Anecdotes
The Caravan to Hajj
A caravan of Muslims was headed towards Mecca. As it arrived in Madina, it rested a few days, and continued on towards Mecca.
On their way from Madina to Mecca, a man joined the group. This man noticed one of them who had the appearance of a guided person. He was eagerly busy in service of the passengers. The man recognized him. With much surprise, he asked the pilgrims if they knew this man who was at their service.
“No, we don’t know him. He joined us in Madina. He is a descent and pious man. We haven’t asked him for help. But he has been eager in helping us.”
“Obviously you don’t know him. For if you did, you would never have allowed a man like him to be at your service.”
“Who is this person?”
“This is ‘Ali ibn al-Hussein, Zain al-‘Abideen(A.S.).”
The group stood with shame and apologized to the Holy Imam (A.S.). Then complaining to him, they said:
“Why did you treat us as such? We may have gone beyond our bounds in our ignorance, and would have commited a big sin in being disrespectful to you.”
Imam (A.S.)
“I intentionally joined your group, for you didn’t know me. When I join a group, where people know me, for the sake of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), they are very kind to me. They don’t allow me to be of some service. Thus I was eager to join a group where I will be anonymous, so that I may have the honor of being of some service to my brethren.” (1)
(1): Bihar, v.1 p.21
In Praise of Imam Zainul Abideen (A.S.)
Farazdaq, in this poem, refers to the occasion when the Caliph Hisham b. Abd al Malik was overshadowed by the respect which people showed towards the great grandson of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), at the time of Hajj when both of the individuals were trying to reach the crowds around the Kaab’ah to get to the black stone.
The people gave way to the Imam (as) while the Caliph struggled desperately. The Caliph, deeply offended, inquired in a sarcastic tone, who the person was who people had shown such preference. Farazdaq, who was also present at the moment composed an ode and recited it, addressing himself to Hisham.
It is someone whose footsteps are known by every place
And it is he who is known to the Bayt in Mecca
the most frequented sanctuary;
It is he who is the son of the best of all men of God
and it is he who is the most pious and devout,
the purest and most unstained
the chastest and most righteous
a symbol [for Islam]
This is Ali [b. al Husayn] whose parent is the Prophet
This is the son of Fatima, if you do not know who he is
Whosoever recognizes his God knows also
the primacy and superiority of this man
Because the religion has reached nations
through his House.