Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Reciting elegies in the form of poetry

There is no doubt that reciting elegies in the form of poetry has a useful effect on the spirit, psyche and emotions. Therefore, if lamentation is presented in the form of poetry, the hearts and souls of people are affected more.

When the event of Karbala, which in itself is a stimulator of the emotions and feelings of Muslims, is presented in the form of poetry, the effects produced are even more worthwhile. Poetry is highly effective at awakening the feelings and emotions of people, so through poetry Imam al-Husayn (as) and his lofty aims and objectives can be made known to the people more effectively.

Now, we will examine this issue from the viewpoint of the divine law of Islam:

Reasoning regarding the recitation of poetic elegies

To substantiate that it is permissible, even desirable, to recite elegies in the form of poetry, we refer to a number of proofs:

1. The precept of permissibility [ibahah]

The basic principle in all acts is that all things are permissible[mubah] so long as there is no evidence that contradicts it. This precept is applicable to the recitation of elegies also. Because reciting elegies in the form of poetry has not been refuted, on the contrary, there is evidence to prove that it is desirable; it is therefore included in this basic principle of permissibility[ibahah] .

2. Exalting and venerating the mottos [sha‘a’ir] of religion

If the person about whom one intends to recite mourning poetry is an awliya’ of Allah or one of the pious leaders of the Islamic community, we can easily attract the people’s attention towards him by reciting elegies in the form of poetry. In the end, this will encourage people to follow and obey that person.

This is what is meant by following and obeying the friends and trusted ones of Allah and their orders. Therefore, it can be said that reciting elegies in the form of poetry is one of the most evident forms of exalting divine sanctities and venerating the signs of Allah.

3. The poetic elegies of Prophet Adam (as)

On his chain of transmission, Tabari narrates that Imam ‘Ali said, “When the child of Adam (Abel) was killed by his brother (Cain), Prophet Adam cried and recited this ele

تغيرت ِ البلاد ُ ومن عليها فلون ُ الارض ِ مغبّر قبيح ُ

تغير کلّ ُ ذي طعم ٍ ولون ٍ وقلّ بشاشة ُ الوجه ِ المليح ُ522

4. Poetic elegies recited for the Holy Prophet (S)

A large number of the Prophet’s (S) companions used to recite elegies when mourning over the Holy Prophet (S).

A. Poetic elegies of Fatimah al-Zahra (as)

Ibn ‘Abd Rabbah recounts that Fatimah (as) stood at the head of her father’s tomb and recited,

فقد ناك فقد َ الارض ِ وابلها وغاب َ مذغبت عنّا الوحيّ ُ والکتب ُ

فليت َ قبلك کان َ الموت ُ صادفنا لمّا نعيت َ وحالتْ دونك الکثب ُ523

B. Poetic elegies of the daughter of ‘Abd al-Muttalib

ألا يا رسول َ الله ِ کنت َ رجاء َنا وکنت َ بنا برّاً ولم تك جافياً

وکنت َ رحيماً هادياً ومعلّماً لبيك ِ عليك اليوم َ من کان َ باکياً524

C. Poetic elegies of Hassan ibn Thabit

ومالك لا تبکين َ ذاالنعمة ِ التي على الناس ِ منها سائغ ٌ يتغمّد ُ

فجودي عليه ِ بالمدموع ِ وأعولي لفقد ِ الذي لا مثله ٌ الدهر ٌ يوجد ٌ

وما فقد َ الماضون َ مثل َ محمّد ٍ ولا مثله ُ حتّى القيامة ِ يفقد ُ

D. Poetic elegies of Abu Sufiyan ibn Harith

Ibn Ishaq says, “Abu Sufiyan ibn Harith cried a lot in grieving for the Holy Prophet and recited this elegy,

