Helping the Sunni man and turning him into Shi’a  

Eighth event was, the event of a supplicating Sunni man to the Excellency whom was helped by him [the Excellency]:

I was informed about this event by the great scholar and virtuous elder, the treasure of [moral] wealth and virtue, Shaykh Alī Rashtī, who was a pious and pure man that owned various types of sciences with insight and knowledge. He was one of the students of Khatam al Muhaqiqin*, who was a great professor and Sanad Sayyid (mGbpwh).

As the people of the city “Lār” and the areas around had complained of not having a perfect scholar whose judgement was effective, they sent the late [prof.] there.

Anyhow, I have spoken with him while travelling and at the other times, but I have seen a few people who were as virtue, mentality and piety.

He narrated so, ‘When I came back from visiting the Holy Shrine of His Majesty Abū ʿAbd Allāh (pbuh), I was going to Najaf by the Euphrates. I sat in a small boat ; roaing from Karbala to Tawiraj (Hindiyah).

People in the boat we all from Hillah. The way of Hillah was parted from Najaf at Tawiraj . Yet, I saw the people began reveling and joking, except one man who was with them and didn’t join their activity.

The signs of decency and dignity were apparent on his face. He didn’t laugh or joke with anyone. But, people laughed at and reproached him for his religion. Despite this, they shared their food and drink.

I was very surprised, but there was no time to ask questions. Finally, we reached the place where they made us leave the boat, since the water depth was low.

We were walking by the river then by the chance, I faced that individual. So I asked him the reason why he avoided joining the way of his friends, and their reproach for his religion.

He said, ‘They are my relatives who are Sunni. My father was one of them too. But my mother was a believing woman, and I was like her. Thanks to his majesty Ḥujjat, Sāhib al- Zamān (mgehr), I became Shia.

So I asked him about the story. He narrated, ‘My name is Yāqūt, and my job was to sell [edible] oil by the bridge of Ḥillah. Once I went out of Ḥillah and its surrounding area, in order to buy some oil for the Arab Bedouins

I went away some distance, until I bought what I wanted. Then I went back with a group of people from Ḥillah. When we stopped at someplace, I slept there. But when I woke up, I did not see anyone; they all had left. Our road was going through a barren desert that had many predators, and there was no rural area, until many parasang1.

Anyhow, I got up and packed my things, and followed them behind. But I lost the way. I was horrified and afraid of predators. So I called Caliphs and Shaykhs to get help, and asked them to intercede with God on my behalf. I even beseeched them, but nothing happened.

So I said to myself, ‘I heard from my mother that she said, ‘We have a living Imām whose title is Abū Ṣāliḥ. He guides the lost, saves the helpless, and supports the weak.’

There, I promised God, ‘If he saves me, I will turn to my mother’s religion.’ So I cried out and called him. Suddenly I saw someone walking by me! He was wearing a green turban, or something like that. He pointed to the green grass that grew by the stream.

Then he showed me the way, and stated that I was expected to convert to my mother’s religion. Also, he stated some words, that I [Muḥaddith Nurī] as the author of the book, have forgotten!

He stated, ‘Soon, you will reach a village whose inhabitants are Shi’a.’  I pleaded, ‘O, my Sayyid, my Sayyid! Won’t you come along with me to this village?!’ He replied, ‘No, I won’t! It’s because, a thousand people around the country have supplicated me; so, I am going to save them [answer to them].’

These words are the brief of what The Excellency stated and I remember. Then, he disappeared from my sight! Yet, I went a little further until I reached that village. It was a far distance; however, the crowd reached there the next day.

And when I reach Ḥillah, I went to the perfect Faqīh, Sayyid Mahdī Qazwīnī (mGbswh), who lived in Ḥillah. I told him what happened. Moreover, I learned some knowledge from him and asked him whether there was a [religious/spiritual] action which caused me to visit The Excellency again. He said, ‘Go for the pilgrimage of the Excellency “Aba Abdullȃh [Imām Huṣayn (pbuh)]”, for forty Thursday nights.

And I started doing it.  I used to go there from Ḥillah, on Thursday nights, so that there was just one week left.  It was a Thursday, which I went from Ḥillah to Karbalā. As I reached the city gate, I saw an agent of the government. He was very strongly asking the ticket from the people who wanted to enter the place. Well, I had neither my ticket nor the cost!

 

 

1-     It’s about three miles

 

*It mans, one of the best researchers.