Association between Hazrat Imam Qaaem (a.t.f.s) and Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.)

One of the days mentioned about re-appearance of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (atfs) is the day of Ashura. While meeting each other on the day of Ashura we have been advised to remember Imam Mahdi (atfs) too and give condolences in the following manner:

“May Allah grant us the highest rewards due to colossal calamity that befell Imam Husain (a.s.). May He include us and you amongst those who take revenge under the Mastership of Imam Mahdi (a.s.) who is from the progeny of Imam Husain (a.s.).”

The 10^th day of Moharram, is a day of severe afflictions upon Ahle Bayt (a.s.). On this day we are remembering Hazrat Imam Muntazar (a.t.f.s) along with Hazrat Imam Sayyadush Shohada (a.s.).This remembrance is enough evidence to establish a strong relation in between our Masters (a.s.).

Imagine an Aimmah’s (atfs) lamentation for another Aimmah (as). In Ziyarat e Nahiya,Imam e Zamana (atfs) expresses His (atfs) sorrow in these words,

“…(Salutations from the one) whose soul is a sacrifice for yours, and whose family is a shield for yours. But as I have been hindered by the course of time and as (Allah’s) decree has prevented me from helping you, and as I could not fight those who fought you, and was not able to show hostility to those who showed hostility to you, I will therefore lament you morning and evening, and will weep blood in place of tears, out of my anguish for you and my sorrow for all that befell you……”

Here one just gets an idea about the pain and grief of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (atfs) for His Grandfather (as).

Now let’s also see the Book of Allah and find out the ayats mentioned in it along with its tafsir regarding the revenge of Hazrat Imam Husain bin Ali (as) through the hands of Hazrat Imam Al Asr (a.t.f.s) which is Allah’s promise and without a shadow of doubt Allah will fulfil it.

Surah Al Hajj Verse No 60

ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبَ بِهِ ثُمَّ بُغِيَ عَلَيْهِ لَيَنصُرَنَّهُ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ

“That (shall be so); and he who retaliates with the like of that with which he has been afflicted and he has been oppressed, Allah will most certainly aid him; most surely, Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving.” (22 : 60).

Ali bin Ibrahim narrated in his Tafseer from Hazrat Imam Sadiq (as), who said :

The Quraysh banished the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s) from Makkah, and he escaped, (hiding) in a cave. The Quraysh chased Him (s.a.w.s), in order to kill Him (s.a.w.s). However, Allah retaliated against them on the Day of Badr. ‘Otbah, Shaibah, Waleed, Aba Jahl, Hanz’ala bin Abu Sufyaan [these men were among the Quraysh leaders who fought against the Messenger of Allah (saw)]’, and many others were killed on that day. After the death of the Prophet (s.a.w.s), (the enemies among the Quraysh) sought revenge for the Day of Badr by killing Hazrat Imam Husain (as) unjustly. After the killing of Hazrat Imam Husain (as), Yazid bin Muawiya (la) read the following poem :

I wish my forefathers of the Day of Badr could see the revenge of the tribes.(If they could see it) they would be extremely pleased and they would say to me, “O Yazid! May your hand never be paralyzed.”

I am not the son of Khindif (the mother of Quraysh) if I do not seek revenge against the children of Ahmad for what they did to us. We killed the elite of their master and we revenged the Day of Badr; so now we are even.

(In this verse), “he who retaliated” refers to the Prophet (saw). “With the like of that whereby he was wronged” refer to the killing of Hazrat Imam Husain (as). “And again he was wronged, then most certainly Allah will help him” (this “help” refers to) Hazrat Imam Qa’em(atfs) who is from among his sons. [Tafsir Al Qummi 2:87].

Surah Isra (Bani Israel) Verse No 33

وَلا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَمَنْ قُتِلَ مَظْلُوماً فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطَاناً فَلا يُسْرِفْ فِي الْقَتْلِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنصُوراً

“And do not kill any one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause, and whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority, so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying; surely he is aided.” (17 : 33).

Ibn Babeweyh narrated from Ahmad bin Ziyad bin Jaafar Al-Hamdaani, from Ali bin Ibrahim bin Hashim, from his father, from Abdil Salam bin Salih Al-Herawi, who said :

I said to Hazrat Imam Reza (as),

“O son of the Messenger of Allah (saw) ! What do you say about a Hadith that is narrated from Hazrat Imam Sadiq(as), who said, `When our Qa’em (a.t.f.s.) rises, He (a.t.f.s) will kill the descendants of the killers of Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s) for the deeds of their fathers. ” Hazrat Imam Reza (as) replied, “It is true.” I asked, “Then what about the words of Allah in this verse, “No bearer of burden, shall bear another’s burden” (39 : 7) ?”

 Hazrat Imam Reza (as)replied : Allah says the truth in all of His words. The descendants of the killers of Hazrat Imam Husain (as) are pleased with the deeds of their fathers and they boast about (these deeds). And those who are pleased with an act are just like those who commit it. Even if a man kills someone in the east and another man in the west is pleased with that killing, he will be considered a partner in that killing in the eye of Allah. Hazrat Imam Qa’em(atfs) will kill them for being pleased with the acts of their fathers. I asked, “What is the first thing Hazrat Imam Qa’em(a.t.f.s) will do after he rise?” Imam (as) replied, “He will start with the Bani Shaybah [name of the tribe that holds the keys of the Holy Kaaba]. He will cut their hands off because they are the looters of the House of Allah.”

[Oyoun e Akbaar e Reza Pg 151]

Ayyashi narrated through his Isnaad from Salaam bin Mustaneer, from Hazrat Imam Baqir (a.s.), who said :

“And whosoever is killed unjustly, then We have indeed given his heir an authority, but let him not exceed the limits in killing, verily he is helped” (17 : 33).

The one who is “killed unjustly” is Hazrat Imam Husain bin Ali (as) and we are his “heirs.” When the Qa’em(atfs) rises, he will avenge Husain’s (killing). He will kill so many people that some will say, “He (atfs) is [exceeding] the limits.” Therefore, the verse refers to Hazrat Imam Husain (as) and the “heir” is Hazrat Imam Qa’em(atfs). “[Exceeding] the limits of killings” means killing those who were not involved in the killing of Hazrat Imam Husain (as).“Verily he is helped” means that verily the days of this life will not end before a man from the family of the Prophet is “helped.” He (atfs) will fill the earth with justice and equity, just as it will be filled with oppression and inequity. [Tafsir Al-Ayyashi 2:289]

Surah Al Hajj Verse No 39

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ

“ Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them; ” (22 : 39).

