As in every year, on the evening of the tenth of Muharram 1443 AH (August 19, 2021), the house of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq Husseini Shiraz, may God grant him long life, in the holy city of Qom hosted a gathering of Hussaini mourners who had gathered to benefit from his guidance.
In this warm and cordial meeting, the Grand Ayatollah delivered appropriate and worthy guidance, which his Eminence stated:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon
May God increase our rewards and yours for our calamity concerning Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), and may He make us and you among those who seek his revenge with his guardian, Imam Mahdi, from the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and may God hasten his noble advent.
I offer my condolences for this immense tragedy, the martyrdom of the leader and chief of martyrs, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), and his loyal relatives and companions, and the captivity of his pure family, to the lofty and exalted position of the supreme divine authority and the great Imamate, His Holiness the Wali al-Asr, the Promised Mahdi (may God hasten his noble advent).
Truly, this calamity is unparalleled in God's history, although God Almighty is eternal and everlasting, and in technical terms, history has no meaning for Him. But figuratively, we use such an expression about the uniqueness of the mourning for Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), which is mentioned in the narrations from the Imams (peace be upon them) regarding the greatness and heaviness of the tragedy of Ashura, to the extent that this calamity weighs heavily on the heavens, the earth, the jinn, and the angels.
Offering our condolences to the presence of His Holiness Hujjat (may God hasten his noble advent), we ask God Almighty to hasten his advent. We hope that he will come as soon as possible and take revenge for all the injustices that have occurred, at the forefront of which is the revenge for the heart-rending tragedy of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). Today, many people in the world suffer from various kinds of oppression. May all these injustices be eliminated with the appearance of His Holiness.
We also offer our condolences for this great tragedy, which has wounded the hearts of the heavenly and earthly beings, to all the believing men and women of the world. And I consider it my duty to thank and appreciate all the honorable people who held the sacred Hussaini rituals in this year's Ashura decade, and who worked and encouraged it, and I pray for them. Among them, whoever has worked harder and faced more difficulties, of course, has a greater reward and value in the presence of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), and how fortunate he is whose status is higher and whose afterlife is more prosperous.
The Narration of Umm Ayman
In the margin of the precious book Kamil al-Ziyarat, there is a hadith from one of the students of Ibn Qulawayh that is very thought-provoking and very relevant to our current situation. The late Ibn Qulawayh was the teacher of many scholars, such as the late Saduq. Among the many students of that scholar, we find the name of Hussein ibn Ahmad, who is the narrator of the aforementioned hadith from Ibn Qulawayh. He, who is testified by the scholars of trajim (biographies) and rijal (narrators of hadith) as trustworthy, like Najashi, mentions the aforementioned narration from Ibn Qulawayh and says that this narration should have been included in the book Kamil al-Ziyarat, but due to the death of his teacher, Ibn Qulawayh did not have the opportunity to do so. Therefore, he mentions it in the margin of this book. For this reason, it can also be claimed that it is not part of that book.
On the other hand, the late Allamah Majlisi (may God have mercy on him), when mentioning this hadith in the book Bihar al-Anwar, quoted its source as the book Kamil al-Ziyarat. Some have criticized him for this reason. There is no doubt that Allamah Majlisi (may God have mercy on him) is more aware of the critics of this issue. We also, following him and due to his scientific accuracy, consider the source of this hadith to be the same book Kamil al-Ziyarat.
The aforementioned hadith is detailed, and it was narrated by the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) when Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) was apparently three, four, or five years old. Umm Ayman later narrated this hadith to Lady Zaynab (peace be upon her). Lady Zaynab (peace be upon her), in the last hours of the apparent life of her noble father, Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him), and in the same state of weakness and indisposition that had overcome him, asks him about the narration. Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) says to his daughter: "The hadith is as Umm Ayman narrated it to you."
This long narration describes the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and some of the events that occurred after his martyrdom. Among them is that after Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) was martyred in that tragic way, Iblis (may God curse him) (the father of devils) flew with joy and shouted happily that he had finally achieved his desire. After this, devote your efforts to creating doubt among the people.
It is worth mentioning that Iblis is the same well-known Satan whom the One God banished from His presence, and from that time until now, he and his aides and other devils who are under his command are engaged in deceiving mankind. Perhaps billions upon billions of other Iblis and Satan help him in this work.
