Minister of Culture in Iraq Became Shi’a by Allama Amini’s Dignity

Ayatollah Ali Sāfī Esfahānī said about himself becoming familiar with Allāme Amīnī by telling some memories of being before him. [He said,] “We got familiar with him through our deceased grandfather.

The job of my deceased grandfather – Hāj Nasrollāh Sāfī – was bookbinding. He used to work with Allāme Amīnī in Amīr al-mu’menīn library in Najaf. Since he was our grandfather and he used to work there, we would be going there. From that time I got to know Allāme Amīnī and little by little I became fond of him. Deceased Allāme Amīnī too had special favour with our deceased grandfather and he also was fond of me because I used to help him as much as I could.

He mentioned an instance of Allāme Amīnī’s spiritual status and he cited, “We have published a pamphlet called “Qadīr and the grand reviver of Qadīr” and some of the information is in that. For instance I was much fond of Mr Bahjat. I had been of his special companions for about ten years. There were religious ceremonies held in Mr Bahjat’s house on Friday mornings. About 30 years ago in that ceremony Mr Shams who was one of the famous lecturers in Qum mentioned a story about Allāme Amīnī from the pulpit. In my opinion it was a very important and wonderful matter. Later I asked Mr Bahjat about this story and I said, “Sir, do you confirm this [story]?”. “YES!” Mr Bahjat replied loudly.

He added, “The story is that the minister of culture in Iraq had a child who was paralyzed. The child had an incurable disease. There were so many facilities provided for the minister and he traveled all over the world for his child’s therapy. He loved this child too much. He was so disappointed about the child’s therapy until he heard about Allāme Amīnī’s fame. He thought to himself that, “we have gone to everywhere, now let’s write a letter to him to see what will happen”. In that letter he wrote for deceased Allāme Amīnī, “I would believe in your Ali ibn Abi-Tālib if he could heal my child.” Allāme Amīnī got this letter when he had just sat down to table cloth. When he saw this letter, he put down the morsel and went to the holy shrine of Imām Ali (pbuh).”

He continued, “He stayed at the holy shrine for a while. No one knows what happened and what was said in the holy shrine. Then he left the holy shrine and replied to the letter of the minister.”Dear Minister! Ali ibn Abi-Tālib – the immediate successor of the Prophet – healed your child. The minister too got Allāme Amīnī’s letter while he was sitting dawn to the table cloth and he wanted to eat the food. When he received this letter, he opened it. He went to his child quickly and he saw his child had been healed and he could walk. He sent a letter to Allāme Amīnī again and said, “Dear Mr. Amīnī! All ibn Abi-Tālib – the immediate successor of the Prophet – healed my child. But I am in a situation that I cannot declare that I have become Shia’a. Deceased Allāme Amīnī replied again, “Dear Minister! Ali ibn Abi-Tālib – the immediate successor of the Prophet – solved this problem of yours too. When the minister read this letter, he declared that he became Shia’a and this was the miracle of the chief of the believers [Imam Ali (pbuh)] that his child who had been paralyzed was healed. All members of the minister’s family and tribe became Shia’a for this reason.