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Chapter 5: Peace be unto you, O blood of Allah and the son of the blood of Allah

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ اللَّهِ وَابْنَ ثَارِهِ

Peace be unto You, O Blood of Allah and the son of the Blood of Allah

Commentary

السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ اللَّهِ

Peace be unto You, O possessor of the blood venerated by Allah

The word thar ثَار in the Arabic language has been employed for different meanings: avenging for blood, rancour, blood, the slain, etc.

Many commentators of Ziyarat ‘Ashura’ have rendered the phrase ‘thar Allah’ as ‘blood of Allah’. ‘Allama al-Tabataba`i likewise is reported to have said the same thing when asked about its meaning.1

In order for this verse to be comprehensible, a mudhaf (first particle of a genetive construction) is taken to be elliptical and hidden before the word thar. The sentence would originally read “ya sahiba tharillah” (O possessor of the blood of Allah’. Therefore when we say “ya thar Allah”, we actually mean “ya sahiba tharillah”.

Obviously Allah is free from any kind of anthropomorphic attribute(Qur`an, 42:11) , and thus the meaning of ‘blood of Allah’ should not be taken as ‘the blood that is a part of Allah’, far is He from any kind of imperfection whatsoever. The possibility that thar Allah means ‘the blood owned by Allah’ is although correct in the real sense, for Almighty Allah has absolute ownership over every entity(Qur`an, 3:189) , it is not meant in the present case. This is because the appellation ‘thar Allah’ here denotes a distinct characteristic of al-Husayn (AS) whereas ‘thar Allah’ in its general sense refers to every human being. Unless, however, we would like to express the nobility (sharafa) of the blood of Imam al-Husayn (AS), which was sacrificed in the way of Allah.

We do have similar instances in the Arabic language such as baytullah (house of Allah), ruhullah (spirit of Allah), naqatallah(camel of Allah: 91:13) , etc. Annexing the name Allah in such instances is in order to reveal the nobility of the first particle of the genetive construction. In short, when we say ‘ya thar Allah’ we mean ‘O one whose blood is the blood that Allah venerated and preferred over the blood of others.’2

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ اللَّهِ

Peace be unto you, O the spilled blood, whose avenger is Allah

One of the most clear expositions3 for thar Allah is that it refers to that blood that has been spilled in falsehood and injustice, and is attributed to the wali al-dam (one who has the right to avenge for the blood). Therefore when we say thar Allah we mean ‘the spilled blood that belongs to Allah’, and He alone is the avenger of the same. This meaning can be understood in other salutational recitals as well. For example in one of the ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn (AS) we address him as follows:

... وَاَنَّكَ ثَارُ اللهِ فِِي الاَرْضِ وَالدَّمُ الّذِيْ لاَ يُدْرِكُ ثَارَهُ اَحَدٌ مِنْ اَهْلِ الاَرْضِ وَلاَ يُدْرِكُهُ إلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ

...and that you are the blood of Allah (thar Allah) in the earth and the blood that none of the inhabitants of the earth can avenge, and none save Allah alone can avenge it.4

This, however, does not contradict those salutational recitals and supplications that encourage us to ask Almighty Allah to enable us avenge the blood of Imam al-Husayn (AS) with our present Imam (AS), for he is a vicegerent of Allah on earth and His medium, and can thus serve as Allah’s representative in avenging the blood of Imam al-Husayn (AS).

The Holy Qur`an says:

وَلا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتي‏ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَمَنْ قُتِلَ مَظْلُوماً فَقَدْ جَعَلْنا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطاناً فَلا يُسْرِفْ فِي الْقَتْلِ إِنَّهُ كانَ مَنْصُوراً

Do not kill a soul [whose life] Allah has made inviolable, except with due cause, and whoever is killed wrongfully, We have certainly given his heir an authority. But let him not commit any excess in killing, for he enjoys the support [of law.] (17:33)

Al-Bahrani in his Tafsir al-Burhan, while commenting on the above verse narrates the following tradition:

