Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Among such benefits is the intensive urge (which reaches the limit of consecutive reporting) to weep over what happened to the Master of Martyrs, so much so that it has been reported that one who sheds a tear as little as the wing of a fly, his tear will put out the fire of hell. The reason behind that is: One cannot shed a tear except when he is emotionally moved and is deeply distressed because of what he or someone to whom he/she is attached had to endure.

Undoubtedly, we see such a person moved by something else which is: enmity and contempt for all the injustice and suffering inflicted.

The Imams are the most knowledgeable of all people on account of their conditions and circumstances that testify to their mission. They used to seek all means to attain their objectives.

One of those means, which obligate one to abandon the enemies of Allah and His Messenger (S), is their order to weep over the tragedy that befell al-Husayn (‘a) because it requires the bringing to memory of the heart-rending cruelty, to its emotional effects, and to the renunciation of whatever does not agree with their line.

This is the implication of the statement made by al-Husayn (‘a), wherein he said,“I am the one killed and for whose killing tears are shed; no mu'min remembers me without shedding his tears.” A believer, who is bonded to al-Husayn (‘a) with the bond of loyalty and support, finds himself moved and his heart distressed with regard to any harm or peril the Imam (‘a) had to undergo, and such a feeling intensifies when calamities reach their peak.

To sum up, the Master of Martyrs did not mean, by saying, “I am the one killed and for whose killing tears are shed,” that his being killed was solely for the purpose of people weeping over him and receiving their rewards in the hereafter, without mentioning any other effect resulting from his being killed other than people weeping over him.

How can this be so especially in the presence of other effects the most important of which is to keep the pristineShari’a alive and to correct what went wrong of the knowledge of guidance and the dissemination of reform among the nation and acquainting people of the oppression of the oppressive rulers who pursue their ambition?

But the reason for such an addition is underscoring the relationship between what reference he made to his being killed and mourning him.

One who grieves for him shall never find a redress from his grief, and the pain of disappointment can never subside due to the multitude of tragedies that befell him and to his being receptive to them with patience that drew the admiration of the angels in the heavens. The first reaction to the listener, who is moved by such tragedies, is that he weeps over them; so, whenever he remembers al-Husayn (‘a), his tears flow.

Add to this the love for him in the hearts of those who love him: if you add this to that loyalty, it will better underscore the relationship between remembering him and mourning him. It is from this juncture that killing is associated with him, hence his statement,“I am the one killed and for whose killing tears are shed.”

This has been the custom of the Arabs in their speech.

Whenever they see a very strong link between somebody and one of his conditions, characteristics, etc., they add his name to it. They, for example, use expressions such as“Mudar al-Hamra’,” “Rabi’ah al-Khayl,” “Zayd al-Nar,” “children of the fire,” “...husband poisoning,” and so on.

Rabi’ah and Mudar did not leave out any good attribute with which they could adorn themselves except bearing the standard of war and providing horses for the battle. Zayd son of Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far (‘a) was not known as having done anything outstanding, be it good or bad, other than burning the houses of the ‘Abbasides in Basra.

Nor did the children of Abu Mu’it earn any human attribute to identify them except their being the children of the fire [of hell] which the Messenger of Allah (S) added to their name when he ordered their father,

‘Utbah Ibn Abu Mu’it, an unbeliever, to be killed; it was then that he asked the Prophet (S),“O Muhammad! Who will take care of my children?” “The fire,” answered the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny.

Nor was Ju’da daughter of al-Ash’ath known by any vice more than the poison which she administered to Abu Muhammad, Imam al-Hasan (‘a), grandson of the Prophet (S).

But since these results are common knowledge among people, the name of the tribe of Mudar came to be associated with “al-Hamra’,” the blood-red battle, whereas the war horses are added to Rabi’ah, the fire that burned the ‘Abbasides was associated with Zayd's name, and Ju’da came to be associated with husband poisoning.

