When this man reached the door of the prison he found Imam...

When this man reached the door of the prison he found Imam was waiting for him and welcomed him, saying how quickly he had come to release him. The man said how did he know.

Imam replied “I saw the Holy Prophet in my dream who told me to recite these words and then I will be released from prison for I had been put here unjustly." The man asked what were those words, Imam replied, “O thou who hearest every voice, O thou who lets no opportunity escape; O thou who clothes the bones with flesh and who wilt raise them up after death; I invoke thee by thy Holy name, and by that great and splendid name which is treasured up and closely hidden, by that name which no created thing shall ever know; O thou who art so mild and whose patience is never equaled; O thou whose favors never cease and cannot be numbered, set me free.

(Masudi, Muruj el Dhahab) So you see what happened. The superintendent of prisons was flabbergasted and released the Imam immediately, organized an escort for him to take him to Madinah. Character and Virtues Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far (as) was one of the illustrious Imams who God had set a paragon of moral excellence. Each member of this noble family possessed cardinal virtues. Naturally in some individuals a particular virtue is dominant and more conspicuous.

The seventh Imam excelled in tolerance and forgiveness, so much so that he was entitled al-Kazim, the suppressor of anger. Never was he heard speaking roughly or harshly to anyone. Even in the most unpleasant situations, he was seen smiling bearing the pain gracefully. This was in accordance with the saying of his ancestor Imam ‘Ali (as) that the faithful keeps his grief confined in his heart with a smile on his face. One State official of Madina was a persistent source of harassment to the Imam.

He even used abusive language regarding Imam ‘Ali. (as) But our 7th Imam always directed his followers not to retaliate in the same abusive manner. When his manner became too rude to be tolerated, Imam’s followers sought permission from the Imam to retaliate against him. The Imam appeased them, promising to decide the matter in his own way.

Pacifying his followers, the Imam went to that man on his Farm and treated him with such noble benevolence that the man felt ashamed of his conduct and subsequently changed his attitude and altered his conduct. Explaining his policy to his followers, the Imam asked, “Was my behavior better than the methods you suggested?” They admitted that it certainly was.