عَنْ مُحَمَّد بنِ سِنَان، عَنْ رَجُلٍ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالىَ: وَمَنْ قُتِلَ مَظْلُوماً فَقَدْ جَعَلْنا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطاناً فَلا يُسْرِفْ فِي الْقَتْلِ إِنَّهُ كانَ مَنْصُوراً.قال: ذَلِكَ قَائِمُ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، يَخْرُجُ فَيَقْتُلُ بِدَمِ الْحُسَيْنِ

Muhammad bin Sinan narrates from a person who said: I asked Aba ‘Abdillah [al-Sadiq (AS)] about the verse “and whoever is killed wrongfully, We have certainly given his heir an authority”, and he said: That is the Qa`im of the progeny of Muhammad (AS). He will come out and rise to avenge the blood of al-Husayn (AS)...5

We also read in the supplication of al-Nudba:

اَيْنَ الطالِبُ بِدَمِ الْمَقْتُوْلِ بِكَرْبَلاَءِ

Where is the one who would avenge the blood of the one who was killed in Karbala’...6

Therefore whether we say that Allah Himself will avenge the blood of Imam al-Husayn (AS) or the present Imam (AS) will do the same, there is no difference. This is because the Imam (AS) is an entirely submissive servant of Almighty Allah and whatever he does is whatever Allah wants.

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ اللَّهِ

Peace be unto you, O one whose blood is the blood of Allah

One of the possible meanings of the phrase ya thar Allah is ‘ya man tharuhu thar Allah’ (O one whose blood is the blood of Allah)7 . Here the za’ir declares that Imam al-Husayn (AS) enjoys the lofty spiritual state of al-baqa’ bi Allah ba’d al-fana’ (survival in Allah after dissolution in Him) which the mystic-scholars expound in their works. Due to the comprehensive and profound meaning it entails, we would not like to go into the details of this reality here.

Those who have attained heights of human perfection through supererogatory worship and obedience (nawafil) come to a station where they vision and comprehend that every act of theirs is done through Almighty Allah. In other words, Almighty Allah becomes their means of action. In a sacred tradition [hadith al-qudsi], Almighty Allah is reported to have said:

مَا يَتَقَرّبُ إِلَىّ عَبْدٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيْ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ اَحَبُّ إِلَىّ مِمّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ. وَإِنّهُ لَيَتَقَرَّّبُ إِلَىّ بِالنّافِلَةِ حَتّي اُحِبّهُ، فَاِذَا اَحْبَبْتُهُ، كُنْتُ اِذاً سَمْعَهُ الّذِيْ يَسْمَعُ بِهِ وَبَصَرَهُ الَّتِيْ يَبْصُرُ بِهَا وَلِسَانَهُ الّذِيْ يَنْطقُ بِهِ وَيَدَهُ الّتِيْ يَبْطشُ بِهَا، إِنْ دَعَانِيْ اَجَبْتُهُ

My servant does not draw near to me with anything more lovable to Me than what I have made obligatory on him. And surely he never ceases to draw near to Me through supererogatory acts until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing through which he hears, his sight through which he sees, his tongue through which he speaks, his hand through which he grasps. When he calls on Me I respond to him.

This tradition speaks of two fundamental kinds of proximity: (a) proximity attained through obligatory deeds (qurb al-fara’idh), and (b) proximity attained through supererogatory deeds (qurb al-nawafil). Thar Allah refers to the first level. In this level it is the servant who becomes the instrument of Allah. Almighty Allah Sees, Hears, and Speaks through His servant. This should not lead one to conjecture that Allah is in need of His servant, for the latter’s very existence as well as subsistence entirely depend on Allah’s volition. Being an instrument of Allah rather shows the utter obedience of the servant and his unity with Divine volition.

