Story No. 472 – Twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh): Minister and Pomegranate
Children Story Minister and PomegranateGrandfather has arrived from Bahrain after spending two weeks there, because of the invitation of one of the friends. The sons got happy because of him coming back home.
All the family members sat around Grandfather in the evening.
Son: How was your journey to Bahrain, father?
Grandfather: It was enjoyable, son.
Grandson: You promised me to narrate a story for me after your arrival from Bahrain.
Granddaughter: I am longing for listening to your nice stories.
Grandfather: Ok, Ok, I will tell this story which I heard it from a friend in Bahrain.
Bahrain was a small country, which was surrounded by sea, so the Bahrainian’s job was fishing and finding pearls. Their homes were close to each other and they were living with each other with peace and loving one other. They were kind and helping each other.
In a specific time, Bahrain was under the lead of a ruler who didn’t like anybody just himself. This ruler had gotten a sly minister. One day the minister visited the ruler.
Minister: My master, my master! Look at here my master.
Ruler: What is the matter with you my dear minister?
Minister: Look at this pomegranate.
There is no god except Allah (La ilaha illa Allah)Ruler: What is it?
Minister: It was imprinted on it: There is no god except Allah (La ilaha illa Allah), Mohammad is god’s Prophet (Mohammad Rasool Allah), and the names of the four Caliphs.
Ruler: What? It’s a miracle, from where did you get it?
Grandfather: The ruler got surprised from the minister’s saying. He stand up from his chair and started checking the pomegranate.
Minister: it is really a miracle, I got it by chance. I saw it on a tree, so I took it.
Ruler: Now, what do you suggest to do with it?
Minister: It is our duty to introduce this miracle to people.
Ruler: Ok, we will put it in the center of the castle and ask people to see it.
Minister: But sir…
Ruler: But what?
Minister: But what if they deny the miracle or don’t believe in it?
Ruler: Oh yes my minister, so what do you suggest?
Minister: I suggest that we invite all the people to come to the castle and then we show the pomegranate, so who believes in it, we let him go, but if a man denies it, we will put some conditions for him. First, we have to send a caller to invite people to come to the castle tomorrow to discuss the matter.
Grandfather: The caller went out by drumming.
Caller: Listen up people! The present tells the absent. The ruler (god save him) invited the doyens of people to come to his castle tomorrow for an important matter, and who disagree with that, his punishment will be hard and will be sent to prison.
Grandfather: In the morning, the doyens of people went to the castle. The ruler told them the story of the pomegranate, then he ordered to bring the pomegranate and show it to everybody in there and what was imprinted on its hull. Everybody saw the pomegranate carefully and got surprised.
Living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh)Son: What had happened after that?
Grandfather: The ruler let them to choose one of the three conditions.
Son: What were these conditions?
Minister: listen up people. The ruler (god save him) decided to let the man who denies this divine miracle to choose one of the three conditions.
Son: What are the conditions?
First: He has to pay money to the ruler the same as the Jewish man or the Christian man.
Second: If he can’t pay the money, so he have to give us a suitable answer for this miracle and prove that it is not right and it is false.
Third: If he doesn’t do the first and the second condition, so he will be killed and his money, family and house will be divested, because of his denying this divine miracle.
Grandfather: When the people heard the minister’s speech, they got fear and anxious, so they confer with each other, then they asked the ruler to respites them three days to discuss the matter. The ruler agreed with their request.
Grandson: What happened after that?
Grandfather: The doyens of people gathered in a mosque and they invited their adviser to discuss how to get rid of this dangerous trouble.
Grandson: What were the solutions?
Grandfather: They decided to choose the best three men, and each one of them goes to the desert each night to ask twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh) to help him.
Son: Did the three man do what the people asked them?
Grandfather: Yes son, the first man went to the desert, then he started asking and begging God and worshipping him, but without any replies. Same happened with the second man. In the third night, people became very anxious.
Twelfth Imam, the living HujjahGranddaughter: Did the third man go to the desert?
Grandfather: Yes dear, he was a worshipper and ascetic. He went to the desert. He was discalced and started begging twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh) to save them from the trouble.
Son: Did God reply his ask?
Grandfather: Yes, he saw a light was getting closer and closer while he was crying and asking God.
After that the doyen got relax when he ensured that it was twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh).
Doyen: My master, if you are twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh), there is no doubt that you know our request and our hardship.
Imam: Yes, I know your request and your hardship because of the pomegranate and what was imprinted on it.
Doyen: My master! What is the solution for this hardship?
Imam: The minister aimed to schism the Muslims and to make divorcement by this sly game. There was a pomegranate tree in his house. When the tree bloomed, the minister made a mud case in shape of a pomegranate and halved it and wrote those words, the he put the pomegranate in that case while it was on the tree, so when the pomegranate grew, its hull got the shape of the case and the words were imprinted on it.
Son: What a sly game was it!
Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh)Grandfather: When the doyen got the solution twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh), he returned to the city and told the people that he will give the solution to the ruler. So Allah (SWT) saved them from that hardship by twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh).
In the morning, people gathered in front of the ruler’s castle and the doyen was at the forefront.
Ruler: Did you bring the solution for what I had asked you about?
Doyen: Yes, but I won’t tell it to you here, only in the minister’s house.
Ruler: Ok, no problem, let’s move to the minister’s house.
Grandfather: Everybody went to the minister’s house. The minister got surprised from the ruler’s coming with people. The doyen asked the ruler to enter one of the rooms, but the minister rejected that. The doyen insisted to enter the room and he have to enter first with the ruler before the minister. The ruler accepted that request.
Son: it seems that there is something in the room.
Grandfather: Yes my dear, when the doyen and the ruler entered the room, they found a white packet, and then the doyen took the packet and opened it. He put his hand in the packet and then he looked at the ruler and smiled. He put out from the packet the mud case, which was similar to the pomegranate. He showed it to the ruler, and then he ordered to bring the pomegranate and put it in the case. It resembled the case in shape and words.
Ruler discovered the truth and got so angry from the minister.
Doyen: My master, we got another miracle.
Ruler: What is it?
Doyen: There is nothing in the pomegranate except ash and smoke, because it was kept away from the sunlight and air because of being inside the case. If you want to be sure, let the minister open it.
Grandfather: Then, the ruler ordered the minister to open it while he was angry. When the minister opened it, the ash and the smoke started moving and flying on the face of the minister, then the ruler shouted on him.
Pomegranate MiracleRuler: You damned, you wanted to cheat me and make trouble between people. I will teach you a lesson, which you will never forget it. Guard! Take him to the prison until I see what should I do with him, and you the doyen, I ask you to answer my question before we leave.
Doyen: Go ahead my master.
Ruler: How did you know the solution?
Doyen: I knew the solution from our twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh) and I asked him to help us.
Ruler: I think I am one of the most lucky men today, because I got the truth and from now on, I became a believer in twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh).
Doyen: My master, these lands are trusteeship with us and we have to protect them.
Ruler: You’re right, let our people be in peace with the blessing of twelfth Imam, the living Hujjah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh).