Old Friends

Ayatollah Fahri Zanjani, who lived in Syria, once told me when he was in Tehran:
I met Ayatollah Bahjat in Mashhad. I asked him, “Do you remember 55 years ago? We were both studying in Sayyid school in Najaf. We were friends, albeit not classmates. You have flown [high in spiritual ranks], leaving me behind, although I am Sayyid. Why didn’t you assist me [in the spiritual journey]?! Now that I am your guest, I won’t leave you until you tell me about some special blessings of Imam Reza!
He looked down but did not seem upset. Then he raised his head and said, “Once I went to the holy shrine of the 8th Imam, who took me inside the shrine with him and emphasized ten points, one of which was, “Is it possible, is it possible, is it possible that somebody seek refuge in us and we do not give him refuge?! [not at all.]”
In my speech in the mourning session for Imam Hussain which was held in the presence of Ayatollah Bahjat, I shared this memory and said, “I ask Ayatollah Bahjat to correct me if it is not accurate.”
At the end of my speech, I went to him, but he said nothing in order to correct me…….

Source: a memory shared by Hujjatul-Islam Siddiqi