Imam Naqi makes a lion come out of no where...

Seeing this, Imam Ali an-Naqi (as) cast a wrathful glance on the pillow on which there was a picture of a lion and upon which this Indian magician was reclining and resting; he slapped on the pillow and addressed the lion, "What are you looking at, eat up this magician"! As if the lion was waiting for a command from the Imam (as) that it immediately pounced upon the magician and within a matter of seconds, it ate and gobbled him up and then went back to its original shape of a picture!! All the people gathered there were completely spellbound and a deathly silence prevailed. The Imam (as) got up to go when Mutawakkil came begging for the magician to be restored back to life.

The Imam (as) turned around and said, "You shall never get him back, you tried to impose an enemy of Allah upon Allah's friends"; saying this the Imam (as) left." 

[This has been taken from the book Mukhtar al-Kharaij wal Jaraih, p.210.]

Imam Naqi was challenged by Mutawakill and his men every now and the, from the topic of his Imamate, to his clothing and repute... Imam Naqi gave this magician, whom was sent by Mutawakil, such a death, that some books say people fainted. This is the power of Imam Ali Al-Hadi An-Naqi (as)!

Really, Isn't Imam Naqi (as) worth a read?

There is a narration from Saleh ibn Saeed, who says he was once in the company of the Imam (as) and said, "O my Moula, these people want to harass you and extinguish the light of Allah (you) and so they have deliberately lodged you with the poor and the pauper in the Caraven-serai, to belittle you!" The Imam (as) said, "O ibn-Sayeed, do not be upset and perturbed; you do not know us truly" and saying this, the Imam pointed out with his hand and said, "Look there", and when I lifted up my gaze, behold! I saw lush green gardens, with Angels and Houris walking gently through them, birds chirping on the branches, gazelles and deer playfully romping around and streams of sweet water rippling by ! I was amazed and dazzled by what I saw. The Imam (as) said, "This is from Allah for me". 

[From the book, Basaaer Ul-Darajaat, page 406]

Imam Naqi (as) about the unseen...

People observed from lmam Hadi (A.S.) due to his connection with God and the unseen world, works which were considered to be the specimen of God's might and power.

One of the friends of Imam (A.S.) traveled from Iraq to Madina and had the honor to visit Imam (A.S.). Imam (A.S.) inquired from him the condition of Al-Wasiq the Abbasade caliph and he replied, "when I left Iraq he was fit and fine, and Mutawakkil was in prison and Ibn-e-Zayyat had become famous and well known among the people.

Imam (A.S.) after a moment's silence said, "That which is God's will, shall take place, and there is no way to stop his orders and commands. Oh my friend be aware that Wasiq has passed away and Mutawakkil has succeeded him and Ibn-e-Ziyyat has been slain upon the behest of Mutawakkil."

I asked, "When was it?"

He said, "Six days after you moved out of Baghdad."

Can you speak 73 different languages?

Abul Hashem al-Jafferi narrates:

One day I went to Imam Ali Naqi (as) to see him and to be in his service, when the Imam addressed me in Hindi (Sanskrit language) and I could not understand a word of it. He took up a pebble lying near his feet and then threw it towards me and said, "Abul Hashem, keep it in your mouth". I took it in my mouth and started sucking it for a while, and when I took leave of the Imam (as), I could speak in 73 languages, Hindi being one of them! !" 

[From the book "Mukhtar al-Kharaij wal Jaraih", page 237]

Signs of the coming of the Mahdi (as)

Imam who will arise Imam Mahdi (as) (Qa'im), and the events which will take place before his appearance, together with the indications and features of it.
Among them are:
- The Sufyani will come out in revolt;
- the Hasanid will be killed;
- the Abbasids will dispute over worldly kingdom;
- there will be an eclipse of the sun in the middle of the month of Ramadan;
- there will be an eclipse of the moon at the end of that month in contrast to ordinary happenings;
- the land will be swallowed up at al-Bayda'; it will be swallowed in the east-it will be swallowed up in the west;
- the sun will stay still from the time of its decline to the middle of the time for the afternoon prayer;
- it will rise from the west;
- a pure soul (nafs zakiyya) will be killed in the outskirts of Kufa with seventy righteous men;
- a Hashimite will be slaughtered between the corner (of the Ka'ba) and the station of Abraham);
- the wall of the mosque of Kufa will be destroyed;
- black standards will advance from Khurasan;
- al-Yamani will come out in revolt;
- al-Maghribi will appear in Egypt and take possession of it from Syria;
- the Turk will occupy the region of al-Jazira;
- the Byzantines will occupy Ramla;
- the star will appear in the east giving light just like the moon gives light;
- then (the new moon) will bend until its two tips almost meet;
- a colour will appear in the sky and spread to its horizons;
- a fire will appear for a long time in the east remaining in the air for three or seven days;
- the Arabs will throw off the reins and take possession of their land, throwing out the foreign authority;
- the people of Egypt will kill their ruler and destroy Syria; and three standards will dispute over it (Syria);
- the standards of Qays and the Arabs will come among the people of Egypt;
- the standards of Kinda (will go) to Khurasan;
- horses will come from the west until they are stabled in al-Hira;
- the black standards will advance towards them from the east; the Euphrates will flood so that the water comes into the alleys of Kufa;
- sixty liars will come forward, all of them claiming prophethood, and twelve will come forward from the family of Abu Talib, all of them claiming the Imamate; a man of important rank of the supporters of the 'Abbasids will be burnt between Jalula' and Khaniqin;
- the bridge next to Karkh in the city of Baghdad will be established;
- a black wind will raise it at the beginning of the day and then an earthquake will occur so that much of it will be swallowed up;
- fear will cover the people of Iraq and Baghdad; swift death (will occur) there and there will be a loss of property, lives and harvests;
- locusts will appear at their usual times and at times not usual so that they attack agricultural land and crops and there will be little harvest for what the people planted;
- two kinds of foreigners will dispute and much blood will be shed in their quarrel;
- slaves will rebel against obedience to their masters and kill their masters (mawali);
- a group of heretics (ahl al-bida) will be transformed until they become monkeys and pigs;
- slaves will conquer the land of their masters; a cry (will come) from the sky (in such a way) that all the people will hear it in their own languages;
- a face and a chest will appear in the sky before the people in the center of the sun;
- the dead will arise from their graves so that they will return to the world and they will recognize one another and visit one another;
- that will come to an end with twenty-four continuous rainstorms and the land will be revived by them after being dead and it will recognize its blessings;
- after that every disease will be taken away from those of the Shia of the Mahdi, peace be on him, who believe in the truth;
at that time they will know of his appearance in Mecca and they will go to him to support him.
(These signs) are as the reports have mentioned. Among the total of these events are some which are bound (to happen) and other which are conditional. God knows best what will take place. We have only mentioned them on the basis of what is recounted in basic sources of tradition (usul) because of their inclusion in traditions which have been handed down. From God we seek help and Him do we ask for success.

The above sets of related traditions, come from the holy sayings of Imam Muhammed Taqi Al-Jawwad (as), and also his pious son Imam Ali Naqi (as)