Perhaps Imam al-Husayn (AS)’s well-known dictum ‘Ridha Allah Ridhana Ahl al-Bayt’ (The pleasure of Allah is our pleasure, the Ahl al-Bayt (AS)8 refers to this very state. The servant in this state becomes عَيْنُ الله ‘aynullah (the eyes of Allah), يََدُالله yadullah (the hand of Allah) or ثَارَالله ”tharullah” (blood of Allah), which means that He employs these intermediaries of the elevated human being to do what He decides. Hashim bin ‘Umara narrates: I heard Amir al-mu’minin ‘Ali (AS) say:

أَنَا عَيْنُ اللَّهِ وََأَنَا يَدُ اللَّهِ وَأَنَا جَنْبُ اللَّهِ وَأَنَا بَابُ اللَّهِ

I am the eye of Allah, and I am the hand of Allah; and I am the side of Allah and I am the door of Allah.9

And Aswad bin Sa’id reports: I was with Abu Ja’far (AS), and he said:

نَحْنُ حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ وَنَحْنُ بَابُ اللَّهِ وَنَحْنُ لِسَانُ اللَّهِ وَنَحْنُ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ وَنَحْنُ عَيْنُ اللَّهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ

We (the Ahl al-Bayt) are the proof of Allah, we are the door of Allah, and we are the tongue of Allah, and we are the face of Allah, and we are the eye of Allah in His creation...10

Scholars of insight when expounding this exalted state also refer to the following verse of the Holy Qur`an:

فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلكِنَّ اللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ وَما رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمى‏ وَلِيُبْلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنينَ مِنْهُ بَلاءً حَسَناً إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ

You did not kill them; rather it was Allah who killed them; and you did not throw when you threw, rather it was Allah who threw, that He might test the faithful with a good test from Himself. Indeed Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (8:17)

This verse speaks of the Battle of Badr. The Holy Prophet (S) asks Imam ‘Ali (AS) to give him a handful of pebbles, whereafter he (S) throws them at the faces of the polytheists of Quraysh.11 Almighty Allah describes this as His own action. In other words, the Holy Prophet (S) was Allah’s agent and medium. He is told: You did not throw when you threw, but Allah threw. In reality no kind of selfhood remained in the Prophet (S). His entire being manifested the Divine.

Thar Allah, according to some Divine scholars, refers to this very kind of perfection. Imam al-Husayn (AS)’s entire movement and sacrifice manifested the attributes of Allah.

Scholars of insight, considering the reality that Imam al-Husayn (AS) is thar Allah say that the compensatory price of the blood of al-Husayn (AS) therefore is Allah Himself. The late scholar Ayatullah Muhammad Ridha Rabbani in his Jalawat-e-Rabbani says:

آن حضرت مقام ثاراللهي را واجد است و بهمين جهت است كه خونبهاي او خود خداست

That Hadhrat occupies the station of thar Allah and for this very reason his compensatory price is God Himself.12

And in his comments over ‘Allama al-Tabataba`i’s translation of thar Allah as ‘blood of Allah’ Shaykh Rukhshad, a former student of ‘Allama says:

منظور اين است كه خداوند متعال خود خونبهاي امام حسين – عليه السلام – مي باشد؛ زيرا در برابر شهادت و فداكاري آن حضرت هيچ نعمتي از نعمتهاي آخرتي جز ديدار پروردگار قرار نمي گرفت

This implies that Almighty God Himself is the compensatory price of the blood of Imam al-Husayn (AS). This is because in exchange for the Imam’s martyrdom and sacrifice, there was no blessing of the Hereafter other than the vision of God.13

Perhaps the reason why the compensatory price of al-Husayn (AS) is Allah Himself is the Imam’s state of utter dissolution in the Beloved and survival by Him (al-fana’ fi Allah wa al-baqa’ bihi)14 . As we said earlier, Imam al-Husayn (AS), due to his very exalted station, was a medium of Allah’s works.

Therefore, like the Prophet (S) who is told ‘you did not throw when you threw, rather it was Allah who threw’(8:17) , Imam al-Husayn did not fight gallantly when he fought gallantly in the plains of Karbala’ but Allah fought gallantly in the plains of Karbala’. This is because every element of Imam al-Husayn (AS) was for Allah. Hence he can rightly be known as ‘aynullah (eye of Allah), yadullah (hand of Allah), lisanullah (tongue of Allah), tharullah (blood of Allah), etc.