أرّقت ُ فبات َ ليلي لايزول ُ وليل ُ أخي المصيبة ِ فيه طول ُ

فاسعدني البکاء ُ وذاك فيما أ ُصيب المسلمون َ به قليل ُ

لقد عظمتْ مصيبتنا وجلّتْ عشية َ قيل َ: قد قُبِضَ الرسول ُ525

E. Poetic elegies of Abi Dhu’ayb ibn Hadhali

کُسفِتْ لمصرعهِ النجومُ وبدرُها وتزعزعتْ آطامُ بطنِ الأبطحِ

وتزعزعتْ أجبالُ يثربَ کلُّها ونخيلُها لحلولِ خطبٍ مفدحِ526

F. Poetic elegies of Abi al-Haytham ibn Tayyahan

لقد جدعتْ آذانُنا وانوفُنا غداةَ فجئْنا بالنّبي محمّدِ527

G. Poetic elegies of Umm Ra‘lah Qushayriyyah

يا دارَ فاطمةَ المعمورُ ساحتُها هيجتِ لي حَزَناً حُييتِ من دارِ528

H. Poetic elegies of ‘Amir ibn Tufayl

بکتِ الارضُ والسماءُ على النو رِ الذي کانَ للعبادِ سراجاً

من هدينا به الى سبيل ال قٍ وکنّا لانعرفُ المنهاجا529

I. Poetic elegies of Suad ibn Qarib

بکتْ عليهِ ارضُنا و سماؤُنا وتصدّعتْ وجداً به الاکبادُ

لو قيلَ: تفدون النّبيَّ محمداً بُذلتْ لهُ الاموالُ والاولادُ

5. Recitation of poetic elegies before the Holy Prophet (S)

The Prophet’s (S) companions used to recite elegies for many people in the presence of the Holy Prophet (S) himself and the Prophet not only did not prohibit them from doing so, but he encouraged them as well.

A. Poetic elegies for Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib

Safiyyah, the daughter of ‘Abd al-Muttalib and the sister of Hamzah, recited,

أسائلةٌ اصحابَ أحدٍ مخافةً بناتِ أبي من أعجمٍ وخبيرِ

فقالَ الخبيرُ إنّ حمزةَ قد ثوی وزيرُ رسولِ اللهِ خيرُ وزيرِ

دعاهُ الى الحقّ ذوالعرشِ دعوةً الى جنّةٍ يَحيا بها وسرورُ530

When mourning for Hamzah, Ka‘b ibn Malik used to recite,

صفيةُ قومي ولا تَعجزي وبکّي النساءَ علی حمزةِ

ولا تسأمي أن تطيلي البُکا على أسدِ اللهِ في الهزّةِ

فقد کانَ عزّاً لأ يتامِنا وليثَ الملاحمِ في البزّةِ

يريدُ بذاك الرضا احمداً ورضوانُ ذي العرشِ والعزّةِ531

B. Poetic elegies for ‘Ubaydah ibn Harith ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, one of the martyrs of the Battle of Badr

When ‘Ubaydah was killed at Badr, Ka‘b ibn Malik Ansari cried mournfully and recited,

ايا عينُ جودي ولا تبخلي بدمعكِ حقاً ولا تنزري

على سيدٍ هدّنا هُلَله کريمِ المشاهدِ والعنصرِ532

C. Elegies for Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib and those Martyred with him

Hassan ibn Thabit recited,

فلا يبعدنَّ اللهِ قتلی تتابعوا بمؤتةَ منهم ذو الجناحينِ جعفرُ

وزيدُ وعبدُ اللهِ فيمن تتابعوا جميعاً وأصحابُ المنيةِ تخطرّ533

Ka‘b ibn Malik Ansari recited,

نامَ العيونُ ودمعُ عينكَ يهملُ سحّاً کما وکفَّ الطبابُ المخضّلُ

في ليلةٍ وردتْ عليّ همومُها طوراً أحِنُّ وتارةً أتململُ

صبروا بموتةِ للإلهِ نفوسَهُم حذَر الردی ومخافةً ان ينکلوا

اذ يهتدونَ بجعفرٍ ولوائهٍ قدّامَ اوّلهِمِ فنعمَ الاوّلُ534

D. Poetic elegies for those killed on the day of Raji‘

A group of people came to see the Prophet of Allah (S). They requested that a number of people be sent to their area to teach them the laws of Islam. The Prophet (S) sent six of his companions to them.

When these six companions arrived at the spring of Raji‘, which was the source of water for the tribe of Hudhayl, those who had made this request from the Prophet attacked these six people with the help of the local people of the tribe of Hudhayl. The attackers first said,“We do not intend to kill you, but just want to hand you over to the people of Mecca so as to receive a reward from them.”

Some of the Prophet’s companions started fighting their attackers and in the process were martyred. However, Khabib and his companion surrendered themselves. Along the way, Khabib’s companion wanted to draw his sword against these people, but they martyred him with a large stone. In the end, Khabib was given over to the people of Mecca, who hanged him.