Al-Husayn (‘a) is quoted as saying, “I am the one killed and for whose killing tears are shed” (as he is referred to as such by Imam as-Sadiq [as]). This falls in the same category when the link is so strong between al-Husayn (‘a) and the tears shed in his memory.

 Feign Weeping

The Imams of guidance (‘a) liked to keep such memories alive forever so that successive generations might discuss them. They knew that the creed would stay fresh as long as the nation remembered this great tragedy. They did not only condone what has to be done, that is, weeping upon remembering the tragedy, they went as far as recommending feign crying over it, that is, that one cries without shedding any tears. Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) says,“Whoever cries [over our tragedies] even without shedding tears will be in Paradise.” 197

It is a known fact that one who finds it hard to shed tears while being moved by a tragic event is not unaffected by it. Many do so. Being psychologically moved by imagining what pain and agony a loved one suffers necessitates repugnance towards the person responsible for inflicting them.

The Prophet (S) once recited the last verses of Surat az-Zumar to a group of the Anar:

“So those who disbelieved were driven to hell in hordes” (Qur’an, Sura az-Zumar, 39:71).

They all wept with the exception of one young man among them who said,“My eyes did not shed a tear, yet I wept feignly.” The Prophet (S) then said,“One who weeps feignly [over such matters] will be in Paradise.” 198

Jarir quotes the Prophet (S) saying,“I am going to recite to you Surat al-Takathur; so, anyone who is unable to weep tearfully should do so feignly. Whoever weeps tearfully will be in Paradise, and whoever weeps feignly will also be in Paradise.” 199

Abu Tharr al-Ghifari has quoted the Prophet (S) saying,“If one of you is able to weep, let him do so, but if he cannot, then let his heart sense the grief, and let him weep feignly, for a hard heart is distant from Allah” 200

These traditions tell us that even if one weeps without shedding tears, he does so because his heart is grieved, and his soul cries.

But out of awe for the Almighty, Praise to Him, grief and sadness are the outcome of imagining what consequences await those who disobey the Master, what shame they will receive in the hereafter. Hence, he distances himself from any such thing and does whatever brings him closer to the Almighty. When it comes to remembering the tragedies inflicted upon the offspring of the Prophet (S), it is a must to hate those who opposed, schemed against, and harmed them.

What we have pointed out may be the same that Shaikh Muhammad ‘Abdoh refers to. Says he,“To cry feignly is to weep with affectation, not out of pretense.” 201

Al-Sharif al-Jurjani says that some people dislike it because of the affectation in it, whereas others permit it for those who aim to express the same feeling [of grief]. Its origin goes back to a statement made by the Messenger of Allah, peace of Allah be upon him and his progeny, “If you do not weep tearfully, then pretend to do so,” meaning those who wish to weep, not those who are indifferent, are distracted.202

Both one who weeps tearfully and one who does so tearlessly share one common denominator: both are deeply distressed and saddened by imagining what injustice was inflicted on Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). Both are equal in their repulsion from those who usurped the status reserved for Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and their aversion thereto.

One who does not comprehend the implication of the speech of the Infallible ones (‘a) will rush to make a judgment on those who weep tearlessly, yet after our explanation of the mystery, you will come to realize their wisdom and eloquence.

Numerous are the mysteries that involve Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) which cannot be comprehended except by one who carefully examines their speech and studies their circumstances, for they never ceased to explore minute ways to attract the souls to them and to acquaint them with their usurped right.

Among that is what Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, wished to be done by way of his will which was the giving of eight hundred dirhams to women to mourn him at Mina during theHajj season.203

Pilgrims from various countries of the world, and from different sects, assemble at Mina during theHajj . It is then that they can enjoy anything previously made prohibitive to them (during the earlier ten days) except women.

These are days of festivities and merry making; people in groups visit one another; congratulation parties are held, and places are set up to congratulate one another.