Mentioning the lofty station of Imam al-Husayn (AS) and his companions, al-Naraqi in his Mathnawi-e-Taqdis says:

اين فناي بنده در مولا بُوَد

اين فنا از صد بقا اولي بُوَد

اين عدم باشد رهِ كويِ بقا

فهم آن خواهي برو تا كربلا

This is the dissolution of the servant in his Master

This dissolution is better than a hundred lives

This dissolution is a path towards the alley of survival

If you would like to know its reality go upto Karbala.15

Although the compensatory price for the horrendous massacre cannot be paid, the meaning of ‘avenging the blood of Imam al-Husayn (AS)’, as we shall come to understand later in this Ziyarat, would in reality be a struggle to eradicate all those enemies who are openly against a Divine government being established, where the laws of Allah are executed and the religion is practised in the best possible manner, so that an environment for human perfection is facilitated for every human being.

يَا ثَارَ اللهِ

O one who has been killed for the sake of Allah

Thar has also been translated as qatil (the one who is killed). And when Allah is annexed to the word thar, it confers the meaning qatilullah (the one killed for Allah or in His way). The expression qatilu Allah has come in different ziyarat related to Imam al-Husayn (AS). For example in a Ziyarat taught by Imam al-Sadiq (AS) we address the Imam (AS) saying:

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا قَتِيلَ اللَّهِ وَابْنَ قَتِيلِهِ أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ اللَّهِ وَابْنَ ثَارِهِ

Peace be unto you O martyr, the son of a martyr, peace be unto you, O blood of Allah, the son of the blood of Allah...16

Observe that the phrase ‘thar Allah wabna tharih’ has also come in this Ziyarat. Does it mean therefore that thar Allah has a different meaning from qatil Allah? Obviously in this place it is possible. However we can also take thar Allah as an emphasis of qatil Allah. In our case, i.e. in Ziyarat ‘Ashura’, however, it is possible that this phrase would like to confer the meaning of both the phrases depicted in the above quotation. And Allah is All-Knowing.

وَابْنَ ثَارِه

And the offspring of the blood of Allah

This phrase talks about Imam ‘Ali (AS) also occupying the exalted station of thar Allah. Perhaps it would like us to know that Imam al-Husayn (AS) being the product (ibn) of a thar Allah inherited the same appellation from his father.

Notes

1. Muhammad Husayn Rukhshad, Dar Mahzare ‘Allameye Tabataba`i, p. 177

2. Habibullah Kashani, Sharhu Ziyarat ‘Ashura`, p. 45

3. Sayyid Mahdi Mir Baqiri, Sabr-e-Jamil Sayr o Suluk ba ‘Ashura`, pp. 75-76

4. Ibn Qulawayh, Kamil al-Ziyarat, v.1, p. 216

5. Al-Bahrani, Al-Burhan fi Tafsir al-Qur`an, v.3, p. 528

6. Al-Mashhadi, al-Mazar, p. 579

7. Habibullah Kashani, Sharhu Ziyarat ‘Ashura`, p. 45

8. Imam Khumayni, Glosses on the Commentary of Fusus al-Hikam, pp. 281-282

9. Shaykh al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, v.1, p. 145

10. ‘Allama Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.25, p. 384

11. Shaykh al-Bahrani, Al-Burhan fi Tafsir al-Qur`an, v.2, p. 662

12. Ayatullah Muhammad Ridha Rabbani, Jalawat-e-Rabbani, v.1, p.305

13. Muhammad Husayn Rukhshad, Dar Mahzare ‘Allameye Tabataba`i, p. 177

14. One should not misconceive such kind of unity being a kind of compositional unity (ittihad) or incarnation (hulul); far is Allah from every kind of deficiency whatsoever. Those endowed with a sharp vision say that such a state is nothing but ‘the unveiling of the reality.’ The utterly submissive human being understands that he is nothing but an action of Allah.

