Bismillah hirRahmanirRahim

In the name of Allah [The Absolute Perfect being],

al-Rahman [the All-Beneficent]

al-Rahim [the All-Merciful]

Horizons of Thoughts

Holy month of Muharram/Safar Series

A Brief Commentary on

Ziyarat 'Aashura PART 1

[Dedicated to the memory of all deceased (mar¦£m¢n)]

In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful

And may All¡h’s Peace and Benedictions be on Mu¦ammad, the most perfect personification of Almighty All¡h’s sublime Attributes and on his infallible progeny, the Ahl al-Bayt, who are rightfully known as the ships of salvation, whosoever boards in their ship, earns salvation, and whosoever lags behind and is indifferent would drown and perish.

Al-Qand£z¢, the Hanafite narrator of traditions in his radiant collection Yan¡b¢’ al-Mawaddah (lit. Fountains of Stable Love) narrates that Abu Dharr is reported to have quoted the Holy Prophet (¥) as having said:

إِنَّ مَثَلُ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي فِيكُمْ مَثَلُ سَفِيْنَةِ نُوْح، مَنْ رَكِبَهَا نَجَا وَمَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا هَلَكَ

The similitude of my progeny among you is that of the ship of Noah (‘a); whosoever boards on it is saved, and whosoever does not would perish[1]

The ship of al-Husayn (‘a), however, according to another tradition is swifter. Observe the following narrative:

Once Im¡m al-¯¡diq (‘a) was asked about the prophetic tradition “Surely µusayn is the lamp of guidance and the ship of salvation” saying: “aren’t you [the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a)] the ships of salvation [too]? The Im¡m (‘a) replied:

“All of us are the ships of salvation, however the ship of al-µusayn (‘a) is more spacious and faster.[2]

This tradition is also endorsed by great mystic scholars who can appreciate the sublime secrets of religion. The late Mystic scholar ªyatull¡h Mirz¡ Tabriz¢ in his monumental prayer manual al-Mur¡qib¡t says:

It should be known that the door of al-µusayn (‘a) is the door of comprehensive mercy, rapid response and approval. And he would say during his life time: ‘the similitude of doing good is rain water which covers both the virtuous and sinful.[3]

Sayyid µadd¡d al-M£saw¢ a great Shi’ite saint and a contemporary of ‘All¡mah ±ab¡§an¡’¢, is reported to have quoted their mentor in practical gnosis, ªyatull¡h Q¡¤¢ ±ab¡§ab¡’¢ as having said:

قَالَ لِيْ أُسْتَاذِيْ الْمَرْحُوْم القاضي قدس سرّه: أنّه محالُ أن يصل إنسانٌ إلى مقام التوحيد بدون طريق سيد الشهدآء عليه السلام.

My teacher, Mar¦£m Q¡¤¢ (may his spirit be sanctified) said to me that it is impossible for a human being to attain the station of tawh¢d [proximity to God] without the path of Sayyid al-Shuhad¡.[4]

And‘All¡mah ±ab¡§ab¡’¢ is reported to have said:

That µa¤rat [i.e. Imam al-µusayn (‘a)] has great attention towards the wayfarers of the path of God in removing the veil and impediments of the ‘path of God’.[5]

One of the excellent ways of establishing contact with Im¡m al-µusayn (‘a) is through offering salutations to his exalted personality (ziy¡rah). This can be achieved either in front of his radiant tomb in Karbal¡, or in one’s home observing some etiquette.

The secret however is that the z¡’ir who recites the ziy¡rah must yearn to the attain the apex of the meaning of what he recites and unite with the spirit of the maz£r (the visited one). The grand ªyatull¡h Jaw¡d¢ Amul¢ in his masterpiece ‘Adabe Fin¡ye Muqarrib¡n’ says:

Ziy¡rah is the mystical presence of the fervent lover ('¡shiq) in the dwelling of the Beloved; it is the visitor's passionate encounter of the abode of the visited One; it is the lover's expression of intense love and consideration for the Beloved; it is when the enamored one sincerely gives his heart in the alley of the possessor of the heart…[6]

