Before I began to write on the effects and blessings of the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), I pondered if the blood that gushes through my veins will ever, in any era, be able to find its way out through my eyes. Will I ever be blessed to have the power that the blood gushing through my veins will someday spurt out from my eyes, replacing my tears, in the love for the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him)? I wish I would pick up one such drop of my blood and gather the courage to pen something on this topic of extreme emotional depth.
Meaning of effects and blessings
Blessings
During the feast of the clan (Dhu al-Asheerah), the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him and his progeny) designated the arrangement of meals to Ameer al-Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). The quantity of food was not ample enough to satiate such a huge crowd of the people of Makkah. Yet, everyone ate to their full and even after that some food was surplus. This is called Barakah (blessing). Simply put, if a person earns a meagre amount but has a happy family with all their needs fulfilled, this can be termed as blessing.
Effects
It is narrated in authentic traditions that once Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) while travelling with some of his disciples happened to pass through a noisy house. When inquired, he was informed that a wedding is to take place in the house. Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) told his disciples that next day there would be mourning over there because the bride will die. On the morrow, when the disciples came to that place with Prophet Isa (peace be upon him), they found the house cheerful and as happy as the previous day. He (peace be upon him) went to the bride and inquired if she performed some goodness in the way of Allah. The bride narrated that she gave charity to a poor person who came to her door the last night. Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) went towards the mattress of the bride and pulled it over. There was a dead snake beneath the mattress. He (peace be upon him) explained that it is because of the generous act of giving charity in the way of Allah that the bride is saved, otherwise the house would have been in mourning.
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol.4, p. 94, H. 1]If one simple act of giving few alms to the poor in the way of Allah can save a life, so can the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) save people from difficulties and grief, diseases and distress, disputes and conflicts.
A respectable and renowned poet who glorified the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) in his poetries, Abul Hasan Jamaluddin Ali Ibn Abdul Azeez Ibn Abi Muhammad Al-Khil’ei Al-Mosuli Al-Hilli, a resident of Hilla and passed away in the year 750 A.H. is still popular amongst people and his grave is well identified and frequented by people. Qazi Nurullah Shustari (may Allah have mercy upon him) (also known as Shaheed-e-Saalis) (martyred in 966 A.H. and buried in Agra, India) in his book Al-Majaalis, p.463 and Muhaddis Noori (may Allah have mercy upon him) (exp. 1320 A.H. and buried in Najaf al-Ashraf, Iraq) in his Riyaadh al-Jannah have narrated that the parents of Abu al-Hasan Jamaal al-Din were Naasebi. They bore enmity towards the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) to an extent that they took an oath that if a male child is born in their family they would, through him, block the routes of the pilgrims of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and would get the pilgrims killed by their son. When their son (Abul Hasan Jamaluddin) attained youth, he reached Musayyab, a place near the city of Karbala, to trouble and kill the pilgrims visiting the shrine of Imam Husain (peace be upon him). As he waited for the caravan of pilgrims near Musayyab, he fell asleep and the caravan moved ahead. He dreamt that it was the Day on Resurrection and he was being dragged to the fire of hell after his final accounting. But to his surprise, the fire of hell could not affect his body because while he slept, the dust from the footsteps of the pilgrims of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) blew and settled on his body.
[Al-Ghadeer, vol. 6, p. 12]Dear readers, the effects of the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) are immense and this was one of the smallest of effects upon Abu al-Hasan Jamaal al-Din. Rather, the pilgrims had not even visited the shrine of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and yet the dust under their feet was so miraculous that it saved the poet from the fire of hell.
While I still pondered over the fact that the Almighty Allah placed such blessings in the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) I recalled a conversation of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) with Allah the Almighty. Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) asked Allah:
“O my Lord! Show me the status of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) and of his nation.”
Allah the Almighty replied:
“O Musa, you do not possess the capacity to see their status. Although, I shall show you a glimpse of only one of their elevated and prestigious statuses because of which I gave them all the lofty virtues”.
Hence, the divine veils were removed from the eyes of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and when he observed the illuminated effulgence of these virtuous personalities and their closeness to Allah the Almighty he was about to die. Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) asked Allah,
“O Lord! Why have you blessed them with this esteemed status?”