15. Mawla al-Naraqi, Mathnawi-e-Taqdis, p. 273

16. ‘Allama Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.98, p. 151

Chapter 6: The Exceptionally Unique

الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ

The Exceptionally Unique

Commentary

الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ

The Exceptionally Unique

The original meaning of al-witr in the Arabic language is al-fard (single) and man la thaniya lah (one who does not have a second)’1 . And al-mawtur which is an adjective of al-witr also means the same, but is brought as an emphasis2 in this case. A similar example3 has come in the Qur`an with regard to hijr (forbidden) and mahjur (prohibited), the latter being an emphasis of the former:

يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ لاَ بُشْرَى يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا

On the day when they shall see the angels, there shall be no joy on that day for the guilty, and they shall say: It is a forbidden thing totally prohibited. (25:22)

And in the well-known supplication of al-Sabah, Amir al-mu’minin ‘Ali (AS) tries to emphasize al-layl (the night) with the adjective al-alyal (nightly):

صَلِّ اللَّهُمَّ عَلَى الدَّلِيلِ إِلَيْكَ فِي اللَّيْلِ الأَلْيَل وَالْمَاسِكِ مِنْ أَسْبَابِكَ بِحَبْلِ الشَّرَفِ الأَطوَل

Bless, oh Allah, the guide to You in the darkest night, him who, of Thy ropes, clings to the cord of the longest nobility...4

Some scholars opine5 that al-witr refers to Imam al-Husayn (AS)’s unique spiritual status which the Holy Prophet (S) and the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) also possess. Hence, in relation to the rest of the creation an infallible leader (al-imam al-ma’sum) the like of Imam al-Husayn (AS) occupies a unique station, and hence is al-witr al-mawtur.

Amir al-mu’minin ‘Ali (AS) describing an Infallible Imam as:

لاَ يُوجَدُ لَهُ مَثِيلٌ وَلاَ يَقُومُ لَهُ بَدِيل

He is peerless, no substitute can represent him.6

And in another tradition, Imam al-Ridha (AS) describing the qualities of an infallible Imam, says:

الإِِمَامُ وَاحِدُ دَهْرِهِ لاَ يُدَانِيهِ أَحَدٌ

The Imam is unique in his time. None can come closer to him in rank...7

We may also say that Imam al-Husayn (AS) is a manifestation of the Divine Name al-Witru. The Holy Prophet (S), after speaking about the Divine Names, is reported to have said:

إِنَّهُ وِتْرٌ، يُحِبُّ الوِتْرَ

Surely He [Allah] is Unique, and He Loves the unique8

Expounding the meaning of Ya Witru in his commentary on the supplication of al-Jawshan al-Kabir, Mulla Hadi Sabzawari says:

( يَا وِتْرُ) ايْ انه الوجود الصرف البسيط الذى لا يخالطه سنخ اخر من ماهية أو مادة أو قوة أو استعداد

Ya Witru means that He is Sheer Existence, which is Simple [Non-composite], and nothing accompanies it like quiddity (mahiyya), matter (madda), potentiality (quwwa) or potential (isti’dad)...9

The corollary of being ‘sheer existence’ (al-wujud al-sirf) and ‘non-compositeness’ (al-basata) is uniqueness. This is because it is impossible for a non-composite entity to have a second. Hence, no entity can be likened to His Sacred Essence, nor can any entity be compared to Him.

Imam ‘Ali (AS) explaining the meaning of the phrase Allahu Akbar says:

يَعْنِيْ اَلْوَاحِدُ الاَحَدُ الَّذِيْ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ لاَ يُقَاسُ بِشَيْءٍ

It means that He is One, Non-composite, the like of which there is nothing, and nothing can be compared to Him...10

The Ahl al-Bayt (AS), being the most perfect manifestations of the Divine Names, enjoy such an exalted station near Allah, that none can be compared to them. They undoubtedly are manifestations of the Divine Name al-Witr, which means مَنْ لاَ ثَانِيَ لَهُ (One who does not have a second). In a tradition narrated from Zurara, Imam al-Baqir (AS) says:

وَإِنَّا لاَ نُوصَفُ وَكَيْفَ يُوصَفُ قَوْمٌ رَفَعَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمُ الرِّجْسَ وَهُوَ الشَّك

And surely we cannot be described, and how can a people be described from whom Allah has removed impurity, which is doubt...11

Apparently the doubt that is spoken about in this tradition is related to the realities of the Creator and His creation. The Ahl al-Bayt (AS), due to their lofty spiritual status, transcend the lower levels of conviction and enjoy the level of haqq al-yaqin or even higher. Therefore the absence of doubt should not be conjectured to be merely in the conceptual level.

الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ

The Exceptionally Unique

Some commentators give the possibility that this verse refers to Imam al-Husayn (AS)’s uniqueness with regard to everyone, including Prophet Muhammad (S) and the other members of his infallible progeny (AS). This however is not because his spiritual station is higher than theirs, for all of them unite in the Muhammadan Light (al-Nur al-Muhammadi). In a conversation with Salman and Jundub, Imam ‘Ali (AS) says:

اَنَا اُحْيِي وَاُمِيْتُ بِاِذْنِ رَبّيْ، اَنَا اُنَبّئُكُمْ بِمَا تَاْكُلُوْنَ وَمَا تَدّخِرُوْنَ فِيْ بُيُوْتِكُمْ بِاِذْنِ رَبّيْ، وَاَنَا عَالِمٌ بِضَمَائِرِ قُلُوْبِكُمْ وَالأئِمّة مِنْ اَوْلاَدِيْ يَعْلَمُوْنَ وَيَفْعَلُوْنَ هَذَا إِذَا اَحَبُّوْا وَاَرَادُوْا لاَنّا كُلّنَا وَاحِدٌ، اَوَّلُنَا مُحَمّدٌ وَآخِرُنَا مُحَمّدٌ وَاَوْسَطنَا مُحَمَّدٌ وَكُلّنَا مُحَمّدٌ فَلاَتُفَرِّقُوْا بَيْنَنَا

I revive the dead, and make the living ones die by my Lord’s permission; I can inform you about what you eat and what you store in your homes by my Lord’s permission; and I know what is hidden in your hearts; and the Imams from my progeny (AS) can [also] know this and do the aforesaid if they desired and wanted, because all of us are one: the first among us is Muhammad, the middle one among us is Muhammad, the last among us is Muhammad, and all of us are Muhammad; therefore do not differentiate between us.12

The reason, as some great scholars like the late ‘Allama al-Tabataba`i13 and Ayatullah Sa’adat Parwar (may Allah elevate their noble spirits) expound14 , why Imam al-Husayn (AS) occupies a unique station, is his utilization of the greater opportunity to manifest his perfect qualities by carrying out his great movement and sacrificing everything he had for the sake of the Only Beloved. The Holy Qur`an says that for everyone are stations according to what they did:

وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِّمَّا عَمِلُوا وَلِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ

And for all are degrees according to what they did, and that He may pay them back fully their deeds and they shall not be wronged. (46:19)

If the other Imams (AS) faced the same conditions that Imam al-Husayn (AS) had encountered, they too would have done what he did. The opportunity however was gifted to Imam al-Husayn (AS) and accordingly he acquired a station that is unparalleled. The following tradition refers to a unique station for Imam al-Husayn (AS):

رُوِيَ عَنِ الرَّسُوْلِ الاَعْظَمِ قَالَ لِزَوْجَتِهِ اُمّ سَلَمَة: اَوْحي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلَيَّ اَنَّ لَهُ (اَيْ لِلْحُسَيْنِ) دَرَجَةً لاَ يَنَالُهَا اَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمَخْلُوْقِيْنَ

The Most Noble Messenger (S) said to his wife Umm Salama: Allah Revealed unto me that verily he (al-Husayn) has a station which none of the creation would attain.15

And Imam al-Husayn (AS) just before his departure from Madina sees the Prophet (S) in his dream saying to him:

وَ إِنَّ لَكَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ دَرَجَاتٍ لاَ تَنَالُهَا إِلاَ بِالشَّهَادَة

And indeed you have stations in the Paradise that you shall not attain save with martyrdom.16

