When We Found Ourselves in the Presence of the Imam

The month of Ramadan always carries the scent of a new beginning, especially for those entrusted with the responsibility of religious outreach. It is a season of heavier responsibility, more attentive hearts, and pulpits that must speak with greater clarity and sincerity.

A couple of years ago, on the eve of Ramadan, I was invited to deliver a lecture at a missionary conference. The audience was not an ordinary one. The hall was filled with seasoned scholars and preachers, men who had spent years, even decades, conveying the message of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) across different countries and cultures. Choosing a topic for such a gathering was no simple task. These were not beginners; they were veterans of the pulpit, familiar with the depths of jurisprudence, theology, and tradition. I kept asking myself: What can I present that would resonate with them? What could be both relevant to Ramadan and useful for their upcoming sermons?

For several days, I reflected. Then a simple yet profound narration from Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) came to mind. It is reported that the Imam once asked one of his students, “In all the time you have spent with me, what have you learned? Summarize it.”

The student distilled everything he had absorbed into eight concise statements. Eight short principles, yet deeply transformative. When he finished, the Imam affirmed his words and said, “All the teachings of the prophets are contained within these eight sentences.” That narration became the heart of my lecture. When I stood at the podium, before even narrating the tradition, I addressed the scholars in the hall, “We are all students of Imam al-Ṣādiq. We have spent years in seminaries, studying fiqh (jurisprudence), principles, hadith, theology. Now let us imagine that the Imam himself stands before us and asks: ‘After all these years, what have you truly learned? Summarize it.’” A heavy silence fell over the room. I continued, “If all our years of study, preaching, writing, and teaching were to be condensed into a few sentences, what would we say?”

Then I shared the narration and elaborated on the eight principles. Yet I sensed that the real impact did not lie merely in the content of the hadith. It lay in the simulation, the act of placing ourselves in the Imam’s presence. For a few moments, the conference hall no longer felt like a formal academic gathering. It felt like a classroom in Medina. It felt as though we were sitting before the Imam, accountable for what we had done with the knowledge we had received. The atmosphere shifted, visibly, palpably. Faces grew thoughtful. Eyes lowered in reflection. It seemed as if each person was silently composing his own answer.

When the lecture concluded, the salawat that followed was unlike any other. It was not a routine collective response; it carried emotion, introspection, even a sense of reckoning. Afterward, many participants approached me, requesting the exact reference of the hadith. Some said, “We must use this in our Ramadan sermons.” Others confessed, “That question unsettled me, in the best way.” That day taught me something profound.

We often speak about the Imams. But sometimes what we need most is to stand before them, if only in our imagination and conscience. There is a vast difference between discussing an Imam and feeling accountable under his gaze. The unusual reception that day was not merely because of a well-chosen narration. It was because, for a brief moment, we all felt present in the Imam’s court. His affirmation of that student’s eight principles became, for us, a practical roadmap for the coming month of Ramadan.

Three Lessons from This Experience

1. The Transformative Power of Moral Imagination: When listeners are placed within the scene, when they feel addressed personally, the message penetrates far deeper than abstract instruction ever could.
2. The Beauty of Distillation: In a world of endless information, what transforms hearts are distilled truths, clear, lived principles that capture the essence of faith.
3. Preaching Begins with the Preacher: Before the sermon reaches the audience, it must confront the speaker. When the preacher first answers the Imam’s question within himself, his words carry sincerity, and sincerity is what reaches hearts.