Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The PurposeOf Ziyarah

One of the fundamental requisites of understanding the purpose ofziyarah is to have a correct worldview. If we realize the purpose of human creation, and submit our volition to our intellectual decision, our deedswould be directed towards our eternal salvation. The purpose of human creation according to Qur'an andSunnah is to worship Almighty Allah:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنْسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُوْنَ .

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

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

العِبَادَةُ هِيَ نَصبُ الْعَبْدِ نَفْسَهُ فِي مَقَامِ المْمْلُوكِيَّة لِرَبّهِ

'Ibadah is when the servant places himself in the position of being a bondsman of his Lord.[ 31]

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

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

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

The worship that results from prior knowledge reaps knowledge itself. Knowledge before worship, however, is mostly intellectual ('aqli ) and conceptual (tasawwuri ). It isa the result of rationally establishing the existence of God and His Attributes as well as the utter poverty and dependence of the entire creation on His Infinite Existence.

Having realized this, the impartial servant worships with veneration and awe. If such worship was out of sincerity, he is availed with a higher form of knowledge, which is beyond the realm of intellect. It is known in the language of traditions as 'yaqin (conviction)' and 'the vision of theheart' which is knowledge by presence (al-'ilm al-huzuri ). The following verse of the Qur'an alludes to the close link between worship and conviction:

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ .

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

In some of theziyarat taught to us by the infallible Imams ('a) weare taught to address the Imams declaring that they had attained the exalted station ofyaqin through sincere worship. Consider the following examples:

1.In one of theziyarat of the Holy Prophet (s) we are taught by Imam 'Ali ('a) to address his noble being as follows:

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

…And I bear witness that you gave counsel to your nation and struggled in the way of your Lord, and worshipped Him until conviction came to you…[35] 2. In anotherziyarah we address Imam al-Hussein ('a) as follows:

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

…OAba 'Abdillah , I bear witness that surely you conveyed what you were ordered by Allah (the Invincible and Majestic) and other than Him you never feared anyone, and you struggled in His way, and worshipped Him truthfully until conviction came to you…[36] 3. In one of theziyarat of Imam al-Riza ('a) weare taught to address him as follows:

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

…I bear witness that you kept prayer upright and gave the poor tax and invited to what was good and forbade the evil and worshipped Allah sincerely until conviction came to you; peace be upon you OAba al-hasan …[37]

Having realized this, ourziyarah should serve as a catalyst to earn the exalted station of appreciating the truth by the vision of the heart.And the path towards this endeavor is to be a true slave of Almighty Allah. In other words, theziyarah should be a means of uniting with Abu 'Abdillah (an appellation depicting the true slave-hood of Imam al-Hussein ('a)).

And this can easily be attained after we understand the meaning of theziyarah and exemplify its teachings in ourselves. If we limit theziyarah for our lower ambitions in life, there would be no differencebetween us and the laity who have busied themselves with the world of matter . Therefore, theza'ir should bear an exalted aspiration and aim for a great transformation, in order to unite with the spirit of al-Hussein ('a).

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

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

السّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ

Assalamu 'alayka

The word al-Salam is commonly translated as "the Peace". Its literal import, however, means:

التَّعَرّي مِنَ الآفَاتِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ

…to be free from calamities, whether apparent or hidden[38] .

Therefore we are seeking the state of freedom from every kind of calamity for Imam al-Hussein ('a), whether that be apparent or hidden. It should however be understood that the Imam already enjoys the state ofsalam and is in fact one of the manifestations of Allah's Attribute al-Salam. The Holy Prophet (s) in his nocturnal ascent (al-Mi'raj ) came across a group of Angels, Divine Apostles and Prophets, and itwas said to him:

يَا مُحَمَّدُ سَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّ السَّلامَ وَالتَّحِيَّةَ وَالرَّحْمَةَ وَالْبَرَكَاتِ أَنْتَ وَذُرِّيَّتُكَ

O Muhammad, send benedictions on them, and he (s) said: al-Salamu 'alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh (May the peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon you). Thereupon Allah Revealed unto him: "the Peace and Benedictions, and Mercy and Blessings, are you and your progeny.[ 39] Hence seeking Salam for him would mean seeking higher degrees of the state of Salam because the levels of Salam have no end. Only Almighty Allah enjoys the Absolute State of Salam:

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلهَ إِلا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ .

…He is Allah, other thanWhom there is no god, He alone is the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Peace[40]

1. In a traditionlady Fatima Zahra ('a) is reported to have said:

إنَّ اللهَ هُوَ السَّلاَمُ، وَمِنْهُ السّلاَمُ، وَإِلَيْهِ السّلاَم

Surely only Allah is the Absolute Peace and from Him alone comes peace and unto Him alone returns Peace[41] 2 . The Holy Prophet (s)is reported to have told LadyKhadijah ('a) once that 'This is Gabriel, who sends hisSalams unto you',wherepon she replied:

اَللهُ السّلاَمُ وَلِلّهِ السَّلاَمُ وَعَلىَ جِبْرَائِيل السَّلاَمُ

Allah is the Absolute Peace and to Him alone belongs Peace and upon Gabriel be Peace[42] 3 . Weare taught in a supplication[43] to say:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلامُ وَ مِنْكَ السَّلامُ وَ إِلَيْكَ يَرْجِعُ السَّلام

O Allah, You aloneare the Peace, and from You Alone is Peace and unto You alone return peace 'Allama Tabataba'i in his monumental al-Mizan , says:

وَالاَصْلُ فِي مَعْنَى السَّلاَمِ على مَا ذَكَرَهُ الرَّاغِبُ فِي المفْرَدَاتِ هُوَ التَّعَرِّي عَنِ الآفَاتِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ، وَاِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُ مَعْنَاهُ فِي جَمِيعِ مُشْتَقَّاتِه... وَالسّلاَمُ مِنْ اَسْمآئِهِ تَعَالى لانّ ذَاتَهُ المُتَعَالِية نَفْسُ الْخَيرِ الَّذِى لاَ شَرَّ فِيْهِ

And the original meaning of the word al-Salam according to what al-Raghib indicated in al-Mufradat is to be free from adversities, both apparent as well as hidden, and unto this meaning return the import of al-Salam in all its derivatives… And al-Salam is from the Divine Attributes, for His Exalted Essence is good in itself, which does not have any speck of evil.[ 44]

But since 'the Absolute Peace'[45] loves us, He laid a path open in front of us a path towards His Absolute Perfection, and thus always calls us towards the same:

وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُوا إِلى‏ دارِ السَّلامِ .

And Allah invites to the abode of Peace…[ 46]

The definite article'al' which connotes "al-ta'rif " (determination) can be taken to allude to a specificsalam - the Salam that comes from Allah. This is because the sentence "al-Salamu 'alayka " is taken here as an invocative statement (al-du'a ').And because no kind of perfection comes from anyone save Allah, for He Alone is the Principal Cause, we are only permitted to seek perfection from Him in the independent sense. This does not however hamper us to employ the means that He has set for us to attain the perfections. Therefore when wesay: Al-Salamu 'alayka [47] we mean: May Allah Bestow you with the state of Peace.

'Alayka Alludes to Enveloping Peace

Another linguistic intricacy worthy of consideration is that the preposition علي 'ala in Al-Salamu 'alayka denotes the sense of envelopment[48] . In otherwords we are asking Almighty Allah to Envelop Imam al-Hussein ('a) with the state of Peace and freedom from every apparent and hidden calamity that is according to his noble essence. Therefore Al-Salamu 'alayka wouldmean:

May Allah Envelop you with the state of Peace Al-Salamu 'Alayka as a Declarative Statement Sometimes however the article al is taken to allude to the visitor (za'ir ), in which situation the statement is no more invocative, but declarative[49] . In other words, when theza'ir says al-Salamu 'alayka , he means:

سلاَمي عَلَيْكَ

Salami 'alayka

I am[50] at peace with you.

In otherwords he is trying to assure the person who is visited that his intentions, words, and deeds would be coherent with the spirit of peace and he would not do anything that would cause harm or disturb him.Instead he would manifest in himself things that would be geared to seek his protective physical as well as spiritual life.

This is one of the highly important stations for theza'ir , since he is in fact reasserting his covenant with Almighty Allah, by informing his beloved Imam ('a) that besides avoidingany thing that would cause harm to him ('a), he would do those things that would manifest the spirit of peace as well.

