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In the time of our 6th Imam, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) there lived a young man called Zakariyya who had converted from Christianity to Islam.
When Zakariyya went to Haj, he stopped at Madina to visit Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A). On meeting the Imam (A), Zakariyya asked him how he should behave towards his father, mother and other family members who were still Christians.
Imam (A) replied that Islam is a religion of mercy and kindness to all that has been created by Allah. Also Islam holds the rights of parents very highly.
Imam (A) then advised the man to be even more kinder and more helpful to his mother than he had ever been.
When Zakariyya returned home, he was there even more than before for his mother. He listened to her and was kind to her and ever ready to help her. He gave her food and drink with his own hands. He washed her and her clothes and kept the house tidy. And when he was free he would sit and chat with her and cheer her up.
His mother was very surprised and asked Zakariyya what had made him become so kind towards her.
Zakariyya explained that his Imam, our 6th Imam, had told him to act in this way.
His mother wanted to know what else the religion of Islam had taught her son.
Zakariyya sat with his mother to tell her all about the teachings of Islam and when he had finished, his mother became a Muslim too.
Moral:
In the time of our 6th Imam, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) there was once a wheat shortage in Madina. As a result the people of Madina were buying as much wheat as they could afford.
There were some people who were quite poor and could only afford to buy enough wheat for that day.
These people had to pay a little bit more for the wheat each day because there was less and less wheat available.
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) asked his servant how much wheat they had in the house. The servant replied that they had enough to last them for several months.
Imam (A) then told the servant to take the wheat to the market and sell it all to the people.
The servant argued that if he did this then they probably would not be able to buy all the wheat back and also they would have to pay a lot more for it.
Imam (A) told him that it did not matter. He told him that after he had sold all the wheat he should only buy enough wheat for each day.
Imam (A) also told his servant that from then on the bread in his house should be made from ½ wheat and ½ barley.
Moral:
One day when our 6th Imam, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) was walking down a street he saw that some people had thrown the food that they could not eat onto the street.
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) was very sad to see this. He told the people that what they had done was very wrong because there were so many people in the world who are hungry as they have no food.
Our Holy Prophet, Prophet Muhammad (S) has told us that if you do not think about the needs of other Muslims then you are not a Muslim.
This is why Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq used to go out in the middle of the cold dark nights to give food to the poor.
Moral:
One day our 6th Imam, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) was sitting with a group of friends eating some grapes, when a man came and asked Imam (A) for help.
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) gave the man a bunch of grapes. The man did not take the grapes and asked Imam (A) for money.
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) told the man that Allah would give him that. The man started to walk away then came back and asked for the grapes. Imam (A) told him that Allah would give him that.
A little while latter another poor man came and asked Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) for help. Imam (A) gave him a bunch of grapes. The man took them and thanked Allah.
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A) then gave the man some money again the man thanked Allah. Imam (A) then gave the man his shirt, who took it and went away praying for Imam (A).
If the man had continued thanking Allah for what Imam (A) was giving him, then Imam (A) would have continued giving until he had nothing left to give.
Moral:
Whenever you get anything remember that although it may be from someone, Allah has wished for you to have it. So not only should you thank the person who has given it to you (Jazakallah) but also thank Allah (Alhamdulillah).
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