A narration like the above has not been narrated even about the other Imams (peace be upon them), and it is exclusive to Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).
Human Malice
It is worth mentioning that the Holy Quran sometimes includes some of mankind among the devils, when it says: "Shayatin al-Ins wa al-Jinn" (Devils from among humans and jinn). Moreover, in these expressions, it gives precedence to the devils of mankind over the jinn, which is certainly not without reason on the part of the Wise God and His word, the Holy Quran, which is entirely based on wisdom and eloquence, and it points to the truth that the devils of mankind are far more misleading than the devils of the jinn. The hadith mentioned earlier also confirms this truth. Since the important and main duty of the devils is to spread the seeds of doubt and suspicion in the hearts of the lovers and friends of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), we clearly see that some people, unfortunately, make great efforts in this work and try in every way to create doubt in the Hussaini rituals.
This doubt is not necessarily about Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) himself, his existence, and the events of Karbala. Rather, it concerns any matter that is in some way related to him and his rituals. There are always common people who believe their words and are influenced by them. Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), by calling these people "Hamaj Ra'a" (riffraff), has said about them: "People are of three kinds: a divine scholar, a learner on the path of salvation, and riffraff, followers of every caller, inclining with every wind, who have not been illuminated by the light of knowledge and have not sought refuge in a strong pillar."
Those who are aware of this truth have a duty to remove these doubts from the beliefs of the people. This duty is a wajib kifai (a communal obligation), and as long as there is not enough "man fihi al-kifaya" (those who are capable) in the society, it is a wajib 'ayni (an individual obligation) for everyone. It is true that a person may not be able to fulfill all of them due to the conflict of wajib 'ayni, but he should not be negligent to the extent that he can.
Unsuccessful Attempt
The noble hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) about Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) has various aspects and points. As far as I have followed the works of Allamah Majlisi and Sayyid Abdullah Shubbar and their likes, I have not found a complete explanation and clarification of this hadith and the details of its valuable contents.
Studying all aspects of this hadith and its explanation and details can fit, at least, in an independent book. It is worthy of scholars and those who have a hand in studying and researching the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) to pay special attention to this narration and benefit others by publishing a book about it by exploring its contents.
In the aforementioned hadith, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), after mentioning some of the events of Ashura, says: "The leaders of disbelief and the followers of misguidance will strive to extinguish it, but it will only increase in prominence."
The statement of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), "I am the most eloquent of those who speak the letter 'daad' (in the Arabic language)," is all based on principle, and nothing is found in it without reason. In this hadith, the Prophet, at the beginning of the word "وَلَیَجْتَهِدَنَّ" (walayajtahedanna), has used the "lam" of oath. This "lam" alone is equivalent to an oath; that is, it is as if the person has said: "By God that...". This conciseness in the rules and vocabulary of Arabic is called "ikhtizal," and it has its own special uses and connotations. Here, the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) swearing an oath is due to the importance and certainty of the message being conveyed. Further, by using the "noon" of emphatic heavy form, he has increased the emphatic weight of his speech. You know that in the Arabic language, these two "noons," the "noon" of emphatic heavy form and the "noon" of emphatic light form, are brought at the end of verbs to emphasize the speech, and the former has a greater emphatic meaning. In short, by using these two methods of emphasis at the beginning of this sentence, the Prophet emphasizes the importance and certainty of the message contained in the sentence.
In addition, "لَیَجْتَهِدَنَّ" (layajtahedanna) is derived from the root "jahd," which means effort and striving with hardship. Jihad is also derived from the same root, which indicates enduring great hardship and difficulty in defending the religious entity and ideal. "Jahd" is technically a "thulathi mujarrad" (a three-letter root in its basic form), and "jihad," which is derived from it, is called "thulathi mazeed" (a three-letter root with added letters).
Also, by adding a letter "taa" to it, the word "ijtihad" is made from the "abwab mazeed" (derived forms), which gives the meaning of "jahd" and much hardship. By using the "lam" of oath and the "noon" of emphatic heavy form on the verb "ijtihad," the Prophet wants to express the mature effort and extensive endeavor of the enemies of religion in misleading people and spreading misguidance, and indeed it happened.