The present commentary tries to examine and reflect on one of the well-known ziy¡r¡t that many of the Muslims recite with great zeal and devotion. Most of the Shi’ite Muslims express their veneration and sorrow when they recite this sublime ziy¡rah on the day of ‘ªshur¡’. However the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) have taught us to recite it very often. Besides the ample merits that it contains, it is a program of revolution of the sleeping masses. The crux of the ziy¡rah is tawall¡ and tabarr¡’, which can correctly be referred to as ‘fleeing from imperfection’ and ‘seeking perfection’ or in beautiful words of every Muslim L¡ il¡ha illa All¡h -Besides All¡h- the Only Beloved, there is no other il¡h (beloved). The Name All¡h exemplifies all the perfect attributes of All¡h, which the human being has been molded to appreciate and naturally seek. Therefore the ziy¡rah in reality is a call to the innate nature (fi§rah) of the human being. In expressing veneration and seeking the higher levels of peace for Im¡m al-µusayn (‘a) we are trying to unite with the ideas, thoughts and towering volition of Im¡m(‘a), and in cursing his opponents, who overtly declared to be Muslims and believers, but were extensions of hypoctites, we are trying to flee from all their ideas, thoughts and actions. Hence this recital trains the reciter to overhaul himself and unite with the spirit of the sacred Im¡m (‘a).

Understanding the aforementioned subtlety obliges every high-spirited seeker of truth to aim for the achievement of the crux of the ziyarah rather than being selfishly motivated to gain personal benefits. The rewards of the ziy¡rah which are both sacred and sublime should not be the only factor to lead us to recite it. It is the natural love for the Im¡m (‘a) who exemplifies the Divine Attributes in himself that should transport us to recite this humble presentation. In fact some traditions, as we shall soon consider, clearly state that whosoever visits Im¡m al-µusayn (‘a) in Karb¡la is as if he has visited All¡h in His Throne.

Another very important point to bear in mind is that because the reciter of this ziy¡rah has been guaranteed by the Im¡ms (‘a) to be availed with any need that he has, he/she must be very careful in understanding ‘that which is a need” from that “which is not really a need”. The great saint ªyatull¡h µadd¡d al-M£saw¢, a contemporary of ‘All¡mah ±ab¡§ab¡’¢ would see people clinging at the radiant enclosure where Im¡m al-µusayn (‘a) is buried, and instead of seeking their real needs would ask for those things that would add to the burden that they already have accumulated. He is reported to have said:

إنّ أكثر النَّاس حينما يذهبون إلى زيارة العتبات المقدسة يقفون ماسكي الضريح فيتوسلون بالإمام (ع) لحوائجهم المادية فيحملون ثقلاً على ثقلهم ولم يسئلوا الإمام (ع) بأن يأخذ منهم ثقلهم و هو التعلق با لدنيا، بل يسئلونه بأن يعطيهم بيتاً أو ولداً أو زوجاً أو سيَّارةً، وما سمعنا عن أحدٍ دخل بخدمته وقال له خذ منّي كذا وكذا

When most of the people visit the holy shrines, they stand holding fast onto the enclosures of the graves and mediate with the Im¡m (‘a) for the fulfillment of their material needs, thus adding a burden over their burdens, and they do not ask Im¡m to remove their burden which is ‘attachment to the world’; rather they ask him to give them a house or an off spring or a wife or a car; and we never heard from anyone who entered at his service, and asked him: ‘Take away so and so from me.[7]

Before we begin this radiant ziy¡rah, which is reckoned to be among the sacred traditions[8] (a¦¡d¢th qudsiyyah) as well, and understand both its particular as well as its universal import, it is imperative to generally know the significance of ziy¡rah, and its exalted purpose.

Meaning of Ziy¡rah

The word 'ziy¡rah' is derived from the word "zawr" which means to deflect or draw away from something. A lie is called z£r because it deflects from the path of truth. The z¡'ir is known to be so, because he deflects from other than "the one he intends to visit". That is why some lexicographers translate "ziy¡rah" to mean intention (qa¥d), for the one who deflects from other than a certain entity intends the entity. Al-Fay£mi, a well-known lexist in his authoritative lexicon al-Mi¥b¡¦ al-Mun¢r says:

و(الزِّيَارَةُ) فِي الْعُرْفِ قَصْدُ الْمَزُوْرِ اِكْرَامًا لَهُ وَاسْتِئْنَاسًا بِهِ

'The conventional meaning of al-ziy¡rah is to intend the one to be visited, for his veneration or intimacy.'[9]

And it is said that the reason why ziy¡rah is referred to as visiting the saintly human beings, is because it is to deflect from the material routine and draw away from the corporeal world and incline towards the world of spirit, while one is present in the corporeal environment and maintains his/her bodily form[10].