Ali bin Ibrahim narrated from his father, from Ibn Ab iUmair, from Ibn Moskaan, who said :

Hazrat Imam Sadiq(as) explained the verse,

“Permission (to fight) is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been oppressed, and verily Allah is potent to help them” (22 : 39).

He (as) said: The general population says that this verse was revealed about the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) when the Quraysh banished him from Makkah. However, (this verse) was revealed about Hazrat Imam Qa’em(a.t.f.s), (referring to) the time when he will rise to avenge the blood of Hazrat Imam Husain (as) saying, “We are the avengers of the blood and the seekers of wergild [the amount of compensation paid by the person committing an offence to the injured party, or in the case of death, to his family].”

[Tafsir Al-Qummi 2:84]

Apart from the above verses and many other verses of the Holy Quran, the wish, the longing, the desire, the yearning for the revenge of the blood of Hazrat Imam Husain (as) through the hands of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) is seen in various other places, more relevantly in Ziyarate Nahiya(as mentioned above) and Dua e Nudbha.

Finally we should pray hard for the re-appearance of Hazrat Imam e Zamana (a.t.f.s) and also have a great amount of desire to be alongside Him(a.t.f.s) in His (a.t.f.s) army and also be fortunate enough to help Him (a.t.f.d) to avenge the blood of Hazrat Imam Sayyadush Shohada (as).This will be our greatest admiration and achievement.

Martyr of Karbala – Janab Burair Ibne Khuzair Hamadani (r.a.)

As the month of Muharram approaches our hearts are filled with the sorrows remembering the tragedies and oppression inflicted on Imam Hussain(a.s.) and his family. This sorrow reaches it peak on the Day of Aashura and from the depths of our hearts we all feel that,

Alas!! If We would have been present on that day then even we would have sacrificed our lives for Imam Hussain (a.s.).

 We have also been advised to have such a feeling as can be understood from the following tradition

Imam Ali b. Moosa al-Reza (a.s.) informed (his companion Rayyaan b. Shabeeb) – O Ibn Shabeeb! If you would like to be rewarded just as those who were martyred along with Husain b. Ali (a.s.), whenever you remember Husain (a.s.) say – I wish I was with them and could achieve the great prosperity.

Oyoon Akhbaar al-Reza (a.s.) chap 28 trad 53

However we have been separated by passage of time but that does not mean that we cannot answer the call of Imam (a.s.). Today his 9^th Descendant is in Occultation and we are all aware that one of the task he will do after reappearance is that he will avenge the murderers of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and Janabe Mohsin (a.s.). The least we can do is to prepare the grounds for his arrival so that we can assist him when his re-appearance takes place.

One way to do so is try to emulate the companions of Imams(a.s.) because we know Imams were happy with them. Since the companions of Imam Hussain (a.s.) are held in high esteem amongst all the Masoomeen (a.s.), in this article we will study about one such companion –namely Janab Burair ibn Khuzayr Hamadani.

Burair ibn Khuzayr Hamdani was also known as the Chief of Reciters. He belonged to the tribe of BaniMashriq and was from Hamadan.

(Asadul-Ghabah – IbnAseerJazari)   

Some of the authors of Rejal have referred to him as Burair bin Haseen instead of Burair bin Khuzair.  Burair wasquite aged, brave and staunch worship­per keeping himself awake for the whole night in prayers. He was enumerated among the Tabeein’ (followers). He was popularly known as ‘Qariul-Quran’ (The Reciter of Quran)and ‘Sayyedul-Qurra’ (The Chief of the Reciters). He was a companion of Hazrat Ali (a.s.). His personality can be known by the fact that he was regarded among the respectable men of Kufa from the tribe of Hamadan. His uncle, (the hus­band of his maternal aunt) Abu Ishaq al Hamadani As-Sabeei was a Tabeei’ from Kufa, about whom it is said that for forty years he completed recitation of Holy Quran, once every night and performed morning prayers with the same Wuzoo which he had made for the ‘Isha’ (night) prayers. Nobody in his time surpassed him in worship. Regarding the narration of the traditions (Ahadees), he is considered reliable among the Shias and the Sunnis alike. He was from the aides of Imam ZainulAbedeen (a.s.).  

According to historians when Burair heard of Imam Husain (a.s.)’s migration from Medina to Mecca, he immediately left Kufa for Mecca and joined the handful followers of Imam (a.s.) and finally attained martyrdom in Karbala.   

Survi writes that “When Hur intercepted the path of Imam Husain (a.s.) with obvious harshness, Imam (a.s.) delivered a sermon. After the sermon of Imam (a.s.), Burair said: 

“By Allah, O Son of Messenger of Allah, Allah has obliged us by giving us an opportunity to fight at your side and get ourselves killed with our body cut to pieces, so that on the Day of Qiyamat, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) may intercede for us. They will never succeed and prosper, who do not fulfill the right of the son of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). Indeed their plight will be deplorable when they face Allah. Woe be upon them when they will burn in the fire of Hell and their cry and plea will rise high.”  

A section of historians recorded that when the thirst of Imam Husain (a.s.) reached at the peak, Burair sought permission from Imam (a.s.) that he may talk with the faithless army. When Imam (a.s.) permitted him, he went to the contingent of IbneSaad and addressed them thus: 

“O men! Surely Allah raised Muhammad with truth as a Warner and a conveyor of glad tidings, caller towards Allah with His permission and a bright beacon. The dogs and swines drink from the water of Furaat, while you block it for the son ofthe Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). Is this the reward for the toils and pains of  Muhammad (s.a.w.s.).” 

The enemies replied: “Enough Burair! Shut your mouth, By Allah! Husain should be slain thirsty in the same way as Usman was killed thirsty.”

Abu Makhnaf has recorded a dialogue between Burair and Yazeed bin Ma’aqal, who was from the tribe of Bani Umar in the following manner:

Yazeed: How is your condition, Burair?

Burair: Extremely good.