If you consider the Imam's choice of this particular time and place, you will realize the precise observation the Imam (‘a) took notice of when he preferred those days at Mina over those at ‘Arafat or at the mash’ar where people will usually be busy with the rituals and the supplications to the Creator, Praise to Him, in addition to the short period they have to spend there.

Yes, those three days at Mina, the days of Eid, of merry-making and of felicity, not of grief or weeping, were the choice of the Imam (‘a). Of course, one who hears someone crying during those happy days will be strongly motivated by curiousity to find out the reasons that caused him to cry, and to ask who is being mourned, what his cause is, and what he had done.

He would ask about those who antagonized him and usurped his right. Through such questioning will the truth become clear and so will the best way, for the light of Allah can never be extinguished, and the call to Him is clear in argument.

Such news will be transmitted by the people to those who are distant from its stage once they go home. Those who were not there to witness it would thus come to know about it, and the argument would be completed, so nobody can say that he did not go to Medina, home town of Allah'sHujjah , or that nobody told him anything, nor did he know the Imam's call and of his opponents being misguided. Nobody would thus remain ignorant of it.

Thus do we come to understand the reason why the Imam (‘a) refrained from requiring those mourners to mourn him at Mecca or Medina during theHajj days: in both cities, mourning is done at home, so how can men get to know about these mourners, and how can such mourning convey the desired message?

The claim that a woman's voice is one of her means of attraction which strangers are prohibited from hearing is rebutted by a narration recorded by al-Kulayni in his book titledAl-Kafi :

Umm Khalid came once to visit Imam as-Sadiq (‘a), and she was a lady of wisdom and knowledge. Abu Busayr was then present among his companions. He, peace be upon him, asked Abu Busayr, “Would you like to hear her speak?” Then he (‘a) seated her with him on a couch. Umm Khalid spoke, and she was a wise and eloquent woman. 204

Had a woman's voice been prohibited from reaching strangers’ ears, the Imam (‘a) would not have permitted Abu Busayr to hear her.

In his will, Imam al-Baqir (‘a) appropriated money for female mourners to mourn him at Mina. This implies the permission of men to hear their voices; otherwise, he would have required them to mourn him at their homes in Medina and Mecca. But the Imam's reasoning is quite clear, and his objective cannot be achieved unless men heard these women's voices and came to know who they were mourning.

In an incident narrated by Hammad al-Kufi, Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said to him,“It has come to my knowledge that some people from Kufa visit the grave of Abu ‘Abdullah (‘a) on the fifteenth of Sha’ban, and that some of them recite the Qur’an while others narrate stories about him, and that some women mourn him.”

Hammad said, “I have witnessed some of what you have just described.” The Imam (‘a) then said to him,“Praise is due to Allah. Who has let from among our Shi’as those who visit our grave sites, who praise and mourn us.” 205

Nobody can deny that when women mourn their dead at any cemetery, they will be heard by strangers. Had it been prohibitive, the Imam andHujjah (‘a) would not have commended it and invoked Allah to have mercy on their dead.

A woman's voice being‘awra is not supported by any narration. What is reported about men being prohibited from talking to or sleeping at the house of a female stranger is not on account of her voice being‘awra but because of the possibility that omenous things may happen.

As he starts discussingnikah in the 9th query, ‘Allama al-Hilli , in his bookAl-Tahrir , says that a blind man is not permitted to hear the voice of a female stranger. He probably is saying so only on account of her being a stranger, without implying that it is so because of its being an‘awra .

Yes, he indicates in his bookAl-Tathkira , at the beginning of his discussion ofnikah , that her voice is an‘awra , and that it is not permissible to be heard by strangers due to the allurement potential, not without. The Shafi’is have two viewpoints regarding its being an‘awra .

The author ofAl-Jawahir responded to the critics by saying that along the passage of many centuries, women have been addressing leading religious authorities (imams); the speeches of Fatima al-Zahra’, peace be upon her [before Abu Bakr and in the presence of the Anar and the Muhajirun], and that of her daughters [such as Zainab's speeches in Kufa and at Yazid's court in Damascus], are very well known facts.

