The miracles of Imam Hadi (a) frustrated the oppressors such as Mutawakkil al-Abbasi, saved the oppressed, and also provided the ground for the guidance of people, as we read below.
It is narrated that a group of people from Isfahan, at the time no one followed Imams or knew Imamate there, came to a person named “Abd al-Rahman” who was a lover of Imams, and asked him, “why did you become a Shiite?” In response, he said, “I along with a group of people of the city went to the house of Mutawakkil to complain about the oppression and ask the Abbasid Caliph for justice and help.
A large crowd was standing there, when Mutawakkil’s order was received that they arrest Ali ibn Muhammad(imam hadi(s.a)).
I asked my friends and those present, “who is Ali ibn Muhammad?” They answered, “He is Imam of Shiites and Mutawakkil most likely kill him. I said to myself, “I won’t leave here until I see his face, and become aware what will happen to him”. They just brought him on a horse, while people stood in lines to meet him.
Abd al-Rahman continued: “upon seeing Imam, I felt thrilled and my heart filled with love, so I kept praying may he not be harmed by Mutawakkil”. The agents were passing him through the crowd, while he was sitting gracefully on horseback, not looking anywhere or paying attention to anyone until he arrived in front of me, turned his face to me, and said, “God has accepted your prayers and will give you a long life, a lot of wealth and many children.”
I trembled by hearing those words (he was aware of my heart and mind) and those present asked me, “Who are you? What do you want? And what did he tell you?”
I replied, “It was good, but I did not tell them the secret news. It was until I returned to Isfahan and God gave me abundant wealth and also I lived more that seventy years and I had two children …; thus, I believed in his Imamate and became one of his Shiites.
Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 371, Hadith: 37.
