Imam Hadi (AS) in the Lions' Cage!

During Mutawakkil’s reign, a woman claimed to be Lady Zainab, the daughter of Imam Ali and Lady Fatimah. Mutawakkil asked her how it was possible that after such a long time she was still alive. She responded that the Holy Prophet had prayed for her to become young every 40 years. Mutawakkil gathered the elders of Banu Hashim and talked to them about her claim. They informed Mutawakkil that Lady Zainab had passed away around two centuries ago, and even presented the time of her demise. However, Mutawakkil found their response inadequate to falsify her claim. The elders then asked Mutawakkil to inquire Imam Hadi regarding this issue, which he accepted. Imam Hadi came before Mutawakkil and was informed of the situation. The Imam responded that the bodies of the children of Lady Fatimah are forbidden for wild animals. The Imam then asked Mutawakkil to put her in front of wild animals to verify if she was in fact a child of Lady Fatimah. Upon hearing the Imam’s reasoning, she started to argue about the Imam’s intention to kill her rather than logically falsifying her claim. Mutawakkil then challenged the Imam to verify his words with his own action. The Imam accepted this challenge and expressed his willingness to go among the wild animals to prove his words. Mutawakkil was hoping that the wild animals would kill the Imam and peacefully remove the threat of the Imam from his government. Mutawakkil’s agents brought a ladder, and the Imam went down to the lions’ pit and sat among them. The lions came to the Imam quietly, and the Imam pet their heads. The Imam then pointed to a corner of the cage, and they all followed the Imam’s order. Upon seeing this miracle, Mutawakkil’s minister urged him to remove the Imam from the pit before the news of the Imam’s miracle spread amongst the public. Mutawakkil asked the Imam to exit the pit. He then asked the woman to go inside the pit if she was sincere in her claim. She refused and confessed that she was pretending to be Lady Zainab due to her poverty.