The glorious month of Rabi'-Ol-Awwal is upon us -the month in which the most beautiful and perfect creation of Allah, Hadrat Mohammad (PBUH&HP), and years later, his sixth beloved Successor, blessed this tired old and anticipating earth with their magnificent births-, and after the eighth day on which the earth lost another star, on the ninth day of this blessed month, among other auspicious occasions, we are observing the start of the Imamat of the Last Infallible Imam from the wonderful progeny of that same Prophet Muhammad (PBUT), the Ever-Anticipated Mahdi of Fatemah (PBUT). We are honored to narrate a true story through which it is clearly demonstrated that without a doubt, OCCULTATION is absolutely not tantamount to non-existence, rather it is PRESENCE, that is if the pious and obedient souls truly believe in and seek the benevolence and kindness and …, the Allah-Bestowed lordship and leadership, i.e. the Divinely Ordained Imamat of him whom we are Anticipating, moment by moment.

Years ago in Bahrain there was a very prejudice Sunni sovereign installed by foreigners whose minister was even more hostile toward the Shi'ah. They held a grudge against the people of Bahrain due to their adherence to the AhlulBayt (PBUT). The minister was constantly plotting schemes to hurt and even kill the people.

One day the minister took a Pomegranate to the sovereign, on the pomegranate it was written: "There is no god but Allah; Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah; AbuBakr, 'Omar, 'Othmaan and 'Ali are the Caliphs of the Messenger of Allah.

When the sovereign observed that the writing was from the pomegranate itself, he was astonished, and stated that it was an undeniable and clear sign for the falsehood of the Shi'ah. The sovereign asked his minister's advice regarding that which needed to be done against the Shi'ah of Bahrain. The minister stated that, the Shi'ah were very unreasonable and that, the sovereign should call them in and show them the pomegranate, and that, if they submitted, there would be great rewards from Allah for the sovereign, and if they did not submit, the sovereign should force them to decide between three matters: either pay special taxes assigned for disbelievers (i.e. to admit that they were disbelievers), or expect suppression, persecution, plundering of their properties, slavery of their women and death of their men, or bring a convincing answer.

The sovereign sent after the Shi'ah scholars and showed them the pomegranate. The scholars were shocked, their bodies, shaken and their spirits, distressed; they asked for three days to bring a convincing answer, and after the three days if they were not able to bring a response, the sovereign was to do to them as he wished.

So the Shi'ah gathered and discussed the situation; they decided to choose ten of the most pious among themselves, and then three out of those ten.

The first night, they sent one of the three outside the city, to the desert, to pray and worship Allah all night and seek the assistance of Imam Mahdi, the Saaheb-O-Zamaan (PBUH), to implore him to help, for, they believed that he was their living Imam and lord, aware of all that was happening. He did so all night but nothing happened.

The second night, they sent the second man, he did the same all night, but again, nothing happened.

The third person was Mohammad son of 'Eesa, a very pious man; on the third night, he left the city, barefoot and barehead. It was a very dark night, He worshipped and shed tears all night and wholeheartedly sought his beloved Imam's assistance for the grave matter at hand. Toward the end of the night, a man came to him, called him by name and asked what was troubling him. He told the man to leave him alone and that he had gone there for a very serious matter and that he would not say it to no one but his Imam. The man said that he was the Saaheb-Ol-Amr and asked Mohammad to tell him what had happened.

Mohammad son of 'Eesa said that if he truly was the Imam, then he surely knew what the problem was and that there was no need to explain. The Imam (PBUH) narrated the whole story for Mohammad son of 'Eesa, and Mohammad was listening while crying. Mohammad told the Imam that he was their only shelter and their lord and Mawla, and that he was capable of removing the calamity.

The Imam (PBUH) explained that in the minister's house was a pomegranate tree. The minister had made a mold from mud in the shape of a pomegranate and broke it in two halves and then, he wrote the statements within the mold, then he placed the mold around one of the pomegranate which was growing on the tree, as the pomegranate grew in the mold, the letters left their impression on the pomegranate.

The Imam (PBUH) instructed Mohammad to return to the city in the morning, and tell the sovereign that he brought the answer but he would not say it unless in the minister's house. Then the Imam (PBUH) stated that when Mohammad entered the minister's house, he would found a small room to his right; and he was to tell the sovereign that he would not give the answer unless in that small room. The Imam (PBUH) said to Mohammad that the minister would try to go to the room first, but he should not let him and Mohammad was to enter the room first. The Imam (PBUH) continued that in the room, there was a shelf, on it a white bag, in it the mold. The Imam told him to show it to the sovereign and tell him of a miracle; that, if the pomegranate was broken open, only smoke and ashes would be in it. The Imam instructed Mohammad to tell the sovereign that if he wished to be sure of Mohammad's claim, to command the minister break the pomegranate in front of the people; the Imam added that when the pomegranate would be broken, the smoke and ashes would all sit on the minister's face.

When Mohammad son of 'Eesa heard these words from his Imam, praised Allah and kissed the earth under his Imam's feet, and returned to the city happily.

Mohammad son of 'Eesa did exactly as his Imam had instructed. After witnessing all that, the sovereign asked him who had informed him; Mohammad said, the Imam of the Time, and the Hojjat (Proof) of Allah upon people. The sovereign asked, who his Imam and leader was. Mohammad named all Imams including the twelfth (PBUT). The sovereign asked Mohammad for his hand so that he could shake it and pledge his allegiance, then he bore testimony to oneness of Allah, and Prophethood of Muhammad, and immediate Caliphate of 'Ali and then the other Imams (PBUT).

The sovereign decreed the death penalty for the minister and publicly apologized from the people.

This story is well known in Bahrain, and the people go on pilgrimage of Mohammad's grave and pay their respects.

(Behaar-Ol-Anwaar; Montahel-Aamaal; …)