Yazeed: You are lying, while you were not a liar. Don’t you remember that while passing through the street named Lauzan in Kufa you were loudly an­nouncing that Usman is no good and Muawiya is deviated from the right path and Ali IbneAbiTaalib (a.s.) is the righteous Imam.

Burair: Certainly, I said so.

Yazeed: I testified that you too are among the deviated ones.

Burair: Would you like to come forward for Mubahila (a trial from Divine) so as curse be upon the liars and truth be revealed. 

Then both of them fought. Yazeed attacked Burair but was not successful. Then Burair struck Yazeed’s head, which shattered his helmet and bisected his skull. The sword got struck in Yazeed’s brain. Burair pulled the sword back and said: 

“I am Buriar and my father is Khuzair, and every virtue can be found in Burair.”  

After eliminating Yazeed he assaulted the contin­gent. Razi bin MarqadAbdi attacked Burair. Burair smashed him on the ground and sat on his chest. He cried for help. Ka’ab bin Jaabir Umar Azadi took his men and sprang to his rescue. When they saw Burair they said

“He is the same” Qari’ (Reciter) who taught us Quran in the mosque.”

Then they struck sword on Burair’s back and then came in front and hit him with the sword. Thus Burair was martyred

(Ansaar-ul-Ain, pg. 102; ZakhiratudDarain,pg. 261). 

The narrator says that Razi rose from the ground and shed dust from his attire and expressed his gratitude to Ka’ab. When Ka’ab returned, then his sister or wifesaid, you killed ‘SayyedulQurra’ (The Chief of Reciters), a great crime indeed. By God, I will never talk to you again. It is said that Burair was killed by Bahrain bin OusZabbi (l.a.).  

Lessons from the Life of Burair ibn Khuzair (r.a.)

From the life of Burair ibn Khuzair Hamadani we can understand the following things

1.  A companion of Imam is one who is a regular recitor of Quran. In fact when Janabe Zuhayr bin Qayn was addressing Shimr (l.a.), he addressed him as one who cannot even recite two verses of Quran accurately. From this we understand that companions of Imams(a.s.) were good reciters of Quran.

2. Spending nights in worship is one of the characteristics of the companions of Imams (a.s.).

3. His speeches reflect about depth and confidence of his Beliefs. It shows he was very knowledgeable and was fully aware of what he was speaking.

4. He had the spirit of sacrifice for his Imam and this can be understood from the fact that he was ready to travel from Kufa to Mecca when he heard the about the migration of Imam Hussain (a.s.)

We pray to Allah through the medium of His Last Hujjat (a.t.f.s.) and Hazrat Abbas (a.s.) to grant us the tawfeeq to inculcate these characteristics in our life so that when His Eminence reappears we would be able to serve him. Ameen.

The Wretched Condition of Enemies Of Imam Husain (a.s.) in Barzakh

Kamiluz Ziarat Chapter 108 Tradition no. 2

I accompanied Imam Sadiq (a.s.) from Medina to Mecca. On our journey, we stopped in an area called Usfan and passed by a black, frightening mountain to the left of the road.

I said, “O son of Allah’s Messenger! How frightening this mountain is! I have never seen anything like this on our route.”

Imam (a.s.) asked, “Ibne Bukair! Do you know which mountain it is?” I replied, “No.”

Imam (a.s.) said: This is a mountain called Kamad and it overlooks a valley of Hell, which contains the killers of my father, Husain (a.s.). Liquids of Hell flow under the killers of my father (in this valley). These liquids include Ghislin, Sadid, Hamim that which emerges from the Putrid Well, that which comes out from the clay of Khabal (pus), that which comes out from Jahannam, that which comes out from Hutamah, that which comes out from Saqar, that which comes out from Hamim, that which comes out from Hawiya and that which comes out from Sa’ir.

Every time I pass by this mountain on my journey, I stop and see those Two seeking refuge with me and I look at the killers of my ancestors (a.s.) and I say to them: “Indeed you established the foundations of that which the killers of Husain (a.s.) did. You showed us no mercy at the time of reign. You killed us, denied and usurped our rights and tyrannized our affairs by deposing us. May Allah not have mercy on those who have mercy on you two. Now taste the evil result of that which you brought forth, because Allah is not unjust to any of His servants.”

Sometimes I climb the mountain of Kamad, which is where those two are located and I stand there to soothe some of that which is in my heart and the second one begs and succumbs to despair more intensely.

I asked, “May I be sacrificed on you! What do you hear when you climb this mountain?” Imam (a.s.) replied: I hear the voices of those two. They call out, “Come to us so that we can talk, indeed we repent.” And (then) I hear a call from the mountains which cries out, “Answer them and tell them, ‘Remain condemned in it and speak not to me’ (23:108).” I asked, “May I be sacrificed on you! Who else is with them?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Every tyrant Firon, whose actions Allah has mentioned (in the Quran) and everyone who taught disbelief to the servants of Allah.”

I asked, “Who are they?” Imam (a.s.) replied: The likes of Bulis, who taught the Jews that “…the hand of Allah is tied up!” (5:64); the likes of Nastur who taught the Christians that Isa …”Al-Masih is the son of Allah” (9:30) and who told them that they are three; the likes of Firon (at the time) of Musa who said, “I am your lord, the most high,” (79:24); and the likes of Namrud who said, “I have overpowered everyone on earth and I have killed those in the heavens”; and the killer of Amirul Momineen (a.s.), the killer of Fatima and Mohsin (a.s.) and the killers of Hasan and Husain (a.s.); and also Muawiyah and Amr Ibne Aas, who have no hope of being saved and anyone who incited animosity against us and helped (our enemies) with his tongue, wealth or hand against us will also be with them. I asked, “May I be sacrificed on you! You hear all of this and you are not frightened?” Imam (a.s.) replied: O son of Bukair! Our hearts are not like the hearts of the people. We are Allah’s obedient, purified and chosen servants. We see that which people do not see and we hear that which people don’t hear. The angels come down to us (while we are traveling) on our conveyances. They roll in our beds. They witness us

