Dividing the Camels

A person was about to die,and before dying he wrote his Will which went as follows:
"I have 17 Camels, and I have three sons. Divide my Camels in such a way that my eldest son gets half of them, the second one gets 1/3rd of the total and my  youngest son gets 1/9th of the total number of Camels."
After his death when the relatives read his will they got extremely perplexed and said to each other that how can we divide 17 camels like this.
So after a long hard thought they decided that there was only one man in Arabia who could help them: "Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (as)."
So they all came to the door of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (as) and put forward their problem.
Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (as) said, "Ok, I will divide the camels as per the man's will."
Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (as) said, "I will lend one of my camels to the total which makes it 18 (17+1=18), now lets divide
as per his will."
The eldest son gets 1/2 of 18 = 9
The second one gets 1/3 of 18 = 6
The youngest gets  1/9 of 18 = 2
Now the total number of camels = 17 (9+6+2=17)
Then Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (as) said,
"Now I will take my Camel back."

Real Life Story of an University Student

 Story of Fatema in her own words:
I was sitting in my room and thanking Allah SWT for making my dreams come true. Of course , this is just the beginning, I thought to myself.
I had joined one of the best colleges in India , this was the only thing I had been thinking of for last two years while studying and finally I was here ... I was extremely Happy!!!
A week passed , and I was called to the dean's office and He said, "You can't go to the Laboratory (Lab) for your 'practicals' with your Hijab, you should wear a Lab dress ( short shirt with half sleeves and pant ) and you cannot wear your head scarf either, coz' in the lab while working with the equipment, your dress may entangle or catch fire and your dress code is not congenial to the lab environment"
I was taken aback, in a flash of a moment, all my dreams were shattered …. The first thought that came to my mind was "I CAN'T GIVE UP MY HIJAB" and next came the question "Can I give up my dream??? …"
I am not a girl who gives up easily, I decided to fight….
I went to the principle and explained him my situation and told him I will not take off my hijab and I can't wear the Lab dress. However what I can do is I can wear a Lab coat over my regular dress along with my Head scarf… He said "NO, we can't change our rules for one student. For years, this is the rule and if you want to study here , you will have to follow it.."
I kept insisting …...finally he said, "Go and speak to the Head of the Department (HOD) of your department and if he permits you, I have No problem."
I came back to hostel and told this story to my seniors, They all said.. "WHAT!!! Your HOD !!!… Impossible .. Mr.Joshi is the Hitler of the college and no student has ever dared to go and speak to him.. He will reject you in a minute. The principle didn’t want to PERMIT you, since you insisted, he sent you to Mr.Joshi, cause he knows Mr.Joshi will never allow you and no one can argue with him. So Forget about it"
I was very sad but I had hope.. I prayed to Allah SWT for help .
Next Morning, I went to my HOD Mr.Joshi's room, OH GOD, How scary the moment was.. I still remember it… I knocked the door, with his strict and harsh voice , he said "Come in"…
I entered the room..he didn’t even look at me.. He was reading something… while his head was in the papers he said "What do you want?"
With shivering voice I said " I am a Muslim and my religion doesn’t allow me to wear a lab dress and I cant give up my Hijab. I need your permission to wear my hijab in the lab."
As I said this, he looked at me and asked me "Are you a shia?"
I was surprised as no one knew I was a shia.. I said "Yes"
Next thing he said was " Permission granted " and he signed a paper which I had brought with me which says I have a permission to wear hijab in lab and I don’t have to wear a lab dress, instead I can wear a Lab coat :)
I was in tears… I was Happy.. Surprised… shocked!!!
Then he asked me to sit and said don’t be surprised… I know everything about Shias and I respect them for their values.
Then he asked " Do you want to know how I know about them?"
He started his story.. He said " When I was a young boy , aroung 12 years old, and Hindu Muslim riots started off in India, Hindus were killing Muslims and Muslims were killing Hindus. We used to live in a Muslim area and our parents were scared that Muslims would come and kills us... The situation was bad . That time our neighbors promised my parents that they'll keep me with them till the situation becomes better and my parents had no other option but to leave me with them, and go to another town.
They were shias.
I stayed with them for almost a month and they took care of me like their own son.. I saw them praying, reciting Quran and abide by the laws of Islam. Also just because, I was a Vegetarian, they didn’t cook non-veg, till I was there. so that I don’t feel uncomfortable. I still consider that lady as my Mother. I know you people very well.
From now on, anyone says anything about your Hijab, just tell them my Name and you will have no problem"
Indeed, after that day in my 4years of life, no one ever said anything about my Hijab. I not only had permission to wear my Hijab comfortably but now I had some one to protect it…. Alhamdullilahi Rabbil A'alameen...
Dear friends, all I want to tell you is if you strive in the way of Allah SWT, He definitely helps you as promised.
Is it not the grand plan of Allah SWT, that a shia family helped a 12 year old kid, who grew up to become the HOD of department, who in turn protects the Hijab of a Muslim girl…. Truly as told by the Ahlul Bayt… "HAVE FAITH IN ALLAH SWT, HE is the best planner."
Its never late… you can start Today.. and Allah SWT will help you through means that you've never imagined.
Ws Salam

