MUZAR, THE MAN FROM THE WELL AND HIS NINETEEN QUESTIONS

The following account had been mentioned in the books, “Mua’raj-un-Nubuwwat” and “Zuhrat-ul-Riaz”:

Ten days after the sad demise of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.), a man entered the Masjid-e-Nabawi” (The Prophet’s Mosque) in Madinah and inquired from the audience as to who was the vice-gerent of the Messenger of Allah? Hazrat Abu Bakr pointed towards the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.). The man greeted Imam Ali and Imam Ali (a.s.) replied his salutation as “Alaykassalaam! O Muzar of the well”. The audience and the man himself were surprised by this. On inquiry from the man, Imam Ali (a.s.) replied: “My brother, the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) had informed me about you. Your name is Muzar and your father’s name was Waram. Your age is three hundred sixty years. When you were one hundred years of age, you warned your community and told them about the coming of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.). As usual your community did not like your counsel and opposed you and ultimately imprisoned you in a well. After the demise of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.), Allah destroyed your community by flood and set you free from the well. You heard a voice saying that the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) had died and that you are one of his companions, hence go and visit his grave. My brother (s.a.w.a.s.) told me to convey his greetings (salaam) to you” The man, Muzar, cried and kissed Imam Ali (a.s.)’s forehead. Imam Ali (a.s.) told him to remove his face-cover and he complied.

Then Muzar said that he had some questions which could only be answered by the Prophet or his vice-gerent. Muzar asked,” Who is that masculine who had no father or mother? Who was the feminine who did not have a mother or father?  Who was the masculine who was born without a father? Who was the messenger who was neither man nor Jinn, neither angels nor animals? Which was that grave which travelled along with the occupier? Which was that animal who warned its companions? Which was the body that ate but did not drink? Which was the piece of land on which sun shone only once since the beginning and will never shine again? Which was the stone which gave birth to a living thing? Who was the woman who gave birth in 3 hours? Who are the two motionless who will never move? Who are the two movers who will never become stationary? Who are the two friends who will never be enemies? Who are the two enemies who will never be friendly? What is the Shay ‘Thing’? What is La Shay ‘Nothing’? What is the most beautiful thing? What is the ugliest thing? What is that thing which is formed first in the human embryo?  What part of the body  falls at the end in the grave?

The Gateway of Knowledge, Imam Ali (a.s.) replied: “The masculine who did not have parents was Adam. The feminine who did not have parents was Hazrat Hawwa. The masculine born without a father was Prophet Ei’sa. The messenger who was neither man nor Jin, neither angels nor animals was the crow sent by Allah to educate Qa’beel to bury his brother Ha’beel. The grave which traveled along with its occupier was the fish which carried Prophet Younus in its stomach for thirty days. The animal which warned its companions was an ant warning its companion ants who were climbing the crown of prophet Sulayman to take care that no soil falls on him. The body that ate but did not drink was the staff of prophet Musa which ate away the snakes of the magicians. The piece of land on which sun shone only once was the bed of the river Niles which was exposed only once to facilitate prophet Musa and the Children of Israel to cross it. The stone which gave birth to a living thing was the camel of prophet Saleh which appeared from stone. The woman who gave birth in three hours was Lady Mariyam who gave birth to Prophet E’isa in three hours. The two movers are the earth and the sun. The two movers who will never become stationary are the sun and the moon. The two friends who will not become enemy are the body and the soul. The two enemies who will never become friendly are life and death. The “Shay” is the faithful and the “La Shay” is the unbeliever. The most beautiful thing is the face of a human being and the ugliest is a body without head. The first thing formed in the embryo is the index finger and the last thing which falls in the grave is the end of spinal cord.”

                Extracted from “Kaukab-e-Durre” (Manaqib-e-Murtazavi) by Sayyid Muhammad Saleh al-Hanafi