The bag contained one hundred and sixty purses containing gold and silver coins.

The bag contained one hundred and sixty purses containing gold and silver coins. Each purse was sealed with the seal of the sender. When our eyes fell on the elegant face of His Eminence, Abu Muhammad Hasan bin Ali (a.s.) we saw that his face was like a full moon and a child was sitting in his lap. He was very beautiful, like a Jupiter star having nice locks of hair.

In front of the Imam was placed a golden pomegranate decorated with jewels and precious stones; it was presented by an affluent gentleman from Basra. The Imam was holding a pen and writing something on paper. Whenever the child caught his hand he tossed the pomegranate and the little one chased it and brought it back. In the meanwhile he wrote whatever he wanted. So Ahmad bin Ishaq opened the cloak and the leather bag before Imam Hadi (a.s.) [a title of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.)].

His Eminence threw a glance at the child and said: Remove the seals from the gifts of your Shia and friends. It was asked: O my master, is it lawful that a pure hand should extend towards impure gifts and filthy monies?” His Eminence asked Ahmad bin Ishaq to take out the contents of the bag so the lawful and the unlawful can be separated. He did as he was told.

The child said: “This is from so-and-so of so-and-so locality of Qom, containing 62 dinars from sale proceeds of a house, and inheritance from his father 45 dinars and from the money of six dresses 40 dinars and the rent of three shops amounting to three dinars.” Our master said: “You are right, my son. Now tell us what is unlawful in it?” The child said: “There is a dinar in this purse which was minted in Rayy in so-and-so year.

Half of its inscription is worn out; its three corners are cropped, such that its weight is reduced by 1.5 Daniq . This same amount is unlawful in it because the sender of this purse in so-and-so year, so-and-so month gave to a weaver who was his neighbor a mound and a quarter of old cotton for spinning. That cotton was stolen from the weaver who informed him about it, but he didn’t accept his version and in its place took a mound and a half of softer cotton.

Then he ordered a garment be made for him from this material. Thus that money and the cropped amount is from that money.” Ahmad bin Ishaq untied the purse and removed from it the said dinar and the cropped pieces from it. Then he took out another purse. The child said: “This is from so-and-so of such-and- such locality of Qom, containing 50 dinars.