Hisham b. Isma’il was Umayyad governor of Medina. He bothered people a lot and bothered Imam al-Sajjad (a) more than others.
Eventually, Walid dismissed him and ordered to tie him in the middle of the town so that people go and take their revenge from him. People went one by one and took their revenge from him.
Hisham said, “I fear Ali b. Husayn (a) more than anyone, because his revenge would be severe because of my bothering and the curses and abuses I made toward his grandfather Ali b. Abi Talib (a).”
Imam al-Sajjad (a) was passing by Hisham and saw him. Imam (a) told his companions, “our manner is not that we kick the fallen and take revenge of the enemy.”
When Imam (a) was going toward Hisham b. Isma’il, he became so terrified, but opposite to his expectation, Imam al-Sajjad (a) greeted him loudly and shook hand with him. Imam (a) expressed sympathy for him and told him,
“I’m ready to do any help I can give.”
Hisham shouted, “God knows whom He assigns with His mission.”
After this incident, people of Medina stopped taking revenge from him.
Sources:
Tarikh Tabari, vol. 6, p. 526.
Sharh al-Akhbar, vol. 3, p. 260.
