Imam Ali Ibn Muhammed Al-Hadi (AS)

Mulla Mujaheedali Sheriff Saturday 07 February 2004

The Imams from the progeny of the Holy Prophet (saww) have divinely inspired erudition and as such they face no difficulty in intellectual discussions and when subjects are rapidly changed in questions. The rulers of their time were always envious of their merits in the field of knowledge and tried unsuccessfully to humiliate them.

It is related that once Mutawakkil, the Abbaside caliph called Ibn Sikkit, who was known as a great scholar during those days and said, “I wish to see Ali ibn Muhammad (a.s) humiliated in the court. Ask him tough questions which he can not answer and I will reward you with thousands of gold coins”.

A meeting was arranged at the order of Mutawakkil and the gathering was attended by a large number of people. Thereafter, the following discussion ensued:

Ibn Sikkit: “Prophet Musa (as) was given the miracle of illuminating hand; Prophet ‘Issa (as) was given the power to raise the dead to life and the Holy Prophet (saww) was given a miracle in the form of Quran. Why did God give different types of miracles to different prophets?

Imam (as): “The miracles given to the prophets were according to the necessity of their time. During the time of Prophet Musa (as) magic was considered an art of the masters and magicians were a powerful group; hence Musa (as) was given the miracle of staff and illuminating hand that no master magician could overcome. In the time of Prophet ‘Issa (as) the science of medicine was advanced and therefore ‘Issa (as) was given the power to heal incurable patients and also infuse life into the dead bodies. During the time of Prophet Muhammad (saww), the art of rhetorics was considered supreme, hence he (saww) was given an everlasting miracle of language in the form of Holy Quran”.

Ibn Sikkit: “What is the proof of Truth when there is none to manifest any miracle?”

Imam (as): “People can differentiate between Truth and Untruth by their intellect and knowledge gained through experience”.

Ibn Sikkit: “Intellect existed before so what need was there for the miracles?”

Imam (as): “Though intellect was given to mankind the faculty remained unused. Their actions were motivated by the blind belief that what their forefathers did was good and they made the deeds of their ancestors as their ideal. The prophets taught the mankind to use the faculties that were lying idle”.

Ibn Sikkit: “Prophet Sulaiman (as) knew that his executor Asif ibn Barkhiya had power to bring the throne of Queen Bilqees and even all the persons present in the court knew that who would bring him the throne. Yet why did he ask?”

Imam (as): “This desire was motivated by desire to manifest the superiority of Asif ibn Barkhiya over all the others from Jinn and Men”.

Ibn Sikkit: “Adam was forbidden to go near a tree. What was that tree?”

Imam (as): “It was the tree of envy and jealousy”.

Ibn Sikkit discerned that he was unable to defeat the divine leader by his questions and there was no possibility to acquire the promised gold coins. He therefore apologised to the Imam (as) and the Imam (as) at once forgave him with kindness.

SAYING OF IMAM AL-HADI (A.S):

“Indeed Allah has made the world as the house of tribulation and the hereafter as the house of final result. Besides, He has made the tribulation of the world as a cause for the reward of the hereafter, and the reward of the hereafter as a recompense for the tribulation of the world”.

(Tuhaf al-‘Uqool)

We extend our greetings and felicitation to our 12th Imam, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (A.J) on the auspicious occasion of the birth of his beloved grandfather and the 10th Successor of the Holy Prophet (saww), Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi (as).

To all our esteemed readers, we offer our sincere MUBARAKI.