Allah the Almighty replied:
“Due to one quality in them which I like the most and that is sacrifice.”
“O Musa! Whoever from amongst My servants comes to Me in a manner that he has spent a fraction of his life in it (sacrifice), I would be ashamed to account him for his deeds and I shall give him the level of Paradise which he wishes.”
[Tanbeeh al-Khawaatir (famous as Majmua) by al-Warraam Ibn Abi Feraas, vol. 1, p. 173]Now if Allah the Almighty can bless a person who spends a fraction of his life in sacrifice, then for the illuminated ones and the embodiments of infallibility and purity who have spent their complete lives in sacrifice, how can the Almighty not bless them with incredible virtues?
There is no doubt that describing the virtues of visiting the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is not just difficult but impossible. For the benefit of our readers, we would like to quote a few traditions highlighting the virtues of visiting the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), based on various aspects and taken from various books of traditions, with the hope that it may increase the love of his Ziyaarat in our hearts.
- Forgiveness of sins
It is well known that except for Prophets and Infallible Imams (peace be upon them), all human being are prone to committing sins. Sins attract divine punishment and human instinct dislikes being punished. We prefer to be forgiven and let off. One of the best ways to get our sins forgiven is visiting the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), about which Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:
“One who comes to the grave of Abu Abdillah (al-Husain) (peace be upon him) while recognising his right, Allah will forgive his past and future sins”.
At another place Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:
“When a person intends to go for the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and bids farewell to his family, as soon as he places his first step for this journey, Allah forgives all his sins. As he moves closer and closer to the shrine of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), he becomes purer. When he reaches the shrine, Allah the Almighty calls out to him: O My servant! Ask and I will give you, call me and I will respond to you, pray to me and I shall answer you, seek your desires and I shall fulfil them.”
The narrator mentions that it is the right of Allah to provide him whatever this servant has spent for this journey.
[Sawaab al-A’maal, H. 32]- Superior to Hajj and Umrah
Hajj and Umrah fall under the category of one of the most difficult acts of Allah’s worship. This is one of the reasons why Allah has kept these forms of worship as exceptions with trials as a precondition. Traditions have clearly stated that Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is superior than Hajj and Umrah. Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:
“Visiting the grave of Husain (peace be upon him) is equal, near Allah, to twenty Hajj, in fact superior to twenty Hajj.” [1]
[Sawaab al-A’maal, p. 92]Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:
“One who comes to the grave of Husain (peace be upon him) while recognising his right is like the one who has performed a hundred Hajj with Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny)”.
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 162, H. 5]- Angels pray for him
A common complaint in the society today is non-acceptance of prayers ultimately leading to despair. It should be noted that the angels, who are infallible and Allah accepts their prayers, pray for the one who visits the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him). Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) mentions:
“Do not forsake the Ziyaarat of Husain (peace be upon him). Do you not like to be among those for whom the angels pray?”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 119, H. 3)“(Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is) the one for whose visitors, the ones who pray are more in the skies than on earth.”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 117, H. 2]Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) also said:
“Surely Allah has appointed four thousand angels over the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) with dishevelled hair and covered in dust. These angels lament over Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and will continue to do so till the Day of Judgment. Their leader is known as Mansoor. Whoever goes for the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), this leader angel goes to welcome him. All these angels would not detach themselves from this person till the time he is alive. If the person falls sick, they attend to him. If he dies, they perform his funeral prayers and seek forgiveness for him.”
[Sawaab al-A’maal, H. 15]- Importance of Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him)
Traditions emphasizing the greatness of visiting the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) as taught by the Infallible ones (peace be upon them) are so magnificent that the more we ponder, the more we shall experience the mercy of Allah upon us. It is impossible to pen down the true importance of Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him).
- Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is like meeting Allah on the Divine Empyrean
The narrator asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), “What is the reward of the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him)?” Imam (peace be upon him) replied:
“It is like visiting Allah on His Empyrean.”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 147, H. 2]Bashir Dahaan says that he got an opportunity to perform Hajj every year but once he could not go for Hajj. When he went for Hajj the next year, he paid a visit to Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him). Imam (peace be upon him) inquired from him,
“O Bashir! Why did you not come for Hajj last year?”
