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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Food for Thought: - Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.) 02

2 Your Daily-Life Questions Answered 03

3 Islam triumphs in enemy’s headquarters 04

4 The Psychology of Mourning 08

5 The Critical Role of Women in Karbala 27

6 Merit of visiting the grave of Imam Husayn (A.S.) 31

7 Striving for Right Guidance 41

8 A Glance at the Life of Imam Hasan (A.S.) 52

9 Daughters of another Path 57

10 My Journey to Islam: Quranic Answers Are Not As Christian

Bible 59

Kids’ CornerKids’ CornerKids’ CornerKids’ Corner

11 Martyrdom Anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (SAWW),

Imam Hasan Mujtaba & Imam Reza (A.S.) 61

12 The Merciless Enemy 63

THE MESSAGE

Editor: Hujjat-ul-Islam Wal Muslimeen Sheikh Shabbir H. Lakhani (Maisami)

Editorial Board: Mr. Mazher Ali Jumani, Molana Sajjad Qaimi, Dr. Hussain Kanani,

Mr. Hasnain Nanjiani.

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Disclaimer: The Editor does not necessarily agree with the views expressed in the matter published herein. The views and opinions presented in the Journal reflect the views of the authors

and not of the Journal or its Editorial Board or the Publisher.

Published by

Zahra (S.A.) Academy Institute of Islamic Education, Development & Relief

The Message Safar-ul-Muzaffar 1440 AH

2

1. The fighter who is martyred

in the way of Allah has no

greater reward than the one

who is able to sate his lust

but restrains himself.

2. Take wisdom from who-

ever brings it to you, and

look at that which is being

said and do not look at who

is saying it.

3. May Allah have mercy on

the man who knows that his

breaths are but his steps

towards his end, so he has-

tens to perform good deeds

and cuts short his hopes.

4. Drawing lessons [from past

experiences] gives rise to

sinlessness.

5. The scholar is alive even

when he is dead, whereas

the ignorant man is dead

even though he may be

alive.

6. He who practices self-

restraint, his burden de-

creases and his worth in

Allah’s eyes increases.

7. Pardon spoils a sinful man

just as much as it can re-

form a decent man.

8. There is no affliction worse

than a lack of intellect.

9. By abandoning that which

does not concern you, your

intellect will be completed.

10. Man’s admiration and

satisfaction with himself is a

proof of his weak intellect.

11. There is no source of dignity

like knowledge.

12. Verily knowledge is the life

of the hearts, the light of

the eyes from blindness and

the strength of the bodies

against weakness.

13. Whoever would like his

sustenance to be amplified

and his destined end to be

postponed should maintain

relations with his kin.

14. He who lags behind as a

result of his deeds will not

be accorded a front position

because of his lineage.

��

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.)

Safar-ul-Muzaffar 1440 AH The Message

3

Q.1: In the case of a

person making a Qasam

(pledge) or Nazr (vow/

covenant) to Allah, is it

necessary that they utter

it in words with the

tongue?

Ans.: It is not mandatory to

fulfill the vow (nazr) or the

oath (Qasam) unless they

were pronounced.

Q.2: Is it permissible for a

person who is not a mujta-

hid to teach from books

like Usool al-Kafi and Bihar

al-Anwar?

Ans.: It is not permissible to

inform about religious issues

without knowledge, whether

such information is in on

religious jurisprudence or

beliefs. Yes, it is permissible

to search and study the

religious sciences and learn

about the narrations of the

Ahlul-Bait and other related

material.

Q.3: If we deposit some

amount in the bank and

they offer some profit to

us, is it permissible to take

it?

Ans.: If it is an unconditional

grant, not pursuant to any

loan contract, then it is

permissible to take it.

Q.4: Is the income of a

believing woman lawful if

she does not wear hijab at

work, voluntarily or be-

cause she was required at

her workplace not to do

so?

Ans.: A woman must wear

the hijab during work and in

other places in the presence

of non-Mahram. However, if

she decided not to, she will be

a sinner, but this does not

affect the lawfulness of the

income that she receives for

such a work.

Q.5: Is it permissible to

have abortion if the child

is expected to be mentally

or physically handicapped

or retarded?

Ans.: It is not permissible to

have the abortion even in the

said case.

��

Your Daily-Life Questions Answered


4

Condolences to you on the

anniversary of a sad occasion.

Today is the first of Safar, the

fateful day on which survivors

of the heartrending tragedy

Karbala were brought in

chains and fetters to the court

of the tyrant Yazid in Damas-

cus in 61 AH.

There was only one grown-up

male among these noble

prisoners of the progeny of

Prophet Mohammad (Bless-

ings of God upon him and his

progeny). He was the 23-year

old sick and weak Imam Zain

al-Abedin (AS), the son and

successor of Imam Husain

(AS), assisted by his brave

aunt Hazrat Zainab (peace

upon her). Now we have a

feature in this regard as

follows: "O people, we have

been granted (by God) six

things and favoured with

seven: We have been granted

knowledge, clemency, lenien-

cy, fluency, courage, and love

for us in the hearts of the

believers. We have been

favoured by the fact that from

among us came the Chosen

Prophet, Mohammad (SAWA),

the as-Siddiq (or the Most

Truthful One) – Imam Ali (AS)

– the at-Tayyar (that is, Ja’far

ibn Abi Taleb whom God has

granted wings to fly in the

heaven on his loss of both his

hands in the Battle of Mota),

the Lion of Allah and of the

Prophet (that is, Hamza ibn

Abdul-Muttaleb), the Noblest

of Ladies of the world Fatema

the Chaste, and the Two

Lords of the Youths of Heaven

– Imam Hasan and Imam

Husain.”

The passage which we recited

to you is part of a brilliantly

eloquent sermon delivered by

Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) to

introduce himself and the

noble captives of the Proph-

et’s household to the unsus-

pecting people of Syria. The

people had assembled at the

court of the tyrant Yazid, who

reluctantly gave permission to

the son of his victim to go on

Islam triumphs in enemy’s headquarters

Courtesy: http://parstoday.com


5

the pulpit and address the

gathering, while the severed

head of Imam Husain (AS) lay

in a tray in front of the wine-

drinking self-styled caliph of

the usurper Omayyad regime.

These are the among the

tragic events of the 1st of

Safar on which after a long

wait at the Bab at-Tuma of

Damascus, so the streets

could be decorated and fitted

with mirrors, the Ahl al-Bayt

were paraded in ropes and

fetters to the court of the

tyrant through the market-

place with the heads of

martyrs mounted on lances.

Yazid, with a wine goblet in

one hand and in the other

hand a cane which he blas-

phemously poked at the head

of the Prophet’s grandson,

rejoiced at the seemingly

miserable condition of the Ahl

al-Bayt. He thought he had

finally succeeded in fulfilling

the wishes of his father

Mu’waiyya and his grandfa-

ther Abu Sufyan in wiping out

Islam. With a crucifix given to

him by his adulterous mother

Maysoon, dangling from his

neck, he said in an exulted

tone: “The Hashemites had

played the game of kingdom;

neither any message de-

scended [from heaven] nor

revelation).

He next uttered more anti-

Islamic phrases (as recorded

by scholars of all Muslim

denominations), by wishing if

only his infidel ancestors, who

were slain while trying to

attack the Prophet of Islam in

the Battles of Badr and Ohod,

were alive today to witness

how he had humiliated the

Household of Mohammad the

son of Abdullah of the Hash-

emite clan, they would have

commended him.

By uttering these blasphe-

mous words Yazid thus openly

admitted that he was not a

Muslim. And by doing so, he

also exposed as un-Islamic

the faulty system of caliphate

which had started at Saqifa

Bani Sa’da in Medina fifty

years earlier in 11 AH, by

depriving Imam Ali (AS) of his

right of political leadership of


6

the Ummah – as was pro-

claimed by the Prophet at

Ghadir-Khom.

The sermon of Imam Zain al-

Abedin (AS) stunned the filthy

tyrant, and as the people of

Syria shocked at the unpar-

donable crime he had commit-

ted, started weeping, he

ordered the muezzin (or caller

to prayer) to recite the Azaan,

although it was not yet time

for the ritual prayer, nor was

the place ritually clean to hold

the prayer.

When the muezzin said:

"Allahu Akbar", Imam Zain al-

Abedin (AS) said: “You have

made great the Great One

Who cannot be measured and

cannot be perceived by

senses; there is nothing

greater than Allah."

When the muezzin recited:

“Ashhadu an la ilaha illa

Allah,” which means “I testify

there is no god except Allah”,

the Imam said: said: “My hair,

my skin, my flesh, my blood,

my brain, and my bones bear

witness that there is no god

but Allah.”

When the muezzin chanted:

“Ashhadu anna Muhammadan

Rasool-Allah,” the Imam

turned to Yazid and asked

him: “O Yazid, is Mohammad

your grandfather or mine? If

you say that he is yours, then

you are a liar, and if you say

that he is mine, then why did

you kill his grandson and

family?”

Suddenly, there was tumult in

the tyrant’s court on hearing

what the Prophet’s great-

grandson had said. The

sermon of the Prophet’s

granddaughter, Hazrat Zainab

(SA) had already shaken the

tyrant’s court to its very

foundations:

“O you the son of freed slaves

(yabna at-tulaqa)! Is this your

justice that the ladies of your

household remain veiled and

we, the Prophet’s family

should be paraded thus? You

have insulted our dignity… “O

Yazid! Your misdeeds have

clearly proved your rebellion

towards God and the message

the Holy Prophet brought to

this world, and this has


7

proved beyond doubt that you

refuse to honour the Prophet-

ic Message sent by God.

“This behaviour of yours does

not come as a surprise, for

your ancestors chewed the

liver of the Prophet’s uncle

Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib.

Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan,

mutilated his body, had his

liver taken out, sucked it and

quenched her thirst for

vengeance at the Battle of

Ohad. You belong to this clan,

which always opposed the

Prophet and collected armies

from various clans to oppose

him. The offspring of such

monsters are the enemies of

God and His Prophet, and are

expected to be merciless and

deadly since violence is part

of their nature."

“O Yazid, you have done what

you wished to do, but re-

member, you are doomed to

perish and you will be cut to

pieces. Then (on the Day of

Judgement) you will be taken

in to the presence of the

Prophet and you will be

burned with the sins you have

committed by shedding the

blood of his progeny and

disrespecting the sanctity of

his family. You will be taken in

the presence of the Prophet

to a place where his family

members will be gathered and

you will undergo horrible

punishment and then there

will be no escape for you and

your companions."

The noble captives through

their sermons turned the

tables on the tyrant, and

although with patience they

suffered all the calamities,

their bold statements un-

masked hypocrisy and in the

process universalized and

internationalized the genuine

teachings of Islam, for the

protection of which, Imam

Husain (AS) had chosen to

drink the elixir of martyrdom.

That is the reason we contin-

ue to commemorate the

tragedy of Karbala, discourses

on which during the months

of Muharram and Safar,

strengthens faith and exposes

injustice and falsehood in

every age and place. ��


8

The most important benefits

derived from mourning

ceremonies are its psycho-

logical effects. Most people

who take part in mourning

gatherings do so with the

desire of gaining psychological

and emotional benefits.

Nevertheless, some people

say that holding mourning

ceremonies and having many

sorrowful rites during the

course of a year deprives the

society of happiness and joy.

They contend that these

practices cause people to feel

more unhappy and downcast

and in effect bring about more

discouragement and

depression in the society. In

this section, we will examine

and analyze this issue.

The stages of mourning

Mourning or crying has an

exterior (outer manifestation)

and an interior (inner

manifestation). Its outer

appearance is physiological,

and is a result of psycho-

logical influences by means of

external or internal stimuli,

such as thought and

reflection. These psychological

effects enter the physiology of

the brain and the nerves and

activate a special part of the

brain which sends messages

to the lachrymal glands to

stimulate the eyes to become

active. The result is that tears

flow and this is what is known

as crying.

The interior or mental mani-

festation of crying comprises

its internal psychological

effects. The psychological

view, to which we concur, is

that crying establishes

affectionate and benevolent

feelings.

Crying is emphasized in the

traditions [hadiths], to the

extent that it has been said

that crying, causing others to

cry or even being in a mood

of lamentation when a person

attends mourning ceremonies

for Imam al-Husayn (as) is a

The Psychology of Mourning

Excerpts from the book, “The Uprising of Ashura and Responses to Doubts” By: Ali Asghar Ridwani


9

source of both worldly and

heavenly benefits. Here that

which is implied is the internal

effects.

The internal psychological

consequences of crying are

divided into four types. The

first is directed at the self and

its repressed needs. This type

of crying can intensify

depression and can also cause

an individual’s social abilities

to be disturbed or confused.

