Meeting with Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) – The Incident of Tahyul Arz

(Reference Behaarul Anwaar : Voume 52, Ch. 29)

In our time was a noble and righteous personality by the name of Amir Ishaq Astarabadi. He had completed 40 Hajjs on foot. It was famous among the people that the earth used to fold up for him. One year he came to Isfahan. I went to him to ask him about the fame he had earned. He told me: “The cause of that honor is that one year when I was on my way to the Holy House of Allah, along with other pilgrims, and when we were at a distance of seven or nine stages from Mecca, I was, for some reason, left behind the caravan and soon they went out of my sight. I lost my way and overcome with thirst, I was about to die when I prayed:

“O the righteous one, O Aba Salih guide us to the path, may Allah have mercy on you.”

Suddenly an apparition became visible at the end of the desert, before I could make it out, it had already reached me. I saw a handsome youth wearing clean clothes of green hue and having a noble demeanor riding acamel and carrying a water in a container. I saluted him and he replied to my Salaam and asked: Are you thirsty? ‘Yes,’ I replied. He gave me the vessel and I drank the water. Then he asked: Would you like to join your caravan? ‘Yes,’ said I. He made me mount behind him and moved to Mecca. I had th ehabit of reciting the Hirz-e-Yamaani everyday. At that time also I began to recite it, at some points he used to say: ‘Recite like this.’

Not much time passed that he said to me: ‘Do you recognize this place?’ I looked and saw that I was at Abtah. He said: ‘Alight.’ I alighted, but when I turned back he had disappeared. At that moment I realized that he was Qaim(a.s.). I became regretful and sad at his separation and was affected that I had not recognized him. Thus when seven days had passed, my caravan reached Mecca and people found me there – while they had lost hopes of my survival – therefore I became famous for having the land folded for me.”