An Incident Narrated by Ayatollah Bahjat :

A man who had a right over Imam Ali (a)

Ayatollah Tawakkul also narrates this same incident.

Near Najaf al-Ashraf, at the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, there is a village called Musayyib. A devout Shia man would pass through this village on his way to visit the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a).

There was a man living along his path who mocked him for always going to the shrine. On one occasion, he even insulted Imam Ali (a) and said,

“Tell him to destroy me; otherwise, when you return, I will kill you!”

The Shia man was deeply distressed.

When he reached the shrine, he prayed with anguish and complained,

“You know what this opponent does. Why do you not respond to him?”

That night, he saw Imam Ali (a) in a dream and repeated his complaint. The Imam replied:

“He has a right over us, and we cannot punish him in this world.”

The man asked,

“Surely it is not because of his insults that he has earned a right over you?”

Imam Ali (a) explained:

“One day, while sitting at the meeting point of the Euphrates and Tigris, he looked at the river and remembered Karbala—how Imam Husayn (a) was denied water. He thought to himself, ‘ʿUmar ibn Saʿd did wrong by killing them while they were thirsty.’ He became saddened, and a single tear fell from his eye. Because of that tear, he gained a right over us, and we cannot punish him in this world.”

The Shia man awoke and returned home. On the way, he met the same opponent, who mocked him again:

“Did you see your Imam and deliver my message?”

The Shia man replied:

“Yes, I conveyed your message, and I have one for you.”

He then narrated the entire dream and said:

“One day, while sitting at the meeting point of the Euphrates and Tigris, you looked at the river and remembered Karbala—how Imam Husayn (a) was denied water. You thought, ‘ʿUmar ibn Saʿd did wrong by killing them thirsty.’ You became saddened, and a single tear fell from your eye. Because of that tear, you gained a right over Ali (a.s.), and he will not punish you in this world.”

The man lowered his head in astonishment and said:

“O God! At that time no one was present, and I never told anyone. How did Ali (a) know?”

He was immediately struck with realization, repented, and said:

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِيُّ اللهِ

He became Shia.