Sunnifiqh does not prohibit it. For example, on p. 167, Vol. 1, ofAl-Fiqh ala al-Mathahib al-Arba’a , it is indicated that, “A woman's voice is not an‘awra because the wives of the Prophet (S) used to speak to the Sahaba who used to listen to their [wives'] religiousahkam .” On p. 127, Vol. 2, of his book Nayl al-Arab, al-Shaybani, a Hanbali Sunni, says,“Woman's voice is not an ‘awra, but to derive illicit pleasure out of hearing it is haram.”

This is the same view expressed by Ibn Hajar on p. 27, Vol. 1, of his commentary on restraints in his bookKaff al-Ru’a’ . Yes, some scholars from among Ahl al-Sunnah went as far as considering it an‘awra , a view which is not endorsed by Ibn Hajar. Ibn Najim, a Hanafi Sunni, says the following on p. 270, Vol. 1, of his bookAl-Bahr al-Ra'iq :

“The author of Al-Kafi says that woman must not utter the talbiya audibly because her voice is ‘awra. The same view is expressed by the author of Al-Muhit as he discusses the call to the prayers (athan).”

Commenting on this subject, the author ofFath al-Qadir says, “Had this been applied to her raising her voice during the prayers, and that it voids

them, it would make more sense.” The author of Sharh al-Maniyya says that a woman's voice is not an ‘awra but it may lead to infatuation.

This is the same reasoning adopted by the author of Al-Hidaya and by others with regard to the issue of making talbiya. In Al-Nawazil, the author states that a woman's tone of voice is an‘awra . He bases it on his claim that a woman prefers to learn the Holy Qur’an from another woman rather than from a blind man.

In his bookAl-Ashbah wa al-Naza'ir , Ibn Najim, on p. 200, where he discusses the injunctions relevant to hermaphrodites, says that the latter’s voice is an‘awra . On p. 12, Vol. 3, ofAl-Furu’ by Ibn Muflih, the Hanbali scholar, it is stated that it is more accurate to say that hearing a stranger's voice is not a sin because it is not an‘awra .

On p. 12, Vol. 4, ofal-’Ayni 's bookSharh al-Bukhari , at the end of a chapter discussing walking behind borne coffins, the author states that a woman has to reciprocate the greeting of a man and not to raise her voice because it is an‘awra .

On p. 250, Vol. 1, of Zayn ad-Din al-Iraqi's bookTarh al-Tathrib , the author cites Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr's view in his book Al-Istithkar that a woman's voice is not an‘awra adding,“... which is the accurate view according to the Shafi’is.” On p. 45, Vol. 7, of the same reference, wherenikah is discussed, the author says,

“Her voice is not an‘awra .” The following is stated on p. 249, Vol. 7, of al-Nawawi's bookSharh al-Majmu’ (second edition):“Both al-Darmi and Abu al-Tayyib, the judge, have said that it is not prohibitive for a woman to raise her voice during the talbiya.” As he discusses the subject of talbiya, on p. 274, Vol. 4, of Nayl al-Awtar, al-Shawkani says,

“According to al-Ruyani and Ibn al-Rif’ah, her voice is not prohibitive when raised during the talbiya because it is not an ‘awra.”

One of the methods adopted by the Imams from among the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, in order to acquaint people with the oppression to which al-Husayn (‘a) was subjected, and to distance them from those who robbed him of what rightfully belonged to him, that his uprising perfected the Prophet's call and paved its path, is their requirement to prostrate on theturba .206

One of the reasons behind such a requirement is that five times a day, the person performing the prayers recalls, whenever he prostrates, the sacrifice of the soul of the Prophet (S) and that of his Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), as well as that of his companions, for the sake of firming the foundations of the right principle.

He will also recall the calamities the Master of Martyrs endured and from which even solid rocks would split, meeting them with perseverence that drew the admiration of the angels in the heavens, as the wording in hisziyarat indicates.