Sometimes ziy¡rah is translated as ‘itti¦¡d al-z¡’ir ma’al maz£r’ (i.e. the unity of the visitor with the visited one). In simpler words: ‘to paint oneself with the attributes of the visited one’. This definition does not contradict the former definitions, for ‘seeking and uniting with the attributes of the maz£r (visited one)’ is nothing but ‘deflecting and drawing away from attributes contrary to the maz£r’. In a subtler expression, we can say ‘ziyarah is to flee from imperfection as we struggle for attaining perfection[11].’

Allusions of this reality can also be gotten from the Qur’¡nic verse: ‘And flee towards All¡h’[12]. Im¡m al-¯¡diq (‘a) is reported[13] to have commented on this verse saying “ay ¦ujj£” (the verse means ‘perform ¦ajj’). And the literal import of ¦ajj is qa¥d (intention). Therefore ¦ajj, as it is correctly conveyed is not only ‘¦ajju bayt All¡h al-µar¡m’ (intending the sacred House of All¡h), but ¦ajj All¡h (intending All¡h) as the verse explicitly conveys: fa firr£ ila All¡h (so escape towards All¡h). And escaping towards All¡h is seeking His Noble Attributes and fleeing from the contrary. And ¦ajj if perfomed with its proper etiquette, as the experts of the kernel of Islamic law mention, enables one to attain such noble attributes.

Some narratives explicitly say that doing ziy¡rah of the Holy Prophet (¥) and the infallible Im¡ms(‘a)[14] is like doing the ziy¡rah of All¡h. Consider the following traditions:

عَنْ زَيْد الشَّحَّامُ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لاَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (ع): مَا لِمَنْ زَارَ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ (ص)؟ قَالَ: كَمَنْ زَارَ الله َعَزَّوَجَلَّ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ...

Zayd al-Sha¦¦¡m is reported to have said: I asked Ab£ ‘Abdil¡h (al-¯¡diq (‘a)): What is the reward for one who visits the Messenger of All¡h? The Im¡m (‘a) said: ‘It is like one who has visited All¡h on His throne (‘arsh)[15]’

عَنْ زَيْد الشَّحَّام، عَنْ اَبِيْ عَبْدِ اللهِ( ع) قَالَ: مَنْ زَارَ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ بنِ عَلِيّ(ع) عَارِفًا بِحَقِّه كَانَ كَمَنْ زَارَ اللهَ فِيْ عَرْشِه...

Zayd al-Sha¦¦¡m is reported to have said: Ab£ ‘Abdil¡h (al-¯¡diq (‘a)) said: Whosoever visits the grave of al-µusayn (‘a) with the knowledge of his rights is like one who visits All¡h in His Throne.[16]

عَنْ جَابِر اَلْجُعْفِي، قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلى جَعْفَر بنِ مُحَمّد(ع) فِيْ يَوْمِ عَاشُوْرَآء، فَقَالَ لِيْ: هَؤُلاَءِ زُوَّارُ اللهِ وَحَقُّ عَلى الْمَزُوْرِ اَنْ يُكْرِمَ الزَّائِرَ...

J¡bir al-Ju’f¢ is reported to have said: I came to Ja’far bin Mu¦ammad (al-¯¡diq (‘a)) on the day of ‘ªshur¡’, and he said to me: ‘These people are the visitors of All¡h (zuww¡r All¡h), and it is the right of the maz£r to honor the z¡’ir…[17]

The above traditons imply that because the Im¡ms (‘a) are manifestations[18] of All¡h’s Sublime Names[19], visiting them and seeking closeness to them is the same as seeking closeness to Almighty All¡h. Seeking closeness here, we should understand, does not refer to spatial limitations, but spiritual proximity. In other words, as the z¡’ir (one who deflects from other than the attributes of the maz£r) comes spiritually closer to the Im¡m (‘a) he is in reality painting himself with the Attributes of Almighty All¡h which the Im¡m enjoys but with limitations..rather, the Im¡ms (‘a) are sheer Manifestations (ma³¡hir) of All¡h’s Names and thus in reality no Attribute belongs to other than All¡h:

اَللهُ لاَ إلَهَ إلاَّ هُو لَهُ الأسْمآء الحُسْنى

Allah, other than Him there is no God; and to Him Alone belongs the Beautiful Names…[20]

Those who are well versed with the secrets of prayer (Asr¡r al-¯al¡t) do appreciate this reality in the state of ruku’ when they vision that no one other than Almighty All¡h has any perfection whatsoever. Im¡m Khumayn¢ in his Etiquette of Prayer says:

Ziy¡rah of Believers

Islam highly encourages one to visit his/her Muslim brother/sister. However, it does not emphasize on any kind of ziy¡rah whatsoever. It encourages meaningful ziy¡rah- ziy¡rah with a purpose and aim. Observe the following traditions:

Im¡m al-¯¡diq ('a) is reported to have said:

قَالَ تَزَاوَرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي زِيَارَتِكُمْ إِحْيَاءً لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَذِكْراً لأحَادِيثِنَا وَأَحَادِيثُنَا تُعَطِّفُ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَإِنْ أَخَذْتُمْ بِهَا رَشَدْتُمْ وَنَجَوْتُمْ وَإِنْ تَرَكْتُمُوهَا ضَلَلْتُمْ وَهَلَكْتُمْ فَخُذُوا بِهَا وَأَنَا بِنَجَاتِكُمْ زَعِيمٌ

‘Visit one another, for verily in your visitation is the revival of your hearts, and a remembrance of our speeches; our speeches make you harbor affection for one another; and if you act according to them, you would be guided and saved, and if you shun them, you would go astray and perish; therefore follow them while I guarantee your salvation.’[21]

And Im¡m al-B¡qir ('a) is reported to have said:

تَزَاوَرُوا فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ حَيَاةٌ لاَمْرِنَا رَحِمَ اللَّهُ عَبْداً أَحْيَا أَمْرَنَا

‘Visit one another in your homes for surely in that is the life of our affair; may All¡h’s Mercy be upon one who revives our affair.'[22]

It should be noted that the revival of the affair discussed in the above traditions is nothing but the revival of Islamic values, for the Ahl al-Bayt ('a) are protectors of Islamic values and to remember them and their teachings is to elevate the human spirit in reality. One should not conjecture that there is any personal again that these infallible leaders of truth derive from such gatherings. Rather it is their followers who benefit.

Another important point to bear in mind is that ‘the revival of their affair’ cannot be mereby achieved by thoughts and words.We must sow the seeds of resolution in our visitations to reap the fruits of applying the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a).

So far ziy¡rah has been reduced to visitation in the earthly abode. The Islamic worldview, however, due its sharp and accurate cognition of reality as taught by the Holy Qur'¡n, the Holy Prophet (¥) and his infallible successors, does not limit ziy¡rah to the corporeal reality. It rather believes that human beings can communicate with those who have transcended this limited world of matter and can listen to them as well. In our daily prayer, we address the Holy Prophet (s) as follows:

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

Peace be unto you O Prophet and may Allah's Mercy and Blessings be on you.[23]

This statement presumes the presence of the mukh¡§ab (the addressee). And therefore we believe that the Prophet (s) is present and can behold our presence too.

One of the important etiquette of entering the shrine of the Holy Prophet (s) and the infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt ('a) is to read the well-known idhn al-dukh£l (recital of permission to enter). The z¡’ir (visitor) adopts a very humble attitude, and appreciating the presence of the Holy Prophet (s) seeks his permission to enter his hospice. In this well-known recital, we say:

...واَعْلَمُ اَنَّ رَسُولَكَ وَخُلَفَائَكَ عَلَيْهِمُ السّلام اَحْياَء عندك يُرزَقون، يَرونَ مَقَامِي وَيَسْمَعُوْنَ كَلاَمِي، وَيَرُدّوْنَ سَلاَمِي...

