Seventy Magicians and their Sketch

Sayyid Hashim Bahrani, author of Tafseer Burhan narrates that Mansur Dawaniqi summoned seventy natives of Kabul and told them: “You are experts in magic and Ja’far bin Muhammad is also [God forbid] a sorcerer like you. If you can perform a magic trick, which defeats him, I will give you a lot of money.”

They began to work upon this and first of all prepared seventy pictures of lions in the court of Mansur. Each of the sorcerers sat near the picture he had sketched. Mansur also sat upon his throne wearing his crown and ordered his men to present Imam Ja’far bin Muhammad (a.s.), the sixth Divine Proof.

When the Imam entered, his eyes fell upon those present there like it is mentioned in the Ziyarat: The seeing eyes of Allah. Then he raised his hands towards the heavens and mentioned some words; some of them softly and some aloud. Then he said:
“Woe be on you! I would render your magic and sorcery ineffective.”

Then he issued a command and said: “O lions, seize them!”

It is mentioned in another report that he said:
“O images, each of you, seize your companion!”

So, each of the images turned into a ferocious lion and seized its companion. Mansur fell down from his throne unconscious. When he regained senses, he sought the forgiveness of the Imam and said: 

“My lord and master, tell these lions to return those fellows.” Imam (a.s.) said: “If the staff of Musa (a.s.) had returned what it swallowed, they would have also done the same.” That is since the staff of Musa (a.s.) did not restore those serpents, these would also not do that.


(Isbaatul Wilayah of Ayatullah Haaj Shaykh Ali Namazi Shahroodi (r.a.) Section Seven: Obedience of animals and their pictures to Prophet and Holy Imams (a.s.), Madinatul Maajiz, 363 & 364)

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