Pearl of Wisdom

A group of people from Isfahan among whom were Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad b. al-Nar and Imam 'Ali b. Muhammad al-Hadi (AS) Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. 'Alawiyya, narrated, 'There was a man named 'Abd al-Rahman in Isfahan who was a shi?a. He was asked, 'Why have you accepted the Imama of 'Ali al-Naqi instead of anyone else from among the people of the time?' So he replied, 'I witnessed that which obligated me to believing such. I was a poor man but outspoken and daring. So the people of Isfahan exiled me and a few others. We came to Mutawakkil to ask for justice. We were at Mutawakkil's gate when the command came to bring 'Ali b. Muhammad b. al-Rida. I asked those present there who this man was that had been commanded to be brought there. Someone replied, 'He is an 'Alawi whom the Rafida believe to be their Imam.' He then said, Mutawakkil may have summoned him in order to kill him.' I said, 'I will not move from here until I see who this person is .' [He continued]: 'He came riding on a horse and verily people were standing in a line on the right and left of his path watching him. When I saw him, I stopped and looked at him. Love for him filled my heart. I prayed for him in my heart for Allah to repel from him the evil of Mutawakkil. He moved through the crowd, his sight fixed on the reins of his horse, not looking around. And I was constantly supplicating for him. When he reached me, he turned his face towards me and said, may Allah accept your supplication, lengthen your life, and increase your wealth and your children.' After that, we returned to Isfahan. Allah opened phases of wealth upon me, so much so that I have to lock away in my house more than a million dirhams and this is apart from the wealth that is outside my house. I have been blessed with ten sons and I have reached an age in excess of seventy years. This is the reason for my faith in the Imama of this man who knew what was in my heart and Allah granted his prayers for me.'

Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi [as]
Kashf al-Ghamma, v. 3, p. 179

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Library » Nahj ul Balagha » Letters » To the hypocrite Ash'ath bin Qays
To the hypocrite Ash'ath bin Qays E-mail
Letter 5 To the hypocrite Ash'ath bin Qays

Verily, you have neither been entrusted with the governorship so that you amass wealth nor is it a tasty and juicy morsel to be swallowed up. On the contrary it is a trust committed to your care and trust. Its responsibility lies upon your shoulders. Your Amir (meaning Imam Ali himself) has appointed you as a shepherd and a guardian of the people. You have no right to do as you like and to act independently without seeking his advice and permission. In all important affairs of the State and the public, your decisions must be based on true facts and sound reasons. In your control and custody there is one of the treasuries of Allah, you are only a treasurer, you have no right to make personal use of any part of this wealth, it is your duty to pass it on to whom it belongs. I hope you will not give me a chance to prove myself a hard task-master and a harsh administrator. May you see the light.


Ash'ath bin Qays was a hypocrite and time-sever. For sometime he attached himself to Imam Ali (a) pretending to be his sincere follower. The ulterior motive behind this was to amass wealth and to grasp power. Imam Ali (a) had appointed him as the Governor of Azarbaijan. He started collecting and procuring wealth by every means possible. When this was reported to Imam Ali (a), he wrote the following letter to Ash'ath: On receipt of this letter he wanted to abscond with the wealth so amassed but good counsels prevailed upon him and he was persuaded by Hujr bin Adi Kindi to got to Imam Ali (a). When his accounts were audited he had to surrender 400,000 dirhams.


 
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