Hassan recited the following about these six martyrs,

صلّی الإلهُ على الذينَ تتابعوا يومَ الرجيعِ فأکرموا واثيبوا

رأسُ السريةِ مرثدُ واميرُهُم وابُن البکيرِ امامُهُم وخُبيبُ535

And then, while crying, he said,

ما بالُ عينك لا ترقْأ مدامِعُها سحّاً على الصدرِ مثلَ الؤلؤِ القلقِ

على خُبيبٍ فتی الفتيانِ قد علمِوا لا فشلُ حتّى تلقاهُ ولا نزقِ536

E. Poetic elegies of Na‘am when grieving over her husband who was one of the martyrs of the Battle of Uhud

يا عينُ جودي بفيضٍ غيرِ ابساسِ على کريمٍ من الفتيانِ لبّاسِ537

F. Elegies for Sa‘d ibn Ma‘adh, wounded at Khandaq

A man from among the Helpers[ansar] says this about Sa‘d,

وما اهتزَّ عرشً اللهِ من موتِ هلكٍ سمعنا بهِ الاّ لسعدِ أبي عمرو538

Hassan ibn Thabit, while mourning Sa‘d, recited,

لقد سجمتْ من دمعِ عينيَّ عبرةٌ وحقَّ لعيني أن تفيضَ على سعدِ

قتيلٌ ثوی في معركٍ فجعتْ بهِ عيونُ ذواري الدمعِ دائمةُ الوجدِ539

G. Elegies for the martyrs of the Well of Ma‘unah

Abu Barra’ said to the Holy Prophet (S),“If you send someone from among your companions to invite the people of Najd, there is hope that they will accept your call to Islam.” The Noble Prophet (S) sent a number of his companions to Najd. On their way, they stopped for a time at the well of Ma‘unah.

When they were confronted, they gave a letter from the Holy Prophet (S) to their attackers, but the attackers paid no attention to it. They martyred the carrier of the Prophet’s letter and, with the help of other tribes, killed the remaining Muslims. ‘Abd Allah ibn Rawahah grieved for Nafi‘ ibn Badil ibn Warqa’ Khaza‘i, who was among the martyrs and recited,

رحَم اللهُ نافَع بَن بديلِ رحمةَ المبتغي ثوابَ الجهادِ

صابرٌ صادقٌ وفيٌّ اذا ما أکثَر القومُ قالَ قولَ السدادِ540

While grieving over them, Hassan ibn Thabit recites,

على قتلي معونةُ فاستهلّي بدمعِ العينِ سحاً غيرَ نزرِ541

H. Poetic elegies for ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un

When ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un passed away, his wife said this about him,

يا عينُ جودي بدمعٍ غيرِ ممنونِ على رزيّةِ عثمانَ بنِ مظعونِ

على أمري کانَ في رضوانِ خالقهِِ طوبي لهُ من فقيدِ الشخصِ مدفونِ542

I. Poetic elegies for Walid ibn Walid ibn Mughayrah

Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s (S) wife, while grieving for Walid, recited,

ألا يا ليتَ امّي لم تلدْني ولم اكُ في الغزاةِ لدی البقيعِ

ولم أرَ مصرعِ بنِ الخيرِ زيدٍ وهدّتهُ هنا لكَ من صريعِ543

J. Elegies for Zayd ibn ‘Umar ibn Khattab

Ayas ibn Bakir in an elegy for Zayd ibn ‘Umar ibn Khattab, who was killed in the war with the tribe of Bani ‘Uday, says,

يا عينُ فابکي للوليدِ بنِ الوليدِ بنِ مغيرة قد کانَ غيثاً في السنينِ ورحمةً فينا وميره544

K. Poetic elegies of Imam ‘Ali (as) grieving Fatimah (as)

Amir al-Mu’minin Imam ‘Ali (as) stood at the tomb of Fatimah al-Zahra (as) in a sorrowful state. Sorrow was choking his throat, and he could not stop the burning tears flowing from his heart. It was at this time that he recited,

لکلَّ اجتماعٍ من خليلبنِ فرقةٌ وکلُّ الذي دونَ الممات قليلُ

وإنّ افتقادي واحداً بعد واحدٍ دليلٌ على أن لا يدومُ خليلُ545

Poetic elegies recited for Imam al-Husayn (as)

Abu al-Faraj Isfahani maintains that,“Poets did not recite elegies for Imam al-Husayn (as).” 1

However, in fact, there are many records of people that recited poetry while grieving for Imam al-Husayn (as). Sibt ibn Jawzi narrates from Sadda that he said,“The first person who recited elegies for Imam al-Husayn (as) was ‘Utbah ibn ‘Amru ‘Abasi.”

