Too often we are faced with seemingly unsurmountable odds, and we turn our attention to other than Allah. We seek support from other than Allah, and we seek advice from those outside of Allah's favor.

Allah is known through His proofs on earth. A proof (hujjah) or sign (ayah) can take many forms. As Allah mentions in the Qur'an:

He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the sun and the moon; and the stars are in subjection by His Command: verily in this are Signs for men who are wise [Qur'an 16:12]

Signs can also take human form. When we turn to Allah for assistance and seek his friends (awliyah) for guidance, new doors open for us that allow us to peer into His divine perfection.

Only Allah can guide someone to the Truth. As much as we may try to bring people to Islam with pamphlets, debates, lectures, books, and choice words, it is only Allah who guides, and such guidance may come in unpredictable ways. Let us take lesson from this and be mindful of Allah's supreme plan, which is unknown to us and yet involves us intricately.

A Lesson...

Zakariya ibn Ibrahim said: "I was Christian, and became a Muslim. I went on the holy pilgrimage and then went to see Abu 'Abdullah (Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad) and said, 'I was a Christian, and became a Muslim.'

Then, he said, 'What did you see in Islam?'

I said, 'The Almighty God's statement:

Thou knoweth not (before) what was Revelation, and what was Faith; but We have made (the Qur'an) a Light, wherewith We guide such of our servants as We will.' [Qur'an 42:52]

The Imam said: 'In fact God has guided you' Then he said three times 'O God! Please guide him' And added: 'O my son! Ask me for whatever you wish.'

I said: 'All my family members are Christian. My mother is blind, and I have to be with them since my father has no one else to rely upon. My parents like me to eat and drink with them from the same set of dishes.'

Abu 'Abdullah said: 'Do your parents eat pork?'

I said: 'No. They do not even touch it.'

He said, 'Fine, take care of your mother. Treat her well and do not leave her alone when she dies. Take care of her burial yourself. Do not inform anyone that you have come to see me. God willing you will come to see me in Mina.'"

Zakariya said, "I went to see him in Mina. A lot of people had surrounded him. He was like a school teacher who was constantly asked questions by the people. Then when I went to Kufa I treated my mother with kindness. I fed her myself. Then my mother told me, "O my son! You never treated me this way when you had our own religion. What is this kind of behavior I observe since you have quit our religion and have accepted Islam?"

I told her, "I was instructed to do so by a man who is a grandson of the Prophet."

My mother said, "Is that man a Prophet?"

"No, but he is the grandson of the Prophet."

My mother said, "O my son! This man is a Prophet since what he has instructed you to do is one of the decrees of the Prophets."

I said, "Dear mom, there will come no Prophet after our Prophet. He is a descendant of the Prophet."

My mother said, "Your religion is the best religion. Please present it to me."

Then I presented it to her and she accepted Islam. I taught her how to pray. She performed her noon, afternoon, evening, and night prayers. At night her disease overtook her. She asked me to teach her again what I had taught her about Islam. And I did so. My mother witnessed to Islam and passed away. In the morning the Muslims performed her ablution and covered her in cloth. I prayed over her body and buried her.

Source: Mishkat ul-Anwar fi Ghurar il-Akhbar by Hassan ibn Fazl ibn Hassan Tabarsi