Some examples of Powers demonstrated by Ahl Al-Bayt-asws are presented below:
الخرائج و الجرائح رُوِيَ أَنَّ صَفْوَانَ بْنَ يَحْيَى قَالَ: قَالَ لِيَ الْعَبْدِيُّ قَالَتْ أَهْلِي قَدْ طَالَ عَهْدُنَا بِالصَّادِقِ ع فَلَوْ حَجَجْنَا وَ جَدَّدْنَا بِهِ الْعَهْدَ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا عِنْدِي شَيْءٌ أَحُجُّ بِهِ فَقَالَتْ عِنْدَنَا كسو [كِسْوَةٌ] وَ حُلِيٌّ فَبِعْ ذَلِكَ وَ تَجَهَّزْ بِهِ فَفَعَلْتُ
(The book) ‘Al Kharaij Wa Al Jaraih’ – It is reported by Safwan Bin Yahya who said,
‘Al-Abdy said to me: ‘My wife said, ‘Our pact with Al-Sadiq-asws, if we could perform Hajj and renew our pact with him-asws’. I said to her, ‘By Allah-azwj! There is nothing with me I can perform Hajj with’. She said, ‘There are garments and jewellery with us. We could sell that and prepare with it’. I did so.
فَلَمَّا صِرْنَا قُرْبَ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرِضَتْ مَرَضاً شَدِيداً وَ أَشْرَفَتْ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ فَلَمَّا دَخَلْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ خَرَجْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِهَا وَ أَنَا آيِسٌ مِنْهَا فَأَتَيْتُ الصَّادِقَ ع وَ عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبَانِ مُمَصَّرَانِ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَجَابَنِي وَ سَأَلَنِي عَنْهَا فَعَرَّفْتُهُ خَبَرَهَا وَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي خَرَجْتُ وَ قَدْ أَيِسْتُ مِنْهَا
When we came near to Al-Medina, she fell ill with severe illness, and overlooked upon the death. When we entered Al-Medina, I went out from her presence, and I had despaired from her. I came to Al-Sadiq-asws, and there were two dyed clothes upon him-asws. I greeted unto him-asws. He-asws answered me and asked me about her. I told him-asws her news and said, ‘I went out and I had despaired from her’.
فَأَطْرَقَ مَلِيّاً ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عَبْدِيُّ أَنْتَ حَزِينٌ بِسَبَبِهَا قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ عَلَيْهَا فَقَدْ دَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ لَهَا بِالْعَافِيَةِ فَارْجِعْ إِلَيْهَا فَإِنَّكَ تَجِدُهَا قَاعِدَةً وَ الْخَادِمَةُ تُلْقِمُهَا الطَّبَرْزَدَ
He-asws lowered his-asws head for a while, then said: ‘O Abdy! You are grief-stricken due to her cause?’ I said, ‘Yes’. He-asws said: ‘There is no problem upon her, for I-asws have supplicated to Allah-azwj with well-being for her. So return to her, and you will find her seated, and the maid would be feeding her Al-Tabarzad’.
قَالَ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهَا مُبَادِراً فَوَجَدْتُهَا قَدْ أَفَاقَتْ وَ هِيَ قَاعِدَةٌ وَ الْخَادِمَةُ تُلْقِمُهَا الطَّبَرْزَدَ فَقُلْتُ مَا حَالُكِ قَالَتْ قَدْ صَبَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ الْعَافِيَةَ صَبّاً وَ قَدِ اشْتَهَيْتُ هَذَا السُّكَّرَ
He said, ‘I returned to her and found her to have awoken, and she was seated, and the maid was feeding her Al-Tabarzad. I said, ‘What is your state?’ She said, ‘Allah-azwj has Poured the well-being upon me with a pouring, and I desired this sugar (sweet dish)’.
فَقُلْتُ خَرَجْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِكِ آيِساً فَسَأَلَنِي الصَّادِقُ عَنْكِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِحَالِكِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ عَلَيْهَا ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهَا فَهِيَ تَأْكُلُ السُّكَّرَ قَالَتْ خَرَجْتَ مِنْ عِنْدِي وَ أَنَا أَجُودُ بِنَفْسِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَيَّ رَجُلٌ عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبَانِ مُمَصَّرَانِ قَالَ مَا لَكِ قُلْتُ أَنَا مَيِّتَةٌ وَ هَذَا مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ قَدْ جَاءَ يَقْبِضُ رُوحِي
I said, ‘I had gone out from your presence having despaired. Al-Sadiq-asws asked me about you. I informed him-asws with your state. He-asws said: ‘There is no problem upon her. Return to her and she would be eating the sugar (sweet dish)’. She said, ‘You went out from me and I was finding my last breath. A man entered to see me having two dyed clothes upon him. He said, ‘What is the matter with you?’ I said, ‘I am dying, and this here is the Angel of death having come to capture my soul’.