In addition, upon study of history, one can see that there have been poets who recited elegies when grieving for Imam al-Husayn (as). Some of these instances are listed in the following discussion:

1. Sulayman ibn Quttah

Ibn Quttah was one of the men of the tribe of Bani Tamim ibn Marrah ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ay and one of the supporters of Bani Hashim. He was from among the generation which came after the Holy Prophet (S)[tabi‘in] . He has composed a poem eulogizing Imam al-Husayn (as) in verse. The first part reads,

مررتُ على ابياتِ آلِ محمّدٍ فلم أرَها کعهدِها يومَ حلّتْ547

2. Abu al-Rajah Khaza‘i

Marzbani narrates, “Abu al-Rajah Khaza‘i went to see Fatimah, the daughter of al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (as), and recited elegies to her about al-Husayn, including,

أجالتْ على عَيني سجائبُ عبرةٍ فلم تصحُّ بعدَ الدمعِ حتى ارمعلّتِ

تبکي على آلِ النبيَّ محمّدٍ ما اکثرتْ في الدمعِ لا بلْ اقلّتِ548

3. Zaynab, the daughter of Imam ‘Ali (as)

When the blessed severed head of Imam al-Husayn (as) and the captives reached Medina, all the people of Medina came out of their houses crying and weeping. At this time, Zaynab (as), the daughter of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as), cried out sorrowfully,“O al-Husayn! O my brother! O members of my Household! O Muhammad!” Then, she recited prose saying,

ماذا تقولونَ إذ قالَ النبيُّ لکمْ ماذا فعلتْم وانتْم آخرُ الأممِ

بأهلِ بيتي وأولادي أما لکُمُ عهُد أما أنتمُ توفونَ بالذّممِ

ذريتي وبنو عمّي بمضيعةٍ منهمْ أساری ومنهمْ ضرّجوا بدمِ

ما کانَ هذا جزاءي اذ نَصحتُ لکُمْ أن تخلفوني بسوءٍ في ذوي رَحمي549

4. Ja‘far ibn ‘Affan

Ibn ‘Affan was one of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq (as). He eulogizes Imam al-Husayn (as) in this way,

لبّيكِ على الاسلامِ من کانَ باکياً فقد ضُيّعتْ احکامُهُ واستحلّتِ

غداةَ حسينٌ للرماحِ دريئةٌ وقد نهلَتْ منهُ السيوفُ وعلّتِ

وغودِر في الصحراءِ لحماً مبدّداً وقد نهلتْ منهُ السيوفُ وعلّتِ

فما نصرتْه أمّةُ السوءِ اذ دَعا لقد طاشتِ الاحلامُ منها وضلّتِ550

5. Muhammad ibn Idris Shafi‘i

Muhammad ibn ‘Izz al-Din Yusuf ibn al-Hasan Zarandi, the scholar of traditions[hadiths] in the Prophets Mosque in Medina, quoted from Abu al-Qasim Fadl ibn Muhammad Mustamla, who quotes Qadi Abu Bakr Sahl ibn Muhammad, from Abu al-Qasim Bakran ibn Tayyib that news reached him that Shafi‘i used to recite the following,

تأوّبَ همّي والفؤادُ کئيبُ وأرّقَ عيني والرقادُ غريبُ

وممّا نفی نومي وشيّبَ لُمّتي تصاريفُ ايّام لهنَّ خطوبُ

تزلزلتِ الدنيا لآلِ محمدّ ٍ وکادتْ لهمْ صمُّ الجبالِ تذوبُ

وغارتْ نجومٌ واقشعرّتْ ذوائبٌ وهتّكَ استارٌ وشقَّ جيوبُ

فَللنصلِ إعوالٌ وللرّمحِ رنّةٌ وللخيلِ من بعدِ الصّهيلِ نحيبُ

فمنْ مبلغٌ عنيّ الحسينَ رسالةً وإن کرهتْها انفسٌ وقلوبُ

قتيلٌ بِلا جرمٍ کأنّ قصيصَهُ صبيغٌ بماءِ الأُرجوانِ خضيبُ

يُصلّي على المختارِ منْ آلِ هاشمٍ ويغزي بنوهُ اٍنّ ذا لعجيبُ

لئنْ کانَ ذنبي حبُّ آلِ محمّدٍ فذلكَ ذنبٌ لستُ عنهُ أتوبُ

همُ شفعائي يومَ حشري وموقفي وحبُّهُمُ للشافعيَّ ذنوبُ551

6. Amir Adid al-Din

Zarandi recounts that Amir Adid al-Din Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd Allah Wazir narrates that elegies have been recited about al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (as) and his household (as) that are as lucid as water, rather even more subtle and exquisite, such as the following,

بدتْ کربلا ملأی من الکربِ والبَلا فقوما معي في ارضِها وقِفا نبکي

بها قتلوا سبطَ النبيَّ محمدٍ وباعوا هذاكَ الرّشدِ بالمالِ والمُلكِ

وضاعتْ دماءٌ بالعراقِ عزيزةٌ مکرّمةٌ اذ کانَ راماً من المسكِ

فياويلَ اقوامٍ طغاةٍ تعرّضوا لتلكَ الدماءِ الفاطمياتِ بالسفكِ552

7. The grandfather of Sibt ibn Jawzi

Sibt ibn Jawzi narrates from his grandfather that he used to recite elegies when grieving for Imam al-Husayn, some parts of which read,

