• The Tale of a Seeker of the World
    • Bin Babawiyah quotes through a reliable source that Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S) has told about a person who lived in the olden days. The man sought to find livelihood through fair means. He failed. He tried illegitimate means and even then ...
    • Why do we Read Qur’an?
    • An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Qur’an. His grandson wanted to be ...
    • Imam Javad (A.S): Favoring One’s Father
    • Bakr the son of Salih narrates the following story: My son in law wrote Imam Javad (PBUH) a letter which included the following: My father has great animosity with Prophet Muhammads progeny (PBUT). His belief is ...
    • Khuzaimah and the Roman Emperor
    • Khuzaimah Abrash, the Arabian king, never embarked upon any task without first conferring with the Roman Emperor who was one of his closest friends. Once, with the intention of seeking the Emperor’s opinion regarding his ...
    • The Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Noa’imaan
    • Noa’imaan Ibn A’mr Ansaari was one of the early companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and had a jovial and jocose nature. It has been reported that a tribal Bedouin once arrived in Medina and, resting his camel behind the mosque, entered inside to ...
    • The Ant Prays For Rain
    • Once there was a big famine in Palestine. It was during the time of the Prophet, Prophet Suleiman (King Solomon). He came out with his people and proceeded to an open place in the desert to pray for the rains to come. Suddenly ...
    • VISIT TO THE GRAVEYARD
    • Once people saw Bahlool sitting between graves at a graveyard. They joked with him saying: Oh Bahlool! You are still alive, why do you have to remain seated here between the dead? I prefer to sit with such people because ...
    • Shoes Not Book Of Philosophy
    • It was a day of Idd and Bahlool went to a mosque for prayers. There was multitude of people and the place was getting congested. When he arrived at the door, there were ...
    • Refund of Loan on Reappearance of Imam
    • Someone decided to tease Bahlool on the belief of the concealed 12th Imam and his reappearance one day to establish a rule of equity and justice throughout the world. In a sitting where Bahlool was also present, he said this to him: ...
    • ON BIRTH OF A BABY GIRL
    • Ishaq bin Muhammad bin Sabah was one of the prominent leaders in Kufa. His wife once gave birth to baby girl. For this reason, he had become exceedingly sad and refrained from ...
    • Inquiry on Bahlool’s Welfare
    • Haroon once inquired from Bahlool about his welfare and how he was keeping. In reply he said:So long as I do not take over upon myself the responsibility of governing and matters pertaining to the Muslim Ummah, I shall remain alright But ...
    • Haroon’s Charitable Offer
    • One day Haroon gave an amount of money to Bahlool with suggestion to distribute among the poor and the needy. Bahlool took away the money and after thinking for a while returned the money to the Caliph. Haroon asked him for ...
    • Haroon Seeks Advice
    • Bahlool had for a year left Baghdad and settled in Kufa. Thereafter he returned to Baghdad and when met by Haroon, he asked him: O Bahlool! Where have you been, I have been deeply keen of meeting you? In reply, Bahlool said: ...
    • GODS BEST BLESSING
    • Haroon once asked Bahlool: What is the best blessing from Allah? Bahlool replied: The supreme blessing from Allah can be nothing else but ...
    • Encounter with Haroon on Hajtrip
    • Haroon once departed from Baghdad on his way for Haj in Mecca. When he arrived at Kufa, the people of that place in large number came forward to greet him. Haroon was seated in a grand and ...
    • DISCUSSION ON LIFE HEREAFTER
    • Haroon once asked Bahlool whether he knew where his place was after death in accordance with this Qur’anic verse: Most surely the righteous are in bliss, and most surely the wicked are in burning fire, (82:13-14) and what is ...
    • DESCRIPTION OF THE VIRTUES OF ALI
    • One day Bahlool went to visit Haroon who was in a relaxed and good mood. He asked Bahlool this: Was Ali (A.S) of higher status and more elevated than Abbas the uncle of the Prophet or was Abbas higher than Ali (A.S)? Bahlool replied: ...
    • Bahlool in Basrah
    • Bahlool once happened to go to Basrah. Not being acquainted with anyone there, he was obliged to rent a room for some days. But it was so old and in bad condition that ...
    • BAHLOOL AND A TOURIST
    • A tourist happened to come to Baghdad and by chance he also had an opportunity of being present in the court of Haroon. He put forward several questions on different topics but ...
    • ADVICE TO ABDULLA MUBARAK
    • Abdulla Mubarak once approached Bahlool with a request to show him a way of salvation and purification from sins. Bahlool replied that what could be expected from him when he was ...
    • A Joke with Bahlool
    • Once Bahlool was sitting in the court of Haroon. In order to create some fun, one of the vazirs of the Caliph said this to him: ...