However, the other three

types of crying are

encouraging and motivational

because they have an inverse

relationship with sorrow and

depression. The first kind of

crying is as a result of real

sorrow caused, for example,

by death; but the other three

types do not possess real

sorrow for present events,

even though they take place

in present-day mourning

ceremonies. The four types of

crying are as follows:

1. Crying as a result of

relationship and affection

This type of crying takes place

due to problems or when

tragic events, like

bereavement of a beloved,

come to pass. Crying of this

kind does not usually happen

out of one’s own volition, but

occurs involuntarily. This type

of crying, in the terminology

of psychologists and mental

therapists, is termed

psychological emptying or

emotional release of the

aroused feelings and is related

to the individual and his

repressed or unfulfilled needs.

2. Crying as a result of

belief

This type of crying is that of a

person who sheds tears

during supplication while

evaluating his present and

future deeds and

circumstances. This type of

crying has its roots in faith

and ideology and is not

related to fears about this

world and our day to day life.

3. Crying to seek

perfection and excellence

Sometimes crying is a result

of seeking virtue and moral

perfection, like the crying


10

which takes place when a

teacher, a moral adviser, a

prophet, an imam or anyone

of high moral calibre departs

this life. This type of crying

views things from this

perspective that we, in the

deepest recesses of our

hearts, have a strong

admiration for perfection and

spiritual growth.

We are overwhelmed when

these types of perfection are

available, and we become

distressed when they are lost.

The crying that takes place in

mourning ceremonies is

sometimes of this type.

4. Crying for the

persecuted and oppressed

In this type of crying, we feel

sympathy for one who is

being treated unjustly or

inhumanely like when we cry

because of the harsh

oppression that was imposed

upon the Holy Prophet (S)

and the Holy Imams (as),

especially the brutal

oppression which was

committed against the Doyen

of Martyrs, Imam al-Husayn

(as), and other numerous

hardships that the Ahl al-Bayt

(as) suffered.

Mourning ceremonies and

depression

Depressive disorders are

divided into three main

groups:

1. Major depression.

2. Habitual depression.

3. Circumstantial depression.[1]

Major depression is the most

intense type of depression.

Some of its signs include:

a. Feelings of sorrow,

emptiness or purpose-

lessness for the greater

part of the day or even

the whole day.

b. Visible and apparent

decrease of interest in and

enjoyment of daily

activities for the better

part of the day.

c. Visible decrease in body

weight without abstaining

from food or noticeable

increase in body weight in

the course of one month.


11

d. Inability to sleep

(insomnia) or sleepiness

throughout the day.

e. Fatigue and loss of energy

for most of the day.

f. Lack of self-worth or

excessive feelings of guilt.

g. Decrease in mental

capacity, lack of

concentration and inability

to make decisions.

h. Recurring thoughts about

death.

Upon consideration of these

three types of depression, it is

clear that the first and third

types are not intended by

those who say that mourning

ceremonies are a cause of

sorrow and depression in the

society.

The first type is extreme and

it is clearly invalid to claim

that the Shi‘ah societies are

widely afflicted by major or

chronic depression and

sorrow.

The third type of depression is

also not intended by the

sceptics because it is related

to special and particular

instances like premenstrual

syndrome (PMS) or depressive

disorders that follow

psychological distress like

schizophrenia.

Therefore, habitual depression

and sorrow is that which is

intended by critics. Habitual

depression is relatively minor

and has the following

features:

a. Lack of appetite or

excessive appetite.

b. Lack of sleep (insomnia)

or excessive sleepiness.

c. Lack of energy or

excessive fatigue.

d. Difficulty in decision

making or feelings of

helplessness.

e. The appearance or

manifestation of these

symptoms for the greater

part of the day or for most

days for a period of at

least two years.

f. The symptoms are not a

result of physiological

effects due to

inappropriate use of

medicines, etc.


12

g. The symptoms result in

disruption of the

individual’s work and

social activities.

Now, we will examine whether

or not mourning ceremonies

bring about the symptoms of

habitual depression in man,

and therefore cause social

despondency.

In order to make this issue

clear, it is necessary to

scrutinize the factors which

cause depression and

despondency from the

viewpoint of psychology.

Psychologists have

enumerated three main

factors that cause depression:

existential, hereditary and

environmental stimulants.[2]

The surroundings or situation

alone do not cause

depression. In fact, negative

stimuli in the environment are

only effective in people who

have a background of

hereditary depression or

biological disorder in the brain

affecting its normal function.

In addition, mourning

ceremonies cannot be classed

as environmental causes that

generate intense stress. Real

grief and sorrow resulting

from current tragic events can

cause extreme distress and

depression, but mourning

ceremonies for the awliya’ of

Allah play no part in

producing intense stress.

On the contrary, and with due

attention to issues discussed

in social psychology about the

characteristics of religious

rituals, it can be said that

mourning ceremonies play a

strong part in stress relief.

In cases where tears and

sorrow arise as a result of

belief, because of seeking

moral perfection and

excellence, or due to

sympathy for the persecuted

and oppressed, they can

produce tranquillity in man

and remove agitation from his

soul. To substantiate this

issue, we will refer to an

example in this regard.

Doctor Tayjani Tunisi says,

“My friend called Mun‘im came

and together we traveled on

pilgrimage to Karbala. There,


13

like the other Shi‘ahs, I came

to understand the hardships

and sufferings which befell

our master al-Husayn (as).

That was when I understood

that Imam al-Husayn (as) had

not really ever died. The

people were crowding and

pressing upon one another all

round his shrine. They were

crying with unmatched grief

and anguish the like of which

I had never seen before. They

showed so much agitation

that it seemed like al-Husayn

(as) had just been martyred.

I heard clergymen reviving

the tragic event of Karbala.

Their retelling of what came

to pass on the day of ‘Ashura

was arousing the people’s

emotions and causing much

wailing and lamentation. No

one could listen to the story

and bear its intense sorrow.

On the contrary, some who

listened to the account would

involuntarily pass out. I, too,

cried. I cried and cried.

I cried so much that it

seemed as though grief had

been trapped in my throat for

years, and it was now

exploding out.

After that wailing though, I

felt inner peace. I felt

tranquillity like I had never

felt before. It seemed as

though previously I had been

one of the enemies of Imam

al-Husayn (as), and in a split

second I had been converted

and become one of his

companions. In a moment, I

had become a follower of that

great man who had sacrificed

his life for the preservation of

Islam.

Even more interesting is that

at that very moment, a

clergyman was giving an

account of the story of Hurr.

Hurr was one of the leaders of

the enemy troops who had

come to Karbala with the

intention of fighting Imam al-

Husayn (as). All of a sudden,

Hurr started shaking and

trembling on the battlefield.

His friends asked him, ‘What

is wrong with you? Are you

afraid of death?’ He

answered: ‘I swear upon

Allah! I do not fear death at


14

all, but I see myself having

the option to choose between

eternal bliss in heaven and

eternal perdition in hell.’

Suddenly, Hurr mounted his

horse and started riding

towards al-Husayn (as).

He hastened to meet the Holy

Imam (as) and, as he was

crying, said, ‘O son of the

Holy Prophet! Is there

repentance for me?’

Believe it when I say that this

was the very moment when I

could not bear it any more. I

started wailing and threw

myself on the ground. It

seemed as though I was

reliving Hurr’s part and was

asking al-Husayn, ‘O son of

the Prophet! Is there

repentance for me? O son of

the Prophet! Forgive me!’

The preacher’s voice had such

a strong impact on the

listeners that it caused the

wailing voices of the people to

raise to unprecedented levels.

My friend, who had heard my

wailing voice, took me in his

arms while he himself was

crying. He embraced me in

the same way that a mother

embraces her child. He, too,

was shouting, ‘O al-Husayn! O

al-Husayn!’

Those were moments when I

perceived and understood

what real crying was. I felt

that my tears were cleaning

and cleansing my heart. My

entire body was being cleaned

right from the core. It was at

that moment when I

understood the meaning of

the Prophet’s words when he

said, ‘If you knew what I

know, then you would laugh

less and cry more.

‘I spent that whole day in

deep sorrow. My friend

wanted to console me, so he

brought some juice and

cookies, but I had lost my

appetite. I refused to eat and

instead asked my friend to

repeat the story of the

martyrdom of Imam al-

Husayn (as), because I did

not know anything about it at

all…’”[3]

The Religious Verdict

Concerning Attending


15

Mourning Ceremonies for

the Awliya’ of Allah

On his own chain of

transmission, Bukhari narrates

that ‘A’ishah said, “When the

news of the martyrdom of

Zayd ibn Harithah and Ja‘far

and ‘Abd Allah ibn Rawahah

was brought to the Holy

Prophet (S), he entered the

mosque and sat there with

signs of grief and sorrow

showing on his face.”[4]

Ibn Hisham recounts, “When

the Noble Prophet (S)

returned to Medina, he heard

sounds of crying and

mourning. His eyes filled with

tears. Then, the Noble

Prophet (S) said, ‘But no one

cries for Hamzah.’ When they

heard this, the women of Bani

Ashhal came out and started

crying for the uncle of Allah’s

Prophet (S).”[5]

Holding Mourning Cere-

monies in the Interest of

Unity

It is sometimes said that

holding mourning rites is not

compatible with Islamic unity

because these ceremonies

include protest against and

condemnation of some of the

Muslim caliphs. Therefore, it is

felt by some that

discontinuation of such

protests and cursing for the

sake of creating unity among

the Muslims is binding and

necessary.

Response

Firstly, remembering the

uprising of Imam al-Husayn

(as) is not only in the interest

of Shi‘ah Muslims, but also in

the interest of all Muslims and

freedom-seekers of the world,

because holding mourning

rites in memory of Aba ‘Abd

Allah al-Husayn (as)

establishes in man the spirit

of seeking martyrdom for the

sake of securing and

establishing freedom and

faith. This orientation can help

free human societies which

are now living under the yoke

of captivity and exploitation.

Secondly, when the suffering

of Imam al-Husayn (as) is

kept alive there is no negative

mention of the Prophet’s


16

faithful companions. It must

be realized that the Prophet’s

loyal companions loved and

respected Imam al-Husayn

(as). Some of them were even

with him at Karbala and they

attained martyrdom. The

Prophet’s companions who

were martyred include Habib

ibn Mazahir, Muslim ibn

‘Awsajah, Burayr ibn Khadir

Hamadani, ‘Urwah Ghaffari

and others.

Commemorating the ‘Ashura

uprising of Imam al-Husayn

(as) has not been and will

never be a cause of

disagreement and disunity

among Muslims.

Commemorating the struggle

of Imam al-Husayn (as)

against those hypocrites that

desired to blot out the religion

of Islam can only bring about

more unity among Muslims

and create division and

discord between the Muslims

and such deceitful tyrants as

Yazid, Ibn Ziyad, ‘Umar ibn

Sa‘d and others that wish to

destroy Islam, but, then

again, this is precisely what

the tyrants and oppressors

fear.

Beating the Chest to

Mourn Imam Husayn (as)

It can be understood from

Shi‘ah and Sunni traditions

[hadiths] that there is no

prohibition for beating the

chest when mourning and

grieving for Imam al-Husayn

(as), even though it may

cause redness of the chest.

On the contrary, the action of

beating the chest is in fact

preferred.

A. The Shi‘ah traditions

The following traditions show

that it is permissible and

legitimate to hold different

types of mourning

ceremonies, including beating

the chest.

1. Shaykh Tusi recounts that

Imam al-Sadiq (as) said,

“Hitting the face is nothing

but seeking forgiveness and

repentance, because the

women from among the

descendants of Fatimah (as)

tore their clothes and hit their

faces when mourning for


17

Imam al-Husayn (as). For

people like al-Husayn (as), we

should hit our faces and rend

our clothes.”[6]

2. A part of the holy prayer of

“Ziyarat Nahiyah

Muqaddasah” (Pilgrimage to

the Holy Places) reads,

“Like wounded horses, the

women saw you… they came

from behind their curtains

with their hair disheveled and

they were hitting their faces

and wailing in loud voices.”[7]

3. In the same prayer, we

read that the Imam of the

Age, Imam al-Mahdi (as),

addresses Imam al-Husayn

(as) in this way,

“I weep for you every

mourning and evening, and

instead of shedding tears, I

cry blood.”[8]

4. It is narrated that Imam al-

Rida (as) said,

“Verily the day of al-Husayn

(as) has lacerated our eyes

and made our tears flow. It

has made our beloved one

(Imam al-Husayn) become

forlorn in the land of affliction

and grief. Al-Husayn (as) has

left grief for us to inherit and

sorrow to accompany us until

the Day of Resurrection.”[9]

5. Shaykh Mufid recounts,

“When Zaynab heard her

brother, al-Husayn (as),

reciting verses,

She slapped her face, rent her

clothes and passed out.”[10]

6. Sayyid ibn Tawus narrates,

“When the captives reached

Karbala on their return from

Sham to Medina, they saw

that Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah Ansari

along with a number of

people of Bani Hashim had

come for pilgrimage to the

grave of Imam al-Husayn

(as). All of them reached the

place at the same time and

started crying. They were

grieving and hitting

themselves. They mourned

bitterly. The women of that

land joined them and copied

their mode and they mourned

for Imam al-Husayn (as) for

three days.”[11]

7. Ibn Quluyah narrated that

the houris of paradise in the


18

high heavens hit their breasts

and faces for the sake of

Imam al-Husayn (as).[12]

8. On his authorized chain of

transmission, Kulayni relates

that Jabir asked Imam al-

Baqir (as) to explain what

grief [jaza‘] meant. He (as)

said, “The most intense grief

is yelling, crying, shouting and

hitting the face and

chest…”[13]

B. Sunni traditions

Sunni Muslims have also

recounted a number of

traditions which prove the

desirability of beating the

chest when mourning over the

awliya’ of Allah, especially the

Doyen of Martyrs, Imam al-

Husayn (as).