A Peerless Contingent Being

In his masterpiece Jalawat-e-Rabbani Ayatullah Muhammad Ridha Rabbani (may Allah elevate his spirit) believes and tries to establish that Imam al-Husayn (AS) is a peerless contingent being (mumkin al-wujud bila sharik). At one place he says: In our book Tawhid-e-Rabbani we have comprehensively explained the meaning of the magnificent name Allah. One of its meanings is, “aliha al-khalq ‘an darki ma’iyyatih wal ihata bikayfiyyatih” (The creation is baffled in comprehending His whatness and apprehending His howness)17 , which the cleaver of the knowledge of the disciplines of the foremost and latter ones and the fifth brilliant star of Divine Leadership and Guardianship, Hadhrat Imam al-Baqir (AS) has mentioned. Imam al-Baqir (AS) has said that Allah is that God before Whose Essence and Attributes the intellects of the entire creation are bewildered, confounded and mystified.

Sa’di, the Persian poet says:

جهان متفق بر الهيتش

فرو مانده در كنه ماهيتش

The entire creation is unanimous in his Godhood

Unable to apprehend the Essence of His Being

Thereafter Rabbani says that Imam al-Husayn (AS), who is a manifestation of the Name Allah, likewise, confounds the intellects and overcomes the human beings with perplexity and amazement.

فيك يا أعجوبة الكون غدا الفكر كليلاً. أنت حيّرت ذوي اللب وبلبلت العقولا

O the marvel of existence, the intellect is exhausted in You; You confounded people of insight and confused the intellects

اين حسين كيست كه عالم همه ديوانه اوست

اين چه شمعي است كه جانها همه پروانه اوست

Who is this Husayn, that the entire world is mad after him; What candle is this, that all the souls are its moth(s)?

Imam Husayn (AS) not only puzzled and astounded the human world and realm of humanity, but also made the most exalted angels and the residents of the Divine throne as well as the entire chain of the sacred intellects, astonished at his display of intense love and self-sacrifice in the path of the Eternal and Infinite Beloved.18

الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ

The martyr, whose near ones have been killed, but their blood have not been avenged for

Lexicologists like al-Turayhi in his Majma’ al-Bahrayn, have defined the word mawtur as one whose near one has been unjustly killed but his blood has not been avenged for as yet19 . And since he is mawtur, he necessarily is the tha’ir (avenger of the blood) as well. Muhammad bin Muslima in the battle of Khaybar employs a similar expression when he tells the Holy Prophet (S):

أَنَا الْمَوْتُوْرُ الثَّائِرُ

I am one whose kin has been unjustly killed but his blood not yet avenged, and I am the avenger.20

The word witr also signifies ‘the blood that has been spilled unjustly’21 . Therefore when we address Imam al-Husayn (AS) as al-witr al-mawtur we mean he is the martyr whose near ones and companions were unjustly killed, but their blood has not been avenged for. Hence he is the avenger of their blood.

Some commentators opine that if we consider the Imam (AS) to be the one who would avenge the blood of his near ones, then that would transpire during his return to this world (raj’a). With regard to raj’a, Hamran narrates from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS):

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يَرْجِعُ لَجَارُكُمُ الْحُسَيْنُ فَيَمْلِكُ حَتَّى تَقَعَ حَاجِبَاهُ عَلَى عَيْنَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ

Indeed the first one to return is your refuge al-Husayn (AS), who will rule [for so many years] until his eyebrows would hang over his eyes, out of old age.22

الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ

The Alone who was Rendered Solitary

Sometimes the word witr is translated as ‘alone’, whereas the word mawtur as ‘one whose relation is slain, and so is separated from him and rendered solitary’.23 Imam al-Husayn (AS) was rendered solitary after he lost his near ones and noble companions and stood alone to fight against the forces of evil.

Some analysts of this radiant Ziyarat believe that the enemies of Islam right from the time of the Holy Prophet (S) planned how to isolate and make people be indifferent of the household of the Holy Prophet (S). The word al-witr can also allude to this situation that the Imam (AS) experienced. Therefore he was the lonely one, whose relation was slain and who was rendered solitary.

