Safwan bin Mahram Kufi was a very pious companion of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) and Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.). He used to earn his livelihood by hiring out camels. He owned a large number of camels. He says that one day Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) said to him,
“Safwan every action of yours is meritorious except one.”
“May I be sacrificed for you, what action is that?” He said,
“You hire your camels to Harun al-Rashid (l.a.)”
He said, “I don’t give my camels for hunting or games but he takes them when he goes for Hajj and I do not serve him myself, I order my servants to accompany them on the journey.”
Imam (a.s.) asked,
“Do they pay you in advance or after their return?”
“After they return”, he replied,
“Don’t you carry the hope that they return safe and sound from their journey so that you receive your payment?”
“Yes.”
Imam (a.s.) said,
“One who wishes them to remain alive is like them and one who is connected with them will go to Hell.”24
Safwan says that when he heard this he sold away all his camels. When Harun heard of this he summoned him and asked the reason for it. He said, “I have become old and weak and am unable to take care of the camels, even my slaves are not capable of maintaining them properly.”
Harūn said, “It is not so! I know who has persuaded you to do this. You have done this on the direction Musa Ibn Ja’far (a.s.).”
“What do I have to do with Musa Ibn Ja’far?” said Safwan but Harūn was not satisfied and said that if he had not had good relations with Safwan he would have got him killed.