Now, we will refer to some of

these hadiths,

1. Ibn Kathir narrates that

when the captives passed by

Karbala on their way back to

Medina and remembered

Imam al-Husayn (as), the

women started crying and

hitting their faces. Zaynab

raised her voice and said, “O

Muhammad!”[14]

All this took place in the

presence of Imam al-Sajjad

(as), who was in their

company, but he showed no

protest against their behavior.

2. Imam al-Husayn (as)

recited the following epic

verse at Karbala,

When Zaynab heard his

words, at that moment she

rent her clothes, hit her face

and and came out of the tent

bareheaded and cried out

loudly, “O my sorrow! O my

misery!”[15]

3. Among the reasons cited to

substantiate the permissibility

of hitting one’s chest and face

when mourning for the

prophets, the awliya’ and their

descendants, especially

unique and unparalleled

people in the history of

mankind, is a hadith which

Ahmad and other historians

have recounted on authentic

chains of transmission. They

have recounted that ‘A’ishah

said, “… The soul of the


19

Prophet of Allah (S) was taken

[…], then I put his head on a

pillow and the other women

and I arose and started hitting

ourselves. I was hitting my

face…”

Regarding the chain of

transmission of this tradition,

Muhammad Salim Asad says,

“This chain of transmission is

correct and authentic.” (It

must be mentioned, that the

Shi‘ahs do not consent to the

truth of all parts of this

tradition, but that argument is

reserved for another place

and time. The current

argument is in regard to the

acceptability of hitting oneself

to show grief.)[16]

4. It cannot be said that

hitting oneself due to an

affliction that has befallen him

is prohibited, because Ahmad

ibn Hanbal, on his own chain

of transmission, has

recounted through Abu

Hurayrah that an Arab man

came to see the Prophet of

Allah and started hitting

himself on the face. He was

pulling out his hair while

saying, “I see myself delivered

to destruction and perdition.”

The Prophet of Allah asked

him, “What is it that has

delivered you to destruction

and perdition?” He answered,

“In the holy month of

Ramadan, my wife and I had

intimate relations!” The Holy

Prophet (S) asked him, “Are

you able to free one

slave?”[17]

We notice from this hadith

that the Holy Prophet (S) did

not protest against this man’s

action of hitting himself and

pulling out his hair. In

addition, he did not announce

a particular prohibition

regarding hitting the face and

pulling one’s hair out. Instead

he only told the man what to

do to atone for his sin.

5. Ibn ‘Abbas narrates about

the Holy Prophet’s (S) divorce

from some of his wives, ‘Umar

said, “I went to see Hafsah at

her house. I noticed that she

was standing and hitting

herself, and the other wives of

the Holy Prophet (S) were

standing and hitting


20

themselves.” I asked Hafsah,

“Has the Prophet of Allah

granted you a divorce?”[18]

6. Sibt ibn al-Jawzi says,

“When al-Husayn was killed,

Ibn ‘Abbas was constantly

crying for him until finally his

eyes became blind.”[19]

7. Jurji Zaydan says, “There is

no doubt that Ibn Ziyad

committed a great crime

when he killed al-Husayn, a

crime whose atrociousness

has never before been seen

nor occurred in the whole

universe. Therefore, it is not a

matter of concern if the

Shi‘ahs expose the oppression

which characterized the killing

of Imam al-Husayn. It is not a

cause of worry if the Shi‘ahs

weep or cry for him every

year, and rend their collars

while showing their remorse

and sorrow, because he was

killed in an unjust way.”[20]

Examination of the

reasoning

Those who oppose beating

the chest in intense grief for

Allah’s awliya’have resorted to

a number of hadiths recorded

by different Islamic sects and

schools of thought:

Hadith recounted by Sunni

Muslims

Bukhari quotes from ‘Abd

Allah that the Holy Prophet

(S) said, “A man who slaps his

face, rends his collar and

promotes the legacy of the

Age of Ignorance (before the

advent and rise of Islam) is

not from us.”[21]

Some have made use of this

hadith to prohibit beating the

chest and mourning for the

awliya’ of Allah, including the

Doyen of Martyrs, Aba ‘Abd

Allah al-Husayn (as).

Response

This hadith views the act of

beating the chest as an

objection to Allah’s decree

and mourning as a means of

protesting against one’s

destiny when a beloved one

dies. This is the view which

most of the commentators of

the book of hadith of Sahih

Bukhari have adopted; among


21

them ‘Asqalani, Mulla ‘Ali Qari,

Kirmani and Qastalani.[22]

Kirmani writes, “If a person

says that rending one’s collars

and hitting one’s face will not

cause man to be banished

from this ummah (Islamic

community), what therefore is

the meaning of such a

prohibition?” In response, we

say that this prohibition is a

result of intensity and

severity. If the statement

regarding the Age of

Ignorance is interpreted to

mean disbelief [kufr], like

making lawful what is

unlawful [haram] or the lack

of submission to and

acceptance of divine decree,

then the prohibition is

correct.[23]

Manawi adds a footnote to

this hadith saying, “The above

interpretation denotes lack of

contentment, and assumes a

lack of satisfaction with

devine decree.”[24]

In conclusion, this hadith is

not proof against beating the

chest on the day of ‘Ashura

while mourning over the

sufferings of Imam al-Husayn

(as) and the other awliya’ of

Allah, because in this case

beating the chest is a deed

which is meant to show

homage and paying tribute. It

is done to show reverence to

the religion and as a

manifestation of love for the

Ahl al-Bayt.

This sorrow and grief is in no

way a display of discontent-

ment with Allah’s decree.

Such grief, in fact, is in one

aspect exhibition of intense

sorrow over the failure of

Muslims to support Imam al-

Husayn (as) in his struggle to

keep alive Allah’s law and

decree.

The traditions of the Ahl

al-Bayt (as)

There are some traditions in

Shi‘ah sources of hadith which

appear to prohibit beating the

chest and mourning.

1. Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah Ansari

says, I asked Imam al-Baqir

(as) about grief [jaza‘]. He

(as) said, ”The most intense

grief is wailing while saying


22

“woe”, slapping the face and

pulling the front hair out.

Anyone who mourns and

expresses grief has certainly

lost his patience and is on the

path of impatience.”[25]

2. It has been recounted that

Imam al-Sadiq (as) said,

“The Prophet of Allah forbade

crying loudly when one is

afflicted with a misfortune. He

also forbade mourning or

listening to it.”[26]

3. ‘Amru ibn Abi Miqdam

narrates that I heard Imam

al-Baqir (as) commenting on

the Qur’anic verse, “And will

not disobey you in what is

good.”[27] He said, “The

Prophet of Allah (S) told his

daughter, Fatimah (as),

‘When I die, do not scratch

your face, dishevel your hair

nor mourn or cry loudly’.”[28]

Response

Firstly, this type of hadiths

does not prohibit the holding

of mourning ceremonies. On

the contrary, they intend to

restrain or prohibit any action

that is not compatible with

submission to divine decree

and the will of Allah because

some people lose their control

when a beloved one dies or

when they are afflicted with

calamity.

They complain and grumble in

protest, and question Allah’s

decree. However, when

holding mourning ceremonies

involves the recounting of the

virtues and good deeds of the

deceased through elegies and

mournful poems, there is no

problem with this.

Secondly, the traditions which

apparently prohibit mourning

and the reading of mournful

poems are related to

instances that do not have

positive practical effects.

However, mourning for the

awliya’ of Allah is reasonable

and rational. We have

previously shown that

mourning for Allah’s awliya’

(as) is reasonable under

stated general rationales.

It has also been shown that

mourning for Allah’s awliya’

was the conduct of the

Prophet of Allah (S), the pure


23

and chaste Ahl al-Bayt (as)

and the Prophet’s

companions. Even the

generation which came after

the Noble Prophet and

Muslims throughout the entire

history of Islam have been


for the awliya’ of Allah,

especially for the sufferings of

Imam al-Husayn (as).

We have also shown that such

ceremonies have practical

positive results for Muslim

individuals and society.

Thirdly, in some hadiths, it

has been explicitly stated that


is permissible and that it is

even quite desirable and

preferable to grieve & express

sorrow over the sufferings of

Imam al-Husayn (as).

1. A hadith has been

recounted that Imam al-Sadiq

(as) said,

“Every kind of despondency

and crying is disapproved

[makruh], except grieving and

crying for Imam al-Husayn

(S).”[29]

2. Imam al-Rida (as) told his

son, “… Verily, the day of al-

Husayn (the day of ‘Ashura)

has lacerated eyes and made

them swollen. It has caused

our tears to flow because our

beloved one has been

exposed to abjectness in the

land of Karbala. He has left

for us to inherit sorrow and

afflication for as long as we

are to live in this world…”[30]

3. Imam al-Sadiq (as) told

‘Abd Allah ibn Hammad,

“News has reached me that a

group of people around the

area of Kufah and other

places and also a group of

women gather on the 15th of

Sha‘ban near the holy shrine

of al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali and

mourn the loss of al-Husayn

(as). They recite the Holy

Qur’an, and some among

them recount the story of

‘Ashura and the events that

came to pass while the rest of

them weep and wail.”

Hammad told the Imam (as),

“I witnessed these mourning

ceremonies myself.” Imam al-

Sadiq (as) said, “Praise be to


24

Allah that He has made some

men inclined and affectionate

towards us (the Ahl al-Bayt),

so that they may praise and

extol us. They mourn for us

and rebuke our enemies, and

in this way clearly expose the

ugly and unacceptable deeds

of those who oppose us.”[31]

4. Ibn Quluyah quotes Masma‘

Kardin recounting that Imam

al-Sadiq (as) asked him, “Do

you commemorate the events

of Karbala?” I answered, “Yes,

I do.” He asked, “Do you

grieve and express sorrow?” I

said, “Yes, I swear upon Allah

that I cry!” The Imam (as)

said, “May Allah accept your

crying and reward you for it.

Be aware that you are one of

those people who express

sorrow for our sake, and show

joy for our joy.”[32]

Wearing Black Clothes

There is no doubt that

wearing black clothes,

especially during recitation of

prayers, is widely considered

as disapproved [makruh].

Muslim scholars have

unanimous agreement on this

verdict. The question here is

whether or not this aversion

to black is inherent? In other

words, are black clothes

disapproved just because they

are black in themselves or are

they disapproved for a specific

reason, such as because they

were the banner of the

tyrannical caliphs of Bani

‘Abbas33 or because they are

the clothes of the people

dwelling in hell?[34]

Shi‘ah traditions

1. On his authentic chain of

transmission, Barqi recounts

that Imam al-Baqir (as) said,

“When my forefather al-

Husayn was killed, the women

of Bani Hashim wore black

clothes while mourning him.

They did not change this

practice whether in the hot

summer or in the cold winter.

My father ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn

prepared their food during

this period of mourning.”[35]

1. On his authentic chain of

transmission, Ibn Quluyah

recounts that an angel from

heaven landed on the sea and

spread its wings. Then, she


25

yelled and cried out aloud, “O

inhabitants of the sea! Wear

morning clothes, because the

child of the Prophet of Allah

has been killed (today). Then,

he took some of the holy soil

from Karbala, and took it with

himself to heaven. Every

angel it passed by stopped it

in order to smell the holy soil.