…and I know that Your Apostle and vicegerents (upon whom be peace) are alive, receiving sustenance in Your neighborhood, they see where I stand presently, and hear my speech and respond to my salutation…[24]

Unlike those who consider the human being as an entity which perishes after this worldly death, Isl¡m teaches mankind that death is a purgatory and bridge to the realm beyond. In fact, to be more accurate, death is "tearing of some veils" from the final result of the reality of every thing. Great people like Im¡m 'Al¢ ('a), due to their intense purity, could boldly claim that they can behold the ultimate form of the reality of this world while they still exist in this earthly abode. In one of his famous dictums, Imam 'Al¢ ('a) is reported to have said:

لَوْ كُشِفَ الغطاء مَا ازْدَدْتُ يقينًا

If the curtains were unveiled nothing would be added to my conviction.[25]

The tearing of veils, however, should not be considered as being limited to the Prophets (upon whom be peace) and infallible Im¡ms ('a). Those human beings who are entirely submissive to the laws of Almighty All¡h and have purified their hearts can also enjoy such exalted positions. In fact, Almighty All¡h calls the human beings to appreciate the kernel of this word in the following verse:

أَ وَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوا فِي مَلَكُوتِ السَّماواتِ وَالارْضِ

And do they not look into the kernel of the heavens and the earth?[26]

Hence there is an invitation to tear the veils that we have created for ourselves by sinning. In other interesting dictum of the Holy Prophet (¥) we are told:

لَوْلا أَنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ يَحُومُونَ عَلَى قُلُوبِ بَنِي آدَمَ لَنَظَرُوا إِلَى مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاوَاتِ

Was is not for the Satans circling around the hearts of the off-springs of Adam, they would have beheld the kernel of the heavens and the earth.[27]

Therefore, the more purity we enjoy, the better can we communicate with those exalted spirits who have left this material world, are alive in the real sense of the word, and due to their exalted station of existential mediation (about which we shall soon discuss in detail) can influence the world of contingent existence and even benefit us in different ways. There have been ample narratives indicating how people visited the shrines of the Ahl al-Bayt ('a) and solved very great problems in life.

Our aim of ziy¡rah, however, must transcend seeking personal benefits. It is therefore important to first define the purpose of ziy¡rah, and the reason why our holy Im¡ms ('a) would teach us particular recitals for visiting the tomb of their grandfather Imam al-µusayn ('a). Of course this does mean that one should not seek personal benefits from the great personalities, but he/she must at least have realized the ultimate purpose of ziy¡rah. It is through such realization, my brothers and sisters, that rain falls from the hearts and embraces every human being, rather every creature beyond time and place. Such realizations tear the veils of the past and future, and release the human being in the world of perpetual bliss and ecstasy. Soon the reader shall understand the words of this nondescript, for the world of Ahl al-Bayt ('a) is a world yet unknown. Their followers have no share save appreciating the tip of the iceberg:

Im¡m ‘Al¢ (‘a) is reported to have said to Ab£ Dharr:

اعْلَمْ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَخَلِيفَتُهُ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ لا تَجْعَلُونَا أَرْبَاباً وَقُولُوا فِي فَضْلِنَا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَإِنَّكُمْ لا تَبْلُغُونَ كُنْهَ مَا فِينَا وَلا نِهَايَتَهُ

Know O Aba Dharr that I am [only] a slave of All¡h and His vicegerent over His servants; do not consider us as Lords and you may say whatever you want about our merits, for you cannot appreciate the essence of our perfection, nor its zenith…[28]

And in another tradition he (‘a) is reported to have said:

لا يُقَاسُ بِآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ (ص) مِنْ هَذِهِ الأمَّةِ أَحَدٌ

...None from this Ummah can be compared with the progeny of Mu¦ammad (upon whom be peace)…[29]

The Purpose of Ziy¡rah

One of the fundamental requisites of understanding the purpose of ziy¡rah is to have a correct worldview. If we realize the purpose of human creation, and submit our volition to our intellectual decision, our deeds would be directed towards our eternal salvation. The purpose of human creation according to Qur'¡n and Sunnah is to worship Almighty All¡h:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنْسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُوْنَ

And I have not Created the Jinn and the Men save that they Worship Me Alone.[30]

And worship without knowledge carries no meaning. This is because worship is not a mere exercise without any sense of devotion. 'Ib¡dah in the literal sense is defined as:

