How did Khidr (peace be upon him) come to be sold as a slave?

Once Khidr the prophet was passing through Bani Israel markets and bazar when all of a sudden
he sighted a poor man saying unto him:
Please give me alms, may God give you prosperity!
Khidr said:
I believe in God but I have nothing to give to you.
The poor man said: I swear you by God and his greatness help me! I read goodness from your
face, you are a good man doer of good deeds I know you will not held back anything from me.
Khidr said:
You swore my by the greatness of God and asked for help but I really have nothing to give to
you as alms unless you sell me as a slave.
The poor man: this is out of question. How could I sell you as a slave?
Khidr: you swore me by God and asked for help and I cannot disappoint you. Take me to the
bazar and sell me and do away with your need!
The poor man take Khidr to the bazar and sold him for 400 Dirham.
Khidr (peace be upon him) came with his owner for a while but he would not put him to work.
Khidr: you bought me to be in your service, so why don’t you put me to work?
The owner: I do not want to trouble you, you are an old man.
Khidr: I am capable of working and it is no trouble for me.
The owner: if it is so then carry these rocks and stones and take them there!
Though carrying them away in one day needed six men, but Khidr carried them in one hour.
The owner got happy and encouraged him saying:
Well done! You did what is impossible for one man to do.
One day the owner was going on travel and he came to Khidr and said:
I know you to be a good man. I am going on a travel, you take my place and treat my family well
till I come back and since you are an old man you need not work anymore, and it is trouble for
you.
Khidr: Oh no it is not at all.
The owner: if it be so make some adobes. The owner went on his travel, Khidr made adobes on
his own and the built a beautiful building from it.
The owner upon returning saw what Khidr had done, made adobes and built a builtiful building
from it. He got surprised and said:
I swear you by God tell me who are you and what do you do? Khidr said:
- Since you swore me by God and this was what brought me to this trouble in the first
place and had me sold as a slave, I will tell you the tale:
A poor man asked me for alms and since I had nothing to give, and he had sworn me by God, I
had him sell me as slave, so I was brought to you.
Now I tell you anytime a beggar asks you for something and swears you by God if he can help
yet rejects the beggar on the day hereafter he will be brought back to life while there is no skin,
flesh and blood in his face. Only his bones remains that will make noise if he moves (he will be
brought back to life as a skeleton only.)
The owner upon realizing Khidr the prophet said:
Forgive me for I did not realize who you were and I put you to work.
Khidr said: it is ok since you kept me and treated me well.
The owner: my father and mother be sacrificed for you! I am at your service with all my
belongings.
Khidr: I like you to free me so that I can worship God freely.
The owner: you are free!
Khidr: thanks God that freed me from slavery.
One day and night of serving is better than a year of jihad (holy war)

A young man came in to prophet (peace be upon him) and said:

O prophet of God! I am most willing to fight on the path of God.
The prophet said: jihad (fight the holy war) on the path of God! if you are killed you will be
eternal in the heaven forever enjoying its riches and if you die, you will be rewarded by God and
if you come back alive, your sins will be forgiven and you will be cleansed as the day you were
born free of sin.
He said: O prophe of God! I have old parents and they say we are used to your presence and they
do not consent to me going to war.
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: be at their service swear to my creator! One day and night
serving one’s parents is better than fighting the holy war for a year.
At father’s service

A working man (in Najaf Ashraf) had an old father, at whose service he was thorough, to a
degree that he would take his father’s toilet wash jug himself and wait until he comes out and
then would take him back home.
He was always at his father’s service, except for Wednesday nights on which he would go to
Sahla mosque and since on that night he would remain in the mosque praying all night he
couldn’t be at his father’s service. But after a while he stopped going there.
They asked him: why have you stopped going to Sahla mosque?
In answer he said:
I went there for forty Wednesday nights, the last time I managed not to go soon, it was close to
the evening that started going, and I had gone a little, when the night came down and I was on
my way alone. A third of the way was left and it was very dark. All of a sudden I came across an
Arab while riding on his horse toward me, I told myself: this man must be a bandit, he will
undress me for sure, and when he got to me he started speaking Arabic saying:
Where are you going?
I said to Sahla mosque.
He asked: do you have anything to eat?
I said: no.
He said: look in your pocket!
I said: there is othing there.
Once more he repeated harshly.
I looked in, saw a little raisin in my pockets which I had bought for the children and I had forgot
all about.
Then he said:
I advise you to take care of your old father.
He repeated it three times.
Then he vanished into thin air, I realized he was Imam Mehdi and is not content with me leaving
my father alone even on Wednesday nights. So after that I stopped going to Sahla and praying
there.
Admirable traits