Spiritual effects and graces

derived from it remained on

them.”[36]

Sunni traditions

1. Ibn Abi al-Hadid quotes

Mada’ini saying, “When ‘Ali

(as) passed away, ‘Abd Allah

ibn ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib

came to the people and said,

‘Verily, Amir al-Mu’minin (as)

has passed away. He has left

someone to succeed him. If

you endorse him, he will come

to meet you. If you are

displeased with him, you will

not be coerced to accept his

leadership.’ The people broke

down crying and said, ‘Let him

come to meet us because we

endorse him.’ Al-Hasan (as)

came to meet the people and

gave a sermon while wearing

black clothes’.”[37]

2. Abi Mukhnaf recounts that

Nu‘man ibn Bashir

communicated the news of

Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom

to the people of Medina… All

the women of Medina came

out of their houses wearing

black clothes and started

mourning.[38]

3. ‘Imad al-Din Idris Qurashi

quotes Abi Na‘im Isfahani

recounting on his authentic

chain of transmission that

when the news of Imam al-

Husayn’s death reached Umm

Salamah, she made a black

tent in the Prophet’s Mosque

and wore black clothes.[39]

4. Ibn Abi al-Hadid recounts

that Asbagh ibn Nabatah said,

“After the martyrdom of Amir

al-Mu’minin (Imam ‘Ali) (as), I

entered the Mosque of Kufah.

I saw al-Hasan and al-Husayn

wearing black clothes.[40]

References:

1. Anjuman-e Rawanshenasi-ye

Amrika (American

Psychological Association), p.

602.


26

2. Anjuman-e Pezeshki-ye

Amrika (The American

Medical Association), Trans.

Mahdi Ganji, pp. 67-88.

3. Thumma Ahdaytu (Then, I

was Guided), pp. 96-98.

4. Irshad al-Sari, vol. 2, p. 393.

5. Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, vol.

3, p. 105.

6. Tahzib al-Ahkam, v. 8, p.

325.

7. Kamil al-Ziyarat, p. 260-261.

8. Ibid.

9. Bihar, v. 44, p. 284.

10. Al-Irshad, p. 232.

11. Luhuf, pp. 112-113.

12. Kamil al-Ziyarat, p. 80.

13. Wasa’il al-Shi‘ah, vol. 2, p.

915.

14. Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah,

vol. 8, p. 210.

15. Tarikh Tabari, vol. 4, p. 319;

Mufid, Al-Irshad, v. 2, p. 94.

16. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-

Musnad, vol. 6, p. 274;

17. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-

Musnad, vol. 2, p. 516.

18. Kanz al-‘Ummal, v. 2, p. 534.

19. Tazkirah al-Khawass, p. 152.

20. Tarikh al-Niyahah, v. 2, p. 30,

as narrated by Jarji Zaydan.

21. Sahih Bukhari, no. 1220.

22. Fath al-Bari, vol. 3, p. 195;

Sharh al-Kirmani ‘ala al-

Bukhari, vol. 7, p. 88

23. Sharh al-Kirmani ‘ala al-

Bukhari, vol. 7, p. 88.

24. Fayd al-Qadir, v. 5, p. 493.


915.

26. Ibid.

27. Surat al-Mumtahanah 60:12.

28. Wasa’il al-Shia, v. 2, p. 915.

29. Bihar, v. 44, p. 289.

30. Ibid., p. 285.

31. Ibn Quluyah, Kamil al-

Ziyarat, p. 539.

32. Bihar v. 44, p. 289.

33. Man la Yahdaruhu al-Faqih,

vol. 2, p. 252.


281.

35. Bihar, v. 45, p. 188.

36. Kamil al-Ziyarat, pp. 67-68;

37. Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj

al-Balaghah, vol. 16, p. 22.

38. Abi Mukhnaf, Maqtal, pp.

222-223.

39. ‘Uyun al-Akbar wa Funun al-

Athar, p. 109.

40. Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj

al-Balaghah.

��


27

Regarding the tragedy of

Ashura, one of the questions

that arises is why Imam

Husayn (a), knowing that he

would have become martyr

along with his companions,

brought his family with him

and what the role of the

women in Karbala was.

We must add that two fun-

damental elements have given

rise to the story of Ashura:

one is martyrdom and self-

sacrifice, and the other to

spread the message of Imam

Husayn (a), spread by those

who in this event were

innocently abused and tor-

tured, suffering great pain.

The role of the women and

the family of Imam Husayn

(a) is more relevant with

respect to the second ele-

ment, even if they, as moth-

ers, had a clear role in edu-

cating these brave soldiers,

who stayed on the side of

their Imam (a) to the last.

As sisters and wives, they

have played an important role

in supporting and encouraging

their brothers and husbands

by accepting their martyrdom

as divine will. For example

Ummulbanin, the mother of

the noble Abulfazl, who

remained in Medina, when the

caravan of the family of Imam

Husayn (a) returned, immedi-

ately asked what happened to

her Imam (a), when she was

told that her four children

became martyrs, she said:

"May my family be sacrificed

for him!"

Imam Hussain (a.s) never

acted randomly

Before discussing the role of

women in Karbala, it is

necessary to make two points:

the first is that Imam Husayn

(a) did not behave randomly,

but his actions were based on

precise reasons. In fact, he

knew that bringing his family

to Karbala would make them

the spreader of the message

of Ashura.

In addition, the Prophet (s) in

a dream told him that it was

The Critical Role of Women in Karbala

By: Sister Hanieh Tarkian


28

God's will that his family was

taken prisoner.

The second point to make is

that women have always

played an important role in

the history of humanity, even

if sometimes in an indirect

way. Regarding the role of

women in the history of

mankind, we can do three

subdivisions:

1 - Those who were treated

as precious objects to be

protected, but they really did

not hold any important role,

such as women in ancient

civilizations.

2 - Those who have influence

on the society in which they

live, but at the expense of

their own value as a woman,

like many women in today's

society.

3 - Those who, like the

Muslim woman, protect their

own value, while maintaining

their influence on society and

this is possible only by imple-

menting the Islamic rules.

Exploring the role of

women:

Eloquence of Zaynab (a)

The best example of this kind

of woman is the noble Fatima

Zahra (a) who defended the

rights of Imam Ali (a) by

giving a speech in the

mosque, but from behind a

curtain, thereby protecting

her value as a woman.

Or as the noble Zaynab (a),

whose role in the tragedy of

Ashura gains importance from

the moment in which his

brother and other male

members of his family became

martyrs. Being similar in

eloquence to her father Imam

Ali (a), she made discourses

in Kufa and Damascus that

made the enemies shudder in

fear and turn in repentance to

the Ahlulbayt (a).

For example, when Ibn Zyad

asked: "How have you seen

what Allah has done to your

brother and his Ahlulbayt

(a)?” she replies:

"I did not see anything but

beauty, they were people for

whom Allah had written

martyrdom and have reached

their bliss". She also said:


29

"Soon, God will gather you

together: then you will see

who will be in trouble."

Once they arrived in Damas-

cus, the daughter of the

Prince of Believers (a), no

longer able to bear the

nonsense of Yazid, said: "...

Yazid! Do you think of having

narrowed the earth and the

heavens, leaving us with no

alternatives?! Do you think

that by dragging us as slaves

from one place to another, we

are humiliated before God and

you honoured?! Do you think

your victory has increased

your nobility with God?”

Then she said: “Yazid! I swear

by God that you have done

nothing more than tearing

yourself into pieces and it will

definitely be with these vile

actions, shedding the blood of

the family of the Messenger of

God (s) and violating the

respect due to them, that you

will present yourself in front

of your Prophet Muhammad

(s) on the Day of Judgment,

when God will gather all and

give everyone what he

deserves. In fact, God says in

the Quran: 'Do not think that

those who have become

martyrs in the way of God are

dead, they are alive and enjoy

the blessings of God'.

…Very soon the one who

deceived you and other

people will realize what

terrible punishment is up to

oppressors and who will be in

the worst place and will have

the weaker army. Although

because of the events I was

forced to talk to you, you

must know that you have no

value for me”.

Lady Zaynab with her words

humiliated Yazid and his

followers in front of the

friends and enemies of the

Ahlulbayt (a).

Islamic model of women

This is the woman Islam

wants: a socially active

woman and at the same time

the guardian of her own value

and her own modesty.

So the presence of the family

of Imam Husayn (a) in

Karbala was crucial, in fact its


30

members have not only

spread the message of

Ashura, but they made the

enemies helpless in front of

them, as the soldiers of Yazid

were rebuked by everyone,

even by their families, be-

cause of the mistreatment of

women and children.

In Islam is not just the men

who have to participate in

social activities, but also the

women have to take part in

the defense of truth and

oppose tyrants; lady Zaynab

(a) and the other women of

the family of Imam Husayn

(a) by spreading the message

of Ashura fulfilled their duty.

If they had not done so, this

message would not have

come to us, especially consid-

ering the power of Umayyads

in spreading news in their

favor.

In fact, Syria and the sur-

rounding areas were under

the control of Umayyads for

many years and they were

able to obtain complete

control even on the religious

population, so that, when the

Abbasids gained power, some

of the emirs of Umayyads

went to the first Abbasid

caliph swearing that until then

they were convinced that the

only remaining relatives of the

Prophet (s) were the Umay-

yads.

The noble Zaynab (a) and

Imam Sajjad (a) with their

speeches were able to pre-

vent the Umayyads with their

strong influence from dis-

torting the story of the

tragedy of Ashura.

In addition, the cruel and

oppressive behaviour of Yazid

and his army against the

family of Imam Husayn (a)

was an essential element in

revealing the true face of the

tyrant Yazid and the followers

of Umayyads.

Today we Muslims, men and

women, have the duty to

reveal the true face of the

oppressors, and our duty is no

less important than that of

lady Zaynab (a) and Imam

Sajjad (a) in spreading the

message of Ashura.

��


31

Visiting the grave of Imam Husayn (a.s.) is recommend-ed, while emphasis upon visiting his grave is among the necessities of the Religion. It is related that the visitation to his grave is essential upon every believer and is obligato-ry upon every man and woman. While one who abandons it, in fact has abandoned the rights of Allah and His Prophet, while aban-doning it is ungratefulness with the Prophet of Allah (S) and is a result of a defect in his belief and Religion. And the one who deliberately avoids it, he shall be among the dwellers of hell.

Imam Muhammad al Baqir

(a.s.) told Muhammad bin

Muslim that, “Direct our Shi’a

to visit the grave of Husayn

bin Ali (a.s.), for it has been

made obligatory by Allah, the

Mighty, the Sublime, upon

every believer who considers

Husayn (a.s.) to be his Imam”.

Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (a.s.)

says that, “Whenever anyone

amongst you go for the Hajj

and then do not go for the

pilgrimage of Imam Husayn

(a.s.) has abandoned the right

from among the rights of the

Prophet of Allah (S). For the

right of Husayn (a.s.) is made

obligatory upon every Muslim

by Allah”.

He says that, “The one who

dies without going to the

grave of Husayn (a.s.), while

he still considers himself to be

our Shi’a, is in fact not our

Shi’a, and even if he goes to

Paradise, he will remain as a

guest of the inhabitants of

Paradise”.

He (Imam Sadiq) asked Aban

bin Taghlib, “O Aban! When

did you go for the pilgrimage

to the grave of Imam Husayn

(a.s.)?”

Aban replied, “By Allah, O son

of the Prophet of Allah! A

lengthy time has passed since

I did not renew the pledge”.

Imam (a.s.) replied, “Glory be

Merit of visiting the grave of

Imam Husayn (A.S.)

Edited excerpts from the book, “Nafasul Mahmoom” By: Sheikh Muhammad Abbas Qummi


32

to my Lord, the Sublime, and

praise to Him! In spite of

being a nobleman among the

Shi’a you have abandoned the

visitation to the grave of

Husayn (a.s.)? The one who

visits the grave of Imam

Husayn (a.s.), Allah writes

down good deeds for him at

every step, and forgives his

sins at each step. Then He

forgives all of his past and

future sins”.

It is related in numerous

traditions that, “Do not avoid

visiting the grave of Imam

Husayn (a.s.) even during the

days of prohibition. And one

who visits him (his grave) in

fear (of the enemies), Allah

will give him refuge from the

great fear of Qiyamah and he

will gain reward proportionate

to the fear. And the one who

fears due to their fear, Allah

will bestow him a refuge

under the shade of His

empyrean while he shall

remain along with Imam

Husayn (a.s.) and shall be

protected from the fear of the

day of Qiyamah”.

It is related in traditions from


that, “The wealthy should visit

the grave of Imam Husayn

(a.s.) twice every year, while

the indigent should visit once

every year”.

He (a.s.) said, “Those who live

near should visit at least once

every month, while those who

live far away, once every three

years”.

It is also related from him

that, “It is not fair to avoid it

for more than four years”.

It is related from Imam Abul

Hasan (a.s.) that, “Whoever

visits the grave of Imam

Husayn (a.s.) thrice a year

shall remain safe from indi-

gence. It is emphasized that

one should visit his grave with

sincerity and eagerness. Then

the one who goes to his grave

with eagerness, he is among

the favored slaves (of Allah)

and will remain under the

standard of Husayn bin Ali

(a.s.). And the one who visits

him for the sake of Allah, Allah

will forgive his sins similar to a


33

newly born, and the Angels

will accompany him in his

journey”.