One of the things that does not concur with the spirit of al-Salam is to sin. If one engages in sin, and utters the above statement, then he has not maintained the spirit of the Salam that he has uttered, the reason being that the fourteen infallibles ('a) have the ability to witness the sins of their followers too. Look at the following narrations:

1. We humbly express in the well-knownziyarat al-Jami'a al-Kabira :

... أَنْتُمُ الصِّرَاطُ الاَقْوَمُ وَشُهَدَاءُ دَارِ الْفَنَاءِ

…You are the upright path and the Witnesses of the Abode of Extinction [i.e. the world…][ 51] 2.Imam al-Sadiq ('a) is reported to have said:

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (ع) فِي قَوْلِهِ (وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ) الْمُؤْمِنُونَ هَاهُنَا الائِمَّةُ الطَّاهِرَةُ (ع)

Believers referred to in the verse "And say, Go on working: Allah will see your conduct, and His Apostle and the believers [as well]" are the Immaculate Imams ('a)[52]

Hence the Imams ('a) can behold our mistakes and wrong deeds, and when they do so, they get upset:

1.Imam al-Sadiq ('a) is reported to have said:

مَا لَكُمْ تَسُوءُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ (ص) فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: كَيْفَ نَسُوؤُهُ فَقَالَ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ أَعْمَالَكُمْ تُعْرَضُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا رَأَى فِيهَا مَعْصِيَةً سَاءَهُ ذَلِكَ فَلاَ تَسُوءُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَسُرُّوهُ

What is the matter with you? Why do you displease the Messenger ofAllah. Thereupon a man askedhim: 'And how do we displease him? The Imam ('a) said: 'Don't you know that your actions are presented before him; and when he finds a sin in them, he is displeased; therefore do not displease the Messenger of Allah (upon whim be peace) and make him happy.[ 53]

2.Ibn Aban al-Zayyat reports:

قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا (ع): ادْعُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلاَهْلِ بَيْتِي فَقَالَ: أَوَ لَسْتُ أَفْعَلُ؟ وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ أَعْمَالَكُمْ لَتُعْرَضُ عَلَيَّ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ, قَالَ: فَاسْتَعْظَمْتُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لِي أَمَا تَقْرَأُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: (وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ) قَالَ: هُوَ وَاللَّهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ(ع)

I said to al-Rida ('a): Pray to Allah forme and my family, and he said: Don't I do that?I swear by Allah surely your actions are presented to me every day and night. "I was extremely amazed at that," says al-Zayyat . Then the Imam ('a) said: Do you not read the Book of Allah, theInvincible and Majestic, Who says: (And say, Go on working: Allah will see your conduct, and His Apostle and the faithful [as well])? I swear by Allah 'Ali binAbi Talib is among the 'the faithful' mentioned in this verse.[ 54]

Hence engaging in sin, being inconsistent with the spirit of Salam, makes us violate our covenant with the Imam ('a). Those, therefore who recite theirziyarat without considering this vital point, are either hypocrites or weaklings who like to utter liesinfront of the Imam ('a). There is a group of sinfulreciters , however, whom the self that invites one to evil (al-nafs al-ammara ) has weakened, but arenevetheless hopeful for change.

Whenever such people recite theziyarah , they should experience utter humiliation, and always seek change. They must realize that in order for one to prosper and change, he/she should perpetually seek Divine Succor and make a firm resolve to leave all those things thatare forbidden , however minute they may seem to appear.

Another Important MeaningOf AL-Salam

Some authoritative lexicographers like al-Mustafawi in his al-Tahqiq fi Kalimat al-Qur'an al-Karim define al-Salam as 'a state that depicts the apparent dimension of an entity to be intensely coherent with its hidden dimension, such that no kind of difference remains in between.[55] This meaning, we must understand, does not contradict the aforementioned definition, for to be in the state of equilibrium such that the apparent and the hidden of a thing are intensely coherent to each other, is nothing but to be free from spiritual calamities and imperfections.

Considering this definition, if we take the phrase 'AsSalamu 'Alayka as invocative (li al-du'a )[56] , then we are seeking the exalted state ofsalam for the Imam ('a) in its higher degrees, and thus indirectly declaring our harmony with the spirit ofsalam too. This is because one does not seek anything good for someone save that his heart truly confirms to it.

This therefore calls for a great responsibility in theza'ir : to struggle and seek the state ofsalam which in the case of the human being is the equilibrium of the soul (salah al-nafs ). If one begins his journey towards this exalted state by self-purification as expounded by the masters of ethics, his/hersalam would truly shine with the spirit of sincerity.

It is the fear of such state ofsalam acquired by the revolutionaryza'ir that led tyrants[57] like thethe Abbaside rulerMutawakkil bi' Allah to hamper and even kill anyone who aspired to visit the shrine of Imam al-Hussein ('a).

