People...

People, who can afford it, go to the mountains during the summer season to escape the heat of the plains." "The mountains work as a great bulwark and protect towns and villages, which are in their valleys from the devastation and destruction of hurricanes. Green mountains provide good grazing grounds for sheep. When scorching heat burns the pastures down in the plains and no fodder is left, the shepherds take their flocks of sheep to the mountains and stay there till the end of summer.

Mountains are also habitats of birds and animals, some of which are a good source of food for those, who live there. Even the mountains, which are not green, are not without some use. If the people try, they may discover in them mines of metals and minerals which are useful for mankind." "Abu Shakir, I am too small and too weak to create Allah with my brain. It is He, who has created my brain, so that I may think of Him and know Him - my Creator.

He was there before I came into being and He would be there when I am no more. I do not mean that I would be totally destroyed. Nothing in the universe is totally destroyed. Everything is subject to change. It is only Allah, Who does not change." "Abu Shakir, please tell me sincerely to whom will you turn for help when you are in trouble? Do you hope that the idol you carve out of stone can come to your succor?

Can it cure you when you are sick; save you from mishaps and calamities; save you from starvation and help you pay your debts?" Abu Shakir replied: "I have no such expectations from the stone, but, I think there is something inside the stone, which will help me. Moreover, I can not help worshipping it." Imam Ja'far Sadiq (p.b.u.h.) enquired: "What is inside the stone? Is it also stone?" "I do not know what it is. But it can not help me if it is also stone," replied Abu Shakir.

Said Imam Ja'far Sadiq (p.b.u.h.): "Abu Shakir, what is inside the stone and is not stone and can help when you are in trouble is, Allah." Abu Shakir pondered over the subject for a while and then said: "Is Allah, who can not be seen, inside the stone?" The Imam replied: "He is everywhere." Abu Shakir said: "I can not believe that a thing may be everywhere but remain unseen." The Imam said: "Do you know that the air is everywhere but can not be seen?" Said Abu Shakir: "Although I can not see the air, I can, at least, feel it when it moves.