    • A Mosque Slab
    • It is related that Fazl bin Rabee built a mosque in Baghdad. At the time of placing a plaque on the door, he was asked what should be written on it and he expressed his desire that his name as the donor of the mosque was to appear. By chance ...
    • Argument with Abuhanifa
    • Abu Hanifa was once giving lessons to his disciples and disclosed to them his disagreement on three things which Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S) had been teaching. Firstly: Satan would go to hell. How could this happen when ...
    • The Drunkard Caliph
    • Bahlool once arrived at Haroon’s palace to find him drinking wine. Haroon wanted to cover up his vice hence he put this question to him: Is it haram if one were to eat grapes? Certainly not. Replied Bahlool. How is it if one were to drink ...
    • Haroon’s Anger on Bahlool
    • Haroon had employed some special secret officers to investigate and report on the actual faith and belief of Bahlool. The information passed to the Caliph was that Bahlool was ...
    • Debate with a Jurist
    • A Faqih (jurist) happened to come to Baghdad from Khorasan and Haroon Rashid invited him to his court. When he arrived, Haroon accorded him every honour and made him sit next to him. By chance Bahlool also appeared in the court and Haroon also ...
    • Bahlool Outstanding Wisdom
    • A trader accompanied by his slave was travelling in a boat to Basra. By chance Bahlool happened to travel in the same boat. The slave got perturbed with the storm in the river water and started panicking and crying. Bahlool seeked the ...
    • The Uncontrollable Flies
    • Haroon once told Bahlool that if he would give correct answer to a question, he would gift him with a thousand dinars in gold. Failing to give the answer, he would give instructions to ...
    • Heaven for Sale
    • Once sitting on the bank of a river and playing with mud, Bahlool was constructing small houses and gardens. At that moment, Zubeida - the wife of Haroon - happened to pass nearby. She asked what he was doing and the reply given was that he ...
    • Evaluation of Haroon
    • By chance once Haroon and Bahlool both were going to Hammam (a public bath). Haroon asked him: What would my value be if I were a slave? Bahlool replied: ...
    • Bahlool’s Advice to Haroon
    • Haroon Al-Rashid once requested Bahlool for his advice in matters of administration of his Caliphate. In reply Bahiool said: Suppose for a moment that you get ...
    • Prophet Magnanimity (PBUH) troubled Him
    • Being shaved his long mustache; he has disguised his dense white hair under a wig. For a while, the sentence which was reported by CNN sparkled in his mind, he was called a priest looking for an opportunity to be famous. He put his shoulders back and ...
    • A Question from Bahlool
    • Sitting in his palace gallery once, Haroon was enjoying the natural scenery of the greenery around and the flow of the river Tigris with the sound of water gushing forward. Bahlool happened to be there and Haroon said to him: ...
    • Bahlool Consulted By a Trader
    • A trader in Baghdad came in for consultation and addressed Bahlool as The Wise. He asked for his advice on which commodity to buy from which he could expect good profit. He was advised to ...
    • ON THE THRONE OF CALIPH
    • One day Bahlool entered Haroons palace and saw the throne of the Caliph to be vacant and none of his guards standing nearby. Immediately he went and sat on the throne. When the ...
    • My mom only had one eye
    • My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family. There was this one day during elementary school where ...
    • Do Not Do Evil to Anyone
    • There was a man who used to beat his wife but unfortunately she succumbed to his beating though he had not intended to kill her. But when she was dead he became ...
    • God Exists
    • A man went to a barbershop to have his hair and his beard cut as always. He started to have a good conversation with the barber who attended him. They talked about so many things on various subjects. Suddenly, they touched the subject of ...
    • Weakness or Strength?
    • Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study Judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with ...
    • Grandpa’s Table
    • A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and ...
    • Fisherman Story
    • One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and ...
    • The travelers and the plane tree
    • Two men were walking along one summer day. Soon it became too hot to go any further and, seeing a large plane tree nearby, they threw ...
    • Be Patient
    • A man came out of his home to admire his new truck.To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, and ...
    • The Patient Old Man
    • When passing through a mountain pass, a Bedouin (villager) once came across an old man who was blind and who seemed to be afflicted with various ailments all over his body. It was clear that ...
    • A Sense of a Goose
    • Next autumn, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying in a “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it ...
    • Always Follow Your Dreams
    • There were once 2 brothers who lived on the 80th level. On coming home one day, they realized to their dismay that the lifts were not working and that they have to climb the stairs home. After struggling to the 20th level, panting and tired, they ...
    • Don’t Change the World
    • Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he ...
    • Do Not Hurt Yourself
    • One night a snake while it was looking for food entered a carpenter’s workshop. The carpenter, who was a rather untidy man, had left several of his tools lying on the floor. One of them was ...