Other Variables of al-Salam

Sometimes, the article 'al' in al-Salam conveys either of the following:

1- All kinds of peace

2 - The most perfect peace

This is when the definite article 'al' denotes 'genus' or 'species'. Those who are acquainted with lexical discussions may consider the footnote below.[58]

Therefore when we seek the state of al-Salam for our Imam ('a) we either seek all kinds of peace that behoove his exalted being, or the most perfect peace. Seeking the second form of peace is in reality seeking higher levels of peace for the Imam ('a) who already enjoys peace. Infact the verse below implies that the degrees of peace are endless:

وَاللهُ يَدْعُو اِلي دَارِ السَّلاَمِ

And Allah invites to the abode of Peace…[ 59]

Note that the indefinite verbyad'u denotes 'continuity' and permanence. Therefore even with regard to thethe Holy Prophet(s) who enjoys the highest level of perfection, the invitation is open. Rather it is openboth in this world as well as the Hereafter.

SeekingThe Absolute State Of-Salam

Sometimes when the article 'al' denotes genus, itcan be taken to mean 'the absolute sense'. This is because no particular kind of peaceis mentioned .Therefore it is taken to mean peace without any kind ofparticulairy of limitation.And this is the highest form of peace, which no one save Almighty Allah enjoys. The Holy Qur'an says:

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلهَ إِلا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ ...

…He is Allah, other thanWhom there is no god, He alone is the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Absolute Peace[60]

Nevertheless the human beings are taught to seek such peace for the obedient servants of Almighty Allah. Look at the following verses:

وَقُل الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَسَلاَمٌ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى

Say,All praise belongs to Allah, and Peace [in the absolute sense] be to His servants whom He has chosen[61]

It should be noted however that the human being whatever level of peace he would attain would never reach the absolute sense, which is only coherent with the Absolute Perfect Being Who is Essentially Existent. Seeking the same for others,would in reality be seeking higher stages of Salam for them.And this journey of Salam, according to masters of the field, would neither end in this world nor in the Hereafter. In short, the path from the finite to the infinite by the Infinite is Infinite.

SEEKING AN ATTRIBUTE OF ALLAH FOR OTHERS

Al-Salam, as we came to learn, earlier is one of the Attributes of Almighty Allah, which some of his noble servants, like the infallible Imams of theAhl al-Bayt ('a), due to their utter submission enjoyed. The path for others toois left open. Every human beingis invited to the abode of peace, and therefore he/she must strive to attain the same.But a truebeliver has an all-embracing heart, and thus yearns for the betterment of others too. Perhaps that is why we are encouraged to greet others with al-Salam. The Holy Prophet (s)is reported to have said:

السّلاَمُ اِسْم مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ اللهِ تَعَالى فَافْشُوهُ بَيْنَكُمْ

Al-Salam is a Name from among the Names of Almighty Allah; therefore, spread the same between you…[ 62] In fact the word Muslim has originally been derived from Allah's name al-Salam. Look at the following tradition:

The Holy Prophet (s)is reported to have said:

تَسَمّى اللهُ باِسْمَينِ سَمَّى بِهمَا أُمّتِى هُوَ السَّلاَمُ وَسَمَّى أُمّتِي المُسْلِمِينَ، وَهُوَ الْمُؤْمِنُ وَسَمَّى أُمَّتِى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Allah Named Himself with two names with which he [also] named my Nation: He is al-Salam and He named my nation asmuslims , and He is al-Mu'min and He Named mymu'mins .[63]

Perhaps due to this reason, exponents ofziyarah like al-Shubbar in his al-Anwar al-Lami'ah and 'Allama Majlisi in his Bihar al-Anwarbelieve that one of the meanings of al-Salamu 'alayka is[64] :

اِسْمُ السَّلاَمِ عَلَيْكَ

May Allah alwaysEnvelop you with His Name al-Salam

Therefore, Almighty Allah not only requires each of us to be at peace,but teaches us to ask for our Muslim brothers and sisters to be availed of the same. Itshould be understood however that the levels of peace are infinite. Therefore invoking peace for others while we greet them should never cease.

Between Declaring AL-Salam & Its Application

It is important to understand the remote distance between the sincerity of one who merely declares peace and verbally seeks the same for themazur ('the visited one') and one who personifies peace in every dimension of his being and actively struggles to ensure the same for themazur . Infact some of our traditions clearly emphasize the vital role of the practical application of al-Salam. Look at the following traditions: 1.IbnShahr `shub narrates in his well-known al-Manaqib fromAnas that he said:

جَاءَتْ جَارِيَةٌ لِلْحَسَنِ(ع) بِطَاقِ رَيْحَانٍ فَقَالَ لَهَا أَنْتَ حُرٌّ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ أَدَّبَنَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فَقَالَ إِذا حُيِّيتُمْ الْآيَةَ وَكَانَ أَحْسَنُ مِنْهَا إِعْتَاقَهَا

One of the slave women of Imam al-hasan ('a) came to him with aboquet of aromatic plants, whereupon the Imam ('a) said toher: You are free for the sake of Allah.So I asked the Imam ('a) as to why did he free her, and he said: 'Almighty Allah educated us and said: 'And When you are greeted with a greeting, greet with a better one than it, or return it… '[65] And to let her free is better than her gift.[ 66]

Here is an example of how practical Salam can be. Many of us do not realize this very important point and conjecture that we have earned ample blessings and reward for ourSalams as the holy Qur'an and the sacred traditions of the Holy Prophet (s) and his infallible progeny clearly exemplify.