Bashir replied, ‘May I be your ransom! People had entrusted me with some belongings and I feared that their belongings might go missing if I went for Hajj. So I went for Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) on the day of Arafah’.
Imam (peace be upon him) exclaimed,
“You did not lose anything in comparison to those people who were present on the plains of Arafat. O Bashir! One who performs the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) recognizing his rights, it is as if he has visited Allah on the Divine Empyrean.”
- Increase in lifespan and sustenance
Man always wants to avert death but at the same time knows that it is imminent. The desire to lead a long life is a human instinct. Therefore, we find that enormous efforts are put in maintaining one’s health, be it in the form of discovery of medicines that will help man live longer or anything else. Similarly, man wishes for the best ways of sustenance, likes more money, wants to amass wealth and looks out for comfortable ways to earn. Allah, the Almighty, has placed such effects and blessings in the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) that whoever performs his Ziyaarat, Allah the Almighty, will grant him a long life and increase his sustenance.
Muhammad Ibn Muslim (may Allah have mercy upon him), narrates from Imam Muhammad Baqir (peace be upon him) that:
“Command our Shias to visit the grave of Husain (peace be upon him) for surely visiting him increases sustenance, increases lifespan and keeps away evils. Visiting him is incumbent upon every person who believes that his Imamate is from Allah.”
[Wasaael al-Shia, vol. 14, p. 413, H. 4]Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) admonished:
“Do not forsake the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and command your friends to perform it too, for it grants long lives, increases sustenance, makes life happier, leads to a death of martyrs and Allah enumerates such person among the esteemed ones.”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 152, H. 5]- Cause of removal of grief and fulfilment of desires
It is difficult to find someone not distressed, grief-stricken or anxious these days. Even if we find one, it is impossible that such a person would not have any desires to be fulfilled. Allah, the Almighty, has made Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) a cause of removal of grief and fulfilment of desires.
Muhammad Ibn Muslim (may Allah have mercy upon him) narrates from Imam Muhammad al- Baqir (peace be upon him):
“Imam Husain (peace be upon him) was killed while he was innocent, grief-stricken, thirsty and aggrieved. So it is his right upon Allah that whoever comes for the Ziyaarat of the grief-stricken, the aggrieved, the innocent and the thirsty and pray near his grave with the intention of seeking proximity towards Allah, Allah will relieve him of his grief, fulfil his desires, forgive all his sins, grant him a long life and increase his sustenance. O people of intellect! Take lessons from this.”
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 98, p. 46]- Pilgrim of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) will intercede
None among us can claim that he will enter paradise solely on the basis of his deeds. We are not aware how polluted our actions are, sometimes with hypocrisy, backbiting, envy and ego. The only thing that can be a source of salvation is the love of Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) and the intercession of their lovers.
Saif al-Tammaar heard from Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him):
“On the Day of Judgement, each pilgrim of Husain (peace be upon him) will intercede for hundred sinners upon whom hell was ordained, who were among the extravagant ones (i.e. sinners) in the world”.
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 98, p. 77, H. 36]Abdullah Ibn Shaiba al-Tamimi narrates from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him):
“A caller shall call out on the Day of Resurrection ‘Where are the Shias of Aal-e-Muhammad (peace be upon them)?’ Few necks (people) will rise from among the people whom nobody can enumerate except Allah and they shall stand at a distance from other people. A caller will again call out ‘Where are the visitors of the grave of Husain (peace be upon him)?’ So an enormous group of people would stand up and they will be commanded ‘Catch hold of whoever you like and take them along to Paradise’. Then every person will take along whoever he likes to the extent that another person would call out, ‘O so and so! Do you not recognize me? I stood up in your honour that day’. So he will take that person too to Paradise and nobody would block or stop him.”
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 98, p. 27, H. 34]O Allah! The Mighty and the Most High! Bless us with a heart that holds the love of the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him). O our Master! Let us quench our thirst of the love of your Ziyaarat by calling us to your shrine but increase our thirst so that we keep this love of your Ziyaarat alive in our hearts. Maybe, we might be fortunate to meet our master of the time, Imam al-Hujjah (may Allah hasten his reappearance) during your Ziyaarat.