ولمّا رأَوا بعضَ الحياة مذلّةً عليهِمْ وعزَّ الموت غَير محرّمِ

أبَوا أن يذوقوا العيشَ والذلُّ واقعٌ عليهِ وماتوا ميتةً لم تذمّمِ553

8. Rubab, the wife of Imam al-Husayn (as)

Abu al-Faraj Isfahani recounts from Hisham that he said, “After the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (as), a marriage proposal was presented to Rubab, the wife of Imam al-Husayn (as). She refused the proposal, and said, ‘After the Prophet’s child, I will never marry anyone.’ Then, she recited these verses while grieving for Imam al-Husayn (as),

إنّ الذي کانَ يستضاء به بکربلاء قتيلٌ غيرُ مدفونِ

سبطُ النبيَّ جزاكَ اللهُ صالحةً عنّا وجنّبتَ خسرانَ الموازينِ

قد کنتَ لي جبلاً صعباً ألوذُ بهِ وکنتَ تصحُبنا بالرّحمِ والدينِ

من لليتامی ومن للسائلينَ ومَنْ يُغني ويُؤوي اليهِ کلِّ مسکينِ

واللهِ لا أبتغي صِهراً بصحرِکُمُ حتى أُغيّبَ بينَ الرملِ والطينِ554

9. ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Hurr Ju‘fi

Ibn Athir recounts,“When Mu‘awiyah passed away and al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (as) was killed, ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Hurr was one of the people who had not participated in killing Imam al-Husayn and had deliberately hidden himself.

When al-Husayn was killed, Ibn Ziyad started searching for the nobles and renowned figures among the people of Kufah but he did not find ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Hurr until ‘Ubayd Allah, on his own accord, presented himself to Ibn Ziyad.

Ibn Ziyad said to him, “Where were you?” He replied,“I was ill.” Ibn Ziyad said,“Was it your heart or your body which was sick?” He replied,“My heart was not ill. My body was, but thanks to Allah, who has now granted me good health.” Ibn Ziyad said,“You lie. You were with our enemies.” He replied,“If I were with them, then you would find me, too.”

Later, Ibn Ziyad became inattentive of ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Hurr. Therefore, ‘Ubayd Allah managed to leave the governor’s palace and got on his horse. Ibn Ziyad asked about his whereabouts. Others replied,“He got on his horse, went out of the palace and is now riding away.” Ibn Ziyad said,“Bring him back to me.”

The officials of the palace followed ‘Ubayd Allah and when they found him, they said,“You have to follow the orders of the governor and return.” He replied,“Inform him that I will never return to him of my own accord.” Then, he rode to the house of Ahmad ibn Ziyad Ta’i where his friends and companions gathered around him.

Then, he left that place and went to Karbala. He looked at the death place of Imam al-Husayn (as) and his companions and asked forgiveness. He then set out for Mada’in. In a eulogy of the massacred martyrs he said,

يقول أميرٌ غادرٌ وابنُ غادرٍ ألا کنتُ قابلتُ الشهيدَ بنَ فاطمهْ

ونفسي على خذلانِهِ واعتزالهِ وبيعةِ هذا الناکثِ العهد لائمهْ

فيا ندمي أن لا اکونَ نصرتُهُ ألا کلُّ نفسٍ لا تسدَّدَ نادمهْ

ويا ندمي أن لم أکنْ من حماتِهِ لذو حسرةٍ ما أن تفارقَ لازمهْ

سقی اللهُ ارواحَ الذينَ تآزروا على نصرِهِ سقياً من الغيثِ دائمهْ

وقفتُ على اجداثِهِمْ ومجالِهِمْ فکادَ الحشی ينفضُّ والعينُ ساجمهْ555

Reference

1. Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 90.

Note:

The references of poems are not mentioned in al-islam.org verion which is used by us. [www.alhassanain.org/english]

Crying

Crying from the Viewpoint of the Holy Qur’an and Traditions

By studying the Holy Qur’an and traditions[hadiths] , realities of weeping and shedding tears become known and various secrets about crying are clarified. We now refer to some of the Qu’ranic verses and traditions which discuss this issue:

A. Qur’anic verses

1. Crying as a sign of perceiving realities

Allah, the Exalted, says,

﴿ وَإِذا سَمِعُوا ما أُنْزِلَ أِلَي الرَّسُولِ تَري أَعْينَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدِّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الحَقِّ يقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاکْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشّهِدِينَ ﴾

“And when they hear what has been revealed to the Apostle, you will see their eyes overflowing with tears on account of the truth that they recognize; they say: Our Lord! We believe, so write us down with the witnesses of the truth.” 1

This Qur’anic verse is an account of the reaction of the Ethiopian King, Najjashi, who had received and welcomed the Muslims that had migrated from Mecca to Ethiopia at the begining of the Prophet’s mission to seek safety.