The main effort of the leaders of disbelief and their misguided followers in destroying the religion of Islam, and the subject that has been the target of their attacks more than other issues from the past to the present, is related to the issue of the sacred rituals of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). This issue is so important to the enemies of religion that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) calls their efforts a "jahd" full of hardship and a continuous endeavor with certainty. Their goal, according to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), is to "erase" the rituals of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), meaning that in destroying it, they strive so that no trace of it remains. But by the grace and will of God Almighty, this abundant effort and ijtihad of theirs, according to the Prophet, "فَلاَ یَزْدَادُ إِلاَّ عُلُوّاً" (fala yazdadu illa 'uluwwan) will not leave any effect or product except for the flag of rituals being raised higher day by day and the name and memory of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) being elevated.
Leaders of Disbelief and their Misguided Followers
The question arises as to who these people are who strive so diligently in the way of destroying religion? Are they from the Jews and Christians? Are they idolaters? Idolaters and many others do not pay much attention to these issues. These are from within the Muslims themselves. A group called the hypocrites, who have always existed. From the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), they have been among the Muslims until our time. The hypocrites, like the Muslims, profess Islam and accept the prophethood of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), but in their hearts, they do not believe in such a belief and always at critical junctures in history and in sensitive events and points, they remove the veil from their disbelief and hypocrisy and harm Islam and Muslims in some way.
These people, who are referred to in this narration by the tongue of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) as "A'immat al-Kufr wa Ashya' al-Dalala" (Leaders of Disbelief and Followers of Misguidance), are of two categories: A'immat al-Kufr, meaning the leaders of disbelief and misguidance and those who, with their thoughts and opinions, create the means of misguiding others, and the second category is Ashya' al-Dalala, meaning the followers of misguidance. These, in fact, have been misled under the influence of the words of the first group. Their number is not small at any time, and they are generally from the same spectrum of society that Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) in a hadith that was mentioned called them "Hamaj Ra'a" (riffraff). Whether these people are at fault, meaning that they have been negligent in understanding their religion, or whether they are innocent, they, with the help of the first category, the leaders of disbelief, strive to destroy the religion of God, and their tool, as mentioned in the narration and as we said at the beginning of the discussion, is to create doubt and spread baseless suspicions among the people. The subject of these suspicions is also about the religion of God. Among these, more suspicions have been created about the Hussaini rituals than other issues. This is the work of the devils of mankind and jinn and the endeavor of the hypocrites and their misguided followers. But with the help of God Almighty, this effort will be doomed to failure, and the flag of God's religion will be raised higher day by day. "فَلاَ یَزْدَادُ إِلاَّ عُلُوّاً" (fala yazdadu illa 'uluwwan).
The use of the word "Imam" for the disbelievers and hypocrites may raise questions in the minds of many. Many scholars and educated people, despite the lessons and knowledge they have learned, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) has called them "A'immat al-Kufr" (Leaders of Disbelief). Just as faith has an Imam, and the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and the Imams of Purity (peace be upon them) are the Imams of faith and truthfulness, so also disbelief and hypocrisy have leaders and role models, whom the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) calls "A'immat al-Kufr" (Leaders of Disbelief). The Holy Quran also says about the Imams of Disbelief: "وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً یَدْعُونَ إِلَی النَّارِ" (waj'alnahum a'immatan yad'una ila al-nar) "And We made them leaders inviting to the Fire."
Now, the Imams of Disbelief, as the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) has told us, are constantly engaged in creating doubt among the people, something that satisfies and pleases Iblis, the father of devils, and provokes the enmity of the Almighty God. The Imams of Disbelief create doubt in all matters of religion, at the head of which are the sacred rituals of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). "Ashya' al-Dalala" are also the misguided who, whether innocent or at fault, follow them.
The above hadith has much room for discussion and investigation. I hope that the scholars from the seminaries or universities will engage in explanation and discussion and present a worthy book in this regard to the Muslims. I have not found such an explanation so far. Perhaps someone from the earlier scholars has done this, but I have not seen anything in my studies and investigations.
The Moment of Farewell to Karbala
"وَلَیَجْتَهِدَنَّ أَئِمَّةُ الْکُفْرِ وَأَشْیَاعُ اَلضَّلاَلَةِ فِی مَحْوِهِ فَلاَ یَزْدَادُ إِلاَّ عُلُوّاً" (walayajtahedanna a'immat al-kufr wa ashya' al-dalala fi mahwihi fala yazdadu illa 'uluwwan) "The leaders of disbelief and the followers of misguidance will strive to extinguish it, but it will only increase in prominence."
This saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was said by Lady Zaynab (peace be upon her) to her nephew, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), on the eleventh day of Muharram in the year 61 AH, when the prisoners of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) were about to be moved towards Kufa. At that difficult moment, Imam Sajjad's (peace be upon him) gaze fell upon the torn bodies of the martyrs of Karbala, and such a difficult state befell him that, in the words of Lady Zaynab (peace be upon her), he was close to losing his life. "My aunt Zaynab noticed that condition of mine."
Yes, the image that Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) saw at that sensitive moment was so tragic and terrible that he was close to losing his life from seeing it. At that moment, Lady Zaynab (peace be upon her), who noticed the unfavorable condition of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), narrates the long hadith that was referred to for him, so that by giving the good news of the appearance of the avenger of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), she might reduce the intensity of his grief and sorrow. There is no need to mention that Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) himself is aware of this hadith, because he has eternal knowledge and has been aware of all these events since eternity. However, this action was outwardly and for the purpose of reducing the unbearable sorrow that had settled in his heart and at any moment, it could take his pure life.
Other instances of Hussaini characteristics
The hadith that was mentioned and became the focus of the present writing, is worthy of attention and reflection from various aspects. One of the points and topics raised in it is exclusively for Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). Therefore, it is appropriate for the noble ones who are concerned with collecting the characteristics of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) to add these cases to their books as well; because the virtues mentioned in it are specific to the Imam and have not been mentioned for other Imams (peace be upon them).
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) endured many sufferings in propagating his mission. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) also spent their entire blessed lives in the suffering and difficulties arising from the establishment and propagation of the religion of God Almighty, and in this way, they also sacrificed their pure lives. In the same way, the other Imams (peace be upon them), from Imam Hasan Mujtaba (peace be upon him) to even the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his appearance) (both in the first five years of his apparent life and until today, which is the target of all kinds of accusations and unfounded words about his existence, appearance and global uprising), all faced many sufferings and torments. All our Imams and Imams, in addition to all that suffering, were martyred in the way of reviving and propagating the religion of God. However, with all this suffering and difficulty that they endured, regarding none of them have words such as "وَلَیَجْتَهِدَنَّ" (walayajtahedanna) - with the "lam" of oath and the "noon" of emphatic heavy form and the root "jahd," and in addition to that, the use of the "bab ifti'al" which expresses several times the difficulty and hardship - been used.
Again, about none of the Imams (peace be upon them) and the great calamities that befell them, has it been said that "فَلاَ یَزْدَادُ إِلاَّ عُلُوّاً" (fala yazdadu illa 'uluwwan). The harassment and torment of the enemies does not lead to anything except the elevation of the name and fame of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and his Sharia. This expression has been narrated only for Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) from the tongue of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), and it should truly be considered one of the characteristics of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him); a characteristic that is only specific to him and his holy rituals and his lofty ideal.
The Prophet of God (peace be upon him and his family), with all the torments that he saw from the polytheists of Mecca and the Jews and the hypocrites, eventually victoriously conquered Mecca. But about him, such a statement has not been said. Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), although he was martyred in Karbala and, in the false belief of his enemies, they destroyed his path and memory, day by day his fame spread more in the world and the number of his friends increased, and their friendship every year more than the previous year and every time more than before increases. This is a special feature of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).
Two ancient mourning ceremonies
Two old mourning ceremonies were common in the city of Karbala, which later spread to other parts of the world. One of these two was performed after the morning call to prayer and before sunrise, and it has a history of several hundred years. Although this type of mourning was not in the time of the Imams (peace be upon them) and even the era of the Minor Occultation, and perhaps it has not been reported in the centuries after that, yet it now has a long history and has spread widely in Islamic countries, especially Shiite cities. I remember well from the decade of one thousand three hundred and eighty AH that in Karbala, the mourning processions came out after the morning call to prayer on the day of Ashura and performed this enthusiastic mourning.
