Martyrdom Anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Askari (p), 1446 A.H.

Thursday, September 12, 2024, is the 8th of Rabi al-Awwal, 1446 A.H. which marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Askari (p).

The monk whose prayers were answered

It is narrated that during the time of Imam Hassan al-Askari (p), there was a well-known Christian monk who had a reputation for being pious and performing miracles. This monk lived in a monastery, and people—including rulers—would flock to him to seek blessings. His fame had spread far and wide due to his ability to summon rain during a drought through his prayers.

One year, the Muslim community faced a severe drought. The people, desperate for rain, sought the help of the monk, who then set off with a large group of followers to pray for rain. Sure enough, it rained soon after. This left many Muslims astonished and doubting their faith, thinking the monk’s prayers were being answered by God.

When this reached Imam Hassan al-Askari (p), he immediately understood that there was something more to this. He was asked to intervene by the Caliph of the time, who wanted to investigate the monk’s powers.

The Imam (p) reportedly told the Caliph to gather the people along with the monk the next day. He (p) instructed them to wait for the monk to pray once again for rain. When the monk raised his hands to the sky to pray, the Imam (p) told a man in the crowd to take a closer look at the monk’s hand. Upon inspection, the man discovered a small bone hidden in the monk’s palm.

Imam Hassan al-Askari (p) explained that this bone belonged to a prophet of God and that whenever it was raised in prayer, God would answer by sending down rain. The monk had been using the bone to deceive people into thinking he had divine powers. The bone was taken from his hand, and this time when the monk prayed, it did not rain.

This event exposed the monk’s deception, and the people realized the truth. Imam al-Askari (p) once again demonstrated his divine knowledge and wisdom, defending the faith of the Muslims and exposing the falsehood that had led people astray.

[Al-Kafi, vol. 1, book of hujjah, hadith #51]

For more information about Imam Hasan al-Askari (p), click here.

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