It happened in 501 A.H. when inflation was at its peak in the holy city of Najaf. Even bread was beyond the reach of the common man. Forty days passed by. People had starting moving for the villages due to scarcity and poverty. The only (poor) person remaining was the caretaker of the sacred shrine of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), Abul Baqaa Sawiqah who was aged a hundred and ten years and was weak of body. However, despite all the calamities, he was not ready to the leave the proximity of the shrine of Imam (a.s.). Nevertheless, his wife and daughters implored: the severity of destitution has become unbearable. You should travel to seek your fortune like the others. A solution might unravel itself to solve the tribulation. Abu Qasim decided to go. He came to the sacred shrine, completed his prayers and ziyarat and then came towards the head of the shrine and pleaded forgiveness: My Master! I have been serving you for a century and have never parted from you. But, destitution and poverty has made life difficult for me and my family. Even so, parting from you is hard. Nevertheless, with a heavy heart, I have come to bid goodbye and depart from this place.
Saying this, he left. Abul Baqaa had started the journey in a rented carriage with other passengers. Najaf was now in the distance. They stopped at a place for rest. Abul Baqaa too lied down to rest and immediately fell asleep. Imam Ali (a.s.) visited him in his dream and said:
‘O Abul Baqaa, are you leaving me after such a long duration of service?‘
Abul Baqaa got up crying. The people with him became concerned. ‘Why are you weeping so bitterly?’ they asked. He explained the dream to them and immediately returned to Najaf. The daughters complained on seeing him return but he explained the situation to them; went to Abu Abdillah Ibn Shahryaar Qummi for the keys to the mausoleum and resumed his duties.
Abul Baqaa narrates, ‘Three days after this episode, a person entered the shrine carrying a heavy load on his back, akin to the one who travels to Makkah for pilgrimage. He extracted a dress from it, wore it and entered the sacred shrine. After the customary ziyarat and prayer, he gave me some money and instructed, ‘Bring some food.’ Abul Baqaa did as requested and brought some bread, milk and dates. He again asked for some chicken and bread which I brought for him.
Abul Baqaa then prayed his afternoon prayers and departed for his home. The traveller came along with him, and everyone shared the food. After the meal and the washing of hands, the man instructed Abul Baqaa, ‘Bring some scales to weigh gold.’
Abul Baqaa, brought the scales along with big and small weights from a gold smith named Zaid Ibn Waqisah, including the weights required for grains. The visitor bunched all the weights into one end of the scale and piled the other end with gold from a bag. The deed done, he gathered the gold and gave it to the caretaker of the shrine. What remained went back to the sack. Now he changed back to the old dress. The caretaker enquired; O Master! What do I do with this? He replied, ‘It is yours to keep. It has been given by the person who has called you back into his service. I was commanded to give according to the measure of weights that he brings. If you had brought more weights, I would have given more.’
Abul Baqaa fainted. The visitor had gone. The situation of Abul Baqaa changed. He married his daughters and the household prospered. And due to the miracle and the mercy of our Master (a.s.), the troubles of Abul Baqaa had been solved.