Shaykh Ali Rashti was a great intellectual and honorable
scholar, possessing all the goodly attributes and the best of
excellences. He was a righteous scholar, a pious man and a
deeply religious person. He was among the students of the true
Sayyid, the great teacher, Mirza Buzurg Shirazi. Since the people
of the Fars province had continuously complained that they did
not have any scholar or spiritual personality among them, Mirza Shirazi sent him towards them. He lived with them with perfect
honor till he passed away. I was in his company during journey
as well as at home. I have seen very few people, who could equal
him in morals, manners and excellence of character.
He relates: “In one of the journeys, I was returning to Najaf
Ashraf from the Ziyarat of His Eminence, Abi Abdullah (a.s.)
through the route of River Euphrates. I had boarded a small boat
that ran between Kerbala and Tuwairij. At Tuwairij, the route
diverged to Hilla and Najaf. The passengers, all of whom were
people of Hilla were busy in games, joking and shameful
behavior, except for one person, who though also belonged to
their group, but they occasionally ridiculed his religion and
criticized him. I was very astonished at this till we reached a
place, where the water was too shallow and the boatman was
compelled to disembark us. As we walked along the banks, by
chance I happened to be walking with the same person. I asked
him why he remained aloof from his fellow travelers and what
was the reason they criticized his religion? He said that they were
from Ahle Sunnat and relatives of his. “My father was also from
them, but my mother was from the people of faith (Shia). I was
also initially in their faith, but through the favor of Hazrat Hujjat
(a.t.f.s.) became a Shia.”
I asked him the motive of converting to Shiaism and how
that had occurred. He said:
“My name is Yaqut and my profession is selling oil besides
the Hilla Bridge. One year I went out of Hilla to purchase oil
from the dwellers of the desert (Bedouins) in the surrounding
areas. I traveled some distance and purchased the oil and on the return journey got the company of some people of Hilla. We
halted at one place at night and I went to sleep. But when I awoke
in the morning, I saw that they had all gone away leaving me
alone without any water or rations in a desert infested with wild
animals. The nearest habitation was at least a few farsakhs (one
farsakh = 6.24 kms). I got up and began my lonely journey, but
after sometime, I lost the way and was completely confused. In
addition to this, I was extremely thirsty and the fear of wild
beasts overwhelmed me. I remained there and in that condition
prayed to the caliphs and Mashayakhs, imploring them to help
me and through their intercession begged Allah to save me. But
there was no response. Then I remembered my mother saying
that we have a living Imam, whose agnomen is Aba Saaleh; who
responds to the call of those who have lost their way and who
helps those are oppressed and weak. I made a vow to Allah that if
He saved me I shall adopt the faith of my mother. Then I called
out to him and sought his refuge. I saw a man in a green turban
like grass by the riverside, and he began to walk with me. He
ordered me to adopt the religion of my mother and then he said
the words (that the writer of the book forgot). And he said: Very
soon, you will reach a habitation, where all the inhabitants are
Shias. I said: My master, will you not come to that place with
me? He said: No, as a thousand people around the country are
calling me for help, I want to go and help them. After that he
disappeared. After traveling for sometime, I reached that village.
Such was a distance to that place that my previous fellow
travelers reached that station only the next day. I returned to Hilla
from there and went to meet the chief jurisprudent, Sayyid Mahdi
Qazwini (May Allah illuminate his resting place). I narrated my story to him, learnt the rules and regulations of religion from him
and asked what I should do in order to see His Eminence again.
He said: Go for the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.) for forty Friday
eves. I began to go for the Ziyarat of the Chief of the martyrs
every Friday eve. When only one Friday eve remained from
forty. I set out from Hilla on Thursday for Kerbala, but when I
reached the city gates, I saw that the tyrannical officials were
asking for permit, and they were very strict about it. Neither did I
have the permit nor the money to purchase one. A few times I
tried to smuggle myself by mingling in a group of people, but I
did not succeed.
At that time I saw His Eminence, the Master of the Affair
(a.t.f.s.). He entered wearing a dress of Iranian students and a
white turban. Outside the city, I sought his refuge and pleaded for
his help. He came out and took me with himself into the city. But
I did not see him again and remained regretful and sad at his
separation.
Behaarul Anwaar, vol. 53, pp. 292-294