The loader of the black stone

 

The name of the story: The loader of the black stone

Translated by: Mojtaba Mohamad Ali al-Helu

Painted and colored by: Hasanain Jawad Shobar

Edited by: Haidar Mohamad al-Toraify

Sheikh bin qulowiah: peace be upon you my friends. My name is Jafar bin Mohamad. I am known as bin Qulowiah. I was born in Qom in the minor occultation. I grew up and learnt Islamic sciences until I became a famous Islamic scientist. I learnt the narration science and listened to its scientists, therefore I became a famous narrator. I wrote many books which the most famous one is (Kamel al-Ziarat) about the wellness of visiting the prophet (p.b) and Ahlulbayt (p.b). When I was young, exactly in the age of the third deputy al-Hosain bin Rouh al-Nobakty, a dangerous trouble happened that in the year 317 A.H, the Qaramedah attacked Mecca in the pilgrimage season and killed the pilgrims.

And they cut out the black stone from its place and brought it to their position in al-Ehsa.

What? You want to know who are the Qaramedah? And who is their leader? Ok, I'll tell you.

The Qaramedah is a group which is curved from the way of Ahlulbayt(p.b). Its leader is al-Hasan bin Bahram al-Janaby from Janabah in Iran.

At the beginning, he was selling flour in his city and he was deviance, therefore his citizens exiled him. Then he went to Bahrain, which is placed at the eastern point of the Arab island. He started trading until he became a famous businessman. Then he started calling people to himself, so little by little, groups of people started joining to him. Then, he got a great power and he got the control of Bahrain. He began shutting of the way of pilgrims and his son attacked to Mecca and brought the black stone from there as I told you.

After this introduction, you want to know my story and my relationship with imam al-Mahdi(p.b)? Ok, I'll tell you.

In the year 339 A.H, exactly 22 years after killing the pilgrims in Mecca, I aimed to go to pilgrimage, so I gathered my objects. At first, I moved from Qom to Baghdad with a caravan. When I arrived there, an important matter happened that the Qaramedah accepted to return the black stone to its place in Kaaba.

This subject became controversial among people in everywhere, so my most important matter became the reaching to Mecca and to see who will put the black stone in its place. Do you know why? Because the person who puts it in its place, is the imam of the era imam al-Mahdi(p.b), exactly the same as the prophet and imam Zein al-Abedin(p.b). Do You want to know what happened to them? Ok first, I'll start with the story of the prophet and his putting the black stone in its place.

One year, before the prophet's birth, Mecca was flooded and Kaba was destroyed; so Qoraish aimed to destroy it completely and rebuild it, and they did. When it was the time of putting the black stone in its place, they got quarrel within each other and everyone wanted to have this honor. They got disunity for days and it was almost to be a battle among them. At last, they agreed to give the judgment to the first person who enters from the mosque's door. The God's prophet entered. They said: This is the truthful, he is coming, give him the judgment because there is nobody better than him in behaviour and judging!

The prophet arrived and the people greeted him. He stood between them and they asked him to judge at this trouble. He looked at the corners of Kaaba, and then he looked at the sky…After a little while he said: Bring a cloth for me.

They brought a cloth. The prophet put the stone in the cloth by himself and all of the people there were looking at him then he told the people: the doyen of every tribes, catch a corner of this cloth and lift it. They got surprise from the judgment. They accepted it and they did what the prophet ordered them, then he got up near the place of the black stone, then got the stone, and put it in its place; so the prophet finished the matter.

The story of imam Zain al-Abedin is that a war happened in his time. The war Abd Allah bin Zobair who wanted to be the leader against the Bany Omaiah's army under the Hajaj bin Yousef al-Thaqafy's command. Abd Allah bin Zobair was covered by Kaba and his followers were fighting the Bany Omaiah's army from inside the mosque, so Hajaj ordered his soldiers to throw wild stones to Kaba, so he destroyed Kaba and killed Abd Allah bin Zobair inside the God's house. When the war was finished, Hajaj aimed to rebuild Kaba and he did. When they wanted to put the black stone in its place, Hajaj asked the scientists to do that. Every Muslem scholars who tried to put it in its place, he didn’t have the ability for doing that. After that, Hajaj

Gathered his judges and asked them to put it in its place. They did, but the stone was shaking and didn’t stand in its place. Then, Hajaj called the hermits and asked them to do the same, but they couldn’t. Then, imam Zain al-Abedin (p.b) took it from their hands and said: "In the name of God" and he put it in its place. People started saying: Allah is the greatest and there is no God except Allah.

After my telling you the story of the prophet and his putting the black stone and imam Zain al-Abedin(p.b), I continue telling my story. As I told you, I am longing for seeing the loader of the black stone who is imam al-Mahdi(p.b) himself. However, I got a trouble which I couldn’t continue my journey to pilgrimage, because I fell ill in Baghdad and I lied in the bed, without having the ability of moving. I was afraid of dying, so I asked my friend bin Husham to go to pilgrimage instead of me and I gave him a letter to imam al-Mahdi(p.b), asking him about my age duration and do I die because of this illness or not? I asked my friend bin Husham to give the letter to the loader of the black stone and to get the reply. So, Come my friends and listen to what my friend, bin Husham narrate.

Bin Husham: Peace be upon you my dear friends. I will narrate what had happen after my leaving Baghdad.

I went to pilgrimage. When I reached to Mecca, I saw that people were talking about the return of the black stone. When it was the time, I went to the servants of Kaaba, I gave them a lot of money to put me in a suitable place to see the loader of the black stone, and I chose some of them to push the rush, so I got that. When it was the time, the agent of the caliph tried to put it in its place, but he couldn’t. Another one tried, but he couldn’t too, and one by one started trying but they couldn’t. My eyes were gazing at the black stone and the person who brings it. At last, a young brown handsome man took the stone and put it in its place. People started shouting and saying: Allah is the greatest and there is no God except Allah. The young man got out of that place, so I got up from seat and started following and pushing people until some people thought that I am  crazy. They opened the way for me while I was walking fast.

My eyes were gazing at the young man until he got in a street, so I walk fast behind him. The young man was walking slowly but I was walking fast behind him but I couldn’t arrive him. When we arrived to a place, which nobody was there, he stopped, turned around and looked at me.

Imam al-Mahdi(p.b): Give me the letter which you brought it.

Bin Husham: I got surprised and told myself: how did he know that I have the letter?

So I got the letter out of my packet and gave it to him. He didn’t see what the letter contains and said.

Imam al-Mahdi(p.b): Tell the writer of the letter that don’t be afraid of this illness. You will die after thirty years.

Bin Husham: I didn’t believe what I heard. I started crying because of the imam's effect. Then he left me and went. I couldn’t move from my place because of being shocked. After that, I went back to Baghdad and told Bin Qolowiah the story. He cried from that. He got recovered from his illness. After thirty years, Bin Qolowiah fell ill, died in the year 369 A.H, and was buried beside the shrine of imam al-Kadem and imam al-Jawad (p.b) in Baghdad and his grave is still there.

Now, I thank you for listening to me and don’t forget praying for imam al-Mahdi(p.b) for his reappearance.