2. Crying for repentance

Allah, the Exalted, says in the Qur’an,

﴿ فَلْيَضْحَکُوا قَلِيلاً وَلْيبْکُوا کَثِيراً جَزَاءً بِمَا کَانُوا يَکْسِبُونَ ﴾

“Therefore they shall laugh little and weep much as a recompense for what they earned.” 2

This verse of the Qur’an is an account of the hypocrites[munafiqin] at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (S) who used to avoid fighting in battles against the enemies of Islam and also encouraged others to do so, on the pretext that the weather was too hot or too cold.

3. Shedding tears of belief is a sign of wisdom

Allah, the Exalted, states,

﴿ وَيقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا أِنْ کَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفعُولاً * وَيخِرّوُنَ لِلأَذقَانِ يبْکُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعاً ﴾

“And they say: Glory be to our Lord! Most surely the promise of our Lord was to be fulfilled. And they fall down on their faces weeping, and it adds to their humility.” 3

4. Prophets shed tears for Allah

Allah, the Exalted, says,

﴿ إِذَا تُتْلَي عَلَيْهِمْ آياتُ الرَّحمنِ خَرُّروا سُجَّداً وَ بُکِياً ﴾

“When the communications of the Beneficent God were recited to them [the prophets], they fell down making obeisance and weeping.” 4

5. Tears of regret are a remedy for those who have gone astray

Allah, the Exalted, says,

﴿ أَزِفَتِ الازِفَةُ * لَيسَ لَها مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ کاشِفَة * أَفَمِن هذَا الحَديثِ تَعْجَبُونَ * وَتَضْحَکُونَ وَلا تَبْکُونَ ﴾

“The near event draws nigh. There shall be none besides Allah to remove it. Do you then wonder at this announcement? And will you laugh and not weep?” 5

B. Islamic traditions [hadiths] regarding crying

Crying and shedding tears have been given special value in Islamic traditions.

1. Tears are a sign of Allah’s mercy

Amir al-Mu’minin, Imam ‘Ali (as), has said,

بکاء العيون وخشية القلوب من رحمة الله

“The tears of the eyes and the fear of the heart (for the sake of Allah) are among the blessings and mercies of Allah.” 6

2. Tears: Allah’s gift to mankind

The Prophet of Allah (S) has said,

انّما هي رحمة يجعلها في قلوب عباده

“Verily, tears are a mercy that Allah has placed in the essence of his servants (the human beings).” 7

3. Tears illuminate the heart

Amir al-Mu’minin, Imam ‘Ali (as), has said,

البکاء من خشية الله ينير القلب ويعصم من معاودة الذنب

“Crying out of fear of Allah illuminates the heart and prevents a person from returning to past sins.” 8

4. Tears soften the heart and bring prosperity

In his last will and testament to Imam ‘Ali (as), the Prophet of Allah (S) said,

يا علي! اربع خصال من الشقاء: جمود العين وقساوة القلب وبُعد الامل وحبّ البقاء

“O ‘Ali! There are four notable signs of misfortune and wretchedness: lack of tears, hardness of the heart, unrealistically drawn out hopes, and desire to live forever.” 9

5. Tears bring deliverance from Allah’s punishment

Imam al-Husayn (as) said,

البکاء من خشية الله نجاة من النار

“Crying due to fear of Allah brings deliverance from hell.” 10

6. Tears bring about a great reward from Allah

The Prophet of Allah (S) has said,

ما من عمل الاّ وله وزن وثواب الاّ الدمعة، فانّها تطفي غضب الرّب

“Every action and every good deed has a fixed heavenly reward, except tears. Verily, tears extinguish the fire of Allah’s wrath.” 11

7. Tears have the value of the blood of martyrs

The Prophet of Allah (S) said,

... وما من قطرة احبّ الی الله من قطرتين: قطرة دم في سبيل الله، وقطرة دمع في سواد الليل من خشية الله

“… There are no drops more beloved by Allah than two: a drop of blood that has been shed due to sacrifice in the way of Allah, and a tear that flows from the eyes in the dark of the night due to fear of Allah.” 12

References

1. Surat al-Ma’idah 5:83.

2. Surat al-Tawbah (or Bara’ah) 9:82.

3. Surat Bani Isra’il (al-Isra’) 17:108-109.

4. Surat Maryam 19:58.

5. Surat al-Najm 53:57-60.

6. Tabarsi, Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 317, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 90, p. 336.

7. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 79, p. 91, hadith 43.

8. Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, vol. 11, p. 245, hadith 36.

9. Man la Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol. 4, p. 360; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 164, hadith 21.

10. Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, vol. 11, p. 245, hadith 35.

11. Ibid., p. 240.

12. Shaykh Mufid, Amali, p. 11, hadith 8.

The Effects of Crying

Religious scholars and academics have mentioned a number of beneficial effects derived from crying, some of which we will now mention.

1. Inner purification and refinement

People who shed tears as an instrument of devotion to their Lord benefit from numerous spiritual and intellectual rewards because every tear that is shed for Allah while grieving for His awliya’ have extraordinary spiritual effects. That is why the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali (as), in the Prayer al-Kumayl, says,

يا الهي وربّي وسيدي ومولاي، لأي الأمور اليك اشکوا ولما منها اضجّ وأبکي

“O my Lord, Master and Protector! For which of my affairs should I complain to you! And for which of them should I lament and weep?”

And elsewhere, he says,

ولأبکينّ عليك بکاء الفاقدين

“And (due to separation from you) I will weep before You with the weeping of the bereft.”

And in the last part of the prayer, he says,

إرحم من رأس ماله الرجاء، وسلاحه البکاء

“Have mercy on one whose only capital is hope and whose weapon is tears.”

2. Tears are a means of self-building

Crying and shedding tears is a strong and cutting weapon that can help us tremendously along the way of self-knowledge and self-building. Again, this is why Imam ‘Ali (as) in the Prayer al-Kumayl says,

إرحم من رأس ماله الرجاء وسلاحه البکاء

“Have mercy on one whose only capital is hope and whose weapon is tears.”

In the inner spiritual struggle against our internal enemy (egotism), that is to say the Greater Holy War[Jihad Akbar] , crying is the weapon used, not the sword. That is to say, in the battlefield of self-building, shedding tears is the tool, not steel blades.

There are some people who attend gatherings where mourning over Imam al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (as) takes place, but they do not possess that deep perception and discernment which is needed to bring about the flow of tears.

Assuming that they do possess the needed perception and discernment which is needed to cry, if they cannot cry it suggests that they are not blessed with the necessary compassion or softness of heart. Of course, acquiring softness of heart is not easy and is granted by Allah in accordance with our capacity.

From the viewpoint of scholars of ethics, the root cause of most crimes is hardheartedness. When man is afflicted by hardheartedness and lacks compassion, he loses a lot of his natural blessings and talents. The result is that neither will the sufferings of others affect him, nor will his heart beat in love and affection for others.

A heartless man finds no inclination in himself to pray silently and present his needs to Allah. He does not feel in himself the compassionate disposition to give and receive love and affection. Clearly, one of the best ways to prevent and treat the affliction of hardheartedness is shedding tears and crying.

3. Tears are a means of attaining love

Love literally means fond affection and devotion. The renowned traditionalist Muhaddith Qummi says,“Love is an excess of affection.” 1

After gaining knowledge and enlightenment, it is beyond doubt that crying or shedding tears is one of the best tools or means required for man to bond with true love - which is devotion to the Beloved of the Worlds, Allah the Most High.

It is for this reason that no matter how eager a person might be to reach out and find reality and truth, he will never bring about a successful and effective spiritual transformation within himself unless he seeks help from tears.

The tongue expresses wisdom and intellect while the eyes express the love that is felt in the heart and dwells in the soul. Love is always present where tears, arising from feelings of pain and heartache, are shed whereas the mind is the active agent wherever the tongue searches for orderly and logical sentences to express itself.

Therefore, just as logical and compelling discourses can show the unity that exists between the aims of the leaders of a particular school of thought and the speaker, a tear too can declare an emotional war against the enemies of a school of thought.

William Shakespeare, the erudite English writer and poet, says that thoughts, dreams, heartache, hopes, and tears are inseparable from love.

In another place, he says,“Love that is cleansed by tears will forever remain pure, clean and beautiful.” 2

Victor Hugo, the famous western writer, says,“Happy and prosperous is he whom God has granted a heart that has the capacity for burning love and compassion.” 3

4. The effects of crying on man’s health

Researchers of the empirical and medical sciences believe that tears possess special medical properties, some of which we will now mention:

1. As tears flow, an enzyme is released that disinfects the eyes and all the surrounding parts.

2. According to conducted medical tests, those who cry more suffer less from gastritis and ulcers.

3. Scholars are of the belief that crying has very beneficial and surprising effects in reducing inner pain and spiritual, mental or psychological pressures.

4. Some diseases can be identified through examination of tears because tears that flow from the eyes are a substance that has been filtered or sieved from the body’s blood, and therefore making use of this substance can help us identify different types of disorders.

