ibn al-Hakam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man said, \u201cO boy! Ask me about the\nImamate (spiritual leadership) of this man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham said, \u201cWell! Is your Lord more\nprotective of His people or are the people more protective of themselves?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man said, \u201cNaturally it is My Lord\nWho is more protective of His creatures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham then asked, \u201cWhat then has He\ndone to protect them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Man said, \u201cHe has established His\nauthority and guidance so that they would not differ and disunite and be\nunited. It is the divine leader who keeps them in the correct path and reminds\nthem of their duties towards Allah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham asked, \u201cWho is the authority\nand guide that He has established?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man said, \u201cHe is the Messenger of\nAllah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham then asked, \u201cWho is the Divine\nauthority after the Messenger of Allah?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man replied, “It is the book\nof Allah and the Sunnah.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham then said, “Have the Book\nand Sunnah helped us today in removing our differences?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man said, “Yes, they have\nhelped us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham then asked, “Why then do\nwe have differences among us? You have come all the way from Shaam to oppose\nand debate us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man then remained quite. The Imam\nasked him, “Why don\u2019t you speak?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man said, “If I were to say\nthat we have no differences, I would be lying. Were I to say that the Book and\nSunnah solves our differences, it would be invalid because they can be\ninterpreted in so many ways. Were I to say that we do have differences and each\nclaims to be the rightful party, then the Book and the Sunnah would have been\nproved to be of no help. However, I can ask the same question from him also.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Imam then said to the man from\nShaam, “Ask him, and you will find him knowledgeable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man from Shaam then turned to\nHisham and asked, “Is your Lord more protective of His people or are the\npeople protective of themselves?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham said, “It is My Lord Who\nis more protective of His creatures.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man then asked, “Has He then\nestablished for them a means that would remove their differences, unite them,\nremove their deviation and show them right from wrong?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham asked, “Do you mean during\nthe time of the Messenger of Allah or at this time?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man from Shaam said, “At the\ntime of the Messenger of Allah that means was the Messenger of Allah. Who is\nthe (Divine) authority at this time?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham said, “(The Divine\nauthority) at this time is the person sitting among us. To him people journey\nlong distances to find answers to their questions. He tells us about the news\nof the heavens and the earth as he has inherited it from his father and grandfather.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man from Shaam said, “How\nwould I know that?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hisham then said, “Ask him\nwhatever you like.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man from Shaam said, “You\nhave left no excuse for me, and I must ask.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Sadiq (PBUH) then said, “O\nman from Shaam, I can tell you how your journey was and how your road was.\u201d\nThen the Imam proceeded to give him the more details about his journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man agreed, acknowledged the\ndetails, and said, “At this time I testify that there is no god but Allah,\nand that Muhammad is His Messenger and that you are one of the executors of the\nwill of the Messengers of Allah.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Reference: Usul\nal\u2019Kafi, by Sheikh Kuleini, vol. 1, The Book of Hujjah, Hadith 4, with minor\nchanges, selected from the translation by Muhammad Sarwar)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roshd website gives its condolences on\nthe 25th of Shawwal, the Martyrdom of Imam Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (PBUH),\nto all Muslims, and especially you dear friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1- The issue of\ninheritance in Islam is one of the most complicated and difficult laws. Some of\nthe rules regarding this issue are mentioned in the Holy Quran and the rest is\npointed out in the Hadiths and narrations. The part which is found in the Holy\nQuran is called Fara\u2019iz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Yunus ibn Ya\u2019qub, one of the companions of Imam Sadiq (PBUH), narrates the following story: I was in the presence of Imam Sadiq (PBUH) when a man from Shaam\/Syria came to him and said, \u201cI am a man of Kalam (theology), Fiqh (laws), and Fara\u2019iz (rules of inheritance) (1); I have come to debate your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[21649,17778,18465,20151,17978,18426,18418,17955,21650,21648],"class_list":["post-4418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2006-11-17","tag-allah","tag-good","tag-imam-sadiq","tag-lord","tag-messenger","tag-occasion-letters","tag-people","tag-qays-ibn-masir","tag-the-logic-of-shia"],"yoast_head":"\n