Then he recalls the fact that this soil was drenched with the blood of the oppressed one and that of the pure ones from among his Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and companions, those who were described by the Commander of the Faithful (‘a) as the masters of martyrs, none before them reached their status, nor those who follow them ever will, as stated on p. 270, chapter 88, ofKamil al-Ziyarat of Ibn Qawlawayh al-Qummi.

The heart of the one who is faithful to them would be filled with emotion; tears would trickle down his eyes, and he distances himself from anyone who antagonized them and all those who did likewise as well as those who shed their blood or facilitated such a most foul deed.

It would become quite clear for him that this great revolution smashed the altars of oppression. Succeeding generations came to know how a most precious person found death easy in defense of the creed. So is their order to make rosary beads of the said soil and to use them to praise the Almighty in order to achieve the same precious objective.

All these objectives are explained by Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) although the nation did not comprehend their minute mysteries.

Others, due to their ignorance, charged us with starting a bid’a by doing so. The misguidance of such critics is the outcome of their ignorance of these wise mysteries and their own inability to comprehend thehadith stated by the one who conveyed the wahy of the heavens:“The earth has been made a mosque for me and a means of purification.”

This small piece of earth, prepared for the purpose of prostrating, is made of dust mixed with water, so it is a testimony to the authenticity of this agreed uponhadith .

During certain times, hordes of pilgrims regard theziyarat [visiting the Imams' shrines], a highly commendable deed. They visit one of the foundations of the creed and the lighthouse of its guidance, and from it are the injunctions derived and where the branches of knowledge are researched. Visitors go to his grave from various parts of the world. People get to know each other; they witness such an amazing crowd.

There is an incessant stampede. Everyone desires to get to the holy shrine, for the one being visited is the same who promoted a divine call and is a caller to the path of his Lord with wisdom and good exhortation...

The pilgrim realizes, even more so, the greatness of the person he is visiting. He will better appreciate him and his cause, and he will be very impressed by such an elating sight. His heart will be more kind, and his conviction grows stronger. It is only natural that he would then be attracted to following his teachings, studying his biography, researching his legacy, and getting to know the injustice inflicted upon him. And the least of such innumerable benefits does not end here.

There is another advantage: suchziyarat cements the bonds of fraternity among brethren, the fraternity called for by the Book of Allah in the verse saying,

“Believers are brethren of one another” (Qur’an, Sura al-Hujurat, 49:10).

When the visitors meet at the gravesite or on their way to it, they discuss deeds of righteousness and the rewards related thereto; they admonish one another with regard to the right faith, so the error in the beliefs of other sects becomes unveiled. So is the latter’s straying from the right course, and the bond between the faithful becomes based on wisdom.

This is the truth with regard to visiting the shrines of all the Imams of guidance. They are the awesome path, the avenue that leads to every guidance, the conscience of reform, the cultivated rite, the true guidance, the complete knowledge.

Also, belief in them must be established after realizing their apparent distinction, tremendous knowledge, legendary piety, and innumerable miracles. There is no doubt that to visit their holy shrines with the intention to seek nearness to the Master, Praise to Him, strengthens such a creed and firmly establishes it.

This is the only reason for legislating theziyarat . As regarding specifying a particularziyarat for the Master of Martyrs, in addition to urging others to visit his shrine at any time, rather than that of any other Imam, or even that of the Master of Messengers (S), there are many reasons behind that.

The most important reason is that the Umayyad mentality is still alive, and it increases or decreases in intensity from time to time.

Those who have certain vested interests periodically howl about it. Although the Umayyads have turned into dust rags and nothing is attached to their name except shame and they are cursed whenever they are mentioned, yet since such a propensity is atheistic in nature and is promoted by their gang and by those who join them from the generations.

Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) paid a special attention to putting its fire out and to attracting the attention to its deviation from the right path, the path brought by the Greatest Saviour who suffered so much in order to disseminate his call and keep it alive.

