I felt depressed and I thought of returning home.

I felt depressed and I thought of returning home. ‘At that time, the Imam -asws appeared before me with people around him -asws . Beggars had surrounded him -asws and he -asws gave them charity. The Imam -asws passed by and entered his -asws house. Then the Imam -asws came out and called me inside. We both sat down and I began to speak to him -asws about Ibn al-Musayyib, the governor of Madina, as I used to speak to him -asws about the governor often.

When I finished the Imam -asws said: “I do not think you have ended your fast yet.’ I said, ‘No, I have not ended it yet.” The Imam -asws asked for food and ordered a boy (servant) to join me at the table. The boy and I had our meal and when we finished the Imam -asws said to me: “Lift up the furnishing and pick up whatever is underneath.” I lifted it up and found Dinars therein. I picked them up and placed them in my pocket.

‘The Imam -asws ordered four of his -asws slaves to escort me to my house. I said: “May Allah -azwj Keep my soul in service for your -asws cause, the spies of Ibn al-Musayyib check around all the time and I would not like them to see me with your -asws slaves.” The Imam -asws said: “You are right, may Allah -azwj Keep you rightly guided.” The Imam -asws ordered them to return whenever I wanted them to do so. ‘When I almost reached my house and felt safe I asked them to go back.

I went home and asked for a lamp. I looked at the Dinars and there were forty-eight of them. I owed twenty-eight to the man. Among them one Dinar caught my sight. I picked it up and brought it near the lamp. I found a clear mark on it that said: “Pay to the man twenty-eight Dinars and keep the rest for yourself.” By Allah -azwj , I did not tell the Imam -asws how much l owed to the man.

All praise belongs to Allah -azwj Who has Granted honour to those whom He -azwj has Given Authority.’’ [1] The narrator of the Hadith says: ‘Once, I requested to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Reza -asws (8 th Imam) in a matter that I wanted to learn from him -asws and the Imam -asws asked me to wait. One day I was with him -asws and he -asws came near the castle of so and so and stopped for rest among a few trees. Just the two of us and not a third was there.