We must understand that the Imam (AS), due to his sublime rank was even lonelier than his companions and family members in the plains of Karbala. The station of Imamate is unique and has no parallel. In this sense he was not only from the strangers (ghuraba’) like his companions, but also gharib al-ghuraba’ (the stranger of the strangers). In a Ziyarat narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (AS) we address Imam al-Husayn (AS) as follows:

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا غَرِيبَ الْغُرَبَاء

Peace be unto you, o stranger of the strangers.24

In this state of intense ghurba, the enemies did not spare the lives of his noble family members and companions, and rendered him solitary and alone. It is in these moments that he cried from the depths of his heart:

هَلْ مِنْ نَاصِرٍ يَنْـصُرُ الذُّرِّيَّةَ الأَطهَار، هَلْ مِنْ مُجْيْرٍ لأَبْـنَاءِ الْبَتُوْلِ، هَــلْ مِنْ ذَابٍّ يَذُبُّ عَنْ حَرَمِ الرَّسُوْلِ ؟

Is there any helper to help the immaculate progeny? Is there any protector for the children of al-Batul (AS)? Is there any defender to guard the sanctuary of the Messenger of Allah?

Perhaps Imam al-Husayn (AS) summed up his message to his lovers in these short, but very meaningful expressions. The call was made to ‘the future’ and every receptive heart can hear it every moment. Imam al-Husayn (AS) was the epitome of Islam, and his call was the call for the emancipation of Islam. If we are receptive enough to hear his call, then every step of ours must be geared towards assiting Islam. If we struggle to eradicate sin and try to perfect ourselves as well as others and revive Islam, then we do respond to his call. Otherwise we should not be surprised if we also rank among those who left him alone. May Allah protect us from being among those who leave him alone.

الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ

The Alone and Deprived

Sometimes the word al-mawtur is employed to mean ‘one who is deprived’ (al-manqus). The following tradition of the Holy Prophet (S) is translated taking this meaning into consideration:

الْمَوْتُورُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ مَنْ ضَيَّعَ صَلاَةَ الْعَصْرِ

One who is deprived of his family and wealth is one who wastes the prayer of ‘Asr25

Therefore if we take the word witr to mean ‘alone’, the phrase would mean ‘the alone who was deprived of his hometown, family and wealth’.

Notes

1. Sayyid Husayn al-Hamadani, Sharh al-Asma’ al-Husna, p.143

2. This variable has been discussed by great scholars like al-Naraqi in his Mushkilat al-Akhbar (p. 301) and al-Shubbar in his Masabih al-Anwar (p. 341). ‘Allama al-Tabataba`i also translated al-witr al-mawtur as ‘the unique one’ (Rukhshad, Dar Mahzar-e-’Allameye Tabataba’i, p. 184)

3. Other examples that have come in Arabic literature are: bardun barid, shi’run sha’ir, etc.

4. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v. 84, p. 339

5. I heard this opinion from Ayatullah Ansari Shirazi, from whom I would study the 9th volume of the magnum opus al-Asfar of Mulla Sadra.

6. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v. 25, pp. 169-170

7. Shaykh al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, v.1, p. 201

8. ‘Allama al-Tabataba`i, al-Mizan, v.8, p. 359

9. Mulla Hadi Sabzawari, Sharh al-Asma’ al-Husna, p. 722

10. Shaykh al-Saduq, ‘Ilal al-Shara’i`, v.2, p. 320

11. Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, v.2, p. 182

12. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.26, p.6

13. Muhammad Husayn Rukhshad, Dar Mahzare ‘Allameye Tabataba’i, p. 184

14. Ayatullah Sa’adat Parwar, Furugh-e-Shahadat, p.40

15. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v. 44, p.225

16. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v. 58, p.182

17. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.3, p. 222

18. Ayatullah Muhammad Ridha Rabbani, Jalawat-e-Rabbani, v.1, pp. 278-279.

19. Shaykh al-Turayhi, Majma’ al-Bahrayn, v.4, p. 463

20. Al-Zubaydi, Taj al-’Arus, v.7, p. 582

21. Mirza Tehrani, Shifa’al-Sudur, p. 165

22. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.53, p.43

23. Al-Zubaydi, Taj al-’Arus, v. 7, p.583

24. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.98, p.230

25. ‘Allama al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.80, p.28