One of the means that lead the souls to such a path, acquainting them with the injustice meted to Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and directing them towards the divine right clarified for them by the great legislator (S), is the cause of the Master of Martyrs: It is full of tragedies to which the heart of the most bitter enemy softens, let alone that of his follower who recognizes the Imam's usurped authority.

The Imams (‘a) desired that their Shi’as should remain all year round, as days come and go, fully alert with regard to those who usurped such an authority, the ones that are so distant from the right path. They, therefore, required them to be present around the shrine of the masters of the youths of Paradise on specific occasions, and during other times as well.

It is only natural that such assemblies bring to memory the cruelty employed by the Umayyads who slaughtered the children and banished the daughters of the Prophet (S) from one country to another.

They were forced to ride

Hands to the necks tied

On bare hump she-camels they did ride.

No veil did their faces find:

Behind forearms and hands did they hide.207

Fervour and manliness insist that nobody should surrender and accept to be ruled by anyone who inflicts such horrible deeds on anyone else at all, let alone on the family of the most holy Prophet (S). It is then that the souls become filled with emotion, feelings reach their ebb, and judgment is issued against those filthy folks who reneged from the Islamic faith.

Of course, such a cause with regard to the Master of Martyrs is more binding than any other Imam because his cause contains that which softens the hearts. It is from this juncture that the Infallible Ones (‘a) used him as their argument whereby they assault their foes.

They, therefore, required their followers to weep, to commemorate in any way, to visit his shrine..., and so on and so forth, causing theumma to become full of the memory of Husayn: Husayni in principle, and to the last breath Husayni...

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) recites a special supplication during his prostration that has been transmitted to us by Mu’awiyah Ibn Wahab. It casts a divine light in the depths of the hearts; it reaffirms the creed; it brings ease to the soul, and it acquaints us with obscure mysteries. The Imam (‘a) used to say the following whenever he prostrated:

“Lord! You are the One Who chose us to receive Your bliss, promised us to intercede, granted us the knowledge of what passed and of what remains, made the hearts of some people lean towards us:

I invoke You to forgive me and my brethren and those who visit the gravesite of my grandfather al-Husayn, those who spend their wealth and exhaust themselves out of their desire to express their devotion to us, hoping to earn the rewards which You have for all those who maintain their link

with us, and because of the pleasure they bring to Your Prophet, and out of their response to our own order to do so. Reward them for having vexed our enemy as they sought Your Pleasure .

Do reward them, O Lord, on our behalf, and grant them sustenance during the night and the day, and be generous to their families and offspring, those who succeed them in doing such good deeds. Be their Friend; ward off from them the evil of all stubborn tyrants, all those from among Your creatures.

Protect their weak from the evil of the mighty ones, be they demons, humans, or jinns. And grant them the best of what they aspire as they estrange themselves from their home-lands, and for preferring us over their sons, families, and kinsfolk. Lord! Our enemies find fault with their going out to visit our shrines, yet it does not stop them from doing so, unlike those who oppose us. Lord! Have mercy on the faces transformed by the heat of the sun.

Have mercy on the cheeks that touch the grave of Abu ‘Abdullah, al-Husayn. Have mercy on the eyes that weep out of kindness to us. Have mercy on the hearts that are grieved on our account and are fired with passion for us. And have mercy on those who mourn us. Lord! I implore You to be the Custodian of these souls and bodies till You bring them to the Pool [of Kawthar] on the Day of the great thirst.”

When Mu’awiyah Ibn Wahab regarded this supplication as giving “too much” for those who visit the gravesite of Imam al-Husayn (‘a), Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said to him, “Those in the heavens who supplicate for those who visit al-Husayn's gravesite are more numerous than those who do so on earth”.208

This supplication by the Imam of the nation contains great injunctions and attributes which only those who seek their light and uphold the rope of their guidance appreciate. The mourning to which the Imam (‘a) refers near the end of his supplication is the result of one who is terrified and afflicted with a calamity.209

Since there is no specifying whether such mourning takes place at home or simply everywhere, it is commendable no matter where it may be, be it in the streets, or upon seeing a re-enactment, or at any other situation encountered by men or women.