References

1. Safinah al-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 197.

2. Chekideh-ye Andisheh-ha (A Summary of Thoughts), p. 250.

3. Ibid.

The Reasoning behind Crying about the Sufferings of the awliya’ of Allah

Crying out of sorrow for the awliya’ of Allah, especially the Doyen of Martyrs, Aba ‘Abd Allah al-Husayn (as), is compatible with sound logic and reason. Shedding tears for the Ahl al-Bayt (as) has many positive effects and benefits, some of which we will now refer to:

1. Crying for the Ahl al-Bayt, especially Imam al-Husayn (as), is one of the important ways of manifesting one’s love for them, which (as shown in previous chapters) has been ordered by Allah and is also confirmed by logic and reason.

2. Shedding tears is one of the ways to venerate the signs of Allah, because by crying we show our compassion and acceptance of the purpose and struggle of the Ahl al-Bayt (as).

3. Crying for al-Husayn (as) is a means of repentance. Shedding tears for Imam al-Husayn (as) is a means of returning to that which is all-good and pure, because there is no personal interest involved in crying for Imam al-Husayn (as). On the contrary, we shed tears for him because he is the child of Allah’s Prophet (S) and because his essence and nature possesses all the beautiful attributes.

We cry for Imam al-Husayn (as) because he was oppressed, wronged and martyred on a mission to revive the religion of Allah. Crying for such people is in reality an act of repentance and gaining proximity with that which is all-good and pure. It has been recounted in Islamic traditions[hadiths] that Paradise becomes incumbent upon every person who cries, incites others to cry, or forces oneself to cry for Imam al-Husayn (as) because this type of crying is an act of remorse and returning to Allah, the Exalted.

4. As long as man has not examined his inner conscience and spirit and by means of such introspection gotten in contact with the awliya’ of Allah, especially Imam al-Husayn (as), his heart cannot break and his tears cannot flow. Crying for Imam al-Husayn (as) is a means for a limited human being to get in contact with an infinite being by way of internal intuition. It is clear that through such connection, a limited being can become unlimited. A good example of this is a limited amount of water that collects in a place. If it is not attached to an unlimited sea, it either becomes polluted or dries up, due to the intensity of heat, in a very short period of time. However, if it is connected to an unlimited sea, it will acquire the properties of the sea water and will become immune and unsusceptible to microbes, contamination and drying up.

5. Crying for the oppressed moves man’s emotions and awakens his compassion. It makes him a defender of the downtrodden. Shedding tears is more effective when a person cries for is an infallible person and a ‘Trust of Allah’ on earth or a successor of the Holy Prophet (S), who is the possessor of divine law[shari‘ah] . In this case, man becomes a defender of divine law. Such a man is able to defend the oppressed and downtrodden. It is for this reason that the Shi‘ahs of the Ahl al-Bayt (as), by utilizing and benefiting from this great elixir of life - shedding tears for the oppression and wrong committed against the Doyen of Martyrs, Imam al-Husayn (as) - have historically been the persistent helpers and protectors of the oppressed.

6. Crying for the awliya’ and trustees of Allah, especially Imam al-Husayn (as), is a tranquilizer for those sick at heart. Crying for the awliya’ of Allah soothes the soul because the oppression and sufferings that were imposed upon the awliya’ of Allah are like hot flames of fire and tears shed for them are gifts from a heart which is burning with love and affection. These drops go far in extinguishing those flames.

7. Shedding tears, especially for the awliya’ of Allah, causes the heart to become tender and keeps man away from hardheartedness. It lays the foundation for the light of Allah to enter freely and settle in the heart, because tears that are shed for good reason polish the rust out of man’s heart.

8. Shedding tears for Imam al-Husayn (as) is a kind of practical struggle against tyrants; that is to say, by crying we express our disgust with the tyrants’ ways, just like when Fatimah al-Zahra (as) cried a lot after her beloved father (S) passed away and the event of“Saqifah” came to pass. The purpose of her crying was to make the people contemplate the reason for the sadness and tears of the daughter of the Holy Prophet (S) and ask themselves why Fatimah al-Zahra (as) was crying in spite of the fact that the Ahl al-Bayt (as) had been, up to that time, role models of forebearance, firmness and perseverance.

9. Shedding tears for Ahl al-Bayt (as), especially the Doyen of Martyrs, Imam al-Husayn (as), is an announcement of support for the continuation and revival of the way of those great people. It is also a clear announcement that throughout history we are and will continue to be opposed to Yazid and all tyrants like Yazid and also that we are aligned with and obey Imam al-Husayn (as) and those like al-Husayn in our own time, as well as their ideals and mottos.