I noticed a gentleman in the corner of the mosque and he was...

I noticed a gentleman in the corner of the mosque and he was engrossed in devotions. When it was noon, I prayed the Noon Prayer at the earliest time and invited that gentleman for dinner. He accepted the invitation. After dinner I asked him what his name was and his father’s name and his nativity and profession etc. He replied: My name is Muhammad bin Ubaidullah, I am from Qom and I am in search of truth since the last thirty years.

I have lived in various places during this period and spent around twenty years in Mecca and Medina and studied the traditional reports. In the 29th year, I circled the Kaaba and when I reached Maqam Ibrahim, I prayed there. After that I dozed a little bit and then I heard someone reciting a supplication that I had never heard before. I was startled and I saw that it was a young handsome man of medium height who was reading that Dua. Then he came out of the Haram and started Sayy.

I followed him, because the Almighty Allah inspired me that he was the master of the age. When he completed the Sayy, he set out from there and I followed him; but as I neared him I was stopped by a tall man of black skin who said: “What do you want?” I began to tremble in fear and halted in my steps and that gentleman disappeared. I remained standing there in bewilderment for a long time. At last I returned from there condemning my own self, that why I was cowed down by a black.

I returned and prayed to the Almighty Allah: I invoke You in the name of Your Prophet, please don’t waste my efforts and show me that which will satisfy and show him to me again. After some years, I visited the tomb of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.). One day I was seated between his tomb and his pulpit when I dozed. Someone shook my arm. When I opened my eyes, I saw that same black man. He asked: “How are you?” “All right, but I was angry at you.” “You should not have done that.

I was commanded to scold you. You should thank Allah and be pleased that you have seen him; it is enough.” Then he mentioned one of my brothers in faith and asked him how he was. “He is in Barqa.” “You are right.” Then he mentioned another friend of mine who was a very pious man. “He is in Alexandria.” He asked about many of my friends and then asked me about a stranger that “how that Nakhfur was.” “I don’t know him.” “Yes, how can you know him?