An interesting incident is mentioned in al-Kāfi as well as the eleventh volume of Bihār. During the time of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), ‘Ali bin Huraira was a governor of the Abbasid Caliph. He had a slave named Rafīd. One day he was so angry with Rafīd that he decided to kill him. Rafīd ran away and took refuge with Imam Sadiq (a.s.). Imam (a.s.) told him to go back to his master and say that Imam (a.s.) has ordered him to spare his life, as he has taken refuge with Imam (a.s.). Rafīd was horrified but Imam (a.s.) insisted that he go back. So Rafīd obeyed and when he was on his way he met an Arab, who said, “Where are you going? Your face is that of a dead man.” Then he told Rafīd to show his hand. Again he remarked that the hands were of a person who has been killed. He looked at the legs and passed the same judgement. He said that his complete body was that of a person who has been murdered. Then he asked him to show his tongue. Upon seeing the tongue he remarked, “No harm will come to you because your tongue is that of an envoy and it carries such a message that if you were to go to huge mountains they would become soft, and become obedient to you.”
Rafīd says that when he came to his master ‘Ali bin Huraira, he at once gave the orders for his execution. His hands were tied and an executioner moved towards him with a naked sword. Then he told his master that it was not he who had got him arrested, but that he himself had returned to him. He also requested him to listen to what he had to say in privacy. He agreed to the request and Rafīd told him, “Ja’far bin Muhammad (a.s.) the master of both of us has sent you salām and requested you to spare my life.” When he heard this he could not believe it. Rafīd repeated it to him under oath. He at once freed him and asked his forgiveness. He insisted that his hands be tied in the same way by Rafīd. Rafīd could not make himself do this; but upon insistence he tied his hands and untied them quickly. Then he gave his seal ring to Rafīd and set him free.