Library Islam Islam: Faith, Practice & History Part III: History Lesson 44 3. His Companions
3. His Companions
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3. His Companions
In spite of the difficult political atmosphere the Imam had trained great companions in knowledge as well as in piety.
Ibn Abi ‘Umayr: Anyone familiar with the Shi’i hadith literature would testify that Ibn Abi ‘Umary is the source of countless ahadith on Islamic laws. Just because he was a student of Imam Musa al-KÄdhim (a.s.), he suffered at the hand of the oppressive regimes of the ‘AbbÄsids. Once he was arrested and asked to reveal the names of all the prominent Shi‘as of Iraq. He refused even though he had to suffer a hundred lashes after which he was hanged between two trees. According to Shaykh Mufid, Ibn Abu ‘Umary was put in prison for seventeen years just because he was a follower of the Ahlu ’l-Bayt.
‘Ali bin Yaqtin belonged to a prominent Shi‘a family in Kufa. After the ‘Abbasid revolution, HÄrun ar-Rashid offered him the position of minister in his government. He approached Imam Musa al-KÄdhim (a.s.) who told him to accept it but refrain from ever confiscating the money or property of the Shi‘as. So ‘Ali bin Yaqtin, to show his loyalty to the government, would confiscate the money of the Shi‘as but would then secretly return it to them.
Once Imam al-KÄdhim (a.s.) told ‘Ali bin Yaqtin: “You promise me one thing; and I guarantee you three things: you won’t be killed, neither face poverty nor suffer imprisonment.”
‘Ali: “What do I have to promise you?”
Imam (a.s.): “Promise me that whenever a follower of ours comes to you, you would honour him and not turn him away.”
