Anecdotes From the Lives of the 14 Ma’sumeen

Imam Musa Al-kadhim (a)

There was a poor uneducated farmer who was very rude to our 7th Imam, Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) whenever he saw him.

No matter how rude this man was, Imam (A) never got angry and he never said anything to the man.

Imam's (A) friends wanted to punish the rude man, but Imam (A) would not allow them to. Imam (A) told them that he himself would teach this man a lesson.

One day Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) rode out to the rude man's farm where the man was working. When the man saw Imam (A) he stopped working and put his hands on his hips, ready to be abusive again.

Imam (A) dismounted, went towards the man and greeted him with a friendly, smiling face. Imam (A) then told him that he should not overwork himself and that the land he had was very good. He then asked him how much he was expecting to receive for the crop.

The farmer was amazed at Imam (A) politeness and sincerity, he waited a little then said that he was expecting to get around 200 gold pieces. Imam (A) took out a purse and gave it to the farmer telling him that in it was 300 gold pieces, more than the value of his crop. Imam (A) told the man to take the money and also to keep the crop, and that he hoped the man would receive more for it.

The farmer faced with such kind behaviour and good Akhlaq, was very ashamed of himself and asked Imam (A) for forgiveness.

After that when ever the man would see Imam (A) he would greet him very politely. The Imam's (A) friends were very surprised!

Moral:

  1. Do not treat people the way they treat you but always better.
  2. Give to people even if they do not act as if they deserve it.

One day when our 7th Imam, Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) was only 5 years old, Abu Hanifa asked him who is responsible for our deeds. Does man do them of his own free will or does Allah make him do them.

Imam (A) replied that were are three possibilities:

  1. Allah makes man do them.
  2. Both Allah and man are responsible.
  3. Man does them alone.

If the first is true than Allah should be judged on the day of Qiyamat and sent to heaven or hell.

If the second is true that both Allah and man should be judged on the day of Qiyamat and sent to heaven or hell.

The only one that is true is the third one because only man will be judged on the day of Qiyaaat and sent to heaven or hell, as only man alone is responsible for his actions and deeds.

Moral:

Although Allah has power over everything he allows us to do as we please so that we may be held accountable for our deeds on the day of Qiyamat.

In the time of our 7th Imam, Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) the ruler was a bad man called Haroon, who hated Imam (A).

Haroon came to Madina where Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) lived and had Imam (A) arrested and sent to a prison in Basra.

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) stayed in this prison under the guard of a man called Yahyah.

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) was a kind man who always talked nicely to everyone, even Yahyah who kept him in prison. Soon Yahyah felt bad for keeping such a nice person in prison.

Haroon found out and took Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) to another prison. Again Imam (A) through his kindness and politeness made the other person also feel bad.

Haroon finally had Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) killed.

Moral:

No matter how horrible someone is to you, you should always be nice to them and soon they will feel bad about how horrible they are being to you.

One day our 7th Imam, Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) passed a poor man. The Imam (A) said "Salaam" to him then talked to him for a while, asking him if everything was all right. When Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) was going, he told the man that if there was anything that he could do for the man then he would do it.

The followers of Imam (A) had seen and heard how nice Imam (A) had been to this poor, ordinary man. They told Imam (A) that it did not look right for someone so great as Imam (A) to talk and offer his services to someone such as an that man.

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A) replied that they were forgetting that they were all servants of Allah, and that Allah has created all men equal. Also that if a person is poor today does not mean that he will stay poor all his life and the same for a rich person, so someone who needs help from you today may be the same person who will help you tomorrow.

Moral:

  1. In Islam everyone is equal.
  2. Allah is the giver of things, so what you may have today, someone else may have tomorrow.