[1] This does not refer to the obligatory (Waajib) Hajj rather it is the recommended (Mustahab) Hajj
Meaning of effects and blessings
Blessings
During the feast of the clan (Dhu al-Asheerah), the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him and his progeny) designated the arrangement of meals to Ameer al-Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). The quantity of food was not ample enough to satiate such a huge crowd of the people of Makkah. Yet, everyone ate to their full and even after that some food was surplus. This is called Barakah (blessing). Simply put, if a person earns a meagre amount but has a happy family with all their needs fulfilled, this can be termed as blessing.
Effects
It is narrated in authentic traditions that once Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) while travelling with some of his disciples happened to pass through a noisy house. When inquired, he was informed that a wedding is to take place in the house. Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) told his disciples that next day there would be mourning over there because the bride will die. On the morrow, when the disciples came to that place with Prophet Isa (peace be upon him), they found the house cheerful and as happy as the previous day. He (peace be upon him) went to the bride and inquired if she performed some goodness in the way of Allah. The bride narrated that she gave charity to a poor person who came to her door the last night. Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) went towards the mattress of the bride and pulled it over. There was a dead snake beneath the mattress. He (peace be upon him) explained that it is because of the generous act of giving charity in the way of Allah that the bride is saved, otherwise the house would have been in mourning.
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol.4, p. 94, H. 1]If one simple act of giving few alms to the poor in the way of Allah can save a life, so can the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) save people from difficulties and grief, diseases and distress, disputes and conflicts.
A respectable and renowned poet who glorified the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) in his poetries, Abul Hasan Jamaluddin Ali Ibn Abdul Azeez Ibn Abi Muhammad Al-Khil’ei Al-Mosuli Al-Hilli, a resident of Hilla and passed away in the year 750 A.H. is still popular amongst people and his grave is well identified and frequented by people. Qazi Nurullah Shustari (may Allah have mercy upon him) (also known as Shaheed-e-Saalis) (martyred in 966 A.H. and buried in Agra, India) in his book Al-Majaalis, p.463 and Muhaddis Noori (may Allah have mercy upon him) (exp. 1320 A.H. and buried in Najaf al-Ashraf, Iraq) in his Riyaadh al-Jannah have narrated that the parents of Abu al-Hasan Jamaal al-Din were Naasebi. They bore enmity towards the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) to an extent that they took an oath that if a male child is born in their family they would, through him, block the routes of the pilgrims of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and would get the pilgrims killed by their son. When their son (Abul Hasan Jamaluddin) attained youth, he reached Musayyab, a place near the city of Karbala, to trouble and kill the pilgrims visiting the shrine of Imam Husain (peace be upon him). As he waited for the caravan of pilgrims near Musayyab, he fell asleep and the caravan moved ahead. He dreamt that it was the Day on Resurrection and he was being dragged to the fire of hell after his final accounting. But to his surprise, the fire of hell could not affect his body because while he slept, the dust from the footsteps of the pilgrims of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) blew and settled on his body.
[Al-Ghadeer, vol. 6, p. 12]Dear readers, the effects of the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) are immense and this was one of the smallest of effects upon Abu al-Hasan Jamaal al-Din. Rather, the pilgrims had not even visited the shrine of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and yet the dust under their feet was so miraculous that it saved the poet from the fire of hell.
While I still pondered over the fact that the Almighty Allah placed such blessings in the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) I recalled a conversation of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) with Allah the Almighty. Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) asked Allah:
“O my Lord! Show me the status of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) and of his nation.”
Allah the Almighty replied:
“O Musa, you do not possess the capacity to see their status. Although, I shall show you a glimpse of only one of their elevated and prestigious statuses because of which I gave them all the lofty virtues”.
Hence, the divine veils were removed from the eyes of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and when he observed the illuminated effulgence of these virtuous personalities and their closeness to Allah the Almighty he was about to die. Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) asked Allah,
“O Lord! Why have you blessed them with this esteemed status?”
Allah the Almighty replied:
“Due to one quality in them which I like the most and that is sacrifice.”