Watch Your Shoes

I went to see Imam Jafar Sadiq a.s while I was wearing black shoes. 
He (a.s) asked me, ‘Why are you wearing black shoes?’ Don’t you know that there are three attributes for them?’ 
I said, ‘May I be your ransom! No. What are they?’ 
The Imam (a.s) said, ‘They will weaken your vision, weaken your sexual drive and make you depressed. Moreover, it is part of the apparel of the oppressors. You should wear yellow (skin,brown) shoes, since that would sharpen the vision, improve your sexual drive and reduce your depression. It is part of the Prophets’ apparel.”
Narrated by Han’nan ibn Sadeer
Al khisal pg 178

The Poem of Farazdaq

Once, during Hajj time, when Hisham son of 'Abdul Malik was circumambulating the Ka’aba amidst a huge crowd, he tried many times to kiss al-hajar al-'aswad. However, due to the enormous crowd, Hisham did not get a chance and helplessly sat at one corner and glared at the people.
Suddenly he saw a thin, good-looking, divinely-bright personality gradually advancing towards al-hajar al-'aswad. The people respected him and involuntarily moved back so that he could easily reach al-hajar al-'aswad. The people of Syria who were around Ibn 'Abdul Malik asked him: Who is this man ? Hisham, even though he knew that personality very well refrained from introducing Imam and instead lied and said: I don’t know him.

At this moment, a poet by the name of Farazdaq who enjoyed special freedom and liberty un-hesitantly recited some poems and in this way, introduced Imam al-Sajjad ('a) very nicely. Some of the verses of his poem are as follows:

“He is someone who, the soil of Bat-haa is aware of his footprints and Ka'ba, the House and its exterior are well-acquainted with him;
He is the son of the best servants of Allah; He is pious, pure, holy and well-known.
If you are unaware of him, he is the son of Fatima, (daughter of the Holy Prophet (s) ).
Soon, when he will touch al-Hajar-ul-Aswad, it will not release his well-recognized hand.” [7]

The poem of al-Farazdaq had such far-reaching effect that Hisham became wild and angry and immediately ordered for his arrest. When Imam ('a) became aware of this matter, he consoled al-Farazdaq very much.

Unfair and Discriminatory

The plaintiff registered his complaint against Ali ibn e Abi Talib (‘a) in the court of the ruling Caliph Umar ibn e Khattab. As per rules, both parties had to be present for the proceedings to take place. Umar sat in the caliph’s chair and called both parties inside. According to Islamic routine, both parties sat next to each other, so that there be no sign of discriminatory behavior on the part of the court.

 Umar called the plaintiff by name and told him to stand before the judge. After that he looked at Imam Ali (‘a) and said, ‘Abul Hassan, please stand beside the plaintiff’.
 Ali (‘a) looked upset and annoyed when addressed thus. Noticing the obvious change in Ali’s (‘a) countenance, Umar remarked, ‘Ali, do you find standing beside the plaintiff annoying?’