Another mourning ceremony, which does not reach the age of the first, but has at least two to three hundred years of history, is the mourning of Twayrij, which was performed in the afternoon of the day of Ashura. I have also seen this mourning closely and participated in it in Karbala. This mourning, which was done in the form of a mourning procession running, started from Imam Ali Street (peace be upon him). Then they would come towards Souq al-Arab, and after passing through Imam Hussein Square (peace be upon him) (Imam Hussein Circle), while beating their heads and chests, they would run to the holy shrine of Aba Abdullah (peace be upon him). Then the crowd of mourners would enter from the door of Qazi al-Hajat, and in the same state and hastily and running, they would pass with difficulty from the narrow corridor there, which perhaps its width does not exceed four or five meters.
At that time, that is, the decade of one thousand three hundred and eighty AH, there were a total of seven mourning processions in Karbala, and their population reached about a thousand people. When this population suddenly and hastily reached this narrow corridor, naturally the crowding of people was somewhat difficult. Also, in their previous route, they would pass through narrow streets, where again the crowd of mourners would put pressure on each other. This whole mourning perhaps did not last more than twenty minutes, but the appearance of the mourners and the rush of their running and the beating on the chest and head and the slogans they chanted would shake the hearts of every passerby and viewer with sorrow.
How many books were written against the mourning of Twayrij and how many announcements were distributed. Today, they are still writing books against this mourning, which is performed on the morning of Ashura, and they are still creating obstacles in this sacred ritual. They have constantly lied and created doubt and sophistry against these mourning ceremonies, but this is how it is, and we see that year by year the enthusiasm and popularity of these mourning ceremonies in different cities of the world is increasing. "فَلاَ یَزْدَادُ إِلاَّ عُلُوّاً" (fala yazdadu illa 'uluwwan).
These doubts and suspicions about this type of mourning were not until the beginning of the eighties of the Hijri calendar. These mourning ceremonies were held extensively in the cities of Najaf, Karbala, Kadhimiya and Samarra. Doubts and suspicions were after the coming to power of the Republic government in Iraq, that is, around the year one thousand three hundred and ninety AH, when the whispers of doubt and criticism against the mourning ceremonies were heard, and some sick-hearted people tried to diminish these rituals by publishing books or announcements, but it was of no avail.
I remember very well that in that period, the mourning processions of Karbala reached seven processions, and if we consider the population of each procession to be one hundred people, a little more or less, the total population of the mourners perhaps reached a figure equal to a thousand people, and the mourning was held with enthusiasm and fervor. Today, according to reports that some officials in the city of Karbala have given, the number of mourning processions of this ritual on the morning of Ashura has multiplied several times. This statistic is not at all comparable with the seven processions at the beginning of the eighties of the Hijri century in the previous century. The growth of the mourners' population was something that no one could ever have imagined at that time. The sudden presence of this population in a not-so-large city like Karbala creates a great commotion and reminds us of nothing but this sentence from the above narration that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said about the mourning of his son Imam Hussein (peace be upon him): "فَلاَ یَزْدَادُ إِلاَّ عُلُوّاً" (fala yazdadu illa 'uluwwan) "It will only increase in prominence." Obstructions and doubts do not benefit, and the flag of Hussaini mourning is raised higher day by day on the horizons of the world.
What has been said was all in the description of the mourning ceremonies of the holy city of Karbala. The rest of the cities of Iraq, from Najaf Ashraf and Kadhimiya and Samarra and other surrounding areas such as Muntafak (Nasiriya) and Samawah, to even Basra and in far and near villages as well, this ritual of the morning of Ashura is held, and also in many other parts of the world. Therefore, counting the mourning processions and their mourners is not an easy task and in the end, it comes to a million-strong number. These are nothing but the realization of the promise of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) who said: "فَلاَ یَزْدَادُ إِلاَّ عُلُوّاً" (fala yazdadu illa 'uluwwan) "It will only increase in prominence."
Black Questions
"یجرّبون حظهم مع الحسین (علیه السلام)" (yujarribun hazzahum ma'a al-Hussein (peace be upon him)) "They are testing their luck with Hussein (peace be upon him)." This is a saying on the tongues of the Iraqis; that is, let them experiment more with Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). Everyone, in proportion to the benefit they have with their behavior and actions and their orientation towards Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), will have the same effect on their destiny. The current of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and his vast apparatus is beyond being contained in this short writing.