العِبَادَةُ هِيَ نَصبُ الْعَبْدِ نَفْسَهُ فِي مَقَامِ المْمْلُوكِيَّة لِرَبّهِ

‘Ib¡dah is when the servant places himself in the position of being a bondsman of his Lord.[31]

And this cannot transpire without the knowledge of the Creator. It is by appreciating His real ownership[32] of the entire world of creation, His Knowledge over all things, His Omnipotence and Omnipresence that the human being is overtaken and humbles himself down before the All¡h. He also realizes that the true Lord and Master is none but His Creator, and thus he places himself in the station of being an obedient slave of Almighty All¡h. Imam al-µusayn ('a), underlining the clear link between knowledge and worship is reported to have said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ مَا خَلَقَ الْعِبَادَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْرِفُوهُ فَإِذَا عَرَفُوهُ عَبَدُوهُ فَإِذَا عَبَدُوهُ اسْتَغْنَوْا بِعِبَادَتِهِ عَنْ عِبَادَةِ مَا سِوَاهُ...

Surely Allah ('a) did not Create His servants except for knowing Him, and when they know him, they would worship Him, and when they worship Him, it would suffice them from worshipping other than Him….[33]

The worship that results from prior knowledge reaps knowledge itself. Knowledge before worship, however, is mostly intellectual (‘aql¢) and conceptual (ta¥awwur¢). It is a the result of rationally establishing the existence of God and His Attributes as well as the utter poverty and dependence of the entire creation on His Infinite Existence. Having realized this, the impartial servant worships with veneration and awe. If such worship was out of sincerity, he is availed with a higher form of knowledge, which is beyond the realm of intellect. It is known in the language of traditions as ‘yaq¢n (conviction)’ and ‘the vision of the heart’ which is knowledge by presence (al-‘ilm al-¦u¤£r¢). The following verse of the Qur’¡n alludes to the close link between worship and conviction:

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ

And worship your Lord so that conviction comes to you[34]

In some of the ziy¡r¡t taught to us by the infallible Im¡ms (‘a) we are taught to address the Im¡ms declaring that they had attained the exalted station of yaq¢n through sincere worship. Consider the following examples:

1.In one of the ziy¡r¡t of the Holy Prophet (¥) we are taught by Im¡m ‘Al¢ (‘a) to address his noble being as follows:

…وًأشْهَدُ أنَّكَ قَدْ نَصَحْتَ لاُمَّتِكَ، وَجَاهَدْتَ فيِ سَبِيْلِ رَبّكَ، وَعَبَدْتَهُ حَتّى أتاكَ الْيَقٍيْنُ…

…And I bear witness that you gave counsel to your nation and struggled in the way of your Lord, and worshipped Him until conviction came to you…[35]

2. In another ziy¡rah we address Im¡m al-µusayn (‘a) as follows:

…يَا أبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ أشْهَدُ أنَّكَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ عَنِ اللهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ مَا اُمِرْتَ بِهِ وَلَمْ تَخْشَ أحَدًا غَيْرَهُ وَجَاهَدْتَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِهِ وَعَبَدْتَهُ صَادِقًا حَتّى أتَاكَ الْيَقِيْنُ…

…O Ab¡ ‘Abdill¡h, I bear witness that surely you conveyed what you were ordered by All¡h (the Invincible and Majestic) and other than Him you never feared anyone, and you struggled in His way, and worshipped Him truthfully until conviction came to you…[36]

3. In one of the ziy¡r¡t of Im¡m al-Ri¤¡ (‘a) we are taught to address him as follows:

…اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ قَدْ اَقَمْتَ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَيْتَ الزَّكَاةَ وَاَمَرْتَ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَنَهَيْتَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَعَبَدْتَ اللهَ مُخْلِصًا حَتّى اَتَاكَ الْيَقِيْنُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أبَا الْحَسَنِ…

…I bear witness that you kept prayer upright and gave the poor tax and invited to what was good and forbade the evil and worshipped All¡h sincerely until conviction came to you; peace be upon you O Aba al-µasan…[37]

Having realized this, our ziy¡rah should serve as a catalyst to earn the exalted station of appreciating the truth by the vision of the heart. And the path towards this endeavor is to be a true slave of Almighty All¡h. In other words, the ziy¡rah should be a means of uniting with Ab£ ‘Abdill¡h (an appellation depicting the true slave-hood of Im¡m al-µusayn ('a)). And this can easily be attained after we understand the meaning of the ziy¡rah and exemplify its teachings in ourselves. If we limit the ziy¡rah for our lower ambitions in life, there would be no difference between us and the laity who have busied themselves with the world of matter. Therefore, the z¡’ir should bear an exalted aspiration and aim for a great transformation, in order to unite with the spirit of al-µusayn ('a).

