If they knew, they would die out of eagerness
Question (25):
With all of these rewards that have been mentioned for the pilgrim of Imam Hussain (a.s), and that Imam Hussain (a.s) requests forgiveness for his pilgrims, are there other matter that have not been mentioned by the infallibles (a.s) regarding the visitation of Imam Hussain (a.s)?
Answer:
All what noble narrations had mentioned regarding the visitation of Imam Hussain (a.s) is not mentioned by text alone, it is rather the reality behind the rewards for the pilgrim of Imam Hussain (a.s). As an example, I shall note one narration that had been narrated by Mohammad Bin Muslim, from Imam Baqir (a.s), that he said:“If people were to know the virtues and favors of visiting the grave of Imam Hussain (a.s), they would have died out of eagerness and that their hearts would be broken out of sorrow.”
I then said:“And what is in it of virtue and favor?”
Imam Baqir (a.s) replied saying:“As for the one that visits the grave of Imam Hussain (a.s) out of eagerness, Allah Almighty shall record for him the reward of one thousand accepted Hajj rituals and one thousand Umrahs. Along with the reward of one thousand martyrs of the martyrs of the battle of Badr, and the reward of one thousand fasting people, and the reward of one thousand accepted Sadaqah, and the reward of one martyr in the battle of Badr, multiplied a thousand times, along with the reward of a population of one thousand individuals for the sake of Allah Almighty and that he shall remain safeguarded during this year of his from Shaytan, and that Allah Almighty shall appoint a honorable angel to protect him between his hands, behind him, from his right and left, and from above his head, and beneath his feet. And if he was to die during this year of his, the angels of the most merciful would attend his washing ritual and his shrouding, and seek forgiveness for him. And they shall accompany him to his grave while seeking forgiveness for him, and that his grave shall be widened for him to the extent of his eyesight, as Allah Almighty shall safeguard him from the pressure of the grave and from Munkar and Nakir that they do not scare him. The gates of paradise shall be opened for him and his book shall be given to him in his right hand, and that during the Day of Judgment, he shall be given light that will shine from his light from between the east and the west, and that the caller shall call: He is of the pilgrims of Hussain Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, with eagerness for him. And that no one shall remain in heaven but wishing that they were of the visitors and pilgrims of Hussain Ibn Ali (a.s).”
When we ponder on this noble narration, we begin to realize the unlimited reward of the pilgrim of Imam Hussain (a.s), although we are not able to claim that this is the actual reward for the one that visits the grave of Imam Hussain (a.s) alone, since Mohammad Ibn Muslim had narrated:“I asked Imam Sadiq (a.s): What is the reward of one that visits the grave of Hussain (a.s)?
He replied: Whoever was to approach him out of eagerness to him shall be from the honored worshipers of Allah Almighty, and that he shall be under the banner of Hussain Ibn Ali until Allah Almighty enters them into paradise.”
Therefore this narration clarifies that whoever was to be recorded as a pilgrim to the grave of Imam Hussain (a.s) is considered of the companions of the Imam (a.s) and of his companions in paradise. And would the pilgrim of Imam Hussain (a.s) be satisfied with anything other than being a companion of Imam Hussain (a.s)?
Another narration states that for every step the pilgrim takes while heading towards the grave of Imam Hussain (a.s) he is rewarded with one Hajj ritual, and by lifting his foot of the ground, he is rewarded by an Umrah, as stated in the following narration:
Imam Sadiq (a.s) had stated:“Whoever was to visit Imam Hussain (a.s) for the sake of Allah Almighty and without pride, arrogance, boredom or for the sake of reputation, his sins shall be erased the same way a clothing is cleaned in water and that impurity no longer remains on it, and that by every step a ritual of Hajj is written for him and an Umrah every time he lifts up his foot.”
Anyhow, the narrations that had been reported and other narrations similar to them introduce us to the reality of rewards granted for visiting the grave of Imam Hussain (a.s). And without doubt, his great reward and extensive giving does not reduce anything from the divine honor and generosity of Allah Almighty.