Visitation On the Shore

The Golden Pomegranate

I hastened home. The sun was about to set. I prepared the necessary provision of my journey and bid farewell to my family. “Saad-ibn-Abdollah." My wife inquired.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?"

“I have some work with Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq-Qumi." I replied.

“But he has left Qum for Samerra." My wife said. “Well." I replied. “That is why I am in such a hurry. I want to catch up with him. May be I'll see him on the way.

I traveled a long distance before I caught up with Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq Qumi at a certain place.

“What are you doing here?" He asked. “I hope it’s for some good cause, God willing."

“First I wanted to see you." I replied.

“And secondly I have some questions and expect you to answer them." “Accompany me." Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq Qumi replied “for I am traveling to Samerra very eager to see Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) I have some questions I want to ask of him.

He is like the sea whose treasures and reserves are never ending." We entered Samerra, went to Imam Hasan Askari's (a.s.) house and received permission to enter, where a servant guided us to the Imam's room.

Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq Qumi had purses with him and every purse was closed with its owners seal. He placed the bags on the floor and minutes later the Imam entered the room. A pleasant aroma filled the air and the light of his existence, lit up, even our hearts. I was stunned as I stared in his beautiful face. The Imam greeted us first.

We shyly replied as he warmly welcomed us. The Imam then sat down and started his work. A child with a bright dazzling face entered the room. His hair fell over his ears on both sides and was parted in the middle. He sat down on his father's knee.

Every time that Imam wanted to write something the child clasped his hand such that he couldn't continue his task. On the floor, beside the Imam, was a golden pomegranate,

this ball was gifted to Imam (a.s.) by one of the eminent personalities from Basra. Every time the child took the Imam's hand, he would throw this golden ball over to the corner of the room and the child would be engrossed at fetching it while the Imam continued his work.

Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq placed the bags before Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) and said. “My masters, The Shiites have sent you these."

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) glanced at his child and said. “Son! Receive the gifts of your Shiites and friends." The child replied, “Is it right that my pure hands should touch these gifts that are mixed with the lawful and unlawful?"

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) addressed Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq and said. “Place the bags before my son so that he separates the lawful from the unlawful."

Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq placed the bags in front of the child who said: “This bag belongs to so and so, the son of so and so, who lives in such and such a place in Qum. There are sixty-two dinars in it. Forty-five dinars are from his inheritance; fourteen dinars are the money from sale of nine cloth material pieces and three dinars, the rent from his shops.

“You are absolutely right, my son." The Imam said. “Now tell this man of the unlawful money and explain how much it is."

The child said. “One dinar, with such a date was minted in the city of Rey. The print on one side of this coin has faded out. The other unlawful is a piece of gold, the weigh of a quarter dinar."

“Dear master! Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq said to the child." Tell me the reason for them being unlawful.

The child said, “The owner of this money in such and such a month and such and such a year gave some cotton to a spinner. After a while, robbers broke in to the spinner's shop. The spinner informed this matter to the owner of the cotton but the latter claimed the spinner was lying, so the spinner gave him more thread that the usual amount. From the thread received from the spinner, this man, wove cloth and then sold it.

This dinar and that piece of gold is from the sale proceeds of that same cloth material.

Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq opened the purse, there was a letter with the name of sender and the amount written on it and just had the child had said, there was a piece of gold along with the dinars. Witnessing this incident, I was extremely surprised. Does this child know the supernatural? The Imam looked at me and said.

“Sa’ad, what are you here for? Ask the answers to your questions from my son." Until then, I had been silent all along. I turned towards the child and asked him the questions. I received all the replies from him.

For a few days we stayed in Samerra often visiting the Imam's house but we never saw the child with the Imam again.

Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq said. “We were fortunate of a great bounty for having met the Imam's successor as the Imam keeps his child hidden from strangers and unworthy people."

On the last day, we visited Imam (a.s.) to bid him farewell. Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq turned to the Imam and said.

“Oh son of God's messenger! The time of leaving is nigh and our sorrow at leaving you, great. May God grant endless praise and blessings to you, your father and your beloved son! May this visit not be my last!

As soon as Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq had spoken these words the eyes of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) filled with tears and tear drops dripped from his flower like cheeks. He then said, “Oh son of Eshaq!" Don't persist on this prayer and wish of yours as when you reach your hometown you shall meet your Creator.

Hearing this prediction, Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq fainted and fell on the floor. When he regained conscious, his head was in the Imam's lap. He said to the Imam. “My master! For the sake of God and your honorable ancestor, I beg you! I want a shroud given to me by your own blessed hands!"

The esteemed Imam rose and gave him a shroud along with some money. Then, we rose and made our leave of the Imam's presence.

As we approached the town of Halvan, Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq ran a fever and became critically ill with no hope for his recovery. When we reached the city of Halvan, we resided in a house and that night, Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq asked us to leave him alone.

Sunrise I awoke from sleep and said, " it is better I visit Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq to see how he is.” When I went to his room I saw Imam Hasan Askari's attendant. In amazement I said. “What are you doing here?"

“You have my deepest sympathy in this tragedy." He replied. “I have washed and shrouded him now you bury him. He continued, "The Imam commanded me to follow you. It was by his order that I washed and shrouded him. He had a high status in the eyes of his leader."

I informed our other friends. We buried Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq in that place and returned to our hometown. Along the way I thought to myself. What an eventful journey I had had. I was in grief over the absent of Ahmad-ibn-Eshaq but as I had met my leader Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) and his son Mahdi (a.s.) I was joyful.