“O Musa! Whoever from amongst My servants comes to Me in a manner that he has spent a fraction of his life in it (sacrifice), I would be ashamed to account him for his deeds and I shall give him the level of Paradise which he wishes.”
[Tanbeeh al-Khawaatir (famous as Majmua) by al-Warraam Ibn Abi Feraas, vol. 1, p. 173]Now if Allah the Almighty can bless a person who spends a fraction of his life in sacrifice, then for the illuminated ones and the embodiments of infallibility and purity who have spent their complete lives in sacrifice, how can the Almighty not bless them with incredible virtues?
There is no doubt that describing the virtues of visiting the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is not just difficult but impossible. For the benefit of our readers, we would like to quote a few traditions highlighting the virtues of visiting the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), based on various aspects and taken from various books of traditions, with the hope that it may increase the love of his Ziyaarat in our hearts.
- Forgiveness of sins
It is well known that except for Prophets and Infallible Imams (peace be upon them), all human being are prone to committing sins. Sins attract divine punishment and human instinct dislikes being punished. We prefer to be forgiven and let off. One of the best ways to get our sins forgiven is visiting the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), about which Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:
“One who comes to the grave of Abu Abdillah (al-Husain) (peace be upon him) while recognising his right, Allah will forgive his past and future sins”.
At another place Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:
“When a person intends to go for the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and bids farewell to his family, as soon as he places his first step for this journey, Allah forgives all his sins. As he moves closer and closer to the shrine of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), he becomes purer. When he reaches the shrine, Allah the Almighty calls out to him: O My servant! Ask and I will give you, call me and I will respond to you, pray to me and I shall answer you, seek your desires and I shall fulfil them.”
The narrator mentions that it is the right of Allah to provide him whatever this servant has spent for this journey.
[Sawaab al-A’maal, H. 32]- Superior to Hajj and Umrah
Hajj and Umrah fall under the category of one of the most difficult acts of Allah’s worship. This is one of the reasons why Allah has kept these forms of worship as exceptions with trials as a precondition. Traditions have clearly stated that Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is superior than Hajj and Umrah. Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:
“Visiting the grave of Husain (peace be upon him) is equal, near Allah, to twenty Hajj, in fact superior to twenty Hajj.” [1]
[Sawaab al-A’maal, p. 92]Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:
“One who comes to the grave of Husain (peace be upon him) while recognising his right is like the one who has performed a hundred Hajj with Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny)”.
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 162, H. 5]- Angels pray for him
A common complaint in the society today is non-acceptance of prayers ultimately leading to despair. It should be noted that the angels, who are infallible and Allah accepts their prayers, pray for the one who visits the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him). Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) mentions:
“Do not forsake the Ziyaarat of Husain (peace be upon him). Do you not like to be among those for whom the angels pray?”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 119, H. 3)“(Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is) the one for whose visitors, the ones who pray are more in the skies than on earth.”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 117, H. 2]Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) also said:
“Surely Allah has appointed four thousand angels over the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) with dishevelled hair and covered in dust. These angels lament over Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and will continue to do so till the Day of Judgment. Their leader is known as Mansoor. Whoever goes for the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him), this leader angel goes to welcome him. All these angels would not detach themselves from this person till the time he is alive. If the person falls sick, they attend to him. If he dies, they perform his funeral prayers and seek forgiveness for him.”
[Sawaab al-A’maal, H. 15]- Importance of Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him)
Traditions emphasizing the greatness of visiting the grave of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) as taught by the Infallible ones (peace be upon them) are so magnificent that the more we ponder, the more we shall experience the mercy of Allah upon us. It is impossible to pen down the true importance of Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him).
- Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is like meeting Allah on the Divine Empyrean
The narrator asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), “What is the reward of the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him)?” Imam (peace be upon him) replied:
“It is like visiting Allah on His Empyrean.”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 147, H. 2]Bashir Dahaan says that he got an opportunity to perform Hajj every year but once he could not go for Hajj. When he went for Hajj the next year, he paid a visit to Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him). Imam (peace be upon him) inquired from him,
“O Bashir! Why did you not come for Hajj last year?”
Bashir replied, ‘May I be your ransom! People had entrusted me with some belongings and I feared that their belongings might go missing if I went for Hajj. So I went for Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) on the day of Arafah’.