 ‘No! The cause of my displeasure was the fact that you did not comply with the Islamic code of behaviour in court. You called me with great respect by my Kuniya, ( title of respect), whereas you addressed the plaintiff curtly, by name. This is unfair and discriminatory, thus, annoying,’ replied Ali (‘a).

The Right Groom

Someone came to a father, asking him for the hand of his daughter in marriage: ”Sir I am ready to pay her any Mahr she wants! I have already a house and a car … If you let me marry your daughter, I would treat her like a princess”

The father told him:“There is only one Mahr you can pay! For that, I will ask you one question, if you give me the right answer, I will let you marry my daughter… I won’t ask you to give my daughter wealth, house or high status; I want you just to give me the right answer for my question!”
The boy was so happy and he accepted the condition of the father.
The father looked straight into the eyes of the young man and asked :”In which time the Adhan of Fajr (call for fajr prayer) is called exactly?“
the young man’s face turned to red then yellow, he replied after a long time thinking: ”I guess it’s at 4am? no … I mean 3 maybe?! Honestly Sir, I don’t know!”
... “Dear son” said the father smiling: ”I don’t care of your high status or your bank account! My daughter is so precious, she is like a princess to me with her Hijab and purity so she needs someone who treats her like a queen! No one would make her happy more than a man who fears Allah and obeys Him. Only a righteous husband would give her an unlimited happiness by helping her to get closer to Allah ”

The Dead Snake

Marhum Qadhi was a scholar of the highest calibre in Najaf in the last century. He taught akhlaq, aqaaid and 'irfan, and was also well versed in falsafah and fiqh. Many great scholars of the previous generation were his students. He had a special status and piety, which enabled him to perform many miraculous acts, some of which his students have described.  

One of the teachers at the Hawza in Najaf reports:

“I had heard much about the wondrous abilities of Marhum Qadhi, but I doubted whether the stories were actually true or not, until one day, when I met him outside the masjid of Kufa. I greeted him and we spoke together for a few moments. When we reached the entrance of the mosque of Kufa, (which was facing the open desert), we sat outside facing the qiblah in the shade of one of the walls of the mosque, for some rest, before we entering the mosque.

We began a discussion and Marhum Qadhi related some matters about the secrets and signs of Allah swt, the definition of tawhid, the importance of pondering deeply on this subject and the fact that this is the true and the only purpose of man's creation. The talk continued until the call for prayers came.

As he spoke, I thought to myself, “Truly, we are all confused and totally unaware of the actual reality of our creation. How shameful will it be if our lives end in this manner? What he says is so true, and if we do not take benefit from it, then woe to us!”

Suddenly, I saw a large snake come out of its lair and begin to slide next to the wall of the mosque, coming towards us. There were many snakes in that region, and people would often see them, but they did not usually attack anyone. However, this snake came right next to us, really frightening me. I noticed that immediately Marhum Qadhi pointed at it (the snake) and said, “mut, bi idhnillah” - i.e. “die, by the permission of Allah!” To my utter surprise, I saw that the snake immediately withered away and died. Then without even pausing for a moment, he concluded his comments and then we stood up to attend the prayers.

Marhum Qadhi recited his prayers in the mosque and then retired to a side room where he used to engage in worship. I also performed some a'mal, and then decided to return to Najaf. Before I left, a thought passed in my mind, “was the snake truly dead or had this man somehow tricked me, as some magicians do?” I decided to go and examine the snake to see if it was actually dead. I went out and saw that it was exactly in the same place, dead & dried up. I pushed it to check - it did not move. I became ashamed of my doubts and returned to the mosque to continue with prayers, but I could not concentrate.

Marhum Qadhi remained in his room for some time engrossed in his worship, and then came out and left the mosque. I also came out and we met again. As soon as he saw me, he turned to me and with a smile said, “Well sir, you tested me, you tested me!”