Among the other means which Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) enjoined their Shi’as to do is rubbing their cheeks on the most pure grave. There is no need to specify the grave of al-Husayn (‘a) because there is one narration relevant to saluting the graves recorded by Shaikh al-Tusi on p. 200, Vol. 1, of his bookAl-Tahthib has transmitted by Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdullah al-Himyari who says,

“I wrote the faqih asking him about one who visits gravesites. He wrote me back stating near his signature that prostrating on graves is not permissible in any obligatory or optional prayer, but one may place his right cheek on the grave, and this is general due to the recommendation that one places his cheek on any of the graves of the Infallible ones, peace be upon them.”

Among what this supplication leads us to is the extent to which the Shi’as go in expressing their love for Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), spending their money with generosity to keep the memory of their Imams (‘a) alive whenever they hold somber commemorations, birth anniversaries, etc., and by preferring them over their offspring, families and kinsfolk.

The implication of putting some people ahead of all others through self-denial is not far from your mind. It is holding others as more important than one's own self.

This can be done either by satisfying all the requirements demanded by friendship, or by assisting one to achieve his objective, or by expressing utmost regards for him. It is one of the commendable traits that spring out of one's own goodness of nature, loftiness of moral code, and excellence of substance.

Allah, the Praised and the Exalted One, has praised those who adorn themselves thereby saying,

“They prefer others over themselves even when poverty is their lot” (Qur’an, Sura al-Hashr, 59:9),

that is, even when they themselves are in need, being poor, destitute.210

There is no confusion about the fact that one who is preferred over all others, once he combines in him the requirements that earn him such a preference, will be further recognized as being worthy of such a preference.

If you keenly observe those adorned with virtues, you will find none more worthy of being preferred than the inspired Progeny (‘a) due to the excellent status and the unsurpassed eminence awarded them by the Creator, Praise to Him. Their favours upon the nation obligate the latter to reward them, and to pay them their due rights, the payment that nobody can avoid.

Whoever regards them as his masters, preferring them over himself, his family, and kinsfolk, submits to the fact that the Imams (‘a) are the reason behind the divine bounties, the ones who were taught theShari’a by Him, and the means of bringing happiness to man and his earning high plains. Such bounties include their moral excellences, an upright way of dealing with others, social graces and moral codes that guarantee one's success.

Add to the above the Imams' great efforts to rescue the nation and bring it to the haven of safety and security, saving it from the deluge of annihilation, so much so that they, peace be upon them, preferred doing so over living a happy life. Thus, they sacrificed themselves so that the nation might remain on the right track, or so that they may keep the torment away from the members of the nation.

According to one tradition by Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far (‘a), he preferred to suffer rather than let his Shi’as suffer. The Imams (‘a), moreover, never ceased loving their Shi’as. Every morning and every evening, they used to plead to Allah to have mercy on them. They were happy whenever their Shi’as were happy, and they were grieved whenever their Shi’as were grieved.

This is so because the Shi’as are the remnant of the Imams' own mould; they are the leaves of that good tree whose roots are firmly planted and whose branches are high in the sky.

For example,al-Hujjah , may Allah hasten his reappearance, has offered the following supplication for them:

“O Allah! Our Shi’as were created of the rays of our own noors and of the remnant of our own mould. They have committed many sins, relying on their love for us. If their sins are relevant to their duties toward You, do, O Lord, forgive them, for it pleases us that You do so.

And if such sins are relevant to their obligations towards us, do, O Lord, mend their affairs and distance such sins from reaching the khums due to us. Permit them, O Lord, to enter Paradise; move them away from hell, and do not include them in Your wrath with our enemies”.211

I cannot imagine, since the case is as such, that you can find in the code of rights and obligations, or in the norms of faithfulness, or in the requirements of manliness, any justification for laxing in solacing the bearers of the Message by preferring them over your own self and your family in everything precious or not so precious.

