How did Imam Hassan al-Askari guide a philosopher?

Imam Hasan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad (846 – 874), also called as al-Askari (A) is the eleventh Shia infallible Imam after his father imam Ali al-Hadi (A). Imam Hadi (A) said: 'The Imam after me is al-Hassan, and after Hassan his son al-Qaim [lit. the one who will rise], the one who will fill the land with fairness and justice just as it was filled with tyranny and oppression.' [1]

Since there were many Muslim philosophers and translators of the ancient Greek philosophy at the time of the eleventh Shiite infallible Imam (A) sometimes they casted doubt on the Islamic teachings claiming that Quran contains some sort of contradictions. Imam Askari (A) in one of his narration tried to guide one of the philosophers by the name Kindi through questioning him of his probable misunderstanding of the holy Quran. This story which has been narrated in many Islamic sources gives us many important lessons, that is why, in this article we are going to deal with the story on the occasion of the birthday of Imam al-Askari (A).

Abu al-Qasim al-Kufi in the book al-Tabdil narrates, 'Verily Ishaq al-Kindi who was the philosopher of his time in Iraq decided to write about contradictions in the Qur'an, and sat alone at home, preoccupied with it. One of his students visited Imam al-Hasan al-Askari one day. Abu Muhammad (A) asked him, 'Is there not a rightly-guided man among you who can stop your teacher al-Kindi from this occupation that he has started with the Qur'an?' The student replied, 'We are his students; how can we object to him on this or on any other issue?' Abu Muhammad said, 'Will you then convey to him what I am telling him through you?' He said, 'Yes.' He (A) said: 'Go to him and offer your service to him in his task, as though you want to acquaint yourself with it, and assist him therein.

Once the acquaintance has developed, tell him, 'I have a question which I would like to ask you.' Certainly he will allow you. Then ask him, 'If someone who spoke only using [verses of] the Qu'ran was to come to you, would it be possible for his intended speech to be different to what you have understood it to mean?' He will indeed tell you that it is possible, because he is a man who comprehends if he listens. So, if he confirms this, then ask him, 'So that means that which you have perceived might be different to what he meant, such that you may even be imposing a meaning to a word that is different to its original.'

So the student went to al-Kindi, acquainted himself with him and politely mentioned the issue to him. He asked him to repeat the question, which he did. Then he pondered into it and thought it to be possible in language and acceptable conceptually. He then said, 'I swear by you to tell me from where you have learnt this [argument]?' He [the student] replied, 'It is just something that came to my mind so I presented it to you.' He said, 'No way. Someone like you could not have been guided to this kind of argument nor reached this position [in learning], so tell me from where you have come up with this?' He replied, 'Abu Muhammad ordered me to [tell you] this.' He then said, 'Now you have told me. Something like this could only have come from that household.' He then asked for some fire and burnt all that he had written.'

In fact, Imam al-Askari (A) focused the importance of thinking and reasoning in his traditions saying that “Worship is not abundant fasting and praying, but worship is abundant pondering; it is the continuous thinking of Allah." It means that thinking is the main philosophy of worship that is why the holy Quran as a divine book which invites people to worship of almighty Allah (J) and thinking about the creatures and the creator cannot be contradictory to the human's intellect and reason.  

Notes:
[1] Bihar al-Anwar, v. 50, p.239, no. 4. الإمامُ الهاديُّ عليه السلام : الإمامُ بَعدي الحسَنُ ، وبعدَ الحسنِ ابنُه القائمُ ، الّذي يَملأُ الأرضَ قِسْطاً وعدلاً كما مُلِئتْ جَوراً وظُلما
[2] al-Manaqib li Ibn Shahr Ashub, v. 4, p. 424.
[3] Bihar al-Anwar, vol.78 p.373.   لَيسَتِ العِبادَةُ كَثرَةَ الصّيامِ وَالصَّلوةِ وإنَّمَا العِبادَةُ كَثرَةُ التَّفَكُّرِ في أمرِ اللهّ