Our Masters have related from Bashshar Makaree that I went to meet Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (a.s.) in Kufah and saw that the dates of Tabarzad were brought for him and he was eating from it.
He told me, “Come to me and eat these dates”. I replied that, “No, may I be your ransom ! On the way I witnessed an incident that aroused my passion, my heart bled and tears engulfed me”.
Imam (a.s.) said, “I say to you by the Right that I hold upon you, come near and eat from these”. I went near and ate some dates, then he (a.s.) asked, “Now tell me what your saw”?
I replied, “On the way I saw a guard of the kingdom stricking at the head of a woman and dragging her towards the prison. She was yelling, I seek refuge of Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w.s.), and do not seek refuge from anyone else except Allah (s.w.t.) and His Prophet (s.a.w.s.)”.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) asked, “Why were they hitting the woman and taking her to the prison”?
I replied, “I heard people saying that the woman was walking on the road and suddenly she tripped and fell. She called out O Fatemah ! May Allah (s.w.t.) keep away His Mercy from the ones who oppressed you. Thus the guards arrested her and struck at her”.
Hearing this, Imam as Sadiq (a.s.) held his hand from eating and wept to such an extent that his kerchief, beard and chest became full of tears, then he (a.s.) said, “O Bashshar ! Arise and let us go to the Masjid al Sahlah and pray for the release of that woman and request Allah (s.w.t.) to safe-guard her”.
Thus Imam al Sadiq (a.s.) was grief-stricken after hearing about the unpleasant incident of a woman from among the Shi’ah of Fatemah (s.a.), then what would be the effect upon him when her sufferings would be related to him. That the tyrant slapped her to such an extent that her earrings broke due to the severity of the stricking.
House of Sorrows Translation of Baytul AhzanShaikh Abbas Al – Qummi