He sat down on his prayer rug...

He sat down on his prayer rug, glorified Allah, performed the Morning Prayer, rose up and circumambulated the Ka’ba seven times, and then, he went out. Following him, I found that he had several servants. Contrary to his being alone on the way, people had gathered around him and respected him with great honor.

I asked one of them: ‘Who is this young man who is being respected so much?’ I was said: ‘This man is Musa ibn Ja’far (al-Kadhim) (AS).’ I said to myself: ‘All these wonders are not strange from this honorable man!”[^6] From what we said, we infer that we should never be suspicious of a person from whom we may see something strange, especially when we know that Satan is always at work to tempt human beings and to create doubt in them. Moralists have said: Satan is an evil doer.

God has said: “If an evil doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it.” [^7] But, why human beings are so easily affected when they are exposed to temptations? Islam has considered the words of four just persons necessary in our daily life, whereas we sometimes listen and do according to the words of an unfaithful, evildoer. Suspicion in relation to what we hear requires more Taqwa, for it has been proved that most of what we hear may not be true.

In our time, there are many baseless rumors that are often heard, but when they are examined closely, they are found to be false. It is for this reason that it has been recommended not to take seriously all what we hear.

Imam Ali (AS) was asked: “How much is (the distance or difference) between the truth and the untruth?” He said: “(As the distance of) four fingers (joined together).” Then, he put his hand on his ear and two eyes, saying: what your two eyes see is the truth and what your ears hear is untruth.”[^8] In Nahj al-Balaghah, Imam Ali (AS) says: “Untruth is that when you say: I heard, and the truth is that when you say: I saw it.”[^9] Man should keep himself away from where he may be exposed to suspicion.

He has to observe Taqwa in this connection. Imam Sajjad (AS) has been reported as saying: “Safiyyah daughter of Hayy ibn Akhtab, who was one of the wives of the Holy Prophet, reports: ‘When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was undergoing seclusion in the Mosque, I went to visit him. After dinner, I set out towards home and the Messenger of Allah (SAW) accompanied me for a few steps while speaking to me. A man from the Ansar saw us together.