I am one who carries the Qur’an (I am a reciter of the...

I am one who carries the Qur’an (I am a reciter of the Qur’an who has memorized all of the Holy Qur’an).’ Then Al-Ma’mun asked the man, ‘Should I call off God’s Decrees and not execute the Divine Punishment for theft due to these tales?’ Then the Sufi man said, ‘Start by purifying yourself. Then proceed to others.

First, execute God’s punishments on yourself then punish others.’ Al-Ma’mun turned towards Abil Hassan Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) and asked, ‘What is he saying?’ Then Abil Hassan Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) said, ‘The man says that a thief stole his property. Then he stole some of it back.’ Al-Ma’mun got really angry and told the Sufi, ‘By God, I will chop off your hand.’ Then the Sufi asked, ‘Will you chop off my hand while you are my slave?’ Then Al-Ma’mun said, “Woe be to you!

How did I become your slave?’ He replied, ‘That is because your mother (who was a slave) was bought with money from the treasury of the Muslim nation. Therefore, you are the slave of all the people of the East and the West, until they set you free. I will not set you free. You then devoured the one-fifth levy. Then you did not pay the proper share to the Members of the Household of the Prophet (S). Then you did not honor me and others like me and did not pay us what is rightfully ours.

Finally, a wicked man like you would not purify a wicked one like himself. Indeed a pure one will purify him. You cannot execute the Divine Punishment for me, since one who is subject to receive a Divine Punishment himself is not allowed to execute the same form of punishment on others, until he executes it on himself first. Have you not heard that God the Highest said, ‘Do ye enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practice it) yourselves, and yet ye study the Scripture?