when we eat, they attend out funerals and they bring the news of that which will take place in the future to us. They pray with us, they pray for us, they place their wings over us and our children roll over their wings. They prevent the animals from coming near us. They bring various types of seasonal fruits for us from different lands and water from every land for us, which we find in our jugs. There is not any day or hour or prayer time when the angels are not prepared (to serve us). The news of every land and that which takes place in it, the news of the Jinn and the news of all angels in the heavens are brought to us every night. Whenever an angel dies in any land and is replaced with another angel, we are informed of it and we are informed about the performance of this angel in comparison to the angel he replaced. The news of all the six earths all the way to the seventh earth is brought to us (at all times). I asked, “May I be sacrificed on you! Where does this mountain end?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “In the seventh earth and Hell is located in one of its valleys. There are many keepers who guard this valley. Their number is greater than the number of stars in the sky, drops of rain, creation in the seas and the grains of soil in the earth. Every one of these keepers from among the angels has a dedicated duty, which he carries out and never abandons it.” I asked, “May I be sacrificed on you! The angels report to all of you?” Imam (a.s.) said: No, they only report to the Master of Affair (the Imam of the time). Indeed we are the masters of affairs over which none of the servants of Allah can rule. Whenever someone does not accept our ruling (about these specific matters), the angels force him to (carry out) our will and order the keepers who are dedicated to him, to force him to (carry out) our will. And if they are among the disbelieving Jinn, the angels put shackles around them and torture them until they submit to our ruling in those matters.

I asked, “May I be sacrificed on you! Can the Imam see everything from the east to west?” Imam (a.s.) replied: O son of Bukair! How can he be the Proof of Allah over the entire earth without seeing and ruling everyone? And how can he be the Proof over people who are not

in his presence, who cannot reach him and over whom he has no power?

How can he convey Allah’s message and act as Allah’s witness over the creation if he cannot see them? How can he be the Proof on the people if he is hidden from them while he has been appointed as the medium between the servants and Allah, so that he carries the orders

of his Lord to them? Allah says, “We have not sent you but to all of mankind” (34:28). This verse refers to everything on earth (not only mankind). The Proof after Allah’s Messenger fills

the post of Allah’s Messenger after him. He is the judge in that which the nation disagrees about, the one who gives people their rights, the one who carries out the orders of Allah and he is the one who justly rules between the people.

And how can the (following) words of Allah be fulfilled if the Imam is not among the people? Allah says, “Soon We shall show Our signs to them in the horizons and within themselves” (41:53). And which sign other than us did Allah show to the people in the horizons?

Allah says, “And We did not show them any sign but it was greater than the other” (43:48).

Which sign is greater than us? By Allah, Bani Hashim and Quraish know well that which Allah has bestowed upon us, but jealousy destroyed them, just as it destroyed Iblis. Indeed they come to us when they are in distress and when they are in fear and they ask us (questions), we clarify their questions for them. Then they say to us, “We bear witness that you are the people of

knowledge.” Then they leave us and say, “We have not seen anyone more astray than those who follow them (Ahle Bayt) and accept their words.” I asked, “May I be sacrificed on you! If the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) was to be disinterred, would anything be found in it?” Imam (a.s.) replied: O son of Bukair! Your questions are (always) about the great matters. Indeed Husain (a.s.) along with his father, mother and his brother, Hasan (a.s.), are with Allah’s Messenger in his house and they are being rewarded and sustained, (just) as the Prophet is. If his grave would have been disinterred during his time, he would have been found there. But today he is alive and sustained and he is with his Lords. He looks at his camp (in Kerbala) and he also looks at the Throne until the time when it is ordered to carry him.

Indeed Husain (a.s.) is hanging on to the right side of the Throne and says, “O my Lord! Fulfill Your promise to me.” Indeed he looks at those who go to his Ziyarat and he knows them; he knows the names of their fathers, their ranks and their positions with Allah and that which they carry along with them even better than you know your own sons. Indeed Husain (a.s.) looks at those who cry over him and he seeks forgiveness for them as an act of mercy and he

asks his father to seek forgiveness for them.

And he says to them, “O those who cry over me! If you knew that which has been prepared for you, your happiness would be greater than your restlessness.” Imam (a.s.) continued, “Indeed all of the angels in the heavens and in the holy shrine who hear those who cry on Husain (a.s.) seek forgiveness for them and they (the visitors) will return without any sin.”

Summary of the Sermon at Ghadeer-e-Khum

The event of Ghadeer is of historical importance in Islam. This event has been narrated by many companions of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s). In fact, Allama Amini (a.r.) has brought this event in his book Al-Ghadeer from 110 companions of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s). Hence, its authenticity cannot be questioned.

In this article we attempt to get a brief overview of the Sermon said by Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s). If one studies this sermon without any prejudice many doubts regarding fundamentals of Imamat will be answered. The one hour sermon of Ghadeer, said by Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) can be divided into eleven parts.

In the first part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) starts with praise and thanks to Allah, the Exalted, hinting at His divine attributes, competence and mercy. It is followed by declaration of submission to Allah.

In the second part, Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) moves to the main topic directly. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) reveals necessity of conveying the remarkable affair concerning Ali ibnAbiTalib,

“He(God) has warned that if I shun conveying what He had revealed to me, regarding Ali, I shall not be considered conveyor of His misson”.

In the third part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) declares Imamate of the twelve Imams succeeding him and in this way he prevented any capricious longing to coming to power for good. One of the most remarkable topics of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) sermon was referring to the general leadership of the Imams imposed upon people entirely and all times. He also asserted their perfect representation of Allah and the Apostle in legislating and determining what is legal and what is not, in addition to other affairs thoroughly.

In the fourth part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) takes Hazrat Ali (a.s.) from the arms, raising him and declaring,

“He whomsoever I was his master, Ali should be his master. O Allah! Accede to whomsoever accedes to him, and oppose whomsoeveropposes him, and give victory to whomsoever supports him and disappoint whomsoever disappoints him.”

He then confirms that perfection of the religion and completion of the divine grace has been nothing other than the religious and mundane leadership of the twelve sinless Imams. Lastly, he asks for the witnessing of God, angels and people on conveying what he has been ordered of.

In the fifth part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) states clearly-

“He who shall not take him [Ali (a.s.)] and his successors who are his sons, till Day of Resurrection and standing before Allah, is it they whose deeds are disregarded in this world and in the Hereafter, and in the hell shall be abiding for good. Their anguish shall not be alleviated and they shall not be respited.”

Thereafter Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) mentions many virtues of Ali (a.s.).