فَقَالَ يَا مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ قَالَ لَبَّيْكَ أَيُّهَا الْإِمَامُ قَالَ أَ لَسْتَ أُمِرْتَ بِالسَّمْعِ وَ الطَّاعَةِ لَنَا قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ فَإِنِّي آمُرُكَ أَنْ تُؤَخِّرَ أَمْرَهَا عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ السَّمْعَ وَ الطَّاعَةَ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ هُوَ وَ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ فَأَفَقْتُ مِنْ سَاعَتِي.
He said: ‘O Angel of death!’ He said, ‘At your service, O Imam-asws!’ He-asws said: ‘Haven’t you been Commanded with the listening and the obedience to us-asws?’ He said, ‘Yes’. He said, ‘So I-asws am hereby ordering you to delay her matter for twenty years’. He said, ‘The listening and the obeying!’ He-asws and the Angel of death returned, and I awoke from that time’’.[1]
الخرائج و الجرائح رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي الصَّامِتِ الْحُلْوَانِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلصَّادِقِ ع أَعْطِنِي الشَّيْءَ يَنْفِي الشَّكَّ عَنْ قَلْبِي قَالَ ع هَاتِ الْمِفْتَاحَ الَّذِي فِي كُمِّكَ فَنَاوَلْتُهُ فَإِذَا الْمِفْتَاحُ أَسَدٌ فَخِفْتُ قَالَ خُذْ لَا تَخَفْ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَعَادَ مِفْتَاحاً كَمَا كَانَ.
(The book) ‘Al Kharaij Wa Al Jaraih’ – It is reported from Abu Al Saamit Al Halwany who said,
‘I said to Al-Sadiq-asws, ‘Give me the thing which would negate the doubt from my heart’. He-asws said: ‘Give (me-asws) the key which is in your sleeve!’ I gave it to him-asws. And behold, the key was a lion. So I feared. He-asws said: ‘Take, do not fear!’ I took it and it returned to be a key like what it had been’’.[2]
المناقب لابن شهرآشوب بَصَائِرُ الدَّرَجَاتِ، عَنْ سَعْدٍ الْقُمِّيِّ قَالَ أَبُو الْفَضْلِ بْنُ دُكَيْنٍ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ ع عَلَامَةً فَقَالَ سَلْنِي مَا شِئْتَ أُخْبِرْكَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَقُلْتُ أَخاً لِي بَاتَ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَقَابِرِ فَتَأْمُرُهُ أَنْ يَجِيئَنِي
(The book) ‘Al Manaqib’ of Ibn Shehr Ashub, (and) ‘Basaair Al Darajaat’ – From Sa’ad Al Qummy. Abu Al Fazl Bin Dukeyn said, ‘It is narrated to me by Muhammad Bin Rashid, from his father, from his grandfather who said,
‘I asked Ja’far-asws Bin Muhammad-asws for a sign. He-asws said: ‘Ask me-asws whatever you so desire to, I-asws shall inform you, if Allah-azwj so Desires’. I said, ‘There is a brother of mine who is sleeping among these graves (dead). Order him to come to me (alive)’.
قَالَ فَمَا كَانَ اسْمُهُ قُلْتُ أَحْمَدُ قَالَ يَا أَحْمَدُ قُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَ بِإِذْنِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ فَقَامَ وَ اللَّهِ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ أَتَيْتُهُ.
He-asws said: ‘What was his name?’ I said, ‘Ahmad’. He-asws said: ‘O Ahmad! Arise by the Permission of Allah-azwj and by the permission of Ja’far-asws Bin Muhammad-asws!’ By Allah-azwj! He stood up and he was saying, ‘I have come!’’[3]
[1] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 46, The book of History – Ja’far Al Sadiq–asws, Ch 5 H 152
[2] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 46, The book of History – Ja’far Al Sadiq–asws, Ch 5 H 154
[3] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 46, The book of History – Ja’far Al Sadiq–asws, Ch 5 H 188 a