It is related in another tradi-

tion that, “Jibra’eel, Mika`eel

and Israfeel accompany him

until he returns back to his

home”.

It is related from Humran (bin

A’ayan), that I went to visit

the grave of Imam Husayn

(a.s.). When I returned back

to my home, Imam Muham-

mad al Baqir (a.s.), accompa-

nied by Umar bin Ali bin

Abdullah bin Ali, came to visit

me. Imam Baqir (a.s.) said, “O

Humran! Accept glad tidings

that the one who visits the

graves of the martyrs of the

Prophet’s family, intending

Allah’s proximity and solidarity

to His Prophet, he shall be

freed from sins similar to the

day his mother gave birth to

him”.


said, that when the day of

Qiyamah approaches, an

announcer will call out,

“Where are the pilgrims of

Husayn (a.s.)?” A large

multitude will arise, computing

whose numbers would not be

possible by anyone except

Allah, the Mighty, the Sublime.

Allah will ask them, “Why did

you visit the grave of Hu-

sayn?”

They will reply, “O Lord! We

did that due to the friendship

with the Prophet of Allah (S)

and for the sake of Ali (a.s.)

and Fatemah (s.a.), and due

to the sorrow that befell him”.

It will be said to them, “Here

are Muhammad (S), Ali (a.s.),

Fatemah (a.s.), Hasan (a.s.)

and Husayn (a.s.). Go and

unite with them, you shall

remain along with them in

their status. Unite under the

standard of the Prophet of

Allah (S) and remain under its

shade, that is in the hands of

Ali (a.s.) until all of you enter

Paradise”.

Then they shall come to the

standard from behind, the

right and the left.


traditions, that the visitation of


34

Imam Husayn (a.s.)’s grave

shall result in forgiveness of

sins, be a means of entering

Paradise, and grant liberty

from hell. It shall also result in

the negation of evils, elevation

of rank and fulfillment of

desires. The one who goes to

visit the grave of Imam

Husayn (a.s.), while being

cognizant of his right, Allah

will forgive all of his past and

future sins.

In another tradition it is

related that, “His intercession

will be accepted for seventy

sinful people. And there is no

desire that is asked at the

head of his grave, except that

Allah fulfils it”.


asked Abdullah bin Najjar that,

“Do you go for the pilgrimage

to the grave of Imam Husayn

(a.s.) while sailing in the

boats?”

He replied in the affirmative.

Imam (a.s.) continued, “Do

you not know that when your

boat capsizes, it is said to you:

O you who have been

cleansed, while Paradise is

pleased with you?”

Qa’ed Hannat told Imam

(a.s.), “People come to the

grave of Imam Husayn (a.s.)

with women who recite elegies

and bring food along with

them”. Imam (a.s.) said, “Yes,

I have heard it”.

Then he (a.s.) continued, “O

Qa’ed! The one who comes to

the head of the grave of Imam

Husayn (a.s.), being cognizant

of his rights, all his past and

future sins shall be forgiven”.

It is related that, “The pilgrims

of the grave of Imam Husayn

(a.s.) will enter Paradise forty

years before others, who will

be engaged in accountability

and abeyance. While his

pilgrim will turn his sins into a

bridge upon the door of his

house, and will pass upon it as

you pass upon the bridge

while leaving it behind”.

It is related, that it will be said

to the pilgrims of Imam

Husayn (a.s.) on the day of

Qiyamah that, “Catch hold of

the hands of anyone whom


35

you befriend and enter them

into Paradise”. Then each man

will catch hold of the hand of

another until a man will say to

another, “Do you not recog-

nize me? I am the one who

had risen for you on such and

such day?” He shall enter him

into Paradise without any

hindrance or restrain.

Sulayman bin Khalid inquired

from Imam Ja’far as Sadiq

(a.s.) that, “I have heard that

you have said, that Allah

beholds the earth every day

and night for a hundred

thousand times. Then He

forgives anyone whom He

pleases and He chastises

anyone whom He pleases?

And that He shall forgive the

pilgrim of the grave of Imam

Husayn (a.s.) and his family

and anyone whom he inter-

cedes for on the day of

Qiyamah, whoever he be?

Then shall the one, who is

worthy of hell-fire, also be

forgiven?” Imam (a.s.) replied,

“Yes, even the one worthy of

hell-fire, provided that he is

not an enemy of the Ahlul

Bayt (a.s.)”.


traditions, that visiting his

grave is equal to Hajj and

Umrah, and striving in the way

of Allah (Jihad), and emanci-

pation of slaves, rather it is

equal to twenty Hajj, and

better than twenty Hajj, rather

Allah will write down eighty

Hajj in his account.

While his pilgrimage is equal

to the Hajj performed along

with the Prophet of Allah (S),

rather the one who goes for

his pilgrimage, being cogni-

zant of his rights, will be equal

to the one who has performed

Hajj hundred times accompa-

nying the Prophet of Allah (S).

While the one who goes for

his pilgrimage barefoot, with

each step that he takes

forward and backwards, he

will get reward of emancipat-

ing slaves from among the

progeny of (Prophet) Isma’eel

(a.s.).

Qaddah says, that I asked


that, “The one who goes for


36

the pilgrimage to the grave of

Imam Husayn (a.s.), while

being cognizant of his rights,

and is neither an arrogant nor

a denier, what has he

earned?” Imam (a.s.) replied,

“One thousand accepted Hajj

will be written down in his

record, as also one thousand

pious Umrah. And if he is a

damned one, he shall be noted

down as a felicitous one, and

shall remain saturated eternal-

ly in the blessings of Allah”.


traditions that going for his

(Imam Husayn’s) pilgrimage

results in the increase of age,

safeguard of self and wealth,

abundance of sustenance,

relief from severity, and the

fulfillment of desires. While

the least reward of his pil-

grimage is that Allah Himself

guarantees the protection of

his life and wealth until he

returns back to his family,

while on the day of Qiyamah

too Allah will safeguard him

fairly.

It is related, that when the

news of Imam Husayn (a.s.)’s

martyrdom reached the cities,

a hundred thousand infertile

women came to the head of

his grave and later all of them

conceived. While the Arabs

would tell their women, “If

you do not go to the grave of

this magnanimous personality,

you shall not conceive a son”.

Imam Muhammad al Baqir

(a.s.) says that, “Imam

Husayn (a.s.) was killed as the

one subjected to oppression

and severity, thirsty and

devoid of any helpers, while

Allah, the Mighty, the Sublime,

took an oath upon Himself

that there is none among the

distressed, the ones subjected

to severity, the sinful, sorrow-

ful, thirsty and ailing, who

come to the head of his grave

and ask for desires, while

intending proximity to Husayn

(a.s.), except that Allah, the

Mighty, the Sublime, will

relieve him of his severity,

fulfill his desires, forgive his

sins, increase his age and

multiply his sustenance.

‘Therefore get warned O ye

who have eyes.’ (Hashr:59:2)”


37

Ibn Abi Ya’foor relates, that I

asked Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.)

that, “My eagerness to have a

glimpse of you forced me to

come to you and relate to you

what I face”. Imam Sadiq

(a.s.) replied, “Do not com-

plain to your Lord. It would

have been fair if you would

have gone to the one who

holds a greater right upon you

than myself”.

While his concluding sentence

was more severe upon me

than the former one, thus I

asked, “Whose right is greater

upon me than you?” Imam

(a.s.) replied, “Husayn (a.s.),

it would have been better if

you went to (the grave of)

Husayn (a.s.) and requested

and asked your desires from

Allah near him”.

It is related from Imam Ja’far

as Sadiq (a.s.) that he said,

“The one who does not go to

visit the grave of Imam

Husayn (a.s.), he shall remain

very remote from numerous

abundance, while one year

from his age will lessen”. It is

related in numerous traditions

that, “Visiting his grave is a

meritorious deed and for every

dirham spent upon it is worth

a thousand dirhams”.


told Ibn Sinan that, “For every

dirham spent, ten lac dirhams

shall be taken into account.

The Prophets, Messengers,

Imams and Angels come to

visit his grave. While the

inhabitants of the heavens

pray abundantly for his

pilgrims and they give them

glad tidings”.

And there are numerous other

traditions quoted regarding

the merit of visiting his grave,

while we state some more

traditions as a gift.

Shaikh Abul Qasim Ja’far bin

Muhammad bin Qawlawayh

Qummi relates through his

chain of authorities from

Mu’awiyah bin Wahab that he

says, that I solicited permis-

sion from Imam Ja’far as

Sadiq (a.s.) to visit him and he

consented. I entered therein

and saw him seated in his

house upon his Prayer mat. I

sat down and he completed


38

his Prayers, then I heard him

eulogizing the Almighty

saying, “O Lord! You have

preferred us for eminence and

have bestowed intercession

through our medium, and

conferred Vicegerency as a

specialty for us, while You

have bestowed us with the

knowledge of the past and

future, and have entered our

love into the hearts of people.

Thus forgive me and my

brothers, as also the pilgrims

of the grave of Imam Husayn

(a.s.), who have spent their

wealth and presented their

bodies to severity, in their

inclination to favor us, intend-

ing reward near You due to

bonding with us, and in order

to appease the heart of Your

Prophet (S), and to fulfill our

command, and to enter rage

into the hearts of our ene-

mies. And by this act they

desire Your pleasure due to

us. Thus reward them through

Paradise and safeguard them

every day and night, then

make their progeny as good

successors. Then befriend

them and guard them from

the mischief of every obstinate

tyrant, as also that of every

able and disable among your

creatures, and the mischief of

the Satans among the genie

and men. Then fulfill their

greatest desire that they wish

from You, remaining far away

from their home-town, as also

those (of their desires) that

they have desired for their

children, relatives and family.

O Allah! Our enemies desisted

their journey while they did

not stop so as to challenge our

opponents. Have mercy upon

the faces whose colors have

turned pale due to the sun,

and have mercy upon the

heads that circumambulate

the grave of Abu Abdullah

Husayn (a.s.). Have mercy

upon the eyes that shed tears

upon our sorrows, and upon

the hearts that are disturbed

and pained for us, and also

upon the wailing for us. O

Allah! I offer these souls and

bodies to Your refuge until

You reach them to the head of

the fountain of Kauthar on the

day of thirst (Qiyamah)”.


39

He repeated this invocation in

prostration several times, and

then when he completed it, I

asked, “May I be your ransom!

If this invocation would have

been for the one who had

never recognized Allah, by

Allah, the fire (of hell) could

never devour him. By Allah! I

wish I had been for the

pilgrimage to his grave and

would have not been for the

Hajj”. Imam Sadiq (a.s.)

replied, “You are quite close to

him (his grave), then what

desisted you from going for

his pilgrimage?”

Then he (a.s.) said, “O

Mu’awiyah! The inhabitants of

the heavens, who pray for his

pilgrims, are certainly more

than those who pray for them

upon the earth”.

It is quoted in Biharul Anwar

from the author of Mazare

Kabir, who quotes with his

chain of transmitters from

A’amash, who says, that I

took residence in Kufa and

had a neighbor with whom I

often sat. It was the night

preceding Friday and I asked

him, “What do you have to

say regarding the pilgrimage

of Husayn (a.s.)?” He said, “It

is an innovation, while every

innovation is misguidance, and

every misguidance is destined

for hell”.

Hearing this I arose from near

him filled with rage, and told

myself that, “In the morning I

shall go to him and relate to

him the traditions proving the

excellence of the Commander

of the faithful Ali (a.s.),

perhaps Allah might enlighten

his eyes”. I went to him in the

morning and knocked at his

door. Someone answered from

behind the door saying, “He

has left for the pilgrimage in

the beginning of the night”.

Immediately I followed him

until I reached the Shrine of

Imam Husayn (a.s.) and saw

him prostrating, while he was

not tiring due to excessive

prostrations and genuflections.

I asked, “Yesterday you told

me that his pilgrimage is an

innovation, and every innova-

tion is misguidance, and every

misguidance is destined for


40

hell, while today you come for

his pilgrimage?” He replied, “O

Sulayman! Do not reprimand

me. I was not a believer in the

Imamate of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.)

until tonight when I saw a

dream which left me horri-

fied”.

I asked, “O Shaikh! What did

you dreamt?” He replied, “I

saw a man in a dream, who

was neither too short nor too

long, but was handsome while

I am unable to describe his

features. He was accompanied

by men who had surrounded

him and held him in their

midst. While facing him was a

man mounted upon a horse

with a bushy tail and he had

worn a crown with four pillars.

All the four pillars were

studded with gems that had

illuminated the distance of the

road equal to three days. I

inquired as to who he was and

was told that he was the

Vicegerent of the Prophet (S),

Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.).