Some short-sighted people, with their immature wisdom, weigh the issues of mourning for Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) in their minds and consider some of them, God forbid, irrational and far from reason, and they forbid people from doing it. The thinking of these people is generally based on lies and sophistry, in such a way that if you follow their reasons, you will realize their sophistry. Only "the Book of God and my Ahl al-Bayt" are free from lies and sophistry, otherwise others are contaminated by these two vices.
Some time ago, one of the Nasibis uttered baseless words about Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), which I do not like to mention here. The speaker of this statement, which also had a wide reflection in the virtual spaces, attributed his words to the book Safinat al-Bihar of the late Sheikh Abbas Qummi (may God have mercy on him).
I referred to this book and reviewed the chapters related to Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), but I did not find any trace of that narration. Well, I consider such actions to be among my duties. I thoroughly examined the book on this subject, but as much as I searched, I did not find the narration that the person claimed.
A few years ago, a similar incident happened and caused a lot of noise. One of the Nasibis doubted the sacred existence of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) and claimed that he was not born at all, and he based his claim on one of the books of the late Saduq (may God have mercy on him). I did not have that book of Sheikh Saduq. I requested it and they brought it to me, and I carefully studied the place of his reference. The author never said such a thing. The matter was completely the opposite. The late Saduq in that book mentioned the claims of some deniers of Imam Hujjat (may God hasten his appearance) and then answered them one by one accurately and completely. He brought both the questions and the doubts and his own answers. That Nasibi person took the doubts raised in the book of Saduq, which he refuted there with his detailed answers, from the mentioned book and claimed that the late Saduq believed such a thing and, God forbid, denied the existence of Imam Qa'im (may God hasten his appearance). Which, of course, is completely the opposite, and such a claim has no other basis except lies and deceit. The late Saduq refutes that false claim with evidence and narration, but that person attributes the same words that the late Saduq quoted from the people of falsehood to Sheikh Saduq himself. These doubts are mainly of this kind. It is enough to follow the matter a little and find its origin. You will easily uncover their lies and blackness.
Four hundred thousand dirhams for forging a hadith
After the martyrdom of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), as historians and narrators of the general public have also pointed out, they lied a lot about him and created many innovations in his religion. From the saying "مَا تَرَکْنَاهُ صَدَقَةٌ" (ma taraknahu sadaqah) "We did not leave it as charity" which the first caliph forged to usurp the right of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) and falsely attributed it to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), to thousands of false narrations and rulings that the forger narrators made for the satisfaction of the rulers of the time and their interests, and spread them among the people. All these had a major share in the misguidance and deviation of the Islamic society.
Samra ibn Jundab was the owner of the same famous palm tree that, in a story with the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), he argued with him about it, and the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was ready to guarantee him paradise in exchange for abandoning that palm tree, but he did not accept, and in the end, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), seeing that Samra would not give up ownership of that palm tree in any way, based on the rule of "لا ضرر ولا ضرار فی الإسلام" (la darar wa la dirar fi al-Islam) "There should be no harm nor reciprocation of harm in Islam" ordered that his palm tree be cut down and thrown in front of him, so as to prevent the harm that was caused by that palm tree to the owner of the house. Now, Muawiyah tempted this person with four hundred thousand dirhams and asked him to go on the pulpit and say that the verse that was revealed in condemnation of Ibn Muljam, the killer of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), he heard from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) that it was about Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), and the verse that was revealed in praise of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), he also heard from the tongue of the Prophet of God (peace be upon him and his family) that it was about Ibn Muljam (may God curse him). He also took the four hundred thousand dirhams and fulfilled Muawiyah's request. This matter is recorded in historical books. At that time, they would buy a sheep for ten dirhams, meaning that the amount was money equivalent to forty thousand sheep. This is also by way of approximation to the mind so that the reader may understand what an exorbitant amount Muawiyah was spending in the way of distorting the religion, even the occasion of the revelation of a verse.
