Imam Sadiq (A.S) and the Death of His Son
1-Imam Sadiq (A.S) used to perform prayers for long hours when someone cursed him and used to cry and supplicate the Almighty God to forgive the curser. If the curser was a relative, the Imam used to give him/her money and establish good relations with him/her saying: “God knows that I respect my relatives and fulfill their demands before they turn to me in need.”
2-The Imam sent his servant to do something for him. The servant did not return after the passage of a long time. The Imam went after him and found him sleeping at a calm corner. The Imam sat down and began to fan his face. When the servant woke up, Imam said: “Why do you sleep day and night. Night belongs to you and part of your day belongs to us!” His tender treatment of the servant is notable since during those days the masters used to treat their servants savagely when they did something wrong.
3-One day, the Imam sent his Persian servant out to do something for him. He returned but could not explain well what he was ought to because he knew a little Arabic. The Imam did not shout at him, did not bother him, and did not treat him harshly; instead, he made the servant calm down and said: “Your tongue is helpless but your heart is not.” Then he added: “Bashfulness, continence and feebleness (of tongue not heart) are signs of faith.”
4-Imam Sadiq (A.S) had banned his family to climb up the roof by ladder instead of using stairs. One day he saw a baby sitter on the ladder with his baby in her bosom. Seeing the Imam she lost control and the baby fell down and died. Imam became uneasy and when he was asked about his uneasiness, he said: “I am not uneasy because of the death of my baby. I am uneasy because the baby sitter was terrified after seeing me. When the Imam saw the baby sitter he said: “You are free for God! You are free for God!” Yes, see the light of humanity in the face of the Imam who becomes uneasy because a baby sitter is terrified not because of the death of his baby.
5-Some pilgrims of Mecca used to sleep at Masjid al-Nabi instead of renting a place in their trip between Mecca and Medina. One day, Imam Sadiq (A.S) was performing his prayers beside a man who had slept a few steps further. The man woke up and unable to find his money pouch accused the Imam of stealing his money. Imam asked him how much money he had in the pouch. He replied: one thousand dinars. The Imam took him home and gave him one thousand dinars. The man left, but after some time found his own pouch with one thousand dinars untouched. He returned to the Imam and asked for his pardon, saying he had found his money. The Imam did not accept the money and said I would never take back the money I have granted. The man left the Imam and asked the people who he was. They said he was Muhammad bin Jafar. The man said: “Such a behaviour is expected only from such a great man!”
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
Other links:
A Brief Introduction of Imam Sadiq (A.S)
Shia Followers are Supporters of Islamic Leadership (Vilaya)
The History of Imam sadiq’s Martyrdom
Imam Sadiq (A.S) and his Social Behaviour