I lifted my eyes further and

saw an illuminated Camel with

a litter of light, flying between

the heavens and the earth. I

asked as to whose mount was

that and was told that it was

of Sayyida Khadijah (a.s.), the

daughter of Khuwaylid, and

Sayyida Fatemah (a.s.), the

daughter of Muhammad (S).

Then I asked as to who was

the youth and was told that

he was Hasan bin Ali (a.s.). I

asked as to where were they

going, and was told that all of

them were going for the

pilgrimage of the oppressed

martyr Husayn bin Ali (a.s.),

the martyr of Karbala. I went

towards the litter, when I saw

some notes falling down from

the heavens, on which was

written: The immunity of

Allah, may His remembrance

be sublime, is for the pilgrims

of the grave of Husayn (a.s.)

on the night preceding Friday.

Then a caller announced to

me saying: Beware! We as

well as our Shi’a are in the

exalted stations of Paradise.

By Allah O Sulayman! I shall

not leave this place until my

soul abandons my body.”

��


41

In the Name of Allah, Most

Gracious, Most Merciful

Allah, Praise and Exaltation to

Him, has said, And most

surely I am most Forgiving to

one who repents and believes

and does good deeds then

continues to follow the right

guidance. (Qur'an, Taha:82)

This glorious verse has proven

that repentance, conviction

and good deeds are not all

sufficient to achieve

forgiveness, nor do they (by

themselves) please the Most

Merciful One except when the

condition of right guidance is

satisfied.

Imam al-Sadiq (as) is

reported to have said, "Allah

forgives only one who

repents, acquires conviction,

does good deeds, then is

guided to our wilayah

(authority), we, Ahl al-Bayt."

It is understood from this

statement that guidance and

being guided are two

synonymous paths comple-

menting one another, except

that guidance is a divine gift

whereby Allah, Praise and

Glory to Him, grants His

favors upon His beings. His

guidance has indeed included

all of His servants without any

exception. This is proven by

the verse saying, And by the

soul and by the One Who

made it perfect, then He

inspired it to understand what

is right and what is wrong ...

(Qur'an, ash-Shams:7)

and by this verse: We have

surely shown him the way: he

may thank; or be an ingrate.

(Qur'an, al- Dahr:3)

As regarding seeking

guidance, it is the personal

effort exerted by a servant of

Allah who follows the norms

of general guidance in order

to reach, after researching,

ascertaining, utilizing his

intellectual faculties, the

knowledge relevant to the

difference between what is

Striving for Right Guidance

A Speech Delivered by Dr. Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi

Translated from the Arabic by Yasin T. Al-Jibouri


42

right and what is wrong, and

he willingly chooses the path

of guidance after having

avoided it. This is deducted

from the verse saying, ... so

convey the glad tidings to My

servants who listen to the

word then follow the best

thereof, those are the ones

whom Allah has guided, and

those it is who are the men of

understanding. (Qur'an, al-

Zumar:17-18)

The meaning of these verses

is: A servant of Allah who

opens his ears for dialogue

and listens to all statements

and theories then

distinguishes the pleasant

ones from the ugly, and the

scanty from the wholesome,

and who opts to prefer what

is right over what is wrong ...

such a servant of Allah

willingly goes back to the

roots of natural guidance and

becomes worthy of Allah's

praise as being among the

ULUL-ALBAB (men of

understanding).

The greatest example in

explaining guidance and

seeking it is what has

befallen, and what is

nowadays befalling, the

Muslims, the nation of

Muhammad (S) whom Allah

guided through the Prophet

(S), taking them out of the

darkness into the light,

leading them to His path so

that they may tread upon the

Straight Path, keeping them

on the right guidance after

having perfected their creed,

completed His blessing upon

them, and accepted Islam as

their religion.

But that nation became

disunited after the demise of

its Prophet (S) and was

divided into parties, groups

and numerous sects after

being the best nation that was

sent to man.

The first reason why it

became disunited and divided

is due to the Sahaba, the first

generation that carried the

torch of the Islamic message

to posterity. But those Sahaba

became disunited and divided

only after the demise of their

Prophet (S); nay! They even


43

fought and killed one another,

called one another kafir

(apostate, unbeliever), and

dissociated themselves from

one another.

They were followed suit by

the Tabi'een who made

matters worse and widened

the gap through the new

ideologies and theories they

introduced which had nothing

to do with the religion of

Allah; hence, parties and

groups came to exist, sects

and creeds abounded, and

Muslims started groping in the

dark not knowing where they

could find the truth simply

because each party claimed

that it upheld the Holy Qur'an

and the Sunnah, and due to

the fact that each sect

claimed that it followed the

line of the Prophet (S), and

each party was happy with

what it had.

If we set emotions aside,

abandon blind following,

renounce fanaticism and

discern matters through our

foresight, we should then

inquire about the status of Ahl

al-Bayt (as) in comparison to

these parties and sects,

especially when we come

across the traditions (ahadith)

of the Prophet (S) which

enjoin the Ummah to refer to

Ahl al-Bayt in all theological

and secular issues in order to

guarantee its guidance and

protection against

misguidance. Indeed such

traditions are quite a few, and

they are authentic. Moreover,

they are consecutively

reported by adherents of all

parties by the token of his

statement (S), "I am leaving

with you two weighty things:

the Book of Allah and my

Itrat, my Ahl al-Bayt; as long

as you uphold them both, you

will never stray after me at all.

I remind you to fear Allah

with regard to my Ahl al-Bayt

...," and he repeated his last

sentence three times.

One who researches Ahl al-

Bayt (as) and the status they

enjoy with all Muslims without

any exception will find out

that they enjoy nothing but

respect and veneration. But


44

the will of the Messenger of

Allah (S) was not confined to

respecting and venerating Ahl

al-Bayt; rather, he ordered

the Muslims to refer to them

and follow their footsteps and

way of life and also to

emulate them in everything;

so much so that he said, "Do

not go ahead of them else

you should perish, nor should

you lag behind them else you

should perish ... Do not teach

them, for they are more

knowledgeable than you."

Since the case is such, we

nowadays find only one single

group that has been

implementing the will of the

Messenger of Allah (S) and

following in the footsteps of

his Ahl al-Bayt (as) from the

days of the Commander of the

Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib

(as) till our time. For this

reason, that group was called,

during the life-time of the

Imam (as), "Shi'atu- Ali,"

supporters of Ali. As time

passed, the word "Shi'a" came

to be applied to anyone who

accepts Ali and the Pure

Imams among Ahl al-Bayt (as)

as his/her master.

But if we consult history and

turn the pages recorded by

historians, we will find out the

fact that Ahl al-Bayt (as) and

their followers have always

been oppressed, excluded

from public activity, and

fought by the governments

and political establishments

that ruled the Muslims during

the first three centuries.

Those rulers succeeded in

isolating the nation from its

original leadership and

distancing it from the straight

path. Yet they did not succeed

in obliterating the love and

respect treasured by such

nation for members of the

household of Prophethood.

Despite the cursing and

taunting from the pulpits, and

the forcing of people to do it,

those rulers failed in the end

to uproot the affection in the

heart of the faithful towards

the offspring of their Prophet

(S).

Through such an argument

can we explain the contra-


45

diction which we nowadays

witness among most Muslims

with regard to their attitudes

towards Ahl al-Bayt. They

recognize their superiority and

the fact that they are tile most

knowledgeable of all people,

yet they emulate others,

referring in matters relevant

to their Ahkam and Shari'a to

Imams who did not know the

Messenger of Allah (S), nor

were they his contemporaries;

rather, they were created

Imams in the aftermath of the

Great Dissension which

distorted the features of the

creed, put an end to the

righteous, leaving Ahl al-Bayt

and their Shi'as as undesirable

outcasts. The Imams among

Ahl al-Bayt (as) remained

unknown to the vast majority

of Muslims. If you ask them,

"Who are Ahl al-Bayt?," they

will say, "They are the

Prophet's wives!"

It is only natural that when he

ordered his nation to refer to

his Ahl al-Bayt (as), the

Messenger of Allah (S) did not

mean his wives but he meant

the Twelve Imams upon

whom we invoke Allah's

blessings. He meant them

when he said, "The khulafaa

(caliphs, rulers) after me shall

be Twelve: all of them are

from Quraish."

Researchers are aware of the

fact that the Imams of Ahl al-

Bayt (as) tried as much as

they could to introduce

themselves and bring people

back to them, but those

people were slaves of the life

of this world, and they offered

religion no more than lip-

service as long as they were

receiving their dues. When

they were tested by affliction,

few among them proved to be

true adherents of the creed.

Because of all of this,

whenever Imam al-Sadiq (as)

recited the verse saying, "And

most surely I am most

Forgiving to one who repents

and believes and does good

deeds then continues to

follow the right guidance," he

used to say, "... then

continues to follow our right

guidance, we, Ahl al Bayt."


46

It may also be understood

from this glorious verse that it

is not sufficient at all that

Muslims whose hearts were

set on conviction, so they

believed in Allah and His

Messenger (S), then they

regretted their sins and

started doing good deeds

instead of bad one ..., it is not

sufficient that they do all of

that, and they will not in fact

be worthy of achieving the

forgiveness of Allah (SwT)

except if they satisfy one

condition which is: being

guided through the Imams of

Guidance and the Wasis

(successors) of the Prophet

(S) who are the only ones

qualified enough to teach the

Muslims the meanings of the

Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah

so that their conviction, deeds

and repentance will be in total

agreement with what Allah

has enjoined upon them

without any interpretation or

adulteration.

Since interpre-tation has

already been applied to the

Book of Allah, and since

distortion has already inflicted

the Sunnah of the Prophet

(S), and since each party

seeks guidance from its own

interpretation of the Book of

Allah, the Most Exalted, using

the traditions it regards as

authentic to justify its beliefs,

disagreement has taken

place; confusion has occurred,

and doubts have surely

become abundant. If a Muslim

wishes to know the truth and

secure protection against

misguidance and salvation on

the Day of Judgment in order

to win Paradise and please

Allah, he has to board the Ark

of Salvation and refer to Ahl

al-Bayt (as), for they are the

security of the nation. Allah

does not accept anyone as His

servant except through them,

nor does anyone enter into

guidance except through their

gate.

This is what has already been

determined by the Messenger

of Allah (S), and this is what

he had conveyed to his nation

as ordered by his Lord. If we,

therefore, refer to the Sahaba


47

and their dissension after the

demise of their Prophet (S),

we will find out that they

differed due to their pursuit of

leadership of the nation.

These days, with Islamic

leadership buried and trusted

to the mercy of Allah (SwT),

and since those who are

calling for its return are no

more, are Muslims going to

retort to their senses and act

upon the will of their Prophet

and uphold the Book of their

Lord and the Sunnah of their

Prophet and his 'itrat so that

tranquillity, brotherhood,

harmony and peaceful

coexistence with others as

well as the unity of this nation

after its dissension may dress

its wounds after being ripped?

This is the cry of one who

loves it, who is compassionate

towards it, the call of a

brother to his brother.

We have come to know that

guidance is a great bliss which

Allah bestows upon His

servants. We have also

maintained that guidance to

the following and emulating of

Ahl al-Bayt is a greater bliss

which is worthy of bringing

about forgiveness of Allah

(SwT) for His sinning

servants; so, how is it like to

struggle to remain on such a

path?

Jihad in Islam is of two kinds:

Jihad against an enemy,

which is called the least Jihad,

and Jihad against the

insinuations of one's own nafs

(self), which is the greatest of

all Jihad.

What concerns us in this

regard is the greatest Jihad

relevant to the nafs and its

treatment against deviated

doctrinal ailments.

Sometimes one may be

conducting Jihad against his

own self, and sometimes he

may struggle against others.

His struggle against his own

self means his persistence to

do what is good and to keep

company with the righteous,

and to perform the rites, and

his dealing with others in

accordance with what has

been determined by Ahl al-

Bayt (as) who quote their


48

great ancestor (S) who

conveys what Allah (SwT)

orders him to convey.

Jihad towards others is

achieved by enjoining what is

right and forbidding what is

wrong and by inviting others

to the path of Allah by

wisdom and beautiful

exhortation. Such a Jihad may

sometimes take the form of a

statement, or it may be

conducted by the pen, which

is better and which is

regarded by Allah as superior

even to the Jihad by the

sword. The Messenger of

Allah (S) has said, "The ink of

scholars is better in the sight

of Allah than the blood of

martyrs." This is so due to

what scholars record of

explanations and promotion of

what is right, and to their

clarification of various issues

so that people may find

guidance to the Assiratul-

Mustaqeem of Allah through

great proofs and convincing

arguments.

It is better in the sight of

Allah than waging a war in

order to establish the creed

by forcing people to accept it,

for, as Allah says, "There is no

compulsion in religion; truly

the right way has clearly

become distinct from error

(Qur'an, al-Baqarah:256)."