More accurate knowledge of the rituals
The argument that a particular type of mourning, such as chest-beating, chain-beating, and so on, was not in the time of the Imams (peace be upon them) and therefore should not be done, is fundamentally wrong. This is a false argument and no jurist or jurisprudent will ever be found to argue in this way. In the time of the Imams (peace be upon them), someone would recite poetry in mourning for Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and those present in the gathering would cry. But this will not be a reason to reject all kinds of mourning that have arisen over the years in accordance with customs and different environments and societies. All of these, because it is the glorification of the sacred rituals of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and, as the Quran says, is a proof of the piety of hearts, should be done, and in these thousand and approximately one hundred years that have passed since the time of the Minor Occultation, no jurist has issued a ruling on their prohibition or has taken issue with them.
This also includes some newly emerged matters that perhaps a hundred years ago, more or less, there was no trace of them, but today they have become part of the rituals. Issues such as the reception of Muharram are of this type. I myself recently heard someone mocking this issue.
This person, without a doubt, if he had read the Sharia correctly and with understanding, would not have uttered such a false claim. Are things like telephones and airplanes and thousands of other new things that man has created over time in the time of the Imams (peace be upon them)? Obviously not. All these came into being later and over time, and none of them can be banned because they were not in the time of the Imams (peace be upon them), and their use cannot be considered contrary to the Sharia.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), with a good understanding of these people, has given them the name "Imams of Disbelief"; because they were causing the misguidance of a large number of people who unknowingly and due to ignorance follow them; the same people whom the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in the mentioned narration calls "Followers of Misguidance," and Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) in a narration that was mentioned calls them "riffraff": "وَهَمَجٌ رَعَاعٌ، أَتْبَاعُ کُلِّ نَاعِقٍ یَمِیلُونَ مَعَ کُلِّ رِیحٍ..." (wa hamajun ra'a'un, attba'u kulli na'iqin yamiluna ma'a kulli rihin...) "And riffraff, followers of every caller, inclining with every wind..."
The fact is that anything that is recognized as part of the rituals in custom, even if a long time has not passed since its production and appearance, and provided that it is not among the forbidden things, is one of the sacred rituals; because it leads to the glorification of the Imam.
If someone claims that these ceremonies are forbidden as a secondary matter, this is nothing more than a claim and is completely rejected. "Custom" is the criterion for determining the rituals. Any ritual in which there is no forbidden act and by which Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) is glorified - that is, this matter is known and recognized in terms of society - is, of course, one of the rituals, and its performance, according to the Holy Quran, is the cause and sign of the piety of hearts.
Collecting money for holding the mourning of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) is of this type; because not everyone has the financial ability to do this, so what is wrong with some people participating in collecting money?! Giving loans for holding the mourning of the Imam (peace be upon him) is also one of the rituals. Going to the Arbaeen pilgrimage also has a similar situation, although in the time of the Imams (peace be upon them) and going to visit Karbala during the Arbaeen season in this form and with this huge crowd was not historically documented. In the narrations, there is mention of the honor of Jabir, the famous companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), with his slave during this season to the grave of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). But this matter did not remain in this scarcity, and over time and the expansion of the population of the Imam's lovers (peace be upon him), it has become one of his rituals, and its revival is very important and highly rewarding.
Reviving the sacred rituals of Imam Aba Abdullah al-Hussein (peace be upon him) is of utmost importance today. Actions such as collecting money and publishing books and CDs, in multiple languages, both in Iraq and outside of it, and many other related matters that are in line with the revival of the Imam's rituals (peace be upon him) must be done.
Iraq, the land of Hussaini mourners
In the meantime, it is appropriate to once again thank and appreciate those who strive to revive the Hussaini rituals, especially the people of Iraq, who are the hosts of the mourners of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) during the Arbaeen season and do this in the best way every year. I hope that others will also learn from the people of Iraq and their steadfastness in holding the rituals, of which there are many stories throughout history. The pilgrims of Karbala and those who hold the mourning of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) in this city have been repeatedly subjected to oppression and injustice throughout history. During the Ba'ath regime, they killed the Imam's pilgrims with tanks. In the year ninety or ninety-something, they bombed them with airplanes.
One of the residents of the countries around Iraq who was present in one of those tragic incidents, came here after the fall of Saddam and others saw him. This person, who was a direct witness to those events, narrated that they were attacked with tanks and airplanes, and a large number of the Imam's mourners were killed in this attack. He, too, who was hit, fell among the dead. After that attack, they would pick up the bodies with a bulldozer and throw them somewhere between Najaf and Karbala. After hours, it seems that he regains consciousness in the middle of the night and realizes what has happened to him. Then he takes the road to the city and manages to get himself somewhere with difficulty. Such attacks on pilgrims and their beating and killing have occurred many times in history, and many lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) lost their lives in them.
