Outstanding Qualities of Imam Kadhim A.S

A Sample of his Virtues, Outstanding Qualities and Merits by which he was distinguished from others

Abu al-Hassan Musa, peace be on him, was the most religious of the men of his time, the most knowledgeable in law, the most generous and the noblest in spirit.

It is reported that he used to pray superogatory prayers throughout the night so that he would make them extend until the morning-prayer, then continue them until the sun rose. He would remain prostrating himself before God without raising his head from prayer and praising God until the sun came near to descending (from its midday zenith). Frequently when he used to pray he would say:

O God, I ask of you ease at death and forgiveness on the Day of Reckoning.

He would repeat that. Another of his prayers, peace be on him was:

How great is sin to You. Therefore let forgiveness seem good to You.

He used to weep so much out of fear of God that his beard would be wet with tears. He was the kindest of men to his family and his kin. He used to search out the poor of Medina during the night and take them a basket, in which was money, flour and dates. He would bring that to them without them knowing in any way that it was from him.

[Al-Sharif Abu- Muhammad al-Hassan b. Muhammad b. Yahya informed me: My grandfather Yahya b. al-Hassan b. Jafar told us: Isma'il b. Yaqub told us: Muhammad b. Abd Allah al-Bakri told us.]

I (i.e Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah) came to Medina to ask for repayment of a debt and it made me weary. I said (to myself): "If I had gone to Abu al-Hassan Musa , peace be on him, and complained to him."So I went to him at Naqma at his estate. He came out to me. With him was a servant carrying a basket in which there was some chopped-up meat. He had no one else with him. He ate and I ate with him. Then he asked me what I wanted. So I told him my story. He went inside and it was only a short time before he came out to me. He told his servant to go and then he stretched out his hand towards me. He gave me a purse in which was three hundred dinars. Then he arose and turned away. I mounted my animal and went away.

[ Al-shar-if Abu Muhammad al-Hassan b. Muhammad on the authority of his grandfather (Yahya b. al-Hassan), on the authority of another of his colleagues and teachers, (who said:)]

A man from the family of Umar b. al-Khattab was in Medina trying to harm Abu al-Hassan Musa, peace be on him. Whenever he saw (Abu al-Hassan) he would curse him and curse `Ali, peace be on him. One day some of those who used to attend his gatherings said to him: "Let us kill this sinner."

He forbade them from (doing) that most firmly and rebuked them severely.

He asked about the descendan t of Umar and was told that he had a farm on the outskirts of Medina. He rode out to him and found him at his farm. As he entered the farm with his donkey, the descendant of Umar cried out: "Do not tread on my sown land."

Yet Abu al-Hassan, peace be on him, continued to tread on it with his donkey until he reached him. He dismounted and sat with him. He greeted him with a smile and laughed at him.

"How much have you paid to sow your land?" he asked.

"One hundred dinars,'' (the other man) answered.

"How much do you hope to acquire from it?"

"I do not know the unknown," was the reply.

"I only asked you about what you hope it would bring you," retorted (Abu al-Hassan).

The descendant of Umar kissed his head and asked him to forgive his (former) hasty words about him. Abu al-Hassan, peace be on him, smiled at him and went away.

In the evening he went to the mosque and found that descendant of 'Umar sitting there. When the latter saw him, he called out: "God knows best where to put his (prophetic) mission."

His companions jumped (in surprise) towards him and said to him: "What is the story (behind what you say), for you used to speak quite differently from this."

"You have heard what I have said now," he replied and began to speak on behalf of Abu al-Hassan, peace be on him. They opposed him and he opposed them.

When Abu-al-Hassan returned to his house, he said to those who attended his gatherings and who had asked about killing the descendant of 'Umar: "Which was better, what you wanted or what I wanted? I put right his attitude to the extent which you have now become acquainted with. I was sufficient for the evil that was in him."

Source:

Al-islam.org

Taken from Kitab al Irshad By Sheikh al Mufid

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