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IMAM ALI
IBN MUHAMMAD AL-HADI (A.S.)
The Imams
from the progeny of the Holy Prophet (saww) have divinely inspired
erudition and as such they face no difficulty in intellectual
discussions and when subjects are rapidly changed in questions. The
rulers of their time were always envious of their merits in the field of
knowledge and tried unsuccessfully to humiliate them.
It is related that once Mutawakkil, the
Abbaside caliph called Ibn Sikkit, who was known as a great scholar
during those days and said, “I
wish to see Ali ibn Muhammad (a.s) humiliated in the court. Ask him
tough questions which he can not answer and I will reward you with
thousands of gold coins”.
A meeting
was arranged at the order of Mutawakkil and the gathering was attended
by a large number of people. Thereafter, the following discussion
ensued:
Ibn Sikkit:
“Prophet Musa (as) was given the miracle
of illuminating hand; Prophet ‘Issa (as) was given the power to raise
the dead to life and the Holy Prophet (saww) was given a miracle in the
form of Quran. Why did God give different types of miracles to different
prophets?
Imam (as):
“The miracles given to the
prophets were according to the necessity of their time. During the time
of Prophet Musa (as) magic was considered an art of the masters and
magicians were a powerful group; hence Musa (as) was given the miracle
of staff and illuminating hand that no master magician could overcome.
In the time of Prophet ‘Issa (as) the science of medicine was advanced
and therefore ‘Issa (as) was given the power to heal incurable patients
and also infuse life into the dead bodies. During the time of Prophet
Muhammad (saww), the art of rhetorics was considered supreme, hence he (saww)
was given an everlasting miracle of language in the form of Holy Quran”.
Ibn Sikkit:
“What is the proof of Truth when there is
none to manifest any miracle?”
Imam (as):
“People can differentiate
between Truth and Untruth by their intellect and knowledge gained
through experience”.
Ibn Sikkit:
“Intellect existed before so what need was
there for the miracles?”
Imam (as):
“Though intellect was given
to mankind the faculty remained unused. Their actions were motivated by
the blind belief that what their forefathers did was good and they made
the deeds of their ancestors as their ideal. The prophets taught the
mankind to use the faculties that were lying idle”.
Ibn Sikkit:
“Prophet Sulaiman (as) knew that his
executor Asif ibn Barkhiya had power to bring the throne of Queen
Bilqees and even all the persons present in the court knew that who
would bring him the throne. Yet why did he ask?”
Imam (as):
“This desire was motivated by
desire to manifest the superiority of Asif ibn Barkhiya over all the
others from Jinn and Men”.
Ibn Sikkit:
“Adam was forbidden to go near a tree.
What was that tree?”
Imam (as):
“It was the tree of envy and
jealousy”.
Ibn
Sikkit discerned that he was unable to defeat the divine leader by his
questions and there was no possibility to acquire the promised gold
coins. He therefore apologised to the Imam (as) and the Imam (as) at
once forgave him with kindness.
SAYING OF
IMAM AL-HADI (A.S):
“Indeed Allah has made the world as the house of tribulation and the
hereafter as the house of final result. Besides, He has made the
tribulation of the world as a cause for the reward of the hereafter, and
the reward of the hereafter as a recompense for the tribulation of the
world”.
We extend our greetings and felicitation to our 12th Imam,
Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (A.J) on the auspicious occasion of the birth of
his beloved grandfather and the 10th Successor of the Holy
Prophet (saww), Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi (as).
To all our esteemed readers, we offer our sincere MUBARAKI.
Mulla Mujaheedali Sheriff
mulla@almahdi.org.uk |