Scholars, therefore, are

obligated to disseminate

pristine Islam and introduce

people to the Imams among

Ahl al-Bayt (as) and their

knowledge, and to spend in

doing so their wealth and

time. How many are those

establishments set to promote

kufr (apostacy), agnosticism,

and corruption, and which

have millions of dollars at

their disposal, while wealthy

Muslims do not spend in the

way of Allah except very little?

We have seen how

disbelievers went to Somalia

to save it from starvation

while their brethren remained

indifferent. We have seen how

Christian missionaries roam

East and West Africa as well

as Egypt, the Sudan,

Indonesia and other Muslim

lands, spending a great deal


49

of money buying food and

medicine for people, winning

the hearts of the recipients

and converting them from

Islam to Christianity while

wealthy Muslims whom Allah

has given of His wealth and

entrusted them to employ it

for the benefit of His servants,

are indifferent. You can see

how some of them perform

the Hajj as many as twenty

times, spending annually a

great deal of money, while

their neighbors starve without

finding anyone who covers his

indecency. Has the Messenger

of Allah (S) not said, "The

nearest among you to Allah is

the one who is most beneficial

for His servants?"

How, then, can Allah (SwT)

accept such action especially

since He (SwT) ordered

people to perform the

pilgrimage once in a life-time,

and while all his life, the

Messenger of Allah (S)

performed the pilgrimage only

one single time in order to

make us aware of the fact

that there are in his Ummah

some wealthy and well-to-do

individuals who go to

extremes in performing the

rituals while neglecting to

treat others better?

For this reason, he used to

quite often say, "Ad-Deen al

Mu'amalah", religion is how

you fare with others. What

can you say about one who

performs the pilgrimage

several times while owing

people some money, or while

he has poor relatives whom

he does not help nor be

compassionate to?

If we add to these those

Muslims who are guilty of

extravagance resulting from,

say, smoking, for their

judgment with Allah will be

very hard indeed. If we cast a

casual look at the amounts of

money wasted on cigarettes

in Muslims countries, the

statistics will baffle us. For

example, if we suppose the

number of the Muslims today

is more than one billion, and

only five percent of them

smoke, the results will be:

two hundred million smokers


50

who spend an average of two

million dollars a day! Yes!

Muslims are wasting at least

720 million dollars a year on

buying killing diseases.

So fear Allah, O Muslims,

regarding your own selves

and your wealth, for if such

wealth is levied for, say, only

ten years, it will amount to

$7.2 billion which can remove

the poverty of all poor

Muslims in the east of the

earth and the west.

... and you deem it an easy

matter, while with Allah it is

quite grievous. (Qur'an, al-

Noor: 15)

To conclude, I would like to

attract the attention of my

Shi'a brethren who follow the

School of Thought of Ahl al-

Bayt (as) to the following:

1. They have to argue

with their Sunni brethren in

the most beautiful way, and

to avoid cursing or taunting

anyone which the soul abhors,

for the Commander of the

Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib

(as) has said, "You should not

curse, nor should you taunt;

rather, say, 'Among their

deeds was such and such,' for

this is the most wise way of

presenting an argument."

2. They should avoid,

while performing their rituals

and dealing with others, any

and all innovations introduced


Imams (as) or even during

the life-time of the Messenger

of Allah (S) such as tatbeer

(hitting the head with a sharp

object) while commemorating

'Ashura and bleeding which

repels people and discourages

them from embracing the

creed of Ahl al-Bayt (as).

Imam al-Sadiq (as) has said,

"Promote our cause by your

deeds, not by your tongues;

be our ornaments, and do not

disgrace us."

3. In your lectures and

scholarly discourses,

emphasize arguments and

proofs derived from the Sahih

books of Sunnis, and avoid

weak traditions which excite

people and which contradict

reason.


51

4. Exert yourselves in

being pious and straight-

forward, just as your Imams

from Ahl al-Bayt (as) used to

be, and do not solely rely on

the claim that Ali ibn Abi Talib

(as) will seek intercession for

those who love and follow

him, for Ali himself is the one

who has said, "Conviction is

not achieved through wishes

and desires, nor by pretense;

rather, conviction (iman) is

what rests deeply in the

hearts and proven by words

and deeds."

5. They should learn

moral lessons from the

anecdotes that happened


Pure Imams (as) who have

left us a heritage the like of

which does not exist at all.

For example, in Nahj al

Balagha alone, there is a

remedy for every ailment ...

Time has come to shake the

dust of ignorance and back-

wardness and raise the nation

to the highest peaks of

civilization and progress. Since

the Imam of all Shi'as is the

gate of knowledge, his

followers are expected to be

in the vanguard of those who

seek all types of knowledge.

6. Shi'as who follow Ahl

al-Bayt have to unite and

renounce all types of political

factionalism and regional

blocs and work hard to unite

all Muslims.

If Shi'as follow these

recommendations which I

have derived from the Book of

Allah, from the Sunnah of His

Gracious Prophet (S), and

from the School of Thought of

Ahl al-Bayt (as) ..., peace and

tranquillity will then prevail. If

we change whatever igno-

rance or bias towards anyone

besides Allah, our poverty and

humiliation will be turned into

wealth and honor, and the

Imam of our time, al-Mahdi

(as), will come out to fill the

earth with peace and equity

after being filled with injustice

and oppression. And the last

of our supplication is: All

Praise is due to Allah, Lord of

the Worlds.

��


52

The Holy Imam (A) spent the

first seven years of his life

under the care and guidance

of his grandfather, the Holy

Prophet (S). This early

training made the Holy Imam

(A) outstanding in his

knowledge, piety, tolerance,

intelligence and courage.

The Holy Imam (A) and his

brother Imam Husain (A)

were very dear to the Holy

Prophet (S). He used to carry

them on his shoulders and

once told the people, "Hasan

and Husain are the leaders of

the youth of Paradise."

Bibi Fatima (A) once brought

her two sons to her father and

said, "O Apostle of Allah,

these are your two grandsons.

Give them something as an

inheritance." The Holy Proph-

et (S) replied, "Hasan shall

have my form and my nobility

and Husain shall have my

generosity and bravery."

As a child, the Holy Imam (A)

used to listen attentively to

the verses of the Holy Qur'an

as they were revealed. To the

surprise of the Holy Prophet

(S), his daughter Bibi Fatima

(A) would often recite the

exact text of a newly revealed

verse before he personally

told her about it. When he

asked her how she knew, she

informed him that the Holy

Imam (A) had already taught

her the verse when he heard

the Holy Prophet (S) recite it

in the mosque in front of the

people.

He was quite wealthy and

could have lived in luxury if he

desired, but he preferred to

spend his money to help the

poor and needy. Twice in his

life he gave away his entire

wealth in charity and began

all over again.

Once a stranger arrived in

Kufa and asked a man work-

ing in a garden for directions.

The man showed him the way

and then invited him to share

his meal. The stranger was

A Glance at the Life of Imam Hasan (A.S.)

Source: imamreza.net


53

touched by this offer and

accepted. But when he was

handed some flat bread to

eat, he found that it was so

hard that he could not even

break it on his knee, let alone

with his teeth. He tried

dipping it into some water but

that did not help. The gar-

dener saw the stranger's

discomfort and pointed him

towards a guest house where

free meals were given to all.

The guest house belonged to

Imam Hasan (A), who himself

welcomed the stranger and

arranged a hot meal for him.

After a while, the Holy Imam

(A) saw that the stranger was

eating one morsel and putting

one morsel in a bag on his

side. The Holy Imam (A) told

him to eat peacefully, and if

he needed extra food for his

family, it would be provided

before he left. The stranger

said that he had no family but

was putting some food aside

for the kind gardener down

the road who had only hard

bread to eat. When he heard

this, the Holy Imam (A)

smiled and informed him,

"That is my father Ali, the

Caliph of the Muslims. He lives

on simple food so that no

needy subject may be embar-

rassed in front of him."

The Holy Imam (A) helped his

father throughout his life until

Imam Ali (A) died when the

Holy Imam (A) was 37 years

old. At this age he inherited

his father and became the

guardian of the Ahlul Bayt and

the Shia. In his well-known

will Imam Ali (A) appointed

him as the next Imam.

The martyrdom of Imam Ali

(A) on the 21st of Ramadan,

40 A.H. marked the beginning

of Imam Hasan's (A) Imamat.

The Muslims pledged their

allegiance to him and finalized

the formality of Bay'at (Oath

of Allegiance). No sooner had

he taken the reins of leader-

ship in his hands than he had

to meet the challenge of

Mu’awiya bin Abu Sufyan, the

governor of Syria, who began

trying to undermine his

authority. The Holy Imam (A)

decided that Mu’awiya would


54

have to be ousted by force

and he prepared for war. He

appointed a representative in

Kufa and proceeded to

Nukhayla where he had asked

the army to gather. After 10

days, only 4,000 men had

assembled, so he went back

to Kufa and made another call

for people to come to arms,

sending out Hujr bin Adi to do

the same.

Slowly the people answered

the call for Jihad. A mixed

band of people formed the

army. Some were sincere

Shia, others were Kharjites

who wished to fight Mu’awiya

by any means possible, some

were men who loved fighting

and desired war booty, some

were unsure about the right

of the Holy Imam (A) to the

Caliphate, while others blindly

followed their tribal leaders

with no thought for religion.

The Holy Imam (A) gave an

address to the army in which

he first praised Allah and the

Holy Prophet (S). He then told

the people that he was their

sincere advisor and urged

them to unite rather than be

divided in factions. This

message was misunderstood

by some, who thought that he

planned to hand over authori-

ty to Mu’awiya. There was a

riot amongst the people and a

group of them attacked the

Holy Imam (A) while he was

in his tent. The Shia gathered

around him and protected

him.

Later, during the march

towards Syria, a man from the

Bani Asad attacked the Holy

Imam (A) and struck him on

the thigh with an axe. Due to

the injury, the Holy Imam (A)

was forced to stop at Mada'in,

from where he sent

Ubaidullah bin Abbas with

12,000 men to stop Mu’awiya,

who had advanced into Iraq.

Mu’awiya managed to bribe

and threaten many of the

Holy Imam's (A) followers into

abandoning him, including

Ubaidullah, who was paid one

million dirhams to betray the

Holy Imam (A).

The Holy Imam (A) realized

that he could not trust the


55

intentions of most of his men

and the only people he could

rely on were his Shia, who

were too few to resist the

Syrian soldiers. Meanwhile,

Mu’awiya wrote to him

suggesting a truce and peace

treaty on the Holy Imam's (A)

terms.

In compliance with the Will of

Allah and with the view to

avoid the massacre of the few

sincere Muslims, the Holy

Imam (A) entered into a

peace treaty with Mu’awiya on

terms which were meant to

save Islam and stop a civil

war. The terms of the peace

treaty were as follows:

1. Mu’awiya would deal with

the people according to the

Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah

of the Holy Prophet (S).

2. He would not appoint

anyone as his successor.

3. The family of Imam Ali (A)

and their Shia would be

protected.

4. He would pay 50,000

dirhams annually out of the

national revenues to the Holy

Imam (A).

5. Abusive language would

not be used with reference to

Imam Ali (A) and his followers

after Friday prayers.

Mu’awiya accepted all the

terms except the last one, but

agreed not to abuse Imam Ali

(A) in the presence of the

Holy Imam (A). With the

passage of time, Mu’awiya

broke all the conditions of the

treaty.

The Holy Imam (A) used this

opportunity to strengthen the

belief of the Muslims and

increase their awareness of

Islam. He moved back to

Madina, where he catered for

the religious requirements of

the people and devoted his

life to the propagation of

Islam.

Mu’awiya was still not satis-

fied with affairs. He knew that

the treaty was never meant as

a surrender of authority by

the Holy Imam (A), because

he was Divinely Appointed as

the Imam.


56

It was merely an interim

transfer of the administration

of the Islamic State, subject

to the condition that it would

be returned to the Holy Imam

(A) after Mu’awiya's death

and then it would be in turn

inherited by Imam Husain (A).

However, Mu’awiya had plans

to declare Yazid, his son, as

his successor, and he decided

to get rid of the Holy Imam

(A) first.

One of the Holy Imam's (A)

wives was Ju'da binte Ash'ath

bin Qays. Mu’awiya conspired

with Ju'da to give the Holy

Imam (A) some poison. In

return she would get 100,000

dirhams and he would marry

her to Yazid. This evil woman

put poison in the Holy Imam's

(A) drinking water and he

immediately fell gravely ill as

a result. After great suffering,

the Holy Imam (A) departed

from this world. Just before

he died, he entrusted the

affairs of Imamat to his

brother Imam Husain (A) and

made him the guardian of his

own family.