The Proof of Allah Wrote This

Many people have been graced with the opportunity to meet Imam (a.s.) in person. However, in this article we present only those anecdotes where this special favor of Imam (a.s.) has been conferred on the religious scholars and jurists.
During the time of Allamah Hilli, a Sunni scholar had written a book against the Shia faith. This scholar used quotes from his book in all his gatherings and succeeded in creating a dislike for Shiaism amongst the people. He never gave this book to anybody lest it might fall into the hands of the Shia scholars who would write its refutation.
Allamah Hilli began to attend the lectures of this scholar so that he could somehow lay his hands on that book. Gradually he began to call himself the author’s student and concealed his faith. After sometime, he developed a close affinity with his ‘teacher’. Taking advantage of this proximity, Allamah Hilli asked him for the book and pleaded to such an extent that he could not refuse. So he said, “Okay, I shall lend you this book but not for more than a night.” With not much to choose, he considered it an opportunity better than nothing. He wanted to copy as much as he could while the refutation could be written later. But when it was midnight , Allamah Hilli felt sleepy. At that very moment, a dignified personality entered his room and conversed with him for some time. The gentleman offered to copy the book while Allamah Hilli took some rest. The Allamah accepted this without protest and went to sleep. When he woke up, he found the gentleman missing. On seeing the book, he saw that the whole book had been copied and signed at the bottom, “The Proof of Allah wrote this.”

(Majaalisul Momineen, vol. 1, pg. 573, by Qazi Nurullah Shustari)

A Prisoner Unsurpassed in his Patience

A’li A’bid (A’li Ibn Hasan Al-Muthallath) was one of the children of Imam Hasan (a.s.) who had been imprisoned by Mansur Dawaaniqi and had died while still in prison.  A’li A’bid was unsurpassed in his patience, worship and remembrance of God.
When Mansur arrested the descendants of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and the children of Imam Hasan (a.s.), he placed them in a prison that was so dark that day could not be differentiated from night, except by means of the recitations and acts of worship of A'li A’abid. These acts were disciplined, orderly and continuous, and therefore made the others aware of the time for prayers.
One day, due to the hardships of captivity and the weight of his fetters, A'bdullah Ibn Hasan Al-Muthanna lost patience and in a state of great agitation, said to A'li A’abid:
“Do you not witness our misfortunes and adversities?  Do you not pray to God to grant us relief from this suffering of ours?”
A'li A’abid remained silent for a while after which he said, “O’ Uncle!  There exists for us a (lofty) rank in Paradise, which we can never achieve except by exhibiting patience over theseor even more severe adversities, and there exists for Mansur a dreadful place within Hell, which he shall never reach except by subjecting us to such persecution.  If we are patient, we shall soon find ourselves in ease and comfort, for death is not very far from us.  But if you desire, I shall pray for our deliverance, but in that case, Mansur shall not reach that stage of wretchedness, which has been ordained for him, within Hell.”
Hearing this, A'bdullah immediately said, “We shall be patient.”
Hardly three days had passed when, A'li A’abid passed away while in a state of prostration.  A'bdullah thought him to be asleep and said, “Wake up my nephew.”
As they attempted to move him, they found that he would not wake up and it was then they realized that he had died.

The Judgement for the Drunk

It has been reported by Kulaini on the authority of Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) that a case was decided by Hazrat Ali (k.u.w) in such a way that it was never decided before and that it was the first case after the demise of the Holy Prophet(S.A.).

“During the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr a man was found drunk and brought before the Caliph. The Caliph asked him as to whether he had drunk wine. In reply the man admitted to have drunk.
The Caliph asked him: “Why did you drink when it has been prohibited in Islam?”
The man replied: “I am residing in the neighborhood of some people who are habitual drinkers. Although I am a Muslim, I have never heard that wine has been prohibited in Islam.” 
Hearing this Hazrat Abu Bakr looked at Hazrat Umar with a question mark in his eyes. Hazrat Umar said: “This is just one of the cases that no one else than Ali (a.s.) could decide.”
When the case was referred to Hazrat Ali (a.s.), he sent the man round in the city with some persons to ask the people as to whether anyone had recited to him the verse of the holy Quran whereby wine was totally prohibited. And when it was proved that none had done so, the man was released with a warning never to drink in future. 
(Also carried by Nasikhut Tawarikh, vol. 2, p. 731; Buharij, vo1. 9, p.483; Manaqib, vol. 2, p.178)