Imam al-Sadiq (a) said,
“In his travels, Imam al-Sajjad (a) accompanied someone who did not know Imam (a), so that he (a) could help them and serve in the affairs of the caravan.
Once, he (a) went on a travel with a caravan who did not know him. He (a) did not spare offering any service toward his companions and some people, who saw his services, abused them by telling Imam al-Sajjad (a) to do all their errands!
They went on until someone met the caravan on the way and knew Imam al-Sajjad (a) and saw him gathering firewood. The man asked the people in the caravan, ‘Do you know this honorable man?’ They answered, no! He said, ‘he (a) is Ali b. al-Husayn (a)!” (Imam and the proof of God upon all the existence)
The companions of Imam (a), who just knew Imam (a), rushed to him and kissed his hands and feet and said, ‘did you want us to be inflicted with divine punishment? If we bothered you with hand or tongue out of ignorance, what should we do?”
Imam al-Sajjad (a) said, “Once, I went to travel with a caravan and they knew me. For the sake of the Prophet (a), they respected and served me in a manner I was not worthy of (meaning that even though Imam (a) was infallible and the vicegerent of God, he (a) did not consider himself superior); therefore, I lost the opportunity to do good (i.e. serving the fellow travelers); this time, I came with you so that I do not have the same problem, because I love traveling anonymously and serving fellow travelers more!”
Imam al-Sajjad (a) became upset of the person who introduced him, and told him, “you should have not introduced me.”
Then, Imam al-Sajjad (a) separated from the caravan and continued the travel alone.
Reference:
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 11, p. 21.