In the sixth part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) draws people’s attention to divine ire. After reciting Quranic verse comprising curse and menace of torture, he declares :

By Allah, the intended in this Verse is none but a group of my companions whose names and lineage I do recognize. But I have been given the order of overlooking them.

Allah, the Powerful the Glorified, did single us out to the beholders of the amiss, the obstinate, the contestants, the betrayers, the wrong and the usurpers from among all the people.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s), then warns against masters leading to Hell.

“Allah and I will be free from such men.”
Symbolically he referred to the people of ‘Cabal and Paper’. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) declares that the Imamate shall be usurped by the accursed people.

If one ponders on this part of the sermon, it will be understood that the position of Imamate will usurped by people who are accursed in the view of Holy Prophet (sa.w.s). It is upon the reader to study the events after the death of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) to know the truth of the matter.

In the seventh part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) emphasizes merits of loyalty to the divinely assigned Imams and cherishing of his Household. After reciting sura-Fatiha, he asserts,

“This surah concerns them – the Holy Prophet’s (s.a.w.s) Household and I. I swear that.”

This implies that people of the straight path mentioned in the surah involved are the adherents of Ali Bin Abi Talib. Similarly, the accursed and the deviated are the enemies of Holy Prophet’s (s.a.w.s) progeny.

Reciting a number of verses regarding occupants of paradise, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) asserts that followers of Mohammed’s family are intended. In a similar manner, he asserts that abiders of hell are the enemies of Mohammed’s household.

In the eight part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) refers to some remarkable affairs regarding the Supreme Baqiyatullah, Al-Mahdi (May our souls be sacrificed for him). He mentions his descriptions and gave glad tidings to the believers regarding his rule.

In the ninth part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) declares:

“Immediately after finishing this sermon, I do call forth upon you to shaking hands with me, as a sign of swearing allegiance to Ali (a.s.), and shaking hands with him thereafter.

I have sworn fealty to Allah, and Ali has sworn featly to me. I am to command you of swearing allegiance to him. This is Allah’s mandate.”

In the tenth part, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) exposes some of the doctrinal rulings. He then says:

“Halal and haram things are more than I can count for you now or explain, for a commandment to enjoin what is permissible and a prohibition from what is not permissible are both on the same level, so I was ordered (by my Lord) to take your oath of allegiance and to make a covenant with you to accept what I brought you from Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, with regards to' Ali Ameerul-Mo'mineen and to the wasis after him who are from me and from him, a standing Imamate whose seal is al-Mehdi till the Day he meets Allah Who decrees and Who judges.”

In the eleventh part, ie. the last part of the sermon, oral declaration of fealty is mentioned. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s)says :

“Allah, the Powerful the Glorified, has ordered me of taking your admission by tongues, in the affair I have determined to Ali (a.s.)”.

The readers are requested to read the sermon of Ghadeer in detail and ponder upon it.

Characteristics of Shia

Meaning of the word Shia and its terminological use

The word شيعة comes from the root شيع to follow, adapt, imitate etc. The obvious question that arises here is to follow whom? If we call ourselves the shia of Aimmah (a.s) then it should be understood how they would want their followers to be like. Here we should understand that the very reason for Shias to adhere to the Ahlebayt (a.s) is the will and repeated instructions of the Holy Prophet (sawa) in the form of mutawatir traditions and the clear verses of Quran ordering the believers to be obedient to the ulil’Amr.

The word Shia in Prophetic tradition:

As for traditions there are countless traditions on this topic we bring forth one from Janabe Jabir (a.s) “we were in the presence of the prophet (sawa) when Hazrat Ali (a.s) entered The Holy prophet (sawa) said

والذي نفسي بيده انهذا وشيعته لهم الفائزون يوم القيامة

by the one in whose Hands is my soul most certainly he (a.s) and his shias are successful on the day of judgement.”

The word Shia in Holy Quran:

With respect to the Quranic verse, The Holy Quran in Surah Saffat verse number 83 says that Hazrat Ibrahim was a Shia:

وَإِنَّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ لإٍبْرَاهِيمَ

“And Ibrahim was most certainly from his Shias”

Under the tafsir of this ayat we read that Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s) requests Allah to consider him amongst the shias of Amirul momeneen (a.s). (Kindly translate this tradition and mail it to Al Kausar to get your gift)

 Tafseer Burhan Vol 4 pg 599, Tradition 8992/ [3]

قال: و يؤيد هذا التأويل- أن إبراهيم (عليه السلام) من شيعة أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام)-

رواه الشيخ محمد بن العباس، عن محمد بن وهبان، عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي بن رحيم، عن العباس بن محمد، قال:

حدثني أبي، عن الحسن بن علي بن أبي حمزة، عن أبيه، عن أبي بصير يحيى بن أبي القاسم، قال: سأل جابر بن يزيد الجعفي جعفر بن محمد الصادق (عليه السلام) عن تفسير هذه الآية: وَ إِنَّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ لَإِبْراهِيمَ.

فقال (عليه السلام): «إن الله سبحانه لما خلق إبراهيم (عليه السلام) كشف له عن بصره، فنظر، فرأى نورا إلى جنب العرش، فقال: إلهي، ما هذا النور؟ فقيل له: هذا نور محمد صفوتي من خلقي. و رأى نورا إلى جنبه، فقال: إلهي، و ما هذا النور؟ فقيل له: هذا نور علي بن أبي طالب ناصر ديني. و رأى إلى جنبهما ثلاثة أنوار، فقال: إلهي، و ما هذه الأنوار؟ فقيل له: هذا نور فاطمة، فطمت محبيها من النار، و نور ولديها: الحسن، و الحسين. و رأى تسعة أنوار قد حفوا بهم؟ فقال: إلهي، و ما هذه الأنوار التسعة؟ قيل: يا إبراهيم، هؤلاء الأئمة من ولد علي و فاطمة.

فقال إبراهيم: إلهي، بحق هؤلاء الخمسة، إلا ما عرفتني من التسعة. فقيل: يا إبراهيم، أولهم علي بن الحسين، و ابنه محمد، و ابنه جعفر، و ابنه موسى، و ابنه علي، و ابنه محمد، و ابنه علي، و ابنه الحسن، و الحجة القائم ابنه.