Even one person
In this regard, mentioning a narration that the late Allamah Majlisi (may God have mercy on him) and Sheikh Abbas Qummi (may God have mercy on him) have mentioned in their books is not inappropriate.
One of those present in the desert of Karbala who was with the enemy's army from Kufa and did not take up a sword and did not participate in the war at all, neither in the killing of the Imam and his companions nor in the captivity of his family, this person who was standing in a corner and witnessing the tragic events of the day of Ashura, at night and in the middle of the night, wakes up from sleep screaming. In an instant, his eyes burn and gradually he loses his sight and becomes completely blind. His companions surround him and ask about his condition. He says that he saw the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in a dream, who had a basin full of blood in front of him. For a moment, he turned to me and said: Why did you go to Karbala with the enemies of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him)?! He says to the Imam: O my lord, you know that I neither struck a sword nor threw a spear nor threw a stone, and I was only standing in a corner and watching. The Imam had a skewer in his hand. He dipped that skewer into the basin of blood and drew it on my eyes and said to me: "ولکنّک کثرت السّواد" (walakinnaka kaththarta al-sawad) "But you increased the blackness of the enemy's army for my son Hussein."
Spending the Imam's share on Hussaini rituals
Those who knew our late father - may God have mercy on him and all the deceased believers - were well aware of his extreme caution regarding the spending of the Imam's share. He acted very cautiously, especially regarding the Imam's share, this caution was much greater. For example, I remember well the clients who owed Khums and the Imam's share and were unable to pay it and would refer to him so that in the usual way that many noble authorities, by fulfilling certain conditions, with an action that is technically called "handing over," would bear the debt of that person on their behalf until they could pay it. Our late father would not accept such clients and would say that if I have it myself, I will accept to give the amount in your place, otherwise he would refuse to accept it and would not accept it at all. Such cases had happened many times, for example, the person owed twenty dinars and asked our father to do this for him or at least hand over ten dinars of it, but the answer of our late father was the same and he based it on caution. Now, regarding the rituals, it was completely the opposite. Whenever they would refer to him for spending these amounts regarding the holding of rituals, he would, surprisingly, set aside his scientific caution and immediately give them permission. This matter was so clear that it attracted the attention of many of those around him. But his scientific and practical approach was like this. And he considered the holding of rituals so important that he considered spending the Imam's share in this regard without any doubt permissible.
I hope that the opportunity to serve in the rituals will be given to all of us and will be increased for those to whom it has been given.
Finally, I have a brief reference to Arbaeen and the sacred ritual of the Arbaeen walk. This ritual is unique in the world in every way, both in terms of the large number of people present in this ritual and the quality of its implementation.
The abundance of food and extensive free services to pilgrims and welfare and medical issues and so on, is an example that can be said with confidence that there is no similar example in the world. In relation to this magnificent ritual, it is appropriate that it be both publicized to the world and that we all strive to make it more magnificent to the extent of our ability and choice.
Another of the rituals that has long been customary in various regions, especially in Iraq, and its antiquity dates back to the time of Sheikh Mufid and Sheikh Saduq (may God have mercy on them) and even before that, is not lighting a fire in houses on the day of Ashura. In these houses - as is customary now - in honor of this great day, they do not light a stove fire for cooking. Today, many families even turn off the gas valve so that the children do not turn it on. Thank God, with abundant charity and feeding, there may be no need for cooking in such areas. This is rightfully a ritual, although it is less mentioned.
At the end of the speech, everyone should strive to do their best to hold the rituals of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) better. The sacred ritual of Arbaeen has more importance and manifestation in this regard. I hope that, as I mentioned last year to a person who had rented a plane to send pilgrims and sent the Imam's pilgrims to Iraq for free, this year he and his like will be more successful and more enthusiastic in carrying out the Arbaeen ritual. I hope that this year's Arbaeen pilgrimage will be held more magnificent and more glorious than every year.
May God bless Muhammad and his pure family.
Machine Translation.
Lecture Source: https://alshirazi.org/news-item/23972?langs=FA
