a man named Abi Sa’eed al-Mukari went to see Al-Ridha (s) and rudely asked, “Have you reached the point at which you claim to be what your father also claimed to be?” The Imam (s) told him, “None of your business! May God darken your life and make you poor. Don’t you know that the Honorable the Exalted God revealed to Imran (s) that He would grant him a son, but first gave him (the Blessed Baby) Mary (s) and then gave Jesus (s) to (the Blessed Lady) Mary (s)? Thus Jesus (s) and Mary (s) are two different people, but they are one and the same thing. I am from my father (s), and my father (s) is from me. My father (s) and I are also one and the samething.” Abi Sa’eed said, “Then let me ask you a question.” The Imam (s) said, “I do not think that you will accept my answer. You are not one of my friends or followers. However, ask anyways.” Abi Sa’eed said, “Consider someone makes a will at the time of his death and says that all his old slaves should be freed. Which of his slaves should be freed?” The Imam (s) said, “Yes. The Blessed the Sublime God says the following in His Book, ‘…till she returns like the old (and withered) lower part of a date-stalk.’ Therefore, whoever has been a slave for more than six months is considered an old slave and should be freed.”The narrator added, “The man left there and became poor. He was poor until he died. He did not even have enough bread to eat at night. May God damn him!”