Imam (peace be upon him) exclaimed,
“You did not lose anything in comparison to those people who were present on the plains of Arafat. O Bashir! One who performs the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) recognizing his rights, it is as if he has visited Allah on the Divine Empyrean.”
- Increase in lifespan and sustenance
Man always wants to avert death but at the same time knows that it is imminent. The desire to lead a long life is a human instinct. Therefore, we find that enormous efforts are put in maintaining one’s health, be it in the form of discovery of medicines that will help man live longer or anything else. Similarly, man wishes for the best ways of sustenance, likes more money, wants to amass wealth and looks out for comfortable ways to earn. Allah, the Almighty, has placed such effects and blessings in the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) that whoever performs his Ziyaarat, Allah the Almighty, will grant him a long life and increase his sustenance.
Muhammad Ibn Muslim (may Allah have mercy upon him), narrates from Imam Muhammad Baqir (peace be upon him) that:
“Command our Shias to visit the grave of Husain (peace be upon him) for surely visiting him increases sustenance, increases lifespan and keeps away evils. Visiting him is incumbent upon every person who believes that his Imamate is from Allah.”
[Wasaael al-Shia, vol. 14, p. 413, H. 4]Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) admonished:
“Do not forsake the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and command your friends to perform it too, for it grants long lives, increases sustenance, makes life happier, leads to a death of martyrs and Allah enumerates such person among the esteemed ones.”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, p. 152, H. 5]- Cause of removal of grief and fulfilment of desires
It is difficult to find someone not distressed, grief-stricken or anxious these days. Even if we find one, it is impossible that such a person would not have any desires to be fulfilled. Allah, the Almighty, has made Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) a cause of removal of grief and fulfilment of desires.
Muhammad Ibn Muslim (may Allah have mercy upon him) narrates from Imam Muhammad al- Baqir (peace be upon him):
“Imam Husain (peace be upon him) was killed while he was innocent, grief-stricken, thirsty and aggrieved. So it is his right upon Allah that whoever comes for the Ziyaarat of the grief-stricken, the aggrieved, the innocent and the thirsty and pray near his grave with the intention of seeking proximity towards Allah, Allah will relieve him of his grief, fulfil his desires, forgive all his sins, grant him a long life and increase his sustenance. O people of intellect! Take lessons from this.”
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 98, p. 46]- Pilgrim of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) will intercede
None among us can claim that he will enter paradise solely on the basis of his deeds. We are not aware how polluted our actions are, sometimes with hypocrisy, backbiting, envy and ego. The only thing that can be a source of salvation is the love of Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) and the intercession of their lovers.
Saif al-Tammaar heard from Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him):
“On the Day of Judgement, each pilgrim of Husain (peace be upon him) will intercede for hundred sinners upon whom hell was ordained, who were among the extravagant ones (i.e. sinners) in the world”.
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 98, p. 77, H. 36]Abdullah Ibn Shaiba al-Tamimi narrates from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him):
“A caller shall call out on the Day of Resurrection ‘Where are the Shias of Aal-e-Muhammad (peace be upon them)?’ Few necks (people) will rise from among the people whom nobody can enumerate except Allah and they shall stand at a distance from other people. A caller will again call out ‘Where are the visitors of the grave of Husain (peace be upon him)?’ So an enormous group of people would stand up and they will be commanded ‘Catch hold of whoever you like and take them along to Paradise’. Then every person will take along whoever he likes to the extent that another person would call out, ‘O so and so! Do you not recognize me? I stood up in your honour that day’. So he will take that person too to Paradise and nobody would block or stop him.”
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 98, p. 27, H. 34]O Allah! The Mighty and the Most High! Bless us with a heart that holds the love of the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him). O our Master! Let us quench our thirst of the love of your Ziyaarat by calling us to your shrine but increase our thirst so that we keep this love of your Ziyaarat alive in our hearts. Maybe, we might be fortunate to meet our master of the time, Imam al-Hujjah (may Allah hasten his reappearance) during your Ziyaarat.
[1] This does not refer to the obligatory (Waajib) Hajj rather it is the recommended (Mustahab) Hajj