فقال إبراهيم: إلهي و سيدي، أرى أنوارا قد أحدقوا بهم، لا يحصي عددهم إلا أنت؟ قيل: يا إبراهيم، هؤلاء شيعتهم، شيعة أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب. فقال إبراهيم: و بم تعرف شيعته؟ فقال: بصلاة إحدى و خمسين، و الجهر ببسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، و القنوت قبل الركوع، و التختم في اليمين. فعند ذلك قال إبراهيم: اللهم، اجعلني من شيعة أمير المؤمنين. قال: فأخبر الله في كتابه، فقال: وَ إِنَّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ لَإِبْراهِيمَ».

Who are the real Shias?

Thus we come to know that the word Shia is a very high status for which even Ulul Azm prophets (a.s) longed and desired.

         

 In one another incident a person visited Imam Jawad (a.s) while he was very happy. The Imam enquired for the reason of his happiness, in reply he said that Oh son of the Prophet of Allah I have heard from your father that the right of day is that you be happy when Allah gives you opportunity of charity and goodness and reconciliation between believing brothers, and today I was blessed with helping ten believing brothers from such and such place and all of them were needy and destitute and this is the reason for my happiness. Imam (a.s) replied yes indeed it is like this so long as you do not nullify your deeds of charity or they get nullified afterwards. The man replied how are these supposed to be nullified while I am your real Shia? Imam (a.s) said certainly you have nullified your goodness with your brothers and rendered vain your charity. The person enquired and how is this possible oh the son of messenger of Allah? Imam (a.s) told him read the saying of Allah “O ye who believe! Render not vain your almsgiving by reproach and injury” (baqarah:264). The person said oh the son of messenger of Allah I have not obliged upon neither harmed those whom I gave charity. Imam (a.s) told to him that Allah has only said “O ye who believe! Render not vain your almsgiving by reproach and injury” and has not said do not waste your charity by reproaching the one whom you gave charity nor by injuring the one you gave charity. Tell me which action of yours is more detested injuring the one whom you gave charity to or injuring the proximate angels of Allah and injuring us? He replied surely injuring you and the proximate angel is worst. The Imam (a.s) by you saying that “how are these supposed to be nullified while I am your real Shia “ you have nullified your charity. Do you understand who the real shias are? They are Janabe Hizqeel, Momine Aal e Firaun, and Janabe Salman and Janabe Abuzarr and Janabe Miqdad and Janabe Ammar. Do you consider yourself equal to them?

Have you not injured us and injured the proximate angels by this saying of your? The man repented and enquired how should I say then?

Imam (a.s) replied say that “I am from your lover and devotee (محبيكم&مواليكم) and enemy of your enemies and lover of your lovers.”

Thus we should know that the term Shia is reserved for those special followers of the Imams whose sacrifices we cannot even comprehend.  As for Janabe Salman (ra) the paradise awaits him, he used to speak with the angels had wilayate taqwini, was blessed with ilme gayb, used to eat from the food of paradise. If the readers have more interest in learning the personality of Janabe Salman (ra) should refer to the book Nafasur Rehman fii fazaile Salman of Mirza Noori (a.r).

Conclusion:

One of the best resources the readers could refer to for getting a better understanding of the topic is the book Sifat ush-Shia By Shaikh Saduq (a.r). This book has 71 traditions on the characteristics of Shias.

We shall conclude our discussion with three characteristics of Shias of Imam Ali (a.s) from this book

• The marks of the Shia

My father, Allah may have mercy upon him, narrated to us from Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Ali bin as-Salt from Ahmed bin Mohammed from as-Sindi bin Mohammed that Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) turned his face to the group who were following him and asked them about their beliefs. “We are your Shia, Amir ul-Mu'minin,” they answered. He said, “But I cannot see the marks of the Shia on your faces.” “What are the marks of the Shia?” asked they. He (a) spoke:

The Shia are pale-faced because of staying up at nights, shrunken stomached because of fasting, and dry-lipped because of prayers to Allah. The dust of the submissive covers them (غبرة الخاشعين).

• The best of the Shia are those whose marefat is the most

My father, Allah may have mercy upon him, narrated to us from Ahmed bin Idris from Mohammed bin Ahmed from Ibn Abi Umair that one of the Imams (a) said:

Some of you offer more prayers than others do. Some perform the hajj more often than others do. Some give alms more than others do. Some observe the fasting more than others do. The best of you, however, are those who have the most marefaat.

When anyone of them is spoken of highly, he says: “I know myself better than others do, and my Lord knows me better than I know. O Allah do not blame me for what they say, and make me better than what they think of me and forgive me (those shortcomings) which they do not know. You are surely the knower of the things unseen and the coverer of the defects.”

• The Shia of Hazrat Ali (as) abstain from the food appetite and work for their Creator

Mohammed bin Musa bin al-Mutawakkil, Allah may have mercy upon him, narrated to me from Ahmed bin Abdullah… that Hazrat Abu Abdullah (a) said:

By Allah I swear, the Shia of Hazrat Ali (as) are only those who abstain from the food and desires, work sincerely for the Creator, hope for gaining His reward, and fear from His punishment.

Thus it becomes crystal clear for us that the term Shia demands certain qualities and before claiming this title we should introspect our actions and try to verify if we really should claim ourselves to be real shia? A shia never feels safe from the chastisement of Allah neither he despairs from the mercy of Allah and the state of his heart is always between the two feelings of Hope and fear and he strives hard in this world and tries to tread the path of wara to always please his Master the Imam e Asr and his slogan should be

كُونُوا دُعَاةً لِلنَّاسِ بِغَيْرِ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ؛ لِيَرَوْا مِنْكُمُ الِاجْتِهَادَ وَ الصِّدْقَ وَ الْوَرَع

The Implications of Wilayah on our Lives

The Religion of Islam is built on five foundations: Salat, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj and Wilayat – and there was no call to any of these resembling that which the people were called towards in order to accept the Wilayah of Hazrat Imam Ali bin AbiTalib (as) on the Day of Ghadir.

Moreover the Wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali (as) has been written in all of the previous books of the Prophets. Also Allah the All Mighty, All Powerful did not appoint even a single Messenger except with a pledge to the “Prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (saw)” and “the successorship of Hazrat Imam Ali (as)”.

