As he stepped down from the pulpit...

As he stepped down from the pulpit, the Imam’s eyes fell on me whereupon he said: Seek permission from your mother for I wish to meet her. I hurried to my mother and as soon as I informed her of Imam’s (a.s.) request, she announced that she had been waiting for that day.” The Imam (a.s.) entered and asked Umm Salamah to hand him the trust which contained certain signs.My mother got up and took out a small chest from inside a larger one and handed it to him.

Then, she turned to me and advised*: “Do not forsake Ali (a.s.), for none other than him is the rightful Imam after the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.).”* [^4] 64 The Unfaithful Grocer During the rule of A’zud al-Daulah Dailami, a stranger once came to Baghdad wishing to sell a necklace worth a thousand dinars, but could not find any purchaser for it. As he intended to travel to Makkah, he began to search for a trustworthy person who would safeguard his necklace.

The people pointed him to a grocer who was known for his piety. The stranger placed the necklace in the grocer’s trust and proceeded towards Makkah. When he returned from Makkah, he approached the grocer and presented him with some gifts that he had brought with him. To the stranger’s great surprise, the grocer pretended as if he did not know him and denied having possession of anything belonging to him.

A quarrel ensued, as a result of which, people gathered and threw the person out of the ‘pious’ grocer’s shop. The person approached the grocer for his necklace several times, only to receive abuse and invectives. Someone advised him to complain to King A’zud al-Daulah Dailami.Heeding the advice, the man wrote a letter to the king, who replied: “For three days, wait by the door of the grocery. On the fourth day, I shall pass there and when I greet you, reply to my greetings.

The following day, seek your necklace from thegrocer and then inform me of the outcome.” The person did as instructed. On the fourth day, the king, with great pomp and grandeur, passed by the grocery and as soon as his eyes fell upon the person from Baghdad, he greeted him. The person returned the greeting.

The king, exhibiting great respect and esteem, began to complain: “You have come from Baghdad but you did not deem it fit to honour me with a visit and to grant me an opportunity to provide you with accommodation and comfort*.*” The stranger apologized for not having informed the king of his arrival.