A group of infidel prisoners were brought to prophet of Islam (peace be upon him). The prophet
ordered them all to be executed except for one which he forgave and ordered to be freed.
The man asked with amazement: why did you only free me?
He said: the trustworthy angel Gabriel, informed me that you have five admirable traits that God
and his prophet admire.
1. That you are zealous for your honor.
2. You are generous, benevolent and plentiful.
3. You are good-tempered and well-mannered.
4. You are always honest and truthful and you never lie.
5. You are valiant and brave.
The prisoner upon hearing these words find them convenient with what he felt inside and found
out the truth of Islam, he converted to Islam and remained on his faith till his last breath.
The danger of faulty interpretations

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:

I had heard the populace talk good of a person, and speak of his greatness and generosity. I
decided on meeting him as an anonymous person and see about his greatness and personality.
One day I came across him circled by his admirers of the public. I covered my face, in a corner
and watched him carefully. He had a cunning expression on his face and sought to keep away
from people all the time until they went separate ways. So he went on his way. People went on
theirs.
I followed him to see where he goes and what he does.
Not long after he arrived at a bakery, and as soon as found the baker occupied elsewhere not
heeding his movements, stole two loafs of bread, hid them under his garments and kept on his
way.
I got surprised, saying to myself:
Maybe he has some former deal with each other and has paid for the bread before or is going to
pay for it later.
He went on and arrived at a pomegranate seller’s. He stood there a while and when no one was
watching, picked up two pomegranates and went on.
I got more surprised! I said again:
Maybe he has deals with him too, but I remarked:
If he has such deals, why does he behave like thieves? When no one is watching he picks thing
up.
I was still amazed by all this till I saw him coming across a sick person. He gave him the breads
and the pomegranates and carried on his way. I followed him, and went to him asking:
O God’s servant! I had heard people speak highly of you and was very interested to see you up
close but I witnessed strange deeds from you today which has made me worried. I like to ask you
about them so I might get some answers.
He said: what did you see?
I said:
You stole two loafs of bread from the bakery and two pomegranates from the pomegranates
seller.
The man first asked:
Who are you?
I said:
One of the progenies of Adam from the nation of Mohammad peace be upon him.
Man: what family?
Imam: family of the prophet peace be upon him.
Man: from which city?
Imam: Medina
Man: are you Jaafar bin Mohammad?
Imam: yes I am.
Man: such a pity that this lineage has profited you none. Since this question of yours shows that
you have not inherited the knowledge of your grandfather and father and know nothing of Quran
that if you had you would not question what I have done and would not find good deeds as evil
ones.
I said: of what I am ignorant?
He said: of Quran.
- And what Quran has said?
- Don’t you know that God has said in Quran:
- Whoever comes with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof and whoever comes
with an evil deed will not be recompensed except the like thereof.
So when I stole two loafs of bread I committed two sins and two pomegranates two sins, in all
four.
But when I gave them as alms on the path of God I received ten times of each good deed,
meaning I am rewarded by forty. So if you reduce four sins from forty good deed there remains
thirty six rewards of my good deeds for me. That is why I say you are ignorant and without
knowledge.
I said: woe be unto you, you are the one who is ignorant of Quran. Quran says:
God only accepts from the pious ones.
First you stole two loafs of bread, committed two sins and then two pomegranates, committed
two more sins, in sum four sins you have committed. And since you have given what was not
yours without their permissions to others under the title of alms, you have not only done no good
deeds but also four more sins. In all you have committed eight sins, and not four sins versus forty
good deeds.
That mad did not agree with my logical words, kept on arguing in vain so I let go of him and left.
Imam Sadiq while was narrating this story for his friends said:
These faulty interpretations and false justifications in religious matters causes some to go astray
and take people with them too.

The danger of cooperating with the tyrants

Ziad ibn Abi Salme which was working with Haroun AL Rashid’s regime says:
One day I went in before Imam Kadhim, imam said:
Ziad! I have heard that you are working for Sultan (Haroun Al Rashid) and cooperating with
them?
I said: yes!
He said: why?
I said: I am an honorable man and also I have a family for which I should provide and I am not
wealthy. I am cooperating with them in order to be able to provide for my life.
Imam said:
Ziad! Falling from heights and breaking into pieces is better in my eyes than working with
tyrants and cooperating with them or even taking one step on their floor. Except for one
condition, do you know what that is?
I said: my life be sacrificed for you I don’t know.
He said: I won’t cooperate with them unless:
1. I can make a true believer happy through it.
2. Or solve his problems.
3. Or pay back his debts.
4. Ziad! The least of which God does to those who have cooperated with tyrants is that he
will put them in a fiery tent until he finishes with all the people in hereafter.
O Ziad! Anytime you had a position of power in their regime do well with your brothers so that
your sins will be compensated by it…
And when you saw yourself holding power on people know that! God has power on you too on
the day hereafter and take note that your good deeds will pass and they might forget what you
have done for them but your good deeds are the only things you will be left on the day hereafter.