Now that the importance of the acceptance of wilayat Hazrat Imam Ali bin AbiTalib (as) has been established, let’s evaluate the effects of the wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali (as) in our lives with the help of some traditions:

1. Living the Life of Holy Prophet (saw)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّه:ِمَنْ يَرِيدُ أَنْ يَحْـيـى حَيَاتِي، وَ يَمُوتَ مَمَاتِي، وَيَسْكُنَ جَنَّةَ الْخُلْدِ الَّتِي وَعَدَنِي رَبِّي‏ فَلْيَتَوَلَّ عَلِيَّ ابْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍفَإِنَّهُ لَنْ يُّخْرِجَكُمْ مِنْ هُدىً، وَلَنْ يَّدْخِلَكُمْ فِي ضَلاَلَةٍ

The Messenger of Allah (saw) has said: “A person who wishes to live the life that I (saw) lived and wishes to die the way I (saw) die, and wants to reside in the perpetual Paradise which has been promised to Me (saw) by my Lord should accept the Wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as), because He (as) will never take you away from the path of true guidance and He (as) will make you enter misguidance.”

(Ref :Al-Ghadir, Volume 10, Page 278)

2. Wilayah and Tawhid go hand in hand

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ : وِلاَيَةُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وِلاَيَةُ اللٌّهِ ‏َوَ حُبُّهُ عِبَادَةُ اللٌّهِ وَ اتِّبَاعُهُ فَرِيضَةُ اللٌّهِ ‏َوَ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ أَوْلِيَاءُ اللٌّهِ وَ أَعْدَاؤُهُ أَعْدَاءُ اللٌّهِ ‏َوَ حَرْبُهُ حَرْبُ اللٌّهِ وَ سِلْمُهُ سِلْمُ اللٌّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ

The Messenger of Allah (saw) narrated, “The Wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali ibn AbiTalib (as) is the Wilayat of Allah; love for Him (Ali) (as) is worship of Allah; following Him (Ali) (as) is an obligatory act from Allah; His (as) friends are the friends of Allah and His (as) enemies are the enemies of Allah; fighting with Him (as) is (like) fighting against Allah; and making peace with Him (as) is (like) making peace with Allah, the Noble and Grand.”

(Ref :Al-Amali of as-Saduq, Page 32)

3. Wilayah of Hazrat Imam Ameerul Momineen (as) is Allah’s fortress (Tawhid)

عَنِ النَّبِيّ:ِ يَقُولُ اللٌّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالـى: وِلاَيَةُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ حِصْنِي، فَمَنْ دَخَلَ حِصْنِي أَمِنَ مِنْ نَارِي

It has been narrated from the Prophet (saw) that: “Allah, the Glorious and High, has said, “The Wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ali ibnAbiTalib (as) is My fortress, so whoever enters into My fortress will be protected from My fire.”

(Ref :Jami' al-Akhbar, Page 52, Hadith 7)

4. Exegesis of the Book of Allah

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ فِي إِحْتِجَاجِهِ يَوْمَ الْغَدِيرِ: عَلى تَفْسِيرُ كِتَابِ اللٌّهِ، وَ الدَّاعِيَ إِلَيهِ، أَلاَ وَ إِنَّ الْحَلاَلَ وَ الْحَرَامَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ أُحْصِيَهُمَا وَ أُعَرِّفَهُمَا، فَآمُرُ بِالْحَلاَلِ وَ أَنْهى عَنِ الْحَرَامِ فِي مَقَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ آخُذَ الْبَيْعَةَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ الصَّفْقَةَ مِنْكُمْ، بِقُـبُولِ مَا جِئْتُ بِهِ عَنِ اللٌّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي عَلِيٍّ أَمِيـرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الأَئِمَّةِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ. مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ تَدَبَّرُوا وَ افْهَمُوا آيَاتِهِ، وَ انْظُرُوا فِي مُحْكَمَاتِهِ وَ لاَ تَتَّبِعُوا مُتَشَابِهَهُ، فَوَ اللٌّهِ لَنْ يُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ زَوَاجِرَهُ، وَ لاَ يُوْضَـعُ لَكُمْ عَنْ تَفْسِيـرِهِ إِلاَّ الَّذِي أَنَا آخُذُ بِيَدِهِ.
The Prophet (saw), in his address on the Day of Ghadir: “Hazrat Imam Ali (as) is the exegesis (Tafsir) of the book of Allah and the one who calls others to it. Verily, that which is permitted and forbidden is more than what I (saw) can explain to you; what I (saw) command you as permitted and forbid you as prohibited, is all from one position. I (saw) was commanded to take your allegiance and your pledge to accept what I (saw) brought from Allah, the Exalted, regarding Hazrat Imam Ali (as), the commander of the believers, and the Imams (as) after him. O’ People! Ponder and understand the verses (of the Qur'an), observe those that are clear and do not follow those that are allegorical; for by Allah no one can explain to you its limitations or clarify its meanings except the one whose hand I (saw) am holding [meaning Hazrat Imam Ali (saw)].”

(Ref :Wasa'il ash-Shi'a, Volume 18, Page 142, Hadith 43)

5. The Love of Ahle Bait (a.s) cannot be combined with the love of their adversaries

From Hanash b. al - Mo’tamar, who said: Once I called upon Hazrat Imam Amirul Mo’mineen, Ali b. AbiTalib (a.s.) while He (as) was at al - Rahbah, reclining. So I said: “Peace be upon you, O,Hazrat Imam Amirul Mo’mineen (as) and His mercy and His blessing, how are You this morning?” He (as) raised His (a.s.) head and returned the greetings and then said: “I (as) have entered this morning with love for those who love Us (as) and patience for those who hate Us (as). Surely, he who loves Us (a.s.), awaits for repose, happiness and deliverance every day and night. And he who hates Us (a.s.) has built a structure whose foundation is laid on the edge of a crumbling bank; which tumbles and tumbles down with him into the fire of hell. O, Abu Mo’tamar, he who loves Us (as) cannot nurse hatred against Us (as) in his bosom and he who hates Us (as) cannot love Us (as). No doubt, Allah, Most High, created the hearts of the slaves with a propensity to love Us (as) and has forsaken those who deviated to hate Us. So, those who love Us (as) cannot hate Us (as) and those who hate Us (as) cannot love Us (as); and Our (as) love can never be combined with the love of Our (as) adversaries in one heart. Allah has not assigned to any man two hearts in his chest -loving one group with this heart and loving those who are their enemies with the other.