The Holy Imam (A) had stated

that before he was buried in

Jannatul Baqee, his body

should be taken to the grave

of the Holy Prophet (S) for a

final visit. When the Bani

Hashim attempted to carry

out the last wishes of the Holy

Imam (A), they were stopped

by the members of Bani

Umayyah by order of Hazrat

Ayesha. They thought that

they wished to bury him next

to his grandfather. Imam

Husain (A) did not want

bloodshed so he directed that

the body be taken straight to

Jannatul Baqee, where Imam

Hasan (A) was buried next to

his grandmother Fatima binte

Asad. He was 48 years old

when he was martyred.

When Ju'da came to Mu’awiya

to claim her reward, he gave

her the money, but refused to

marry her to Yazid, declaring

that a woman who could

poison one husband would

certainly not hesitate to

poison another.

��


57

"Mom, I've converted to

Islam," Jodi told her mother

Carol. Those were words that

Carol dreaded to hear; she

felt forsaken by her daughter,

and she plunged into such

grief that she cried most of

the night. The next few years

were difficult; it was a time of

adjustment for the whole

family. Finally, Carol felt

strong enough to write about

what had happened, and she

wanted to know how other

American families had dealt

with their daughter accepting

Islam, and what factors had

influenced the daughter to

accept Islam. She sent out

questionnaires to the daugh-

ters and the parents.

The responses she received,

melded with her own story,

form the basis for this book.

There is a wide variety of

backgrounds represented in

"Daughters of Another Path,"

by Carol L. Anway. Some of

the daughters came from

strict Christian backgrounds.

Others' families were Christian

in name only, while some had

no religious influence from

their parents and developed

their own spiritual leanings. In

some cases the parents were

accepting and tolerant of their

daughter's decision, while

other families turned away

from their daughter, feeling

angry and betrayed. Most

families fell somewhere in

between these extremes.

The majority of Americans

who become Muslim are

women. This is probably due

to the fact that Muslim men

come from their home country

to the U.S. to study, then

meet and marry American

women. The women desire to

learn more about the religion

of their husband, and in the

process, choose Islam for

themselves. 63% of the

women in Carol Anway's

survey became Muslim

sometime after marrying a

Muslim man.

Daughters of Another Path

Book review: Experiences of American Women Choosing Islam

by Carol L. Anway


58

But the women are careful to

point out that their husbands

did not brainwash them in to

accepting Islam. In some

occasions, the men were not

practicing the religion, and it

was their wife's interest in

Islam that brought them back

into it. There is also an

attempt made to distance the

cultural practices of certain

Muslim countries with the

pure religion of Islam. The

book portrays Islam and

Muslims in a positive light,

balancing the negative view

we get from the news media.

There is a discussion of basic

Muslim beliefs and practices,

and a chapter where the

daughters tell what they

would like non-Muslims to

know about them and their

religion.

Another chapter is reserved

for the parents to speak on

how they felt when they were

first told, versus how they feel

now, and all the ways that the

change has affected their

lives. The book also discusses

how these Muslim women feel

about marriage and childrear-

ing in Islam, and how their

parents fit into their lives. This

book will make great reading

for any Muslim convert and

her parents.

��

Imam Musa Kazim (A.S.):

1. Whoever made his parents

sad, has been ungrateful to

them. (Tohaful Uqool, p. 425)

2. Kindness and love to people

is half of wisdom. (Tohaful

Uqool, p. 425)

3. Refrain from vanity (boast-

fulness), because whoever

has a grain of vanity in his

heart doesn't enter paradise.

(Tohaful Uqool, p. 414)

4. Verily the most important

among the people is the one

not caring for worldly posi-

tions; know that the value of

your bodies is nothing but

paradise, so don't sell it with

other than that. (Tohaful

Uqool , P . 410)

��


59

Lawara was born in Spain in a Catholic family. She got familiar with Islam through her sister and reverted to Islam 3 years ago. She is 23 years old now.

Sister Lawara! Rahyafte team (related to Edoardo Agnelli Islamic Association) appreci-ates you for agreeing to hold an interview and also for the time you allocated to us.

Please tell us how you got familiar with Islam and what motivated you to convert to Islam.

My old sister got married with a Muslim man and she reverted to Islam. She intro-duced Islam to me.

My sister and her husband are living in Morocco now and I saw my sister was so happy that I finally decided to study more about Islam.

What specifically attracted you to Islam?

The way Quran has answered to any question. It’s not as Christian Bible. It’s much more than a religion. It’s a way of life.

What was your family’s reaction after you became a Muslim? Did you have any problem with people who knew you? Are you married?

My parents got really angry when I decided to convert. I was the second daughter who reverted, so they finally accepted it. But a lot of my close family (uncles, cousins.) stopped talking with me. I lost many friends too and got little bit uncomfortable at universi-ty. I’m not married yet.

How do you see the spread of Islam in your country?

I’m very happy because more than 20,000 convert to Islam is happening each year in Spain. I can see more and more women with hijab in the streets and that’s very beauti-ful to see. Numbers of mosques are growing and mostly all migrants in Spain are Muslims. So the future is really optimist.

What is the most beautiful Ayah of the Quran in your opinion? And why?

My Journey to Islam: Quranic Answers Are Not As Christian Bible

Source: https://en.shafaqna.com/


60

I think Al-Baqara (2:186) is the most beautiful one. I don’t know how is in English because I use to read Quran in Spanish. I love it because I know He is hearing me every time I pray.

What’s your opinion about hijab? Did wearing hijab have any effect on your private life? Do you think it is only dedi-cated to women?

Wearing hijab was the best decision I ever took. I was scared at first with many people looking at you, but now it is part of me. I had some troubles with it at university or hospitals, but finally my faith became stronger and I think I’m better Muslimah since I have worn it. Hijab is not only for women. It’s a message for all about our submission to Allah, including males.

How do you analyze the family institution according to Christianity and Islam?

I live in a Christian country, so I know which are priorities here and in an Islamic coun-try. Here we can see gay marriages, baby adoptions by gay people, lost of family

values and…. In an Islamic country respecting to old people, women and religion is still strong. Surely I prefer the traditional Muslim family to the Western modern family.

What was your feeling when you prayed for the first time? Wasn’t it hard for you to pray 5 times a day?

First time I prayed was beautiful because that made me Muslimah. I remember crying after that (I still cry some days). Of course it’s hard to pray 5 times per day (including fajr), but I wouldn’t be Muslim if I didn’t do it.

If you want to say some words about the beauty of Islam, the peace, the calm-ness you have found in this religion what do you say?

I recommend everyone to discover Islam and lose the fear about it, specially to people disappointed with Catholicism.

Thank you very much for your

attention. May Allah bless you

and keep you strong and firm

on this true path.

��


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Kids

Corner

Martyrdom Anni-versary of Prophet

Muhammad (SAWW), Imam Hasan Mujtaba

& Imam Reza (A.S.)

On the Sad and Mourning

occasion of the martyrdom

anniversary of Holy Prophet

of Islam Hazrat Muhammad

Mustafa (S), Imam Hasan

Mujtaba (`a) and Imam Reza

(`a) we extend our Heart-

felt grief and condolences

to millions strong Muslim

Ummah and all the lovers of

the Holy Ahlul Bayt (A.S.) in

the world.

28th Safar is the grim date

on the Islamic calendar that

represents the passing away

of Prophet Muhammad (S)

and his grandson Imam Hasan

ibn Ali (A.S). No words can

ever do justice to the life

and character of Prophet

Muhammad (S). Through him,

Allah showered his kindness

and blessings on the people

of this world. There is no

way to sum up the life of

Muhammad (S) except

perhaps by a Hadith narrat-

ed by himself when a group

of companions asked him to

curse the infidels, and his

response was: "I am not sent

for this; nor was I sent but

as mercy to mankind."

Prophet Muhammad (S)

spent his entire life for the

cause of Islam. His exempla-

ry character throughout his

life inspired people in the

hundreds. Even though he

possessed the highest

status of all men, he was

humble and as simple as a

common man.

In his last moments, Prophet

Muhammad (S) was in the

company of Hazrat Fatima

(S.A). She heard a knock on

the door and someone sought

permission to enter. Bibi


62

Fatima (S.A) said, "I am busy

talking to my father. Don`t

disturb us". The visitor

knocked again, and got the

same answer. The third time

when this happened, the

Prophet (S) said to Bibi

Fatima (S.A) "O my dear

daughter, the angel of death

is on the door and it is a

great privilege of your house

and of you that he is seeking

your permission to do what

he has been ordered by Allah

to do. He does not seek

permission from anyone else.

O my daughter, my time to

leave this earth has come

and I must answer the call of

Allah and submit to His will.

Please allow the angel of

death to enter and carry out

his task." Bibi Fatima (S.A)

started weeping and the

Prophet (S) departed leaving

her in tears.

Several years later on 28th

Safar 50 Hijri, Imam Hasan

(A.S) embraced martyrdom.

Imam Hasan (A.S) had a

wife named Jada binte

Ash’as bin Qais. She was

bribed to poison the Imam

on promise of a handsome

amount of cash and marriage

with Yazid (L.A). She poi-

soned Imam Hasan (A.S) in

milk with a poison called

"Hilahil" and while Imam

(A.S) was drinking it, his

liver tore its pieces fell into

the milk pot.

After his martyrdom, he was

not allowed to be buried

close to the Prophet Mu-

hammad (S) despite that

being his will. His janaza was

stopped by a group of Bani

Umayyah. The followers of

Imam Ali (A.S) tried to take

his janaza several times to

the Hujra of Prophet Mo-

hammad (S) for burial but

they could not. In the final

effort, the janaza was

attacked by arrows and

according to a tradition, 70

arrows pierced in the body

of Imam Hasan (A.S).

Finally, he had to be buried

in the darkness of the night

in Jannat-ul-Baqi.


63

May Allah (S.W.T.) curse

the enemies of Ahl e Bait

(A.S), and give us the

courage to honor the life of

Prophet Muhammad (S) by

shaping our lives according

to his Sunnah. Ameen.

��

The Merciless Enemy

Imam Hasan Mujtaba (a.s.)

the second Holy Imam from

the progeny of holy Prophet

Muhammad (s.a.w.w.), was

the eldest son of Imam Ali

and Bibi Fatima. He was born

in the holy city of Madinah

on 15th Ramadan 3 A.H. and

was martyred on 28th of

Safar 50 A.H. at the age of

47 and his Imamate period

was 10 years. His grave is in

Baqi Cemetery, in Madinah.

Once Imam Hasan (a.s.) had

just arrived home. He was

tired and intended to rest.

Just then, a man knocked on

the door. He asked permis-

sion and came in. He greeted

the Imam with his Salam and

sat down.

Imam Hasan returned his

Salam and treated him

respectfully and asked him

how he was. The man sat

very still. It was clear that

he had something in his

mind, but was embarrassed

to speak about it. Imam

looked at his face and

became sad. He knew that

the man had a problem.

Patiently he waited for the

man to tell him his troubles.

The man sighed, "O son of

the Prophet" he said at last,

`I have come to you to seek

refuge from an enemy, A

cruel, dangerous and merci-

less enemy; an enemy that

neither shows respect to

the aged, nor mercy to the

young. This powerful and

cruel enemy has blackened

my days. My life is a misery

and I am helpless. O son of

the Prophet Heed my call

and save me" Imam Hasan

(a.s.) had been listening

closely to the man's words.

He had become affected

that he was trembling.


64

He leaned forward and said.

"Who is your enemy? Who-

ever he is I will help you

against him. I am a Muslim

and a Muslim must defend

his oppressed brothers and

obtain for them their rights.

Tell me who your enemy is."

"My enemy," said the man,

who was so embarrassed

that his face had become

red, is "poverty" This is my

enemy who neither respects

the elderly, nor shows mercy

to the young.

O son of the Prophet, I am

not a lazy man, I work hard,

but I cannot meet my

expenses. Problems have put

me in distress. I am empty-

handed and in debt. You are

from a noble and generous

family. Will you deliver me

from this appalling situa-

tion?"

Imam Hasan had become

very sad listening to the

man's problems. "Whatever

money we have in the house,"

he said to his servant,

`bring it to me" The servant

put all the gold pieces that

were in the house into a

large purse and brought it to

Imam Hasan.

Imam gave it to the man

and, so as to cheer him up,

he apologized that he had no

more. Then he said, "Pay

your debts, with this money

and solve all your problems.

Then you can earn your living

with a clear heart and mind.

I hope that by working hard

you can remain independent.

But I swear that if this

enemy attacks you again, you

must again come and com-

plain about it to me. The

poverty of people like you

who work hard is because

their rights are not properly

given to them."

Moral:

We Muslims are bound to

help the poor and destitute

and defend their trampled

rights. We must strive to

establish justice and equity,

so that poverty will be

eliminated.

��


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