You, otherwise, will plunge in the deepest pit of meanness. You will permit yourself to be the target of blame by reason on one hand, and by the requirements of theShari’a on the other, assaulted by manliness.

There is no doubt that Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) would like us to adorn ourselves with self-denial in order to keep the memory of all members of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) alive. We come to such a conclusion when we discern the reference used by the Imam (‘a) in his supplication:

Having supplicated for those who visit the shrine of Imam Husayn (‘a), and invoked Allah to grant them the fulfillment of their best wishes, he (‘a) said,“... and reward them for that whereby they preferred us over themselves.”

His using the plural “themselves” connotes his loving them for having preferred the Imams (‘a) over their own selves, something which brings goodness to each and every one of them.

Since preference awarded to visiting the shrine of the Oppressed Imam (‘a) is inclusive, due to its bringing to memory his sacred stand, whoever stands before the pure shrines sees himself as though he stands between both ranks:

the rank of sanctity, of guidance to everything good, and his band, and the rank of the product of the Thursday of Infamy, namely Yazid and his followers, observing the stand taken by the first party with regard to what is right and to integrity, and the [evil] end sought by those who opted to follow falsehood and uncleanness.

He, therefore, will have then kindled the fires of two attributes: loyalty to one party and dissociation from the other.

A far-sighted discreet person cannot overlook the implication in the statement cited above in Abu ‘Abdullah's supplication:

“O Allah! Our enemies found fault with them (with our Shi’as) for visiting our shrines, yet this did not stop them from doing so, thus distinguishing themselves from those who opposed our ways.”

He, peace be upon him, desired to urge the Shi’as to always keep consoling Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and respecting their rites, keeping their heritage alive and disseminating their legacy. Any calamity suffered by them while

following such a path is surely witnessed by Allah, the most Exalted One, and it pleases His Purified Friends.

The mockery of those who mock does not harm them in the least so long as they are on the right path. The Jews had made fun of theathan , just as the polytheists had made fun of the sujud, yet it did not weaken the Muslims' determination in the least, so they continued their march on the straight path heedless of the pitfalls of others.

Those who visit the gravesite of Abu ‘Abdullah, al-Husayn (‘a), and who crowd to uphold the Husayni rites, are not harmed by the mockery of the ignorant about whom as-Sadiq (‘a) says,“By Allah! Their luck missed the mark! From achieving Allah's rewards did they swerve! And from nearness to Muhammad (S) did they distance themselves!”

When Thurayh al-Muharibi said to him once, “Whenever I detail the merits of visiting (the gravesite) of Abu ‘Abdullah [al-Husayn] (‘a), my offspring and kinsfolk make fun of me,” the Imam (‘a) responded by saying,“O Thurayh! Let people go where they want to go while you stay with us.” 212

He (‘a) said once to Hammad,“It has come to my knowledge that some people from Kufa, as well as others in its outskirts, visit on the middle of Sha’ban the grave of Abu ‘Abdullah (‘a), and that some of them recite the Qur’an while others narrate the story (of his martyrdom), while still others laud us, and that the women mourn him.”

Hammad said,“I have personally seen some of what you have described.” The Imam (‘a) then said, “Praise to Allah Who let some people come to us to laud us, to mourn us, while letting our enemies fault them and describe what they do as abominable.” 213

The ridicule of those who distance themselves from Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), those who shy away from upholding these rites, does not undermine the goodness of the legacy which endears to us the keeping of the memory of the Imams alive, and it has benefitted the nation in the life of this world and will benefit it in the life hereafter.

In onehadith by the Messenger of Allah (S), he said to the Commander of the Faithful (‘a),“A scum [of the earth] from among the people reproach those who visit your graves just as an adulteress is reproached about having committed adultery. These are the evil ones of my nation. May Allah never permit them to earn my intercession on the Day of Judgment.” 214