AN INCIDENT REGARDING

THE WRITING OF LETTERS TO IMAM MAHDI (A.S.)

In his book ‘Jannatul Mawa’, Mohaddis e Noori (R.A.) writes:

            There lived a pious, god-fearing worshipper by the name Sayyid Mohammad Aamuli, son of Sayyid Abbas (from the family of Abbas Sharaf-ud-deen) in the village of Jushees[1] near Jabal –ul – Aamul, Lebanon.

            He has a story that because of being deprived from his rights and being oppressed, he was forced to run away from his home, even after severe poverty and insufficiencies, out of fear and threat. Even though he did not possess enough money to bear the expense of a single day after fleeing from his home, he was so genteel and respectable that he could not permit himself to beg from others.

            He spent a great span of his life in travelling around the world and during this journey, he saw a series of astonishing incidents both while he was dreaming and awake; until he finally reached the holy city of Najaf and chose to reside in its vicinity, in one of the rooms of the upper floor of Imam’s shrine.

            He was troubled by severe poverty in those days as well and none except a few people recognized him and were aware of his place of residence. At last, after five years of leaving home, he passed away in the holy city of Najaf.

            When alive, he used to visit once a while and was an extremely dignified, reputed and well-behaved person. He used to visit me even in the days of the commemoration of the Holy Progeny (A.S.). At times, he used to borrow a few books of supplications from me in order to get rid of his poverty.

            His life was such that he did not possess more than a few pieces of dates for his daily meal. He used to regularly recite supplications for livelihood and expansion of sustenance, and he did not leave any recital or supplication in this regard.

            In some of the days, he used to write down his demands on a letter addressing it to Imam Mahdi (A.S.) and continued to perform this act for forty days. Every day, before sunrise, he used to exit the city from the small gate which opened towards the river, and travel one or more ‘Farsakh’ towards the right, such that no one could see him. Then he used to cover his letter with clay, address it to one of the four representatives of Imam Mahdi (A.S.), then place it one water. At last, 38 or 39 days passed and he performed his daily ritual and returned.

            He said to me: I was extremely unhappy that day and my condition was terrible. I was walking through the path, looking downwards, when suddenly I saw a man coming towards me from behind. His way of dressing was like that of Arabs.

            He greeted me with Salaam and I greeted him back with a short reply, and did not pay attention to him because of my spiritual weariness. He accompanied me to some distance while I remained depressed. Thereupon, he spoke to me in the accent of my own village people:

            Sayyid Mohammad! What is your demand? It has been 38 days (or 39) that you exit the holy city of Najaf, before sunrise, and visit that area; then you throw your letter in water and assume that your Imam does not know about your demand and is unaware of it?

            Sayyid Mohammad said: I was astonished by his words because I did not tell this incident to anyone and not one person had witnessed me. More importantly, there was no one from the people of Jabal –ul – Aamul residing in Najaf whom I recognized! Especially, some of the things which that person had worn, were not traditionally worn in my area, Jabal – ul- Aamul.

            It struck my mind that I have successfully attained my most important desire, the greatest of all bounties, and this person was that Divine Proof on people, i.e. the Imam of the Time (A.S.).

            In fact, I had heard previously that the holy hands of his holiness is very soft and delicate, unlike the hands of any other person. Thus, I told myself: I will extend my hand and have a handshake with him, if his hand proved to be the way I had heard, I will honor him the way his holiness should be honored.

            I was engaged in this thought when I extended my hand and his holiness extended his hand towards me. I shook hands with him and realized that his hands had exactly the same features. Therefore, I became certain of my success and prosperity. I raised my head, stood in front of his holiness and wished to kiss his holy hands but didn’t find anyone there anymore. ^[2]