محمد بن جعفر التميمي

Al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) said: Ibrahim the Friend of the Merciful (as) went to the mountain of Bayt al-Maqdis seeking a pasture for his sheep when he heard a voice. He found a man who was twelve cubits in height praying. So, he said to him: “O servant of Allah! Who do you pray to?” He said: “To the God of heaven.” So, Ibrahim (as) said to him: “Is there anyone of your people left besides you?” He said: “No.” He said: “So, from where do you eat?” He said: “The tree comes up in the summer, and I eat from it in the winter.” He said to him: “Where do you reside?” He said: So, he pointed with his hand to the mountain. So, Ibrahim (as) said to him: “Do you mind if I went with you and slept at your place for the night?” So, he said: “Before me is deep water.” He said: “So, what do you do?” He said: “I walk on top of it.” He said: “So, take me with you, so that Allah may grant me what He has granted you.” He said: So, the worshiper took him by the hand, and they went together until they ended up at the water. So, he and Ibrahim (as) walked together until they ended up at his residence. So, Ibrahim (as) said to him: “What is the greatest of days?” So, the worshiper said to him: “The Day of Religion (yawm al-din); the day in which the people condemn (yudan) one another.” He said: “Can we raise our hands and supplicate to Allah to protect us from the evil of that Day?” So, he said: “And what will my supplication do? For, by Allah, I have a supplication from thirty years ago that has not been answered at all.” So, Ibrahim (as) said to him: “Shall I not tell you the reason why your supplication was locked?” He said: “Of course.” He said to him: “When Allah loves a servant, He locks up his supplication so that he may [continue] whispering to Him, asking Him, and requesting from Him. When He hates a servant, He hastens in granting his supplication, or He puts a needlessness of it in his heart.” Then, he said to him: “What was your supplication?” He said: “For a sheep breeder” – and with him was a boy. So, [he] said: “O boy! Who do these sheep belong to?” So, he said: “To Ibrahim the Friend of the Merciful.” So, [he] said: “O Allah! If you have a Friend on Earth, then show him to me.” So, Ibrahim (as) said to him: “Allah has granted your supplication. I am Ibrahim the Friend of the Merciful.” So, he embraced him. When Allah sent Muhammad (s), the [prescription for the] handshake came.