O Lord -azwj ...

The process of meditation through man-made techniques, no doubt would generate some qualities within a person, or even some powers [25] , which are enough to impress general public. However, this would only reap the worldly benefits, as one would not be able to control imbalanced and superficial sense of superiority and will eventually fall into the trap of the Iblis -la .

There are several well-known examples on exhibiting such powers by, even some of the unbelievers, i.e., Samri putting together a golden calf and enabling it to speak by making use of the dirt underneath the feet of Jibrail -as [26] and a non-believer who used to supplicate for the rain in the time of the Imam Zain-ul-Abadeen -asws and it would always rain because of his supplications, pleading to Allah -azwj through the bones of a deceased Prophet -as [27] .

Here we have selected a relatively unknown example from Mullah Mohammed Baqir Majelisi’s book ‘Ainual Hiyat’: It has been reported by Majelisi, from reliable narrators that once a famous and well renowned fortune-teller visited Amir-ul-Momineen -asws and said: ‘I am an astrologist and I have heard that you -asws too have knowledge about the unforeseen. I want to ask a few questions from you -asws or you -asws may ask me instead.

Amir-ul-Momineen -asws said: ‘The knowledge of unseen is with Allah -azwj and no one knows about it and I know only that much which He -azwj has Transmitted to me. However, if you claim to have such knowledge then tell me what I have hidden in my fist? After wondering for a long time (without being able to answer) and at that Imam -asws asked: Can you tell or not?

He said: ‘It’s a small thing but I am wondering how did you get an egg of a bird, from the top of a mountain, which is so high and impossible to reach? Imam -asws opened his fist and it turned out to be an egg. Imam -asws closed his fist again and asked now tell me what do I have in my fist?