Readers do appreciate that the reason why the allies of the contemporary formalists hamper us from expressing our sorrow near the graves of the infallible leaders, is because they have realized the revolution it can create in the hearts.

Imam al-µusayn ('a) is a symbol of uprising against falsehood even at the cost of the sacrifice of every possession. Our ziy¡rah which is an endeavor of unity in the real sense therefore should be a declaration of readiness and not merely a habitual recitation.

To be continued Insha All¡h…

[1] Al-Qand£z¢, Yan¡b¢’ al-Mawaddah, v.2, p.90

[2] Sayyid ‘ªdil al-‘Alaw¢, Ris¡l¡t Isl¡miyyah, v.6 p. 183

[3] ªyatull¡h al-Tabr¢z¢, al-Mur¡qib¡t, p.286

[4] ‘ªrifun F¢ al-Ri¦¡b al-Qudsiyya, p.47

[6] Ref Adab-e-Fin¡ye Muqarrib¡n, v.1, p. 17

[7] ‘ªrifun f¢ al-Ri¦¡b al-Qudsiyyah, p. 146

[9] A¦mad al-Fay£m¢, al-Mi¥b¡¦ al-Mun¢r, p. 136

[10] ªyatullah Jaw¡d¢ Amul¢, Adabe Fin¡ye Muqarrib¡n, v.1, p. 23

[11] It is important to note that fleeing from imperfection is the same as fleeing towards perfection.

[13] ‘All¡ma ±abras¢, Tafs¢r Majma’ al-Bay¡n, v.9, p. 268

[14] This may apply to all the Im¡ms (‘a) but definetly there is a reason behind being specific in their speeches.

[15] Al-Kulayn¢, Al-K¡f¢, v.4, p. 585. It should be noted here that ‘throne’ does not refer to the material throne for Almighty All¡h is greater than such limitations.

[16] Ibn Q£lwayh, K¡mil al-Ziy¡r¡t, p. 324

[18] µujjat al-Isl¡m Sayyid ‘ªdil al-‘Alaw¢ a contemporary scholar and a former student of the Grand ªyatull¡h al-Mar‘ash¢ al-Najaf¢ reports a beautiful exposition from those well-versed with kernel of religion. Those interested to know more may refer to volume 6, p. 282 of his Ris¡l¡t Isl¡miyy¡ [Islamic Treatises].

[19] A reference to the tradition of Im¡m al-¯¡diq (‘a): Na¦nu al-Asm¡’ al-µusn¡’ We are the Most Beautiful Names of All¡h’.

[21] ‘All¡mah Majlis¢, Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r, v. 17, p. 258

[23] Ayatull¡h al-S¢st¡n¢, Minh¡j al-¯¡i¦¢n, v.1, p. 226

[24] Shaykh ‘Abb¡s Qumm¢, Maf¡t¢¦ al-Jin¡n, new ed., p. 380

[25] ‘All¡mah Majlis¢, Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r, v. 40, p. 153

[27] ‘All¡mah Majlis¢, Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r, v. 6, p. 332

[28] ‘All¡mah Majlis¢, Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r, v. 62, p. 7

[31] ‘All¡mah ±ab¡§ab¡’¢, Tafs¢r Al-M¢z¡n, v.1, p.24

[32] Readers must differentiate between real ownership in which the existence and subsistence of an entity is entirely dependent on the owner, and positional ownership in which the existence and subsistence of a property is independent of the owner.

[33] ‘All¡mah Majlis¢, Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r, v.23, p.83

[35] al-µimyar¢ al-Qumm¢, Qurb al-Isn¡d, p. 382

[37] al-Shaykh al-¯ad£q, ‘Uy£n AKhb¡r al-Ri¤¡ (‘a), v.1, p. 302