The Holy Qur'an says:

The Holy Prophet (s)is reported to have said:

When one enters his house, he must saysalam , for that sends down blessings and the angels become fond of him.[67] Should we restrict theseluminant words of guidance to the realm of speech or do they portray the loftier aspects of the reality of al-Salam ?. Infact if there is no coherence between what the tongue utters and what the heart and mind feel and what the actions portray, then how can we claim the honesty of themusallim (greeter)?

ياَ اَباَ عَبْدِ اللهِ

Ya Aba 'Abdillah

The word 'Ya ' is an interjection employed to call the vocative (munada ). In simpleterms it is word used to call someone. However,lexists hold that يا 'ya 'is employed for a vocative (munada ) who is at a far distance. For example, if we would like to call 'Ali who is at a far distance, we say ياعلي 'Ya 'Ali!.

The distance considered here was physical and spatial.Lexists however employ the same when they would like to praise an exalted personality even if he/she was very near. In fact we also address Almighty Allah Who is closer to us than our jugular veins as يااللهYa Allah, because the Essence of Allah is Infinitely Exalted. In the well-known verse of the Throne (`yat al-Kursi ) we declare this reality of Allah's Exalted Essence as:

وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيْمِ .

And He Alone is the Extremely Exalted & Great Forever[68]

In our present situation our vocative and addressee is Imam al-Hussein ('a) who due to his freedom from the limitations of the material world and comprehensive being is too close to us and can see and hear us too.Hence the reason why we employ the interjection 'ya and say 'Ya Aba 'Abdillah ' is to express his exaltedness and confess our lowliness.

The people of heart, however, can well appreciate the implication manifested when the 'the lover calls the beloved'. The implication is to get near to the Beloved. Hence when we callAba 'Abdillah (whose import, as we shall soon expound means 'the utterly submissive slave of Allah) we are seeking his closeness, or in other words 'the attributes that personifies his exalted being'.

اَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ

Aba 'Abdillah

The wordsAba 'Abdillah literally mean 'the father of the submissive slave of Allah'. Arabshonorify their fellow brothers by calling them with akunya (a name that mostly mentions the first or one of theoffsprings of the 'named one'.)Hence if a person had a son called 'Abdullah, he is called Abu 'Abdillah , which means 'father of 'Abdullah'. Infact one of our traditions indicates that it is better to call someone by his offspring's name in front of him than to use his real name. Imam al-Riza ('a)is reported to have said:

إذَا ذَكَرْتَ الرَّجُلَ وَهُوَ حَاضِرٌ فَكَنِّهِ وَإِذَا كَانَ غائباً فسَمِّهِ

If you mention a man in his presence, then do so using his agnomen (kunya ), and if he were to be absent, then call him by his name.[69] One of the variable reasons given behind the Imam ('a) being called Abu 'Abdillah is that he had anoffpring called 'Abdullah, famously known الرضيع al-radi ' (one who is still breastfeeding). He is one of the members of the Imam's noble family whowas mercilessly martyred in the plains of Karbala. In the well-knownZiyarat al-Nahiya al-Muqaddasah we say:

السّلام عَلى عَبْدِ اللهِ بن الحسين الطفل الرَّضِيْعِ

Perpetual peace be unto 'Abdillah , the one who was still breastfeeding[70]

اَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ

Aba 'Abdillah

Sometimes however, someoneis attributed with an agnomen (kunyah ) not because he is the father of so and so, but because he enjoys a certain quality. For example, one whois well known for his open-handedness and generosity is called AbuJawad . In this context, a number of commentators of this exaltedziyarah , opine that one of the reasons why the holy Imam ('a) was given the agnomen Abu 'Abdillah was his extreme submissiveness to Allah. In other words, he was the true servant of Allah.

Traditions indicate that Imam al-Hussein ('a) was given the agnomen after his birth by Almighty Allah himself through the revelation of the Arch Angel Gabriel, which subtly alludes to the submissive state of Imam ('a) ever since his birth: