The evil of jealousy
Source: Mujtaba Issue 34 July/Aug 2004
The following story has been told to us by Hakima, daughter of Abi-Hassan Al-Qarashi, who was a very pious woman. She says:
"When Imam Jawad (a.s.) passed away, I went to Ummul Fadhl, his widow and the daughter of Mamun, to give her condolences. Ummul Fadhl talked about the Imam's generosity and his kindness.
"Then she told us a story. She said, 'While Imam Jawad (a.s.) was alive, I use to watch all his movements and actions, and always found excuses to complain to my father about him.
'My father would advise me to be patient, because he knew that the Imam (a.s.) was a descendant of the Prophet (s.a.w.w) and a pious man.
'When the Imam (a.s.) married a descendent of Ammar ben Yasser, I became even more jealous because I knew she was better than me.
'Although, I welcomed her and gave her food and shelter, as soon as she left, I went straight to my father and complained to him as usual.
'At that time, my father was very drunk and he swore he would kill the Imam (a.s.). I got very scared and went home crying.
'Soon my father followed with his sword in hand. He rushed to the room where Imam (a.s.) was resting and began to strike him the sword until he tore him into pieces! When he left my house, I followed him. That night I could not sleep out of fe ar.
The Prophet (s.a.w.w.) asked him why he had acted in such a way then.
'In the morning, when my father was sober again, I went to him and cried, "Do you know what you have done?"
'He looked surprised and asked me "What do you mean? What did I do?"
'I told him what had happened. At first, he stared at me in shock and then he screamed and fainted.
When he recovered, he kept asking me if what I had said was true until I called one of the servants to confirm that he had acted this way.
'We are doomed by Allah!" My father moaned. "Go to Imam (a.s.)'s house," he ordered the servant "and come back quickly with the news you hear from there!"
When the servant returned a few minutes later, he was smiling and said, "O' Caliph! I bring you good news."
'What do you mean?" My father asked in surprise.
'I saw Imam Jawad brushing his teeth," the servant replied. "I greeted him and he replied me politely. Then I asked him to give me his shirt as barakat so that I could pray in it. I wanted to see if there were any cuts on his body. At first he said he would give me a better shirt, but I insisted and so he took it off and I saw his body with no trace of any cuts or bruises."
Ummul Fadhl says "My father wept with relief. He turned to me and told me that he would curse me if I ever came to him with complaints again."
The following story has been told to us by Hakima, daughter of Abi-Hassan Al-Qarashi, who was a very pious woman. She says:
"When Imam Jawad (a.s.) passed away, I went to Ummul Fadhl, his widow and the daughter of Mamun, to give her condolences. Ummul Fadhl talked about the Imam's generosity and his kindness.
"Then she told us a story. She said, 'While Imam Jawad (a.s.) was alive, I use to watch all his movements and actions, and always found excuses to complain to my father about him.
'My father would advise me to be patient, because he knew that the Imam (a.s.) was a descendant of the Prophet (s.a.w.w) and a pious man.
'When the Imam (a.s.) married a descendent of Ammar ben Yasser, I became even more jealous because I knew she was better than me.
'Although, I welcomed her and gave her food and shelter, as soon as she left, I went straight to my father and complained to him as usual.
'At that time, my father was very drunk and he swore he would kill the Imam (a.s.). I got very scared and went home crying.
'Soon my father followed with his sword in hand. He rushed to the room where Imam (a.s.) was resting and began to strike him the sword until he tore him into pieces! When he left my house, I followed him. That night I could not sleep out of fe ar.
The Prophet (s.a.w.w.) asked him why he had acted in such a way then.
'In the morning, when my father was sober again, I went to him and cried, "Do you know what you have done?"
'He looked surprised and asked me "What do you mean? What did I do?"
'I told him what had happened. At first, he stared at me in shock and then he screamed and fainted.
When he recovered, he kept asking me if what I had said was true until I called one of the servants to confirm that he had acted this way.
'We are doomed by Allah!" My father moaned. "Go to Imam (a.s.)'s house," he ordered the servant "and come back quickly with the news you hear from there!"
When the servant returned a few minutes later, he was smiling and said, "O' Caliph! I bring you good news."
'What do you mean?" My father asked in surprise.
'I saw Imam Jawad brushing his teeth," the servant replied. "I greeted him and he replied me politely. Then I asked him to give me his shirt as barakat so that I could pray in it. I wanted to see if there were any cuts on his body. At first he said he would give me a better shirt, but I insisted and so he took it off and I saw his body with no trace of any cuts or bruises."
Ummul Fadhl says "My father wept with relief. He turned to me and told me that he would curse me if I ever came to him with complaints again."