( Ref : Al-Amali by Sheikh Al-Mufid, Chp. no 27, Hadith 4)

From the above traditions, we can easily conclude the fact that the acceptance of the wilayat of Hazrat Imam Ameerul Momineen (as) effects our actions as well as beliefs like no other.

Arafah

Allah (swt) created this world and decorated it with seas, mountains, fields, greenery so that man may enjoy His bounties. Allah created humans however He made a few excel over the others.

He practiced the same rule for the earth as well and gave excellence to a few places over others. There are places on this earth where he showered His special blessings and rewarded people for being attached to these places.

One such revered place is the plain of Arafaat which is located in Saudi Arabia and is one of the important stations in the entire ritual of Hajj. In this article we shall see the importance and excellence of this place as well the day which is associated i.e. 9th Zilhajj known as Day of Arafaat.

To begin with let us look at its etymology in the light of Holy traditions

In a lengthy tradition in Hayaat al Quloob, it is mentioned that J. Jibraeel (a) now took J. Adam to Arafaat and asked him to wait till sunset and confess his sins seven times. Adam (a) did as taught by Jibraeel and due to this the place was named 'Mo'taraf' or Ma'raf. This practice was established for Adam's progeny. Jibraeel (a) asked him to return from Arafaat.

Muaviyah bin Ammar says that I asked Imam Jafar Sadiq (a) concerning Arafaat, “Why is it called Arafaat” He (a) said: SurelyJibraeel (a) took Hazrat Ibrahim (a) on the day of Arafaat (i.e. 9th Zilhaj) and when the sun was set he said to him. O Ibrahim (a)! Confess your sins and recognize your place of sacrifice, then it was called Arafaat on the saying of Jibraeel (s); you confess and he confessed

(Ref: Mustadrakul Wasael Vol 10 Pg 29)

The mount of Arafaat is a place which the Prophets and Messengers have honored with their presence.

It is mentioned in Hayaat al Quloob by Allamah Majlisi that Imam Sadiq (a) said: Adam (a) was in Sajdah for 40 days on Mount Safaa and was lamenting the separation from Divine Mercy and heaven. Jibraeel (a) came to him and inquired why he was weeping. He said, "Why should not I cry? Allah has separated me from the vicinity of His Mercy and sent me down to Earth." Jibraeel (a) said, "O Adam! Ask forgiveness from Allah." "How should I repent," he asked. Allah sent for him a dome of light at the site of Ka'ba. Its glow illuminated the mountains of Makkah as high as the sanctuary. Allah ordered Jibraeel to mark the precincts of the sanctuary. On 8th of Zilhajj Jibraeel came to Adam and told him to arise. He took him out of the sanctuary and instructed him to perform Ghusl and wear the Ehraam. Then he took him to the Mina and camped there overnight. Next morning they went to the plains of Arafaat. On the day of Arafaat at the time of Zuhr prayers Adam (a) was told to recite the Talbiya and perform Ghusl. After he completed the prayers Jibraeel (a) told him to stand on the plains of Arafaat and taught him the words that he had learnt from his Lord:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَ بِحَمْدِكَ عَمِلْتُ سُوءاً وَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْغَافِرِينَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَ بِحَمْدِكَ عَمِلْتُ سُوءاً وَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي وَ ارْحَمْنِي وَ أَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَ بِحَمْدِكَ عَمِلْتُ سُوءاً وَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَتُبْ عَلَيَّ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيم‏

Adam (a.s.) kept standing and prayed to Allah with sincerely and wept. At sunset Jibraeel took Adam to Mashar and they stayed there for the night. In the morning Adam (a.s) stood on Mountain of Mashar-il-Haraam and prayed to Allah with the words that were taught to him. Allah forgave his sins. Then Jibraeel (a..r.) brought him to Mina and asked him shave his head and again brought him to Makkah.

Since then Allah has made it a place for forgiveness of believers. Any believer who visits Arafah and seeks forgiveness from his Lord, Allah forgives his sins. To support this claim, we would like to quote another tradition from the same book

When Adam (a.s.) was doing Tawaaf of Ka'ba and his Dua was about to be accepted and Jibraeel (a.r.) told him to confess his sins at that place. Adam (a.s.) said, "O Allah every action carries a reward. What is the reward of my action?" Allah revealed to him, "O Adam! I will forgive all those from your progeny who visit this place and confess their sins.

History also relates this place to another great Prophet who has been associated to this revered land and till today Muslims associate them together. Whenever believers go for Hajj or light a flame of going for Hajj in their hearts their imaginations take them to Arafaat and the sacrifices of Hazrat Ibrahim (a). When J. Ibrahim (a) constructed the Holy Kaaba, the Almighty commanded Ibrahim and Ismail (a) to dig a well.

On the 8th of Zilhajj, Jibraeel (a) descended and asked Ibrahim (a) to arise and arrange for water because in those days there was no water in the plains of Arafaat and Mina. The eighth day is known as Yaum-e-Tarwiyah (Day of Tarwiyah) because 'Tarwiyah' means offering of water. Then Jibraeel (a) escorted Ibrahim (a) to Mina and they camped for the night. Jibraeel (a) also instructed him in the rituals of Hajj, like Adam (a) had been taught.

Lastly, let’s see how Arafaat is a place of companion of Imam Mahdi (Atfs) :

An authentic tradition from Imam Reza (a) says that Khizr (a) drank elixir of life and will remain alive till the time of the blowing of Bugle and that those who are dying are coming to us and they salute (say salaam) us; then we hear the voice of Khizr (a) but do not see him. He reaches wherever his name is mentioned. So it is necessary that anyone who remembers him should also say Salaam to him. He comes to Makkah in every Hajj, performs Hajj and stands in Arafaat and says 'Amen' to the prayers of the faithful; that very soon Almighty Allah will make Khizr (a) confidante of Qaem-e-Aale Muhammad (a); that when he (Qaem) will be hidden from the public eye he (Khizr) will be his companion in solitude.

Thus the companion of Imam Zamana (a) i.e. J. Khizr (a) also visits the land of Arafaah and intercedes for his lovers.



We seek Taufeeq from Allah to grant us the fortune of visiting the land of Arafah