A severe draught took shape in one of the years in Samarra, Iraq.
Rain had not fallen for some time and crops were drying up. People were facing a famine. They did not know what to do.
At that time, Al-Mu’tamid, was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. Mu’tamid, the Abbasid Caliph ordered people to proceed to the desert and pray (for rain).
People did go to the desert for three days consecutively but rain did not fall. The next day, the Christians along with their scholars went to offer prayer and it rained.
This event, brought into effect a great zeal, fervor and excitement among the Muslim masses. The hearts of the Muslim got attracted towards the Christians.
Al-Mu’tamid, the Abbasid Caliph was very much perturbed, dismayed, and desperate over it. He sent a word for “Imam Hasan Askari (as)” in the prison, saying that the religion Islam of his grandfather was in danger and summoned him to his court and asked him about the solution to that problem.
Imam Hasan Askari (as) Said, “Tell them to go to the desert tomorrow for the sake of rain. They did so and Imam Hasan Askari (as) followed them with a great mob of people, following him to disclose and unveil the fact out of this matter.
The Christians raised their hands towards the sky and prayed to God for rain. Not very long had passed that a cloud appeared and it started raining. Imam Hasan Askari (as) ordered that the hand of one of the Christians, which was raised up, be held and whatever was concealed among his finger folds be taken out. They observed a bone and took it out of his fingers.
They presented that bone to Imam Hasan Askari (as). Imam Hasan Askari (as) wrapped it in a piece of cloth and then told Christians to pray after that, for rain to fall.
As soon as the Christian raised his hands all the clouds scattered and the sun appeared shinning. All the people were surprised and astonished at it. Al-Mu’tamid, the Abbasid Caliph asked Imam Hasan Askari (as) what was the secret of that affair. Imam Hasan Askari (as) replied, “This is a piece of bone of one of the Prophets of God which they have picked up from his grave.”
They swear to God and ask him for the sake of this bone. God grants their desire and prayer and makes the rainfall and whosoever will hold this bone the same thing will occur.
After a test of it in the presence of people, what Imam Hasan Askari (as) said proved evidently correct and all of them praised Imam Hasan Askari (as).
This way Imam Hasan Askari (as) lifted the doubts from the minds of the people. After this the Imam Hasan Askari (as) himself spread his prayer mat and performed two Rak’ats of prayers then lifted his bare hands to God for rain to come to the land and wipe out the draught.
Imam Hasan Askari’s (as) prayers were heard by the Almighty God and rain fell so much that the land became fertile again and crops began to grow.
The people asked Imam Hasan Askari (as) where he lived. Imam Hasan Askari (as) pointed at Al-Mu’tamid, the Abbasid Caliph. Mu’tamid, the Abbasid Caliph was too embarrassed to say that Imam Hasan Askari (as) was his prisoner, so he pointed at the house that had originally belonged to his father, Imam Ali Naqi (as), and was forced to release Imam Hasan Askari (as) but only for one year.
During this year, Sayyida Nargis Khatoon (sa) became pregnant with our last Imam, Imam al-Mahdi (as).